So You Want To/Write an RPG: Difference between revisions

Line 87:

Female protagonists are underused. If you're going for a [[Cliché Storm]], using [[Write Who You Know]], or just want a male protagonist, use [[The Three Faces of Eve]], or for a [[Five-Man Band]], [[Tomboy and Girly Girl]]. The [[Smurfette Principle]] is overused and sexist.

If you want to be subversive, try subverting [[~~Always Chaotic~~ Evil]]. (And not just with a small, friendly [[Monster Town]], either). Just because some goblins jumped out of the woods to mug you doesn't mean that you're free to kill the next goblins you meet in a preemptive strike.

If you want to be subversive, try subverting [[Exclusively Evil]]. (And not just with a small, friendly [[Monster Town]], either). Just because some goblins jumped out of the woods to mug you doesn't mean that you're free to kill the next goblins you meet in a preemptive strike.

Also, don't get stuck by [[Beauty Equals Goodness]]: Ugly characters can be good, [[Evil Is Sexy|beautiful ones bad]]. In fact, ''mean'' characters can be [[Good Is Not Nice|good]] and ''friendly'' ones [[Affably Evil|bad]]. Study the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series for some especially good versions of this twist -- it's an Aesop that should be drilled into kids very early, seeing as it reduces the chance of their going with nice strangers or shunning [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold|"mean"]] [[Ineffectual Loner|kids]] at school (who might be won over by a pleasant interaction or two).