Customer Reviews:
Requires a good GM.......2006-06-01
I always enjoyed a good Hunter game because players are in control of supernaturally imbued characters who are entirely clueless to the World of Darkness. Thankfully with the well written, and familiar, rules, you have the opportunity to fight back against the creatures who prey on humanity. This is not an investigate and run away game like Call of Cthulhu.
With that said, a good game requires that the cluelessness is maintained to keep the level of excitement up. You can have players who know about the World of Darkness, but that information should not influencing their character's in-game decisions. A Hunter is not going to know a Brujah from a Gangrel or that a large man in a business suit is a Glasswalker.
Overall, Hunter was my favorite of the "old-school" White Wolf/World of Darkness games/settings. The basic rules are consistent with the other titles in the line, with only a few variations. This made it easy to pick up and start playing on our first night with the rule book.
Only for Experts.......2006-01-24
This is a hard game for a true gamer! sadly, the low level of power of the characters of this game can deceive other players of powergaming series like vampire and werewolf. This game is about terror and madness, not to make the world a couple of slaves and show the most powers of strange forces. Through the scenario of the Time of Judgement, this game shows exactly the situation of the humans and the apocalyptic situation of the end of the WoD. Only for experts, not for Powerseekers.
"Heeeere monster. That's a nice monster...".......2004-02-01
Though suffering from a bit of the verbosity that seems to plague White Wolf publications (the supplements in particular; you could halve their lengths if you just made sure each point was made only once), Hunter: The Reckoning is, despite the judgements flung towards it, actually one of the most down-to-earth, difficult, and tactically challenging games White Wolf has released. Though many might instantaneously assume that it is meant to be an Army of Darkness style shoot-'em-up (like the namesake video games based on Hunter), the inclusion of firearms is primarily just a natural human response to grab SOMETHING they can fight back with. Honestly, against blood-drinking walking corpses, semi-spirit werewolves, immaterial ghosts, and horrors far worse, you'll need brains to survive. Unless your storyteller is heavy on action and firepower, trying to play this game in the twinky stereotype it's often given will get you killed, fast. In fact, not all the Creeds (philosphical archetypes of Hunter, which determine their powers) are even geared toward fighting at all. Some try to rehabilitate or cure monsters, while others don't even go that far, simply seeking to understand them, let them know they are not begrudged for it, and leave the doors of forgiveness open. Trying to talk an angry vampire out of killing a roomful of mortals can take on challenges all its own.
An issue of confusion seems to be those who mix up the Hunters (capital H; note the full, proper title being the "Imbued Hunters") with unrelated groups. Though some number of them may have joined groups like the Society of Leopold, Hunters are imbued with their powers when confronted with the supernatural. They share no unified system, no overarching organization or membership cards. Though they can meet with others of their kind, their disorganized nature and supernatural powers set them apart from conventional mortal hunters, be they alone or in groups. The issue of incompatibility seems to be largely unfounded. Imbued Hunters are explained in several White Wolf core rulebooks, and creatures from several of these books are even summed up in Hunter. The relatively minimal mention of them does make sense. Ultimately, the Hunters, as they are, are not a powerful force. All together, their powers and armaments mean relatively little. Only with time, careful planning, and survival could they ever hope to take back the night. It is this ultimate weakness which is their primary dilemma. Still ultimately mortals with a few helpful cantrips and tricks to give them a better chance, most are left with the disappointment of only being able to do what few things they can.
Whether you want to play a boomstick-toting zombie blaster, a skittish parapsychologist trying to get a peek into a dark and hidden world, a wandering redeemer seeking to save the inhuman souls of the damned, a stake-toting Van Helsing, or a stiff-collared exorcist attempting to dispel hellish influence from the world, there's a niche in Hunter for you. Just don't pack any guns you can't drop in a hurry. You'll need to shed as much weight as possible when it's time to start running.
Very good storytelling horror game.......2004-01-31
If you're interested in playing a vampire hunter, or werewolf hunter... this is a great game to do it based on a storytelling aspect rather than dice rolls.
Also, it's set up to play as a kind of survival-horror game better than anything else; it doesn't have the dice rolling of the old Dark Conspiracy game, but you can definitely do the story well with the character outlines provided.
