Olivia wants to thank the San Jenaro Discord community and the San Jenaro Co-Op.

You’ve given her a whole

new lease on making games. She doesn’t want to start listing people by name because this book has a word
count limit and she’s afraid of leaving someone out. Also thanks to Tina, Katy, and Dade.

#iHunt is a game by and for the LGBTQ+ community. This is a game by and for poor people. This is a game for all
the people society leaves behind and lets fall through the cracks. We wrote this game to see ourselves kicking
ass in a world when the game industry at large is still hostile to diversity despite all claims to the contrary. This
isn’t a game with some milquetoast sidebar about how “you’re allowed to play gender nonbinary characters.”
This is a game about marginalized people. Are you allowed to play it if you’re not from a marginalized group?
Of course. But understand that this is a game written with our concerns unapologetically first and foremost,
front and motherfucking center. This is our world. You’re a tourist. Welcome to the show.

Content Warning: Violence. Economic Anxiety. Drug Use.

Note On Drug Use: The characters and rules in #iHunt take a non-judgmental look at drug use. The usage
in this book is designed to best suit the intended feel of the game. It doesn’t imply any sort of real world
endorsement. But, frankly, this is a piece of fiction based on a world where real people use drugs. Those
people aren’t morally inferior. Those people aren’t inherently flawed. They’re just people, and they all have
reasons for their choices.

THANKS
This work is based on Fate Core System and Fate Accelerated Edition (found at http://www.faterpg.
com/), products of Evil Hat Productions, LLC, developed, authored, and edited by Leonard Balsera,
Brian Engard, Jeremy Keller, Ryan Macklin, Mike Olson, Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks,
and Rob Donoghue, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

The Fate Core font is © Evil Hat Productions, LLC and is used with permission. The Four Actions icons
were designed by Jeremy Keller.

#iHunt’s world and setting is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-

Alike 4.0 International License. You can read more about this at CreativeCommons.org.

All of the art is sourced either from our own work, public domain sources, or licensed in such a way
that we retain the rights to the transformative works herein. So it’s included in the licensing as-is. The
manga in chapter 8 is from ブラックジャックによろしく. The creator, Shuho Sato, released his works for open
usage in such a way we thought was super cool, so we thought we’d build a chapter around it.

The long and the short: The systems stuff is all licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
license. The setting, characters, and all the stuff that doesn’t involve numbers or dice is Creative Com-
mons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.
 Killing Monsters
in the
Gig Economy
Olivia Hill + FILAMENA YOUNG

http://machineage.tokyo

Character Sheet by Francita Soto

 #THEDOWNLOW 4 #PEOPLESKILLS 94
CONTENTS
(INTRODUCTION)
THE CONVERSATION 4
(SKILL SETS)
BUILDING STUNTS 95
WHO IHUNTS? 4 STUNTS95
WHY PLAY IHUNT? 5 THE SKILL SET LIST 96
THAT’S DEPRESSING 6 - ACADEMIC 97
OKAY BUT MONSTERS? 6 - ASSASSIN 98
CAN I PLAY A MONSTER? 6 - ATHLETE 99
INSPIRATIONS7 - FIGHTER 100
THE GAME  7 - GRIFTER 101
THE CHARACTER SHEET 10 - GUERRILLA 102
BASIC ACTIONS 12 - HACKER 103
THE LADDER 12 - INFLUENCER 104
NARRATING RESULTS 13 - INVESTIGATOR 105
FATE POINTS 14 - MAKER 106
THE EDGE DIE 16 - MEDIC 107
USING THIS BOOK 17 - OCCULTIST 108
WHAT IS IHUNT? 18 - ORGANIZER 109
- PROFESSIONAL 110
#THEPEOPLE 32 - SOCIALITE 111
(CHARACTERS) - SOCIAL WORKER 112
- SPY 113
WHAT IS YOUR KINK? 42
- SURVIVOR 114
CHARACTER CREATION 60
NEW SKILLS 115
CHARACTER CREATION QUICK REFERENCE 61
CHARACTER CREATION 62
#SELFIES 118
#MYSCENARIO 72 (CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT)
(ASPECTS) BIG MOODS 119
BIG FUCKING DEALS 120
WHAT IS AN ASPECT? 72
LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS 121
WHAT IS A FATE POINT? 72
USING A SCRAPBOOK 123
TYPES OF ASPECTS 73
ANATOMY OF A SELFIE 125
THE ROLE OF ASPECTS 76
MAKING GOOD ASPECTS 77
#THEHUSTLE 128
INVOKING ASPECTS 82
FREE INVOKES 83
(ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES)
COMPELLING ASPECTS 84 THE FOUR OUTCOMES 129
ASPECTS FOR ROLEPLAY 85 THE FOUR ACTIONS 130
IMPERILLING ASPECTS 86 CREATE AN ADVANTAGE 131
FATE POINT ECONOMY 88 ATTACK132
SKILL SETS 94 DEFEND133
#THEEDGE 136 #THESTREETS 252
(THE EDGE IN PLAY) (BUILDING SETTING)
SETTING CHEAT SHEET 254
#THEFLOW 142 PEOPLE256
(FLOW OF PLAY AND DIRECTING) BUILDING THE ZONE MAP 258

CHALLENGES143
#THINKPOOR 262
CONTESTS145
CONFLICTS148
(RUMINATIONS ON CAPITALISM)
TEAMWORK157 POOR TAXES  266
THE LEGAL SYSTEM 272
#THEGIG 160 LIFE HACKS FOR POVERTY 276
(THE HUNT AND JOB CREATION) THE WORKING POOR’S BURDEN 282

PARTS OF A JOB 161

#IHUNT 288
USING THE JOB GENERATOR 162
- THE CLIENT 163
(THE IHUNT APP AND HUNTING)
- THE MARK 164 WHO MADE #IHUNT? 289
- THE TROUBLE 165 WHO'S BEHIND #IHUNT 291
- THE PLACE 166 THE WAY IT "WORKS" 292
- THE CHARGE 167 OTHER HUNTERS 294
- THE SCOPE 168 OTHER APPS 298
- THE HANGUP 169
- THE OTHER HANGUP 170 #SANJENARO 304
- THE AFTERMATH 171 (THE “CANON” #IHUNT SETTING)
MORE ON THE AFTERMATH 172 SAN JENARO NEIGHBORHOODS 308

#THEMARK 176 #ADVANCEDCLASS 312

(MONSTERS) (ADVANCED TECHNIQUES)
MONSTER BASICS 177 MASTER CLASS 312
MONSTER TRAITS PRIMER 178 FATE SUCKS FOR HORROR 312
CLADES180 FUCKING LADDERS, HOW DO THEY WORK? 312
- VAMPIRES 182 FUCK THE HERO’S JOURNEY 314
- SORCERERS 192 THE FATE FRACTAL 314
- WEREWOLVES 198 COMPOSITION & FRAMING 315
- REPTOIDS 204 CUT ASAP 317
- DEMONS 210 IMPACT AND FEEDBACK 318
- THE HUNGRY DEAD 218 CUTAWAYS318
CREATURE FEATURES 224 RULES EXCEPTIONS 319
MONSTER GIFTS 234 DIRECTING ASPECTS 321
MAGICAL GIFTS 243 THE SUPPORTING CAST 322
MONSTER BANES 246
 Ladies Night Out: Chapter 1
#ONTHEJOBTRAINING
It’s Friday. I’ve got my paycheck. I’ve paid “Shhhhh!” She snaps. She peeks around the
rent. I’ve paid the water and sewage. I’ve paid trash dumpster. There’s a man walking down
my phone bill. Everything’s good. Well, except I the alley. Big, in a suit. He’s got that feeling about
need groceries for the next two weeks, because, him. Like you know he’s guilty of something.
you know, food. I check the pile of envelopes Something real fucking bad.
by the door.
Oh my god we’re robbing someone. She dragged me
Oh, also I forgot the fucking electric bill. out here to help her mug someone.

Not that remembering would have changed “This is him. Just follow my lead. No matter
anything; it wouldn’t make my check any what you do, don’t stop, and don’t let him look
bigger. And this one isn’t a late notice—it’s a you in the eyes.”
shutoff notice.
“What in the fuck Elaine—”
I remember that my friend Elaine does odd
jobs on some app. She said I’d be great for it, Before I can think, Elaine jumps out into the
because I’m basically fit, and more importantly alley and jams her knife into his stomach.
I need the money enough to do anything. She
“Elaine!” I stand, not entirely sure what’s going
says it pays well, and it pays quick. So I grab my
on right now.
phone, and hope the bill payment went through
so I have service. Sometimes it takes 48-72 Oh my god she’s an assassin. This is a Senator
hours for a payment to post when they shut off and I’m gonna be on the run from the law for
service. The phone says I’ve got a signal, so I call the rest of my life.
her up.
The man looks down at his stomach, then to
She tells me to dress in dark clothes. Dark Elaine, then laughs. This is not the laugh of a
clothes, I have. Light-colored clothes stain, so man who just took eight inches of Big Fucking
I have to replace them all the time. She has me Knife to the gut.
meet her in an alley in a shit part of town. The
kind of neighborhood you go to get robbed if “Get over here and help!” Elaine snaps, then
you’re not a drug dealer or, well, a robber. It’s rips her knife free and swings it wide at his face.
the kind of neighborhood where you can get The man slaps her hand away, then punches
apartments in cash with no background check. her in the stomach.
I had to live here a while after a particularly bad
breakup where my partner fucked my credit Whatever’s happening, if I don’t act, Elaine’s
score. dead. She’s had my back before. Whatever’s
going on, she needs me.
“What the fuck is this? I thought this was an
app thing? Like you drive people places, or clean Sometimes it’s not about who’s at fault, but
their apartment naked, or model for someone’s who you need. I need Elaine. And right now,
stupid juice machine.” Elaine needs me. So I charge up behind the
man just as he’s grabbing Elaine by the neck
She looks over at me. “Be quiet. We don’t want and lifting her off the ground. I wrap both
to give away our position. You’re gonna want hands around the knife handle, and plunge it
this.” She holds out a knife. Not a knife like I into his back. I, like nearly one hundred percent
might use to serve birthday cake for the kids of the population, have never plunged a knife
I’ll never be able to afford to have. A knife like into someone. This doesn’t feel right. Not like
I imagine would be between Dolph Lungren’s “you’ve done something wrong,” but like, “his
teeth as he creeps through a jungle prowling for back didn’t feel like skin.” His back broke away.
otherworldly menaces. Jagged. It was dry, crumbly.

Serrated? That’s the word, right? He isn’t bleeding.

“What do I need this—” “Don’t stop!” Elaine shouts as he drops her.

2
 I don’t have to think twice. I stab. I stab again. I stab again.
By the time he’s turned around to face me, Elaine’s gotten
her knife and slashes his throat.

He falls to the ground, and his body crumbles to dust. I

blink. I stare. I forget the cold night wind. I forget where you
am. I’m staring at a pile of dust that I helped to… kill?

I drop the knife. While I’m gawking at the pile, Elaine puts
something in my hand. Paper maybe?

“What’s that?” My voice is cracked. I’m not even sure if she

could hear me.

“That’s $700. In the business, it’s what we call ‘your cut.’”

I look down. It’s a wad of cash.

“Huh?”

“I made $1,500 on this gig. Spent $100 on those knives.

They’re silver-plated. Not cheap. The rest I split with you.
Good first gig.”

That pile of paper looks like my electricity this month. It

looks like next month’s rent. It looks like groceries. For a brief
second, it looks like a pile of ash. It looks like the guy I kind
of maybe just murdered. But mostly, it looks like groceries.

It looks like I don’t have to work extra shifts next week.

It looks like temporary freedom.

Elaine’s walking back toward her car.

“Wait!”

“What?” She glances back but keeps walking.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me what we

were doing?” I hesitate for a moment, but start
after her.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t have gone through

with it.”

“You didn’t know that!”

She did.

And she was completely, 100% right. I wouldn’t

be standing here with a fist full of grocery
money if she told me what I was about to do.

But now? I think I could do it again.

I think I will.
3
CHAPTER ONE:
#THEDOWNLOW
(INTRODUCTION STUFF)
#iHunt is a game about stories. Stories about how people The game’s rules are really a way of mediating that
react to utterly fucked circumstances. The characters in conversation, and helping to figure out what comes next
#iHunt kill to survive. Not because they’re in a war zone. when you’re not sure what should happen. Conversations
Not (usually) because someone’s trying to kill them (at aren’t always fair. Sometimes people get more airtime.
least directly). They hunt because they’re broke, and in the Sometimes participants just listen. Sometimes they build on
gig economy, everyone’s gotta hustle. #iHunters use an app each others’ ideas. Sometimes they just wait for their turn to
called #iHunt where they take contracts to kill monsters. It’s speak. This game helps the conversation move in the right
like Uber, except instead of picking up thirty-somethings direction to tell #iHunt stories.
who want to save a few bucks on cab fare, you’re stalking
and killing terrifying creatures of the night. The idea’s the Keep it casual and friendly. The point is to have fun and
same—a day job’s just not enough anymore. With mounting tell cool stories. If it’s stressing you out too much, it’s a shitty
healthcare costs and rising rent, sometimes you’ve got to put conversation.
your health and safety on the line to… have health and safety.

You see, in game design, we call this “the core gameplay

WHO IHUNTS?
loop.” It’s the shit you do which is fun, and has consequences Millennials, mostly. Haven’t you read all the articles about
and rewards which cause you to go back and do that shit how they’re killing your favorite fast casual dining restaurant
again. But Olivia, you say, “dying from a lack of access to that you haven’t actually eaten at but maybe once in the past
healthcare isn’t fun!” You’re damned right it isn’t. That’s why two years? Or what about the one where they’re killing the
you kill monsters. You see, we’re taking really awful, heavy diamond industry? Or the one where they’re killing the travel
shit, and using something totally fantastical and viscerally industry? What you don’t read is the one about how they’re
engaging to talk about that. Sounds pretty deep, right? I also killing vampires, ghouls, zombies, and werewolves to
want to note that there are currently no tabletop roleplaying make ends meet.
game industry awards for “pretentious bullshit talking about
social issues using egregious violence.” If you’re reading this What’s a millennial? For these purposes, a millennial was
and you have any say in tabletop roleplaying game industry born some time between 1980 and 2005, generally identifies
awards, I’m just gonna save you the trouble and nominate strongly as part of the information age. They’ve never had
myself. Thanks all for your support. We couldn’t have done a job during a time of general economic prosperity. They
it without you. started working after “the bubble popped.”

People with good, comfortable, healthy backgrounds

THE CONVERSATION don’t hunt monsters. People from good, safe, wholesome
upbringings have faith in institutions. They know they can
People have all sorts of takes on what a roleplaying game or
call for help and someone will answer. The worst shit they
a storytelling game or whatever you want to call this kind of
have to deal with, they can just sit down with some sheet
game with pens and paper and dice and shit is. Maybe it’s
cake and #selfcare it away. While that might be true most of
like Cops and Robbers. Except All Cops Are Bastards,
the time, it’s not true when monsters come out to play. A lot
so that’s not a good #iHunt comparison. Maybe it’s like
of times, those people stumble upon #iHunt, end up getting
improvisational theater. I move around like a jackass then
together the cash to take out a contract, and calling for the kind
stop all of a sudden and you have to come up with the next
of help that can actually stop monsters. But the important
part of the improv machine and... no. That’s not #iHunt. Not
thing is, they’re not doing the hunting—their instinct is to
really. #iHunt stories are conversations. The whole idea is
look for the hunters. What’s the old Mr. Rogers quote? Look
that you’re telling this story with a group of friends. You’re
for the helpers? #iHunters are the helpers. Sometimes, just
talking about these characters and all the weird shit going
sometimes, a person from a good life can get broken enough
on in their lives, and all the great, not-so-great, awesome, and
to take up the hunt. That happens most often when they
tragic things they do.
experience repeat encounters with the supernatural.

4
 WHY
PLAY
More often than not, it’s people from broken homes
iHunt?
that end up hunting monsters. There’s a few reasons. First
[ Humor. #iHunt balances series issues with tongue-in-
cheek attitude. Even at their most serious, #iHunt stories
off, they need cash. Poverty and misfortune isn’t a singular are still stories about killing werewolves, zombies,
instance or just temporary inconveniences—they’re cyclical. and mummies. No matter how scary you make them,
Second off, these people have the tools and adaptability to monsters are kind of silly. Even a murderous demigod
deal with diverse threats. Maybe a kid off the streets doesn’t is worth a chuckle if he speaks with a Transylvanian
know vampires are weak to stakes through the heart, but they accent. Besides, these monsters can and will kill you
know how to handle a scary motherfucker trying to kill them. if they get the chance. So a little gallows humor goes a
They just called him “dad.” Third off, they’ve hit bottom. long way.
Someone who’s lost everything isn’t afraid to die. They know
desperation—and if they’ve lived this long, they’ve been
empowered by the results.
STORIES ABOUT POVERTY
#iHunt is based on a series of novels that are weird
For many hunters, #iHunt is their first chance to truly metaphorical stories about poverty, and the way people deal
take control of their life. It’s not perfect, but it’s a way with poverty in the 21st century. You’ve seen the thinkpieces.
better paycheck than minimum wage. Think about it like coal “Millenials are killing (insert an industry or societal
mines for millenials. It’s dangerous. It’s fucking deadly. But institution)” Millenials are killing casual dining chains.
when that check comes in and you can tell the bank to fuck Millenials are killing diamonds. Millenials are killing home
off for another month, who cares about the bloodstains on ownership. Millenials are killing nuclear families. These
your jeans? #iHunt’s about hunting monsters. But it takes stories all come down to declining income, increasing costs,
an ultra-modern view on the job. Not just “characters have and s society that loves to blame the victims. In #iHunt, your
smartphones.” But #iHunt’s world is the late 2010s with all characters take on the mantle of hunters and killers because
the tense political and economic climates of this era. they have to. Millenials are literally killing; not because
they chose to—but because they just don’t have enough
WHY PLAY IHUNT? opportunity otherwise.
[ Drama. #iHunt stories are about the struggles the The rules of #iHunt assume characters who need to
monster hunters face. Sometimes these struggles have struggle to get by. Hunting monsters isn’t a career where
fangs. Sometimes they have subpoenas. If you like you put in your 9-5, clock out, then hang up your hat. It’s
human drama, #iHunt’s got it. Monster hunters live fiery, a lifestyle. It’s dangerous. It’s thankless. Even though you’re
fast-paced lives where every second could be their last. doing society a huge favor, you’ll never be recognized for it.
This means fast friends, faster enemies, and desperately
trying to find comfort and sympathy wherever you can
find it. Sometimes on the hunt, it’s any port in a storm.
If you like stories about the consequences of choices
made in the heat of the moment, #iHunt’s got it.

[ Action. Because violence favors the aggressor,

hunters often win. #iHunters aren’t your typical super
heroes, they’re not even the typical blue collar heroes.
They’re service industry hunters. They bag your fair
trade locally-sourced certified organic greens. They
also know that if you layer plastic grocery bags three
thick and put them over a sorcerer’s head from behind,
the sorcerer can’t cast spells. They’re the ultimate
underdogs, fighting evil with pocket change, grit, and
youth.

5
THAT’S DEPRESSING
So that said, what do the monsters really mean?
Whatever you want. The thing is, #iHunt is a game
Everything in the previous two paragraphs is awful. It sucks. about individuals. Tons and tons of individuals. That’s
It’s depressing. And frankly, sometimes you just want to play diversity. Some vampires might stand for one thing, while
a game where the underdogs kick a whole lot of ass and another stands for another thing. Maybe some are mass
save the day. #iHunt also supports this. The idea behind all murderers, while some are girlfriend material. This is
of #iHunt’s rules is, they’re modular, and “opt-in.” Players important. Super fucking important. Every monster is an
have the opportunity to take character traits which let them individual, but the #iHunt app and its fucked up gig economy
explore certain aspects of the world, like the struggle to get micro contracts want you to think of them as blights to be
by in a shit economy. However, you can just as easily play exterminated. It literally dehumanizes the monsters, and
without those more depressing elements. “Kill Monsters­— wants you to do the same. As far as the #iHunt app and its
Get Cash” is a perfectly valid #iHunt story if you want it to creators are concerned, it’d be best if every hunter went in,
be, and we’ll provide rules to support that style of play. ground the target into dust in the most efficient, unfeeling
way possible, and got that five-star review. When it’s just “a
Also let’s put it out there now: Generally the Players’ vampire,” that’s easy. But when it’s Lisa, and she just had to
characters win. The #iHunters come out on top. Even if they quit her job at the Carver’s Supercenter because she can’t
don’t shirk the chains of capitalism, they kick a lot of monster work during daylight hours and now she’s mugging people
ass and squeeze by with just enough to survive. You can just in the business district late Saturday nights because she
have fun with that. That’s okay. needs blood and cash but she tries really hard to shake
down sexual predators... shit gets a lot more complicated,
But this is a dark game. Check >>PAGE 26 for guidance right? #iHunt doesn’t care what her name is, just that you
on doing “dark” without being a fucking asshole. killed her. (Well, and that you took a selfie to confirm the
kill. )
OKAY BUT MONSTERS?
You’re hunting monsters. Monsters are popular metaphors CAN I PLAY A MONSTER?
for all sorts of awful shit in the world. They’re literary Yes but not right now. Sometimes #iHunters get infected
devices. In #iHunt we use them for two core reasons: with lycanthropy. Sometimes they become vampires. It
happens. But I haven’t really come up with the rules for how
[ If we can accept that generally, monsters are awful, then
that would work. If this game does really well, I’ll do books
it’s not so bad when we have to kill them for cash. But
where you can do all that. Your best bet if you really want
fighting them is scary because they’re super powered
to play a monster is to buy seven copies of this book. One
and terrifying. So hunting monsters is kind of like a
for use at the table. One for saving in pristine condition for
metaphor for a soul-sucking or dangerous job. Because,
when you run across me at a convention so you can net that
well, it is.
prize autograph before Netflix gets their heads out of their
[ If we feel like getting introspective and philosophical, asses and commissions the #iHunt animated series. One
maybe some monsters don’t deserve it, and that means for bathroom reading. Then four to give to all your friends
you have to ask yourself why you get to eat and have when you’re guilt-tripping them to play a game. Don’t think
a home at the expense of innocent lives. That’s like of it as buying seven copies of the same book in hopes I’ll be
working a job where you know you’re hurting people able to write supplements.
for your boss, but you have to keep doing it because the
alternative is eviction. Think of it as a life hack. How does this make you feel? Tell
me in three emojis or less in the comments.
Let’s be perfectly clear: Monsters are devices which
represent individual transgressions. Monsters can be stand-
ins for that asshole that victimized you when you were a kid
or a metaphor for that guy that catcalls you on your walk
home, but monsters aren’t directly responsible for societal
and institutional ills. Hitler wasn’t a wizard—he was a
human fucking being and he led a whole bunch of human
fucking beings who did atrocious fucking things. When the
bank forecloses on your house, it’s not because of an ancient
mummy. When elected officials fund brutal right-wing
coups to topple democratic governments, it’s not because
some vampire was pulling their strings. When cops murder
children for having dark skin, that’s not an ancient elder god
dreaming beneath the sea—it’s because of a racist culture
producing racist enforcers of racist laws.

6
INSPIRATIONS THE GAME
Games emulate genres. I could give you this really huge Now let’s do the nitty gritty shit about the game. This should
list of shit you could watch, read, listen to, and otherwise all be fairly familiar if you’ve played, like, anything. First off,
consume, consume, consume to better understand how to there’s two types of player: Directors and Players. Since
run #iHunt stories. That’s fucking stupid. We’ve all watched they’re both technically players, we considered calling the
the same shows. You’ve seen Buffy, right? Well, this is like capital P players Actors. But that sounds a little weird, and
Buffy, except completely different. I’d rather spend these we tend to forget. So just remember that while the Director
pages telling you what the game actually is. But I’m gonna is a player, the Director and Players are two different things.
give you three things to buy, consume, and mold your You’re smart. I have faith in you.
identity with for profit, so as to better understand #iHunt.
#iHunt . This game is based on a book series. So gosh, THE DIRECTOR
go read it. It gives you a real clear idea of what an #iHunt
adventure should be like. But important: Buy multiple The Director is one of the players. Everyone else is a
copies. Buy one copy for each of your friends, that way you Player. You call them the Director because they do all the
can all read, study, and digest the details of the #iHunt shit a Director does in a movie, kind of, because this isn’t a
canon. This way you can argue what Lana’s statement on movie. They foster the plot, and keep things moving forward.
page 162 actually means. Double points if you tell me on They describe locations. They describe the consequences
the internet how I’m wrong and what I was really trying to of actions. They also play every character that isn’t one of
say. I love that shit. the Players’ #iHunters. This means bit part characters like
the GameShop employee that saw a ghost, it means rival
I just realized I made a joke about buying multiple copies #iHunters, it means villains, it means whatever. You can call
on the previous page. How crass. But technically this is a them “Dungeon Master” if you’re nasty. But only if you’re
different joke since I’m talking about the novels and making nasty, because that’s a trademarked term and the owners
a crack about canon arguments. will complain endlessly if we use their pseudosexual
terminology.
Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?,
by Mark Fisher. This is a nonfiction book about how we’re WHY DIRECT?
stuck up to our chins in capitalism, and the culture of
consumption is destroying our ability to say new things So, the Director doesn’t get a full-time protagonist #iHunter
with art. It’s about how capitalism is such an all-consuming character? Then why fucking Direct? The game is called
monster that we can’t even imagine a world outside of it. “#iHunt,” not “Do All The Shit Around #iHunt But Not
This is important for #iHunt, because it’s a world where Actually the #iHunt Part.” (Although in retrospect, maybe
capitalism is scarier than monsters. I should have called it “ Do All The Shit Around #iHunt But
Not Actually the #iHunt Part” because then distributors
We have this agenda with our games. In the first review of wouldn’t carry my game and I could get a lot of sales based
our first game, Maschine Zeit, someone said, “Maschine Zeit on ginned-up controversy about “censorship.”)
takes anti - capitalist liberal agenda to new, never before
seen heights. By page 30 of the introductory fiction in the You Direct because it’s fun. It’s fun watching the looks
beginning of the book, I was convinced that the ghost of on the Players’ faces when you surprise them, when you
Howard Zinn was one of the primary authors. By page 70 embolden them, when you disgust them, and when you
I felt like his ghost was taking a cheese grater to my brain. make them think. It’s fun jumping from character to
It does not help that the only conservative voices in the character, enjoying new personalities, accents, perspectives,
introductory fiction are presented as either being corrupt or and whatever else. Also you’re necessary, and it’s kind of
moronic. A quick note to the authors: please, for the love all cool to be needed.
that is Holy, tone the rhetoric down a little in your future
works!” Yeah we’re not gonna fucking do that.
THE PLAYERS
Sorry To Bother You, by Boots Riley. This movie is
Oh gosh. The header style I used doesn’t differentiate
an anticapitalist masterpiece from an utterly amazing hip
lower case and capital letters. Just presume it uses the
hop artist. But the reason we recommend it is that it focuses
capital “Players.” Anyway, Players are players who portray
on the alienation of modern capitalism and the lies of the
a single protagonist character each. This probably means
gig economy. It’s a great combination of horror, comedy, and
an #iHunter, or someone in the immediate periphery
social commentary which really aligns perfectly with what
of #iHunt. They’re in charge of that character’s destiny.
we’re doing in #iHunt.
They come up with that character’s arc, and they use their
awareness and attachment to that character to navigate the
Director’s world.

7
 HE KILLED WHY PLAY?
It’s fun. This is a silly question. You get to play a cool

SIX PEOPLE. character, revel in their tragedies despite not having to

endure them for real. You get to play them at their most
badass, when they’re slaughtering hordes of the undead.

HE’LL NEVER You dive in feet-first into a world of killing people to make
ends meet. If that sounds cool, you want to play.

KILL AGAIN. #IHUNT AND FATE CORE

#iHunt is built off a rules foundation called the Fate Core rule
system. There’s a great book called the Fate Core Rulebook
that’s sort of the starting point for the #iHunt rules. While
we go off in some weird directions and add things to the
game, it’s still a very useful resource for dedicated #iHunt
players. It gives far more casual examples, and more generic
usage for the system. We strongly recommend you check it
out, especially if you want to hack and change your #iHunt
game to suit your particular group’s needs.

The Fate Core Rulebook goes into great detail about some
things we glossed over for page space reasons, or because
they would only be edge cases in your average #iHunt
game. But it’s super useful for things like building stunts
and aspects.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY

You just need a few things to get started.

[ Scrapbooks. Every player needs a scrapbook or

notebook or something similar to keep track of their
character and Selfies. The first two pages should be
the character sheet, which you can find at the end
of the book on PAGE 324.

[ Dice. You need at least four Fate Dice and one

regular six-sided die. Fate dice are special dice that
have six sides, but instead of numbers, two are marked
with a plus sign ( +), two are marked ( -), and two
are marked ( 0). You can find Fate Dice at many game
stores, or online at www.evilhat.com. The other die
is just a normal old die like you can steal from most
popular board games. We call it the Edge Die.
[ Tokens. You need a nice big bag of counters, chips,
beads, whatever. At least thirty. More is better.
[ Index Cards. You will need to jot down notes that
everyone can see at any given time. Later we’ll talk
about aspects, and you’ll need the ability to make
and remove these from play quickly. So index cards,

ALL THANKS post-it notes, anything easy to scribble some stuff on

and move around the table is helpful.

TO YOU.
[ Props and Mood Music. This is complex, and
one we’ve got a whole bit on later. But you’ll want to
bring stuff to the game which will help improve the
atmosphere.

8
THE Example Game Filamena’s playing Molly, the protagonist of
the Reaching Out book series. She’s an empath
Different people learn through different methods.
and medium who is working with Lana for the
Some just consume text and go forward into the
convenience of this super-contrived scenario.
breach. Some people like learning from examples.
So, we’re peppering this book with examples in the The third Player is Snurk, who is a totally real
form of a fake-ass game we didn’t actually play. person I swear, and he’s playing Snflrak, who isn’t
the protagonist of a novel series, but by all means
You see, if we just transcribed a game we played,
please do some Snflrak fanfiction. Snflrak generally
it wouldn’t really target the content we need to
pisses Lana off and mucks up her plans. Which is
address in the order we need to address it. It’d
rather impressive, really, because most of her plans
also be full of referential discourse, banter, and
are just, “We’re gonna kill this thing before it gets a
complaining about the general quality of the snacks.
chance to react.”
This fake game will have three Players and one
We’ll reserve these pink style boxes for example
Director. Sam’s the Director.
play segments that help to reiterate and contextualize
Olivia’s playing Lana, the hero of the #iHunt the rules we’ve just talked about.
book series. She’s a sarcastic fighty type hunter
who does a lot of coke and kills a lot of vampires.

Now let’s jump into the basics of how you play, including the character sheet
(which goes at the front of your scrapbook) and the basic action rules. It’s not a full
treatment of the rules, but it’s enough that if you’re just playing a game and someone
knowledgeable is Director, you can jump right in. Then we’ll loop back around and
talk a little bit about the world of #iHunt.

9
 The Character Sheet
Here’s the character sheet, for an idea of how it works:

LOGO N
The #iHunt logo. It’s snazzy!

DESC

ASPECTS
These help describe your character
and their role in the story. Read
about aspects on >>PAGE 72 .
HIGH CONCEPT

DRAMA

VISION BOARD

DAY JOB

EXTRAS
This is like note paper. Space for
extra stuff like your character’s
Refresh.
EXTRAS

PHYSICAL 1
STRESS
MILD

1 2 MODERATE
2
When your character is hurt
3 4 3
physically, stress keeps them going.
SEVERE

Do you see how the 3 and 4 boxes

aren’t filled in? You have to unlock
those will the Athlete skill set. If you
CONSEQUENCES
do, just fill in the box. Read more on Consequences come from mental and
physical stress on >>PAGE 152 . physical harm. They’re like very bad aspects.
Read more on consequences on >>PAGE
153.

10
 PERSONAL INFO
This stuff just tells us about your character.

NAME PRONOUNS

KINK

DESCRIPTION PLAYER NAME

SKILL SETS
Skill sets are your character’s specific
talents and training. Do you see the orange
triangles? Those are the skill set levels you
have available as a starting #iHunter. Read
more on skill sets on >>PAGE 94.

STUNTS
STUNTS

1 MENTAL
2 1 2 STRESS
When your character is hurt mentally or
3 3 4 emotionally, stress keeps them going. Do
you see how the 3 and 4 boxes aren’t
filled in? You have to unlock those will
the Survivorskill set. If you do, just fill in
the box. Read more on physical stress on
>>PAGE 152 .

11
 Basic Actions
THE LADDER
Almost every dice roll in #iHunt represents an attempt to do
one of the four following things:
In the Fate system, we use a tool called the ladder to
To Overcome an Obstacle

O >>PAGE 130
determine the results of an action after adding a relevant
skill set. The ladder is a series of numbers coupled with
companion adjectives to help describe our narrative.

To Create an Advantage for your

C character. Usually this means an aspect .

>>PAGE 131
+8
+7
+6
Legendary
Epic
Fantastic
To Attack someone else

A >>PAGE 132 +5
+4
+3
Superb
Great
Good
To Defend yourself

D >>PAGE 133 +2
+1
Fair
Average

Both the Players and the Director roll the dice when they’re
+/-0 Mediocre
doing one of those four things, and there’s a noteworthy -1 Poor
chance that it might not go well or a Player’s character is
contesting the effort. -2 Terrible
Every group will use the ladder differently. Some like
ROLLING DICE communicating in numbers. Some in adjectives. Hell, you
might have both type of player working around the same
Rolling the dice happens in two basic ways. Either you have table. My instinct is to be all artsy-fartsy, and tell you that
The Edge or you don’t. If you don’t, it’s a normal roll. If it’s best if you find a way to wrap the ladder adjectives into
you do, it’s a roll with the edge. your descriptions as part of the storycraft and (assume I
made a loud fart noise here.) Some people like that. Some
NORMAL ROLL don’t. Don’t yuck another player’s yum.
For a normal roll, you take four Fate dice and roll them. If you want to come up with your own ladder terminology,
Every + counts as +1, every 0 is a 0, and every - is a -1. knock yourself out. I straight cribbed the list above from
Add these results together, which means you’ll have a total the Fate Core Rulebook. I had some ideas when I
of -4 to +4. was writing these, but they mostly sounded goofy as hell,
and were all based on memes that probably won’t even be
ROLL WITH THE EDGE remembered by the time this book actually hits print. But if
you ever have a result of +30-50, that’s some feral hog action
When you roll with the edge, you take three Fate dice right there.
and the Edge Die. Basically you replace one of the Fate
dice with the edge die (a normal six-sided die.) You roll them
and add them together, just like with a normal roll. Except,
with the edge die, you’ll get a result from -2 to +9.

Once you have your dice roll, you can also add a Skill
Set if one applies to your action.

Now you have your total, compare it to the Ladder.

12
Narrating Results
The goal when rolling dice is to roll higher than the Liv wants Lana to find the stupid MacGuffin so we
opposition. Opposition comes in two forms, active can call it a night. However, Molly thinks Lana’s
opposition from someone trying to stop you, and being “irresponsible” and “risking the entirety of
passive opposition, which reflects obstacles or human existence because she’s being impatient.”
other circumstantial and environmental difficulty (or if
the Director doesn’t want to make dice rolls for a minor Molly’s trying to stop her. She’s the active
character.) For passive opposition, the Director determines opposition. Mena rolls ++0- for +1, and adds
a rating on the ladder for you to overcome. For active her +2 Grifter skill set, setting the opposition at +3.
opposition, you simply compare to the dice roll.
Lana isn’t having it, so Liv rolls and gets +0--
If you beat the opposition, your action goes off. If you for -1. Even with Lana’s Hustler skill set at +3, that’s
exceed the opposition by a lot, you can cause an extra effect. still only +2, not even enough to tie.
If you tie or get below the opposition, you either fail your
So, Lana says, “Fuck it, we’ll do it your way, Molly.
action or you succeed at a cost (more on >>PAGE
But don’t come crying to me when we have to sit
129.)
quietly and do this stakeout for like three days
The difference between your roll and the opposition is straight.”
called shifts. A tie has zero shifts. If they roll +3 and you
roll +5, you have 2 shifts. If you roll +2 and they roll +7, they Molly glances up at her and says, “I don’t have
have 5 shifts. any problem with stakeouts. I like the quiet.”

Lana sticks out her tongue when she thinks Molly

isn’t looking.

13
 Fate Points
You’ll use tokens, beads, or any other sort of counter to Lana’s fighting Radu Bratcul, a terrifying vampire
represent fate points. Every player will have their own from the old country. She insists he’s Dracula. He
collection of fate points­, which represent your ability to claims he’s not, but, Lana rebuts, “that’s exactly
influence the story to your #iHunter’s benefit. what Dracula would want us to think.”
Also keep a pile, bag, or other container of fate points in Lana has an aspect called PROBABLY GOING TO
the middle of the play space. As you spend fate points and
DIE ANYWAY. Dracula, I mean Radu, has an aspect
gain them, return them or take them from that pile.
called I’VE LIVED TOO LONG TO DIE NOW. There
Fate points do a few specific things in play. They can be are two scene aspects, CLOSE QUARTERS and
spent to invoke an aspect or declare a story detail. SITTING ON 50,000 GALLONS OF GASOLINE.
You can gain them when compeled or imperiled by The scene’s taking place at a gas station, okay?
an aspect .
In a dramatic second act reversal, Radu is hunting
INVOKING AN ASPECT Lana, because he’s tired of her constant pestering
and all the attempted murders. Frankly, we have
Whenever you’re making a roll, and you think an aspect trouble blaming him. He has her cornered in a
might influence the outcome, you can spend a fate point to gas station outside of town. He’s slaughtered the
invoke that aspect and influence the dice roll. attendants, because he has absolutely no respect
for what the working class go through, and, you
You invoke an aspect after you’ve made the dice roll, when know, he’s a vampire. She’s in the bathroom, and
the result isn’t to your liking. Invoking an aspect allows you he’s trying to get the jump on her.
to choose from one of the two following advantages:
Sam rolls ++0- for +1, and adds Radu’s
[ Reroll the dice. If you do this, you have to take the Spy skill set which adds +2. So he sets the active
second roll. opposition at +3.
[ Take +2 on the roll. Just add +2 to the total after you’ve
Liv rolls ---- for Lana. She adds her Spy skill
added your skill set.
set of +3 for -1. She blinks a couple of times at the
Note that you can spend more than one fate point to invoke result. “I’m gonna invoke the CLOSE QUARTERS
multiple aspects for a single roll, but one aspect can only aspect to reroll that, okay?”
affect a single roll once. When you invoke an aspect, you have
to explain why it’s relevant, preferably in your description of Sam says, “I don’t get how that applies. Unpack
your action. More on invoking on >>PAGE 82. it?”

Liv thinks for a moment. “Well, it’s not like there’s

DECLARING A STORY DETAIL a ton of places to hide. He can only come in one
way, and Lana knows to pay attention to entrances
As a Player, you can use a fate point to intervene and alter
and exits.”
a detail in the story in your character’s favor. Usually this is
a matter of coincidence and chance, for example, when the Sam nods. “I’ll take it.”
Director introduces a random character to the story who you
know you’ll have to win over to progress the gig, you can Liv knows adding +2 will still put her at +2, not
choose to make that character a high school friend who owes even comparable to Radu. So, she spends the
you a favor. fate point and rerolls her dice. This time she gets
+++0. That’s +3 with her Spy +3, so +6. “So I
You have to explain the connections and how the change
fits, and the Director can veto anything that’s too off-the-wall. hear him coming?”
The basic rule here is, if the change is something big enough Sam nods. Liv thinks, “Alright. I’m making a trap
that it’d take a number of dice rolls and aspects to make
for him. You said there’s a bucket earlier. Are there
happen normally, then it’s probably beyond the scope of a
any cleaning chemicals in the bathroom?”
single fate point.

14
 Sam shakes his head.
COMPELLING
Liv throws a fate point in the pile to declare a Aspects are designed as double-edged swords. They can
story detail. “Now there are.” benefit you, or get in your way. Any time the Director thinks
one of your aspects could get in the way, they can compel
Sam nods. Liv explains that Lana mixes the
it. That means you have to make a choice to either accept the
chemicals and puts the bucket above the slightly
complication, or refuse it.
open bathroom door, so it’ll fall on Radu’s head
when he enters. [ If you accept the complication, it becomes a
tangible problem relevant to the aspect. This takes
Sam says, “Really?” story events, roleplay, or an overcome action to end the
complication. If you accept the compel, you get a fate
Liv says, “Did I stutter?”
point.
Liv gets +00-, +0, on her trap roll, with +3
[ If you refuse the complication, you have to
from her Guerrilla skill set, for +3 total. Sam rolls
spend a fate point, and that fate point either creates a
and gets +000 for +1 and adds his Spy skill new situational aspect reflecting the refusal (which gets
set for +3. They tie. Sam offers Liv the choice to a free invoke), or you add a free invoke to an already
get chemicals on both of them or they simply miss existing situational aspect that’s relevant.
Radu entirely.
Note that players can compel other characters’ aspects, but
While Liv debates, Sam says, “Wait, isn’t Lana this costs a fate point. When you do so, hand the fate point
PROBABLY GOING TO DIE ANYWAY?” He holds to the other Player (or the Director.) More on >>PAGE 84.
up a fate point to tease Liv. “That’s a compel.”

Liv takes the point and says the chemicals spill IMPERILING
on both of them. Although Lana’s in terrible danger Imperiling happens when an aspect puts a character between
because of the caustic chemicals, Liv rolls to have a rock and a hard place, and the story (or another character)
Lana bear hug Radu. Long story short, she wins, exploits this. This is different from a compel because in a
and he’s grabbed. She then points out that earlier compel, the character chooses between facing complication
in the story, she established that there was spilled or choosing resistance. Imperling forces a hard choice.
gasoline, and a little chemical mixture could ignite it.
That’s where we got SITTING ON 50,000 GALLONS An imperiled character always receives a fate point. When
OF GASOLINE. you imperil a character (also known as making them
face a dilemma,) you give them the choice between two
Sam checks his notes. “Damn, you’re right. But different but mutually undesirable outcomes.
he’s got you in his grasp and he thinks he can
survive long enough to kill you.” As a Director, you imperil players to make them make hard
choices. Under late stage capitalism, #iHunters often have to
Liv smirks. “Didn’t you say HE’S LIVED TOO make sacrifices to get by. This represents those sacrifices.
LONG TO DIE NOW?” Sam nods. “I want to imperil
As a Player, you can imperil rivals and enemies, to force
him.” She tosses a fate point in the pile.
their hands and make them make awful choices. Often, you’ll
“Okay? What are his choices?” Sam says. want to do this once setting up a proverbial trap, letting them
choose between literal or metaphorical destruction, and
“Simple. He doesn’t get what he wants. He lets walking right into your well-laid snare. When #iHunters fight
me go, runs, and lives to fight another day. Or, he fair, they die.
gets his bite on me. But I blow the place up with
Players can imperil a character with an aspect by spending
both of us in it.”
a fate point. When you do so, hand the fate point to the other
Sam chuckles. “Okay he runs.” Player (or Director.) More on imperiling on >>PAGE 86.

15
 The Edge Die
There’s a bit of #iHunter slang called a “Fair Fight.”
When an #iHunter says someone had a fair fight, it
means they’re dead. After all, monsters are fucking
scary, and in a fair fight, the monster always
wins.

Now, #iHunt in general is a game that explores power

differentials. On a mechanical level, we represent this
with a rule called The Edge. If you’re familiar with
Fate Core, this is a place we differ pretty heavily. In any
conflict, one party at a time can have the edge. We’ll talk
more on this on >>PAGE 136, but at any given time,
one group has the upper hand. Part of winning means
seizing that upper hand.

Whomever has the edge gets to use the edge die in

their rolls. Remember, a roll with the edge uses
three Fate dice and the edge die.

All other things normal, a monster always starts

with the edge. #iHunters can seize the edge from them
through a few methods. The most common way is with
an overcome action that has a passive opposition equal
to twice the monster’s star rating. Monsters have a
rating of 1-5, which we detail on >>PAGE 179. This
can be tough, but #iHunters have tricks and methods
for making that happen.

It’s important to pay attention to the stark difference

between a normal roll and a roll with the edge. As noted
before, a normal roll ranges from -4 to +4, but usually
falls in the range of -2 to +2. Rolls with the edge go from
-2 to +9, but most rolls trend around +2 to +5. This is to
say, on the low end of average, a roll with the edge does
better than a normal roll on the high end of average.
And rolls with the edge that go beyond what a normal
roll can even achieve in the best case scenario are still
quite common!

#iHunters won’t always have the edge, but they

should always be fighting for it, for this reason. Monsters
often also have skill sets that put hunter capabilities to
shame, which coupled with the edge means they can lay
waste to an entire crew of hunters with little resistance.

We’re not going to offer an example of this in play,

because it’s a more complex topic that needs greater
attention. We just wanted to touch on it here early on,
so it’s fresh in your mind how all this works.

16
USING THIS BOOK In #THEEDGE on >>PAGE 136, we break down the
way the edge works.
You have a practical knowledge of how the game works.
There’s a lot of nuance and granularity, the ways characters In #THEFLOW on >>PAGE 142, we give advice for
take harm, the skill sets, the powers monsters have, all that the Director to help foster a more interesting story.
sort of stuff, but this is enough to understand the basic
In #THEGIG on >>PAGE 160, we talk about how
mechanics for play. You should be comfortable picking up
#iHunt contracts work as a story framing device.
the dice and taking basic actions.
In #THEMARK on >>PAGE 176, we go over monsters
In the next few pages, we’re going to give some setting
and their powers, how to make them and kill them.
primer stuff that’ll help you get a better feel for the world of
#iHunt in the form of a magazine profile of an #iHunter, and In #THESTREETS on >>PAGE 252, we talk about
a short gig. It also shows what the actual app looks like. setting building and making your game world your own.
In #THEPEOPLE on >>PAGE 32, we break down In #THINKPOOR on >>PAGE 262, we give some
how you make an #iHunter and talks a little bit about who advice for how to deal with economic issues, poverty, and
#iHunters are, and the groups they form. how to adapt these ideas to the #iHunt Fate rules.
In #MYSCENARIO on >>PAGE 72, we go over In #iHUNT on >>PAGE 288, we give details about the
aspects and fate points in greater detail. world of #iHunt, the various apps and elements that make
#iHunt stories unique.
In #PEOPLESKILLS on >>PAGE 94, we break down
character traits like skill sets and stunts. In #SANJENARO on >>PAGE 304, we give you a
starting setting in the form of #iHunt’s city, San Jenaro.
In #SELFIES on >>PAGE 118, we go over how
characters advance and change over time. In #ADVANCEDCLASS on >>PAGE 312, we wrap
with advanced tools for running a better game all around.
In #THEHUSTLE on >>PAGE 128, we talk about
actions, challenges, conflicts, and opposition in greater detail. Now let’s get started on that magazine profile.

What is midnight but

another hour to make
ends meet?

17
WHAT IS IHUNT?
It’s on the tip of everyone’s tongue. What is iHunt? Are millenials emulating their ancestors and
stalking deer for dinner? San Jenaro Beat’s own Gina Esposito dives in so you don’t have to.

Kill monsters, get cash. Sounds fairly simple, • 21-35

doesn’t it? After all, your favorite blockbuster • Single
Movieland™ superhero could fight werewolves in
her sleep. Can’t you picture yourself bashing in • Renter
zombie skulls like your favorite prime time drama • High school or GED graduate
character, except for the part where he murders
• Misdemeanor record
racial minorities (spoilers!)? Well, it turns out,
hunting monsters isn’t for the light of heart. Let’s • $40-100k debt
talk for a second about the average #iHunt user: • Chronic medical conditions
• Working full-time elsewhere
• LGBTQ+

As you can see, #iHunting isn’t for everyone. Why does #iHunt trend toward the underprivileged? It appears
that killing monsters is actually a highly dangerous line of work, with high casualty rates and excessive
medical complications.

During my investigation, an #iHunt user named Tara explained her situation. She deals with Crohn’s Disease,
and can’t normally afford treatment despite working 30 hours per week at Carver’s Supercenter and 8-12
hours part-time at GameShop. To afford medical care to help alleviate her chronic pain so she can manage
her normal work schedule, she takes on an average of one #iHunt contract every two weeks. She explained
that on her hunts, she has to navigate the pain from her Crohn’s.

18
“In a way, #iHunt is about control.”

MEET TARA
Tara isn’t the hardened, grizzled badass from Dark humor, she says between sips of coffee,
your average comic book. She’s 32 going on 65 is a common trait in #iHunters. Everyone has a
she tells me. She wears long, over-worn pencil joke about how they’ll eventually die. Always
skirts that range from faded brown to faded on the hunt, never at home of illnesses or
gray. That is, when she’s not on the hunt. She poverty.
tells me she has to buy expensive cut jeans
to keep her legs safe while pursuing her prey, If I met her on the street, I’d assume Tara to
and she can’t afford to get a skirt caught on be just another boring, non-confrontational
a chain-link fence. Chafing, she says, can kill person. But to see her in person? To interact
you. She has the mousy voice you might expect with her? She has a confidence like I’ve never
from a librarian, although she doesn’t really experienced before. Tara explains that’s just
spend any time researching ancient horrors part of the job. When you face down death day
in libraries. Her deep red lipstick is far louder in and day out, being shy and coy just seems
than she is. Although I wonder if she just wore like a waste of time.
that for me. Tara doesn’t date. She says she’d like to, but
In fact, Tara says werewolves are her favorite with 60 hour schedules and another 10 to 20
targets since she doesn’t have to do much hours dedicated to the hunt, it comes down
research. After 11pm, after a full morning shift to either sleeping or dating. Sometimes she’ll
at Carver’s, and a closing shift at GameShop, find a hookup on the FlingFinder app, but it’s
the last thing she wants to do is research. usually difficult to explain her hunting wounds
Who could blame her? She says that killing and it really takes the fun out of a one-night
a werewolf is exhilarating, and helps her stand. She says that some hunters end up
forget about the pain for a while. After all, she in flings. While that means never having to
jokes, it’s hard to focus on the pain of bowel explain bruises, it also means competing for
inflammation when you’re being disembowled contracts.
by a werewolf.
 T ara explains that she’s an average #iHunter, but
they run the gamut. Some are outright criminals
who can’t apply for jobs thanks to outstanding
Tara tells me that normally she’d stake out the
area for a while and learn about the monster.
But since she has no experience with gremlins,
warrants. They like #iHunt because it pays under she makes an exception to her “avoid research”
the table. Many of these hunters are just as willing methodology.
to take out private contracts on other people, or to
kill other hunters to stifle competition. On the other Tara’s what iHunters call a “Knight.” Knights are
end, you have trust fund kids who hire small teams hunters who like to take the fight to the monster.
to tackle jobs efficiently, and make small fortunes. Their first response is to kill the beast. She tells
She knows of two CEO’s children who have turned me there are other hunters who specialize in
#iHunt into lucrative business models this way. collecting lore about monsters. They’re called
Evileenas. When I laugh, she says it has something
I asked her if there was one thing she wanted to do with an old b-movie actress. When she needs
readers to know about #iHunt. She said this: information, she talks to an Evileena friend named
Curtis. Unfortunately, he’s busy tonight, so we
“In a way, #iHunt is about control. Control of have to put off the hunt for a night. This, she says,
yourself. Control of your situation. If there’s one is common. “Hurry up and wait is the name of the
thing I’ve seen in every single #iHunt user, it’s that game,” she tells me.

DAY TWO
they’re under a huge burden and it feels like life
is spiraling out of control. We’ll probably all die
hunting monsters. But until then, we don’t have
to worry about coming home to the electric being
shut off or not being able to replace a pair of shoes
when you’ve worn a hole through them. You know?” D ay two, we meet Curtis. He has a tiny apartment
at Modena Beach, overlooking the shore.
There’s almost nothing inside but a computer
I ask her to take me on a hunt, to see what this desk, a futon covered in clothes, and a bunch of
hot new app is all about. She agrees, under the technology I couldn’t identify if you put a gun to
strict condition that I don’t get a cut of the bounty. my head. In fact, we have to stand while we talk to
him. He apologizes and tells us he’s “house poor,”
I tell her I have a small stipend to pay consultants.
and that he pays a ton to stay in this tiny apartment
She tells me welcome to the hunt.
because seeing the beach reminds him why he
Then she tells me to dress in clothes I wouldn’t fights.
mind ruining. Tara and I would be BFFs for the next
Tara lays out the details we got from Marjorie, and
week.
Curtis starts searching the internet for information.

DAY ONE
I ask Tara why she couldn’t just do that on her own.
She explains that this information isn’t just on the
internet for the world to see. The Evileenas keep
massive databases hidden on the Dark Web. You

O ur first day on the job, we meet with the client,

Marjorie. She’s the property manager at a
trailer park in San Maria Cay. She’s put together
have to have special logins to access them, and
they’re constantly changing their security to make
sure monsters don’t get access.
$4,000 for anyone able to solve her community’s
gremlin problem. Tara says she’ll do it. Curtis shows us some information that makes
no sense whatsoever to me. It’s just text on an old
Of course, I’m skeptical. Gremlins? Is this a webpage that makes Geocities look advanced. Tara
“feeding them after midnight” issue? Or is this a skims it and nods a few times. She points at the
William Shatner on an airplane problem? screen and tells me that some bit of information
says that gremlins are creatures of habit. They’re
Marjorie doesn’t seem amused by my wit and sentient, and considerably intelligent, but they
charm. She explains that the residents have been think differently than humans. Typically when
having trouble with their technology, and their gremlins cause widespread problems, it’s for a
maintenance guy has a waiting list a mile long. secondary reason. I ask what that means. She
Apparently, she explains, their refrigerators have says that means we’re going to have to do some
been exploding into giant messes, their toasters detective work.
will burn out, and their microwaves catch fire. So
far, nobody’s been seriously hurt, but she tells us
she’s not going to wait until it’s too late.

20
DAY THREE
T he next night, we head back out to The Cay to
investigate the trailer park. Marjorie asks if we’ve
made any progress. Tara tells her we’ve got some
leads but it’ll take a few days. Marjorie pressures us,
saying that a few tenants have already moved out,
and others are threatening to. Tara asks if we can
see the abandoned trailers. Marjorie agrees.

The place, in no uncertain terms, is a hellhole.

Even without the gremlinms, the trailer park barely
has any grass. Many of the trailers have broken
down cars and piles of garbage outside. I imagine
Marjorie doesn’t have a waiting list of new tenants.

Tara leads into one of the abandoned trailers.

The first thing I notice is the smell. Everything has
the sweet stench of rotten meat barely hiding the
strench of years and years of cigarette smoke. The
second thing is the flies. It looks like a gremlin hunt
as directed by David Fincher. Everything’s speckled
with red, gummy sauce. Maybe spaghetti sauce?
It’s hard to say. Anywhere the sauce isn’t sprayed,
there’s a thin brown nicotine film. Tara pulls her
t-shirt up over her mouth and nose. I follow suit.

Everything’s old. Ancient, even. There’s one of

those gigantic wooden stereo units, and the sort of
TV with the bubble screen and the massive clunky
dial. There’s a giant metal VCR that fits two tapes at
a time, and an Atari with the sleek wood panel finish
circa 1977. The kitchen appliances all come from
the tail end of the atomic age, with formerly white,
rounded edges and exaggerated chrome accents.
More importantly, everything’s torn or blasted
apart. Everything with a cord or a battery.

She tells me to look around, see if anything stands

out as weird, besides the obvious. We spend about
a half an hour looking through the mess. It’s a mess.

Marjorie shows us to two other trailers, each

destroyed in very similar ways.

Then I notice one very weird thing. Each trailer has

numerous VHS and audio cassettes, all meticulously
unwound in piles. This is a far cry from the wanton
destruction throughout the rest of the homes. Tara
agrees this is weird, but can’t explain why. She takes
some photos, and I do, too.

Why are these gremlins only attacking homes

with collections of outdated tape mesia? It can’t
just be that everyone in the trailer park has a VHS
collection. Three hours later, stumped, we call it a
night.
 DAY FOUR The place is like a museum of cassette tapes.
I can’t remember the last time I even saw one of
these, let alone bought one. I look over some of

T he following night, we make another trip to

meet with Curtis. I’m expecting another night
of looking at his computer for hours, but Curtis
the price tags. Some of these tapes are going for
hundreds of dollars. Then again, the place is bone
dry the entire time we’re there.
nods knowingly the moment he sees the photos. The owner, a sandy blonde named Terry, greets
“They’re hunting for a specific tape. They won’t Curtis. He introduces us, and tells her we’re hunters.
stop until they find it.” He tells us. She locks the front door and tells us to have a seat.
“Gremlins like weird and rare technology. Stuff We recount our story, and show her the photos.
with obscure significance. Nobody really knows She nods and listens, then tells us, “They’re
why. But, when a group of them decides they need looking for Ted Merchant’s copy of Frankenstein’s
a thing, there’s no stopping them.” Castle of Freaks,” with the kind of certainty with
Tara asks what they should do, then, since she which a mother tells you her children’s birthdays.
can’t just let them tear apart the entire trailer park. Apparently, Ted Merchant is a Betamax collector
Curtis explains that he knows a woman who known world round. He makes a living buying and
collects rare tapes, and if anyone in San Jenaro selling rare tapes on online auction sites. Most
knows what these gremlins are looking for, it’s her. importantly, he lives in that very trailer park. She
She’s sort of a hunter, but only because monsters explains that if a gremlin’s looking for a tape, that’s
tend to have access to the strange and esoteric the one it wants. It’s his prized possession, and the
toys she collects. rumor is, it’s the only one still in existence.

We all get in Tara’s 1997 Honda Civic and drive to “We’ve got to get that tape,” Tara tells me.

DAY FIVE
what looks like a pawn shop in San Filipe, the Flip.
The sign above the door says “Tape Dungeon.”
Posters say they deal in rare audio cassettes from
all over the world, and they buy and sell rare VHS
and Betamax movies as well. Also, they transfer
tapes to DVD “for archival purposes only.”
T he next night, we tell Marjorie we have to speak
to Ted Merchant. “That’s gonna be tough,” she
tells us, “because he died two weeks ago.”
She tells us he was a hoarder like you’d never
believe. She explains that his niece inherited his
trailer, and she’s been trying to clean it out for
weeks.
We thank her for her time, and scope out his
trailer. To call him a hoarder would be a massive
understatement. From the outside, you cannot see
in because piles of tapes cover the windows from
floor to ceiling.
Tara tells me I can’t explain how we make our
way in to his trailer, for legal reasons. But we do.
The inside’s barely even movable. The piles of
tapes are like makeshift walls, turning the already

22
 DAY SIX
small trailer into a meticulously stacked Betamax
hallway. You can’t see a single intended wall. He
even has piles of tapes on his kitchen counters.
As we look around through what seems to be
thousands of these tapes, we hear screaming from
somewhere nearby. Within seconds, Marjorie’s
O n our last day on the hunt, Tara offers Curtis a
couple hundred dollars to help in our search.
An hour later, we find Frankenstein’s Castle of
yelling for Tara. Tara starts running outside and Freaks.
waves me along after her.
We’re busy debating what we should do with it,
There’s smoke coming from one of the trailers. when there’s more screaming. Tara rushes over just
Marjorie’s outside, jumping and waving her hands like the day before. Except instead of drawing her
at Tara. A family’s huddled nearby, with three club, once we get inside she kneels down in front
young, crying children. Tara whips out a collapsible of the monsters and offers them the tape. The
baton she hid in her sleeve, and rushes to the trailer. monsters look between each other, squeal, grab it,
Not knowing what else to do, I follow along and run.
behind her. Just then, Marjorie tosses me a fire “All in a day’s work.” Tara says.
extinguisher. Once inside, it’s impossible to not see
the problem. Gremlins. They’re maybe a foot tall, “How much are you getting paid for this gig?”
and look like little people with shredded, ill-fitted Curtis asks her.
clothes and spikes on their backs and heads. They “Four grand, why?”
have little red, beady eyes and bird-like talons.
“You know that tape goes for ten grand, right?”
I scream.
Later that night over drinks, Tara explains that
Tara starts waving her stick. They hiss and start sometimes doing the right thing means losing out
closing in on us. I turn for the door, and four of on a little cash. She also tells me that she’d probably
them block my path. be better off just being a cat burglar.
They swarm Tara, and she swats them away with I ask why she hunts, if that’s the case. She tells
her club. She yelps out in pain as a couple get close me it’s a calling. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s for
enough to claw at her and bite her. you, you can’t just walk away from it.
Then they come at me. I freeze. At least, I freeze She asks what I thought about the hunt.
until one jumps up and rips into my stomach,
hanging off my shirt and shrieking. I ask her when the next contract starts.

I yell out, and follow my first instinct. I slam it

in the face with the fire extinguisher. It falls limp
on the ground, and I stomp it. The others’ eyes go
wide and fall back, running away like cockroaches.
I look to Tara, her assailants are now nowhere to
be seen.
“We’ve got to find that tape.” She tells me.
But before we do that, we spend a few hours at
the emergency room, getting tetanus shots and
stitches. Tara’s hesitant to go at first, thanks to her
insurance’s horrible copay, but I offer to expense it
and she agrees. Afterwards, I offer to let her stay
at my apartment, since it’s nearly 4am and hers is
on the other side of town.

