For some reason there's a persistent perception out there that if a game is no longer being published, suddenly it can't be played any more either. That's not at all the case. If you have the books (or have access to them (and there are plenty of PDFs floating around)), it makes no difference what the publishing company does. It's not like a piece of software that needs to have constant technical support.

Oh, is that what was being asked:  "Are we allowed to be playing HtR?"

If so then the answer is **SMACK** Why wouldn't we be able to?  I payed for the books so I can use them however I see fit.

Anywho back to the topic at hand:

Chargen:  I'm a big proponent of making characters separate from each other.  I don't like the whole "what are you playing?  Well I'll take this skill if you take that one..."  It cheapens the entire feel of the game.  Especially where Hunter is concerned.  The characters are thrown together (or drawn together depending on what plot twist is used) for unknown purposes.  I'm glad there haven't been any strong opinions on the matter because if its all the same to all of you I would prefer each character be made in private.  If we wind up with three Judges then so what!   Its my job to make sure the campaign fits together logically and I assure you that I can work it out.  Still I'm willing to listen to dissenting opinions and give you all what you want (to a certain extent).

Thanks for the quick answers.

I'll get on searching an Hunter book as from now. I know the bookstores near where I live have burnt their oWoD books to make room for the new ones.

Burnt the books?!!! That is a crime.


Anyhow, the discussion here really picked up.

Here are my answers, but none are too strong. I just wanna play Hunter.


Logistics: I for one would never go hunting vampires near my home. If most players wanna have a game in their characters' hometown, I'll take on playing a drifter.

Location: I'd love to play in Balkans during 90s, but I know it's not gonna happen. So I guess any part of US is fine. On the other hand I haven't seen any globe-hoping hunter games and I think they just might be cool.

Chargen: I don't care either way, but the group tends not to disperse that easy when there's a group chargen.

Pace: Intellectually long plots are supposed to be better, but I know all too well that bang is required in every roleplay.

Hunter-net: If it's there my character's not gonna trust it. As a matter of fact I find hunters in HtR a but too trusting.

If it's not too late, I'd also like to voice my interest in this game. The way you plan to run it is exactly what I am looking for in a hunter game.

Logistics:  It really depends on what you have planned. Personally, I think starting off based in one location works. Through the course of the game, the group could always leave that town in pursuit of the being of their ire or a new target. Whether the PCs are originally from that town or not should depend on their concepts, unless you insist everyone is from the starting location. I am comfortable playing a drifter or a townie who just gets caught up in it all.

The size of the city and its surroundings should depend on the type of game we would be hunting and the plot itself. It doesn't matter that much to me which you choose so long as the story behind it is interesting.

NPC usage:  NPCs make great plot devices and having an NPC who might aid the group in their time of need (or hurt them) is always welcome.

Character Creation:  I've done both, and as others have pointed out, joint character creation can go either way. I think I am always most happy when I make a PC privately but I will be willing to work with others to pickup needed skills.

Slow vs Bang: I am fine with either. It ultimately depends on what sort of tone you wish to set for the game.

Hunter-net:  Not sure. It depends on my character concept whether or not he would use it but my character would probably feel like Tzuppy's about trusting it..

You're only too late if the train has already left the station (and even then you can always catch it down the track).

Next set of questions:

Villains:  Do you as players like a constant recurring villain (like the evil vampire that always just barely slips through your grasp) or just a series of seemingly unconnected villains (rots, werewolves, vampires, etc.)?  Of course bear in mind that in the case of a recurring villain: the connection between menaces might not show up for a while

Do you as players mind non-supernatural villains (rogue hunters, serial killers, etc)?  Each of these may appear to be supernatural on the surface but after investigation it could wind up being nothing but then could you, as a good person, pass up the chance to help those in need?  My thoughts:  I generally like to throw these types of villains in every now and then just to see the RP between those that think its not their problem against those who want to help anyone they can.

Any particular type of creature that you enjoy/hate fighting?  What I'm trying to get here is whether you really enjoy fighting a particular creature or really hate fighting something.  Now I'm not going to base a story around just one type of creature nor am I going to leave out hated creatures but it helps me plan so I can keep things interesting.

Villains - some unconnected but it would be cool if you had a master plan behind the story.

Non-supernatural is fine.

I would prefer that there be a variety over the long term but I don't mind focusing on one type for a little while, especially if there is a (behind the scenes) recurring villain.

Villians that constantly escape or are too often out of reach are more annoying than anything for me. These types should be rare big plot drivers (I should mention I'm not a fan of "big" or "epic" plots). Or an unusually crafty guy that manages to put up a good chase for an unusually long period of time. Again, I'm not fond of these types. But having an "archenemy" that isn't always part of the story (like Sabretooth is for Wolverine or Magneto is for Xavier, to use X-Men as an example) can be a nice touch of flavor.

