The Rustler

Basic Information

The Evil Counterpart of the Cowboy, this villain uses the same skill set to steal livestock, primarily cattle and horses. See Rustling for more information.

A two-bit rustler may just poach the occasional animal off a herd, and make it look like a normal loss to coyotes, mountain lions, or some other hazard.

More serious rustlers might do a hit and run on a whole herd, then rush them off on a Cattle Drive before the rightful owner knows what happened.

Clever rustlers will cover over the old brands on the livestock with new derivative marks of their own.

See also:
Criminal
Hanging Judge
The Man They Couldnt Hang
Rustling

Sources

TV Tropes Wiki

Game and Story Use

• A gang of rustlers might look like a normal ranch of cowboys. It could sit quietly in the background of the campaign for months, mentioned in passing or on maps, before the PCs find out what's been going on. As long as they're just taking a few head here and there, or only raiding other communities, this could go on for some time.
• While it's a classic crime of the old west, it could be finagled into just about any other setting easily enough.
  • Griffins, Pegasi, or even hatchling Dragons could be rustled in the fantasy genre.
  • After The End, what livestock survives will be quite valuable to Disaster Scavengers.
  • Worm Rustlers of Arrakis.
  • Them creepy ol' Whatleys done took my shoggoth!
    • Well, maybe not any setting.