Way of the Imbued

Conviction

All of the Imbued have Conviction; it is imparted to them along with Virtues and edges when they are chosen.

Normal people and supernatural creatures do not possess Conviction. Indeed, the Trait can be used only in relation to hunters' Edges, to “fuel” those powers with a character's reserves; to resist influence and control by creatures' powers; and to heighten hunter senses to the presence of the supernatural. Imbued possess Willpower too, but that Trait cannot be applied to gain automatic successes or to accomplish any feat wherein Edges are concerned. Such effects are the exclusive functions of Conviction.

By contrast, Willpower applies when Imbued perform “mundane” actions such as jumping between buildings, lifting heavy objects or staying awake. Conviction has no effect over those efforts that the human body can accomplish all on its own.

Conviction Changes

When Imbued make contact with the supernatural and use their Edges, Conviction tends to rise and fall quickly. Spending a Conviction point or using an Edge, as explained below, is considered a reflexive action.

Spending Conviction

Conviction makes it possible for the Imbued to wage their war. Whereas normal people without it would be driven mad with fear by monsters or would be completely vulnerable to the supernatural, Conviction gives hunters a fighting chance. Spending one Conviction point bestows the following benefits on your character for the duration of the scene.

Note that if no Conviction is spent for your character, he receives none of these benefits and is considered a normal person for the purposes of supernatural effects. That means his mind, emotions and body can be controlled by monsters with such powers. That also means he's oblivious to, stupefied by or terrified by monsters’ appearance. The typical result is running in terror, rationalizing away the scene to make some mundane sense of it, or putting events completely out of mind as if they never happened.


Perception: The hunter is able to perceive supernatural entities that might not otherwise be visible to him. Hunters call this ability the second sight. Some monstrosities are easy to spot. Shapechangers in horrid man-beast forms are clearly not human. Shambling corpses out to feed on the emotions of hapless victims stand out clear as day — or night. Conviction isn't necessary to recognize the monsters that any person could see. However, a Conviction point allows your character to detect the presence of monsters hidden in his vicinity, where he can see naturally. For example, a creature using powers or magic to disguise itself or hide in plain sight becomes visible to your character.

Second Sight is also invaluable to the imbued in that it allows them to recognize all supernatural creatures as not human or not living in some way. The entries, below, expand upon this hunter vision, and detail the powers that come with second sight.
Spirits or ghosts present in the material world appear physical to your character. They may be obviously dead — burned, broken, decayed, wounded or dismembered, or they may look like perfectly ordinary people, but a hunter knows they are not natural. The recently dead are often difficult to distinguish from the living, especially if they bear no obvious deathmarks and wear modern clothes. Yet hunters with second sight recognize an unhealthy pallor, detect the scent of the grave or feel a cold breeze. Although these signs indicate the supernatural, they don't automatically reveal the true nature of the creature. Edges that specifically identify the supernatural may be required to actually recognize a restless spirit for what it is.
Spirits or beings that possess or hide within human hosts appear as images superimposed upon their human victims. Seeing a possessor doesn't immediately allow the hunter to harm the intruder, but he knows it's there.
Beings that masquerade as humans or that assume human appearance or form register as not human. The true (super)nature of the creature is not revealed — that's the purview of edges such as Discern, Witness and Illuminate — but the being comes across as inhuman. Perhaps your hunter gets a chill in the creature’s presence, the “person” shimmers strangely, a shadow is cast across it in broad daylight, or a horrific visage momentarily obscures its otherwise human face.

This sense for the inhuman applies even to those creatures that look like ordinary people in every conceivable way. A witch or warlock might be completely mortal and ostensibly indistinguishable from everyday people, yet a hunter with active second sight knows the person is wrong. A skinchanger in human form appears unremarkable, but stands out as unclean to hunters with second sight.

However, second sight does not explain or reveal how these human-seeming beings are “wrong.” Edges that distinguish among supernatural beings for what they really are required to know more about a subject.
Your character is immune to illusory powers. He can see through artificial hallucinations. Creatures attempting to hide in plain sight are completely obvious. If a creature creates a false image, sound, smell, taste or tactile surface — something that has no substance or is not genuine — it is clearly unreal to your character.
Self-Control: Supenaturally-imposed fear does not affect your character when you spend a point of Conviction. Horrific scenes of twisted man and creature, poltergeist activity or inexplicable imagery might be frightening, but they do no drive your character away involuntarily or deter his actions in any way.
Similarly, your character remembers his experiences with horrific creatures when his mind might otherwise shut out memories for sanity's sake. He carries on, but that doesn't mean the lingering images are any less disturbing or haunting.
Your character is immune to any form of supernatural mind or emotion control. His will cannot be overridden.
Efforts to control your character's body through force of will alone or to possess it in any way fail automatically.
Reacting With Conviction

Spending a point of Conviction in a scene helps protect your character from the powers, deceptions and control of monsters. However, it's costly and exhausting for a hunter to expend Conviction every time he enters a new locale or the scene changes. Not even crippling paranoia can sustain your character's Conviction supply when points are spent constantly.

Because stories about hunters who run in fear from the supernatural would be no fun to tell, Imbued have the option of using Conviction to react to monsters rather than always spending a point at the beginning of each scene. That is, you don't have to spend Conviction for your character to perceive or resist monsters in a scene until the moment of exposure. A glimmering shadow warns your hunter of danger. The lingering smell of the grave suggests the presence of the walking dead. Bizarre, errant thoughts signal mental intrusion by creatures that can manipulate minds. Whatever the warning or signal, hunters may react by using his second sight and defences to protect himself. For you, that means spending a point of Conviction when trouble is apparent, not knee-jerk with each new room or hour, based on the stimulus that warns of trouble — an educated guess, physical indications or a simple “danger sense.”

Allowing characters to activate second sight reactively to warning signs, rather than proactively as a constant defence, is up to the handler. It allows Imbued to reserve precious Conviction for when it's really needed, and can add an element of fear and chill to stories. Conviction reactions also allows the introduction of creatures without warning hunters; a ghost might lurk about the imbued but make no overtures and draw no attention to itself. Characters without active second sight probably don't see or sense the presence unless they call for a reaction. Who knows what the spirit can learn about or do to the hunters, just because players want to save their Conviction for when they think it's necessary?

If some hunters recognize supernatural danger (their reaction succeeds) and others don't (they fail), the handler decides if Conviction can be spent for all. Alert hunters may warn allies. However, supernatural activities may be too isolated, subtle or quick for “slow” hunters to respond. The result may be some imbued who can see and deal with the enemy, while others act like normal humans in monstrous presence — they probably run in fear, stand slack-jawed or become subject to hysteria. Such is the price of trying to preserve Conviction at the expense of safety.

Having said this, characters are still free to activate second sight and related defences at will, but reactive rolls do offer some kind of backup.
Detecting Fellow Imbued

Second sight does not indicate another imbued as anything other than human, unless the imbued plays his hand. No auras, flashes of power or strange images appear to an imbued looking upon one of his own, unless the subject activates an edge. Likewise, no power — not even Discern, Witness or Illuminate — reveals “inactive” hunters as such; they look perfectly normal to any chosen with these powers. Perhaps the only means by which they might sense each other's presence, that is when not demonstrating edges, is through the Awareness Ability, depending on the circumstances.

