What D&D cliches are you sick of?

[Bloodstone Mage]

This is going to be somewhat rambling, and some of these have been mentioned already, but what annoys me about D&D/RPGs...

Alignment. To me, it seems to defy the purpose of role-playing. It simplifies and defines a character's morals and obligations with two little words. I mean, I know that alignment is handled different in each campaign out there, and it depends on how the DM interprets it. But some of the players I've met seem to create one-dimensional characters based on the concept of alignment. How often have I asked, "Why does your character do evil things?" and hear the dreaded response of a player saying, "I dunno. 'Cause he's neutral evil."

Abundance of magic. This is really only a problem in certain games, and I guess I'm just being picky, but as a DM and a player, I tend to treat magic with a more esoteric and metaphysical respect towards it than for it to be packaged and sold in some market. Usually, in my games, magic items cost more than just mere gold. But that's just me. I loved the movie "Gremlins" as a kid, and that's the way I kinda envisioned magic shops...hidden, secluded, and with a mysterious man who makes warnings and foretellings about items sold in his shop. "And it comes with a free frogurt..."

Armor designs. Those female warriors that wear revealing armor and still expect it to protect them.

Big Bad Evil Guys. They seem so...bland. They're evil and usually act alone,
except with the aid of some henchmen or summoned creatures. They live in some over-elaborate lair and never die until the characters reach 20th level.

I don't know if this counts, but a cliche I dislike is how people think D&D is played in sewers, it's a cult, or that it's too geeky. I mean, D&D is geeky, but I've met people who are real geeks and don't even play RPGs...people obsessed with their favorite bands, or artists...like Mike Patton. C'mon.

Haha.

Cheers!

 

[Moe Ronalds]

I've been posting on the internet since before second edition came out.

One or two of those old posts of mine are still archived by happenstance in places...

Anyway:

The town in the wilderness - without trucking and refrigeration this place has no reason or ability to exist out there like that.

The claim of medieval, without actually using any medieval dynamics other than armor. Actual DnD looks more like the Roman era in everything but the existance of full plate mail - which is largely post medieval.

Alignment. Created only because the game comes from a group of people who were more interested in miniatures simulation than roleplay... Most of us give our characters personalities now... dropping this could only help.

Religion that exists only to heal adventurers.

Adventurers themselves... this large body of people who have no place or role in the social structure... and nobody seems to care about it. Again, if we actually used anything but a society based on the late 20th century western world, merrit has no meaning over pedigree.

Action by alignment, which largely ties to my issue of alignment itself. But this one is more a cliche than a complaint. The old assumption that Orcs act a certain way because of alignment, or the paladin that runs around with detect evil on a stick...

Kender.

Dungeons - most of which are illogical in origin or ecology anyway.

Iconic archetypal labeling - ties to alignment. Everything fits into a simple box with no grey zones. From morality to abilities to every other last piece of existance, DnD in it's default presentation lacks complexity.

So basically D&D, right?

-Kids Because he Loves;
Moe Ronalds

 

[kirinke]

lol

chain-mail form-fitting bikini's. riiigghhhht.
and you think that's gonna protect you from the bad-guys sword? unless of course you want to distract him with the raging horniness.....

i gotta agree with you. a female warrior is not gonna go for the bikini- chainmail fashion statement and in fact, would probably want to blend in with the guys as much as possible to avoid gaining the attention from the other bad-guys.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

A cliché I'm really, really sick of: Robes on wizards.

I like that the WotC art department is trying to break out of that boooring 1970's bong-art mindset, but I'm still dying to see the 'Practical Yet Stylish Vest of the Archwizard' in the DMG.

I always thought wizards wore robes for the simple reason that their slimming. I mean, you probably don't get enough excercise sitting in a drafty tower all day long studying arcane texts, right?

 

[kirinke]

in response to the practical, yet stylish vest of the archwizard.

Originally Posted by Wormwood
A cliché I'm really, really sick of: Robes on wizards.

I like that the WotC art department is trying to break out of that boooring 1970's bong-art mindset, but I'm still dying to see the 'Practical Yet Stylish Vest of the Archwizard' in the DMG.
****
I couldn't resist.

Practical Yet Stylish Vest of the Archwizard
This strange garment always appears to be of the latest style of adventuring vest, usually with plenty of pockets. White (01–45 on d%, good alignment), gray (46–75, neither good nor evil alignment), or black (76–100, evil alignment). Its wearer, if an arcane spellcaster, gains the following powers.
• +5 armor bonus to AC.
• Spell resistance 18.
• +4 resistance bonus on all saving throws.
• +2 enhancement bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance.
If a white vest is donned by an evil character, she immediately gains three negative levels. The reverse is true with respect to a black vest donned by a good character. An evil or good character who puts on a gray vest, or a neutral character who dons either a white or black vest, gains two negative levels. While these negative levels never result in lost levels, they remain as long as the garment is worn and cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells).
Strong varied; CL 14th; Craft Wondrous Item, antimagic field, mage armor or shield of faith, minor image, creator must be of same alignment as vest; Price 75,000 gp;Weight 1 lb.

 

[Ackem]

Alignment for Humanoids, ANY Raising of the Dead, Magic Item Dependance, Interventionist Gods, and the sheer number of incredibly deadly monsters just kicking around the average wilderness.

 

[Ukyo the undead]

That's why I always leave city-based NPC casters with lots of open slots when I write them up. Anyone who isn't expecting a situation like combat, where action is needed IMMEDIATELY, will keep his options open. Prepping spells is for people who are in stressful situations.

You do know there is people that don't even know that the rules allow leaving slots open, don´t you?

 

[Ulrick]

All of Monte Cook's half-bred monsters in Return of the Temple of Elemental Evil and the other modules he's put out for 3.0/3.5.

It wasn't a cliche before...but it is now.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Even a spell like Protection from Evil could work without alignments... But DnD players are so used to thinking in such simple basic 'typed' ways...

Gee, no condescention there.

 

[Gnarlo]

I don't know, it does serve a purpose, rules-wise. And spells like "protection from arrogant" and "smite misunderstood with a hard childhood" are just plain silly.

Thank you for that, nice to have a good hard laugh first thing in the morning, even if it did trigger a coughing spell.

Now, my cliche I'm tired of: the BBEG Overlord threat whose overarching plot the adventurers will eventually stumble across and realize that all their adventures have been steps leading up to a confrontation with the great evil as only they have a chance to save the world!

When did it become a sin to admit that you liike to kill things and take their stuff?