Stock Character Clichés

Stock Character Clichés

THE ALL-EMBRACING, ALL-INCLUSIVE, FUNKTASTIC COMPENDIUM OF STUPENDOUS STOCK CHARACTERS AND SUPERFLUOUS STEREOTYPES
(aka the AEAIFCSSCSS)
(c) Guy Hoyle, 2006

Similar to "That Last #@!% Cliche" table from the Risus Companion (p. 7), the cliches on this table can, with some adjustments, be used for virtually any genre and any campaign. When you're having trouble thinking up useful cliches for your character, take a look at this list!

Credit must be given to the Stock Characters article at Wikipedia and the TV Tropes website, from which most of these cliches were drawn.

Absent-Minded Professor

Action Girl

Adventurer Archaeologist

Almost Dead Guy

Amateur Sleuth

Amoral Scientist

Angst-Ridden Youth

AntiHero

Arch Nemesis

Avenger

Axe-Wielding Lunatic

Bad Boss

Bad Fiancé

Bad Guy Trapped Into Working For The Good Guys

Badass with a Long Coat

Baldrick

Battle Butler

Benevolent Boss

Beta Baddie

Big Bad Guy

Big Boss

Bitter Rivals

Bitter War Veteran

Black Cloak

Black Moustache Villain

Born Loser

Fall Guy

Bouncer

Bounty Hunter

Bridezilla

Broken Hero

Brought-Back-To-Life villain

Bumbling Dad

Bungling Inventor

California Girl

Canon Immigrant

Caped Crusader

Casanova

Chosen One

Cinderella

Pretty Ugly Girl

City Mouse

Classy Cat Burglar

Cloudcuckoolander

Clumsy Hero

Colonel Makepeace

Comedic Hero

Comic Relief

Competent Man

Con Man

Control Freak

Cop On The Edge

Corrupt Corporate Executive

Corrupt Hick

Country Mouse

Cousin Oliver

Cowboy Cop

Crazy General

Damsel in Distress

Dark Lord

Dead Star Walking

Defective Detective

Designated Antagonist

Designated Hero

Devil In Plain Sight

Dirty Old Man

Dogged Nice Guy

Doomed Appointment

Doppelganger

Double Agent

Dr Jerk

Dragon

Drill Sergeant Nasty

Drop In Character

Dumb Blonde or Bimbo

Dysfunctional Nuclear Family

Eccentric Millionaire

Enfante Terrible

English Butler

Erudite Stoner

Evil Albino

Evil Chancellor

Evil Clown

Evil Counterpart

Evil Genius

Evil Matriarch

Evil Minions

Evil Overlord

Evil Twin

Extraordinarily Empowered Girl

Fake Boss

False Hero

Favorite Son

Femme Fatale

Flunky

Stooge

Toadie

Fool

Fop

Foreign Exchange Student

Gang Members

General Ripper

Genie In A Bottle

Genius Bruiser

Gentle Giant

Gentleman Thief

Giant Monster

Girl Posse

Girl Threesome

Greek Chorus

Haunted Hero

Henchman

Herald

Heroic Scientist

High School Rejects

Hippie Chick

Granola Girl

Honest Thief

Hooker With A Heart Of Gold

Horny Scientist

Hot Librarian

Hot Scientist

Hot Teacher

Ill-Fated Lovers

Impeded Messenger

Implacable Man

Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain

Ingénue

Inspector Javert

Inspirationally Disadvantaged

Intellectual Animal

Invisible Guardian Angel

Jerk With A Heart Of Gold

Jock

Joe Schmoe

Jokester

Knight In Shining Armor

Knight Templar

Large Ham

Leisure Suit Larry

Local Hero

Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

Loony Fan

Loser Guy

Lovable Rogue

Lovable Traitor

Mad Scientist

Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter

Master Of Disguise

Master Thespian

Master Villain

Mission Control

Monster Clown

Monstrous Adolescent

Mooks

Mouthy Kid

Mr Exposition

Mr Fixit

Mysterious Informant

Naive Newcomer

Nature Hero

Nerd

Nerd Girl

Nietzsche Wannabe

No Respect Guy

Noble Demon

Noble Savage

Non Human Sidekick

Nosy Neighbor

Number Two

Nurse

Nurse With Good Intentions

Oddball

Old Flame

Old Friend

One Winged Angel

Opposing Sports Team

Outlaw

Parker Lewis Ferris Bueller

Part-time Hero

Physical God

Pied Piper

Playful Hacker

Plucky Comic Relief

Plucky Girl

Pointy Haired Boss

Pompous Idiot

Popular Girl

Pretty Woman

Prodigy

Proud Warrior Race Guy

Psycho For Hire

Punch Clock Villain

Quirky Miniboss Squad

Racist White Guy

Raised By Wolves

Rake

Cad

Reclusive Genius

Red Scare

Redshirt

Reluctant Guardian Angel

Reluctant Hero

Reluctant Villain

Repentant Traitor

Atoner

Repulsive Womanizer

Reverse Mole

Rich Bitch

Right Wing Militia Fanatic

Rival Turned Evil

Robot Buddy

Rogues Gallery

Rookie

Sadist

Sassy Secretary

Scary Dogmatic Aliens

Scary Minority Suspect

School Bully

Sealed Evil In A Can

Serial Killer

Shape Shifter

Shapeshifter

Sidekick

Sin Of The Father

Snoop

Spear Carrier

Spirit Advisor

Stalker With A Crush

Stupid Boss

Super Grape

Super Soldier

Sycophant

Technical Pacifist

Techno Wizard

Teen Genius

Temporary Love Interest

The Ace

The Baroness

The Brigadier

The Commander

The Contender

The Coroner

The Cracker

The Ditz

The Dungeon Master

The Enemy Within

The Government

The Hunter

The Igor

The Illegal

The Intern

The Judge

The Kimberly

The Lab Rat

The Legions Of Hell

The Libby

The Mad Hatter

The Major (or Jolly War Veteran)

The Mark

The McGuyver

The Minnesota Fats

The Mole

The Napoleon

The Obi Wan

The Patsy

The Professor

The Profiler

The Punishment

The Radar

The Renfield

The Skeptic

The Spock

The True Believer

The Unseen Character

The Urkel

The Vamp

The Vicar

The Virus

The Watcher

Tin Man

Token Minority

Tomboy

Too Dumb To Live

Tough Guy

Town Drunk

Tragic Hero

Tragic Villain

Trickster

Trickster Mentor

Troubled But Cute

Twins

Tyranical Boss

Tyrannical Father

Vigilante

Villainous Crossdresser

Wacky Guy

Wacky neighbor

Waif Prophet

Warning

Warrior Poet

Well Intentioned Extremist

Western Terrorists

Whiz Kid

Wicked Step-Mor

Wicked Witch

Evil Wizard

Womanizer

Worthy Opponent

Wunderkind

Enfant Terrible

Yellow Peril

Yuppie Couple

Zen Survivor