Weird West Character Archetypes

The following are some of the various archetypes for players to choose from or inspire them
to what type of character they want to play. The list attempts to cover the breadth of
different occupations and concepts that exist in the Weird West. The list is far from
complete and players could even make a hybrid of many of the Archetypes (such as an Ex-
Cultist/Gunslinger).

Each Archetype is broken down by the basic name of the Archetype followed by a brief
description of what the archetype does. Lastly, is a list of recommended Attributes, Skills
(collectively known as Traits), and Edges that are recommended for the archetype. Please
note, some the recommended items are requirements for certain signature edges for certain
archetypes (such as Agent).

Agent
They are employees of the secretive United States organization called the Agency. Formed
after the Union decided that the Pinkerton Detective Agency was not enough to handle
national security. These men and women in black dusters serve as investigators, police, and
spies.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Fighting, Guts, Knowledge: Law, Knowledge: Occult, Notice,
Investigation, Shooting, Stealth, Agent, Brave, Investigator, Rock and Roll, Thief, True Grit

Airman
They are pioneers of the sky. They seek to push the limits of science and daring with their
amazing flying machines such as auto-gyros and ornithopters. Due to the complicated
nature of these infernal devices, most Airman are Mad Scientist themselves or at least well
versed in new science to make the in flight adjustments to their flying vehicles. If the Airman
Archetype interests you, and you plan on taking the Arcane Background: Mad Science you
might want to take a look at the Mad Scientist Gizmos.
Recommended: Agility, Guts, Piloting, Repair, Ace, Arcane Background: Mad Science, Mr.
Fix-It

Alchemist
They are mad scientists and masters in the field of chemistry. They specialize in the brewing
of potions, elixirs, and tonics. Everything from healing potions to explosive Greek Fire-like
Molotov cocktails. They often have patches of hair missing due to the explosive nature of
their experiments making these concoctions. However, they practices usually allow safer
and more predictable consumption of their brews. If the Alchemist Archetype interests you,
and you plan on taking the Arcane Background: Mad Science you might want to take a look
at the Mad Scientist Gizmos.
Recommended: Smarts, Guts, Knowledge: Chemistry, Throwing, Mad Science, Alchemy,
Arcane Background: Mad Science
Animal Wrangler
They are outdoorsmen and trainers of animals such as dogs, horses, and falcons. With their
animal companions they are often more comfortable out on the range than in the fanciest of
city hotels. Many are defenders of wildlife and nature, others seek to subjugate lesser beasts
for their own nefarious purposes.
Recommended: Spirit, Persuasion, Guts, Survival, Tracking, Beast Bond, Beast Master,
Woodsman

Apache Scout
They are often sent ahead of their tribe to ensure the safety of their people. They are used
to working alone and are often expert hunters and trackers. While not all scouts are
followers of the Old Ways, many are because, after all, bows and arrows are quiet.
Recommended: Agility, Smarts, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Survival, Tracking, Scout, Woodsman

Blessed
They are nuns, priests, or average folks who have been blessed by The Powers That Be for
some reason or another. When the blessed are behaving themselves, they can invoke
miracles that help them fight the supernatural evils found in the Weird West and advance
the greater good in the name of their beliefs.
Recommended: Spirit, Faith, Guts, Persuasion, Arcane Background: Miracles, Conviction

Big Game Hunter

They have been lured to the Weird West by the stories of creatures of such great size and
ferocity they pale anything found in Africa. Usually from wealthy families back east or even
Europe, they are equipped with only the best of equipment, and they are used to finest of
living conditions. Even with without these fancy amenities, they are expert trackers and
marksmen.
Recommended: Notice, Guts, Shooting, Survival, Tracking, Marksman, Rich, Woodsman

Bounty Hunter
They chase down outlaws and turn then in for the monetary reward. They have to be careful
though as the hunter sometimes becomes the hunted if the prey gets wind someone’s on
their trail. Unlike the typical gunslingers, they have to be trained to find their quarry and
most don’t bother with calling them out, choosing to quietly knock them out and tie them
up.
Recommended: Agility, Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Shooting, Stealth, Tracking,
Streetwise

Buffalo Hunter
They saw a strange development in their trade in the last few years. The Sioux Nations
herded most of the larger buffalo into their borders. This means buffalo meat and hides—
once fairly common are now bringing in good prices at the few surviving and very secret
skinning camps. The Sioux have warned off buffalo hunters on several occasions, but now
they shoot on sight. Buffalo hunters need to be sneaky sorts with few scruples and strong
hands for firing their Sharp’s Big Fifty rifles.
Recommended: Agility, Strength, Guts, Shooting, Stealth, Survival, Tracking, Woodsman

