THE IMBUED

A Hunter : the Reckoning

5th edition Character Guide
HUNTER : THE REKONING

THE IMBUED
A Hunter the Reckoning 5th edition Character Guide

Crédits
Written by Batro
Proofing and additional writing and ideas by SuperNoah999
Layout by Intyzlah
Art by White Wolf team

Table of Contents
The old Creeds..................... p. 6
The Second Calling............. p. 7
New Rules.......................... p. 9
New Edges........................ p. 10
New perks......................... p. 13
Loresheets......................... p. 14
Hunter Code..................... p. 19

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2
 THE IMBUED

“Monsters are everywhere, they have fee-

lers and sensors at all levels of society,
How to use
this guide
government and religion. Where monsters
themselves cannot tread, they manipulate
pawns who act as their eyes and ears —
normal people in league with evil, people
whom you may not recognize as the ene-
my. The police could be under the sway of This small sourcebook offers you quick, easy alternative rules
and chronicles ideas to bring back the Imbued from the first
the walking dead. Politicians may be pos- edition of Hunter : the Reckoning, published by White Wolf
sessed by spirits. Television stations may Publishing in 1999.
broadcast the prepared statements of mind
These Hunters are normal people blessed by unknown entities
controlling demons.” with strange powers. They see the monsters everywhere, like
the old John Carpenter movie They Live! The fight against
— Hunter : the Reckoning 1st edition corebook
supernatural conspiracies, working class heroes against cor-
rupted elites and media, a naïve look at the World of Darkness
and a lot of paranoïa are major themes, asare the ambiguous
nature of their “patrons” and powers: demons? angels? aliens?

3
HUNTER : THE REKONING

Who are
The 2022 edition (or “H5”) published by Paradox and Rene-
gade Game Studio is a reimagined game, without the Imbued
mythology (this sourcebook is specifically made to fill this ab-
sence). However, H5 has chosen a rules-light approach and

the Imbued?
we think it’s a good move. We will add as few as possible new
rules but we will try to keep the spirit of the first game alive
and the essential lore elements: Second Sight, the Messengers,
Hunter-net, the Code, some old-school Edges. We don’t re-
make the old Creeds nor all their Edges, but we integrate these
changes in-universe.
If you don’t know who are the Imbued, here’s a little
You will play the Imbued as default characters. The other
breakdown:
Hunters (the default PCs from the H5 corebook and the org
The Messengers (or Heralds, or Ministers), mysterious en-
members) are “Bystanders” who can see the monsters but
tities from beyond this reality, have empowered normal people
don’t have any Endowment edges or are simply normal people
(not Rambo-style military guys!) with strange powers (Apti-
who didn’t witness, hear or understood the Messengers’ call
tudes and Endowment Edges) to take back the night: the Im-
and didn’t receive supernatural Edges.
bued. They can see through the monsters’ illusory masks, and
However they still want to overthrow the monsters domina-
are immune to their mental powers.
tion and do have a « sixth sense » to see the creatures for what
The “imbuing” is violent because they suddenly see the crea-
they are.
tures in the streets, with exaggerated and monstrous faces.
Beware: the Imbued are more powerful than most other Hun-
They hear the Messengers voices or see messages that urged
ters!
them to face the darkness, to « inherit the Earth » everywhere.
It’s a slow apocalypse.
However, they’re people with a day-to-day job, and a family
Original Hunter : the Reckoning to care for. Some of them are just kids and teenagers. The
bibliography brutal visions sent by the Messengers, the weird Edges and
the shocking revelation of an entire society secretly controlled
by creatures of darkness push the Imbued to a paranoid state.
If you want more informations and tips about THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! If they talk about it to their
old-school Hunters, read these books: loved ones, they will be mocked, associated with the crazy
Qanon conspiracy theorists or sent to the asylum.
So they use a safe and encrypted app and online network,
• Hunter Players Guide (Bystanders, Waywar- Hunter-net. The Messengers themselves keep it safe. Only
ds, Hermits, children PCs, how to hunt and the Imbued know how to use it. Each Creed has developed
live a double life) some kind of an alter-culture and share tips and information
on “H-N”.
• Hunter Storytellers Handbook (FAQ, meta-
plot, how to GM the Imbued)

• Apocrypha (in-universe notebook full of

cryptic prophecies)

• The “Hunter-books” (if you want premade

NPCs to represent the last of the first gene-
ration Imbued and ideas for their old edges)

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 THE IMBUED

Who are the Messengers?

