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