Real World/Historical Figures that would make great PCs

[Reynard]

While we often look to strong literary characters as inspiration for RPG player characters, there are quite a lot of real world historical figures who's backgrounds and exploits would make for great PCs. This is the thread where we share our favorites and discuss them!

I'll start with the incomparable Chevelier d'Eon, a French spy, soldier, diplomat and celebrity that was also andogynous and possibly trans. d'Eon spent time in Russia countering English interests and (politically) courting Empress Elizabeth. The story goes that d'Eon was so convincing and beautiful as a woman that Empress Elizabeth was delighted with the spy, even after learning of the deception. Later, d'Eon was a Dragoon captain and then the French diplomat to England. This figure has all the hallmarks of a player character: a strange backstory, a unique quirk, competence, important and dangerous missions, and, frankly, quite a bit of luck.

Who do you nominate for "Historical Figure Most Likely to be a PC?"

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Sir Christopher Lee springs to mind - descended from nobility, served in the intelligence and espionage fields, polyglot, actor, singer, skilled with a blade, and a knight to boot. Oh, and he was almost six and a half feet tall.

 

[Ulfgeir]

Julie d'Aubigny, known as La Maupin. French woman born in late 1600's and who learnt to fence, worked as an opera singer, and according to rumour participated in duels and had an interesting love-life (including seducing a young nun)

 

[dragoner]

Aloha Wanderwell (Idris Galcia Hall née Welsh, October 13, 1906 – June 4, 1996) was a Canadian/American Internationalist explorer, author, filmmaker, and aviatrix. In the 1920s, while still a teenager, she traveled 380,000 miles across 80 countries, becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a Ford 1917 Model T. Beginning when she was just 16 years old, the journey took seven years to complete.

Aloha Wanderwell - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Eltab]

Richard the Lion-hearted. For those players who cannot abide anybody telling their character what to do.

 

[ErisIndomina]

Fighting Jack Churchill, who fought through World War II with a longbow, broadsword, and bagpipes.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Julie d'Aubigny, known as La Maupin. French woman born in late 1600's and who learnt to fence, worked as an opera singer, and according to rumour participated in duels and had an interesting love-life (including seducing a young nun)

Was gonna say this if no one had.

You undersell her, though. She became a famous and respected opera singer, and she seduces the nun before she took holy orders, joined the order when her girlfriend was sent to the convent, and set the convent on fire to cover their escape.

 

[aramis erak]

If there's any historical figure whose memoirs scream, "I'm a PC!!!"...
LtCol Greg "Pappy" Boyington, USMC.
Fighter pilot, US Marine, he volunteered for detachment to the American Volunteer Group under MGen Claire Chennault, wound up commanding the VMF 214 "Black Sheep", holder of the CMH, survivor of a Japanese POW camp,

Better still, I met him, once, got to spend some time talking. Even two years before his death, he was still a hard drinking story-teller with no regard for rules.

 

[Reynard]

Fighting Jack Churchill, who fought through World War II with a longbow, broadsword, and bagpipes.

That was some of the most entertaining reading ever.

 

[Umbran]

I'm going to go with Bass Reeves. The first African American deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi, back in 1875.

The man is credited with bringing in 3,000 felons*, but was never wounded. He shot and killed 14 people in self-defense.

A great many of these felons ended up in the Detroit House of Correction. Interestingly, a couple of decades after his death, Detroit Radio Station WXYZ first aired radio plays about a character we now know and love... The Lone Ranger. It may be surmised that Reeves was part of the inspiration.





*Including, it is sad to say, his own son.