“The fall from grace — of the gods and as well as humanity — seems to be the prerequisite for the
end of the world.”
— Apocrypha

It’s a cycle. It’s not the first time the Messengers empowered heroes to defend humanity against
the creatures of darkness. At the beginning of the world (the First and Second Age, now we’re in
the Sixth), they already did that, but their chosen went mad and abused the people they swore
to protect. They became monsters themselves. Now the Messengers try to make new heroes,
but with lesser powers.
Dear Storyteller, the Messengers are whatever you want. In the first edition, they were angels
trying to do the job of an absent God, or even the souls of ancient Solars from the game Exalted.
They can even be aliens from another dimension, the humanity’s collective unconscious who
can no longer tolerate these predators or other unknown entities that Mages or Wraiths fear. In
the World of Darkness, no one has the definitive answer. Keep it like that!
You can find more details in the original HtR Storyteller Handbook, p. 14-17.

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HUNTER : THE REKONING

The old Creeds

The old Creeds were divided in three paths:

Zeal
-Avengers (warriors)
-Defenders (protectors of the weak)
-Judges (every monster needs to be judged and not all are guilty)

Mercy
-Martyrs (wanting to sacrifice themselves for the greater good)
-Redeemers (wanting to break the curse of the monsters)
-Innocents (each creature is different, perhaps unwilling to be a monster, curiosity and naïveté
first)

Vision
-Visionaries (knowledge and understanding of the monsters first)
-Waywards (mad extremist tacticians and terrorists too fond of “collateral damage”)
-Hermits (they were mad because they directly channeled the Messengers’ orders and visions)

You can find more details in the original HtR Creedbooks.

If you want to play an original Imbued, create a new character with the H5 rules and this guide,
and buy the Old Creed Culture Loresheet. We don’t have the place to do a full conversion system
here. Roughly, the Creeds (H5 p. 33-51), Drives (H5 p. 129) and Edges (H5 p. 90) correspon-
dences are:

Old Creed H5 Creed + Drive H5 suggested Edges

Avenger Martial + Vengeance Arsenal
Defender Martial + Atonement Repel the Unnatural
Hermit Underground + Pride Beast Whisperer
Innocent Entrepreneurial + Curiosity Drone Jockey
Judge Inquisitive + Vengeance Global Access
Martyr Faithful + Atonement Martyrdom (see below)
Redeemer Underground + Envy Break the Curse (see below)
Visionary Faithful + Oath The Code (see below)
Wayward Faithful + Pride Ordnance

In addition, all the Imbued PCs have Sense and Thwart the Unnatural for free at character crea-
tion (it’s the equivalent of the first edition Second Sight) and if they choose the Repel the Unna-
tural Edge, they gain the Hands-free Perk (H5 corebook p. 98) for free, see below.

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 THE IMBUED

The Second Calling The Red Star

At the beginning of the 21th century, a red star appeared in
the sky (an omen seen by the visionary Imbued Fyodor as a
sign of the End Times). Imbued were down to a handful.
23 years have passed since the first imbuing and the world is Hermits and Waywards only… the most insane and isolated
still dying of the Dark Ones corruption. The Reckoning has Creeds, guided by new visions transmitted by the mysterious
begun, and it’s not a sudden apocalypse. It’s a long agony. star… did the Messengers leave this omen purposely? Or is it
The first generation of Imbued fought hard, won and lost their cosmic enemy?
many battles. Monsters were destroyed, others helped and
even freed from their curse. Eventually, their numbers dwin-
dled, because the Messengers didn’t imbue new hunters and
many died, became mad or chose to stop the Hunt.
Perhaps the Messengers were satisfied with the trouble caused
to the creatures of the night; perhaps they quit this universe
to protect another or lost some battles themselves, and were
forced to flee, abandoning their “chosen ones”. On H-N,
some of the old Imbued pretend that one of them - an extre-
mist - met Lucifer, the fallen angel, in Los Angeles, after an
earthquake. This meeting is seen by some as the reason why
the Messengers left their Imbued alone all this time. They
didn’t like it, at all.

The prophet Fyodor told us about

five signs who will announced the
Reckoning of the Imbued:
• The Golden Prince, son of the
Golden King, will be struck down
as his father was.
• The sources of evil will unite in
the lands that gave it birth.
• In the oldest hands of all, Mo-
ther Nature will turn her head
from humanity.
• The city at the foot of the world
will be obliterated.
• The agents of darkness will
claim the lives of three of the bri-
ghtest jewels in the crown of the
Earth.

A sixth sign has been found by his

friend Violin99 in a russian hid-
den safehouse:

•skyThe Red Eye will open in the

and will ordon that hunters be
hunted.

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HUNTER : THE REKONING

Birth of the
Second Inquisition
Hunter-net was shut down months later for unknown rea-
sons. More than ten years follows in silence. Several years ago,
some Hermits and Waywards, guided by the visions and voices
of the Red Star, helped some orgs to create the Second Inqui-
sition (the destruction of a vampire nest in Vienna was a suc-
cess because of them, they insist).

