Page 216 - Hunter - The Vigil

C
S
I
T
I
N
I
D
|
D
T
I
N
F
I
F
C
C
A
G
T
C
C
O
S
M MODIFYING TACTICS|DESIGNING TACTICS
S
S
A
G
N
C
I
T
role of primary actor, which means he must have Strength 2, If the cell already knows a Tactic and just wants to fi ddle
Brawl 1 and Weaponry 2. with it a bit, it has to spend the time to train with the new
The teacher gathers the cell (four hunters) together and version (Tactics, as you might have noticed, only work with
explains the principle behind the Tactic, what to watch out for practice, practice and more practice), but the rolls to con-
when using it, what kinds of weapons work best, and some rudi- ceptualize and practice it don’t apply. However, each player
mentary grappling techniques. The Storyteller rolls the teacher’s must roll Intelligence + [highest Skill used in the Tactic] to

Intelligence + Expression and succeeds, while each player rolls let these modifications “sink in.” If this roll fails, the first time
Wits + Composure for his character. Three of the four hunters the Tactic is used in the field, the player suffers a -3 modifier

gain two successes each, but the fourth has a hard time grasping to his character’s roll for the Tactic, as the hunter starts to

how the Tactic will look in the field (meaning, he failed the roll) perform his role for the old Tactic and then rights himself.
The characters then meet in an abandoned warehouse and, Additionally, the cell must expend Practical Experience equal
using mannequins to simulate the targets, practice the Tactic for to one third of the Tactic’s original cost as appropriate for that
several days. The three hunters who succeeded subtract two from cell, rounding down. So, an Aegis Kai Doru cell that modifies

the total Practical Experience cost for Dentistry, 14, which gives Cripple Claws into Sever Hand would need to spend three
them 12, the total number of hours these three must practice the Practical Experience to represent its new version of the Tactic
Tactic. The fourth, however, failed, and must spend a full 14 hours (since that Tactic would cost 10 Practical Experience). If a
of practice. Each player rolls Stamina + Resolve for the character Loyalists of Thule cell did the same thing, it would require
to lock down the Tactic in his muscle memory; the player who four Practical Experience.
failed the learning roll suffers a -2 on this roll, but succeeds none-
theless. One hunter fails to succeed, however, and another must Designing Tactics
attend to family matters and cannot put in the requisite hours The players will, of course, want to design new Tactics
before the Tactic’s fi rst use. for their cells, and this is to be encouraged. The following

When the cell finally goes to enact the Tactic, these two section presents some thoughts on how to design a Tactic that
hunters suffer a -3 to any rolls necessary to perform Dentistry. is effective enough to be useful and highlights the themes of
Thankfully, the Tactic is still successful, meaning these two won’t Hunter: The Vigil.
suffer that penalty when next they enact this particular Tactic. When designing a Tactic, consider the following questions:
Later in the chronicle, one of the characters from the Null • What is the effect of the Tactic? How do you envision
Mysteriis cell meets up with an unaffiliated (tier-one) cell of hunt- the Tactic working? What does the Tactic really do —

ers. The character doesn’t have all the prerequisites for Dentistry does it blind an opponent? Make the opponent unable
and thus can’t act as the teacher, but he can help these green hunt- to call for help? Protect the cell from a specific kind of

ers figure it out for themselves. He spends a few hours describing attack?

it to the tier-one cell and then leaves them to their own devices.
• What traits are required to make the Tactic work?
The tier-one hunters (a cell of five) sit down and figure out the

Most Tactics have at least four dots of prerequisite traits.
logistics of the Dentistry Tactic: they need at least one member
Usually, a Tactic requires at least one Attribute at two
who can be primary actor (Strength 2, Brawl 1, Weaponry 2) in
dots. Characters who are deficient in that Attribute can’t

order to puzzle it out, and all the other members need to possess
meaningfully contribute to the Tactic. Also, some degree
Strength 2, Weaponry 1 and Brawl 2 or Brawl 1 with a Grappling
of Skill is normally required, even if that Skill isn’t tested
Specialty to actually use the Tactic (though not to learn it). The
during the Tactic. Athletics is a common Skill prerequi-
teamwork conceptualization roll (Intelligence + Brawl) succeeds
site, as a small amount of prowess in this area indicates
with four successes, and so the hunters meet to practice it, each
that a character has some sense of body positioning and
for 10 hours total (14 minus the four successes gained).
balance — often necessary when carrying out Tactics.
The practice rolls (Stamina + Resolve) all succeed this time,
and the characters all put in the time at varying points. They can • What kind of action does the Tactic require? Most

now take this Tactic to the field with no penalties for any of the Tactics are instant actions, and many are contested. If the
hunter participants. action is contested, what will the Storyteller roll in op-
position? If not, what checks are in place to ensure the
Modifying Tactics creature has some chance of escaping the Tactic (these
What if a cell already knows the Cripple Claws Tactic, can be represented by negative modifiers, such as those for

and wants to use the same principles to sever, rather than specifying targets in Cripple Claws and Staking)? Tactics
smash, an enemy’s hand? Likewise, it wouldn’t be hard to use can theoretically be reflexive actions, but refl exive Tac-

the strategies at work in Staking to get a rag soaked in chlo- tics should be restricted to actions that don’t affect mon-
roform over a creature’s mouth (it might actually be easier). sters and don’t require much movement or activity from
If the cell doesn’t know the Tactic and is just creating a the hunters. Remember, a reflexive action still allows the

modified version of an existing one from scratch, the normal character to take another instant action during the turn,
systems for creating a Tactic apply. The players and the Story- so quite apart from the question of how much someone
teller need to decide on the appropriate rolls, systems, results can really accomplish in three seconds, adding refl exive
and so on for the Tactic, just as if it were a wholly new one. actions can bog the game down with die rolls.
215
215