Page 326 - Hunter - The Vigil

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by the bulk of humanity. It is both a scale of good and
THICK GRAY LINES evil as well as a marker of one’s own ethical sanity,
a ruler by which humankind judges its own actions
and the actions of others as beneficial or harmful to

Hunter Morality exists in a world
the rest of the herd. While each individual culture
of varying shades of gray. Even if
and era may have some variations and exceptions to
everything seems very black and white to
these baseline rules, for the most part, Morality rep-
the character, situations often involve a
resents a general human consensus on what actions
wide variety of mitigating factors, some
are acceptable to the group as a whole.
of which are apparent to the player and
But, as the book also notes, Morality is not
some that are not. It would be impossible
an absolute value. For “normal” humans, this non-
to create specifi c rules modifi ers to cover
absolute quality is represented by a static Moral-
every possible permutation of motivation,
ity scale upon which any individual’s rating at any
drive, justifi cation and situation that
given time may raise or lower as a person grows. As
might arise during a Hunter game. Instead,
a hunter experiences and is challenged by different
players and Storytellers are encouraged
situations, his Morality may change as well. A man
to use this opportunity to explore
may struggle to become more virtuous (as defi ned
their own perspectives on the possible
by the Morality scale) or may be driven by des-
Morality modifi ers that arise during their
peration to actions that undermine his basic moral
game, and to use the given modifi ers as
code, leading him to reject his old values and ac-
suggestions and frameworks upon which to
cept “sins” that he would formerly have eschewed.
create their own judgment calls for each
While hunters are human, over time they
individual situation. Ultimately, these
start to lose a sense of…normalcy. Their obses-
guidelines and how they are used in any
sion with the Vigil drives them in ways that divide
given game will help shape the theme
them from the bulk of humanity. This is, in no
of the story told. If a Storyteller is
small part, what gives them the strength of will
fairly lenient on allowing players to
to rise above base human potential and provide
argue for modifi ers to a broad variety
challenge to the monstrous threats of the World
of Morality situations, their characters
of Darkness in ways that a “normal” human simply
will not feel the grind of the Vigil
could not. This obsession is more than a power
as heavily. If, however, a Storyteller
source, however. It is like a raging river or an unre-
rarely allows circumstantial bonuses to
lenting storm in the hunter’s psyche and, like any
avoid degeneration, the weight of the
other powerful force, it pushes constantly against
hunt will fall much more quickly and
whatever it finds there, bending, warping, or eat-

heavily upon the characters’ shoulders.
ing away at what was once an immovable solid.
Because of the effects of the Vigil’s drive, it is pos-
tribute to an individual’s inability to consciously choose sible for hunter Morality to be mutable in ways that “normal”
their actions in the same ways. These circumstances only Morality is not. Rather than just strengthening or degenerat-
influence Morality degeneration when they are involun- ing on a static scale of sins, hunter Morality can develop its
tary, however. Committing a Morality sin while under the own deviations, ethics and mores that supplant those of non-
influence of a voluntary substance or situation is no de- hunter humans. These variations, collectively called “The
fense against the moral weight of the crime. Code,” represent the inherent effect that a hunter’s Vigil can

When a person commits a Morality sin while she is influ- have on his individual belief system.
enced or controlled through no choice of her own, however, The Code is offered here as an optional addition to Hunter:
the Storyteller may allow a +1 bonus against degeneration. The Vigil. While it is certainly not necessary to use this system
Maybe a person was mind controlled. Perhaps she was dosed in any given Hunter game, it does offer Storytellers and players
with some kind of drug. In the World of Darkness, humans an additional layer of differentiation between hunters (especially
can end up as puppets to external forces, and this may earn those who have undergone lengthy or powerful experiences while
the character the proper bonus. on the Vigil) and “normal” mortals. By having each individual

This modification is only valid if the person committing the hunter’s own personal Code gradually and yet inexorably shift his
deed is aware that he is being controlled or influenced. A Morality Morality away from the human norm, this system emphasizes the

rating weighs the person’s sense of internal morality, and it cannot cost of the hunt in social and moral terms as well as the obvious
take into consideration factors the person is not aware of. physical dangers.
The mechanics of the Code are deceptively simple at heart.
The Code As a hunter progresses on her Vigil, her obsession with the hunt
pushes her, at various points, to take actions that are a sin on the
Morality, as explained in the World of Darkness Rulebook, normal Morality code. At these times, called Trigger Points, the
is the baseline code of ingrained ethics unconsciously accepted
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