+ > & @ wd Forward Redrow Stop FrBdtt Homepage History Printing Save Profrenoos aS at aa That was the first thing they said to me, the first time I was “contacted.” In that moment a horrendous eeu eum Re me Lae COR ee eee on Ue society made — that there was nothing to fear, that everything would be okay — were a lie. What happened to me? What am I talking about? It all comes down to this: Monsters are real. They Oa Peron CRU Uk ea COR eee Te ea eke Wee ee om a Peon a Cee eeu En ale eu Cee og your bed or outside your window, you were right to be scared. They were there, watching, waiting. As we Cee a CEE eee re Oe UC creatures prowled the night. They do. | don't expect you to believe me. Most people who visit his site write me off as a crackpot. That's fine; they couldn't understand if they tried. Their minds’ own defenses and the influences that have been eee une unaed a Rnt eu eC eae eee i mee eke cu ee Den chose ecu ete Ce or) Reese eee eis gt eee ea Cu sm aT eg Cee eS re ae oR a Sue ne O ern Cee etre gos ee ce) corpse, a shambling man-beast, a person you know to be dead, or some kind of spirit clinging to an unwitting person's body. They hide or stroll amongus, unnoticed by everyone. They pick and choose who to kill and who to spare, who to save for later and who to devour now, and we have — or had —no idea Ree cue eee ek ee won't listen. They refuse to believe us. And then, there they go, off to their doom. Let me guess: Your family wonders what's wrong with you; you're “agitated,” “freaking out.” Co- Pee een Cm come Mee ead oe Na eee meat meet atu eh a a Re eet cu Cnc Re Rn a ee OC oe assault, disturbing the peace or on weapons charges. Not even the police believe your stories, what your Reno um Reuse ees Re ae ee? ed+ Internet Browser: Hunter-Net - Home Page >OSQoaan Backward Fe iop FYE Homepage Hisioy Pentng Be Uae eet aR right all along. You're not insane. There are others like you. You've found us. The bad partis, being sane and right means that everything you've witnessed, everything you've feared, is real. Monsters exist. Tue ImBuep There are others of us out here. We've all struggled with the horrifying visions and incomprehensible realities that you face. We've all had to come to grips with what we know, what we've witnessed and what we've become. I created this site in an effort to exorcise my own demons, to find a catharsis, but to also eee eee eee msn eee ecco for answers to what's real in the world — how its that we've lived our entire lives ignorant of the fact that CC eon eR) ete neues Pee Petes Ue ‘Tis website and its lst are intended as means Sali el AA ll for helping the imbued come to terms with them. Naa lala Se oe Cad Not long ago you were perfectly normal. Your to help people with our condition to understand life carried on as it always had. Times could be Se ee tts ace een kes em ee eee Ea Youmay have come here forthe firs time, desper- Pe mn ao Peete gee a te nee ar ne nner tara now. Or you may have come here forthe frst time everyone on this forum has reported events along irenices/ Selena aula these lines: A voice entered your head. It sounded a 4 seals 7 ee like your own, or maybe like the Word of God itself. Serene MCRL SC a taka Seem Co eee na oem cl al alk TN ae al Sa Pee Ree a ey right before your eyes. The message was mysteri- a Se ous but emphatic: “DO NOT SUFFER IT TO LIVE.” included, leas who or where you are, and no one SPN re Che na SoN Seer erie cts AND ALLWILLFIND SALVATION.’ Or, in my case, en ee Sn ey ON a na eC Poe eae es seen een ee eee econ tT) ais eaaegla ean ECTaa Nabe Rese ecu ena hg ene an However, understand this: They could be TB which terible things appeared and happened. Or oie Botti enn ninco. aj pein he gina terre 4 Sr ne Geared Ce ae a ee eee Ee Ree een eo simply lurk, as they do inal other things, and wait Reve for signs of some weakness to prey upon. So, ear Sem ie as va SOM nae ro Ce aera ea Le LA cians iea aa a EL Bee CE eee Li} eM aS ae eee eee uaa Ome ute ku Race#788 9,9 8 8 FRE omens Pring You instinctively knew that this thing was not supposed to exist, that it was evil incarnate and that everyone in its vicinity was in mortal danger. You could not stand idly by. You could not simply gape. You Cel It may have been that you were notalone. Although many people in the area may have been oblivious to what you saw, others responded to it as you did. Apparently, a handful sensed the same thing you did. The crowd scattered at the commotion while you dove recklessly toward a creature you could notidentify, See td Ce cue RL aa a Le re ecu) abilities. Though you never did anything like it before, you could now deliver hammer blows. You could Pee ean eS ee eRe UL its innermost secrets. And you could do these things as easily as you closed your hand, spoke aloud or Caer ‘When the red haze passed, the monster was driven off or destroyed, with no sign left ofits existence. In that moment of realization you probably fled the scene and denied what happened. The truth is, you were “imbued,” chosen. The clarity, strength and passion to see reality for what it truly is was granted or inflicted upon you. Curse or blessing, your life changed forever. Tue HERALDS “must be going insane," you probably thought after hearing voices, having hallucinations and pulling Fe ae Oe ne eo Re ao eeu en eee ieee eter ea cece ae a nae read unknown some kind of familiarity. The few of us who have found each other, whether through word of Ds ee a ere eee mT ce of mass delirium? Collective unconscious lashing outward? God or some kind of deity? Aliens Reenter ne ees ea Cee en a wee Ue ec uae subconscious minds responding to the anxieties of the world or perhaps its end? No one knows. Rerun eae Na ete ade Luu Rua on the Heralds and what they communicate holds that both are connected to our contact with monsters. Messages