In a fantasy world world with magic and monsters, how can you let the players know that the high adventure they experience in not "normal" for everyone else (non-players)?

Without boring the players to death of course.
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In reply to GreenTongue (msg # 1):

describe the toil of the workers, and especially disallow regular RPG game conventions (i.e. if the party walk around together like a mob while in a city, have the guards label them as suspicious.)

Have them meet some normal people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAaWvVFERVA. :)

Have the normal people treat them as either exotic, dangerous, or insane...

Have the City Watch at the main entrance gate present the party with the town's "Do and Don't" as nailed prominently at the gate.  Some examples include the peace-bonding of weapons, no magic except at designated areas, mandatory temple attendance on the local holy day, nightly curfews, tavern dram shop laws to limit public drunkenness, loitering limitations, etc.

any tips bigger than a few coppers get characters fawned over (and oftentimes propositioned, yes you're in Slut-World ^_~ ) and TARGETED (a tribe of Jermalaine with a few Osquips can steal an awful lot of stuff fairly quickly).

I play GURPS Dungeon Fantasy if I'm playing in a fantasy world. It's kind of unofficially nicknamed GURPS Murder Hobos. Anyone who's not on the business end of their murdersticks is on the business end of keeping them in business. AKA civilian toils. It isn't really 'dealt with' as such, but the players pretty much know they're a thousand cuts as it were above the rest.

I usually have 'normals' treat them as dangerous, too.  But I also have "Adventurers" treated sometimes as the world's Reality Stars.  They're the Pop Culture Celebrities, along with local kings and other notable people, that normal people gossip about, sometimes worship and sometimes hope to see "get what's coming to them".

Also, have NPCs talk about the high mortality rate of other Adventurers, to emphasize that they're the lucky ones....so far.

1: Adventurers are regarded with awe and respect, and people ask them for stories about their exploits.

2: Adventurers are regarded with awe and respect, and people steer well clear of the crazy violent almost-criminals.

3: Upon learning that the party is made of adventurers, common people do not believe them or take them seriously at all without proof.

4: Upon learning that the party is made of adventurers, common people ask them to solve all their world-shaking problems: Wolves making off with some sheep, lost items, strange sounds at night that are legitimately natural phenomena, etc.

5: Legends speak, myths tell, rumors whisper.

6: There's something strange in the neighborhood. There's something weird and it don't look good. The people don't know who to call. All the king's horses and all the king's men can't piece it together.
This message was last edited by the user at 01:19, Thu 03 Apr 2014.

The players acquire reputations, fame and fortune, and get treated accordingly as they grow in power. While everoyne else is required to peace bond their weapons, the heroes do not have to. While everyone else is searched for contraband, the Players are waved through with an apology for the delay. There's always room at whichever inn they stop, and they might see someone else evicted to accomodate them. Nobles offer sons or daughters in marriage to forge an alliance. News of their exploits when in town spread like widlfire.

Adventurers are the celebrities and sports stars of the world.  Most folks think they are entitled, spoiled Prima Donnas that never grew up and make entirely too much money playing with swords and dragons when they should be using their God-given talents to help the less fortunate.

Farmer Brown jabs an accusing finger at Ferkillian the Fantabulous "So you can blast Goblins with huge displays of Arcane power, huh?  Well how about you cast a spell that grows crops and actually helps feed people you overpaid cretin!"

or

"You just bought a potion that makes you fly for a few minutes.  That's great.  You realize that I could feed my family and all my neighbors families for a year with what it cost you to joy ride in the sky like some kind of thoughtless Gooney Bird?  Thanks a lot, Jerk."

Something that is important to this question (and is addressed a few times above) - is the idea of currency, and what it means.

In DnD and Pathfinder - PCs talk in Gold.  However, it is often ignored that peasants talk in Copper or even smaller denominations (if they exist).

This creates such huge disparity (as Shiv points out with the Potion of Fly.)

This should blow EVERYTHING out of proportion: arguments, bets, bragging rights, shouting matches, purchases.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0122.html
^ see about comic strip, for exaggerated (barely) view.

Everyone will treat them as a leech treats prey - opportunities that should be feared.

The 12gp tumbleweed was priceless.

I was thinking along the lines of what GamerHandle says.  For me, I was in the navy and many ports were quite, um, intense.  Ever taken a cruise and gotten off the ship to hit the tourist trap?  Never been, but I'd think some of the Mexican towns across the border would be similar.  Las Vegas maybe a bit.

In reply to CosmicGamer (msg # 14):

Right there with you on the Navy deployments and liberty ports.  The best way I've found is similar to what the others have been saying.

Describe the destitution.  Put them in a situation where they see how the 'common man' is treated and force them to react (or not!) as their conscience (or lack thereof) demands.  I love the "tip well and get propositioned" comment - absolutely true!  My other favorite one is the little kid who follows the group through the streets waving a stick like a sword.

In reply to Prowler.Jeff (msg # 15):

Another good comparison is the way Superheroes are portrayed in "realistic" stories; vilified by many and worshipped by others, but usually the center of attention, especially in small towns.
They'd be treated differently in a small village than an urban metropolis, but still would be the subject of much gossip and speculation.

Unless those commoners mouth off against nobles and kings as well, why would they mouth off against adventurers who can waste their entire village with one spell, or hack their way through the entire city guard without breaking a sweat? (and if the village is too tough for either, why would they need the adventurers so much, or envy them that much in the first place?)

I can understand the "rise prices" effect, but then again - most of my adventurers already spend gold freely when in town, to both enjoy life and assure the best service they can get.

In reply to Starfox (msg # 17):

I think how the commoners treat Adventurers depends on how aloof the Adventurers are.    Kings and High Priests can be scary figures only seen at a distance on High Holidays, just like seeing a celebrity in our world is a big deal for most of us.
However, if some celebrities become to familiar and casual with people, then the people might start bugging them.  Either about the choices the celebrity made (either with their job or how they spend money) or might grow brave enough to give them the criticism they might not otherwise dare to speak.
Adventurers might be the same way.   Seeing a random group of powerful people would be intimidating, but if they're regulars, or famous for being generous and kind, it opens up the door for familiarity.
And, as the old saying goes;  "Familiarity breeds contempt".

Going along with what nuric is saying, it isn't really difficult for me to picture a commoner feeling safe "mouthing off" to particular group of adventurers simply because he is protected by their moral code, assuming of course that these adventurers go around righting wrongs, saving, babies, and the like. Furthermore, assuming a roughly feudal political system, if adventurers go around laying waste to every village that says something negative about them, you could bet they would have to eventually answer to a lot of upset nobles. Peasants tend to generate less income for their liege lord when they are missing limbs, on fire, or otherwise afraid for their lives, and thus is it typically within a noble's best interest to ("eventually...after I'm done hunting/drinking") exact justice upon lawbreakers (Woo-hoo! Plot Hook!). Bottom line, if the commoners have a strong reason to believe that the adventurers wouldn't (dare) lay waste to their village ("because reasons!"), then mouthing off probably won't seem like such a big no-no.

Nobility and Kings are different story. Again assuming a feudal system, the commoners pay the nobility rent to live on their land. The nobility typically own/run the military which protects the common folk from those who would otherwise lay-waste to their village. Nobles come and go much more slowly than adventurers. It's a different sort of relationship. Math?

I apologize in advance for using the word assume a lot and am cognizant of what it implies about U & me.
This message was last edited by the user at 15:27, Fri 04 Apr 2014.