Top 10 eleven RPG assumptions

[J.Gellert]

It has been a while since Rich wrote of 11 basic RPG assumptions in his article about world-building. We've seen the release of different RPG titles, settings that strive for originality, and even a new edition of D&D since then.

So I'm wondering, what's changed? And what is still common in fantasy?

Here's my list...

1- Humans dominate all worlds.
2- Elves are reclusive, dwarves are miners, orcs are a proud warrior race. And halflings are still thieves but cuter and precious.
3- Good and Evil are still there, even in supposedly "grim" RPGs.
4- All barbarians rage and most woodsmen fight with two weapons.
5- Paladins are church militants, as opposed to older "Lancelot-types".
6- "Adventurer" is a recognized and often acceptable profession.
7- 99% of evil mages summon demons or control undead.
8- Magic items abound. Healing potions are more common than water flasks.
9- Gods, angels and demons are real.
10- Death is temporary.

[Prime32]

Orcs aren't necessarily a Proud Warrior Race. In D&D I think that falls more on hobgoblins. Who, IIRC, invented swords and were the first samurai.

[PId6]

Orcs aren't necessarily a Proud Warrior Race. In D&D I think that falls more on hobgoblins. Who, IIRC, invented swords and were the first samurai.

Not to mention started the Iron Heart discipline.

[Kurald Galain]

Obligatory link...

[The Rose Dragon]

Those are Top 10 D&D Assumptions. Except for the first one, none of the others are nearly widespread enough to make the list.

In fact, that's a huge assumption on these boards: D&D is the only RPG out there.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

...
In fact, that's a huge assumption on these boards: D&D is the only RPG out there.

Well, this is the board associated with a D&D webcomic, so it's bound to happen that D&D is the default RPG referred to.

But yeah - d20 may be the Windows of RPGs, but there are plenty of other games, and even plenty of other settings within the d20 subgenre. Those RPG assumptions don't include anything from the WoD RPG, for instance.

[Prime32]

Those RPG assumptions don't include anything from the WoD RPG, for instance.

#1 Being awesome sucks.

[The Rose Dragon]

#1 Being awesome sucks.

White Wolf loves blessing people with utter suckitude, though. Including their freelancers. In real life.

[Aroka]

Those are Top 10 D&D Assumptions. Except for the first one, none of the others are nearly widespread enough to make the list.

In fact, that's a huge assumption on these boards: D&D is the only RPG out there.

So true on both counts.

Just looking around my desk, I see RuneQuest and HeroQuest (fails 2-8 and 10), Artesia: Adventures in the Known World (fail 2-7 and 10), Conan d20 (fails 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, and 66% of 9), Pendragon (fails 2 and 4-10), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (fails 3-6, 8, and 10), Call of Cthulhu and Trail of Cthulhu (fail 2-10), and Lord of the Rings (fails 4-8 and 10)

All of those fail 5 simply by virtue of not having anything called a "paladin" (or really even resembling it beyond "good knight"); Artesia and WFRP both have templar knights, but both also have questing knights.

[ka_bna]

And I thought I read Top 10 Elven RPG Assumptions...

[Yora]

1- Humans dominate all worlds.
2- Elves are reclusive, dwarves are miners, orcs are a proud warrior race. And halflings are still thieves but cuter and precious.
3- Good and Evil are still there, even in supposedly "grim" RPGs.
4- All barbarians rage and most woodsmen fight with two weapons.
5- Paladins are church militants, as opposed to older "Lancelot-types".
6- "Adventurer" is a recognized and often acceptable profession.
7- 99% of evil mages summon demons or control undead.
8- Magic items abound. Healing potions are more common than water flasks.
(9- Gods, angels and demons are real.)
10- Death is temporary.

I like my homebrew setting.

[Morty]

Whether or not D&D deserves to be favoured here, the thing is, there's no such thing as "RPG assumptions" because there are games in which none of those 10 things are true simply because they aren't fantasy.

[The Rose Dragon]

Whether or not D&D deserves to be favoured here, the thing is, there's no such thing as "RPG assumptions" because there are games in which none of those 10 things are true simply because they aren't fantasy.

In that case, the first thing is pretty much true by default.

Well, maybe not in sci-fi settings.

[Prodan]

5- Paladins are church militants, as opposed to older "Lancelot-types".

What, sleep around with every woman for miles, have an affair with his liege's wife, indirectly cause the downfall of the realm, that Lancelot?

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: If you have a suggestion about Forum administration or structure, feel free to PM me or post in Board Issues. (You may want to peruse Board Issues before doing so, though, odds are your suggestion has been made previously.)

A half-dozen posts that were essentially off-topic complaints about forum structure have been removed. Please try to keep this thread on topic.

[Prime32]

What, sleep around with every woman for miles, have an affair with his liege's wife, indirectly cause the downfall of the realm, that Lancelot?

The Lancelot who went into blind rages in combat where he couldn't tell friend from foe?

[Iferus]

What, sleep around with every woman for miles, have an affair with his liege's wife, indirectly cause the downfall of the realm, that Lancelot?

You, sir, made me laugh.

[Aroka]

In that case, the first thing is pretty much true by default.

