Basic Trope: Someone who gets special treatment from the person in charge of an RPG because of an out-of-game-context relationship (romantic or otherwise).
- Straight: Seamus O'Taku is put in charge of a Dungeons & Dragons game. His girlfriend's character is never allowed to lose and gets extra points added to the character sheet, while Seamus constantly fudges his rolls in her favor.
- Exaggerated:
- Seamus' girlfriend literally takes over the game.
- Seamus lets his girlfriend start the game at the max level possible with max stats and knowing every spell in the game.
- Downplayed:
- Seamus allows his girlfriend an extra reroll or two every so often, but that's about it.
- Seamus bends the rules slightly whenever his girlfriend gets into trouble, but tries to apply the same "bending" to the rest of the group as well.
- Justified:
- Seamus really cares about his girlfriend, and that's affecting how he leads the game.
- Seamus' girlfriend is a real Tsundere and he wants to stay on her good side so she'll continue to stay with (and sleep with) him.
- Seamus' girlfriend is new to gaming so he thought giving her some advantages would help her hold her own alongside veteran players and encourage her to keep playing.
- Seamus bends the rules for his girlfriend but he does it for all newbies to prevent turning them off earlier in the learning curve.
- Inverted:
- Seamus makes sure his girlfriend's character loses all the time, probably to avoid being accused of favoritism.
- Seamus and Alice have been enduring (or rather, barely tolerating) a rough spot in their relationship and Seamus does horrible things to Alice's character because he refuses to abuse the real deal.
- Subverted:
- Seamus, despite the expectations of the other gamers, plays fairly, and his GF's character loses a battle or two.
- Seamus tries for this only for his girlfriend to call him out: "Seamus, we've both been playing this since junior high. I don't think I need preferential treatment."
- Double Subverted:
- But when she gets upset and starts to cry, Seamus gives her a "special mission."
- "I know you don't, but my penis would like some later, and I'm hoping this way I won't have to buy flowers."
- Parodied: Seamus literally puts his girlfriend on a golden pedestal while everyone else sits on regular chairs.
- Zig Zagged: One session, Seamus gives his girlfriend favorable RPG treatment. Next week when they meet again, he plays fairly, or even really dumps on her character.
- Averted:
- Seamus doesn't give special treatment to anyone.
- Seamus is just another player, not the one in charge.
- Seamus softens the rules up for everybody at different points - so him doing so for his girlfriend is just an extension of what he's done for others.
- Enforced: The unspoken "Rules of Relationships"
- Lampshaded: "OK, Alice saves. Everyone else take 2d6+4 damage."
- Invoked: Seamus has a new Tsundere girlfriend, who has never played D&D before.
- Exploited: Bob forms an alliance with Alice, so he can win along with her.
- Defied:
- Seamus refuses to give anyone special treatment, because it will ruin the game.
- The girlfriend refuses to let Seamus give her any special treatment.
- Seamus' girlfriend makes very damned clear that she will never play Seamus' games, even if she otherwise accepts and supports his hobbies.
- Discussed: "How come she always wins?"
- Conversed: "Because she's his girlfriend. La-dee-dah."
- Deconstructed: This obvious favoritism ruins the dynamics of the table. Personal relationships should be kept out of RPG, especially if (let's say) Seamus is a much better/more experienced player than his girlfriend. Otherwise, other players feel slighted and the game is ruined.
- Reconstructed: Seamus's girlfriend is new to gaming, and his preferential treatment encourages her to keep playing and improve her skills. Eventually, she doesn't need any extra help and he stops favoring her. Gaming together improves their relationship.
- Played For Laughs: Seamus's girlfriend is really, really bad at the game, and has dismal luck with the dice, but Seamus keeps going easy on her. "All right, roll to see if the arrow hits... Roll to see where it hits... Roll to see if you blinked... The arrow bounces off of your eyelid! No damage!"
- Played For Drama: An argument ensues, and friendships are ruined.
- Played For Horror: Seamus' girlfriend is a murderous Yandere with a Hair-Trigger Temper and dealing with a game with a Random Number God is just asking for her to feel insulted and commit murder for one reason or another.
Back to Dungeonmaster's Girlfriend