seem to come to awaken us to the existence of horrific creatures, ones we feel compelled to eee heures ee coe eM ae eee eam ORC me Rm Ra RR cu ae Cee ea ee cI Are these Messengers or Heralds the ones responsible for what we witness, and for our freakish Pe ea kee ected Pe A ec ie o US Ra Dy eel silly writing that word, as if | defy everything sensible that I've ever been taught... or perhaps RUE eee eRe ROS op Manet heme Mie esi rr Nee WECM RUE auc hope of explaining it all away and returning to the sheltered existence you used to lead. But there was eee odHunter-Net - Home Page #7 &8G@ OS 8 @ Backward Forward Resrew Slop Finitl Homepage History Prning Save WMalguut to ilutgeqale Baas Ue CTU CS SEC a CSC s ontelevision, at work, on the subway, in the newspaper and, for some, God save you, in your own homes! UO eee tem eke ne eee wouldn't let you. The creatures were everywhere, despite your best efforts not to see. You had to make ‘decision: Seek professional help, commit suicide, go mad or face what you hoped could not exist. If only ‘someone else could confirm what you were seeing, what you knew. But no one could. They thought you were insane, looked at you askance and, you feared, spread word that you were trouble... that you knew. Before long, trouble probably came to you. The police or doctors wanted to find a place for you, to protect you from yourself, and to make sure you couldn’t harm anyone else. That's when you knew there Sr Se acre eon ea ut ese Neei no salvation. Although the others like you — others who did something that night — might. Ree ed Uae en cue retour ee acc ne Dee eee ee ec Cue hee eee eee En ees uc CCU U a Oe ue eae ee a eee similar experiences. Or you may have searched for answers online and found yourself here. But finding others like you only confirmed that the creatures you saw were real Nooo a CUE eu ee eect een Caregen Ley world suggests that these things are everywhere. Maybe they're born of our own sins. Perhaps we're not at the top of the order as we've always believed — or been led to believe — and these abominations are. Perhaps they're older than humanity itself, some kind of superior race that's always been here. The fact that we've never seen these things before — and that most people still don't— seems to lend credence to the theory that monsters have been around for a very long time. A new threat couldn't be so PRG a ert wee aur en LC aoe Soe de tt aU ue ee cea eee Se ee a alan a nce De eu ne cue ed meee eae eae eed Dee te au ees eu SR Ree keen ti only to find themselves arrested on false charges soon afterward...) Se a ee) entrenched, and they appear to have time on their side. But what are they? Frustratingly, we don’t know that, either. Our best guesses relate back to old stories and folk tales. Creatures that drink blood, people Nee tO Me Seika eee geet Races areca ee eu Cee ed eee Nee een ee ee Uke eA Ee ote etre LCura teers your lif? Does garlic keep them at bay? Can they bear their own reflection? Or are the legends just as DECOR neue kel seed Rea nk aa Eat aa One of the prevailing questions that arises after you come to terms with what you've seen and what Se aan cae ent see ean ee cle> een 0 ' 8 eckward Foward Redraw Slop Fradk! Homepape History Printing PEE eee tem CRU Rn oR UR sk ce Crass Ifyour feelings and ethics are anything like mine, there can be only one purpose for our change. We Ce ea uC deen Ue OS Pre eC ence ten og tent ker ae ue a the street and see figures lurking in the shadows, picking people out like candy behind glass, my soul allows only one response: to fight back. | cannot sit idly by while innocent, unaware people are manipulated and slaughtered. | couldn't stand by the moment I was changed, and | can't do it now. Nor, probably, can you. NOM ee eee a eS Re eee ue ee eRe eeu ane Re eeu et te ea ee truth, andto stalking and perhaps destroying monsters. Of course, you don't have to be on some glorified ee ese atu ue ek pr oor en PCN asa accuse haan a a) Ree ean ar een eo) een eee a creatures’ destruction is the only answer. Others express concern that monsters may be the products of people gone wrong, that killing them damns a soul. They hope (and fear) that some small glimmer of UCAS SUre eee ieee Ue Ren ee eg ea oe Pes ecu ce Ate eek a ere Cae uc But however you approach it, you must do what you believe is right in your heart, or the things we have ea Ma ae Se hg Some hunters grimly believe that facing and dealing with monsters is the be-all and end-all of the imbuing and our existence (I would say they're content with this purpose; none of us could ever be content with our new lives). Yet is that our full extent? ee ener km eC ke Re aCe AU uma cea Ue key account for why we suddenly see the world differently and why we manifest strange abilities. Maybe if ee eUrcie cue ea ne ceca ae CR Mu eae eeu ua Pea eee cet ss kn eon ee TOROS ecg ete f eR Ue The only answer I can accept for now is that we are pawns of greater forces, powers that seek to Pee Meu a Ung ea ALR eu a Peace ete ema Ca aR ue Peete a Ce ea Ce Cae we pursue a greater good. We have been changed, and we dedicate our new selves to serving and protecting humanity, regardless that family and friends don't understand or appreciate it. Maybe it's that simple resolve, the need to make the world better, that makes us candidates for the imbuing, The first words | received from the Messengers were “INHERIT THE EARTH.” I've thought about those words constantly in the few months since my change. They still have no more logical meaning than TO uncon eCk uum te ok em oe= > mea ard Forward Redraw Stop hunters and meet some for myself. We have a purpose, and it revolves around gaining a world of our own, free from monstrous oppression and maybe even from whatever forces taunt us with liberation. For those SO ee NC ee ect