OK but that one is true!I was going to say that this trope that if we don't keep this [insert just about any aspect of D&D] the game will collapse into oblivion.
The rats are actually townsfolk who have been polymorphed into rats by the evil innkeeper."Go kill rats in the basement!"
This trope is soooooo tired!
Seriously, are there no quest-givers with rats in their attic??
I am on board with most fantasy and D&D tropes.
I very much dislike the twist or bait and switch to try to make something grim dark. Esp. if it tries to put a contrived moral dilemma on the character.