Page 232 - Hunter - The Vigil

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F FLASH PAPER|FLASHLIGHT BATON|DIRTBAG
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Sold under all sorts of “magic ear” type brand names, this conscious hunters. Flash paper’s flammability makes it a fire

is essentially a sound-amplifying microphone that picks up hazard, which is why it’s usually stored in water or kept damp
noise from up to 50 feet away. The listener aims it at a source until needed (requiring it to air dry for an hour or so before
and hears the amplified signal through a pair of headphones. use). Some hunters have been known to use flash paper (or its

The device is somewhat indiscriminate in what sounds it flash string/flash cotton forms) to identify possible vampires

picks up; unless the source is in mostly quiet surroundings, by attempting to trigger their reflexive fear of fire. If exposed

a successful Wits + Dexterity (or an appropriate Skill) roll to an ignited piece of flash paper at close quarters, a vampire
is needed to position the microphone at just the right angle must achieve two successes on a Resolve + Composure roll
(until the target moves, requiring another roll). Penalties (-1 penalty if surprised) to avoid backing away in fear or even
might range from -1 in a city park to -4 on a busy subway fleeing the area in terror. This reaction is likely to be brief,

station platform. A barrier between listener and subject but the vampire may lash out at anyone in his way, so it’s a
requires the user to make a successful Wits + Skill roll (e.g. dangerous card for a hunter to play.
Crafts or Investigation) to be able to pick up a signal, with a
-1 penalty for each Structure point of the impeding object. Flashlight Baton
Durability 1, Size 1, Structure 2, Cost •
EMT Shears Sometimes a few extra pounds makes all the difference
Durability 3, Size 1, Structure 4, Cost • when you’re chasing down something that doesn’t want to
Used by paramedics and emergency workers, these short, be caught — or running from something that’s determined to

blunt scissors are capable of cutting through seat belts, heavy catch you. A flashlight baton, also called a flashclub or “fl ub,”
fabric, plastic, even light-gauge metal. Their stainless steel is a flashlight that, by virtue of its weight, balance and rugged

blades and angled handles provide superior cutting power, construction, can also be used offensively as a club or baton.
enabling rescuers to remove clothing from injured patients or Thus it not only spares a hunter from carrying an extra piece
extricate them from entanglements. Scuba divers also carry of gear, but also serves two fundamental needs of the hunt:

them to cut through netting or monofilament. EMT shears illumination and weaponry. Most are designed for police or
ignore an object’s first Durability point when used as a cutting military use. Since their manufacturers don’t generally advertise

tool. The target object or its edge must fit between the blades that their products can administer a beating as well as take one,

(which typically have about fi ve inches of cutting length). users find the right brand through word of mouth or discover

it by trial and error. Some hunters rig their own by modifying
Fangbuster a flashlight that’s not up to the task right out of the box.

Armor Rating 1-3, Strength 1, Defense 0, Speed 0, Cost Flashlight use removes penalties for acting in darkness; see the
• to ••• World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 140, for details. When used
A vampire doesn’t have to take her meal from the victim’s as a weapon, the flashclub has a Damage rating of 2(B), and

jugular. But for whatever reason — maybe it’s a convenience; doesn’t suffer the usual -1 penalty for improvised weaponry.
maybe they’re just influenced by the same pop-culture images

as everyone else — many go right for the neck when it’s Dirtbag
feeding time. Hunters who operate in vampire territory often Durability 1, Size 4, Structure 5, Cost •••
choose to defend themselves against this tendency with a Ghosts and spirits are picky about where and when they
protective collar of some sort, especially if overt body armor is show themselves, as anyone who’s spent all night babysitting
inappropriate or not practical. In most cases, the neck guard some motion detectors in a supposedly haunted house well
is designed so it can be concealed by clothing — a turtleneck knows. Though hunters don’t know exactly why these unseen
sweater, a scarf — so the attacking bloodsucker won’t aim entities choose to appear in some places and not others, some
for a different body part. Usually this device is created by environments seem to be more conducive to the phenomenon.
modifying something else, like a piece of protective sporting One enterprising hunter cell decided that instead of seeking
gear or a few metal-studded leather dog collars. Some hunters out ghost-friendly habitats, it would find a way to make

with appropriate Skills fashion higher-rated neck guards from existing areas more ghost friendly. Through trial and error, the
high-impact plastic, or the same materials used for military or hunters developed a technique for collecting and packaging
police body armor. The item’s Cost is equivalent to the item’s supernaturally graveyard soil active into so-called “dirtbags,”
Armor rating when it comes to protecting the neck. containing enough earth to cover a six-foot-by-six-foot-square

area. Spreading the entire bag upon the floor or ground lowers
Flash Paper (pack of ten sheets) the manifestation modifier of the area by a factor of 1(to

Durability 0, Size 1, Structure 1, Cost • maximum of -3; see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 210)

A favorite gimmick of stage magicians, flash paper is for 24 hours. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that a ghost will
composed of the highly combustible substance nitrocellulose. choose to manifest, or that any are present. The soil must be
When ignited, the paper burns quickly, producing a bright, spread by hand, or with silver-plated tools (or any hand tool, if

sudden flame that flares out without leaving smoke or ash. spread by a character of Morality 7 or greater). Once in place,

Professional entertainers find the dramatic visual effect to be a the dirt loses its properties if moved elsewhere. Characters can
crowd pleaser, but it’s the ability to reduce a written message or purchase dirtbags from hunter cells who know how to collect
diagram to nothingness in an instant that appeals to security- it properly at the Cost listed. Harvesting one’s own graveyard
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