History Film / TheGamers

The original short film that started ''Franchise/TheGamers'' series follows a group of gamers playing a game (the name of the game is never actually mentioned, but it's ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'') as they are about to face the final villain in the campaign. The action switches between the players, who have to deal with things like an absent gamer, a girl in a nearby room who is trying to study & dice rolls, and the characters, who have to deal with things like bandits, a dead party member, and whether or not they are unconscious.

* TalkingIsAFreeAction: In the first movie the GM insists on allowing the bandit king to finish his speech before Newmoon can shoot him even though it technically allows the moment of surprise to lapse.

* BackStab: With a $%#&ing siege weapon!
** Which also makes it a case of AintNoRule
* BadAss: Mark the Red. "Blood, death and vengence!" ''[Slaughters bandits]''
* BigDamnHeroes: Mark turns up just as the rest of the players are failing miserably.
* BilingualBonus: [[strike: Ambrose]] Magellan recites the phrase ''"Da mihi fermentum"'' while casting a spell. Translation (hidden in spoiler text for people who'd rather figure it out): [[spoiler: '''"Give me booze."''']]

* ChekhovsGun: the [[CoolSword Sword of Ogre Decapitation]].
* CombatPragmatist: At one point the party is ambushed by bandits and introduced to the bandit king, [[EvilGloating who begins to make a grandiose speech]]. Newmoon's immediate reaction is to shoot him in the neck.
* DeadlyDodging: Nimble pulls this on two of the bandits.
* DumbMuscle: Rogar.
--> '''Rogar:''' "My intelligence is ''four''?! '''[[LargeHam OUTRAGEOUS!!]]''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Gimme that pen."]]

* GentlemanThief: The Bandit King with AGlassOfChianti.

* ImpossibleThief: Nimble steals a guy's pants without him noticing... while the victim is sitting on a barstool.

* OneManArmy: Mark the Red ... when he's awake.
* RefugeInAudacity: Nimble's typical modus operandi, from stealing a guy's pants in a bar just to see if he can, to hauling a freaking ''ballista'' into the same bar to backstab someone.

* SquishyWizard: Ambrose.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: a ''really'' different castle--[[spoiler:the dorm where the game is happening.]]

Characters in the first movie include:

* The [[GameMaster GM]]: Who is trying to balance telling a good story with the antics of the players.
* Rogar: TheHero. A barbarian who can't hold his liquor or lift an iron grate, but can walk into a trapped room without getting killed.
* Nimble: TheLancer. A master thief who loves to do things just to see if he can.
* Newmoon: TheSmartGuy. An elf with unnaturally lucky dice.
* Ambrose/Magellan: TheHeart. [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Two bright young mages who look exactly alike and have similiar powers. Also, one doesn't show up until after the other dies.]]
* Mark the Red: TheBigGuy. A berserker who spends most of his time standing to one side staring off into space (because his player is absent) and the rest of the time kicking butt.
* The Shadow: [[RunningGag The Shadow? The Shadow! The Shadow]]. The BigBad. The main villain.
* The Bandit King: A minor villain working for the Shadow. TheDragon.
* The Princess: A [[DistressedDamsel damsel in distress]] that looks suspiciously like that girl down the hall.

''The Gamers'' is a film series produced by ''The Dead Gentlemen'' and ''Zombie Orpheus Entertainment''. There are currently three full-length films in the series: the 2002 short film ''The Gamers'', the 2008 full-length feature ''The Gamers: Dorkness Rising'' and the 2013 full-length feature ''The Gamers: Hands Of Fate''. According to comments by the filmmakers on the Youtube site, a fourth film is planned to finish out the series. There are also three short related features: ''The Gamers Live,'' ''The Gamers: Natural 1,'' and ''Humans and Households'' (which takes place inside the world of Fartherall). In addition, a novel ''(Pwned)'' is due out in 2015.

''The Gamers'' follows a group of gamers playing a game (the name of the game is never actually mentioned, but it's ''DungeonsAndDragons'') as they are about to face the final villain in the campaign. The action switches between the players, who have to deal with things like an absent gamer, a girl in a nearby room who is trying to study & dice rolls, and the characters, who have to deal with things like bandits, a dead party member, and whether or not they are unconscious.

In the feature-length second movie, ''The Gamers: Dorkness Rising'', a different group is trying to make their way through a campaign but they keep dying. They decide to run it over again and add some new blood, but the only person they can get to join is one player's ex-girlfriend. The campaign deals with a necromancer who is taking over the world...or so it seems at first. Unlike the first film, all of the players names are revealed, as well as the fact that the game they are playing is explicitly DungeonsAndDragons, since they had the consent of WizardsOfTheCoast to use their game.

Characters in the second movie include:
* Kevin Lodge/Sir Osric: The [[GameMaster DM]] of the campaign. He's trying to write a module based on the game, but is frustrated by his players' powergaming. His {{GMPC}}, Sir Osric, is a Paladin placed there solely to police the party. Flirts awkwardly with Joanna for much of the movie.
* Cass/Brother Silence: The {{Munchkin}}. He often gets into arguments with Lodge about Rules vs. Story. When told that this is a humans-only campaign with a European style, he creates an Elven Monk. Think [[BareFistedMonk kung-fu monk]].
* Gary/Luster: Gary's gameplay philosophy seems to be "if it moves, kill it," making him TheRealMan. He insists that his Sorceress character is ChaoticNeutral despite her tendency to kill peasants and he forgets that his character is female, leading to some humorous situations.
* Leo/Flynn: Leo usually plays fighters, but this time around he decided to play a bard. [[TemptingFate How different can it be?]] He finds out as he is constantly killed the first time he is attacked. Thank goodness for the Staff of Resurrection and back-up character sheets. On the plus side, he can totally seduce any woman he wants. And does. Probably would be TheLoonie if he didn't [[TheyKilledKenny die so much]].
* Joanna/Daphne: Cass's ex-girlfriend. The newbie and TheRoleplayer. She makes a fighter with no Strength bonus and 45 hit points at level nine (to clarify, this is easily less than half of the max, including Constitution bonuses, that a fighter should have). On the plus side, the [[WeakButSkilled combination of feats]] she took make her pretty BadAss. On the negative side, [[CripplingOverspecialization her unique build makes her less than incredible when they come across really tough enemies]] and, at least from the point of view of the other players, she insists on talking to [=NPCs=], thinking about the story, and doing things because that's what her character would do. Flirts with Lodge for most of the movie.
* Mort Agrippa: The first villain. Torturing him requires the characters to distract the Paladin.
* Drazuul: A death demon and TheDragon. [[spoiler:He makes Brother Silence his total slave because Cass rolled a 1.]]
* Nodwick: A henchman left over from the last game. He was apparently waiting for two months for the wiped-out party to return when the new party showed up. He is an {{Homage}} to the {{webcomic}} ''{{Nodwick}}''.
* Mort Kemnon: The BigBad[[spoiler:...or so it seems]]. He discovered the Mask of Death and plans to use it to overthrow the king.
* Hierophant: The leader of the Church of Therinn [[spoiler: and the final villain. He wishes to use the mask to achieve his own ends]].
* Mark: In a ContinuityNod, Mark from the first movie reappears a couple of times. He no longer roleplays following the TotalPartyKill with a twist that ended that movie.
* King Erasmus the Randomly-Biased: [[WhatsUpKingDude Sovereign king]] of the realm. Unusually acquiescent to random goings-on in his court.

