Attributes: The Killer On the Road is the embodiment of meaningless, random violence and death. This is the archetype of the thrill-killer and the serial murderer. Sudden and pointless murder are the forte of the Killer On the Road.
The Killer On the Road is not driven by a psychological need to hurt or murder other people. Obsessive love, sex crimes, and murderous stalking are the domain of other archetypes. The Killer On the Road kills because he can.
Taboos: All avatars of the Killer On the Road must commit at least one random, opportunistic murder every seven days, beginning from the time of the last required murder. This murder cannot further any purpose for the character and it does not count toward any abilities the character may have that are fueled by murder.
Symbols: The darkened road, the knife, and the skull and crossbones are the symbols of the Killer On the Road. More modern symbols include the hockey mask and the chainsaw.
Suspected Avatars in History: The Killer On the Road is a fairly recent archetype, believed to date back to the beginnings of the 17th Century and the murderous Sawney Beane clan. Sawney Beane was a Scotsman who, with his wife and his huge incestuous family, lived in a cave and killed and ate travellers who crossed his path. The murderous Native American known as Quejo who killed in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries was also an avatar, as was Charlie Starkweather.
51% - 70%: The character gains an M.O. for murder. The player must choose a favored type of weapon (a type of knife, caliber of pistol, or the equivalent) or a favored locale (along Route 66, in public restrooms). In any combat situation involving the character's M.O., the character can flip-flop the roll on any combat skill if the missed roll was under his Avatar: Killer On the Road skill.
[Example: Maxwell really likes using his hammer to kill people, so he makes it his M.O. In a fight, he rolls a 63 to hit. This is over his Smashing Heads skill of 55%, but below his Avatar: Killer On the Road skill of 70%. He flip-flops the roll to 36 and the hammer connects with a dull smacking sound. Had he been using a pistol, this would have been outside his M.O. of the hammer and he could not have flipped the roll.]
71% - 90%: The blood is the life! When the character kills someone using his M.O., all Wound Points suffered by the victim at the hands of the avatar can be used to heal the avatar's wounds at a one-for-one rate. Any Wound Points beyond those necessary to heal the avatar's wounds cannot be saved for later.
[Example: Maxwell has been wounded in a gunfight in a bar. Holding his bleeding gut with one hand, he stumbles into the restroom. Luckily for him, he finds someone hiding from the fight in one of the stalls. Pulling his hammer out of his pocket with his free hand, Maxwell finishes of the hapless customer. The bar patron had 50 Wound Points and Maxwell was wounded for 40 Wound Points. The extra 10 points are lost.]
91%+: The avatar can literally drop off the face of the earth between killings. After a successful murder using the M.O., the avatar can, with a successful skill roll, vanish for one week. During this time, the avatar for all practical purposes ceases to exist. The avatar does not age or grow hungry or thirsty. Once the avatar reappears, however, he will be due for another murder within the day or face the consequences of breaking the taboo.