Viewpoint What’s one RP trope you can’t live without?

Chordling

Bardbarian, the Divine Chordia of Concordia
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Maybe you don’t incorporate it into every roleplay you adventure into but what is the RP trope you couldn’t live without if it wasn’t even a choice?

For me it’s swashbuckling pirates. Arrrrgh!
 
"The apotheosis of chaos, morally ambiguous havoc, and anxiety-riddled dumpster fire" played alongside "bumbling aloof person whose response to everything is 'huh, neat."

There's just something really funny about one character losing their shit over everything and/or causing said catastrophe, all while the other character is standing there like a middle-aged dad observing his freshly mown lawn with nothing more to offer than "well wouldja look at that."

I abuse it in pretty much every single RP. It's an even better trope than enemies-to-frenemies for me.

"WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE- OH MY GOD EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE- THERE'S FIVE HOMING MISSILES HEADED IN OUR DIRECTION AS WE SPEAK-"
"yeeuuh i reckon that might be a problem now that ya mention it"
"PROBLEM?? WE'RE LITERALLY ABOUT TO DIE SWEET JESUS WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING"
"well partner i dont spose i can stop none of them there missiles so we might as well enjoy the fireworks show while we can"
 
Good people doing morally ambiguous things.

The noble knight grappling with being forced to execute a defenseless prisoner? Hell yes.

An honest lawyer lying to ensure their defendant, who they know is guilty, gets imprisoned? Gimme more.

The hero being forced to sacrifice someone for the greater good? Hell. Y E S
 
Maybe it’s cliche and maybe it’s not even really a good answer to this post- but the trope of the shy boy/girl blushing all the time. I love that.
 
always like political intrigue, especially if there's potential for military escalation
 
Fluff 🙃
Even in the most angstiest, action-packed rp, I need a fluff break!
 
Explosions. Just explosions. Every single RP must have at least one explosion in it, otherwise it is immediately terrible.
 
Gotta love a villain capable of redemption, but also one who isn’t.

I love a greatly written, bent-on-destroying-the-world bad guy that is without a doubt not going to change his mind… not even for that oh-so-fair maiden. 😂

And all the romantic fluff. It might be an unpopular opinion, but at least for me, rp just isn’t rp without a good love story thrown in somewhere.
 
Meet-cutes - I'm kicking my legs and squealing IT'S SO CUTE
 
does 'body horror' count as a trope? because if so, that for sure. it's one of the things i think i'm best at writing, and nothing quite hits like the emotional and existential toll of becoming Something Else! and also, cool monsters. that too!
 
A motley crew of ne'er-do-wells... in space. Underworld scum on an intergalactic level. Criminals doing criminal stuff, now across galactic lines of jurisdiction and probably wanted on a slew of planets for their various misdeeds. But totally relatable, and not over-the-top maniacal villains. They're just persons of low moral standards trying to enjoy life their way.

Is that a trope? Fuck if I know. But it's the main jam on my slice of toast.
 
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Punch-Clock Villains.

The consummate professionals. The friendly minions. The chill mercs. The ones whose only stake in the conflict is... well, it's their job. No grand ideals, nor passionate vendettas. You could almost imagine kicking back and shooting the breeze with them, were it not for the fact that their boss is a maniac hellbent on world domination.
 
I love my weird space cadet characters! Especially of the murderous variety, you can do SO MUCH with them and it's usually always hilarious and/or memorable. The more unhinged, the better! Bonus points: actually making them make sense and adding a pain arc to torture your partner right after they come to like your (hopefully likeable) weirdo.
 
Half-orcs! I know they aren't a trope, but I'ma say it. I like me some green men.

I'm also a sucker for playing characters that do something they regret. What arc they follow because of that guilt can vary, but I like to play with the sentiment.

And identity crises!
 
I know it's a boring and somewhat cop-out response, but in all honesty there aren't any tropes I couldn't live without. Lol.

I don't particularly care for tropes across the board. Some are more endearing than others given my experiences with them in manga, anime, film, and television. And I don't mind them when I encounter tham.

But even so, there isn't a single trope that holds any particularly special place in my heart to the point where I feel I couldn't live without it.

Sorry 😝
 
Half-orcs! I know they aren't a trope, but I'ma say it. I like me some green men...
I never would have guessed. lol

But if we're talking about races, i try to insert goblins (or a goblin derivative) whenever I can. I've even made space goblin species
 
oh man. i forgot another trope i can't resist: detective shenanigans! especially in horror things. not cops, exactly, but someone who has to do heavy investigation/research work as part of their career, whether it be scholarly or private detective work. bonus points if they start poking in places they're not supposed to and get in over their head! bonus bonus points if said conspiracy winds up being supernatural (or even eldritch horror-y). it's such a fun thing to explore
 
I can't say there is one since all my RP's are pretty different from each other. However, when I do romantic RP's (not all of mine are romantic) one trope that seems to always be present is forbidden love in some form. I guess the mentally broken morally grey anti-hero types tend to be common in my RP's as well. I enjoy writing those types of characters.
 
anything platonic/found family/friendship orientated. like gosh darn i love me some good platonic love 🥺🥺🥺

i am also a sucker for whump tho gotta make my characters suffer-
 
jump. jump. Ooh that is my favorite sub-genre. I think slice of life magic is my favorite setting but families/friends are my favorite character arcs.

I love it when it’s family drama, secret relatives, found family, healing from childhood trauma, even arranged marriages where you end up in a family all random like and got to make do.
 

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