cee eae an is the one we know — or thought we knew — and itshould be reclaimed. For those who hope to preserve whatever good they can find among creatures, perhaps that world is the next, in which salvation and Pee EU E neice win ane) Cee ee re ee LN MU ees eget Meh Caney the unknown, | must believe that mankindis capable of extraordinary feats and virtue—take this amazing Cee eee ued ie ee neem encase en ent Cee ede RU ae it ae nee anor cece Nee SU emt ees ate ee eget eee ee Tt Cee ee eee UCL eee ean ag Oe A Run ur oO ee aires cr eng Those are all the words | have. |claim no special insight or wisdom, but | create this site and offerthese Doe ee ee ae er au eee un ted Does USC em en eek ee en God protect. ae] ‘TO JOIN THIS LIST, ENTER A NAME IN THE WINDOW BELOW ANDCLICK SEND. WARNING: DONOTENTER YOUR REALNAMEOR OTHER PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION. THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION ON THIS LIST CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. EES PALO ORI Sot ae ola Om ea aL ARV Ne Teoh ec ated YOUR APPLICATION. AROSTER NUMBER WILL BE ASSIGNED TO YOUR CODE NAME AND USEDON ALL COMMUNICATIONLABELS FROM YOU. FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION, DO NOT REVEALYOUR REALNAME, ADDRESS, OST ETE MLO He MUTI OSECaan: Storyteller Creator and Contributors: Mark Rein*Hiagen, Andrew Greenberg, Chris MeDonough, Lisa Stevens, Josh Timbrook and Steware Wieck World of Darkness created by Mark Rein# Hagen. Designers: Androw Bates, Phil Brucato, Ken Cliffe, Greg. Fount Hall, Jess Heinig, Michael B. Lee, Richard Thomas, Mike Tinney and Stewart Wieck Authors: Bruce Baugh, E. Jonathan Bennett, Carl Bowen, Ken Cliffe, Greg Fountain, Geoffrey Grabowski, Jess Heinig, Ed Hall, Robert Scott Martin, Angel McCoy, Jim Moore, Wayne Peacock, Greg Stolze, Richard Stratton and Stewart Wieck, with thanks to Vampire: The Masquerade contributors Developers: Ken Cliffe, Ed Hall and Stewart Wieck Buitor: Fd Hall Art Director: ichaed Thomas Layout and Typesetting: Brian Glass Interior Art: Mitch Byrd, Joe Corroney, Tommy Lee Edwards, Steve Elis, Richard Kane Ferguson, Chase “Post-It Notes” Jones, Brian LeBlanc, Frank Malec, Steve Prescott and Ron Spencer Endpapers Design: Aaron Voss Front and Back Cover Design: Brian Glass Many thanks to Monique Huiet, who helped locate the Innocent within, t) 1 Pa Noxtit nbn y SUITE 128 CuunasTOn, GA 30021 US GAME STUDIO © 1999 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights re- served. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the pur- poses of reviews, andor blank charactershest, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire the Masquerade, Mage the Ascension and World of Dark ness are tegistered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Allrights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith ‘st Andrew Bates, Bruce Baugh, Kraig Blackwelder, Ron Bloomfield, Carl Bowen, Deird’Re M Brooks, Clayton Callihoo, Alex W. Caton, Micah Chan dler, Kwei-Cee Chu, Ken Cliffe, James V. Coleman, Scott Coucher, Jason Cross, Audrey Deutschmann, Carrie Easley, Mike Elsner, Jim Fillmore, Greg Fountain, Alyson Gaul, Jody Gerst, Brian Goodson, Chris Haddad, Jonathan Hanna, Laura Heilman, Jess Heinig, Chris Hemphill, Sean Holland, Tricia Hopkins, Susanne Johnson, Joe "Fader" Jones, Scott “BIZKeT" Jones, Matthew Kaufman, Ellen P. Kiley, James Kiley, Jason Langlois, Michael Lee, Janet Lee, Stacey Lewis, Chris Loeffler, Paul Marshall, Chris McDonough, Sarah Mellvaine, Brooks Miller, Josh Moore, Barbara North Charlsie Patterson, Wayne Peacock, Ben Rodda, Karen Sarao, Darwyn Siplin, Richard Stratton, David Temple, Mike Tinney, Jason’ Walsh, Dave Weinstein, Kathy Weinstein, Andrew Woodworth, Peter Woodworth and Fred “Son of Joe” Yelk Dscurmar Hunter: The Reckoning is a game. Like board ames, you play it around a table with friends. The difference here is there sno board, and there may not even be any pieces. However, it's still a game. Ieis not real life. Monsters are the products of our imagina: tions. They are not zeal. You are not a monster hunter. Its that simple. If you can’t distinguish reality from fantasy, put this book down and walle away. For every: cone else, have fun, the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming, Mind’s Eye The- atre, Hunter the Reckoning, Hunter Storytellers Companion and Year of the Reckoning are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein ate copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Ine. The mention of or reference to any company ot product in these pages is nota challenge to the trademark. ‘or copyright concerned. This book uses che supernatural for settings, charac- ters and themes. All mystical and supernacural elements ff are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised Fora free White Wolfcatalog call 1-800-454-WOLF, ‘Check out White Wolf online at |ep:/fwww.white-wolf.com; alt-games.whitewolfand c-games frp storyteller PRINTED IN CANADA. ah —=*= ea a y= a. iwae Ab LS either CTA TRBLEOF CONTENTS PROLOGUE INTRODUCTION CHAPYERL:THEHERE AND NOW (1 HEHUNY ERCONDIY 10K) CHAPTER 2AWORLDOF DARKNESS (SETTING) CHAPYER3:Y HEHUNYER S CREED (CHARACTERT YPES) CHAPTER4:IHAYE HEARD Y HENESSAGE (CREATIONS TRAITS) CHAPY ERS: THEHUNT ER SEDGE (POWERS) CHAPTERG:LAWSOF Y HEHUNT (RULES) CHAPYERT:TOOLSOF Y HEHUNT (SYSTEMS) CHAPYERS:THEY RUTH (SY ORYTELLING) CHAPY ERS: THEENEMY (ANY AGONIST S) APPENDICES EPILOGUE en ee oe, ee fa eeInternet Browser: Hunter-Net - Home Page facinard Forward Redraw eaeaecs om i Homepage Hiloy Printing Save iM ste: [inttp: aww. tuner oat oxg/Rona/ohst Wea t : ros Valguuioe i Email Program ——— SSS Subject [Griping To: [hunter.list(@hunter-net.org 2 Fron 0090 Be es Copied To: The slope I'm climbing is slippery as an iceberg. And I guess see just as