So, confession...I hate class stereotypes. Every "horny bard" joke I hear makes me want to pray for a TPK. But I get it, a lot of people think they're funny. The question is...how many?
Horny/comic relief bard, dumb barbarian, snobby elf/wizard, asian monk, "evil" warlock, shining armor paladin, black leather clad rogue...I can't stand making a character that is any of these. They never feel like my own character, just some fan fiction of someone else's. I won't stop anyone else from playing them, but I do try to encourage them to make that character their own instead of just a bland concept.
Cliches are cliches for a reason. They're either classic, useful, or both. That said, the "use" you can have for the "horny bard" stereotype could be in willfully subverting it, parodying it, or otherwise maneuvering around it.
I typically don't love class stereotypes, but they're the reason we have so many good tieflings, evil clerics, and sensitive teddy- bear personality barbarians, which were all popularized in response to character tropes like "tieflings are evil", "clerics are goody goody", and "barbarians are all Conan", and are now becoming tropes themselves.
As with most things, how well it's done is a huge factor.
I know of a Tiefling Warlock whose evilness earns the respect of a Great Old Ones, but she does it well - and still is an great asset to the team, not a liability like most all-the-Evil character's I've seen. I know a Human Rogue who's full of himself (without good reason), but he does it well - and somehow manages to be a great asset to the team all the same.
There are also the others: The animal-loving, nice, kind Wood Elf Druid with an unexpected aptitude for cruel, wanton violence once angered. The clumsy, uneducated, clueless Dragonborn Paladin who gets all the action (from anyone) while the educated, talented, clueless Half-Orc Bard might as well be chaste.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
So, confession...I hate class stereotypes. Every "horny bard" joke I hear makes me want to pray for a TPK. But I get it, a lot of people think they're funny. The question is...how many?
For the record, the ever horny bard is the parent to about half of my characters.
I'm personally not one to be bothered by stereotypes for anything regarding common tropes in entertainment such as common class representation. So long as a player is having fun with their character I don't care if they are cookie cutter or cliche.
I can understand why others find them annoying though.
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
So, confession...I hate class stereotypes. Every "horny bard" joke I hear makes me want to pray for a TPK. But I get it, a lot of people think they're funny. The question is...how many?
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Horny/comic relief bard, dumb barbarian, snobby elf/wizard, asian monk, "evil" warlock, shining armor paladin, black leather clad rogue...I can't stand making a character that is any of these. They never feel like my own character, just some fan fiction of someone else's. I won't stop anyone else from playing them, but I do try to encourage them to make that character their own instead of just a bland concept.
Cliches are cliches for a reason. They're either classic, useful, or both. That said, the "use" you can have for the "horny bard" stereotype could be in willfully subverting it, parodying it, or otherwise maneuvering around it.
I typically don't love class stereotypes, but they're the reason we have so many good tieflings, evil clerics, and sensitive teddy- bear personality barbarians, which were all popularized in response to character tropes like "tieflings are evil", "clerics are goody goody", and "barbarians are all Conan", and are now becoming tropes themselves.
As with most things, how well it's done is a huge factor.
I know of a Tiefling Warlock whose evilness earns the respect of a Great Old Ones, but she does it well - and still is an great asset to the team, not a liability like most all-the-Evil character's I've seen. I know a Human Rogue who's full of himself (without good reason), but he does it well - and somehow manages to be a great asset to the team all the same.
There are also the others:
The animal-loving, nice, kind Wood Elf Druid with an unexpected aptitude for cruel, wanton violence once angered. The clumsy, uneducated, clueless Dragonborn Paladin who gets all the action (from anyone) while the educated, talented, clueless Half-Orc Bard might as well be chaste.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
For the record, the ever horny bard is the parent to about half of my characters.
Outside the Lines Fantasy – A collection of self published fiction stories.
I'm personally not one to be bothered by stereotypes for anything regarding common tropes in entertainment such as common class representation. So long as a player is having fun with their character I don't care if they are cookie cutter or cliche.
I can understand why others find them annoying though.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills