Basic Trope: A captive pretends to be ill or injured to get the drop on his captor.
- Straight: Bob fakes a heart attack to get the guard in his cell so he can escape.
- Exaggerated: Bob fakes a heart attack, Alice pretends she's having an allergic reaction, Charlie complains of a broken leg, Dracone draws and spits out blood, and Eva makes herself look like a victim of The Plague. The Guard is completely flabbergasted at the sheer sickness in that room, and tries to escort them to the sick room. The moment they're all out, they immediately beat the guard up and make a break for it.
- Downplayed: Bob moans about being in pain to lure the guard in.
- Justified: Bob knows he has information the enemy wants or that the guards were ordered to keep him alive, so they will have to send someone in to help if they think he's dying.
- Inverted:
- The guards of a Gilded Cage trick Bob into thinking he is ill or has a weak immune system so he will not try escaping.
- The guards pretend to be sick in order for the captive to lower his guard.
- Subverted: Bob pretends to have a heart attack, but his acting is so bad the guard easily sees through it.
- Double Subverted: ...But then Alice fakes a convulsion and is so convincing the guard comes in to check.
- Parodied: Bob gets the drop on his guard by complaining of a sore toe.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: ???
- Enforced: ???
- Lampshaded:Bob: We have to get the guards in here somehow. Anyone have experience playing sick?
- Exploited: Bob fakes an incurable, highly contagious, and terminal disease. The guard uses this as an excuse to kill Bob despite the I Want Them Alive! orders from the boss, since the disease being faked is too dangerous.
- Defied: Emperor Evulz commands his guards that they are to let the prisoners die if necessary, but under no circumstances should they go into a cell without heavy backup.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Implied:Alice: How did you ever get out?Bob: Have you ever heard of Garbarian extratosis?Alice: No.Bob: Neither had the guards.
- Deconstructed: Bob is so convincing that the guards sedate and transfer him to the Quarantine Ward
