Stupid Tropes in Fantasy and Mythology

[Zakarath]

Swords.

Specifically, everyone having swords.

Here's the problem with it: as has already been pointed out the majority of modern fantasy takes it's cues from Tolkien. The thing is, Tolkiens setting isn't the high-medieval world most people imagine it to be but instead is much more focussed in a Dark-Age setting. Seriously, reread the battle scenes and you see alot more about shield-walls and byrnies of mail then you do knights in shining armour.

Now, in a Dark-Age (or even most Medieval periods) setting making a sword that doesn't snap the minute you hit something with it is really extremely hard! Not to mention that the amount of metal, work time and effort that goes into it would be beyond most people, even beyond many Smiths.

You know what are super easy to make and use very cheap materials? Axes, spears, clubs, knives. In fact, spears should be the most common weapon in any fantasy setting because you can use them to hunt your dinner with when you're done stabbing an orc.

Live in a wooded area? You should probably have an axe too!

All a sword does is kill people and no random peasant or minor lord is going to waste money on something that useless, only a King or Great Lord would have a retinue of men around him who literally exist to kill things and so get swords.

Have you read the Stormlight Archives? First epic fantasy I've read that has a spearman protagonist.

 

[thundra]

Wise old man that knows all most everything and was born when earth did. (Character is vainamoinen the wise oldman)

 

[TheMigrantSoldier]

Three things.

Kingdoms are good but empires? Eviiiil. Even if said kingdoms are expansionistic.

I dislike the archetypes for fictional races since they tend to be one-dimensional imitations of Tolkien's works. Like the wise race (elves), the tough mountain race (dwarves), the warlike race (orcs), yada yada. I found exceptions with the Elder Scrolls and maybe Warhammer, which plays on its shallowness, but that's pretty much it.

I also dislike how everything has to derive from Western mythology/history and the exoticism or "otherness" of anything remotely Eastern. There's a gold mine of mythology from Asia/Africa/Americas and we're missing out. It's one thing I enjoyed about Jade Empire and Morrowind.

 

[beastro]

Given the inherent inacuracy of musket fire at the time ("accurate" out to about ~200 yards) vs the accurate range of a longbow (150-200 yards), and taking into account the MASSIVE increase in rate of fire... if the Americans HAD used longbows, they probably could have taken on forces 3-4x their size and won, handily.

This statement, vs. the history of archery against even the crudest of firearms, illustrates the issue of theory vs. practice. In theory, the higher rate of fire of the bow ought to be sovereign. But history shows that it ain't necessarily so.

 

[Dragonbums]

Do you people even know what prophecy means?

It's foresight, seeing something from the future and stating what you saw, it's only a prediction by the modern sense of the word.

Sure. We certainly do know what it means. But don't you think it's silly how people just go with it? We have the proof of only one or multiple people but everyone believes it to a T. Hell even the bad guys follow every single thing to a T.

 

[SweetShark]

"The woman is in danger" cliche
"Evil Lord say evil plans giving time to the Hero to save the day" cliche
"Because Magic" cliche
"Ex Machima bullsh*t" cliche
"Evil guy win in the whole fight, just only the hero kill the evil guy in one move" cliche
"You are the chosen" cliche
"I can't die because I am the Hero" cliche

These don't apply only in Fantasy movies.

 

[sageoftruth]

More or less anything involving a prophecy. Just don't.

Especially when you can cheat the prophecy, but have to go through the motions anyway for some reason.

I seriously want to know who even makes these prophecies? They often seem to be super glorified predictions that people believe for some reason? Like, if the people who prophesied this stuff in the first place knew what was going to happen....why not just solve the problem now instead of waiting on the off chance that hero/heroine will do it when the time comes?


I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing was a massive troll plot by wizards, and magical maidens to see how easily fooled mortals can be. (Hell I would like to see a book on that. )

If not troll mages, it could be troll prophets. In most fantasy worlds, gods either exist, or are strongly believed to exist, so if someone who apparently speaks for a god says something is going to happen in 100 years, people are going to believe it will happen. It helps that most of these prophecies often come from small isolated villages or the oldest, dankest section of a kingdom's royal library, long after everyone but the most avid scholars has forgotten about it. Usually when it's the ladder, desperate circumstances force them to turn to the prophecy for hope.

 

[Eddie the head]

This is relevant.

How?

If real life was a fantasy RPG, then many of the people who could possibly save the world are currently sitting in prison or on death row. Yes, I think that beginning is getting pretty old.

In the the Elder Scrolls I think that has something to do with the metaphysics of the lore. Besides it's an easy way to start someone at zero.

 

[Ingjald]

So, yes, guns, particularly those old muzzle loaders, did "more" damage than arrows. But its rather like comparing getting shot by a .30 caliber machinegun and a 7.62mm. The machinegun is certainly a "better" round in terms of damage done, but the 7.62 is still MORE than adequate to kill you deader than a doornail.

7,62 mm is not a different caliber than .30, it's just written in metric. You literally just said that a .30 is better than a .30 in terms of damage done, but the .30 will still kill you dead.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Know how to identify the bad guy immediately in any work of fantasy? If he/she is not a dwarf and is using any weapon besides a sword, I guarantee that is your villain! Also, why do fantasy movies seem to think swords are the only medieval weapon?

 

[Dragonbums]

Know how to identify the bad guy immediately in any work of fantasy? If he/she is not a dwarf and is using any weapon besides a sword,

Don't forget that 9/10 they are a magical being of sorts.

I guarantee that is your villain! Also, why do fantasy movies seem to think swords are the only medieval weapon?

Don't forget the Bows!

But seriously though. Medieval times had a HUGE variety of weapons for one to use at their disposal . Each of them equally effective in killing other flesh beings. I'd lie to see a warrior that was really good with a pike or a spear. Heck- maybe even a dagger.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Heck- maybe even a dagger.

Oh if they are using a dagger, they are almost certainly a thief/rogue/scoundrel/scaliwag type.