During your character's normal life, she had values, principles and beliefs, whether about right and wrong, good and evil or Heaven and Hell. Her values were probably shades of grey between the black-and-white contrasts of any subject: "There might be a God, but a place where souls go after death? I don't know...." Your character's ideas and principles were probably fairly typical, shared by others, even if not locally or to her knowledge.

All that changed when your character was in the wrong place at the wrong time - almost coincidentally when evil manifested. Suddenly, she was imbued. All of her previous perceptions and ideals were instantly invalidated. Everything she'd taken for granted was shown to be false, the world proved never to have been the place it seemed. The slate was wiped clean, and she was forced to start all over again.

Yet even in this nightmarish new reality, your character's ideals and beliefs have a fundamental impact on who she is, whether she realizes it or not. Your character's reaction to the walking horrors around her determines the direction of her new existence. In the moment of the imbuing, the Heralds, for lack of a better term, seem to measure her utility in a war against the supernatural.

Although hunters aren't aware of any classification of their kind, three approximate identity types emerge among the imbued, based on their previous philosophies. Members of these groups share roughly similar approaches to and ideas about monsters and the hunt, from the moment they're reborn to the moment they become statistics of the ongoing war. The three groups, known for game purposes as Virtues, are Zeal, Vision and Mercy. They are all different takes on how monsters should be dealt with: tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye; with a mind to an ultimate end to the war and with questions such as "what are you" and "what are we?"; or with judicious compassion for creatures that may suffer as much in this reality as the downtrodden suffer in any world.

A nascent hunter's very personality therefore decides his identity and purpose against the supernatural, whether to destroy it, understand it or to save what can be recouped. The Virtues decide who hunters are and become. One of these dedications is your character's primary Virtue. You get three Virtue points to spend at character creation. Your character's rating in her primary Virtue cannot be exceeded by a rating in any other Virtue throughout her existence. If her primary Virtue is Mercy, her ratings in Zeal and Vision can never exceed her

Mercy rating (they can equal Mercy, but never be higher).

 

THE THREE VIRTUES

 

Each of the three Virtues means something different for each hunter; no two people can agree on how far the hunt should be taken, what plan should be implemented to fight the unknown, or which beings are worth sparing and which are not. Hunters take up the cause for their own reasons and often die on their own terms. Yet the three Virtues - the lenses that focus hunter perception - can be generalized. You should decide your own character's reasons for waging war on the supernatural and what she hopes to achieve from it. The answers you arrive at reflect her primary Virtue.

 

MERCY

 

This Virtue assumes that there is something worth saving in all beings. It values respect and courtesy above all. Nothing can be taken unless an effort to give is made in exchange. Solutions to problems lie in the middle ground, not in opposed camps.

The Merciful look upon the monsters plaguing the world and search for ones who make up for the wrongs of the rest. If the creatures derive from people gone wrong, perhaps those people can be saved. This perspective doesn't make the Merciful naive, however; the remorseless must be put down to save the defenceless, to protect any purity that might still exist. Indeed, when charged to protect the free and unspoiled, the Merciful become more dogged and dangerous than even the most extreme Zealot.

 

VISION

 

This Virtue is founded on questions and the search for answers. Life is complex and baffling. How can anyone claim to understand anything if they don't ask all the questions and look for all the answers? Rash actions or decisions can cause more harm than good. Thoughtfulness and freedom are key to unity and cohesion.

Vision applies to the hunt in refusing to acknowledge accepted truths and in scrutinizing assumptions. Monstrosities might seem to control the world, but is it worthwhile to destroy every one of them on the streets when the ones in power just create more? What's the plan? What's the goal of the hunt? Running in circles covers no ground. How can people be free of supernatural tyranny once and for all?

 

ZEAL

 

This Virtue is the fundamental belief in a cause for its own sake, whether it be a religion,

a right, a movement or simply a refusal to accept the status quo. Right and wrong draw

definite lines, with narrow or no shades of grey. There is an ideal answer to whatever

problems arise, and it should be sought after, fought for if necessary.

Zeal applies to the hunt in simple intolerance of the supernatural. The world is clearly at the mercy of obscene creatures that corrupt everything they touch. Their hand should be severed and their lives should be snuffed out. Half-measures mean half-freedom or half-justice. What can be worth having that isn't worth dying for?

 

 

VIRTUES AND CREEDS

 

Your character's role in the hunt doesn't stop at her Virtues. Virtues are like department titles at the workplace. Your hunter also has a personal job title. In Hunter: The Reckoning a character's job is her creed: Her purpose or the role she performs in the hunt. Each of the creeds adheres to a Virtue, which is called its primary Virtue. Zeal's creeds are Avenger,

Judge and Defender. Mercy's creeds are Redeemer, Martyr and Innocent. Vision has only one creed of which hunters are aware: Visionary. Thus, Zeal is the primary Virtue of Avengers, Judges and Defenders. Mercy is the primary Virtue of Redeemers, Martyrs and Innocents. Vision is the primary Virtue of Visionaries.

