Hunter Tactics

Cost: Hunter cells can learn new Tactics by spending 3 Practical Experiences. If a cell learns a Tactic from another source – research, mentorship, an old journal, or by being part of a group – this cost is reduced to 2 Practical Experiences.

What It All Means

The following write-ups are short summaries.

• Because Tactics are a Teamwork roll, each Tactic has one Primary character and several other characters. Non-Primary characters make their individual checks, and usually add dice to the Primary character's roll. The Primary character's roll generally determines the success or failure of the actual Tactic.
• All: These are the Traits that everyone who wants to take part in the Tactic must have. The group can still buy a Tactic even if not everyone can actually take part in it.
• Primary (#): This is what the Primary character must have for the Tactic, if it's different than what's listed under "All". The number in parenthesis indicates how many Primary characters there may be.
• Secondary (#): Sometimes, some Tactics require a non-Primary character role who uses different Traits from everyone else. This is the Secondary role, and the number in parenthesis indicates how many of those the Tactic uses.

Preparation

• Arson
  • All: Composure ••; Larceny ••, Science •, Survival •
  • The cell arranges, ignites, and feeds a fire to do the most damage, but in a contained and subtle way. (NS)
• Battle Hardening
  • All: Stamina ••; Athletics ••
  • Secondary (1): Stamina •••; Expression •• or Intimidation ••
  • One member of the cell leads the others in endurance and strength training, preparing them for the Vigil ahead. (NS)
• Behavioral Science
  • All: Wits •••; Investigation ••
  • Primary (1): Empathy •••
  • The cell examines a crime scene to analyze patterns and deduce the kind of behaviors likely being employed by an unknown killer. (Sl)
• Corruption
  • All: Manipulation ••; Occult •
  • Primary (1): Expression •••
  • Secondary (1): Empathy ••
  • Secondary (1): Occult •••
  • The cell disrupts the flows of occult power from a site that generates such power, cutting their quarry's resource. (WF)
• Identification
  • All: Wits ••; Empathy •, Investigation •, Occult •
  • Primary or Secondary (1): Empathy •••
  • Primary or Secondary (1): Occult ••• or Occult •• (Type of Monster)
  • The cell works to identify those people who simply don't register as normal humans in some way.
• Interrogation
  • All: Manipulation ••; Intimidation •, Subterfuge •
  • Primary (1): Subterfuge ••
  • Secondary (1): Academics •• or Computer ••
  • Secondary (1): Intimidation ••
  • The cell gathers some information on the target and then pumps the (presumably captured) target for information, using knowledge of the target's life to help foster admission. (WF)
• Lobby
  • All: Manipulation ••; Expression •, Politics •, Socialize ••
  • Primary (1): Politics ••
  • Secondary (2): Persuasion ••
  • The cell enters the arena of local politics to try and leverage it against the structures or infiltration monsters already have in place. (NS)
• Measurements
  • All: Wits ••; Science ••
  • Primary or Secondary (1): Academics •• or Computer ••
  • Primary or Secondary (1): Science •••
  • A cell observes the activities of a supernatural creature in order to figure the creature's capabilities.
• Moral Support
  • All: Resolve ••; Empathy •.
  • Primary Actor (1): Manipulation ••• or Presence •••; Empathy ••.
  • One hunter speaks to their cell, reminding them of their Vigil and granting them heightened resolve to resist mental attacks.
• Pack of Blood Hounds
  • All: Wits •••; Survival ••
  • Primary (1): Survival ••• or Survival •• (Tracking)
  • The pack spreads out and give pursuit to their fleeing quarry, seeking every sign of their passage. (Sl)
• Profiling
  • All: Intelligence ••; Investigation •, Stealth •
  • Primary (1): Academics •••
  • Secondary (1): Investigation ••
  • Secondary (1): Computer ••
  • The cell works to understand how the monster engages with human society, including discovering its origins as a human (if it has any).
• Shadowing
  • All: Wits ••; Investigation •, Stealth •
  • Primary (1): Investigation •••
  • Secondary (2): Stealth ••
  • The cell stalks and follows the target in order to gain information about the quarry. (WF)
• Stalking Horse
  • All: Persuasion •, Socialize ••, Streetwise •
  • Primary (1): Expression •, Subterfuge ••
  • Secondary (2): Investigation ••, Stealth •
  • The cell hunts and stalks vampires in their feeding grounds, pretending to simply be potential victims as a means of getting a closer look. (NS)
• Stakeout
  • All: Composure •• or Resolve ••, Wits •; Investigation •, Stealth •, Streetwise •
  • Primary (1): Larceny •
  • Secondary (1): Investigation ••
  • The cell stakes out a target area, keeping a subtle eye on the comings and goings in the area in order to figure out its secrets. (NS)
• Territorial Recon
  • All: Wits ••
  • Research Lead: Academics ••• or Academics •• (Research) or Investigation •••
  • Research Assistants: Academics •• or Investigation ••
  • Information Gatherers: Socialize •• or Streetwise ••
  • The cell splits up in an area and hunts around for signs of the supernatural that may be currently infesting it. (BbBB)
• Warding:
  • All: Composure ••, Resolve ••
  • Primary (1): Occult ••
  • The cell works together to erect wardings against invasion of an area by the quarry.

