The Gearbox Union
  • Home
  • Store
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Gallery
  • Foundry
  • About Us
    • GBU on Twitter
    • GBU on YouTube
    • GBU On Twitch
    • GBU on iTunes
    • GBU on Facebook

List of 20: A gnome walks into an Inn...

4/29/2015

0 Comments

 

Created by Rodney

Picture
List of 20: Standard Plot Devices in Fantasy RPGs

  
   A Gnome walks into an Inn. A good adventure usually starts something like this, and for good reason. Describing the intricate back-story of the half-gnome bard that lost his home to flooding and was forced to sing to make ends meet for his 8 sons and daughters after his wife died, you may lose your audience before you start. It is a social contract between the game players and game designers that plot devices, though trite, are accepted to start the story/game. In my years of interactive storytelling, I have noticed some things that seem to stand out. Here are 20 Standard Plot Devices in Fantasy RPGs. These are not all inclusive or are in every game, but they do occur often enough to be on this list. Enjoy!



20 Standard Plot Devices in Fantasy RPGs
  1. Every town has an Inn.
  2. Never trust the royal advisers... at first.
  3. Night attacks are unavoidable.
  4. There are convenient road blocks everywhere.
  5. There is always more than one entrance into a castle.
  6. All the guards have a life outside of work that you don't care about.
  7. Royal family members hang out the "Kidnap me" sign every night.
  8. There is the easy way and then there is the way you end up doing it.
  9. Paranoia doesn’t mean your wrong.
  10. Monologs are inevitable.
  11. The fate of the world often hinges on what you did without thinking.
  12. The most insignificant character will come back when you least suspect it ( for good or bad).
  13. The most important character can turn into a red herring... sometimes literately.
  14. Fantasy Racial traits add to resentment and hate.
  15. Never underestimate the small in large quantities.
  16. The longer lived races always look down at the shorter lived races.
  17. Traps are located when and where you don't look for them.
  18. Bored Wizards are dangerous.
  19. Someone a bad guy is holding prisoner isn't guaranteed to be good.
  20. The ultimate weapon is the experience you get trying to get the ultimate weapon.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    What is the Foundry?

    RSS Feed

    Put simply, it's a lot of wicked cool stuff. This is where we at the GBU share the things we love. Our passions, hobbies, projects, and obsessions. There is usually 'newly forged' items daily, so check back frequently!

    Archives

    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All
    Alcoholic Drinks
    Dear Fallout
    Ethan
    Internet Oblivion Hole
    Joe
    Kickback Report
    Lee
    List Of 20
    Malevolent Quality Control
    Matt
    Mobile Gaming
    Mobile Mechanic
    Mr. Markley's Gradebook
    No Time To Explain
    Patent Photo Ponder
    Ramble Corner
    Rodney
    The Cogweb
    Video Games
    With Friends Like These
    Your Weekly Barfriender

What Is The Gearbox Union?

Officially you can find a fancy explanation of what we do on our About Us section! Unofficially we're just a pack of ridiculous friends having fun and trying to make the world a better place!
Picture

Where Can You Find Us?

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture