The Robber Baron is an aloof and distant scum. Perhaps after he
has bribed the U.S. Congress and the territorial governor into making
his interests Law, he becomes more real. When his men start driving
tracks down his so called right of way, he will be a presence.
Perhaps then he'll speak of inevitable progress, rub his fat stomach,
and laugh derisively at the others. Until then, let's leave him
alone. Pick any of the others.
The shooting has started. A respected member of your peer group is
dead. Your way of life is threatened. Your means of feeding your
family is not secure. Your surviving peers are standing with guns at
ready listening. It is time to make a speech. (These are the 1800s.
They are really big on speeches.) Is there any doubt at all that you
can convince your peers that you are the Good Guys wearing White
Hats? If you declined, would not someone else step forward to make as
good a speech? What values will you invoke? What past battles will
you mention, to steal a little glory? And is there any doubt at all
that the opposing group deserves to burn in Hellfire Everlasting?
Of course, any good GM has to be ready to drop one NPC, and pick up
the mind set and persona of another. Yep, across the valley another
leader is making another speech. Repeat the above exercise again, and
again, and again...
There are no Evil Men in this valley tonight. There are only Good
Men, only More So.