Ryecatcher15:WoD:House Rules:Hunter
These rules supplement the World of Darkness Rulebook, Hunter: The Vigil, and The God-Machine Chronicle. In an effort to update the Hunter: The Vigil rules, these mechanics replace any relevant mechanics in Hunter.
Risking Willpower
With this update, risking Willpower is slightly altered. You may still only risk Willpower once per scene. If the action fails, it’s automatically a dramatic failure. However, the dramatic failure does not give the character a Beat. Instead, it gives two Practical Beats (see p. 164).
A successful action offers one Practical Beat, does not remove the Willpower point, and refreshes one of the character’s spent Willpower points — not to exceed their maximum dots. You can risk Willpower to choose from two of the following advantages:
- Add three dice to your dice pool.
- Your roll achieves exceptional success on three successes instead of five. Or, for a combat action, add one lethal (or bashing) damage to a successful attack.
- Add the 9-again quality on your roll. If you already have 9-again, roll with 8-again. You cannot choose this option if you already have 8-again.
- Remove the 10-again quality from any contested rolls against your action.
Merits
These rules supplement and replace relevant rules from Hunter: The Vigil.
Professional Training
Use the Professional Training Merit on p. 163 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
Safehouse
Instead of Safehouse Size, use the housing equipment from The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 241. For Safehouse Traps, use the Safe Place Merit on p. 170 of The God-Machine Chronicle. Both Safehouse Secrecy and Safehouse Cache work as written.
Status: Compact or Conspiracy
These Merits operate identically to the Status Merit on p. 170 of the God-Machine Chronicle. As well, they provide additional benefits to members at the first, third, and fifth dots, detailed in “Compacts and Conspiracies.”
Torture Suite
This Merit should be reflected by equipment bonuses. Your character may have a Safe Place with relevant equipment that bolsters Intimidation-based rolls, but you do not need to purchase a Merit to reflect those equipment bonuses.
Compacts and Conspiracies
These updated advantages replace the Compact and Con-spiracy Status advantages in Hunter: The Vigil. As per that book, they offer advantages at the first, third, and fifth dots. While many of the dot ratings remain identical, they’re reprinted here for convenience. Some simply replace Merits from The World of Darkness Core Rulebook and Hunter: The Vigil with Merits from The God-Machine Chronicle.
Ashwood Abbey
● You gain the Barfly Merit for free (see The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 166).
●●● Your chapter house counts as two dots, divided as you see fit, between the Safe Place, Safehouse Cache, and Safehouse Secrecy Merits.
●●●●● You get four instances of the Contacts Merit, representing Legal, Vice, Arms Trafficking, and Ashwood Abbey Networking.
The Long Night
● You gain the Evangelism Specialty in a Skill of your choice, and the Interdisciplinary Specialty Merit related to that Specialty from p. 163 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
●●● You gain two dots in Allies (The Long Night). If this would take you over five dots, put those dots toward another relevant Allies designation.
●●●●● You gain the Inspiring Merit from p. 167 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
The Loyalists of Thule
● When you successfully risk Willpower on a roll using Academics or Occult, gain two additional Willpower points instead of one. This can take you above your Willpower dots, but any unspent Willpower over your maximum disappears at the end of the scene.
●●● You gain two dots in the Mentor Merit from p. 167 of The God-Machine Chronicle. This reflects a more experienced member of the Loyalists.
●●●●● You gain three instances of the Contacts Merit from p. 166 of The God-Machine Chronicle. These reflect ranking specialists in the Loyalists, each must be designated to a specific type of supernatural issue.
Network Zero
● Choose a new Specialty in Computer, Crafts, or Expression. Take that Specialty, and the Interdisciplinary Specialty Merit from p. 163 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
●●● You gain two dots in the Fame Merit from p. 167 of The God-Machine Chronicle. However, this reflects an internet persona, so it does not prevent you from taking the Anonymity Merit (see The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 166).
●●●●● You gain two dots in the Library Merit and the Encyclopedic Knowledge Merit from The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 162-163. These Merits reflect your character’s knowledge and resources pertaining to recording media and related supernatural phenomenon.
