Concepts

What Would You Like To Play?

There is an enormous amount of opportunity to play whatever type of character you want on The Badlands Chronicles'. One of the most common questions to new players to the game is 'What should I play?' or 'What sorts of characters are needed?' This can be a surprisingly difficult first hurdle. This stage involves some critical self-thought -- What do you enjoy playing most? What sort of character interests you and keeps you busy? What is -exciting- for you? What plans might you consider for this character? Essentially, the most important step is deciding what you enjoy most within the Theme and Setting of the game.

This list of thematic Concepts is here to help you decide what to play. However, you are not tied to just this list and may use a concept idea of your own.

Baron/Baroness: is the a person that controls a specific territory and resource within the Badlands. Like the shoguns of medieval Japan, the Barons are power brokers who rule with lethal force. Part Mafia boss, part king, they historically exert serpentine-like control over their respective region.

Armadillo/Opium: Unavailable
Butterfly/Oil: Unavailable
Fox/Salt:
Pickax/Ironworks:
Peacock/Textiles:
Grasshopper/Agriculture:

Bootlegger: You make your living brewing or transporting liquor to nearby baronies. Although you do your best to avoid run-ins with Barons, Nomads and the like... odds are you’ve kept your crossbow loaded and your riding skills well-honed just in case.

Chronicleologist: It's been centuries since the war and not only have those with first hand experience all died, those who the first stories were passed to are cond as well. There are few alive that pass on any oral history and you are one of the few left recreating the chronicles of our past for even the most basic needs. You are obsessed with the discovery and preservation of pre-apoc knowledge. You may be dreaming of restoring the world to it's former glory or hoping to salvage the past to benefit the future... Either way, you must know.

Clipper: Deadly fighters trained in the art of killing.

Colt: Young brought into training to become Clippers should they survive the process.

Cog: You are a Cog, holding a position within the Barony under the Baron/Baroness. Cogs may be the most important resource in any barony as all barons have them and rely heavily on them for the output of their production. However, some cogs may be more "valuable" than others due to a certain skill.

Huntsman/Huntress Cog: A Barony's hunter.
Spider Cog: A Spinner/Weaver in the textile industry.
Skinner Cog: Tattoo Artist who regularly tattoos Clippers.
Tinker Cog: A Engineer in service of a Barony.

Cultist:

Black Lotus Cultist: You could be a member of this ancient cult whose sole purpose is to eradicate The Gift from the face of the Earth. Black Lotus have been around for over 500 years, passing on their knowledge from generation to generation and moving in the shadows. Members of Black Lotus are said to have been trained to withstand against those with the gift.
Totemist Cultist: You are a member of a cultist group, similar to nomads, whom do not belong to a Barony but instead live together in small cult settlements following a religious, spiritual path. They are shown to be opposed to violence and are known to take in and heal refugees from wars between the baronies.

Doctor/Midwife/Healer: In a time when hospitals and pharmacies are non-existent, individuals with even the most rudimentary medical knowledge are in high demand. Whether you are carrying on a long line of family tradition or your knowledge was passed down from a mentor, you are a hodgepodge of science and word of mouth. You have no steril tools, no antibiotics and doing everything can you can to save your patient if oft your primary concern as is obtaining medical equipment or old world books to expand your knowledge to help others and to pass on.

Doll: Male, female, young or old, 'Dolls' are brought, sold and traded to satisfy every appetite. Working in Dollhouses or clubs throughout the Badlands.

Herbalist: A doctor can only do so much without medicine to treat conditions. Unfortunately, none of the facilities that produced the life-saving pharmaceuticals used in the 21st century have been destroyed and their tech and processes lost. Thankfully, the ancient arts of aromatherapy, root medicine, folk remedy have been renewed and applied to give patients a fighting chance at survival.