Most hunters insist on their humanity, despite their fantastic capabilities, and point to their “anonymity” to the sight as proof of it. They are not supernatural creatures, only blessed (or condemned) by some higher power, a mutation or by evolution, whatever is appropriate to their beliefs about hunter origins. Other imbued have trouble with such stark contrasts between themselves and their supernatural counterparts, and wonder where the line is really drawn.

The lack of any means to recognize fellow hunters means that the imbued must be proactive in searching for and identifying each other. They must make overtures to achieve contact or they overlook each other amid the defenceless.</li>
Lowered Defences

The protection offered hunters by Conviction allows them to wage their war against the supernatural, to remain above monsters' control and influence. Conviction can't be spent to protect a character all the time, though; points simply run out, and the hunter is left exhausted. Hunters, like all people, also have to sleep, and they’re just as vulnerable as everyone else when they do. If a hunter is ever exposed to supernatural mind, emotion or body control while his defences are down, he is subject to those powers as is any human.

Most influence powers have short-term effects; the creature controls or uses the vulnerable hunter's mind or body for a moment or a few minutes. The effect ends quickly. Other mind- or body-influence powers have long-term effects — they last for hours, days or even weeks. A defenceless hunter affected by one of these powers could suffer supernatural influence for some time. However, if a Conviction point is spent for the character during that period, one of two things can happen: Either the protection offered by Conviction breaks long-term supernatural control, and the hunter has complete self-control thereafter; or the character has complete self-control for the duration of the scene in which Conviction is spent. When that scene ends, the monster's mind or body influence resumes.

Imagine a ghost that climbs into a hunter's body while she sleeps, and that subtly manipulates her waking actions. Perhaps the ghost can even hide its presence for some time. However, when a Conviction point is spent for the character to activate her defenses for whatever reason and the ghost is suddenly ejected from the unwitting host. Imagine her horror!

Now imagine a bloodsucker that implants a suggestion in an unwitting hunter's mind (no Conviction has been spent to protect the character in that scene). The victim is commanded to leak information about fellow hunters via email, over a period of several days. During that time, a point of Conviction is spent for the character to activate second sight and protection against another monster. The infusion of energy keeps the character from revealing secrets for that scene. However, he resumes selling out his friends afterward.

They also have the option of alerting hunters to any unwitting supernatural influence when a Conviction point is spent. The sudden realization allows a character to get help or seek to free himself, even if outside control will resume when the current Conviction point “wears off.”

Consider the mole in the example above. He's been blindly revealing information about his hunter allies when a point of Conviction is spent for him to deal with an unrelated creature. The handler decides in the moment of clarity that the hunter recognizes his indiscretions of the past few days. Horrified, he realises he's under supernatural control but can't shake the enthrallment. Conviction can keep being spent to protect him, but the character's pool dries up eventually. He may also turn to fellow hunters for help, but will still seek to leak information when his Conviction runs out. Perhaps hunter allies have to lock up the character for his — and their — own good. Maybe they go in search of the character's tormentor, and must leave the victimized hunter behind as a potential liability.

The handler has complete freedom to decide how supernatural control or influence powers — especially long-term ones — interact with hunter's Conviction defences. You should certainly obey the guidelines of the opposing effects, but should err on the side of your story whenever in doubt. If a cool turn of events — and a traumatic revelation — comes from a clash of, say, mind control and Conviction use, run with it as long as the players have fun with the game.

Activating Edges

Conviction can also be spent to activate or power certain edges, usually potent ones.

Life of the Imbued

The Newly Imbued

The period following hunters' imbuing is perhaps the most difficult in all their new lives. Certainly, the months and perhaps years to follow will be filled with hardships, as days and nights are dedicated to stalking supernatural beasts, friends are lost in the struggle, family drifts away and hunters potentially lose life and limb. However, the challenges faced by a seasoned hunter don't compare to those dealt with by the newly imbued. The experienced hunter has been through his difficult formative stage. He believes he knows his purpose, he's aware of his weaknesses, he has tricks to use against the enemy, and he has back-up to call upon. The foundling hunter has none of these advantages.

The days, weeks and even months after a person's imbuing are what make or break him as a hunter. It's in this period that the chosen must come to grips with the twisted, corrupt world into which he has suddenly been reborn. Monsters are facts, not fantasy. They lurk in all the dark, hidden places where humans cannot or will not look. The creatures are in charge of society, politics, religion and culture. They pull the strings of pawns to ensure that their tainted vision of things comes to pass.

As much as the chosen tries to close his eyes and mind to what he's seen and knows, as much as he clings desperately to his hollow former life, he cannot deny the truth. Everywhere he looks — on the streets, in businesses, in church, in positions of power — are monsters hiding in shadows or disguised as ordinary people. They lurk, sneak and slither, playing their games with unwitting lives, and sating their hideous appetites on human fears and flesh.

Worst of all, the ignorant masses have no clue of the truth. Indeed, they're incapable of knowing, as subversive powers and crushing lies break the common person's ability to truly comprehend. Not even public displays of impossible powers or terrible beasts enlighten the herds. They simply turn away, or the hunter's effort at exposure is covered up, and his existence is made known to the real powers that be.

There's no one for the recently imbued to turn to, either. Family and friends try to tolerate his bizarre stories and behaviour, but they eventually grow concerned for his sanity. Co-workers look at him askance as he behaves maniacally and eventually stops showing up altogether.

If the hunter can bear the weight of his knowledge and the apparent futility of his existence, he may eventually realize that the only people he may turn to are others with the same burden. Surely, he cannot be the only one. His first option might be to look for the people who were there that fateful night, the ones who stayed and fought or negotiated or schemed. Perhaps the outsider goes in search of others of his kind by scouring the streets, leaving signs of his passing, searching newspapers for odd events, or surfing the Internet in hopes of finding information about his “condition.”

For most hunters, awareness of the awful truth can be ignored or resisted only so long before they must do something about it. Just as they could not turn away on the night of their imbuing, they must eventually turn their gaze upon what prowls the shadows. Sooner or later, whether in the company of fellow chosen or completely alone, a hunter sets out to oppose the creatures he witnesses. His intent may be to restore them to humanity to save himself, understand them so that he may understand himself, or wipe the monsters from the face of the Earth out of revenge for what's been done to him.

If a hunter is lucky, he may survive his first intended encounter with the supernatural. The lessons he learns teach him to be smart, cautious and resourceful. The result is a seasoned hunter who seeks salvation and protection for mankind and the world.

The Day After

The period immediately following the imbuing is easily the most difficult, for the imbued have innumerable questions and no answers. Yet the source of their fears — monsters — appear everywhere. You can describe the “downtime” between characters’ imbuing and their first traditional story in a couple of ways. You may explain the suffering her character endures as she tries to rationalize and reconcile the events of that night. Treat this session like an extended prelude, explaining how the character sees monsters repeatedly, despite her best efforts to ignore or avoid them. Allow them courses of action — what to do upon seeing another creature, whether to confess actions to family or the authorities, how to hold onto past life — but remind yourself that your character is still ostensibly a normal person; it may be too soon for butchery just yet.

