The first step in making your hero is to have some kind of idea who you want your character to be. There are thousands of heroes, and every one of them is different. Let your imagination run wild.
If you don’t already have a good idea for the type of hero you’d like to play, we have a few “sketches” here that might spark an idea. These sketches are broad generalizations. You can alter them to fit your own ideas any way you choose. Not all Templars are brave and honorable, and there’s no reason why a three-eyed mutant can’t be a gifted gunslinger.
Adventurers are folks who have no real profession, at least not anymore. They simply wander the Wasted West looking for something better. Some might have been waitresses; others were lawyers. Whatever their trade, they find little use for it now. Your character is an “adventurer” if he’s
a common man or woman who just happens to wind up in incredible adventures. His skills are entirely up to you, but he shouldn’t be too good at
combat or survival, at least not yet.
The Stuff Heroes Are Made Of
Doomsayers are “radiation priests” of the Wasted West (AB Magic). Most Doomsayers are evil right down to their irradiated hearts, but your hero is one of those who rebelled against the “Cult of Doom” and their current leader, Silas Rasmussen. All Doomsayers believe norms are “doomed,” hence their name, but Silas slaughters them to hurry things along. Your character is far more noble than that. He knows norms are going to be around a good long while, and he wants to ensure they don’t rise up and destroy the true watchers of humanity’s destiny. Chapter Seven tells you everything you need to know about these heroic heretics.
Gunslingers sell their guns to the highest bidder or those in need, depending on their personal codes. Duels are still fairly common in the Wasted West, so gunslingers are quick-draws and deadly shots. Your gunslinger needs a high Quickness and several levels in quick draw and shootin’. Indian Braves are Native Americans who followed the “Old Ways.” They sensed long ago that technology was leading humanity to a bitter fall, and so they use only natural, handmade tools and weapons.
Indian braves should be good with some sort of hand-to-hand weapon, and a bow is handy as well. Most are excellent trackers and can survive in the outdoors with ease, so high trackin’ and survival levels are a must.
Junkers are the Wasted West’s version of “mad scientists.” (AB: Mad Scientists) They wander the wastelands, collecting junk with which to build incredible machines. The inspiration for their infernal gizmos, some say, comes from the very evil spirits who destroyed the world. Check out Chapter Eight if you think you want to play one of these strange outsiders.
Law Dogs have taken a solemn oath to bring law and order to the ruined world. They have no real authority, just common sense and their own incredible wills. Their enemies are many, and their rewards are few, but someone must bring justice to the wastes. Like gunslingers, Law Dogs need a decent Quickness, quick draw, and shootin’, but they also need a high Mien and overawe to make foes back down before lead starts flying. It’s just too expensive to kill every lawless heathen on the Irradiated Plains, and the best Law Dogs aren’t crazy enough to try.
Ravenites are Indians who laughed at the “Old Ways” movement. They embraced technology and became incredibly rich before the Big Bang, selling ghost rock from the oncesacred Black Hills. Now these once-proud tycoons are well-armed wanderers scattered when Deadwood was destroyed by ghost-rock bombs. Some refuse to acknowledge their part in the Apocalypse. Others seek retribution. Ravenites usually have lots of top-quality equipment, so it’s good to take the dinero Edge and grab some extra equipment like body armor, a high-quality machine gun, and lots of ammo.
Road Warriors travel the ruined highways of the Wasted West looking for fuel to sustain their wanderlust. They often help towns plagued by other highway marauders in exchange for precious ghost rock or gas. The odds are often overwhelming, so road warriors outfit their rigs with salvaged armor and heavy guns. Road warriors need several levels in drivin’, as well as a good artillery skill to fire their heavy weapons. The belongin’s Edge can set you up with a beat-up rig as well.
Savages are younger survivors who have little or no memory of the world before the bombs. Some have built their own communities where “elders” are reviled for destroying the world. Others are simply idealistic youths looking to become a great hero or heroine. Savages don’t have much experience with
technology, so most have the all thumbs Hindrance. They’re also usually very young, so the kid Hindrance is common. Guns are tough for them to repair, so most use hand weapons.
Scavengers are those desperate enough to enter the ruins of the blasted cities. They must brave ghost-rock storms, irradiated battlefields, and the creatures of the outlands in search of treasures left intact after the Last War. Most end their days violently, but a lucky few become wealthy traders.
Search, scroungin’, and survival are important skills for these wasteland wanderers.
Soldiers are hardy survivors of the Last War. Some lived because they were deserters or cowards, others because fate made them the sole survivors of units annihilated in the final days of blood. Now they wander the wastes, offering their grim services to those who feed them—or pay them just enough bullets to fight the next job. Soldiers should have reasonable Strength, Deftness, and Quickness scores. Some might still have their heavy armor and weapons as well, which you can buy with the belongin’s Edge.