Cattle King
They spend most of their time on their ranches raising hundreds of heads of cattle. Once a
year, they have to drive the herd to a market of some sort, usually a railhead or stockyard.
Cattle Kings often are well connected to both high society and the underworld (through
their ranch hands). Most are fairly wealthy, unless their herd has been rustled.
Recommended: Spirit, Guts, Persuasion, Charismatic, Contacts, Noble, Rich

Cavalryman
They act as scouts, Indian fighters, and occasionally as raiders and both the USA and CSA
employ such soldiers. They are often looked to as saviors of beleaguered troops hoping for
fast reinforcements charging over the horizon.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Knowledge: Battle, Riding, Shooting, Soldier

Cowpoke
These are the real west’s cowboys. They ain’t ones typically for heroics or much concerned
about good and evil. They just want their pay for an honest hard working job. Most
cowpokes ain’t rich or well educated so Illiterate and Poverty make good hindrances.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Persuasion, Riding, Shooting,
Survival

Cajun Tracker
They are the best trackers in world for swamps and bogs. Able to transverse the harsh
conditions with almost ease. They know the backwoods and other places most men wander
never seen from again because they respect and understand the swamp and all of her
dangers.
Recommended: Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Healing, Survival, Swimming, Tracking, Scout,
Woodsman

Dandy
They are often wealthy tin horns from back east or even Europe who fancy seeing in person
the things they read about in dime novels and newspapers. While most are well educated,
they often don’t have the necessary skills to make it out on the frontier comfortably.
Recommended: Smarts, Guts, Investigation, Persuasion, Knowledge: (Any), Taunt, Rich, Very
Rich

Deserter
They have left their posts for various reasons. Some leave out of cowardice, some because
their officers were insane, and other because they have seen their fair share of death and
misery and just can’t be a party to it any more. Either way, deserters are branded as cowards
and traitors by the military branch they’ve left behind. In both Union and Confederate
armies, deserters are usually executed when found.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Shooting, Stealth, Survival

Ex-Cultist
They were once part of an occultist group that practiced dark magics or worship elder dark
gods. Maybe they decided fooling around with such evil wasn’t a smart thing to do. Maybe
they learned something about the nature of these arcane happenings and decided to fight
back for the good of humanity. If the Ex-Cultist Archetype interests you, and you plan on
taking the Arcane Background: Huckster you might want to take a look at the Huckster
Powers.
Recommended: Smarts, Vigor, Guts, Knowledge: Occult, Arcane Background: Huckster

Explorer
They know there is no longer a true frontier, but many areas have yet to be fully explored.
(Maybe there’s a reason for that.) Unlike typical mountain men, they are civilized, even
scientific men searching knowledge, discovery, and maybe even some fame.
Recommended: Smarts, Strength, Vigor, Climbing, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Survival,
Swimming, Tracking, Wilderness Man

Gambler
They make of living on games of chance and live their life on the edge of probability and
luck. Some gamblers are completely honest in this profession while a handful cheat to win
their livelihood.
Recommended: Agility, Smarts, Gambling, Guts, Lockpicking, Notice, Persuasion, Taunt, Card
Sharp

Gaucho
From south of the border, Gauchos are adventurer/crusaders who have encountered the
things ‘that go bump in the night’ and are brave or dumb enough to think they can stop
these monsters and evil. Gauchos are great trackers and have a dramatic flair when it comes
to horse riding as well as combat. Many Gauchos take odd weapons such as bolos, or even a
rapier.
Recommended: Agility, Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Riding, Throwing

Greenhorn
They come West to see if all the wild stories they’ve heard back East are true. As one of
these pampered “dudes,” your character wouldn’t dream of touring the West in anything
less than the comfort of 1st class. He has to figure out he’s going to make his way through
any trouble. Most do it by fast-talking the “yokels.”
Recommended: Spirit, Guts, Stealth, Persuasion, Charismatic
Gunslinger
They are feared killers and revered desperadoes. Some are tinhorn dandies with fancy New
York target pistols while others are Texas outlaws looking to escape some past misdeed. A
few are noble souls struggling to protect the weak; others work for crooked rail barons,
terrorizing towns and ranches that won’t sell them the right-of-way.
Recommended: Agility, Spirit, Guts, Intimidation, Shooting, Duelist, Hip Shooting, Level
Headed, Quick, Quick Draw, Speed Loading