A new generation
Now the Messengers seem to care about our world anew;
their Second Calling is heard everywhere. The Red Star has
disappeared (or at least, it’s what everyone thinks). This new
generation has different Creeds and Edges. Perhaps it’s ano-
ther experiment on humanity. Or someone has convinced the
Messengers to come back (Lucifer, Fyodor, or the new, young
Pope?).

The New Pope

Urbain VI is the new Pope. He’s young (around

35 years old) and mysterious. He doesn’t
want to be seen in public and rarely talks on
television. He’s also very conservative on ca-
tholic values. But he knows something about
the Reckoning. His latest speech is full of
apocalyptic and Imbued keywords. People
fear him, but some say he made miracles,
he’s a saint. He healed a sick child and came
back healthy from a sudden coma. Others
say he doesn’t believe in God, or he’s a sorce-
rer. The Second Inquisition seems to not like
him because he’s reducing the wealth of the
catholic inquisitors. Who is he?

Hunter-net is online again. Some search for the last members

of the first generation to hear their wisdom and learn their lost
Edges. Many other don’t care about the « Mad », dispise the
Second Inquisition and try to make sense of all this crazy shit,
to protect their family, today, fucking now.

8
 THE IMBUED

New rules • Extended Desperation Dice Fields (H5 p. 127): Imbued

can use Desperation Dice whenever they attempt a test that
falls within these fields:
-Their Creed field (H5 p. 34, 38, 42, 46, 50).
-Their Touchstone (H5 p. 56) is in danger.
This rules replace the ones from the H5 core-
book:
• Modified rule for Despair: If a player choose to trigger
Despair because of a “1” on the Desperation Dice (H5 p. 128)
the test doesn’t fail. The character still enters the Despair
• Imbued: All the PCs are Imbued. condition (he cannot call upon his Drive or Desperation Dice
• Messenger link: All the Imbued gain one until he’s redeemed as explained in the Drives description),
dot in the Occult Skill for free because of their but it lowers the Despair level by one.
Messengers link. • Despair & Chronicle Tenet: if a Chronicle Tenet (H5 p.
• Endowment exclusivity: Only the Imbued 132) is broken, the entire cell falls immediately into Despair.
can use the Endowment Edges.
• Supernatural immunity: The Imbued can’t
be turned into monsters in any way.
• Orgs members as Bystanders: All the org members are A deformed vision
either Bystanders (they have the Edge Sense the Unnatural
for free) or simply don’t have anything special, as in the de- In this “Imbued edition”, Hunters don’t see
fault H5 rules. If the Imbued cells don’t join orgs, it’s prima- the other denizens of the World of Darkness
rily because of their different nature, not just because “they’re
as they truly are...
untrustworthy”. The org members don’t really understand
the Imbued, the Creeds and are fearful of the Messengers and
At certain times such as at the imbuing, when
their supernatural Edges. Some see the Imbued as a new kind the Messengers actively influence hunter
of monster. senses, in some cases with second sight
• Golden Aura: The Imbued appears as mundane humans or with certain observation-oriented edges
such as Sense the Unnatural, the chosen can
to all monsters’ supernatural senses, except when they use
their Endowments Edges: their aura exudes a golden halo. see symbolic representations of creatures
• Free Edges and perks: An Imbued has the Edges Sense the rather than their real-world appearances.
Unnatural et Thwart the Unnatural (H5 corebook p. 98) for These impressions tend to exaggerate eve-
free. They do not count towards the Edge points to spend at rything that is monstrous about an entity,
character creation. as if to emphasize it as alien and potential-
If your Creed write-up suggests one of these two Edges, you
ly unacceptable, presumably by Messenger
can choose one perk for free in one of these two Edges instead.
If an Imbued choose the Edge Repel the Unnatural (H5 p.
standards…
98), they automatically gain the Hands-free perk. And even when a creature’s worst features
aren’t exaggerated or don’t appear spon-
taneously, monsters can still seem wrong to
hunter senses… This isn’t necessarily a va-

Other rules modifications lue judgment on the part of the chosen. It’s
an awareness presumably imposed by the
Messengers as a warning or a mandate to do
something about the thing.
• Arsenal Edge errata: Change the Arsenal Edge rules (H5
corebook p. 91) this way: make the Edge test between or be-
fore fight scenes, not during the scene.
• Investigation can lower Danger: At the Storyteller dis-
cretion, PCs can lower the Danger level by one each time they
find two or more important clues about the monster they
hunt, because the investigation part is a major milestone of a
good Hunter story, as explained p. 26 and p. 150 of the core-
book.

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HUNTER : THE REKONING

New Edges
All the Imbued can learn this new Endowments Edges.
However, we suggest Martyrdom or Break the Curse for the
Faithful Creed and The Code for the Underground Creed.