Sykers are former soldiers with incredible mental powers (AB: Psionics). They learned their amazing trade in government academies where they were made into commandos, spies, and assassins. In the years before the Apocalypse, most sykers served on an alien planet named Banshee, though those that did are loathe to talk about the atrocities they were forced to commit there. Now they travel from town to town, drawn to trouble like moths to flames and using their incredible powers to fight the horrors of the Reckoning. See Chapter Nine if you think you might want to play one of these grim veterans of the
psychic wars.
Tale-Tellers know the Reckoners can only be defeated by spreading hope and eroding their precious fear. They join with other heroes in defeating those evils and then make sure the locals hear the story of their victory. Other taletellers may not be so noble, or perhaps they don’t know of the Reckoners’ weakness. They perform for pay, for food, or simply for a warm bed for the night. For taletellers, high Mien and tale-tellin’ are a must.
Templars travel the Wasted West in disguise, looking for those worthy of protecting. Once they discover a worthy cause, they reveal themselves as modern-day knights and pledge themselves to see the trouble through to the end. Once revealed, Templars are heroic figures with white tabards adorned with a red Maltese Cross, and swords enchanted by their own acts and deeds. Templars are a stingy lot however. They don’t hesitate to desert those who prove immoral. They are also cautious and, unlike the chivalric knights of old, have no qualms about backstabbing or tricking a foe if it wins the day.
Chapter Ten tells you how to play one of these odd heroes.
Traders are merchants who have discovered, earned, or stolen great treasures to sell and barter with others. They often command squads of loyal bodyguards or war beasts to protect their valuable wares. High Mien and persuasion skills are critical to ensuring you get the best deal possible from
both buyers and sellers.
Toxic Shamans - the good ones - are shamans who draw power from Toxic Spirits, like the Shamans of old do from Nature Spirits. Good Toxic Shamans take pollution from the world and feed it to the spirits to gain favour, bad shamans do the opposite. You must chose a field of spirit to work with from: Radiation, Sludge, Smog and Trash (Fire, Water, Air, Earth). There are also insect Shamans but they tend to be a bit homicidal.
Aim, Armor, Banish, Barrier, Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Confusion, Deflection, Dispel, Divination, Elemental Manipulation, Environmental Protection, Gambler, Greater Healing, Healing, Inspiration, Light/Obscure, Protection, Pummel, Quickness, Sanctify, Slow, Slumber, Smite, Speak Language, Stun, Succor, Summon Ally, Warriors Gift, Windstorm, Curse, Fear.
Aim, Armor, Barrier, Beast Friend, Blast, Blind, Bolt, Boost/Lower Trait, Burst, Damage Field, Darksight, Deflection, Detect/Conceal Arcana, Dispel, Drain Power Points, Elemental Manipulation, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Farsight, Fear, Gambler, Growth/Shrink, Havoc, Hunch, Intangibility, Invisibility, Light/Obscure, Mind Rider, Obscure, Puppet, Quickness, Slow, Slumber, Speak Language, Speed, Stun, Telekinesis, Teleport, Trinkets, Wall Walker, Wilderness Walk, Windstorm
Abundance of Pecking Birds (Quickness with arrows) 1pt/arrow extra
Anticipate the Cobra (Deflection on held card) 1pt
Blood of Gold (Heal self)
Cobra Strike (+1 to hit per pt, max 4)
Closing the Gate (recover Fat, Succour, self)
Crane Guides the Arrow (Aim)
Crumbling Dam (inflict Fat damage 1pt)
Devastating Ape Strike (Smite)
Dragons Claw (+1 AP per success, no damage to fists)
Fangs of the Serpent - Heroic (Drain Fat as Drain Power Pts spell)
Flying Claw - Veteran (Improved use of Flying Claw weapon)
Flying Cresecent - Veteran (Improved use of Flying Crescent)
Flying Guillotine - Veteran (improved use of the Flying Guillotine)
Fury Fans the Flame (Bonus melee attacks on raise) 1pt each
Gimmick Weapon (object become sweapon) 2pts 3/1
Hells Thunderclap (Stun spell, no range)
Jade Kings Stance (Intimidate bonus +2/4) 2pts
Leopard and Her Cubs (Give others extra Tuffness +1/1)
Mantis Pinch (Lower trait)
Many Arms of the Spider (Quickness)
Merciful Sparrow (Deflect a missile attack on friend if held card)
Mind of Quicksilver (copy martial arts power)
Monkey Goes to the Mountain (Leaping teleport)
Palm of Prevention (Overawe +2/4) 2pts
Plug the Hourglass (Quickness)
Righteous Reversal (Damage Field)
River Flows Uphill (select target location on their body) 1pt
Sieze the Pearl of Death (Catch bullets with held action, raise can throw them back) 1pt
The Serpents Embrace (Paralyse body part) 2pt
The Slithering Eel (Entangle, material)
Smoke Parts for Iron (make fist magical)
Step Back to Ward off Monkey (Deflection) 2pt 3/1
Ten Foot Punch (ranged fist) 1pt
Thunder Strums the Pipa (Lower ST)
Tiger Shakes its Mane (remove stun, ignore 1 wound per success)
Veins of Iron (Armour)
Vengence of Angry Monkey (object becomes missile) 1pt
Venom Punch (target as if on fire)
Wind Blows Over the Earth (Pummel)
Aim, Armor, Beast Friend, Blast, Blind, Bolt, Boost/Lower Trait, Burrow, Burst, Curse, Darksight, Deflection, Disguise, Elemental Manipulation, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Fly, Gambler, Healing, Intangibility, Pummel, Quickness, Smite, Speed, Wall Walker, Wilderness Walk
Option: 10 power points and 2 powers, 20 power pts and 1 power.
