RPG clichés that make players roll their eyes (and how to avoid them)

Pubblicato il 20/1/2026

Why we talk about RPG clichés

Tabletop RPGs are full of recurring images, phrases, and situations that become genuine clichés over time. Some remain enjoyable, but others end up making players roll their eyes every time they appear at the table. Understanding which clichés are most hated and why they frustrate players is the first step to avoiding them or using them more consciously and creatively.

In this article, we explore the tropes that many players call “overused,” with concrete examples drawn from online discussions, plus practical advice for game masters and designers who want to improve their campaigns.

The destiny and chosen one cliché

One of the most eye-rolling tropes is the classic “it was written in your destiny.” Phrases like “it is your destiny,” “you must fulfill the prophecy,” or “you are the chosen one” feel like lazy narrative shortcuts, used to justify any plot twist without actually building real motivations, conflicts, and meaningful choices.

The problem isn’t the idea of prophecy itself, but when it becomes an autopilot that strips agency from characters. If everything is already written, then decisions at the table matter less, and players start to feel their characters are merely pawns in a story already decided.

How to make destiny interesting

• Transform the prophecy into something ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations, so that character choices influence how it unfolds.
• Focus on consequences, not the “sacred mission”: what happens if the character refuses their destiny or interprets it selfishly.
• Use the chosen one concept as a spark for internal group conflict rather than as a mandatory railroad throughout the campaign.

Endless shopping and “magic mart”

Another widely criticized cliché is the endless shopping session. Entire game sessions spent in markets that resemble medieval fairs, endless lists of items, haggling over every single coin. For many groups, it becomes a time-eating black hole that slows down the campaign and kills the adventure’s momentum.

Related to this is the “magic mart” trope: the shop where you can find any magical item as if it were a fantasy supermarket. In many cases, this breaks suspension of disbelief and strips the search for rewards, treasures, and unique items of all significance.

Ideas for better shopping management

• Simplify purchasing common items with quick tables or abstract “resource” or “wealth” systems, avoiding haggling over every detail.
• Reserve narrative focus for truly significant items, tying them to NPCs, factions, and player choices instead of a generic shopkeeper’s counter.
• If you want to keep the market flavor, add events, relationships, and plot hooks that make the scene more than just a shopping list.

The “horny” bard and exaggerated archetypes

Among character clichés, one of the most cited is the horny bard. The character who tries to seduce anyone who breathes, reduces every social scene to a sexual gag, and ends up embarrassing other players or breaking the campaign’s tone.

The problem isn’t the seductive character itself, but when all characterization reduces to a single gag. Over time it becomes repetitive, childish, and often disrespectful of others’ boundaries at the table. The same applies to other extreme archetypes, like the intentionally stupid barbarian or the rogue who always betrays the party.

How to avoid boring caricatures

• Give your character at least a couple of deep elements beyond the “opening gag”: values, connections, personal goals.
• Discuss with the table beforehand what themes are okay. Certain humor only works if everyone feels comfortable.
• Use the trope as a starting point, not an ending: let your character evolve and move beyond their initial caricature.

“That’s what my character would do”

The phrase “that’s what my character would do” has become a red flag for many players. It’s often used as a shield to justify antisocial, destructive, or simply annoying behavior that damages the group’s enjoyment.

When it’s thrown out to cover decisions that sabotage the group, completely ignore the agreed-upon tone, or steal the spotlight from others, the problem isn’t the character but the player who refuses to take responsibility. In this sense, the phrase is seen as a toxic cliché rather than a sign of good roleplay.

When this phrase actually works

• It can be positive if used to embrace a disadvantage or interesting complication, not to gain an easy advantage.
• It helps keep your character consistent, but should always respect the social agreement at the table and the kind of experience everyone wants.
• It works best with open dialogue: explain what your character feels and suggest ways to integrate the choice into the shared story.

Omniscient NPCs, gods everywhere, and disposable enemies

Among narrative structure clichés, many players tire of campaigns centered on a single all-knowing Big Bad Evil Guy who knows everything about the characters and pulls every world event like an invisible puppet master.

Similarly, campaigns where everything revolves around deities, divine artifacts, chosen ones of the gods, or the mission to kill a god no longer excite. This type of plot, used as default, risks flattening the world and turning every threat into a variation of the same scheme.

Another criticized element is using bandits, monsters, and minor creatures as simple bags of experience points, devoid of motivation or context. Some groups accept this as part of the game; others want more nuanced antagonists and fewer “shoot on sight” situations.

Strategies for varying your structure

• Replace the single villain with networks of power, factions, and local conflicts. Plots emerge from relationships, not just a central antagonist.
• Use gods sparingly, as truly distant and mysterious entities, not just “very powerful NPCs.”
• Give readable motivations to even minor enemies, offering the chance to negotiate, bypass, or reverse the conflict.

The “cool rule” and the weight of failure

Many groups also struggle with the rule of cool used excessively. When every “awesome” action is automatically rewarded, even at the cost of systematically ignoring rules, limitations, and probability, the feeling is that the game loses tension.

Failure stops being interesting and becomes just something to avoid at all costs, rather than a moment rich in narrative consequences and development. In such a context, it becomes hard to convey risk and give satisfaction to success earned through effort.

How to actually use the “cool rule”

• Reward creative ideas, but keep the outcome tied to mechanics. A successful roll can make an action spectacular; a failed one can make it memorable in another way.
• Build your campaign’s tone: if it’s pulp and over-the-top, make that clear from the start so everyone knows what to expect.
• Work with consequences, not just success or failure. Even a failure can be “cool” if it pushes the story in a surprising direction.

Clichés, comfort zones, and good design

Clichés aren’t necessarily bad. Many beloved tropes exist precisely because they work, offering a shared comfort zone and making it easier to align expectations at the table. The problem arises when they’re used lazily, without attention to the group, tone, and the kind of experience everyone wants to create.

As a player or game master, working with clichés means learning to recognize them, consciously deciding which to keep, which to subvert, and which to abandon. This way, every campaign can find its own balance between familiarity and surprise, avoiding those moments when someone at the table rolls their eyes and thinks “not this again.”

Tips for your campaigns

RPG clichés will continue to exist. The point isn’t to eliminate them completely, but to use them as tools rather than crutches. When you recognize the tropes that frustrate you, you can discuss them with your group, clarify expectations, and design campaigns more suited to your preferred play style.

Experiment, talk openly with your table, and try transforming at least one cliché you hate into something surprising in your next campaign. It might become the chance to discover a new way to play and tell stories together.

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