The book is well layed out and easy (and fun) to read, with more than a few inspiring sections for a beginning gamemaster. I do recommend picking up the player's guide with it, though, especially if your players are veterans of other RPG's.
VERY Overlooked.......2003-04-22
I've played Werewolf. Hell, I've dabbled in Vampire. Both are really great games if you want to play as something that's rediculously powerful and only have a real challenge if you're fighting an older Vampire or Werewolf (in either game). Hunter is different: instead of being this ungodly-powerful monster, you're this regular Joe with a neat trick, trying to fight the aforementioned monsters.
It sounds unfair, I know, but that's what makes this game beautiful. You have extraordinary powers, but they're hardly enough to stop a charging Get of Fenris or Bruja in its tracks. You're alone, and if you don't find help, either you'll die, or you'll be driven insane. That, my friend, is true fear.
Yes, the story aspect is my favorite part of this game, but let's discuss the gameplay. As in most White Wolf games, the gameplay takes a backseat for story, but there's a perfectly working game here, too. Each player creates a Hunter (someone trying to fight monsters that only they can see) and assigns him/her powers.
Average customer rating:
- Misnomer, but still good
- This book might help you build a decent chronical.
- Good book, full of potential story ideas.
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Hunter the Reckoning: Survival Guide
Bruce Baugh ,
E. Jonathan Bennett ,
Michael Lee ,
Forest B. Marchinton ,
Robert Scott Martin ,
Angel McCoy ,
Deena McKinney ,
Wayne Peacock ,
Greg Stolze ,
Andy Woodworth , and
Peter Woodworth
Manufacturer: White Wolf Games Studio
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Hunter: The Reckoning (Hunter: The Reckoning (Hardback))
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Hunter-Book: Avenger (Hunter Book)
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Hunter: The Reckoning Players Guide
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Hunter Apocrypha (Year of Revelations)
ASIN: 1565047370 |
Customer Reviews:
Misnomer, but still good.......2000-11-16
When I purchased this book, I was expecting something along the lines of a a player's guide or such. What I got, on the other hand, was a sourcebook chock full of information on supernaturals around the world. Be careful that you know what this is before you purchase it. It's an excellent book and I liked it very much, but it was not what I had in mind for a survival guide.
This book might help you build a decent chronical........2000-03-31
The Hunter game is a nice addition to anyones WoD collection. This book can help one to build better characers. You know onesa that can actually live for past 60 seconds.
Good book, full of potential story ideas........2000-03-30
I liked this book. Its written from the point of view of the hunters, a different one for each section. The book does not have any game mechanics, its pure story. It begins with a few tips for novice hunters, something you should get your players to read through. Then it goes on to describe each continent. It spends a lot of time discussing the world outside of North America, so if your planning on running a game in a different country then this is the book for you. I liked the fact that since the information is given out by hunters, it is full of various facts that are completely not true, so your players can read through the book and still not have any of the real information. Full of great story potential and well written. A good buy if your going to run a hunter's game.
Customer Reviews:
too little.......2002-06-11
The Comendium contains introducing desciptions of Hunter's antagonists. It's not bad but definitely too little for an own book, even a compendium. It should rather be a chapter in a bigger publication. If you have knowledge about Vampire, Werewolf or Mage you don't need it.
A Needed Addition.......2000-02-28
The Storytellers Companion is the book that bridges H:tR back into the WoD game. Many have complained that H:tR is too different, or two far removed from the other WoD games and therefore it should be treated as an independant game. Well, this book gets back to the WoD. Not only does it give the storyteller an idea what is going on in the real word, but it also presents a large section on each "monster" type such that a storyteller can bring all the flavor of Vampire, or Werewolf into a Hunters game. Skeptic just have to remeber one thing. This game was written from the point of view that these humans no know thing about the Kindred, the Wolves or the Ghosts. Therefore, on the surface it will look like a "different" game. But all it takes is a creative storyteller to make everything link together.
Average customer rating:
- Ignore the Title; Read the Book Anyway
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Hunter: Holy War (Hunter: The Reckoning (Paperback))
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1588467023 |
Customer Reviews:
Ignore the Title; Read the Book Anyway.......2004-01-11
Yeah I know, the word "Jihad" conjures up all manner of ignorant prejudices about Islam and the Middle East. The authors made a poor choice of words when they came up with the title for this release. Nonetheless, this is probably one of the best setting books released for Hunter: the Reckoning. Part of the Year of the Scarab setting, this book takes a closer look at Egypt and the Middle East. In fact, the introduction even goes a long way towards trying to dispell western stereotypes about the Middle East (even recommending further reading and viewing for more info on Islam, Arabic culture and the Middle East), and it does a wonderful job immersing itself in Arabic and Middle Eastern culture.