Null Mysteriis
● Choose a Parapsychology Specialty in Academics, Medicine, Occult, or Science. Take that Specialty, and the Interdisciplinary Specialty Merit from p. 163 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
●●● You gain two dots, divided as you choose, between the Allies, Contacts, and Fame Merits from p. 166-167 of The God-Machine Chronicle. These dots reflect your relationship with the Null Mysteriis, and the scientific community in which your character involves herself.
●●●●● Any time your character proves the earthly, natural cause of an expected supernatural phenomenon, give the cell a Practical Beat. If this knowledge protected a non-skeptic, give the cell two Practical Beats.
The Union
● Choose a Local Area Specialty in Academics, Politics, or Streetwise. Take that Specialty, and the Interdisciplinary Specialty Merit from p. 163 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
●●● You gain two instances of Contacts from p. 166-167 of The God-Machine Chronicle. These dots reflect two Union specialists in various supernatural threats. Define these areas when taking the Merit.
●●●●● Once per game session, you can access two dots of Allies, Contacts, Resources, or Retainers from p. 166-168 of The God-Machine Chronicle. These reflect temporary “loan” assets from the Union.
Aegis Kai Doru
● You can purchase the Relics Endowment.
●●● Choose a Relics Specialty in Academics or Occult. Take that Specialty, and the Interdisciplinary Specialty and Area of Expertise Merits from p. 161-163 of The God-Machine Chronicle.
●●●●● You gain the Unseen Sense Merit related to Mages or Werewolves from The God-Machine Chronicle, p.175. You gain a Mage or Werewolf Specialty in Occult or Weaponry, and the Interdisciplinary Specialty Merit related to that Specialty as well.
Ascending Ones
● You can purchase the Elixirs Endowment.
●●● You gain two dots of the Resources Merit from p. 168 of The God-Machine Chronicle. If this would take you above five dots, apply the other dots to any other relevant Social Merits.
●●●●● You can add a three dot Retainer from The God-Machine Chronicle, p.170. This reflects an initiate ward within the Ascending Ones.
The Cheiron Group
● You can purchase the Thaumatechnology Endowment.
●●● You gain two dots of the Allies Merit from p. 166 of The God-Machine Chronicle. This reflects backup within the Cheiron Group.
●●●●● You gain three dots of Resources from The God-Machine Chronicle, p.168. This reflects the Cheiron Group’s assets and compensation packages. If this would take you over five dots of Resources, apply these dots to another relevant Social Merit.
The Lucifuge
● You can purchase the Castigation Endowment.
●●● Once per game session, you can access two dots between the Resources and Library Merits from The God-Machine Chronicle. This reflects the Lucifuge’s assets at your disposal.
●●●●● You gain a four dot Mentor Merit in the form of the Lucifuge herself. You can buy the Merit to five dots at a later time.
Malleus Maleficarum
● You can purchase the Benediction Endowment.
●●● You gain two additional dots of Status in the Catholic Church. This is the Status Merit from The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 170. If this would take the Merit above five dots, apply the excess dots to another relevant Social Merit.
●●●●● Once per game session, you gain three dots, divided however you’d like, between the Resources and Retainers Merits. This reflects Malleus Maleficarum assets at your disposal.
Task Force: VALKYRIE
● You can purchase the Advanced Armory Endowment.
●●● You gain two dots of Allies in Task Force: VALKYRIE. This reflects backup you can call upon. If this takes you above five dots, allocate the dots to other relevant Social Merits.
●●●●● You gain three high-level Contacts, each in a different secure field dealing with conspiracies and the supernatural.
Endowments
These updated Endowments rules supplement the Endowments found in Hunter: The Vigil. Most importantly, keep in mind the Sanctity of Merits rule from p. 158 of The God-Machine Chronicle. Any expended or lost Endowments will return points to the player, which can be spent again. This replaces the need for “renewable” Endowments.
Advanced Armory
These revisions update the Advanced Armory Endowment of Task Force: VALKYRIE.
Mjolnir Cannon ( ●●●● or ●●●●● )
As described in Hunter: The Vigil. However, an exceptional success applies the Stunned Tilt from The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 212.
Benediction
These revisions update the Benediction Endowment of the Malleus Maleficarum. All references to Morality use Integrity instead.
The Boon of Lazarus
The dot of Willpower lost from this Benediction is replaced by a dot of Integrity. Instead of a derangement, the recipient receives a Persistent Condition reflecting their shift in behavior.
