Legendary Archetypes: Cinematic Swashbuckler and Sub-Archetypes
As Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Wilson wrote long ago, “Life Begins at Legendary.”
In Legendary Archetypes, the Wine and Savages blog presents ready-to-use Legendary Rank (80 XP) heroes built using only the Savage Worlds core rules. These archetypes are offered as aids for duet and solo gamers or for gaming groups ready to jump right into the big leagues.
The characters are built with an eye toward versatility (necessary in duet gaming) and so have their Traits and Edges spread out for broader competence rather than min/maxed in certain areas. Game Masters using these archetypes may wish to allow the players another 20 to 40 experience points (2 to 4 Advances) to further customize the characters beyond choosing Hindrances.
Cinematic Swashbuckler
Let us define the Cinematic Swashbuckler as an acrobatic hero for a setting where the sword is preferred to the gun, but where armor has been abandoned for maneuverability. We’ll take as our models such heroes as most of Tyrone Power's best roles, most versions of Zorro, the good guys in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, and – of course – Westley and Inigo Montoya. The Cinematic Swashbuckler is acrobatic, quick-witted, and sharp-tongued.
I’m breaking from the usual format of these Legendary Archetypes because I need some swashbuckling characters for my current duet game and I don’t want them all to be clones of each other. They’re all built with the same basic chassis up to 60 experience points, but after that they diverge into different fighting styles. As usual, the goal is more to build a well-rounded character than a singularly-focused expert (feel free to contrast Savage Worlds’ Novice fencer archetype).
In Legendary Archetypes, the Wine and Savages blog presents ready-to-use Legendary Rank (80 XP) heroes built using only the Savage Worlds core rules. These archetypes are offered as aids for duet and solo gamers or for gaming groups ready to jump right into the big leagues.
The characters are built with an eye toward versatility (necessary in duet gaming) and so have their Traits and Edges spread out for broader competence rather than min/maxed in certain areas. Game Masters using these archetypes may wish to allow the players another 20 to 40 experience points (2 to 4 Advances) to further customize the characters beyond choosing Hindrances.
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| Look up "Flynning" sometime and then see if you don't prefer Tyrone Power afterward. |
Cinematic Swashbuckler
Let us define the Cinematic Swashbuckler as an acrobatic hero for a setting where the sword is preferred to the gun, but where armor has been abandoned for maneuverability. We’ll take as our models such heroes as most of Tyrone Power's best roles, most versions of Zorro, the good guys in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, and – of course – Westley and Inigo Montoya. The Cinematic Swashbuckler is acrobatic, quick-witted, and sharp-tongued.
I’m breaking from the usual format of these Legendary Archetypes because I need some swashbuckling characters for my current duet game and I don’t want them all to be clones of each other. They’re all built with the same basic chassis up to 60 experience points, but after that they diverge into different fighting styles. As usual, the goal is more to build a well-rounded character than a singularly-focused expert (feel free to contrast Savage Worlds’ Novice fencer archetype).
Core Cinematic Swashbuckler
Heroic (60 xp)
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, Level Headed, and one of Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, Level Headed, and one of Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble
Aggressive Duelist
More of a villainous archetype than a heroic one, Aggressive Duelists pour their energy into mastering the art of killing. This can serve a Count Rugen well for years – at least until he meets one of the rare heroic Aggressive Duelists like Inigo Montoya.
Legendary (120 xp)
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Frenzy/Improved Frenzy, Killer Instinct, Level Headed/Improved Level Headed, No Mercy, Trademark Weapon/Improved Trademark Weapon
Evasive Trickster
Evasive Tricksters spend a lot of time running only a few steps ahead of the trouble they create for themselves. Sir Harry Paget Flashman and Captain Jack Sparrow are obvious examples of this sub-archetype.
Legendary (120 xp)
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Intimidation d8, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Dodge/Improved Dodge, Extraction/Improved Extraction, Level Headed/Improved Level Headed, Strong Willed
Innovative Improviser
As adept with fist or flagon or candlestick as with sword, Innovative Improvisers are ready for anything life throws at them. Westley is obviously one such hero, but recent film and television versions of The Three Musketeers have emphasized this quality in Porthos as well.
Legendary (120 xp)
Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8, +1 to any one Skill less than its controlling Attribute
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Elan, Frenzy/Improved Frenzy, Level Headed, Improvisational Fighter, Martial Artist, Quick Draw
Master of None
The Master of None has turned away from perfecting a fighting style to instead improve overall skills. The Master of None gets a little bit more customization left open than the other archetypes, with two Advances open to take a pair of Combat Edges, more Skills, or perhaps another die in Smarts and Jack-of-All-Trades.
Legendary (120 xp)
Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d8, Climbing d8, Fighting d12, Intimidation d8, Lockpicking d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting or Throwing d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Swimming d8, Taunt d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Level Headed
As adept with fist or flagon or candlestick as with sword, Innovative Improvisers are ready for anything life throws at them. Westley is obviously one such hero, but recent film and television versions of The Three Musketeers have emphasized this quality in Porthos as well.
Legendary (120 xp)
Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8, +1 to any one Skill less than its controlling Attribute
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Elan, Frenzy/Improved Frenzy, Level Headed, Improvisational Fighter, Martial Artist, Quick Draw
Master of None
The Master of None has turned away from perfecting a fighting style to instead improve overall skills. The Master of None gets a little bit more customization left open than the other archetypes, with two Advances open to take a pair of Combat Edges, more Skills, or perhaps another die in Smarts and Jack-of-All-Trades.
Legendary (120 xp)
Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d8, Climbing d8, Fighting d12, Intimidation d8, Lockpicking d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting or Throwing d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Swimming d8, Taunt d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Level Headed
Special: Two unspent Advances
Wall of Steel
Swashbucklers who practice the Wall of Steel approach are masters of two-weapon fighting, capable of letting waves of foes break over their flashing twin blades. If this archetype had any wilderness survival skills, then Drizzt Do’Urden would be the best example; as it does not, then we will have to use his archenemy Artemis Entreri instead.
Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d8 (probably Throwing), Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Counterattack/Improved Counterattack, Florentine, Level Headed, Quick Draw, Two-Fisted
Wall of Steel
Swashbucklers who practice the Wall of Steel approach are masters of two-weapon fighting, capable of letting waves of foes break over their flashing twin blades. If this archetype had any wilderness survival skills, then Drizzt Do’Urden would be the best example; as it does not, then we will have to use his archenemy Artemis Entreri instead.
Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Boating or Riding d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Intimidation or Taunt d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting or Throwing d8 (probably Throwing), Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Taunt or Intimidation d8
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: ---
Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, (Attractive, Charismatic, or Noble), Counterattack/Improved Counterattack, Florentine, Level Headed, Quick Draw, Two-Fisted
Inigo has Improved First Strike all the way; the scene where he stabs several guards that try to rush past him, just before the Count Reugen fight in the hallway, is that edge all the way.
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