The character becomes increasingly paranoid, afraid that the creatures can see her, too. She worries that the events of her change will come back to haunt her, that the police (or worse) will follow the trail back to her — and finish what she started.

Family and friends become worried, distant and perhaps even fade from the picture, whether the character realizes it or not. The mundane concerns of her former life — work, bills, appointments, and perhaps even house, car or classes — become meaningless in the bald face of the truth. Life as it used to be probably falls apart unless the character is a veritable rock and balances her past and present lifestyles (and you can create a decent enough character and story to convince others that this can be done at all). Ultimately, the player decides how bad things get for her character, based on the hunter's identity. It's up to you to make sure developments are realistic. Knowing that things rule the world, and maintaining old relationships and responsibilities may simply be incompatible.

Another approach to relating the decline of the newly imbued is in your initial stories. Perhaps the first episodes aren't as much about fighting the supernatural as they are about coming to terms with their existence. Monsters may never even appear in these sessions, at least not in a confrontational manner. Players simply roleplay their characters' decline and, perhaps, desperate union. Events at work seem meaningless. The boss gets irritable. The spouse or significant other wonders what's wrong, and then turns angry when the character can't pull out of her depression. Money gets tight. Food runs short. But all the while, there are monsters in the hidden places, watching, waiting. And then there are the voices, the half-glimpsed warnings and the terrible dreams that remind the character that obscenities rule the night.

I’ve Heard The Message

Contact from the Messengers declines sharply after a character's imbuing. The Heralds arrange all the elements that create their warrior, and then throw him to the wolves to see if he's worthy. That doesn't mean the Messengers are absolutely silent in hunters' early days, though. Rather, the Messengers act to deny newly imbued the chance to hide from the truth. Whereas one of the chosen tries to ignore what he did last week, the Heralds remind him in the form of more sensations, messages or images. The intent is to drag him out of his shell and make him struggle to survive.

A common Herald strategy is to make a hunter aware of a monster or suspicious circumstance so that the chosen feels compelled to investigate. A character reading a newspaper account of his own imbuing might witness, “So far, the police admit to having no leads in the bizarre events of Sep. 14th. Inspector Weitz THE PAWN OF DARKNESS SEARCHES FOR YOU is reported to have undisclosed theories about the perpetrators…” Of course, the otherworldly message disappears in the next moment, but the sign is enough to shake a character out of denial, especially with hint that he is not safe from incrimination or discovery.

Use such Messenger communication to inspire characters to act, even in their early days of the imbuing. If the authorities are in league with monsters, and those agents are in search of the characters, perhaps the imbued need to do something about it — whether go into hiding, seek aid from others present that night, or dig up something that can be used against the enemy. Here lies the stuff of your first true story.

Friends In Need

Ultimately, the newly imbued’s only comfort in his harrowing existence is other hunters, those who know what's going on, can support what he has seen, and can confirm that the initiate isn't insane. Most hunters are imbued in groups, the automatic makings for “platoons” of soldiers. Starting hunters probably turn to these people first in their organisation for the war. Perhaps the easiest way to find fellow imbued is to return to the “scene of the crime.” It may take days or nights, but hunters who want to find their fellows in misery are most likely to find them here, as others in the group have the same idea.

There are other means to locating hunters, though, and not necessarily ones imbued alongside a character. The hunter code of symbols is a language that comes intuitively to the chosen. Characters may not fully understand what they doodle, sketch or scribble at first, but the symbols take on meaning and significance in time, especially when novice hunters discover the same symbols spray-painted on urban walls, worked into logos and letterheads, or posted on websites. Hunters use these symbols to indicate their presence in a vicinity, sort of a “help wanted” sign for the imbued. Once a marker or call for help is recognized, it's only a matter of time before hunters warily encounter each other and perhaps even form an alliance.

Some suicidal or foolhardy imbued have been known to start the hunt right away, intent on understanding what they've become through trial by fire, or desperate to put an end to their suffering. The lucky aren't found by the enemy, but rather by other hunters performing their own patrols, perhaps even by those chosen who were present at the character's own imbuing.

The Messengers have also been known to reunite hunters created at the same scene. Separate visions, statements or compulsions delivered to each of the characters gives them reason to converge on the same place or to look into the same series of events. Suppose a child is murdered. All the characters had a connection to her — one as a teacher, one as a neighbour and one as a family member. The characters suspect foul play of the worst kind and start digging. Their efforts lead them to the same conclusions and to each other. When the same people converge as they did that first horrendous time, it seems clear that fate has something in store for them collectively.

And, of course, there's the Internet. The web eventually becomes the primary means of hunter communication as they use it to learn about the enemy and themselves. The hunter-net website is the foremost of hunter contact points, but is also just starting. Its designer, Witness1, founded the site and is well aware that it has been compromised by the very creatures that hunters stalk. Yet the site, and others like it, persists, despite even hacking and subversive intrusion. It's almost as if hunter sites have a life of their own on the net, where so much human consciousness, creativity and communication exists for all to share.

Newly imbued who log onto a hunter website find the salvation that they so desperately crave — proof that their experiences have been real (a revelation that certainly has a double edge). Although it's dangerous due to the possibility of setups or traps, hunters online can confer and join forces in their crusade, whether in the flesh or strictly through the electronic medium.

Regardless of how starting hunters find allies, if at all, once they find strength in numbers or strength in themselves, your chronicle can officially get under way.

Manifesting Other Edges

Imbued typically exhibit one or two Edges in the prelude. Hunters usually learn that they're capable of more feats in the days after the imbuing (a fact that only compounds their fear and confusion). You can incorporate discovery of these powers into your narrative of downtime events after the prelude, or you can work it into any preliminary short stories you tell.

Imbued can realise or discover that they're capable of still more feats through a variety of means. They may simply sense after the imbuing that further capabilities lie beneath the surface, just waiting to be called upon. Intense concentration, nightmares or preliminary hunting efforts may draw these edges forth. Powers can also manifest through accidents. Shock, sudden pain or emotional outbursts could trigger heretofore unknown capacities. Subsequent supernatural spectacles could inspire unexpected Edge effects. Suddenly seeing a creature in the workplace might activate a power despite a character’s ignorance of the ability. Whether he turns that power against the creature is up to him, but doing so publicly may have its own repercussions.

Even if a starting character has no more Edges at his disposal to discover, his known ones may still manifest under any of the above circumstances. Control and perhaps even mastery over Edges comes from experimenting with them to learn their parameters and limitations. A hunter who doesn't learn to control his Edges, like any weapon, is as much a danger to himself and defenceless people as he is to the enemy.

Of course, you may choose to take newly imbued characters from the frying pan and throw them into the fire. Unexpected edges may not develop — and old ones may not reappear — until characters take an active role against the supernatural. That is, you may keep characters in the dark about their capabilities, shedding light only when the hunters' lives are at stake; their powers manifest for survival purposes only. This approach teaches harsh lessons, but it also creates an intense mood of the unknown. Not only are hunters ignorant of the creatures in the world, but they remain largely ignorant of themselves. Imagine trying to make sense of a new reality when you can't even make sense of who or what you are.