The first chapter introduces us to a number of Kiswah (the Arabic name for Imbued) and provides us with information on the Middle East. Theres a lexicon of terms used by Middle Eastern Hunters (all of whom share Arabic for some mystical reason; generally its held as proof that God chose the Hunters, as Arabic is seen as the language of God), as well as a basic introduction to Arabic culture. The major religions of the Middle East, such as Islam, Christianity and Judaism, are all mentioned. Then theres the "survival guide", which mentions general information on what to do, where to go and what monsters exist in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and several other Middle Eastern countries. Chapter Two goes into the Kiswah's first attempts at working together, as well as theories on their purpose and origins, ranging from righteous Muslims who believe they were inspired by God to pre-Islamic Arab to skeptical scientists, and pretty much everything in between. It also looks at how Arab (and Jewish) Hunters view the different Creeds using Arabic and kabbalistic terms. Very nice for the setting.
In the next chapter, we are given some information on the Thalmudites (walking dead), Amalikites (spirits), Adites (vampires) and Midianites (shapeshifters) after four civilizations destroyed by God. It also gives some advice on the Hunt, including advice for each of the three Virtues on how to use your advantages. The next chapter gives even more advice on working together with other Kiswah, as well as other useful things for working in a group, such as the effort to unify all Kiswah, and the issues of cultural, ethnic and religious difference. As the book points out, there is a great deal of diversity in the Middle East beyond Arabs; Persians, Kurds, Turks, Yezidis, Druze, Bahai and lots more too. In addition, special mention is made of women's roles in society.
Chapter five finally starts giving us useful out-of-character information. An examination of the differences in theme and setting is given, along with some character creation guidelines. There aren't "special rules" for creating Kiswah that differ from mainstream western Hunters. What is given, though, is information on how certain Abilities and Backgrounds are going to be different in a Middle Eastern setting, along with some information on Abilities or Backgrounds that are very likely and which ones should be restricted (like Firearms and Arsenal, due to heavy restrictions on guns in many countries). In addition, an alternative look at the Creeds and Virtues is given, one which draws upon Arabic and Islamic culture. These changes are merely cosmetic, but do help establish the setting much better than the western names. In addition, a handful of new Edges are presented. Theres also a couple new systems, one for Al Ha'it (True Faith basically) and one for the Middle Eastern version of the Word (which always appears in Arabic).
The book closes out with a nice little chapter of ST specific material. This chapter goes more into detail on the setting, the reasoning behind the Word being in Arabic, Al Ha'it and even the secret police of the Kiswah. It closes up with a look at the Jinn (generic term for monsters) and some Kiswah of note. But this chapter should definately be left to STs, if only for the enjoyment of the game. Overall, I found this to be a wonderful book. While I'm not a big fan of the title, it really does do a nice job removing alot of stereotypes about the Middle East. The book is steeped in Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern culture, and makes it possible for anyone to understand and appreciate the setting. I strongly recommend that Hunter: the Reckoning players and STs check out this book, if only for a change of pace and an exciting new location, and any others in the Year of the Scarab series.
Book Description
Let the Hunt Begin!
·Effective strategies for all four Hunters PLUS the unlockable Hunter
·Essential combat strategies
·Exclusive boss battling tactics
·Exhaustive info on all unlockables—from Hunters to Easter Eggs
·Expert strategies for pulling off all melee combos
Average customer rating:
- Amateur Hour
- NOT THE BEST
- Some Strong Stories and NO Particularly Weak Ones.
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Inherit the Earth (Hunter: The Reckoning)
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
Wieck, Stewart
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The Seven Deadlies (Demon: The Fallen, Book 2)
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Demon Trilogy Book 1: Ashes and Angel Wings (Fallen, 1)
ASIN: 1565048393 |
Book Description
Unknown to most humans, the world is largely ruled and directed by supernatural forces they do not even suspect. Werewolves once herded humans as humans now domesticate animals. Vampires still refer to humans as their herd, and there are mages who, though mortal themselves, consider most others to be "mundane" for their lack of insight and power. But now a force has come to Earth and imbued a select few humans with not just the knowledge of the evil that threatens them, but also with the power to do something about it. These Imbued, have become hunters, those rare mortals who seek to take back the night from ages old menaces.