Revised list of default and suggested Edges : Imbued edition

Creed H5 Default Edges Suggested Edges

Entrepreneurial Thwart & Sense the Unnatural Fleet, Improvised Gear, Drone Jockey
Faithful Thwart & Sense the Unnatural Martyrdom, Break the Curse, Repel the Unnatural
Inquisitive Thwart & Sense the Unnatural Library, Global Access, Beast Whisperer
Martial Thwart & Sense the Unnatural Arsenal, Fleet, Ordnance, Artifact
Underground Thwart & Sense the Unnatural Arsenal, Fleet, Improvised Gear, The Code

Break the curse

Some rare Imbued can weaken or even break the curse of a
monster with this Edge. The Hunter needs to sincerely help a
creature who also wants to « heal » from his monstrous state.

Edge Pool: Resolve + Insight or Persuasion depending on the

nature of the process. It cost a point of Willpower.

System: By spending the equivalent of a scene with the crea-

ture and achieving a win on an Edge test, with the difficulty
ranging from 3-5 (depending on the type and power of the
creature), the Hunter can suppress one supernatural aspect of
the monster curse and make it feel human again, for the dura-
tion of a scene. (A vampire can walk into the sun unharmed,
a werewolf corrupted by evil spirits can think freely again, a
ghost remembers his lost life, etc.)
The monster needs to be in a peaceful mindset towards the
Hunter and understand what the Hunter wants him to beco-
me: human again.

Break the Curse Perks

• Prolonged Duration: the supernatural aspect of the curse
is lost for a number of scenes equal to the margin of the test.
-Multiple targets: the Imbued can use this Edge on one more
creature at the same time. This perk can be acquired multiple
times.

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 THE IMBUED

•suppress
Multiple aspects: the Hunter can choose another aspect to
on the same creature. This perk can be acquired mul-
tiple times.
• Balance: You no longer require the monsters’ consent when
using this Edge, meaning you can use it offensively, such as by
cutting off the source of their supernatural power. This often
terrifies and/or angers the Monster. Replace Insight/Persua-
sion with Intimidation in the edge test.

The Code
You can draw strange glyphs on the walls and doors which
indicate safe zones, monsters nests, hidden weapons and re-
sources. The glyphs are invisible to all the monsters and visible
to all the hunters who have the Sense the Unnatural Edge.

Edge Pool: Wits + Academics.

System: By spending the equivalent of a scene to draw a sym-

bol and achieving a win on an Edge test, difficulty 2, the Im-
bued draw the equivalent of one simple keyword.

The Code Perks

• Mark: the Imbued can also «  mark  » a monster with a
glyph. The glyph produces an invisible smoke (10 meters
long) behind the target when it moves, even through walls,
doors, floors (except through magical doors), during a sce-
ne. The Hunter needs to physically touch the monster. (Use
Stealth instead of Academics on the Edge test). Every Hunter
with the Sense the Unnatural Edge can see the smoke and fol-
low the monster.

• Heal: the glyph is not a message; it’s a sigil of healing. If •bol of Hunter Code into their body. The player must explain
Brand: The Hunter can touch a monster, burning a sym-

an Imbued touches it, he regains as many levels of non aggra-

the symbols’ meaning to the Storyteller and why they put it on
vated, physical or Willpower damage as the margin of success.
the monster, and it deals a level of aggravated damage for every
(Use Medicine instead of Academics on the Edge test)
margin of success. The symbol is always visible to everyone,
including normal humans, appearing like an ominous tattoo
•gate”Otherworldly gate: the Hunter draw the “otherworldly
symbol on the soil, the floor, the door or the wall where (use Brawl instead of Academics in the Edge Test).
he has seen a monster disappear to another dimension (the
spirit world of werewolves, a Purgatory full of ghosts, a ma- •by drawing
Pact: The Hunter makes a deal with a monster, sealing it
a symbol of Hunter Code on them. If the monster
gical and virtual reality, etc.). The “gate” opens for him (and
breaks the deal, the symbol bursts into flames, dealing a level
his cell) for a number of scenes equal to the margin of success.
of aggravated damage for every margin of success.
After this duration, the Hunter needs to use this perk again
if he wants to come back. This perk can be chosen multiple
times to add more worlds. (Use Survival instead of Academics
on the Edge test)

11
HUNTER : THE REKONING

Martyrdom
The Imbued is ready to suffer for his cause, for the Messen-
gers, and to protect his friends. He knows monsters can feel
pain, too…

System: By spending 1 Willpower point per Danger level,

when he faces a monster, the monster cannot attack the Hun-
ter Touchstone’s or the PC cell members.