Huntsman/Huntress: In the years and decades after DoomsDay, those individuals with the skill and will to trek into the drying swamps and bayous in search of game animals were often all that stood between life and death for starving communities. Hunters are usually solitary travels, preferring the silence of the empty wastes to the crumbling bustle of settlements. However, there are those that work as Hunter/Huntress Cogs for their Barony. Perhaps you see the wilderness as a place worth saving. Those before you watched as nature evolved to survive the aftermath of mankind's destruction and feel there are lessons to be learned in that evolution. Hunters oft have a stoic demeanor, accepting what the brave new world throws at them with quiet dignity. They may be hired out as a scout or guide.

Master/Mistress: Perhaps you would like to be the head of the Abbot Monastery?

Abbot: Member of the Abbot Monastery that serves the Master/Mistress.
Novice: Trainees

Mercenary (Merc): You are a hired sell-sword who protects caravans, serves as the front line fight or guards valuable resources from raiders and other threats. While some mercs commit themselves to the defense of a community, most prefer to wander from place and place to sell their services to the highest bidder or to see new opportunities. Why do you merc?

Nomad: As civilization attempted to reestablish itself, there were those that were just fine with it rotting away. Nomads are often xenophobic barbarians that cling to their own small bands of family and associates. Many become raiders, terrorizing baronies and ransacking caravans for supplies. Others retreat deep into the bayous to avoid outsiders entirely, attacking any strangers that dare to step foot into their territories. Some however, develop a curiosity regarding the baronies that sprung up in the post-apocalyptic age and sought to make a name for themselves along the civilized folks before returning to their tribes. The few Nomads that decide to become involved in the affairs of the baronies tend to be young and rebellious in regards to the teaches of their elders. Perhaps, you or your family before you defected from the lifestyle given by barons. Perhaps you are looking to prove your worth or to disprove things the elders taught you.

Occultist: Mysticism survives through any age and as long as it is present there will be those that seek to study and learn all they can of it. While some dabble in the Occult, you immerse yourself in it to the point where your driving goal is to unlock its rumored mysteries.

Regent: You want to be the best of the best....a Regent is the highest rank that a Clipper can achieve, and must be chosen by their Baron in order to attain this title. They function as the Baron's right hand man, leads his Clipper Force, and will carry out any task that is asked of them. While some, can be almost blindly loyal to their Baron, many take the opportunity of their high rank to steal profits, or even plot to kill them to take the Barony.

Scavenger (Scabs): Scabs abound in the ruins of the Badlands. Scrounging around the fallen and decayed buildings like vultures over a corpse of an antelope, scabs plunder whatever valuables can be salvaged for resale and personal use. In many ways, they serve a valuable role by reclaiming relics from the past that can be useful in the here and now. They also tend to be selfish and self-serving, often relying on deception to inflate the value of their efforts or misdirect rivals away from prime scavenging areas. Being a Scab is a dangerous business. Collapsing ruins, other scabs, and every day dangers mean you should develop exceptional senses and reflexes, and learn how to not attract to much attention to yourself.

Survivalist: In the years leading up to DoomsDay, small cells of isolationists took refuge in the rugged mounts and the deep wilds. These cells, convinced that their government were conspiring against them, began preparing for the worst; war in their own country. When it came, they were not even surprised and ironically they were prepared. When the decedents of those militant isolationists emerged from their hidden bunkers and remote cells and saw what was left, they saw an opportunity to mold a world in their image and use their extensive skills to grasp opportunities that presented themselves. You need to be slightly paranoid and are often picky about who you will work with. You can oft be at odds with Chronicleologists, as they seek to reclaim the very remnants of a wold that you fought against. You may be skilled in hand to hand and striking from stealth, often taking inspiration from legendary subcultures like the Navy Seals.

Tinker: In the years after Doomsday, the machines that drove society were abandoned as humanity was incapable of keeping them running with out power and gasoline a national infrastructure provided. As the world started to rebuild, many tried to salvage those old machines and as these skills were passed down, you have become one of the primary forces of resurrecting the old world tech. From keeping water filtration system running to jury-rigging an old car, you are as expert as it is going to get at building and restoring machinery. You oft explore in search of spare parts or to recover old tech that can be put to use.