23
THE APP
THE RATING
This is the minimum average hunter rating
for the job. If you don’t have at least an
average rating of that star level, you can’t
take the job. Generally, higher paying gigs
require higher average ratings, but this isn’t
always true.

THE PHOTO
Tara says this is a recent addition to the app.
Tara explained that the #iHunt corporation
decided that a shift to photos was essential
to keep competitive. However, most photos
are all but worthless on the hunt. Since
every listing requires a photo, many listings
simply have an uploaded image of a black
box, or the client’s favorite Pokemon. She
says taking photos has gotten more than
a few clients killed. There are rumors the
app will shift again to video, which could be
downright deadly for clients who insist on
filming monsters in action.

THE LISTING
The listing name should give a pretty good
idea of what you’ll be hunting, and where
you’ll be hunting it. Tara says a lot of clients
don’t actually know what you’re hunting, and
they’re just guessing. So if the client says it’s
a werewolf, you might very well be dealing
with a skinwalker, which, she explains, is a
completely different fight.

The time is what’s allowed for the contract.

Most clients will just repost the same listing
if it expires. It’s not like a haunting just goes
away because of an arbitrary deadline. If you
take longer than the deadline to complete
the gig, the client may or may not pay.

24
Before Tara even sees the contract, the client has to post it. Let’s take
a look at a sample #iHunt contract listing and break it down:
MESSAGING THE FIVE BUTTONS
This is how you connect with the client. If you need The five buttons are how you primarily engage with
job details before accepting, you hit them up here. the app. This is how they work:
But if you ask any questions about money, you can be
reported and lose your account. The company says
they don’t want clients to feel “pressured.” The undo button can cancel your last
contract, if you tap it within ten minutes of
taking the job. After that, you’re obligated to
THE PAY complete it.
This is the base pay for completion. It’s discretionary.
The client can reduce pay by up to 25% without The X button is how you tell the app you don’t
justification. If they score you 2-3 stars, you only get want the contract. Tap this, and it vanishes
50% of the base pay. If you get a one-star review, you from your queue forever.
only bring home 10% of the base rate. Tara says that
a 25% pay cut is fairly common. So when you take a
job, consider the pay to be 75% of the listing and “be The approve button is how you take a job.
pleasantly surprised” when you get full pay. Tap this and it’s yours. You have ten minutes
to cancel, but otherwise you get any additional
Pay can take between 24 and 72 hours to post, job details as well as the client’s direct contact
depending on your bank’s relationship with #iHunt. information.
Sometimes #iHunt pay gets flagged as suspicious
activity, which can lock your account for upwards of
The heart button saves a contract you might
45 days for investigation. That’s rare.
be interested in but don’t want to take. Clients
have an option to offer additional money to
clients who have hearted their contracts.
SHARING BUTTON
If you don’t want to do a job, but know a friend who The cash button is how you outbid someone.
might, you can share it with this. If they successfully It animates for ten minutes after another
pull it off, you get 5% of the contract amount (taken hunter has taken the contract. Tap this, and
out of their cut.) The app doesn’t show all listings you under-cut their rate by 5%. They have ten
normally; an algorithm curates listings for you minutes to counter with an additional 5%. So
specifically. So you may only ever see some contracts on, and so forth, until nobody outbids for ten
through referrals. Nobody really knows the criteria minutes.
the app curates with.
Outbidding is a new feature, and a highly
JOB DESCRIPTION controversial one with hunters. There’s some
evidence that it’s caused fatal conflicts that
The client provides a short description. Sometimes claimed at least four hunters’ lives in San
it’s enough to do the job. But usually you have to Jenaro alone.
consult with the client for the necessary information.
This should detail the basic requirements, and any If you approve of the listing, you can also just swipe
potential bonuses available, usually for quick, quiet, right. If you want it out of your queue, you swipe
or thorough work. left. Unfortunately, Tara says, sometimes accidental
swipes happen, and abandoning a job is grounds for
a one-star review. Hunters affectionately call these
mistakes “Butt Hunting.” When she explained this,
she blushed and glanced away.

25
CHAPTER 1.5:
#PLAYNICE
(PLAYING LIKE A NON-ASSHOLE)
Like we said before, #iHunt is a dark game. Unapologetically
dark. It’s a game about how sick and fucking insufferable late #IHUNT ISN’T KINKY SEX
stage capitalism is, how it destroys people’s lives, and how it I promise you, it’s not. It’s actually a story game where you’re
forces good people to make bad choices. We do all this shit playing monster hunters in the gig economy. Maybe your
with irreverent gallows humor. We laugh at something awful characters do some kinky sex stuff and that’s all cool. Or
to take the edge off, and we smooth over the sting by doing maybe you play with a small group and you do sexypants
some monster ass-kicking. stories that act as foreplay for your orgy after game. That’s
If that doesn’t interest you or you don’t think you can’t great! Or you can also be asexual and totally uncool with
handle that, no judgment, but maybe this isn’t the right game sex at the table. That’s okay too! But the point is, #iHunt is
for you. That’s okay. Not every game is for every person. You a game. Sex is a very specific, very intimate set of behaviors
can even play #iHunt without ever touching on those topics that isn’t really anything like #iHunt. In #iHunt, you’re
if you just want to do escapist monster hunting shit. That’s collaboratively building a story where there has to be room
okay too. But that’s the game, and it’s better to acknowledge for surprises and you have to acknowledge that the worst
that going in than pretend it’s something it isn’t as a way to that can happen under normal circumstances is upsetting
convince yourself you should play something that’s going to fiction despite temporary vulnerability. It’s far more like an
hurt you. You deserve to have fun. And hey, if you normally improv theater game than a BDSM session.
dig it but you need to step away, take a day, take a break, or If someone starts using the language of kink to describe
play something else for a while, that’s cool too. Not everyone methods and tools for play, run so far away. Concepts like
can do dark dark dark day in and day out. safe words don’t fit in #iHunt, because they weren’t developed
This section has rules to help keep the game from dipping for games like #iHunt. They were designed for extremely
into unwanted discomfort and hurt. vulnerable situations where a person’s life can literally be
in another’s hands. If someone’s coopting that language for
a roleplaying game, then either they don’t understand what
RULES, NOT TOOLS that language means and thus are potentially dangerous,
or they’re trying to pressure you into things this game isn’t
This stuff is rules text. It’s not some bullshit, tacked on
meant to do and thus are potentially dangerous. That leads
“sensitivity appendix” or whatever. #iHunt is a game by
us to the golden rule:
and for marginalized people, and it’s intended to be played
with sensitivity at the forefront. The darkness of the game
is tempered with escapism and humor because #iHunt is PLAY WITH PEOPLE YOU TRUST
supposed to be fun and cathartic even when it’s tackling
some harsh as fuck real world shit. And don’t pull any of Seriously. If you don’t trust someone with the depth with which
that gamer garbage like, “this is a roleplaying game so we’re you’re engaging the game, do not play with them. If you’re
encouraged to make up our own house rules.” That’s for how just playing a casual game at a convention, knock yourself
hard it is for a character to jump a fence, not the rule that out. But if someone starts making you uncomfortable, do
says don’t fucking hurt your players. If you’re ignoring the what feels right to address the situation and do not hesitate
basic fundamental essence of #iHunt to be a fucking asshole, to cease playing with that person. If you’re playing a game
you’re so far beyond asshole that you’ve come out the other with friends and one of those friends is kind of a shit, either
end and now your mouth is spewing shit. Go play another don’t play, or don’t engage with a degree of intimacy and
game. vulnerability that will allow them to hurt you.

Consider a game of #iHunt as a series of knobs and dials.

You choose your involvement. Part of that is addressed on
the levels sheet on >>PAGE 29. But on a more organic
level, you know what you’re okay with. If you’re playing with
someone you don’t entirely trust, you need to be mindful of
your boundaries. Do not hesitate to establish and enforce
your boundaries.
COMMERCIAL BREAK WHEN THESE RULES FAIL
#iHunt is structured to feel sort of like a serialized TV show. Look. These rules are all well and good. They do a fairly good
One thing the Director is supposed to do is cut scenes as job of handling most scenarios with most vaguely rational
soon as possible >>PAGE 317. However, every player is adults. But there are terrible people in the world and there
empowered to call for a Commercial Break at any time, even are people who have never been socialized to consider others’
in the middle of a dice roll. feelings and there’s nothing I can do as a game designer to
protect you from that.
A commercial break is a little breather, where everyone
gets up and takes a step away from the game. This can be These rules will not always work, and you cannot let the
to use the restroom, to grab a snack, whatever. But most framing of this game dictate the ways you engage with things
importantly, it can be used to stop and alter a scene in that could hurt you.
progress if it’s not comfortable for a player. A player calling
the commercial break due to uncomfortability—which they I could write at length about all sorts of pretty ideas like,
don’t have to announce to the group as such—is encouraged “what if you put a card on the table that’s red on one side and
to do one of three things: green on the other and you flip it to red any time you need
things to stop but you flip it to green when you want it to go
[ Talk to the Director and request a change of events. If again?” I could. But in my experience that would be doing
something isn’t working, if something doesn’t feel right, you a grave disservice because people who fundamentally
if something just isn’t cool enough, it doesn’t fucking understand sensitivity and the community around play can
matter, the player can make the request and the Director use whatever tools you want to use, but people who don’t
needs to work with it. respect those concepts won’t no matter how many clever
rules you use. In those cases, I find that drawing lines and
[ Talk with another player and request a change in the veiling the game behind too many metagame rules:
current scene. This is a collaborative game, and the other
player is encouraged to Just Fucking Do It. If someone a) Doesn’t actually work because those types of players
asks you to change something, change it. This might will simply escalate when called out on their shit.
just be “fade to black so we don’t have to play through
this,” or it could be a full-on, “I don’t like the way this b) Places an undue burden on the player to remember
scene went and I’d like us to go back ten minutes and do and engage these rules which aren’t necessarily reliable
it this way.” Just do it. or comfortable in the heat of the moment.

[ Leave. If a player needs to leave because they’re feeling Everyone has their own personal tools for facing the world.
uncomfortable, they don’t have to answer to anyone and What works for one person will leave another a quivering
cannot be punished for it. The Director has to either call mess. #iHunt is not therapy. I cannot provide you with
the game off and pick up later (or not,) or continue the surefire tools to address personal conflicts that will arise.
story without the player, explaining it away in the most
Let me be perfectly clear: There is no reason, none at
charitable way possible. Period.
all, that you should ever do anything at a table you’re
“But Olivia... What if a player uses these rules to get a uncomfortable doing. You don’t have to explain yourself.
competitive advantage in the game and then they—” You don’t have to justify it with cards and code words. You
don’t have to play with people who make you uncomfortable.
Jesus Christ just follow the fucking rules. It’s just a fucking Anyone who would make you do something you’re not
game and this is a rule meant to protect people from shit comfortable doing is not your friend and honestly, not
that actually for really real hurts them in the real world. If welcome to play this game.
you don’t trust someone enough to use these kind of rules,
don’t play the game with them. It’s really as simple as that. If
you trust them enough to play with them, then play with the
NO FASCISTS
fucking rules. If you’re a fascist, you’re not welcome to play this game. It’s
against the rules. If you’re reading this and thinking, “You
just call everyone you disagree with a fascist,” then you’re
probably a fascist, or incapable of drawing inferences from
context and acknowledging a dangerous political climate
that causes the oppressed to be hyperbolic. Don’t play this
game. Heal yourself. Grow. Learn. Watch some Mr. Rogers’
Neighborhood or something.
THE LEVELS SHEET THE TOPICS
Everyone’s cool with different levels of shit, and that’s okay. The levels document has a number of topics, which you can
The thing is, like we keep saying, #iHunt is a game. It’s opt-in see on the right. These are intentionally pretty broad. You’re
by its very nature. Nobody’s being forced to play #iHunt. It’s all adults, and it’s important to interpret and navigate these
a leisure activity. By playing, you’re asserting that you want issues live at the table.
this. So it would make sense that the content in the game
should also be positively asserted, right? THE LEVELS
That’s where the levels sheet comes in. There’s two basic Each topic needs to be assigned a level.
ways it gets used; first is in a one-shot game the Director
organizes and provides materials for, and the second is in
a standard series of #iHunt where the players make their
A-OK
hunters and work with the assumption they’ll be playing at This level means you’re completely okay with not only the
least a few episodes of a story. If you’re using another basic topic existing in the game, but it being described in graphic
play format, adapt it to suit. detail, or being a core, driving element of the plot. The Friday
the 13th film series would have “Brutal Murder” at A-OK.
ONE-SHOT PLAY
In this mode of play, the Director has to do a lot of the legwork
ON-SCREEN OK
up-front. This includes the levels sheet. The Director has one This level means it can happen on-screen and to the hunters,
copy of the levels sheet, and fills it out. The sheet becomes an but the troupe shouldn’t belabor the point. If “Brutal Murder”
affirmative statement from the Director that “this is the stuff is On-Screen OK, a slasher killer can stab people to death
I’ve planned for the upcoming game.” It’s a content warning. actively in the story, but maybe you should stray away from
explaining how the victims tried to hold in their guts as blood
Now if you’re Directing a one-shot game, especially with
poured, bubbling from their lips.
strangers like at a convention, you should play it a bit
conservative. If you aren’t really planning for a story that
calls for gratuitous gore, then don’t list it on the levels sheet OFF-SCREEN OK
as such, and don’t push the story in that direction. This level means it’s okay if this topic occurs in the story, but it
Before play, pass around the sheet so everyone’s aware cannot happen in live play. For example, the characters might
of what’s up, and what their expectations are. If someone’s arrive on the scene and find a brutally murdered corpse if
pushing the boundaries of what was on the sheet, call a “Brutal Murder” is Off-Screen OK, because the act of violence
commercial break to address it. occurred off-camera.

STANDARD PLAY HARD LINE

In standard play, every player needs a copy of the levels sheet This level means the topic is completely forbidden at the
to go along with their character sheet. If you’re planning table. It cannot happen on-screen, off-screen, or even in
scrapbooks in advance, then include the levels sheet right background material. If “Sexual Violence” is a Hard Line,
in there. Then the Director needs their own levels sheet. The then players can’t even include it in their hunters’ back stories
Director should use it as an aggregate and note sheet for in any way that would be mentioned in play.
their own reference. Basically, the Director needs to mark the
highest acceptable level on each topic, and note down specific NOT ME
objections. This master document needs to be available to
This level means you’re okay with the topic occurring in play,
everyone, so they’re all aware of the ground rules going in.
but not to your character specifically. This isn’t directly a
level—it modifies the other levels. For example, if you mark
“Loss of Agency” as On-Screen OK, but Not Me, then you’re
alright with it occurring to any other character, but not yours.
A Living Document
On the next page you’ll see the levels sheet. You can also
The levels sheet is considered a “living document,” download it at http://machineage.tokyo or wherever you
this is to say that it can be changed and adapted to bought this game.
suit the changing needs of the game and the players.
Just be communicative and open about it. If you want
to change your levels sheet, it’s your responsibility to
let the Director and the other players know.
 Levels Worksheet
Player:
Character:

K
K

K
en O

en O
en O

en O
ne
ne
Scre

Scre
d Li
Scre

Scre
Me
d Li

Me
K

K
Har
Off-

Off-
A-O

Not
Har

On-

A-O

Not
On-
Bigotry: Racial      Romance     
Bigotry: Religion      Self-Harm     
Bigotry: Sex and Gender      Sex     
Blood      Sexual Violence     
Brutal Murder      Starvation and Deprivation     
Bullying      Torture     
Confined Spaces      Violence to Animals     
Drug Use      Violence to Children     
Gore     
Insects      Other Topics (Write In):
Loss of Agency          
Medical Treatment          
Natural Disasters          
Police and Political Violence          
Pregnancy (Traumatic)          
Physical Restraint or Paralysis          

(You’ve gotta respect how meta this is.)

 Ladies Night Out:
“Remind me again why I can’t just bring
a gun?” I hold up my arms to block Elaine’s

Chapter 2
punches. The pain blended together about
twenty minutes ago. I cried at first, but
eventually I choked it down. I’ve been in a fight

#BLOCKPARTY or two, but I’ve never really been punched

over and over by someone who knew what
she was doing.
“Because if you fire a gun in the city, cops’ll be
on your ass, and police chases are even more
deadly than your average monster.” There’s
something caring in her punches. She’s not
going easy on me—every hit stings as much as
the last—but she’s very intentional, waiting to
make sure I can take it, then hitting in just the
right spots. There’s no trickery. No fucking
around. She wants me to learn to block a
punch. This isn’t about pride or dominance.
I can’t remember the last time I trusted
someone this much. Especially someone
hitting me.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. That’s why I’m
learning to block a punch. When am I gonna
learn to throw a punch?” Fighting, to me,
was never really presented as an offensive
possibility. Everything I know about fighting
is defensive, stuff like how to hold your keys
when you walk through a dark parking lot. It
feels kind of nice to think that maybe I could
be on the other end of that for once. I’ll be the
one throwing the punches, now.

30
 “You’re not. At least not for a while. Thing What in the fuck is she getting at?
is, punching won’t do you any good unless I roll again, and she slams her foot down. As
you’re really, really good at it. We can’t just she brings it up again, I realize she’s not just
fight these guys—we’ve gotta figure out what gonna stop because I dodge. I don’t know if
hurts them the most, and use that. Silver she’s aware how much I’m hurting, or even if
knives. Protective circles. Cold iron. That she cares.
sort of thing. You’ll learn to punch in time.
But you’ve got to learn the bare essentials While she’s got her leg in the air, I look
first.” She’s starting to punch harder. Every hit around quickly for a solution. There’s nothing
pushes me back a little more. to grab. Nothing except the yoga mat.
So much for being the one who throws the punches. I grab the edges of the mat, put all my weight
into it, and pull. Elaine’s leg flies out from
“Okay. We use tricks. Weaknesses. But what under her, and she falls to the floor, slamming
about when stuff goes wrong? I mean, stuff hard on her tailbone. For a split second, I feel
goes wrong, right? Stuff always goes wrong.” bad—guilty even. But that’s not enough to
Elaine mixes in a kick. I don’t quite put my stop me. I scramble to a crawl, and climb on
arm in the way in time, and buckle over. It top of her, straddling her chest. I don’t know
hurts. It’s a new hurt. A burn in my stomach. I what she wants right now, but all I know is
feel like something must have ruptured. that I need her to stop.
“Yeah. Stuff always goes wrong. That’s why So I throw a punch at her face. It connects,
your single best tool is improvisation. That’s and hurts my fist just about as much as when
why I knew you’d be good. You’re a problem she was hitting me. But it connects, it’s loud,
solver.” and Elaine puts her hands up.
I try to open my mouth, but everything hurts. “Good. That was good. Quick thinking.”
I fall over to the side with a thud, hitting her I hold my fist up, shaking, ready to attack
yoga mat. I look up to her. My vision’s blurry again.
from the pain, from the shock. She brings her
leg up high, like she’s about to kick down at “Let’s get you into a bath. Relax. I put you
me. through hell. You deserve some ice cream
and a massage.”
I feel like if she kicks me again, I might not
survive it. I know she’s trying to teach me. But My jaw quivers, and I keep my fist ready.
this is too much. I want to trust her. I really do. But also, I’m
afraid and I’ll do anything to not hurt like that
I throw my body weight to the side and roll. I again.
don’t have much more control than that. She
brings her foot down hard where I was. I feel “It’s okay.” She says, and leans up to put a
the thud like a shockwave through my body. hand on my fist gently. You’ve got the right
instincts. You’ll kill. You’re a killer.”
She brings her foot up again. I put everything
into another roll. She slams her foot down I release the fist and realize she’s right. I
where I was, and raises it again. want to think about that. I want to linger on
it, to consider what it means. If it’s what I’ve
“This is easier for me than it is for you. I can become, or if it’s what I’ve always been.
do this all day. You can’t.”

Right now, it just hurts too much and I

really need that ice cream.

31
CHAPTER TWO:
#THEPEOPLE
(CHARACTERS)

If you want to jump right into character creation, go to >>PAGE 60.

So you know what #iHunt is. Now we jump into WHO AM I PLAYING?
the #iHunters. These are the protagonists of
our stories, the (not really) heroes of these tales. You’re probably a millennial. Ask a lot of people
The idea is, we’re going to tell you about who what that means, and you’re gonna get a lot of
#iHunters are in the world of #iHunt. You got different answers. For the purpose of #iHunt,
a little of that in the previous chapter, but here millennials are born between 1980 and 2000.
we’ll give some more variety. Then we’re going You’re an adult that grew up in a time when it
to make hunters, with an example in the form of was still cool to joke about “when MTV used to
Isabella (Izzy) from the opening fiction pieces in play music.”
the first three chapters.
You’re lower to middle class. Your parents
If you’re the Director, which is to say probably made more money than you’re making, while
the person owning this book, if you want your not working as hard as you work. They think you
Players to really get #iHunt but don’t want to don’t own a home because you eat too much
take a lot of time, this chapter is a crash course. avocado toast. You can’t fucking afford avocado
Couple it with the pink “What Is iHunt” pages toast unless you get the expired avocado that
from the last chapter and you’re fucking golden. has brown spots on the inside.
The great thing is, most hunters don’t really know
tons about monsters, so the players don’t really You either work your ass off at a day job, or
have to know that stuff. Some do, but they’re not you’ve got some other situation that just barely
the sorts of hunters you should see at the start keeps you not-quite-afloat, like a disability
of play. benefit payment or something like that.

32
WHO AM I PLAYING?
The key, defining factor here is that you are not We’re never allowed getting ahead. When we
a person who is comfortable. There are people in ask for our basic needs, we’re told it’s too much.
the world of #iHunt who hunt monsters because We have to fight for even milquetoast reforms
they’ve got everything they want in life and they that aren’t much better than a disposable plastic
need some thrill and excitement because they’re bandage over a knife wound.
overstimulated. You are not playing those people.
You hunt out of necessity. You hunt because the Even the politicians most praised for social
alternative is so much fucking worse. justice and class consciousness are shareholders
in those 100 corporations, and we’re watching
Without getting too much into political them further those companies’ agendas while
ranting, you’re a person living in a world where people post cheerful fanfiction memes of them
the climate is rapidly elevating to an apocalypse- like they’re our chums and our mischievous
level event, and the 100 corporations responsible uncles. Meanwhile, they’re lying to start wars
for 71% of that apocalypse are reporting record to seize petrochemicals and feed the military
profits while telling you that you need to stop industrial complex’s greed.
using straws.

33
 This isn’t a world that’s a dark mirror of our own. That’s who you’re playing. You’re the blue line,
It’s exactly fucking like our world, except there and there’s no sign it’s getting better, but there’s
are also monsters that have fangs in addition to absolutely fucking signs that the red line’s gonna
the monsters with billions of dollars. go much, much higher. Makes you want to kill
something, doesn’t it?
Maybe there won’t be a tomorrow. So maybe
today it’s not such a big deal to put your life on Here’s a wooden stake. Don’t try to put it
the line for a paycheck on your terms. through the ribcage. That only works on TV. That
shit is hard. You want to jam it down the soft spot
We’ve heard gamers like charts and graphs and in the clavicle right next to the neck. If you do
shit. So I’ve included one for your convenience. it well enough, it goes straight through into the
chest cavity. Or, you just keep hitting until it goes
This is from 2011, from the Congressional
through. You either get the quick win, or you get
Budget Office, so it’s even worse than this today.
to vent some of that frustration.
But you’re that blue line, and the way you’ve
been busting your ass is represented by the Congratulations, you’ve just paid your rent and
green line. The red line is the rich motherfuckers your car insurance for the month.
getting richer off your green line.

Be angry at this shit.

34
WHAT DO I DO? in portraying an #iHunter, it’s important your
character doesn’t stop living just to stay alive, as
I mean, you hunt monsters. You make money. the classic Offspring song “Meaning of Life” said.
You spend money. Repeat, right? But... not (I think I’m supposed to call it classic because it
really. That’s just part of it. Really, the reason was kind of popular when I was growing up.)
you’re hunting is for the cash to stay afloat and
live your life. While your character might not Look at it like a slice of life. Except some of the
have much free time with a two part-time jobs slicing happens to monster necks. The way I
and moonlighting as Abraham fucking Van explain it at the table is, pretend you’re playing
Helsing, your character still has a life. If life isn’t TV characters. It’s important to also give the
worth living, then it’s not worth risking. A hunter audience those moments that make them ship
really needs a bold instinct to survive, and that’s the characters, posting all over Tumblr about this
generally inspired by a fundamental desire to cool moment or that cool moment. Not all the
live. Sometimes it might not feel like it, but, life cool moments should happen in fight scenes.
can be pretty cool. #iHunters argue and make up and fuck and make
cool things and love people and hate people and
As a Player, your job is to not just represent your forget people and damn that’s awkward. They
character’s money struggles and monster hunts, get into stupid feuds on social media and they
but those little bits of grace and awkwardness have very strong opinions about their favorite
and comaraderie and loneliness and whatever season of that TV show that got canceled too
else makes inebriated college students wax soon. They also kill monsters.
philosophical about the meaning of things. So

35
YOU & FRIENDS AGAINST THE
WORLD
Hunter crews aren’t necessarily friends any
The world’s out to get you. You’re held down. more than any coworkers are, but they all have
So what’s your relationship with other hunters? the same struggle, and the same fight. Hell,
While #iHunters can take solo contracts, and sometimes they’re also roommates. They might
often do, this game focuses on the ones who also be coworkers at a day job. Everyone in that
work in groups. How does a hunter group work? call center has bills to pay, and when they clock
There’s two really easy analogies that don’t out at 9pm, maybe they kill an ancient mummy
involve monsters. instead of going to the Buffalo Wing Warlock for
The first is roommates. Take a couple of seconds Trivia Or Die.
to look up the average cost for an apartment in Most of the time, they sort of stumbled upon
major cities compared to the number of hours it one another by chance. Maybe they were on
takes a person to make that much. Living alone’s similar contracts, hunting different monsters in
just not feasible for a lot of people. A handful the same place. Turns out, vampire clubs are full
of people can throw in together and have of vampires that need killing. Hunters can either
some extra cash available, or just have a better piss and moan about territory, or they can work
apartment. With #iHunt, a monster that could together and both have twice the chance to kill
just straight-up fucking murder you one-on-one both their marks.
might not look so tough to four people. Sure, you
only get 25%, but you live to fight another day, Given a little time, they stumble on another
right? Also, four people means a quicker job, so hunter and another, and before too long they’ve
you can move on to the next gig. got this little thing they do and they’re getting
to the point where one of them is ready to quit
The second is political and labor organizing. If their day job and take up organizing hunts for
you’re working at the call center and you put the team as a full-time gig. While the #iHunt
down your phone, cross your arms, and refuse to app is regimented and full of stupid rules and
work until you get a raise, you might as well turn bylaws, hunters organize organically, from each
in your resignation. Your shit is canceled. But get according to their ability, to each according to
forty of your coworkers to all slam down their their need.
phones at the same time, bossman has to listen.
Monsters are kind of like bosses. You can be real
fucking loud and real fucking forceful alone but
it doesn’t really matter because he holds all the
power. Get enough voices together, and that
power dynamic shifts.

36
 1,997,981 BCE: Dawn of humanity. As long as 2004: Lana Moreno joins the forum.
there have been people, there have been people
hunting monsters. 2014: #iHunt is founded, but is in beta. Some
believe the founder was a former messageboard
1,997,980BCE - 1978CE: Hunters learn from member.
other hunters, journeyman-style. With a few
weird exceptions. Isolated hunters spring up here 2015: Another user makes a joke about a post
and there to handle specific problems without by Lana Moreno citing her obvious love for a
training. Some research the occult. These types 90s supernatural drama called DemonKnight.
all know each other purely by word of mouth. They begin to refer to her as "Knight" on the
messageboard despite her (often violent)
1979: The first hunter-focused BBS appears, protests.
networked from various university computer
labs. At this point, the BBS is focused mostly 2016: #iHunt grows in popularity and the
on watching and monitoring monsters. Sorting locations on the internet where hunters and
through the conspiracy theories proves difficult would-be hunters communicate spreads.
at first. Contracts for hunts online funnel to the point
they’re almost all either illegitimate or on the app.
1980: Adrea Cortez is shot 66 times by cops
in the middle of an intersection in San Jenaro 2016: Other hunters who use traditional
California. Since then, deaths involving 66 shots, methods with more traditional training end
stabbings, or other forms of injury pop up in and up lumped in with Lana by members of the
around San Jenaro law enforcement. community, often being called KNIGHTS as
shorthand.
1980: Infamous BBS user filmuserinterface (FUI)
created an invite-only newsgroup for people he 2017: Hunters who had previously been
considered "legit," shortly after Cortez's death. community-focused and learned their trade in
It and other 66 incidences were major topics on isolation begin to run into other sorts of hunters
the newsgroup. A messageboard followed six thanks to #iHunt and the online communities.
months later with slightly more open invitation. Thanks to some connection to the thirty year old
66 killings, these sorts of hunters are commonly
1983: Hunters on the messageboard who referred to as THE 66.
push for heavier uses of technology in tracking
monsters and finding clients to help fund hunting While hunters frequently communicate and
start to use the nickname PHOOEY, a phonetic plan on the internet in various places, iHunt
play on the board founder’s screen name. has consumed the market of getting hunters to
clients and vice versa. For now, anyway.
1985: In a famous argument between FUI and
another board member, hunters who prefer to
draw from ancient knowledge and occult studies
to hunt end up with the nickname EVILEENAS.
Over time, the teasing nickname becomes a term
of affection more than an insult.

37
 DIVERSITY IN TACTICS
Everyone hunts differently. Even without any
sort of formal training, every hunter approaches
every hunt a little differently than another
hunter would. Hunters informally divide these
general approaches to the hunt into what are
called “Kinks.” You can find more about those
on page 22. There are four main Kinks. But
there are highly-focused, regional, and esoteric
approaches that don’t fit cleanly into those four.
This is an excuse for us to make supplementary
content you hopefully want to buy.

But for now, this is what you should know:

[ Evileenas are the info nerds. They hunt with

knowledge.
[ Knights are fighters. They win by kicking the
most ass.
[ Phooeys are tech wizards. They fight with
tools.
[ The 66 fights with communities. They know
people.

DIVERSITY IN SKILLS
You don’t really go to hunter school. There used
to be formal monster hunting schools, but
almost all have vanished in the last few decades.
There are even some families that have hunted
monsters for centuries, but those hunters don’t
use #iHunt (and they tend to be effete arseholes
from “the Old World.”)

iHunters hunt with whatever they bring

to the table. If you’re a boxer, you hunt with
punching. If you’re a skateboarder, you hunt
with a skateboard. If you’re a DJ, you hunt with
music. Now, if you discount hyperbole about
Smashmouth memes, music doesn’t really kill
people. But use it cleverly, and you’ve got one
tool in a box. Get a few hunters together with
other tools, and you start to see creative solutions
all over the place. That’s one huge advantage to
the group dynamic—nobody has to carry all the
skills for the team.

When you’re coming up with your hunters,

diversify. It’s not gonna break the game if more
than one hunter’s good at one thing or another,
but it’s best if everyone has a place they can
shine.

38
DIVERSITY IN AVAILABILITY
Remember how we said that hunters tend to
work other jobs? When you’re working the night
shift at Lobster & Steak, you can’t just tell the
shift supervisor, “Oh, I’ve got to go kill a vampire,
no big deal. I’ll be back to help clean up the
grill.” Hell, even if your shift supervisor is also an
#iHunter, they’re not going to give a shit because
you need to cover the grill right then, right there.

A diverse group means a better saturation of

availability. Sometimes you’ll find a hunter crew
that all work together in their day jobs, but it’s
fairly rare. More likely, a crew will have members
who work 9-5 (well, 9-7 to be honest, this is 2019,)
members who work service jobs that demand
weekend and evening hours, factory workers
who work four very long nights a week, and any
combination of other times.

This of course can lead to conflicts within a

group when a member who works 70 hour
weeks can’t commit to as much hunting work as
a person with a stable 40 hour job.

DIVERSITY IN EXPERIENCES
A bishop, a nun, and a rabbi walk into a bar. Stop
me if you’ve heard this one. The bishop gets
invited to political fundraisers. The nun talks to
everyone at the homeless shelters. The rabbi’s
shul mostly works in the shipping industry on
the west side of town. Between the three of
them, there’s not a vampire in the city that can
go unnoticed.

You can learn to shoot a gun and what plants

you can burn to repel demons. You can’t just learn
an upbringing. Different people fit in different
places. There are just some environments
where you’ll always be an outsider. On the hunt,
this means it’s valuable to have diversity of
experiences, so you can hit on all angles.

Maybe you don’t have someone who can walk

into a rich person’s party through the front door,
but you have someone who can get a gig doing
catering at that party because they know who
to talk to, so they can march right in the back.
That’s just as valuable, maybe more. iHunters
do best when they can walk unnoticed, when
they’re “the help” that nobody gives a shit about
while they’re off doing their dirty work.

Let’s break it down with a few sample crews,

just to give you an idea of how this might work in
practice. Then we’ll jump into Kinks.

39
SAN FILIPE STAKE AND SHAKE [ Frankie: The gang’s PHOOEY. She’s a car guy.
Frank, Phoebe, Thelma, and Shaky live on the Van guy? Van girl? She keeps the van souped up
road with their puppy named Groovy. They’re and running strong, with a silver-plated bumper
technically a band even though nobody really custom-designed for werewolf slaying.
shows up for their shows. They get a few bucks [ Phoebe: The gang’s KNIGHT. Her dad was an army
from every tour stop, do an #iHunt contract, and tactician, and she takes after dear old dad even
move on to the next city. Even though their songs if she was the family black sheep. She makes the
all sound the same and Shaky can’t keep a beat, gang fight like a well-oiled machine.
they’ve become expert occult investigators and
living in an old conversion van means no rent. [ Thelma: The gang EVILEENA. She’s a mousy nerd
by day, and a mousy nerd who casts spells you can
They’re also sort of a loose polycule, but they only cast under moonlight by night.
don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s hard to date
non-hunters, and anyone outside the crew is [ Shaky: The gang 66. He saved Groovy from a life
just competition for gigs, which makes fucking as a drug-sniffing dog, and he’s deeply invested in
totally a chore. “No, Darla, I didn’t take this job safe drug culture.
because I was jealous. Sometimes it’s just about
money.”

40
THE ELEPHANT SHOW [ Sharon: She’s the team KNIGHT. By day, she’s a
Sharon and Lois started hunting and dating gym teacher, because of course she is. A broken
around the same time. They were hunting knee ended her career in Tae Kwon Do. But that
a dragon, Dungeons & style. Well, actually it doesn’t stop her from hunting.
wasn’t a dragon. It was a mutated crocodile.
[ Lois: Lois is the team PHOOEY. Zhe was a metal
Anyway, they were in the sewer system and
shop and robotics teacher before budget cuts.
ran into Graham, who was also hired to hunt it.
Now zhe teaches health class or some shit. But zhe
Long story short, they saved Graham’s life. Then
still has a robot lab.
Graham saved theirs. It was a weird coincidence
because they all knew each other from their day [ Graham: Graham’s the team EVILEENA. He’s the
jobs at Cesar Chavez High School in Modena school librarian by day, the, um, team librarian by
Beach. Now they’re hunting, they’ve moved in night? He’s cute in a sweater vest.
together, and Lois is expecting.

JOE STARS [ Joe: He’s the family KNIGHT. As a teen, he was

always in and out of police stations for fighting.
Joe, Jo, and Jio are technically relatives, in that weird He seemed bound for prison. But now? Now he’s
“everyone who visits during holidays is extended family fucking unstoppable and nobody’s ever going to
even if we’re not sure who is married to who.” They tell him that punching vampires is bad.
call each other “cousin.” They hunt together because
they all stumbled upon #iHunt when a vampire with [ Jo: She’s the family PHOOEY. Mom left the old
a strange stone mask killed one of their uncles, one of country after some controversy with a car bomb,
their fathers, one of their cousins (all technically the and Jo inherited some of her tricks.
same guy.) [ Jio: She’s also the family KNIGHT. She was doing
carjacking and breaking and entering before she
started hunting. Well, she’s still doing that. But
they’re vampires’ cars, and she runs the owners
over with them.

Alright. There’s the sample crews. I could Remember how very early on, I said the game’s
probably come up with thinly-veiled pop culture kind of like a conversation? Making your crew is
references all day, so I’m just gonna stop. You definitely a conversation you need to have. Work
get the idea, right? The group needs a dynamic. together to build a cohesive team. If everyone
The group needs members that fill a number of walks away thinking everyone else’s character is
niches. As you come up with these characters, cool and interesting, you win at everything and
you don’t necessarily have to know exactly what should be proud of yourselves. Perhaps consider
and how they hunt on the regular, but a lot of getting yourself some candy in celebration.
times as the characters come to life, so will the
way they hunt together.

41
WHAT IS YOUR KINK?
(Or: How to use this section.)

A couple of things to get out of the way first: OPENING TEXT STUFF
[ This is in bullet points because we like them. This is a short description to give you, the Player,
an idea of what it looks like when hunters with
[ Your Kink is just a formalized way to describe how
with Kink do their thing. Just a taste of what’s to
you get an edge on monsters when hunting. It’s
come.
nothing innate necessarily. Being a Knight doesn’t
mean you never do anything like an Evileena.
Starting out in The 66 doesn’t mean you won’t AT YOUR BEST...
some day call yourself a Phooey.
At your best is broken into three groupings.
[ These groups are not organized. Not by #iHunt, These reflect specialized behaviors within that
not by hunters. Nobody. They aren’t teams or kink. You know, roughly, what a Phooey does
clubs. They’re simply descriptions that fit a certain to hunt monsters, but that doesn’t mean all of
sort of hunter. Imagine having to convince another them can hack a computer network. Not every
hunter you’re who they need to get a job done in a 66 knows how to start a riot.
text message. It’s like that. Being in The 66 doesn’t
give you any special loyalty to any other 66. These aren’t formal groups. Not that Kinks
are formal groups in the first place, but these
[ Using the term Kink to define how you go about are more... topics of conversation that come up
killing monsters is a sort squicky for the sex- around these informal groups. They’re trends
positive types. That’s valid. But in-setting, it grew within those broader methodologies. You don’t
organically as a good way to have a conversation have to pick one, but thinking about the Kinks
about how you hunt in semi-public spaces like the in these terms will help understand where their
Internet in a way that causes most people to check Kink Stunts come from.
out immediately. Not all hunters refer to their
methodologies as their Kinks. In-setting, hunters WHEN YOU GREW UP...
still argue about how Kink is a bad word for hunting.
Nobody’s proposed an alternative that’s stuck. This section gives you three fast seeds to get
started when you’re fleshing out your character.
[ Like calling them Kinks, not every hunter defines These are idea seeds, just to help you get some
themselves by the nicknames used here. It’s usually inspiration for who your hunter is.
more the other way around. You might not call
yourself a Phooey, but others would call you one. That said, you should have a sentence in mind
to explain why you hunt and maybe how you ran
[ These are starting points for building a character. into the app. More on that later.
Only starting points. Tweak what you want. We’re
not going to show up at your game and judge you.
(That’s what forum posts are for.)
AT YOUR WORST...
Being focused on how you do what you do is
NICKNAME good. But there are downsides to focus. (Fun fact:
You can’t actually survive hunting without some
Just the common nickname this sort of hunter kind of focus. Hence your Kink.) So this is a list
might use to define their hunting style. It’s of some common shortcomings among hunters
important to note, these change. Right now, with this Kink. Pick one or make one. As with
in 2019, these are the most common terms. By your background, you can tweak it a bit or come
2020, the trends might have changed. Language up with your own in the same vein. However you
shifts. Trends evolve. Deal with it. The only thing want to do it, you need to have a weakness for
we can be sure of is that young people will the sake of drama and good storytelling. For
continue to make new names for things. many hunters, this weakness is how you end up
finding that last fair fight. For others it’s just why
they’re always broke. YMMV.

42
MONSTERS? IN YOUR KIT...
This is a small spectrum of opinions an average Depending on your Kink, you have access to
hunter with this Kink might hold on monsters in a particular set of stunts. We call these “Kink
general. Pick one, tweak it, play it straight, it’s up Stunts.” Yeah that sounds weird. No, we’re not
to you. But be ready to tell the Director and other going to apologize for it. Every one of these
players what your character generally thinks sections calls this something different. Like,
about the monsters they hunt. Your character’s Evileenas call their Kink Stunts “Evileena Lores.”
default opinion will probably change over time,
but at the start of play, it’s important to know Kink Stunts are typically stronger than normal
how they engage with the hunt and the targets stunts. They’re not really available to just
of it. anyone­—they reflect a bit of insider information
and training that these informal groups share.
Why yes, technically a Knight could learn
WHEN YOU WORK WITH OTHERS... Evileena Kink Stunts, but in practice, that’s not
Keeping in mind, of course, that Kinks are too common. You can’t start play with another
not organizations, this section is less about Kink’s Stunt. If you want to buy one with a selfie
stereotypes of other hunter groups, and more >>PAGE 121, then you have to have a damn
how you might hunt along side a hunter with good reason for why you learned it. And don’t
a different Kink. Don’t get hung up on your be a shithead—if someone in the team already
character having a huge sweeping opinion on has a given Kink Stunt, don’t overshadow their
all Evileenas. (If they do, that’s a personal thing expertise by taking it.
rather than something assumed in-setting.) No You get the first Kink Stunt for free, just by
hunter makes it entirely on their own, and these being part of your Kink. It’s a sort of foundational
are starting place ideas for how you can make ability which helps build toward all the later ones.
your money while working with someone who Then there are three other stunts, one for each
can do something you can’t do. of the “At Your Best” groups. You can buy one of
those at character creation by spending one of
your starting refresh.

43
 ”When I hunt,
I steal fire
from the gods. ”

44
 You take what monsters don’t want you to know and use it against
them. They hide clues, truths, wisdom, and power in texts and
traditions then lock them away and keep them for themselves.
The secret, the profane, the forbidden should be shared with the
world, even if the world isn’t willing to use it. Because if we don’t
use every tool at our disposal, some day, darkness will overtake
the world. Which is a really really dramatic way to say, fuck the
shadows, bind them, burn them, bring them to ash.

AT YOUR BEST...
You duck left while your team goes right after the nest. It’s all part of the plan. But the
spider god was said to have a massive collection of Rosicrucian texts. You know exactly
what title and what volume you need while Jimboy and Left-Eye are crushing the offspring.
But... It wouldn’t hurt to grab two of these related texts before you all make scarce, right?
You’re a WATCHER. A full throttle action librarian every nerd says they want to be but don’t
have the guts to go in for. It involved a lot of weight lifting, to be honest. Books are heavy.
You dust off your hands and look around the room. Salt of angel tears? Check. Homemade
sacred palm oil? Check. Fourth Greater Circle of Purity drawn on the floor? Close enough.
They’re still not sure if this is going to work. You’re like... 99% on it. Which is better than
98% right? Nothing to do but set fire to the oil and scream the name of the Unspoken.
You flick through a few motivational posts on Instagram first, then drop the match to the
oil. You’re an ARCANIST. You’re not a sorcerer, or even a proper witch, but you’ve learned
enough tricks along the way to use their own shit against them. Protection is for everyone,
it has to be.
You know that most of that alchemy stuff was metaphor or written in code to keep the
proles from getting at the good stuff. Which is such bullshit. That’s why you’ve got a Youtube
channel where you unpack the ancient recipes you come across on the hunt. You call it
fiction. Other hunters know it isn’t. They pay for what you make, which is good, because
finding a vegan replacement for ambergris is kind of expensive. You are an ALCHEMIST.
Basically, you make magical potions to keep your friends on their feet or give yourself an
edge when you hunt solo. Some of this stuff is more dangerous than heroin, so it’s a fine
line to walk, but no one signed up for #iHunt as a long term solution.
 GROWING UP...
You had this spooky aunt no one liked to talk to. Only, you knew she was the real deal because she’d
shown you a trick or two. When men in suits took her away it was like everyone else forgot she’d ever
existed. Looking for her led you to #iHunt and other people in need.
You were raised on a movie set. You were in that one movie where a few kids ran into spooky stuff on
bikes? You’re addicted to horror movies. The thing is, horror movies tell the truth, at least symbolically.
The trends than persist through to the medium, well, they’re powerful. Powerful enough to use a lot of
that stuff as a starting point for your research and your hunt.
You were raised in a cult, actually. It was all very One with the Universe gentle vegan feminist stuff
until the charismatic leader started worshiping something horrible. It ate everyone, but you made it out.
Some days, you wish you could go back to when your life was simpler.

AT YOUR WORST...
You believe in fairies. You’ve seen enough beyond the natural to know that there’s magic and
intrigue everywhere. But sometimes, you want that magic of the universe to solve problems for
you. Sometimes it does. Most of the time it doesn’t.
You overload with information. All of this is so interesting to you. There are so many connections.
The web of knowledge is vast and tightly interwoven. When people put time limits on answering
their questions, you know you’ve got caught up in your own head again.
You see the occult where it just isn’t. Not everything is the work of ancient vampires. Not every
storm cloud is an omen. Not every unlucky song is a hex-song.

MONSTERS...
• “I really wish we had more time to understand it before we had to put it down. Well.
Next time maybe.”
• “Not all of them, but this one? I think we can stop this one without killing it.
• “Gold’s not getting any cheaper. You want a transmutation agent, you’re going to
have to put down some high ticket monster. It’s not any more complicated than that.”

WHEN WORKING WITH OTHERS...

You tend to enjoy your time working with PHOOEYS. When they can stop looking down
their nose at you long enough to realize you’re right about the arcane.
You tend to get very anxious when working with KNIGHTS. They get results, and for the

46
greater good that’s good. But. So much violence.
You tend to have great working relationships with THE 66. You are often the first place
they turn coming up, assuming they don’t run into witches first. Which suits you fine.
 L AT...
MARVE
EVILEENA LORE!
KNOW STUFF
Evileenas are all about the knowledge. This basic stunt lets you “hold on to” a situational aspect
related to your knowledge of monsters. You can keep one such aspect as long as you’d like, and it gets
one free invoke in any scene where it’s relevant. But to take a new aspect, you have to abandon the
other, letting it fade away into nothingness.

Library-Fu
The WATCHERS developed this trick which to the dismay of many is not a recognized martial art
form. It makes you super good at research montages. When you have a scene dedicated to research,
you always have the edge. Also, so long as you have access to a situational aspect related to some
research you’ve done, you can use the Academic or Occultist skill sets for defend actions. This has to
reflect something like protective amulets, salt circles, advanced economic theory, or other stuff you’ve
dug up for protection.

”Potions”
ALCHEMISTS can make “potions,” which are kind of like normal drugs except they come in dorky
bottles. Alchemist potions make you stronger, faster, hotter, awesomer. If you invest a fate point in
making a potion, you can tie it to an aspect you make up for its effects. Any time someone drinks it,
they get that aspect and two free invokes. If it’s a poison or negative potion, the aspect can exist only for
compels, and you get two free ones if you can get some poor sonofabitch to drink it.

Witchcrap
ARCANISTS study literal magic. Real minor magic, but magic. Every time you take this Stunt, you
can choose two ranks in magical gifts to represent your weird magical knowledge. But if you take
something else, you’ve got to figure out how your character does it with simple ritual and sigil style
magic. The magical gifts start on >>PAGE 243.
 Some hunters
fight with
knowledge.

Some fight
with tech.

Some fight
with people.

Me?

I fight

48
with fighting.
 You overcome your quarry with overwhelming force.
There can be finesse behind the application of your
force, but the force is the key here. Surgical strikes are
great as long as they come with a lot violence. You’re not
a surgeon with a knife. You’re a surgeon with a shotgun.

You may come from a more traditional hunting background, or else you’re just an adrenaline junky who picked
up a baseball bat one day and said, “I’ve had enough of this shit.”
When it comes to what you’re putting on the line, it’s your body. You call your left fist Shock and your right fist
Awe, and most hunters are too intimidated to point out how silly that is.

At Your Best You take a hit off of your inhaler and check your
watch at the same time. Most other hunters
You duck down behind a parked car because would panic being pinned down like you. But
the fucking wizard is throwing fireballs at you. they don’t know what you do. Your watch rolls
Fucking wizards. However, in ducking down, over to 12:01 and you hear distant explosions.
you notice some shithead has left the keys in the Betty pulled through just like you knew she
viser of the car because he apparently doesn’t would. The power grid for the whole block goes
know what neighborhood this is. You break the out, and Left-Eye and Jimboy breach the door.
fourth wall to grin at the audience and climb in You duck as they open fire on the shamblers just
to the car. Fireballs don’t beat Chrysler grill. Not behind you. Everything according to plan. Now
when there’s a solid brick wall you can drive him you’re worried. You’re a PLAYER. You use your
into. You are an OPERATIVE. The world around unit, your team, as an extension of your own
you is an extension of you body, and you use all body. It means putting them on the line the way
of it. Parkour, parked cars, or park gates. It’s all other Knights put themselves there, but loyalty
good for bringing down your quarry. goes a long way. As does skill.
You hop up and put your feet on the wall behind
you to push with the whole of your body to GROWING UP
shove your quarry back against the meat hook You were formally trained. You learned from
on the wall. When the vampire flails backward, another, more experienced hunter. They found
you tuck in to control your fall so you can land you covered in your family’s blood. You saw
on your terms. This is all about on your terms. what cannot be unseen and so they took you
The meathook still isn’t in far enough, and you under their wing. They’re gone. They’ve taught
wonder what your gymnastics coach would you everything they could.
think about you cartwheeling over to kick with
You learned all of this shit in the military as
your full force to push him the rest of the way
part of a now defunct op. You weren’t anyone in
onto it. You’re a HITTER. Your body is a tool and
charge, you just got your training and were sent
no one knows it like you do. You weren’t born for
off to die. Only you’d didn’t. They did. And now
this work, you honed yourself full time most of
you’ve got a lot of skills in a society that doesn’t
your life and it’s paying off.
have much room for professional murders.

49
 Were a natural talent. A sort of murder protege.
You’ve got a juvenile record for killing that guy
Monsters
when you were 14, but it wasn’t a guy, and [ “Fuck ‘em, I need rent.”
before you found the app, you never realized
there would be people who might believe you. [ “No one is going to get hurt by this fucker
again. Stuff your pity parade. If they didn’t
At Your WORST do something awful first, no one would
have hired me.”
You ignore the flesh. When you start thinking
about your body as a tool, you forget you have [ “I don’t make it personal or get invested.
to live in it. You take a lot of risks people who Trying to understand what is and isn’t a
plan to have full lives don’t take. But you weren’t monster and what that means? That’s a trip
going to retire anyway, right? I’m not taking.”

You’re only happy when you’re high. That might

be drugs, but the drugs are just your way of OTHERS
surviving through to the adrenaline rush.
You have a a PHOOEY on speed dial to lend
You’re not suicidal per se, but kind of waiting to
support without hesitation. Mad respect. You
die. Looking for the mistake that’s going to get
just don’t hang out with them after.
you out of this nightmare. You takes risks no one
should take. If you had something better to live You’ll contact an EVILEENA when you’re totally
for, you could get past this, but for now you’re stuck, but have to get pretty short with them
too tired to live and too stubborn to die. to make sure they don’t inundate you with too
much info. You’ll crash with one, because their
movie collection is probably pretty cool.
You try to respect THE 66’s turf whenever
possible, and are pretty happy to trade skills.
You’ll smoke a joint with them when all is said
and done, if they’re into it.

U 326 HUNTER FEATURE STORY

The Knight’s Code

+ Lana The Impaler
Nov 6 - 2 min read

c Technically, I’m why Knights are called Knights. I liked a show called Demon
Knight when I was 16, and I’m never going to live that down. Because of this,
people keep asking me to do a “Knight Manifesto” or some shit.

At risk of getting too pretentious, being a Knight (god I hate that word) is sort
of “non-philosophy.” Phooeys do tech. Evileenas do info. Knights? As far as I’m
concerned we’re the default state. It’s not like I don’t use tech in a fight. I do my
research when I need to. People lump me in as a Knight because when it all comes
down to it, the only thing that matters is that I get the job done, and the job is
usually “killing shit.” Just happens that if your goal is killing shit that only dies in
certain specific ways, killing shit means hitting it real hard with something pointy.

50
 K night
Arsenal S
The Best Defense
The basic Knight stunt teaches you that the best defense is a good offense. Since you’re a badass
Knight, you’re liable to do something fucking menacing and hit some motherfucker really hard. When
you get a good attack action roll, you can spend a fate point to “seal in” that roll. Resolve the attack like
normal, but jot down the total you got, after all invokes and skills and everything are added in.

At any time in the same game session when you’re making a defend action, you can opt to “spend”
that saved up roll, and use it instead of your defend action. You can do this after your roll, just like with
an invoke. But it replaces the roll result instead of adding to it.

Situational Awareness
OPERATIVES are really good at dealing with the world around them. Any time you’re compelled or
imperilled by a situational aspect relating somehow to the physical environment, you get a boost. It
doesn’t matter if you pay to refuse it, if you accept it, whatever. You find a way to flip the situation in your
favor. Additionally, any time you make an aspect reflecting your ability to repurpose the environment
into a weapon, it invokes for +3 instead of +2.

Don’t Hurt
Pain Don’
HITTERS learn to push their bodies beyond what any reasonable human should, and come back
punching. When you’re hit by a physical source of harm, you can spend a fate point to ignore some of
that harm and turn it back around on your attacker. Reduce the hit by 2, and take a boost. You can only
do this once per hit. Also, any time you take a major consequence, you immediately get the edge.

Team spirit
PLAYERS use the team as a weapon. Any time someone in your team acts according to plan and
spends a fate point to invoke a situational aspect you created, it gets a free invoke. Once per game
session, you can spend a fate point to reverse an action after the roll is made. Essentially, you say, “Aha,
I was planning for that!” Then you explain your contingency. The action gets restated, return all the fate
points spent on the initial action, then resolve it anew.
52
 You use tools because that’s what separates us from the animals, right?
But more importantly, tools are what separates us from monsters. om
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.
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 GROWING UP...
You were told you’d never be “normal” and sending you to normal school would be dangerous.
Face-to-face communication is very difficult for you, people don’t say what they mean with their
words or their expressions. But online you can learn all the stuff they all tried to hide from you. You
like the truth a lot.

You remember the first time you took apart your dad’s Apple IIe and almost caught the belt until
you proved you could put it back together. Since then you’ve dodged a lot of beatings by being able
to fix and destroy stuff. Hunting became a natural extension of that.
You knew girls don’t get into STEM. Even if the cute posters and ad campaigns say it’s safe now, it isn’t.
Your male classmates actively sabotaged your degree at UC San Jenaro so you can’t find work no matter
how brilliant your engineering is. You’ll show them. You’ll show them all.

AT YOUR WORST...
You know that technically, technology doesn’t reach everywhere. Not yet. Which means you have to
be careful in situations where that’s true. Or. You should be careful. But in reality you often deal with
situations where technology can’t fix things by ignoring the facts and hitting it with your computer
until it works. Or you fail.

You see, just because you CAN reroute the entire building’s security system through a smart
phone doesn’t mean you actually need to? Sometimes you just need to sneak in the back door and
drug the security guard. But sometimes you just prefer the complicated as long as it makes you look
cool.

You know there’s a fine line between “classic” and “outdated” but you see it as miles wide. If you’ve
determined something is the second and not the first, you want nothing to do with it. Even if it’s,
say, a historical document that might clue you in on how to kill the monster. You need the original.

MONSTERS...
[ “Monsters are old. Dinosaurs will die.”

[ “Day by day, we’re growing to understand our ideas of sentience and even sapience are
broadening. What it is to be human will be redefined to make room for uplifted dolphins,
robots, AI and who knows what else. But monsters? Yeah. Well. I gotta eat long enough to
see that future.”

[ “lul whut?”

WHEN YOU WORK WITH OTHERS...

You give a KNIGHT a hard time. A real hard time. But the fact is you’re always glad to have one around.
Better them than you.
You give EVILEENAS a really hard time. Honestly, what are they even doing? Your best hope is to rub off
on them and teach them to live in the same century as the rest of you.

54
You don’t give THE 66 a hard time because, frankly, they probably don’t need you as much as you need
them. While they might not be able to hack into a corporate database, they know ways to get a secretary
to just hand them a printout. Mad props tho.

54
 BASIC PROTOCOL: PHOOEY CACHE
Phooeys do tools and tech. They solve problems. If they have access to even rudimentary tools,
once per scene they can eliminate a situational aspect without needing to overcome it or anything.
They flip a switch, hit a button, unplug something, and it’s fixed so long as a tool could fix it.

HACKERS REFERENCE
HACKERS do shit with computers. Hack the Planet, or some shit, right? With this stunt, so long as
the edge hasn’t already been established, and your action ties directly to using a computer, you
start with the edge. Whenever you create a situational aspect using a computer system that’s
attached to another character, any effort to overcome it is made at a threshold equal to your
Hacker skill set. If you’re actively opposing the action, take +2. If you can do it with a computer, you
can always imperil aspects against someone, once per scene.

FANCY DRIVING
DRIVERS drive. Any aspect that you create around your vehicles or drones gain an additional
free invoke. Additionally, any defend action you make while driving or piloting gets +2.

The Driving Skill Set?

Okay so what skills set do you use to drive? Good question. Depends what you’re doing. It
could be Guerrilla, Athlete, Influencer, Spy, Fighter... Think your approach and goals.

ANARCHY IN THE IHUNT

Phooeys make things. ANARCHISTS make things broken. Any overcome or create an advantage
action based around destroying something gets +2. If successful, you get to make an additional free
aspect with a single free invoke, usually relating to distraction, confusion, or complication arising
from the destroyed thing.

55
 EOPLEFIGHTTOPROTECTTHEPEOPLE THEPEOPLEFIGHTTOPROTECT

EOPLEFIGHTTOPROTECTTHEP
THEPEOPLEFIGHTTOPROTECTTHEP
When you hunt, you get word back from a couple of kids, they all say
the same thing. Monster’s on the move. As planned, the car that “broke
down” northbound on Maple directs the flow of traffic, boxing in your
quarry. You hear sirens en route, but timing is everything. They’ll get there
just after you make your shot, you know, because you know exactly how
fast cop cars take the turn at Wells and Largo. This is your part of the city,
and the monster pretending to be a Councilman picked the wrong ward
to infect.

AT YOUR BEST...
You have the right bag but the wrong shoes. So it’s going to be super
important to keep their eyes on your smile. You don’t belong, but as long
as you don’t let on you know that, they won’t know. You’re in a sea of
predators and your job is to record your target saying a few words. That’s
it. In and Out. Easy. That is, until you see your crooked ex husband is at
the same table as the monster you need to kill. You’re a FACE. You blend,
you sneak in, you navigate complicated social interactions the way some
people breathe. You know when to be noticed and when to disappear. Like
a ninja in a prison guard uniform—or a cocktail dress.

You know Benny the Butch is big time and has been big time since 1910.
For a vampire gangster he’s kind of alright. Fair anyway. You also know
if this team of hunters you’re with really wants to take down the plague
demon you’ve been hired to handle, its going to mean working with Benny.
You’re about 85% you can get him to play ball IF Wendy doesn’t freak and
blow the whole thing by staking the old monsters. You’re a CUTOUT. A
trusted go-between. You’re got a nack for appearing neutral and getting
two parties to come to some sort of agreement. You know people. All
kinds of people. Even “people” in scare quotes. Comes with the job.

You’ve been handing out leaflets for about three weeks now, but that was
sort of a cover for the rest of the operation. See. Everyone knows Kamiel is
only in prison to cover for a cop. They just don’t know that cop fucked up
because he’s an infected werewolf. Something’s gotta give, and the media
needs to know about Kamiel’s situation. But more importantly, if things
get tough, they’re gonna sneak that shitty cop out the backdoor and off
to his suburban home. You’re just there to make sure when the riot starts
and the pig runs, he doesn’t get very far. You’re an AGITATOR. You use
the pressure of the people to corner your targets. It’s not about putting
protesters on the line, mitigating harm is part of the job. But it is about

57
making sure monsters remember angry mobs with torches and pitchforks
when they decide if they’re going to do evil or not.
 You’ve erased yourself. You’ve played so many
GROWING UP... parts, or martyred yoruself for others so many
times that who you are is a mystery even to
You were raised a good Catholic. You still stick you. You’re a mask without a face under it,
around the Church because your Bishop is and without the emotional labor to define you,
pretty chill and the community is so strong. you’re kind of nothing.
You’ve left the dogma behind, but, what you’ve
picked up, on hunting monsters that threaten
your community from the nuns? Priceless.
MONSTERS
You did three years for a possession charge.
“9 times out of 10, monsters are just people
Three years was a long time to think. To plan.
the system failed. Hunting is a necessary evil.
The fucker, the monster that flooded your
But I for one want to work on the conditions
block with dangerously addictive drugs and
that cause them in the first place.”
trafficking? Yeah. You’ve had three years to
work out and think about how to get at him. “He came into my neighborhood to make
You’re more than ready. some noise. I’m louder. We’re having a party
tonight, kids.”
You were everyone’s Aspiration party.
“Look how far she’s gotten in life with her… “Found a witch, no shit. Real honest to God
limitations.” It’s bullshit and ablist as fuck. But witch. She was cool. Didn’t have to kill her, which
on the bright side, they have no idea how much was real dope. Anyway, not taking contracts
you pull off from your chair and your boring from that client again. Motherfucker.”
job at County Records.