Martyrdom Perks
• Revelation: the Hunter can force the monster to feel the
pain and fear of his victims. The monster is paralyzed: his Dif-
ficulty or action dice pool is reduced by the Desperation level
until the end of the scene. This perk works only one time per
combat scene. The Danger rises by one more level.

• Inflict: if the Touchstone or a cell member is injured by

the monster through one single attack, the Imbued take this
damage instead. This perk works only one time per combat
scene. The Danger rises by one more level.

• You can feel it, too: If the monster manages to hit the cha-
racter, his Touchstone or a cell member through a single one
attack, the monster takes the same number of damage. This
Perk works only one time per combat scene. The Danger rises
by one more level.

• Cut me, fuck you: the Hunter cuts off or removes a leg, an
eye, an hear, an arm or another important body part of theirs
during a scene. The monster is permanently impaired and can-
not use the same body part (however, the monster can heal
through supernatural or natural means).
At the Storyteller discretion, the character and the monster
both suffer a negative modifier, or their appropriate Attribute
is reduced (we suggest -2 to -4). If the Hunter heals or “re-
places” the body part, the monster heals the same way.
The perk creates some kind of “pain link” between the two:
both can feel each other’s pain or sensations appropriate to the
body part lost, like a “phantom limb”.
This perk doesn’t work on ethereal entities like ghosts or spi-
rits.

• Suicide: the player choose how his character dies gracefully

and describe it. The cell immediately wins the combat scene
because of his sacrifice and the Danger level crumbles to 1.

12
 THE IMBUED

New perks
deformed face and body. People will panic, puke, flee or try to
help you, at the Storyteller’s discretion, and the monster will
be shocked that everyone can suddenly see him.

Creed subcultures on H+N

Add these new Perks to the following Edges: Quick ideas to better represent Hunter sub-
cultures on H-N. Each Creed has a private

Global Access
subforum of the same name on the app.

Entreprenarial. They search associates

to build, finance safe places, customized
(H5 corebook p. 94) weapons, supernatural meds, medical ana-
lysis of monsters’ bodies. Some exchange
•loadHunter+Net access. You know instinctively how to down-
services with the Orpheus org.
or access the Hunter+Net app. You can share files, infor-
mation, talk and view other Imbued who have this perk, in Faithful. They search for the lost books Apo-
a secured manner. The app is even compatible with AR/VR crypha and Days of Fire. They organize online
devices. It’s also the only way to talk to the “Mad”, the last of masses inspired by the Messengers’ cryptic
the first Imbued. Beware: they’re really mad… visions. They try to protect religious groups
No monster can intercept your conversation. of all kinds from the monsters in their mists.
Creeds are developing as subcultures through the app. A Inquisitive. They try to share intel, services
Hunter can call himself “I am an Inquisitive one” or “I am and resources with the orgs (the Arcanum
a member of the Inquisitive Creed” because the Messengers in particular). They use H+N as a giant on-
told them bluntly: “YOU’RE PART OF THE INQUISI-
line knowledge database, use AI tech to
TIVE ONES, SO BEHAVE LIKE THEM!” They feel the
differences between the Creeds, each having a specific point
strengthen the app, analyze reports of su-
of view about the Hunt. Even the way the Messengers talk to pernatural activity around the world, detect
them or push them to use tools, tactics or weapons is really monsters’ dens, etc.
different for each philosophy. Martial. They like to write lists, not long
Several Hunters are writing manifestos and Code drawings for posts. List of targets, of innocents to pro-
each Creed on the app forums and chats. In this foggy swamp tect, of mad Imbued, of trustworthy cops
where monsters can be everywhere and adopt a lot of faces, and judges, of orgs contacts, of weird places
Hunters need guidance and focus. They can’t fight every crea- to burn.
ture, follow every clue. Creed’s philosophies are made to be
Underground. The “invisible” status is made
complementary and Hunters know it. Through the H+N
for them. They don’t talk much on H+N and
app, they try to work together and gather different Creeds in
each cell. don’t use their private subsection much. But
they read and hear everything on H+N. Just
The XP cost of the Backgrounds Mentor (H5 corebook p. 76) don’t ask for their opinion.
and Contact (H5 corebook p. 74) is reduced to 1 XP per dot

Ordinance
(instead of 3 XP per dot) if the character regularly enters the
H-N app to exchange ideas and experiences.

(H5 corebook p. 92)

Sense the Unnatural •it emits
Ravage. You empower your explosive. When it goes off,
(H5 corebook p. 98) a gas like a gas grenade. This gas seems to decay the
bodies of monsters and even cause emotional trauma to hu-
mans. This causes a level of aggravated damage to monsters
• Look at him! You point a finger at the direction of the and aggravated Willpower damage to humans for every turn
monster and every human around you can see it the way you they spend near the gas. However, it also harms the health of
see it, until the end of the scene: as a horrible monster, with a the Hunter, inflicting a level of superficial damage on them.