Castigation
These revisions update the Castigation Endowment of the Lucifuge. All references to Morality use Integrity instead.
Hellfire
As per Hunter: The Vigil with a slight change. Hellfire is considered a thrown weapon with a damage rating equal to the Lucifuge’s Castigation dots minus one. It’s thrown with Dexterity + Athletics or Intelligence + Occult, chosen when purchasing the ritual. The Endowment causes lethal damage, however, the Lucifuge can suffer a point of aggravated damage to make the attack aggravated.
Sense of the Unrighteous
Instead of getting senses related to Morality ratings, the Storyteller should describe how unclean the act makes the Lucifuge feel. Use increasingly evocative descriptions the more terrible the act becomes.
Shackles of Pandemonium
As part of successful activation, the Lucifuge creates a temporary ban on the demon. Breaching the circle is the effective ban. If the demon crosses the circle, they’ve broken the ban.
Elixir
These revisions update the Elixir Endowment of the Ascending Ones. Ignore the text about single-use Elixirs. Elixirs replenish between game sessions, per the Sanctity of Merits.
A character may possess more Elixirs than her combined Elixir + Ascending Ones Status, by purchasing an “Additional Elixirs” Merit. This Merit has no upward limit, and simply allows access to further Elixirs.
Additionally, on a Dramatic Failure, the Ascending One suffers a poison with a Toxicity equal to the Elixir’s dot rating, instead of a Toxicity 2 poison.
Breath of Ma’at
This Elixir offers a bonus to breaking point rolls, not degeneration.
Relic
These revisions update the Relic Endowment of the Aegis Kai Doru.
Eye of Hubris
This Relic gives the user the One-Eyed Persistent Condition, instead of a Flaw. They work identically, but when the penalty causes a major inconvenience in the character’s life, she grants the cell a Practical Beat.
Watchful Keris
The dagger is a weapon that causes 1 lethal, and adds +3 to the user’s Initiative when wielded. The additional surprise attack benefit remains.
Doru Talisman
The Doru Talisman acts as a 2 lethal weapon, not a 3.
Thaumatechnology
These revisions update the Thaumatechnology Endowment of the Cheiron Group.
Thaumatechnological Surgery
This works as presented, but keep in mind the limitations on dice pools for extended actions, per The God-Machine Chronicle, p. 187.
Weapon of Last Resort
This weapon causes 0 lethal. (Rolled successes apply as lethal damage, with no inherent damage bonus.) However, this Endowment will cause lethal damage to vampires and creatures that otherwise would not suffer lethal damage from mundane attacks.
Lover’s Lips
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 user already has the 8-again quality.
Research and Development
When creating an Endowment using these rules, replace Derangements with Persistent Conditions.
Practical Experience
These rules supplement those found in Hunter: The Vigil. Hunter cells earn Practical Beats and Practical Experiences, similarly to how they previously earned Practical Experience.
At the end of important scenes, the Storyteller builds a pool of Practical Beats. Use the same criteria that you would use to determine Practical Experience. Additionally, note the Practi-cal Beats afforded by risking Willpower (see p. 164) and Tactics. These add to the total at this point. Every five Practical Beats accumulated become one Practical Experience.
Like Hunter’s Practical Experience, Practical Beats can be spent to recover Willpower. However, Practical Experiences can still be spent to purchase Skills or Merits for cell members, and can also be used to purchase Tactics.
Tactics
These rules supplement those found in Hunter: The Vigil. Tactics now cost 3 Practical Experiences. Tactics may cost 2 Practical Experiences if a cell member is a member of a favored compact or conspiracy. Don’t use the formula for generating experience costs; use these flat costs for any Tactics the cell learns or develops.
Additionally, when a secondary actor fails a Tactic roll, they can take a Beat — not a Practical Beat — to turn it into a Dramatic Failure. In addition to the -4 imposed on the primary actor, there should be additional consequences for the secondary actor. If the primary actor fails, she can take a Dramatic Failure on the Tactic; the cell will receive one Practical Beat per participant in the Tactic after the scene. If any within the cell dies because of this failed Tactic, the cell gains one Practical Experience for that member, instead of a Practical Beat.