Keeping Characters Together

When the Messengers imbue people, they don't scrutinise human interests, ethics or compatibility, they empower individuals who have the raw materials necessary to act against the unknown. The Heralds want weapons against humanity’s monstrous tormentors. Whether those “weapons” get along is irrelevant; the mission is all that matters.

Although the Messengers' unearthly perspective is cold and distant, the foundations of their presumptions are solid. Hunters need each other. The imbued are individuals, each of whom possesses certain powers to use against the night. Some chosen are able to recognize evil and discern it from good (or from the partially good, if such is possible among monsters). Others bring violent retribution against abominations. Still others raise up the deserving from the enemy horde to save them and perhaps even turn the former against the latter. Finally, certain hunters have the presence and insight to look beyond the night-to-night fray to understand who's winning the war, why it must be fought and in which direction it should be taken. Unfortunately, no single hunter possesses all of these abilities. No single hunter can wage the war himself and expect to contend with only the corrupt. No solo hunter can hope to separate all the penitent from the damned. No solitary hunter can hope to stem the tide by himself. Without this versatility, no single hunter can hope to survive without someone watching his back. There's strength in numbers. Together hunters stand, divided they fall.

Hunters also need to stick together because they must share their resources. People are chosen from all walks of life, with all kinds of skills, information and contacts. All of these resources must be called upon in the course of the hunt, and if imbued don't have them, they are vulnerable in their efforts against abominations. A hunter with friends among the police and perhaps even politicians is important for the influence he wields. A mechanic is invaluable for the transportation he provides, the quick-fix he can make to a get-away vehicle when zombie masses bear down, and for his potential to repair general equipment that might be damaged. A gang member is indispensable for her knowledge of the streets, the enemy’s court and killing grounds. She can also acquire weapons and knows how to use them. Any one of these people trying to hunt alone would not last long. Sooner or later, he or she would need access to skills, information or contacts that she does not possess, but that others do.

The Imbued also need each other for perhaps the simplest reason of all: a sense of belonging. Being imbued, knowing the truth of reality amid a sea of people who are blind to it, makes hunters outcasts, outsiders. Unless they previously lived all of their lives that way, the alienation they now experience is perhaps their greatest opponent. Monsters can be destroyed, but loneliness and self-defeat can be impossible to resist. Hunters therefore need to turn to each other, no matter how adept they become, no matter how potent their edges are. Monsters, death and isolation are still terrifying no matter how capable a hunter is. The chosen therefore stick together just to remind themselves of their inherent value and humanity.

Imbued who throw themselves headlong into their personal mission, though, ones who dismiss their vulnerability and live for the hunt alone, lose touch with their humanity. For some hunters this tendency occurs as a result of inbred nihilism or self-revulsion. Such behaviour was usually exhibited before, but now it's compounded to match the intensity of the World of Darkness revealed. Yet these characters are still human, despite what they may believe, and have some soft spot or glimmer of hope. Although these chosen may avoid human contact or working with other hunters, they tend to resign themselves to it sooner or later, even if other hunters must come to them.

Other imbued lose touch because they literally stop being human. A character whose primary Virtue score rises significantly high begins to embody the objectives and beliefs of the Messengers rather than his own identity. The process begins as high-Virtue Imbued develop derangements. However, when a character's primary-Virtue rating reaches 10, she is for all intents and purposes a machine of the cause. Previous values, loves, hopes and dreams no longer matter. Only the hunt and the precepts of the character’s primary Virtue are important. The character goes on to pursue the hunt according to the tenets of her Creed — Judge, perhaps — with the goals of her Virtue in mind — say, destroying the enemy — but does so by means that are unfathomable to “lesser” hunters. For this Judge, seeking the greatest good in a situation might mean killing people and monsters to ensure that the monsters are exterminated. After all, isn't the greatest good still accomplished for the human race as a whole? A Martyr with 10 Mercy might believe that everyone should give of themselves for the hunt, and she “volunteers” people to make sacrifices. An Innocent might turn his attention to all kinds of corruption, supernatural or otherwise. Perhaps ordinary people are no longer to be tolerated if their hearts and minds aren't in the right place.

Such an Extremist hunter only seems human anymore; his mind and soul are beyond. Indeed, he is so far gone that other hunters might feel the need to put him down like the rest of the unknown. Such a character becomes a virtual narrative tool, a possible enemy for other characters, a mystery as to what lies at the extremes of hunter obsession, and as a warning of what lengths not to go to. However, if you think you are up to the challenge of roleplaying such a character realistically and compellingly, it can be left in your hands. The tension that results with other troupe characters is certainly dramatic as they try to rationalise or reconcile with the wacko among them, and he simply tries to comprehend them (or doesn't try at all).

So what is the lesson extremists teach to other hunters? Remain grounded. Remember who and what you hunt for, and don’t lose sight of those values. Above all, retain your humanity. Stay among people to remember humility. And stay among fellow hunters to make sure that others learn those lessons, too.

So when tensions among characters rise over decisions, goals, race, culture, gender, gender preference or just basic values, remind characters of why they need to stick together. Confront individual hunters with monsters that they can't deal with alone. Maybe the key to confronting that thing is information or an ability possessed by another group member. A reunion could be in order. Painful isolation and despair might be too much for separated hunters to bear. The death of a family member could bring home the point that a hunter really can't go home again, at least not to his “natural” home. His adopted one may be another story. Or, a loner hunter might cross paths with a true Extremist among the imbued, a hunter with a vision for the war that's so warped that it's incomprehensible to the character. There might be comfort in the wacko’s company for a little while, but when unacceptable prices are demanded of the character or defenceless people, “former” allies may not seem so bad. In fact, they may be needed to confront this lunatic.

Keeping hunter characters together throughout your chronicle really isn't much of a problem, then. Players and characters tend to recognize the need for alliances when they glimpse the abyss that is conducting the hunt alone. The larger world proves more dangerous and daunting than do the simple differences posed by other imbued.

Introducing New Hunters

Sooner or later, players' characters are driven off, made invalids, debilitated emotionally or mentally, or killed. It's a fact of hunter life — and death. That means players create new characters. New players might also join your troupe. In either case, you need to introduce new characters. Fortunately, the Imbued have no experience levels or relative power factors to consider among characters; monsters are sufficiently pervasive that all kinds are encountered everywhere. Imbued don't pick and choose targets with which to contend based on the challenge (well, most don't anyway). They respond to all creatures, some of which are mindless or weak, others of which are potent and deadly. The point is, in a reality of ages-old evil incarnate, the truly powerful among the enemy are a threat to all hunters, regardless of Edges possessed or information known.

So introduce new hunters to your chronicle whenever you like or need. If there are experienced imbued in the group, they can teach newcomers everything they need to know. After that, it's up to each hunter to persevere and survive.

New characters can have been imbued apart from the rest of the group and meet with the others in the simple course of the story. He may meet the group while attempting his own hunting efforts. Or maybe the newcomer searches for others of his kind and happens upon the group, which has been at the hunt for some time. He may even have learned the arts of war himself and has something to offer would-be allies.

