1879: Arthur the Big Game Hunter
Here’s another character written for the 1879 Quickstart that didn’t make the cut when we decided on the final seven. This is a simplified version of the character mechanic; we’re putting Arthur up more for his backstory than his stats, which you can flesh out as needed.
Arthur Powell-Smythe, Human Big Game Hunter
The son of a merchant steamship captain, Arthur grew up on the docks of London and the eastern African coast. Repelled by the nature of much of the trade, he sought to get to know the native population, seeking to understand them as people. This led him to work as a guide, expedition assistant, and later expedition organizer for the British nobility who came to Africa to hunt big game. Over the years, Arthur’s expertise has risen, and now he leads his own expeditions, taking European hunters out into the forests and veldt of Africa in search of trophy kills.
His last expedition went badly, however, when a French noble he was escorting tried to shoot not only the antelope that a local tribe had set aside for a wedding feast, but the men guarding it as well, who protested the noble’s actions. Arthur intervened, a fight broke out, and ended with the noble sprawled in the dust and missing two teeth. When the expedition returned to the coast, the noble used his connections to damage Arthur’s reputation and credit.
Arthur has returned to England aboard a tramp freighter captained by a friend of his father, and needs to earn some quick cash to settle the debt remaining from the failed expedition, so that he can then work toward repairing his reputation and get back to the business he knows best.
Arthur Powell-Smythe, Human Big Game Hunter
| Dexterity (DEX) | 17 | 7 / d12 | Physical Defense | 10 |
| Strength (STR) | 13 | 6 / d10 | Mystic Defense | 8 |
| Toughness (TOU) | 15 | 6 / d10 | Social Defense | 6 |
| Perception (PER) | 13 | 6 / d10 | ||
| Willpower (WIL) | 13 | 6 / d10 | Physical Armor | 4 |
| Charisma (CHA) | 10 | 5 / d8 | Mystic Armor | 2 |
| Initiative | 7 | D12 | Unconsciousness | 48 |
| Movement | 12 yards | Death Rating | 57 | |
| Karma | D8 | 18pts | Wound Threshold | 10 |
| current | Recovery / Day | 3 |
| Skill Name | Attribute | Rank | Step | Action Dice |
| Animal Handling | WIL | 2 | 8 | 2d6 |
| Awareness | PER | 2 | 8 | d12 |
| Battle Shout | CHA | 2 | 7 | d12 |
| Bribery | CHA | 2 | 7 | d12 |
| Climbing | DEX | 3 | 10 | 2d8 |
| Eagle Eye | PER | 2 | 8 | 2d6 |
| Equestrian | DEX | 3 | 10 | 2d8 |
| Firearms | DEX | 3 | 10 | 2d8 |
| Hunting | DEX | 3 | 10 | 2d8 |
| Navigation | PER | 3 | 9 | d8+d6 |
| Shake It Off | TOU | 2 | 8 | 2d6 |
| Stealthy Stride | DEX | 3 | 10 | 2d8 |
| Tracking | PER | 3 | 9 | d8+d6 |
Equipment
- Bolt-action Rifle, Damage 9, Rate of Fire 1, Capacity 5, Short 100, Long 300, Staging +4
- Regular ammunition, 50 rounds
- Express ammunition, 20 rounds (Damage +1, Staging +1)
- Knife, Damage 1
- Flak jacket, bush clothing, hiking boots
Notes
- Arthur speaks English, French, and isiZulu.
- Current cash: 12 pounds, 2 shillings