History EnsembleDarkHorse / TabletopGames

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'':
** Hans Erikkson and Saffi Eriksdotter were originally mentioned [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/141/lhurgoyf exactly once]] on a single card and nowhere else, but the flavor text -- "Ach Hans, run! It's the lhurgoyf!" (''Saffi Eriksdotter, last words'') -- was popular enough that they got multiple references later on, including a short story in the anthology ''Monsters of Magic'' (called, naturally, "Ach! Hans, Run!"). Saffi eventually went on to both have [[https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/245/saffi-eriksdotter her own full card]] in the 2006 ''Time Spiral'' set, while Hans got [[https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/279/hans-eriksson one of his own]] in the 2020 ''Commander Legends''.
** Norin the Wary was elevated from the voice of cowardice on a handful of cards' flavor text to eventually receiving [[https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/171/norin-the-wary his own]] (also cowardly) creature card.
** Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician and, more famously, Jaya Ballard, Task Mage. Jaya Ballard's card has been known to win "best flavour text" votes on fan sites despite the card not actually having any flavour text (she supplies a solid number of fan favourite flavour text quotes on other cards).
** Fblthp, featured solely in the flavour text and art of a bad common card. People are already calling for him to get his own card -- in many cases, a ''planeswalker'' (the most powerful beings in the ''Magic'' universe). He finally got his own card ("Fblthp, the Lost") in ''War of the Spark''.
* In the ''TabletopGame/LegendOfTheFiveRings'' CCG, Toku was originally an unaligned, free card with no abilities and no use other than being fed to demons. Fans enjoyed the idea of Toku so much that they started the "Toku for Emperor" movement, attempting to influence the game's interactive storyline. As a result, Toku became a major player in the game's storyline, going from a peasant who stole a dead samurai's sword to a real samurai, friend of the Emperor, Captain of the Imperial Guard, founder of a Clan, and (posthumously) a minor deity.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' gave D&D one of the more popular new races - The Warforged. Basically, they're {{Magitek}} MechanicalLifeforms, and they've been generally well received by the D&D community. Even on [[Website/FourChan /tg/]], Warforged are generally quite popular. It's probably because, well, [[RuleOfCool robots are just plain]] [[http://1d4chan.org/images/c/c7/Warforged_Bard.png cool]]. As a matter of fact, Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast put up a [[http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/dragon/364/364_Warforged.pdf free supplement]] for 4E Warforged, making them {{Canon Immigrant}}s.

* If it's possible for a single game in a gameline to be an Ensemble Darkhorse, ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'' from the TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness probably grabs the title.
** To elaborate, Changeling was one of the limited series NWOD games Creator/WhiteWolf released, only meant to have the main source book and five supplements. From the get go the game was at a disadvantage; not only was it contending with TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem, which was undisputedly the most popular NWOD game at the time, but it also was the revamped version of TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming, one of the least fondly remembered games of the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness OWOD]]. Combine that with the fact its subject matter (Fairies) lacked the universal appeal that, say, vampires and werewolves had, and it didn't bode well. However, when it came out sales peaked and the Internet was filled with adoration and acclaim for the game and its setting. Soon the Changeling fanbase was one of the biggest in the community and rivaled Vampire on fans and players. This huge influx of interest got the series three extra books and several more [=PDFs=] added to the line, making it one of the stand out titles of the NWOD.

** This culminates in the concept becoming the foundation of an entire game, courtesy of some set-up from ''The God-Machine Chronicle'' - ''TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent''.

* Leonardo de Montreal is the most fan-beloved ''TabletopGame/ChuubosMarvelousWishGrantingEngine'' character. Hands down. It's probably due to some mixture of his JerkassWoobie status, his [[MadScientist mad science]], and his [[LargeHam great buckets of ham]]. On a cultural level, the swashbuckling, adventurous Rats of Fortitude are also extremely popular.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', the NPC Laori Vaus from the "Curse of the Crimson Throne" adventure path is extremely popular. She's a near-perpetually upbeat cleric who [[AffablyEvil tries to ally with the party]], and who just happens to serve [[LawfulEvil Zon-Kuthon, God of Torture]]; her text mentions that she is capable of retaining the same chirpiness when discussing what it's like to [[FlayingAlive flay a man alive]] as she is when [[WickedCultured talking about art]].