This collection of nine stories concerns many of the most famous among the ranks of the hunters, such as Witness1 who founded Hunter.net. Also included are characters and events that connect to other World of Darkness stories, including the Predator & Prey series and the Year of the Scarab Trilogy. Get to know the characters who are taking back the night one monster at a time!
Customer Reviews:
Amateur Hour.......2006-05-18
Lately I've been on a big White Wolf kick, picking up a lot of their World of Darkness material (from their golden age prior to when they rebooted the whole product line in the wake of Gehenna). I really dig the assorted source books for Hunter, so I figured, Hey, a collection of short stories about Hunters should be AWESOME.
Oh, my, I was very much mistaken.
First of all, whoever did the proofreading should be sent immediately back to third grade. The book is riddled with spelling and grammar errors, sentence fragments, wildly variant deployments of capitalization, and even changes of character names in mid-stream.
The bigger problem is that most of the stories read like bad fan fiction. The spirit may have been willing, but the flesh was weak. I suppose the "authors" had good intentions, but their execution was highly flawed. Thus, while it may be thrilling for hardcore Hunter fans to see such stalwarts as Witness1, Dictatrix11, Cabbie22, God45, Potter116, and Doctor119 in action, for the most part the plot are ill-conceived and badly executed.
Each Hunter protagonist evidently comes from a different Creed (Innocent, Judge, Martyr, et cetera), and so that obviously affects how they'll react to their adversaries: with compassion or hatred, suspicion or trust, violence or efforts to communicate. This could be interesting if it was handled better, but the stories range from dull to cringe-inducing. Also, reviews elsewhere question whether the treatment of certain characters, particularly God45, is actually consistent with how they've been portrayed in the source books.
That being said, the God45 story, "Antibody", is actually tolerable. And the concluding story with Doctor119, "Unusual Suspects", is somewhat entertaining and mildly clever, while being improbable. "The Treatment of Dr. Eberhardt" had some promise but the author's reach exceeded his grasp. "Lucimal's Heart" is not altogether bad, and "Some Faerie Tales Are Real" hovers on the border of adequacy. The rest are garbage of various odoriferousness, particularly "The Frailty of Humans", which evidently is a repackaged chapter from another White Wolf novel.
I cannot recommend this collection under any circumstances except finding it on a bus station bench or needing it to complete your collection of Hunter material. Avoid!
NOT THE BEST.......2002-07-30
IM FAMILIAR WITH THE WORLD OF DARKNESS AND THE HUNTER GENRE AND I ENJOY A "well" crafted vampire tale as well as vampire hunters etc,so i picked up this book hoping 4 a interesting read.......i didnt get one. now before i sound too harsh there are a few well written stories in the anthology but overall the stories are predictable and derivitive.the best way to make the fantastic seem plausible is to layer in as much reality and credibility as possible to help authenticate the incredible plus allow 4 an easy suspension of belief.it takes a fairly competent writer 2 pull it off and unfortunatly there doesnt seem 2 be 2 many on this collection.....most of the stories and characters are just 4 lack of a better word ....corny.the three standouts are the treatment of dr. eberhardt,the names of the dead,the frailty of humans and unusual suspects.
Some Strong Stories and NO Particularly Weak Ones........2001-08-21
Inherit the Earth is an anthology set in the World of Darkness containing short stories featuring Hunters - normal humans granted "powers" that allow them to detect and battle the supernatural. The "supernatural" includes ghosts and werewolves, but in this novel is most often vampires (which will make those tired of the over-used "hunter vs. vampire" plot hook shudder). Still, _Inherit the Earth_ contains a good selection of stories, and I didn't find the usual "page-filler" tales that are so boring I can't force myself to finish them; instead, each tale was at least marginally interesting, with a few really standing out and being enjoyable. I would recommend this trilogy to Hunter fans, and to a lesser extent anyone interested in the World of Darkness (especially Vampire fans); I would not, however, recommend this book to people only interested in Horror stories, as none of the tales are particularly scary.