little oft, too. T mean, is there an end? When I was a rookie cop, I thought I was doing good when I put ascare in kids who bought drugs. Concentrate on them and society will straighten itself out, are around, there'll always be stupid-ass kids who want to put that shit in their bodi sd up and started nabbing dealers. But dealers are adime a dozen. So I bust ass to make detective to make a teal difference. I start catching ‘guys in suits who don’t carry guns, but who have East German rejects who do, After years on that beat, a divorce, a kid who self-destructed and an addiction of my own, I'm back on my feet and about to lock up one of the worst:a guy named Pendergrass. He drove that kid over the edge, drove me over as a result, and probably fucked me a hundred other ways, too. So I'm standing there at his front door, a battalion of cops behind me, showing the warrant to the butler. That's when the bottom suddenly falls out of the ocean and I get to see the whole freaking iceberg. I guess the Messengers thought it would be a cute time to show me the whole truth, Pendergrass comes down the stairs — and he’s already dead!Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war: for ‘with chee wil breakin pieces the nations, and with thee will [destroy kingdoms; — Jeremiah 51:20 Monsters. \Nightmarish abominations of man and nature hell-bent con murder and destruction. The malignant offpring of over: active imaginations given form to haunt the night. Human fearsandpassions made manifesto further the very terror that birthed them. The things that go bump in the night. Humanity’s fear of the unknown has inspired us to create all manner of abominations and obscenities. Whether it'sadark corner, a deranged mind or the next world, human imagination has aspired to fill he void in an effort to make sense of our existence and all its mysteries. Although science seeks to answer our questionsand make the world sensible — tocexplain that monsters do not exist — the human imagina- tion still rakes usback to times past, when the dark placesand other worlds were frightening. Persistent fear of monsters, even in this “enlightened” age, raises the question: Is belief in creatures integral to the hhuman psyche? That's what science claims; “monsters” are the results of psychoses, subconscious mind. Why else could we fear che dark places when reason and rationality have illuminated so much? Monsters aren’t real. Orare they? Imagine a world in which creatures of the night have lurked in the shadows from the very beginning. sexual deviancy, products of the — Feeding on human fears and bodies. Playing with us like toys in ageless, demented power struggles. Deciding human fate and keeping us under their collective thumb or trapped in a talon-grip. Subjecting us to their unknowable will for their own obscene amusement. Now stop imagining, because it’s true. That's our world, ‘That’sus. Monsters cast theit shadow over our lives and chill cour very souls. We are subjected to tertor, oppression and corruption, but we never see whae’s eal. We never know the truth, At least... most don't ‘Youstandapart from the helpless masses. You've had the scales ripped from your eyes. You see the creatures working their manipulations. You recognize the fetid putrescence ‘beneath their innocuous masks, You peer into the deepest shadows and witness their lurid dance. You see everything. You know the ruth ‘And somehow, by some unseen hand, you have been sgranced the power to stop them. You have the clarity and strength to emancipate humanity, to wrest control from the supernatural. You have the power to finally, once and for all, free the world You are a hunter. 2 Se eg Nes ee # |Sromreume The book youhold isthe core rulebook for Hunte Reckoning, a storytelling game from White Wolf Publish- ing. With the rules in this book, you and your friends can assume the roles of monster hunters and tell stories about your characters’ triumphs, failures, dark deeds and glimmers of hope. In a storytelling game, players create characters using the rules in this book, then take those characters through dramas and adventures called (appropriately enough) sto rics, Stories are told through a combination of the wishes of the players and the disectives of the Storyteller (see below). Ie a lot of ways, storytelling resembles games such as How to Host a Minder. Each player rakes the role of a character —in thiscase, person who hunts monsters —and engages in a form of improvisational theater by saying what the hunter would say and describing what the hunter would dlo. Most ofthis process isfre form — players can have theit characters say or do whatever they like, so long as the dialogue of actions are consistent with a characte’ person ality and abilities. However, the success of certain actions is best determined through the use of dice and the rules pre~ sented in this book Whenever rules and story conflict, story wins. Use the rulesonly as much— or preferably as litle —as youneed to tell ehsilling tales of tertor, action and triumph. Puavars ao Srorrr eis: Hunter is best played with a group, oF troupe, of two to sixpartcipants. Most ofthese people are players. Theycreate hhunter characters — imaginary protagonists similar to ones found in novels, cinema and comics. In each troupe, how- ever, one person must take the role of the Storyteller. The Storyteller does not create one primary character for herself Rather, she acts 2s a combination of director, moderator, narrator and referee. By creating plots and conflicts from het imagination the Storytellerinventsthe drama through which the players ditect their characters. The Storyteller alo takes the roles of supporting cast — both ales with whom the characters interact and antagonists against whom the char- acters struggle. The Storyteller invents the salient