Monsters
Rules, advice, and guidance found here supplements and clarifies the Storytelling chapter of Hunter: The Vigil. Note that any rule that would normally give a player’s character a Beat, should give a Storyteller character a temporary point of Willpower. This may only be used during the scene it was acquired. This rule prevents monsters, like vampires, from refueling their hungers without actually committing monstrous acts.
Creating Monsters
Every Storyteller uses monsters differently, and every chronicle has different demands. We encourage you to create 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 monsters, start with a foundation of The God-Machine Chronicle’s character creation systems. Note that these creation rules 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, particularly useful for non-speaking monsters, or for monsters that are likely to only see a single scene’s inclusion. Some character traits are simply not essential for bit part demons. For example, most minor monsters will never need Aspirations unless a character uses an Endowment or other ability targeting Aspirations. In those rare cases, develop those additional traits on the fly.
Instead of focusing deeply on the specific numbers, some of the considerations you should take when choosing traits for your monsters have been addressed here. Character creation guidelines have been divided into major and minor monsters. Finally, this section ends by teaching you how to create monster templates.
Major Monsters
These rules are included for recurring or important monsters. It mirrors the standard character creation rules from The God-Machine Chronicle. The biggest point of difference is, you should really consider choosing traits that could become evident in play. Having an Aspiration to find your daughter’s 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 or hint at.
Concept: This is the most important part of your monster generation. Concept provides a niche, and that niche will help define the monster’s role in your chronicle, and help to guide the cell’s response.
Potency: When you first design your monster, determine its Potency. The default is 1, but if the monster is important, experienced, or intended to be highly effective, consider a higher Potency. Look to the Advanced Anathema sidebar on p. 164 for suggestions. For more on the Potency trait, see p. 164.
Aspirations: A major monster should have Aspirations. This is less for the Willpower advantage, and more for points of relativity between the monster and the cell. If the cell knows what the monster wants, it might be able to curb its worst behaviors, or use those desires as weapons in the hunt.
Virtue and Vice: Don’t neglect Virtue and Vice selection. These traits can elevate your monster from a “monster of the week” and give it depth and identity. Vices — and Virtues for truly sadistic hunters — are excellent points of vulnerability that can turn the tables on an otherwise daunting threat.
Attributes: Attributes are an oft overlooked thematic aspect of antagonists. They simply serve to offer some dice that reflect generalities about the monster. Consider focusing on making one Attribute exceptional, and one severely inferior. Then, think on how you’d add both of those things to the basic description you’ll use when revealing the antagonist to the cell.
Skills: Skills often fill a similar role to Attributes. You decide what you want the monster to be capable of, and fill in those Skills. However, Skills offer an opportunity to give the monster some form of function outside its expected place in your story. Consider giving a speaking monster a useful, but somewhat dis-sonant, Skill to add depth to its role. Sure, the sexy vampire club predator has Persuasion, Socialize, Streetwise, and Subterfuge. But maybe she has an inordinate amount of Animal Ken? Perhaps she happens to be a renowned horse trainer thanks to her experience riding horses in the Middle Ages, and now, the cell needs her expertise to solve an even greater threat.
Merits: Merits can help to ground a monster in the world. This is especially true of Social Merits, however, every Merit builds some context around the monster’s identity. Look at Allies, Contacts, Mentors, Retainers, and Status less as game traits, and more as ripples. Every time something important happens to the monster, those other Storyteller characters have a chance of taking notice. If the monster goes missing, those dots immediately become potential consequences and branching threats.
On the other hand, Merits also represent areas of specialization. This can help hone a monster’s abilities, but may also put her in a completely different league from the cell. Sometimes, you might want this. But, be mindful of the potential ramifications. For example, a monster with numerous fighting style Merits can likely wipe the floor with a cell of hunters in single combat. So, if the cell likes to confront threats physically, think twice before overwhelming them with a creature they can’t hope to compete with.
Dread Powers: Most monsters possess Dread Powers. As a baseline, all but the weakest imps should have three dots or more between their Dread Powers. When crafting your monster, think about each individual Dread Power: what it means, how the monster uses it, and what it looks like in action.
