It’s freedom, baby. Yeah!

Attributes: This is the archetype of every person who has ever wanted to be free of government oppression, peer pressure, chemical addiction, a shameful past… anything that makes one feel trapped. The Escapist struggles constantly to free himself from his personal prison, through any means necessary.

Each avatar has a specific entity or phenomenon it seeks to escape, called its “cage.” Most of the channels only work against the avatar’s cage, not against restraints in general. (For example, an Escapist focused on the United States government could just slip out of any federal prison, but would be powerless in a Mexican jail cell.)

Originally, this archetype dealt with physical cages like shackles, prisons, and dungeons. It appealed mostly to criminals and stage magicians. With the rise of “Big Brother” organizations, from governments to corporations, many avatars have begun spinning the archetype towards escape from surveillance. It’s only a matter of time before a new godwalker topples the current archetype.

Taboos: Bending over and taking it from your chosen cage, even if you’ve been coerced. Escapists don’t have to take a stand against their oppressors, but they can never stop running. Ever.

Symbols: Broken shackles, broken locks, skeleton keys, and torn straight jackets. In the Tarot, this archetype is represented by the Hanged Man, inverted.

Suspected Avatars in History: Harry Houdini, obviously, though it’s unlikely he ever progressed far along the path. Certain Beat poets may have channeled the Escapist, and James M. Barrie displayed a profound understanding of it when he wrote the play “Peter Pan.”

Channels:
1%-50%: Once the avatar has chosen their cage, they can flip-flop any roll made while trying to escape it, as long as the new result is less than their avatar skill. If the cage is something emotional, like “My Shameful Past,” this can even include stress checks.

51%-70%: This may be a new channel, caused by the changing nature of the archetype. With a successful roll, the Escapist can evade detection by their cage. If this is an object or location (prison, water tanks, etc.), no one will see them make their escape. If it’s more abstract (i.e.Crime), they can escape notice by people connected to the cage.

71%-90%: At this level, the avatar can escape the bonds of gravity itself, taking to the sky like a bird. They can move as fast through the air as they can on the ground. They need to roll once when they take off, and again if anything happens to distract them (successful attack, collision, rapid change in direction, etc.). Flying requires concentration, so any action performed while flying suffers a -30% shift.

91%+: High-level Escapists are completely unhindered by their cage. With a successful avatar skill check, they can walk through walls, if needs be. This channel can even get an avatar out of legal and social entanglements, where appropriate.