WORKING WITH OTHERS

AT YOUR WORST... You’re cool with KNIGHTS. But their collateral
You have too much faith in people. You know damage is usually too high, so you keep ‘em
everyone is capable of better, you know the hell out of your personal work.
it deep down in your soul. So when you’re
disapointed, as you often are, it gets hard for a You’re cool with PHOOEYS. But sometimes it
while. You’ve toughend up over the years, but doesn’t feel like they live in the real world. Half
the pang happens regadless of how much you the kids in your neighborhood don’t have free
let it effect you. wi-fi at the library, so… a lot of their solutions
just don’t work where you’re from.
You have no faith in anyone. You’ve seen behind
the masks of so many monsters and so many You’re cool with EVILEENAS. But they’re kinda
people that you’ve developed a real cynicism. weird. They’re not just in another world, they’re
What’s the saying? People are basically good on another planet. But some of that magic shit
and deserve saving? You believe the second works so, okay.
part of that.
66 Street Knowledge
People who know people
The basic foundation of 66 work involves knowing people all over. When you spend a fate
point to declare a scene detail, and that scene detail is a character you know, that person is an
expert. Either they have a relevant skill set at 4, or they have it at 3 and have a small group at
their disposal. As well, make a situational aspect based on that character, with one free invoke.

Deep Cover
A FACE blends in. A good Face does their homework to sell the story, and learns their craft
well. When you create an advantage relating to blending in with a subculture or clique you
don’t belong to, you can choose a relevant skill set that relates to that group’s expected area of
expertise. As long as that aspect exists and remains relevant, you have access to that skill set
at 3. Alternatively, choose one stunt related to that skill set, and you can use that stunt. You can
only have one such aspect/skill set at a time.

Diplomatic Immunity
CUTOUTS make connections. They act as go-betweens. You’re good at getting the upnod or
blessing from the enemy, even. Since you tend to hunt societal predators, you’re good at getting
their superiors and peers to kindly look the other way. If you create an advantage relating to a
group’s general acceptance (or grudging acknowledgment,) that aspect remains so long as it’s
relevant, and every scene you get a free invoke on it. As well, any time you successfully defend
from someone trying to upset that relationship, you are considered to have defended with style.

Target On His Head

AGITATORS turn public opinion against their enemies. So long as you’re dealing with a known
enemy and there are bystanders or witnesses and you haven’t totally fucked yourself, you’re
always considered to have a situational aspect that gets one free invoke and a free dilemma.
If the enemy isn’t quite known yet, you might have to create an advantage to draw public ire.
But in those cases, take an extra free invoke.
CHARACTER CREATION
Now that we’ve talked about the Kinks and who This character creation session is basically
#iHunters are, let’s talk about how we build the pilot episode for your series. It’s where you
#iHunters together. discover who the characters are, how they work
together, and what rough points you need to
That bit? Together? It’s super important. hammer out before you get things going good.
Imagine a movie where five different people
made the main characters separately without The other huge important thing the “pilot
talking to each other, then tried jamming episode” phase does is set up your story and
them into a story together. Most likely it’d be explores where the players might want to take
a shitty story. You might pull something cool it. In some games, the GM/Director/Whatever
out of it, but mostly you’re just setting yourself is expected to plan everything out and roll with
up for frustration since character strengths the punches when the players go left field. In
and weaknesses would overlap, and the group #iHunt, the Director is expected to follow the
dynamic just has to be trusted to work and not Players with a camera and watch them rip things
feel forced. That’s what happens if you don’t apart. Seeing how they want to do that together
create characters together. is an important step toward facilitating it.

Start by making sure everyone has a copy of WRITE SHIT DOWN

the character sheet, or a notebook. Copy it from
>>PAGE 324 or get it at machineage.tokyo. The Director should write down all these
Everyone should have a notebook or some aspects as the players come up with them. This
extra paper to use as a “scrapbook.” You use is a great improvisational trick. You note down
the scrapbook to collect “selfies,” which are the all these aspects as they’re being built, then
milestones by which your character advances. whenever you’re struggling to figure out what
to do next, look at this list and figure it out from
HIGH CONCEPT AND DRAMA there. If someone took the drama aspect HIGH
FUNCTIONING ALCOHOLIC, then the next scene
The first things you need to think of are the basic takes place in a bar.
idea behind your character and what causes This way, you always have
them shit.

Write down that basic idea. The basic idea is

your high concept aspect. Try to keep it short,
sweet, to the point, but double-edged. There’s a
whole section on how to make a good aspect on
>>PAGE 77. You should go consult that.

Then think about what causes your character

problems. This isn’t just some annoyance—this
is the kind of thing that gets in your way fairly
frequently, and may or may not be a part of
your character’s personality. That’s your drama
aspect.

You want to pick these together, because your

character’s drama should be tied to their basic
identity, as much as possible.
Record scratch. Freeze frame. Let’s talk on
page 62. You can look at the quick reference
on the next page first if you want.
CHARACTER CREATION
QUICK REFERENCE
Basics
Consider who your character is. Think about where they come from, their name,
whether they’ve already encountered the supernatural, and if they’ve hunted in the
past. If they’ve hunted, are they part of one of the four Kinks?

Aspects
You get six aspects.
High Concept: The basic premise for your character.
Drama: The thing that causes repeated trouble for your character.
Vision Board: A non-essential thing your character struggles to achieve.
Day Job: The “real job” your character works (or doesn’t work) when not hunting.
Two Others: You get two other character aspects to round out their identity. They’re
non-specific.
More on how to make a good aspect on >>PAGE 77.

Skill Sets and Stunts Kinks

Skill Sets: You get an array of skill sets. Evileenas: They fight with
You get one skill at +4. knowledge and lore.
You get two skills at +3.
You get three skills at +2. Knights: They fight with
You get four skills at +1. martial skill and force.
Starting Stunts: You get two stunts of your choice.
Make your own or pick from the lists in chapter 4. Phooeys:They fight by
Kink Stunt: If you chose a Kink, you get the first Kink exploiting systems and tech.
Stunt from the Kink list for free—you can only take that
one. This is the only way to have a Kink Stunt play start. The 66: They fight by
Additional Stunts: You can take up to five additional mobilizing the people.
stunts at character creation, for 1 refresh each.

Final Touches
Starting Refresh: The default rating is 5. Every stunt beyond the normal two starting
and the free Kink Stunt cost 1 refresh.
Stress: There are two stress tracks—mental and physical. Each starts with a 1 box and
2 box normally. An Athlete skill set at +1 or +2 gives a physical 3 box, and +3 or +4 gives
both a 3 and 4 box. A Survivor skill set at +1 or +2 gives a mental 3 box, and +3 or +4
gives a 3 and 4 box.
Consequences: You start with a Mild, Moderate, and Severe consequence box.
 CHA
ARACTER CREATION
N
(With Lana)
Olivia was writing this section and
she realized she's done this shit like... I Aspects
dunno a million times before. She wrote
this stuff in a game about vampires. Then
one about werewolves. Then one about spies. You need to come up with four specific
Then one about wizards or some shit. She aspects. Liv talked about high concept
was all, "Okay this is bullshit. I'm so and drama already. But to reiterate:
tired of writing the same exact 101 level High concept is a simple description of
shit." She was gonna walk, and this book who your character is. It's like if you're
is like most of the way done now. So I telling a friend about your favorite
picked up the slack. character in a TV show, how you sum them
You see, I put out this ad on Fiverr as up. "Professional Sumo Wrestler With A
a joke a few years ago. It was like, "I'll Heart of Gold" is a high concept. I don't
write the character creation chapter of know that it's an #iHunter concept, but
your shitty RPG book." I didn't expect hey, you never know. My high concept is
anyone to ever agree to it. But here I am. "Foul Mouthed Fourth Wall Breaker." I
picked this one because I like talking to
I'm Lana. I hunt monsters for a living. the audience. Yes, I picked my own aspects.
Yes, I'm the protagonist of Olivia Hill's No, I'm not telling you how that works.
#iHunt book series, and that of course
makes my story weird and implausible, but Drama is the shit that gets in your
god damn it I don't need your negativity way. It's the crap that Keeps. Coming. Up.
right now you don't know what kind of Goddamn it. My drama is "We're Withholding
stress I'm under. She hired me to do it. Funds for 48 to 72 hours." So many of
She didn't just write in my voice. Go with my problems are based around the stupid
me on this. It'll sell the theater. bullshit that financial institutions and
bureaucracy use to fuck me on a regular
Liv already said you need to make basis.
your characters together. Okay. Do that.
But, like, what if you can't? What if Liv said we were going to make Izzy
you're working on limited time, and you from the first three chapter short fiction
only have a single four hour block to pieces, didn't she? Fuck. Okay. So, let's
play #iHunt? Well, you acknowledge that say Izzy's high concept is "Bright Eyed
you're all goddamn adults and you make and Bushy Tailed." You'll understand why
characters by yourselves. But hey, life in the next chapter. I READ AHEAD. Her
hack: You have a cellphone or internet drama is "Crushes Hard." I think she's
or whatever. Talk to each other. Touch gonna fall for Elaine real hard, and
base. Actually in the Aspects chapter, all that's probably gonna cause her a whole
the examples are done like text messages bunch of trouble. But hopefully Elaine
because hey, we're all adults here. doesn't die because this isn't some Joss
Whedon bullshit up in here.

62
 Vision Board Pilot?
The third aspect is your vision board. You actually get two more aspects, but
It's the thing your character is always don't pick them yet. They come up in play.
striving for. It's their best argument These four basic aspects define who your
for getting out of bed every day. This character is. This should be enough to so
shouldn't be a complete necessity, because your pilot episode short story.
sometimes you won't get it.
Some guidelines for the pilot. Make sure
In my case, the vision board aspect is everyone knows them, so you can all work
"Find Family." Not like, my real family. from the same page.
I want to find places to belong. I don't
like to admit this. That's why I'm putting [ In the pilot, you don’t use dice. You
it in a game book. Okay that's a stupid just talk over what happens.
idea. I get it. [ In the pilot, you skip everything but
Anyway, let's focus less on me, more on the meaty shit. Try to describe things
Izzy. We don't really know what Izzy wants, instead of playing them out.
aside from paying her bills. That's not [ The pilot is not canon. Afterward, you
a good vision board, since it's necessary. can throw stuff out, you can change
So, we've got to make something up. I characters, nothing is set in stone.
think Izzy wants to "Start a Family."
Like, maybe she wants to adopt kids or [ Focus on establishing character
something? I dunno. We'll figure it out relationships and very basic histories.
in play. How do they work together?
[ Keep it short. You should be able to
Day Job talk over all this stuff in under an
hour.
The fourth aspect is the job you work [ Keep notes. If any fun lines or
when you're not #iHunting. Just remember characters come up, write them down.
to phrase it like an aspect, so be specific This is a great place to establish
and say as much as you can with it. catchphrases and signature moves.
"Unemployed" is a valid answer. Just try
to be clever about it. Even if #iHunt makes [ Your goal is to fill out most of the
enough cash, it's not a stable paycheck. character sheet. You might not fill
out the whole thing. That's fine! You'll
My day job is currently "Shifting To add the remaining traits in play.
Full Time Freelancing." Which is a fancy
way of saying unemployed. [ The pilot is a group origin story.
Think with that in mind.
Izzy works at the local Carver's
Supercenter. But to make it more interesting [ It's a conversation. The following
and specific, let's say she "Comes Home section's full of questions the
Smelling Like Meat." She works the deli Director should be asking to prompt
counter slicing cold cuts all day. It's conversation.
hell on your back. But she gets access to
really nice kevlar gloves.

63
 Part 1: Meet Cute
The first step is just getting everyone
together. You have a few basic ways you
can go about this, based on a few questions Idea Board
you can ask the group:
- A couple of characters share a love
[ Are the characters already familiar of vintage arcade machines, and meet
with the supernatural? over a rare import cabinet.

[ If so, are they already established - It’s all about the food. One character
accidentally spills the other’s favorite
hunters?
dish, and this causes a scene.
[ If so, were they solo, or were they - Two characters are both experts in
part of other groups before? their field. They meet in a class or
professional event where they feel
They don't have to answer this just yet.
compelled to one-up each other.
But keep it fresh in mind. But someone has
to step up and decide their introduction - Due to a server mixup, two hunters are
point. Maybe mom's waking them up for sent out on the same job.
breakfast. Maybe the gas company is
- One character’s family is terrorized by
banging on the door threatening to shut
monsters. When a hunter helps out,
them off. Maybe it's the first day in a the former character asks the hunter
new school. Or if they're an experienced to train them.
hunter, it could be that they're just out
on the job; but it should be an important - Dating as a hunter is hard. The
job, a job where shit's not as expected. solution? Speed dating.

Then you have to make at least some of - Two characters have to show up for
court over outstanding traffic tickets.
the characters meet. As you describe that
first day, the moment anyone has a good - Everyone’s at a party. They’re caught
place to drop in their character, they together in the middle of a fight.
should. The important thing though is the
- It’s trivia night at the local bar, and
Meet Cute. You have to come up with cool,
the characters end up teamed up.
fun ways for them to connect, that way Tonight’s topic? Monster movies.
you can vamp off the meeting itself and
build those character dynamics quickly. - Two words: Escape Room.

With the meeting, focus on bringing up

a skill set. Not necessarily using it, but
bring it up. This is a good time to mark
your most impressive skill at +4 or +3,
showing off something your character is Keywords:
great at. Like, a defining feature, the Cute and Memorable
kind of skill that makes you truly vital
to a hunter crew. These scenes should be
fun and memorable above
Also? If there was an audience, they all else. First impressions
should already be shipping some characters. are HUGE!

64
 Part 2: Monsters
Next, you gotta get into the supernatural
shit. This is #iHunt, not Dawson's Creek.
Inspiration While we can get into more nuanced monster
shit later on, in the pilot episode, you've
- Vampires jump out and terrorize people. got to start early, and start heavy. No
Everyone knows there’s a standing fucking shame in having some vampires
contract for $500 per vampire kill. jump out and terrorize people.
- A succubus is on the scene, doing a really
Hell, Raymond Chandler said, "When in
obvious job of seducing men and eating
doubt, have a man come through a door
them alive. Also there’s a monster, I dunno.
with a gun in his hand." Do that. With
- Zombie outbreak But don’t call them monsters, it instantly gets people asking,
zombies because that word’s racist. "Okay what the fuck is going on here?"
And answering those questions can guide
- Ghosts are possessing people and causing
mischief. Like Punk’d Of The Living Dead. you through the whole rest of the story.

- Werewolf? There wolf. Now this is #iHunt, so it may or may

not be a professional thing. It could be
- A mad science lab “accidentally” let out an emergency gig. But hunters run into
some terrifying experiments. #iHunt says monsters outside the job. Once your eyes
they’ll pay for a real quick coverup. are open to the supernatural, you can't
- The team finds themselves right in the close them. Or if the characters aren't
middle of your favorite supernatural hunters yet, this is a great place to
action movie plot. Except they’re hunters. introduce them to the real world.
- A wizard has cursed someone in a really So ask everyone:
ridiculous, obvious way. Fuck wizards.
[ What kind of monster would piss you
- The team stumbles upon a botched hunt off the most?
job. Like maybe the church failing to do an
exorcism so now a poltergeist is loose. [ What stakes would motivate you to get
involved right now?
- A monster asks the crew for help. How
does this monster know they’re hunters? [ What could make you work together?
GOOD FUCKIN’ QUESTION FIGURE IT OUT YO
In this phase, you've got three big
goals.
1) Get everyone who isn't already
introduced fully introduced. The second
is to round out some more skill sets.
Keywords: 2) Anyone who hasn't used their +4 skill
Punchy and Unchallenging set should now. And everyone gets two +3
This is your first chance for skill sets, and three +2.
the hunters to show off! Don’t
make them feel like losers.
3) Show off. This is where you do slow
Make us root for them! motion badass moments of competence porn.

65
 Part 3: Reveal
Now you have to reveal something deeper!
Oooo spooky! Basically once the initial
supernatural threat is solved, you have Brain Spew
to tie it to a bigger problem, then you
- The problem from before was just the
have to give the players a chance to play big bad testing the waters. Those were
around with that a little bit, plan, and the advance scouts. Cannon fodder.
do something about it.
- The thing you dealt with earlier was
By now you should have a lot of skill the big bad’s gang. And boy is he pissed.
sets filled out. This is a chance to fill
out some of the others. Also, this is a good - There was a hunter, a non-#iHunter,
after those things you killed. He didn’t
opportunity to talk about some stunts.
get his trophy and now he wants your
Everyone gets two to start, more if they heads on his wall.
want to spend refresh. You don't have
to fill these in, but it's a good chance - That monster had a family! You
to show off. You should definitely know murderers! And the family’s even
your +4 skill set and probably your two fucking worse. So goddamn worse.
+3 skill sets by now. You also get three - The things you dealt with were
+2 skill sets and four +1s. So keep those infectuous, and you didn’t quite stop
in mind. This is a good place for stuff the spread...
like research montages, or establishing
some initial team relationships. Let the - That was just a trial run. Someone
wanted to hire you for a bigger job, and
players butt heads a little. Let the
needed to see you in action first.
characters find their problems with the
others' styles. - Turns out, the monster earlier was
actually a haunting. The big bad? He’s
Let the players interact. Let them figure been dead for a century.
out who they're playing. But ask them:
- At the end of the previous scene, you
[ What would change this one job into a pulled off the monster’s mask and
lifestyle for you? realized it was Old Man Chalmers from
the creepy amusement park. Now, to
[ What would bring you closer to these fight the clowns...
other characters?
- The big bad’s master plan is...actually
[ How could this matter more personally good? Now you have to kill him
to your character? without destroying his life’s work!

By the end of this phase you should

have a strong idea who you're playing,
and how they might work together. Take Keywords:
some notes about the conflicts that come Oil and Water
up, so you can revisit them and explore
them in more detail later. This is really where you
find out how everyone
Also? Make sure to acknowledge #iHunt fits together and doesn’t.
pay if it's a gig. Focus on that!

66
 Part 4: Finale
Now you wrap up the motherfuckin' story.

Phthbsdsklpsd Hell yeah! The hunters take down the big

bad, or whatever in the fuck was causing
the bigger problem you established in
By now you already should know what
this scene looks like. In the previous bit, part 3!
you figured all that out, right? So instead Get yourselves some skill sets! Fill that
of giving ideas for it, let’s talk about
shit in the best you can! If any stunts
tricks for making it work.
come to mind, what better time to bring
Here’s my two favorite tricks: Camera them up than when you're kicking the
angles and choreography. shit out of a demon?
Of course you’re describing everything. This is also where you should establish
There’s no real camera. But... really? You which Kinks you belong to, if that's not
describe from a point of view. Think about already painfully obvious. Some characters
the way you focus on the scene. When
will just fit into certain types. That's
you’re describing how your characters take
okay. Hell, you probably had an idea when
down the big bad here, think about how
to best showcase them. Don’t focus on you first made your character.
the wider picture-focus on the parts that At the end of this scene, you'll want
really matter. Show off those stunts!
to write down your starting refresh. It's
Same with choreography. You’re just normally five, but if you took extra
telling a story. But everything should have stunts, every one reduces that number by
its positioning. I like to draw a little map. one. Also note the stress and consequences
You don’t need to break out the grid paper you have, depending on your Survivor
and miniatures for this. Just know where >>PAGE 114 and Athlete >>PAGE 99 skill
everything’s at, and try to use movement sets.
and dynamic positioning to tell us about
your characters. For example, when I fight, What you should be asking:
I like to use the environment. I grab shit.
I slam monsters into shit. So a lot of my [ What could make your character more
fights involve moving from whatever thing badass right now?
to another thing quickly.
[ What trouble does your character have
Also consider camera transitions. Just that you want to explore later?
say it. “Fade to black. We fade back in, and
Lana’s pissing on the guy’s face.” [ What does your character think of the
hunt?
You can close this section out with a
short scene where the characters relax
Keywords: and recoup after the finale. That's fine.
Bam! and Kapow! But don't dwell on it too long. The goal
This is where we fall in love is to have more or less finished character
with the characters, laugh sheets.
with them, and want to see
them kick more ass!

67
 Doin’ It Live
Okay so now let's go over one of these Part 3: Reveal
pilot episode things for Izzy and Elaine,
so you can see it in action. I go over the basic training and bathtub
scenes in the chapters 2 and 3 short
Part 1: Meet Cute stories. Except in this version, Elaine
reveals that the monster they fought was
Elaine and Izzy work together at an underling for a state senator, and one
Carver's Supercenter. Izzy works in the of his rivals has hired her to take out
deli. Elaine works in women's fashion. They all these underlings. If she does a good
sometimes go to the sports bar together job, then she'll get a huge payout for
for quiz night. The bar gives women free killing the senator himself. She can't do
drinks because the place is a fucking this alone, so that's why she's bringing
meat market that puts Izzy's deli gig on Izzy.
to shame. In fact, I'm starting at quiz
night. Izzy just walked away from her Because of this, I give Elaine +2
team, pissed, because they only invited Organizer. I also give her the In This
her because they all want to fuck her. So Together stunt to reflect the way she's
Elaine meets her at the bar to comfort coaching Izzy through the difficulty of
her and get her a drink. all this.
They banter a bit. We find out Izzy's I have Izzy pop off some pop culture
pissed they don't take her seriously knowledge and reflect back on quiz night.
because she really knows her shit. She's We give her the Trivia Buff stunt.
a +4 Academic. She says she didn't drop While Elaine's talking, I also have Izzy
out of her master's program so she could look up dirt on the senator with _2
be flirted with at fucking quiz night. We Investigator.
also find out that Elaine's a +4 Socialite.
I accidentally typed Socialist the first Part 4: Finale
time I wrote this. Anyway, Elaine's super
witty and immediately helps Izzy out of I decide not to kill the senator yet.
her funk. Izzy says she's partly just in That's a "season ender" goal. But he does
a shit mood because she doesn't know what confront Izzy and Elaine, and they get to
she's going to do about her bills this kick ass on one of his demon lieutenants.
month. Elaine invites her on "a thing" It's awesome, you'll have to take my word
the next night. She promises it pays well. for it. I use the chance to establish
Elaine's +2 Athlete and Izzy's +1 Athlete.
Part 2: Monsters We also give Elaine +1 Survivor.
I think Elaine's a Knight because I'm
Next night, Izzy meets Elaine and biased. So I give her the Knight stunt
they kick the weirdo's ass like at the The Best Defense. Izzy might also end
beginning of chapter 1. Here we find that up a Knight, but not yet. We'll see. She'd
Elaine has +3 Assassin and Izzy has actually make a pretty cool Evileena I
+2 Fighter. Also Izzy has +3 Survivor think with her trivia bent. Hell, let's go
because the way she shook off the unholy that way.
terror of all this shit.

68
 Recap
So I'm gonna recap what we have so
far. Then I'll fill in the rest of the
sheets with red. You don't HAVE to fill
in the rest of the character sheets. But
I'm doing so to make the examples more
robust. I'm also filling out Elaine who I
didn't start with.

Elaine Izzy
Kink: Knight Kink: Evileena

High Concept: Guide Through The Darkness High Concept: Bright Eyed, Bushy Tailed

Drama: Homeless By Choice Drama: Crushes Hard

Vision Board: Get A Dog Vision Board: Start a Family

Day Job: Ladies' Fashions All Under $19.99 Day Job: Comes Home Smelling Like Meat

Other Aspect 1: Louder Than Hell Other Aspect 1: Always Curious

Other Aspect 2: Ice Cream Socialist Other Aspect 2: Owns 15 Flannels

Skill Sets Skill Sets

+4: Socialite +4: Academic

+3: Assassin, Occultist +3: Survivor, Professional (Retail)

+2: Organizer, Athlete, Grifter +2: Fighter, Investigator, Hacker

+1: Survivor, Fighter, Medic, Maker +1: Athlete, Influencer, Grifter, Organizer

Stunts Stunts

1: In This Together 1: Trivia Buff

2: Kill Shot 2: Shake It Off

Kink: The Best Defense Kink: Know Stuff

Refresh: 5 Refresh: 5

Physical Stress: 1, 2, 3 Physical Stress: 1, 2, 3

Mental Stress: 1, 2, 3 Mental Stress: 1, 2, 3, 4

Consequences: Mild, Moderate, Severe Consequences: Mild, Moderate, Severe

69
 Ladies Night Out: Chapter 3
#iSCREAM

70
 “So in the monster hunting business, there are really two I take a big spoon of the ice cream and let it melt in my
major philosophies when it comes to therapeutic ice cream.” mouth. My eyes roll back in my head. This slightly freezer
Elaine comes into the bathroom with a blue camping cooler burned, corn syrup and chocolate covered ice cream feels
and a couple of bowls. They’re plastic, white with little like the best thing I’ve ever eaten.
pictures of Snoopy on them. I feel like she must have gotten “I dunno. Keep your place? Get a cash room? There’s a lot
them as pack-in promos at some fast food place or another. of possibilities. You’ve just gotta figure it out for yourself. I’ll
“Oh? And those are?” I lie back in her tub. She’s added give you some advice and support you. But like I said, my
some lemon-scented bubble bath. life’s not for everyone. Some people like, you know, having
“Well the first is, you go for the expensive stuff. The Ben things.”
and Jerry’s or the Häagen-Dazs or whatever.” “What about the stuff you need to hunt? You said we need
“Ooooo. What’s the second?” I fall back into the tub, letting tools. Silver daggers and magic books or… whatever it is you
the water creep up my hair. The heat does wonders on my said we need.”
arms and ribs. I almost feel like I wasn’t being pounded on She shrugs. I take another bite. “I keep stuff in a few dead
just an hour ago. That, and the Tylenol 3 Elaine gave me, drop spots. I have a little storage unit for bigger stuff. But a
and I’m almost good as new. lot of the ‘stuff ’ we’re talking about is digital. I’ve got a whole
“The second is you get cheaper, bulk ice cream. The kind library full of demonology and magic spells, all on my
that’s a few dollars for a gallon bucket. Then you focus on iPad in PDF. My advice—go with the model with the most
toppings. This is nice, because monster hunting pays well, memory.” She takes a bite and leans back on the doorframe,
but doesn’t pay reliably. You never know when you’ll need watching me soak and eat.
some ice cream between paychecks.” “But what if… I decide hunting’s not for me? Like, I…” I
She pops open the cooler to reveal a bucket of vanilla and freeze. Partly because of a revelation. Partly because of
some chocolate syrup. brain freeze.

“Can’t argue with more ice cream.” I close my eyes and slow I know too much. She’ll kill me if I ever decide to walk away.
my breathing, trying to shake off the last bits of the pain. “So “Then you walk away.” She shrugs. “It’s not like monsters
how can you afford this place? It’s really nice.” She lives in are some big secret. Most people have been socialized to
a house. I can’t imagine someone my age living in a house ignore uncomfortable truths. Monsters do a pretty good job
unless it’s their parents’. Even a shitty house in a shitty of hiding themselves. If you don’t want to hunt them, you
neighborhood within an hour’s commute to San Jenaro runs walk away. I won’t hold it against you. It’s shit work, but it
a half million dollars. pays.”
“Truth is? It’s not really my place. I’m squatting. It’s a I don’t respond. I just sit there, eating, trying to make heads
foreclosure awaiting auction. That’s why we went in the or tails of all this.
back.” I’m going to hunt monsters. I’m going to be a superhero.
What in the fuck have I gotten myself into? Murder? “Just don’t go thinking you’re gonna be a superhero or
Trespassing? I guess murder’s probably worse than anything.”
trespassing.
I snap to attention. “How’d you know what I was thinking?”
“Can’t beat that rent.” I shrug.
She can read minds. The only possible answer.
She taps my arm. I look over, and she’s holding a bowl of ice
cream slathered in chocolate syrup. “Nope. No credit checks. “Because it’s the first thing all of us think after our first
No need for a stable bank account. Life’s complicated when successful hunt. But monster hunting is hard, thankless
you’re paid in lump sums by a shadowy company from an work. Sometimes you’re helping people. Usually you’re just
app, and sometimes only once every few months. Every making life more convenient for some rich motherfucker.
hunter handles it a bit differently. I just squat. I like the Just like any other job, we’re working for the people who can
lifestyle—living out of a duffel bag. It’s not for everyone.” afford to pay us.”
My eyes go wide at that. But I take the bowl. “What should
I do?”

I nod, and keep eating my ice cream.

Superhero ice cream.

71
CHAPTER THREE:
#MYSCENARI
#MYSCENAR I
(ASPECTS AND FATE POINTS)
O
WHAT IS AN ASPECT?
An aspect is a phrase, epithet, or word that describes whatever it’s attached to. An aspect
attached to a character makes that character unique and specific in the game world. An
aspect attached to the scene helps to describe the environment.

Aspects are the primary method you spend and gain fate points. This allows Players to
influence the direction of the story.

Also through compels and dilemmas, aspects influence the characters, which keeps the
story ebbing and flowing in and out of the characters’ favor.

WHAT IS A FATE POINT?

The Director and Players both have a pool of fate points they
use to influence the push and pull of the story. These are best
represented with physical tokens. Players’ characters start
every play session with fate points equal to their characters’
refresh rating. The Director gets a budget of fate points to
spend in every scene, which is addressed on >>PAGE 88.
Fate points tend to come into play when aspects are engaged.

72
TYPES OF ASPECTS
The next two pages detail the types of aspects you can create in your #iHunt games.

• Motif aspects

• Character aspects

• Location aspects

• Situational aspects

• Consequences

• Boosts

73
MOTIF ASPECTS Sample Aspects
Motif aspects are constants, they’re statements about the Motif Aspects
story you’re telling. While the world of #iHunt has some
common threads, every #iHunt story is different, and motif Poverty is Expensive What Fourth Wall?
aspects let your group decide upon these things.
Monsters are a Joke The Family You Choose
The important thing to note about motif aspects is that Us Against The World Criminalized
they never go away. They can always be invoked, compeled,
or otherwise engaged. The idea is, with a universal narrative Horny On Main Duty Now For The Future
constant in the form of a motif aspect, you can ensure some Miscommunication is Key We Told You So
common threads within the story will recur frequently.
Not Saying It Was Aliens Shitposting
When starting play, the group should agree upon an
overarching motif aspect. Write it down. Keep it close to The King Is Dead Hauntological
your hearts. Also, individual episode arcs can have their own Boys, Lost Building The Commune
motif aspects. If you use episode motif aspects, there will be
two motif aspects in play at any given time. Mo Money Mo Problems For The Aesthetic
Not As Advertised Never Stop Running
CHARACTER ASPECTS
Character aspects are affixed to a single character, and are Character Aspects
used to help describe and personalize the character. Like
The Life of the Party Vegan
with motif aspects, character aspects are permanent (until
something intentionally changes them) but are smaller in Never Truly Broken On The Spectrum
scope because they’re attached to a single character.
Empathic to a Fault Crushing Medical Debt
There are a few common types of character aspects: High-Functioning Addict Anti-Fascist
[ Identifying character personality traits, beliefs, or The Black Sheep Annoying Little Brother
values.
Always On Time Insomniac
[ Backgrounds, competencies, life experiences, or Escapes Into Fantasy Partner and Kids
professions.
Adrenaline Junkie Immigrant
[ Relationships to people or organizations.
On Borrowed Time The Safety’s Off
[ Personal goals and agendas. Doesn’t Get The Joke Gives Off Sparks
[ Conflicts and problems the character deals with.

[ Titles, responsibilities, or obligations the character

Location Aspects
must contend with. Too Loud to Think Definitely Haunted
You can always invoke or compel your character aspects The Place to Be Used To Be Cool
when relevant. The Director can compel any character.
Home of the Resistance Smells Like Weed
Players can use fate points to compel one another’s character
aspects as well. Built on a Graveyard 3 Minute Cop Response
Last Place You’d Expect Plot Relevant Graffiti
LOCATION ASPECTS Only Place to Feel Safe Unusually Dark Shadows
Foundational aspects are functionally identical to character Totally Retro Mystical And Shit
aspects, but they’re applied to important, recurring locations
within the story. Generally these help to present a given mood Gentrified For Sale For Three Years
or atmosphere attached to a location. Note that locations can Weak Power Grid Condemned
also have situational aspects, but those are more temporary
than location aspects. As a guideline, a given location should Stripmalls Galore Private Security
only enter play with one to three location aspects. They
develop more in time, >>PAGE 122.

74
Sample Aspects SITUATIONAL ASPECTS
Situational Aspects Situational aspects are attached to a single scene or location,
and last only as long as the current episode, or until the close
Unstable Ground Does Not Spark Joy of the scene in most cases.
Fog Cover Saccharine Most situational aspects are available to everyone in
Enthusiastic Mosh Pit Suddenly Haunted the scene. Both sides in a conflict can (and should) exploit
the situation to their advantage where possible. However,
Paper-Thin Walls Liminal Space when you create an advantage, you can choose to create a
Red Wind Kitsch Vendors situational aspect that’s tagged to a character, which limits
who can use it.
Was That An Earthquake? Heavy Machinery
Situational aspects describe specific details relevant to the
Rush Hour Traffic Last Place You’d Look story. These can come in a few broad categories:
Shitty Outdated Techno Exposed
[ Environmental features
Overbooked Bullshit Americana
[ Positioning, placement
ID Required Suspicious White Van
[ Obstacles and visibility
Consequences [ Contextual details
That Fucking Knee Again Web MD Says It’s Cancer [ Immediate circumstances
Shaken to the Core Afraid of Shadows Situational aspects are considered obstacles that can be
Big Fucking Laceration Fight Bite overcome by actions in order to remove them from play.
Unemployable Exposed
CONSEQUENCES
Inappropriate Laughter Trypophobia
A consequence is a special kind of aspect that’s attached to
Nightmares Projection
a character, but that isn’t quite as permanent as a character
Binge Eating Fugue States aspect. They’re specific aspects which are taken in order
to avoid having the character taken out >>PAGE 153.
Cramps Dissociation
Consequences reflect very specific negative effects on the
Persistent Nosebleeds Canceled character, and have their own special rules for when they go
away.
Cursed Destroyed Credit

BOOSTS
Boosts
Boosts are only nominally aspects­—they use significantly
Strong Headwind Sick Burn different rules, so they get special attention.
Freshly Calibrated Clapback Boosts are very limited aspects which can only be used for
Flip It and Reverse It Slightly Buzzed invokes, and only within the narrow circumstances for which
they were created. They cannot be compelled, imperiled, or
Yeet Accidentally Turned On any other normal aspect function. Often, boosts come as
Slight Head Start Same Struggle side effects of other actions, such as successes that were only
slimly made, or particularly good defend actions. For this
Wore The Brown Pants Five Second Rule reason, they’re “owned” by one player, who can either use the
Surprised Even Myself Just Cute Enough boost themselves, or allow another player to use it.
Enthusiastic Crowd FIRST! Once invoked for a reroll, a +2 bonus, or whatever else an
Stuck the Landing Incidental Stake invoke can be used for, the boost goes away. For this reason,
it’s not even necessary to name a boost—it’s useful to know
Cool Scar, Maybe? Focused what it represents, but it’s not worth worrying too much
about what it’s called. They’re also one-way only. You can’t
invoke a boost against its owner.

75
THE ROLE OF ASPECTS
Aspects play two very important roles in #iHunt:

[ Aspects identify what’s important in the game

[ Aspects help you decide when to use game mechanics

IDENTIFYING IMPORTANCE WHEN TO USE MECHANICS

Aspects should be all over the table. They should be on index A lot of the time in #iHunt, players will want to “just roleplay”
cards, on your character sheets, all over the damn place. through a situation, and this is good. It’s cool to just let the
Think of these as if they were highlighted points in a great story flow and worry about the dice when you think they’ll
big giant bullet journal meant to help you organize the mess add something of value to the narrative. Aspects help
that is your story. In short, if it’s an aspect, it’s important. If determine when that is. Typically, if an aspect is involved,
you find it’s not important, it’s time to reconsider the aspect. then you know it’s something of value to the story, something
where the stakes really matter.
In addition to their mechanical effects, aspects are good
points for story design as a Director. Since aspects state The general guideline is, if failure would be interesting,
what’s unique about a character, place, or scenario, a good then use the dice. Since aspects help you see what’s important
Director hooks onto those elements and builds story around in your story, that correlates to when the stakes of failure
them. Most of our favorite stories are built on the uniqueness become interesting. We like watching characters slip, fall, and
of the characters within. #iHunt isn’t really a game telling pick themselves back up, but we only really want to see that
stories about the #iHunt app, it’s a game telling stories about when it matters. Otherwise, everything feels arbitrary and
#iHunters and how they respond to the world with the useless.
#iHunt app. It’s an important distinction, and one you need
to draw early. Conversely, if there isn’t an aspect involved in what’s
happening, as a Director you should consider just agreeing
This works in reverse as well. If you’re trying to come up and moving on. Aspects are there for the juicy parts, the parts
with aspects, think about how you want that character, place, where you should be on the edge of your seat.
thing, event, whatever to be represented in the story. Put that
character into your favorite TV show. Now think about how
you’d tell your friend about them. All those cool parts you
want to talk about? Those are aspects. Write them down.

HUONG
How would I describe Rose as a TV character? Well, I guess
she’s the uncomfortable voice of reason. She’s often hurt
because she’s always looking for a family. Also she’s fierce
as fuck (when she needs to be).

76
MAKING GOOD ASPECTS
So when you’re coming up with aspects, consider whether
there’s a clear and fairly obvious way to invoke and compel
You get that aspects are important to a good game of #iHunt, them. We find that a little specificity goes a long way here.
right? Okay, glad we’re on the same page. Now, note that bad
Don’t think of aspects as just simple traits on a sheet. Aspects
aspects will make a bad game of #iHunt. Let’s talk about how
aren’t your character’s advantages and disadvantages—
to avoid that. About how to make good aspects. Good aspects
they’re how you describe your character in the game world,
have three common features:
and in the fiction. We like a little nuance in fiction. Even
[ Double-Edged with over-the-top wish fulfillment media like superheroes,
we like our positive traits to be tied up in a catch, and we
[ Say Multiple Things like our character flaws to be interesting, sympathetic, and
redeemable. So don’t make boring, one-dimensional aspects,
[ Simple and Intentional either.

DOUBLE-EDGED For example, Lana from the #iHunt novels is a bit of a

fatalist. She doesn’t have a great, positive outlook on life. I
It seems intuitive to make all your character’s aspects positive, could have given her the FATALIST aspect. But frankly,
right? That way your character can do all sorts of awesome I found that pretty fucking boring. So, instead she has an
things. Or if you want to reflect a character flaw, why not just aspect called PROBABLY GOING TO DIE ANYWAY.
go whole-hog and make the aspect purely negative, so it’s This puts her in constant peril, because she has a fatalist
clear what it’s communicating? outlook on life. It’s super easy to compel her to do utterly
ridiculous things because of that grim world perspective.
The best aspects are double-edged, and can sometimes be On the other hand, it’s great for invokes, because Lana will
a boon, sometimes a bane. You really want your aspects to stop at nothing to get the win. If she’s impaled by a vampire’s
come into play as much as possible, and having an aspect sword, she’ll push it in deeper if it means getting closer for
that has a negative and positive perspective means you have the kill.
an aspect that’ll come into play twice as much. On the positive
end, you want more opportunities for invokes to boost your
dice rolls when you want to kick ass. On the negative side,
you want more fate points from compels and dilemmas,
because then you can do more of those invokes.

HANNAH
I don’t think carjacker is quite good enough for
Magdalena. To make it double-sided, how about I
go with juvenile carjacking conviction? That way it
gives her a benefit and adds some drama?

77
SAY MULTIPLE THINGS This advice is mostly for motif aspects, character, and
location aspects, since they’re more permanent. Don’t
A good aspect says as many things as possible. It’s about wrack your brain trying to come up with complex, nuanced
word and conceptual efficiency. Of course, as mentioned on situational aspects or boosts. Consequences can fall
the previous page, an aspect that has a double-edge is saying anywhere along that spectrum, though. If as a player you
two things at least. But strive for more where possible. want your consequences to matter and to be cool, give them
some thought. However, you can fill in placeholders in the
Consider how just a simple statement of character immediate, only to refine them later.
capability can help to build the world and add context to
what that capability means for the character. This isn’t even a particularly difficult thing to do. Just take
whatever aspect comes to mind, and try to add one more
Hell, let’s look at an example. How about FORMER specific detail to it. We’re not talking Shakespeare here—just
POLICE OFFICER? This says quite a bit. It implies some add a note that you can hook onto for some additional drama
stuff like that the character isn’t fresh out of high school. It here and there.
implies a basic high school education because that’s generally
a requirement. It also implies the character has the basic However, this is a great place to do some world building. You
skills necessary to be a cop. On the negative side, it implies can come up with something weird and undefined, and figure
some baggage or even a soured relationship with some of the it out in play. Because anything you’ve declared in an aspect
police force. is officially important, it means you have some authority
to make shit up later. Let’s look at our SUSPENDED
Now let’s take that aspect a little further. Let’s change it FROM THE POLICE aspect example. What if we called
into SUSPENDED FROM THE POLICE. That says it SUSPENDED FROM THE COPCALL APP? The
everything the previous aspect, but then takes it to a different CopCall app is something we just totally made up on the fly.
level with its specificity. We know this character has a strong But it sounds super fucking shady, dark, and the exact kind
relationship with the police, because you don’t get suspended of monstrosity some asshole in Silicon Valley would come up
from the police force for just anything. Hell, you can murder with. We don’t have to declare exactly what it is when we start
innocent black teens on camera and you barely get a slap play, but later on we can work to develop what CopCall is,
on the wrist, let alone suspension. Generally the only thing what it means for our example character, and why so damn
you can get suspended for is disloyalty to the force. While many white women are using it to harass young black men in
it doesn’t say specifically why this character was suspended, their neighborhoods.
you know it’s a Big Fucking Deal.

TERRELL
Jo’s gonna be a gambler. I was thinking lucky at
cards, unlucky at love. But maybe I’ll go with owes
Tony Bones for that one bad hand. If we keep
playing, we can do a whole arc based on that.

78
SIMPLE AND INTENTIONAL ASPECTS MUST BE FUN
Look at whatever you’ve written down, whatever you’ve come Apsect language should be simple and intentional—this
up with, and ask yourself if there’s a simpler or clearer way doesn’t mean boring. You can punch something up, make it
of saying that. We find that more intentional, more pointed evocative, while still making it simpler and clearer. Think like
language tends to make for better aspects. Don’t be wishy- a fiction editor for a moment. How can you make that text
washy. Don’t be vague. really sing? Let’s look at an example. Tanya is a PROUD
TRUCK DRIVER. Pretty cool, right? Trucking is a great
You know how sometimes when you’re reading a novel, the opportunity for a hunter to get the job done and disappear
author goes into this weird, poetic word salad that sounds to the next city before anyone notices. But it’s fairly boring,
really cool at a glance but really doesn’t mean anything? Or right? Let’s call it TRUCKER 4 LIFE.
maybe it means something, but you have to think about it
a whole bunch before it makes any sense? Yeah that’s not a SEIZE THE MEMES
very good aspect.
#iHunt is a game about the twenty first century, and about
SOUL OF COAL AND CRIMSON sounds interesting. millennials. It’s about people who grew up with the internet.
It’s got a sort of epic fantasy thing going on, right? But what So don’t be afraid to do something quirky, weird, and oddly
in the fuck does it mean? If you hand that to another player meme specific if it makes for a stronger aspect. For example,
around the table, they’re going to look at you with a forced GREAT FASHION SENSE is a solid aspect. You could
smile, nod, and hope you don’t start telling them about your make it more versatile and specific, sure, but it works. But
record collection. Now, take that and make it SEARING how about BIG DRESS ENERGY? It takes an already
WITH INNER RAGE. It still has that burn metaphor okay aspect and deeply entrenches it in the culture of people
thing, but it makes sense what the fuck you’re talking about. who work shitty jobs through predatory apps.
It’s immediately obvious how you’d use it as an invoke and
a compel. It’s kind of like using Ye Olde Speake when playing a
fantasy roleplaying game. It helps to build the atmosphere
and pull you out of your immediate surroundings. It’s
immersive, and it gives you an excuse to use cat pictures on
your character sheet.

JAVIER
I was going to go with arsonist, but I keep coming
back to twisted firestarter. Everyone in the group
listened to the radio in 97, right? I guess that works
even if you don’t get the reference.

79
CHOICE PARALYSIS THE “WHY GAME”
We’ve laid out all these guidelines and examples of what I’m a millennial—I’ve had to work all sorts of shit jobs over
makes a good aspect. We gave you a list with 120 examples. the years. I did door to door sales. That’s a fucking nightmare.
But, at the end of the day, you need to come up with aspects They taught me this utterly insidious trick that’s predatory
for your character, and for the game in general. This... isn’t and sleazy when money’s on the line, but it’s great for coming
always easy. Sometimes players get stressed when they can’t up with good aspects.
come up with good, quick, snappy aspects. Those players,
who are totally not me*, they’ll presume they’re “bad players” I call it the “Why Game.” If someone is listening, but not
if they can’t come up with a whole assortment off the top of interested in buying, you ask them why. You make them
their head. So what do you do when you have a near infinite explain why they aren’t into the product. You nod, you listen,
number of options and your mind’s just drawing a blank? then, once they’re done, you ask them why. You push for
more details. You make them interrogate their reasoning. If
they’ve not slammed the door in your face and they’re still
LEAVE IT BLANK not buying, you ask why again. By then, they’ve probably
Lifehack: Just leave it blank until something cool comes to narrowed down their motivation to something really narrow
mind. It’s okay. If it’s a situational aspect, and you basically that you can challenge.
know what you want to happen, just say it. It doesn’t have
When stuck making aspects, play the Why Game. Look
to be perfect. So long as everyone’s on the same page, fuck
at what you expect to be doing in the game, just from the
it. If it’s a character aspect, leave it blank until the right time
basic conversations your group has had. Briefly consider
comes up in play to introduce an aspect. You can use this as a
your engagement with that. Then ask why. Explain it to
strategy to fill a niche that arises in the story.
yourself. Once you’ve got a satisfying answer, filter it down
Yes, that’s right: We’re telling you that inaction is a valid by asking why again. Keep in mind, you have to be more
choice, and that when you choose to leave something blank specific with each successive answer. After three or so stages
and not make a decision, if anyone around your table of interrogation, you should have such a tight answer that it’s
complains, you can slam your index finger down on this page basically an aspect. Gosh. Write that down. You have yourself
of the book and say, “OLIVIA SAID I COULD.” We’ll try not an aspect.
to make that a habit.
Example: In our story today, we’re exploring the cost of
medical care and how it’s downright deadly. Lori is trying
*I’m totally talking about me.
to come up with an aspect, but coming up dry. So she asks
herself why they’re exploring this. Her answer to herself is,
“Well, Chelle said she wants to play a nurse who moonlights
as an #iHunter.” That of course doesn’t really say much about
Lori’s aspects, so she digs deeper. She asks herself why her
character would be tied in with a nurse. She decides she’s an
electrician, and she and Chelle’s characters were introduced
to the supernatural at the hospital where they were working.
Now, how to make that an aspect? Dig a stage further. Why
does this matter? Lori answers to herself, “It’s because
Johanna feels a kinship to her colleagues.” Well, there you go.
Johanna has KINSHIP TO HER COLLEAGUES.

TIFFANY
I’m on my way over right now. I’m stuck on Cardi’s
aspects. I wanted poker face, but that’s boring. I
think I’m just gonna wait and see what comes up in
the story. The book says that’s okay.

80
VERSATILITY ROUND ROBIN
“Okay, so Patrice grew up a jewelry thief. So she has I’VE GOT This is more like a game rule hack than anything. If you’re
TO APPRAISE YOU LIKE I SHOULD, and ARMS OF having trouble coming up with aspects, or hell, if your group
STEAL, oh and SMOOTH CRIMINAL.” just wants, you can trade aspects around the table. Everyone
looks to their left, and gives that player’s character an aspect
So, those are all kinda cool. But really they all relate of their choosing. The receiving player can veto, and like in
directly to that one narrow facet of the character. Not only all things, you want to be cool and respectful with your fellow
is it limiting in what she can do, it also means if she wants player, but, this can lead to strange and unexpected play.
to use her aspects fully, she’ll be spending three fate points
on a single challenge, otherwise one or two of them are This isn’t just a trick for when creating characters. If you
functionally wasted space. create an advantage, and just can’t come up with the right
aspect for the job, ask the table! This is a collaborative
When designing aspects, be versatile. As explained above, exercise. Besides, advantages are available around the table,
it’s just practical. But additionally, it adds more depth to the so maybe someone else has an idea for how they could take
story, and more ways your character can contribute to the advantage of a specific aspect.
story. Have you ever played a game where someone was a
grizzled, silent loner who was great at kicking ass but that Same goes with the Director. Feel free to ask the other
was it? How fucking boring were they? Don’t do that with players what they think an aspect should be. No shame here.
your aspects. In fact, it’s better to come up with completely
weird and off-the-wall aspects that seem like they might TAKE NOTES
never apply than to hyper focus on one realm of competency.
Especially once you get used to playing #iHunt, you can This is more roundabout advice. If you find yourself playing
always find ways to squeeze in a weird aspect. #iHunt and other fate-based games regularly, you might
think to yourself, “Shit, that could be a cool aspect!” If that
For Patrice, let’s get rid of ARMS OF STEAL. It could be happens, jot it down. Fuck, tweet it and hashtag it #iHunt!
fun, but it doesn’t bring anything to the table that SMOOTH The important thing is, you should be able to come back to it
CRIMINAL doesn’t do better. Let’s replace it with TO THE and use it later. I have a notebook full of the things, for more
EXTREME I ROCK A YARN LIKE A VANDAL, which games than I’ll ever be able to play. It’s still useful though,
serves the double purpose of telling us about the knitting because it gives me a bank of interesting ideas to work with.
hobby she picked up in juvenile detention center, and can be
used to explain why she’s good with telling stories.

If you’re playing a character with an aspect relating to their

knitting hobby, and you can’t find a way to make that work
in a monster hunting setting, there’s simply no hope for you.

MONICA
Oh hell. I just came up with the aspect can’t
bi me love, which I adore. But not good for
Charlotte. So I’m gonna jot it down and save it
for the next game.

81
INVOKING ASPECTS
The most common way aspects come into play is
when you invoke them. You invoke an aspect when
you think it’s beneficially relevant to what your
character’s doing.

To invoke an aspect, explain why it’s relevant to

what’s happening. Spend a fate point. Then, choose
from one of the following benefits:

[ Take +2 on a dice roll

[ Reroll all your dice
[ Add +2 to someone else’s roll
[ Add +2 to passive opposition

Note that you can invoke an aspect at any time, You can even invoke enemies’ aspects! Any time
technically before or after any dice roll. However, you invoke an aspect as an advantage against
it’s usually best to do it afterward, once you’ve seen another character, you have to give them a fate
the roll and want to change it. point. However, this is important: They can’t use
that fate point during the same scene. Otherwise
You can only invoke an aspect once for a single you could just give each other fate points back and
roll. You can invoke as many aspects as you’d like, forth over and over and everything would be all
but each has to be different, and each costs an higgledy-piggledy. So you hand them the fate point,
additional fate point (unless you have free invokes and they just sort of sit it aside until the next scene.
on that aspect.) As Director, you should pay particular attention to
the Players’ aspects, and try to invoke them to keep
Aspects should only be used when they make
the fate point economy flowing. Read more about
sense. You’re allowed arguing the point if anyone
the fate point economy on >>PAGE 88
thinks a given aspect doesn’t fit, but if it becomes
an issue, the Director is the final arbiter when The absolute best way to justify and explain
determining whether or not an aspect is appropriate invoking an aspect is to simply wrap it into
in a given situation. the description. Earlier we said Lana has the
PROBABLY GOING TO DIE ANYWAY aspect. So,
This isn’t always difficult. Sometimes how an
you might say, “Lana’s going to jam that machete
aspect works in a situation is painfully obvious, like
right into the fucker’s neck. She knows it technically
it’s sitting on the sheet, taunting you, demanding
takes a silver weapon to kill a werewolf, but she’s
you invoke it. Sometimes you have to adjust your
gotta slow him down before he gets to her friends,
description of an action to make the aspect fit.
and she’s probably going to die anyway so she’s not
That’s okay, too. You can also describe outside
gonna let something like logic get in her way.”
context in order to make it fit. Anything to build a
richer, more interesting story works here.

82
FREE INVOKES
Some game mechanics allow you free invokes. This Once you’ve used the free invokes on an aspect,
is to say, these are aspect invocations you don’t you can continue to invoke the aspect normally with
need to spend a fate point to use. fate points, so long as it’s still relevant.
The most common and notable example

c is when you create an advantage. When

you successfully create an advantage,
you create it with a single free invoke. If
Free invokes aren’t just free (they don’t cost fate
points.) Additionally, you can “stack” them with
normal invokes. On the previous page we said you
can’t invoke the same aspect twice to affect the
you succeed with style, you get two free invokes. same roll. Free invokes are an exception. You can
Read more on creating advantages on >>PAGE 131. use a free invoke and a normal invoke together for
Any time you create a consequence in a conflict, two bonuses on a single roll. Note that you can only
you add a free invoke. use a single free invoke this way.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

#iHunt is a game about the gig economy, named This gives everyone at the table another thing
after an app. You can even say it’s about that they can reach for. Often, you’ll find moments
app. At very least, #iHunt is what gives these where players are scrambling to find a fitting
stories their unique identity. From a game rules aspect to invoke to push a slim loss into a win. At
perspective, aspects really give fate its unique times, this can slow down the narrative flow. But
identity. So don’t overlook the #iHunt app as a if everyone knows the gig itself is something they
perfect opportunity to bring in actionable aspects can look to, and something that’s almost always
and marry the game mechanics with the setting. topical, it breeds a little more confidence around
the table.
When working up a gig, think of the description
for the gig the way you’d think of aspects. It’s not Also, as the Director, allowing players to invoke
even unintuitive thinking, since people posting ads clauses from the gig description is a great way of
looking for monster hunters tend to be freaked out using retrocausality to design your stories. With
and try to couch the negatives of the job in with just a little ambiguity and fun wording, players will
the positives. So right there, you have punchy, dig in and try to find meaning where there wasn’t
short, and double-sided aspects. For a lot of jobs, necessarily any in the first place. If the players
the #iHunt ad is the only real contact the hunters think you had some grand scheme in mind, roll
will have with the client. This means you only have with it. Like a good aspect, this strategy has a
a few sentences to give that client some identity. double-sided purpose. First off, it takes some of
the heavy lifting off you. You can just vamp on
This doesn’t mean you need to meticulously craft whatever weird conspiracy the players attribute
every single gig as a series of three well-defined to your ‘masterful scheme.’ Additionally, it gives
aspects, or anything like that. It just means think the players a sense of achievement. They realize
of the logic of aspects when you’re creating the how this piece and that piece are all just parts of
language used for the gig. The great secret here a grand puzzle, you pretend that was the intention
is that aspects are really just using simple writing all along, and they feel like Sherlock Goddamn
tricks and techniques. The same exact techniques Holmes.
work for developing an interesting story.

83
COMPELLING ASPECTS
When an aspect could cause complication in a
character’s life, it can be compelled. A compel is
the opposite of an invoke. The compelling player
poses the complication, and offer a fate point. The
receiving player can accept the fate point and face
the complication, or spend a fate point and reject
the complication.

When compelled, you have two distinct choices:

[ Accept the fate point—face the compel

[ Spend a fate point—reject the compel

If you accept the fate point and thus the compel, The Director can compel for free, giving the
the story changes. Whatever complication compelled player a fate point if accepted.
represented by the aspect occurs. You might be
able to overcome it through play, but it can’t simply Players can compel themselves and one another
be shirked—it must be confronted, contended with, with Director approval, taking a fate point from
or stand as an obstacle. The whole point is to add the open pool. They only use their own fate points
drama and conflict, so let that happen. when compelling the Director’s characters.

Conversely, if you spend the fate point to avoid As with invokes, any time a player gets a fate point
the compel, you have to explain the dodge. This for a compel, it gets set aside until the end of the
can be as simple as, “my character shakes it off,” current scene. All fate points spent for compels
but consider how quickly overcoming that obstacle go to the Director’s open pool. All Director compels
might be interesting. However, if you refuse a come from that same pool. If a player compels
compel, you still create a situational aspect that another player, they spend the fate point to the
reflects the drawbacks of the refusal. That aspect Director’s open pool—as result, if the compelled
has a free invoke on it. Alternatively, if there’s player accepts the compel, they take one fate point
already a relevant aspect in play, you can add an from that pool. If they reject the compel, they also
additional free invoke to it. spend one fate point into the open pool.

The Director decides whether or not any given Sometimes, if your character is behaving
compel is appropriate. Compels should be easy to according to an obstacle or penalty that aligns with
explain, fairly obvious in what they do, and shouldn’t an aspect but hasn’t been formally announced, you
hamper the story. can ask for a “retro compel.” Basically, you note that
you’ve been acting as if hampered by a compel. If
Players can compel each other by spending fate the Director agrees it’s been a sufficient obstacle,
points. If accepted, the compelled player takes the they can give you a fate point for it.
spent point. If rejected, the point is still spent.

84
ASPECTS FOR ROLEPLAY
Aspects also play a role when dice and fate points
aren’t even involved. Aspects help define your
ASPECTS WANT TO BE FREE
characters, so they should absolutely help provide Okay so maybe you don’t know every little thing
direction for how you portray them. Okay, so this is about a character. There’s always some fun to be
fucking obvious, right? “The sheet says I’m smart had having your characters dig up dirt on someone.
so of course I should play my character like they’re That dirt is often represented by an aspect. But, by
smart.” Well, yes. But let’s not stop there. and large, aspects should be available to everyone.
Just because your character doesn’t know an
Anything important enough to be an aspect
aspect exists, doesn’t mean you can’t. It’s your job
is something important enough to not exist in a
to help create the best story, and to do that, you
vacuum. Think about it like classic kung fu cinema.
need to be able to grab on to relevant plot points.
If you have a character with this cool and unique
Aspects are iconically relevant by their very nature.
style that kicks all kinds of ass, sometimes you’re
going to get strangers showing up to test their luck Think about it like a TV show where one character
against them. If you’re a master of drunken monkey has a secret and even the audience doesn’t get to
style, someone’s going to want to test their northern know it exists. That’s... a pretty shitty secret.
tiger claw against you.

This is how aspects work, but on a more nuanced CREATING ASPECTS

and complex level. The world exists around your
characters and around your stories. When you bring Aspects come into play any time the Director wants.
in outsiders specifically keyed to the characters’ Any given scene should have 1-3 situational aspects
aspects, that makes the game world feel more alive that exist as part of the initial scene description.
and organic. Then any time the Director thinks another needs to
exist, it does.
Aspects also help the characters to stand out. All Most of the time, you’ll make aspects
throughout this book, we harp on about how the
characters are struggling, working class people.
There’s a contingent of reader who will see that
c with the create an advantage action. You
say what your character is doing, you roll
the dice, then work with the Director to
and think, “Oh this is a game about average, boring determine what the new aspect is, or if it relates
people.” Nope. Fuck that. Throw that thinking away to an existing aspect. Remember, when creating an
right the fuck now. Like in the real world, in the advantage, new aspects get a free invoke, or you
world of #iHunt, poor people are more skilled than can put a free invoke on an existing aspect.
“exceptional” people. “Meritocracy” is a lie designed
to keep the working class constantly struggling so CHANGE/REMOVE ASPECTS
they don’t come at the ruling class’s necks. Your
average poor person is a goddamn hustler, in Character aspects change through selfies, which
ways no rich person could ever be. Do you think you can read more about on >>PAGE 118.
Elon Musk could survive on the streets? Fuck no.
Poor people, working people, disabled people, To get rid of or change a situational aspect, it
they’re interesting, they’re talented, and stories takes an action. Most commonly, you use overcome
about them are inherently cooler than stories about actions to get rid of aspects. This may require
“chosen ones” and people born into privilege. Poor active or passive opposition depending on the
people have real stakes. Poor people are scrappers. circumstances involved. You don’t normally change
Poor people do what needs to be done. In every aspects—you overcome them and create new
revolution you learned about in school, you heard ones. However, any time you overcome an obstacle
the names of a few privileged people, meanwhile to eliminate an aspect and you succeed with style,
thousands of amazing, marginalized people were you can choose to change the aspect into a new
out there doing the fucking work and getting the one. Lastly, if an aspect has outlived its usefulness,
job done. They don’t usually get the spotlight. They get rid of it so it’s not taking up space.
do in #iHunt, and aspects help bring that home.

85
IMPERILLING ASPECTS
While compels force a player to make a hard choice
between spending a fate point or confronting
their aspect, dilemmas, or “imperilling an aspect”
forces them to make a hard choice between two
undesirable story outcomes predicated on that
aspect. It’s different from a compel because it
doesn’t let them buy an out.

