The RPG Cliche List

Your essential reading for today is the RPG Cliche List. Some randomly quoted examples:

Amber Law. Gamemasters and players can be fully expected to try and screw each other over, even during character creation. (So named for a game that actively and legendarily encourages this. For similar reasons, this also could have been called the Synnibarr Law, but there is no reliable evidence that anyone actually plays that game.) See also Mode: Zero Sum Game.

I've only played Amber once, but everything I've heard from Amber fanatics suggests there's more than a little truth in this one.

"I'm Different, Too!" Law. In a typically feeble effort to establish their own style, most games (especially modern-day occult ones) will invent alternate terms for "gamemaster" and "campaign". The worst of these games will also find alternate terms for "player" and "game session". This law is also known as Ackels' Law, after the creator of Immortal: the Invisible War, a game that redefined almost every single gaming term (yes, even "character action" and "levels you have in something").

Who remember Aria's "Mythguides" (i.e. GMs) and "Dramatic Personae" (otherwise known as Player Characters)?

PBEM Law. Play-By-Email RPGs invariably fail. Those that don't are instantly relegated to the realm of mythology.

Hey, that means Kalyr (7 years and counting!) is now mythological!

Tavern Rule #1. In fantasy games, player characters usually not only start the campaign in a tavern or inn, but immediately become best friends. As with the Tolkien Law, this is one of the oldest cliches in existence...pretty much every fantasy gamemaster has used it.

What, you mean like in the Phoenyx Fantasy Game?

Weird Pete Myth. Many gamer groups actually do know a grizzled, thickly-bearded, overweight, irascible old veteran gamer. And this individual usually does (or did) run or own a game store.

I'm not even going to comment on that one...

Link from a post on the Fudge Mailing List.