The third feature-length movie in the series, ''The Gamers: Hands Of Fate'', brings back many of the characters from ''The Gamers: Dorkness Rising'' though the focus of the film is on [[CollectibleCardGame Collectible Card Games]] rather than [[TabletopRPG Tabletop RPGs]], though we do briefly see the party from the second film and find out that Lodge is now running ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' instead of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. The plot focuses on Cass, who begins playing the story-based CCG ''Romance of The Nine Empires'' in an effort to impress GamerChick Natalie. At the same time, across time and space in the mystical land of Countermay, BadassPrincess Myriad is troubled by visions of her own death and the destruction of her kingdom - visions that seem more like long-forgotten memories than simple nightmares...

Characters in the third movie include:
* Cass/Brother Silence: Still a {{Munchkin}} more concerned with winning than stories, though he manages to remain a LoveableRogue as the story progresses rather than a DesignatedHero.
* Natalie: Tough-as-nails GamerChick and the object of Cass' misguided affections.
* Leo/Flynn The Bard: Still managing the local game store. The OldMaster who trains Cass in the ways of the CollectibleCardGame.
* Gary/Male Luster: The star of the main subplot, which involves Gary's hatred of a particular member of the FurryFandom that was clearly inspired by [[https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/Pokemon&sa=U&ei=X48NUsaKA8GX2QXxhoDgDw&ved=0CAkQFjAB&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHi6ATMnisjBJ0cMkKLucSF3TkmRA Pokemon]].
* Kevin Lodge/Sir Osric: Largely unchanged, his role is barely more than a cameo in the festival cut. In the extended cut, he and Joanna have a conflict over the status of their relationship.
* Joanna/Daphne: Now the DungeonmastersGirlfriend, but largely unchanged from what little we see of her in the festival cut. In the extended cut, she discovers an engagement ring in Lodge's backpack and freaks out about it.
* The Shadow: [[RunningGag The Shadow? The Shadow! The Shadow]]. The BigBad of Lodge's campaign.
* Mark: Has a cameo as a servant of... [[RunningGag The Shadow? The Shadow! The Shadow.]]
* Penelope (same actress plays Female Luster): One of the writers of the ''Romance of The Nine Empires'' storyline. Oversees the finals at [=GenCon=].
* Myriad: The main heroine of Cass's deck and, unbeknownst to him, a real BadassPrincess in another reality.
* Dundareel: Myriad's true love. An Elven hero of the same kingdom.
* The Emissary: The main villain of the fantasy part of the movie. Leader of an Army of TheUndead that seeks to destroy Myriad's homeland.
* Jase: A cheerful, friendly [=R9E=] player who becomes Cass's biggest supporter after playing against him in a qualifying match.
* The Meach (Mark Meacham): An InsufferableGenius elite player who is one of the obstacles on Cass's way to the championship.
* The Legacy: The main villains of the Real World part of the movie--a GangOfBullies who plan to win the finals at [=GenCon=] and use the influence they'll gain over the story to kill the game for anyone who prefers plots and diplomacy to non-stop combat.

Not to be confused with ''Film/{{Gamers}}'' , a film about a far more dysfunctional crew of players, or the Scottish film [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450269/ GamerZ]].

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Tropes Exhibited by the Series in General]]
* AffectionateParody: So much.
* BlandNameProduct: Mountain Doom and Dr. Leper, among others.
* CharacterDevelopment:
** In the second movie, with [[TheRoleplayer Joanna's]] influence, the group as a whole makes a relatively subtle transition to really playing the module, following the plot, and having a better time for it. Meanwhile, Lodge learns to trust his players and ease off the reins, giving them a chance for more creative fun.
** In the third movie, Cass goes from being openly disdainful of the card game and its players and playing just to get into a chick's pants to enjoying the game (and the players) for its own merits and story.
** Also in the third movie, both Cass and Lodge are challenged by their respective love interests for seeing them (the women) as prizes to be earned or won.
* CreatorCameo: Author Matt Vancil appears in each of the three films.
* CriticalFailure and...
* CriticalHit
* DeepImmersionGaming: The Shadow in ''Hands of Fate'' manages to banter with the characters even when the DM isn't present, and mocks ideas that are major hangups for same. [[spoiler: This turns out to be a plot point.]]
* FailedASpotCheck: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]].
* FiveManBand: See the character descriptions for film 1 above.
** In the second movie:
*** Joanna/Daphne - TheHero
*** Lodge/Sir Osric - TheLancer
*** Cass/Brother Silence - TheSmartGuy
*** Gary/Luster - TokenEvilTeammate
*** Leo/Flynn - PluckyComicRelief
** In the third movie:
*** Cass - TheHero
*** Natalie - TheLancer
*** Jase - TheChick / TheHeart (with an emphasis on social networking and nurturing over being the love interest)
*** Leo - TheSmartGuy
*** [[spoiler: The Meach]] - TheBigGuy and TheSixthRanger
* HappyDance:
** Both the characters and the players in the first film after they defeat [[BigBad the Shadow]]. Taken to slightly disturbing levels as Nimble's player rips off his shirt.
** Also, Daphne after she defeats a band of goblins mostly by herself.
--->Sing it! Give it to me! Give it up! Oh, you can't 'cause y'all ''dead''!
** Chibi happy happy Chibi Chibi happy Chibi dance!
* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
** Cass [[RulesLawyer makes a scene]] about not being allowed a saving throw which he can't win short of a natural twenty. He gets his way and [[CriticalFailure rolls a 1]].
** Same thing happens to Flynn in the second film:
-->'''Lodge''': Y-y-you can't backstab it! You can't *sneak-attack* an inanimate object!
-->'''Leo''': Why not? It's PRONE!
-->'''Lodge''': It doesn't have a discernible anatomy!
-->'''Leo''': It's got a SPINE! Doesn't it?
-->['''Leo''' rolls a [[CriticalFailure Natural 1]], causing '''Flynn''' to stab himself]
-->'''Leo''': [in shock] [[SpoonyBard Bards suck]].
-->'''Lodge''': That... was unprecedented, Leo.
** Gods can be imprisoned by encasing them in their own element. [[spoiler: [[BigBad The Hierophant]]]] uses this to trap [[spoiler: Therin.]]
** The players in the first movie [[spoiler: literally order their own deaths]]. [[RuleOfFunny Somehow.]]
* ImpossibleThief: In the first movie, Nimble manages to steal the pants off a seated bar patron without him noticing.
* InAndOutOfCharacter: The in-game action often pauses while the players are strategizing.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Cass, from the latter two films. As he notes at one point, "I'm a dick - not an asshole."
* NoodleIncident:
-->'''Newmoon's player:''' And that will totally make up for that orphanage we burned down!
** And, upon being told that fifteen regular gamestore customers have refused to play with the group:
--> '''Cass:''' What did I tell you? You make one 11-year-old cry and they stop bugging you.
* OutsideTheBoxTactic: Several examples.
** In ''The Gamers'', [[spoiler: polymorphing The Shadow into an Ogre, because Rogar has a Sword of Ogre Decapitation.]]
** In ''Hands Of Fate'', [[spoiler: using a quest item that can resurrect an army on the other player's army of undead soldiers - an army they have no means of supporting once they have to start paying for the food of an army that big.]]
* RageAgainstTheAuthor:
** An in-fiction example [[spoiler:at the end of the first movie.]]
** [[spoiler:The Shadow]] in the third movie when [[spoiler:he summons the players.]]
-->[[spoiler:Now you, I have quite the quarrel with.]]
** Also Myriad in the third movie, when she suspects her world is being manipulated from outside by the "hands of fate."
* RandomNumberGod: played for comedy.
* RolePlayingGameVerse
* RulesLawyer: Cass. Newmoon's player to a lesser degree.
* ShoutOut:
** In the first movie, they talk about "[[ForgottenRealms the elf with the scimitars]]". In the second movie, Lodge's cat is named [[ForgottenRealms Guenhwyvar]].
** The words "LONG LIVE GYGAX" are inscribed on a cursed door in the second movie, referencing the game's late creator.
** Nimble is the name of a player character in the infamous movie MazesAndMonsters.
*** The group in that movie also talks a lot about "playing at the ninth level." In the second movie, Lodge announces that the group will be starting at ninth level for his new game.
** Sir Osric's name is likely a reference to the OSRIC (Old School Reference and Index Compilation) game system, which came out in 2006.
** The ninjas vs. pirates scene was actually filmed in the offices of Wizards of the Coast, and several Wizards employees were given speaking roles, including Female Luster, as she's credited.
** Lodge's Webcomic/SluggyFreelance shirt.
** Brother Silence attempting to perform a [[StarWars Jedi mind trick]]: "There is ''plenty'' of room for us."
** When torturing the minion of the necromancer in the inn, Luster uses a [[StreetFighter Shoryuken]] on him, although s/he screams "Hadouken!"
** When told that a peasant is rummaging through their things, Gary screams, [[ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable "I WASTE HIM WITH MY CROSSBOW!"]]
** During the first battle, against the goblins, a remix of the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' boss battle theme can be heard, with the Victory Fanfare playing after the battle is over.
** When opening the chest toward the middle of the second movie, something resembling the ''Zelda'' small item sound is heard.
** When the Psionic Spirit Blade is retrieved from the chest, the music changes to a short tune similar to the Star Wars "Old Republic" theme.
** Most of the items from the chest in the second movie are from the card game Munchkin. Shown are the Kneepads of Allure, Spiked Codpiece, Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment, and the Unnatural Axe.
** Near the end of the movie, Cass is shown wearing a shirt that features Grimtooth, of the infamous [[DeathTrap Grimtooth's Traps]] series.
** The OminousLatinChanting in one of Cass' Matrix flashbacks is [[StarWars "Dooooo or dooo not, there iiiiiis no tryyyyyyy!"]]
** One of the songs played over the credits of the third movie is basically quotes of random geek-friendly movies and TV shows
* YouLookFamiliar: Oh, so much between all three movies:
** Nathan Rice as Newmoon and Lodge/Osric.
** Phil M. Price as Nimble and [[strike:nameless peasant]] Willem.
** Emily Olson as Princess and Therin.
** Matt Vancil as Hunk and Mitch (and also Chibi-Chan in the third movie, though you never see his face).
** Jen Page as Female Luster and Penelope.
** Matt Shimkus as Rogar and the Shadow (in ''Hands of Fate;'' Evan Shimono played the Shadow in the original).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tropes Exhibited by the First Film]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tropes Exhibited by the Second Film]]
* AffirmativeActionGirl: Parodied with Luster, a VainSorceress who is, fetishistically, played by a man.
* AndThatsTerrible.
-->'''Flynn:''' But Jack was too clever. He led the sea king inland, stretching out the waves, which sucked!
-->(Turns over page)
-->'''Flynn:'''...OUT the sea kings power as there was not enough water to drown Jack.
* ArtifactOfDoom: the Book, the Mask of Death, [[spoiler: the Heart of Therinn]]
* BareYourMidriff: Luster.
* CatsAreMean: Guenhwyvar bites an arm off Flynn's mini.
* ChainmailBikini: Cass creates a female fighter in "bikini mail" for Joanna to play. Joanna prefers the character ''she'' rolled up, thanks.
* CharacterAlignment: [[invoked]] Sir Osric is LawfulGood while Luster is ChaoticEvil, desperately trying to claim she's ChaoticNeutral.
* ChekhovsArmoury: "It's in the trunk!"
* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:Guenhwyvar]].
* CreatorCameo: When "sneaking" into the Church of Therin, the cleric Osric stops to apologize to ("Sorry, Bill") is Monte Cook, who wrote most of the core rulebooks for third edition D&D.
* CrossPlayer, CrosscastRole: Luster is alternately acted by a female and a crossdressing male.
** Typically any swaps between the two actors are done with clever camera cuts, but the movie does lampshade the trope by having a single occurrence where the two actors tag-team swap as the camera continues to roll.
* CueCardPause: Courtesy of an informative note from the GM to one player.
-->'''Flynn:''' But Jack was too clever. He led the sea king inland, stretching out the waves, which sucked!
-->(Turns over page)
-->'''Flynn:'''...OUT the sea kings power as there was not enough water to drown Jack.
* DeathIsCheap: Flynn, and his impressive use of backup characters.
--> '''Flynn''': There's 37 more of me, assholes!
* DungeonmastersGirlfriend: Inverted. Joanna starts out being the only player who treats Lodge's world seriously, which is a big part of why he takes a liking to her. [[spoiler: This doesn't stop her character from nearly getting killed.]]
* EyeScream: Gary/Luster pours holy water into Drazuul's eye, causing his eyeball and part of his face to melt away.
* FunWithSubtitles: The DVD of ''Dorkness Rising'' has quite a few unusual choices for subtitles, including [[LeetLingo 1337 $p33k]], [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Swedish Chef]], and [[ZeroesAndOnes binary]] (which [[CoolButInefficient takes up the entire screen]]). Also "d20," which references all the combat techniques and skill checks used in the game.
* GarnishingTheStory: When Lodge and Joanna are playing Pizzajitsu (Pirates vs Ninjas), Joanna asks why there are pirates, and Lodge says that everything is cooler with them.
* GenderBender: Luster is constantly switching between female and male due to Gary forgetting and being reminded of her true gender.
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: When Gary decides to hit on Joanna's character, she reminds him he's role playing a woman. That doesn't dissuade him.
* HyperspaceArsenal: During the fight against the zombie ninjas, Lodge had almost given up on getting the party to play out the battle the way he intended, and just lets the characters use whatever equipment they have. Brother Silence pulls out a '''[[MoreDakka shotgun]]''' from behind his back and goes to town.
* IceCreamKoan: Every so often Brother Silence tries to come up with a wise-sounding phrase to fit the eastern monk his player is determined to play him as. Unfortunately for him, Cass lacks the linguistic skill to actually come up with anything profound. Highlighted at one point where, after saying something particularly stupid in one of these attempts[[note]]"He who stumbles around in darkness with a stick is blind. But he who... sticks out in darkness... is... fluorescent!"[[/note]], the screen cuts back to the players all staring at Cass, and Lodge finally saying "...Lose fifty experience."
--->Indeed! The four elements, like man alone, are weak - but together they form the strong fifth element... Boron!
** In the bloopers at the end, when Sir Osric is reciting more threats against the "Evildoer Outside"...
--->I shall spread the buttery justice of Therin over the toast of your iniquity!
--->The succulent jam of light shall sweeten the sourdough of your evil ways!
--->The creamer of light will dull the bitterness of your evil unholy coffee taste!
--->The spatula of purity shall scramble the eggs of your malfeasance!
* InformedAttribute: Cass is supposedly a Munchkin, and yet he plays a monk, almost universally agreed to be the lowest-tier and most useless class in any edition of D&D (at least without splatbooks), and proceeds to play Brother Silence with a distinct personality and a degree of actual characterization that exceeds any of the other characters including the supposed Role Player. He also scoffs initiative, in an edition where going first with properly optimized characters can mean the difference between curb-stomping the opposition and getting curb-stomped.
** The reasoning behind him being a monk is actually a more subtle form of Munchkin. While the Monk does not have a great amount of impressive power, they are a hard class to kill. They have all good saving throws, they have armor class that applies in almost all situations, and at 9th level they are immune to disease, have improved evasion, can slow falls, and can heal their own wounds to a degree. He wasn't trying to win by beating the bad guy himself, he was trying to win by being the one who survives, regardless of how little he contributed to the party as a whole. Also, I think the fact that he pulls out a shotgun, lightsa...psionic spiritblade, chainsaw, and pack of dynamite with no qualms pretty much seals it.
** 3e Monks are actually a pretty decent class in pure combat terms (which would be the most important thing for a munchkin), given the perks they enjoy at high levels. At first glance at least, because their relative strength is greatest when without gear, which should almost never be the case in a standard game.
* InsaneTrollLogic: Flynn maintains that he is able to sneak attack a book, despite its lack of a discernible anatomy, due to the fact that it has a "spine." (Despite bards not being able to sneak attack in the first place.)
* InstantAwesomeJustAddNinja: "Oh, Monks you have a problem with. Ninjas are okay!"
* KavorkaMan: Flynn, to be kind, is not the kind of Bard women typically swoon for. Thank god for high seduction stats.
* LastNameBasis: Lodge.
--> '''Joanna''': Help me out here, Kevin.
--> '''Cass''': Kevin?
--> '''Gary''': Wait, your name is Kevin?
--> '''Leo''': You ''have'' a first name?
* LastSecondWordSwap: "Yeah, just like surfing the Internet for [[TheInternetIsForPorn por]]...litical commentary."
* LyricalDissonance: Flynn sings a happy and soothing tune telling a panicked peasant to shut up or he'll let the sorceress murder him. And it ''works.''
-->'''Flynn''': (singing) Shut up, peasant, rest your head, or we'll let the sorceress kill your ass dead...
* MegaNeko: Guenhwyvar appears gigantic in the RPGMechanicsVerse when he jumps onto the table.
* MoralMyopia: Refusing to torture a prisoner is presented as an example of a paladin being StupidGood, even though he isn't the only LawfulGood character and Daphne otherwise strictly follows the alignment. Not only that, the reason was that it was ''dishonorable'', not any moral concern, and allowing it later is presented as character growth.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Mort Agrippa summons Ninja Zombies, or Zombie Ninjas, possibly Zinjas.
* OhCrap: Drazuul's face epitomizes this trope once it becomes clear the paladin isn't going to stand up for him. Also Joanna, when, after a whispered consultation with Gary, Cass says, "Okay, let's roleplay through this."
* PositiveDiscrimination: In addition to being a more enthusiastic roleplayer, Joanna is able to come up with a killer combo in her first time playing. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that said combo involves a GameBreaker feat that shouldn't even have been available in a basic handbook (i.e.: the one that adds her dexterity & intelligence modifiers to her crit range). Cass objects to [[StrawmanHasAPoint low hit points and defense for the party's]] [[StoneWall Tank]]. However, [[spoiler: in the first non-{{Mook}} battle where she isn't able to crit-kill all the low-level stuff on the field, she's knocked down to a handful of hit points in the first round. [[FridgeLogic It's not so much she out-MinMaxed the MinMaxer, it's that her play style better matches that of the GM.]] ]]
* ThePsychoRangers: In ''Dorkness Rising'', [[spoiler:Mort Kemnon defends himself with the undead bodies of the players' ''last'' party]].
* RedshirtArmy: Leo's Bards. See SendInTheClones below.
* SendInTheClones: Leo's bard dies quickly and often. Tired of losing levels every time he's resurrected, he asks Lodge if he can just replace his character with another when he dies. He then prepares 50 bards, sending in a new one every time the last one dies.
** Leading to an incident during a large battle where the party needs to seek cover from an exceptionally powerful enemy and Leo advises them to "hide behind the mound of dead bards." And it ''works''.
* ShirtlessScene: PlayedForLaughs with Cass. The fact that [[HoYay Gary]] is [[CrossesTheLineTwice dressed in black and thwacking him with a riding crop]] [[FetishFuel doesn't help matters]].
* SpannerInTheWorks: The tide of battle against Mort Kemnon is turned when [[spoiler:Lodge's cat jumps on the table -- which is briefly represented [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere in-universe and to scale]] -- and messes up the pieces.]]
* SpoonyBard: Lampshaded to hell and back of course. Ironically, the second movie’s Munchkin plays a monk, widely agreed to be the most underpowered and pointless class in Dungeons & Dragons.
* StupidGood: Lodge's {{GMPC}}, Sir Osric. The rest of the group has to blatantly lie that there is an evil act being committed somewhere off screen just to get this LawfulGood paladin to leave in order for the rest of them to torture a villain for information, of which normally he would not allow. Lampshaded by the third time this happens, Sir Osric is well aware of their antics, sighs to himself and half-heartedly leaves to "fight evil".
* StupidSacrifice: In Cass’s opinion, Joanna's [[spoiler: using the wish granted by Therin to resurrect Osric. She apparently forgot that DeathIsCheap in DungeonsAndDragons.]]
* TheyKilledKenny: The Bard, full stop.
* ThirdPersonSeductress: Luster, based on Gary's HotTeacher. [[spoiler: he gets the idea to hit on Daphne, gets reminded he's playing a woman, and decides to continue hitting on her because GirlOnGirlIsHot.]]
* TreacherousQuestgiver: [[spoiler:The Hierophant]] from the second movie. [[AnAesop Most of the players don't notice this]] because acting like {{Munchkin}}s has effectively rendered them GenreBlind.
* VillainousBreakdown: ''Technically'' not a villain, but [[spoiler: Cass had spent the entire campaign openly ridiculing and condescending to ex-girlfriend Joanna (Mid-argument, Gary breaks in to say "Why did you guys break up again?") namely for being a new gamer and [[MostGamersAreMale a woman]]. On top of this, his ex-girlfriend and GameMaster best friend openly and blatantly hit on each other. Cass's {{Jerkass}} tendencies reach the exploding point when Joanna's character earns a single unlimited wish. Instead of using it to obtain godhood or anything else that might benefit her and/or the party, she asks for Sir Osric to be resurrected. As the group's biggest {{Munchkin}}, this [[NoTrueScotsman goes against everything he stands for]]. Put off by Joanna and Lodge's sentimental [[TheRoleplayer story-before-achivement]] tendencies, Cass ends up [[RageQuit shouting at everyone and storming off]].]]
* VoiceClipSong: In the closing credits.
* YouWannaGetSued: Brother Silence pulls a [[Franchise/StarWars lightsaber]] out of the weapon chest, but Lodge calls him out on it because it's not even the same ''genre'' as the game they're playing. Cass responds by saying that he doesn't see a lightsaber, because that would be copyright infringement. He pulled out a "Psionic Spirit Blade". Lodge just rolls his eyes and lets him go with it.
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: After defeating Mort Kemnon, Joanna realizes that it still isn't over--partly due to some in-story hints, partly because they're still ''playing''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tropes Exhibited by the Third Film]]
* AllThereInTheManual: Literally. The [[http://www.alderac.com/r9e/files/2013/05/R9E_Rules.pdf rules booklet for ''Romance of the Nine Empires'']] contains several pieces of information about the movie characters and the [=R9E=] setting:
** Natalie's last name is Warner.
** Jase's full name is Jason O'Reilly, and he made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
** Malchior is built on a ruined dwarven city. It's a society of tough, ruggedly independent settlers trying to survive against the waves of undead spilling over from the ruins of Ixhasa.
** The Displaced were thrown into Countermay as a result of the 1945 atomic bomb test in New Mexico.
** Simm Buxtehude [[spoiler:(Leo's character)]] died of a strange wasting illness which the Displaced called "radiation poisoning" after they used a "city-killing bomb" on the Godhead Seat.
* AmbiguousSyntax: Invoked by the ShowWithinAShow Ninja Dragon Riders; the Dragon Riders and Dragons are both ninjas.
* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: The Legacy to The Meach
* AxeCrazy: Gary when it comes to Chibi-Chan
* BoringButPractical: The Biggest Turnip is a cheap and quick 2 Renown card. One of the few non-[[GameBreaker Game Breakers]] featured in the movie. [[spoiler: Cass uses it to win the game against The Legacy.]]
* BreakThemByTalking: The Legacy tries this on Cass, with a heavy dose of NotSoDifferent and WeCanRuleTogether. See the SmugSnake entry below for the results...
* CallBack: At the end of the second movie, Cass admitted, "I'm a dick." At the end of the third movie, he has tells Natalie, "I'm a dick, not an asshole."
* TheCameo: Joanna Gaskell of StandardAction appears briefly at the end as [[spoiler: Myriad's new husband's lover.]]
* ChekhovsGun: The Apple of Life and Largest Turnip quests. [[spoiler: Both are critical to Myriad and Cass winning their respective fights]]
** Also the [[ChekhovsSkill ability to give one of your quest rewards to your opponent's characters]], which Leo stresses ''might'' (he said ''might'') be useful in some circumstances. [[spoiler: It foreshadows the way Cass wins the final by giving the Apple of Life to the undead army]].
* [[spoiler:CliffHanger: OH SO FRICKING MUCH.]]
* ConvertedFanboy: Cass by the end of the film.
* CrossOver: The genie from ''WebVideo/JourneyQuest'' makes an appearance in ''Hands of Fate''.
** And in the extended edition, the one of the True Dungeon puzzles strongly resembles the first room of the Temple of All Dooms.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvVez38SOXc&index=23&list=PLC94D9A19FF391865 This]].
* DarkestHour: [[spoiler: Cass' deck is lost, and he can't replace it.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Cass. So much.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Jase, the Displaced player that Cass beats early on, quickly becomes Cass' main supporter.
* {{Defictionalization}}: The Romance of The Nine Empires Card Game featured in the movie later received a [[http://www.alderac.com/r9e/15th-anniversary/ ''15th Anniversary World Championship Edition'']] made by AEG following the release of the movie, and the game now also has it's first expansion: ''Romance of The Nine Empires Arcane Fire''.
* DoNotCallMePaul: Cass is quick to correct the announcer that refers to him by full name, Sean Cassidy.
* EpicFail: When Cass was first learning Romance In The Nine Empires, he gets completely owned twice by some kid. Then he plays a different kid and gets completely owned. The kicker? With the latter, the kid was playing the Pokemon-{{Expy}} game. Somehow he didn't notice he was playing a completely different game.
* EvenNerdsHaveStandards: Cass makes it clear that Larpers are the lamest of the lame. Except for Furries. He also goes into a full-on nerd rage when he encounters card game players, to everyone else's confusion.
* FictionalCounterpart: Romance of the Nine Empires is basically a viewer-friendly version of LegendOfTheFiveRings, including the players controlling the metaplot and being made by AEG.
** Similarly, Chibi-Chan seems to be one for Pikachu/Pokemon in general, and ''Ninja Dragon Riders'' seems to have some similarities to PowerRangers
* FieryRedhead: Natalie
* FlippingTheTable: Flipping the table after losing? Pretty immature. Flipping the table after losing to two children...
* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the opening roleplaying sequence, Gary's cellphone ringtone is the ''Ninja-Dragon Riders'' theme song.
* FunWithSubtitles: What Chibichan says and what Gary hears are two very different things.
* GameBreaker: In ''Hands of Fate'' Romance of the Nine Empires has A) a food mechanic where you have to keep your forces fed, B) an undead faction that gets to ignore A, and C) cards that destroy all the food production on the board. Decks that exploit this are almost totally unbeatable unless their opponent has a deck full of lesser game breaking tricks. In fact every card and combination we see appears to be massively overpowered, since in-universe the game is designed as much more roleplaying-focused than competitively balanced.
* GamerChick: Natalie, although she ''hates'' being perceived this way.
* GangOfBullies: The Legacy.
* GoodAllAlong: [[spoiler: The Meach is revealed in the end to be a hardcore storyline player who stayed out of the alliance simply because it's what his isolationist faction would do, and his conditions for backing Cass are also completely in-character. He even uses a hero that looks like him, presumably made after one of his previous tournament victories as they did for Cass.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler: For all their SmugSnake behavior throughout the movie, The Legacy are surprisingly graceful with their defeat at Cass's hands. Louis, the leader, even remarks that it was the best game he's ever played.]]
* TheHeart: Jase functions as this, especially when Natalie and Cass are at odds.
* HeyYou: Natalie has a habit of this.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Mark Meacham]], sort of. He [[spoiler: allies with Cass]] not because he's become a good guy, but because [[spoiler: Cass can beat a starvation deck and he can't]]. He's shown to be a nicer guy at the end of the movie, however, going to get a beer with Leo.
* {{LARP}}: Which Cass insists he's too cool for. This does not endear him to Natalie, who says it's one of the highlights of her year.
** Also features an in-universe BigLippedAlligatorMoment when a couple of impeccably dressed Ord cosplayers (or real Ord?) run in briefly and speak nothing but their native language.
* MenActWomenAre: In the extended cut, Joanna calls Lodge out for having [[DoubleStandard this attitude]]. He thinks he has to do something to deserve her, but he doesn't think she has to do anything to deserve him.
* OminousLatinChanting: Cass imagines his training with Leo as taking place in the loading room of the Matrix, surrounded by floating cards and hearing vaguely Gregorian-sounding chanting in the background... that [[BilingualBonus happens to consist of phrases like]] "Do or do not - there is no try" and "All your base are belong to us".
* RealJokeName: It's revealed at the end that Leo's last name is [[spoiler:[=DaVinci=]]].
* [[RecruitingTheCriminal Recruiting The Power Gamer]]: In ''Hands of Fate'' Leo equips and trains Cass to win the nationals and save the game from The Legacy, who view the game more like he does than the rest of the player base.
* ReviveKillsZombie: Sort of. Cass wins against [[spoiler:Louis' undead army by raising them all from the dead with a rare artifact. It doesn't actually kill them, but the now ''alive'' army immediately starves to death because they never had any food. Of course, they would come back again as undead in the next round, but one free round was all Cass needed to win]].
* ShowWithinAShow: ''Ninja Dragon Riders'', a FictionalCounterpart XMeetsY of... quite a few shows. The protanogists look a lot like PowerRangers and are [[{{Jem}} secretly rock stars]]. The dragons are also ninjas who [[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles wear masks, and the red one uses sais.]] Hikaru is searching for [[DragonBall the seven Dragon Crystals]]. Oh, and it's [[Series/{{Firefly}} a canceled cult classic.]] The last aspect is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] when Gary, during his final goodbye to the show, ends with a line from Firefly's theme song.
* SmugSnake: The leader of the Legacy tries so hard to be seen as a MagnificentBastard by Cass. [[ShutUpHannibal Yeah.]] Cass' total irreverence is not limited to [=NPCs=] in an rpg.
-->Weaver: [[AGodAmI A common theme one finds in classical mythology is the belief that all [...] outcomes have already been decided by gods weaving together the strands of fate. On a related note, you can call me... Weaver.]]
-->Cass: No. I'm gonna call you Louis - you look like a Louis to me.
-->Weaver: [[WorthyOpponent I see that we are evenly matched...]]
-->Cass: Not really, no. Is this going somewhere?
* StandardHeroReward: A big theme in this movie.
** First brought up by the Shadow in the opening roleplay sequence.
-->Osric: You will release the princess at once!
-->The Shadow: And what in our long relationship suggests I would do this?
-->Brother Silence: There is but one way this can end: with your death and us departing with our prize.
-->The Shadow: For women are prizes to be won, yes?
** Natalie sarcastically offers herself as this to Cass if he wins the tournament at [=GenCon=]. He takes her seriously and starts training with Leo.
** Also, this is Lodge's explanation for why he feels like he has to do something to deserve Joanna--he grew up on literature where the heroes won their love interests by doing great deeds.
* StrawMisogynist: The Legacy intentionally play this up to help make themselves hated, although a few other players are shown as just as bad and Leo kicks one particularly offensive player out of his store in the very beginning. Cass (and Lodge in the extended cut) getting over their own sexism and double standards is also a major subplot.
* TakeThat: Weaver's big motive speech for The Legacy reveals that they want to turn [=R9E=] into "another poker. Another [[MagicTheGathering Magic]]."
** It's very likely that "The Legacy" are based on a group of Legend of the Five Rings named "Team Dynasty." [=R9E=] was based on [=L5R=], and just like The Legacy, Team Dynasty advocated for cash tournaments and had developed a reputation as being more interested in competitive playing over the story.
** The name and general behavior of The Legacy is probably one to Magic's Legacy format, despised by the wider Magic playerbase for being dominated by cheesy game-breaker deck builds and dickish munchkin players.
* TokenEvilTeammate: The LARP for the alliance has one representative from Ixhasa, who talks about how the Undead are totally going to kill them all
** Cass, to a certain extent, being a powergamer who is fighting for the side of the story gamers, so that he can get laid. [[spoiler: He gets better.]]
* TrappedInAnotherWorld: The Displaced Military faction seems to be American soldiers from WW II. The few references we get to their origin mentions nuking a god in the process.
** [[spoiler: The CliffHanger...]]
* VillainSong: The Legacy has quite a catchy one.
* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"My quarrel's never been with you, rather it's been with those that have continuously thwarted my plans. Now *you*, I have quite the quarrel with."]]
[[/folder]]

The third feature-length movie in the series, ''The Gamers: Hands Of Fate'', brings back many of the characters from ''The Gamers: Dorkness Rising'' though the focus of the film is on [[CollectibleCardGame Collectible Card Games]] rather than [[TabletopRPG Tabletop RPGs]], though we do briefly see the party from the second film and find out that Lodge is now running [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TabletopGame/Pathfinder?from=Main.Pathfinder Pathfinder]] instead of DungeonsAndDragons. The plot focuses on Cass, who begins playing the story-based CCG ''Romance of The Nine Empires'' in an effort to impress GamerChick Natalie. At the same time, across time and space in the mystical land of Countermay, BadassPrincess Myriad is troubled by visions of her own death and the destruction of her kingdom - visions that seem more like long-forgotten memories than simple nightmares...

''The Gamers'' is a film series produced by ''The Dead Gentlemen'' and ''Zombie Orpheus Entertainment''. There are currently three full-length films in the series: the 2002 short film ''The Gamers'', the 2008 full-length feature ''The Gamers: Dorkness Rising'' and the 2013 full-length feature ''The Gamers: Hands Of Fate''. According to comments by the filmmakers on the Youtube site, a fourth film is planned to finish out the series.

** Lodge announces that the group will be starting at [[MazesAndMonsters ninth level]]. (Possibly a coincidence, but with this many other shout-outs in the movie, probably not.)

* TakeThat: Weaver's big motive speech for The Legacy reveals that they want to turn [=R9E]= into "another poker. Another [[MagicTheGathering Magic]]."

* AllThereInTheManual: Literally. The [url=http://www.alderac.com/r9e/files/2013/05/R9E_Rules.pdf]rules booklet for ''Romance of the Nine Empires''[/url] contains several pieces of information about the movie characters and the [=R9E=] setting:

* The Meach (Mark Meachum): An InsufferableGenius elite player who is one of the obstacles on Cass's way to the championship.

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Mark Meachum]], sort of. He [[spoiler: allies with Cass]] not because he's become a good guy, but because [[spoiler: Cass can beat a starvation deck and he can't]]. He's shown to be a nicer guy at the end of the movie, however, going to get a beer with Leo.

* TakeThat: Weaver's big motive speech for The Legacy reveals that they want to turn R9E into "another poker. Another [[MagicTheGathering Magic]]."
** It's very likely that "The Legacy" are based on a group of Legend of the Five Rings named "Team Dynasty." R9E was based on L5R, and just like The Legacy, Team Dynasty advocated for cash tournaments and had developed a reputation as being more interested in competitive playing over the story.

* {{LARP}}: Which Cass insists he's too cool for. This does not endear him to Natalie, who loves it.

** Natalie sarcastically offers herself as this to Cass if he wins the tournament at GenCon. He takes her seriously and starts training with Leo.

''The Gamers'' is a film series produced by ''The Dead Gentlemen'' and ''Zombie Orpheus Entertainment''. There are currently three films in the series: the 2002 short film ''The Gamers'', the 2008 full-length feature ''The Gamers: Dorkness Rising'' and the 2013 full-length feature ''The Gamers: Hands Of Fate''. According to comments by the filmmakers on the Youtube site, a fourth film is planned to finish out the series.

* Penelope (same actress plays Female Luster): One of the writers of the ''Romance of The Nine Empires'' storyline. Oversees the finals at [=GenCon]=.

* Penelope/ Female Luster: One of the writers of the ''Romance of The Nine Empires'' storyline. Oversees the finals at GenCon.

* Jase: A cheerful, friendly ''Romance of the Nine Empires'' player who becomes Cass's biggest supporter after playing against him in a qualifying match.

* The Legacy: The main villains of the Real World part of the movie--a GangOfBullies who plan to win the finals at GenCon and use the influence they'll gain over the story to kill the game for anyone who prefers plots and diplomacy to non-stop combat.

* {{LARP}}: Which Cass insists he's too cool for. This does not endear him to Natalie, who loves it. Also features an in-universe BigLippedAlligatorMoment when a couple of impeccably dressed Ord cosplayers (or real Ord?) run in and speak nothing but their native language.

* RealJokeName: It's revealed at the end that Leo's last name is [[spoiler:DaVinci.]]

* StandardHeroReward: Natalie sarcastically offers herself as this to Cass if he wins the tournament at GenCon. He takes her seriously and starts training with Leo.

* CreatorCameo: Author Matt Vancil appears in each of the three films so far.

*** Jase - TheChick / TheHeart (with an emphasis on social networking and nurturing]] over being the love interest)

** The players in the first movie [[spoiler: literally order their own deaths]]. [[RuleOfFunny somehow.]]

** In ''The Gamers'', [[spoiler: Polymorphing The Shadow into an Ogre, because Rogar has a Sword of Ogre Decapitation.]]
** In ''Hands Of Fate'', [[spoiler: Using a quest item that can resurrect an army on the other player's army of undead soldiers - an army they have no means of supporting once they have to start paying for the food of an army that big.]]

** Matt Vancil as Hunk and Mitch.

* StandardHeroReward: Lodge's explanation for why he feels like he has to do something to deserve Joanna--he grew up on literature where the heroes won their love interests by doing great deeds.

*** Jase - TheChick (with an emphasis on social networking and nurturing over being the love interest)

** Both the characters and the players in the first film after they defeat [[BigBad the Shadow]].

* HappyDance: Taken to slightly disturbing levels as Nimble's player rips off his shirt.

* Jace: A cheerful, friendly ''Romance of the Nine Empires'' player who becomes Cass's biggest supporter after playing against him in a qualifying match.
* The Meach (Mark Meacham): An InsufferableGenius elite player who is one of the obstacles on Cass's way to the championship.

* GoodAllAlong: [[spoiler: The Meach is revealed in the end to be a hardcore storyline player who stayed out of the alliance simply because it's what his isolationist faction would do, and his conditions for backing Cass are also completely in-character. He even uses a hero that looks like him, presumable made after one of his previous tournament victories as they did for Cass.]]

* OminousLatinChanting: Cass imagines his training with Leo as taking place in the loading room of the Matrix, surrounded by floating cards and hearing vaguely gregorian-sounding chanting in the background... that [[BilingualBonus happens to consist of phrases like]] "Do or do not - there is no try" and "All your base are belong to us".

* Joanna/Daphne: Now the DungeonmastersGirlfriend, but largely unchanged from what little we see of her in the festival cut. In the extended cut, she discovers a wedding ring in Lodge's backpack and freaks out about it.

* Jace: A cheerful, friendly R 9 E player who becomes Cass's biggest supporter after playing against him in a qualifying match.
* The Meach (Mark Meacham): An InsufferableGenius elite R 9 E player who is one of the obstacles on Cass's way to the championship.

* Jace: A cheerful, friendly R9E player who becomes Cass's biggest supporter after playing against him in a qualifying match.
* The Meach (Mark Meacham): An InsufferableGenius elite R9E player who is one of the obstacles on Cass's way to the championship.

* Kevin Lodge/Sir Osric: Largely unchanged, his role is barely more than a cameo.
* Joanna/Daphne: Now the DungeonmastersGirlfriend, but largely unchanged from what little we see of her.

* The Legacy: The main villains of the Real World part of the movie - a GangOfBullies who plan to win the finals at GenCon and use the influence they'll gain over the story to kill the game for anyone who prefers plots and diplomacy to non-stop combat.

** Cass, to a certain extent, being a powergamer who is fighting for the side of the story gamers, so that he can get laid. [[spoiler: He gets better]]

TheGamers is a film series produced by ''The Dead Gentlemen'' and ''Zombie Orpheus Entertainment''. There are currently three films in the series: the 2002 short film TheGamers, the 2008 full-length feature [[TheGamers The Gamers: Dorkness Rising]] and the 2013 full-length feature [[TheGamers The Gamers: Hands Of Fate]]. According to comments by the filmmakers on the Youtube site, a fourth film is planned to finish out the series.

TheGamers follows a group of gamers playing a game (the name of the game is never actually mentioned, but it's ''DungeonsAndDragons'') as they are about to face the final villain in the campaign. The action switches between the players, who have to deal with things like an absent gamer, a girl in a nearby room who is trying to study & dice rolls, and the characters, who have to deal with things like bandits, a dead party member, and whether or not they are unconscious.