Tropes you like

>He has been kept conscious all this time, driving him mad.

>Two characters (two allies or two enemies) exchange weapons and continue fighting without missing a beat

>Power couple villains.
Particularly if they're equally competent, and have abilities that complement each other. Brain and brawn, fire and ice, etc.
>Unnaturally devoted and/or competent underlings.
Bonus points when their master shows indifference to them, except for a few key scenes where they acknowledge exactly how much they're relied on.
>Gothic vampires
Pale skin, frilly outfits, noble attitudes, feeding on their servants, it's just a great image.
>The character that fights because he loves it, and befriends half the people they beat.
>When a character's catchphrase gets said in a different context and suddenly takes on a whole different tone and meeting.
I remember a what we thought was a pretty hard sci-fi game where a reoccurring character was this competent, but low-ranking intelligence officer kept replying "oh, perish the thought" when our diplomat would apologize for causing too much chaos. When the big twist happened, and one of the characters discovered the conspiracy about psychics, only to find that intelligence officer behind him, glowing faintly, I fucking lost it when he just whispered "Perish the thought", grinning.

>Now the time is here, and he kills the people he once saved

>Iron Hero

Cassandra best girl

One of the best things about Urag is that he brings an orc's brutish tone and sensibility to his work as a librarian and antiquarian.

>>trickster character's best trick is that there is no trick
>cynical character is actually a romantic idealist at heart
>demons can be raised to be good
>This along with non-evil or even good undead.
>>Ancient hero preserved with magic for the time when the world truly needs them
>Quiet, assholish character that's actually one of the kindest guy you've ever met once his shell is broken

This is a good start.

>The arrogant noble, who talks about his subjects like they are barley above vermin actually deeply cares about them, he does so to keep his face and fears to loose his power that allows his subjects to live better lives if he doesn't.
>The second in command, who suprasses his leader in brawn, intelligence and wealth is second in command because he realized that he can never embody the cause as his leader does.
>The Hero stands victorious after and bloody, guts dragging mess of a battle, only to die where he stands.
>The hero is corrupted and knows his, he uses his last moments to be a shining example, inspire those left behind and tell them to olive happy lives.
>The actor who always talks about finding non-violent solutions and finding happiness in co-exsistence is absolutely able to shove the other sides shit in if push comes to shove.

>Characters with quirks/differences that they hate, but learning to love themselves through their teamwork and friendship.

Played a modern fantasy campaign in which one of our party members was a skeleton. He used to be thralled by a necromancer, but after the police busted him our bony friend regained his free will. After entering a rehabilitation and welfare program to assist undead in adjusting to society, he withdrew from the world into his little apartment. The social stigma of being undead was too much for him.

After reluctantly joining the party, he realized how to love himself for who he is. And that's pretty great in my opinion.

Also, tiny explorers.

Is this from Ip Man 3? I havent watched it yet since Ip Man: The Final FIght was so bad. Does here anyone recommend it?

It's not, it's from Fearless. Unfortunately, this part is a very small part of the overall movie.

I'll have to check it out. I'm a big fan of Donnie Yen, and Jet Li is alright, too. I really liked him in "Unleashed."

Villains fighting villains is always a good time for me.

>newasiantv.co/watch/fearless.1479.67143.html
Skip to the 2 hour mark if you just want to see the fight scenes involving Westerners.

>The wizards guild continues to deny any claims of "troll wizards" or other such nonsense.
>signed: Grrag, human wizard

Thanks, but I think I'll watch the full thing instead of skipping ahead.

>the main villains right hand man hates his master and only serves him to protect those he values most
>that dosent stop him from killing people for his master with a detached, mechanical efficiency

The villian is in love with their worst enemy, the hero of the story.

Apprentice turning against their teacher/master, especially if they are right in doing so due to an overbearing need to change something wrong in the world.

>LE villain joins forces with protagonists to kick the ever-loving shit out of CE villain

RWBY vol 5. Happens during the fight between Raven and Cinder

>The main villain's Right-hand/bodyguard is immensely more powerful that the villain himself.

Good guys with the powers/methods of bad guys. There's something quite satisfying about the look of horror on a villain's face when they realize they're up against something just as dark as themselves.

Gruff warlord/noble/officer that is cinical and/or very sarcastic and aggressive (while not being evil), goes mama bear when his soldiers/subjects are mistreated or get injured and killed, and it could've prevented. And he probably is secretly devolving a great deal of money to social issues, but while not necessarily denying it in public that he supports them, wouldn't even think about bragging about charity. In general hates whoever does it.

The wise druid is actually wise, not an hippie. Hell, he's rational as fuck. I generally do it by having him (or druids in general) being part taoist heremit without delusions of immortality, part naturalists - meanwhile clerics aren't necessarily shit but are divided and wizards are delusional motherfuckers, which perhaps make them more dangerous.
>not really sure it's a trope, but oh well

The rebel teen that rebels for good reasons. It doesn't mean she's nice, tough probably has good ethical standards in the situations.

Good witches. Especially if there are bad witches around as well.

Warrior people (or simply people that went trough wars) that understand perfectly the abysmal horror that war is, and loathe it with a passion, but still aren't pacifist. They might even like still war without the ethical implications (as in: a naval officer could honestly love the navy, even the boarding with a cutlass in his hand, he still is disgusted by what it causes). Kinda of anti-Dothraki.
>think Faramir. Or Sam when he sees his first man killed in combat, which is basically Tolkien writing about himself in ww1.

Doomed villains. Or at least villains that you can understand and somehow admire, if not necessarily justify.

Finally, tragedy + real love between troubled people.

>The Hero and the Villain are both exposed to the supernatural, while the rest of society tries to kill or contain both of them out of fear. Bonus points if the Hero represents how this supernatural power can be used to good while the villain represents how this supernatural power can be used for selfish means.

>Character getting captured then saying "in 5 minutes I will be released and you will be dead" and actually follows it through

>Villain has some calm before the storm signal that says "I'm coming".

>Characters who acknowledge the flaws in the world, but fight for it regardless
>Lovers who work for their relationship
>The cynic who never quite gave up hope
>The outmatched but resolute everyman

i've generally liked this too, because it enhances both characters. the Boss seems even better because he can command such loyalty, and the right hand seems even better because he's an actual power to be dealt with.

>villain faced with the tenacity of murderhobo's doing their thing.

>Conman/thief with a heart of gold
>bonus points if he gets stuck in a con pretending to be a good guy until it's no longer a con and he's just become a good guy who feels like he's lying on the inside.
>almost as good: thief or bad guy or just an amoral baddy for hire gets a job with people fighting against oppressors, eventually joins in their struggle, forgets the money, and becomes a hero.

>the final boss is a former ally/best friend of the protagonists
>final battle doubles as a walkthrough of how far both sides have come to get to this point

>not done enough: the "bad" archtypes or monsters are actually nice
>overdone but I like it all the same: "good" archtypes are hypocritical and self-righteous villains who claim to be on the side of good.

>When someone close to heroes dies instead of crying in a dignified fashion they completely break down blubbering.
Gets me every time

>The antagonist isn't evil and gets along pretty well with the hero they're just competing for the same mutually exclusive objective.
>Bonus points if its a number of antagonists competing with each other and the hero.

Ya'll need to plan this shit better, nigga.

This thread is bigger, it stays. Seems simple enough to me.

Boring Tier
>Good Zombie

Engaging Tier
>Noble Lich

Bro Tier
>Dickass Skeleton

Human Fighter

>Antagonist is actually a decent person but is using horrific methods to reach his goals
>Antagonist is a good father and is grooming his son to be a better person and ruler than him.
>Antagonist has a point.
>Protagonist has genocided mooks but feels a great deal of remorse for them
>Protagonist actually agrees with the antagonist
>Protagonist still kills the antagonist because he knows there is no way anyone else in the world would tolerate his existance after all the shit he's done.

>The concept of good and evil is laughed at by everyone

>when a friendly NPC is captured, even if they aren't crucial to the story, the party goes out of their way to try and rescue them
>this NPC somehow manages to pay the PCs back in a time of great need

that is a really cool picture but long nails like that are so freaking impractical. you can't hardly do anything without breaking one off. any mage with nails that long are going to be:
1) ridiculously powerful, to the point that somatic components aren't really necessary any longer.
2) even more useless once they run out of spells
or
3) doing cocaine off of them.

That said, I love the dark sorceress trope, especially if it's all aesthetic and she actually pretty bubbly and sweet with people she likes.

>the evil wizard is the true power behind the throne

I fucking love evil wizards.

