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

[payn]

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.

Love it.

 

[Lanefan]

Cliche: only the pc's can save the world

Subversion: actually, there's several parties of adventurers running around. Any quest the pc's opt out of someone else will likely try - and get the rewards for. The pc's will occasionally bump into them, who are broadly friendly but likely to be rivals.

(This is great for maintaining sandbox-iness, since not biting hooks you're not keen on becomes a much more palatable option.)

This is how I run every campaign. The PCs are most certainly not the only fish in the pond.

 

[tetrasodium]

Cliche: only the pc's can save the world

Subversion: actually, there's several parties of adventurers running around. Any quest the pc's opt out of someone else will likely try - and get the rewards for. The pc's will occasionally bump into them, who are broadly friendly but likely to be rivals.

(This is great for maintaining sandbox-iness, since not biting hooks you're not keen on becomes a much more palatable option.)

secondary subversion: There is a fantastically complex prophecy being manipulated by extremely powerful dragons demons etc, the pc's are lucky enough to keep meeting these world movers & shakers for seemingly random quests that in retrospect all seem to orbit around a central point n the timeline/history books just nobody tells them because that would ruin the fun for everyone pulling strings & be very bad for everyone involved if the PCs weren't doing these things of their own volition thinking they chose to do it on their own.

 

[jasper]

Cliche. The group hears about a dragon horde and goes raid it.
Subversion. The Dragon is travelling sells man for traps/minions, and uses the party to test out his traps/minions.

 

[jasper]

Cliche Player wants to play a Drizzit clone (insert what ever clone).
Subversion. Everyone is playing a Drizzit clone.

 

[jasper]

Cliche, players agree to meet at location and specific time but half don't arrive on time.
Subversion. Players are waiting for 5 minutes before the door opens.

 

[MNblockhead]

Subversion: Cheerful dwarf with a lisp, wielding a frying pan.

...you mean...a halfling?

 

[MNblockhead]

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

Sounds like the Acquisitions Incorporated campaign setting.

 

[Voadam]

Cliche: The innkeeper hires the part to kill rats beneath the tavern level 1 PCs.

Twist: The giant rat is a wererat who wants to recruit the party for a more interesting plot.

Possibly the innkeeper is a rival and wanted the party to kill off the wererats minions but they come upon the wererat himself.

Twist 2: The innkeeper's name is Drosselmeyer.

 

[MNblockhead]

Cliche: only our 1st level PCs will be able to defeat the evil (after levelling up some along the way)

Subversion: some other, already level-appropriate party of adventurers does it

That would be a hilarious recurring situation. Every few sessions have the party come upon this more powerful party having just completed their quest.