D&D General Common gaming clichés (and how to subvert them)

[Mort]

I've been tempted to set up a campaign where the tropes of DnD are just the expected norm.

Everyone is terrified of LG Paladins because they're genocidal monsters, adventures can be found in the popular circular 'Murderhobos of Fortune', adventurers are treated with extreme prejudice etc

I'm totally having A "Murderhobos of Fortune" circular make it's way to The City of Greyhawk the next time the PCs find their way there!

 

[jmartkdr2]

I've been tempted to set up a campaign where the tropes of DnD are just the expected norm.

Everyone is terrified of LG Paladins because they're genocidal monsters, adventures can be found in the popular circular 'Murderhobos of Fortune', adventurers are treated with extreme prejudice etc

I still kinda want to run a full Isekai game where all the pc's and npc's know they're in a game that works by DnD rules, but they meta-characters will die if there's a TPK.

 

[Flamestrike]

I still kinda want to run a full Isekai game where all the pc's and npc's know they're in a game that works by DnD rules, but they meta-characters will die if there's a TPK.

I played a Hermit background PC once who's 'secret' was: 'I am convinced we are all just imaginary constructs, involved in some obscure game, and our actions are determined by the fall of the dice.'

 

[Stormonu]

Cliche: characters are local heroes, loved by all

Subversion: The characters greed or ignorance caused a powerful evil entity to take over the local area/world. Troops of evil and powerful evil entities are everywhere. The characters need to keep a low profile and hope the locals DON'T recognize them, or they'll try and kill the PCs. If the bad guy's minions do happen to recognize the PCs (who they are looking for), they'll turn them over to the bad guy. Thing is, if they do get turned over, he'll reward them for freeing him, in the hopes they won't make trouble for him and would make better allies or underlings.

 

[Mort]

Cliche: characters are local heroes, loved by all

Subversion: The characters greed or ignorance caused a powerful evil entity to take over the local area/world. Troops of evil and powerful evil entities are everywhere. The characters need to keep a low profile and hope the locals DON'T recognize them, or they'll try and kill the PCs. If the bad guy's minions do happen to recognize the PCs (who they are looking for), they'll turn them over to the bad guy. Thing is, if they do get turned over, he'll reward them for freeing him, in the hopes they won't make trouble for him and would make better allies or underlings.

The trick here is to:

1. After "accidentally" freeing said evil, cover up all evidence that it was you;
2. Get the town/city/kingdom to hire you to take care of said evil;
3. Proffit.

Why no, I couldn't possibly be speaking from experience!

 

[prabe]

Yeah, starting with the PCs never having met before is generally ill-advised, whether you start in a tavern or elsewhere. (I’ll admit to it being a guilty pleasure of mine anyway though.)

Eh. I like to start campaigns by getting the characters together and throwing stinky stuff at a fan. I did that once, in a tavern, with the conceit that all the PCs had received letters telling them to be there, then. The letter-sender wasn't there, but there was a problem they needed to solve.

 

[tetrasodium]

This one works best with a newer player who won't recognize things happening
Cliche: Player who is on last round of guard rotation during a rest flubs a perception/spot/etc roll. The worse they do here the more cliche it usually gets

Subversion: In the darkness beyond the treeline a voice whispers out "I can share my kill if you share your fire" or similar. Describe how one of the more powerful beings in the monster manual is carrying a deer towards the fire & only vaguely mention things like how it has several eyes on stalks, floats both itself & the deer, & is a bit of a messy eater but that's understandable with those huge teeth. Be sure to go into detail on extraneous details like how the main eye is brown but only three of the eyestalks have blue eyes rather than the usual number of blue eyes*while gesturing at the player's pencil as if they mght want to note an important detail. If a more experienced player realizes just how important it is for j-newbie to not accidentally do something that would result in a near instant tpk silence them quickly by pointing out how they are asleep & that the pair are whispering quietly while eating by the fire. In the morning the beholder (or whatever) has long since left but now it's time to make the newbie player explain everything that happened the night before during their watch.

* "well mmm...." lets see if you know the normal number of blue eyes on these... 23?... yea your not sure but it seems important to remember

 

[Ath'kethin]

Cliche: You storm a castle trying to save the princess only to be told apologetically that she is in another Keep!

Subvert: The PCs find the princess almost immediately, but thent he trap is sprung. The door seals and floor falls out from under them. They must now escape the dungeon with a near helpless princess in tow!

Another great subversion here is having the princess be a skilled and highly competent soldier who had arranged a rescue for herself that carried massive diplomatic weight, and the "heroes" barging in and killing everything in sight in an attempt to free her just put the fate of multiple nations/rulers in jeopardy.

 

[Oofta]

cliché: The group first meets in a tavern after finding something on a message board or invitation.

subversion: After an introductory drink, they start feeling woozy. Next thing they know they've been imprisoned and need to escape.

 

[Scott Christian]

I have to say, the idea of starting in a tavern is fine as a standard. Taverns are, after all, public meeting places. I just hate when campaigns start there and no one knows each other, thus leading to some very awkward stares and bland attempts at roleplaying before being shoehorned into an adventure together.

I have definitely been at the awkward table, but have seen it work beautifully as well. I really think it depends on how well the players know their PCs and if they are willing to risk being the "actor" at the table.