When imperiled, you choose between two paths:

[ Choose one side, avoid the other

[ Choose the other side, avoid the first

Dilemmas are an immensely powerful tool, and work Like with invokes and compels, the Director is
differently from the normal fate core rules. In most the final arbiter of what works for a dilemma. As a
cases they’re objectively stronger than compels. guideline, both options need to be equally awful.
Neither can directly result in taking the character
To imperil a character with an aspect dilemma,
out, but can lock them into a path toward it.
you have to meet one of a couple criteria:
Also as with any other aspect usage, most of
[ As Director, you can use one dilemma per
the choices offered in a dilemma should be fairly
scene. One only. Give the player a fate point.
obvious. Maybe one even comes up in the narrative
[ As a Player, you can only use a dilemma after before it’s called out as a dilemma. Usually the other
your character has suffered a moderate or option comes up as a “reversal,” a retroactively
severe consequence. It must occur in the same decided clever plan the hunters came up with. Think
scene. This does not cost a fate point. about the way heist shows do recaps, where you
find out all the little clever bits they were planning
For the Director, dilemmas should always be all along that the antagonists didn’t notice. Those
meaningful and challenging for the players. You can sorts of things make for good dilemmas.
only use one per scene, but should be sparing, and
never more than once per character in the same Often, deciding what constitutes two “equal”
play session. options is difficult, because the consequences can
vary between very obvious (for example, taking
For Players, dilemmas are a chance to “strike stress,) to extremely complex and vague, like
back,” usually at monsters, by putting them taking a long-term hit to social standing. That’s why
between a rock and a hard place. In the story, this that evenness is considered a guideline, not a hard
usually represents the hunter’s drive to come out rule. In fact, this is left intentionally vague, because
on top. You know all that shit we said about how it’s a tool meant to let #iHunters grab the upper
poor people are skilled, survivors, hustlers? That’s hand from the face of awfulness. You can play with
because they’ve got the guts to force a hard choice degrees a bit. When you’re poor, the world doesn’t
on an enemy. The dilemma is an #iHunter’s special play by the rules. There’s always an exception. With
weapon, and it’s only available in times of dire need. dilemmas, fuck the rule, live the exception.

86
FOR PLAYERS FOR DIRECTORS
When playing an #iHunter, the ability to imperil Directors get a distinctly limited number of
aspects is a hidden weapon you’ve always got up dilemmas. They can use no more than one per
your sleeve. scene, and never more than one per player per play
session. There’s another informal limitation here.
There’s this old saying that goes something like, Use dilemmas to put #iHunters in hard situations
“You look terrible. I hope the other guy looks worse.” that demonstrate the inherent unfairness of the
That’s a motto for #iHunting. On the job, #iHunters world. This isn’t to make monsters “win.” Hell,
face against supernatural terrors that far outclass most of the time you shouldn’t use dilemmas to
them in every single way except for the urge to pull represent monster actions.
through and survive. If they hit you, you stab them.
If they stab you, you shoot them. If they shoot you, Director dilemmas represent hard choices, mostly
you behead them. in the real world—compromises the #iHunters have
to make in order to get by. Sometimes you’ve got a
A lot of games have this weird moralizing bit shut-off notice for your electricity, and one for your
where they talk about how escalation is bad, and water, both due today, and you don’t have time to
violence never really solved everything (and then add money to your bank account even if you steal
give you 300 pages of rules for solving everything it. That’s a dilemma. That’s the world sucking shit.
with violence.) #iHunt’s not going to do that. If it comes down to taking a job interview you’ve
#iHunters kill monsters. Not always, but it’s part been struggling to land for the past few months or
of the job. If #iHunters fuck around with niceties, attending your kid’s graduation, that’s a hard choice.
norms, and morality debates, #iHunters die. It’s a
mark of privilege to debate these things. #iHunters Note that these things don’t directly affect
have to start at 11. For some people, it’s “don’t make the #iHunter on the hunt. They can exacerbate
me resort to violence.” For an #iHunter, it’s “I’m problems and cause drama, but they don’t directly
bleeding. I’ve gotta end this quick. I’m taking one stop the hunter from hunting monsters. That’s okay.
of your hands. One has your weapon. One has the In fact, step in for a super secret hint: This is a way
door handle you can escape with. Which will it be?” to get more fate points in the Players’ hands.
That’s a dilemma.
Now, huge Director advice here: Let players
This doesn’t mean #iHunters are inherently cruel know that while they can’t buy their way out of
or sadistic. They don’t generally sit around giggling a dilemma, they can absolutely veto it if it makes
about the details of their torture rooms. #iHunters them uncomfortable or they feel like it hurts the
are murderers by necessity—they’re not monsters. integrity of their character. Period. No fucking jokes,
no nonsense. In a lot of ways, dilemmas represent
This is a long way to say, use your dilemmas. robbing a person of their agency. While that
When your character takes a consequence, follow happens in the real world, this is a fucking game
up with a dilemma. Don’t sit on them, waiting for and players should be happy with the outcomes.
just the right time to use them. They don’t even #iHunt is dark. But we do everything with consent.
cost you a fate point, because they’re sufficiently
rare and come in times of dire need. Don’t play safe Contrast that for a second: We’re all grownups.
with your dilemmas, either. A lot of times, dilemmas Most of the time, a dilemma’s going to rear its ugly
can mean life or death for an #iHunter. head before anyone says, “Okay, gonna imperil this
aspect.” If you get to that point and ask, “Would
Just like with other aspect uses, if you can’t come you be cool with a dilemma right now?” Well, most
up with a cool dilemma to bring up, talk to the table. players are going to be cool with it, because they’re
Among the group, you should be able to come going to buy into the darkness of the setting and
up with something sufficiently interesting. Unlike the scenario.
a compel, a dilemma should have two desirable
outcomes for you—it should be satisfying, forcing Long story short, read the fucking room before
the enemy to make a bad choice between two bad you go making people make ridiculous decisions
options. that are going to make them want to quit playing.

87
FATE POINT ECONOMY
As discussed in the previous sections, most aspect
use is driven by and drives the movement of fate
GAINING FATE POINTS
points. We represent fate points with tokens of any As noted previously, you gain fate points by:
sort, preferably tactile, which we pass around.
[ Accepting a compel
As we engage aspects through invokes, compels,
and dilemmas, drama rises and falls, shifting from [ Having an aspect invoked against you
one place to another.
[ Conceding in a conflict
This all comprises the fate point economy. Let’s
break it down. [ Being put in a dilemma

REFRESH DIRECTOR FATE POINTS

Every character has a “Refresh” trait, a number One of the Director’s most important responsibilities
which determines starting fate points. This resets is managing the fate point economy. Awards for
between play sessions. compels, dilemmas, or concessions come out of
the general, open, infinite pool of fate points. You
Characters start with a base refresh of 5. You can always give these out, you can always compel.
can spend refresh to buy additional stunts during
character creation, but you cannot start with less However, Director characters have inherent limits.
than 1 refresh. As a Director, you have your own pseudo refresh,
which is equal to one per Player character plus one.
You also gain additional refresh every time you So if you have four Players, then you get five pseudo
get a season selfie >>PAGE 121. You can spend refresh explicitly for use on your characters.
those refresh for additional stunts, or to just have
more fate points sitting around. This pseudo refresh returns at the beginning of
every new scene, with two important exceptions:
If you end a session with more fate points than
your refresh, tough shit, they go away. So spend [ You accepted a compel that ended the previous
‘em if you’ve got ‘em. If you end in the middle of scene or started the next one. In that case, you
a longer story, the Director can allow you to keep get an extra fate point.
excess, and allow other characters to return to their
[ You conceded a conflict to the Players in the
refresh ratings.
previous scene. Take any fate points you’d get
from the concession and add them to your
SPENDING FATE POINTS pseudo refresh for the next scene.
Most commonly, fate points are spent by: If that following scene doesn’t have major
mechanical engagement (and thus, no real use for
[ Invoking aspects character fate points,) then you can save them until
[ Powering some stunts the next such scene.

[ Refusing a compel Also note that these rules really only apply to
hostile or antagonistic characters. If a helpful or
[ Declaring a story detail sympathetic character is important enough to have
fate points, just track them the way you would a
character—don’t worry so much about scene-to-
scene fate points.

88
ASPECTS
ARE
YOUR
LEARN TO READ YOUR MAP! MAP

CONTROL PACING WITH FATE

P
AND MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

O
I
N
T
S

89
 ASPECTS
VARIANT: KILLER TRACKS
#iHunt is a game about millennials, mostly. One minor caveat with this method is that not
What better to define a generation than its everyone around the table necessarily knows every
music? So if your group is having trouble album out there, and some of your favorite albums
coming up with cool, evocative aspects, use might sound amazing to you for character aspects,
music and cheat that shit. but will make zero sense to someone who didn’t
spend all of goddamned 1999 eagerly awaiting their
The way this variant goes, everyone picks import limited prerelease copy of :wumpscut:’s
an album that represents their character. Er, Boeses Junges Fleisch, Olivia.
sorry, “a CD.” It should fit with their character’s
age—that is to say, it should be a formative So if you’re using a kind of weird album, be
album for that character. So if they’re 35, think prepared to either explain things in plain terms
something maybe from 1991-2005 when they where you’re not drooling on the table insisting
stopped being able to afford new music. someone listen to the entirety of The The’s Naked
Self because it’s so fucking good but you have to
Now you have your album, the six aspects hear the entire thing from beginning to end, Olivia.
on your character sheet have to be track titles.
You just pick what works, or make it work if it HIGH CONCEPT
doesn’t. Explain it. That’s the hack, here.
With this method, you have two routes to go as
Orson Welles once said, “The enemy of art far as high concept aspects go. You can just pick
is the absence of limitations.” Working with a a track, which is the default. Alternatively, you
highly constrained list like an album track list can use the album title as the high concept. So if
means thinking laterally, and finding ways to you’re doing Veruca Salt’s Eight Arms to Hold You,
make things fit. you could use the high concept Volcano Girl (you’re
allowed fucking with plurals and shit) or you could
A bonus of this method is that your just use the high concept Eight Arms to Hold You.
characters all have great soundracks ready It’s totally up to you, since this is just a creative tool.
for the table, for iconic, dramatic moments.

e Jennifer Brand Stuart Mackinzie

x
Band: Green Day Band: Fugees

a
Record: Dookie Record: The Score

High Concept: She High Concept: Mask

m Drama: Welcome to Paradise Drama: Killing Me Softly

p
Vision Board: When I Come Around Vision Board: Ready or Not

l
Day Job: Longview Day Job: The Score

Notes: She’s unemployed, looking Notes: Someone wronged him, and he’s

e
to be a mainstay in someone’s life. been seeking them out all his life. He feels
Living in a hellscape. She has control like he’s living a fake life until he finds

s
issues and insecurities. them. But he’s fallen deep for the man of
his dreams and his mask is coming off...

90
 ALTERNATE SETTINGS? TRY SOUNDTRACKS?
What if your group wants to fuck with expectations You can even go further in theming with this exercise.
and play #iHunt outside the modern gig economy? Maybe everyone has to use a soundtrack. Hackers,
Music is your friend. If you want to play freelance Poetic Justice, The Crow, Pulp Fiction, Wild Wild West,
monster hunters in the 60s, Rolling Stones, Marvin The Craft, Spawn, The Matrix, there’s a lot of great stuff
Gaye, and the Monkees. Use music to build your to draw from. This includes soundtrack albums for
world, your vision for what #iHunt is for your group. musicals, for the theater-inclined.

DRAMA DAY JOB

This should be easy. There’s a damn good chance Approach this like the vision board. Unless your
that the first few albums you thought of when you album specifically references work, which many
went over this section have songs that jump out do, but many don’t, then you’re going to have to
as drama magnets. It’s okay if this takes a little play it a little abstract. Look to moods and themes,
interpretation—songs are stories, and the song title attitudes and implications. Hang on to specific
alone doesn’t have to deliver that entire experience lines, and extrapolate from there. If your album is
alone. For example, if you’re going with Lauren Hill’s Underworld’s dubnobasswithmyheadman, you’re
Doo Wop (That Thing), the song title alone doesn’t only going to find oblique references to day jobs.
really say much. But, the song itself is remarkably So maybe you go with Dirty Epic, which has a lot
layered with all sorts of drama. of weird, abstract lines. For example, there’s a
line that goes, “Ride the sainted rhythms on the
VISION BOARD midnight train to Romford.” So maybe you decide
your character’s day job involves travel. Hell, maybe
This one might make you want to rethink your album
they’re an attendant on a train. There you go.
choices, because a lot of albums just aren’t exactly
packed to the brim with aspirational music, right? ANOTHER CAVEAT: SOCIAL SHIT
For the vision board, you can often just go with a
mood you’d like your character to establish and Also, let’s just put it out there: Music isn’t always
maintain instead of a specific goal. For example, if forward-thinking and progressive. Be careful. Watch
you go with The Offspring’s Nitro (Youth Energy), your shit. Be sensitive of others, and especially the
then you don’t have a very specific vision board, you consent checklist. If someone’s uncomfortable with
don’t have one target you’re shooting for. Instead, a character based on a Smashing Pumpkins album
you’re constantly trying to live life like there’s no because Billy Corgan’s outspoken transphobia,
tomorrow. Which is a pretty fucking bold vision, if change it, move on, come up with something else.
not as specific as we might expect. There’s a million records to choose from.

Connie Blanchette Jae

Band: Alanis Morissette Band: NOFX

Record: Jagged Little Pill Record: So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes

High Concept: Ironic High Concept: It’s My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite

Drama: You Oughta Know Drama: All Outta Angst

Vision Board: One Hand in My Pocket Vision Board: Murder the Government

Day Job: Not The Doctor Day Job: All His Suits Are Torn

Notes: She just got out of an awful Notes: Jae jumped from bank job to bank job until
relationship. She’s jumping from job to she came out as trans, and the jobs all dried up. She
job, and she just keeps falling into the took it in stride, and started protesting in her spare
most ridiculous scenarios. Worse? Her time, dismantling those systems. She still does bank
ex is a hunter she has to see on the job. consulting for cash, she just doesn’t tell her friends.

91
 Nachzehrer: Chapter 1
#MEETCUTE
On accounts from certain contacts within
the regional occult underground, I came upon
stories of the dead rising to attack the living. I
suspected a ghoul or nachzehrer due relative
to the conditions of deaths. Suicides in all
accounts.
Tragic the lives of the young and
disenfranchised in this part of the world.
With the resource of an Airbnb application,
I secured lodgings in the complex where
some stories rose. We were not so far
from the movie industry, and indeed I saw
advertisements all about the building for a
company offering agency to young aspiring
actors and models. Because I am of Nordic
stock, tall and fair, I believe the locals took
me for a hopeful foreigner seeking fame and
fortune. Many of my neighbors were youths
dreaming of fortune, anyway. I did not dissuade
anyone of the thought when speaking to them.
As you know, my spoken English is not as good
as my written English, and it was easier to let
them assume.
As I moved among my neighbors, it struck me
how isolated they were. Even when in shared
spaces they avoided one another, and it took
me some doing to get anyone to talk to me
at all. There was no easy way to open up
communication about das wunderlich, and so I
tried instead to ingratiate myself in the hopes
of confidence.
My surprise when my locked apartment door
came open as I prepared for my night of
observation and perhaps hunting.
The door slid open, the person on the other
side with lockpick still in hand. They smiled
at me broadly and held up their hands to
relent. They had a flashy style of dress and

92
makeup, somewhere just between masculine
and feminine so much that I could not place I sighed. “How are you on this hot trail, then?”
their gender, and so did not. “Hey, blondie. Fuck Night was encroaching and I would not waste
you’re tall.” I loomed over them as I stood up, time on duplicity.
a ritual knife in my hand about as long as their
“Like anyone else, I swiped right on #iHunt.”
forearm.
“On the what now?”
I blinked, looking from my collection of occult
tomes, weapons, and magical ingredients I’d They showed me, and indeed it was the
been packing and to this small, interesting same as we’ve heard rumors of out of Berlin
person who’d broke into my flatt. “You forced and Hong Kong. I believe the app we’re getting
entry here to tell me that I am tall, a thing that I stories about from Tokyo is different enough
know?” to warrant its own research.
The person laughed and on seeing I was more And so the focus of my narrative changed.
curious that hostile, pocketed their lockpick.
“Someone is offering you five hundred
“Nah, going door to door looking for monsters.
American dollars to find and stop the shambling
Heard from a guy you had a spooky thing going
dead?” I doubt they registered my ambivalence.
on? Did a little observation of your attempts to
make friends. Not your strong suit, huh?” “Yeah, that’s the dealio. Look, I can’t split this
cash with you...”
“I’m sorry?”
This small, plucky American would get
The person frowned a moment. “Sorry. English
themselves killed for five hundred dollars. I
isn’t your first language. Am I talking too fast?” I
sighed. “... I’m gathering stories. I will assist you
do not suppose they were condescending.
for the opportunity to gather your story and
“A little.” My accent as always, gave me away. send it to my people.”
“I heard there were monsters in this apartment “Is that some kind of ID scam? Because there’s
building and I wanted to kill them so they don’t no point in stealing my identity.” I suspected
hurt anyone. You’re not a werewolf or whatever, this was a joke.
are you?”
“Please call me Hildegarde. Night comes soon.
I did not reflect long on the frequency with Should we not to the hunt?”
which people ask me that particular question.
“We should not.” They made a face. “I mean,
“This is very straightforward. You will put
we should, not we? Damn. This is going to take
yourself in danger in this way.”
getting used to. Anyway, call me T. I will butcher
They arched their brow and grinned. “Oh shit, your first name there, and you hate to see it.
you do know your shit.” They tilted their head Can I call you Grimm instead?”
and observed my accoutrements with little
What could I say at the moment? Correct them?
interest until they saw the Mark of the Grimm
Give them a brief lesson in German elocution?
on my forearm and let out a whistle. “I think I’ve
Of course not. I acquiesced with gritted teeth.
heard of that. You’re one of them bookworms?”
I did not know how these untrained hunters
“I’m sorry?” stood up against generations of practices, but
I was at least so far impressed with this one’s
“I know a guy who’s fucking a girl who knows
cunning. But would cunning be enough? Time
some real deep occult stuff. They said there
would tell.
were there occult bookworms you’d run into
sometimes on a hot trail. They’d speak ‘Ze

93
German’ and have some wicked tattoo.”
 CHAPTER FOUR:
#PEOPLESKILLS
(SKILL SETS AND STUNTS)
SKILL SETS BASIC GAME ACTIONS
A skill set is a series of core competencies which have a You’ve seen these before, but let’s touch on them again for
synergized nature and help a company resource seek the easy reference.
utmost level of performance in executing the stated action
items as described within their job description. A model for Overcome an Obstacle : You try to
growth and achievement which stems from the three key
values we seek to­—

Sorry.
O overcome an obstacle or challenge by using
your skill set.

Create an Advantage: You uncover

A skill set is a series of skills, which we’ve wrapped up
into a job title. Not like... a job-job. Generally not the kind
of job you’d send in a CV for, interview for, and ultimately
C or build something beneficial for your own
or others’ later actions in the form of an
aspect.
receive a form letter for no matter how much you need it. Attack: You try to harm someone or
Skill sets in #iHunt are things like “Grifter,” “Influencer,”
“Hacker,” and “Maker.” They’re made to be slightly open-
ended, because as a millennial, you’ve got to take what skills
you’ve got and stretch their utility as far as fucking possible.
A something else, be it physically, mentally,
or emotionally.

Defend: You take effort to keep someone

You ran a Youtube channel for a while and so you took the
Maker skill set? Great, you tell the interviewer you’re a video
producer with skills in Adobe Premier and Aftereffects, with
extensive skills in tracking engagement metrics in Google
D from harming you or creating advantages
for use against you.

Sheets. Because, drum roll please, you are. As a millennial,

everything’s about the hustle, about justifying yourself every Some skill sets have additional effects, noted in their
step of the way. It’s about monetizing your hobbies (like descriptions. Specifically, Survivor and Athlete add stress
hacking roleplaying games,) it’s about using every little skill and consequence slots for your character.
other people might overlook and turning them into tricks for
survival. SKILL SETS AND CONTEXT
WHAT DEFINES A SKILL SET While there are 18 skill sets, and only four basic actions,
which skill set you use adds context within the narrative, and
A skill set is defined by two things in Fate and thus in #iHunt, the way you justify your skill set usage adds further context.
the game actions you can do with them, and the context in If your character is defending herself from a rampaging
which you use them. In #iHunt, we play pretty loose with werewolf and uses Athlete, that means something
context, though. In #iHunt, when you have a hammer, completely different than using Occultist . And if you use
everything looks like a nail, and that’s okay. Influencer to defend yourself from that werewolf, you’d
have a damned good justification, and it’s not going to look
We also define skill sets by a numerical value that anything like Athlete or Occultist.
corresponds to the ladder. Do you have Guerrilla at +3?
That means it’s Good. In game terms, Defend with Athlete is no different than
Defend with Occultist. The game rules don’t care. But the
story cares.

94
 STUNTS
STUNTS ADD AN ACTION
A stunt is an extra special refinement of a skill, used This means allowing a skill set to do something it couldn’t
for specific effects and applications. A stunt is unique to normally do, but only within a specific context. For example,
the character possessing it. Any character might have the the Guerrilla skill isn’t normally able to take the Defend
Influencer skill set, but some characters have the Get action. However, you might make a FORMATION
Followers Fast stunt. DEFENSE stunt, which lets you use Guerrilla to Defend so
long as you’re with two or more of your trained companions.
Whereas skill sets are a universal list, stunts can be You can’t always use Guerrilla to defend thanks to that stunt,
unique to a single character, and ultimately exist as a way to but you can use it in a way that makes sense.
personalize a character and express their specific impact on
the game world.
ADD A BONUS
This is especially important because #iHunt stories center
on small teams of hunters, and many of the characters in Another common stunt application allows you to add a +2
these teams will have overlapping skill sets. How do you bonus to a skill set under specific, narrow conditions. Usually
differentiate four different #iHunters that all have the this means one very defined type of action. For example, the
Assassin skill set at Great? Well, that’s where stunts come
Assassin skill set is appropriate any time you’re causing one-
in. Four different characters can express the Assassin skill set way violence, be it by weapons, by sneak attacks, by poisons,
in four completely different ways thanks to stunts. by traps, whatever. But if you take the SNIPER ASS
MOTHERFUCKER stunt, you get +2 to any Assassin rolls
In the skill set list later in this chapter, we’ve laid out a while using a sniper rifle.
number of sample stunts for each skill set. This isn’t meant
to be a comprehensive list. They exist for ease of selection, to Alternatively, this can act as an equivalent bonus to a
help with choice paralysis, to show you what stunts should two shift improvement. So, you might add +2 to passive
look like, and to help define the setting a bit. We’re also giving opposition, the equivalent of a 2-point hit, or an advantage
tools for creating your own stunts. It’s perfectly okay to create that requires Fair (+2) opposition to remove. Just remember
your own within those guidelines. that it has to only work in those narrow circumstances.

BUILDING STUNTS CREATE AN EXCEPTION

Basic stunts in #iHunt can do a few specific things in play. This catch-all allows a skill set to make a single, minor
Consider these the limitations for what normal human exception to the normal rules within narrow, defined
stunts can do. Note that monsters can have supernatural circumstances. Since this is such an open field, instead of
stunts available to them called features, gifts, and banes, but trying to lay out every edge case of what these types of stunts
that’s all addressed in #THEMARK on >>PAGE 178. can or cannot do, we’ll include examples in the skill set list.

Basically, regular #iHunt stunts can do three things: This cannot break the basic rules of invoking, compelling,
or the fate point economy.
[ Add a new action to a skill.

[ Add a bonus to an action. GENERAL USEFULNESS

[ Create a rules exception. Nobody wants a stunt that’s never applicable, and stunts that
are always applicable are just no fun for everyone else. So try
to keep that in mind, and make sure stunts don’t just upgrade
skill sets universally. Alternatively, broadly useful stunts
can be limited by requiring a fate point when used. A good
example is the Academic stunt TRIVIA BUFF.

95
 THE SKILL SET LIST
#iHunt works off a basic list of 18 skill sets. Here’s a summary of the list with an overview of which ones can be used for which
actions under normal circumstances. After that, we’ll go into each skill set in detail. For each skill set, we’ll outline the various
actions you can take, give you an idea of what kinds of things the skill set can do, and also give a little profile of the type of person
who might have that skill but you might not think of normally. Hopefully it’ll help you think outside the box.

Create
Skill Overcome Advantage Attack Defend
Academic ✗ ✗
Assassin ✗ ✗
Athlete ✗ ✗ ✗
Fighter ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
Grifter ✗ ✗ ✗
Guerrilla ✗ ✗
Hacker ✗ ✗
Influencer ✗ ✗ ✗
Investigator ✗ ✗
Maker ✗ ✗
Medic ✗ ✗
Occultist ✗ ✗
Organizer ✗ ✗
Professional ✗ ✗
Socialite ✗ ✗ ✗
Social Worker ✗ ✗ ✗
Spy ✗ ✗ ✗
Survivor ✗ ✗ ✗

96
 Academic
You’re a scholar, an intellectual, a researcher, you’re an Academic.

You know how to navigate knowledge. While you may not know their practical applications, history, the sciences, math,
architecture, art, these are all things you can deal with. You don’t necessarily know everything, even within your discipline, but
you know how to access information, which is often even more valuable in the modern era.

What this skill set doesn’t provide is knowledge about the occult. That’s the purview of the Occultist skill set. That said, you have
no trouble looking into the publicly known history of the occult, which is often useful if not entirely accurate or thorough.

O Overcome: Academic allows you to overcome

intellectual challenges. This can mean researching
to uncover information, or applying information you
already know.

Create an Advantage: Knowledge is power, and

C power is an advantage. Often you can use Academic
to apply a story detail as an advantage. This is your
proverbial research montage that uncovers the trick
the heroes need to use to win the day.

A Attack: Academic isn’t used to attack.

D Defend: Academic isn’t used to defend.
ACADEMIC STUNTS
[ TRIVIA BUFF: You know a little bit about a lot of
things. So long as you can justify it with a weirdly
relevant factoid, you can spend a fate point to use
Academic in place of any other skill set.

[ COLD LOGIC: You get the way the world works, and
can apply reason in the face of supernatural influence.
You can use Academic to Defend against supernatural
mental influence.

[ SPECIFIC DISCIPLINE: Choose a narrow application

of Academic, such as science, history, math, or art. Any
use of Academic within that discipline gets +2.

Gloria works two jobs (one #iHunting,)

and spends a few hours every night
before bed taking online paralegal
classes to get her certification.

97
 Assassin
You’re a killer, a hitter, a wet worker. You’re an Assassin.

The Assassin skill set is all about one-way violence. It’s not a skill set for fighting—it’s a skill set for taking out an opponent
quickly and efficiently. It’s the skill of snipers, poisoners, and characters that take down their targets with shock and awe tactics.
It’s about the unrestrained use of excessive force. If there’s a two-way fight going on, then it’s no longer a matter of Assassination.

O Overcome: Assassins are about attacking, not about

overcoming. This skill set is almost never used for the
overcome action.

Create an Advantage: Advantages with the Assassin

C skill set are all about setting up the kill. It’s about
lining up a good shot, about getting the target to put
their guard down, or taking an opiate to help with
those shaky hands.

A Attack: This skill set is most commonly used for

attacks, whatever that means for the given assassin.

D Defend: The best defense is a good offense. Assassin

is not used for the Defend action.

ASSASSIN STUNTS
[ DISABLING SHOT: Sometimes one hit won’t do it, so
you need to take out a limb, an eye, a tentacle, whatever.
Spend a fate point when you’ve made a successful attack
to apply a situational aspect to the target in addition to
the normal effects of the hit.

[ KILL SHOT: Against a completely defenseless or

unaware target, take +2 on your Assassin attack actions.

[ SHOCK AND AWE: You get one additional free

invoke on any consequence you cause with your
Assassin skill set, so long as you are using it to terrorize,
intimidate, or distract.
dad
lly w a s fo un d gu ilty for killing her
Ho
e escaped jail, so
in self-defense. Sh
liv in g on bo rr ow ed time. Now she
she ’s
count—and pay.
makes every kill

98
 Athlete
You’re a jock, a traceur, a sports enthusiast. You’re an Athlete.

The Athlete skill set represents physical acumen, skill, and potential. This is what the ideal human body looks like. You might
not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. Athlete is the skill for impressive running, jumping, climbing, crawling,
falling, and whatever other physical feeds an #iHunter needs to do.

Special: Athlete gives you additional stress

Overcome: Do you need to overcome a problem with
O your body? Get over something? Through something?
and consequence slots. Average to Fair (+1 to
+2) gives you a 3-point stress box. Good to Great
Move something? Outperform someone? That’s an (+3 to +4) gives you a 3 and a 4-point stress box.
Athlete action. Superb (5+) and up give you an additional mild
consequence. These stresses and consequences
Create an Advantage: Creating an advantage with
C Athlete tends to reflect using physical acumen
to impress or otherwise set up an advantageous
can only be used against physical harm.

situation or position.

A Attack: Athlete isn’t used to attack.

D Defend: Athlete is the most common defense against
physical attacks. Note that it normally doesn’t help
against guns, since normal people can’t dodge bullets.
tl;dr don’t get shot.

ATHLETE STUNTS
[ THE FLOW: You’re a master of parkour. Once you get
started, nothing stops you. After the first parkour or
movement-based Athlete action in a scene, all others
get +2.

[ DODGY MOTHERFUCKER: You can’t be touched

unless you want it. Any time you use Athlete to dodge
an attack, take +2.

[ RUN ‘EM RAGGED: When they start you up, you

never stop. Any time you best another character in a
chase, whether you’re trying to overcome or providing
passive opposition, you give them a situational Jack has a sh
EXHAUSTED condition. ort attention sp
draws trouble an and
. So, he’s lea
[ NO WALLS NO MASTERS: You can move freely to move out, th rn ed how
rough, over, u
through an additional zone per conflict exchange. Any around anythin nder, and
g you can ima
rolls to overcome obstacles between physical zones get gine.
+2.

99
 Fighter
You’re a scrapper, a brawler, a warrior. You’re a Fighter.

Fighter is the skill set for, you guessed it, fighting. It mostly covers close combat with bodies and weapons, but it can also cover
a firefight. If you’re just shooting someone, that’s Assassin, but if there are shots being traded, that’s Fighter. Also unlike Assassin,
Fight covers both ends of the struggle, both trying to hurt the opponent and trying to make sure the opponent doesn’t hurt you.

O Overcome: Fighter is only ever rarely used outside

of a fight. It could be used to impress someone, or
perhaps to remove a physical obstacle.

Create an Advantage: Most Fighter advantages are

C about “trick shots” and using the the application of
violence for tactical applications beyond just hurting
the enemy. Disabling limb, disarming, that sort of
thing would fall under advantage creation.

A Attack: This is the single most common use of the

Fighter skill set. Simply: You attack.

Defend: Fighter is commonly used defensively as

D well. Any time you use your body to take a blow, you
use martial arts training to block, or you deflect a
weapon, that’s a Defend action using Fighter.

FIGHTER STUNTS
[ BAD REPUTATION: You’re trouble, and everyone
knows it. By spending a fate point, you can replace any
skill set with Fighter so long as you’re leaning on your
reputation as someone who kicks ass.

[ FEINT: You fake out your opponents before delivering

the haymaker. When you create an advantage by
delivering a fake attack to put your opponent off guard,
take an additional free invoke on the aspect you create.

[ KILL THE PAIN: Once per chapter, you can spend a

fate point to reduce a moderate physical consequence
to a mild one if you have an open mild slot, or you can
Clark tried so hard to stay the straight
erase a mild consequence.
and narrow, put his energy into
firefighting instead of street fighting,
but the monsters are still out there.

100
 Grifter
You’re an operator, a politician, a facilitator, a player. You’re a Grifter.

A Grifter’s a musician, and their instrument is other people. You know exactly what to say to make people do things they might
not otherwise do. You use the Grifter skill set any time you need to lie or otherwise bend the truth to get what you want. It’s good
for tricking people, and hiding your own motives from prying eyes.

O Overcome: Access is a big part of what makes a

Grifter. Overcome with Grifter to get someone to
believe something, to get somewhere you don’t really
belong, or to make someone say something they were
trying to keep secret.

Create an Advantage: The grift is all about building

C the game, and the game is an advantage. You can
build rhetorical traps and confidence games your
opponents can get trapped in while you do... whatever
you were really intending to do.

A Attack: Grifter isn’t used to directly attack.

D Defend: Grifter can act as a defense against attempts
to discern your true motives or suss out lies you’ve
told.

GRIFTER STUNTS
[ CONFIDENCE GAME: On aspects you’ve created
with Grifter, you can use free invokes to compel
those aspects without spending fate points, as well as
normally invoking them.

[ CHARACTER ASSASSINATION: You can use

Grifter to attack characters mentally by going after
their reputations and public profiles. This works in
place of the Influencer attack action.

[ FLAWLESS COVER ID: You’ve built and perfected

one specific alternate identity, and trained yourself to
play the part flawlessly. When using that identity, all
Grifter actions are at +2.
Jake did MLM, sold vacuums door-to-door,
knives in supermarkets, anything to turn a
buck. Now he’s convincing vampires he’s
got a lead on cheap, synthetic blood...

101
 Guerrilla
You’re a strategist, an insurrectionist, an urban tactician. You’re a Guerrilla.

The Guerrilla skill set is all about mobilizing people to action against overwhelming odds. This might mean just yourself, as you
escape from enemy captivity. This might mean your crew of hunters, as you surround and harry an ancient vampire that could
kill any single one of you with a touch. There’s some overlap with Spy on the stealth level here, and some overlap with Athlete and
Fighter even in combat situations. This makes Guerrilla sound like a catch-all skill, but it’s not. The important distinction is that
Guerrilla is about minimizing losses against overwhelming odds. Also Guerrilla isn’t an attacking skill; it’s best for setting up plots,
plans, and traps to benefit other skill sets’ attacks.

O Overcome: For the Guerrilla, overcoming is about

executing the plan. Be it escape from hostile territory,
or getting the jump on a target, it means putting your
strategy into full effect.

Create an Advantage: Most Guerrilla advantages

C reflect plans, be they theoretical or practical. A
strategy discussed with your team ahead of time can
be an advantage, as much as a well-placed bear trap in
the battlefield.

Attack: Guerrilla isn’t for attacking. It’s generally for

A setting up attacks with other skill sets.

D Defend: Guerrilla isn’t used to defend. A Guerrilla

defends by avoiding the danger in advance. If it’s
moved to direct harm, then it’s another skill set.

GUERRILLA STUNTS
[ SMALL UNIT TACTICS: Once per scene, when you
create an advantage reflecting team tactics, add one
additional free invoke to it. The catch is, two different
characters have to use those invokes.

[ OVERWHELMING ESCALATION: Whenever you

imperil a character with a Guerrilla aspect, step up any
harm caused by the choice by +2.

[ TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM: Whenever a nearby

teammate is suffering stress, you can spend a fate point
to take any amount of that stress upon yourself. You
have to explain how your plan diffused the harm.
Growing up the surrogate parent for
siblings in a broken home teaches you [ TEAM MOVEMENT: When you make an overcome
patience and stealth. Samantha is now action to move through obstructed or multiple zones,
an expert at moving crews unseen. your entire team can in the same exchange without
rolling or using their actions.

102
 Hacker
You’re a tinkerer, a techy, a monkeywrencher. You’re a Hacker.

The world is full of complex systems that like to tell you, “no.” You’re really, really good at ignoring them. Structures and barriers
aren’t obstacles—they’re challenges. Whether you’re breaking into complex computer systems or digging through trash bins for
lottery tickets people threw away, you’re all about doing things your way when the world wants you to do them another way.
Hackers manipulate systems on an intuitive level.

O Overcome: Hackers overcome. When they see a

barrier, they kick it down. When they see a limitation,
they push it too far. Overcoming obstacles is the most
important purview of the Hacker skill set.

Create an Advantage: Creating advantages for

C Hackers is mostly about installing back doors
and conveniently storing access keys, literal or
metaphorical. It’s about making sure there’s a stopper
so the door doesn’t swing all the way shut when you
leave.
A Attack: Hacking isn’t attacking. Put that on a bumper
sticker or some shit.

D Defend: Hacking isn’t defensive.

HACKER STUNTS
[ ANONYMITY: While hacking isn’t inherently
defensive, your habits trend toward anonymity. You can
use Hacker to defend against electronic and identity-
based attacks. Also, add +2 to any active or passive
opposition on any such attacks against yourself.

[ THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT: So long as you can

justify it digitally, you can spend a fate point to use
Hacker in place of another skill set.

[ BRUTE FORCE: When you’ve failed to break into

a system with the Hacker skill set, whether digital or
social, your next effort is made with +2.

[ BACK DOOR: When navigating zones in digital

space, you don’t need to roll to move an extra zone per Jenn grew up being told girls don’t exist
exchange and rolls to move through obstruction get +2. on the internet. That’s fine by her—it
just means she can break into any
system and nobody suspects her.

103
 Influencer
You’re an icon, a cultural bellwether, a maven, a thought leader. You’re an Influencer.

The Influencer skill set is all about moving the bar of public opinion. It’s about popularity, it’s about being on the forefront. At its
simplest, as an Influencer, you’re good at making people like you, listen to you, and respect you. Sounds real fucking nice, doesn’t
it? As an Influencer, you can make friends out of strangers, and often your reputation precludes you and does all the hard work of
first impressions for you.

O Overcome: For the Influencer, overcoming an obstacle

usually means overcoming a person or a group of
people’s apprehensions and getting them on board.

Create an Advantage: Influencers create advantages

C by building favorable social situations, making sure
their reputation is spotless and their opponent is
looked on as the enemy.

A Attack: Most socially-based attacks are made with

Influencer. Influencers make and break reputations
and can remove a person’s support networks.

D Defend: Influencer skills aren’t made for defense.

Why do you need to defend yourself when others will
defend you, anyway?

INFLUENCER STUNTS
[ DRESS FOR SUCCESS: When creating an
advantage based on preparing your look or overall
presentation and public image before an event, you get
an additional free invoke on that aspect.

[ GUEST ON MY STREAM: If you allow it, you can

allow others to use your Influencer skill set instead of
their own. But if they fail, you share in the consequences.

[ HEEL TURN: Once per session, when faced with

a compel against one of your aspects, instead of
choosing to accept or refuse the complication, you can
instead choose to change the aspect. If you do this,
you invalidate the compel, as if it never happened, and
any spent fate points return to the person making the
Valentina has 150,000 followers for her compel. If you do this, you can never change the aspect
makeup tutorials. While she’s not a star, back to what it was.
it means she has eyes on the street in
any major city where she’s hunting.

104
 Investigator
You’re a detective, a sleuth, a busy-body, a skeptic. You’re an Investigator.

Right now, there’s something you don’t know, and that’s driving you up a wall. The Investigator skill set is about learning,
understanding, and piecing together that one goddamn clue everyone else missed. The Investigator skill set helps you to figure out
what’s missing or different, and piecing it together as part of an overarching narrative.

O Overcome: In a way, investigation is about overcoming

obstacles. When you overcome as an investigator,
you’re peeling back layers, looking for details, and
otherwise trying to collect the right information to
build a coherent understanding.

C Create an Advantage: Investigators create advantages

by investigating. A convenient piece of information in
the right hands can be truly devastating, whether it’s a
weak point in a load-bearing wall, or just the one word
that will set off the enemy the moment he hears it.

A Attack: Investigator isn’t used to attack.

D Defend: Investigator also isn’t used to defend.
INVESTIGATOR STUNTS
[ EYE FOR ENTROPY: You’re great at pointing out
weak points. When you create an advantage pointing
out a weakness, it gets an additional free invoke that
can only be used for attack actions.

[ DEBUNKER: You are quick to cut through bullshit.

Any Investigator actions to debunk (or confirm) a fraud
or conspiracy get +2. This is also called “Muldering.”

[ ELEMENTARY: You are adept at announcing what

appears to be outlandish details about a mystery, and
then making them true. Whenever you spend a
fate point to declare a story detail, you can also
create an aspect with a free invoke that can only
be used for Investigator actions.
On weekdays, Bailey hunts for rare import
exclusive LPs. On weekends, they use
those skills to hunt eldritch monsters hidden
from human eyes. They’re similar skills.

105
 Maker
You’re a crafter, an engineer, a builder, a designer. You’re a Maker.

Makers make things. They see problems, and they build solutions. The Maker skill set covers everything from piecing together
blankets when you’re cold, to programming a camera drone to spy on your targets. In today’s technocratic hell world, the powers
that be will use technology against you. Why not use it against them? In the 21st century, homemade is always better than store
bought.

O Overcome: For the Maker, the most common overcome

action is ultimately just answering the questions, “Can
I make this?” or “Can I design and build a solution to
this problem?”

C Create an Advantage: Makers are experts at creating

advantages. The things they build are tools, and tools
are advantages. A piece of tech is meant to help a
person solve a problem, and that’s exactly what Makers
do with create an advantage actions.

A Attack: Maker skills cannot directly attack.

D Defend: Maker skills also cannot directly defend.

MAKER STUNTS
[ CONTINGENCY PLAN: You always bake in
alternative solutions. When creating an advantage with
Maker, you can make two aspects, but you can only use
one free invoke between them.

[ QUALITY CRAFTSPERSONSHIP: You take pride

in your work, and any device you create is tougher
to destroy. It gets +2 to defense or passive opposition
against any efforts to harm or dismantle it.

[ DESIGN TRENDS: When dealing with known trends

in technology and design, you can use your Maker skill
set in place of any other skill set.
nce to
Mae left Shenzhen for the cha [ UTILITY DRONE: When creating a drone for a utility
She’s got
revolutionize tech in the US. purpose, you can spend a fate point to give it one skill
n’t have
the raw talent, but she does set at a level equal to your Maker skill set.
the startup cash. Not yet.

106
 Medic
You’re a healer, a doctor, a soother, a nurse. You’re a Medic.

Medics understand the human body. They get the way it works, the way it doesn’t work, and how to bridge the gap when
something’s gone wrong. As a Medic, you know the way chemicals, plants, diet, and behavior interact with human physiology. You
also know hot to stop a bad situation from getting worse.

O Overcome: When a Medic overcomes, they’re

overcoming a conflict with the human body. They’re
intervening against a problem or diagnosing an
otherwise mysterious issue.

C Create an Advantage: An ounce of prevention is

worth a pound of cure, and prevention is most of
how a Medic creates advantages. From inoculating
against monster poisons, to taking the right drugs to
perform on the job, these are the ways a Medic creates
advantages.

A Attack: The Medic skill set isn’t for attacking.

Defend: The Medic skill set is also not for defending.

D
MEDIC STUNTS
[ FIRST AID: Any Medic roll to intervene and diagnose
or stop a medical issue from getting worse gets +2.

[ PERFORMANCE ENHANCING: If you custom

tailor a drug dosage for an individual and create an
advantage, it gets one additional free invoke.

[ FIRST, DO HARM: If you’re willing to throw ethics

at the door, you can use your Medic skill set in place of
Assassin when attempting to harm someone based on
your expert medical knowledge.

[ FIELD MEDICINE: Once per session, you can treat

someone’s wounds quickly. Spend a fate point to reduce
a moderate consequence from physical harm to a mild
consequence if they have a mild slot open. Alternatively, Gail (and her dog)
you can remove a mild consequence entirely.
started out as
a vet tech before
she started as a
[ I GOT THIS: You can ignore the normal +2 difficulty street medic with an
antifascist group.
penalty for treating your own consequences. It’s basically the sa
me thing.

107
 Occultist
You’re a shaman, a loremaster, a parapsychologist, a witch, an esotericist. You’re an Occultist.

An Occultist understands that the world isn’t as it seems. Occultists question the status quo of reality, and pick apart when
the laws of nature apply, and when other laws apply. Occultism is about studying truths that weren’t meant to be learned, and
navigating the hidden world that’s existed parallel to humanity for thousands of years. Occultists don’t just believe in monsters—
they get monsters. They don’t care about what isn’t supposed to happen—just what does happen.

O Overcome: For Occultists, overcome means

researching and applying esoteric knowledge to solve
a problem. Sometimes that problem is just not having
enough knowledge. Sometimes it means finding a way
to put it to use practically.

C Create an Advantage: The most common advantage

an Occultist provides in #iHunt relates to uncovering
monster weaknesses.

A Attack: Occultist skills cannot directly attack.

Defend: Occultist skills also cannot directly defend.
D
OCCULTIST STUNTS
[ DEFENSIVE CHARMS: If you know what you’re up
against and have at least ten minutes to prepare before
an encounter, you can defend against supernatural
abilities with your Occultist skill set.

[ SPECIALIZATION: Choose a type of monster or

magical tradition. You get +2 to all Occultist rolls
relating to your area of expertise.

[ LORE HOUND: Your knowledge of supernatural lore

is deep and unrelenting. Once per session when you
create an advantage based on a learned factoid about
the supernatural, it has an additional free invoke.

When Gunther realized he’d fallen

in with a group of Nazi occultists, he
stole as much of their shit as he could
and uses it to hide from them.

108
 Organizer
You’re a leader, a motivator, a coordinator, an MC. You’re an Organizer.

Organizers deal with groups, and deal with keeping everything safe and in order. They’re experts at recruiting, maintaining group
membership, and fostering group morale. There’s a bit of overlap with Guerrilla, but Guerrillas focus on the external execution of
the plan, while Organizers focus specifically on the health and maintenance of group dynamics. If a group needs someone to fill
a skill gap and quick, an Organizer does that. Making sure they can do that under sub-optimal conditions is up to the Guerrilla.

Overcome: When a group has an internal issue, an

Organizer overcomes it. If members can’t reach an
agreement, or there’s a niche that needs filling, that’s
on an Organizer to overcome.

Create an Advantage: The primary advantage

Organizers create is motivation. They keep group
members active and positive about their work, in the
face of crushing negativity.

Attack: Organizer skills aren’t used to attack.

Defend: Organizer skills aren’t used to defend.

ORGANIZER STUNTS
[ IMPRESSIVE SPEECH: Once per session before a
big confrontation, if you give a big motivational speech
to whip everyone into shape, the aspect you create gets
an additional free invoke.

[ IN THIS TOGETHER: If a team member is suffering

emotional or mental stress on the job, before they roll,
you can let them use your Organizer skill set instead of
their own skill, or take +2. But if they fail, you suffer the
same stress they do.

[ GROUP BURDEN: Once per session while working

as a team, when a member takes stress, you can choose
to move 2 points to another member. The other member
has to agree, and you have to explain how you helped
them shoulder the burden. Four years ago, C was a “proud centrist.”
Then the medical bills happened. Now C is
a radical. Now C is organizing the black
bloc, fighting back the tides of oppression.

109
 Professional
You’re an expert, a tradesperson, a specialist. You’re a Professional.

A Professional doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel—they know how the wheel is built and can rebuild it because they’ve built
it a hundred times before, each better than the last. As a Professional, you possess a foundational, often formal knowledge and
experience learned from years of study and practice. You’re an expert in your field.

Note: When choosing the Professional skill set, you have to determine what profession it covers. This can be a field, and isn’t
necessarily a legal job. For example, you could be a Professional at gambling, labor unions, paralegal work, or any number of other
fields. These skill sets are meant to be broadly, creatively applied, so don’t go too narrow and specific.

O Overcome: What is a profession but the specific

series of skills and tools to solve a given problem? A
Professional can overcome that problem with their
expertise, and often can use that expertise in broad
terms to solve related problems.

C Create an Advantage: The most common advantages

made with Professional look like statements that
start with, “In my professional opinion...” It means the
strategic application of knowledge and skill to assist
in another effort.

A Attack: Professional skills aren’t meant to attack.

D Defend: Professional skills aren’t meant to defend.
PROFESSIONAL STUNTS
[ INTERDISCIPLINARY SPECIALTY: Choose a
secondary field somehow related to your field. For
example, if your field is Professional: Janitorial,
you might also take Professional: Customer Service
reflecting time dealing with the public as a janitor. You
get to use both fields with Professional.

[ SPECIALIZATION: Choose a more narrow specialty

in your field. For example, Professional: Scientist might
offer specialization in biology or physics. Take +2 when
the specialty applies.
Work in HR is soul-sucking, and so [ WORK BUDDIES: You know people in your field
are demons. Phawta knows people you can call on. When spending a fate point to add a
management and interviewing skills that story detail, you can create a character whole cloth who
are shockingly useful in possession cases. has an inherent tie to your work history and owes you.

110
 Socialite
You’re a debutante, a hanger-on, the life of the party. You’re a Socialite.

The Socialite skill set is all about fitting in. Whereas an Influencer is an expert at making waves and dragging culture along
behind them, the Socialite is a chameleon who works within pre-established systems, moving with the flow. Social success is a
bit of both, pushing with Influencer, pulling back with Socialite. For that reason, Socialite is often the defense against Influencer
attacks. A Socialite knows the rules, and when to bend them, and who they really apply to. For this reason, they’re often good at
talking themselves out of uncomfortable faux pas. Most importantly, Socialite skills transfer. If you’re good at dealing with people,
you’re good at dealing with people. You might need different clothes and grooming to fit in elsewhere, but if you can study a group
for a short while, you can figure out what makes it tick.

O Overcome: A Socialite overcomes social obstacles.

If things are getting tense, a Socialite can cool them
down with a well-placed joke. If things are getting
boring, a Socialite knows exactly the safe amount of
controversy so as to not blow things up.

C Create an Advantage: Socialite advantages are all

about social dynamics and interconnectedness. A
Socialite can make an advantage by introducing
the right people, commenting on the right outfit, or
pointing out who doesn’t belong..

A Attack: Socialite skills aren’t designed to attack.

D Defend: Socialite skills are how a person defends
from a social onslaught. They’re great for erecting
social barriers or defending reputations.

SOCIALITE STUNTS
[ COOL AS A CUCUMBER: You’re unflappable.
You can use your Socialite skill set to defend against
any effort to upset you or influence your behavior,
supernatural or otherwise. If you were already allowed
using Socialite to defend, take +2.

[ EVERYBODY’S DARLING: You’re universally

loved. The first time in a conflict that someone tries to
socially attack your character or reputation, they take 2
stress regardless of whether they fail or succeed.

[ SOCIAL CHAMELEON: You can blend in anywhere.

With access to a well-stocked closet or used clothing Home catering gave Delia access
store and a half an hour, you can dress a team and coach she never dreamed of. Small intimate
them to fit in where they don’t belong. They can use parties of the wealthy and powerful is
your Socialite skill set for their Grifter actions, and you
as dangerous as it is useful.
take +2 on all Socialite rolls while properly “disguised.”

111
 Social Worker
You’re an advocate, a counselor, a therapist. You’re a Social Worker.

The Social Worker skill set means you’re able to help people deal with the lot they’re handed in life. The world of #iHunt is a
terrifying and deadly one, where lack of access to healthcare and monstrous, slime-mawed bat-like demons threaten people in
kind. A Social Worker can help a person cope, connect with the necessary services to get by, and ultimately stand in their corner
when nobody else will. A Social Worker is the duct tape that keeps a broken life from falling apart all over the floor.

There’s some overlap with Organizers here. But Organizers specially deal with the health and social dynamics of a group,
whereas a Social Worker helps individuals cope with their problems. In a practical sense, in #iHunt, Social Workers tend to deal
with victims and communities affected by the supernatural.

O Overcome: Social Workers have two major challenges

they overcome. The first is helping ease open the
barriers people erect, so they can start healing. The
second is finding the solutions to problems, because
we know stress and depression correlate to life
circumstances.

C Create an Advantage: Social Workers commonly

create advantages in the form of networks and
services they can call on in times of need. Never, ever
underestimate the value of a good phone tree or crisis
hotline.

A Attack: Social Worker skills aren’t made to attack.

D Defend: Social Worker skills aren’t made to defend.
SOCIAL WORKER STUNTS
[ LITTLE BLACK BOOK: You’ve helped a lot of people,
and they appreciate it. Any time you spend a fate
point to add a story detail, you can create (or modify)
a character you’ve helped in the past who owes their
current success or stability to you.

[ THE RIGHT WORDS: Once per session, after talking

to someone for an hour, you can spend a fate point and
reduce one of their moderate consequences to mild
if they have a mild slot open. Alternatively, you can
remove a mild consequence entirely. This only works
on social or mental consequences.
It’s complicated, but Nancy grew up in
the Philippines in a bad bad sitch. Now [ APPEAL TO EMPATHY: By appealing to someone’s
better nature (if possible,) you can defend against their
she uses her white face to stand up
attacks with the Social Worker skill set.
against the system in the US.

112
 Spy
You’re an agent, an operative, an informer. You’re a Spy.

The Spy skill set is about secrecy and the mobility of people and information. It’s about going unnoticed and about the craft of
information security. The life of the Spy is a life of secrecy, of dead drops, and of completely unglamorous work. Ideally, the Spy
moves around right under your nose. Investigators can pierce this veil if they know what to look for. If you need to get someone
surveilled without drawing attention, you contact a Spy. If you have this important piece of data on a flash drive you need nobody
to ever find until you say so, you contact a Spy. If you need to lay a trap and draw attention, you call a Spy.

O Overcome: Spies try to avoid obstacles. Often, that’s

their use for overcome actions. Also, when their
cover’s blown, making a huge diversion and getting
out quickly? That’s an overcome action.

C Create an Advantage: Spies are all about the

advantage. They establish dead drops and boltholes,
safe rooms and dead ends instinctively.

A Attack: A Spy’s skill set isn’t inherently for attacking.

D Defend: Spies use their skills to defend from
Investigators and other prying eyes. Spy applies any
time you’re trying to avoid detection.

SPY STUNTS
[ IMPRESSIVE ESCAPE: You’re very good at walking
away from explosions while putting on sunglasses.
When you use your Spy skill set to create an advantage
as a diversion for escape, it can also act as an attack
action.

[ SAFE PLACE: When you spend a fate point to add

a story detail and establish a safe house, bolthole, or
other location you’ve previously secured, you can use
your Spy skill set to defend against any targeting you or
your team within that safe place. If you’d normally use
your Spy skill set, take +2.
Hector’s got a
[ CASE THE PLACE: You tend to case locations for degree, but he
who paid his m knows
entrances and escape routes. Once per session, if you adre’s bills w
create an advantage for ease of mobility and flight, you was away. He he n he
doesn’t like th
can either create two aspects but with one free invoke but they’re be e gang,
tter than the
between them, or you can create one aspect with an cops.
additional free invoke.

113
 Survivor
You’re a Survivor. Just a survivor. That’s it. In the end, it’s enough.

Survivors have dealt with some real heavy shit and they’re alive to face another day, and another day, and another day. We’re not
going to lay out all the awful shit in the world you might have gone through, but we’re sure some stuff comes to mind. The Survivor
skill set is all about being tough enough, smart enough, stubborn enough, lucky enough, or whatever to not let it kill you. Maybe
you have tricks and coping mechanisms. Maybe you’re just tough as fucking nails. But you’ve made it this long, and you’re not
letting some ancient death god take that away from you.

Special: Survivor gives you additional stress and consequence

slots. Average to Fair (+1 to +2) gives you a 3-point stress box.
Good to Great (+3 to +4) gives you a 3 and a 4-point stress box.
Superb (5+) and up give you an additional mild consequence.
These stresses and consequences can only be used against
mental and emotional harm.

O Overcome: Survivor isn’t a common overcome action.

It’s generally reactive. But you can use it to find
necessities when all else fails. You can use it to find
shelter. You can use it to stay awake for a long job.

C Create an Advantage: Usually creating an advantage

as a Survivor means scavenging and otherwise
collecting resources to prepare for later famine.

A Attack: Being a Survivor isn’t about attacking.

D Defend: By default, Survivor defends against any
normal source of mental or social stress.

SURVIVOR STUNTS
[ SHAKE IT OFF: Once per session, you can spend a
fate point to shake off a mental consequence. You can
reduce a moderate consequence to a mild one if you
have a mild slot available, or you can remove a mild
consequence entirely.

[ IGNORE THE PAIN: You can ignore that which

would hurt you. You can use Survivor to defend against
physical stress as well as mental.

[ NUMB: Monsters affect minds and hearts, based on

Ada knew she was alone before mom
how they expect a person’s mind and heart to work.
said, “I don’t have a daughter, I have You’re broken. Normally that’s a hindrance. But against
a son.” But she learned to live without monsters’ mind and emotion influencing abilities,
relying on anyone from there on out. you can defend with Survivor or take +2 if you could
already use Survivor.

114
 New Skills
In the Fate Core Rulebook, you’re expected to reconsider Really, the further you move away from the core experience
their skills (which are basically the same as #iHunt’s skill of #iHunt, the more you might consider changing things.
sets.) The #iHunt rules are really hyper focused on making Some things might just take a reskin, though. For example,
#iHunt the best #iHunt that #iHunt can be. For that reason, “Influencer” is a very modern concept. It’s not like those types
there’s a set skill set list, and you’re pretty much expected to of people didn’t exist in the 90s, for example, but that’s not
use that. what we called them. Maybe we call them “Hype Man” or
“MC.” If you go that route, the skill set looks identical. You
However, some games might have sufficiently different might need to rename some of the stunts or whatever, but
circumstances to warrant different skill sets. Here’s some you’re just putting new polish on the old idea and acting like
thoughts on that. it’s new. Welcome to capitalism.

STICK WITH THE NUMBER REMOVE SKILLS ENTIRELY

The number of skill sets is kind of important. It’s not, like, There’s not a lot of room here to get into complex hacks of the
going to break the system entirely if you change it. But it’ll system. But skill sets add 18 very specific traits to the #iHunt
cause some unintended issues. character sheet. Maybe you want a slightly simpler game?
The reason for the number of skill sets is fairly simple: It Consider something more like... approaches. This is a
interfaces with the number of skill set ranks a character gets concept introduced in the Fate Accelerated Rulebook. Instead
during character creation, and guarantees that if a group of of a full skill list, you pare the concept down to a few abstract
players each make characters, they should be able to all have ways that characters approach challenges.
strong areas of expertise without too much overlap if they
want. Additionally, it guarantees that no one character will Here’s one way you can do that with four approaches.
be a full “jack of all trades” able to address every potential
problem with every potential avenue of solution. It also [ Force: You meet challenges hard and strong. Whether
means that characters will have a nice variety of skill set through physical prowess or personality, you hit hard.
levels, so not every action should look mechanically identical.
[ Creativity: You think your way through problems.
Most characters should have a couple of options for
[ Will: Some call you stubborn. They’re just haters. You
attacking and defending, as well as a number of options
have an indomitable will.
for creating advantages and overcoming. This is the system
as designed. If you fuck with it, you’ll want to consider the [ Luck: Fuck it. Sometimes you just throw fate to the
consequences and work accordingly. winds and let the universe decide.

WHY CHANGE IT? With this model, each approach is rated 1-4, just like a skill
set. You get one at 1, one at 2, one at 3, and one at 4. The
Really, the times you’ll want to change the skill sets come stunt list becomes fully open, and you can tie any stunt
down to pretty extreme “what if ” circumstances which to any approach that makes sense. You get extra physical
fundamentally change the nature of #iHunt. What if, for stress and consequences from Force the way you’d normally
example, you want to tell an #iHunt story not in the 2020 under Athlete. You get extra mental stress and consequences
gig economy, but during Reaganomics? Clearly you’d need to from Will the way you’d normally under Survivor. Most
change some shit. There’s no iPhones, so no gig apps. You’d importantly, all approaches can attack, defend, create
have to consider how that model changes. Maybe it’s through advantages, and overcome.
Reaganomics era predatory temp services? If you do this, One minor change though is that every time you use the
you probably don’t need the Hacker skill set. Maybe instead same approach in a consecutive row, the next time it’s at
you’d opt for a Driver skill set, because the proliferation of -1 until you use something else. This keeps you from just
automobiles in that era was much more culturally relevant “spamming” your best approach all the time. It encourages
what with all the shitty trucker movies. I dunno. you to mix stuff up.

115
 Nachzehrer: Chapter 2
#WHEREWOLF
T took me to a place they’d secured for
observation of a well-traveled alley, a shortcut
from a main street and the apartment complex.
“Everyone around here has heard the stories
of a few people getting attacked by crazy
homeless people walking this way, but after a
double shift or coming home from your second
job at three in the morning, getting bitten by a
rabid vagrant doesn’t sound that bad.”
I considered the lack of social programs, but
kept it to myself. San Jenaro was horrific,
but it wasn’t as if the tides of politics weren’t
pushing austerity and xenophobia everywhere.
Monsters live in those margins, and monsters
have money.
“What do you expect this being is?”
“Hungry dead. You get them from time to time.
Shoot them in the head, no problem.”
“You have a gun?”
T shook their head. “I mean, no, but baseball
bats do the job. I was making a pop culture
reference.”
“I have seen the oeuvre of Romero, thank you.”
T laughed, but not at me as we crouched
behind a dumpster that smelled of piss and
worse.
“Your witnesses have recognized any of the
dead? For a possible cause?”
“Dunno. I didn’t get contracted to find out the
why. That’s above my pay grade.”
Before I could argue or even be annoyed by
the response, there was a shuffling groan.
The building to our back was the agency and
recruit center for starlets and cover girls and
temporary secretary work. Were they getting a

116
better deal than my friend here with their app?
I couldn’t say for sure. “Head trauma isn’t going to do it, friend.” I tried
to warn T, but things were moving too fast.
As it happens, the building across from us was
abandoned which was delicious juxtaposition. The thing sprung from the wall to T, propelled
But more than that, it was from which the by preternatural strength. I took a swing as
groan came. it went through the air, taking its leg easily
from its rotted frame. It still landed on T, who
“You wanna get the door?” T asked me,
rolled when attacked with practiced ease. The
motioning to emergency entrance door to that
two rolled a bit but T ended up on top, and
building that had been nailed over long ago.
pounded the thing several times in the head
“I will remind you, I am not in fact a werewolf. with their fists, the bone-crunching sound made
I’m a bookworm, as you say.” me cringe a touch, I’ll admit. But it was the
thing’s brittle bones and not T’s knuckles.
“Bookworms don’t pack guns like that.” T
motioned to my upper arms, of which I’ve After the pummeling, the thing stopped struggling,
received many compliments that also intimidate and T got up cautiously, before taking the bat
many men from the dating pool. to its head until it was nothing but mush. I could
comment on the violence, pent up fury, damage
I huffed, rose from the squat, and made my
that the hunter tried to expel from their own
way over to the door, using a collapsing baton
soul as they finished the monster. But. I’m
I’d brought with me to pull a board out of the
sure you can imagine.
way so we could slip in.
“And that’s a wrap.” T said once they were
As it turned out, we didn’t need to sneak in.
done, leaning back on a wall to catch their
The groaning raised in pitch and a beast of a
breath. They took out their phone with one
thing slid out as soon as I made the space. It
hand. “You wanna pop in this selfie with me?”
moved like a snake with limbs, fast and on far
too many joints. It climbed past the hole in the “What?”
door and skittered part of the way up the wall.
“We keep track of successes like this. It’s
“The fuck?!” T said, hopping up from their a memory. I’ll never forget the time I met a
hiding spot to sway easy on their feet. It was Grimm, and we killed a... What did you call it?”
a martiall stance, but not one I’m intimately
“Nachzehrer. The thing is, friend, you can’t kill a
familiar with. Maybe a mixed martial art.
Nachzehrer in that way.”
“Not a ghoul.” I slid the baton away and slid my
“You can’t?” T lowered their phone.
machete from my backpack. “A Nachzehrer.
They’re quick.” I shook my head, and the thing groaned. Its
groan was then met with a chorus of other
“Look at that. We’re learning!” T leapt forward
beings called from deep within the abandoned
with the potential energy built up in their small
building by the sound of their comrade in
frame and nailed the thing once firmly in the
violence.
skull.
T pushed off the wall, came around no stand
Its head bounced, and it merely skittered
beside me, took a selfie anyway, and grinned at
further up the wall, hissing.
me. “Well, I’ll never forget the time I fought with
In life, I think, it had been a beautiful young lady, a Grimm and we got killed by a bunch of hungry
though beautiful by mundane standards, not by dead.”
those of the media. She still bore the marks of
“That day is not today.” I readied my machete.