Aim, Armor, Barrier, Beast Friend, Blast, Bolt, Boost/Lower Trait, Burrow, Burst, Confusion, Damage Field, Darksight, Deflection, Detect/Conceal Arcana, Disguise, Dispel, Drain Power Points, Elemental Manipulation, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Farsight, Fear, Fly, Greater Healing, Growth/Shrink, Havoc, Healing, Intangibility, Invisibility, Light/Obscure, Mind Reading, Mind Rider, Obscure, Puppet, Quickness, Slow, Slumber, Smite, Speak Language, Speed, Stun, Succor, Summon Ally, Telekinesis, Teleport, Wall Walker, Wilderness Walk, Windstorm, Zombie
Aim, Armor, Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Burrow, Curse, Deflection, Detect/Conceal Arcana, Disguise, Dispel, Divination, Drain Power Points, Elemental Manipulation, [Entangle], Environmental Protection, Farsight, Fear, Greater Healing, Growth/Shrink, Healing, Mind Rider, Protection, Quickness, Sanctify, Shape Change, Slow, Slumber, Smite, Speak Language, Speed, Succor, Summon Ally, Teleport, Vision Quest, Warriors Gift, Wilderness Walk, Windstorm,
Armour, Beast Friend, Blind, Bolts, Boost/Lower Trait, Burst, Confusion, Darksight, Deflection, Damage Field, Disguise, Drain Power Points, Environmental Protection, Farsight, Fly, Havoc, Healing, Intangibility, Invisibility, Mind Reading, Mind Rider, Pummel, Puppet, Quickness, Slow, Slumber, Smite, Speed, Stun, Succour, Teleport, Wall Walker, Windstorm.
Armour of the Saints - Armour
Beast Friend - Beast Friend
Celerity - Quickness
Command - Puppet
DeadEye - Farsight
Deflection - Deflection
Endurance - Boost VG + Inner Strength - Boost ST
Fury of the Saints - Smite
Gallantry - +2 to Resist Fear
Guardian Angel - Deflection
Guise - Disguise
Persuader - +2 Persuasion
Lay on Hands - Heal
Magic Resistance - +2 resist hostile spells
Manna - Succour
Pluck - +2 stun recovery
Purity - +2 to resist poison/disease/radiation
Scavenger - +2 scroungin
Sixth Sense - +2 vs surprise
Speed - Speed
Survivor - Environmental Prot
Armor, Banish, Barrier, Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Confusion, Deflection, Dispel, Divination, Elemental Manipulation, Environmental Protection, Greater Healing, Healing, Inspiration, Light/Obscure, Protection, Quickness, Sanctify, Slow, Slumber, Smite, Speak Language, Stun, Succor, Summon Ally, Windstorm, Curse, Fear, Mind Rider, Puppet, Vision Quest, Zombie
General Favours.
Ask the Spirits (Divination)
Cleanse - Caretakers (Sphere)
Corrupt - Corruptors (Sphere)
Curse (Sphere)
Healing (Healing) - payback unless raise.
Immunity (Sphere)
Invisibility (Sphere)
Luck Open Portal (Heroic)
Pact
Resurrection (Heroic)
Spirit Guide (Heroic)
Spiritual Attack
Summon Spirit (Sphere) (Veteran)
Zombies
Insect Favours.
Radiation Favours
Sludge Favours
Smog Favours
Trash Favours.