D&D Cliches

[Starsinger]

I'm looking for D&D cliches, preferably in lists, like the grand list of RPG cliches, but for roleplaying games, D&D in particular. Anyone know of any particularly good ones?

[VerdugoExplode]

Well, theres the always classy "My parents were killed in front of me by (insert standard monster here) when I was young and have since sworn an oath of vengeance against all their kind." You can make the farm on fire as well for added clicheosity.

[Setra]

This (http://atrocities.primaryerror.net/rpgcliches.html) turned up in a google search.

[Hawriel]

The party is relaxing in a bar.......

[JaxGaret]

The party is relaxing in a bar.......

In my current group's campaigns, the tavern/inn always burns down somehow.

Always.

[VerdugoExplode]

In my current group's campaigns, the tavern/inn always burns down somehow.

Always.

Tying in with this.
A wizards sole solution involves varying amounts of fireballs. This amount ranges from 'one too many' to 'Well, I suppose I could make a new campaign world'

[SofS]

Unbelievable arrogance and hubris, especially among "mysterious" NPCs (and PCs played by people who love to use arrogant NPCs in their games). No social interaction is so good that it can't be made better through vague insults, apparently.

[leperkhaun]

Elvin wizards, dwarf fighters, halfling rogues......

"so you are at a tavern, and you see three other intreasting people........"

[Soups]

The rogue in the bar with the irish accent. The one the campaign starts in. Some how, we are always in bar fights.
Wizards alway have the spell for the situation(when the DM plays them.)
Dumb fighter.
Absentminded caster(seriously guys, it stopped being funny after 5 years)
The ranger who is a merc./bounty hunter with human as a favored enemy.
Norse Dwarves that could be from Scandinavia. And in a rock band.

[Armads]

Drow TWFing Scimitars, Drunken Dwarves,

[Pronounceable]

Scottish accented dwarves. Stupid halforcs. Hot elven women. Androgynous elven men. Scantily dressed evil sorceress. Cloaked mysterious strangers.

[WhiteHarness]

"Druids" who are really eco-terrorists out to purge the world of all metal objects. :smallsigh:

[daggaz]

Old men on the road/in the bar who are almost as high level as
the epic levelled bartender wiping dirty glasses with a dirty cloth.

[bosssmiley]

"Roll for initiative".
The Dark Lord/Witch King.
Spiked chains and double swords.
Goblins and giant spiders in your first dungeon.
Some chump always wanting to play an assassin or a ninja.
Barbarians wigging out and smashing things.
Cure Light Wounds.
Bat guano and sulphur.
1 is bad, 20 is good.
Railroading, aka But thou must (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButThouMust).
Predator-heavy ecologies.
Nonsensical cosmologies.
Mysterious magocracies.
Malignant theocracies.
Feudal meritocracies.

[daggaz]

"
Goblins and giant spiders in your first dungeon.
.

Ha! That's why I used troglodytes and giant centipedes, instead. Seriously.

[Renrik]

Norweigan/Scottish Dwarves. You could make them some other steryoype, you know!

Nature-loving, tree-hugging elves. In my campain, elves are more kind of an elitist, cold, isolationist type that really have no particularly ardent concern for nature.

Insane gnomes- This is just stupid.It was funny when Dragonlance did it. It is not and never will be funny when you do it. Hell, just get rid of gnomes and make goblins a player race.

All goblin steryotypes- I think there are already a few threads concerning this. Suffice to say, what the hell is with the goblin-bashing at WotC?

Nature-loving, tree-hugging druids. Yeah, we get it, they worship nature/ draw their power from nature. Doesn;t mean they understand ecosystems, know what a monoculture is and its disadvantages to ecological balance, have any idea of carbon monoxide levels in th atmosphere (much less know what an atmosphere is) or hate loggers. Moreover, what's with the obsessive connection of druids to trees and forests? Is forest the only type of wilderness you city-dwelling types can think of? What the hell ever happened to swamps, hills, deserts, rivers, chapparal, and farmland? Druids. do not. understand. ecology.

Revenge-driven rangers- Just because you have a favored enemy doesn't mean you have to have a backsotry where they kill your brother and parents.

Self-righteous paladins- Annoying as hell

Grim, world-weary paladins- also annoying and overdone. Just play a normal freakin' paladin.

Having to travel through multiple trap-laden dungeons to get the shattered peices of an artifact necessary to stop the nasty wizard/cult from summoning/freeing/empowering the demon lord/ elder evil/dark lord.

[Vva70]

"Chaotic neutral" is really "chemically unbalanced insane psychopath".

If a creature is listed as "usually X Evil," then either 100% of them will be evil, or 90% of them will be good/neutral rebels/civilians/just misunderstood.