My one big complaint is that this book does not appear to have been proofread. Sure, the spellings appear accurate, but in a world of spellchecking word-processors, that isn't hard to pull off (unless you're like me and don't use them). There are, however, many words that are out of place ("though" instead of "thought") and whole sentences that don't make sense (as if the author decided to change a line, then inserted the new material incorrectly). This occurs mostly in the earlier stories, but still shouldn't be in a professional work at all (maybe an Amazon.com review, though.. ;).
The following is a brief description of the stories in the anthology. The descriptions contain slight SPOILERS, but none that should give away the endings or decrease the suspense.
"The Treatment of Dr. Eberhardt" by Stefan Petrucha. An excellent Hunter story that not only starts off the anthology, but really sets the mood for the whole book. It is hard to describe this story at all without spoiling a part of it, so I will simply leave it at that.
"Credo" by Eric Griffin. A story involving Witness1 (a character previously seen in the Hunter sourcebooks) and a potential meaning for the oft-used slogan "Inherit the Earth." I didn't find the story particularly exciting, nor the potential meaning of the saying to my liking, but it does give some insight into the existance of Hunters that may not have been available before.
"The Names of the Dead" by James Stewart. I found this story disappointing, and am getting VERY tired of the plot device that is revealed at the end. The character Dictatrix11 is somewhat interesting, though.
"Closure" by Andrew Bates. An excellent tale involving Carpenter from the "Hunter mailing list" presented in other sourcebooks. Wraith fans will probably also like this one, as it references some of the powers and laws from their corner of the WoD.
"Antibody" by Michael Lee. This story should have been called, "When Hunters Go Bad" due to over-zealous actions of the "hero" of this cautionary tale. It introduces a few new concepts that some may find interesting, but I was not particularly impressed.
"Some Faerie Tales are Real" by David Wilson. Bookworm55 takes to the streets and gets into a lot of trouble. This story was at times funny, at others very dramatic, and in a few areas very sad. It is very much worth reading, though some might think the joke about a Hunter named "Blade" a bit too much (but I loved it).
"The Frailty of Humans" by Gherbod Fleming. This is a 12 page story that seems to spend 9 pages refreshing us with the characters Kaitlin, Black Rindle, and Barks-at-Shadows from Fleming's Hunter novel _Predator & Prey: Werewolf_. While that approach works in full-length novels, it just wastes space in the limited medium of a short story. Though the tale isn't horrible, it certainly isn't particularly interesting (yes, we know werewolves are racists; yes, they aren't always nice to others), and doesn't answer the question as to what happened at the end of the P&P novel.
"Lucimal's Heart" by Dominic von Riedemann. A predictable story involving everyone's favorite Hunter couple, Leaf and Oaken (though mostly Leaf).
"Unusual Suspects" by Richard Lee Byers. The last story in the anthology and most certainly one of the best. The question, "What happens when a vampire needs a detective?" is finally answered! There were one or two plot points that Vampire fans may have a problem with, but Hunter fanatics should love it.
Book Description
The legends who created the trillion-dollar hedge fund world are brilliant at picking investments, astute at spotting talent--and notorious for secrecy. Now these top managers talk frankly about the challenges they face and how they enter, exit, and size their trades. They also name up-and-coming managers who are shaping the future of hedge funds. Katherine Burton, an acclaimed Bloomberg News reporter, has persuaded these giants of their industry to share their thinking as never before. Investors and market watchers will be intrigued and informed by an unprecendented look inside these highly successful funds.
Book Description
Hunt or Be Hunted
·Strategies for hunting with all five playable Hunters
·Hidden Hunter revealed
·Comprehensive maps covering all levels
·Full breakdowns for all Hunter weapons and Edges
·Complete descriptions of all Swat, Monster, and Boss weapons
·Every enemy's weakness exposed
·How to find collectable monster cards
Books:
- Incredible Technologies Of The New World Order; UFOs - Tesla - Area 51
- Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts
- King Arthur Pendragon (Pendragon 5th Edition)
- Laws of the Night (Mind's Eye Theatre)
- Laws of the Wild (Mind's Eye Theatre)
- Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game (Volume I) (Learn to Play Go)
- Learning Maya 7: Foundation
- Lost Empires of Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
- Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice (Harry Potter) (Smart Pop series)
- Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty
Books Index
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