The Dread Power system is designed to allow you to create any monster you want, so it’s largely neutral from an aesthetic standpoint. But, to make your monster punch, give specific details and requirements for Dread Power effects. What does the monster have to do to invoke her powers? Does she need to drop her blood on the ground? Does she sing a liturgy? Does she scrawl an eldritch language on the target? These sorts of details will give the cell jumping off points for research, and offer indirect methods to interfere with the monster’s machinations.
Template: Apply the template for your monster. Note her advantages and disadvantages. Does she somehow differ from the mainstream of her supernatural type?
Minor Monsters
These guidelines are included for bit part monsters, likely to only be seen in quick references, or acting as minions to greater threats.
Concept: This may or may not come into play. It’s worth noting, but will often just be their role in the story. For example, “devil’s minion” is a valid concept, and it could be the only way that character engages with the story.
Potency: The vast majority of bit part monsters will be Potency 1. In some rare cases, minions and minor monsters will be more potent, but be careful not to overwhelm the cell.
Aspirations: These are usually not worth defining in depth before bringing the monster into play. Some game effects will touch on Aspirations, at which time you can consider them. If you’re portraying a monster with an immediate goal, it’s worth considering that goal as an Aspiration, so the monster can take advantage of the short-term victory.
Virtue/Vice: Unless a game effect targets Virtue or Vice, like the Lucifuge Castigation Endowment, it’s not usually necessary to assign a Virtue or Vice to a bit part monster.
Attributes: For bit part monsters, it’s not always worth it to assign them full Attributes. Instead, you could opt to give them Power, Finesse, and Resistance scores. Finesse + Athletics determines the monster’s Defense. Size + Resistance determines base health levels. For most monsters, rating those traits at 2/3/4 is fine. Add a few points here and there to improve them, but remember that each such dot is three times more valuable than normal Attribute dots.
Skills: Most bit part monsters don’t need many Skills. One or two defining Skills should do fine. Just ask yourself what the monster needs, and rate it with the monster’s relative competency. For most bit parts, this should be between 2 to 4 dots. If the monster needs another Skill here or there, add them in at a single dot each.
Merits: Unless absolutely necessary, Merits don’t have a place on bit part monsters. If the immediate needs call for a Merit, add it. But otherwise, don’t bother.
Dread Powers: Not all bit part monsters need Dread Powers. Usually, the monster template offers enough basic abilities to make the monster monstrous. However, if one or two Dread Powers stand out as important, add them. You should also consider keeping their dot ratings on the lower side if possible, so the cell can resist or otherwise overcome them, and so higher priority monsters can excel in the same disciplines.
Creating Templates
When making monsters, you have more than just Dread Powers at your disposal. Monsters use templates, like the monster templates in the Storytelling chapter of Hunter: The Vigil. There are no hard rules for creating such templates, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
Natural Weapons: Most of the time, monsters draw the attention of hunters because they are dangerous to normal people. From a vampire’s fangs to a werewolf’s claws, natural weapons are a mainstay for many monster types. As a rule, natural weapons do not cost the monster to invoke. They may be persistent; it may require a reflexive or, in rare cases, an instant action to bring to bear.
If you want to give your monster natural weapons, consider the role you want them to play in the story. The simplest answer is to give them a damage modifier, so they can cause lethal damage. For small claws or the like, a zero damage lethal weapon should be fine. Larger claws might cause 1 or 2 levels of lethal damage. Massive tusks and other weapons incapable of normal concealment cause 3 lethal damage.
On the other hand, you may choose to offer less standard natural weapons. Key these off the monster’s Potency trait. For example, a monster may have a hemotoxin as a natural defense. Its Toxicity rating is equal to the monster’s Potency trait. Or, maybe the monster has a long, prehensile tail. When using the tail in compliment to his hands, he gains additional dice equal to his Potency.
Armor: Many monsters have natural armor ranging from scales or thick skin to crackling electricity on the surface of his skin. Divide armor between its normal rating and ballistic rating, however makes sense. If a monster can easily hide its armor, it offers 2 points to divide. If the armor could be hidden with extensive clothing, it offers 4 points to divide. If the armor is impossible to hide, it offers 6 points to divide. Two points can be removed from this total to make the armor cause a single point of lethal damage per turn to anyone touching the monster. Also, two points can be removed to make the monster inherently immune to one type of damage. For example, a djinn with fiery flesh may be immune to harm from fire.
