Page 162 - Hunter the Vigil - Mortal Remains
P. 162

TACTICS | MONSTERS


                       Thaumatechnology                        actor, there should be additional consequences for the second-
                                                               ary actor. If the primary actor fails, she can take a Dramatic
               These revisions  update  the Thaumatechnology  Endow-  Failure on the Tactic; the cell will receive one Practical Beat per
            ment of the Cheiron Group.                         participant in the Tactic after the scene. If any within the cell
                   Thaumatechnological Surgery                 dies because of this failed Tactic, the cell gains one Practical
                                                               Experience for that member, instead of a Practical Beat.
               This works as presented, but keep in mind the limitations
            on dice pools for extended  actions, per  The God-Machine                  Monsters
            Chronicle, p. 187.
                            Weapon of Last Resort                  Rules, advice, and guidance found here supplements and
               This weapon causes 0 lethal. (Rolled successes apply as lethal  clarifies the Storytelling chapter of Hunter: The Vigil. Note
            damage, with no inherent damage bonus.) However, this Endow-  that any rule that would normally give a player’s character a
            ment will cause lethal damage to vampires and creatures that  Beat, should give a Storyteller character a temporary point of
            otherwise would not suffer lethal damage from mundane attacks.  Willpower. This may only be used during the scene it was ac-
                                           Lover’s Lips        quired. This rule prevents monsters, like vampires, from refuel-
                                                               ing their hungers without actually committing monstrous acts.
               If the user already has the 9-again quality on relevant rolls,
            Lover’s Lips offer 8-again instead. They have no effect if the   Creating Monsters
            user already has the 8-again quality.                  Every Storyteller uses monsters differently, and  every
                                  Research and                 chronicle has different demands. We encourage you to create
                                  Development                  and use your monsters however you feel works best for your
                                                               game, your players, and your own interests.
                                                                   If  you  choose  to  use  standardized  points to  build  your
               When creating an Endowment using these rules, replace
            Derangements with Persistent Conditions.           monsters, start with a foundation of The God-Machine Chron-
                                                               icle’s character creation systems. Note that these creation rules
                                    Practical                  don’t apply to spirits, angels, and other creatures detailed in
                                                               The God-Machine Chronicle.
                                                                   You can opt for a simpler version of character creation, par-
                              Experience                       ticularly useful for non-speaking monsters, or for monsters that
                                                               are likely to only see a single scene’s inclusion. Some character
               These rules supplement those found in Hunter: The Vig-  traits are simply not essential for bit part demons. For example,
            il. Hunter cells earn Practical Beats and Practical Experiences,   most minor monsters will never need Aspirations unless a char-
            similarly to how they previously earned Practical Experience.   acter uses an Endowment or other ability targeting Aspirations.
               At the end of important scenes, the Storyteller builds a pool   In those rare cases, develop those additional traits on the fly.
            of Practical Beats. Use the same criteria that you would use to   Instead of focusing deeply on the specific numbers, some of
            determine Practical Experience. Additionally, note the Practi-  the considerations you should take when choosing traits for your
            cal Beats afforded by risking Willpower (see p. 164) and Tactics.   monsters have been addressed here. Character creation guidelines
            These add to the total at this point. Every five Practical Beats   have been divided into major and minor monsters. Finally, this
            accumulated become one Practical Experience.       section ends by teaching you how to create monster templates.
               Like Hunter’s Practical Experience, Practical Beats can be                 Major Monsters
            spent to recover Willpower. However, Practical Experiences can
            still be spent to purchase Skills or Merits for cell members, and   These rules are included for recurring or important mon-
            can also be used to purchase Tactics.              sters. It mirrors the standard character creation rules from The
                                                               God-Machine Chronicle. The biggest point of  difference  is,
                                         Tactics               you should really consider choosing traits that could become
                                                               evident in play. Having an Aspiration to find your daughter’s

               These rules supplement those found in Hunter: The Vig-  lost teddy bear doesn’t matter, unless you make it matter. For
                                                               monsters, don’t choose a trait that you don’t intend to portray
            il. Tactics now cost 3 Practical Experiences. Tactics may cost 2  or hint at.
            Practical Experiences if a cell member is a member of a favored   Concept: This is the most important part of your monster
            compact or conspiracy. Don’t use the formula for generating ex-  generation. Concept provides a niche, and that niche will help
            perience costs; use these flat costs for any Tactics the cell learns  define the monster’s role in your chronicle, and help to guide
            or develops.                                       the cell’s response.
               Additionally, when a secondary actor fails  a Tactic  roll,   Potency: When you first design your monster, determine
            they can take a Beat — not a Practical Beat — to turn it into a  its Potency. The default is 1, but if the monster is important, ex-
            Dramatic Failure. In addition to the -4 imposed on the primary  perienced, or intended to be highly effective, consider a higher



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