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cutter

CUTTER
PLAYBOOK:
A dangerous and intimidating fighter
In the underworld of the Dusk, there are scoundrels who take what they want
at the bloody edge of a blade or with a threatening presence that can stop a man
cold. They are the enforcers, the debt collectors, the killers, the leg-breakers, and
the thugs, commonly known as Cutters.
Where subtlety fails, swift brutality—and the threat of worse to come—can solve
the problem. Or at least turn it into a different kind of problem.
When you play a Cutter, you earn xp when you address a challenge with
violence or coercion. Go ahead and get up in everyone’s smug faces and tell
them who’s boss, then let your blades do the talking if they don’t get the message.
Do you have a personal code or a line you won’t cross? Do you want to be the boss
or do you want to be the enforcer for the boss? How did you acquire your taste for
violence and coercion?

STARTING ACTIONS DANGEROUS FRIENDS, RIVALS

z
zz
z skirmish
z
zz
z command
starting builds
If you want some guidance when you
assign your four starting action dots and
special ability, use one of these templates.
Captain. Command +1, Study +1,
Survey +2. Leader.
Thug. Command +1, Consort +2,
Sway +1. Not to be Trifled With.
Terror. Prowl +2, Wreck +2. Savage.
Devil Hunter. Attune +2, Hunt +1,
Study +1. Ghost Fighter.
 Marlane, a pugilist. Perhaps a pit
fighter down at the docks, or a boxing
coach who trained you?
 Chael, a vicious thug. Perhaps a
member of a gang that you were
in before the current crew, or an
independent operator who’s been in
your way before?
 Mercy, a cold killer. Perhaps an
assassin for hire, or a particularly
deadly underworld scoundrel?
 Grace, an extortionist. Perhaps a
former partner in thuggery, or a
competitor on the scene?
 Sawtooth, a physicker. Perhaps a
buddy from the war, or perhaps a
butcher who botched your treatment?

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 CUTTER SPECIAL ABILITIES
battleborn
You may expend your special armor to reduce harm from an attack in combat
or to push yourself during a fight.
When you use this ability, tick the special armor box on your playbook sheet.
If you “reduce harm” that means the level of harm you’re facing right now
is reduced by one. If you use this ability to push yourself, you get one of the
benefits (+1d, +1 effect, act despite severe harm) but you don’t take 2 stress.
Your special armor is restored at the beginning of downtime.
bodyguard
When you protect a teammate, take +1d to your resistance roll. When you gather
info to anticipate possible threats in the current situation, you get +1 effect.
The protect teamwork maneuver lets you face a consequence for a teammate.
If you choose to resist that consequence, this ability gives you +1d to your
resistance roll. Also, when you read a situation to gather information about
hidden dangers or potential attackers, you get +1 effect—which means more
detailed information.
ghost fighter
You may imbue your hands, melee weapons, or tools with spirit energy. You gain
potency in combat vs. the supernatural. You may grapple with spirits to restrain
and capture them.
When you imbue yourself with spirit energy, how do you do it? What does it
look like when the energy manifests? When you’re imbued, you can strongly
interact with ghosts and spirit-stuff, rather than weakly interact.
leader
When you Command a cohort in combat, they continue to fight when they
would otherwise break (they’re not taken out when they suffer level 3 harm).
They gain +1 effect and 1 armor.
This ability makes your cohorts more effective in battle and also allows them
to resist harm by using armor. While you lead your cohorts, they won’t stop
fighting until they take fatal harm (level 4) or you order them to cease. What
do you do to inspire such bravery in battle?
For details about cohorts, see page 96.
mule
Your load limits are higher. Light: 5. Normal: 7. Heavy: 8.
This ability is great if you want to wear heavy armor and pack a heavy weapon
without attracting lots of attention. Since your exact gear is determined on-
the-fly during an operation, having more load also gives you more options to
get creative with when dealing with problems during a score.

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 CUTTER
not to be trifled with
You can push yourself to do one of the following: perform a feat of physical force
that verges on the superhuman—engage a small gang on equal footing in close combat.
When you push yourself to activate this ability, you still get one of the normal
benefits of pushing yourself (+1d, +1 effect, etc.) in addition to the special ability.

PLAYBOOK:
If you perform a feat that verges on the superhuman, you might break a metal
weapon with your bare hands, tackle a galloping horse, lift a huge weight, etc.
If you engage a small gang on equal footing, you don’t suffer reduced effect due
to scale against a small gang (up to six people).
savage
When you unleash physical violence, it’s especially frightening. When you
Command a frightened target, take +1d.
You instill fear in those around you when you get violent. How they react
depends on the person. Some people will flee from you, some will be impressed,
some will get violent in return. The GM judges the response of a given NPC.
In addition, when you Command someone who’s affected by fear (from this
ability or otherwise), take +1d to your roll.
vigorous
You recover from harm faster. Permanently fill in one of your healing clock
segments. Take +1d to healing treatment rolls.
Your healing clock becomes a 3-clock, and you get a bonus die when you recover.

CUTTER ITEMS
 Fine hand weapon: A finely crafted one-handed melee weapon of your choice. Is
this a well-crafted standard weapon, like a perfectly-balanced dagger, or something
exotic, like an Iruvian dueling saber or a metal-banded war-club ? [ load]
 Fine heavy weapon: A finely crafted two-handed melee weapon of your choice.
A warhammer, a greatsword, a military pike, a battleaxe, etc. A heavy weapon
has more reach and hits harder than a standard weapon. This might give you
potency when the power or reach of the weapon is a factor. [ load]
 Scary weapon or tool: A scary-looking hand weapon or tool. This item grants
increased effect when you intimidate, not increased harm in combat. [ load]
 Manacles & chain: A set of heavy manacles and chain, suitable for restraining
a prisoner. A souvenir from a stay with the Bluecoats, perhaps? [ load]
 Rage essence vial: A single dose, which greatly enhances the user’s strength,
resistance to pain, and irrational aggression for the span of several minutes.
The GM will modify your position and effect accordingly when you fight on rage
essence. Also, you suffer two consequences: “Can’t Tell Friend From Foe” and
“Can’t Stop Until They’re All Broken.” You may resist these as usual. [ load]

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