Ah yes, the original HTR, where after seeing a paranormal event if instead of flinching you try to fight back inmediately with no hesitation you were imbued with superpowers that gave you schizophrenia let you hear the voice of the angels.
I understand the appeal of the modern Hunter where it’s the underdog story against more powerful entities, but I do miss being armed with Anti-Magic that causes even Sorcerers to go “You shouldn’t exist!”.
Then again my introduction to the WOD setting was not VTM:Bloodlines but the Hunter The Reckoning action games on the original Xbox so that might give me some bias.
ngl, I’m not sure I’d be able to write a story like that, since that’d require a lot more familiarity with the lore and the way the setting’s different lines interact with each other than I have even now.
The first Inquisition happened during the 14th-16th Century. As a direct response to it (and to the anarch revolt that spawned the Sabbat) the Camarilla was formed to make sure a second Inquisition doesn’t happen. It happened.
I’ll say it: I hate the Imbued and I’m glad H5 is basically Hunters Hunted III instead. The decision to make ‘hunters’ effectively another kind of supernatural (and supernatural terrorists at that, old HtR books talk about turning civilians into suicide bombers to flush targets out) is a bad one that imo runs against the entire conceit of what a Hunter game should be about (mortal, underdog, extensive planning and prep to turn the tables). I have my own quibbles with ‘5th Edition’ as a product, but H5 existing the way it does is not one of them, sorry Reckoning fans.
5th edition benefits from taking the more “localized street level” focus from Chronicles IMO. Ancient global conspiracies get ridiculous and unwieldy quickly.
Planning how to dismantle a vampire with fire axes after disabling their day time goons after investigation is fun as hell.
Ok you say this but Lydia should have been able to tank that as a Ventrue. This is what happens when you neglect Fortitude in favor of Presence and Dominate, she should have been able to make that train wrap around her.
I don’t recall which one was published first, but the three titular titles were Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Mage: The Ascension.
From there you’ve got others like Wraith: The Oblivion, Changeling: The Dreaming, Hunter: The Reckoning (later became Hunter’s Hunted II), Demon: The Fallen, Kindred of the East, and Mummy: The Resurrection.
… yes White Wolf really really loved the colon punctuation mark for their titles
It’s still a valid build. With enough Presence, you can get the lead Hunter to surrender and defect to your side, completely bypassing the train scene. They serve as a minor boon against Roderick, and later on you can make them a pretty competent childe. The only caveat is that they keep calling you “Dommy Mommy” unless you ghoul them.
Oh, so you have no problems with vampires, werewolves, mummies and demons, but you complain when our lord and saviour Jesus Christ send his angels to help humanity against the tide of darkness, you damn commie! /s
More seriously considering the entire setting having a faction where a higher power is trying to help fight against the darkness in contrast to everybody else does fit, showing not literally everything is out to get you, specially when you take Demon: The Fallen into account, the two practically complement each other.
And for all the complains about the Hunter supernatural powers most of the edges were minor advantages or very situational, they were merely a… well an edge, most of their tactics did consist on extensive planning, preparation and the right weapons, contrary to my perception when I played the xbox games if they just kicked the door and went guns blazing against most creatures they would need to get really lucky to not be stomped, that’s why some Hunters resort to essentially terrorism, because they’re fighting a battle that can never be won against a superior enemy, so they think any method possible is warranted.
And this thought process, with some thinking that since they’re the “chosen ones”, regardless of what they were before, against monsters so any method is “justified” is not brushed aside, showing why such a thought process is flawed, only makes the world worse and will get you killed or stuck on a prison, making conflict between Hunters regarding methods as one of its central themes.
They were designed to compliment each other, they were both made as White Wolf was going under to set up the end times. The Imbued as a concept are very tied to that imminent apocalypse, thats why I don’t like them. The OG Reckoning still exists, you can play it if you want the ‘Chosen by God to be His soldier at Armageddon’ vibe, I’m very glad H5 is not that.
It is, yes, and H5 has a multitude of supernatural Edges available.