The most dramatic way to introduce a new character to your game is through a spontaneous imbuing. The Messengers awaken a normal human in the presence of the other players’ characters, and in the vicinity of a monster or more. This kind of welcome is exciting because the new character is subjected to truths about the real world that most imbued take weeks or months to experience; the new hunter is born to a built-in support group that can educate, shepherd and direct him. Here's a chance for battle-weary hunters to ease a person into the reality that they were thrown into so callously. Here’s an opportunity to gain a new ally with untold skills and contributions. Here’s a chance to turn to yet someone else who will one day understand what hunters must deal with, and who can help support those who came before.

Of course, not all acting hunters want to initiate a newly imbued. The stranger might seem a liability rather than a boon. Existing characters might suggest that the newcomer ignore and forget everything he sees and hears in order to hold onto his former life. The recently chosen hunter may therefore not join the established group for a while. However, the compelling facts of the true World of Darkness inevitably motivate the new character to understand what's happened to him and his surroundings. The newly imbued probably comes back to the characters as his only hope in desperate times. Even the most jaded of hunters is hard pressed to resist such a needy case. Or the spurned character might even set out on his own and survive. He becomes an accomplished hunter in his own right, and it's only a matter of time before he runs into those who once denied him. He can savour the poetic justice when the others now need his help, or he can swallow his pride when he must still solicit the aid of his previous detractors.

An initiate isn't necessarily the only one moved and affected by a surprise imbuing, one that occurs within an existing chronicle. Witnessing an awakening can spark memories and rekindle emotions that even a hardened hunter may have thought buried. The shock, revulsion, fervour, compassion, dismay and confusion that a newly imbued character displays may force existing characters to recall their own preludes. You could even recreate and roleplay scenes from characters' previous lives, past episodes that the transformation calls up. Trained hunters might believe themselves facing the same creature that brought about their own change, only to recognize it afterward as a different monster — and to realize that a new hunter has been created. The feelings and memories dredged up might even compel characters to take the newly imbued under their wing; an undeniable bond is formed by all the characters' awakening. Maybe the new character has a mentor in the form of one or more fellow characters. The potential for dramatic roleplaying in a spontaneous imbuing is enormous. Make the most of it for all players and characters, new and old.

Developing New Edges

When characters immerse themselves in the hunt and live to tell the tale, they inevitably gain more Virtue points, and therefore more edges. Virtue points have no obvious bearing on the mechanics of the game or on the personality of a character until she acquires a very high score in her primary Trait and becomes less human, more a vessel for the Messengers. Edges, on the other hand, are clear and obvious manifestations of acquiring authority and capability in the hunt. But because new edges are not trained for, researched or taught — how do characters get them and know the powers are in their possession?

Edges are the direct result of advancing the Messengers’ purpose in the war against the supernatural. As a character’s Virtue ratings rise, she may gain new and varied Edges. The player may choose how to spend his character's Virtue points, but the character herself asks for no new powers. Nor does she implore the Heralds to bestow new capabilities upon her. In story terms, new Edges are simply handed down to hunters by the enigmatic Messengers. It's up to a character to discover her new resources and to learn to master them.

Characters can recognize new edges in the same ways that they discover all of their powers after the imbuing. The means by which new edges appear and are discovered depends on the nature of your story or chronicle, and the identity of the character in question. A trauma such as a barely averted car accident might trigger a power never displayed before. An unexpected or emotional monster confrontation, say with a family member, might activate a new power. The simple act of carrying out the hunt may suddenly put a new weapon at a character's disposal. The paranoia theme of your chronicle may suggest that a power develops after a series of unprecedented Messenger-imposed visions, all portraying the hunter becoming something more than human; these intrusive beings are out to get the character, and here's physical proof.

After deciding how to introduce a character’s new power, consider when it appears. A player chooses what new Edge he'd like his character to have, but she exhibits that power only when necessary. New Edges may manifest during downtime, between stories. The development occurs almost as an afterthought: “In the days that follow, you notice your vision gains some kind of clarity, as if you can sec details that not even second sight reveals.” By the time the next story begins, the character has fully developed her new Edge.

Or new powers may arise during the events of a story. Introducing powers in this way can be treated much like the initial power that a hunter wields at her imbuing. The capability can activate on its own, triggered unconsciously. The character suddenly finds herself able to use and control it. Alternatively, the character uses the power unwittingly and only realizes what's happened after the events surrounding the activation settle. Whether a hunter is frightened by the manifestation of a new capability is up to her identity and roleplaying. However, at this stage in a character's hunting career, the appearance of new powers is evidence that unseen forces are still at work and a greater struggle remains to be fought. New powers are probably not as traumatizing as they were during the imbuing itself.

If you want, new Edges can require training and practice before a character can use them automatically or with precision. Like any skill, using Edges takes effort and training. It may be some time before a character demonstrates complete control over an Edge.

The Spice of Life

Let's face it. Given the chance, we'd all like to take a peak at test answers before an exam, or see our own performance-review notes before meeting with the boss. Players are like that, too, only their sneak peeks are taken at articles which reveal the secrets of monsters, their powers and their weaknesses. Unfortunately, doing so eliminates the charm of playing a hunter awoken to a new world; players know things their characters don’t. The extreme of this condition is players who know the other games, and all of monsters’ capabilities. It can be difficult for these players to separate player knowledge from character knowledge: “I know that's a vampire, not a zombie as everyone is leading me to believe.”

Players who possess too much information but play along with you can still enjoy playing an Imbued hunter. They play dumb and enjoy the naiveté of their characters. The ones who don’t play along ruin the game for everyone by announcing their forbidden knowledge: “Look out, it's a feral vampire, not a werewolf!”

The Full Story Spectrum

The typical hunter identity quickly lends itself to violence. The most common and easier response to the supernatural is to fight it, and flee if it can’t be beaten. A lot of hunters, especially Zealots, concentrate on hit-and-run tactics, mainly because they operate with the notion that all creatures are inhuman by default and must be destroyed. However, not all monsters have forgotten their once-mortal existence, and some may actually sympathise with mankind even as they are forced to prey upon it. Likewise, not all hunters want to destroy everything they come across; the Merciful and Visionary often want to understand and help night creatures. There is therefore a spectrum of hunter mentality and activity, with violence simply at one end.

Why, then, let all your plots involving Imbued devolve into body-armour-and-shell-casing extravaganzas? There are so many other tales to tell, based on mystery, investigation, drama, human values, passion and maybe even love. Sure, emptying clips makes for exciting scenes, but relentless violence becomes boring. The success of a chronicle rests on combining and mixing events so that al the stories under the rainbow can be told. A lot of investigation and research makes an action scene all the more rewarding when characters have worked toward staging it. Bullets might not help when loved ones are the targets. And kicking ass holds no thrill when the characters are just as merciless as their opponents.

Hunter Code

Upon their imbuing, hunters are bequeathed an intuitive means of communication that transcends any conventional language or dialect. The Messengers instil an understanding, knowledge and sense of application for a series of meaningful symbols. Hunters call this code “the Word.” They commonly interpret it and their inexplicable awareness of it as angelic script; an unconscious connection to a previous or lost human culture; or as the receipt of aliens' means of communication, perhaps making the imbued ambassadors of some kind. Ultimately, innate recognition and ability to use these icons is as mysterious as the imbuing and Heralds themselves, and all hunters seek their own answers to what this form of dialogue truly means.