details of the story’s setting — the bars, nightclubs, businesses and other institutions the characters frequent. The players de- cide how their characters react tothe situations in the game, Inut it is the Storyteller (with the help of the rules) who dleckles whether che characters actually succeed in theie endeavors and, ifs0, how well. Uli the final authority on the events that take place inthe game. Example: Ed, Pauline, Kathy and Fred have gathered to play Hunter. Ed, Pauline and Kathy are players: Ed plays Pete Gorzk, aan Avenger (a hieter intent on eradicating monsters); Pauline plays Kara Reed, a Visionary (a hunter who seeks to understand ‘monster! very nature); and Kathy plays Emil Patel, a Martyr (a uncer who protects humans from monsters through personal sacrifice). Fred isthe Storyteller. He decrees that the characters ately, che Storyteller is Eh nn ey ee ee a: have been ambushed by pawns of the enemy, apparently by creatures with a purpose beyond simple murder. The characters ‘awake to find themselves ted up onthe floor of a dank hasement or ‘warehouse. Before them looms their apparent captor, the blood- sucker whom they've been stalking for several nights ‘Fred (deseribing the scene): Youreyesflutter open and you immediately wish you could resume your blissful slum- ber. Pain stabs through your head and body. You struggle to make sense of what's going on. Your last memories are of trailing your quarry ftom a nightclub and along a deserted street. You had thought this might be an opportunity to strike punks swarmed outof nowhere and atacked the three of you. You fought back, but your assailants’ fearsome strength quickly proved more than human, and you were subdued. when the tables sucdenly turned on you. A gang of Now you're here, bound and prone on a cold, concrete floor, blood congealing and bruises forming where baseball bats and tire irons were used on you in all the wrong ways. You should have known it was trap; here’sthe very creature you planned to take out, leering over your bodies, Your efforts to shadow him may have failed — afterall, here you are — but they have clearly kept the bastard from feeding His skin is pallid, almost bone-white, without the rosy lush of others blood’ His dark, curly, contrasting hair doesn't warm his complexion, and neither does this gloomy place. « Fred (again, now speaking as the monster): “Well, ‘well, so we're all here. I'm so pleased you could finally meet the host after crashing the party all chis time. Normally, I would have killed you when I noticed you nights ago. But why bother? There are so many fish inthe sea, and you were just small fry —orsol thought. Ir wasn’t till saw youagain. and again... chat [knew something was up. You've learned ‘my secret. You know what Iam. Impressive “Of course, now I have to kill you. You know too much, Butbefore yougo, want to know ‘how’: How did you find me ‘out? And how were you able to keep up?” The players may now decide what to do: « Kathy (speaking as Emil Patel): "Oh, icwasrdifficult nce we knew what you were. Go among the soulless masses and their king shows himself eventually.” + Ed (whisperingasPete):“Keep him talking. Lhave an idea.” ‘ Pauline (speakingas Kara): "Yeah, youweren'tsohard toroot out. actually walked up ro you face to face weeks ago atacluband tried to call you out. You didn't even notice me, Twas just another bag of blood. But [knew what you were.” *# Fred (playing the bloodsucker’s reaction): The creature's lip curls back in a snarl to reveal the long canines of a predator —a two-legged one. ‘© Ed (describing Pete's action): I plan to cut free using (Cleave (an amazing hunter power) and try to take the thing by suprise: “Hey asshole, have you ever seen one of us do this?” ‘What happens next is decided by the actions of the players and the decisions ofthe Storyteller. As you can see, =HEY each player is the arbiter of his orherown character'sactions, and words. Ultimately, though, it is Fred, the Storyteller, response t0 the characters! king as the beast, who hho determines whether 1cters’ actions, if any, succeed or fail Waarls VisPince? ‘The world of Hunter: The Reckoning is not our own, seen through a glass darkly. Evilis palpable and ubiquitous in this world; the end is upon us, and the whole planet teeters (on a razor's edge of tension. It is a world of darknes Superfcially, the World of Darkness is like the “real” world we all inhabit. The same bands are popular, violence plagues the inner city, graft and corruption infest govern- ‘ments, and society looks to cities for its culture, The World of, Darkness has a Statue of Liberty, an Eiffel Tower and a McDonalds on every comer. More edegenerate. Its ecosys ich night. And there, monsters exis. Many of he differences berween out world and the World cient and inscrutable creatures, ghosts,zombies, bloodthirsty creatures skinchangers, shend, things that toy with humanieyasa cat does with trapped mouse. Fromthe witches and things that we cannot com f yo r NSS AOL TAN l OZ MO EZ a \ TE Ne, Ce , Sy shadows these creatures have ruled the night and, forall time, hidden from mankind’s sight and knowledge. Thus, virtually no one is aware of the torment to which we are subjected to us, hardship is simply a fact of life, not the product of super- natural beings’ machinations. That's what hunters believed, too, before they awoken to the truth. Once, your life was normal, at le the standards you understood. You might have been mari hhad kids, a tedious job. You struggled with the day today ike everyone else, doing what you had to do to get by. Then, without warning, someone or something opened your eyes. One minute, you were waiting for a train. The next reality as you knew it collapsed all around you. A voice like your own — bur nor your own — might have announ to you, “THE SHADOWS