117
her death—the exit wound of a pistol out the
back of her skull. “You sure you’re not a werewolf?”
 CHAPTER FIVE:
#SELFIES
(CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT)
#iHunters grow and change as the story progresses. They
learn new skills, they get hurt, they meet new people, SCRAPBOOKING
make new connections, burn old bridges. There was You keep track of your selfies in what we call a scrapbook.
recently a fucking garbage fire of a Monopoly game called You can just use a piece of lined paper where you write
Monopoly For Millennials, and Hasbro should feel bad shit down but where’s the fun in that?
and apologize to the world for dominating the internet for
like fifteen minutes with this shit. But one of the takeaways Make a scrapbook.
was that the players don’t actually buy property (which Seriously.
should be an indictment of capitalism, but somehow is
an indictment of millennials.) Instead of buying property, Depending on your play format, make an appropriate
they buy “experiences,” like skydiving, eating avocado scrapbook. If you’re playing around a table, go to the
toast, being in a polycule, posting Spongebob memes, or dollar store or use a shitty old notebook you have lying
I don’t even fucking know because I stopped reading that around and swore you’d use to write your great novel but
shit after like five seconds. let’s be honest it’s just gonna end up in a box somewhere
or thrown away when you move. If you’re playing online,
In #iHunt, experiences are the currency of advancement, make a little wiki. If you’re playing a LARP, do a simple
because cash is always temporary and fleeting, and because Instagram account for your character. The sky’s the limit.
objective measures of rewards in games like this lead to I recommend using the scrapbook to actually hold your
bullshit libertarian thinking where equal effort leads to character sheet. I like printing and chopping up the parts
equal rewards, and “merit” is what gets a person success. of the character sheet then pasting them on the first two
This is all disgusting as fuck, so I’m doing the Monopoly pages of my scrapbook. Look, I never said I was cool.
for Millennials approach but not turning our nose up at
the people for whom experiences are more important than
buying houses that the government is liable to take away SELFIE TYPES
or fucking raid when some turd on 4chan calls the SWAT There are three basic types of selfies:
team on them anyway.
[ Big moods (episode selfies)
#iHunt characters advance through a system we call
Selfies. Selfies are experiences you’ve decided to record [ Big fucking deals (story selfies)
and turn into a formal part of your character’s identity.
Selfies do two very important things for your character: [ Life-changing events (season selfies)

[ Selfies grant advancements. Advancements are The different selfie types relate to the frames of out-of-
how you improve and buy new skill sets, acquire character game time, the session, the story, and the season.
new stunts, and swap out extreme consequences.
Let’s break down how each of the selfie types works, and
[ They can be used for callbacks. Callbacks are like when you get them.
minor aspects that can only be invoked.
When you get a new selfie, you can take an advancement
depending on when and how you get it. But selfies remain
in your scrapbook, and you can callback each one of them
once per session. This means you have an immediate effect
on your character sheet, but you also have a lingering
benefit that persists through the life of your character and
helps to define their overarching story.

-118-
 B IG MOOD
(EPISODE SELFIES) S
Big moods happen once per episode. That is to say, once an Average (+1) skill set and replace it with one
per game session. This isn’t necessarily at the end of play, you don’t already have.
but that’s the easiest time to resolve what they give you.
[ Swap out a stunt for a new one.
To mark a big mood, something important has to
happen in game. Maybe it’s something cool. Maybe it’s [ Spend 1 refresh for a new stunt.
something tragic. Maybe it’s something funny. Maybe it’s
something just plain fucking stupid. Point is, it should be [ Rename a character aspect that isn’t your high
something worth remembering. concept aspect.
Also, you can rename a moderate consequence as “in
MARKING BIG MOODS recovery,” as described on >>PAGE 153.
You should mark a big mood with an expression. Maybe
a smiley face. Maybe a crying emoji. Whatever, so long as BIG MOOD CALLBACKS
you know it’s an episode selfie—a minor callback. You can callback a big mood once per episode, including
the episode where you got it. When you callback a big
BIG MOOD ADVANCEMENTS mood, you get +1 on a skill set roll, just like you invoked
an aspect, but +1 instead of +2. Like an aspect, it has to
These are minor changes in your character, more about
be relevant. Think along the lines of, “remember that time
changing than improving. You can do a few things with
I...” If that fits, you got it.
big mood advancements:

[ Switch the rank values of two skill sets, or remove

that
e r w hen we killed
R e m e m b outside the
re w o lf a nd I stood guard while
we
u ni t a nd sm oked a bowl Remember th
e wizard I ju
storag e d times. mped
e body? Goo in his shower
we melted th you savages
and he was a
ll “don’t
understand p
rivacy?”
-119-
 B IG FUCKING DEAL
(STORY SELFIES) S
Every 1-3 episodes, you should complete a story. Between [ Take one additional skill set point, which can buy a
stories, you can mark a big fucking deal, or “story selfie.” new skill set at Average (+1) or increase an existing
This is a significant milestone in your character’s story, so skill set by a single rank.
make it count. Look back at the story and figure out what
the most pivotal moment for your character was. A lot of You can also rename any severe consequences to note that
times, this comes at the end, at whatever resolution occurs they’re “in recovery.” For more on this, see >>PAGE 153.
as result of the gig, but it isn’t always the case. Note that you can never have more skill sets at a given
rank than you have in the rank below it. For example, if
MARKING B.F.D’S you have one skill at Great (+4,) you can’t improve it to
Superb (+5,) because then you’d have no Great skill sets
Mark a big fucking deal with an doodle or symbol. Just and one Superb.
an exclamation mark, or a planet, or a star, or something.
Preferably something tied to the memory.
B.F.D. CALLBACKS
B.F.D. ADVANCEMENTS You can callback a big fucking deal selfie once per game
session. When you invoke a callback, you can reroll all
Big fucking deals actively add to your character’s your rolled dice, or take +2, just like when invoking an
capabilities. You can do this at any time, whether between aspect. Like with any aspect, it has to be relevant to the
game sessions or during play since it’s just a skill set rank. scene. For big fucking deals, think in terms of “that job
With a B.F.D., you can do one thing: we did.” Like, “This is tough.” “Yeah, but remember the ice
cream truck job?” “Oh yeah...”

rt
u g h t I’d sta
er th o om a
u g J o b: Nev lt library fr at?
Sma occu l is th
y v e r y own g o n . H ow coo The Desert Road gig... I’ll never forget
m ra
s hell d it. Or the place we buried that flesh
real a monster who will totally never come back
to haunt us later. But we got $$$$, right?

-120-
 L IFE CHANGING EVENT
(SEASON SELFIES) S
Life-changing events happen between seasons. You know, [ If you have an extreme consequence, you can
just like on TV. Basically they happen every 2-5 stories. change it to something else. See >>PAGE 153.
Like the name suggests, these are big events in your
character’s life, and represent the most important things [ Add a point of refresh. You can use it to buy a stunt,
that happen during the season, or just shit you decide or just have more fate points at the start of play.
happens between seasons. These selfies are the chance
to just announce stuff that happened between season [ Advance a skill set beyond the game’s current skill
storylines. cap. This increases the series skill set cap.

[ Rename your character’s high concept.

MARKING L.C.E.’S
Life-changing events need a lot of visual fanfare. My L.C.E. CALLBACKS
recommendation is doing a cool border at very least. But
You can callback a life-changing event the way you could
the real business here is adding glitter glue, because glitter
any other aspect. This includes compels and dilemmas.
glue is fucking awesome.
You get one free invoke per game session, and when you
use that invoke, you get to use the edge die in addition
L.C.E ADVANCEMENTS to the normal invoke benefits, even if you don’t have the
edge. You don’t seize the edge—you just get to use the die.
These advancements are fucking huge. They’re turning
points in your character’s development. You get all of the
following that you want:

Jason’s gone and he’s never coming back.

old hideout.
I’ll never forget the R.I.P.

-121-
S ELFIES CHANGE THE WORL
(HOW SELFIES PROGRESS THE REST OF THE GAME WORLD) D
Selfies change the hunters as the story progresses. But
the rest of the world changes and grows, too. When the
LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS
players get their episode, story, and season selfies, it’s When the season changes, you should reexamine all major
worth taking a look at the motif aspects and location aspects, especially the motif aspect, and consider them for
aspects >>PAGE 74 that are currently in play, and revision. Talk to the group. Ask them what worked, what
considering whether they should be changed to suit the didn’t, and what they’d like to see going forward. Look
evolving needs of the story, or weren’t used enough. at the changes they made in their characters, and the
things they announced for between-season events. If the
Here are specific considerations for different degrees of characters are moving from community college into the
selfies: full-time workforce, for example, that just begs for a shift
in motif, and probably means a significant shift in regular
BIG MOODS locations, as the characters (probably) stop hanging
around the old community college.
These happen every session, during the session. So, you
don’t really need to overthink these moments. If the thing
that caused the big mood affected the world, just ask DIRECTOR CHARACTERS
yourself if it changed anything in the world that would be As you manipulate locations, shifting aspects, building
reflected in an aspect. Most commonly, this means adding, new locations, tearing old ones down, you have to
removing, or changing location aspects. remember that locations are only locations because
of people. Sometimes the only relevant people are the
BIG FUCKING DEALS players’ hunters. If it’s just a little clearing in the woods
where they go to relax, that’s on them. But most of the
Between stories, take a look at the more overarching
time, these games take place in cities, where the rest of the
aspects in play. Take a look at the motif aspect(s). Ask
world is important.
yourself if any locations used in that story should be
elevated to recurring status, and given permanent location People define places. The little burger and pastrami
aspects. Also look at your significant Director characters, burrito place on the corner is memorable because Lucinda,
and determine whether they’ve also grown as result of the who is usually pretty nice but it’s kind of annoying when
story. The answer should usually be “no,” but not always. she does her nails at the cashier station. So as you make
If the answer is “yes,” then they’re eligible for a big fucking locations and change locations, think about the people
deal advancement, just like any other character. that define them. Add new ones, and evolve the ones that
were already there.

-122-
 USING A SCRAPBOOK
(IDEAS FOR BUILDING YOUR CHARACTER BOOK)

The scrapbook is the default method for keeping track

of your #iHunt character. “Scrapbook” is more of an
INSTA FEED
abstract concept. While building an actual scrapbook is a Super easy, low maintenance, and fun. You build a social
super cool method, there’s a lot of ways you can approach media account for your character. Instagram, Twitter,
the concept depending on your specific play format. Tumblr (but you know, watch that porn,) Facebook, fuck,
you can even do Mastodon. Just tag it #iHunt!
You don’t need to settle on a single method for your
games. Everyone can do their own thing—whatever works I particularly like this method because the profile itself
for them. This is especially important because in the real makes you think about your character. You can use it
world, different people have different levels of investment. as part of the character creation process. The little bio
Some people like to give it their all at the table, delivering section on a Twitter or Instagram account? That’s basically
amazing performances, crying, getting passionate. When begging for a little collection of aspects. You can just
they go home though, they “clock out.” They don’t think create your aspects right there. You come up with a photo
about game until the following Saturday. Other players or icon representing your character. (I recommend a photo
might be quieter at the table. But they like to draw their because it’s easy shorthand that can help some of the
characters and work on elaborate collections of photos and other players put a proverbial face to a name.) Then there’s
hand-written short fiction to capture their experiences. a little hack to be had. You can type up your skill sets and
Two close friends might have a mushy relationship ratings, and your stunts. They should all fit in a tweet.
between their characters they want to play out in more Then you pin that tweet to your profile, and bam, you have
detail privately, “off-camera.” All of these play styles are a character sheet! You have your character sheet, and
perfectly valid! your feed then becomes your selfies. Search for random
photos or gifs to post. Drop a filter on it. Use emojis to
In fact, if a player likes to front-load their play, and do differentiate the types of selfies. Add a little commentary
a lot of “downtime” work, the Director should set aside to remind yourself about the cool game event. You can
a collection of fate points to reward them at appropriate Like and Unlike your own post to remember which selfies
times, even if they’re not bombastic at the table. If you you’ve invoked as aspects in that game session. Voila, you
wrote a three-paragraph story about your character’s have a character sheet and scrapbook in a place you’ll
time working at the Tacos Tomas, dealing with an utterly never forget on your desk at home before game.
insufferable customer, when that comes up at the table,
the Director can and should give you a fate point for it.
This can account for about 1-3 fate points in a session. A PIECE OF PAPER
This is super extra important if you’re playing a larger This is the shitty boring option, but the one you can use
game, like an organized event with numerous players, or if all-else fails. Use a piece of paper, or the back of your
a LARP. The “on-camera” scenes might only consist of a character sheet. You can even do this as a stopgap measure
few hours per month, while players want to immerse until you come up with something cooler. Basically, you
themselves between that time. For LARPs expecially, you just jot down your selfies, and draw a little icon or note
can offer players the opportunity for selfies between play designating what type of selfie it is. You can give it a short
sessions. For example, if your troupe meets every month, message to remind yourself what happened. You can draw
you might allow for one “at-game” Big Mood selfie, and a little check box to show whether or not you’ve invoked
one “downtime” Big Mood. With LARP style large-scale it for that session, just like with stress boxes or whatever.
environments, it’s usually wise to shift Big Fucking Deals If you go this route, I recommend putting it front and
to a certain number of sessions, like every three months center in front of you in play. I would favor it over the
of play, and Life-Changing Events to a static time-based normal character sheet. Hell, you can even take notes
target, like annually or every six months. This way new about important stuff like skill sets and stunt mechanics
players can start with a pre-established number of selfies. on the scrapbook page, so you don’t fall into the trap of
Here’s a few ways you can do scrapbooking for your pulling out your character sheet and forgetting about the
hunter. The actual, physical scrapbook is last. scrapbook. The scrapbook is there for a reason, to add
conceptual continuity to the story. Use it!

-123-
 ACTUAL SCRAPBOOKS APPLYING SELFIES
Make a scrapbook. You know you want to. You don’t have I gave a little guidance in the seconds on marking the
to dump a lot of cash to do this—you only need to invest three types of selfies, but that’s all just guidance. If you
as much as you want to. If you want to hunt down a rich come up with a better system for keeping track of selfies
person, murder them, tan their flesh, and use it to build a in your scrapbook, absolutely use it.
leather-bound tome of—wait don’t do that. Olivia’s lawyer I strongly recommend using photos, or if you’re
says she needs to make it perfectly clear that murder is an artistically inclined, drawings. I find the act of finding
in-game activity only, and that Machine Age Productions a good representative photo (or taking one,) printing it,
does not condone the murder of wealthy individuals no cutting it to size, and applying it to the scrapbook to be
matter what kind of crass jokes Olivia posts on Twitter. not only immensely satisfying and even meditative, but
The point is, you can scrapbook on the cheap, or you it helps me to immerse myself in my character. I can
can go all-out. That’s up to you. You can staple a few pieces really internalize what that moment means to the person
of paper together and make a scrapbook. You can grab a I’m playing. It’s really a learning technique—it’s a lot like
marble memo book at the dollar store. Do you have kids? how listening only goes so far, but taking notes helps to
Steal, er, borrow their glitter glue. Check out some Youtube implant knowledge in your mind. Focusing the effort for a
tutorials. Have some fun building your character and their minor craft related to the story means you’ll grow to better
identity with this little artifact. identify with that aspect of the story.
As you might have guessed, my favorite way to do selfies
My favorite method is to take the first two pages of the is in a fake-ass Polaroid style. In practice, I just use paper
book, and dedicate them to the character sheet. I chop I’ve cut out like a Polaroid to frame the image. It’s nice
up all the little parts, the skill set boxes, the aspects, because it gives a nice border space to work with, a margin
everything, and I paste them into those first two pages for marks and border doodles without entreating on the
with glue stick. It’s like craft day at summer camp meets image too. It also gives you a nice little scribble space at
Tetris. Then I go at the whole thing with gel pens and the bottom I can use to jot down any relevant details or
personalize it. Everything I think of that would pertain memories I want to. You can also note a little check box
to my character, I doodle or write. This very, very quickly or something to denote whether or not you’ve used that
starts bleeding into the third and following pages. This is selfie’s free invoke for the game session, but I like using
cool because I am sort of setting the stage for selfies—I just alternate methods. My current favorite is little neon sticky
leave a rough chunk in the middle of the page where I can tabs I can flip up and down—if the tab is flipped up, it’s
paste a selfie picture later. My benchmark here is, “think available; if it’s flipped down, it’s been used. The Polaroid
of what my character would mark up her Trapper Keeper* method is also fun because it’s welcoming to tape. You
with, and do that.” Does my character like a stupid cartoon can tape the edges, maybe a little more than I did in the
from the 80s? I’ll print out a picture of a character, chop example selfies on the past few pages. Since I live in Japan,
it out, and paste it in. The sky is the limit here. But if I that means “washi tape.” You can get it elsewhere online or
accidentally start a cottage industry of overpriced Ebay in your favorite Asian market, but it’s basically a decorative
sellers hawking vintage Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers, I’m masking tape that turns a boring, drab scrapbook into
sorry in advance. something truly amazing. ALSO STICKERS.
Then as you add selfies, just start adding them to the Alternatively, you can use a “selfie template” to paste
pages. Don’t worry about organization or overlapping into your scrapbooks. To do this, you really just need
here. The whole idea is to spew out ideas and really build space for the selfie’s name, what type of selfie it is, a space
a weird conglomerate that “feels” like your character. It’s to mark your free invoke, and some space for notes. Here’s
not supposed to be perfect—in fact, perfect is contrary to a little example I threw together for a quick playtest game:
the whole idea. Be messy. Be chaotic. It’s more important
that when you pick up that book, it evokes memories and Selfie Name
feelings about your character and their experiences. Don’t Notes
feel limited to paper shit, either. If you find little trinkets,
coins, collectibles, whatever that you think can represent INVOKE
your character, glue them or tape them in. Maybe you’re
Selfie Type:
out shopping and you find a coin minted the year your
character was born. Or you stumble upon a coin from
On the next page are three of the selfies Lana earned
their parents’ country of origin. Maybe you find a cool
from #iHunt: Killing Monsters in the Gig Economy. If you
little piece of cheap antique jewelry you think they’d wear.
haven’t read that book, minor spoilers I guess?
*I feel like maybe some of you might not know what a Trapper Keeper is. They were gaudy, utterly dangerous
-124- paper binders we used for school in the 80s and 90s. Go look up pictures.
 A NATOMY OF A SELFI
(THREE SELF-INDULGENT EXAMPLES OFSELFIES) E

Meeting Vanessa: Killed a vampire.

Spent $2000 on blood transfusions.
Denny learned about vampires. You The Party: Met my
future vampire
know, all in a day’s work. girlfriend Natalie.
Not pictured: The
guy she accidentally
murdered. Oops!

The Wizard: It’s not a REAL wizard

fight unless you blow out all the
windows. That’s just the rules, sorry.

-125-
 Nachzehrer: Chapter 3
#TWISTOFLEMON
Three more of the dead rushed at us in their
writing, jerky, insecoid movement. I hated to look
at them. One, fresher than the others, had been
a young man whose intact corpse suggested
drugs or poison as a cause of death, his
swollen blue tongue that hung from his mouth
as he bit at my face confirmed it. Another man,
with a gun wound from temple to temple tried
to scurry up along the wall but T swung at him
to break a leg or arm and slow his ascent. The
third of those rushing us went straight past
me to the far wall. Animal-like cunning—the dead
were trying to flank us.
“So how do you put them down, Grimm?
Because the first one’s already got its leg back
on.” I followed T’s line of nachzehrer had drawn
its severed leg to it and had reattached it as
its head rolled horrifically like a sack of bones
and meat from its neck.
“Traditionally?” I shoved the thing biting at me
backward and brought my machete up to get
into its mouth as it tried to bite me again. “Coin
in the mouth and decapitation.”
“That’s weird!”
“Monsters are weird.” I opted to keep the
possible pathology of the cure to myself, as
time did not permit.
“These kids all killed themselves.” T said, the
one with the temple holes climbed up further
and T grabbed him by the ankle, yanking him off
the wall to the ground with a solid thunk. “Oh, I
hate the way they scoot up the wall. Ugh.”

126
“The story is that they’re caused by an “That’s the tradition.”
unnatural death, but it has to be a little more
“You’ve done this before?”
than that. Suicide or other unfortunate deaths
in a place with a malevolence about it.” I pushed “Not in these numbers. The infestation will still
with the blade and the whole of my weight and be an issue.”
we slammed into the wall, giving me enough
T looked past me to the agency and back,
leverage take his skull off from jaw up. Well,
nodding. “Right. Time to not get my fingers
almost. Its spine remained solid enough to stop
bitten off.”
me.
T slid low, tackling one of them, expertly bringing
T came up behind the one they’d pulled from
it to ground.
the wall and took their bat to it to slow it down.
“The apartment complex?” “Their bites aren’t infectious.” I told T. I hope it
sounded encouraging. One leapt from a wall to
“No. The signs aren’t there. You’d need a place
T’s back, but I cut into its flank deep enough
that was the center of great misery and...” The
that it scurried away rather than expose itself
thing I’d nearly taken howled and bit down hard
to another strike by me.
enough to snap my machete. “Scheiße.” I kicked
it in the chest so it hit the wall again and I could “Oh, good.” T said dryly, punching the thing he’d
push further away from it. tackled twice more, so it howled. They jammed
a coin into the thing’s mouth and as it let out a
“Desperation? A place of desperation?” T
choking noise, I came wide and took the head
prompted, hitting first the nachzehrer in the
with the weight of my messer.
slowly healing skull-sack, sending it collapsing to
its back again. T bounced up off the first we’d for certain put
down and backed up toward me. “Easy peasy,
“I? Yes. That might cause an infestation such as
lemon squeezy.”
this.”
We both whipped our head to the side as still
T looked back at me. “You need to run? You
more sounds came from within the abandoned
unarmed?”
building.
As if I carried only one weapon. I tossed my
“Stress distress and lemon zest.” T said, and
bag from my shoulder to get to the sheath
we agreed to an expedient tactical retreat.
behind it and draw my grosse messer.
“That’s a big knife.” T said appreciatively.
“Teamwork. Can you get coins in their mouths?”
“I uh. I don’t carry cash.”
Americans.
“Coin purse in my main pocket in the bag. I’ll
hold them back.” I moved to cover T as they fell
back to dig through my bag. The nachzehrer that
could move slithered toward us, looking for an
opening as I waved my... big knife... in front of
us in a defensive pattern.
“So I stuff in the coins, you cut off their heads,

127
and they’ll stop coming back?”
 CHAPTER SIX:
#THEHUSTLE
(ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES)
In #iHunt, you roll the dice when something’s in the way of what you want, it’s interesting, and the consequences
of not getting what you want would also be interesting. If it’s not interesting, or the consequences would hamper the
story, you don’t need to roll—the thing you want to do just happens.

Under late stage capitalism, if you don’t face the world head
on, if you close your eyes too long, the world will chew you
up and spit you out. In #iHunt, you’re portraying characters
who won’t stand down. You’re a “doer.”

When you “do,” when your character chooses to take a

stand and try to reshape the world in some way or another,
you pick up the dice. Here’s the process:

[ Choose a skill that fits your character’s approach.

[ Roll four fate dice or three fate dice and the edge die if
you currently have the edge.

[ Add the symbols on the dice. A + is +1, a - is -1, and a

0 is 0. The edge die simply adds the number on the die.

[ Add your skill rating to the roll to get your total.

OPPOSITION
[ If you’ve invoked an aspect, add +2 or reroll the dice.
Any action worth rolling has some sort
[ Compare the total to the opposition and determine the of opposition. There are two kinds of
results of your action. opposition—passive and active.

Passive opposition reflects difficulty and

complexity of an action. It’s represented by
a position on the ladder, essentially a target
number the action has to overcome. For
your convenience, I reprinted the ladder on
the next page.

Active opposition exists when another

character is trying to keep your action
from succeeding. It’s represented by a dice
roll, the result of which your action has to
overcome.

128
THE FOUR OUTCOMES
When you roll the dice, one of four things happens: You
fail, tie, succeed, or succeed with style. SUCCEED
When you roll higher than the opposition by 1 or 2 shifts,
FAIL you succeed.

When you roll lower than the opposition, you fail. This means you get what you want, laid out the way you
wanted it. This is the straightforward win.
The outcome isn’t in your favor. You might outright screw
up the action. You might be able to succeed at a serious cost.
You might have to deal with a new obstacle. SUCCEED WITH STYLE
When you roll higher than the opposition by 3 or more
TIE shifts, you succeed with style.

When your roll is the same as the opposition, you tie. This means that not only do you succeed, but there’s an
added benefit or perk tied to the success.
You might get what you want at a cost, or you might get a
minor version of what you wanted.

THE LADDER
The ladder is a rough guideline for action difficulty when
setting passive opposition. It’s very “touchy feely” but if you
want more thoughts on how it works, check >>PAGE 312.
As a loose guideline, I tend to make most actions Mediocre,
Fair, or Great difficulty.

+8 Legendary
+7 Epic
+6 Fantastic
+5 Superb
+4 Great
+3 Good
+2 Fair
+1 Average
+/-0 Mediocre
-1 Poor
-2 Terrible

129
 THE FOUR ACTIONS
Any time you make a skill roll in #iHunt, you’re taking one of four actions. You’re rolling to overcome, to create an advantage,
to attack, or to defend. When you pick up the dice, you decide which of the four actions you’re taking. Usually, it’s pretty self-

o
explanatory which action you’re using, but not always. A punch isn’t always an attack, for example, sometimes it’s done to create
an advantage, to defend, or to overcome an obstacle. It all depends on intent and what you want the result to be in the story. Note
that some skills can use different actions—while some can do all four, not all of them can. More on that on >>PAGE 94.

OVERCOME Results
If there’s something stopping you from achieving a goal,
you use an overcome action and apply your skill in order [ When you fail to overcome, you choose whether to fail
to remove that hurdle. the action, or succeed at a serious cost.
Skill sets are more or less defined by the types of challenges [ When you tie in an overcome action, you succeed but
they can overcome. For this reason, overcome actions tend at a minor cost.
to be the most frequently used, and the most obvious in
application. For most skill sets, the first thing you should [ When you succeed in an overcome action, you get what
think of when you think of what the skill set does is an you want as you expected.
overcome action. It’s how you solve problems with this skill set.
[ When you succeed with style in an overcome action,
you get what you want along with a boost.

oOvercome
The target’s in that mansion, and going in the
front door is just not a viable solution. To get
around his security, Tara has to climb the rocky
cliffs behind the property. Roll to overcome with
the Athlete skill set.

130
 c
CREATE AN ADVANTAGE
When you use one of your skill sets to create a benefit for
another action afterward, or to turn an existing situation
Results
to your favor, you create an advantage. [ When you fail to create an advantage, you either do
not create the advantage, or you give the opposition a
Any time you manipulate the circumstances of the story
free invoke on that aspect.
to benefit later actions, that’s creating an advantage. On the
hunt, this generally happens when characters are doing prep [ When you tie, instead of creating an aspect, you simply
work, setting up traps, or helping each other take down a create a boost >>PAGE 75. Or if you were building on
monster. Creating advantages is a matter of life and death, an existing aspect, you get one free invoke.
since dealing with monsters on their own terms is tantamount
to suicide. But any time there’s a sort of “one-two punch” in [ When you succeed, you create a situational aspect
the story, the “one punch” is an advantage. with one free invoke or add a free invoke to an existing
aspect.
When you create an advantage, you must declare whether
you’re creating a new aspect, or taking advantage of an [ When you succeed with style, you create a new aspect
existing aspect. If you’re building a new situational aspect, is with two free invokes, or add two free invokes to an
it attached to a character or the environment? existing aspect.

Rocko’s got the gig of a lifetime, but it means

infiltrating a gang to take out its vampire leader.
Sasha wants to give him the right tattoos to sell
his story. Roll to create an advantage with the
Maker skill set.

cCreate an
Advantage
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 ATTACK

a
When you want to apply a skill set to harm or remove Results
another character from the scene, you attack.
[ When you fail to attack, you fail to affect the target.
Attacking is the application of force to impose your will Also, since the defender probably succeeded in a defend
on the world. This might be literal, with a fist to the face, or action, that means you’re facing other consequences.
figurative, like going after someone’s reputation with a smear
campaign, or through non-physical means like threatening [ When you tie in an attack, you don’t cause harm, but
them into submission, but it’s all attacking. you get a boost >>PAGE 75.

Normally only a small number of skill sets can attack. While [ When you succeed in an attack, you hit your target
you can always help others through creating advantages, with success equal to your total shifts. The target can
most hunters need at least one good way to attack, since the “buy off” the attack by taking stress and consequences.
game’s about, you know, attacking monsters. If they can’t or choose not to, they’re taken out of the
scene.

[ When you succeed with style in an attack, you hit just

like a success, but you can reduce the hit’s value by one
to take a boost.

Tara, Rocko, and Sasha have all tried their tricks,

and the vampire Malikai is still alive. Josiah says
fuck that, wraps his fist in rag wet with holy
water, and jumps the motherfucker. His player
tells the Director, “I’m trying to remove him from
the scene.” The Director says, “I got that.” Roll to
attack with the Fighter skill set.

aAttack
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DEFEND

d
When you want to apply a skill set to prevent someone Results
from creating an advantage against you or attacking you,
you defend. [ When you fail to defend, you receive the consequences
of whatever you were defending yourself from. Usually
Any time someone attacks you or tries to create an this means being hit, or having an advantage created
advantage specifically targeting you (not one making a against you.
general situational aspect,) you get to defend.
[ When you tie while defending, you give your opponent
Not every skill set can be used to defend under normal a boost >>PAGE 75. Note that they don’t get two
circumstances, so be mindful of how your character defends boosts—the attack action also mentions getting a boost
themselves when making them. on a tie, but that’s for ease of reference.

[ When you succeed in defending, you stop the attack, or

you prevent the advantage from being created against
you.

[ When you succeed with style in defending, you stop

the attack or advantage as per success, but you also
seize the edge >>PAGE 136 (or gain a boost if you
already had the edge) as you flip that shit.

Chevette has been dating Lane. Lane keeps saying she should
quit hunting and go back to school because nobody’s ever
going to see her as a woman with such a violent job. He won’t
listen when she politely tells him to suck her girl dick. He just
keeps pushing and stressing her out with his mansplaining,
transmisogynistic bullshit. Roll to defend with the Survivor
skill set.

DDefend
133
 Nachzehrer: Chapter 4
#RIOT
Once we exited the immediate area, they did “Are these posters weird to you?” T asked
not immediately follow us. T knew some... quietly. We had no flashlights, so I couldn’t be
methods to interrupt traffic flow through the sure, but some of the graphic design suggested
area. Within an hour or two there were cops runes or glyphs.
and protesters outside the agency and no one
“This is not accidental.” I pointed to a poster
seemed especially sure what the problem was,
where it was somewhat more obvious. The cool
but no one was risking going through the side
chic design included a marking for ‘death’ and
road.
‘suffering’ clear to anyone who knew of such
“How did you get the police to respond so iconography.
quickly? Do you have sway with them?”
“I would never have seen that.”
T snorted at me. “Nah. Fuck the pigs. I shook
“We should take a selfie then. We’ve learned
up some local QAnon people, convinced them
something.”
there was a whole bunch of white girls getting
trafficked through this talent agency, and T stuck their tongue out at me. “So what’s the
that Nancy Pelosi was coming to visit tonight. deal. This whole place is a factory for making
Q-creeps showed up to gotcha, Antifa “caught nachzehrer or what?”
wind” of the Q-creeps and showed up to
“I think that is the purpose here, but I don’t
mask-up and where Antifa go, fa follow. I mean,
understand why.”
the cops showed.”
“Still not paid enough for why.” T said, smashing
“I don’t understand.”
in a window to the site manager’s office. Inside,
“Good. That’s good that you don’t. In the the messaging was the same, oppressively so.
meantime, we gotta figure out what to do about A palpable feel of failure in the air. As if just
the infestation.” T watched the crowd, it was being there it forced me to reflect on every
tense despite how small the crowd really was. time I had ever made errors in my life. In me,
Riots had started with fewer people, after all. “I there was sorrow. In T, I saw rage.
may have overdone it.” They looked past me to
“They might hear us.”
the agency.
“That’s sort of the idea.”
Of course, the next logical step was to break
into the agency while the crowd outside “I don’t understand.”
distracted the local police. Or so T explained as
“I get that, yeah.” T said, grabbing up bottles of
we crept into the building.
whiskey from the manager’s bar. Old-fashioned.
The misery was palpable. While the walls “Can you get into the janitor’s closet across the
were lined with glossy photos of the rich and hall there?”
powerful, the messaging was strange. Messages
I could and did, and T came up behind me with
with double meanings like “well, you can’t work in
bottles and an intensity of purpose I would not
fast food for long, can you?” and “die trying or
have expected.
just die, the choice is yours.” “The successful

134
do whatever it takes. Can you?” “What’s the plan?”
“We destroy this place.”
“If we destroy it, we cannot learn the true
motivations.”
T looked at me, and I held up my hands. “You
live here, I do not. I’m just here to observe.”
“And help?” T asked me, handing me a brick.
“And help.” I took the brick.
What followed was controlled chaos. T started
the mayhem by blasting a speech by an
American politician on the office’s sound
system and that seemed to stir the crowd.
At their request, I threw the brick through the
window and, I will admit, hit an officer. That
wasn’t my intent per se, but T seemed thrilled.
Then we set the place on fire and rushed out
the back.
Apparently, as we rushed out the back, the
cops and some protesters tried to rush in
the front, which turned into an absolute mess,
preventing emergency crews from getting to the
building in time to stop it from going to ash.
With a little help in the chaos, we made sure the
fire spread to the abandoned building across
the alley, but this one was easier to manage
for emergency crews. Later, police found the
bodies of a dozen missing from the area and
at least for a time, local papers discussed the
‘truth’ to the rumor that the agency had indeed
been human trafficking.
It was a messy thing, but the goal of
controlling the spread of nachzehrer had been
accomplished. I think I should like to remain in
the city awhile and observe more of these
untrained hunters. Perhaps those of us in the
Forest can learn a thing or two. What do you
think, Henry?

135
 CHAPTER SEVEN:
#THEEDGE
(THE EDGE, RULES AND APPLICATION)
Imagine a white room. A perfect arena of objective judgment, where
the best will rise to the top and the losers will be weeded out.

Now throw that idea away because it’ll never fucking happen in
#iHunt. #iHunt is a game that acknowledges that in the real world,
circumstances change constantly, and every single variable can
shift the dynamics of power significantly.

#iHunt is a game about humans fighting supernatural monsters,

exploiting the environment and using every possible trick to get the
upper hand.

In #iHunt, the flow of power from side to side, tracking who

currently has fortune on their side, is called The Edge, and it’s
represented with a rule called the Edge Die.

There are four basic ways to get the edge:

[ Start with it, through overwhelming odds

being stacked in your favor. All things the
same, monsters always start with the edge.

[ Gain it through an overcome action. This

is always actively opposed. Use either their
star rating or their active opposition roll,
whichever is greater.

[ Seize it by overwhelming defense. Any time

you defend against someone who has the
edge and you succeed with style, you can
take the edge from them.

[ Some special stunts (mostly monster stunts)

require the user to have the edge, and give
the edge away after usage. These are each
unique situations and each one is different,
so we’re not going to talk about them in this
chapter.

136
SEIZING THE EDGE
NO STARTING EDGE? START WITH IT
At the beginning of an encounter, the Director decides where Most of the time, one side in a scene starts with the edge. The
the Edge starts out. The default state is technically that Director determines this by a few basic criteria:
nobody has the edge. But that’s very rare. That’s addressed
under “Start With It” below. The Director has to determine [ All things equal, monsters get the edge.
sides, and weigh the scenario. But sometimes, just sometimes,
[ If both sides have monsters, compare their star ratings
nobody has the edge to start. This doesn’t necessarily mean
>>PAGE 179. The higher one wins out.
that everyone’s on perfect, exact, equal white room footing. It
does mean a couple of things, though: [ If the hunters have established situational aspects to
use against the monster, and they have more as many
[ Neither side has a monster, or both sides have monsters,
or more than the monster’s star rating, then they start
and the strongest monsters on both sides have an
with the edge.
identical star rating.

[ There aren’t any inherent, easily exploitable advantages OVERCOME ACTION

in play.
Characters can seize the edge with a dedicated overcome
If those two things are true, the Director can choose to start action. This is usually just a normal overcome action with an
a scene with neither side having the edge. In those cases, an active opposition from the person with the edge. If the person
overcome action or a defend action succeeded with style will with the edge is a monster, then the active opposition is equal
decide the first side with the edge. to the defend roll or the monster’s star rating, whichever is
greater. In practice, this means it’s often very difficult to
Now the other case for not starting with the edge in play seize the edge from stronger monsters, and usually requires
is if there’s no active opposition. If nothing’s actually trying invoking aspects to do. Even when it works out, succeeding
to stop the players from getting what they want, then there’s with style is exceedingly rare.
not really a need for the edge. But, if that’s the case, why even
bother rolling? Or, alternatively, figure out what is actually Monsters can seize the edge back this way, but since
trying to stop them. The system is set up to make your average hunters don’t have monster star ratings, they just roll against
person fail. If you need ideas on that, look to #THINKPOOR the hunter’s defend roll. Yes, this means monsters are pretty
starting on >>PAGE 262. good at reclaiming the edge once they’ve lost it.

OVERWHELMING DEFENSE
Any time someone with the edge is coming at you and you
have a valid defend action available, you have a chance of
seizing the edge. If you successfully defend with style, the
edge switches hands.

Note that this is always valid—the opponent doesn’t

have to actually be using the edge die on the action you’re
defending from. Otherwise, defending with style would be
almost impossible. Also, if you choose to seize the edge, you
don’t get the normal boost from succeeding with style. You
already get the edge die. That’s a good enough bonus.

137
 USING THE EDGE
THE EDGE DIE Joey Fullmoon, the college defensive linebacker
turned werewolf heartthrob who totally named
When you use the edge, you get to replace one of the four himself like a stereotypical native american which
fate dice in your dice roll with the edge die. The edge die is a is really gross even if you leave aside the snarling
single, regular six-sided die. cannibal part of his story, goes to bite Lana’s throat.
He’s a monster, so he starts with the edge.
So, instead of the normal fate die result of ~, } , or |,
you get a result of {to \. So while the normal roll results in The Director rolls for him using the edge die, and
a -4 to +4 result, with the edge die, it’s -2 to +9. gets ~}}{ with +2 for his Fighter skill set for a
The edge die is valid on any action you wish, be it an total of 2. Liv rolls for Lana and gets ~~~~ and
overcome, create an advantage, attack, or defend action. You adds her Athlete skill set of +2 for 6. She not only
can use it with stunts as well, unless the stunt says otherwise. defends herself, but she does so with style. So she
gets the edge.

He growls at her, and Lana comes back with, “You

know dreadlocks on a white guy are really culturally
insensitive, right?”

ONE FREE USE He pauses and says, “But my ancestors were

Celtic. They had dreads.”
The edge can’t just be used over and over freely—it’s an
immensely powerful mechanic. Every time your side gets
the edge, you get one free use of it. In some scenes, the edge
One of his friends says, “Celts didn’t have dreads,
will shift from one side to the other and back again a few Joey. Besides, your family’s from Italy, by way of
times; each time the new ‘owner’ gets a free use. However, New Jersey.”
if the opponent didn’t actually get to use the edge die, and
you take it, you don’t get a free use. You can’t just lock the Lana points and nods condescendingly. Liv rolls
opponent in a loop of gaining the edge and taking it back ~~|\ and adds Lana’s Influencer skill set for +3,
from them before they get a chance to use it for effectively for a total 11. The Director rolls Joey’s defend and
infinite edge dice. gets ~~|} with his Survivor skill set at +1, for a
After the free use, additional uses of the edge cost fate total 2. Lana wipes the floor with him. He’s utterly
points. humiliated in front of his werewolf pack. He’s almost
taken out of the scene entirely.

Lana starts mouthing off again, but this time

doesn’t have a free edge die, and Liv doesn’t have
any free fate points. So Liv rolls and gets }}}}
SIDES and adds Influencer for +3, for -1. This time the
An individual doesn’t have an edge—a “side” does. The free Director rolls ~~~~ for Joey with +1 for Survivor,
use of the edge each time a side gets it has to be shared; one totaling 5. This means he not only defends himself
person gets to use it, the others have to spend fate points. If from Lana’s verbal onslaught, he also seizes the
this is every up for debate, the person who seized the edge edge back. Since Lana had used the edge die on
should take precedence. They can either take the free edge her first action, that means Joey gets a free edge
die, or choose who gets it. die upon reclaiming the edge.

138
SHARING IS CARING MÉNAGE À TROIS/FOURGIES
One thing we like to do is use a single, dedicated edge Okay so we know how the edge switches hands from one
die instead of having every player keep their own. When side to another and back again. What if there’s a massive
someone seizes the edge, they literally take the edge die from clusterfuck with tons of different sides all working in their
whomever had it. own interests?

This serves double duty at the table. Basically it works exactly the same. Every “side” counts
as its own separate entity, and can possess the edge. Any
First off, it helps to keep track of where the edge is at any given side of a conflict can take the edge through the same
given time. If you get in the practice of handing the edge die methods, and each side has access to a free use of the edge
around whenever it switches hands in the narrative, you’ll die every time they get it.
never forget where it was, because it’s wherever it physically
is. This is especially nice for scenes where someone needs to The only real guideline here is that it’s best to simplify
step aside for a quick break, a phone call, whatever. groups where possible. If there are two groups that are
working toward the same goal despite not being inherently
It also helps to remind the players of the camaraderie in affiliated, they’re still one side for the conflict. Most often,
play in the story. If one player just recently took the edge, this means two groups of monsters going after the hunter
and another’s taking an important action, the first player team. But if the hunters split them up and turn it into a three-
can physically hold it up, offering it for use. This is like a way struggle, then they’re separate sides.
physical representation of “handing off the baton” and letting
one character’s effort bolster another’s. Sure, the rules don’t This doesn’t make things inherently easier for the hunters,
change at all, but it feels better. but it means the two other “sides” are struggling to shift the
edge between each other, taking some heat off the hunters.

139
 Who The Bees Are: Chapter 1
#SPECIALIST
Tuesday, 3pm
Since SOMEONE decided I needed to start seeing a specialist if I wanted to keep working with you all, I
thought I’d make a fucking report like we’re in high school and I’m in detention and have to write a journal
for the therapist for my ‘anger problems.’
I mean basically fuck you. I don’t have an anger problem, everyone else does, but whatever. So a friend
of a friend of a Knight that Sissy knows knows this chick that was supposed to ‘help’ whatever the fuck
that means. And this is me, keeping track.
You ever notice how many of us are obsessed with leaving receipts? We’re the documented generation.
I went to meet this woman at a small community garden near Mongolia Park. It’s cute, a little overgrown,
a little, er, shabby chic? Outsider art? They’re using old tires for planters and glass bottles in cement for
path stones. Yuppies would call it ‘eclectic’ if they bought out the neighborhood and gentrified it. I mean,
they’d call it eclectic right before demolishing it.
Whatever, this woman was standing beside these wooden crates, like weird little houses brightly painted
in garish colors. All orange and yellow and pale green and lilac. It’s just a complete mess, and it wasn’t
until I got closer that I realized they were makeshift beehives. She was somewhere between average
and tall. Somewhere between fat and skinny. Either Italian or mixed or something so I couldn’t place her
ethnicity or more than anything else about her. Like she was being average on purpose to go, ordinarily
unnoticed. But I was looking for her, so.
She wore a long flowing dress with buttons all the way down the front with a flower pattern fabric but
with a black leather jacket a little too big for her over it. A dude’s jacket. One with band patches. One that
had seen some fights. It didn’t work for her, but in the fucked up little garden, it looked like it worked.
“You Molly?” I asked.
She turned away from the beehives and considered me a moment. Her eyes went a little wide and
she mouthed something to herself I didn’t hear. “Yeah. I was told you’d come by.” She tucked some
hair behind her ear and looked at me like she could see right through my skin. Like she could see right
through my muscles and right into my guts. I kind of hated it, to be honest. “Well, it’s a really good first
step. You should feel good about that.”
“First step?” I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “What is this, AA?”
She shrugged and turned away from me like she was done talking. She, I don’t know, whispered at the
beehives a minute like I wasn’t there anymore. I waited, but fuck me if I know why. ”So are we done, I
guess? I’m gonna take off...”
“Dealing with your situation is going to be about finding out what your rules are, and doing your best to
live by them.”
“What?” I pulled my hands out of my pockets and crossed my arms. I wanted to be pissed off, but I just
couldn’t get it up, metaphorically speaking.
“Everyone has rules. Everything has rules. I say rules but understand I mean guidelines. A society is just
a collection of rules that most people agree too most of the time. You’ve spent your whole life being told
you were a freak because you’ve got your own set of rules and no one knows how to navigate them.”

140
 You know that song where the woman is talking about the musician spilling all her tea all over the
radio and dragging her? That’s what this one. She was killing me one word at a time. And yet, I
couldn’t get pissed.
“I understand this is hard to hear. But you don’t seem like a person with a lot of free time, so I
figured you’d appreciate me being direct.” She straightened up and faced me, tucking her hair
behind both ears, the sleeves of her over-large jacket covering her hands to the knuckles. “You’re
in a constant open state. You receive the feelings of others around you. You can’t control your
impulses because you’re feeling what you’re feeling and what other people are feeling. And it’s very
frustrating for you so you lash out, which makes other people angry, and so the cycle repeats.” She
stared through me again.
“Fuck you, bitch.”
She shrugged. “You’re not super angry right now because I understand my own rules, and I have
an idea of your rules. I’m abiding them, and so, neither of us are experiencing frustration and anger
you’d normally experience.”
“You’re manipulating me.” I stuck my finger out at her.
She shook her head. “No. I’m living within my own burden and negotiating with yours as best I
can.” She held her hands out in an open gesture I didn’t really understand.
I thought back to the last time SOMEONE had a fight with me. Or did I have a fight with her? Hell.
I wasn’t sure. But I was out of control and this fucking freakizoid understood something I didn’t so.
I don’t know.
“Why were you whispering at the beehives?” I gestured.
She looked over her shoulders to them and smiled a thin smile. One that suggested a lack of
confidence smiling. ”Oh. You know these community gardens. Everyone takes care of it. Anyway,
the old man who built the hives, he died. His people had these rules, where you have to tell the bees
when a family member dies. So. I thought I better come down here just in case.”
“You follow all the rules? That sounds like it would suck.”
“No. I pick and choose like everyone does. The key is not following the rules, it’s knowing which
ones will keep you alive, which ones will keep your life from falling apart, and which ones will keep
the bees happy.”

141
 CHAPTER EIGHT:
#THEFLOW
(THE FLOW OF PLAY AND DIRECTING)
Here, I’m going to talk about the rules, and the basics of Directing a game. You already know the
four basic actions, but here’s how we bring them together and use them in a practical sense. We
have a few different methods for using these actions—challenges, contests, and conflicts. As well, I’ll
talk about some of the unique considerations which relate to these rules. I’ll go over zones, stress,
consequences, how characters die, you know, all that shit.

With this chapter, you should be able to play a pretty basic game of #iHunt. This doesn’t touch
on more complex stuff like monster powers, or how gigs are supposed to play out, but by the end
of this chapter, and everything you know from the skill sets and stunts sections, you should be able
to improvise a fairly interesting monster. Also, there’s a whole master class on more complex tools
for Directing in the fifteenth and final chapter, on >>PAGE 312. You might want to try a couple of
games before you delve into that stuff.

Now let’s talk about the three most basic tools you have available in the #iHunt Fate rules.

[ Challenges: When one or more characters try to accomplish something complex or dynamic.

[ Contests: When characters are competing for a goal.

[ Conflicts: When characters are trying to harm one another.

142
CHALLENGES
Normally you can just use a normal overcome action to For an example, say your crew arrives on the scene and
resolve problems. The character has an issue, you roll to finds a dead body. The Director calls for a challenge. This
overcome, bam, it’s done. But when problems are more might mean someone uses an Investigator action to pick
complex, require multiple skill sets to address, or have stages up on the culprit’s whereabouts, someone else might use
or tiers to their problems, they can be the focus of a scene and Occultist to try to discern what kind of monster caused the
thus get upgraded to challenges. problem, someone could use Medic to determine the exact
time and cause of death, and Social Worker to get the victim’s
A challenge is a series of overcome actions all pointing to family calm so they don’t mess with the crime scene too
a single central goal which is too complex for a lone action much. It’s all part of one action—casing the scene.
or actor. You factor multiple overcome actions together, each
using different skill sets, and look at the whole of the results
to determine the outcome. Note that this is meant for full WHEN TO USE CHALLENGES
scene focus. If the action isn’t quite so important, you can As Director, to figure out if something’s a challenge, ask
just resolve this with the teamwork rules >>PAGE 157. yourself the following:

[ Could each separate action create its own

tension and drama by itself? If they are just
parts of one major drama point, it’s a challenge.

[ Does the problem require multiple skill sets to

deal with properly? If so? It’s a challenge.

[ In an 80s movie, would it be a montage? If so,

guess what? It’s a challenge.

143
 SET US UP THE CHALLENGE RESOLVING THE CHALLENGE
When announcing something constitutes a challenge, decide There’s no hard rule for how these sorts of scene actions
upon and jot down the series of actions or minor goals which resolve. You’ll need to decide which order the individual
will act as the combined challenge. Don’t do this quietly—let actions are rolled in. Generally, you want to get as many rolls
the Players contribute their own thoughts to this process, out of the way before you start narrating results. However,
since everyone might want to add something to the mix that some parts of the challenge will be wholly contingent on
the others weren’t thinking about. It’s okay if not everyone the results of earlier parts, so you’ll want to resolve those
is involved; hell, sometimes challenges are just one person sequentially. But as a tip, most of the time this isn’t really the
making a bunch of rolls. These sorts of challenges should be case, and you can just roll all the dice and get them out of the
kept to a minimum though, since you want to keep everyone way before you narrate results.
involved as much as possible.
Once you have all the rolls handled, look over the results to
In the previous example, this would be the Investigator, start narrating the scene. Only rarely should a single failure
Occultist, Medic, and Social Worker actions I mentioned. result in the whole thing going awry, so instead of making
Maybe you announce that, then one of the players asks if they the results binary pass/fail, let failure add complications and
can add a Guerrilla action to figure out where the monsters later consequences. If one of the characters in the murder
hid and how they got into the building in the first place. You example screwed up the Occult action, they might very well
mention that it seems more like a Spy action since it’s all find the monster that did it, but be in for a hell of a surprise
about figuring out where people were hiding and sneaking. when they finally chase it down.
But the Player suggests that their character is approaching it
Break it down. Describe how each part affects the greater
more from a direction of troop mobilization. You shrug and
whole, but also whatever interesting bits you can come up
say you’ll allow it. Always favor allowing requested actions if
with to spice up the individual actions.
possible.
Note that these sorts of challenges will often times result in
a surplus of unused boosts. Feel free to carry these on to the
next scene, or to the logical extension of these events. In our
example, boosts garnered during the scene would be usable
in pursuit of the culprit. That’s what montages are meant for
in these types of stories.

ADVANTAGES
During a challenge, characters can try to create advantages for
one another. However, ask yourself if it’s really an advantage,
or if it’s actually just contributing to the greater goal. As
Director, you should consider the stakes of create advantage
actions, and add negative aspects, compel characters, and
otherwise muck things up if they take the risk and fail.

ATTACKS
Challenges are always against passive opposition. This means
you’re never going to use the attack action in a challenge. If it
starts to look like a conflict for attacks, use attacks. However,
look to the intent and agenda. Sometimes something that
looks like a “fight” is really just an overcome action.
For example, in our murder case, what if one of the other
characters has to hold off an oncoming horde of hungry dead
and decides to do so by shooting them? That could be an
attack action. It could be its own separate conflict. But really
it’s probably just an overcome action, trying to give the other
characters space and time to safely investigate the scene.
The guideline here is, do whatever feels most fun in the
moment, and won’t break the flow and take the spotlight off
the cool shit happening.

144
CONTESTS
When two or more characters are working toward mutually Example. Nigella is running for Sanitation Commissioner
exclusive goals, trying to beat out the others but not in her neighborhood, because the other guy running is a
actively harm them, that’s a contest. This can be as simple wizard and you’ve got to assume something’s up if a wizard
as, “I don’t want to be noticed” working against, “I want to is running for sanitation commissioner. So the Director
notice her.” looks at the situation and decides that Nigella and her three
friends are working together as a team, and the opposition
SET US UP THE CONTEST is the wizard Perry Hotter (that’s not his real name) and his
sidekick familiar, the demon Grumbledore (that is his real
As Director, ask yourself the following questions to help set name.) We’re going to add HOME TURF ADVANTAGE
up a contest action: as a situational aspect that’ll mostly benefit the hunters, and
LEYLINE FUCKERY which will help the wizards. They’re
[ What are the sides of contest? Who is acting as an acting against each other because it’s mostly a reputation
individual, and what participants are acting as a group? game, and they’ll both be using Socialite or Influencer—their
Examine this by intended goals. Groups will use the choice, depending on how they approach the campaign.
teamwork rules.

[ What about the environment and context could

influence the contest? Consider any potential
situational aspects that could influence the scene, and
create them.

[ How are the sides opposing one another? Are they

acting directly against each other, like in the case of a
political campaign or a roller derby game? Or are they
trying to independently reach a goal first, like in a race
to a specific person from different locations?

[ Which skill sets will the participants be using? Does

everyone have to use the same skill set, or will different
groups be using different abilities?

145
 (C o nt e sts
continued)
THE EXCHANGES
Once you have the basics in mind, the contest moves forward
as a series of exchanges. During the exchange, every “side”
gets to make a skill set roll to determine their progress toward
the goal. This skill set can change with every exchange
depending on the circumstances. Each of these exchanges
is effectively an overcome action. In the scope of the scene,
each exchange is a meaningful beat of the action, where we
see progress and pitfalls. The most obvious reference here is
a chase scene, where every time one side briefly thwarts the
other or makes gains, that’s an exchange.
1. If you got the highest result, you win that exchange.
For the exchange, every “side” makes their roll. Groups use If everyone is rolling against each other, that means
the teamwork rules >>PAGE 157. Then, everyone compares you got the highest result overall. If everyone is rolling
their results, and you use these results to collaboratively independently against a common goal, the most shifts
narrate the results. There are four potential outcomes to each wins. If you win an exchange, mark down a victory.
exchange. This is the default state for an exchange roll. Most of the
time, this will happen. Narrate with a minor win, showing
how the winning party has made headway or gotten further
Making It Count ahead. Use the opportunity to say something specific and
interesting about the world and the scene.
Most contests are over in two to five exchanges.
Every exchange should matter—every exchange 2. If you succeed with style and no one else does, then
should deliver something interesting and new to the mark two victories. This is a massive gain. Half the time,
story. If you’re just rolling and adding up victories, it means the contest is almost over. The other half, it means
you’re missing out on the real value here, and that it’s completely over. So describe as with a win, but make it
comes in the form of incremental success and bigger, bolder, and more decisive.
failure.
3. If there’s a tie for the highest result, nobody marks a
As a guideline, with every exchange, use the victory, and something unexpected happens. Usually
opportunity to say something about the characters, this means a weird situational aspect enters play. But
about the plot, or about the world you’re playing in. note that in the case of a tie, the Players should be given
the option to succeed at a cost if reasonable. Describe
If you can’t even do that, maybe the contest isn’t
this with equal gains, or equal loss. But keep it fun. If the tie
really that important.
could have been an overall victory, describe how all parties
had victory in their grasp.

4. If you mark three victories, you win the contest. Here,

describe the win. The victor got what they wanted, whatever
that was. But open up to further drama.

146
ADVANTAGES ATTACKS
Before an exchange roll, participant parties can attempt to If a character makes an attack in a contest, then it becomes a
create an advantage. Depending on the specifics, the other conflict. Note that many times, such as in chase scenes, the
participants might get to actively oppose the advantage. entire point of the scene is to avoid a conflict. So keep that in
mind in what you do and don’t allow.
However, unlike a normal create an advantage roll, failing
to create an advantage during a contest levies an additional For example, if characters are trying to flee from a monster,
risk. If you fail to create an advantage in a contest, that the chase is the point of the contest. So the monster shouldn’t
means you also lose your overcome roll for that exchange. be able to attack the characters unless they win the contest.
This doesn’t mean you lose, necessarily, since the opponent Of course, specific circumstances can change this, but
could still fail the exchange roll. the contest’s entire point is to invalidate one method of
engagement. Don’t invalidate that narrative weight.
If you’re using the teamwork rules >>PAGE 157 to
contribute, failure means that you can’t add to the primary
actor’s efforts for the remainder of the contest.

Note that if you’re acting in a team, individual team Yackety Sax

members cannot make individual advantages to benefit the A lot of the time, contest actions act as connective
primary actor in the contest. You use the teamwork rules. This
tissue between vital, tense scenes. Not that a chase
is mostly to manage time and dramatic flow—if everyone
isn’t inherently tense, but really the important part
gets to make an advantage, contests just come down to which
in the story is what happens before, and what
side is bigger, and which players are willing to sit through
hours of dice rolls and trying to name a million aspects.
happens after it. For this reason, contest actions
are often a good opportunity for comic relief. Even
though the scene itself is about competition, taking
a lighthearted approach means turning the contest
into some fun breathing space to break up harsher
moments.

Think about it in terms of action movies. I

mentioned Jackie Chan earlier—his films often use
chase and contest style scenes to really play with
form and have some fun. Even “serious” action
films like the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme classic
Bloodsport uses tense contests for moments of
relief. They turn a terrifying, misogynist competition
for a woman’s life into a joke, and a race against
pursuing USACIDC agents.

147
 CONFLICTS
Conflicts happen when characters are actively trying to harm one another
and have the capability to do so, usually with the intent remove one another
from play. Most commonly in #iHunt, this means when the hunters are trying to
kill a monster, or when the monster is trying to kill the hunters (usually both.)

Conflicts come in two types: physical and mental. This is determined by the
kind of harm characters are trying to cause. In physical conflicts, the stakes are
harm to the body, whereas in mental conflicts, stress, composure, poise, and
social standing are at risk.

SETUP THE CONFLICT

Before the conflict officially begins, you need to set up the
scene.

[ Set the scene by creating situation aspects >>page

149 and zones >>page 150. Be descriptive. Be as
thorough as possible, but don’t get bogged down.

[ Determine who has the edge >>page 151.

[ Determine the turn order >>page 151.

[ Start the first exchange. Resolve it. Once everyone’s

had a turn, start the next exchange.

You can declare the conflict as over once everyone on one

side of the conflict has conceded, left the scene, or been
taken out.

