Standard Action is a Web Original that follows the exploits of a team of low-level adventurers, living in a Dungeons & Dragons-esque world. Wendy the sorceress, and Fernando the bard are down on their luck with no money, shoddy equipment and two other party members captured by hobgoblins. Left with no other options, they seek to recruit a healer and meat shield to fill out their party and rescue their companions, Astrid the ranger and Torval the cleric, before the hobgoblins finish them off. Having no money, they instead end up with Martin the druid, and Edda the elf barbarian. However, not all is as it seems up in the mountains, and the party finds itself drawn into something much greater than any of them expected.
The series currently has two seasons with a third on the way, after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
The show's web site is here
and has a YouTube channel here.
This work includes examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: The hobgoblin guard, to Fernando. Whether she was also abhorrent to Fernando's father is a matter of speculation, although the fact that he never talked about how he escaped from that dungeon is probably significant.
- Action Girl: Edda, who is an elf barbarian.
- A Hero to His Hometown: The Hobgoblin Champion. The villain plans to use this fact to unite the hobgoblins and get them to follow him.
- Anachronism Stew: Martin's shoes are clearly a pair of Converse.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Though they aren't related, Fernando occasionally fills this role, opposite Wendy's Aloof Big Sister role.
- Big Bad: Torval. However, there are hints that there is an overarching antagonist besides him.
- The Brute: The hobgoblins have a half-ogre on their side.
- Can't Argue with Elves: Astrid lives this trope. (Edda, however, doesn't.)
- Consummate Liar: Fernando, once he gets access to a Potion of Glibness.
- Create Your Own Villain: Torval tells Wendy that this happened to the hobgoblins. It's not clear to what degree he's correct, believes he is correct, or is just trying to manipulate her into joining him.
- Determinator: Martin won't give up on his fight with Torval, even when he's clearly outmatched.
- The Dragon: The Hobgoblin Champion.
- Enemy Mime: Martin is briefly possessed by the glasses of an undead mime.
- Evil Gloating: Torval has a monologue all written up, but the heroes keep interrupting him.
- Face–Heel Turn: Torval.
- Fearless Fool: Fernando.
- Genre Savvy: Edda might not be that smart, but she's over 400 years old and knows a thing or two about adventuring.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Fernando is half-halfling.
- Idiot Hero: Edda.
- Intrepid Merchant: Mortimer the Magnificent.
- Like Brother and Sister: Wendy and Fernando. They've been adventuring together since graduation and have been through a lot together. When the party was reunited after being separated, Fernando has absolutely no compunctions about bear-hugging Wendy, and when one of them is depressed or doubting themselves, the other is always the first to comfort them.
- Loyal Animal Companion: Martin's animal companion, Snuffles the badger.
- Subverted in one episode, where Snuffles had gone off to hang out with Edda, and Martin couldn't find him.
- Magical Girl: Wendy.
- My Class Doth Protest Too Much: Martin is a druid who hates the forest, is allergic to trees and prefers to prepare fire spells over healing ones, claiming he's not a healer.
- Naïve Newcomer: Because he's new to the whole adventuring gig, Fernando's head is filled with stories of great heroes and epic battles.
- Neat Freak: Wendy, who spends most of her daily allotment of magic on cleaning her clothing.
- Martin as well. He laments losing his hand sanitizer after being chased by halfling bandits. (Probably more about allergies than fastidiousness, though.)
- Nightmare Face: If you've seen episode 7, you know exactly what this refers to. And likely
lost some sleep over it. - Pyromaniac: Martin sure loves his fire spells.
- Reference Overdosed: More like borderline overdosed, but it's not particularly subtle:
- Fernando Inigo Vespa of the Hairy Feet
- The Poetic Edda is the source of most Norse myth, the Norse being famous for their Barbarian warriors.
- Mortimer sells a gold ring that, when worn, causes a powerful undead creature from the eastern wastes to know the wearer's exact location.
- Retired Badass: The owner of the Lonely Dragon Inn.
- Spoony Bard: Fernando, who plays "inspirational" battle ballads on his... ukelele.
- Square Race, Round Class: Edda the Barbarian elf.
- Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Wendy and Martin. Just about any time they appear together, they seem to be involved in some sort of unspoken snarking contest.
- Unstoppable Rage: Edda, being a barbarian, has access to the Rage ability and becomes scarily good at combat when she's mad. Of course, once it wears off, she faints due to Rage Fatigue.
- Wizarding School: Wendy went to Sorcery School; Fernando went to Bard School.