Kid
Sometimes they are the only survivor of a tragedy, other times they run away from their
family out west with promises made to them in dime novels. Either way, they often get
involved with horrors that put liquid fear in anyone’s boots.
Recommended: Agility, Climbing, Guts, Notice, Stealth, Swimming, Common Bond, Luck,
Great Luck

Hermit
Some folk just don’t want to be around others no more and seek their own piece of land out
away from everyone else out west. Spend enough time out in the Weird West though and
they soon discover things just ain’t right with the world.
Recommended: Vigor, Climbing, Guts, Notice, Stealth, Survival, Swimming, Alertness,
Woodsman

Historian of the Arcane

They study the dark arts of sorcery and the occult from an academic prospective. Few
actually learn the secrets of true mysticism content to observe the arcane at a safe distance.
They seek to understand the supernatural and categorize and catalog it. If the Historian of
the Arcane Archetype interests you, and you plan on taking the Arcane Background:
Huckster you might want to take a look at the Huckster Powers.
Recommended: Smarts, Investigation, Knowledge: History/Academics, Knowledge: Occult,
Arcane Background: Huckster, Scholar

Huckster
They are mysterious souls who have learned the secrets of Hoyle’s Book of Games. Some say
that within this cryptic text are hidden messages detailing cryptic incantations and rituals of
the black arts. Others say they are fakes and frauds, but a huckster’s hexes can be just as
deadly as a gunslinger’s bullet—or worse. If the Huckster Archetype interests you, and you
plan on taking the Arcane Background: Huckster you might want to take a look at the
Huckster Powers.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Gambling, Guts, Hexslinging, Arcane Background: Huckster,
Card Sharp
Indian Brave
The have won new respect in the West. The long Civil War between the States means
neither the USA nor the CSA has been able to gather the manpower to subjugate the new
Sioux Nation or the Coyote Confederation. Most Braves are fiercely loyal to their tribes and
spend their time providing for them or patrolling borders. Even, so a few braves now
wander outside their homeland to learn the ways of the white man.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Riding, Stealth, Survival, Tracking,
Woodsman

Mad Scientist
They are men and women of science that have gained insight beyond their peers in what
they call, “New Science” while most call it “mad science” due the number of mentally
unstable “new” scientists there are. They have the ability to invent gizmos well beyond most
folks grasp of technology. Because of their poor reliability, most folks call these gizmos
infernal devices. If the Mad Scientist Archetype interests you, and you plan on taking the
Arcane Background: Mad Science you might want to take a look at the Mad Scientist
Gizmos.
Recommended: Smarts, Guts, Investigation, Knowledge: Any Science, Shooting, Mad
Science, Repair, Arcane Background: Mad Scientist, Gadgeteer

Maze Runner
They are miners, couriers, or other kind of sailors out in the Great Maze. With the small,
maneuverable maze runner boats they make a decent living in the Mazes water channels
among the mesas and buttes avoiding water hazards, pirates, and aquatic monsters.
Recommended: Agility, Vigor, Boating, Guts, Knowledge: The Great Maze, Repair, Shooting,
Ace

Marshal
They chase hardened criminals all over the West. Though they have the authority to
assemble possess on occasion, they usually have to work alone. Some law dogs are
paragons of honor and duty while a few are little better than the outlaws they jail, but most
lay somewhere between.
Recommended: Spirit, Fighting, Guts, Intimidation, Notice, Persuasion, Shooting, Streetwise,
Contacts

Martial Artist
They are men and women who through training have forged and honed their own bodies to
become deadly weapons. They are capable of incredible feats most can’t imagine possible.
Recommended: Agility, Strength, Climbing, Fighting, Arcane Background: Martial Artist,
Martial Arts
Mechanic
They aren’t quite mad scientists most of the time, but few scientists would see their
engineering marvels off paper without them. These folk never seemed to be phased by the
progression of man and often find themselves in grease covered overalls.
Recommended: Smarts, Guts, Mad Science, Notice, Repair, McGyver, Mr. Fix-it

Military Officer
They serve of served one the major armed forces of the world. Both the Union and the
Confederates maintain a number of forts out west that required military teams to travel
around. Those knowledgeable in the art of war are in high demand as well from rail wars to
defense of small towns from Indian raids or worst.
Recommended: Spirit, Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Intimidation, Notice, Persuasion,
Riding, Shooting, Command, Soldier

