James Earp — Tombstone Saloon Keeper and Earp Brother
James Earp came to Tombstone to work in saloons and gambling houses, not to direct the town’s police. He knows what people tell a bartender after they have forgotten who is listening. He cares about his brothers, but his best use in a campaign is as an innkeeper, witness, fixer and man with a family to protect—not a legendary sheriff trading gunfire with an entire posse.
At a Glance
- Identity
- James Cooksey Earp, human
- Main livelihood
- Saloon and gaming work; former stage and wagon driver
- Home
- Tombstone, Arizona Territory
- Family
- Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan and Warren Earp
- Partner
- Nellie “Bessie” Ketchum
- Strengths
- Listening, hospitality, accounts and contacts
- Immediate concern
- Keep the business open without exposing witnesses
- Portrayal
- Neutral; experienced human civilian
Game Statistics
James earns his living in gaming rooms and saloons. He knows his regulars, keeps accounts, and can arrange a private conversation when a shouted accusation would close a business.
James Earp — 2024
Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral
AC 14 (reinforced work coat); Initiative +2 (12); HP 49 (9d8+9); Speed 30 ft.
Skills Insight +4, Investigation +3, Perception +4, Persuasion +4, Sleight of Hand +4; Senses Passive Perception 14; Languages English; CR 2 (450 XP; PB +2).
Gear Account books, deck of cards, keys, small knife and a revolver kept behind the bar where local law permits.
Traits
Know the Regulars. James has Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to recognise a change in the behaviour of a patron whose habits he already knows. This does not let him automatically detect a lie.
Actions
Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) Piercing damage. A six-shot cylinder uses one cartridge per attack; reloading the entire cylinder takes an action.
Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) Piercing damage.
Bonus Actions
Clear the Bar (2/Day). One ally within 15 feet who can hear James may use its Reaction to move up to 10 feet towards a visible exit without provoking Opportunity Attacks from one creature James can see.
Reactions
Duck Below the Counter. When a ranged attack would hit James while he is adjacent to a counter or similar half cover, he gains +2 AC against that attack.
James Earp — 5e / 2014
Medium humanoid (human), neutral. AC 14; HP 38 (7d8+7); Speed 30 ft.
STR 12 (+1), DEX 14 (+2), CON 12 (+1), INT 12 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 14 (+2); Skills Insight +4, Persuasion +4, Sleight of Hand +4; Senses passive Perception 12; Languages English; CR 1 (200 XP; PB +2).
Watch the Till. James has advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to notice missing coins, altered receipts, or hidden entries in his own books.
Actions
Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) piercing damage. Reload a six-shot cylinder as an action.
Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage.
Reactions
Get Behind the Counter. When a ranged attack hits James and he is adjacent to half cover, he adds +2 to AC against that attack.
James Earp — Pathfinder 1e
CR 3; human expert 5 (NPC class); N Medium humanoid (human); Init +6 (Dex +2, Improved Initiative +4).
Defense
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (leather +2, Dex +2, Dodge +1); HP 32 (5d8+10, all dice averaged for NPC class); Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6.
Offense
Speed 30 ft.; Ranged masterwork revolver +6 (1d8/×4, 20-ft. increment, misfire 1, six shots); Melee knife +4 (1d4+1/19–20). A firearm normally targets touch AC within the first five range increments; reloads and malfunctions follow Pathfinder firearm rules.
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14; BAB +3; CMB +4; CMD 17.
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (revolver), Improved Initiative, Dodge, Skill Focus (Profession [barkeep]).
Skills Appraise +9, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10, Perception +10, Profession (barkeep) +13, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +10, Ride +10 (5 ranks in each of eight chosen class skills; 40 ranks including human bonus). Languages English; Gear leather vest, masterwork revolver, ledgers, cards and keys.
An Expert’s first Hit Die is not automatically maximised. See the Pathfinder NPC class rules.
James Earp — D&D 3.5e
CR 4; human Expert 5 (NPC class); Neutral Medium humanoid (human).
| Hit Dice | 5d6+10 (27 hp, average NPC-class dice) |
|---|---|
| Initiative | +6 (Dex +2, Improved Initiative +4) |
| Speed | 30 ft. |
| Armour Class | 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (leather +2, Dex +2) |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +3/+4 |
| Attack and Full Attack | Masterwork revolver +6 ranged (2d6/×3, 40-ft. range increment); one shot per attack, subject to ammunition |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Saving Throws | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 |
| Abilities | Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14 |
| Skills | Appraise +9, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10, Sense Motive +10, Profession (barkeep) +13, Gather Information +10, Spot +10, Ride +10; eight chosen Expert class skills at 8 ranks each (64 skill points including human bonus) |
| Feats | Exotic Weapon Proficiency (revolver), Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Profession [barkeep]) |
| Challenge Rating | 4 |
Weapon rules. The six-shot revolver is campaign equipment with 2d6 piercing damage, a 40-ft. range increment and ×3 critical, reloaded as a full-round action. It does not target touch AC in this edition. No supernatural or legendary actions apply.
Historical Context and Sources
The documented James Earp worked around saloons, gambling, stage and wagon driving, and had earlier law-enforcement experience outside Tombstone. He was not one of the four men at the October 1881 O.K. Corral gunfight. O.K. Corral historic account; American Society of Arms Collectors — Tombstone research; D&D 3.5e Expert; SRD 5.2.1 under CC BY 4.0.
What Is James Earp Doing Now?
A gambler at James’s establishment has paid his bill with money stolen from a supply wagon. James suspects its source but has no intention of handing a man’s name to the first armed stranger who asks. He wants the ledger checked, the money accounted for and his staff safely out of the room before the marshal arrives.
Good and Bad Lodgings
A respectable rooms-and-board house. A widow renting clean upstairs rooms keeps quiet hours and expects her guests to pay in advance. She will help hide an honest witness for a night, but not a fugitive who brings a posse to her door. James can recommend the house if the adventurers prove they can keep their promise to protect its residents.
A crooked gambling room. One saloon employs a dealer who quietly takes a share of winnings and sells the names of travellers to strangers in the street. James cannot prove it from gossip alone. The characters could inspect a tampered deck, trace a staged robbery or convince the bartender to bring out the books before a fight ruins another livelihood.
Relationships and Choices
James is close to Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan but has his own business to run and his partner Bessie to consider. He can give adventurers a meal, pass on gossip, lend a horse or help a traveller leave town. He will not casually sacrifice the people who work for him to settle a brother’s quarrel. A reasonable visitor gets information; a threatening one gets the door.
Historical Boundary and Campaign Connections
The historical James Cooksey Earp worked in saloons and gambling rooms in Tombstone; he was not among the combatants at the O.K. Corral in 1881. During the aftermath of the attacks on Virgil and Morgan, he had obligations to surviving relatives that did not make him Wyatt’s battlefield subordinate. In this campaign, the choices and consequences are open. O.K. Corral historical background.
Return to Western NPCs, explore Tombstone or consult firearms. These two lodging-house encounters are fictional, not named historical establishments.
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