Sample file Introduction LARGER THAN LIFE American Tall Tales Adventures Author: Michael Surbrook Additional Contributions and Suggestions: Robert Dorf, Grady Elliott, Alex Fauth, Max Fauth, Michael Reed, Jason Walters Development: Jason S. Walters Cover Art: Miles M Kantir Interior Art: Brad Parnell, Bradley McDevitt. All other artwork from The Library of Congress Online Image Collection or otherwise in the public domain. Sample file Editing: Michael Reed, Michael Surbrook Layout: Ruben Smith-Zempel Hero System™® is DOJ Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system Hero System © 1984, 1989, 2002, 2009 by DOJ Inc. d/b/a/ Hero Games. All Rights Reserved. Larger Than Life © 2015 by Michael Surbrook. All Rights Reserved. 1 Table of Contents Introduction ........................... 4 The Tall-Tales Era ..............45 What’s In This Book? ........................................4 Alfred Bulltop Stormalong, Larger Than Life Blue-Water Sailor .............................45 And Your Campaign .........................................5 Other Blue-Water Sailors Of Note .................48 The Colonial Era ................... 6 Blue-Water Sailor Template ...........................51 The Occupational Hero ..................................53 Blackbeard, Pirate .............................6 Febold Feboldson, Pioneer .............53 OTHER PIRATES OF NOTE .........................10 Pirate Template ...............................................15 John Henry, Steel-Driver ................56 Peter Francisco, Joe Magarac, Steel Worker ............59 Continental Soldier ........................17 Other Occupational Heroes Of Note .............61 Other Continental Soldiers Of Note ..............21 Occupational Hero Template .........................64 Continental Soldier Template ........................24 Paul Bunyan, Lumberjack .................65 Mike Fink, Riverman .........................25 The Real Paul Bunyan? ...................................65 Other Rivermen Of Note ................................28 How Tall Is Paul? ............................................65 Riverman Template ........................................30 Sample fileOther Lumberjacks Of Note ...........................69 Johnny Appleseed, Lumberjack Template .....................................70 Man Of Nature ...................................31 Paul’s Logging Gang .......................................71 Other Men Of Nature Of Note .......................33 Just Some Of Paul’s Crew ...............................71 Man Of Nature Template ................................35 Babe The Blue Ox ...............................76 Davy Crockett, Backwoodsman .....36 Other Backwoodsmen Of Note ......................40 Backwoodsman Template ...............................44 Sally’s Boast ....................................................44 2 Table of Contents The Wild West Era ...............78 Martha Jane “Calamity Jane” Canary, Scout ...................................178 Pecos Bill, Cowboy ............................78 Other Scouts Of Note ...................................183 Other Cowboys Of Note .................................82 Scout Template .............................................189 Cowboy Template ...........................................85 Henry “Billy The Kid” Mccarty, Widow-Maker .....................................87 Shootist .............................................190 John “Liver-Eatin’” Johnson, Other Shootists Of Note ...............................194 Mountain Man ....................................89 Shootist Template .........................................199 Other Mountain Men Of Note .......................95 Mountain Man Template ..............................103 The Post-War Era ...............200 Jesse Woodson James, Outlaw .......104 Uncle Sam, American Icon .............200 Other Outlaws Of Note ................................111 Other American Icons Of Note ....................202 Outlaw Gangs ...............................................111 Joshua Abraham Norton, Eccentric ...........................................205 Individual Bushwhackers And Outlaws .......114 Other Eccentrics Of Note .............................209 Outlaw Template...........................................119 George Armstrong Custer, Stackalee, Trickster ......................213 Cavalry Officer ...............................122 Other Tricksters Of Note ..............................217 Other Army Officers Of Note .......................128 Trickster Template ........................................220 Sample file Calvary Template ..........................................138 Nikola Tesla, Inventor ..................221 Sitting Bull, Indian Chief .............140 Other Inventors Of Note ..............................229 Other Natve Americans Of Note ..................146 Inventor Template ........................................235 Native American Template ...........................155 Timeline ................................236 James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, Lawman ...............................157 Bibliography .......................239 Other Lawmen Of Note ................................164 Other Inspirational Media ...........................240 Lawman Template ........................................176 3 Introduction Introduction Kenneth Hite wrote, “America’s gods, appropriately It is these same qualities that make these “gods” enough, are the gods of careers....” This sentence may so suitable as a form of folk superhero, for there’s lit- strike some as strange, as one doesn’t normally think tle difference between them and some of the original of America as a land of gods (as opposed to one God, comic book superheroes. It is the aim of this book but that’s a different matter), but it’s all in how you to present many of America’s folk heroes of old, as look at it. At one point there was a large body of myths well as a number of historical figures, who through and legends describing the exploits of figures who, in exploits both notable and notorious became legends keeping with the nature of the American landscape, in their own time, on a scale suitable for their status. were of great size and even greater strength. They They are presented, to paraphrase Mark Twain, not as strode across the land like giants of old, making and they were, but more, as they should have been. shaping the world around them, taming it for the use of their fellow Americans. What’s In This Book? Unlike the more cosmic entities of the Old World, these American gods didn’t symbolize such abstract Larger Than Life is divided into four sections, each concepts as the sky, life and death, love, war, or the representing a major era of American history. With- sun and moon, but instead were working men and in each section, you’ll find a number of individuals women who accomplished great deeds through use who best represent an archetypical occupation or role of their skill, wit, and brawn. They were often the common to the time period in question presented in epitome of a certain occupation, and thus were the roughly chronological order. In turn, each archetype very best at what they did, and were capable of do- contains not only the core character sheet, but also a ing it faster, for longer, and with greater productivi- listing of additional representations of the archetype, ty than anyone else. These mythical figures allowed each with its own short biography. A Template for the American worker to live vicariously through their creating a basic version of the archetype finishes of exploits, to take pride in their occupation, and brag each archetypical representation. about it to others. They were, for a time, gods.Sample fileSection One, The Colonial Era, covers the period The names of some of these individuals should from 1700 to the early 1800s. The archetypes present- be familiar to the average American, while others ed are the Pirate, the Continental Soldier, the Back- may not. Many have become enshrined as part of woodsman, the Riverman, and the Man of Nature. the national folklore, while others are more limited Section Two, The Tall-Tales Era, covers pretty in their exposure and have descended into near ob- much the whole of the 19th Century, as well as the scurity. However, the one thing these characters all early 20th Century. The archetypes presented are the have in common is the nature of their exploits. They Blue-Water Sailor, the Occupation Hero (represented are all are larger-than-life stories, tall tales designed by a Sod-Buster, Steel-Driver, and Steelworker), and to amuse and entertain. Paul Bunyan didn’t just cut the Lumberjack. down trees; he felled whole swaths of forest with a Section Three, The Wild West Era, is the largest single sweep of his ax. John Henry drove steel with a section, which is only proper, as the exploration, ex- hammer in each hand, outperforming a steam-driv- pansion, and colonization of the western frontier of en drilling machine in the process. Joe Magarac was America occupied the entirety of the 19th Century a steelworker capable of squeezing rails out through (and then some). As befitting the subject matter, the his fingers with the ease of a man mashing a lump of first archetype presented is the Cowboy, followed by clay. When Alfred Bulltop Stormalong went whaling, the Mountain Man, the Outlaw, the Cavalry Officer, he threw back anything under 100 feet as too small. the Indian Chief, the Lawman, the Scout, and the Pecos Bill lassoed tornados and rode a cougar instead Shootist. of a horse. 4 Introduction Larger