LIVE.” A destination sign have changed from "Making all regular stops” to “YOU MUST MAKE THEM STOP.” The smell ofa vendor roast ing peanuts might have transmuted into the stench of rotted flesh, blown on the stagnant tunnel wind. ¥ | Tewasonly then that you recognized the things lurking in the comers ofthe station, People, Burnot human. Their skin was decayed. Ichor oozed from wounds on theit bods. Suddenly, it was clear that they stalked this place, awaiting lone travelers — victims. Abominations preyed upon inno: cent people! There was nothing todo but act. For the love of God, you had to stop them! Nothing could ever be the same after that night. Now youcan see the corrupt touch of monstrosities everywhere — at work, on the street, on the news, ia church, in bigbusiness7 tae past ge Bia in politics! The world you thought you knew was trick, an illusion. Humans aren’t in charge or at the top of the food chain, Unforgivable creatures are in control and humanity is their plaything, Welcome to the World of Darkness. Gorwe-Purs “Gothic-Punk” is perhaps the best way to deseribe the physical nature of the World of Darkness. The environment is a clashing mixtuce of styles and influences. The tension caysed by th juxtaposition of ethnicities, social classes and subcultures makes the world a vibrant, albeit dangerous, place. all these aspects are ones familias to normal people of the world. They've deale with ehem all chee lives. I's the existence of monsters and their part in the condition of things chat is unlenown — unl now “Gothic” desceibes the ambiance of the World of Dark- ness, Burtressed buildings loom overhead, bedecked with Classical columns and lering gargoyles. Residentsare dwarfed by the sheer scale of architecture, lst amid spires that seem to atope roward Heaven in an effort to escape the physical world. ‘Theranks ofthe eligios swell as mortals flock to any bannet chat ofers them a hope of something better in the hereafter Cals flourish in the underground, promising power and re demprtion. The institutions that control society are even more staid and conservative than they are in our work. Many in power prefer the evils of the world they know to the chaos engendered by change. Iisa divisive world ofhave and have- not rich and poor excess and squalor. “Dunk isthe lifestyle that many denizens ofthe World ‘of Darkness adopt. In order to give thet lives meaning, they rebel, dashing themselves against the erags of power. Gangs prowl che stteets and organized crime breeds in the under- ‘world, all in reaction co the pointlessness of living “by the book." Music is louder, faster, more violent, or it's hypnati- cally monotonous, and supported by masses who indsalvation ch is coarser, fashion isbolder, artis more shocking, and technology brings it all to everyone at the click of a button. The world is more coreupt, its people are spiritually bankrupt and escapism often replaces hope. Asifthese conditions werent fearful enough, the fort nate — or cursed — among humanity now understand the truth oftheir world: chat monsters exist and contro every thing. These few people respond to the horror in their own ‘by their own means. Some seck salvation for mankind and its oppressor, as the revelations with which they're confronted surely mark the impending End. Others lash out inadesperate effort to reclaim a world they never had. Sil cthers search for safe places where humanity might stare fgain to forge a world ofits own making, for these tortured souls understand that the decay and decline all around them may not be their fault afterall, but an unjust punishment imposed by shadow players Gothic-Punk isa mood and setting conveyed during the course of the game. The greatest share of creating this ambiance falls upon the Storyteller, but players should con- sider their characters’ stake init aswell. The ambiance isalso a matter of taste. Some troupes prefer more Gothic than Punk, whereas others may want equal amounts of both elements, or little of either. In the end, it's your gameand you are free 10 make of it what you will. Simply beatin mind that experiencing the world isa shared endeavor, and everything the players and Storyteller do helps make that world more believable. Actions, settings, characters and descriptions all convey the Gothic-Punk aesthetic. Cres Hunters exit all over the world, in every country, whether the isolated or unaware among the imbued know i or not. Yet a preponderance of them live and carry out their self-chosen missions in cities. The reasons are fairly cleat, given a few assumptions. Hu- ‘man populations are most concentrated in urban. centers, father than in che country or the wilds, where people are few and far between. Monsters feed on and control the masses, so it makes sense chat monsters would dell in cities, too, whether hiding in plain sight amid che throng or hiding in the dark places where no one dares go. Although cities are assumed to be monsters’ dens, there's some protection in conducting the hunt in these places. Hunters find saery in numbers, not only among other chosen, but among the populace as a ‘whole, Hunters who are imbued together or who find ceach other in cities can share their abilities, pool heir resources, watch one another's backs. They form teams that work together and play the same urban fields against the unknown, Meanwhile, monsters have preyed upon humanity for ages and, ifthe stories are true, some may be long-lived to say the least. Surely, cone mortal starts to look like every other to these beings, much as cattle are indistinguishable at the slaughterhouse. Thus, hunters find anonymity among the urban defenseless, and may strike by surprise then disappear quickly ‘All of which is not to say that no hunters venture ‘outside cities into rural territory. Some, such as indi viduals who