Intuitive understanding of the Word is not necessarily compulsion to use it. A hunter doesn't feel an irresistible urge to scrawl archaic or mystic-seeming symbols. Rather, when hunters seek to reach out to each other, perhaps to find anyone like themselves or to offer a warning to others, these symbols emerge as a natural means to convey the message. Of course, hunters could simply use their existing languages to communicate: “I destroy the unknown. Am I alone?” or “Caution: This place is infested with monsters.” However, doing so would play their hand to the enemy and leave them vulnerable. It wouldn't be long before monsters tracked down such expressive graffiti artists or pamphlet authors (perhaps such danger is the greatest weakness of hunter-net and similar email lists).

Only hunters seem to understand the Word, and that is its strength. Thus far, there's no indication to suggest that monsters can interpret messages scrawled on subway walls or tenement halls. The symbols have also appeared online, apparently drawn, scanned and posted as communiqués to other imbued, so humanity in general and monsters in particular have witnessed the signs, with no apparent repercussions. Presumably the images are interpreted or dismissed as art or graphics of some kind. Apparently, not even hunters who have fallen to the will of monsters have revealed the key to the Word, as if it’s beyond creatures' comprehension or even notice.

It might be possible for a hunter to reveal or teach the Word to the enemy or normal people. So far, no one has been known to try. Doing so would compromise all imbued and the war effort as a whole. Many hunters fear that it's only a matter of time before their code is broken and used against them. But until that day, they carry on and put their trust or faith in the discretion of their allies.

Graffiti is by far the most common means of using the hunter code. Imbued leave the Word for each other in various urban settings, typically where such “artwork” goes unnoticed by the masses, and where it is left unmolested by the authorities. Drawing symbols on upscale buildings not only risks arrest for vandalism, but the signs are usually covered up or erased quickly. Signs are most common in low-income urban areas — where, perhaps, they're needed most: where monsters stalk prey with impunity.

Hunter code has its shortcomings, though. Images can be used individually or in combination — typically up to three icons — to make a simple statement: "Protected"; "Safe Haven"; "Monster, Infested"; "Danger, Puppet, Corruption." But that brevity and the resulting subjectivity to interpretation makes the code cryptic. "'Danger'? From what? According to whom?" The result is uncertainty in communication between hunters. But many of the Imbued believe a vague warning to be better than none at all.

No one currently knows if all icons used by hunters are known universally, or if some symbols are the exclusive province of certain groups.

Hunting Gear

You want to take on a bloodsucker with your pocket knife? If you must deal with the walking dead, there are better ways to die.

The biggest difference between experienced and novice hunters generally comes down to equipment. Sure, you can turn to your Edges (if you care to put your faith in weird abilities granted by some unseen hand), but when the chips are down, a prepared hunter survives by his own skills and wits. Cocky hunters, inexperienced hunters, unequipped hunters... well, by now you should know what happens to them.

The Hunter’s Reparatory

When stocking up, there are two major axioms to remember. Unfortunately, they conflict. A hunter's gear must be complete, so that any situation can be faced. However, it must also be portable — fighting man-beasts can't happen when the weight of your gear makes movement impossible. Every good hunter learns to strike a bargain between these two extremes. The best trade-off is to go for multiple utility: portable items that can perform lots of different jobs.

It's no surprise that many hunters adopt a paramilitary style. Military gear makes for a great way to carry lots of survival equipment and weaponry, all with a couple of surplus holsters, rucksacks and harnesses. Your appearance can be intimidating; you're clearly prepared for action and may possess an array of military training. But this sort of appearance can also mark you as a wacko, or it can advertise your intentions. Not only are police suspicious of you, but the enemy may well see you coming and prepare a welcome.

There's a lot to be said for subtlety, for looking like a normal person and avoiding attention. Street clothes or tailored suits, combined with concealed firearms, go a long way toward letting you get close to your quarry. The walking dead don't exactly pay attention to you when you look like another member of the herd. Unfortunately, the cops are more discerning. They tend to notice trench coats in July. If you're wise, you scout out the enemy without attracting attention, and then call in the backup with the artillery.

Some hunters invest a lot of religious significance to the mission. “God made me who I am today.” “Allah speaks and we must heed.” To each his own. Just don't wear your faith on your sleeve. There's no evidence to suggest that faith or religious symbols have any impact on monsters. Sure, there are stories of fanatics who’ve turned creatures back with an icon or religious sign, but there are more stories of hunters trying and paying the price. We imbued don't know who imbued us, regardless of what any group believes, so put your faith in yourself as much as in any divinity.

We operate mostly out of necessity. You may have already cleaned out your bank account for the hunt, and now you can't afford gear. You may be in a hurry; the enemy doesn't wait around till you're ready and fully supplied. Or you may always be on the lookout for trouble, but you can't load yourself down at all times. That's when a duffel bag and a few essentials are your best friends. It can suck, and you can get caught short, but it beats going overburdened or unarmed. Recommended items are a variety of small firearms, spare ammo, a couple of hand-held weapons (knives, maybe a hatchet), a floodlight and small flashlight, spare batteries, a first-aid kit, a hammer, pliers and, strangely enough, candy bars and some sports drinks. You never know when you'll hole up to observe a creature; the sugar rush will keep you going.

A couple of tips for novices: Get some sort of body armour. Odds are your prey can take a lot mote bullets than you can. Carry at least two weapons, since you'll undoubtedly lose one or discover it does no good. Carry ready cash. (You expect to get mugged?) If you suddenly need to get on that bus or rent a car or whatever, you need cash. Avoid notice. Run if you're recognized. Know the area so you know where to hide. You can strike back whenever you're ready. Never hunt without prep work. You'll die without achieving any of your goals.

Guns, Guns, Guns

Nothing evens up the odds like a piece. The enemy may he able to change shapes, hide in people's bodies or claw you open, but a bullet makes a statement — and from a distance. Your target may not skip a beat, but if you're smart enough to come with friends, you might do some collective damage.

Yet there are drawbacks to relying on guns. They may not make a scratch, or they might blow a hole wide enough to climb through, without slowing your opponent a step. Ghosts don't seem to give a damn about firearms. Possession victims don't know enough to care, and its the victim, not the controller, who gets killed. Meanwhile, zombies are killing machines, plain and simple. They don't stop for anything. Don't expect a piece to do the job. You'll get killed for it — or worse, someone else will.

Guns attract attention. Once a firefight breaks out, cops aren’t far behind. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing. Seems that some monsters don’t want to show their hand, which means they're quick to flee the scene. But if you're intent on finishing one off, that means you have to chase it. Just make sure the hunt remains on your terms, not your target’s.

Don't get caught by the cops. They won't understand. They won't sympathize. Some are okay. Some are crooked. Some are under the enemy's thumb. They'll all throw your ass in jail. They'll interrogate you. They'll demand to know what you were doing, who you were shooting at, and who else was involved. They won't believe you about monsters, but they will believe you about your allies. Don't rat them out. If the cops are controlled by the enemy, you guarantee your friends' deaths.