Monster Hunter
They are men and women who know of the strange creatures found in the Weird West and
seek them out to destroy them. While some monster hunters are Blessed, many are normal
folks determined to fight these supernatural beasts.
Recommended: Spirit, Strength, Vigor, Faith, Fighting, Guts, Investigation, Knowledge:
Occult, Notice, Stealth, Arcane Background: Blessed, True Grit

Mountie
They are lawmen of the North. The Canadian Royal Mounted Police better known as the
Mounties have the unofficial creed: We always get our man, and they take it seriously too. It
is not unheard of for a furtive to be tracked over 2,000 miles by a relentless Mountie.
Recommended: Vigor, Climbing, Guts, Notice, Persuasion, Riding, Shooting, Survival,
Tracking,

Mountain Man
They live mostly out in the wilderness making a living as guides, hunters, and trappers. Many
live with the only interaction with society is at the small trading posts that dot the frontier.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Shooting, Survival, Tracking,
Woodsman

Muckraker (Journalist)
They are journalists who believe in reporting the truth above all else—no matter who it
offends. Yellow journalism is their stock and trade. These fellows are usually curious beyond
belief, and it amazes them common folk can’t see what’s going on right before their very
eyes. One of the few papers even willing to publish their wild stories is the notorious
Tombstone Epitaph. The “truth” often needs some embellishment to appeal to the skeptical
masses.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Guts, Intimidation, Investigation, Notice, Streetwise, Taunt
Charismatic, Connections, Tale Tellin’,

Metal Mage
They are hucksters are mad scientists that believe they have learned the truth behind the
gizmos and infernal devices of mad science. They have both the ability to cast hexes as a
huckster and create gizmos as a mad scientist but excel in neither. If the Metal Mage
Archetype interests you, and you plan on taking the Arcane Background: Huckster you might
want to take a look at the Huckster Powers.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Guts, Hexslinging, Knowledge: Any Science, Mad Science,
Repair, Arcane Background: Huckster, Metal Mage

Ninja
They are mysterious spies and assassins from Japan. Most come to the Weird West to fore
fill a specific mission, while others dishonored themselves in their clan’s eyes and are seeking
a new life in America.
Recommended: Agility, Climbing, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Lockpicking, Stealth, Arcane
Background: Martial Artist, Martial Artist, Thief

Nun
They are women who serve the Lord and seek to help others. Some nuns have the ability to
petition for miracles to aid in their struggle as Blessed. Others take to relying on their scatter
gun and peacemaker as much as their cross and bible.
Recommended: Vigor, Guts, Faith, Intimidation, Notice, Shooting, Arcane Background:
Blessed, Command

Pinkerton
They are men and women that were contracted by the United State government to
investigate the strange stories out West before the Agency was created. Now, most of them
work as more mundane detectives and investigators from private clients.
Recommended: Smarts, Guts, Investigation, Knowledge: Law, Notice, Streetwise, Alertness,
Investigator

Pony Express Courier

While telegrams and the railroad (not to mention new science conveyances) has all but
eliminated the need for couriers to travel via horse back to get folk their mail. However,
there a few routes too dangerous and too disputed for them. It is here the fleet footed pony
express riders ply their trade.
Recommended: Agility, Climbing, Guts, Notice, Riding, Survival, Tracking, Fleet-Footed

Prostitute
They are the soiled doves of the west who make a living on their backs. Some sought out
this work purposely to avoid the back breaking labor of logging, ranching, or mining, but
most fell into the lifestyle and have had trouble getting out.
Recommended: Agility, Spirit, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Notice, Persuasion, Attractive

Pugilist
They are men and women who have extensively studied, “the sweet science” of fisticuffs.
Some are bar brawlers, other boxers, some live the high life in the City o’ Gloom aka Salt
Lake City in the blood sports.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Brawny, Bruiser, Martial Arts

Railroad Tycoon
They might not be able to compete in the Great Rails War, but they still are an economical
powerhouse in their piece of the Weird West. These men and women own a minor railroad,
maybe a couple hundred miles of track and a few trains.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Guts, Intimidation, Notice, Persuasion, Charismatic,
Connections, Noble: Railroad Tycoon, Fifthly Rich