can no longer bear the truth of the world ‘or who seek safety for themselves and their families, go abroad. However, chere is really no safety to be found anywhere. Monsters exist in the country and wilds, too, and they may be more dangerous than any city dwellinghorror. These creatureshave learned tosurvive in nature, where predator and prey isthe dichotomy of life. A hunter in the wilds may still have his own. powersand skills, but his opponent sa twisted force of nature. In such a seting a huncer has no one to turn to but himself. If such an isolated lifestyle ean be sur- vived, it quickly devolves to a furtive existence of hiding, foraging and hiding again, like @ scavenging animal avoiding beasts of prey. DeaWear IsaHonran? Storytellingand roleplaying games may feature manykinds ‘ofprotagonists. Insome games, playersassume the roles fheroes inafantasy setting orsuperheroessaving the workdfrom villains? depredations In Hunter, appropriately enough, players assume the personas of monster hunters — brave, determined people who confront the supernatural through a world vitally identical to our own. Hunters don't start out that way. They aren't born and raised with the awareness of monster or the capacity to fight them. They begin asnormal people who are one day conftonted with how the world really is; they're exposed to the creatures that lurkin the shadows. Most people panic and run from such beings, or from the very idea that such things exist (why does science tell us there are no such things as monsters again’). Would-be hunters are diferent from the majority in that they and guide these characters ‘Tre Sem oF re Gane ‘Hunter: The Reckoning isone inaseries of gamesset in the World of Darkness. Itspredecessors are in fact about the monsterswhom hunters stalk. Games including Vam- pire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse and ‘Mage: The Ascension allow you to play supernatural ‘creatures in a modem age, fighting amongst themselves and each other, and controlling the mass of humanity. Obviously, Hunter isthe ultimate response tothase games, the chance to fight back against the monsters. If Hunter is your first foray into the Storyteller series, you're in luck. You approach the game unaware of the creatures who stalk the World of Darkness, their cultures, their powers or their ways. You are the equivalent of your ‘hunter character: wide-eyed and uninitiated. Your exper ‘encewith Hunter asagame iscomparable to your character's experience with existence as a hunter. Enjoy the experi- ence and try to maintain your distance from the other Storyteller games. You have a unique take on Hunter that few others in your troupe are likely to possess. If you've played other games set in the World of Darkness, Hunter demands something of a new ap- proach. Your imbued character doesn’t know anything about the real world into which he is suddenly thrust. Meanwhile, you could know a great deal. In the spitit of the game, it’s your responsibility to forget everything you ‘know, orat least co try to ignore it for each game session. Ifyou don’t put your knowledge outof mind, Hunter really isn’t any fun. The charm of the game isthe fear and wonder of the unknown. Think back to your first roleplaying experiences, the curiosity and awe that came with exploring fantastic otherworlds. Well, here's your opportunity to rekindle that experience with the World of Darkness. You just have to be willing to do it. Other- wise, if you blurt out information your character could es Se SS @ Sy possess whatever it takes to stand and face the unknown, and ‘even have the bravery or temerity t0 act agaist it Te seems that the domg is what in fact gives hunters fll insight into reality, into how the world is not our own Whereas those people who run from or tum a blind eye to the truth will notacceptitandcannotknowit, hunters, bystaying, seeing and even fighting back, are exposed to the gamut of reality. They learn we are not alone, yet ironically, hunters themselves are alone with their knowledge. Instinetual fear of the truth keeps the masses mired in ignorance. The rest of Jhumanity refuses to believe thatthe supernatural could exist, let alone take physical form, so hunters must keep theit horrible awareness to themselves and seek to protect people from their own closed minds. Thus, hunters band together in small groups through which they can uncover, stalk pethaps even destroy the enemy — or die trying. not know, or pursue leads that your hunter could not be Aware of, you ruin the story for everyone involved. So, what's the most important rule you need to know? That you are certam of nothing. Ifyou can’t remem ber chat, don't be surprised if your Storyteller plays tricks fon you and your character, to turn your knowledge against you and undo everything you take for granted about the World of Darknes. Hunter also lends itself to another kind of gamer: ‘You might have never played a Storyteller game before because all that angsty-goth oF save-natute crap just tured you off. Well, here's an opportunity to do some thingabout it. Hunters are normal people suidenly made aware of creatures and all their melodrama, and it's hunters! ob to strike back! For the walking.