Guns leave a paper trail if you get them legally, and they're a sure ticket to prison otherwise. If a few rounds don't find the target, they're an investigator's dotted line. They'll connect the dots to your gun, and then to you.

Getting a gun at all can be difficult and expensive. You could lack the connections or you might be in a hurry and unable to wait for registration. In places outside the U.S., like Canada and Japan, gun laws are even more strict. You're screwed.

If you can get a piece, know what you need. If you want to shred a zombie, you need something hefty. A 9mm isn't going to piss off something that's already dead. If your opposition is people who've been subverted, a concealable and readily available small-calibre weapon is the way to go. Don't bother with rifles unless you're creating a setup (it's not like you can run around the streets at night with a hunting rifle). Should you be dumb enough to “go fishing,” by all means bring a rifle, and remember that .22 long-rifle rounds are about the most common ammunition available. If you wear a trench coat, the sawed-off shotgun is your best friend: concealable, but able to take out almost anything — and at short range.

About firearm accessories: laser sights, night vision and suppressers arc all great. They're also expensive, and they show that you're a pro (or trying to be one). Since odds are that nobody believes you're hunting zombies, that means professional hitman. Don't go overboard. A laser sight, scope or other piece of high-tech wizardry can quickly reduce the concealability and manoeuvrability of a weapon; factor in these losses when counting the possible gains.

Military Weapons and Explosives

Hunters aren't the military. They're normal people who stand up, once and for all. They don't have any official training. That said, don't try to use military weapons, even if you can get them. Supply officers keep meticulous records of everything from paper clips to MlA2s, so you will get caught. Thirty rounds of 5.56mm NATO in six seconds may sound like a good idea, but automatic weapons are designed to suppress multiple enemies and force them to stay down, not to rip an entire clip into a lone target. If you haven't served a military stint, you won't be able to handle the recoil from an automatic weapon, anyway.

The only automatic weapon worth recommending is the submachine gun. Most guns in this class can be concealed with some effort. You can control them. They're easy to service. And they're available commercially (if you take the time to convert them to automatic fire). Still, save them for the parties with lots of goons. A full-automatic weapon is a waste of time against a lone enemy.

Explosives are just plain dumb: You might kill the target, but you will kill other people, quite possibly yourself and your allies. If you think local police are bad, wait until you deal with federal special task forces hunting you for using demolitions. Once you go down that road (and some wackos have), your partners may have to turn their attention on you.

Chop Chop

Nine rounds from a .357 Desert Eagle and the damn thing is still coming — and laughing! Sometimes bullets don't do the trick, but you still have to, so you have to get medieval. That means getting face to whatever-they-call-face. That means knives, axes, machetes or even swords — whatever the hell will drive the thing back into the grave.

Most hand weapons are easy to conceal, like many versatile firearms. A knife or hatchet can fit almost anywhere on your body. But is that enough? Using one of these means getting within inches of the enemy. A machete or sword has a lot more heft to it, and lends some distance, but you can't hide those things, so plan accordingly. Take a blade only when you know you can get away with it: in ambushes, setups or traps. Hide it somewhere in the area, somewhere you know you'll be and where you know you can get at it: in some bushes, in a trash can or a dumpster. Walking down the street with a sword only draws the worst kind of attention.

A well-made bladed weapon is heavy. Modern construction techniques can make swords that are relatively light and strong, but swinging around three feet of steel is exhausting. You don't want to wear yourself down in the process of taking out the enemy.

Fortunately, big blades do seem to cause considerable distress for goons. Most seem to prefer to keep limbs, even when they can grow back. Keep a cavalry sabre or machete in the garage. It could come in handy.

Fire!

Hunters with a little experience — who've survived a brush with the things out there — quickly discover that fire is a universal weapon. Monsters aren't human or natural, but they fear fire like everyone and everything else.

The trick is controlling fire; turning it on the enemy without getting burned. Acetylene torches, flamethrowers, heating coils, lighters and aerosol sprays all have potential, but fire tends to get out of hand. Not a big issue when a house is full of goons, but burning down an entire apartment complex is going too far.

A makeshift (or real) blowtorch creates a controlled blast. Aerosol spray cans offer a quick burst, but are dangerous (they can explode in your hands) and don't inflict that much damage. A real blowtorch is better, and you can acquire one from most hardware supply stores without questions. Put a line of fire down on a zombie and it's guaranteed to panic. There are all the theological or philosophical implications of the purifying flame, too, but that's all crap.

Unlike guns, fire has to be used at short range. Real flame-throwers don't shoot a simple stream of flame; they create waves of fire. If you can't afford everything to go up in flames around you, you have to be in close. Fire is best used to finish something off or, in desperate circumstances, to destroy a wounded opponent or keep a feisty one back. Make sure that the thing is dust when you're done, too. Some goons come back when you least expect it.

Vehicles

Hunters don't ask for their new lives, or second sight or Edges, but they have them, and for most, the call to use them is irresistible. Some hunters protect designated areas, often their homes and neighbourhoods. Others prefer to travel in search of the enemy, maybe because they have no homes left. No matter how you carry out the fight, sooner or later you will have to go in pursuit of the enemy. That means transportation.

Travelling by air is difficult at best for hunters. If you're lucky, you can equip yourself at your destination, so you can climb on board without any incriminating weapons or tools (assuming you can bear going unarmed that long, and that one of them isn't on board). More likely, you resort to slower, safer methods of travel, such as the train or boat or car. The last is your best bet; you don't have to make any non-essential stops, and the fewer defenceless around you, the better.

Most hunters resort to whatever vehicles they possessed before, be it a motorcycle, a beat-up old car or a rig. In the long run, surviving the road on a motorcycle is impossible; you can't store everything you need and you're completely exposed. Cargo haulers are too conspicuous and too expensive, even if all your allies can crash in them if need be. Compact cars don't have the cargo capacity. A bunch of guns can fit in the trunk of a car, but what about a body? You may not have the luxury of a home or hotel room, so everything you need (or need to dispose of) has to travel with you.

A truck, van or station wagon is ideal. Station wagons ate relatively cheap; the old Volvos are built like tanks. That kind of sturdiness is perfect for a firefight or chase. Don't expect any pickup, though. More likely, you'll be the one getting chased. That's when someone climbs in back and pulls out the artillery. Nobody ever notices the “beat up family car,” either, so a station wagon makes for a decent transport when searching for infested sites.

Vans can move a group of hunters, their gear and maybe even a prisoner. The typical van has about as much kick as a station wagon, though, and handles like an ox. A van is ideal for abduction, surveillance or assault, but not so good for rapid response or chases. However, beware those old, beat-up, rusted out piles of crap; they look like serial-killer or child-molester vans and attract attention — especially when they sit for days at a time in a neighbourhood or near a schoolyard.

Trucks offer enough space to carry all of your gear for living on the road, and they have pretty good handling and power. They can also look intimidating without necessarily standing out in people's minds. The main problem with trucks is they're trendy. Single-child couples and punk kids love them, which also drives up the price. Don't mess with a new, shiny truck. What's the point of keeping it pretty? Go for a used one with a camper shell to keep all your gear dry. You can even keep a dog in back, to help keep watch for what might visit in the night.