8
4148
1
SETTING THE
THE SCENE
When you’re about to start a conflict, have a brief
conversation. Get everyone on the same page. The Director
Situational Aspects
should ask a few important questions to make sure everyone Here are some examples of situational aspects you
is aware of the scene as they ened to be. can bring into a scene. There are more examples on
>>PAGE 75.
[ Who is in the conflict?
[ Broken glass all over the place
[ Where are they in relationship to one another?
[ It’s getting hot in here
[ When is the conflict taking place? [ Obnoxious neon signs all over
[ What’s relevant in the environment? [ Conspicuously present power tool collection
[ Iconic movie-like gas leak
These questions only need to be answered to the degree to
which they matter in play. Which is to say, not exhaustively. [ A smell like day-old ass
The idea here is to get everyone picturing the same scene [ Bass you can feel in your bones
in their heads, so they can all make informed actions and
descriptions. [ Pile of cinder blocks
[ Sirens in the distance
[ Fully-stocked sporting goods department
SITUATION ASPECTS [ Shitty traffic
As you’re collaboratively describing the environment, the [ Cats mating somewhere nearby
Director needs to pay attention to interesting tidbits of the [ Cardboard boxes all over—maybe empty
environment—things the characters could take advantage
[ Closed circuit television cameras
of or be hindered by. Write these down and turn them into
situational aspects >>PAGE 75. [ Active train line for all your trolley dilemma needs
[ Nosy reporter in the neighborhood
The guideline here is to pick about three evocative things.
Don’t go overboard. If there are more immediately interesting [ That bakery smell
things, use them, but don’t feel like you need to find more. [ Mud. Just mud.
For a starting point, try to consider: [ Dramatic stage lighting
[ Fruit stand prone to spilling all over
[ Things in the environment a passer-by might comment
on, like weather, temperature, lighting, smells, or a [ Two guys carrying a glass pane
sense of creeping dread. [ Totally not an FBI van
[ Things which would prohibit or complicate movement, [ Diegetic soundtrack
like clutter, hazardous surfaces, slime, crowds, et cetera. [ Peculiar growth of poison ivy
[ Things to hide behind or things that draw attention. [ Phone booth somehow in 2019
Barricades, trash, furniture, smoke, spotlights, motion [ Retiree’s garden shed
detectors, et cetera.
[ Probably a meth lab
[ Makeshift weapons and traps. Any sort of heavy, solid, [ School field trip in the worst place and worst time
or sharp things are generally good for this. Anything
flammable. Anything chemically caustic. On the hunt, [ Pretty cold for California
this should almost always be a primary consideration. [ Murder Winds (Google Them)

[ Things which would make the hunt more difficult. [ Chickens

Things like crowds of bystanders, stables of innocent [ Cleanup on Aisle 4
victims, police, and other human elements are most
[ 14th Floor Piano Delivery
common for this.

149
 ZONES If possible, draw out your zones. Mark what potentially
In a complex conflict, especially one with numerous actors, separates them if it isn’t obvious. Also jot down any situational
you should consider breaking up the scene into zones. Zones aspects that are tied to those zones, that way they’re easy to
are conceptual space that separate characters and keep reference and everyone can keep track of where the relevant
them from directly affecting each other. Usually, this means aspects are accessible. “Pile of old tires” can be a fun aspect,
physical space. But any conflict can have conceptual zones but not very useful if it’s inside the garage zone and the
representing separation. characters are outside it.

For example, an elevated area connected to the street level Don’t be afraid to use pictures as a baseline, like in my
by a fire escape would be two separate zones. They keep example below.
characters from directly affecting one another. But in a social
conflict, a language barrier could also be a zone to overcome. BASIC GUIDELINES FOR ZONES:
General space doesn’t constitute separate zones—there has [ If it’s an area the size of a building or larger, it’s probably
to be something that makes a character take willful action to multiple zones. For example, a bodega, the parking lot,
cross, not just easy, basic movement. and the street would be three good zones.

In most scenes, two to five zones is plenty. If you find [ If there are things distinctly blocking easy movement
yourself making more than that, you’re probably being too from one area to the next, like stairs, fences, or
picky about what constitutes a zone, or you’re broaching into hazardous ground, you should break it into zones.
other potential scenes’ space. For example, if you’re mapping
out the area around a warehouse where the character are [ Think contextually. If your scene involves a lot of
staking out who is coming and going, you don’t really need verticality, make vertical space into zones. If you’re
to subdivide the warehouse because acting inside it would be doing a more abstract scene like a debate, consider
another scene entirely. what barriers characters have to overcome to affect one
another.

ZONES EXAMPLE:

150
THE SIDES TURn order variants
The turn order listed on the left side of this page is
You’ve got to be aware of where the lines are drawn, and what the default, but it’s also a thing a lot of people like
side everyone’s on. Most of the time, this is “the hunters” to fuck with and hack, so I wanted to pose some
against “the monsters,” but that’s not always the case, and alternative ideas you can play with.
things change in the heat of the moment. Sometimes hunters
go after one another. Sometimes monsters can be convinced ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!
to turn on each other.
This old school style has everyone roll for initiative.
It’s still important to be aware of the sides of the conflict, You take the relevant skill set, Athlete or Survivor,
and their most general goals. As well, establish and keep and make a normal dice roll. The edge doesn’t apply
track of where everyone is in the scene. Mapping out zones here. Count shifts. Ties go first to the person with
like on the previous page can help with this. This should all the higher dice result before adding the skill set.
be part of the conversation setting up the conflict—if you Then go with anyone using a mental or social action
say someone’s character is somewhere, and they say it’s before anyone physical. If you’re still tied, compare
somewhere else, talk it over and make sure everyone’s on the the skill set they’re using for their first action. Count
same page. down the roster until everyone’s had a turn and
While you’re doing this, establish any mobs. Mobs happen restart at the top.
when a number of characters that are basically identical and If you use this method, allow players to take
mostly nameless band together with the same goal in mind.
stunts which influence it. If they do this, those stunts
This simplifies things, annd keeps dice rolling to a minimum
should add a conditional +2 to initiative. Additionally,
so the action can flow. Mobs are treated as a single individual,
players should be able to invoke aspects for initiative
instead of a series of individuals. Mobs use the Fate Fractal
rules on >>PAGE 314. bonuses the way they can other dice rolls.

Nominationitiative
THE EDGE In this model, you only need to figure out who goes
Most of the time, one side in a scene starts with the edge. The first. Use the normal method, but roll to resolve ties
Director determines this by a few basic criteria: by counting shifts like in the Roll for Initiative header
above. Whomever is first goes first. Duh, right?
[ All things equal, monsters get the edge. Then, they decide who goes next. This could be a
teammate, an enemy, whatever. Then that person
[ If both sides have monsters, compare their star ratings
determines who goes next. So on and so forth until
>>PAGE 179. The higher one wins out.
everyone’s had a turn. Then the last person picks
[ If the hunters have established situational aspects to the first person on the next run through.
use against the monster, and they have more as many
or more than the monster’s star rating, then they start If you use this method, I recommend keeping a
with the edge. white board or something similar to track who has
gone. Just note a hash mark after everyone’s turn,
Find more about the edge on >>PAGE 136. and it restarts once everyone has the same number
of hash marks.

TURN ORDER Also, allow for stunts. A good example would be

a stunt called Now It’s My Turn!, which once per
Turn order is based on skills sets. Characters acting physically scene lets you interject and take your turn even if
compare Athlete skill sets, and characters acting mentally, you weren’t nominated, and when you take that
socially, or otherwise use Survivor. Compare ratings, with the turn, you get a boost.
highest going first, and going down the roster.

With a tie, compare a secondary skill sets. The tied

characters state what they plan to do, and the skill set they’ll
be using. Compare those. If those are tied, favor the hunters.
If you still don’t have a clear answer, characters acting
physically go after others.

151
 THE EXCHANGE STRESS
One of the two main ways to absorb a hit is through stress.
Unlike a contest, where multiple sides are working toward
their goals at the same time, a conflict is an entire series Stress is the methods by which your body or mind “take
of individual actions, each resolved in a turn order until the hit,” and protect you from greater trauma. It can reflect
everyone involved has had a chance to act. This includes the instinctively dodges and shifts, shrugging off pain, rolling
Director’s characters, who each get their own actions. (Unless with a blow, internalizing fear, any number of things that
you’ve allocated a group as a mob—mobs usually act as a turn something potentially awful into something you can at
single entity.) least nominally deal with.

During an exchange, you get one skill set action. This may You have two sets of stress boxes—physical stress and
be an attack to hurt or hinder an enemy—it could also be to mental stress. Each of the two types only absorbs the same
create an advantage or overcome an obstacle. Often, moving type of harm. By default, each of these “pools” has a 1-point
through zones with complicating situational aspects will and 2-point box available. With the Athlete skill set at 1-2,
require an overcome action to cross. you get a 3-point physical box, and with Athlete at 3-4, you
get a 4-point physical box. With the Survivor skill set at 1-2,
While you only get one skill set action per exchange, you get a 3-point mental box, and with Survivor at 3-4, you
you get as many active opposition rolls to defend yourself get a 4-point mental box.
and others as you want (or need.) If you choose to defend
someone else, and you are capable of doing so, you suffer the When you take stress, cross off a stress box with a value
consequences for failure. equal or greater than the shift value of the hit. If there’s no
available box, and you can’t take a consequence, you are
If you choose not to defend yourself for whatever reason, taken out of the conflict.
the opponent attacks against Mediocre (+0) opposition.
Prepare to get fucked up. You can only mark a single stress box in a single hit.

FULL DEFENSE After a conflict, once you’ve had a little breather, your
stress boxes return. So use them!
You can choose to forgo your normal action in an exchange,
and instead focus on defending yourself fully. If you do so,
all defend actions are made at +2 for that exchange. Note that Stress: An Example
you don’t have to have had a turn in the same exchange yet
Geena only has a 1-point and 2-point box available.
to use this option; you just announce that you’ll be making a
full defense. In a hunter crew, often times one character will She’s already marked the 1-point box in this scene.
go on the full defense to “tank” for the rest of the team. Geena gets hit by a car. Somehow, the driver only
gets two shifts, so it’s a 2-shift hit. Geena’s player
RESOLVING ATTACKS marks the 2-point stress box on her sheet. This
means Geena can shrug it off and will be fine after
A successful attack action hits with a value equal to the shift
the scene. This would be the same if the driver got
value of the roll. So, a five shift attack is a 5-shift hit.
a single shift.
When you’re hit by an attack, one of two things happen:
If the driver managed a three shift roll, Geena
[ You absorb the hit and remain in the conflict couldn’t have done shit about it. She’d have to take
a consequence or be taken out of the scene.
[ You’re taken out.

X X X

152
CONSEQUENCES RECOVERING CONSEQUENCES
The other main way to absorb a hit is through consequences. Recovering from consequences requires an action that would
help with the consequence; the degree of which must be
A consequence is more severe and longer-term than stress. adjudicated by the Director, and an appropriate amount of
Consequences represent significant harm or debility as time for the recovery.
result of the hit. It’s something that’ll bite you in the ass later.
In game terms, a consequence is an aspect that exists to cause Usually this action is an overcome action, representing
you problems. Like any aspect, you can technically use it to whatever care you’re taking. The difficulty of the overcome
your advantage, but the phrasing should make that difficult action is the same as the shift value of the consequence. So,
and rare. a mild consequence is a 2-difficulty action, for example. If
you’re trying to handle your own consequences, add +2 to the
Consequences come in three levels of severity—mild, difficulty. The action has to make sense for the consequence,
moderate, and severe. Each has a corresponding value, mild and the scene and context have to permit it. If the action is
is 2, moderate is 4, and severe is 6. Unlike stresses, which are successful, you can change the aspect’s name to something
both physical and mental, you just have one collective set of that reflects that it’s in recovery. This should make it a little
consequences. While your consequences are shared, you can less exploitable, while still being a problem. Mark it with an
get additional consequence slots with Superb (+5) Athlete or asterisk after it to know that it’s definitely in recovery.
Survivor. Those special consequences are only available to
mitigate the same kinds of hits (physical for Athlete, mental Then you wait a certain amount of time:
for Survivor.)
[ For mild consequences, it’s just a scene of recovery
When you take a consequence, you reduce the hit by the until you can clear the slot.
value of the consequence. You can take multiple consequences,
and you can take consequences in combination with a stress [ Moderate consequences require a whole session after
box as well. the recovery action (so from start to finish) before
clearing the slot.
Whomever caused the consequence gets a free invoke on
that pseudo aspect, and the consequence remains until dealt [ Severe consequences remain for the season.
with. Note that some stunts can affect consequence levels, so they
Note: As a player, consequences allow you to imperil an can be immensely valuable. The life of a hunter is dangerous,
aspect. See >>PAGE 86 for more details. and time spent in a cast is money lost.

NAMING CONSEQUENCES EXTREME CONSEQUENCES

Consequence names should be tiered in severity along with In addition to mild, moderate, and severe consequences,
their respective levels. Here’s some guidelines: every Player character has one extreme consequence
available. However, these consequences are only available
Mild consequences are just that—mild. They don’t require once every season selfie >>PAGE 121.
immediate assistance, and you’ll shake them off with time.
You’ll probably want to sleep them off. Things like a black eye, An extreme consequence will absorb up to eight shifts of
busted lip, pulled muscle, irritation, a rash, first degree burn, a hit. However, you don’t mark it on your sheet like a normal
dizzy, nauseous, pissed off, these are all mild consequences. consequence—it replaces one of your main aspects! It’s such
a significant cause of harm that it truly changes who your
Moderate consequences are significant problems that most character is.
characters would seek medical help for, especially if they
have some kind of medical coverage. These are lingering Extreme consequences can’t be recovered like normal
issues that cause meaningful problems for a while. Stuff like consequences. Instead, you have to wait until your next
a hairline fracture, ripped ligament, depressed, humiliated, major selfie is available. When you take a major selfie, you’re
stab wound, second degree burn, and knee out of socket are allowed changing out the extreme consequence aspect to
the kinds of things that make up moderate consequences. something else. However, you cannot change it back to what
it originally was—that part of your character is just gone. This
Severe consequences will make you go to the hospital even should be a major, life-changing event for your character, a
if you don’t have insurance. They’re awful, and will cause truly defining moment in their life.
significant problems for a long while. Third-degree burns,
compound fractures, exposed innards, crippling anxiety, Note that extreme consequences should really only be
internal bleeding, significant phobias, and disabled limbs available to Players’ characters, and extremely important
are common severe consequences. Director characters, like major, recurring villains.

153
 CONCEDING BEING TAKEN OUT
Once the dice hit the table, and you can’t absorb a hit with
If you can’t or don’t want to take a consequence, you can stress and/or consequences, you’re taken out. Being taken
opt to concede. At any point before dice are rolled, you can out means you’re unable to engage in the conflict further, and
interrupt an action and say you’re conceding the conflict. the side that took you out gets to decide your fate. This has
to remain in proper context—if someone can intervene, they
When you concede, the opposition gets what they want if
aren’t stopped from doing so, and what they decide has to be
you’re the last one standing on your side, or you’re removed
feasible. But, your fate’s in their hands.
as a threat if you’ve still got teammates.

This isn’t great, but there are two main advantages to CHARACTER DEATH
conceding a conflict:
When taken out, there’s a good chance your character can
[ You get a fate point for conceding. You get an additional be killed. This isn’t a sure thing, and it depends on your
fate point for every consequence suffered during the particular group’s approach, but it’s a thing that happens
conflict. You get these fate points after the scene. in #iHunt stories. There’s a million variables surrounding
this—a monster isn’t likely to take the kill shot on a downed
[ You avoid the worst case scenario. This doesn’t mean opponent while other combatants are coming after them
you get to invalidate the opponent’s win­—this means after all. But at the end of the day, it’s a possibility.
the difference between being dead and left for dead. It
should leave you room to come back from it later with Some groups prefer lethality. Some prefer to only opt for
some difficulty. full character death when they feel it’s the right time—nobody
wants to be taken out by a faceless nobody just because there
Note that players succeed—not characters. Your character were some bad luck dice rolls. Hell, preferences can range
doesn’t make the conscious choice to give up or lose. You as from player to player within a group! Some players like
a player decide that you no longer want to struggle, and will playing supporting characters who die easily.
take the softer loss. The important distinction is that, as the
player of a condeded character, you get final say over what Another good guideline for lethality is to be very, very
happens to your character. If you’re taken out, you don’t. clear up-front as to a character’s intent. Of course, most
monsters are going for the throat. But some have a downright
An important point here—this rule can and should be used menacing, direct desire to kill a given character. That’s a lot
with relative frequency. Let’s be perfectly clear: #iHunt is a more meaningful than a general penchant for self-defense
game where humans take on overwhelming odds, both and wanton destruction. So be communicative, be descriptive,
from monsters and from capitalism. The world will fucking and be clear. As a Director, you can even ask a player if they’re
kill you. It will chew you up and spit you out. But when you sure they’re not interested in conceding at last moment,
concede, when you take the softer loss, it doesn’t kill you—it because the monster intends to murder. One thing I like to
just fucks you up like whoa. Not necessarily as a character, do is offer suggestions for a potential replacement character
but as a player, conceding is an expert tool for character before a dice roll. “Alright. You’re on the ground, blood all over
survival. Use it! As a Director, conceding is a way to keep a the place. Janus is taking a swing right at your throat. He is not
recurring villain alive until the right dramatic moment, or to fucking around. Are you sure you’re not interested in conceding?
make a poignant statement in spite of the loss. If not, would you maybe be interested in playing the sister of that
guy Janus killed in the last session? She’s be a great #iHunter.”
A question that often arises with this rule is, if the player
gets final say in what happens to their character, why can’t Remember, the goal is to make a great story, and while
the opposition just intervene and take what they want? And character deaths can contribute to a great story, they can also
that’s a valid question that you should address and answer derail the best stories.
as a group. Find the satisfactory answer. The answer should
not be, “they do it anyway.” The answer should explain why
it doesn’t happen.

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MOVEMENT
Examples of Zone Movement
Here’s a few examples of how to use zones and
movement in ways outside the obvious.
One reason we have zones is to track movement and where
[ Cyberspace: The team’s Phooey has to crack
people are at any given point in the scene. Normally, if there’s
into a database to root out which executive of
nothing trying to stop you, you can move between two
a soulless megacorporation is a literal monster.
zones for free in addition to your action in an exchange.
Zones include physical space to access
If you need to move an additional zone, or something’s the intranet, guest network space, security
preventing movement through two zones, you need to make firewalls, and the database itself.
an overcome action with a relevant skill set, often Athlete [ Questioning: The team is trying to get vital
for physical space, and Influencer or Grifter for abstract information from a vampire’s brainwashed slave
and social space, but this depends on the action and your they liberated. Zones include the brainwashing,
approach. What’s important though is that it constitutes your Stockholm Syndrome, influential blood magic,
action for the exchange. and the fear of being found out and murdered.
The Director sets the difficulty like in any other passively [ The Club: The characters have to get to the DJ
opposed overcome action. As a general rule, a +2 difficulty so they can access the PA and get everyone
for an obstacle, and +2 for each additional zone crossed evacuated. Zones include the queue outside,
works. So, for example, if someone is trying to move three the bouncer stand, the crowd inside, and the
zones over (one for free, two additional) and through an groupies hanging around the DJ.
obstruction would be difficulty +6, +4 for the two zones, +2 [ The Train Job: The team is hunting a monster
for the obstruction. This is just a guideline, though—some on a moving train like an old black and white
obstructions and some zones should be easier or harder to movie. Zones include the dining cars, the
pass through, depending on the specific variables. bunks, the conductor’s car, the bar, the top of
the train, and the engine.
A failure on the overcome roll means something prevents
you from crossing that space. You can still cross whatever [ The Big Lie: A hunter is on the spot by zher
space you’d be allowed to freely—the additional space just is family, caught in a complex web of lies she has
not possible in the moment. to navigate out of. Zones include where you
were last week, the drugs in your bag, the bags
under your eyes, the unlicensed gun, and the
new car you can’t afford.

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 ADVANTAGES IN CONFLICTS WHY DON’T MONSTERS DO THIS?
You can, and should, create advantages in conflicts. I’ve given all this advice for how hunters can exploit a scene
Aspects can tip the scales of a challenging conflict, and can through creating advantages, and help balance out awful
contribute to things like guaranteeing the hunters have the odds. Why don’t monsters just do exactly the same shit?
edge. However, it’s important to note that advantages are The technical answer is, “Well, they could.” But the reality
situational aspects, so they’re accessible to all sides within is, monsters are generally overconfident. They’re objectively
reason. So when creating an advantage, you should consider superior to humans, after all, so why would they bother? Of
how easily it could be turned on your side. And conversely, if course, some monsters have lived long enough to understand
you don’t mind the enemy using aspects against you because that they can’t just win on power and luck alone, and will
you’ve got the upper hand, it might be worth creating some exploit the environment and context to their advantage. But
just to net some fate points from the compels. these monsters should be rare, exceptions. They should be
surprising when they come up.
Hunters fight with the environment—they have to if
they want to survive. Here are some ways you might create In #iHunt: The Chosen One, a powerful old vampire traps
advantages for common conflicts: Lana in a high school he’s set up like a trapped fortress. He
shuts off the lights. He has a cellphone reception blocker.
[ Removing Weapons: If an enemy has a weapon, He’s set up a complex camera system so he always knows
remove it or make it untenable to use. If a vampire has where Lana is. He has his crew set up to ambush her all
teeth, break them. If a wizard has a gun, go to a crowd in throughout the place. This is not a regular day in the life of an
a public place. Hungry dead attacking? Take out their #iHunter—it can’t be or else you lose this tool as a Director
knees. because the players will grow to expect it. Most of the time,
you should just let the players disproportionately create and
[ Removing Senses: Fog horns, dust clouds, electric exploit scene advantages.
shock, stink bombs, anything that can remove a vital
sense from an opponent works in your favor as a hunter.
Not only does it make them operate in sub-optimal OTHER ACTIONS
conditions, but they have to deal with disorientation
While most actions in a conflict are attacks and creating
and unexpected situations.
advantages, you can do all sorts of other things to influence
[ Positioning: If you’re shooting, use higher ground. the scene. Just adjudicate these as you would outside the
If you’re stabbing, force them to close the distance to scene, and let them take up an exchange action. You can’t
engage. The name of the game is putting yourself in a do anything that would constitute a challenge or a contest,
situation where you’re in the best place to do what you’re though—those are the focus of their own scenes. See the next
good at, and they’re at the worst to do what they’re good bit on ending a conflict.
at. Determine the rules of engagement.
FREE ACTIONS
[ Leading Wounds: Not every injury comes from a formal
“attack” action. You can represent a physical attack with Unless it has direct, meaningful impact on the other characters
an advantage, if you don’t care about causing hits. For in a conflict, most basic things a character does are “free
example, if you’re against a vampire, maybe the first hit actions.” Which is to say, you can do them without using your
is meant to tear open their jacket to expose their heart action for the exchange. Things like drawing most weapons,
for a stake. Against a werewolf, maybe you cut deep into saying things without intent to mechanically influence the
their fur so the next hit with silver goes straight to the scene, minor movement, and “posing”—essentially just
flesh. showing dramatic bits of character—are all fair free actions.
This is all up to the Director, but the Director should always
[ Creating Hazards: A classic hunter trick amounts to, favor allowing free actions when possible, both to speed up
“I dare you to come at me.” Light the path on fire. Spray the action, and to keep things abstract and goal-oriented.
some liquid nitrogen. Load the sprinkler system with
holy water. Making it more difficult—or dangerous—for
a monster to get to you is a perfect use for creating an
advantage.

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ENDING A CONFLICT
Usually, when everyone on one side has conceded or been
TEAMWORK
In a conflict, when characters help one another toward a
taken out, you can end the conflict. The Director then hands
out any fate points for concession. Also, players can take the single goal, this is a teamwork action. To do this, figure out
fate points accrued from aspects being used against them. As what the real goal is. Usually there’s one primary actor that
well, any checked stress boxes can be cleared. stands out in this—if everyone’s making diversions to free up
one good shot, it’s obvious the shooter is the primary actor
here—but if it’s not, favor the character with the highest skill
MOVE TO CONTEST OR CHALLENGE set for the specific action the group is trying to achieve.
Conflicts are dynamic, and goals can change. If participants
Everyone else who has at least Average (+1) in their
stop trying to harm each other, and instead move into other
relevant skill set can contribute to the teamwork action. They
forms of conflict, you can let the scene evolve into a contest
add +1 to the primary actor’s roll. Only the primary actor
or challenge scene. If you do this, you should wait for end of
needs to roll in a teamwork action. In the case of a failure,
conflict fate points and stress refresh.
everyone shares in the potential consequences for the action.
FAIR ESCAPE A primary actor can only benefit from a number of
teamwork actors equal to their relevant skill set. So, if you’re
If a character moves out of a zone at the edge of the zone the primary actor with a skill set at +4, you can benefit from
map, and nobody can (or chooses to) realistically pursue in up to four teamwork actors—the fifth just doesn’t matter.
the same exchange, they can declare fair escape. Depending
on the zones in question and any complications and aspects Additionally, only named, relevant characters can
involved, this might require a separate overcome action, like contribute here. A mob counts as one relevant actor for this
other forms of zone movement. A character under fair escape purpose. Sometimes a character will amass a truly enormous
has left the scene with no further consequence, and cannot amount of support in an action, such as a massive crowd
be further affected in the same scene. If someone wants to of people helping to storm a building. In these cases, that
pursue or otherwise affect a character who has declared fair should be counted as its own separate create an advantage
escape, they have to transition into a contest scene, or handle action, and the group should be an aspect or series of aspects.
it later.

A character who has successfully declared fair escape

starts any pursuit contest with the edge.

In practice, this is a common method for hunters to control

a scene. One member will act as “bait” and the others create
advantages to help them declare fair escape. When the
monster pursues, the hunters ambush them with the edge.

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 Who The Bees Are: Chapter 2
#SECONDSTORY
Thursday,
Because my new parapsychologist (heh) said Wednesday is a bad day for “the good work,” she wouldn’t
meet me until Thursday. And then it was at an old house in the Flip.
“You don’t belong here.” I told her as she walked up the street toward the house. I’d beaten her there,
scoped it out. Just an old empty house.
“I don’t belong anywhere, which makes not belonging in any one specific place less of an issue. How
about you, do you feel like you belong anywhere?” She had a pair of mom jeans and a sweatshirt with a
black cat with a very ‘suburban grandma’ vibe to it. Over that, she had that leather jacket.
“I feel pretty good with my crew, I guess. Most of the time.”
She looked at me like she wasn’t processing a single word I said. Like a dog who’s real into the idea
that you’re talking to them, clearly have no clue, but are enthusiastic anyway? That sounds mean. I don’t
really mean it as nasty. When the moment stretched on way too long I cleared my throat. “Why are we
here?”
“I’m not your crew, but, if we’re going to figure out your personal rules I thought I should see how you
work. Check your app, this is on the list.” She smiled at me that thin anxious-to-be-seen-smiling smile.
I pushed down my brief frustration and took my phone out of my pocket and opened #iHunt. Demon,
vampire, vampire, vampire, unknown problem in the Flip. I stopped on that and looked around. The
listing said it was near a synagogue. I was standing across the street from one. “They said you weren’t
a hunter.”
“I’m not. But I help enough of them. I picked this one out special for our situation. This should be
informative.” She gestured to the building and I huffed.
“I will note,” she said offhand when I huffed, “you got pretty annoyed when I was very direct, and are
now exhibiting annoyance when I am being less direct.” And left that hanging in the air.
“There has to be something in between.”
“Ah. Yes. I think that’s exactly the thing you need to internalize. Good. We’re learning.”
I felt anger rise, and just like that, it slipped away again. Like trying to hold on to a handful of water.
“How are you doing that?”
“That’s the 200 level class. Let’s finish our 101 lesson for today first.” She gestured again to the house
and I went inside, grumbling. After swiping right on #iHunt to accept this gig, of course.
I noted that it wasn’t locked, no security, no one on the street even looked at us funny hanging around
and then entering the extremely abandoned place. Of course, people in the Flip were real good at
going unbothered by things that weren’t their business. I guess me, 6’3 and 250 pounds of ex-con was
extremely someone else’s business.
That didn’t explain why the house was unlocked.
“What do you feel?” She asked me as soon as I stepped through the doorway. She lingered on the front
steps and didn’t follow right away.
“I don’t know? Nothing? What does that even mean? Is it haunted? Is it cold or something?”

158
 She sighed. Not out of frustration or anger. Just long suffering. “Please take this seriously. You’re
on the job and I want you to succeed.”
I looked over my shoulder and down at her. She looked up at me wide eyed and clearly not
registered my expression. “Fine.” I huffed and looked around the front room. “Well, the front room is
trash. There’s holes in the floor above. I imagine the whole place is structurally unsound and for sure
needs to be torn down not just flipped or whatever.” I stuck my hands in my pockets and walked a
little further in, testing the floor before I put my full weight on any given part. Just in case.
“That’s what you can see, not what you can feel.”
“I don’t see the point.”
“If you want to be a hunter, you have to use every edge you can. Right? This is an edge you have.
You need to cater yourself to the job, and cater the job to you.”
“What does cater the job to me mean?”
“Have you and your crew taken a vampire job?”
I felt flushed with embarrassment and rubbed my neck. I heard SOMEONE screaming at me in my
head. Molly stepped into the house and put her hand on my forearm. No one ever like, casually,
touched me. It was weird. This was weird.
“You don’t have to explain. For me, vampire tricks seem to work double, maybe triple as well
unless I’m very very careful. So if I can’t be very very careful, I make sure I’m not doing my work in
a place or time when I’m vulnerable. You plan your work for your strengths, not your weaknesses.”
“That’s not always something I can choose.”
She smirked at me, shrugging. “No, of course not. Sometimes life hands you a job, work, a gig, a
situation you can’t handle. Of course.”
“So what do you do in that situation?”
“My best?” She said a little unsure. “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best I guess.”
That was about when the blood started seeping through the holes in the floor above me and the
moaning blasphemies started.
“Oh hey.” She said thoughtfully. “Not ghosts. This is going to be interesting. And informative!”
Which was when a tendril of darkness wrapped around her waist and yanked her up through a hole
in the floor to the second story.

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 CHAPTER NINE:
#THEGIG
(THE HUNT AND JOB CREATION)
Everyone’s job sucks.

Everyone’s got to deal with some shit.

#iHunt is a game about a job. A job that sucks.

Like most jobs, there are good parts, bad parts,

and worse parts.

In this chapter, we’ll be exploring how #iHunt

works as a job on a practical level, but also how to
build a job on the game rules level. The Director
can plan out a job as they see fit, but with the rules
in this chapter, you can generate jobs to give the
game a sense of weirdness and randomness you
can only really get in the gig economy.

Using these tools, you can just jump right into a

game of #iHunt, throwing characters into a world
they’re not ready for, a world that they have to
navigate because it’s not like other jobs are beating
down their door offering better money.

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Parts of a Job
Every job is different. Sure, a lot of jobs can get
repetitive and monotonous, because the business
The Place
end—the kill—is fundamentally the same for many While jobs can happen all over the place, they’re
different types of monsters. You chop its head off, usually grounded in one general location. There
you burn it, you put a stake in its heart, you give are a few main types of places hunts happen, each
it three silver bullets in the brain pan, whatever. offering unique challenges.
A kill is a kill. But the details surrounding the kill
are never the same. That doesn’t mean there
aren’t some basic categories of things a hunter will
The Charge
typically deal with on the job. With most jobs, someone or something is at risk. If
you fuck up and that thing gets hurt or killed, you
might get a pay cut or not paid at all.
The Client
This is the person who takes out the #iHunt
contract. They’re putting up the cash to make
The Scope
the hunt happen. Every client’s an individual (or Different jobs have different degrees of threat. On
individual organization) but there are a few broad the #iHunt app, this is reflected in a star rating.
types of clients most #iHunters deal with on the There’s a world of difference between a one-star
reg. and a four-star job.

The Mark The Hangup

This is what the job’s all about. It’s the monster There’s always something that complicates a job.
at the end of the book. It’s the thing that needs Jobs never just go down as expected. The worst
stabbed, shot, burned, or stuffed with rare herb part is, the job description almost never gives you
concoctions. Most monsters fall into a handful of an idea what the hangup will be.
basic categories, called Clades. You can find more
on monsters in their chapter on >>PAGE 176.
The Other Hangup
In the random job generator, we stick to Clades Anyone can overcome an unexpected challenge.
for the purpose of determining the Mark. But in But every #iHunt job has at least one more
the monster chapter, we’ve provided specific hangup. Something else unexpected. Something
examples of monsters in each clade, so you can else getting in the way.
just drop them right into your stories.

The Trouble The Aftermath

After the job, theoretically, you get paid. While the
Clients don’t often just take out contracts on aftermath isn’t technically part of the job, there’s
monsters arbitrarily. Usually, the monster did always a period afterwards where chaos and
something to draw it down on them. Most of uncertainty take over. So, for the purposes of an
the time, this is what reveals the truth of the #iHunter’s interests, the aftermath really is part of
supernatural to the client. the job. Director hint: This is where you want to
imperil aspects >>PAGE 86.

161
 Using the Job Generator
On each of the following pages, I’ll touch on one
element of the job. Not to belabor the point, just a
Rerolling?
little overview. Then, there’s a job generator table What’s to stop the hunters from just taking another
on the page. For each of these elements, you can job when you’ve rolled one out? After all, it’s an
pick and choose from the table, or you can roll app, and they can swipe left or right at their choice.
randomly to come up with completely off-the-cuff
generated gigs. The answer, frankly, is nothing. There’s nothing
whatsoever stopping them. The only inherent
To roll on the chart, use a fate die and an edge limitation is, you can always tell him, “this is the
die. This means you’ll get a result from 0 to 7. Just last remaining job right now.”
compare that result to the chart, and lo and behold,
you have that element.

Part of the fun and

the challenge of using
the random generator
is trying to make things
fit together. It’s a sort
of oblique strategy
for creativity. It’s not
supposed to inherently
click together and make
sense all the time. It’s
up to you to figure out
how it works.

Now, with every

category getting eight
possible results, we
could really advertise
this system as offering
something like
134,217,728 potential
job listings. But let’s
be honest—that’s kinda
bullshit. We’re not trying for infinite replayability Of course, they want to play the story they want
here, just a tool you can use to pick up some slack to play, so if you get too limiting, then they’re
here and there, and to give you fun ideas you can going to be displeased. If they want to fight a
use to improvise. vampire, and you roll ten times with no vampires,
let them fight a fucking vampire. In fact, if there
Note that also, not every job has every single
are any specific job elements they’re looking for,
element. In particular, the Charge and the Other
help them “refine their search.” This is to say, just
Hangup elements are completely optional.
let them pick elements they want to play with.
Especially if you’re running a one-shot story on
limited time, you might consider just dropping Remember, the generator exists to fill in gaps and
them from the plan. You can always surprise help with improvisation. If everyone knows what
players with twists and turns and complexity, but they want, it’s not necessary to randomly generate
the weirdest surprise is when something is simple. anything.
They’ll always be looking for the catch.

162
The Client
The client, strictly speaking, is the person who 0. Monster. A monster has hired you to kill
goes on the #iHunt app, signs up for an account, another monster. How avant garde. Now,
and gives their payment information to establish this might be super unethical, if you’re killing
a job listing. You can find a bit more on clients on a rival and leaving the field open for greater
>>PAGE 292 . Some 95% of clients on the #iHunt
monstrosity. But, hey, their cash spends.
app are one-time only. Only a rare few are repeat
customers. After all, most people never have a run- 1. Corporate Client. The client is like seven
in with the supernatural they feel the need to hire steps removed from the job. They just sign
a hunter for. the paychecks, and need the job to be done
quietly and quickly. They’re hands-off, and
they pay expenses if you provide receipts.
2. Wealthy Individual. The client has more
money than they’ll ever be able to spend,
and they have a grudge against the mark,
justified or not. The pay’s good, but they’ll
rip you off in a second if they think they can
get away with it.
3. Overwhelmed Executor. The client
manages affairs for the party providing the
pay. They’re nervous, because their job is
riding on your success or failure.
4. The Upwardly Mobile. An upper middle
class professional client who is utterly
obsessed with results. Expect excessive
micromanagement, and nickel and dime
treatment when it comes to pay and reviews.
5. Curious Party. The client doesn’t have a
personal stake in the monster’s existence—
they’re just curious and want to learn about
it. They’ll pay as promised, but expect
Clients ridiculous demands for data, evidence,
documentation, and conditions for the hunt.
Roll Client
0 Monster 6. Poor Community. A group of people have
pooled their resources to hire you. They’re
1 Corporate Client
not paying much, but they’ll sure as fuck pay.
2 Wealthy Individual
3 Overwhelmed Executor 7. The Mysterious Benefactor. An unknown,
4 The Upwardly Mobile anonymous client hires you. This can be
the best job ever, or it can raise a million
5 Curious Party
questions if you think about it too much.
6 Poor Community
7 The Mysterious Benefactor

163
0. Monster Team. Sometimes monsters work
The Mark
together. It’s like the Avengers, but with This is the monster. While this divides up the
fangs and claws. If you get this result, roll monsters by Clades >>PAGE 180, the client doesn’t
always know what the mark is, or sometimes will
twice again and the contract is for both the
just straight-up misidentify it. After all, a wizard, a
resulting monsters. werewolf, and a vampire might kill your friend in
1. Vampire. The children of the night. What the shape of a giant wolf. The client’s probably not
music they make. The scourge of San Jenaro. a subject matter expert, and is just making the best
guess possible. This determines the clade, but the
The most common #iHunt contract. You can
specifics mostly come down to the Scope.
find more about vampires on >>PAGE 182 .
2. Wizard. The goddamn embodiment of
privilege. These entitled sons of bitches are
so obstinate that they literally change the
world to suit their whims. Find more about
wizards on >>PAGE 192 .
3. Werewolf. Shapechangers. Howlers. Good
boys. Gingers snapped. Dog soldiers.
Werewolves are big, mean, and you don’t
get extra for dealing with the slobber. Find
more about werewolves on >>PAGE 198.
4. Demon. The heralds of Hell, the tempters, the
fallen, demons are a common annoyance in
the modern world. Demons are responsible
for all sorts of awful shit. It’s like all the shit
they blame on Putin, except supernatural.
Find more on demons on >>PAGE 210.
5. Hungry Dead. Corpses that get up and eat
people. You’ve seen them. They dominate
TV and film right now. No, I’m not talking
about superhero franchises. You can find
more about the hungry dead on >>PAGE 218.
6. Reptoids. Humanoid lizards. It’s like the
Marks
racist conspiracy theory websites, only... Roll Client
different. They’re not a secret Illuminati in 0 Monster Team (Roll Twice Again)
control of the world. They’re like worthless 1 Vampire
middle managers. More on reptoids on
2 Wizard
>>PAGE 204 .
3 Werewolf
7. Something Else... A ghost? A dybbuk? A 4 Demon
dragon? A gorgon? A creature from the black 5 Hungry Dead
lagoon? It’s something that isn’t a common
6 Reptoid
clade. Figure it out.
7 Something Else...

164
The Trouble 0. Actually, They’re Good. The monster is,
Trouble is, in short, what the monster did to get at least nominally... not a bad person. The
enough attention to warrant a contract. The devil’s client is a bad person, or at least a misguided
in the details, though, and what looks like a simple
person, just trying to get rid of the monster.
“this thing caused this thing” can be much, much
more complicated. Then again, that’s up to the 1. Hurt a Loved One. Common contract. A
individual #iHunter to judge. A common #iHunter person was hurt. Their loved one wants
stance is, “I don’t care, just tell me where to shoot.”
vengeance or at least to stop others from
After all, if you start thinking too hard about it,
being hurt. It’s personal, so expect intensity.
then you have to question your life choices.
2. Terrorized The Community. The monster
caused upset, fear, and harm to a community,
company, or organization. Usually this kind of
contract exists to stop that from continuing,
but can also exist as raw payback.
3. Stole Something. Monsters are real good
at stealing stuff and money. Monsters are
notorious for stealing highly valuable stuff,
because they’re good at it. When you steal
valuable stuff, the owners want to enforce
their property rights with violence.
4. Mass Murder. The client stumbled upon
evidence that the monster is a mass
murderer. Even if they didn’t kill anyone
close to the client, a lot of people will do
whatever they can to stop a mass murderer.
5. Personal Insult. Monsters exploit power
differentials, and often flaunt norms. This
leaves powerful people embarrassed
and upset. When powerful people are
embarrassed and upset, they contract
hunters.
Troubles 6. Romantic Rivalry. This could be a legit
Roll Client romantic rivalry, or a lover being “stolen
0 Actually, They’re Good away” by a monster’s dark powers. Either
1 Hurt a Loved One way, a lover’s scorn is some hardcore shit.
You might be dealing with a seducer, or a
2 Terrorized the Community
predator. Or just The New Fling and the ex
3 Stole Something just isn’t accepting “we’re done, okay?”
4 Mass Murder
5 Personal Insult 7. Nothing. Just nothing. The monster didn’t
do anything to cause the problem. In fact,
6 Romantic Rivalry
the client doesn’t give a shit what they did—
7 Nothing. Just, nothing. just that they exist.

165
0. Distant, Isolated Zone. This might be an
old mine, a drilling platform, a town under
quarantine, or other area far from the city,
The Place
relatively large, and uncomfortable. Often This could be the scene of the crime (or the trouble,
these jobs involve groups of monsters. one page back,) or just the area most influenced
1. Local Neighborhood. The monster problem by the contract. Depending on the location, two
otherwise identical contracts can be completely
is isolated to a neighborhood. This says a
different. Some jobs have to be contained to a
ton about the job, and the job parameters,
very small space, which makes hunting intense
depending on the unique aspects of that and dangerous. Others can take place over wide
neighborhood. expanses, which make the hunt a much more
2. Estate. A rich person or organization’s literal hunt.
massive property is the hunting ground. This
almost always means moving discreetly,
so as to not alert other rich people and
potentially hurting the owner’s reputation.
3. Operational Business. A large building or
complex belonging to a company currently
in operation. Think of the hunt like... being
a tech support contractor. You have to
move around doing your job unseen and
unappreciated. You’re “the help.”
4. Derelict Zone. Old shipping warehouses,
haunted houses, abandoned housing
complexes, and other abandoned places
are derelict zones. Monsters like to nest in
these places, using them as castles. They’re
immensely dangerous.
5. Self-Contained Community. A college
neighborhood, a boarding house, a cult
compound, the defining features of the
self-contained community is people who
collectively identify. There’s a good chance
you’re hunting an insider. Be careful.
6. Rural Area. A rural area is the woodlands, Places
the desert, the community around a highway Roll Client
truck stop, or other place that’s got shitty
0 Distant, Isolated Zone
phone reception and lots of places to hide.
1 Local Neighborhood
7. Mysterious Otherworld. You have to travel 2 Estate
to a parallel dimension, the monster-filled
3 Operational Business
tunnels under the city where they hold
clandestine monster boxing, or some other 4 Derelict Zone
place that’s truly The Monsters’ Realm, 5 Self-Contained Community
where the rules look nothing like the world 6 Rural Area
you know.. 7 Mysterious Otherworld

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The Charge 0. The Monster Itself. The monster must be
protected, captured, and maybe brought
in alive and unscathed. This can be the
The charge is a person, place, or thing that needs case for a number of reasons, from a
to be protected. Not every job has an obvious particularly vindictive client who wants to
charge, some are more conceptual. Usually, failing level punishment themselves, to a monster’s
to defend the charge means docked or even loved one, to someone who knows there’s a
completely lost payment. At very least, it means a worse monster waiting to fill the void.
bad review >>PAGE 292. The worst of these cases
is when the charge wants to be with the monsters. 1. Capital Interests. Maybe the monster’s
after the client’s money directly. Maybe it’s
a matter of potential lost jobs. But money’s
a motivator, and that’s why they’re offering
money for the gig.
2. The Macguffin. There’s a thing. Maybe
the monster stole it. Maybe it needs to be
protected from the monster stealing or
destroying it. But, it’s the key in all this—it’s
essential for job completion.
3. The Reputation. The monster’s continued
existence risks the client’s reputation.
Maybe the client made the monster and
wants to erase the evidence. Maybe the
monster has blackmail material. Usually this
means working under utmost secrecy.
4. Person of Interest. The monster has
someone in their gaze, or in captivity. It’s
important you keep them safe. It could be
a direct bodyguard gig, an extraction gig, or
just a chase for the prize.
5. The Unwilling Recruit. The monster wants
to bring someone into their ranks or
servitude, and they don’t want it. You have

Charges to keep that from happening.

6. The Eager Recruit. It’s like Romeo and Juliet,
Roll Client but Romeo wants to be a vampire and Juliet
0 The Monster Itself is one. You have to keep the charge from
1 The Capital Interests joining the ranks of the monsters. Usually
2 The Macguffin this means killing the monsters because if
3 The Reputation you don’t, they’ll just keep trying.
4 The Person of Interest 7. Nothing whatsoever. The client just wants
5 The Unwilling Recruit the monsters taken out. They don’t care
6 The Eager Recruit how you do it. They don’t care who knows.
7 Nothing whatsoever They just want it fucking done..

167
0. 1 individual. Just a single, tiny monster.
The Scope
These are rare jobs. They don’t often pay The scope is the general difficulty expected of
well, but they’re super easy. Of course, super the job. This one works a little different than the
other job generators. There’s no five star jobs, for
easy means something weird will happen
example. Those cannot come randomly. Those
that generally means a whole different job have to be the focus of an entire season of #iHunt.
you might have to negotiate for. Also, there are “individual” and “mob” entries.
Individual means the job is that star rating because
1. 2 individual. A single two-star monster. If
it’s one monster of that power level. Mobs are
the monster clade cannot be two-star, it’s a
large groups of smaller monsters.
very weak version of that monster. Maybe a
variant that’s not really that clade.
2. 2 mob. This is a swarm of tiny one-star
monsters. Maybe a horde of the hungry dead
or tiny imp demons. If the job is for a higher-
power clade, then this is their minions or
sub-monsters. Like vampire ghouls.
3. 3 individual. A single three-star monster.
Every monster clade can be three-star.
4. 3 mob. A crowd of two-star monsters. If
the clade cannot be two-star, these are their
minions or a strain of weaker monsters, like
half-werewolf hybrids.
5. 4 individual. This is a powerful, four-star
monster. Ouch.
6. 4 mob. A mob of three-star monsters.
This is usually a powerful gang of monsters.
This is arguably the most dangerous type of
job a hunter can undertake, because three-
star monsters are tough as individuals.
Fortunately the pay is usually like taking a
whole bunch of three-star contracts, paid
“by the head.”
Scopes
Roll Client
7. Wildly Miscategorized. Roll again. That
0 1 individual
result is the actual job rating mentioned on
the app. In reality, it’s comically different 1 2 individual
than that. If you roll a one-star individual 2 2 mob
demon, it might actually be a five-star 3 3 individual
archdemon. The important thing is that the 4 3 mob
difference must be truly absurd. The hunters 5 4 individual
should groan when they uncover the reality
6 4 mob
behind the job.
7 Wildly Miscategorized

168
The Hangup
0. The Client is Dead. You realize the client is
dead. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you
won’t get paid. But it does mean someone
The hangup is a “twist,” an unexpected kink in
using their smartphone has to verify the job
the job. Since it’s unexpected, the players should was completed.
probably not know until it’s time to introduce it. 1. The Monster’s Something Else. The client
Although some groups prefer to be aware of the says it’s a werewolf but it’s a demon. If
twists out-of-character, so they can respond in the
you’ve prepared for a werewolf, then tough
best ways for their characters. That’s all up to your
group—have more discussions about expectations,
shit. When this happens, you’ve got to think
not less. on your feet.
2. Cops on the Scene. The cops are currently
investigating a case wherever the monster
happens to be. You have to work around the
cops, and hope like hell you don’t end up on
the wrong end of a bullet. Or worse, that the
monster controls the cops.
3. Public Attention. I CAN’T DO IT WHEN
YOU’RE WATCHING. There are people
paying attention, it’s happening in a crowd,
or something else means there’s a bunch of
eyes on the job. Good fucking luck.
4. Rare Ingredients Needed. The monster has
a rare weakness and is impossible to stop
otherwise. Add Truly Invincible >>PAGE 229
and Deadly Weakness (U:0, P3) >>PAGE 248
to the monster.
5. Monster Pleads. “I have a family!” “I am
stealing from the rich to fund an orphanage!”
The monster has a pretty good argument for
why you shouldn’t kill them, and they make it
clear. Worse, they probably won’t fight back
after you know they don’t deserve to die.
6. The Client’s the Baddie. The client is
Hangups objectively horrible, and wants the monster
Roll Client out of the way so they can do even worse
shit to greater society. Without the monster
0 The Client Is Dead
in the equation, the client will have nothing
1 The Monster’s Something Else stopping them from pulling some total GOP
2 Cops on the Scene level shit. Sorry. You’re working for the real
3 Public Attention monster.
4 Rare Ingredients Needed 7. No First Hangup. Things basically go
5 Monster Pleads according to plan. There’s no first hangup.
6 The Client’s The Baddie There might still be a second hangup (see
7 No First Hangup the next page.)

169
0. Counter-Offer. “Whatever he’s paying, I’ll
Hangup 2
double it.” The monster offers you payment As an #iHunter, shit goes awry. You adapt. You
to leave them alone, or worse, to take out the fight. You fix it. You scrape by. Then... it goes even
more awry. There are always more variables, more
client. You just have to ignore the atrocities
unexpected elements, more fuckups. Not every
that monster’s bound to commit later. job has multiple hangups, but a lot do. Like with
1. It Runs Deep. Sure, it’s a two-star demon the first hangup, you can play it secretly, or let the
players know so they can respond in the best way
contract. But the client doesn’t know the
for their characters.
real culprit is an archdemon. When it runs
deep, you uncover a much, much greater
threat below the surface.
2. You’re Being Framed. The client doesn’t
really care if the monster’s dead. Really, the
client needs a fall-guy. You’re that person.
Their agenda is getting evidence of you with
a corpse on the ground and weapon in hand.
3. Monster’s Already Dead. The monster’s
already dead. You do all the work, you spend
the necessary expenses, and when find it, it’s
dead as fuck. Now, your problem is trying to
convince the client to pay you anyway.
4. Other Hunter. Another hunter’s on the job.
This could be a double-booking through
#iHunt, which happens sometimes. It could
be another hunter organization >>PAGE 294.
It could also just be a concerned citizen. But
too many cooks tends to result in corpses.
5. Hot Monster. The monster is totally fucking
hot and it’s hard to kill them when you’re
getting hard for them. Remember, you don’t
get paid if the mark ends up your Big Titty
Goth Vampire Girlfriend or hairy chested Other Hangups
werewolf hunk.
Roll Client
6. Suicide by #iHunt. Monsters have downright 0 Counter Offer
terrifying self-preservation instincts. They’ll 1 It Runs Deep
slaughter any threat. Our client is also our
2 You’re Being Framed
mark—they want to die but just cannot no
matter how hard they try. 3 Monster’s Already Dead
4 Other Hunter
7. No Second Hangup. There’s no twist here. It 5 Hot Monster
just works. There might be a first hangup, see
6 Suicide By #iHunt
the previous page. But there’s no second.
7 No Second Hangup

170
Aftermath 0. Job Went Off Without A Hitch. Everything
basically went according to plan. Or did it...?
The thing is, when everything seems to
The aftermath is the shit that happens after the go fine, that’s when you’re most paranoid,
job. The shit that makes things closer to zero sum. because you’re expecting you missed
This is mostly to give some ideas for how this can something or you’re waiting for the other
go. The next two pages touch on ways to Direct shoe to drop.
the aftermath and make it impactful (and awful.) In
fact, I recommend making up aftermath details if 1. Client Underpays. The client is broke. The
possible, catering them to the players. client has unrealistic expectations. The
client’s a cheap-ass. Whatever the reason,
the client decides to arbitrarily dock pay.
And with #iHunt, there’s not much you can
do about it. At least within their user rules.
2. Client Doesn’t Pay. Maybe the client skips
the country, closes their bank account, and
vanishes. It happens. Whatever the reason,
the client isn’t paying, and you’re stuck with
expenses and a whole lot of work time for
nothing. Maybe the next hunt is for your
fucking money!
3. Unexpected Expenses. Expenses stacked
up way more than expected. Maybe a
wound requires a rare, expensive cure to not
spread. Maybe while you were out working,
a bill didn’t get paid and gets a domino effect
of late fees. Whatever it is, it’s bad.
4. Real Life Caught Up. Someone in your real
life got exposed to what you do. Maybe you
didn’t want them to find out. Maybe they
were endangered.
5. Enemies Were Made. You killed a monster.
You made some worse monsters very, very

Aftermaths angry. Now you have powerful enemies

you’re not being paid to fight.
Roll Client 6. Day Job Woes. Because of time, injuries,
0 Job Went Off Without A Hitch police attention, or whatever, your day job
1 Client Underpays suffers because of this job.
2 Client Doesn’t Pay
7. Rapidly Increased Expectations. “You killed
3 Unexpected Expenses
him! You actually killed him! Great. We have
4 Real Life Caught Up another job for you. You need to start right
5 Enemies Were Made away. Have you ever fought a 3,000 year old
6 Day Job Woes mummy?” Sometimes a “promotion” isn’t a
7 Rapidly Increased Expectations good thing.

171
 More On The Aftermath
You have all the tools necessary to build a gig.
It’s not rocket science—you throw together a few
Use Dilemmas
essential elements, you make up some connective One huge thing we added from the original Fate
tissue, and you run the damn game. But #iHunt is a Core Rules to make #iHunt, well, #iHunt, is the
game with a manifesto. It’s a game with a purpose. rules for imperiling aspects. They’re on >>PAGE
We’re talking about the ills of late-stage capitalism 86. These rules exist for two big reasons—they
when you’re the working poor. let the players do some awesome shit to turn the
tables on monsters, and they let the Director hit
There’s this whole fucking chapter about how back with the insurmountable weight of capitalism.
poverty works in the scope of #iHunt’s world.
You can find it on >>PAGE 262. But that exists to The latter purpose is important here. It guarantees
explain the reality of the world in rather general that wins are generally bittersweet. The single most
terms—it tells you what life is like as a poor person, important point here is that dilemmas aren’t meant
and some of the tricks and tactics poor people have to negate wins. The hunters need wins, they need
to use to get by. In the more specific, the aftermath to be good, and they need to have rewards. But
of an #iHunt is the best time to really bring these dilemmas mean that wins are never quite what was
ideas into camera view. expected, and they stand as a reminder that there
are always forces in play to keep people down.
I strongly recommend getting a feel for the
material in that chapter Look at the sample aftermaths on the previous
page. They’re almost all dilemmas, really. For
example, if a client refuses to pay in full, that
#iHunting Feels Zero Sum hurts. That can destroy all the value in a job. The
#iHunting isn’t always zero sum, but it is enough alternative is shaking down the client, potentially
that it feels like it’s always. What do I mean by this? risking being cut from the #iHunt platform entirely.
Basically, you don’t get ahead by working #iHunt The goal here is to give the hunters a choice with
gigs. The numbers look like you should. When the complete absence of a good, safe answer.
you’re working at the fast food joint for $400 a
If you’re used to video games that do “roleplaying,”
week, a $2,500 contract to kill a werewolf looks
think about that as a good contrast. In a lot of them,
like the best thing ever. But as life catches up with
there’s the “good” choice and the “bad” choice. In
you, you have to pay $500 to get a cure for the
#iHunt dilemmas, both choices should be the “bad”
scratch so you don’t become a werewolf yourself.
choice. Both should be risks. Both should hurt. If
Your car needs work on its axle because you were
it comes down to allowing the electricity or the
driving off-road for the hunt, that’s $800. Silver
water get shut off, neither choice is a win.
bullets and a gun capable of shooting them is
another $1,200. Oh hey there’s the whole contract
gone to shit. Self-Dilemmas
This isn’t to say #iHunters don’t make money. As players get used to #iHunt, they might want
They absolutely do. But as people get a little more to take over the Director role for the purpose
money, life tends to get a little more expensive in of dilemmas. This is okay. This is good. Players
exchange. If a person’s lifestyle improves, so does do this when they’ve taken an ownership over
their cost of living. The important thing here is that their stories, and know exactly how to bring the
an #iHunter is compelled to continue #iHunting. pain. In fact, if you don’t intuitively come up with
There’s no realistic scenario where an #iHunter strong dilemmas, ask the players. Tell them they’re
makes enough to retire to Cabo. #iHunters encouraged to come up with their own dilemmas,
continue to struggle, because class mobility is a and coach this along by asking them to do it the
myth perpetuated to keep working people down. first few times.

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Use Traits
When Directing the aftermath, look at the
characters’ aspects and other game traits. If a player
has made something an aspect, then they’re telling
you it’s important. Use that. Use that. Use that.
Drama, day jobs, vision boards, it’s all important.
Day jobs should always be at risk. Vision boards
should be pushed just out of reach. Drama should,
well, be drama.

This goes fucking double if you’re using the gig

generator tables. Don’t just drag and drop the
results from the aftermath table into your game.
Take whatever you rolled and adapt it. Make it
personal, because the personal is political, and
everything should be political.

If you want to go further, dig deep. Look at stunts

and persistent consequences for inspiration.
After all, the players should ultimately be able to
overcome the issues brought on by a dilemma,
even if they have to suffer the initial brunt of their
bad choice. If they have a couple of stunts good for
stabbing things with swords, give them a problem
that can’t just be stabbed away, but can later lead
to a good sword fight.

Really, every aspect of a good #iHunt series

should be catered to the hunters. They’re the
protagonists—they’re the stars of the show. Their
drama matters. But if the knife you’re twisting
has their name on it, it’s going to bleed that
much harder. Just remember that dilemmas aren’t
terminal issues—they’re not meant to stop the
hunters or kill them—they’re meant as persistent
roadblocks that establish the realities of the late
capitalist world of #iHunt.

The Way Out Be Compassionate

Sometimes, players get tired with a character, or We have this whole bit on consent and sensitivity
have an idea for a new character. While generally on >>PAGE 26. Be extra special aware of it when
dilemmas aren’t terminal issues—hunters are Directing the aftermath and dilemmas. The thing
expected to overcome them at least somewhat— is, they’re supposed to hurt. They take a certain
players can opt to “retire” their characters, by amount of buy-in from the players—they have to
removing them from the hunt through debility, understand that the world is meant to be harsh.
death, or insurmountable financial ruin. If they However, they’re still playing to have fun, and if
want to do this, they’re welcome to introduce what you’re doing isn’t fun, then it’s not good. So
dilemmas which do so, or request that the Director be sensitive and be aware. Pay extra attention to
use the retirement to further the plot. the players when twisting the knife.

173
 Who The Bees Are: Chapter 3
#1976
Friday? Maybe? I honestly have no idea.
My phone works, but I’m not getting any internet and it’s certain that it’s 1976. I don’t see how it could
be. Anyway, I’m typing this on my phone now that we can catch a break and I’m pretty sure I’m going
to fuck it all up. But whatever.
I spent what felt like a day and a half going upstairs. I’m not joking. After Molly vanished up the hole in
the roof I rushed to the stairs and I walked. But I didn’t get anywhere. Eventually, the stairs stretched out
above me and below forever. Somewhere I got kinda pissed about it, and my stubborn streak got in the
way and I walked and walked convinced I could outlast the bullshit forever stairs.
Eventually I got exhausted and sat down and passed out for a while. Not my best moment. I had weird
dreams. Which, you know, trapped on an endless stair in a possessed house with a weird lady who could
read my mind and no crew to back me up. I’m forgiving myself. #selfcare
In waking up from that weird ass dream I can’t remember now, I sat on the stairs real quiet. I had to
think. I had to... what? Use my rules to understand the hunt? It sounded so stupid but, maybe there was
something to it. She’d asked what I felt when I walked in. What did I feel now?
I felt terrors. I felt the horrific swell of hate and oozing, creeping hunger for death and consumption. I felt
lies. Like, whatever the idea of ‘lie’ feels like, that’s what I was feeling.
The stairs were an illusion. I was being played. I got angry, but didn’t let it control me. I kept sitting still.
The thing, whatever it was, pressed in hard against my senses. It wanted it’s hate inside me, and I wanted
to puke until my organs came out and even then that wouldn’t be enough to get the feeling of hate out
of me.
But it was still a lie, right? An illusion? There had to be something beyond the hate. I waited, holding
my breath. Beyond the hate? Sad. Something sad. Something far too human in it’s sadness. I closed my
eyes, held onto the railing of the stairs, and moved toward the sad feeling. That was real.
After a funky step, I realized I was up past the stairs. I opened my eyes in time to an extremely wet sound
and something thick and sticky sprayed up all over my face. Instinctively, I wiped at it, to get it away from
my eyes and mouth. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in a hallway in front of Molly who was
even more covered in the sticky black goo.
“You alright?” She panted, wiping goo from her face.
“What is this stuff?”
“Ectoplasm. Technically.”
”What, like in the GhostBusters?”
She looked up at me sharply. “That’s anti-ghost propaganda and fu.... to heck with that movie.” She
breathed in and out, like how my mom would count to ten rather than talk back to my dad. “It’s ectoplasm,
basically, and it can’t hurt you but you may have some skin issues later.”
”What’s in this house? Did you kill it?”
“You can’t kill what was never born.” She said cryptically, motioning me to follow her back to the stairs.
“Wait, what?”

174
 “Do you want a full taxonomy of the being here? I mean, I can list classifications, organization,
realm and sphere? Latin names? Probably you don’t want all that.”
“No, but the job...”
She hesitated and looked at me. “The thing that is here feels like what, to you?”
”Lies and hate.”
She looked a little surprised, then nodded. “Fair enough. It’s a thing that comes from the void
outside of reality. It hates existence. It hates us. It’s trapped here in a place it never asked to be
and...”
“You pity it?” I said before I could, yanno, shut my mouth about it.
She looked at the floor, then nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
“Me too. What’s holding it here?”
She knit her brow and studied my face in that not-looking-at-me kind of way.
“I mean, not to be unromantic about all this, but pragmatically speaking, getting it gone makes it
happier and gets me paid so...”
“The details, The who and what and even why rarely matters as much as the how, with hunters, I
think.” She said.
I felt myself looking over my shoulder and then back at her. “Who are you talking to? Why does it
keep feeling like you’re talking past me to someone else?”
She just smiled strangely and wiped her face some more. “I think it’s bound to this house. I think
something terrible was done here and it ripped a tear in our reality through into another space,
straight past the veil and... I’m over explaining again.”
“Yeah. I think you are.” I followed her at that point, in fact walking past her to the door.
“What are you doing?”
“My job. Maybe your job too. You tagging along or you gotta stay here and get goo’ed some
more?”
She squinted, shrugged, and fell into step behind me.