>Sweet adorable (or at least, benign) character wrecks bitches
>Hero/villain sexual tension
>camp gay fabulous fops acting like frilly faggots but still competent and fun
>doomed heroes despairing in their fate but still dragging themselves out to do hero stuff with a depressive determination

>>Hero/villain sexual tension
muh boaner says yaas

...

Does that final scene from Cowboy Bebop count?

>Bad guys are the way they are because the "Good" in the world neglected them
>On the surface, bad guys are cryptic, cold, and unfeeling, but are actually incredibly feeling and familial
>Forces being controlled by a cosmic force know they're being controlled, and simply don't care
A shame what Desriny 2 did to the Grimoire. The Hive were genuinely one of my favorite races in Science Fiction.

This might only apply to video games, But I've always been of the opinion that a final boss should be a culmination of everything you've learned. A final test of sorts.

Yes, Also this one.
>youtube.com/watch?v=rR1cMPnMcaY

>What if we swap alignments?
>Dude subversion LMAO. What a genius, I bet nobody has done this before
Honestly at this point playing it straight seems to feel like a rarity.

they are, or were, very interesting. the three sisters' descent into the heart of Fundament trying to find the power to save their homeland from a great tidal wave (which was implied to be caused by either the traveller or his agent) only to find darkness and corruption that twist the princesses of the Osmium Throne (Aurash, Xi Ro, and Sathona) into Oryx, The Taken King, Xivu Arath, and Savathûn. their bodies twisted by the foul worm gods with whom they bargained.

screw subversion, sperg. I just want to play a skellie but don't want to play an evil character.

It can be done well but these days it usually winds up being something about as subtle as
>THE CLERGY ARE DIIIIIIIIIICKS
and
>DEMONS ARE MISUNDERSTOOOOOOOD
which of course is just trite and annoying. Stuff like Good demons and Evil good guys requires a level of subtlety and work a lot of writers just don't feel like doing, or aren't competent enough to pull off.

>comedically conniving kobolds that fail spectacularly at their petty schemes

It's revealed by the Leviathan that the Syzygy might have instead been caused by the Ahamkara. And Aurash was reborn as Auryx, it was his second rebirth by killing his sisters and then Aka that made him into Oryx.

enemy infiltrates the party but turns good because of the power of friendship.

>when the faceless elite soldiers are a real threat
>when the nameless nobles and knights live up to their rank with competence, can beat back demons and don't die stupid deaths
>when the rank and file soldiers actually hold the line against monsters and hordes

I'm reminded of that Merlin show some years ago. Arthur gets attacked by a griffon that can't be hurt by mundane weapons and Arthur is knocked to the ground. A nameless soldier throws Arthur a torch, Arthur picks up the torch and scares the griffon away with the fire. I really liked that some nobody could affect the story.

fuck yeah carpenter brut

> Sci-fi thing is beyond the understanding of medieval / fantasy character, but they do their best to reconcile it.

Kind how Ezio in the AssCreeds games doesn't understand that Juno et al. are holographic projections and explains them as "visions". Or Aloy sees a Crucible and thinks the machines are being "woven out of light".

I guess that ties into
> Sci-fi in my fantasy
Loved it every since Expedition to Barrier Peaks and Tales of the Dying Earth. All the more if it's subtle and leaves you wonder if it's sufficiently advanced technology or magic.

> Honourable bad guys
Man I dig this one so much. Sure this evil general is willing to put a city to the sword for rebelling against him, but they rebelled against him. When a good guy surrenders to him, he accepts the surrender and ensures the good guy is treated according to his rank and title. Sure if you betray him you're going to end up nailed to a cross, but if you're loyal to him he has your back for all time.

I wish I knew which anime it's from but there's this screen cap of a Evil Emperor's main henchman failing to stop the heroes and kneeling before the throne. The henchman offers to commit suicide (because Japan I guess) and the Evil Emperor is like "That is not necessary. You did everything in your power. I have not forgotten that your deeds laid the foundation for my Empire. Go rest and regain your strength, it will be needed soon enough." That's a boss you follow into the mouth of Hell.

> Bad guy who has to be the bad guy
"Your army butchered everyone in that city." "At least half of them were cultists, if I didn't there would have been enough left to enact the ritual."
Think of people like Darth Revan. Waging a civil war so he could unify the Republic and strengthen their military, and prepare for the invasion of the True Sith. What he does is morally repugnant, to be sure, but necessary to save lives in the long term.