No matter what kind of vehicle you use, the most important tip is: Keep it running. If you don't know shit about engines, get to know people who do. You want that engine to start every time, especially when bloodsuckers are on your ass. You might even get a few extras, like a spare gas tank, built in for emergencies.

Use Your Brain

You're just an ordinary person suddenly thrust into very unordinary circumstances. You don't know what to make of yourself or the world as it really seems to be, let alone how to get your hands on weapons and vehicles. All hunters go shorthanded at some time or another. Maybe that's why the Heralds give them the abilities they do. But you can't always rely on your gifts, either; few hunters seem capable of going it alone, not even with the tricks they have up their sleeves. However, there's one weapon that all imbued possess that can never be taken away: imagination. Don't have what you need? Fake it.

The first rule of improvisation: Nothing is sacred. You're fighting goddamn monsters to save the lives of everyone you know. Property, memorabilia, and often the law don't mean shit! Larceny isn't a crime when committed in the prevention of offences to nature. A priceless antique or heirloom isn't worth a hunter's life. Use whatever is at hand; don't hesitate to break, steal or destroy something when the situation demands it. The trick is ensuring that the need is commensurate to the act. Don't destroy homes or sacrifice lives. Otherwise, when you're under the gun, almost anything goes.

The second rule: Think sideways. A fireplace poker makes a decent weapon, but it can also be used to wedge a door shut, break open a window and clear out the glass, or hook an out-of-reach object. A pipe or board not only works as a bludgeon, but can also keep some goons at arm's length, or serve as a makeshift step when jammed against a wall. Don't think in terms of the tool you need. Think about what you want to do, and then look around and see what can be used to do it.

A clever hunter can't be restricted to the intended uses of objects. You have some tools, but not always the right ones. If you need to get attention, you can get it with a gun without hurting anyone. When you need to lower yourself down a hole, use your trench coat as a “rope.” You must devise your own uses for every item. It could mean your life.

The third rule: Learn. A trick can work more than once. If you notice that some kinds of enemies have the same tricks, develop your own responses. If a tool proves effective for completely unintended uses, keep using it. You can also learn from your allies. Other hunters have tricks of their own that all can use. Just hope the enemy doesn't catch on.

Getting The Goods

Hunters need weapons. Weapons aren’t cheap, and they often aren’t legal. Many of the other tools that hunters use - lockpicks, explosives, body armour - fall into similarly questionable categories. That makes acquisition a top priority, but a difficult one. Some imbued are fortunate enough to have their own stockpiles of material from before. For most, a handgun and a pocket knife are the extent of prior weapons experience. You basically have three routes to securing gear: retail, government or crime.

Over The Counter

Lots of useful material is available retail, if you look in the right places. Local ordinances may prohibit the sale of particular weapons and devices; fully automatic weapons are difficult to procure in the United States, and are straight-up illegal elsewhere. Still, most localities sell hunting rifles (of the mundane variety), and some hunters discover that mail order is a direct line to God. Paper trails are a bitch, though: Most over-the-counter weaponry and armour require some sort of registration. Even mail-order supplies can be traced. Your best bet is to have material sent to a post-office box under an assumed name, and to close it up quickly afterward.

Retail stores generally carry fairly straightforward supplies: knapsacks, rifles, knives. Specialty shops are a necessity for more esoteric gear such as silencer kits, body armour and swords (it’s especially difficult to find battle-ready blades; look for full tang and high-tension spring steel). Military surplus and subtle mail order are really the way to go.

Government Supplies

If you’re fortunate enough to have contacts in the right branches of the military or police, you can get guns relatively easily. Drugs, armour and “special devices” are even possible, with access to an evidence room or high-ranking officer. Since the government likes to keep a monopoly on the use of deadly force, you’d expect many hunters to resort to government sources for gear.

Truth is, the government is a hunter’s enemy. Local police forces don’t’ care whether a dead goon was a zombie or a Martian. All they know is that they have a dead body and a maniac using bizarre weapons. Some government agencies are suspected of covering for the opposition, either as part of the government’s agenda or because they’ve been subverted by the enemy. Even for a hunter fortunate enough to count friends among the authorities, there’s no easy way to get the goods: Government groups tend to keep meticulous track of all of their materials, right down to wrenches. The rule of thumb is, if a government contract can’t be coerced into supplying through family ties, loyalty or friendship, she can’t be trusted. If you can buy her, so can anyone else. Don’t trust the government!

Of course, not all governments are so tightfisted (although they’re all corrupted by monsters). If a country’s economy is bad or torn by political upheaval or war, just about anything can be for sale, even by the powers that be themselves. Mexico is an infamous source of guns in North America, and is frequently travelled by resourceful hunters.

The only real problem with getting goods from these places is that first-world nations typically have first-class customs officials, so smuggling becomes a necessity. A few simple tips: Never smuggle a weapon through an airport unless it’s disassembled and the pieces are in separate bags. Never smuggle in bulks without a deal with the local criminal organisations; they will know about it. And never assume the enemy is ignorant of smuggling movements, even if foreign or domestic governments never find out.

Crime Does Pay

Every hunter steps outside the law at some point. Once you accept that, it’s just a matter of deciding how far to go. Dedicated hunters understand that there’s a line that can’t be crossed, and most won’t resort to kidnapping or the murder of normal people in the name of the cause. Yet, hunters are no angels; the imbued seem to emerge from all social classes and professions, criminals included. Once these people dedicate themselves to the hunt, they can prove to be assets. They have the contacts and know-how to acquire illegal goods.

The biggest hurdle to dealing with criminal organisations is getting inside. Organised crime works because everybody knows everybody else. Drug dealers sell to people they know. Same goes for guns, information or “services.” Even freelancers know go-betweens who investigate prospective deals. Smart criminals minimise their exposure to setups and screw-ups; the dumb ones aren’t worth dealing with. Dealing with criminals therefore means establishing a name for yourself, and that requires an introduction.

Arranging a meeting takes time. Those who don’t already have ties to “the family” or the local syndicate have to start at the bottom, with the local hoods. Try the vice rings and parts of the organisation most likely to be raided - the expendable parts. The scum of the Earth are a protective layer that you must penetrate to get to the top. It takes lots of cash or the willingness to make deals or even compromise your values for the greater good. Big-time players don’t waste time selling to penny-ante religious martyrs with a cause. They want something in return - a rival knocked off, a drug ring shut down, perhaps even a robbery staged.

Once you’re “inside,” all kinds of materials are available, for the right price. Remember, though, that the price is always more than money. Dealing with organised crime puts you in a precarious position. The possibilities of blackmail and extortion are constant; don’t reveal the cause or your abilities - not that anyone would believe their eyes, though. Notorious criminals may renege on a deal, taking your money or favours and running. And many criminal organisations are undoubtedly controlled by the enemy. It makes sense; they’re everything else, with fingers in every other business. Be careful to not contribute to their power in an effort to gain some of your own. Otherwise, gaining weapons and tools from our foe, only to turn them against the enemy, is my favourite irony.

Just don’t forget that once you turn to crime for help in the war, there’s no going back. You’re forever indebted to those elements, regardless of what you believe in equitable. You’re therefore subject to scrutiny by their masters. Be careful that in pursuing the mission you don’t sacrifice your soul.