175
 CHAPTER TEN:
#THEMARK
(MONSTERS)
Monster noun
mon·​ster | \ ˈmän(t)-stər
1. A terrifying or threatening force
“The same monster — Destiny … that rolls every civilization to doom.” — W. L. Sullivan
2. A being of inordinate or strange shape or behavior
“Horrific many eyed, many winged angels, undead zombies and vampires are part of our cultures.” — L.B. Ó Ceallaigh
3. A person of extreme wickedness or cruelty
“This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while.” —George W. Bush
4. Something that is highly successful
“The new Revengers movie is a monster at the box office.”
5. Something mysterious and unknown
“What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams.” — Werner Herzog

#iHunt is a game about killing monsters in the gig economy. #iHunt has the potential to go down similar problematic
So it’s important we’re all on the same page about what paths if you’re not careful. If you say that vampires are a
monsters are. In simplest terms, monsters are an occupational metaphor for queer identity, then what’s that say about
hazard—but they’re so much more. Monsters are diverse, #iHunters who make a living literally murdering vampires?
varied, and are tools for a million types of stories. In #iHunt, That’s gross as fuck, and not a game I’d want to play.
a lot of times they’re just the dangerous thing at the end of
a gig, and that’s completely fine. In fact, you can have an The point is, it’s better to explore these things on a case-by-
entire series of #iHunt stories without ever really exploring case basis, and instead of making sweeping statements about
monsters in any more depth than the three inches it takes to what monsters are, instead focus on what parallels you might
pierce a vampire’s heart. draw from individual aspects of a monster story.

There’s a pitfall people fall into when talking about #iHunt stories aren’t all touchy-feely good times. It’s a game
monsters. Stop me if you’ve heard this one. “Vampires are about capitalism forcing people to make awful decisions,
a metaphor for...” Yeah that one. Vampires are a metaphor putting their lives on the line to barely get by. But if you go
for sexual assault, antisemitism, disease, promiscuity, fear too dark, too relentless, too cynical, people just aren’t going to
of foreigners, the unwillingness of people to change, queer want to play. Sometimes it has to just be okay to kill monsters.
identity issues, and whatever in the fuck you want them to Fuck, most of the time it has to be just okay to kill monsters.
be a metaphor for. Monsters are tools, and it’s your choice as Sometimes it can be a moral dilemma, but if you try to make
a creator how you use them. The moment we start saying, “X that a regular thing, you’re going to have a shitty game.
monster is a metaphor for Y social issue,” we’re locking out a
Okay so why is it ever okay to kill people? Well, because
lot of possibilities and opening a lot of doors for gross shit.
monsters are murderers. This isn’t one of those things where
A few years ago I worked a little bit on a game that was it’s an allegory for blah blah whatever. Vampires drink
supposed to use horrifying monsters as a metaphor for blood and leave corpses. Werewolves wake up in a pile of
marginalized, queer people. The development went south, flesh and bone a few times a month. The human authorities
and ultimately the metaphor ended up looking more like simply cannot—or will not—do anything about these things,
queer people are abusers who can only exist by hurting the so someone has to. It’s a little less cut-and-dry, a little
public, and anyone who speaks up about abuse from queer more morally gray than your average superhero comic, but
people is objectively evil. Yeah that game didn’t end well. #iHunters absolutely save lives. That’s not up for debate.
Are there good monsters? Absolutely. But those aren’t the
ones the #iHunters are generally contracted to kill.

176
 MONSTER BASICS

Monsters in #iHunt are just characters. They’re characters

the way the hunters are characters. They’re only different in, Monstrous aspects
well, the ways they’re different. Which is to say, the things Here’s some examples of each type:
that define them as monsters. This includes the basic and
unique features they share with other monsters of their kind, Unique Monstrous Aspects
supernatural powers, strange curses and weaknesses, and the

CHAPTER 10: #THEMARK (MONSTERS)

altered laws of reality they play by. [ Man’s hubris embodied
[ Haunting that looks like something else
There are really two types of monsters in the broadest
sense—unique monsters, and clades. [ Not the real monster of the story
[ Doesn’t know it’s dead
UNIQUE MONSTERS [ No longer needs to feed
Unique monsters are just that; they’re individuals or very [ Really wants to die (but can’t)
small groups which don’t “play by the rules” of a broader [ I’m telling you I’m not the Jersey Devil
urban legend or mythology. These are best expressed as
the “monster of the week” in classic supernatural mystery, [ So. Lonely.
adventure, and thriller shows like the X-Files, Buffy, and [ Feels only pain
Supernatural. [ Nothing can contain him
Unique monsters are built as individuals, picking and [ Memetic
choosing Gifts, Banes, and Features. Gifts cost refresh [ Family first
points, Banes give additional refresh. Features can add or
cost refresh, or be completely refresh-free. Many, but not all [ Technically, it’s art
monsters will have a Feature to provide an “essence” pool. If [ Just...so wet
the monster has any Gifts which require essence, they need
[ Very very sharp
a Feature which provides essence. When making a unique
monster, replace its day job aspect with a monstrous aspect. [ Be careful what you wish for
This is a short epithet aspect which describes the character’s Clade Monstrous Aspects
relationship to their monstrosity in the story.
[ Vamp bit off more than he can chew
CLADES [ Relic out of time
[ Object lesson about magic power
Clades are broader types of monsters. “Vampires,” for
example, are the most common clade in #iHunt. A clade [ Nazi werewolf
is broad enough that there may be tend, hundreds, or even [ Foot soldier for the greater evil
thousands of representatives of that monster. This doesn’t
[ Leech on a disadvantaged neighborhood
mean they’re all the same—quite the opposite—it just means
the clade has a series of basic Gifts, Banes, and Features [ Goth in 2019
which define it. Individual members might have additional [ Monster among monsters
Gifts, Banes, and Features, but the basic “template” is
basically universal among clade members. [ Monster hunter hunter
[ Dark knight
Clade monsters have a clade template, which adds the costs
of all Gifts, Banes, and Features together. A clade member [ The fun demon
must pay that refresh cost to be a member. Additionally, [ Really just meant to be a werewolf
replace the monster’s day job aspect with a monstrous aspect, [ Won’t stop talking
which describes the individual’s relationship to their clade.
Often this speaks to their insider societal organizations. [ Maintains the traditions

177
 MONSTER TRAITS
There are three main traits which uniquely define a monster,
and differentiate them from humanity. The first are gifts, BANES
supernatural powers which give monsters outstanding Banes are in some ways the opposite of gifts. They’re
and unbelievable abilities, and are what makes them truly weaknesses, curses, and sometimes the only ways a monster
terrifying threats that demand expert solutions. The second can be killed. They’re inherently negative for the monster. For
are banes, which are weaknesses and curses which a hunter this reason, they give refresh instead of costing refresh. This
can (and often must) exploit to take out a given creature. The can help to counterbalance the cost of certain clade templates
final trait is a monster’s features, which are specific limitations which have numerous expensive features and gifts.
and different rules they play by, which aren’t exactly powers
or weaknesses, but make them inhuman none the less. Often, Banes come in three basic types: Prohibitions, Weaknesses,
features are a monster’s method of “feeding” or getting power and True Banes. Prohibitions are things the monster cannot
to fuel their gifts. do, places they can’t go, or otherwise limitations placed on
them. A weakness is something the monster is particularly
MONSTROUS GIFTS harmed by, either in raw harm caused, or by causing a unique
effect with injury. A true bane is the only or one of the only
Gifts are, to put a fine point on it, superpowers. They’re the things that can truly destroy the monster. Usually true banes
supernatural edges monsters can leverage do shock, awe, cause massive harm to the monster upon exposure.
terrify, enslave, and destroy. Gifts are like stunts, but leveled
up. They go beyond the normal Fate rules for stunts, but The banes list starts on >>PAGE 246.
also they go beyond the rules of what human beings can do.
While the raw numbers might look similar to normal human CREATURE FEATURES
stunts in some cases, the difference in context is what makes
it a gift. For example, anyone can just make an advantage to Features are just that—simple traits that define the monster as
put an aspect on a character. But with the entrancement gift, something unique and supernatural. Things like a vampire’s
a monster creates the entranced aspect, which is explained blood drinking or a ghost’s being incorporeal are features.
as a supernatural form of control. So it’d ignore much of the They might offer advantages, but they’re mostly just inborn
context which would prohibit a simple aspect from deeply realities of what the monster is on a fundamental level that
influencing another character—for example, an enemy’s— separates them from humanity.
behavior. We know a person cannot throw a car. But with the
unholy strength gift, they can because it says they can. Features cost refresh (some have a refresh cost of 0)
and that is calculated in a clade’s cost if the monster is of
Every gift comes with a refresh cost. A monster loses that a clade. Some features offer a unique trait called “essence.”
many refresh when taking the gift. Some gifts have a basic This is an abstract measure of supernatural “fuel” which the
and advanced level; these have two separate costs depending monster uses for some of its gifts and features. Different
on the desired degree of power. If a monster increases a gift monster features have different types of essence, and so the
from the basic to advanced level, they need only pay the rules work slightly different for each. Every essence feature
difference between the two. If a gift is part of a character’s explains how the monster gets its essence, and describes how
clade template, then the cost has already been factored into the monster responds when without its essence, or when
the template cost, so you don’t need to worry about it. truly starved of its supernatural food. Being “starved” and
“deprived” are aspects with one free compel or invoke each.
Some gifts require essence. Monsters get essence through
certain features. Essence costs are expressed with the name You can find the features list starting on >>PAGE 224.
of an essence aspect. There are five essence aspects—bloated, Features marked “Essence Features” are ones which provide
full, sated, deprived, and starving. There’s more about essence a method and pool of essence. Yes, we got this term from
costs for gifts on >PAGE 234. the Dresden Files RPG. It’s perfect. Let’s not fix what wasn’t
broken, okay?

One quick note about relevance: Don’t bother calculating

points for features that aren’t story relevant. For example,
demons never truly “die.” But that’s not the Undying feature,
because they won’t return in the scope of the same story. For
all intents and purposes, their undying status isn’t relevant.
So we’re not going to spend points on it.

178
STAR RATING REFRESH COSTS
Every monster has a rating, which is an abstract way of Some clades have very high refresh costs, and some gifts are
expressing its rough challenge for the hunters. It directly markedly expensive. Most monsters will have higher basic
correlates to the amount of the monster’s starting refresh refresh than your average starting hunter. For marks on a
(which generally describes how many gifts it can take on top gig, this is covered by the star system. If you can’t make the
of its normal clade advantages) as well as starting skill sets monster you want within the normal star rating, bump it up
and its skill set limit. Skill sets are bought by rank. So a rank or scale back your plans. But not every monster needs to be
4 skill set costs 4 from the total. Most importantly in play, the target of a gig. Some are bystanders. Some ally with the
star rating determines the difficulty of seizing the edge from hunters. There are as many ways a monster can be involved
a monster. The passive opposition is twice their star rating. with a story as there are monsters.
The star rating goes from 1 to 5. Most monsters an When you’re designing or portraying a monster, especially
#iHunter faces will be in the 2to 3 range. Monsters at one that isn’t the mark of a gig with its star rating present, you
1are simply too pathetic to pose much of a threat to most

CHAPTER 10: #THEMARK (MONSTERS)

can carefully add up to about 5 refresh for other features and
people, so they aren’t often worth #iHunt contracts unless gifts as you see fit. If a relevant, named character becomes a
they’re part of a massive mob. Monsters in the 4 to 5 monster in the course of the story, add 5 refresh to help cover
range are power players, and either know how to hide well the cost of their new clade or their new traits.
enough that they’re not commonly contracted, or just too
powerful to leave anyone alive who is aware of their existence. One huge important implication of these refresh costs is
A 4 monster is generally a good basis for a full season arc, that monsters tend to have fewer fate points than hunters. If you
while a 5 monster is best as the focus of a whole series. have access to monster gifts, they’re hard to pass up. As a
Note that some clades require a monster be at least of a Director, those gifts are terrifying to the hunters, so buy them!
certain star rating. There are no 1 wolf family vampires, But know that this means usually the players will have more
because they are always just too dangerous to be rated so low. fate points available than the monsters, and this is absolutely
(And also because their sub-clade costs 7, which is more than a good thing and an intended feature of the system.
the 3 refresh allowed a 1 monster without massive banes.)
HUNTERS AS MONSTERS
STARS CHART This of course brings us to the next question. What happens
when hunters become monsters? It happens sometimes.
Stars Skill Sets Skill Max Refresh Vampires will turn a hunter if they think it means surviving
1 10 3 3 (or having their own personal weapon.) Sometimes a
werewolf scratch ends up more than just a scratch. It happens
2 15 4 5 in two of the current #iHunt books (I won’t tell you which.)
3 20 5 10
I know that way back in chapter one, I said we don’t have
4 25 6 20 rules for playing monsters. That’s really only half-true.
5 30 7 50 Technically there’s nothing stopping you from using these
rules to turn a hunter into a monster. What we really lack is
the material support for more than a superficial supernatural
BECOMING A MONSTER identity. What does being a werewolf mean for a newly
turned wolf-person? That’s a complicated issue, and one
Every type of monster has a different method for becoming
that we don’t really have the space to address. While we’ve
that monster. Some monsters are born that way. Some are
provided enough material to use the vampires of San Jenaro
genetically predisposed. Some are infected. Some are made.
as antagonists, we don’t really give you enough material to
Most monsters an #iHunter will deal with on the regular were
really get the way they work from the player perspective.
at least nominally human at one point. Clades of monsters
have specific methods for becoming one of them—these are But as a guideline, you’ll notice that hunters normally get
laid out in the clade descriptions. For other monsters, you 5 refresh and 20 skill sets. Up above, I said you can add 5
can simply decide how it happens, or use a feature, gift, or refresh when someone becomes a monster, to help buy their
even a bane to make it happen. clade or other traits. You’ll also notice on that little star chart
on the left column of this page that a 3 monster has 10
Sometimes it’s not particularly relevant to your stories—if
refresh and 20 skill sets. In the absolute loosest sense, when a
a monster can’t easily create others like it, it’s probably not
hunter becomes a monster, they start off about the equivalent
that important to address. But making a monster infectious
of a 3 monster. It’s not a 1:1 comparison, especially if the
or even just adding an instinct to propagate its kind can be a
hunter has been in play for a long while, but it’s a good basis
compelling addition to any story.
for consideration.

179
 CLADES

The following section deals with the most common clades in

the #iHunt default setting of San Jenaro. It’s rapid fire, one CLADE TEMPLATE
after another, so there’s not a ton of space for details. The goal This is where I break down the gifts, banes, and features that
is to give you the tools to make your own monsters, to give define a member of the clade, along with the cost of the clade
some examples that fit within that group, and to inspire you template. Later on in the examples, I won’t mention these
with some story seeds. Hopefully as you read these monster traits, because they’re inborn parts of the clade.
clades and their examples, you start thinking in terms of the
types of hunts you’d like to see them in, and how you can
weave these characters into your stories aside from just as SUB-CLADES
the targets of hunts.
Most of the clades have further subdivisions and refinements.
For example, the vampires of San Jenaro have three main
THE BASICS families. These sub-clades have their own defining series
of gifts, banes, and features which modify the main clade
I’ll start off by offering a little overarching, high concept template. Since they have different traits, the clade template
description of the monster clade. A lot of this should be old refresh cost will be slightly different. So the main clade
hat if you’ve seen horror movies or whatever, but some of template is for the most generic example of a monster in that
it’s specific to the #iHunt universe. Being that the #iHunt given clade. The listed traits for the sub-clades add to the
Fate system is super modular, you can fuck with this all you base template.
want—I’m just giving you the “canon” jumping off point.

ORGANIZATION
Here, I’ll talk a little bit about how these monsters organize.
If they have any sort of society or hierarchy in San Jenaro, I’ll
talk about it here. If they have any broader, global society, I’ll
at least touch on it here. Some monsters simply do not have
the capacity for formal organization, like the Hungry Dead.
I’ll use this space to discuss how they generally come about
and under what circumstances they tend to exist.

180
LORE Clades of San Jenaro
Every city, every region has its own trends. Some
One of the best and worst parts of the hunt is that many
monsters are wildly abundant in some cities,
monsters are relatively well-known from pop culture. This
while they might be completely nonexistent in
has its advantages and disadvantages. Most people know
that a stake through the heart will stop a vampire, or that others. The following section details the most
silver bullets will stop a werewolf. On the other hand, it’s also common clades you’ll find in San Jenaro.
popular knowledge that the sight of a cross repels vampires.
Vampires
More than a few hunters have died because that’s just not
true, and you don’t have room to experiment when a fanged, Vampires are by and large the most common
hissing monster is at your neck. monsters in San Jenaro. They’re also the
In this section, I talk briefly about some of the truths and most common #iHunt contracts, because they
myths surrounding the clade. Now keep in mind, this is still have such a direct symbiotic relationship with
humans, and in particularly in centers of wealth

CHAPTER 10: #THEMARK (MONSTERS)

on the general. It applies to the clade as a whole. Individual
members might still exhibit some of these “myth” features. and privilege.
For example, there are vampires out there who can’t cross
running water or enter a home uninvited. That’s just a matter Sorcerers
of unique banes. But this section isn’t for those exceptions—
Many flock to San Jenaro to chase their dreams
it’s for the rule.
of money, fame, and power. This remains true
for magical power. San Jenaro is a hotbed of
EXAMPLES magical energies, and has a long-standing
secret society of sorcerers.
I close out with examples of the clade. The agenda here is to
present a variety of common specimens to give you an idea Werewolves
of what these monsters might look like on a few different
potential star levels. The werewolves of San Jenaro mostly stick
to the suburbs. But, #iHunt contracts don’t
This shouldn’t be taken as a comprehensive guide to those
discriminate. There’s currently a plague among
types of monsters. I’m favoring specificity here—you should
have some individuals you can drop right into your stories, so the werewolves which causes them to lose
I’m favoring unique stories over overarching representation. control, which means contracts are plenty.
If there’s one real takeaway you should get from this section,
Reptoids
it’s that even the most generic examples of a monster type
really aren’t that generic—with few exceptions, monsters Human-lizard hybrids are fairly common in
should be seen as individuals first. Hunters might perceive San Jenaro, and take a few different forms.
monsters with stereotypes; and indeed, some trends and Oddly, their existences are often complicated
stereotypes might arise. However, monsters are people, and
by disgusting, racist conspiracy theories. Most
it’s important to put a face on them. Even when you think
really only cause problems through ham-fisted
it might not be important, those are the times it’s most
ignorance of human behavior.
important. If a hunter is facing down a horde of mindless,
shambling corpses, it might seem unintuitive to think about Demons
their personalities. Their personality is, “BRAIIINS,” right?
But this is your chance to describe what they’re wearing, Spirits of selfishness and corruption find San
who they were before they were infected. It makes the world Jenaro to be the perfect hunting grounds. Often,
breathe, and adds gravity and weight to every action and those seeking quick money and power run afoul
every choice. You’re not smashing a mindless corpse with of demons and seek help from #iHunters.
a shovel—you’re smashing Tanya, the former Tacos Tomas
cashier who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hungry Dead
After each template, you’ll find a list of common features, Just like out of a Romero flick, sometimes the
gifts, and banes. Features will be listed with a cost in dead come back. Sometimes they’re hungry.
parenthesis afterwards, and any variations. Gifts will also And sometimes they need killing.
have a cost. Banes will be listed with (U [number] P [number])
to represent the ubiquity and potency cost of the bane.

181
182
 “V ampires are total fucking assholes. Every goddamn one of them. Except the ones who aren’t.”
—Lana Moreno

Medical debt, domestic violence, high unemployment, rising The third type is the ancients. These terrifying monsters
rents, vampire attacks. The people of San Jenaro deal with are each unique in their experiences, because there’s no
a lot every day. As far as monsters go, vampires are easily one way to survive a thousand years. More often than not,
the biggest threat to your average San Jenarino. They’re the these ancients no longer even think in a way that could be
iconic monster of San Jenaro—they love the world-famous called human—they’ve killed so many people, they’ve long-
night life, they prey on wide-eyed and naive tourists, they since rationalized themselves as something else entirely.
blend in with all strata of society, which are all pushed up Maybe they perceive themselves to be monsters. Maybe they
against each other in San Jenaro. perceive themselves to be gods. It’s only very rarely that an
#iHunter will see a contract for such a monster, and even

Vampire Society
Popular estimates suggest there are about 200 vampires in then, only after a great deal of experience.
the greater San Jenaro metropolitan area at any given time.
With about 20 million people in the region, that’s about one
vampire to every hundred thousand people. Also, vampires
tend to congregate in very specific circles. This is to say,
most people in San Jenaro don’t know a single vampire. But In San Jenaro, vampires are organized like large crime families
if a person knows a vampire, there’s a fairly good chance vying for power. There are currently three main factions.
they know a few of them (and they probably don’t know
that they’re vampires.) We also know that the estimates are A mysterious patron of the arts known as Ramirez leads
probably low, and right now in San Jenaro, there’s a lot of the currently dominant faction out of a base of operations at
turmoil among the vampires. There’s a war brewing, with the Belmont Theater in Palo Verde. He maintains a relatively
troops coming from all over the world to fight for control of good relationship with #iHunters, and has standing contracts
the powerful city. Hunters kill vampires. Vampires make new out for his rival factions’ members. He has about 40 loyal
vampires. It’s a lot like killing lice; you can’t really address the allies in the city, but his enemies are mounting remarkable

VAMPIRES
problem by taking out the individual pests. forces against him.

Vampires drink blood. That’s why they’re vampires. They A ruthless leader named Elisa el Lobo runs a much
don’t necessarily need to kill—at least, most of them don’t. younger, much less experienced faction out of a hostel in San
Almost all vampires have killed at least once in their lifetime. Filipe. She has between 40 and 100 followers at any given
Some have killed countless people over the centuries. time, but her fanatical followers tend to have short life spans.

Your average #iHunter will probably kill numerous The third faction is one of outsiders. Ramirez and Elisa’s
vampires in their career, if they don’t die on their first hunt. factions have weakened one another greatly in their warring,
The sorts of vampires #iHunters are contracted for don’t and outside interests have banded together in an effort to
tend to be the ancient Draculas of the world; they’re usually starve out and destroy them. This alliance of outsider forces
relatively young, and just caused problems for the wrong has amassed impressive numbers, sometimes more than 100
person or the wrong neighborhood. vampires. They build bases, lying in waiting until the time for
the final strike.
There are really three degrees of vampire. The youngest are
by far the most common, and definitely the most common an The war, if you could really call it that, is a cold war. It only
#iHunter will face. Most of them are high on overconfidence, rarely comes to immediate skirmishes beyond small groups
since they’re new to their power and are seeing a new world stumbling upon one another in the wrong place at the wrong
where they’re unstoppable, where nobody can tell them time. Mostly, the factions keep to their own neighborhoods,
no. Usually, their first run-in with a hunter is the first time patrolling and preparing, opting to pick off enemies through
they’ve faced real adversity. Hunters would do well to take subtle means where possible.
advantage of this hubris, killing them before they have time
to learn better. Outside of San Jenaro, vampires organize in cities,
and in rare cases, regions. A city will often have a formal
The second type are the up-and-comers who have generally organization with strictly enforced rules, but each city is an
survived a healthy human lifetime, and are starting to see island unto itself. Many vampires avoid travel because it’s
the possibility of eternity ahead of them. They’re often just too difficult to learn a new city’s rules and traditions. In
conservative in their behaviors, shrewd, favoring indirect some areas, especially when cities are bunched up together
confrontation. These kinds of vampires know plenty about in close proximity, a powerful city leader will act as a sort
hunters, and are often very dangerous. Generally, these are of feudal lord, ruling over lesser cities. Often these regional
the vampires a hunter will have to deal with as leaders of rulers act in the name of their creators, ancient vampires who
larger groups or gangs. exist outside petty night-to-night politics.

183
 Vampire Template Rattlesnakes 6
Cost: 4 They were once called Kukulcan in San Jenaro, after a
Yucatec Mayan god, but the name is all but lost to the
Vampires, at their core, drink blood and they don’t age or die younger generations. They’re the least populous of the three
from natural causes. Common vampires can also use their major families in the city, partly because of their unique
blood to manipulate others and create lesser servants. curse. Their bite is truly deadly, like an amped-up rattlesnake.
So, they have difficulty feeding in subtle, non-lethal ways.
Features: Blood Drinker (5), Propagation: Lesser Propagation Doubly important is that they’re particularly hungry, even
and Rise From Your Grave (2), Regeneration (3), Sensory by vampire standards, so this compounds their issues. This
Goodness: Smell Blood (2), Undying: Unaging (2), Gifts: means they have to be very careful in how many members
None, Banes: Deadly Weakness: Stake Through the Heart (U they bring into the fold, lest they draw undue attention.

Vampire Families
2, P 5), Hunger: Blood (U1, P2)
Features: Natural Weapon: Lethal (6), Banes: Hunger: Blood
(U:2, P:2)

Vampires in San Jenaro each come from a familial lineage

Wolves 8
which branches off of the main vampire clade. While there As with the rattlesnakes, the wolves of San Jenaro have a
are others, some 95% of vampires in San Jenaro hail from long, all-but-lost heritage. They were once called Xolotl. Now,
three main families. The families identify themselves by they’re just wolves. They’re characterized as the strongest,
mystical symbolic animal patrons—the bat, the rattlesnake, fastest, most physically adept vampires. This makes them
and the wolf. While there are some fundamental similarities, gigantic pains in the ass for #iHunters. However, they also
they’re quite different in many ways. This deeply influences are absurdly territorial. Fuck with whatever they’ve decided
their societal dynamics. For example, the bat family cannot is their territory, and they will go ballistic.
face the sun, and sleeps all day. So the other groups must
hold nighttime meetings, or else they’re seen as snubbing Features: Euphoria (1), Inhuman Potency (3), Unholy Armor
one of the most influential groups in the city. (3), Banes: Rule Bound: Will meet threats to territory with

Vampire Lore
abject and overwhelming violence (U:1, P:2)
Bats 2
Often called Camazotz based on an old legend about the
Mayan bat god starting the family, the bats are one of the
dominant families in San Jenaro. They’re unique in that they Vampires have a unique position in being hyper-saturated
cannot manage during the daytime. The sun destroys them. in media. This means there’s a lot of accurate information
They’re also known for their remarkable senses. Every single monster hunters can use in their work. It also means there’s a
one has a unique sense which helps them suss out prey. lot of bullshit out there that can—and does—get them killed.
Some can sense guilt, for example, whereas some can hear a
person’s deepest desires. Facts
In San Jenaro, their relatively abundant population means [ Immortality: “We never grow old, and we never die,
that they tend to dictate some of the terms of vampiric society. unless someone takes our head.” I think that’s actually
While rattlesnakes and wolves can act during the day, most Highlander? But it holds true for vampires. Unless they
vampire gatherings and all vampire political events occur at die by something they’re specifically weak against, like
night, so as to accomodate the Camazotz. stakes through the heart or beheading, they don’t really
die.
Features: Euphoria (1), Sensory Goodness: Soul Reading
(+1), Gifts: Telepathy (1), Banes: Deadly Weakness: Sunlight [ Bloodlust: Imagine, if you will, being really fucking
(U: 2, P:3) hungry. Okay, not a big reach, right? You’d steal bread if
it meant survival, right? Okay so that’s vampires, except
with blood. And you can’t just get blood at a bakery.

184
Myths All The Damn Vampires
[ Sunlight: While some vampires, namely the bat family Like we said, vampires are the most common monsters
in San Jenaro, are weak against sunlight, this is hardly #iHunters deal with in San Jenaro. They’re dangerous, sure,
a rule. but the real issue with vampires isn’t the direct danger they
pose. It’s that they’re fucking cool. San Jenaro is a city of
[ Holy Symbols: Signs of faith don’t hold back evil. Sorry, entertainment, of debauchery, and of excess. In short, it’s a
pastor. There’s not even some super secret “for really perfect city for vampires. Vampires embody everything that
real faith” that actually works. Just, nope. makes San Jenaro the place everyone wants to go. If you think
you’re hot enough to be an actor, you go to San Jenaro, then
[ Invite Only: Vampires can enter a house without being
the city eats you alive until you’re a wretch, a husk. And that’s
invited. Like, it’s rude. But, so is drinking blood? So I
if the vampires don’t get to you. People seek out vampires, the
doubt they’re too concerned.
way they seek out the utter capitalist self-destruction of the
[ Garlic: It doesn’t repel them supernaturally. But if entertainment industry. People don’t just let vampires bite
you’ve got garlic outside your door, vampires tend to them in San Jenaro; they beg for it in hopes they can become
stray away because it’s a great big fucking sign that, that. And the joke’s on them—they never will.
“Hey, this person knows vampires exist, and is probably
I know we said that monsters aren’t metaphors for real
willing to stab you.”
world issues unless you want them to be. But vampires are
absolutely a metaphor to help define the city of San Jenaro,
and in a lot of ways, San Jenaro is a metaphor for vampires.

VAMPIRES

185
 Deloris 
Most vampires do not end up being bloodthirsty serial
killers, believe it or not. Deloris is the exception. There's
not enough space here for an in-depth look at how
she became what she became, or why, but at the end
of the day it doesn't matter. There is nothing heroic
or subversive about what she does. She kidnaps and
abuses people for her own pleasure and she'll spend
weeks at a time on one victim. The fact that they're
mostly underprivileged men means her crimes have
gone unnoticed for decades. Nobody 'does that stuff'
to men, and certainly no one cares if men who don't
look like the cops that should protect them, right?
Tracking her isn't hard. She's smart and charming
has fantastic relationships with the monsters in her
life. She doesn't consider her hobby
except when she's doing it. And in
fact, when confronted is likely to be
shocked anyone at all cares about
the matter. Certainly not enough to kill
her over it. It's just a thing she does. No
one who matters gets hurt, right?
Anyway she's a funny, charming, attractive piece of
shit who's hurting people in terrible ways because
society won't stop her.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Funny charming and attractive piece of shit,
I’ll stop when society tells me to, little old me?, Girl’s
got claws, would hand a cop a cola
Sub-Clade: Bat (2 refresh)
Skill Sets: Assassin 2, Athlete 3, Fighter 1, Grifter 1,
Influencer 4, Socialite 2, Social Worker 1, Spy 1
Stunts: Dress For Success (Influencer), Run ‘Em
Ragged (Athlete)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Blood Drinker (5), Euphoria (1), Propagation:
Lesser Propagation and Rise From Your Grave (2),
Regeneration (3), Sensory Goodness: Smell Blood
(2), Sensory Goodness: Soul Reading (1), Undying:
Unaging (2)
Gifts: Agency Robbing (2), Influence Emotion (1),
Telepathy (1)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Sunlight (U2, P3), Deadly
Weakness: Stake Through the Heart (U 2, P 5), Hunger:
Blood (U1, P2)

186
Roger 
In an ideal world, a just world, Roger wouldn’t be in this
mess. He’d get the help and support of entities who
understand his plight and who are able to help him.
Instead, he’s a listing on an app for freelance murderers.
Make no mistake, Roger wants to die, but supernaturally
powerful survival instincts prevent him from sealing the
deal. It’s entirely possible Roger has taken out the contract
on himself. No judgment on that.
Anyway, Roger developed into the sort of vampire who
suffers severe fugue states where he goes on slaughterous
rampages. He knows of no way to prevent it, though he’s
taken the better part of a century to experiment. To date
his body count is very high and he’s desperate to end his
suffering. None of his peers will end him, it would be an
inconvenience or something. He’s otherwise a really nice
guy trying to do his best with what he has. But at the end
of the night—he knows—it’s only a matter of time before

EXAMPLE VAMPIRES
he blacks out and kills again. That’s the reality he exists
with, and really, who are we to judge him for it? Especially
when helping him attain his goal is worth ten grand?
Roger is not likely to assist any hunter hired to kill him.
His instinct is too strong. But gosh he’ll feel terrible
about it if any of them get hurt in the process.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Undead with a death wish, survival
instincts from hell, too experienced as a vampire,
regrets what he knows he’ll do, eternally broken
Sub-Clade: Wolf (8 refresh)
Skill Sets: Academic 2, Athlete 3, Fighter 1,
Investigator 2, Maker 1, Occultist 2, Social
Worker 4, Survivor 5
Stunts: Ignore the Pain (Survivor,) Dodgy
Motherfucker (Athlete)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, Physical 1, 2, 3, 4
Consequences: Mild x2, Moderate x1,
Severe x1
Features: Blood Drinker (5), Euphoria (1),
Inhuman Potency (3), Propagation: Lesser
Propagation and Rise From Your Grave (2),
Rage Face (3), Regeneration (3), Sensory
Goodness: Smell Blood (2), Undying:
Unaging (2), Unholy Armor (3)
Gifts: None
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Stake Through the
Heart (U2, P5), Hunger: Blood (U2, P2), Rule
Bound: Will meet threats to territory with abject
and overwhelming violence (U1, P2)

187
 Petra 
Here’s what people know about Petra. She’s at least
a thousand years old probably. She’s possibly one of
the oldest vampires still around. She is ugly as fuck,
like, Count Orlok would swipe left. She’s sort of carted
from one place to another by a cult of vampires who
worship her as a goddess of death. She is supposed
to be literally unkillable, and yet people keep trying.
Every hundred years or so she rouses, turns someone
into a pretty powerful vampire, and then goes back
into hibernation and like, kills people in their dreams
or some shit.
In reality only about half of that stuff is true. She is
very old. She is very powerful. She doesn’t make more
vampires more frequently than every hundred years
or so, and some vampires do worship her but she’s
not super keen on that. Because she falls into long
hibernation though, she’s reliant on the cult from time
to time.
She’s awake right now. She may be the reason Karl
is on the app. He might be the reason she is. End
of the day, she’s a vampire that doesn’t drink blood
anymore, and maybe hasn’t for centuries. But the
promised payment on her? Astro-fucking-nomical.
Refresh: 1
Aspects: Older than dirt, spends most of her life in
others’ bodies, thinks on the VERY long-term, wants
to know everything, force of nature
Sub-Clade: None (Custom Clade)
Skill Sets: Academic 5, Assassin 4, Influencer 1,
Investigator 2, Occultist 6, Organizer 1, Social Worker
2, Spy 1, Survivor 3
Stunts: Lore Hound (Occultist), Trivia Buff (Academic)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, Physical - 1, 2
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Feast of Faith (5), Propagation: Lesser
Propagation and Rise From Your Grave (2),
Regeneration (3), Shapechanging: Mist Form (3),
Undying: Unaging (2), Unholy Armor: Tough as Shit (5)
Gifts: Possession (5), Telepathy (3), Magic: Cursing 4,
Shielding 4, Speak to the Dead 4, Weather Control 4
Banes: Sunlight (U2, P3), Deadly Weakness: Stake
Through the Heart (U2, P5)

188
Karl 
Karl is a Nazi. Like, he was one in the 40s. He got
turned into a vampire as a part of one of Hitler’s occult
experiments. He’s very powerful, though not as powerful
as he thinks. He claims to even know some sorcery, but
who the fuck knows with liars like that.
Being a Nazi sorcerer isn’t what landed him on the app, of
course, who can say what douchebag reason someone
is going to benefit from his death. But also who cares?
Kill a Nazi vampire wizard seems like a good thing
even before the fifteen grand price tag on his head.
Killing Karl isn’t going to be easy, of course. In
addition to whatever his weird powers may be,
he’s been grooming a pride of Proud Boy type
Neo Nazis who protect him with their lives. Like.
Literally. They would kill themselves for him if he
asked. And sometimes he does to entertain party

EXAMPLE VAMPIRES
guests among the vampire elite. And yet, there’s
always one more bald shitstain to replace the last
one. For guys who refuse to fuck for some reason,
they sure do find a way to multiply.
This is probably going to involve killing more than
just Karl. Worse? He knows how to play people.
It’s the only way he’s stayed alive this long.
Refresh: 1
Aspects: Legit motherfucking Nazi, dapper
enough to be featured by the Atlantic, the last
man standing, cult of guys who think American
Psycho is profound, vampire even vampires hate
Sub-Clade: Wolf (8 refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 2, Fighter 1, Influencer 2,
Occultist 1, Organizer 5, Social Worker 4, Spy,
Survivor 3
Stunts: Impressive Speech (Organizer), Appeal
to Empathy (Social Worker)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe
x1
Features: Blood Drinker (5), Euphoria (1),
Inhuman Potency (3), Instill Loyalty: Addicting
Blood (2), Propagation: Lesser Propagation and Rise From
Your Grave (2), Regeneration (3), Sensory Goodness:
Smell Blood (2), Undying: Unaging (2), Unholy Armor (3)
Gifts: Influence Emotion (2)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Stake Through the Heart (U2,
P5), Hunger: Blood (U1, P2), Hunger: Subjugation (U1,
P2), Rule Bound: Will meet threats to territory with abject
and overwhelming violence (U1, P2)

189
 Kenny Defries 
Like, honestly? Kenny Defries is just a fucking pimp. I
mean, he’s a pimp operating on a pretty big scale thanks
to his vampire powers. Don’t get it twisted—this is not a
professional sex worker supporting other sex workers in a
managerial role. Kenny is a dirty fucking pimp and what he
does is trafficking more times than not. He deals in drugs,
too, because of course he does, but that’s mostly to flavor
his stock.
Yeah, that’s right. Kenny is the fuck who supplies people
to vampire parties. A lot of times they’re killed. He’s got a
special ‘stable’ of specialized trafficking victims who are
like, red headed virgins, or twins, or whatever other weird
thing gets these vampires off, but they’re supposed to go
largely unharmed. (Except for the unwilling blood letting,
but since when do vampires care about that?)
Anyway, he’s a fucking sleaze bag cock-dripping and he’s
not even very good at what he does. If he were smarter,
he’d be powerful and untouchable. But he’s not. He’s a
greedy fuck and it’ll do the world a favor when he bites
it. (And also whatever vampire is squeezing in on his turf,
of course.) Anyway. Five grand to kill a pustulant human
trafficking anus pimple of a vampire. You in or not?
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Backpfeifengesicht (Google It), like Epstein but
even less charming, friends in Los Jardins, has dirt on
everyone, the guy with the blood hookup
Sub-Clade: None (Nobody Knows Where He’s From, 4)
Skill Sets: Athlete 1, Fighter 1, Grifter 4, Influencer 2,
Medic 1, Socialite 2, Social Worker 1, Survivor 3
Stunts: Confidence Game (Grifter), Shake It Off (Survivor)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Blood Drinker (5), Instill Loyalty: Addicting Blood
(2), Propagation: Lesser Propagation and Rise From Your
Grave (2), Regeneration (3), Sensory Goodness: Smell
Blood (2), Undying: Unaging (2)
Gifts: Agency Robbing (3)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Stake Through the Heart (U2,
P5), Hunger: Blood (U1, P2), Phobia: Accountability For
His Actions (U1, P3)

190
Liz 
Refresh: 1
Aspects: Decadent, vampire pretending to be a
human pretending to be a vampire, attention-starved,
queen in her castle, always looking for a family
Elizabeth Cynthia Montgomery-Weite is probably not
Sub-Clade: Bat (2)
actually evil, per se. Maybe there’s a better way to
handle her situation, but like, this is #iHunt, so. Skill Sets: Academic 1, Assassin 1, Athlete 1, Grifter
1, Influencer 2, Occultist 1, Organizer 1, Socialite 5,
Elizabeth is old old old money from the old world. She
Spy 4, Survivor 3
came to California just as San Jenaro was becoming a
city because her wealth was worth more on the frontier, Stunts: Everybody’s Darling (Socialite), Safe Place
and to be honest, she’d read a penny dreadful about (Spy)
sexually-charged ‘native men’ and wanted to get her Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3
freak on. Someone turned her into a vampire in the
process and she had a grand old time for a hundred Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
years or so before shit got weird. Features: Blood Drinker (5), Euphoria (1), Fast as Shit
She got weirdly obsessed with keeping people around (2), Propagation: Compelled, Lesser Propagation, and
who loved and adored her. So she started making Rise From Your Grave (0), Regeneration (3), Sensory
vampires out of attractive young people with no Goodness: Smell Blood and Soul Reading
agency and mind controlled them into obedience. (3), Undying: Unaging (2)
Something is wrong with her blood, though, because Gifts: Amazing Feats: Blinding Speed

EXAMPLE VAMPIRES
eventually they start to degenerate into real horror (1), Area Invasion (3), Influence
shows. Anyway, her massive complex high up Emotion (2), Telepathy (3)
in the hills is a degenerate nightmare of rotten
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Sunlight
extravagance and decay. The minor army of
(U2, P3), Deadly Weakness: Stake
vampire minions she has are barely better
Through the Heart (U52, P5),
than shambling dead. Did I mention the
Location Bound (U0, P1)
old world money? Yeah. She’s tried
to spend it all in several lifetimes and
never quite managed. That’s why she
can still appear in vampire society,
snatch up a few new children in
the hopes that ‘these ones will
stay with her’ and then go back
to her compound of atrophy
and mold.

191
192
 “And this is what comes from dabbling;
I mean you can’t practice witchcraft while you look down your nose at it.”
—Practical Magic

You cannot talk about sorcerers without talking

about magic. Without magic, sorcerers would just be
very privileged, wealthy, and powerful people who can
throw their money around as if to change reality itself
with the power of...

Oh. See. There’s the metaphor, huh?

Anyone can use magic, and depending on their

training and their skill, it can range from prayers to full
on rending the heavens in a mind-bending display of
reality-twisting power.

You won’t get hired to kill a grandma who knows the

right way to pray to Saint Anthony to find your last keys.
You might get hired to kill a heavy-handed warlock who
has been raising the dead for his own amusement and
really embarassing the others in his college with his
extravagance. You may be hired to stop a kid who has
sworn himself to an entity who sees itself as a god and
who is killing his classmates to appease his master.

In truth, the broad catagories of those who weild

magic aren’t separate but umbrellas under an umbrella.
What we call a sorcerer is a sorcerer because he isn’t
a witch, but what he does is only different from the
witch in how he claims it no be. It has been argued that
the lines between are artifical, created as a method
of control. A sorcerer would never demean himself to
use simple witchcraft. And a witch can’t do sorecery
because it’s illegal for her. At least, it is in San Jenaro.

As to magic itself, then, we are left to ask what is it? I

find it easiest to compare it to, say, radiation. Not simply
the radiation of science fiction but more the scope from
light itself to the signals sent to us from deep space
by unknown occurences. Magic is an enegy, a force, a
radiation that fills spaces, changes all that it touches
and, indeed, bounces back toward its source so that it is
in a perpetual state of changing its frequency and being
altered while altering all around it. It’s a cloud of colored
ink filling the water in which it was dropped, spreading
thin and bouncing back to the surface of the water.
Mixing with whatever other inks might have already
been in the water.

Magic has three major forms as we understand them.

The natural magic that it exists at its most basic form.
The refined magics of the sorcerer, increased in potency
and therefore harder to control. The magical radiation
that comes to our world from Outside. Not malevolent
per se, but certainly antithetical to what we understa—

193
 Organization Magic User
Right. Simpler. Got it. Cost: 0

There are a hundred sorts of magic users in San Jenaro. This a basically normal person who has learned some
Here are the three biggest umbrellas you can’t put spells or rituals. Not of a specific tradition. Note that this
them under. “clade” isn’t really a template like the others. There are
no inherent gifts, features, or banes for knowing magic.
Sorcerers Although there are some commonalities, like Magic
Reserves and a method of generating essence, really
These are uncommon gigs, and yet, they are the the only defining factor is the choice of magical gifts.
most common you’ll experience. Sorcerers use their Note that no magical template gets gifts inherently.
magic most frequently to amass wealth and temporal
power. They tend to have compounds rather than Features: None
homes. They might have a small troop of animated Gifts: None
undead protecting their home. Hellhounds. Private
security. If you get past their magical or mundane Banes: None
protections, you’re still going to have to deal with the
asshole himself. Luckily, sorcerers are isolationists. Sorcerer 1
While they have a tightly knit social hierarchy in San Imagine that guy in a polo shirt and faded pink shorts,
Jenaro, they prefer their own company. Though they but with otherworldly power inherited from his daddy
practice traditional master/student methodology, who he hates.
these pairings are often adversarial either because the
master refuses to allow the student to thrive, or the Features: Magical Reserves (5), Sacrifice (1)
master fears the student will eclipse them.
Gifts: None
Beyond that relationship, sorcerers have a rigid, Banes: Limited Power: Need Magical Trappings (U2, P3)
competitive social hierarchy with the most powerful
and influential being members of a secret Council. This Witch 2
Council, presumably, makes all the rules that all other
magic users in San Jenaro are expected to follow. Their Healers, mystics, very rarely your Baba Yaga type.
claim to that authority is based on might and certainly Deeply oppressed in San Jenaro.
not temperament or earned respect.
Features: Essence Barter (2), Magical Reserves (5)
Witches Gifts: None
Banes: Limited Power: Need Magical Trappings (U2, P3)
If you’ve been hired to kill a witch it’s probably by a
monster. No kidding. I mean, there are bad witches just
like there are bad people, but there’s nothing inherent
Cultist -4
to witches that mean they need to die. (Eat me, Old yOu caNt UnDersTanD tHE poWeR
Testament.)
Note, cultists get EXTRA refresh with their template.
Witches don’t have any organization because it is illegal They don’t inherently have Magical Reserves. They’re
for them to gather in numbers greater than two. That’s typically very self-destructive. Some do have it if they
one of those rules the Council handed down. Unlike live long enough to be valued by their awful otherworldly
sorcerers, they tend to enjoy company and their magic patrons. But your average cultist is a ticking time bomb.
functions best in groups. That’s not a coincidence, by
the way. Despite that, they do meet in groups when Features: Essence Contact (1)
it’s important and everyone involved thinks it’s worth Gifts: None
the risk. If you intend to hunt a witch you do not want
to do it when they are meeting in a group. Banes: Limited Power: Need Magical Trappings (U2, P3)

194
Cultists
Not all cultists are actually cultists in the “wearing
hoods and chanting” sort of way. But you could argue

SORCERERS
that they all have made contact with something outside
of our understanding from far beyond the veil.
Some openly worship what they think they
contacted on the other side, using the energy
they’ve gained to do what they presume is the
intention of their masters. This sort might work
in a literal cult. They are extremely bad news.
Some have no idea where their power comes from, but
they’ve been infected with an energy that fills them
with a hatred for all of existence. They desire complete
destruction for you, me, themselves, and everything.
They almost never work in groups because, well,
they’d just murder each other along the way.
Metaphysical theory suggests another sort of cultist.
One who has found a sort of balance in their service
to entropy, or who otherwise works in harmony with
our world and the next. But. I have no idea what
that would actually look like. Or if it exists at all.

Lore
The people who are boring when they’re mundane
wouldn’t go to magic school. Pop culture tells you
witches are dangerous outsiders and wizards are headstrong
and often incredibly destructive. That’s half right.

Facts

[ Ingredients: You can’t really do magic without stuff.

Stuff is a little vague here, but know that whatever the
spell is, there’s words or tools or herbs they probably
need.

[ Head Shot: If you shoot him in the head, he can’t turn

you into a newt.

Myths

[ Baby Eating: Unfortunately, this one, like a lot of other

myths you’ve heard about stopping ‘witches’ are part of
antisemitic propaganda. Seriously. Look it up. It’s awful.

[ Faith: Some wand and cloak types like to hail Satan, but
in general they’re not especially anti religious.

195
 CHAD 
The thing that really fucking sucks about sorcerers is
that they mostly use their otherworldly power to build
up very worldly power. If there are like, star hunting,
cosmic trip taking, ascetic sorcerers using ritual magic
to commune with outsider genius minds and sing the
cosmic songs, you’re not going to get asked to kill
them.
Instead you’re going to be asked to kill guys like Chad.
Technically, highly-trained sorcerers use rituals to
control the wild, raw powers they call on and aim in
the direction of their desires in hopes of killing shit
or making money, basically. Chad does not have the
patience to practice the rituals correctly—he’s the child
of a powerful sorcerer as well as a child of privilege so
they just let him do whatever in the hell he wants.
Desire without control tends to make Chad explode.
Or rather, people around him explode when he doesn’t
get what he wants. Imagine that shitty guy from the
movie who picks on the nerds and menaces the pretty
girl? Only he can throw fire balls instead of tantrums
and no one tells him not to. Except, probably someone
did because the ticket on his head is real high. Chad
is not connected, but his family is, and so whoever is
paying to have him taken care of is probably a rival. Or
a bitter cousin? Anyway, good luck. Wear some high-
quality Marlan fabric.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Smarmasaurus Rex, Ladies Like Him For
Some Reason, Irresponsible Wizard, Peaked As A
High School Bully, University Wing Named After His
Dad
Sub-Clade: Sorcerer
Skill Sets: Athlete 4, Fighter 3, Grifter 1, Influencer
2, Maker 1, Investigator 1, Socialite 1, Occultist 1,
Professional (College Athlete) 1
Stunts: Dodgy Motherfucker (Athlete), Bad Reputation
(Fighter)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Magical Reserves (5), Sacrifice (1)
Gifts: Portal 1, Shielding 2, Weather Control 2, Wield
Force 3
Banes: Need Magical Trappings (U2, P3)

196
Archbishop Blah 
Archibishop Septimus Octorum Jupiter Ascendant is
the other sort of sorcerer and the fact that he’s got a
hit on him on this app is a Big Fucking Deal. However,
it is not a Big Fucking Deal to you, so. Fuck that noise.
That’s his magical name or some shit. He’s got a
normal one. Archbishop something or other. He’s
pretty highly-placed in the Catholic Church in San
Jenaro with all the shit that implies baked right in.
He’s also like the grand high skullfucker in charge
of “reeducating” young witches to “keep them from
breaking Magical Law.” Which is a really fancy way
to say he’s in charge of psychologically and magically
abusing most of the low practitioners of magic in the
city. He is a Class A piece of shit. But going after him
is like trying to punch god. Your arms are probably too
short.

EXAMPLE MAGIC USERS

You know what no one ever says though? You can’t
shoot god.
Nobody says “Your hunting rifle’s range is too short
to blow a hole through god’s throat to stop him from
casting spells.” You can put that one in your bullet
journal.
If you can kill this fucker, it might change the scope
of supernatural politics in San Jenaro forever. So like,
don’t fucking bet on actually getting paid what the job
is worth.
Refresh: 19
Aspects: Everyone Who Knows Him Fears Him, Big
Man in the Church, Wizard Without Rival, Head So Far
Up His Own Ass He Has to Cast a Spell to See, Not
Very Nice
Sub-Clade: Sorcerer
Skill Sets: 25 Academic 5, Athlete 1, Fighter 1, Grifter
2, Investigator 3, Maker 1, Medic 2, Occultist 6,
Socialite 2, Social Worker 1, Survivor 1
Stunts: Cold Logic (Academic), Defensive Charms
(Occultist)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, Physical - 1, 2, 3
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Magical Reserves (5), Sacrifice (1)
Gifts: Blessing 3, Charming 3, Cursing 3, Healing 3,
Portal 3, Ressurrecting 1, Shielding 3, Sight Beyond Sight
1, Speak to the Dead 1, Summon Spirit 3, Transmutation
3, Warding 5, Weather Control 3, Wield Force 3
Banes: Need Magical Trappings (U2, P3)

197
198
 “They always say beware the full moon. You’d think they’d say beware the werewolves. The full moon ain’t
never ripped someone’s throat out.”

—Tim Cho, 66

The problem that a lot of hunters get caught up in is this cruelty or makes the choice to? You become an active
idea that “werewolf” is one thing. Werewolf—and what carrier. A wanton killing machine. Is it possible to get
it comprises—is actually a couple of very different things an active carrier under control so that they stop raging
and thanks to popular culture and lazy cryptologists, a under the full moon or at the sight of silver? Fuck if I
few different things get crammed in under one label. But know. They just kill so many people and so fast, and all
there’s no way to untangle the fucking mess thanks to survivors have the chance of becoming active carriers,
the movies and the romance authors and the tabletop is it worth the risk?
roleplaying games that want to stuff Native American
spiritual practices in with Norse mythology and Eastern Sometimes you find werewolves who got that way
European supernatural plagues. So anyway, thanks because of curses or sorcery or demons, but those are
everyone for that! so case by case they’re werewolves in name only.

If there’s something that all of these critters have Of course, there are shapechangers that aren’t wolves,
in common aside from shapeshifting, it’s that when but you already know that, and again, the numbers are
provoked, they’re unstoppable. I mean...Basically so low it’s easier to think of them as unique cases rather
unstoppable. When they freak out, whether they turn than try to cram them under the same umbrella.
into giant wolves, large hairy versions of themselves,
or horrific half man, half wolf abominations, they Just.
Keep. Fighting. Horror movie slashers don’t have shit on
ORGANIZATION
a pissed off werewolf. You shoot them, they don’t flinch. The thing is, to my understanding, werewolves just

WEREWOLVES
You stab them, the wound heals before you’re finished don’t organize? I mean, by and large the chillwolves are
swinging. You blow em up, and they keep crawling at just people. I think sometimes you’ll have Uncle Mark
you, bits pulling back together a chunk at a time. Best go visit his cousin because their boy is a little ‘out of
practice? Dunno. Crash a plane into them? hand’. I’ve heard stories that in ‘the old days’ whatever
the hell that means, all the wolves in San Jenaro and
Anyway. The majority of werewolves are people their families would meet up under the guise of a
who have inherited certain traits along bloodlines and baby shower or bridal shower if there was a problem
your average hunter will never run across one. They or something, but they haven’t done that in a real long
have all these methods and practices to live peaceful, time. But beyond that, they function just like your
balanced lives. Because of their training and practices extended family does (or doesn’t as the case may be.)
they’re actually less likely than your average person to And that lack of organization might even be why things
cause trouble or act out violence. They’re just people have gotten so wrotten for them lately.
who can sometimes be animals. Well. That’s the way
it was. Currently, there’s some kind of illness or curse? The wolf families in San Maria Cay are expressly not
We’re not sure. It’s spreading through the chillwolves gathering because they’re afraid whatever they have is
of San Jenaro, and seems focused on the suburb of spread by proximity.
San Maria Cay. Whatever it is, it’s causing them to lose
their shit and attack at random in a real classic horror Luckily for everyone, the infected don’t gather. At
movie way. Is it a mutated strain of the infection-based the risk of being cheeky, these type of monsters tend
plague of lycanthropy that affects them too? Does it to be lone wolves. They exist to kill and spread their
have something to do with the werewolves that went infection, so I can’t imagine they’d get along real well
missing right before the last major earthquake? Hell. and territoriallity would mean there would be a horrific
Now I sound like a fucking conspiracy hound Evileena. amount of collateral damage if two wound up with the
Awesome. same hunting grounds.

The sort of werewolf you’re most likely going to run I recently heard a rumor of a pair of infected who just
into is the infectious variety. We’re talking percentages moved up the cost into San Jenaro. A real pair of natural
of a percentage here. But basically, someone infected born killers but they’re infectious and almost unkillable.
with this particular plague might carry it for a lifetime You probably wanna swipe left if they show up on your
and die never spreading it. (Or they die right away app.
because hey, a werewolf carved them into hamburger.) Other shapechanging wolves are so unique they don’t
But that percent of a percent, the sort who survives it likely organize.
and has a sort of badness in them already? Sadism or

199
 WEREWOLF TEMPLATE LORE
Cost: 4 Somewhere along the way, the hulking beast of Lon
Chaney became the sympathetic needy wolf lover in
They shapechange. They’re very hard to kill. They heal popular media. And don’t think for a second the more
real fast. Silver kills them a lot. The feature for standard dangerous types of werewolf don’t know it and play it
werewolf shapechanging uses the Animal Form (Wolf) up.
variant, Conditional Shifting (Full Moon), and Monstrous
Form for the giant movie monster form. This costs 6 Facts
refresh, we’ll just call it “Werewolf Shapechanging” in
the following sections to save space. While they have [ Silver: Silver kills werewolves. The amount and
Limited Power (Only When Shapeshifted,) and they only how it has to be applied depends on the sort of
change into their awful doom form on the full moon, wolf.
they can still shapechange into their regular wolf form
at any time with a little experience. If they do this, they [ Magic: There are simple magics that can contain
get access to their gifts and features. Many werewolves a werewolf, but they’re not 100% guaranteed
don’t live long enough to learn this skill, however. successes.

Features: Rage Face: Full Moon (3), Regeneration: Rapid Myth

Healing (4), Werewolf Shapechanging (6)
[ Curable: Many werewolves don’t need to be cured.
Gifts: None They manage themselves fine. For the other sorts,
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Silver (U1, P3), Limited there is no cure.
Power: Only When Shapeshifted (U2, P3)
[ Virginity: No idea where this came from, but no,
Virals 1 werewolves are not incapable of harming virgins.
WTF.
He’ll freak out and kill you if you’re lucky. Otherwise,
he’ll make you just like him. [ Imprinting on Children: What kind of fucking cretin
are you? Werewolves don’t fall in love with babies.
Features: Propagation: Infectuous (1), Compelled (-2) They don’t insist it’s “actually called ephebophilia.”
They don’t maintain elaborate infographics about
Gifts: Influence Emotion (1)
the age of consent in various nations. Those are
Banes: Hunger: Infecting Others (U2, P1) not werewolves. That’s just the confluence of
bad Twilight Native American stereotypes and
Familials 4 libertarians.

Because they’re born to it, they’ve got very good self

control. Hope you never seen them when they don’t.
Unlike other werewolf types, they can change into their
terrorizing bestial forms at-will.

Features: Propagation: NOT Infectuous (-1),

Shapechanging: NOT Conditional (+1)
Gifts: None
Banes: None

Cursed 0
Wicked magics inflict this victim with a need to change
and kill under the full moon (or some other trigger.) She
rarely remembers what happened or even why.

Features: None
Gifts: None
Banes: Rule-Bound: Forgets Their Time In Werewolf
Form (U1, P3)

200
Hey Dan, I’m really gonna need your help. Ropes? No way. Danica tried showing me
You’re never gonna believe what happened the ropes last week. I almost passed out.
last night after the party. Sorry, I don’t do kinky shit.

Lemme guess. You went home, turned into I mean like figurative ropes. The basic stuff you
a wolf, and tore up a bunch of people? Now need to know to be a successful werewolf. So
you’re scared? Does that sum it up? you don’t wake up in a pile of corpses.

How can I trust you? Apparently you’ve

Sure but how did you guess that? That’s
been a werewolf all these years and never
really weird.
bothered to tell your best friend.

What’s going on, Dan? You’d better start

I had a hunch you wouldn’t believe me, and
explaining, because this is messed up. you’d act like an accusatory prick about it.
Wonder why I thought that?
Okay. Then let’s start from the start. When a
mommy werewolf loves a daddy werewolf very
much, they... You have a persecution complex and trust
issues? Next question?

WEREWOLVES
Stop playing games! This is my life!
Fair. Now, it’s a rule. We can’t tell outsiders
about what we are. It causes torch-wielding
mobs and shit. You’ve gotta understand.
Relax, puddin’ pop. We’ve got plenty of time
to work all this out. After all, last night was the
end of the full moon. You’ve got like four weeks I don’t understand. We were friends.
before you change again.
Are friends.
Relax? No fucking way! Change again? Four
weeks? Bullshit. I’m finding a cure. That’s yet to be seen.

Coz. We’ve been at this for thousands of years. Ungrateful bitch. See if I turn you into a sexy
Don’t you think if there was a cure, one of us awesome werewolf again.
would have already found it by now?
Wait. YOU did this?
Tell that to syphilis. Just because you
haven’t found a cure, doesn’t mean there What did you expect? Put a tooth under your
isn’t one. Also I’m not your cousin. pillow and the werewolf fairy comes?

We’re all cousins in a way. And you know what?

Fine. Look for a cure. But let’s say that takes
You motherfucker. We’re done.
you five years. What’ll you do in the mean
time? Why don’t you come over and I can show
you the ropes?

