Literary criticism term for flat, stereotypical characters. They may either play a minor role, or develop further into a more complex individual.

A particularly useful tool in the production of movies and role-playing game adventures. It allows the audience or player to focus on the plot, which is often difficult if subtlety is involved. The stock taxi-driver will have a different ethnicity than the majority of the characters in the film, and the stock innkeeper will be fat, friendly (but wary), and will have a greasy leather apron.