Page 237 - Hunter - The Vigil

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C CHAPTER FOUR: SPECIAL RULES AND SYSTEMS
H
depending on the size and complexity of the model). Use of a
WHAT TO LEAVE BEHIND white noise device imposes a -1 to -3 penalty on eavesdropping
attempts, whether in person or through a listening device. Those
within its sphere of influence will find it hard to hear outside

While gearing up with the proper equipment
noises, though, possibly inhibiting Perception rolls. Creating
is critical, it’s just as important for a
white noise doesn’t necessarily require high technology; fans
hunter to consider what not to bring. Should
and air conditioners do it all the time (though one would have
a hunter fi nd herself detained by security
to stand very close to them to gain any privacy benefi ts). Natural
guards, the police or other authorities, the
sources of white noise include wind, storms and surf.
items found on her person will have a big
impact on how she’s treated. Knives, fi rearms Window Punch
and other weapons, especially if they’re
Durability 2, Size 1, Structure 3, Cost •
unlicensed, illegal or just far beyond what
Sold as a safety device to anyone concerned about
the average person would carry for protection,
being trapped in their car underwater, this is a handheld,
will immediately raise the stakes and torpedo
spring-loaded tool that extends a blunt spike at the push of
any chance for a trespasser to be let off
a button. Pressed against a car window, it instantly shatters
with warning. Lock picks, forced entry tools
the glass (a typical car window has Durability 1 and Size 3;
and surveillance gear are also likely to
the punch ignores 1 point of glass Durability and infl icts
inspire harsher treatment (and leave fewer
3 points of damage). It’s also effective against other types
options for explaining your way out of the
of glass, but users who don’t take precautions must make
situation). Drugs, illegal or otherwise,
a successful Wits + Dexterity roll or receive a point of
will all but guarantee a trip downtown for

bashing damage from flying glass shards (unless, as with car
a hunter who’s caught by law-enforcement
windows, it’s safety glass designed to break into harmless
personnel. Beyond the possibility of arrest
fragments). Remember that reinforced glass will have
or other legal complications, such items
higher Durability, and the window punch only ignores the
may bring the hunter to the attention of an
first Durability point.

adversary who has agents on the lookout for
potential threats. Ultimately, every hunter
should think carefully about what she carries Mental
when she walks out the door, and whether
the utility of each piece of equipment is Equipment
worth the consequences of getting caught
with it. A hunter doesn’t just pack weapons in the fi eld — or
at least, she shouldn’t. Werewolves have heightened senses
to civilians and private security forces to deter vehicle theft. that allow them to track their prey, and witches can scry
Or, for the hunter who doesn’t want his quarry making an far-off places from the safety of their lairs. The hunter buys her
automotive getaway, to stop someone from driving off at advantages in the hardware store and on eBay, but that doesn’t
an inconvenient moment. The device fits over the wheel make her any less effective. Computers give her access to far more

of a passenger car (larger models will fit vans or trucks) and information than any single library, as well as to networks of hunt-

locks into place, rendering the auto non-drivable and the ers across the world. Cell phones, especially smartphones, pack

tire and wheel non-removable. The lock is difficult to pick, numerous gadgets into a portable frame, many of which can be
imposing -2 penalty. Attempting to break the boot off can very useful when on the move. Tools for various crafts allow her to
result in damage to the wheel or tire: the character can take improvise customized weapons and equipment for the hunt, often
extra care and suffer a -2 penalty to the damage pool, or half capitalizing on known (or assumed) weaknesses. A well-stocked
of all damage will be transmitted to the wheel. If the wheel workshop also offers heavy blunt instruments for when monsters
(Durability 2, Size 2, Structure 4) suffers two or more points come to a hunter’s door. Libraries and collections of rare books
of Structure damage, the car becomes non-drivable until that — especially those held in old universities — may hold the clue
wheel is replaced. to the spells of a wizard, or the means to release a demon back to
Hell.
White Noise Generator Mundane equipment doesn’t grant die bonuses past +3,

Durability 1, Size 1-2, Structure 2-3, Cost • to •• and items that grant such a bonus are fine examples of their
White noise is analogous to white light, in that it’s said to contain kind. A gamer’s top-of-the-line computer, or a sys-admin’s
all the frequencies perceptible to the human ear. In practice, this may beautifully cared-for 486 — still connected to the Net, with an
not be strictly true, but a close approximation can nonetheless be useful. uptime of over five years — might offer such a bonus. Equip-

White noise devices are often used to enhance privacy, because the ment at that level isn’t just well made; it’s got a story, a history
sound will interfere with or mask out the sounds around it. This makes of its own, maybe even a name. Like a sniper names his rifl e,
it diffi cult for eavesdroppers to overhear anything said within the white a handyman names his multi-tool. The only real difference is
noise generator’s area of effect (from 50 square feet to 5,000 square feet, that one’s a hell of a lot easier to replace than the other.
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