Power Sources: Many monsters gain their Willpower from outside sources. For example, vampires drink blood. For these monsters, they only regain Willpower through the Drain Dread Power. They get the first dot of the power for free, and it’s catered to their specific form of consumption. Alternatively, they may not recover health levels on their own, and require draining victims.
Integrity: Some monsters have alternate forms of Integrity. Particularly with more murderous creatures, Integrity would leave them as ineffective, quivering messes very quickly. So when designing your monster, consider the types of behavior that would be considered unnatural for the monster to take. Those types of behaviors should become breaking points.
Common Dread Powers: It’s worth noting a short list of common Dread Powers for your supernatural creatures, and their page numbers. This way you can customize and flavor your individual specimens without flipping through the entire list of Dread Powers.
Defining Dread Powers: Some monsters will have inherent Dread Powers, by virtue of their very natures. Every instance of that monster possesses the power. For example, werewolves cease to be werewolves without shape-changing Dread Powers. In these cases, list what defining Dread Powers your monster possesses, and how many dots your average example has.
Other Features: Is your monster immune to mental intrusion? Can it not fall unconscious from damage? Does it suffer no harm from falling? Note these sorts of traits that are unique to your monster type.
Define Potency: Every monster has a Potency trait. However, every monster expresses Potency differently, even though they use the same basic mechanics. Define what Potency means for your monster; determine what differentiates the weak from the strong.
Flaws: Most monsters have flaws, bans, or other inherent limitations. These flaws tend to be stronger, the more powerful the monster. Any time a character takes advantage of a monster’s inherent flaws, the monster’s Potency trait adds to the effort. For example, when attacking a werewolf with a silver weapon, add its Potency trait to dice pools.
If your monster has a particular flaw, it should be something that could see play. If the cell wishes to uncover the monster’s flaw, an extended research action should suffice in most cases.
ADVANCED ANATHEMA
When creating important monsters using standard creation points, you may wish to give your monsters further Experience to reflect greater degrees of power, age, and potency. Use the following guidelines to determine how much you should give a more fearsome creature. Dread Powers cost two Experiences per dot in this model. Advanced monsters should also receive free dots in Potency to reflect their power.
| Description | Potency | Experiences |
|---|---|---|
| Around the Block | 1 | 5 |
| Rising Threat | 2 | 10 |
| Seasoned Beast | 3 | 15 |
| Elder Cretin | 4 | 25 |
| Urban Legend | 5 | 50 |
| Demigod | 6 | 100 |
Willpower
By default, monsters may only spend a single Willpower point per turn. This means that any Dread Power requiring multiple Willpower for activation requires multiple turns of preparation. However, with the Potency trait (see below), some monsters can bring terrible powers to fore in a moment’s notice.
Potency
The Potency trait reflects a particular intensity in a monster’s supernatural existence. All monsters have a Potency trait, and they receive the first dot for free. Potency is unlike most traits, in that it’s rated between one and ten dots.
Note: The Potency trait replaces the Potency Merit from p. 157 of Night Stalkers.
Advantages of Potency
While every monster type expresses Potency differently, these same basic mechanics cover them.
Willpower Capacity: Monsters have Willpower dots equal to their Resolve and Composure. However, they can store additional Willpower equal to their Potency trait. Unlike most characters, monsters can have more than ten points of Willpower available. However, they still can only have ten dots of Willpower. For example, a character with Resolve 4, Composure 4, and Potency 8 can access 16 points of Willpower, even though she only has the limited 10 dots of Willpower.
Willpower Expenditure: Normally, characters may only spend a single point of Willpower per turn, for whatever reason. So, a monster that spent Willpower to add to her Defense cannot use a Dread Power requiring Willpower in the same turn. However, monsters with more Potency can spend more Willpower. A monster may spend one point of Willpower in a turn per dot of Potency. This does not allow the monster to spend multiple Willpower points to bolster a single dice pool; it could allow the monster to spend Willpower to bolster a pool, increase her Defense, and fuel a Dread Power, for example.
Supernatural Capability: If a monster has six or more dots of Potency, her Attributes and Skills can rise to that level. So, a monster with seven dots of Potency could theoretically have Strength 7. At your discretion, monsters might have Dread Powers at more than five dots; see Advanced Dread Powers in the below section.