** Fblthp, featured solely in the flavour text and art of a bad common card. People are already calling for him to get his own card -- in many cases, a ''planeswalker'' (the most powerful beings in the ''Magic'' universe).

** [[ThePoliticalOfficer Imperial Commissars]] have a huge role in the ExpandedUniverse, to the point where it is practically mandatory that an Literature/ImperialGuard novel feature one. This is despite their fairly minor role in-game (usually, an Imperial Guard army will have at most three, and their only power is a slightly boosted statline, a Leadership buff and the occasional ability to engage in field executions). Interestingly, Commissars are ''always'' portrayed as at worst a JerkWithAHeartOfGold (which is partly because the two most prominent commissars in the Expanded Universe are [[Literature/GauntsGhosts Ibram Gaunt]] and Literature/CiaphasCain[[note]][[TheSoCalledCoward HERO]] [[LovableCoward OF]] [[BewareTheSillyOnes THE]] [[FakeUltimateHero IMPERIUM!!!]][[/note]]), and never as the trigger-happy ModernMajorGeneral types the Codex portrays them as, executing Guardsmen for uniform violations or losing their buttons in combat.

** Hans Erikkson and Saffi Eriksdotter were originally mentioned [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/141/lhurgoyf exactly once]] on a single card and nowhere else, but the flavor text -- "Ach Hans, run! It's the lhurgoyf!" (''Saffi Eriksdotter, last words'') -- was popular enough that they got multiple references later on, including a short story in the anthology ''Monsters of Magic'' (called, naturally, "Ach! Hans, Run!"). Saffi eventually went on to both have [[https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/245/saffi-eriksdotter her own full card]] in the 2006 ''Time Spiral'' set, while Hans got [[https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/279/hans-erikssonone one of his own]] in the 2020 ''Commander Legends''.

** Hans Erikkson and Saffi Eriksdotter were mentioned [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/141/lhurgoyf exactly once]] on a single card, and never anywhere else, but the flavor text -- "Ach Hans, run! It's the lhurgoyf!" (''Saffi Eriksdotter, last words'') -- was popular enough that they got multiple references later on, including a short story in the anthology ''Monsters of Magic'' (called, naturally, "Ach! Hans, Run!"). Saffi eventually went on to both have [[https://scryfall.com/card/tsp/245/saffi-eriksdotter her own full card]] in the 2006 ''Time Spiral'' set, while Hans got [[https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/279/hans-erikssonone of his own]] in the 2020 ''Commander Legends''.

** Hans appeared [[http://sales.starcitygames.com/cardsearch.php?singlesearch=Lhurgoyf exactly once]] on a single card, and never anywhere else, but the flavor text - "'Ach Hans, run! It's the lhurgoyf!' — ''Saffi Eriksdotter, last words''" - was popular enough that he [[http://sales.starcitygames.com/carddisplay.php?product=34962 got]] [[http://sales.starcitygames.com//carddisplay.php?product=9228 multiple]] [[http://sales.starcitygames.com//carddisplay.php?product=42675 references]] later on including a short story in the anthology ''Monsters of Magic'' (called, naturally, "Ach! Hans, Run!").
** Norin the Wary similarly qualifies, having been elevated from the voice of cowardice on a handful of cards' flavor text to eventually receiving his own (also cowardly) creature card.

** Fblthp. Featured solely in the flavour text and art of a bad common card. People are already calling for him to get his own card - in many cases, a ''planeswalker'' (the most powerful beings in the Magic universe).

** Always popular, but exploding into popularity after the success of [[DefectorFromDecadence Drizzt]], [[OurElvesAreDifferent drow]] are a perennial favorite as PlayerCharacters despite the race originally being AlwaysChaoticEvil. Future splatbooks expanded greatly on drow culture and options for drow players. They're even included as a PC race in the Fourth Edition ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' setting.
*** This is lampooned in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', where Nale's "Linear Guild" includes a Drow whose presence prompts the heroes to question, "Aren't Dark Elves evil?" Nale "explains" that that was before they were a player-character race. [[spoiler: Amusingly, Zz'dri [[DoubleSubverted is actually evil]].]]
-->"The race now consists of nothing but Chaotic Good rebels struggling to throw off the reputation of their Evil brethren."
-->"I thought you said they were all Chaotic Good?"
-->"Details."

** Always popular, but exploding into popularity after the success of [[DefectorFromDecadence Drizzt]], [[OurElvesAreBetter drow]] are a perennial favorite as PlayerCharacters despite the race originally being AlwaysChaoticEvil. Future splatbooks expanded greatly on drow culture and options for drow players. They're even included as a PC race in the Fourth Edition ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' setting.

*** Which leads to then becoming utter badass [[http://commissarkinyaf.deviantart.com/art/Kobold-Kommando-2-77994119 Commandos]].

*** In a similar vein, "Complete Psionic" is [[InternetBackdraft widely panned]] as [[FanonDisContinuity the worst of the "Completes"]] line released for 3.5, and was particularly disappointing to many people who felt that 3.5 was the first edition to have done psionics right. However, one class in the book (the Ardent) is acclaimed for its balanced play, appealing flavor and unique approach to psionics. The Ardent would eventually be adapted to 4th Edition as a psionic class.

** To elaborate, Changeling was one of the limited series NWOD games Creator/WhiteWolf released, only meant to have the main source book and five supplements. From the get go the game was at a disadvantage; not only was it contending with TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem, which was undisputedly the most popular NWOD game at the time, but it also was the revamped version of TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming, one of the least fondly remembered games of the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness OWOD]]. Combine that with the fact its subject matter (Fairies) lacked the universal appeal that, say, vampires and werewolves had, and it didn't bode well. However, when it came out sales peaked and the Internet was filled with adoration and acclaim for the game and its setting. Sooon the Changeling fanbase was one of the biggest in the community and rivaled Vampire on fans and players. This huge influx of interest got the series three extra books and several more [=PDFs=] added to the line, making it one of the stand out titles of the NWOD.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' gave D&D one of the more popular new races - The Warforged. Basically, they're {{Magitek}} MechanicalLifeforms, and they've been generally well received by the D&D community. Even on [[Website/FourChan /tg/]], Warforged are generally quite popular. It's probably because, well, [[RuleOfCool robots are just plain]] [[http://1d4chan.org/images/c/c7/Warforged_Bard.png cool]]. As a matter of fact, WizardsOfTheCoast put up a [[http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/dragon/364/364_Warforged.pdf free supplement]] for 4E Warforged, making them {{Canon Immigrant}}s.

** The Imperial Fists and the Salamanders get a buttload more fan love than their limited fluff would suggest. For the Imperial Fists, it comes down to being one of the most important chapters in the Imperium despite being OutOfFocus: they don't win enough to be badass and they don't lose enough to be TheWoobie, and they're only really notable for recruiting from Terra itself. For the Salamanders, a lot of it comes down to being ProHumanTranshuman {{Gentle Giant}}s. The Lamenters also get quite a bit of this, largely for being the ultimate [[IronWoobie Iron Woobies]] of the setting. Among the Chaos Marines, the standout for popularity is the Iron Warriors for their IndustrialisedEvil motif and lack of StupidEvil characterisation which plagues the other traitor legions.

** The Imperial Fists and the Salamanders get a buttload more fan love than their limited fluff would suggest. For the Imperial Fists, it comes down to being one of the most important chapters in the Imperium despite being OutOfFocus: they don't win enough to be badass and they don't lose enough to be TheWoobie, and they're only really notable for recruiting from Terra itself. For the Salamanders, a lot of it comes down to being ProHumanTranshuman {{Gentle Giant}}s. Among the Chaos Marines, the standout for popularity is the Iron Warriors for their IndustrialisedEvil motif and lack of StupidEvil characterisation which plagues the other traitor legions.

** The Imperial Fists and the Salamanders get a buttload more fan love than their limited fluff would suggest. For the Imperial Fists, it comes down to being one of the most important chapters in the Imperium despite being OutOfFocus: they don't win enough to be {{Badass}} and they don't lose enough to be TheWoobie, and they're only really notable for recruiting from Terra itself. For the Salamanders, a lot of it comes down to being ProHumanTranshuman {{Gentle Giant}}s. Among the Chaos Marines, the standout for popularity is the Iron Warriors for their IndustrialisedEvil motif and lack of StupidEvil characterisation which plagues the other traitor legions.