Rat Stomp: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
{{quote|"''Giant rats? It's like the start of every bad adventure tale my grandfather used to tell.''"|'''Ser Gilmore''', ''[[Dragon Age (Video Game)|Dragon Age]]: Origins''}}
{{quote|"''Giant rats? It's like the start of every bad adventure tale my grandfather used to tell.''"|'''Ser Gilmore''', ''[[Dragon Age]]: Origins''}}


You're a brand new adventurer, setting out for fame and fortune, and probably about to get caught up in an epic plot to unmake reality as we known it, which only you can foil.
You're a brand new adventurer, setting out for fame and fortune, and probably about to get caught up in an epic plot to unmake reality as we known it, which only you can foil.
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** ''[[Oblivion]]'' plays it straight by starting you off in a dungeon/secret passage largely populated by rats, but subverts it with the first Fighter's Guild quest -- you're told a local woman has a "rat problem" in her basement, but the problem is that they're her pets and ''mountain lions'' are killing them.
** ''[[Oblivion]]'' plays it straight by starting you off in a dungeon/secret passage largely populated by rats, but subverts it with the first Fighter's Guild quest -- you're told a local woman has a "rat problem" in her basement, but the problem is that they're her pets and ''mountain lions'' are killing them.
** When asked about "Rumors," some NPCs will [[Lampshade Hanging|point out]] how the tasks given to new recruits always seem to have something to do with rats.
** When asked about "Rumors," some NPCs will [[Lampshade Hanging|point out]] how the tasks given to new recruits always seem to have something to do with rats.
* At the beginning of ''[[Baldurs Gate]]'', you're asked to kill all the rats in a warehouse as part of the tutorial. [[Deadpan Snarker|CHARNAME's journal contains a several-lines long sarcastic rant on his/her thoughts on the 'quest'.]]
* At the beginning of ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'', you're asked to kill all the rats in a warehouse as part of the tutorial. [[Deadpan Snarker|CHARNAME's journal contains a several-lines long sarcastic rant on his/her thoughts on the 'quest'.]]
** ''[[Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance]]'' also begins with one of these, in the cellar beneath the Elfsong Tavern.
** ''[[Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance]]'' also begins with one of these, in the cellar beneath the Elfsong Tavern.
* ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'' has a [http://nwn.bioware.com/support/patchdetails127.html demo module] for rats and dire rats, named "[[Talk Like a Pirate|Thar be Rats! Yarrr!]]".
* ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'' has a [http://nwn.bioware.com/support/patchdetails127.html demo module] for rats and dire rats, named "[[Talk Like a Pirate|Thar be Rats! Yarrr!]]".
** In ''Hex Coda'', a module by [[Tropers/Twoflower|Stefan Gagne]], you're asked to get rid of the rats in the basement of a bar. Except that these are mutant, anthropomorphic rats, and the best course of action is not violence, but diplomacy -- you can simply ask them to leave nicely. The Journal entry for this quest is called "Ratstomp", making this the [[Trope Namer]].
** In ''Hex Coda'', a module by [[Tropers/Twoflower|Stefan Gagne]], you're asked to get rid of the rats in the basement of a bar. Except that these are mutant, anthropomorphic rats, and the best course of action is not violence, but diplomacy -- you can simply ask them to leave nicely. The Journal entry for this quest is called "Ratstomp", making this the [[Trope Namer]].
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* ''Mardek RPG'': The rats have strange pipes instead of tails
* ''Mardek RPG'': The rats have strange pipes instead of tails
* In [[Chinese Paladin]] 2, one of the earlier mainline quests involve getting rid of a rat infestation. You pick up your first summon there, a giant rat-spirit who has earth-element attacks and can also steal stuff.
* In [[Chinese Paladin]] 2, one of the earlier mainline quests involve getting rid of a rat infestation. You pick up your first summon there, a giant rat-spirit who has earth-element attacks and can also steal stuff.
* The first thing you are required to do in ''[[Final Fantasy XII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XII]]'' is to clear out the rats in a sewer. One of the local old guys even calls Vaan "Vaan Ratsbane" jokingly.
* The first thing you are required to do in ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' is to clear out the rats in a sewer. One of the local old guys even calls Vaan "Vaan Ratsbane" jokingly.
* One of the weakest enemies and most common first encounters in ''[[Dungeon Crawl]]'' is the common brown rat.
* One of the weakest enemies and most common first encounters in ''[[Dungeon Crawl]]'' is the common brown rat.