Combat

• Beat-Down, Good Old Fashioned
  • All: Strength ••; Brawl •• or Weaponry ••
  • Primary (1): Brawl ••• or Weaponry •••
  • The cell surrounds a particularly tough foe, punching through defenses over and over to get a (hopefully) finishing blow in. (Sl)
• Bloody Improv
  • All: Intelligence ••; Crafts ••
  • Primary (1): Strength •• or Dexterity ••; Athletics ••• or Firearms ••• or Weaponry •••
  • The cell improvises a weapon from the things and features in their environment. (Sl)
• Cauterize
  • All: Dexterity ••; Brawl ••, Medicine •
  • Primary (1): Wits •••; Crafts •, Weaponry ••
  • The cell works together to apply fire or other caustic to a grievous supernatural injury, preventing it from fast-healing the wound. (NS)
• Controlled Immolation
  • All: Composure ••; Stamina ••, Survival •.
  • Primary Actor (1): Athletics ••• or Athletics •• (Throwing) or Firearms ••• or Firearms •• (Flamethrower)
  • Secondary Actors (3): Weaponry ••.
  • A cell uses long weapons to hold a monster in place while one sets the monster on fire. Then, the cell keeps it in place while it burns.
• Corral
  • All: Resolve ••; Intimidation ••
  • Any Actor (1): Brawl ••• or Firearms ••• or Intimidation ••• or Weaponry •••.
  • The cell in combat with a monster drives it into a direction they want it to go, toward a trap or away from witnesses.
• Cover Your Heart
  • All: Composure ••, Dexterity ••
  • Primary (1): Wits •••; Athletics •••, Brawl •••; Brawling Dodge or Weaponry Dodge Merits
  • Secondary (1): Athletics ••, Brawl ••• or Weaponry •••
  • The cell tempts a monster that makes a signature targeting attack, luring it into attacking one of them while the others strike it as it overextends. (SAS4)
• Cripple Claws
  • All: Composure ••; Athletics ••, Brawl •.
  • Primary Actor (1): Firearms ••• or Weaponry •••.
  • The cell taunt and lure the monster into striking out at them with its claws or touch. Once it does so, one attacks its hand, injuring or crippling it.
• Dentistry
  • All: Strength ••; Brawl •, Weaponry •.
  • Primary (1): Weaponry ••.
  • Secondary (1+): Brawl •• or Brawl • (Grappling).
  • The cell holds a creature down and knocks its fangs out.
• Distraction
  • All: Composure ••; Brawl •
  • Primary (1): Brawl •• or Weaponry ••, Stealth •
  • Secondary (1): Expression ••
  • One hunter makes of themselves a big target for a strike, while the rest of the cell disappears to strike from surprise.
• Eviscerate
  • All: Dexterity ••, Wits ••; Brawl ••
  • Primary (1): Survival •, Weaponry ••
  • The cell deliberatle inflicts blood-clearing injuries, spilling blood that monstrous creatures such as vampires depend on for their power. (NS)
• Exploit Tell
  • All: Manipulation ••; Empathy ••
  • Primary (1): Manipulation •••
  • Secondary (1): Wits ••
  • The cell pokes and prods to bring psychological tells and derangements to the surface in its quarry. (Sl)
• Hamstring
  • All: Dexterity ••; Athletics ••, Brawl •
  • Primary (1): Strength •••; Weaponry •••
  • A cell inhibits the ability of a monster to either flee or give chase.
• Harvest
  • All: Intelligence ••, Composure ••; Occult ••.
  • Primary (1): Medicine ••
  • Secondary (1): Occult •••• or Occult ••• (Type of Monster)
  • The cell holds the monster still, while one of their number acts on the advice of another to extract and store safely some part of the monster's body, as a trophy or material.