Supernatural Tolerance: Monsters are more resistant to the supernatural, by nature of their inherent affinities. Add the monster’s Potency dots to any contested roll to resist a supernatural power. At Storyteller discretion, this may include rolls to resist Endowments.
Drawbacks of Potency
As a monster becomes stronger, so does her flaws. Any time a flaw, ban, or other supernatural drawback is used against her, add the monster’s Potency dots to any relevant dice pools. For this reason, many monsters will develop Dread Powers and other defenses against their particular weaknesses, or at least to compensate for their deficiencies.
Types of Potency
Every type of monster has a different form of Potency. When creating your own monsters, consider what Potency means for them. These examples are presented as suggestions, more than hard rules.
Changelings — Wyrd: Changelings are tied to another plane of existence: a mysterious, fickle, and Arcadian place of dreams, whimsy, and nightmare. Those with low Wyrd are very grounded, and much closer to human. They look and act human at most times. Those with high Wyrd become alien creatures, barely recognizable from fairy tales made flesh. However, the mundane nature of cold iron acts as a bane to their otherworldly natures; attacks with cold iron add the Changeling’s Wyrd to their dice pools.
Demons — Primum: Demons do not have proper souls; they have Primum. Primum is the demonic force that fuels all their supernatural abilities, and maintains their mortal appearances. Demons with lower Primum remain in their human skins most of the time. Demons with great Primum have utterly monstrous true forms, and exude power casually.
Ghosts — Resonance: Ghosts resonate in the material world, and their Potency trait determines how much their essence can bring to bear. Ghosts with low Resonance are but wisps and echoes, barely noticeable except under rare conditions. Ghosts with massive Resonance appear as real as any person, and can touch the material without second thought.
Mummies — Sekhem: Mummies’s spirits keep them coming back from the dead. This is reflected in their Sekhem trait. A mummy with low Sekhem is falling apart, losing a battle against time and decay. A mummy with high Sekhem is vibrant, alive, more human than human. Oddly, many mummies arise from their tombs with massive Sekhem, and it degrades with time, unlike most Potency traits.
Sorcerers — Arcane: Wizards, witches, sorcerers, and ritual-ists possess a Potency trait called Arcane. This combines their raw knowledge, force of spirit, and fate. A sorcerer with low Arcane is only able to cast minor tricks and charms. A sorcerer with great Arcane can rend the fabric of reality with her will-working.
Vampires — Blood Potency: As vampires age, their blood thickens. They require more human blood to fully satiate themselves. A vampire will low Blood Potency is very close to human, only needing infrequent feeding to remain sated. A vampire with high Blood Potency becomes detached and inhuman, and will often hunt for highly-specialized blood to sate his palette. However, ancient monsters find stakes through the heart to be particularly dangerous, as their Potency adds to any such rolls.
Werewolves — Primal Urge: Werewolf existence is defined by a meeting place between human and wolf existence, with a ferocious in-between. Primal Urge pulls the werewolf away from humanity, and toward his bestial side. A werewolf with low Primal Urge likely only shapeshifts during the full moon, and maintains a human life. A werewolf with high Primal Urge is a consummate hunter, and exists only for the thrill of the kill. However, as the monster becomes stronger than the flesh, silver becomes ever more the bane. Attacks with silver weapons add the werewolf’s Primal Urge in dice.
Morality and Integrity
In this update, Hunter characters use Integrity from the God-Machine Chronicle Rules Update. Hunter characters can use these optional modifications as well.
Monsters Don’t Count
It’s worth consideration that, because Morality and Integrity track separate things, Integrity breaking points probably shouldn’t be ignored for killing monsters. Killing monsters takes its toll on the psyche, even for the most hardened hunters. At most, you should offer a bonus die on the breaking point if the monster looks inhuman, or two if the monster isn’t even recognizable as humanoid. But even with the most monstrous things, blood and viscera will shock human resolve.
Trigger Points
Trigger points can still exist. Replacing a breaking point with a trigger point can help a hunter stave off Integrity loss.
Derangements
Tells and Derangements adopted as part of Integrity can be adopted as Persistent Conditions. When those Conditions hinder the character in a meaningful way, they gain a Beat.