13
HUNTER : THE REKONING

Loresheets
The Loresheets are a special Advantage who link a PC to the
Imbued past metaplot. You can buy Loresheets at charac-
ter creation only, at the cost of 1 Advantage point per
Loresheet level.
At the Storyteller’s discretion, you can also adapt Loresheets
from other World of Darkness 5th edition games.

In memory of…
Perhaps you didn’t believe him back then. Even if you didn’t see anything yourself, you’ve heard the weird stories
of your parent. You are the child of an Imbued and you’re just heard the second calling from the Messengers. He’s
been dead or lost for too many years. You miss him. And now you feel and see what he told you years ago: monsters
are everywhere but there is hope… You found a new family. You’re an heir to the Hunt and you will finish what your
parent tried to do: inherit the Earth!

Lore
•Code”)
The gift: your lost parent left you a gift. A strange map, with a lot of Code symbols (see our new Edge “The
only visible with Unnatural Sense. Your Storyteller is free to choose his secret and develop a story about it
and your family’s secrets.

•he•even
Your “uncle”: your lost parent was the friend of a monster, named Carpenter. He’s a manipulative vampire and
hacked the old H-N forums. Now, this monster is searching for you. It doesn’t want to hurt you. It needs
to talk about something very important: ghosts will enter our dimension and will possess the living en masse. It’s
somewhat linked to your parent, but how?

•survival
• • Printed archives of the old Hunter-net: your lost parent printed hundreds of pages of conversations, reports,
guides, identities of lost imbued, information on creatures’ nests and how to dodge traps and supernatural
surveillance. All these things are now lost online. Even if parts of this treasure are outdated, a lot of orgs will be very
eager to acquire it…

•It can
• •be•used
Family values: you still have a notebook full of telephone numbers and addresses written by your parent.
to track other imbued families, even some of them that are still alive (somewhat damaged…) and share
the veterans experiences and memories. You can lower the Danger level to 1 one time per chapter if you take time to
build a “veteran’s families network” and develop it.

•knew
• •your
• •parent,
Ties that bind: Kim “Witness1” Sun is the founder of the original Hunter-net.org. He’s still alive and
but he’s hunted by an infernalist and powerful Imbued, Béatrice. He needs your help to stop her,
because “she’s possessed by demons”. He sent you an invitation to the new H-N app.
You gain our new perk “Hunter-net access” of the Edge “Global Network”. If you already have it, gain Witness1 as
a 4 dots Mentor.

14
 THE IMBUED

Don’t Look Up
Anthelios (NASA nomenclature: 28978 IXION) is a cos-
mic anomaly no one can see without an expansive teles-
cope or a supernatural eye. Governments and the Second
Inquisition don’t know exactly what’s going on with this
phenomena. It shined red since the beginning of the 21th
century and it slowly approached Earth like an interstellar
meteor. But it disappeared some years ago and no one talks
about it now. There are a lot of crazy theories about it on
Hunter-Net and the old Waywards and Hermits say they
still see and hear it.
Even if you’re not one of them, you also still can see it with
your naked eyes. It’s like a big demon eye… it whispers… and
you don’t like it.

Lore
•someThesupernatural
Arcanum org (H5 p. 238) has recruited you to study the phenomena for some months and its effects on
creatures who can see it. You need money, so why not? You gain +1 die on Insight and Awareness
Skill Tests and one dot on the Resources Background when you work with the Arcanum or these monsters.

•They’re
• Thenotstarghosts
has complex cycles of light and darkness. Through the red rays, you can perceive weird specters.
or spirits. It’s them who whispers, not the star itself. They talk about artifacts and mysterious
places where you will find “special tools’’ for the Hunt.

•Messengers
• • TheandSociety of St Leopold (H5 p. 235) broke into your home last year and questioned you about the
Anthelios. But the Red Star protected you, they didn’t use torture and let you run. You understood
they have an artifact related to Anthelios in their famous “vault”, but they don’t understand. A clock, or something
like that.

•devour
• • them
• A new kind of monster emerges from the red rays. Doppelgangers, creatures who prey on some Imbued,
and steal their appearance and powers. Why? Who are they? Heralds of judgment? Souls of dead Im-
bued? Avatars of the Messengers? (The Storyteller’s choice.)

•will•despair.
• • • All
The Reckoning is the name of this star. It will soon reappear, as big as the Moon, and all humanity
Imbued will be judged by it, in the name of the Messengers (or some other evil force?), and they
will need to convince them to not exterminate humanity with the monsters, so the cycle begins anew.