Well, maybe not in sci-fi settings.

There's also games like Talislanta and ElfQuest, and settings like Council of Wyrms but they are definitely the exception.

[The Rose Dragon]

There's also games like Talislanta and ElfQuest, and settings like Council of Wyrms but they are definitely the exception.

They are already fantasy, though. I was referring to Morty's "there are games in which none of those 10 things are true simply because they aren't fantasy" comment.

[Morty]

In that case, the first thing is pretty much true by default.

Well, maybe not in sci-fi settings.

Yeah, true. Although noone really talks about humans "dominating" the world in non-fantasy settings.

[Aroka]

They are already fantasy, though. I was referring to Morty's "there are games in which none of those 10 things are true simply because they aren't fantasy" comment.

Duh. Yeah. A bunch of the fantasy RPGs I listed fail it because they lack the standard D&D races, too.

[PId6]

What, sleep around with every woman for miles, have an affair with his liege's wife, indirectly cause the downfall of the realm, that Lancelot?

If you're referring to what I think you're referring to, props. Loved those books.

[hamishspence]

Lancelot does that in a lot of books.

Probably the most unsympathetic portrayal of his was in Bernard Cordwell's Warlord Chronicles Arthur trilogy though. Good books.

[PId6]

Lancelot does that in a lot of books.

Probably the most unsympathetic portrayal of his was in Bernard Cordwell's Warlord Chronicles Arthur trilogy though. Good books.

That's the one I was thinking of.

Does he do it in others too? Only other adaptation I've read/seen is the Monty Python version, and that doesn't seem to be a good basis for comparison.

[Teln]

From what I've heard, Monty Python's Lancelot is uncannily accurate, due to one of the troupe being a fan of the Arthurian legends.


EDIT: Also, Exalted fails 4, 8, 33% of 9, 50% of 2, and may or may not fail 5 depending on whether or not you accept Immaculate monks as Paladins.

[hamishspence]

In some he's a bit better than others- but sleeping with Guinevere, getting caught and thus triggering civil war tends to be common to most versions.

Galahad at least, is usually portrayed as born out of wedlock to Lancelot and Elaine. Though the Warlord Chronicles averts this by making him Lancelot's half-brother.

[The Rose Dragon]

50% of 2

Which half? Also, what are you accepting as orcs, elves, dwarves and halflings? The last three can be raksha, mountain folk and djala, but I don't know any good analogue for orcs.

[Umael]

1- Humans dominate all worlds.

Meh. This one is easily compared to the corollary: "The world is awash with all kinds of monsters and fantasy races." While a number of settings have a human-dominate theme, there are few that strike a balance between humans being found everywhere and worlds where the number of races can't be counted on all your fingers and toes.

D&D is the most obvious - human and six other playable races in just the main book. Then they add a slew of major enemy races (orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, gnolls, ogres, kobolds, lizardfolk, etc.), and if that isn't enough, they put in templates for half-dragon, half-celestial, half-fiend, and so on... and this is just the core books!

One of my favorite games, L5R, seems to do a better job of this. After all, you have mostly just humans divided up into various Clans where you can run an entire campaign and never encounter a non-human. Well, except for the kami, but they don't count. Oh, and the Shadowlands, that will probably come up. With all their oni and goblins and ogres and trolls and undead. And if you look closely, you will see Ratlings and Naga and Ashalan and Ningyo.

...

Right! Well, what about Shadowrun? Humans and a bunch of meta-humans, trolls, orks, elves, and dwarves, and that's it! Except that there is a bestiary that includes Wendigo, vampires, dragons...

Yeah. Show me a world where the number of races and monsters are kept small.

2- Elves are reclusive, dwarves are miners, orcs are a proud warrior race. And halflings are still thieves but cuter and precious.

This one is more stereotype than true, even when you look at the various races. I think a better assumption is that the world even HAS elves, dwarves, orcs, and halflings.

3- Good and Evil are still there, even in supposedly "grim" RPGs.

Right. I prefer alignment-less systems.

4- All barbarians rage and most woodsmen fight with two weapons.
5- Paladins are church militants, as opposed to older "Lancelot-types".

How about "D&D classes are used at all"?

6- "Adventurer" is a recognized and often acceptable profession.

*chuckle*
How about re-flavoring them "Professional thrill-seekers"?

7- 99% of evil mages summon demons or control undead.

Sadly, understandable, and even somewhat sensible. Of course, the evil mage alone in his tower summoning a demon is something of a trope in-and-of-itself.

8- Magic items abound. Healing potions are more common than water flasks.

Gah! Not in my ideal fantasy gaming world!

9- Gods, angels and demons are real.

*shrug*
Do or don't, this one is kinda harmless insofaras gaming and stories for gaming go.

10- Death is temporary.

I'm divided on this one.

On one hand, I like the idea of death being permanent. You're dead, that's it.

On the other hand, I like the idea of death being usually permanent, where you have someone who can actually brave death and return.


(By the by, nice list.)

[Tiki Snakes]

Hobgoblins are just Orcs by a different name. So, psh.

[arrowhen]

The basic rule of fantasy politics: kingdoms good, empires bad.