Cliches & Twists [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cliches & Twists [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Elemental
05-13-05, 09:09 PM We're all familiar with the cliches. Let's try putting some twists on them.

Cliche: The hero has a name that hints at his profession in some way.

Twist: Parents don't get it right all the time. Typhus Darkblade is actually a pacifist cleric of the god of harmless woodland creatures. Tristina Trueheart is a bloodthirsty barbarian warrior. And Moceridor Dragonflame Magnificus is the name of the village idiot.

Cliche: The hero has a scar on his face, which he doesn't talk about.

Twist: He got it in an embarassing and unheroic way--he was picking his nose when walking and tripped or something like that.

Cliche: The princess has been abducted!

Twist: She's seven months old.

Cliche: Only those who can answer the riddle can penetrate the sanctum of the Evil Overlord.

Twist: The trap activates even if the right answer is given--what you needed to say was something totally unrelated to the question. After all, what effect does puzzle-solving ability have on whether a lich would let someone into his study?

Cliche: The heroes delve into a deep dungeon on behalf of their mysterious sponsor.

Twist: It's actually a reality TV show, with a cabal of wizards scrying and voting on who should be next to get a Gelatinous Cube sicced on them.

Cliche: Places with evil in them have ominous and forbidding names.

Twist: It was noticed a long time ago that if you named a place something like the "Nightmare Forest" or "Mountains of Darkness", you'd inevitably get monsters there. Newly discovered places recieve names like Sunshine Valley, Happy River and so on, so that monsters will be too embarrassed to call it home.

Cliche: The heroes peaceful family were massacred by a tribe of warmongering Orcs.

Twist: The hero's warmongering family massacred a tribe of peaceful Orcs.
Callahan
05-14-05, 02:04 AM Cliche: The tragic hero is an orphan.
Twist: He became an orphan after a “mysterious” fire killed his whole family... then later a mysterious fire killed everyone but him at the orphanage, then everyone but him at his foster home, then the whole hamlet burned down in a now somewhat “suspicious”, mysterious fire.
MissCalculation
05-14-05, 04:38 AM cliché: You have to disturb the ritual of a mighty evil cleric/wizard which would destroy the whole plane.

twist: The mighty evil cleric/wizard needs disturbance to complete his ritual to destroy the world.
Pippa
05-14-05, 08:21 AM Cliché: ancient crystals have to be brought together to prevent the world from sliding trough chaos and disorder to it's downfall.

Twist: kaBLAmo!!!
Nuntius128
05-14-05, 09:13 AM cliché: You have to disturb the ritual of a mighty evil cleric/wizard which would destroy the whole plane.

twist: The mighty evil cleric/wizard needs disturbance to complete his ritual to destroy the world.

Thank goodness for Sense Motive checks! Phew!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Elemental 05-13-05, 09:09 PM	We're all familiar with the cliches. Let's try putting some twists on them. Cliche: The hero has a name that hints at his profession in some way. Twist: Parents don't get it right all the time. Typhus Darkblade is actually a pacifist cleric of the god of harmless woodland creatures. Tristina Trueheart is a bloodthirsty barbarian warrior. And Moceridor Dragonflame Magnificus is the name of the village idiot. Cliche: The hero has a scar on his face, which he doesn't talk about. Twist: He got it in an embarassing and unheroic way--he was picking his nose when walking and tripped or something like that. Cliche: The princess has been abducted! Twist: She's seven months old. Cliche: Only those who can answer the riddle can penetrate the sanctum of the Evil Overlord. Twist: The trap activates even if the right answer is given--what you needed to say was something totally unrelated to the question. After all, what effect does puzzle-solving ability have on whether a lich would let someone into his study? Cliche: The heroes delve into a deep dungeon on behalf of their mysterious sponsor. Twist: It's actually a reality TV show, with a cabal of wizards scrying and voting on who should be next to get a Gelatinous Cube sicced on them. Cliche: Places with evil in them have ominous and forbidding names. Twist: It was noticed a long time ago that if you named a place something like the "Nightmare Forest" or "Mountains of Darkness", you'd inevitably get monsters there. Newly discovered places recieve names like Sunshine Valley, Happy River and so on, so that monsters will be too embarrassed to call it home. Cliche: The heroes peaceful family were massacred by a tribe of warmongering Orcs. Twist: The hero's warmongering family massacred a tribe of peaceful Orcs.
Callahan 05-14-05, 02:04 AM	Cliche: The tragic hero is an orphan. Twist: He became an orphan after a “mysterious” fire killed his whole family... then later a mysterious fire killed everyone but him at the orphanage, then everyone but him at his foster home, then the whole hamlet burned down in a now somewhat “suspicious”, mysterious fire.
MissCalculation 05-14-05, 04:38 AM	cliché: You have to disturb the ritual of a mighty evil cleric/wizard which would destroy the whole plane. twist: The mighty evil cleric/wizard needs disturbance to complete his ritual to destroy the world.
Pippa 05-14-05, 08:21 AM	Cliché: ancient crystals have to be brought together to prevent the world from sliding trough chaos and disorder to it's downfall. Twist: kaBLAmo!!!
Nuntius128 05-14-05, 09:13 AM	cliché: You have to disturb the ritual of a mighty evil cleric/wizard which would destroy the whole plane. twist: The mighty evil cleric/wizard needs disturbance to complete his ritual to destroy the world. Thank goodness for Sense Motive checks! Phew!