Archetypes

Archetypes are classes of non-player characters that appear regularly in Eamon adventures and that share common features that players will easily recognize. Familiar examples include pirates, hermits, evil wizards, and princesses in need of rescue. Authors often lean on archetypes to create simple characters whose purpose or motivations will be immediately understood.

While many are clear, there are no firm criteria for what constitutes an archetype so the determination of what counts can be subjective.

Common archetypes

Listed below are some of the more common archetypes that appear in Eamon and SwordThrust adventures. The "frequency" column indicates the approximate number of adventures that feature each one.

Archetype	Frequency	Description
Amazon	8	Powerful warrior woman skilled in hunting and combat.
Damsel		"Maiden in distress" whose purpose is to be rescued.
Fighter		Skilled warrior, highly proficient in combat. Subsets of this archetype are the Amazon and the Knight.
Hermit	18	Solitary individual, often an old and disheveled man.
Knight		An armored fighter usually wielding a sword.
Magic user		Sorcerers, wizards, witches, mages, and other practitioners of magic.
Noble		Members of the nobility: monarchs, princes and princesses, dukes, barons, etc.
Pirate	15	Robber, usually on a ship or near the sea, and often wearing stereotypical pirate accoutrements.
Prisoner		Individual held captive. In some cases the adventurer may be tasked with freeing them.
Slave		Individual in the forced service of others.
Zealot		Priests or worshippers who are aggressive with intruders.