Page 65 - Hunter - The Vigil

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C CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTER CREATION
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Upon waking, Kilcannon found his boy
dead — and the museum had discovered his
THE MORALITY moonlighting thievery. His wife divorced him
OF THE HUNT because of the disgrace, leaving Kilcannon
alone, with few options. He blamed the faceless
monster for the destruction of his family and his
In terms of sins against Morality,
career and sought out those contacts among the
humanoid monsters should be treated as
Ascending Ones who, he suspected, had more
human. The line between “human who has
than a passing interest in the supernatural. It
become a vampire,” “human who has magical
was time for revenge.
powers,” “human with a magical item,” and
Pat remembers that the University of Penn-
“human who just happens to kill people”
sylvania in Philadelphia has a huge Department
is too morally ambiguous to be considered
of Archeology and Anthropology and that the
in terms of Morality sins. Hunters must
Philadelphia Art Museum is hosting a huge Tu-
bear the full moral impact of injuring or
tankhamen exhibit, so he asks Autumn if that
slaughtering sentient beings, regardless

would make a good justification for why his char-
of whether they are technically human or
acter has been assigned to the cell. She agrees
not. Driving a stake into the heart of a
that Kilcannon’s background will make him a
cherubic vampire who looks like a human
great artifacts and Egyptian culture resource for
child can be just as morally taxing as
the cell (and mentally notes to take advantage of
if it were a mortal child who has killed

the exhibit as a plot hook). Having fleshed out
her parents and siblings. (That said, if

his history, Robert Kilcannon is ready for his first
a creature is something truly alien or
assignment on the Vigil.
manifests no human features, Morality may
not fi gure into the picture. Destroying
something that looks like a giant bacterium Willpower
earns the character as much guilt as wiping
out strep throat with an antibiotic…which What can a human being will himself to do?
is to say, none at all.) More information on A man trapped under a fallen tree cuts off his own
Morality (including changing the hierarchy leg with a penknife. A woman lifts a car to rescue
of sins and using it to enhance theme and her child. A husband breaks a man’s neck with
mood in your game) can be found in Appendix his bare hands, saving his wife from an attacker.
One (p. 322). These aren’t miracles, and they aren’t born of the
blood undead or gifts from spirits. They just rep-
resent what human beings are capable of doing…
2 and his Composure of 3 give him a 5 Initiative. His Wits if they have the will.
are 3 and his Dexterity is 2, but since his Defense is the low- Any character, human, animal or otherwise, can use
est of the two, he’s only got a 2 Defense. Finally, Kilcannon’s Willpower to bolster normal dice pools or Resistance traits
Strength of 2 and his Dexterity of 2 are added to his species (see p. 95 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). Hunters,
factor (5 for a human adult) to give him a Speed of 9. by nature, are more willful than the average human being,

Kilcannon begins play with 5 Willpower points, the same and can use that will in slightly different ways. More specifi-
as his Willpower dots. cally, they can take risks with their Willpower, “betting” it
against a success. If the gamble pays off, they grow stronger.
Step Eight: Spark of Life If not, they lose their resolve and become easier prey for the
Pat now has a pretty good idea of who his character is, creatures they hunt.
and what he can do. Now’s the time to fill in the details and Willpower works for hunters in the same ways it does

make the collection of numbers and letters on the character for other World of Darkness characters, with a few additions.
sheet into a three-dimensional persona. Pat starts by looking The sections below include the methods for regaining and
at the questions on p. 60 for some ideas on how to round out spending Willpower from the World of Darkness Rulebook,
Kilcannon’s history and character. for sake of quick reference.
Pat wants to build a history in which Kilcannon blames the
supernatural for destroying his life before he became a hunter. He Spending
decides that Dr. Kilcannon’s young son was serving as an assistant
in the museum, but followed when his father snuck off to meet Willpower Points
with an antiquities fence. The curator, however, found the fence This section discusses not only the different ways in
already compromised by some faceless thing with a keen interest which a hunter can expend Willpower, but also goes into
in possessing a baboon-headed Canopic jar. The creature attacked when doing so is most appropriate and of the greatest benefit

Kilcannon; the boy rushed in to save him. All went dark. (to both character and player).
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