John Ryder, The Hitcher from 'The Hitcher' (1986)

 “I want you to stop me”

John Ryder



“John Ryder”



F: Rm (30)
A: Ex (20))
S: Gd (10)
E: Rm (30)
R: Gd (10)
I: Rm (30)
P: Rm (30)

Health: 90-
Karma: 70
Resources: Apparently Pr (4)
Popularity: 0* (See Below)

Talents:
John Ryder has a number of talents, some of which we see displayed directly

• Human Nature
• Firearms
• Area Knowledge: Texas
• Improvisational Weaponry
• Auto-mechanics
• Repair/Tinker

These were just the skills demonstrated in the movie, but Hauer’s performance suggested that Ryder was far more skilled and knowledgeable that original considered.

Powers:
A true remorseless killer:
Unlike the supernatural killers that often-haunted theaters in the 1980s, John Ryder was a human whose purposes were not so clear and felt nothing from his actions – except maybe through the pursuit of his intended victim or the desire for his own demise (as suggested through various movie critics). John Ryder is the mysterious stranger whose presence is warned about but never heeded and who is able to create incredible acts of violence and death. John Ryder has no real powers, but the power-like effects he displays include:

• Above Average FASERIP: Ryder seems to be in better shape to do what he does and has a quality about him that seems superhuman but isn’t. Ryder’s FASERIP reflects someone who is very capable and very intelligent bent on a single purpose or direction.
• Opportunity: Ryder is often given opportunity to act or set up staged moments that are significant (Such as the twin semi sequence). As such, Ryder seems to be able to be in the right spot at the right time – Judges may spend Karma on Ryder’s behalf whenever a situation warrants even after a dice roll or resolution if it places Ryder in better opportunity to inflict fear or promote his goal – usually to pursue a single target throughout the event.
• Casual Murder: Ryder feels no remorse, grief, or guilt for his actions and in fact gains double the award for killing as a villain when he is successful. Ryder’s goals while murky are usually murderous and he is awarded accordingly.
• Plot Invisibility: For whatever reason, Ryder’s activities seem not to be known by law enforcement until actively drawn in by Ryder himself (The Semi-Truck incident). As such, Ryder’s activities are largely ignored as not occurring or not tied to him directly – Ryder is considered to have ‘0’ popularity until he himself draws people into his actions.

Contacts:
Ryder has no contacts and operates alone – Ryder relies on no one nor calls anyone friend.

Limitations:
John Ryder’s limitations are based more in the subtle aspects of his purpose than in direct weaknesses, usually:

• Singular Purpose: Ryder seems obsessed with having his selected prey saying four words: I want to die. Ryder is obsessed with pushing his target to that point, killing anyone who gets in the way or has connection to his prey until those words are uttered. Although Ryder will kill others, his goals always comes back to his single target and he will stop at nothing to gain those words said and meant. It is also suggested by critics and fans of the film Ryder is also equally hoping that the target will kill him.
• Mass Murderer: Ryder is a mass murderer who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal and will kill multiple individuals to that end. In addition, Ryder will torture and main anyone who gets in his way without mercy.

Originally published on 5th October 2020