Page 217 - Hunter - The Vigil

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C CHAPTER FOUR: SPECIAL RULES AND SYSTEMS
• How many participants does the Tactic require? At teaches the tactic, members subtract three points from
minimum, a Tactic needs two hunters. Ideally, a Tactic that cost. If a third-tier conspiracy teaches it, members
should be something the whole cell can participate in, subtract five points. This is because second- and third-

but some Tactics are actually hindered by extra bodies in tier organizations have resources and time to devote to
the way. Consider how many people could realistically perfecting and teaching Tactics, so they tend to spread
help in the endeavor, and decide if participants above more quickly.
the minimum bestow a bonus, a penalty, or no modifier

(beyond the extra successes they might contribute).
Tactic Complications
• What are the dice pools, and what do they repre-
sent? What do the secondary actors do that facilitates Below are some other considerations for Tactics that
the primary actor’s action? How does the primary actor’s might arise in your chronicle.
roll make the Tactic work? In Controlled Immolation, Shifting Membership
the secondary actors use weapons to keep the monster
What if a four-member cell learns Controlled Immola-
in place so the primary actor can immolate it. The dice
tion, and then one member dies or leaves the cell and another
pool for the secondary actors is therefore Wits + Weap-
takes his place?
onry (not Strength + Weaponry because the secondary
Remember that while a cell pays for a Tactic in Practical
actors aren’t attacking, merely responding to the mon-
Experience, each member of the cell knows how the Tactic
ster’s attempts to get away). Remember that successes on
works and can theoretically teach it. To act as a teacher for a
the secondary actors’ rolls add dice to the primary actor’s,
new cell, a hunter needs to have all the prerequisites, but if a
and that the primary actor’s roll is what determines the
group is teaching an individual or a smaller group (say, three
success or failure of the Tactic.
hunters teaching two), these restrictions are waived.
• What are the roll results? Considering the effects of Instead, use the following system: any new hunters have
dramatic failure on a Tactic is important, because if a to have the prerequisites to perform their intended function
player risks Willpower on a Tactic as the primary actor in the Tactic (primary or secondary, but not necessarily both).
and fails (see p. 66), the result is considered a dramatic The new hunters have to spend the usual amount of time learn-
failure. Dramatic failures on combat-related Tactics al- ing the moves for the Tactic, and their players must make prac-
most always wind up harming one or more hunters — the tice rolls as though the hunters were learning the Tactic from
greater the potential for damage to the monster, the more a teacher. After this, players must spend Practical Experience
damaging the effects of the dramatic failure should be. equal to the number of new hunters learning the Tactic.

Tactics that use explosives or fire have the greatest pos-
sibility for horrible dramatic failure, for obvious reasons. Unfamiliar Hunters
Failure on the Tactic roll means that the Tactic’s effect isn’t Suppose a Task Force: VALKYRIE cell meets up with a
achieved, but consider what it means for the target, as well. lone tier-one hunter in the course of a hunt, and they join
Does the target have a chance to turn the tables, or to es- forces, at least temporarily. The TFV hunters know the Ham-
cape? Can the Tactic be attempted again next turn, or do string Tactic, and as luck would have it, so does the newcom-
the hunters only have one shot at this particular strategy? er. Can they enact the Tactic as usual?

Success, of course, means the Tactic went off correctly. No, because Tactics are practiced with a specific group
Think about what that means in both story and game of people, and hinge on that group working like a well-oiled
terms. Cripple Claws allows the cell to ruin a creature’s machine. That said, the loner can certainly attempt to help. In

hand, but since the effect is so localized, the Tactic only in- this kind of situation, all hunters receive a -2 modifier to their

flicts a certain amount of damage in terms of Health. If the relevant rolls for the Tactic. At the Storyteller’s discretion, if
effect is contested, make sure to note whether the hunters the hunters all belong to the same organization, the penalty
win on a tie, or whether the Tactic roll’s successes must might be only -1. If they all learned from the same teacher,
exceed the monster’s successes. Finally, for exceptional suc- there might be no penalty at all.
cesses, decide what else might be appropriate. Remember, Note, too, that just because a hunter doesn’t know a Tac-
though, that by risking Willpower, hunters can lower the tic doesn’t mean he can’t contribute. The loner might not
threshold for exceptional successes from five to three (pro- participate in the Hamstring Tactic, but might hang back and

vided the Tactic causes no damage), and so exceptional act as lookout or sniper.
successes will happen more frequently. That doesn’t mean Learning Quickly
you shouldn’t make them impressive, just be aware that
A Tactic takes several hours to really get down pat, but
they aren’t as rare as they are in other situations.
what if the hunters just don’t have that long? The cell notes
• What is the cost in Practical Experience? Costs for that the strange dogs with the eyes that glow electric blue
Tactics are computed this way: The base cost is 10 Practi- seem to be following them now, and the members really want
cal Experience, +1 for every dot of traits that are required to get Controlled Immolation down before sunset…which is
of all participants for the Tactic. If a second-tier compact in six hours. Is it possible?
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