Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

[Nerdnumber1]

I was toying with the idea of a Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game in hero system. Basically, the players have been recruited by a mysterious patron (a powerful, veteran monster hunter) working for a larger shadowy organization (it is cell based to that when the underlings inevitably go insane or become monsters the organization isn't compromized) and are sent on missions to investigate and neutralize supernatural threats. The PCs will likely be supernatural themselves, but I get lots of influence on how the supernatural effects are bought and there will be many dangers and disads to using or even having such abilities. For example, a werewolf would have increased abilities and durability compared to a human (even in normal form), but risks turning into a berzerk, unstopable monster that will likely eat his friends. I really want to make the players fear their powers and feel that they risk losing their humanity (so any supernatural being must be at least part human or formally human (such as a half-demon or a vampire).

 

The PCs will be built on 75+75disads but can get 50 extra points + a variable ammount of disad points that can only be spent on special templates that I create (or otherwise have great control over). Basically the 50+ points are for the supernatural aspects. A scholar that knows some magic will have 50points of (severly limited) magic and few bonus disads while a vampire will have a laundry list of disads including berzerk (I think giving more power to the party members that may eat the rest of the party sounds fun).

 

Now, does anyone have any ideas about the concept in general, template ideas, or tips, I would very much appreciate it. Also, I was wondering how much equipment I should supply to the group.

[shadowcat1313]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

wow... where to start

you might want to start by looking at the Bureau 13 books by Nick Pollotta, and the RPG that spawned the books, they would be great for idea mining, although they do tend towards puns flying faster than bullets at some points

 

questions and suggestions:

1. do the players have to be supernaturals, or possibly just surviving a supernatural encounter etc?

2. does magic exist? or just paranormal creatures etc?

3. does the organization monitor the agents at all? and if so how are contacts handled?

this makes for a good start

[Nerdnumber1]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

wow... where to start

you might want to start by looking at the Bureau 13 books by Nick Pollotta, and the RPG that spawned the books, they would be great for idea mining, although they do tend towards puns flying faster than bullets at some points

 

questions and suggestions:

1. do the players have to be supernaturals, or possibly just surviving a supernatural encounter etc?

2. does magic exist? or just paranormal creatures etc?

3. does the organization monitor the agents at all? and if so how are contacts handled?

this makes for a good start

 

1. I was thinking of having pseudo-supernatural templates for reletively normal characters (basic resistances to magic, danger sense, or similar) which could be the reason they survived supernatural contact. I'm not 100% sure on this point however.
   
2. Yes magic exists, but it is difficult to use, potentially dangerous, and, in terms of raw power, generally inferior to equivilent technological options. The mage may have access, however, to specialized abilities otherwise impossible to recreate mundanely (such as mental shields, demon summoning and specialized sensory powers.) I was thinking of statting it out as a ~30point vpp that can only be changed between scenes, with access to bulky spell books, and what powers are available are uncontroled (basically, when a player wants to research a spell, he describes what he wants it to do in general terms, then makes a magic roll. The higher the roll, the closer the spells are to what he wants (he isn't making spells from scratch, he is looking for an existing spell that does the job ok)).
   
3. The organization does not have the manpower to micromanage the players. Life expectancy of a monster hunter are low and most monsterous hunters eventually succome to their dark sides (and even those that don't start as the monsters can later become ones). Those veterans who survive and prove that they can resist the darkness are removed from the field to organize efforts by looking at the big picture (the patron will be such a veteran and later, the players might catch a glimpse of some of his old team mates that fell to the dark side and became the worst sort of monsters, showing them their possible fate ). I might also have some plot device contacts, but I'm not sure if the organization wants too much interconnectiveness on the lower levels (in case they go nuts.)
   

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

you might chec the MONSTER HUNTERS INTERNATIONALthreads in the dark champons forum for ideas

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

You might find inspiration in a couple of free Web sourcebooks dealing with this subject, created by our board colleague Michael "Susano" Surbrook, for his magnificent HERO System website, Surbrook's Stuff:

 

The Phenomena Department

 

Shadows Angelus

[csyphrett]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

75/75 +50 points in a template. Im glad the hunters die fast in the game world. A typical vampire, (even just a mook) will be hundreds of points. is the equipment free, cause that's the ony way I can see that balancing out.

CES

[Nerdnumber1]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

75/75 +50 points in a template. Im glad the hunters die fast in the game world. A typical vampire, (even just a mook) will be hundreds of points. is the equipment free, cause that's the ony way I can see that balancing out.

CES

 

Equipment is free (except maybe if the character starts with some strange, evil artifact), but I'm not sure how much firepower I should give them. Considering they're occupation, they will probably want large caliber weapons with holy silver bullets so I might have to give the baddies some defenses that still work against their weakness so that they don't start blowing up vampire heads (the covert nature of the game will put some limit on their resources, but a flowy long coat or a large purse could hide some serious weapons).

 

Also, since the players can be beastly, I need to think of how much defense a young werewolf or vampire should have (I was ever thinking of giving damage reduction that can be bypassed by certain attacks).

 

Another interesting interesting thing I want to put in is less solidly constructed in the rules. Basically, certain actions can make players "give in" to the darkness, little by little. So every time a vampire character gorges himself on blood to the point that his victim dies, he might get extra disadvantage points (assigned by me.) While physically, he becomes stronger, he will lose some of his humanity (his blood-lust will grow, the sun will burn more, silver and holy will become more effective, he will get enraged or berzerk easier, etc.) Also, if anyone feeds on the blood or flesh of another supernatural being, they *may* gain short or long term effects.

[csyphrett]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

Its a transform side effect based on the killing attack used I believe. In my opinion you need to come up with the base vampire/werewolf/frankenstein character and then give purely human/wizard characters the same amount of points to build their character.

CES

[Nerdnumber1]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

Its a transform side effect based on the killing attack used I believe. In my opinion you need to come up with the base vampire/werewolf/frankenstein character and then give purely human/wizard characters the same amount of points to build their character.

CES

 

I'm not going to give hard game rules to the darkness within because the characters and players need to FEAR the consequences, not look and say "oh, I have enough body to take another hit of darkness". It is easy to get comfortable if the rules are spelled out, but when they are completely unknown, that is when things start to get creepy. And also, horror games aren't supposed to be fair.

[csyphrett]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

I'm not going to give hard game rules to the darkness within because the characters and players need to FEAR the consequences' date=' not look and say "oh, I have enough body to take another hit of darkness". It is easy to get comfortable if the rules are spelled out, but when they are completely unknown, that is when things start to get creepy. And also, horror games aren't supposed to be fair.[/quote']

 

Then be prepared for player mutiny.

CES

[Nerdnumber1]

Re: Horror/Urban Fantasy Monster Hunter Game

 

Then be prepared for player mutiny.

CES

 

I will eplain it to them in general terms and, since they get more powers as they embrace the darkside, it won't be too nasty at first and I will give plenty of in game and out of game warning before and during their descent. Also, it isn't like normal attacks will cause this kind of occurance. Only if the players go out of their way to indulge in their unnatural appitites or they start feasting on monsters (despite warnings from their patron), do they risk dire consquences (or have the chance of dark rewards). For example: if a vampire drinks a non-lethal amount of blood, she'll be fine, but if she takes the time to suck a human dry, especially if she wasn't starving, she could increase her vampire powers and weaknesses. If a werewolf bit off a chunk of monster meat and dropped it, he would be fine, but if he mauled and ate the same monster, he might have side effects (which would really be a "power" of the monster in question).