-dead poseur andthe bleeding heart, teee-huguing shambling rug here isnow a shotgun blast and impressive powers with which to back it up. Here's your chance ro attack the other Storytellers games in theie very own setting. Here's your chance to kick some as! ‘Waar Tasty Hunter: The Reckoning isnot Hunters Hunted, The Inquisi (not, in other words a revision of previous game supple ments ftom White Wolf). This book is about a new breed Of people who are hums, but who rise above humanicy and act in ts name. This game is not about government agencies, people who operate with only guns and rech- nology, ot humans with insight into and familiarity with the tpernatural. Hunter: The Reckoning s the cosmo- csand abuses, a logical answer to monsters’ eternal crn response that sounds on the last of the Final Nights and ‘on the brink of Apocalypse. It's a chance for humanity as a whole to rise up and claim a world for itselfTreheume Hunters call their moment of realization the imbuing. Alehough hunters operate alone or in isolated groups, their ‘efforts tofind each other andspread the word make terms like the imbuing” common parlance, and prove that being chosen” is not an isolated experience, Accounts of the imbuing vary wildly, but certain ele- ments appear to occur forall hunters, regardless of age, sex, race or nationality. Hunters hear voices, see distorted mes: sages on billboards or in newspapers, or perceive odd sounds, smells or visions. Regardless of its form, the experience always offers a warning of nearby danger: a booming * DOES NOT LIVE," a strect sign that momentarily reads “RUN NOW,” a sudden, hallucinatory image of people strewn about a street as Death walks among them. No source seems to be apparent for these signs and portents, but their subject soon becomes clear. With eyes newly opened, the awakened hunter witnesses the most grotesque obscenity he has ever encountered —a thing not meant to exist, a walking affront co life it ‘monstrosity. In that moment of clarity, a veneer erected to hhide the real world fades forever. The secret is laid bare. ‘The truth is revealed. There it stands in all its unholy glory: evil personified and presented for hideous edification. Monsters exist ‘an abhorrent And that's only the beginning, ‘Tre Messencrs ‘Among the hunters who seek out each other, whether for safety in numbers or simply for solace in a terrifying reality, the same questions are asked over and over: Why? Why me? Why now? Who has done this to me? Theories abound about why people are chosen. The end of the world is coming, Judgment Day is here. Monsters’ ongoing evil has fi humanity and revealed the truth — or are responsible for monsters on Earth. Uleimately, no one knows for sure why people are suddenly awoken, However, the apparent messages or hallucinations suf- fered at the moment of imbuing lead many to believe that someone or something bestows this blessing or inflicts this curse. How else could intelligible voices, legible messages and waking dreams happen to disparate people, yet be so similar forall? For lack of a better theory, the Other emerges as the prevailing answer for now. In burgeoning hunter circles — groups that are imbued together, hunters who meet through word of mouth, through signs left for each other or through covert Internet communication — these beings are lab Messengers” or “Heralds.” What their intended message is ot for whom they convey it, if anyone, is unknown. ally received its karmic response. Aliens have touched Certainly, the mystery of the Messengers makes them just as frightening as the monsters to which hunters are exposed. Yet, the imbued take comfort in the knowledge that EE ne eee ge fas: A they are still human (or so they believe), that they are not the walking corruption that so clearly oppresses mankind. For most hunters, that distinetion is enough. Questioning further only makes an already harsh world inhospitable and existence itself intolerable, foes . “Thus, hunters are exposed to reality and the monsters thar inhabie it. The chosen are forced to recognize the depravity of creatures that are truly in control. But what evidence isthere thatthe imbued have any responsibility for that knowledge? Why does that knowledge demand action? For most of the imbued, the answer is simple: At the moment of rebirth, they ar powers. Atthe instant they are witness tolivingnightmares, the chosen are empowered with the means to respond tothe creatures before them. These amazing abilities seem to be ‘numerous and varied. Some allow a person to strike down a creature, Others create chaos under cover of which the imbued may act. Some powers geant extraordinary percep- tion, the ability tosee and recognize monsters wherever they hide. Sull others allow the imbued to heal themselves and others miraculously Why else would the imbued be granted these gifts than. ealed before them? Evil exists, The imbued have the power to stop it. That's what makes them hunters. As many hunters observe, "What else is there to know: YoeHonr ‘Awareness of monsters and heinous corruption doesn’t stop with the moment of the imbuing. A person's life is changed foreverafter the moment her eyes are opened. She sees creatures everywhere. Their influence touches and taints everything. The reason for all the suffering and seife in the world becomes clea. Friends’ loss, families’ turmoil, society's ills — they all trace back to monsters and theit plots. How long can one witness these atrocities — deaths, disappearances, abuses, invasions — before lashing out against them? Most of the chosen cannot remain quiet. Theystrive to protect loved ones, friends, neighborhoods and cities from the creatures that would control and destroy all these things. ‘The result isthe hunt: the ongoing pursuit of creatures to stop them, save them, understand them, outwit them or simply destoy therm. granted strange abilities and to react to the abominations re ‘All hunters undertake their own missions against the nown. They have their own reasons for stalking, pre serving or killing. Ultimately, however, their objectives are the same, whether they realize it or not. The cautious hunter who devotes his life co protecting his family, and the daring hunter who travels wherever he must to locate and destroy both want the same thing: to start again, to make a new place where people can be safe, to inherie the world thar they once believed their own. Whether such a —