* The old [[Noob Cave|Tutorial Island]] in ''[[Runescape]]'' included a Battle 101 section, where you killed - you guessed it - giant brown rats. The rats in the "real world" are much smaller.
* The old [[Noob Cave|Tutorial Island]] in ''[[Runescape]]'' included a Battle 101 section, where you killed - you guessed it - giant brown rats. The rats in the "real world" are much smaller.
* ''[[Planescape Torment]]'' has a quest that gives you a bounty on rat tails. In keeping with Sigil's utter bizzarness, it is on ''Cranium'' rats, who become increasingly deadly sorcerers when in the presence of more of their kind.
* ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' has a quest that gives you a bounty on rat tails. In keeping with Sigil's utter bizzarness, it is on ''Cranium'' rats, who become increasingly deadly sorcerers when in the presence of more of their kind.
* ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]'' had a subversion; you don't fight rats until around halfway through the game.
* ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'' had a subversion; you don't fight rats until around halfway through the game.
* ''[[Dragon Age (Video Game)|Dragon Age]]: Origins'' has the human noble fight off an invasion of rats in their family's pantry in their origin story. Like all classic RPG tropes in the game, it's [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded.]]
* ''[[Dragon Age]]: Origins'' has the human noble fight off an invasion of rats in their family's pantry in their origin story. Like all classic RPG tropes in the game, it's [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded.]]
** Oddly enough, it's the only time in the entire franchise thus far that giant rats are an enemy.
** Oddly enough, it's the only time in the entire franchise thus far that giant rats are an enemy.
* In the original ''[[Alone in The Dark]]'' you must dodge rats in a wine cellar while looking for ammunition in that room. The rats can't be killed, but if they touch you, they wear down your life force and you are liable to die.
* In the original ''[[Alone in The Dark]]'' you must dodge rats in a wine cellar while looking for ammunition in that room. The rats can't be killed, but if they touch you, they wear down your life force and you are liable to die.
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** Hilariously lampshaded later when the main characters ask to a Inn Keeper if he can obtain his trust by killing the rats in his cellar, making him angry at you. Then is double subverted when you find out that he does have giant rats in his cellar.
** Hilariously lampshaded later when the main characters ask to a Inn Keeper if he can obtain his trust by killing the rats in his cellar, making him angry at you. Then is double subverted when you find out that he does have giant rats in his cellar.
* ''[[Sacred]]'' 2 asks you to clear out a couple of cellars toward the beginning of the game. One of them is, predictably, full of rats.
* ''[[Sacred]]'' 2 asks you to clear out a couple of cellars toward the beginning of the game. One of them is, predictably, full of rats.
* Your first quests in Noobshire from ''[[Adventure Quest Worlds (Video Game)|Adventure Quest Worlds]]'' has you ''saving'' rats rather than killing them, though one of the quests for Yulgar does involve cleaning out his rat-infested basement.
* Your first quests in Noobshire from ''[[Adventure Quest Worlds]]'' has you ''saving'' rats rather than killing them, though one of the quests for Yulgar does involve cleaning out his rat-infested basement.
* Any RPG made by Spiderweb Software has a good chance of having rats as the very first enemies you fight, before you even go on any quests.
* Any RPG made by Spiderweb Software has a good chance of having rats as the very first enemies you fight, before you even go on any quests.
* One of the first things you do in ''[[Brain Lord (Video Game)|Brain Lord]]'' is help clear one villager's attic of rats.
* One of the first things you do in ''[[Brain Lord]]'' is help clear one villager's attic of rats.
* For the first part of any ''[[Pokémon]]'' game, one of your major annoyances will be the Rattatta coming at you every time you hit a patch of grass. Except for Gen V, where it's Patrats.
* For the first part of any ''[[Pokémon]]'' game, one of your major annoyances will be the Rattatta coming at you every time you hit a patch of grass. Except for Gen V, where it's Patrats.
* ''[[Eve Online]]'', even being a [[Wide Open Sandbox]], is not immune, except the rats are low level NPC pirates in spaceships...which the players call "rats", and the act of cruising for NPCs in asteroid belts "ratting". And not just because of the Fun With Abbreviations to be had with pieRATe...player pirates don't get called that.
* ''[[Eve Online]]'', even being a [[Wide Open Sandbox]], is not immune, except the rats are low level NPC pirates in spaceships...which the players call "rats", and the act of cruising for NPCs in asteroid belts "ratting". And not just because of the Fun With Abbreviations to be had with pieRATe...player pirates don't get called that.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Rat_Stomp"