>when the faceless elite soldiers are a real threat
This

Dancouga

>faceless elite soldiers are a real threat
sooo much this.

>honourable bad guys
Also, when the baddies aren't stupid/insane. They don't kill their men for no reason, they don't massacre civilians unless it contributes to their plans, etc.
I like baddies who are kinda stuck in their position too. The Jem'Hadar in Star Trek are really fun, I love how they actually have a sense of honor and could probably develop into pretty okay people if they weren't all drug addicts indoctrinated into a kill-cult from birth. I loved the one who spares Worf because he's come to respect his courage, and immediately gets killed. Broke my fucking heart.

I like the last one only because it tends to be handled well for some reason unlike other kinds of "misunderstood villains": people tend to get that doing morally repugnant things for the right reason still makes monsters out of them even if they had no obvious good alternative.

So Revan's still an asshole who let loose Malak and a bunch of world destroying dark jedi who crippled the galaxy he intended to strengthen and is responsible for generally making a much shittier place than the republic before him.

It tends to be just ambiguous enough that you can believe there was a better way. Not an easier way or a safer way. But a better way.

>It's the future, therefor, everyone listens to Industrial music

>Semen demon villainess who is NOT redeemed
>Semen demon villianess who does NOT have a sympathetic backstory, she is a evil sexy bitch just because she can
Needless to say, I am very into femdom.

> Undead knight who wasn't raised by necromancy but became undead because he simply refused to die
> Character defiles destiny/prophecy through sheer force of not giving a fuck
> Empty mindless husk of legendary hero with only a modicum of his original power is still a terrifying threat to the party
> Nonchalant, unassuming NPC living a relaxing, mundane existence is actually one of the strongest beings in the campaign and reveals his power-level at a critical point in the story
> Amoral Lich who became that way due to his insatiable thrist for knowledge is not a total dickhead and doesn't go out of his way to be evil for the sake of it
> Mindless undead who still instinctually defend what they held dear in their lives
> Merchants that sell stupid items (like a ring of invisibility that only makes itself turn invisible once you put it on your finger)
> Undead is totally oblivious to the fact that he's undead

>full charisma builds

Always love it when our group says something absolutely bonkers like it's totally normal.

"I'll explain later, right now I just need you to kill me."

Muh heart

>Dickass Skeleton
I had a group of skeles that were incorrectly raised by a novice necromancer and spend their time playing cards in his lobby rather than standing guard like he told them.
Of course then undertale came out and I didn't want to be accused of stealing from it.

>morally ambiguous necromancers, warlocks, etc.
>morally ambiguous heroes of godlike disposition

Morrigan is present in Inquisition, so your argument is both flawed and invalid

I honestly have that image a 50% chance of being Eric sparrow

>The character that fights because he loves it, and befriends half the people they beat
Doubly great when contrasted with
>Character that hates violence in any form and will avoid fighting unless it's completely necessary
I played a game like that once and we had a great interaction where both of our characters were able to delve into the depths of our philosophies. Shit was cash.

>good evil and evil good
>not sympathetic plight evil and ruthless by harsh necessity good

>>role reversal couple; woman as the brawn, man as the brains, etc
In a similar vein
>The man in the couple is the brawn
>the woman is also the brawn

>Smarmy, conniving "sociopath" guy helps the hero only to try and take advantage of him, ends up working for the villain.
>Treats the villain in the exact same way.
Doubly so if the "sociopath" is otherwise a normal person and the villain is some inhuman evil. You have to admire the audacity.

>There is a driving question or puzzle fundamental to the nature of the setting.
>Both the hero and villain desire to solve it.

>Two conflicting scholars or intellectuals are given characterization by their vastly differing perspectives on the same thing.

>Hero and villain are both idealistic, and the final battle is as much a debate as it is a fight.

>One of the challenges the heroes must overcome is based on a logic or mathematical puzzle.
Especially if the barbarian or big strong dude shows an unexpected aptitude for these sort of things.

>Modern real-world scientific concepts explained through the viewpoints of medieval or fantasy characters.

Call me pretentious, but I love when writers try to get 2deep4u in an otherwise action-packed fantasy story, even if it's handled poorly. In addition.

>Academics or scholars that are extremely hard-working and put-upon.

>An otherwise light or traditional fantasy setting includes one thing that's extremely creepy or horrifying.

>Villains that are pure evil and malice personified, yet come across as calm, charming, and even reasonable in their own way.