I don't mind non-supernatural threats. Hopefully these would be uncommon as well. With mundane human serial killer-types being the rarest. That's something I'd be inclined to let the police handle, unless it involved one of the group's family members, an ally, or a friend. A rogue hunter, I'd go after without a quam. The Imbued have to put down a "rabid dog" just as readily as they need to take care of their own. It also might be interesting to have a clash with some manner of other "monster hunting" group, such as a Twilight agency or perhaps the Inquisition.

As for supernatuals, I'm game for interacting with any type. But I do have a fondness for the undead, spirits, and walking dead. As a bonus, they're supposed to be more common than the other types of "monsters".

I think I should clarify my last post a bit.

when it comes to villians I don't want it to be a "monster if the week" kind of thing but neither should it be an enemy that always escapes us forever.

Villains: I wouldn't mind seemingly unconneted villains with a chance for one of them to become a recurring villain if the right circumstances are met. For example, did someone have a moment of compassion, make a mistake or create an opportunity for the NPC escape? Was this NPC someone who was very dear to the PC before their change? Did this NPC do something horrible to one of the PCs, their friends or family? I just hope that in the case of a recurring villain, that they wont always automatically get away and we actually have a chance to stop the creature.

The occasional non-supernatural villain would be acceptable and I like your reasoning as to why you'd like to throw one in. It will be interesting to see how that would play out and what the consequences of someone not acting might be..

While I would prefer facing undead types, I'm up for anything.

NPCs: (I missed this one earlier) I like having NPCs around as long as they don't always betray the PCs. I've underlined always since traitors are by far the most common NPC type.

Villains: I'd prefer that our villains return only if we had a decent shot in killing him/her/it and failed. I'd love to see, however, an NPC that the PCs hate and want to kill, but just can't seem to find (or agree on) a reason why they can kill him. A manipulating technocrat, perhaps?

Mortal Villains: Absolutely. I mean, if you can't root out drug dealers how do you expect to cleanse vampires? Anyone mentioned Punisher?

Villain Types: Vampires and aliens (X-com) are definitely my favorites, but again I'm not picky. I would not want to end up doing Technocracy's or Camarilla's or anyone else's dirty work, however.

Alright, good answers....

Last set of questions (until I think of some more)-

Adult or Mature - which flag do you all want this game to have.  I'm more partial to the Mature flag but if you all feel the need for adult we can put it in there

Authorities - I know Nerwen already voiced the desire not to have the authorities a big part of the game but I think we need them to a certain extent.  How does everyone else feel about use of the authorities?  In other words as you kill and eliminate monsters who everyone else thinks are people the authorities would become increasingly aware and interested in your activities.  It might add another wrinkle to the game, then again it might be more trouble than its worth (either way I wouldn't use them as the main story but rather a sort of sub-plot/story).

Criminal Record - This ties into the question above.  A past criminal record would become important.  Do all of you want to generate this or use a customized chart I developed years ago for another game (a few minor adaptations and voila!)  Of course the chart would remain on paper with me (mostly because I suck at tables and charts and partly because I'm selfish and don't want anyone else benefiting from my hard work (Kudos to Nerwen for not being like me and letting me steal some rules!)
This message was last edited by the user at 18:54, Fri 25 May 2007.

A or M Mature works best for me, though if it ends up adult I might not be able to join up for.... shalll we say, temperaryu reasons by the RPoL mods :)

Authorities whichever sounds good to you I'm fine with.

Criminal record would it be spobble to make one of our own(IE a short five past rime list in our Sheet?) but either way is actually quite fine with me

Maturity Level: I don't see a need to give the game a Adult flag, unless you have something unusually freaky planned. Mature works well as far as I can see.

Authorities: I would be more than happy to deal with the authorities and endure the pangs of a criminal record. Blowing up buildings and killing (even supposedly dead people) draws attention. But this is more work for you. If you want to use, it I say go ahead. Might give us something else to run away from, supply motivation to do something, and in general depend on each othe rmore.

Villains: I don't really have any preferences. It's all good. ;)

Adult vs Mature: I think Mature is as far as it needs to go. If it needs to move to Adult because things turned out more gory than you expected, you could always move it later.

Authorities: I just think that it wouldn't be much fun if we spent all our time eluding the cops and not much time actually doing Hunter things. And remember that not all Hunters are out to cause violence and mayhem. My character is a Redeemer, for example.

Criminal Record: That could be interesting, as long as it doesn't get excessive, I think.

(Heh. I don't mind people using my rules, and in fact wrote them with the idea in mind that others might want to use/modify them for their own games. The part that pisses me off is if they try to claim (or imply) that they wrote it themselves.)
This message was last edited by the user at 00:20, Sat 26 May 2007.

I agree with the others, a mature flag should be adequate.

Authorities: Considering the types of creatures we may face, it would be odd not to have the occasional trouble with authorities. Especially if someone goes around bringing unwanted attention to his/herself or the group.

Criminal Record: Sounds interesting. Whichever method you'd prefer to use is fine by me.

