So I had a dream about a regular guy in a fantasy(dnd esque) setting and thought it would be an interesting game concept. (this is kind of a condensed version of it, I wrote quite a bit more plot down in a text file with better narration, and better jokes =) )

Plot: (hl2/portal style camera and graphics... nothing too fancy though)
so the idea is for the main character to wake up laying in a cave staring at a hole in the ceiling filled with sunlight. The player doesn't know why he's there or what happened.. (turns out he's just a regular guy who fell through a cave ceiling...well as regular as a guy can be while being chased by dragons) shortly after the player is greeted by a questing party of some importance and is almost slain by them as they mistake him for an undead (he is laying half buried in dirt on a cave floor). It turns out he's just the guy they've been looking for.. a pack mule to carry all of their loot and open doors.

Game Mechanics:
the idea is to break the party up and always have the main character get separated from the main party during fight scenes. The main characters job is to change the battle field through puzzles (gears levels.. adventure game stuff) to favor the heroes (and to haul their crap). The hero also gets loot not carried by the heroes which the main character uses as tools( who said you can't crack a wall-nut with a sword). I'd like to emphasize though that the main character is not a fighter and I plan on exploiting this with a few close calls and scares (like fatal frame for a ghost section in the game, or the stereotypical Indiana Jones style boulder).

So I'm posting this more of a brainstorm to get ideas for puzzles and epic scenes. One of the great things about this style of game is it's possible for the player to get great views of a fantasy setting( I was actually inspired by valve softwares' vistas) and do some interesting camera work.

Just some random thoughts:

Since he's in a cave, how about a scene where the character has to knock down some pointy-shaped boulders, to protect the questers, from a higher-up cliff walkway within the cave. Could do some nice camera work with a scene like that.

The character could be tasked with crawling through tight spaces within the cave, and figuring out how to open areas for the questers. The challenges faced along the way along with opening the passage could be made into quite a few puzzles.. i.e. crossing over fire, figuring out a path, etc.

Have the character find some rope and have him figure out how to swing to various areas. Can use the camera to show swinging spots as well as the animation (ala Indiana Jones :-) ).

So you're drawing attention to the difference between the average Joe and the heroic questers. Will they be fantasy heroes, all super-tough and noble, or will they be video game heroes, sociopathic engines of goblin genocide? However you go about it, use writing and situations to emphasize how weird it seems to the protagonist. You could go for mild stuff, like how they never get tired from climbing stairs, or go all-out and have the player sigh and kick in a rickety wooden door while the party puts together a plan to search for the troll captain and secure his key.

I like the idea of keeping out of the fights, but be careful not to make the fights too fun-looking. You could have the heroes and villains line up, final-fantasy-style, and take turns bonking each other and drinking potions while the protagonist is solving puzzles or leaping about trying to throw a switch on the big machine in the background that powers the villain's endless supply of zombies. The party's supply of red potions could be the time limit on the player, and he might even have to run down there every so often to transfer mana potions from his rucksack to the mage's pouch, since the mage can't manage his own inventory during a fight.

Maybe this is just me, but I think you'd need to make the "Heroes" sort of dumb or weak, in order for the main character to feel smuggly superior. Think of the dynamic in Inspector Gadget for example. Penny does everything, the inspector doesn't even realize it.

Great idea! I would play it.

Some thoughts that came to mind: heroes using you as monster bait, heroes sending you in first to "check" for traps, subverting hostile forces the heroes are oblivious too (and unwilling to listen to you about)

I think the subverting gameplay could play out like the old point-and-click adventures. Example: heroes are celebrating the recent successful looting run at an inn. While they're all getting drunk (and you are left to sort the loot), you notice a suspicious cloaked figure up to no good (poisoning their drinks or something). You are told to bugger off when you try to warn the heroes, so you go about defeating the ne'er-do-well in classic adventure game form, while not disturbing the party.