Character Concepts
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.
You character is an “adventurer” if he's a comman man or woman who just happens to wind up in incredible adventurers. His skills are entirely up to you, but he shouldn't be too good at combat or survival, at least not yet.
Doomsayers are “radiation priests” of the Wasted West. 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 then that. He knows norms are going to be around for a good long while, and he wants to ensure they don't rise up and destroy the true watchers of humanity's destiny.
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.
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.
Junkers are the Wasted West's version of “mad scientists”. They wander the wastelands, collecting junk with which to build incredible machines. Their inspiration for their infernal gizmos, some say, comes from the very evil spirits who destroyed the world.
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.
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 once-sacred 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.
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 armour and heavy guns.
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.
Scavengers are those desperate enough to enter the ruins of 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.
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 enough bullets to fight the next job.
Sykers are former soldiers with incredible mental powers. 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.
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.
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.
Traders are merchants who have discovered, earned, or stolen great treasures to sell and barter with others. They often command squads of lyal bodyguards or war beasts to protect their valuable wares.