Philosopher Cowboy

Basic Information

The Philosopher Cowboy is a Western Character trope. This is The Smart Guy who decides he prefers honest work amid the outdoors rather than the City Life.

Plutarch was a big read for literate cowboys, along with the Bible, parts of Shakespeare and whatever small books would fit in a saddlebag. May be called upon to say a few words on portentious occasions. Can come very close to the Warrior Poet.

Although he does not exactly fit this trope, Will Rogers was sometimes called a Cowboy Philosopher.

Sources

Bibliography

1. TV Tropes Wiki

Game and Story Use

• Yet another way to make one cowboy stand out amidst the herd.
• If the PCs cross paths with a cattle drive or posse full of cowboys, this one is likely to be member of the bunch who'll do the talking, or be their advocate if his coworkers want to string them up.

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Building This Character

Level:

• As a generalist / jack-of-all-trades, they may be a low-leveled character.
• Being knowledgeable and a bit of multiclassed character, however, they are probably a little above the typical cowboy in the setting.

Attributes:

• Mental Attributes are the main focus.
• Physical Attributes shouldn't be bad, however. Being a cowboy is a tough job, so this character's not a wimp.

Skills:

• In general, the emphasis should be on breadth of skills, not depth. They know a little bit about a lot of subjects.
• Animal Handling, Riding, and Survival Skills are the primary skills that every cowboy needs.
• Agriculture or Farming
• Persuasion or Socializing
• At least one (and likely 3 or 4) of the following artistic or mental skills: History, Composition, Art, Poetry, Mythology, Math, Natural Philosophy, Linguistics, Philosophy, etc.
• First Aid or possibly even a bit of Medicine
• Rope Use
• Repair
• Marksmanship - being comfortable with a gun is a must for all cowboys in the Wild West

Variants:

• In settings that aren't just straight historical or pure The Western, his "Philosopher" side may shade towards the Alchemical or Arcane. Or, in steampunk, he may be an amateur inventor.