>The knockoff of Inspector Javert deals with scary explicitly evil antagonists with skill and panache, showing how his fanatical mindset can be beneficial.

And finally
>Morally grey setting with lots of inner turmoil on both sides, but the hero manages to resolve this conflict and be unambiguously good, inspiring others to do the same.

Well, these could be artificial magical foci, supernatural astral volumes continuing her body, et cetera.

And, I'd like to also add:

>complex magical systems
>magic-users working with complex spellcasting foci, like implants or weapons (say, athame-like daggers)
>various spellcasting styles and "schools of thought", where one caster might use a longsword and a X, Y, Z guards whereas another will use an athame+shield and A, B, C guards

>The huge, brute character is actually mild mannered, intelligent, and kind hearted
>When the big bad and the second actually have a close relationship and history with eachother
>Shady and seemingly all knowing information broker severed both sides for a price
>When that powerful general who normal acts as a quest giver actually shows up to save the day and lives up to his badass reputation
>When the good guy knows his path is leading him to his death but he does his duty anyway, because that's what heroes do.
>When a party character, say a Prince or noble, seeks to regain their throne but is ultimately corrupted by their experiences and turns out to be the final boss
>The dirt poor farmer saves the knight from certain death

As well as several already posted itt

>fallen angels or devils rising with releasing their power and hatred being a big piece of it

Amazon Orc Women.

hellboy already had the possibility of good within him, it just took a good person to show him that.

A cliche I like is women who occupy traditionally masculine professions (lady knights, etc) with masculine hobbies who are torn between their love of what they do while still trying to hang on to some notion of femininity, and doesn’t like being teased by other women for basically being a man who looks like a woman.

It’s a very specific tropes, granted

Arthur doesnt surround himself with dumb asses anyone good enough to ride with Arthur is pretty well competent, also Jin-roh fucked me up.

Young, honest, & brave knight, saves a pure & clever princess. The knight isn't stupid, or oafish. He is sincere & strong, & iron willed. The maiden isn't bitchy or trying to prove herself, instead she is comfortable & confident in her ability to help her kingdom with politics & statesmenship

It's called realism, user, and /u/ will hate you for it.

The stern authority figure that the young heroes think will stop them, actually helps them out after he/she catches them.

Smart heroes that plan ahead & think for themselves & don't have the bland, plot excuse of being "resourceful" where they have a sudden flash of insight at the climax.

A character who has a troubled past, who is completely honest about it to his allies when faced with blackmail from the bad guys, instead of waffling or going darkside first before confessing

>faction that was evil at one point but is turned back to the side of good continues to use their dark powers for their new, benevolent goals
>bonus points if they show respect or camaraderie for their new allies, especially those that turned them back to the correct path
Tomorrow is another day.
>fish out of water that gets in over his head, but carries on through will, pluck, and pure determination
>you fight harder if you have nothing to lose
>you fight harder if you have EVERYTHING to lose
>just when hope seems lost, you hear a swell of valor as ALL THE WARRIORS show up, every ally and comrade possible has come to help turn the tide
>good person that lost his way manages to reclaim it and holds true to his morals with greater conviction than ever
>rather than solving the helpless villagers' issues, you help them and then teach them to solve their problems from themselves, so they don't have to rely on others
>clerics and priests with genuine faith and good will for others
>they have to actually display faith, though, rather than be inoffensively ambiguous about religion because people get upset about it or whatever
>everyman in a group of weirdos that stays competitive all the same
>the heroes make a final charge against the forces of evil, knowing that it's a losing battle, for the sole purpose of buying time for their allies to accomplish a plan/escape/deliver the news
For Frodo.

>literally all of that
>pic related

>villainous couples
>villainous couples who fight together
>villainous couples who act sickeningly sweet to one another while fighting together
>villainous couples who go absolutely murderbeserk when one of them is killed

Yes, good

I love old grizzled veterans who fight with absolutely zero sense of chivalry, and are 100% pragmatic. Fighting dirty, using traps, concealed weapons, stabbing people in the back or during their villainous monologue, etc. And they're still good guys, they just don't give a single shit about being "heroic".

>the big bad is actually an idealist who wants to make the world a better place
>his second in command is the one pulling off all the evil plots to please his boss without telling him
>the big bad finds out and ends up switching sides to join the heroes

bonus points for
>second in command continues with the evil plots anyway and tries to sway the ex-big bad back to his side