Happy Birthday, Dad - An Archetype for All Flesh Must Be Eaten

I wrote this about five years ago and posted it on the Eden Studios Message Boards. It was very well received at the time, but honestly, it's a horrible archetype. Archetypes should be defined by a few stark characteristics and then built from there...this is really more of a full-fledged character, because it is basically my Dad.

Happy birthday, Dad.

(Meant to be used with All Flesh Must Be Eaten by Eden Studios)
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Name: Reserve Deputy
Character Type: Survivor

Strength: 3 Intelligence: 3
Dexterity: 2 Perception: 4
Constitution: 3 Willpower: 5

Life Points: 49
Endurance Points: 38
Speed: 10
Essence Pool: 20

Qualities:
Attractiveness +1
Charisma +2
Contacts: Widespread, small favors +3
Hard to Kill +5
Nerves of Steel (3)
Situational Awareness (2)

Drawbacks:
Impaired Sense: Eyesight (-2)
Honorable (-1)
Resources: Hurting (-2)
Bad Luck: Lv 1 (-3)
Obsession: Burying his family (-2)

Skill:
Brawling 3
Cheating 1
Dodge 1
Driving (Car) 3
Driving (Truck) 4
First Aid 1
Guns (Pistol) 4
Guns (Rifle) 3
Guns (Shotgun) 2
Humanities (Law) 1
Intimidation 3
Mechanic 5
Notice 3
Questioning 2
Research/Investigation 2
Streetwise 3

Gear
Glock 9mm, badge, handcuffs, police flashlight, patrol car, pocket knife, two massive rings of keys (half of which no longer go to anything), vehicle radio, extensive tool sets.

Personality
No rest for the wicked, I guess.  I busted my ass for years as a mechanic, turning wrenches to make it for my family.  I was a damn good one…only reasons I didn’t make any more money was because I don’t like to take people for a ride, and I have a tendency to wind up getting’ hurt a lot more than most.  I probably shoulda died more times than I can count.  I’ve broken so many bones that I’ve lost count.  See this limp?  Got a rod in my leg when I broke my femur while workin’ on a big rig.  Slowed me down for about a month.  I went back to work in a wheel chair, then on crutches, until I could make it out to my shop on a crutch.  I don’t let things slow me down.  I always said I’d take care of my family, and one way or another, I was gonna take care of my family.

I got electrocuted about five years back, put me outta work again.  That rod in my leg helped shoot the electricity right through my foot.  Docs said I was lucky to be alive, much less able to ever walk again.  I walked into my house the next night.  I don’t let things slow me down.

Two years ago I decided I’d try to do some real good in the community and I became a reserve deputy for the county Sheriff’s department.  It was hard getting used to the schooling, but it paid off.  ‘Course, that’s when my wife of thirty years died.  At fifty years old, just got my commission card from the county, my kids grown up and my wife gone.  I tried to go back to work, twistin’ wrenches while fightin’ with the deputies at the Sheriff’s office…lazy pieces of shit that didn’t wanna do anything.  It was a hard adjustment.

But not as hard as this.

I wouldn’t have believed it was zombies, except I went to my son’s apartment and saw her trying to get in the door.  Most of her friends and even her family wouldn’t have recognized her, but there was no way I couldn’t.  The woman I married.  The woman I promised to take care of.  Standing in front of me again.

I froze, and it was a mistake.  I started crying and she she came over…I thought to hold me.  She leaned in to kiss me and the most god-awful smell came over me.  Snapped me back to reality, but she had already bitten into my neck.  I knocked her off and I ran.  Managed to stop the bleeding, thanks to some friends of mine.  It was real touch and go, and if I wasn’t so damned stubborn, I probably would have died and became one of them.  But I don’t let things slow me down.

That was six months ago.

My commission card don’t mean shit right now, but that’s okay.  Someone’s still gotta serve and protect.   My youngest son’s the only family I’ve got left.  The rest of them are shambling around somewhere, including her. Well, I always said I’d take care of my family.

One way or another, I’m gonna take care of my family.

Quote
“I’m getting too old for this shit.”