• Headshot
  • All: Strength ••; Brawl ••
  • Primary (1): Dexterity ••
  • Secondary (1): Medicine ••
  • The cell sets up a target for a ringing head-shot, making it difficult or even impossible to concentrate enough to use magic or psychic powers. (WF)
• Helter Skelter
  • All: Resolve •• or Composure ••; Intimidation •, Stealth •
  • Primary (1): Brawl •• or Weaponry ••
  • While one member of the cell attacks, others create sensory overloading distractions against the target monster. (NS)
• Impale
  • All: Composure ••; Athletics ••, Brawl •
  • Primary (1): Athletics ••• or Firearms ••• or Weaponry •••
  • The cell works to staple their quarry to a wall with an impaling weapon, trapping them in place. (Sl)
• Invisible Fence
  • All: Wits ••, Composure ••; Investigation ••
  • Primary (1): Firearms ••• or Weaponry ••
  • When a creature disappears into invisibility, the cell surrounds the area where it was and kicks up disturbances in the environment to help their own spot the stealthy monster. (NS)
• Lobotomize
  • All: Medicine •• or Medicine • (Surgery)
  • Primary (1): Dexterity •••; Medicine ••• or Medicine •• (Surgery)
  • Secondary (2): Strength ••; Brawl ••
  • The cell holds down and inflicts brain damage to their quarry, disrupting their ability to use mental powers.
• Net
  • All: Wits ••; Athletics ••, Brawl •
  • Primary (1): Survival ••• or Survival •• (Knots)
  • Secondary (1): Athletics ••• or Athletics •• (Throwing, Roping, or Knots)
  • The cell works together to bind and shackle the monster instead of injuring it.
• Staking
  • All: Strength ••; Brawl ••
  • Primary (1): Strength •••; Weaponry ••
  • Secondary (1): Medicine •
• System Shock
  • All: Dexterity ••; Athletics ••, Brawl •
  • Primary (1): Dexterity •••; Firearms ••
  • The cell launches methods of overwhelming the target's senses in a sudden assault, disrupting concentration and preventing them from invoking occult powers. (WF)
• Tar & Feather
  • All: Composure ••; Dexterity ••
  • Primary (1): Computer •, Crafts •• or Expression ••
  • Secondary (1): Athletics •
  • The cell douses the creature that cannot be caught on film with adherents of some kind and particulate matter, allowing them to film the entity in action. (NS)

Liberation

• Disappear
  • All: Composure ••; Stealth ••.
  • Secondary Actor (1): Expression ••.
  • One hunter acts as a decoy and distraction to allow the rest of their cell to hide.
• Deprogramming
  • All: Intelligence ••; Empathy • or the Psychology Specialty (Academics or Medicine).
  • Primary Actor (1): Manipulation ••; Persuasion •.
  • The cell works to free those who have been afflicted by mind- or emotion-controlling powers.
• Excision
  • All: Wits ••; Medicine ••
  • Primary (1): Dexterity •••; Medicine ••••
  • Secondary (1): Intelligence •••; Medicine ••••• or Medicine •••• (Brain Surgery)
  • The cell performs delicate surgery on a psychic or otherwise normal seeming human with strange powers, to sever those gifts. (WF)
• Exorcism
  • All: Resolve ••, Composure ••; Occult ••
  • Primary (1): Integrity 7+, Occult ••• or Occult •• (Possession or Religion)
  • The cell works together to perform an exorcism of a spirit.
• Keep 'Em Awake
  • All: Dexterity ••; Medicine •
  • Primary (1): Intelligence ••; Medicine ••
  • The cell works to keep an unconscious or dying target from losing consciousness. (Sl)