15
HUNTER : THE REKONING

You read Fyodor’s « Apocrypha »

Old-school Imbued had a bible: the “Apocrypha” note-
book from the visionary Fyodor, published by Anchorite
Press / William Hannon (aka Violin99) at the end of the
20th century. The book is difficult to find nowadays but
a part of it (the signs of the apocalypse, as explained at the
beginning of this guide) are scanned and archived on the
new Hunter-Net.
A long time ago, you read this book in one night. Inside
there were clues about the Hunt, new propheties about
the future of the Imbued. You lost the book years ago. But
these writings and naïve drawings are still in your mind,
like a flame you cannot extinguish.

Lore
•midday
The Shining Ones: You understand there are two Messengers left, the Ebon Dragon and the Scarlet Woman. At
each day, they offer you a vision of another place, at the same time (the Storyteller chose).

•cred• imbued
Blood: Fydor was an ex KGB member and did horrible experiments on Imbued to find what he calls the “sa-
bloodlines”. He wrote they had telepathy powers. Actually, you can now hear the thoughts of your cell
members and talk to them directly in their heads, even if they’re far away from you.

•you•read
• Beware of the Dark Ones: the Messengers are ancient gods of light and hope or powerful fallen heroes. If
aloud Apocrypha texts to a crowd, they can see the monsters like you do. If there are creatures of darkness
who hear your voice, they despair and flee, sometimes erupting in flames spontaneously!

•When
• •you• Days of Fire: You know of another “prophecy book” called “Days of Fire”, written by Lucifer himself.
draw the Apocrypha symbols, it tells you where you can find the book. Beware: he’s in the hands of a
powerful demon, who searches for Lucifer… and hates him.

•aloud,
• •you
• •canTranscend: you memorized some Apocrypha citations about other planes of existence. If you repeat it
project your soul out of your body and reach another plane of existence (the werewolves spirit world,
the death dimension of ghosts discovered by the Orpheus org, etc.).
(If you already have the new Edge “The Code” and his perk “Otherworldly gate”, add +5 die to this Edge Test.)

16
 THE IMBUED

Birth of the Second Inquisition

You know this rumor: the Second Inquisition (H5 p. 231) is the legacy of the Imbued “mad” Creeds and the secret
tool of the Red Star, whatever is it. You were there during the negotiations between Imbued extremists cells, reli-
gious orgs and governments, several years ago because of your intelligence job, data leaks, a divine hand or pure luck.
You’ve seen Hermits and Waywards reveal a lot of useful information about vampires and other monsters. It’s be-
cause of all these secrets all these orgs are now allies and share resources around the world to destroy the monsters.
After that, the Second Inquisition betrayed the Waywards. They were labeled as “terrorists”, and emprisonned or
executed. Several of the Hermits still work remotely for the Second Inquisition until this day. They know about
the new generation of Hunters because they’re in direct contact with the Messengers. They view the Imbued as a
supernatural phenomena and low priority targets. Perhaps they heard about you.

Lore
•nearA friend inside: you know a Second Inquisition analyst or operating officer. He’s an old Hermit and he cannot be
the presence of other Imbued because of some kind of “mental static” they provoque in his head. In exchange
for a strange service from you linked to the Red Star, he can warn you of the next SI assault in your city.

•He•knows
A call for freedom: one time per chapter, your friend can offer you a single call to God45, a mad Wayward.
a lot about the local SI organization, needs and tactics. In exchange, he will ask the cell to help him to flee
from the SI prison, one little service or tool at a time.

•Wyrm
• •werewolves,
You know something very specific about a monsters’ inner culture and factions (the Camarilla vampires,
one of the sorcerer’s Traditions, etc.) and how it works. Lower the Danger by -3 if you and your
cell hunt a creature of that inner culture.

•equipped
• • • You possess an abandoned FIRSTLIGHT vehicle of the Second Inquisition (NSA/CIA joint operation),
with top notch equipment and ideal for supernatural surveillance. You gain +4 die equipment bonus
when you use this vehicle to follow the quarry. Inside, there is a secured phone line. Who will respond? Why was
this vehicle abandoned? The Storyteller will choose.

•the•shadow
• • •deep
Cog is your friend, because he knows and likes Imbued. “He claims to be a whistleblower working for
state that controls several world governments through blackmail, blood magic and an ancient pact
with moon aliens.” (Second Inquisition sourcebook, p. 122). He has a cult and can send you people devoted to his
cause. However, they’re crazy conspiracy theorists and fanatics that talk to aliens through an “interstellar commu-
nication mirror”. Are they Bystanders? Are the Moon aliens Messengers?