[Renrik]

People using CN as "evil lite". People who want to play bad-boy characters but don't want to be evil play CN characters. It's stupid.

N as apathetic

N as zealotous crusader of balance

Idiots who can't grasp their heads around the idea of "lawful evil" or "chaotic good".

female characters always being smokin' hot rogues, fiery redheaded fighters, or flirtatious, large-chested magic users.

drow and everything about them

[Woot Spitum]

Making plans that Hannibal Smith and Macguyver would find overly elaborate.

[F.L.]

Spending an entire session arguing about alignment?

[Leliel]

Lawful is Good, Chaos is Evil.

Come on, the human race outgrew that simplistic sterotype 30 years ago!

[Ossian]

Any prophecies made "long ago" by "clique of wizened guys" that foretold "the advent of the One/Savior/he/she who clould disrupt the [relevant threat to survival of good things]/bring about the end of a [multiple of 100] years of darkness"

O.

[Lolzords]

Revenge-driven rangers- Just because you have a favored enemy doesn't mean you have to have a backsotry where they kill your brother and parents.

Guilty as charged, it was ogres and they killed my guy's cleric fiancee.

[Crow]

Any prophecies made "long ago" by "clique of wizened guys" that foretold "the advent of the One/Savior/he/she who clould disrupt the [relevant threat to survival of good things]/bring about the end of a [multiple of 100] years of darkness"

O.

...and it is always true.

[EndgamerAzari]

"Chaotic neutral" is really "chemically unbalanced insane psychopath".



People using CN as "evil lite". People who want to play bad-boy characters but don't want to be evil play CN characters. It's stupid.


Thank GOD somebody else noticed this. I usually refer to CN as "chaotic d*ck".

[Callos_DeTerran]

Lawful is Good, Chaos is Evil.

Come on, the human race outgrew that simplistic sterotype 30 years ago!

Which is, y'know, when the game started, less cliche, more product of the times. :smallwink: (Roughly)





And to be fair, someone playing a bad-boy in the name of good DOES fall into Chaotic Neutral, makes sense really.

[Felius]

Which is, y'know, when the game started, less cliche, more product of the times. :smallwink: (Roughly)

And to be fair, someone playing a bad-boy in the name of good DOES fall into Chaotic Neutral, makes sense really.
Am I who had a Chaotic Neutral Wild Elf Ranger concept that didn't gave a mind for the laws, as well for the most of the world, but if you messed with her friends, she would hunt you to the end of the seven hells and beyond?

Also, let's see, Paladins that not only are holier then thou, but also, want the entire party (probably composed of a less then good rogue, wizard, etc.) to follow their moral standard

[Dhavaer]

female characters always being smokin' hot rogues, fiery redheaded fighters, or flirtatious, large-chested magic users.

I give myself a 1.5 out of three for this. Done the flirty, large-chested magic user, but the redheaded fighter (actually a fighter//rogue) wasn't at all fiery. More dopey. 8 Int will do that to you.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

The Dwarven Bartender

My brother insisted that in my campaign, all the bartenders had to be dwarves. I decided to make fun of it by taking a cue from Pokemon (yes, I confess I used to watch it), and made the bartenders all identical with the same name. My jaw hit the floor when my brother told me he thought the idea was funny.

[Vael Nir]

Am I who had a Chaotic Neutral Wild Elf Ranger concept that didn't gave a mind for the laws, as well for the most of the world, but if you messed with her friends, she would hunt you to the end of the seven hells and beyond?


The character I took this name from is also Chaotic Neutral and doesn't go around killing everything. He's merely a pirate turned smuggler that ended up in the company of a dwarf after some trouble with the city guard in some town... for some reason there was a drawing of him with a reward posted lying around. :smallbiggrin:

He's developed a lot since his rogueisch origins... the last few sessions were horror themed... so horror themed that he nearly lost his sanity (a few failed fear checks and roleplaying them were involved, as well as taint) and ended up praying to corellon for redemption. I'm curious where this is going to lead, as our DM likes developing characters. :-)

[Nonah_Me]

# 13 (I guess?): The idea that all halflings are pastoral farmers who love to eat.
# 14: The idea that all halflings are roguish gypsies who have no lands of their own.
# 15: The tendancy of some players to take offense when the bartender replies to the half orc barbarian with "I don't want to hurt your feelings." Sorry, that's what happens when you have a half-orc barbarian with 8 Charisma.

Ok that last one is not a cliche except in my games.

[Alex12]

Positive Energy = good.
Negative Energy = evil.

[Rex Blunder]

If there's an ancient prophecy or a dark ritual, chances are there's an eclipse somewhere in there too.