[Hated Trope] Nerdy characters who don’t understand nerdy things

[u/BlackHandKUR]

There are too many examples of movies and tv fumbling basic nerd knowledge but the one that particularly bugs me is whenever we have nerdy characters not understanding basic DnD lore or mechanics.

Big bang theory is probably one of the worst offenders when it comes to not understanding nerdom but how they do dnd is especially insulting. They don’t understand any of the basic concepts, lore, mechanics or even how races look. Theres a scene where they do a steamy dnd thing and they describe an orc with multiple arms and breasts. Not a single part of that was even remotely close to correct and Sheldon being the atypical rule lawyer type should know that.

Abed from community isn’t much better. Either he doesn’t know the rules or fragrantly allows his players to ruin a session. There is never a mention of initiative, contesting rolls, or scaling. Pierce, a naked hermit of a character, over powers a high level fighter then charms a high level creature to pose this great threat to the party. What?

Stranger things, and possibly the one the gets me the most, off the rip we have a character who misses a fireball attack by rolling low. That’s not how fireball works, that not how fireball has ever worked. Fireball is an AoE spell where everyone in its radius has to have a save to have the damage halved. These are kids that name the monsters after DnD creatures yet they don’t know the difference between fire bolt and fire ball?

[u/brandersan]

more frustrating, if your going to use a class that didn’t exist then, use the one that is based around a character gaining powers from a much stronger being, rather than claiming he was born with them, which in universe wasn’t even true(and they kept saying multiple times his powers were innate, which again was wrong, and they in universe knew that)

[u/RubiiJee → u/brandersan]

You mean... Like a Warlock? 🤔

[u/Monkey_Priest → u/RubiiJee]

Yeah, that fits. But sorcerers don't need to be born with their powers either. They can also get them from various ways, including coming in close contact with magically powerful artifacts or creatures.. like Vecna

[u/switchergodic → u/Monkey_Priest]

Except Will doesn't get powers from Vecna in the sense that he obtains them through this change and he has his own powers afterwards. No, he uses his connection to the Mind Flayer hivemind to draw on their abilities and Vecna's powers. If they're not around and he's not connected to them, he's got nothing

[u/Monkey_Priest → u/switchergodic]

Still doesn't absolutely fit Warlocks. Locks can keep their powers even if the patron fucks off. Honestly, sounds more like a cleric to me, now that you mention it... Either way, I think it's a bit silly to get too bogged down in details when it's obvious they were playing fast and loose with the rules and terms from the beginning

[u/BaronXot → u/RubiiJee]

Or a cleric.

[u/Raistlin_Majere121 → u/RubiiJee]

Or Binder.

[u/Sir_Indy → u/brandersan]

Thank you! I've played a Warlock in D&D and got unreasonably annoyed that he was called a Sorcerer!

[u/BaronXot → u/Sir_Indy]

Warlocks were added even later than sorcerers. Complete Arcane 2004. Cleric would have been accurate enough for the time.

[u/VonShnitzel → u/Sir_Indy]

Ackchually, Stranger Things might have gotten it right on that particular occasion. A warlock is someone who explicitly made a deal with something of great power to be taught eldritch magic, a sorcerer is someone who manifests arcane abilities either due to the unique nature of their birth or through exposure to powerful artifacts/beings/etc.

[u/Keljhan → u/brandersan]

I assumed they were saying that A) in character because everyone knew he really would be a Warlock and they were trying to make him feel better about being magically tied to Vecna by saying his powers were innate (basically a white lie) or B) they are stressing to the audience that Will's ability is due to his personal mental fortitude and empathy, and not just an ex machina they wrote in to keep him relevant.

[u/Caleb_Reynolds → u/brandersan]

Especially when they've been calling the only character in the show who literally was born with powers because they fucked with her blood in utero a wizard this whole time.