Rattler Hunter
They are the salt flats versions of whalers, except their prey hunts back with a vengeance.
They usually hunt a large lands ships armed with steam powered harpoons and thick nets to
capture and kill the giant worms.
Recommended: Agility, Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Shooting, Throwing, Giant Killer

Riverboat Man
They have work up and down the river usually from a young age. Most known every mile of
the moving water and the dangers of it. Many times these men and women are ill at ease on
dry land.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Boating, Fighting, Guts, Knowledge: (Blank) River, Notice,
Ace, Steady Hands

Saloon Gal
They are the soiled doves of the west and often know every bit of gossip and rumor in a
town. Some gals are driven to this life from tragedy such losing their whole family to disease
while some just enjoy the thrill and easy money.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Guts, Notice, Persuasion, Streetwise, Taunt, Attractive,
Charismatic, Strong Willed

Samurai Ronin
They come from the mysterious and largely closed off lands of Japan to the Weird West.
Many Ronin simply could find work in their native Nippon while others might have been
forced to flee their homeland to this place of western barbarians and savages. Samurai are
often expert swordsmen who can still find work in the Weird West selling blade.
Recommended: Agility, Spirit, Strength, Fighting, Guts, Intimidation, Martial Arts, Quick
Draw, Trademark Weapon

Sawbones
They are the doctors of the Weird West. These men and woman don’t have the miraculous
power to lay on hands but are still sought out for their healing abilities. A posse could do
well to have a medic among them.
Recommended: Smarts, Spirit, Guts, Healing, Knowledge: Medicine, Persuasion, Healer

Scrapper
They are anyone who has steam powered artificial limb or other body part. Most traveled to
Salt Lake City looking for any sort of replacement for the missing parts while a crazy few
were willing to trade perfectly good hands and feet for metal ones. Most become a new
kind of gladiator in city’s blood sports areas.
Recommended: Strength, Spirit, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Intimidation, Berserk, Scrapper

Soldier
They serve or served in either the Confederate or Union armies. Most are brave men and
women willing to lay down their lives for their county while a few seek to escape war with
their lives.
Recommended: Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Intimidation, Knowledge: Battle, Riding,
Shooting, Command, Soldier

Private Detective
They are people who sell their services to others to solve mysteries. A few are former
Pinkertons who decided not to join the Agency, while others might not have the sand for
true bounty hunting.
Recommended: Smarts, Vigor, Guts, Investigation, Lockpicking, Notice, Persuasion,
Streetwise, Stealth, Awareness, Investigator

Texas Ranger
They are the Confederates investigation, police, and spy force similar to the Union’s Agency.
While not nearly as secretive about their identities, Rangers are expected to operate far
more independently from other rangers as their old creed, “One riot, one Ranger.”
Recommended: Vigor, Fighting, Guts, Intimidation, Knowledge: Occult, Notice, Persuasion,
Riding, Streetwise, Shooting, Survival, Tracking, Brave, Texas Ranger, True Grit, Woodsman

University Professor
They are men and women from the world of academia who journey west to study and
perhaps bring education to these lawless territories. Some might seek to disprove the wild
tales they here while others throw out of the Ivy league establishment seek to reclaim their
position with world changing discovery.
Recommended: Smarts, Guts, Investigation, Knowledge: Academia, Knowledge: History,
Knowledge: Occult,2011 Knowledge: Science, Language: Latin, Linguist, Scholar

Velocycle Rider
They are a new sort of bandit or cowboy on the dusty roads on a steel horse they ride. They
may be wanted, dead or alive. They use new fangled gizmos called motorcycles or
“velocycles” as they are more commonly referred to. Note: for this game motorcycles use
the Riding skill.
Recommended: Agility, Driving, Guts, Riding, Repair, Ace, Steady Hands

Voodooist
They know the ways and the secrets of voodoo. Maybe she’s a conjure doctor or a mambo.
Whatever their background, they allow the spirits to ride their body giving them powerful
magics in exchange. Note: this archetype has more in common with the Hollywood revision
of a voodooist that the actual religion.
Recommended: Spirit, Faith, Guts, Knowledge: Occult, Arcane Background: Blessed, Voodoo

Witch Hunter
They are wise to people and creatures that masquerade as regular folk but possess strange
arcane and often evil powers. These people seek out abominations and destroy them before
these witches can cause more mischief.
Recommended: Spirit, Strength, Vigor, Fighting, Faith, Guts, Notice, Knowledge: Occult,
Arcane Background: Blessed, Arcane Resistance, Brave, Danger Sense, True Grit,