Hero Spotlight: Conclusion

And that wraps up my first run through the Hero Spotlight companion series to the original Villian Spotlight.  I have to admit that I had a more difficult time writing this particular series since the Hero Archetypes tend to blend together when they actually see play, either due to conept, or from gameplay.

The Penitent Lone Wolf is a common example, and it’s not rare to see the Farmboy become a Veteran further down the line.  I hope that this series has been of use to you guys with regards to coming up with your next character.  I’m personally looking forward to the next game I’ll end up playing as I’m now seriously considering playing up a Young Master Archetype just to show that it’s entirely possible to play one without being overpowered.

That being said I’m still going to update this series as soon as I can compile some more archetypes.  Consider this an open call for Hero Archetypes that I haven’t written yet.  Put them up on the comments page and I’ll see what I can come up with.  Hope you guys enjoyed the series!

Hero Spotlight #9: The Retainer

Sometimes people achieve glory not from becoming a leader, but in becoming a follower.  While everyone dreams of becoming a hero, there are people who find validation in becoming of service to others, whether it stems from oaths of fealty, or just plain faith.  And in this quiet devotion they transform themselves into heroes of their own right.

Hero Spotlight #8: The Young Master

Villains aren’t the only guys who can get away with an entourage.  The Young Master is a relatively obscure archetype that shares part of it’s features with the Farmboy but with a different twist.  Rather than being a Country Mouse that sets off on a journey for fame and glory, the Young Master is usually a child born to a position of priveledge who, on a whim, or by fate is tasked to go on a voyage of discovery.  As implied by his name, the Young Master is accompanied on his journey by an entourage, which could be as little as a single retainer, or perhaps even three or more servants/bodyguards/maids.

Hero Spotlight #7: The Savage

Not all heroes are shiny, happy civilized people that live in idyllic villages, or metropolitan cities.  Sometimes a hero is what you least expect, and in the tradition of Tarzan and Conan, today we take a look at none other than the Savage.  Savages are heroes that may not necessarily know or care about law or civilized manner, but possess an innate goodness in them that brands them as heroes in their own right.  Free from the limitations of having to fear the repercussions of the law (even if often only due to sheer ignorance,) the Savage cuts straight to the heart of evil and delivers a primal brand of justice.

Hero Spotlight #6: The Penitent

Some people have a lot to make up for, and it’s their efforts to set things right that make them into remarkable characters on their own right.  The strength earned from regret is a powerful motivation and makes for an intriguing and mature character concept.  Whether it’s starting over, or trying to undo something he was responsible for The Penitent is a goldmine of plot hooks and concepts fit for any game.

Hero Spotlight #5: The Specialist

If there’s one thing about players, it’s that they always prefer to have a Unique and Beautiful Snowflake, a character that stands out from the norm by being exceptional somehow.  Nowhere is this more pronounced therefore than in The Specialist.  As indicated by the archetype’s name, The Specialist is a character made to excel at a given (and assumed to be significant) field, and therefore is invaluable when it comes to their field of expertise.

That being said The Specialist is an example of niche protection at its finest.  By isolating a given subset of actions and making that your top priority you outstrip your peers and get to revel in it whenever the situation you’re optimized for comes up and the spotlight’s on you.

Hero Spotlight #4: The Wingman

Continuing with our Hero Spotlight, let’s take a moment to bring notice to the unsung heroes of any adventuring party… the Wingman.  The Wingman is the guy who watches your back, warns you of danger, and makes sure the rest of the team gets the job done, even if he gets none of the glory.  Needless to say every party can benefit from a Wingman.

Hero Spotlight #3: The Lone Wolf

If there’s a heroic archetype that everyone at one point or another has wanted to play, it would be the Lone Wolf.  Popularized by far too many examples of fiction everywhere, the badass, brooding, ultra-competent archetype is also another candidate for cliche.  Compounded with the problem that inconsiderate versions of the Lone Wolf pop up in nearly every gaming group at one point or another and you can see just why GMs usually scrutinize these concepts very closely.

Hero Spotlight #2: The Veteran

In stark contrast to the Farmboy, the Veteran represents the aged hero, the one who has experienced the world for what it is, through experiences both joyful and tragic.  While lots of characters in RPGs are built as having had prior experience or adventures, few of these concepts actually carry the hallmarks of a Veteran.

The Veteran makes for a compelling character as his struggles is unique in the sense that not only does he have to contend with external conflict in the form of monsters and villains, but he also must contend with his own limitations, as age slowly erodes his abilities.  His achievements of the past have eclipsed his current capabilities, and he can no longer deny that he truly is over the hill.

Hero Spotlight #1: The Farmboy

As a counterpoint to the Villain Spotlight, I’ve been asked to start a new series to focus on heroic archetypes.  Since this is a heroic feature, I’ve decided to step away from the GM POV, and into the Player POV, as most of the protagonists in an RPG will be composed of player characters.

Luke Skywalker, Rand al’Thor, Parn, Belgarion, Clark Kent… what do they have in common?  They all started off as simple village youths. The simple Farmboy who grows up to be a hero is such a basic Archetype, that it’s skirting cliche in literature, but it never really sees the kind of action that it technically should in gaming.

In the first article for the Hero Spotlight, we’ll deal with the Farmboy Archetype and just how it can be used by players to create their own characters.