Basic Information
A character who makes his (or, rarely, her) legitimate living by hunting down animals for their meat and fur. Most often found in stories about America's frontier days, fading into The Western.
Generally, the Hunter Trapper will have or quickly acquire excellent survival skills and woodcraft, often with the aid of a Native American friend. Improbable Aiming Skills are common, but this character is seldom The Gunslinger, as in the early days, their rifles hold only one shot. Expect him to also be highly proficient with knife and tomohawk.
Expect to see a successful Hunter Trapper garbed in the skins and furs of his prey, with the more ostentatious ones perhaps wearing claws and teeth as decorations. Many of these characters are The Stoic, uncomfortable with civilized society's demands for emotional involvement.
The French-Canadian version of this character is the Voyageur, actually rivermen who worked for the fur companies, but who did hunting and trapping on the side.
Often overlaps with The Pioneer; can turn into the Mountain Man if he decides to stay outside civilization permanently. Contrast the Evil Poacher.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- The old Hunter Trapper seemed like just a quiet background NPC, till you saw through the windows of his cabin, and saw the trophies on his wall.
- Monster heads? Perhaps he's a Hunter of a more heroic kind.
- Human heads? Perhaps he's a Hunter Trapper of another kind altogether. See The Most Dangerous Game.
- In a Western Campaign with supernatural elements, much could be played up of his older dress and rifle. Just how long has he been out here?
- In a Fantasy campaign, this is the usual source of The Ranger.