Authority Tropes

Basic Information

Authority tropes are tropes about the different effects and displays of authority and obedience.

List of Authority Tropes

Tropes About Authority in General

• Authority Equals Asskicking
• The Chains Of Commanding
• Ermine Cape Effect
• Fisher King
• Large And In Charge
• Mistaken for the Gardener
• Zero Percent Approval Rating

Leader Characters of

Any Kind of Institution

• Cincinnatus
• Evil Overlord
• The Hero
• Obstructive Bureaucrat
• Reasonable Authority Figure
• The Umbridge
  • Bait And Switch Umbridge

The Kingdom

• The Caligula
• God Save Us From The Queen
• The High Queen
  • The Woman Wearing The Queenly Mask
• Royals Who Actually Do Something

Non-character Tropes

• Awesome Moment Of Crowning
• Royally Screwed Up

The Military

• The Captain
• Drill Sergeant Nasty
• General Ripper
• The Neidermeyer
• Officer And A Gentleman
• Sergeant Rock

A Company

• Corrupt Corporate Executive

School

• Dean Bitterman
• Sadist Teacher
• Save Our Students

A Town

• The King Of Town

Underlings

And Love…

• Bodyguard Crush
• Crouching Support Hidden Batshit
• Subordinate Excuse

Others

• Battle Butler
• My Country Right Or Wrong
• The Dragon
• Evil Minions
• Faceless Goons
• Mooks
  • Elite Mooks
  • Mecha Mooks

Sources

TV Tropes Wiki entry

Game and Story Use

• Even if the PCs are "free agents", they will likely still have to deal with authority figures from time to time. When they are actually part of an organization, such contact will be far more frequent.
• Of course, games where the player characters themselves are Authority can be a great deal of fun, since they have a lot of freedom and power to act as they will.
  • But don't neglect the often crushing responsibility - or the fact that if they screw up, they have to live with the consequences and can't ask anyone above them for help.