Name: Peter McHayes
Alias: Powder Pete
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Occupation: Miner
Appearance: Pete is a average, gangly man who is going prematurely gray. He often wears very plain clothing (cheaper that way, clothes get ruined quickly in his line of work), and wears a much worn, slightly scorched hat (his good luck charm).
Skills:
- Demolitions: From his mining days, Pete is an expert in the placement and used to explosives
- Nerves of Steel: As you might imagine given his line of work, Peter has a knack for keeping a level head under pressure. It takes a quite a bit to rattle old Powder Pete.
- Good Throwing Arm: Pete can throw things with relative good aim at a respectable distance...including explosives. He also happens to be good at horse shoes.
- Harmonica Player: Every western needs at least one dude that can play the harmonica.
Gear:
On Him: Plain, cheap clothing, scorched hat, box of matches, paper and tobacco to make about 3 cigarettes, and a slightly battered harmonica.
With Guards: Explosives (a few boxes of dynamite and a small,
very carefully packed bottle of nitro), plunger-and-box detonator, double barreled shotgun.
Personality: Peter is the kind of guy who doesn’t really stand out. Most people think “explosives guy” and think of a crazy pyromaniac. Peter is not that guy in the least. He’s a friendly sort, but a bit of a pessimist.
Bio: A few years back, Peter McHayes came out west to seek his fortune in the gold mines of the west. Unfortunately, no one told him that those mines were mostly already staked out or picked bare. The bare patches of land he worked for five years didn’t even yield enough to cover the price of the donkey he bought when he first came out west. With his debts coming due, Peter spent a long, dark night of the soul considering his options. With dawn, however, came an epiphany: Why should he waste money using explosives to look for gold in the ground when he could use explosives to get money he knew was in the bank? Well, it turns out that was a lot easier than mining for five years. A lot more profitable, too. Eventually, Pete got himself hooked up with a group of like minded fellows who could give him cover as he took his time laying down the explosives. It was profitable relationship, until one of the gang got sloppy and bragged about their next job at the local saloon. Nothing makes robbing a bank harder than have the sheriff and sizable posse waiting for you. Pete escaped the attempted robbery, only to be caught outside of town by the posse.
Record:
Bank Robbery
Destruction of Property
Arson
Attempted Murder (bank employees don’t like almost getting blown up)
Murder (Pete maintains it wasn’t his fault that idiot was too dumb to leave when he was told too).
Claim Jumping (“How was I suppose to know? The guy told me it was legit. It was a worthless chunk of land, anyways!”)
Resisting Arrest.
Other: Is very careful not to smoke around his dynamite. Shotgun is from his mining days…you can’t keep a claim just by asking nicely, you know. Because of all the gear he has, he has to travel by wagon, or have a pack horse.