Page 84 - Hunter - The Vigil

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HACKER|HITMAN
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crack a cult’s secure mailing list, clone and analyze a sorcerer’s Concepts: Anarchist code-breaker, back-room
hard disk, break the code that a serial killer leaves sliced into techie, frontline support operative, NSA cryptog-
the bodies of his victims, or discover the identity of a para- rapher, old-school phreaker, puzzle expert, shut-in
site’s latest host through computer-based DNA analysis. cracker, system administrator, web programmer, wire-
Hackers can become obsessed with the Vigil over time. less war-driver
It’s very easy for a computer geek to take home security to Asset Skills: Computer and Science
an absurd level, living in a Faraday cage in the middle of her Professional Training:
apartment with cameras at every entrance and security sys- • • User
User
tems at her fingertips. If her group relies on telephone or In- •• Programmer

•••
Hacker
ternet contact, it may never know its Hacker has gone shut-in ••• Hacker
(and maybe they won’t care, if she’s effective from her “HQ”). •••• Brainiac
It’s easy for Hackers of every stripe to detach themselves from ••••• The Government Took Your Computer
•••••
The Government Took Your Computer
the real world. A Hacker disassociates herself from a situa-
tion, reducing it to a set of axioms that describe a problem Hit Man
— from vampires using a nightclub as a feeding ground to a
When I kill people, I do it for money. It’s not a nice job. I
ghostly serial killer carving Enochian runes on teenage boys.
don’t claim I enjoy it. But sometimes, just sometimes, I get the
This disassociation can go too far, especially when she ignores
feeling of a job well done.
danger in order to get a vital clue. There’s a distinct difference
A Hit Man kills people for money. He may justify his ac-
between knowing intellectually that she’s the next target for a
tions to himself by his range of targets — “no women, no chil-
serial killer and feeling the knife slide between her ribs.
dren” is common — but he has turned the art of premeditated
Often, Hackers who have a job find it easier to remain

murder into a career. Most ply their trade from a distance, do-
employed than other hunters. Some work from home, while
ing their job with a single bullet, while others prefer to get in

others work flexible hours. Both are very common for Hackers
close with weapons that leave less forensic evidence. What-
working for the latest generation of web companies. Still oth-
ever their preferred method of murder, a Hit Man has almost
ers just leave when they like — most Hackers bring a wealth
surgical knowledge of how to end a human life. That training

of technical skill to their chosen field, and management un-
can come in very handy on the hunt — until she meets some-
derstands just how bad it would be to lose them. Cheiron is
thing without the vulnerabilities of normal people.
happy to have Hackers at its disposal; after all, what it does is
Depending on his employer, a Hit Man can live a range of
kind of a “hacking” procedure (metaphorically and literally).
lives away from the job. Some are family men, their wives and
Network Zero is arguably the most common home for Hack-

children thinking they have a high-flying (and well-paying)
ers, whether they’re used to reroute a crucial web-feed reveal-
job that takes them from country to country. Many live alone
ing fuzzy images of some shadowy lake monster or to gussy up
so they don’t have to maintain a separate safehouse with their
a quick set of encryption algorithms to hide the cell’s personal
tools of the trade and any incriminating evidence. Whatever
data. The Loyalists of Thule, Null Mysteriis and Aegis Kai
their home situation, they have some form of protection that
Doru all have their uses for someone who can hack, crack and
ensures other people don’t find out the truth. Some trap their

invent codes or ciphers.
hideouts with thermite and claymore mines. Others have
Background: Hackers can come from any background,
built up one or several comprehensive false identities to keep
though usually result from a middle-class home (i.e. someone
themselves safe if they are found out.
who has access to a computer). Traditional computer geeks ac-
Some people think it’s strange, but many Hit Men don’t
cept anyone who can solve problems regardless of social back-
really know how to fight. They have enough training to join

ground, gender or sexuality. For a Hacker, any discrimination is
a melee, but their main skills assume an unsuspecting target.
just a bug in the system, something they need to work harder to
Theirs is the art of premeditated murder, and many never see
get around. Most have a university education and further training
their targets save through a telephoto lens. A Hit Man re-
in their specialized field, but some are self-taught. Most Hackers

searches her target, or has one of her associates do it for her,
don’t have a wide social network outside the Internet, and often
and determines when he is most vulnerable. Then and only
don’t have time for a family alongside their obsession.
then, she strikes.
Mental Attributes are generally primary. High Intelli-
Hit Men may perform their work alone, but they need as-

gence and Wits practically define the profession. Physical and
sociates. Many employ secretaries or partners who have better
Social Attributes tie for second and third place — Stamina
business sense, entrusting them to work out the details of each
and Composure are both often above average, while other
hit. Mob Hit Men have this angle covered, while independents
Attributes may suffer. It’s rare for a Hacker to have less than
have a hard time finding someone they can trust. A Hit Man’s

three dots in at least one of her Asset Skills, and most Hack-
partner is the only person she can trust to know the details of
ers have dots in Academics, Crafts (Electronic), Expression,
her business. The partner deals with everyone from prospective
Investigation and Occult among other skills. Common Mer-
employers to the assassin’s family, keeping everything in order
its include Eidetic Memory, Encyclopedic Knowledge and
so that the Hit Man can do what she does best.
any number of Languages. Hackers who have above average
When a Hit Man takes up the Vigil, she’ll often try to
equipment also need the Resources to pay for it.
bring any partners in as well. Without them, she’s got nobody
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