Page 251 - Hunter - The Vigil

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C CHAPTER FOUR: SPECIAL RULES AND SYSTEMS
deep enough to do the job. A modern variation on the club is the Standard procedure includes reinforcing the fl oor and roof as well
telescoping baton, a spring-loaded steel cudgel that expands from (Durability 4, Size 5, Structure 9), and removing inside locks and

Size 1 to Size 2. A sap is a small bag of leather filled with lead shot; door handles. Some hunters add some layers of soundproofi ng (-1
if its attack causes Damage in excess of the target’s Stamina, the per layer to Perception rolls for someone outside the vehicle to
target is stunned and loses his next action. Sap gloves are leather hear noise from inside).
gauntlets with steel plates or shot sewn inside them, and function
like brass knuckles, adding power to a punch (roll Strength + Messenger Bike
Brawl for attacks). The wearer suffers a -1 penalty to any actions Not every message can be sent by email or fax, and some
requiring manual dexterity. parcels need to reach their destination sooner than overnight.
And that’s where the urban bike messenger comes in. Part courier,
Vehicles part cyclist and part daredevil, messengers choose all sorts of
bikes to carry out their deliveries. The cycles used by experienced
Even hunters whose efforts are concentrated solely in
riders do tend to be customized in similar ways, however. They’re
their own neighborhood will need to leave it from time to time
rugged, toughened to handle potholes, curb jumps and the
to conduct surveillance, do research or get rid of something
occasional taxi bump. They’re light, with any unneeded gears or
that’s best disposed of far from their home base. Not everyone
other components removed and the essential equipment replaced
can afford a specialized vehicle for the Vigil, and many cells
by lightweight versions whenever possible. And they’re nimble,
have to make do with whatever wheels their members happen

tricked out so the rider can weave through thick traffic or a swarm
to own or have access to. But as the examples below suggest,
of pedestrians as needed. With a custom rack and some bungee
a little ingenuity and modification can go a long way. More

cords, a bike messenger can handle 50 pounds of cargo or more,
vehicles are described in the World of Darkness Rulebook
including burdens as unwieldy as a TV set or a stack of pizza boxes.
(p. 147).
Messenger bikes tend to look battered and ragged: most owners
City Cab don’t consider the bike’s appearance to be a priority, and a bike
that looks like a piece of junk is less of a target for thieves. Some
Hunters who operate in a city have a distinct advantage if
bikes are so covered with scrapes, rust spots and grime that they
they have access to a marked, licensed taxicab, as the vehicles can
effectively blend into the urban environment (-1 to perceptions
go almost anywhere without arousing suspicion. They’re useful for
rolls for noticing the unattended bike). A character riding a bicycle
surveillance, escape or even to take an unsuspecting target to an
can maintain speeds above its Safe Speed for a number of minutes
unexpected destination. While vehicle types used as taxis vary
equal to twice her Stamina + Resolve; after that, each minute or
widely, most cabs in North America and Europe are full-sized cars,

fraction thereof of high-speed pedaling inflicts one level of bashing
typically a Ford Crown Victoria or Mercedes Benz model. Taxicabs
damage. A character who isn’t pushing herself can maintain Safe

are usually fitted with a polycarbonate partition between the front
Speed for a number of hours equal to her Stamina + Resolve,
and rear seats (Durability 3, Size 4, Structure 7). Drivers use a two-
after which she must rest for half that length of time. Maneuvers
way radio (Durability 1, Size 1, Structure 2) to communicate with
with such vehicles use Athletics rather than Drive. See World of
a central office; the radios don’t allow drivers to communicate with

Darkness: Armory for more details on human-powered vehicles.
each other directly.
Secure Sedan Improvised
Private security fi rms often make use of these customized
versions of mid-sized automobiles; hunters with means may Equipment
purchase their own, while others acquire them secondhand

(or confiscate them from the enemy). From the outside,
Sometimes, a hunter can’t find what he really needs at a

these vehicles look unremarkable. But ballistic material and
store. He needs something now, and damn the price, legality and
armor provides an increased overall durability, with windows
sanity of his endeavor. Some hunters improvise equipment out
upgraded to Durability 4, Structure 7, doors upgraded to
of whatever they have in hand, using crowbars or pipe wrenches
Durability 6, Structure 9 and the gas tank to Durability 8,
as clubs — something that a cell in Austin, Texas, put to good
Structure 10. The tires contain inserts allowing them to
use when faced with a swarm of cat-faced parasites that crawled
function if pierced (-1 penalty on Drive rolls, 10% speed
out of a subterranean tunnel. Wherever a hunter faces a monster,
penalty). Windows are usually tinted for privacy.
there’s going to be something she can grab and use as a weapon.
Cage Van Beyond household objects used as weapons, some hunt-
ers actively make their own monster-hunting tools. Wheth-
Transporting things that don’t want to be transported is part
er he’s a handyman, mechanic, or electronics geek, he can
and parcel of a hunter’s job description. One solution is to take
usually make something worthwhile, given some time. The
a seemingly ordinary delivery van and modify the cargo area to
equipment provided in this section isn’t unique. Cells and
handle unwilling passengers. The exact method varies — some
individuals share their plans over the Internet, suggesting re-
hunters simply weld a steel cage to the inside of the van, while
finements and stories of when their kit worked right. Often,

others opt for panels of high-impact polycarbonate; generally,
when a piece of equipment goes wrong, nobody hears about

the confinement area has Durability 4, Size 4, Structure 8.
it fi rsthand.
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