You should release them under a Creative Commons license! =D

An Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike would work well, don't you think? ^_^

Whichever

Yes

Don't mind

Flag: I'd go for M and not a millimeter further. I'm not sure if I'd play in a Hunter game that is that gruesome that it warrants A flag (without some assurances from the GM, of course).

Authorities: (Good question.) Leaving authorities out or having them play a relatively minor role is not only unrealistic, but in my opinion would seriously mar the atmosphere of the game. Hunters should fear getting caught by the police and must calculate with it when planning the hunt.

Criminal Record: Same as above, except that you must be careful not to overdo it. In my Mage game I simply had to have Technocracy forget that they identified the PCs as reality deviants, as it would destroy the chronicle (they'd be sitting ducks in their homes). Same thing might happen if Camarilla finds out that they're hunters (and they may meet fate worse than death itself if they fall prey to Tremere for instance).


Another option to consider is a state sanctioned hunter squad. While this option is also untrue to the atmosphere of Hunter: the Reckoning, playing a game about UN's Undead Population Control Force, Vatican's Holy Knights, NSA Special Department or FBI's X-files Investigation Team might be interesting. Even Technocracy's hit squad made of hunters and/or cyborgs might be fun. Playing such a game will have a heroic feel Hunter players tend to be starved for. I for one would love to try a game that would revolve around a team of KGB's vampire hunters (although I am aware how radical the idea is).

What you describe isn't Hunter and I'm glad you mentioned your awareness of that. There is a game for "Holy Knights". It's called the Inquisition. Project Twilight would cover the government departments you suggest. One day getting government allies that cover for us a little is one thing, but Hunter's are guerilla fighters who can't always depend on stability. Lets keep to that. It's part of the horror.

I am aware of Inquisition, Project Twilight, Demon Hunter X and other similar books, but when it comes to game mechanics all of them fall short of Hunter: the Reckoning. (Also another issue is visible absence of religion as a source of hunters' powers in Hunter: the Reckoning.) I simply mentioned a possibility of alternative chronicle some people might enjoy.

Well although this thread wound up being more about my game it was originally intended as a "throw your ideas about Hunter out there" so no harm no foul on that aspect but its not what I'm looking at running at all.

For those still interested please RTJ here: link to "Shattered Lives....(HtR)"

Please bear in mind that I do not want character sheets at this time as such I've not included the preferred format.  I have some specific questions to ask each applicant before we even start thinking about stats.  Just a message that says "I'm in" or the like is fine.  I'll then respond with questions that I want answers to.  If you want to include a brief concept feel free to but once more I reiterate:  NO CHARACTER SHEETS AT THIS TIME!.

If I get a character sheet I will not allow you into the game as obviously you have a total disregard for the simplest of requests/rules.

The board is not complete but it does have some decent starting information.  I will be working on other aspects as we hash out characters so don't worry about anything.

Laterz!
This message was last edited by the user at 01:27, Tue 29 May 2007.

First... do you have a spot still open that I can try out for or is it full?

As for the last questions:

Adult or Mature - Mature

Authorities - I see them as something neccessary as they are the long arm of those we hunt, they are the one that stands in the way from our goal. Without them it is just Us vs Them. Throw in the Authorities and suddenly you got innocent people standing in front of you, willing to take a shot or two for their masters.

Criminal Record - As a criminal record is part of my Concept I don't know what I feel about it. Depends on how your "rules" look like.

It looks like a real life Hunter has been imbued!  Check out this true story from New York.  I believe it was on July 1, 2007 on Comcast.net.

"NEW YORK - A peacock that roamed into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant was attacked by a man who vilified the bird as a vampire, animal-control authorities said.

Beaten so fiercely that most of his tail feathers fell out, the bird was euthanized, said Richard Gentles, a spokesman for the city's Center for Animal Care and Control.

"It's just unbelievable that someone would do something to a poor, defenseless animal and do it in such a cruel fashion," he said.

The peacock, a male several years old, wandered into a Burger King parking lot in the New York borough of Staten Island and perched on a car hood Thursday morning. Charmed employees were feeding him bread when the man appeared.

He seized the iridescent bird by the neck, hurled it to the ground and started kicking and stomping the creature, said worker Felicia Finnegan, 19.

"He was going crazy," she said.

Asked what he was doing, she said, the attacker explained, "'I'm killing a vampire!'"

Employees called police, but the man ran when he saw them. Authorities were looking for the attacker, described as in his teens or early 20s.

It was not clear how the bird made his way to the Burger King, but a Staten Island resident who raises peacocks said he had given some to a person who lives near the restaurant."

Bet you all didn't think you had to worry about vampiric peacocks now did ya!

I feel sorry for the bird but think about this in the context of this game setting.  Almost everyone reading this story is asking, "What the applestrudle is wrong with this guy?" or "What type of drugs is he on?"  This is the same reaction that the majority of the populace is going to have towards player characters in the Hunter game.

That story could easily work for CtD Changelings as well. ;)