Your character largely carries out the hunt according to the tenets of her primary Virtue, but with the direction and guidance of her creed. A character with a primary Virtue of Zeal believes in the destruction of the supernatural. However, if she's a Judge, she accomplishes that goal through strategy, cool calculation and temperance. A Defender adherent of Zeal seeks to destroy the supernatural through counter-strikes, feints and simple wearing down of the enemy, all the while protecting the enemy's true target. An Avenger, on the other hand, believes in destruction through direct and bold action. The Avenger isn't stupid, simply decisive and straightforward

During character creation, you can choose what kind of creed to which your character belongs before establishing her Virtues, yet the two are interconnected. Creed is a direct result of your character's primary Virtue, and her primary Virtue must be compatible with her creed. As far as hunters' unidentified creators seem to care, the imbued set their own course against the night and are simply empowered to follow it. Characters do not possess Virtues or creeds - or edges - until they're imbued.

 

MULTIPLE VIRTUES

 

Your character has a creed and primary Virtue, but she can also have scores in any of the Virtues, regardless of which is her primary. (Your character's primary Virtue rating simply cannot be exceeded by her other Virtue ratings.) Scores in multiple Virtues represent an understanding of the various goals of the hunt - not only to destroy, for example, but to rationalize with and perhaps even spare some supernaturals. There is rarely one solution to any situation in the World of Darkness. Hunters with a broad perspective understand this and can choose the best solution to the problem at hand. Your character can blow up the building in which a zombie holds hostages; she gets the walking corruption, but defenceless people are killed in the process. Alternatively, tricking the zombie or even considering its demands in hopes of putting the tormented soul to rest might resolve the situation harmlessly.

The capacity to possess ratings in any of the Virtues almost seems to suggest that the Heralds want some imbued to have a broad foundation. Such hunters don't necessarily become overtly powerful, but they do prove capable and versatile. Your hunter's Virtues are used to acquire her edges. A strong foundation in multiple Virtues offers a hunter access to various edges, not just those of a single Virtue or creed. For example, a Redeemer can have points in Zeal and Vision - and therefore have edges from the paths of Zeal or Vision creeds. A diversified character thus brings more weapons to the hunt, which offers her more options than a highly specialized, narrow-minded ally has. Thus, these versatile, moderate hunters seem to contrast with their focused and perhaps intense allies. But, of course, the question is, to what end is this difference fostered?

Remember, all of your character's Virtues can be increased during play, but her primary Virtue score can never be exceeded by those of her other Virtues.

 

VIRTUES AND EDGES

 

Your character's edges are the powers bestowed upon her at the moment of being imbued. For a complete list of edges, see the relevant section. The edges available are a direct result of your character's creed and Virtue points, and how those points are allocated.

Edges belong to paths according to creed. The powers listed under the Innocence creed form the Innocence path. The powers listed under the Judgment creed make up the Judgment path. Your character's primary path is that of her creed. The primary path of a Martyr-creed character is the Martyr path. Your character's progress along this path regulates what other powers she's allowed to have.

Edges must be acquired in increasing order on a path. You cannot buy the level-one Defender power and then jump to the level three; each edge along a path is the prerequisite for the one immediately higher. Virtues determine what edges you can acquire. You can choose an edge from any creed's path for which your character has an appropriate Virtue. Thus, a character with a Mercy rating can have powers from any of the Redeemer, Martyr or Innocent paths. A character with a rating in Zeal can have edges from any of the Avenger, Judge or Defender paths. It doesn't matter whether these other paths are your character's primary path, or if these other Virtues are your character's primary Virtue.

The only stipulation to choosing edges from paths other than your character's primary path is this: Edge ratings in other paths cannot exceed your highest-rated primary edge. Thus, a Visionary with the level-three Visionary edge can have powers belonging to other paths. Those other edges simply cannot be rated four or higher. A Defender with the level-two edge in his primary path cannot have any other power rated three or higher. Your character can even have edges from other paths belonging to the same Virtue as that of his primary path. A

Defender can have Avenger and Judge edges, all of which belong to Zeal. However, those other powers still cannot exceed your character's highest rated Defender edge.

Edges are purchased with Virtue points. An edge costs its level in Virtue points. Thus, a level-one edge costs one point of the appropriate Virtue. A level-two edge costs two Virtue points. Getting both the level-one and two edges in the same path therefore costs a total of three Virtue points. Having the level-four edge and all those beneath it in a path costs a total of 10 Virtue points. Remember that you must possess one edge in a path before you can purchase the next higher rated.

Your character's Virtue points can be dedicated to only one edge each. You can't use his 1 Mercy to get the level-one powers from Redeemer, Martyr and Innocent. That Virtue point buys only one edge from one of those paths. The same is true for dedicating multiple Virtue points to acquire higher rated edges. If your character has the level-one Avenger edge and you decide to acquire the level-two power as well, the extra Virtue points needed are dedicated to that new edge; they can't be used to buy any other Zeal powers.

The Edge Costs Chart specifies power costs.

Note that your character's Virtue ratings don't diminish when edges are chosen. A hunter with 3 Mercy isn't reduced to 2 Mercy when he gets the level-one Redeemer edge.

Virtues simply record a limit to the edge levels that your character can possess.

 

EDGE COSTS CHART

 

Level of Edge             Virtue Point Cost per Level                Total Virtue Points Required

 

One                                         One                                                              One

Two                                         Two                                                               Three

Three                                      Three                                                           Six

Four                                         Four                                                              Ten

Five                                          Five                                                               N/A