17
HUNTER : THE REKONING

Old Creed Culture

You were an Avenger, a Defender, a Martyr, a Visionary, a Judge, a Redeemer or an Innocent. You were a first gene-
ration Imbued. You don’t know how but you survived and kept your head sane. Your cell friends did not.
You lost your conviction, your “second sight” and your Edges several years ago when you chose to stop your Hunt.
Now the Messengers have returned. After two decades of a civilian and happy family (or boring?) life, you heard
the second calling and you’re part of a new Creed. But you didn’t forget your tricks and your old-school tactics…
However, you still didn’t tell your family what you want to do now and the dangers they will face because of your
re-engagement. Did they know what you did twenty years ago? You’re not young anymore. To hunt the night and
work by day will be exhausting. Will you have the strength to do that all over again?

When you spend Advantage points in this Loresheet, choose one of the old Creeds.

Lore
•Re:Venge
Avenger: during the last 10 years, you didn’t really abandon the Hunt and you even worked for some orgs, like
(H5 p. 264). So you’re still surprising, sharp and trained. One time per chapter, lower the Danger equal
to the Old Creed Culture dots when you attack a monster.

•to the
Defender: you built a fortress where your loved ones live and the Messengers protect it. A number of times equal
Old Creed Culture rating, when your cell members (not you) spend XP or Advantage points on the Safe
House Background (H5 p. 78), add a perk for free.

•investigate
Judge: you’re good at navigating institutional complexities and you use them against the monsters. You need to
and judge your carry before you can decide to execute it. One time per chapter, add bonus dies equal to
the Old Creed Culture dots bought when you use the Politics Skill when you hunt.

•it toInnocent: if you possess at least 2 dots in the Craft Skill, you can craft a “Messenger amulet” per chapter and give
people (a human, not a Hunter). This small amulet will give a number of bonus die to an Awareness roll equal
to your number of Old Creed Culture dots.

•withMartyr: a number of times per chapter equal to the dots in Old Creed Culture, the character can seal an oath
a human he loves very much. The first time after this oath this person suffers Willpower or Health damage
through a single attack, the Martyr suffers this damage instead of his loved one.

•youRedeemer: if you possess at least 2 dots in the Medicine Skill or 1 Medicine dot and the Trauma Care specialty,
know how to perform a psychological therapy on a supernatural creature type (vampire, werewolf, sorcerer,
etc.). At the end, the creature will be your friend and will want to become human again or die in peace. The Story-
teller decides how much time and effort you need to complete it.

•symbolic
Visionary: a number of times per session equal to your dots in Old Creed Culture, the Storyteller grants you a
and prophetic dream useful for this session.

•yourself,
Wayward: A number of times per session equal to dots in Old Creed Culture, you can draw special symbols on
each increasing a chosen attribute by 1 if you kill a monster. This benefit lasts until the end of the chapter.
These symbols are unlike any others in Hunter Code, and can’t be understood by other Hunters.

•postHermit: Once per session, you can send a “message in a bottle.” Whether through writing on a piece of paper, a
on the internet, or any other means of indirect communication, the character can cast a message out into the
world. Later in the session, a number of Hunters equal to the dots in Old Creed Culture will appear to aid you due
to receiving the message.

18
 THE IMBUED

Hunter Code

2nd Sight Freedom Demon Protected

Monsters Haunted Puppets

Allies Imbued
Chossen

Corruption Safe Haven

Bloodsuckers Alone

Danger Man-beast
Infested
Death

Heralds Witch
The Hunt Hope Walking Dead
Messengers
 THE IMBUED
A Character Guide for
Hunter : the Reckoning 5th Edition
TAKE BACK THIS GAME !
The Reckoning is a long agony. It’s a process, a judgment. The Messengers are still
here. A new imbuing has begun.
—Violin99

This small sourcebook offers you quick, easy alternative rules and chronicles ideas to
bring back the Imbued from the first edition of Hunter : the Reckoning, published
by White Wolf Publishing in 1999.

BLESSED BY THE MESSENGERS

These Hunters are normal people blessed by unknown entities with strange powers. They see the monsters
everywhere, like the old John Carpenter movie They Live! The fight against supernatural conspiracies, wor-
king class heroes against corrupted elites and media, a naïve look at the World of Darkness and a lot of para-
noïa are major themes, as are the ambiguous nature of their “patrons” and powers: demons? angels? aliens?
Inside, you will find:
• Rules and lore to play the new generation of the Imbued.
• Second Sight, the Messengers, Hunter-net, the Code : all the Imbued lore!
• New Edges and perks designed for the Imbued and inspired by the first edition.
• Chronicle ideas that link the two versions of this game.
• 5 Loresheets inspired by old-school Hunter.
• New takes on Despair, Arsenal Edge and Chronicle Tenet rules.
YOU NEED HUNTER : THE RECKONING 5tH EDITION COREBOOK TO USE THIS
SOURCEBOOK.