201
 
Lycanthropy is not usually a disease. Usually it’s a genetic
condition that’s fairly benign if you know how to manage
it. Viral lycanthropy is a real bitch though. 999 out of a
thousand cases of it tend to die gruesomely during their
first stress induced transformation.
Mark is in the .01 percent of people who catch the viral
version and survive to control it. He’s still a pretty big risk
of freaking out and killing a dozen on a bad day but that
isn’t what makes Mark dangerous.
He seriously believes he’s some pure Alpha male and
that’s why he survived his infection. He also thinks wolf
packs with alphas and betas are a thing. As a result, he
has been running around San Jenaro infecting people
(mostly women he thinks are hot) to build his ideal
pack/harem. His fit even as a human. He’s got the PUA
handbook memorized. When he loses his shit and goes
full wolfman? This is not a one-man job. So far, he hasn’t
found any others who can survive his infection to join
his pack, so he’d decided to start bullying some of the
younger non-viral werewolves in the city in the hopes of
dominating them into service.
It is entirely possible werewolves pooled their cash to
take out this contract.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Just Attractive Enough To Get In Trouble, Guy
Who Unironically Calls Himself An Alpha, Takes Up More
Space Than He Should, Wanna Be Cult Leader, Thinks
The World Owes Him
Sub-Clade: Viral (1 Refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 2, Fighter 1, Grifter 2, Influencer 3,
Investigator 1, Social Worker 4, Spy 1, Survivor 1
Stunts: Dress For Success (Influencer), Appeal to
Empathy (Social Worker)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, Physical 1, 2, 3
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Propagation: Infectuous, Compelled (-1), Rage
Face: Full Moon (3), Regeneration: Rapid Healing (4),
Werewolf Shapechanging (6)
Gifts: Hallucinations (2) Influence Emotion (2), Terrorize
(1)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Silver (U1, P3), Hunger:
Infecting Others (U2, P1), Limited Power: Only When
Shapeshifted (U2, P3)

202
 
This is a weird one.
Macy MacKenzi is the other kind of werewolf. She
was born to it, among her people, and she manages
pretty well. Like, say, a diabetic who can usually
manage things with a balanced diet and occasional
medication, no one in her life had to even know what
she was outside of her family and the elder she visits
for mental health care.
Somewhere along the way, Macy ran into a cult. They
found out what she was as a result of their prying into
her life. (This is not unusual for predatory cults.)
So they kidnapped her. Straight up kidnapped her

EXAMPLE WEREWOLVES
and took her to a compound somewhere to “save her
soul.” She’s been missing for three months now, and
her letters home saying she’s “fine” and “with the cult
willingly” are starting to look more and more unhinged.
Her family is terrified for her, of course, but also know
that if she loses control and fights her way out she’ll
get a taste of human flesh. And there’s no going back
after that.
Your gig? Infiltrate a cult and rescue an innocent
werewolf before she becomes a not innocent werewolf.
The pay? Woefully low.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Complex Relationship With Self-Worth, Black
Sheep of A Werewolf Family, Always Running Away, Mean
As Fuck When Cornered, Looking For A Way Out
Sub-Clade: Familial (4 refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 3, Fighter 3, Hacker 2, Influencer 1,
Maker 1, Medic 2, Occultist 1, Social Worker 1, Spy 1,
Survivor 4
Stunts: No Walls No Masters (Athlete), Numb (Survivor)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Fast As Shit (2), Invincibility: Ugh Bad (3),
Rage Face: Full Moon (3), Propagation: NOT Infectuous
(-1), Shapechanging: NOT Conditional (+1), Regeneration:
Rapid Healing (4), Werewolf Shapechanging (6)
Gifts: Amazing Feat: Blinding Speed (1)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Silver (U1, P3), Limited Power:
Only When Shapeshifted (U2, P3)

203
204
REPTOIDS!
Okay, aside from the murder, political grift, On a beautiful and distant star many light
eating of human flesh, and just raw destructive years from our own is a utopian galaxy of
mayhem they can unleash when they're bored, beings in galactic harmony. Mostly. They have
lizard people aren't exactly evil. advanced extra stellar travel and a keen eye
for exploration and spreading true peace while
No no, wait, don't leave. Let me explain. fighting fascism.
Evil is like that fuck in Sunrise who That's not who landed on Earth, though.
blackmailed a local councilmen to put him in Probably, the reptoids we ended up with are the
charge of a public works program that he then washouts. Too violent and idiotic to take part in
gutted to have a new yacht and a ton of homeless the progress of their starkin, they got dumped
people just died. That's evil. off on our rock with what their kin though of
as a 'like minded' species.
A reptoid in the same city council did eat some
of those homeless people, but like, he didn't do Yeah. That's right. We're where the space hippies
it out of greed or malice. He did it because he sent their shitty violence cousins because they
eats humans when he can. think we're murder apes with few hopes to be
better than that.
They see us as especially clever cows. I saw
you reshare that cute video of a cow doing I mean, that's all according to the one reptoid
something very human like but you still eat I totally didn't get high with that one time at
hamburgers, right? Yes. Vegans are better than that New Years party.
us and reptoids. I know.
Anyway, the reptoids who are totally real
Look, all I'm saying is, reptoids think they're and here now see it as their job to uplift us
a superior species than us, and they are forced while eating us when they can get away with
to live among us so they do what they do because it. They're not really good at that, and don't
we're delicious and inferior to them so clearly even know what a better breed of human would
we need guidance and herding. Like cows, see? look like, so they basically just latched on
to ideas of white supremacy and late staged
The thing is though, they're not actually
capitalism because those forces look powerful
superior to us? I mean, who can say what that
and power is good in their way of thinking.
means exactly, but they're for sure not much
You'll hear a lot of underline antisemitism or
smarter if they're smarter at all. It may be a
racism when you hear rumors about reptoids in
degeneration of the small population through
tabloids or conspiracy websites. That's not a
inbreeding over a few generations since they
coincidence. That's because the reptoids often
landed on this rock, or else the selection to
use these rumors to distract people from looking
start with was pretty shitty, but the point is,
for them where they actually hold limited
they think they're super superior herdsmen of
power. Vampires, see, manipulate media to hide
mankind, but really they're slightly worse at
their existence and make it utterly implausible
managing our lives than we are. Believe it or
entirely. Lizard people use the time honored
not.
'it's not me, it's that guy over there!'
I'm not saying I got high with a reptoid one
And perhaps, proof that their starkin are
time and he told me all about it, but like, if
correct about us, it's working.
I had, this is probably what he would have
explained. Just with a lot more grunting and If there's anything that frustrates me about
threats and poorer grammar. lizard people it's how often their incredibly
shitty plans just... work. Basically, we're doomed.

205
 ORGANIZATION! REPTOIDS!
Reptoids hate each other by nature, but also Cost: 0 Refresh
tend to settle near each other and need a certain
population to thrive in, what with how they Tough, stupid, lucky. Well, not that stupid,
breed and sometimes eat. So, cities. San Jenaro, apparently.
New York, Sydney, and Washington DC and Des
Features: Masking (1), Natural Weapon: Bite (1), Unholy
Moines for some reason.
Armor: Scales, Debility (1)
Drones Gifts: None
Your run of the mill, every day garbage Banes: Hunger: Flesh (U2, P1)
reptoid. Turn over a rock, and one of these
fuckers my skitter out. As long as the rock is DRONES 0
connected to city planning, local corporations or
What they lack in vision they more than make up
waste management. These guys are like perpetual
for in frustrated violence.
middle managers who think they're the greatest
manipulators in the world. They have a successful Features: Inhuman Potency: Conditional, Unmasked (2),
local talk radio call in show, say, and act like Invincibility (1)
they're king of the world when at the local
Gifts: Amazing Feat: Choose One (1)
steak restaurant harassing the wait staff, but
wouldn't even think that they could get more Banes: Phobia: Losing Their Leader (U1, P3)
influence by trying to go national. They are the
biggest fish in the smallest pounds they can EGG LAYERS 0
find. The woman in HR who sells you out to your
boss even though she'll NEVER get a promotion Small dinosaurs who want to control your city.
out of it because she aspires to nothing but Their slime is addicting. Yes, that's gross. They
control over HR. lay eggs in human hosts. Those eggs become
fledgling reptoids. That's even more gross.
What they lack in ambition they make up for
in violence though. They're craven and hide Features: Instill Loyalty: Addicting Fluid (2), Propagation:
behind their positions, but they're perpetually Lesser Propagation (1)
frustrated and use any excuse to abuse (and Gifts: None
eat) anyone weaker than they are. This class of Banes: Rule Bound: Must Destroy Anything That Would
reptoid is also all sterile. Stop Propagating the Species (U1, P2)
Egg Layers
FLEDGLINGS 0
Top of the food chain, like literally. They
often eat drones and fledglings that displease Ranging from tiny to gigantic, fledglings are
them. They're very bad at passing for human, mutant lizards that are as dangerous as they
and so often work remotely or through drones. are thoughtless. Less survival instincts than
They're not master manipulators, they're just your average house cat.
really good at doing the same basic thing that Features: Inhuman Potency: Swoll (5), Invincibility
worked the last time over and over again and (1), NO Masking (+1), Natural Weapon: Bad Bad (1),
because we as a culture haven't changed much, Unholy Armor: Debility, Tough As Shit (3)
it keeps working. Any time you read an article
and go 'that politician can not possibly be this Gifts: None
stupid? And his constituents believe him? How?" Banes: Deadly Weakness: Fire (U2, P3), Phobia: Losing
Your answer? Reptoids. Apparently being able Their Creator (U1, P3)
to lay eggs and fertilize matters in reptoid
traditions.

Fledglings

Sometimes egg laying fails and the results are

mutated monstrosities reptoids keep around as
attack dogs, tools of violence and amusement.

206
LORE! Myths

[ Reptoids fill influential positions at all

Reptoids aren't your average, every day movie levels of western civilization. False. They
monster. They're not all over the mass media mostly exist in middle management positions.
day in and day out. There aren't bestselling YA This is on account of their domineering
novels about lizard people. Where do you hear personalities and willingness to hurt
about lizard people? Awful, racist conspiracy underlings without hesitation.
theories. Let's set the record straight.
[ Reptoids want to rule the world. While
Facts maybe some do, none are smart enough to
[ Reptoids are cold blooded creatures who even approach that level of conniving. Most
tend to stay in warm places. This is one simply do not have greater ambition.
reason they're ubiquitous in San Jenaro— [ [Insert famous Jewish person] was a Reptoid.
California weather is perfect year-round. False. Don't be racist. You've probably never
[ Reptoids eat flesh. Of course, so do humans. heard of a powerful person who was also
While they can get by just eating raw meats, a reptoid. They're not markedly successful
that's like living off soy protein drinks. even when they do climb in society.
Sure, you can, but it's not great. For most [ Lizard people caused a global scandal! False.
reptoids, human or animal flesh from a Reptoids have never been particularly good
creature they've killed themselves is best. at what they do. Even the most powerful,
[ Reptoids aren't the brightest bulbs in the most conniving of their species tends to
box. They're not evil masterminds. fail more than succeed.

207
 THE INSIDE STORY RYAN WALES 
ABOUT RYAN You know that one guy who keeps getting roles in
WALES’ SECRET big movies even though he kinda... can’t actually
act? Yeah, no. Don’t say his name out loud. It’s just

MISSION TO FIST an opinion. Well. Unless you’re talking about Ryan

Glenn Wales. Do you know him? You’ve seen him in
magazines but you mistake him for Ryan Reynolds
FIGHT OSAMA BIN or Ryan Gosling to look at him. Like painfully
generic good looking white dude? But if you’ve
LADEN!!! seen him in a movie it’s always like... he sounds
like an alien who has learned how to speak human
languages from a book and never actually met
a person before. Media types don’t mention him
much, but bloggers outside of the media frequently
ask “who talks like that” and “how did the director
not throw him out a window for that line read?”

The answer is complicated and simple. The

complicated version involves backroom deals,
blackmail and dirty money. The simple answer
is that RGW is a lizard person. It’s possible he’s
part of a conspiracy to get humans used to reptoid
speaking patterns. Or he just wants to get rich.
Either way, he eats people on the sly, which is the
second best reason to kill him.

Refresh: 0
Aspects: Whoa Dude, Nondescriptly Handsome,
Typecast as a Hunky Brute, Popular in the 90s,
Sub-Clade: Drone (0 Refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 2, Fighter 1, Grifter 2, Influencer
3, Investigator 1, Social Worker 4, Spy 1, Survivor
1
Stunts: Dress For Success (Influencer), Appeal to
Empathy (Social Worker)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, Physical 1, 2, 3
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Propagation: Infectuous, Compelled
(-1), Rage Face: Full Moon (3), Regeneration:
Rapid Healing (4), Werewolf Shapechanging (6)
Gifts: Hallucinations (2) Influence Emotion (2),
Terrorize (1)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Silver (U1, P3), Hunger:
Infecting Others (U2, P1), Limited Power: Only
When Shapeshifted (U2, P3)

208
JANUS JAMES  THE TRUTH ABOUT
You remember about six months back when a state
JANUS JAMES THAT
senator all of the sudden started getting linked to
a child abduction ring based in the steak houses FAWKES NEWS
his family owned? Yeah. Well. Turns out that one
was true. But the rumor got its start on Late Night DOESN’T WANT YOU
Truth with Janus Janes. Dude’s got a midnight spot
on AM 660 San Jenaro’s Answer where he rants, TO HEAR!!!
spews toxic opinions about immigrants, mentions
George Soros a lot, and otherwise riles up the alt-
right Nazi types all over San Jenaro. He also floats
a lot of “I’m not saying it was lizard people...” type
theories about ideological rivals.
This is a deflection. Janus James is for sure
a toddler-eating reptoid in ill-fitting human
skin. Most of his mudslinging is about directing
conspiracy theorists away from the read lizard
men.
Except this one time with a sitting senator. Outing
that senator added a lot of gravity to his other
claims, at least in his circles. So it was worth
burning that bridge, right?
There’s a reason he’s on the app. Turns out other
reptoids weren’t thrilled with an insider throwing
a cold blooded cousin under the bus.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Shock Jock, Fans Who Believe Pizzagate,
Friends With Far-Right Politicians, Volume at 11,
Can’t Take Criticism
Sub-Clade: Egg Layer (0 Refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 2, Fighter 1, Grifter 2, Influencer
3, Investigator 1, Social Worker 4, Spy 1, Survivor
1
Stunts: Dress For Success (Influencer), Appeal to
Empathy (Social Worker)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, Physical 1, 2, 3
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Propagation: Infectuous, Compelled (-1),
Rage Face: Full Moon (3), Regeneration: Rapid
Healing (4), Werewolf Shapechanging (6)
Gifts: Hallucinations (2) Influence Emotion (2),
Terrorize (1)
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Silver (U1, P3), Hunger:
Infecting Others (U2, P1), Limited Power: Only
When Shapeshifted (U2, P3)

209
 Demons
Dem

Demons
Demons
Demons
The Left Hand
Of Hell
210
So first you have to know what a demon is if you want Outsiders: To a lot of people, apparently, these things
to hunt it. count as demons, so they go here. But basically this
covers creatures from outside our reality or at least our
Demons are unknowable. understanding that kind of exist here for some reason.
Sometimes they’re like, gods of a specific forest or the
Okay, then at least you have to know how to kill it.
personification of commerce in a city. Mostly they get
Demons do not possess life in a way you can called demons because of socio-religious turf wars, but
comprehend. also because they’re not by nature benevolent. We’re
not talking about the Giving Tree, here. We’re talking
ol zir gohed ol zir ge uls ol ipamis about an ancient blood oak who has taken whole
noan drix families in sacrifice that’s not inherently malicious, but
certainly isn’t here to help you become a better person
Sorry. Original writer got a little possessed. It’s fine or whatever. Very big, very old, very strange spirits
now. Everything is under control. you could call selfish, if you think spirits are meant to
help you. Which I guess is a mistaken impression a lot
What are often referred to as demons are entities
of people have? I blame children’s television. Anyway,
from a wide variety of backgrounds, intentions and
these beings all exist according to certain rules and laws.
weaknesses. As such, with demons your options are
If you’re dealing with one and you don’t know what it’s
a) have a wealth of occult information/experts at your
rules are, you’re probably in a heap of trouble. If you
disposal and hope their information is right or b) guess
know what the rules are, you’re probably alright. Hell,
and trial and error that shit until you’re dead or it is.1
the worst of them are still more straightforward and
That said, there are some broad categories based fair than trying to get healthcare in the US. Insurance =
on #iHunt metrics you might expect to run into if you worse than deals with a devil. I said what I said.
accept an iHunt demon contract:

Imps and Gremlins: These fucking things are all over Organization
San Jenaro, and actually probably all over the world, but
San Jenaro, like any city, has it’s own occult society.
I don’t travel much, so... They’re small, often invisible
That is, people with magic or people who are magic get
unless you know how to look. Sometimes they’re the
up to all kinds of bullshit while fighting for turf or power
same as or at least confused for little mischievous
or whatever. By and large, I do not give the smallest
fairies. The lines are kind of slim. Sometimes they’re
turd about what they do, but it’s important to know that
even cute. They’re sapient, more or less, and though
they’re there and their shit often stinks up your life as
they can cause a lot of damage if left untreated, they’re
a hunter.
not much of a problem one-on-one. Some can even be
bargained with. They tend to personify one particular Enter the Infernal Order of the Brotherhood of Princes
desire or addiction, so you might have a beer goblin who of Hell. I might have the name wrong. I also do not care.
will do a lot of damage to get itself more beer. (Or be a
very helpful part of a community if regularly given beer If you’re having demon troubles in beautiful, sunny,
in the right way.) Or you can just squish ‘em. Whatever. mystical San Jenaro, if you turn over enough expensive
rocks, you’re going to find one of Hell’s Fuckbois.
The Infernal Order of the Brotherhood of the Princes
of Hell: Actually, there’s too much. I’ll break this down Allegedly, these enfant terribles, are all from bloodlines
in detail below. that have mixed with demons over generations to the
point that their scions are barely human. Some claim
Possessions: So this isn’t strictly a type of demon? that they are willing possessions with a symbiosis with
I mean, there might be sorts of demons prone to their infernal half, and some claim they’re just demons.
possessions? But that’s above my pay grade. But you’ll I don’t know, but demon fuckers seems more logical
get hired for these sometimes. Outsource. Even in the than demons just happening to look a lot like us running
best cases with experienced exorcists, the possessed around San Jenaro eating expensive burritos and
often dies due to the brutality of the ritual. In the worst wrecking expensive cars for fun. Whatever their true
case scenarios, there’s no possession at all, and a bunch pedigree is--which should not matter to you at all-- the
of religious zealots want you to suffocate someone for reality is that these guys are basically untouchable on
them in the name of their obsession. Don’t take those a political, economic, or legal level, pretty tough on a
jobs, naturally.

211
[1] Demons probably can’t actually be killed, but they can be bound or driven from this reality I
guess? Too many types to be sure.
 mystical level, but still basically meat just like you or me. her own thing, and they’re not part of it. In fact, there
I’ve heard rumors that killing them only banishes them are a ton of Scions in San Jenaro, and each has their own
for ten thousand years or whatever, but it’s not like the little fiefdom where they’re de facto ruler. #iHunters are
human race won’t have obliterated itself by then, so, likely to run into one or two Scions’ little kingdoms in
who cares? Hell, at the rate we’re going, I don’t think their work. Each of these Scions is deeply individual,
it’ll matter if they come back in 20 years. They can come with their own unique approach to leadership over their
looking for you in the undersea land of Californiatlantis. flock. Our example here is Shezak, a prominent CFO in
Punch them pretty boys. real world finance.
Luckily, the total population of the Fuckbois from Hell Sheriffs: You ever see Lordi? I mean, any really awesome
is very low, even compared with things like vampires or black death all makeup horror movie Swedish cult metal
werewolves or heaven forbid really real fuckbois. But band? Okay. Now imagine if those guys weren’t just
not low enough. musicians in platform shoes singing about dragons
Princes: Heads of families of demonic bloodlines. They but like all muscle earthly abominations of rage and
tend to be old, powerful, and bored. If there’s such a hate and Hell magic? Yeah. So these are the physical
thing as a reasonable chance for negotiation or trade, manifestation of a Prince’s unholy might. They do their
you can find it with these old wrinkled bastards. They masters’ bidding with glee. They do not tend to do that
also tend to look the most demonic and therefore have bidding with finesse or even intelligence. Princes tend
only the barest resemblance to humans or connection to know when to not employ them for that reason.
to human life. They don’t get out much. Dukes less so. Scions almost never.

Dukes: Every Duke wants to be a Prince and they If an #iHunter gets a contract on a Sheriff, it’s because
basically spend all their time breeding scions to support the client is being hunted by a Sheriff. That means that
them in a coup or planning and acting out said coups. person ran afoul of a Prince or Duke of Hell. That’s
They will use you if they can. Try not to let them know not the kind of hate you draw if you’re late for an
you exist. Dukes deal with the outside world pretty appointment or took the last piece of birthday cake
successfully. Like, super ridiculously successfully. before the birthday girl got hers. Someone done fucked
up real bad and they need you to bail them out of some
Now here’s where San Jenaro is weird, weird, weird of the deepest of deep shit. Killing the Sheriff is never,
even by normal occult standards. There’s one Duke in ever enough. It’s easy to stand back and say, “Sorry bud,
San Jenaro. Her human world alias is Aurora Santangelo. but it ain’t my problem.” Bud, in this case, has to sign
She’s a popular DJ. Her whole thing is drawing “faith” your paycheck. So that sweet, simple three-star “kill
and “devotion” from “worshipers” showing reverence a demon” contract just got a whole lot messier. Some
through rituals of cleansing and celebration. Which is experienced hunters don’t even touch demon contracts
to say, they don’t do drugs. They eat healthy. And they after having dealt with the fallout of a Sheriff gig.
dance. This is building a fairly big trend of anti-drug
sentiment in San Jenaro, and the other demons fucking Commoners/Imps: Commoners, or Imps, are the
hate it. They can’t just kill her because for one, that’s majority of the contracts #iHunters deal with on a day-
not how it’s done, and for another, well, she’d rip their to-day basis. These contracts tend to be fairly easy.
fucking heads off. So, they’re trying anything they can They’re all pretty weak little shits. The only time they get
to get rid of her. This includes hiring demon hunters to to be a bigger deal is when they’re under the purview
do their dirty work. of a Scion or some other bigger fish. This is fairly rare.
While a Scion might claim ownership over all the imps
Scions: Every Scion has a parent who is a Duke and in their region, they really don’t give a shit if one goes
thinks they’re going to amount to something. Very few missing.
scions actually ever amount to anything greater than
getting a lot of innocent people killed or ruined. The Possessions: These are something else entirely. Each is
body counts around these guys is often staggering and its own unique case. They’re not really demons, despite
yet above the law. Imagine being the sort of person who what the church wants you to think. They’re not really
can drunk drive a car into a crowded beach, kill a bunch covered by this book. If you want to use one in your
of people, and still end up a beloved Senator. Yeah, like stories, just use the Possession Gift on >>PAGE 240
that1. Scions become dukes when their parents achieve and a few other Features, Gifts, and Banes to round out
princedom, and then the cycle continues. Scions in your monster.
danger—or ones who have lost a duke—are in a panic Outsiders: Same. They’re weird. Unique. Outside the
spiral most of the time and therefore can be not just purview of this chapter. Just know that they exist, and
destroyed but manipulated. That is, if you’re real real you can use a hodgepodge of Features, Gifts, and Banes
clever and their prince isn’t protecting them. to represent them. Well, and that they’re not demons in
In San Jenaro, the Scions aren’t Aurora Santangelo’s the sense that the rest of this section describes.
children. Maybe that’s part of the problem. She’s doing

212
 Demon Scions of Hell 7
Demons have powers or natures beyond our reality. Entitlement, wealthy, unholy powers.
Demons are very hard to kill. They each follow a
Features: Feast of Faith (5), Invincibility (1), Phase Shift
different set of rules. For this reason, there isn’t a
(2), Shapechanging (0)
generic “demon” template. Sheriffs, Scions, and Dukes
each have a unique Deadly Weakness. They’re always Gifts: Possession (5), Terrorize (2)
deeply powerful weaknesses, but different. Some might
fear holy water, some virgins, but it’s always something Banes: Deadly Weakness: Unique (U1, P3), Hunger:
that research can figure out. Power (U1, P3)

Imp 2 Duke of Hell 11

Entitled, wealthy, patient, unholy powers.
Small, annoying, destructive, kinda cute. They all have
a specific form of “sin” or self-destructive, antisocial Features: Feast of Faith (5), Invincibility (1), Phase Shift
behavior that they feed on. Often this looks like “pranks.” (2), Shapechanging (0), Undying: True Immortality 5
Every single one is heavily bound by a very specific,
Gifts: Possession (5), Terrorize (2)
fairly easy to achieve rule. The most common is “cannot
cross a salt circle.” But it’s always something simple like Banes: Deadly Weakness: Unique (U1, P3), Phobia:
that, which can be easily uncovered with research. Being Returned to Hell (U2, P3)
Features: Ethereal: Phase Shift (2), Sensory Goodness:
Soul-Reading (3), Shapechanging (0), Tempter (2) Lore
Gifts: Influence Emotion (1) Centuries of religions labeling anything they didn’t like
as demonic, or as part of systemic alienation of folk
Banes: Hunger: Sin (U0, P2), Rule-Bound (U1, P3) entities and practices, a lot of things that are now kind
of demons weren’t always demons. This complicates
Sheriff of Hell 6 what we can be sure works on what.

Enforcer for those with entitlement, wealth, and unholy Facts

power. Bad mix. Bad bad mix. If someone’s on the [ True Name: The true name of anything spiritual is
receiving end of a Sheriff, they’ve got a cursed and likely powerful, but it’s especially true of demons. Of
short life ahead of them. Most of them feast on fear, course, that doesn’t mean their true name can be
since someone hunted by a Sheriff knows they’re being like, spoken with a human mouth. @_@
hunted by a Sheriff. Sometimes this means the Sheriff’s
own undoing, as they’ll play Cat and Mouse games for a [ The Contract: Any demon will uphold their end of a
while in order to harvest fear. A smart target can exploit bargain once struck. How much they’ll manipulate
this window to (at least attempt to) save themselves. the wording to their benefit depends on the type.
Humans rarely get any wiggle room though. If you
Sheriffs are bound by their jobs. If their job is rendered want a good deal from a demon, convince them
invalid for whatever reason, they’re sent immediately they want to work with you again. It’s just like the
back to the place they came from. This can be exploited music business.
as well. But the best way to get rid of a Sheriff on the
rampage is to put a bullet in their target’s head. That Myths
doesn’t help when the target’s the client.
[ Faith: You must be of a few specific religious bents to
Features: Ethereal: Feast of Faith (5), Inhuman Potency chase out demons. Yeah, nope. Not how it works.
(3), Invincibility (1), Phase Shift (2), Shapechanging (0), Chasing out demons isn’t about faith, it’s about
Unholy Armor (3) practice. It just happens to be that churches have
a monopoly on a lot of those practices.
Gifts: None
[ Evil: Demons are all literally antithetical to all you hold
Banes: Deadly Weakness: Unique (U1, P3), Hunger: Job dear and exist only to cause suffering. That’s like,
Completion (U1, P3), Rule-Bound: Only On Earth For 20% tops. Most of them are just selfish by human
The Job (U1, P3) standards.

213
 Bazatzuu 
Bazatzuu is the kind of accursed motherfucker that pretty much
embodies why Commoners, AKA Imps, are a common problem
#iHunters have to deal with. Basically, Bazatzuu hungers for
frivolously “selfless acts.” It takes the form of someone a person
wants to take care of or protect, like a child or a small animal.
Then, it does everything it can to project a sense that it’s imperiled,
making the person sacrifice for it and pamper it. It doesn’t do
this through complex manipulation—it’s hardly smart enough for
that. Bazatzuu mostly just throws tantrums and does whatever it
knows will elicit a strong, immediate reaction. It also isn’t capable
of long-term planning. It just throws tantrums on a bigger and
bigger scale, and puts itself in greater and greater danger until the
person gives up or dies from the effort, at which time Bazatzuu
moves on.
Usually, a contract for a monster like Bazatzuu comes from a
concerned family member who has seen through Bazatzuu’s ruse
and perhaps tried confronting it, but was overwhelmed by the
monster or worse; rejected by the victim for interceding in their
relationship with the little devil.
Fortunately, Bazatzuu is just as annoying to Hell. They don’t care
if Bazatzuu goes missing. Some of them would just as soon see
you kill it.
Bazatzuu has one guiding rule: It gets the last word. It has to.
Period. It will not stop until that’s the case. Even if that means
death.
Refresh: 0
Aspects: Zero Patience, Needs To Be Coddled, Feeds On
Sacrifice, Hell’s Middle Child,
Sub-Clade: Imp (2 Refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 1, Fighter 1, Influencer 3, Occultist 1, Spy 2,
Survivor 2
Stunts: Safe Place (Spy), Case the Place (Spy)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4 Physical - 1, 2, 3
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Ethereal (2), Sensory Goodness: Soul-Reading (3),
Shapechanging (0), Tempter (2)

Gifts: Influence Emotion (1), Psychokinesis (1)

Banes: Hunger: Sin (U0, P2), Rule-Bound (U1, P3)

214
Kaamen, Sheriff 
Kaamen isn’t the average brute from Hell. Kaamen’s
smart. Kaamen’s clever. Kaamen does their homework.
If someone’s hired Kaamen to hunt someone down, that
person’s in for a tough time. Whereas most Sheriffs are
basically hunters, Kaamen’s more of a detective.
Fortunately for you, this reputation precedes Kaamen. In
fact, a number of hunters have dealt with Kaamen over
the centuries, so for someone so inclined, there’s a wealth
of information and plenty of testimonials, both successful
and failing. So while beating Kaamen at their own game
isn’t necessarily a winning proposition, one can dig up all
manner of weird dirt on them and use it to, you know, play
dirty.
If a hunter goes digging, they’ll find that Kaamen is utterly
obsessed with puzzles. If presented with a puzzle, riddle,
Sudoku puzzle, or other mental challenge, they will drop
everything to solve it. This can put Kaamen in existential
danger, if machinated properly. At very least, it can buy
smart hunters some time.
Refresh: 1
Aspects: Obsessed with Puzzles, Puritan Work Ethic
(Ha ha ha), Stylish To A Fault, The Professional, Master
Detective
Sub-Clade: Sheriff (6 refresh)
Skill Sets: Assassin 2, Athlete 3, Fighter 4, Investigator 5,
Occultist 2, Spy 1, Survivor 3
Stunts: Feint (Fighter), Elementary (Investigator)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4
Consequences: Mild x1, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Ethereal: Feast of Faith (5), Inhuman Potency (3),
Invincibility (1), Phase Shift (2), Shapechanging (0), Unholy
Armor (3)

Gifts: Relentless Pursuit (3)

Banes: Deadly Weakness: Unique (U1, P3), Rule-Bound:

Only On Earth For The Job (U1, P3)

215
 Shezak, CFO 
Shezak thinks that obviously, Shezak should be Duke of San Jenaro. Currently,
Shezak is not Duke of San Jenaro. However, Shezak is the CFO of a Fortune 500
company. That’s kind of like being a Duke of Hell, right? He runs one of those
companies that doesn’t really make anything. They’re “private equity,” which is to
say they buy companies in order to bleed them dry, then close them.
You see, Shezak feeds on despair. Sure, he’s got a stock portfolio worth a
couple billion dollars. But for him, it’s really not about the money—it’s about the
abject suffering he gets to visit on people. It’s a passion project of sorts. It’s like
philanthropy, except instead of starting a foundation he can use to launder money,
he costs thousands of retail workers their jobs for a slightly better quarterly investor
report. He wants people to suffer, and being the CFO of a major corporation is just
the best way to go about it.
I know we said in #iHunt, the monsters aren’t responsible for the suffering in
society. That’s sort of the thing though—Shezak just checks the same boxes and
pushes the same buttons as any other CFO in his position. He’s not particularly
cruel about what he’s doing. If anything, he’s just more honest about
his intentions than your average executive. He has a stated intention,
but he also understands risk management better than anyone who
hasn’t been alive for thousands of years. So, in a way, maybe he’s
actually more ethical than your average capitalist who simply
gambles with thousands of lives at a time. Shezak causes only
the suffering he needs to thrive, without risking a wholesale
collapse of the system. And he donates to Democrats. That’s
got to count for something, right?
Who would take a contract out on Shezak? More like who
wouldn’t. His deadly weakness: Acts of unambiguous,
not-for-personal-benefit charity.
Refresh: 1
Aspects: CFO. Just That—That’s the Aspect, He
Makes Money Moves, In It For The Long Haul, Thinks
San Jenaro Belongs to Him
Sub-Clade: Scion (7 refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 5, Fighter 2, Influencer 2,
Occultist 2, Organizer 2, Professional (Business)
6, Spy 1, Survivor 5
Stunts: Specialist (Professional), Work Buddies
(Professional)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4
Consequences: Mild x3, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Agency Robbing (3), Feast of Faith (5),
Inhuman Potency: Swoll (5), Invincibility (1), Phase
Shift (2), Shapechanging (0), Telepathy )3)

Gifts: Area Invasion (3), Poof (5), Possession (5),

Terrorize (2)

Banes: Deadly Weakness: Unique (U1, P3), Hunger:

Power (U1, P3), Location-Bound: Business Districts (U1,
P2), Phobia: Breaching Professionalism (U2, P2)

216
Aurora Santangelo 
Aurora Santangelo is queen of all she surveys. She’s the Duke of San Jenaro, and with
good reason. She’s powerful. She’s influential. She’s charismatic. And if you’re a try-hard
Scion in San Jenaro, you envy everything about her.
Aurora feeds on pure, exhaustive, single-minded celebration. Currently, she harvests
this from “clean raves,” mysterious parties she holds every couple of weeks with Aurora
as the legendary DJ and host. They’re invite-only events where a couple hundred people
show up with invitations. The demons at the door know if they’ve got traces of “impure”
chemicals in their bodies, including drugs and alcohol. Those who make it in the door
dance until they pass out and Aurora is fully refreshed.
The other demons of San Jenaro who aren’t feeding off these raves hate her. They feel
that she’s breeding a chaste culture in San Jenaro, which is hurting their own vice-
ridden hungers. None of them are strong enough to step to her directly, though.
If you’ve been contracted to kill Aurora, well, good fucking luck. If she likes you
though, she might give a counteroffer to investigate, root out, and kill the person
who hired you. In fact, that could be the premise for an entire series of #iHunt.
Her deadly weakness is, you guessed it, “polluted” life essence. If she feeds off
the “faith” of someone on intoxicating chemicals, it’s downright deadly to her. But
she can detect these things, so it’s not like you can just get one over on her easily.
Refresh: 4
Aspects: Rave Goddess, Demon the Other Demons Envy, Lust After, Fear, and/
or Hate, Hot as Hell, Villain That Maybe Isn’t That Bad, Shapes Music Trends
Sub-Clade: Duke (11 refresh)
Skill Sets: Athlete 5, Fighter 5, Influencer 7, Medic 1, Occultist 3, Social Worker
3, Spy 2, Survivor 5
Stunts: Guest On My Stream (Influencer), I’ve Been Around For A Long, Long Time
(Survivor—Custom; she can substitute Survivor for any other skill set
reflecting the knowledge granted by her age.)
Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4
Consequences: Mild x3, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Features: Feast of Faith (5), Inhuman Potency: Swoll (5),
Invincibility: Truly Invincible and Ugh Bad (6), Phase Shift
(2), Regeneration: Rapid and Forced Healing (6), Sensory
Goodness: Soul Reading (3), Shapechanging (0), Undying:
True Immortality 5
Gifts: Area Invasion (3), Influence Emotion (2), Poof
(5), Possession (5), Terrorize (2)
Magic: Charming 2, Cursing 2,
Healing 2, Portal 5, Weather
Control 3

Banes: Deadly Weakness:

Unique (U1, P3), Phobia:
Being Returned to Hell
(U2, P3)

217
 WAR
Hun g r y
the

N
Dead
E

ING
E T
O M
... S
S

BIOL
M E
E T I
O M
THS

O
EY

GI
D
O
N
’T
ST
A
Y
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218
 S O
E S ...
T I M
M E
..S O
E S . First of all, don’t say the zed word. There is so much damn baggage there I am not even going to
touch. Just Google it. The other important thing to remember is that we’re talking about corporeal,
inert biological entities that continue to operate after life as we understand it has ceased. A vast
majority of these walking corpses have no sapience or even sentience. They are non-thinking, existing
on instinct or instruction. It looks like the man you loved before the bioweapon went off in the
medical lab, but it for sure isn’t him anymore. (Except when it is. But more on that later.)

The thing in common with all Hungry Dead is that they’re, well, hungry. They need to exist and
that’s pretty much all they need to do. Some will lie dormant for decades waiting for fresh meat
to come by. They might eat animals too, but by and large what they want is human flesh. They are
inherently cannibalistic. Some eat anything, some specialize in brains or eyes or penises. They’re like
vampires in a lot of ways, but don’t let a vampire hear you making that comparison.

There are non corporeal hungry dead, but that’s another book, okay? Cut us a break, this one is big
enough as it is.

I know what you’re thinking. You played that one video game, right? Or you saw that real popular
movie? You just need enough ammo and a preternatural ability to land only head shots, and you’re
fine with even the biggest swarms of shambling dead...

Let me get very extremely real with you for a moment.

It is a lot harder to shoot something that looks exactly like a person except sick or wounded than
you think it is. No matter how hard you are, how badass, someone who could be your grandma but
sick and in need of help who is stumbling around almost helplessly is a lot harder to put down than
ICAL

you’d think.

At least the first time.

Research on shots fired to hits after World War II proved pretty clearly that even when in direct
danger, trained military soldiers shoot above their targets or can’t pull the trigger at all. Look up
Grossman. This is a real thing. The US military—with this in mind—actually changed training to dilute
the sense of guilt through a unit and all sorts of other... Let’s say... Self-care hacks to emolliate their
fear to fire on actual human beings. You think it will be different mowing down the walking dead.
HAZ

Believe me when I tell you it will not be different. I mean, ethically or whatever it is completely
different. In terms of your base monkey brain feeling guilt, it will not feel different. A lot of hunters
avoid easy jobs involving the Hungry Dead for just this reason. And those who do start taking these
jobs often end up specializing in only it either because they’ve found good tools for coping with what
they’re doing or because it’s tweaked them in some way and now this is who they are. That kind of
hunter has become a spree killer with socially-acceptable targets.
ARD

219
EN
ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATION OR ROMEROS 1
The shambling starving craving undead don’t have
Naturally occurring Hungry Dead spring up in a couple
dinner parties. (So no, you won’t be getting invited to
of ways, but like, they’ve always existed. Just a weird
any Dead Man’s Party. Sorry.)
disease that comes from some plant that blossoms once
You MIGHT run into sort of hierarchies based on a hundred years in some isolated part of the Amazon
who caused the trouble and where. In San Jenaro that’s Rainforest or whatever. (The plant I’m thinking of is
probably one of two places. highly fire resistant, by the way, so those chattel ranging
fucks in Brazil are in for a hell of a surprise before too
The Society for Creative Post Life Relationships long. And if it ends up in the cows? Well. I hope you like
and Acceptance: The SCPLRA are a fringe group of supermarket zombies because it’s coming.) These types
necromancers who largely organize online exchanging are hard to predict but usually pretty easy to deal with
tips and arguing on message boards or breaking into once you know. There’s records of the last outbreak,
unrelated conversations on social media to demand probably. There’s accounts from old school hunters. It’s
their “preferences” be accepted. a matter of scale more than anything, and containment.
It can also be an issue of identifying the correct type
You understand what I’m saying here, right? of outbreak. Fungal hungry dead convert their kills,
for example, where as the Death Plagues of Eastern
Anyway, there is a militant branch in San Jenaro who
Europe are airborne, so good luck with that.
raise the dead in numbers where they can in the hopes
of forcing everyone to face the ‘facts of life and death.’ Features: Alien Thought (2), Flesh Eater: Hunger Mode
I’m not even kidding here. (1), Inhuman Potency (3), Propagation: Infectious (1)
Gifts: None
Parasol Corp: I’m not even typing their name right.
In fact whenever these guys come up in conversation, Banes: Deadly Weakness: Headshots (U2, P2), Hunger:
savvy hunters use one of many made up names for Flesh (U1, P1)
the corporation in question. Vaccinate your kids. Take
your medicine. Chem trails aren’t real. But these guys? Science Experiments 5
Yeah they’re way worse than any internet conspiracy
about Big Pharma. They also pay staggering amounts of Mistakes of science. Used to be that this was the rarest
money to hunters when there’s a lab accident or to test type of Hungry Dead, because while alchemists get
whatever they’re testing. No judgment. You got rent to shit done when it comes to animating the undead,
pay. they rarely made any by mistake. But today, with Big
Pharma being a bazillion dollar industry with less and
With Parasol, the tough thing is that you don’t just get less oversight thanks to globalization, they all wanna
hungry dead. You get fast hungry dead. Tough hungry be the one to either create the perfect bioweapon or
dead. Transforming hungry dead. Exploding hungry figure out how to make their investors immortal. At the
dead. If you’ve seen it in a video game, Parasol did it intersection of those interests ends up being a lot of
first. Hell, they probably license that shit to game devs. lab accidents where a small outbreak requires hiring
disposable hunters to come on in and clean it up. And
HUNGRY DEAD TEMPLATE HUNGRY hopefully die afterward from an infection for the sake
of privacy. You might run into mistakes of science while
There are three basic types of hungry dead. There’s not on some other job, or you might land it as a corporate
a generic template for these three things, since they’re job. Wade into a nest of shamblers with some big scary
all distinctly different creatures. Romeros, or “Ghouls” guns and three of your best friends, come out alive
are the most common #iHunters will experience. They having triggered the self destruct button at the lowest
exist most often in cities with high population densities, part of the facility and if you’re super lucky only one of
since they feed off the dead. They love cemeteries that your buddies died and you’re not infected so private
cut corners. Science Experiments are the second type. security shoots you instead of paying you ‘for the good
They’re artificially created, often by people who mean of humanity’ If after all that you get paid, you’re gonna
well but cut corners (see, there’s a trend here) but be set for quite a while. So. Yanno. Up to you.
also sometimes by people who just want to watch the Features: Alien Thought (2), Flesh Eater: Hunger Mode
world burn. And by burn, I mean have its brains eaten. (1), Inhuman Potency (3), Rage Face: Constant (3)
Then there’s the high-functioning dead. They’re related
loosely to Romeros, being that they come from the Gifts: None
same basic source. But, they’re a rare breed that is fully Banes: Deadly Weakness: Fire (U2, P2)
in control, and thus is completely different in execution.

220
High-Functioning Dead 5 LORE LORE LORE LORE LORE LORE L
What if I told you that a lot of current shambling dead
Last you have what we call High Functioning Undead.
media has a chilling tie to certain far right ideals and
These types are super rare and if you’re hunting for
doomsday prepper groups? If you’ve seen this stuff
one, you probably aren’t on a contract to kill. Basically,
and noted how quick they abandon kids and the
sometimes someone gets bit or cursed or infected
disabled, and you thought that’s not how it’d be in real
or whatever and they figure quick that if they keep
life, you’re damn right.
up a steady diet of mostly human brains and never
themselves feed from the dying, they stay pretty FACT
much okay? They eat brains, they survive, and they
get clever. These FUs start pretty clever to get to [ Dead: Every day medical science realizes more that our
their state to begin with, but as they consume brains understanding of life vs death is thinner and blurrier
they get much much smarter? Like. Comic book villain than anyone wants. But. These guys were all sure dead
smart. Usually too smart to be villains, but that’s at some point.
another discussion. Anyway, these types are often
way smarter than you could ever hope to get an edge [ Hungry: What they eat varies, but all Hungry Dead
on, and pretty harmless? Probably? Hell, if you find crave an endless supply of meat that never sates them.
yourself with a surplus of human brains, you might be They’re probably in pain all the time. :(
able to cut an edge by making friends with your local
MYTH
FU. Just please don’t try to outsmart them.
[ Infectious: Most types aren’t infectious. You only
Features: Flesh Eater: Picky Eater, You Got One Shot,
get air born infections when someone is med tech is
More Human Than Human (1), Inhuman Potency (3),
weaponizing this shit.
Rage Face: Starving (3)
Gifts: None [ Headshot: Oh we should be so fucking lucky.
Banes: Hunger: Organs (U1, P1)

221
 CORPORATE GIG 
Fuck yeah, corporate gig! Refresh: 0
Anyway, the gig reads that an unnamed corporate Aspects: Deadicated to the Job, Looking Grave, A
entity had a whoopsie at some corporate retreat Bone to Pick With You, The Boss Chewed Them Out,
thanks to a mix up with a biomedical firm and about a Gotta Give Them A Hand
paragraph of corporate jargon later, you get the idea. Sub-Clade: Science Experiements (5)
A whole bunch of middle manager types all got zed-ed Skill Sets: Athlete 3, Fighter 4, Survivor 3
at some remote mountain retreat. Of course, the
associated biomedical firm has a clean up crew they Stunts: Run ‘Em Ragges (Athlete), Grabby Hands
could send in to manage the whole thing. But first, (Fighter, Custom—Get +2 to create an advantage
some ranking members of the unnamed corporate actions to create “grabbed” aspect,)
entity are seeing an opportunity for “team building” Stress: Mental - 1, 2, 3, 4, Physical - 1, 2, 3, 4, 4
and to “sharpen their instincts.”
Consequences: Mild x3, Moderate x1, Severe x1
They can call it whatever they want, but, brass tacks,
Features: Alien Thought (2), Flesh Eater: Hunger Mode
these guys are offering you a shit ton to go with them
(1), Inhuman Potency (3), Rage Face: Constant (3)
to a shambling nest of undead middle managers and
keep them alive while they shoot their way through Gifts: None
HR, Accounting, and Sales. Banes: Deadly Weakness: Fire (U2, P2)
The ethics of this sort of thing are pretty fuzzy. But the Note: This reflects only a single monster. The
money? The money is *chef finger kiss.* assumption is, each monster has its own (probably
bulk discounted) price on its head.

222
GWEN JADE-FLAY 
Gwenyth Jade-Flay’s pop-up restaurants are things of Refresh: 1
legend all over San Jenaro both among the horrifically Aspects: Gotta Love a Girl With Brains, Scouted By
wealthy and the chronically chic. Claims of having Food Network, Totally Basic, Single-Serving Friend,
caught one of her legendary appearances come off Her Food Is To Die For
a lot like a certain generation claiming to have been
at Woodstock. Sure, you caught her pop-up in March Sub-Clade: High-Functioning (5)
that you had to go through a subway tunnel and a Skill Sets: Academic 2, Athlete 1, Influencer 4, Medic
defunct Church basement. Sure you did. 3, Professional (Chef) 5
Everyone knows Jade-Flay as this premier chef who Stunts: Specialist (Chef), Genius With a Knife
services the rarest of ingredients and heart attack (Professional, Custom—Can use Professional for
inducing prices per plate. Rumors of a pop-up float for attack actions if using cooking tools)
about a week. Then a few people claim somewhere
Stress: Mental - 1, 2 Physical - 1, 2, 3
or another they got in. Then the whole thing vanishes
for months to a year. No one knows how to find Jade- Consequences: Mild x3, Moderate x1, Severe x1
Flay. None of this makes her hunt-worthy, of course. Features: Flesh Eater: Picky Eater, You Got One Shot,
After all, does she even exist at all? More Human Than Human (1), Inhuman Potency (3),
Well. She does. And she’s an undead lich kind of a Propagation: Lesser and Infectious—People who eat
thing. She eats people on occasion. But that’s not her food may return as Romeros or High-Functioning
why people are pissed enough to pay thirty grand to (2), Rage Face: Starving (3)
have her hunted down and murdered. They’re pissed Gifts: Influence Emotion (2)
because rumor has it she’s been spreading her curse
by serving human flesh and brains in her highest ticket Banes: Hunger: Organs (U1, P1)
appetizers.

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 CREATURE FEATURES
Creature features are...um...features...which...er...they...define Unlike normal aspects, essence aspects have a “potency.”
creatures. Creature features are the most basic element of Which is to say, they are weaker or stronger when invoked,
making a monster, and the rough foundation of a clade. These depending on how extreme the circumstances are for the
are the kinds of things most people think about when they monster. Starved monsters lash out harder, but also they’re
think of a monster. Vampires have to drink blood. Ghosts are easier to exploit. Conversely, a monster who is bloated is
untouchable by human hands. Generally, monster features strong and confident, bursting with supernatural power.
are “always on,” and don’t require any sort of activation on Monsters can’t go below starved. Anything that would make
the part of the monster. Additionally, most features are either them instead costs their current weakest consequence slot.
neutral in nature, or generally have a beneficial aspect. If it’s
all negative with no cool side for the monster, it’s a bane. Like you’ll see on the chart below, the starved aspect gives
+6 for its free invoke. The deprived aspect gives +4. The sated
FEATURE COSTS and full aspects give +2 each. The bloated aspect gives +4.
Smart hunters will learn a monster’s given essence source,
Every feature has a cost from -5 to +5. This is the refresh and try to use that against the monster. For this reason, most
cost of that feature that must be “spent” to take it. Note that of the essence features will also include ideas on how a clever
a negative number adds refresh to the monster instead of hunter might hurt a monster’s essence supply.
taking it away. Remember that monsters should have less In some cases, for certain gifts, banes, or features, a
refresh than more, so if you find yourself taking a handful of monster’s current essence potency modifier can act as the
negative cost features, be sure to balance them out with gifts. passive opposition for an action. For example, the Essence
Healing gift is an overcome action with a passive opposition
ESSENCE FEATURES equal to the monster’s current potency modifier.

Many features listed below are marked as “essence features.”

A monster can only have one of these under normal The Essence Chart
circumstances. An essence feature defines its essence pool Essence Aspect Degree Potency
(since essence is an abstract concept,) how the monster
regains its essence, and other defining aspects of the monster. Starved 1 +6

There aren’t as many essence features as there are monsters Deprived 2 +4

with essence. That’s because they’re more broad categories Sated 3 +2
that define how essence works for a general type of monster
than anything. I encourage you to take the existing essence Full 4 +2
types, rename them, retool them contextually, and use them Bloated 5 +4
for different monsters entirely.

HOW ESSENCE WORKS ESSENCE COSTS

The long and short is, essence is a series of aspects. There are Essence costs are expressed as “always,” “failure,” or “success.”
five, which operate in a specific order. The essence aspects This determines how the essence is spent. If it says “always,”
are bloated, full, sated, deprived, and starved. They operate then every time the monster uses that ability, shift the aspect
as a spectrum of degrees—think about them as a scale of 1-5, down the chart once. If it says “failure,” then only spend
started at starved, and ending at bloated. Any time a monster essence if the monster fails in the associated action. If it says
increases its essence aspect on the spectrum, it gets a free “success,” then only spend essence if the monster succeeds in
invoke of the “new aspect.” Any time a monster goes down the associated action.
on the spectrum, its opponents get a free invoke or compel
on the new aspect. Multiple shifts in this aspect count for
multiple free uses.

224
MINION ESSENCE
Keeping track of lesser monsters’ essence can be a pain in the On the next page, we’re going to start the list of creature
ass. So, um, don’t do it. Assume that by default, monsters are features. But, before we get on to that, let’s take a look at what
sated. If they’re inherently hostile, they’re deprived. Spitball the creature feature write-ups look like, so you’re not jumping
essence expenditures for gifts and features—if a monster in completely unaware.
uses a power that should cost essence, kick them down to
the next degree. If they feed, kick them up. Don’t hesitate
to improvise and use best guesses. Just announce what a
monster’s essence degree is when relevant, and trust your
players if they say, “wait wasn’t he starving a minute ago?”

MONSTER FEATURES
NAME OF FEATURE
Feature: -3
Cost of Feature:
Essence Feature. This is where I describe the feature
and how it works. This gives a brief description as well
as the rules. That bit where it says “essence feature” at
the beginning of this paragraph? It’ll only say that if it’s,
drum roll please, an essence feature.

Regaining Essence: You’ll only see this on an essence

feature. It explains how the monster regains its lost
essence.

Essence Cost: If the feature has a cost, it’ll be here.

[ Variant: Some features will have variant forms.

They act as modifications to the main feature.
They’ll include a special cost modifier which adds
or subtracts from the feature’s normal refresh cost.

225
 ALIEN THOUGHT ECTOPLASM
Cost:: 2
Cost Cost:: 4
Cost
Monsters with this trait do not think the way humans Essence Feature. The monster can process and store
think. This doesn’t mean they’re animalistic (that’s the the macabre energy of the plane of dead things. This
purview of Lost Forever, below) but that their brains includes all ghosts, some spirits, as well as people who
simply do not operate within the same rules. They might do ghostly magic. Ectoplasm is a strange material,
be able to communicate with humans. However, these which is beyond human comprehension. Which is to
fundamental differences mean the monster is immune say, people see it, feel it, and experience it uniquely, in
to any non-supernatural mental attacks from those who surreal and unbelievable manners.
don’t deeply understand their way of thinking. On the
other hand, they can only make mental attacks to terrify Ectoplasm doesn’t abide by the normal limitations
or use supernatural abilities. of essence storage. They have their normal essence
chart, but they can also mark off a mental consequence
reflecting psychic stress caused by flooding themselves
BLOOD DRINKER with chaotic energy. If they do, they can store additional
degrees beyond bloated equal to the consequence’s
Cost:: 5
Cost value. This additional storage bleeds away if the
Essence Feature. The classic, defining trait of the consequence is ever removed.
vampire. Every day (or night, because vampires) upon Regaining Essence: Ectoplasm is a manifested spiritual
waking, the monster must overcome against a passive resonance. Ectoplasmic creatures shift once up on the
opposition equal to its current essence potency, or it degree chart for every full day or night (choose one
must shift one degree down on the essence aspect when picking this feature) they spend either in the
chart. If the monster awakens starved, it rises in a land of the dead, or surrounded with that emotional or
ravenous hunger and can only kill and feed until it’s sympathetic resonance.
bloated. Some vampires have friends who can help at
times like these—most don’t—vampires are assholes. [ Collector: With this variant, the character stores
the ectoplasm in a physical form outside their body.
As a Director, you don’t really need to make dice rolls This doesn’t change the amount they can store
for a monster awakening, unless the hunters have normally, and they must physically consume or
captured them, or intentionally forced them to hunger absorb the essence to use it. Cost +2.
before they fled to sleep. Smart hunters will physically
cut blood drinking monsters to drain them, or harry [ Ravager: The creature can devour ectoplasmic
them into hunger for this reason. entities. They can not only touch creatures with the
ethereal feature (see below,) they can cause them
Regaining Essence: A blood-drinking monster must immense harm with their bare hands. Shift once up
cause a consequence to feed successfully. A single on the degree chart for every severe or extreme
consequence increases their essence degree by one consequence caused to an entity, and twice when
step on the chart. ultimately destroying it. Cost +2.
Essence Cost: Always

[ No Bite: Usually this feature comes coupled free ESSENCE BARTER

with fangs, but not always. If the monster has to go Cost:: 2
Cost
out of their way to actually get the blood because
they don’t have a natural method (usually killing the Creatures with this feature can gain essence through
human or using tools,) the cost is an additional -1. celebration, expressions of community, and negotiation
with the spiritual forces of the natural world. This is a
[ Dead Blood: If it can feed on dead blood, add +1. trait most commonly found in witches. In order to use
this feature, the monster must also have a separate
[ Animalatarian: The essence represents living,
feature which allows them to have an essence pool and
human blood. If the monster can feed on animal
store it (usually the Magic Reserves feature below) or
blood, add +1 to the cost.
else the essence must be immediately spent. To use
this feature, create an advantage reflecting the source
of mystic energy. However, that unique aspect can be
invoked as if it were shifts of magical essence. This can
be from free invokes, or from spent fate points.

226
 ESSENCE CONTACT List of Creature Features
Cost:: 1
Cost
Here’s a full list of all the creature features in this
Creatures with this feature can gain essence by tapping section, for ease of reference. Any feature marked
into a strange, otherworldly, entropic force that’s not with an asterisk (*) is an essence feature.
very well understood by most anyone. This is most
commonly found in cultist sorcerers. In order to use
this feature, a monster must also have a separate [ Alien Thought [ Invincibility
feature which allows for an essence pool (such as the
Magic Reserves feature below.) To use this feature, [ Blood Drinker * [ Lost Forever
overcome against a passive opposition equal to the
[ Ectoplasm * [ Magic Reserves *
current essence potency. If successful, roll a single edge
die, and step that many shifts up on the essence chart. [ Essence Barter [ Masking
If this takes the character past bloated, something
utterly horrendous, magical, and beyond understanding [ Essence Contact [ Natural Weapon
happens.
[ Ethereal [ Propagation

ETHEREAL [ Euphoria [ Rage Face

Cost:: 1
Cost [ Fast as Shit [ Regeneration

MONSTER FEATURES
Ethereal monsters are untouchable like Eliot Ness. An
[ Feast of Faith * [ Sensory Goodness
ethereal monster has no physical body, and cannot be
harmed by normal means. Think ghosts. However, if the [ Flesh Eater * [ Shapechanging
monster has a bane, it can affect them as if they were
physical. The monster is always ethereal unless it uses a [ Flying [ Tempter
gift to manifest or is forced by magic.
[ Infectuous [ Undying
[ Phase Shift: The monster can become physical or
ethereal at will. Overcome against their current [ Inhuman Potency [ Unholy Armor
essence potency. If they succeed, they reverse their
physical state. If they fail, they shift essence down [ Instill Loyalty [ Sacrifice
once one degree on the chart. Cost +1.

EUPHORIA FAST AS SHIT

Cost:: 1
Cost
Cost:: 2
Cost
Some monsters prey through disabling their victims
through sensory overload or an instilled sense of Monsters who are fast as shit are really quick,
powerful euphoria. Vampires, for example, bite their in case you didn’t guess it. It’s about one and a
victims and leave them unable to do anything but half times faster than a highly-athletic human,
revel in the momentary ecstasy of the bite. Note that very clearly beyond human limitations. They can
monsters don’t have to do this if they can—they choose move an extra zone per exchange >>PAGE 155
to. Vampires can just as easily just rip the shit out of if unimpeded. They gain +2 to any roll to move
someone with their fangs. Euphoria assumes a certain through zones as well. They also gain +2 to any
amount of gentleness and subtlety with the attack. A rolls or trait comparisons to determine turn
person hit with Euphoria is wracked with sensation, order >>PAGE 151. If the monster creates any
unable to act to protect themselves. Against Director advantages related to their speed advantage,
characters, this is a basically flawless attack. Against they gain a free invoke. However, this holds
Players’ characters, the monster creates an advantage true in reverse—if hunters create an advantage
the player can defend against. The net shifts become to creatively exploit that speed, they get an
the passive opposition on that new obstacle, which the additional free invoke.
player has to overcome before their character can resist
the euphoria. However, any harm immediately ends
Euphoria, no matter who it comes from.

227
 [ Picky Eater: A picky eater has one choice organ,
FEAST OF FAITH usually brains or the heart. They gain sustenance
Cost:: 5
Cost from nothing else. On the bright side, that organ
steps them up twice on the essence degree chart.
Essence Feature. Demons feed on the raw power of Cost -2.
belief. For lesser demons, this generally means the
minor trickles of fear, desire, or wanton curiosity. It’s not [ You Got One Shot: If a flesh eater with this trait
directly belief, per se, but it’s a creeping skepticism that kills a human with their bare hands and eats them,
the world isn’t what it seems. Greater fiends cultivate the monster is bloated, and gains the Lost Forever
cults which worship them, turning them into the direct feature (and gains three refresh for the feature’s
objects of faith and devotion. Others still will integrate cost.) Cost -2.
themselves into greater institutions, manipulating them
[ More Human Than Human: More organs means
and pulling strings so the faith in those institutions
more human, right? Eating an organ gives a
becomes de facto faith in the demon.
temporary aspect that hyper-enhances the
Hunters dealing with significant demons can undermine eater’s human traits to superhuman levels. Think
this faith. Of course, a person who has actually seen symbolically. Brains = Smarts. Heart = Emotion.
a demon for what they really are isn’t going to stop This aspect has 2 free invokes. Cost +2
believing they exist, but their faith can be perverted into
loathing and hatred. If your god turns out to be some
sort of bit-part demon, you’ll probably stop basking in FLYING
their glorious divinity and start picking up holy symbols. Cost:: 2
Cost
Demons don’t inherently lose their essence—they have This feature means the monster can fly. Unless there’s
to spend it. But, typically they’re creatures of impulse a damn good reason for it, they can ignore most
and habit, so that happens more than not. hazards which would limit movement between zones
>>PAGE 155. The flight is normally about as fast as the
Regaining Essence: Acts of faith give a demon its monster could run on land. This creates a free invoke
essence. What this means is different from demon on any advantage based on mobility or positioning.
to demon. But as a guideline, any advantage created Additionally, the monster gets +2 on any Athlete defend
in the demon’s name, or any consequence suffered actions against anyone that can’t fly.
can increase a demon’s essence. To increase to full or
bloated, it must be a significant action or a severe or [ Winged Flight: The monster has huge wings that
extreme consequence in the name of that faith. are necessary for flight. This limits usage in tight
quarters, also they have to walk around with huge-
ass wings. Cost -1.
FLESH EATER
Cost:: 3
Cost
INFECTIOUS
Essence Feature. The hungry dead eat flesh. And Cost:: 2
Cost
organs. And basically whatever else sates their hunger.
This means they have to eat living (or otherwise very Infectious monsters have one mode of attack or one
fresh or preserved) tissue. Every day, a flesh eater shifts bodily fluid that is intensely harmful to human biology.
one step down on the essence degree chart. Normally, this means the given attack causes 2 extra
points of harm if successful, or if touch-based, a solid
A starved flesh eater becomes ravenous and will act touch causes 2 harm.
only to devour flesh until bloated.
[ Slow Poison: Instead of the normal effect, when
Regaining Essence: A flesh eater rises once on the the infection is seeded through attack or touch, roll
essence degree chart for every moderate or severe an additional attack against the victim. If successful,
consequence caused by eating flesh. When eating the they cannot recover stress or consequences until
newly or well-preserved dead, major organs like the medically treated. The treatment is made against a
heart and brain will each raise the essence degree by passive opposition equal to the shifts on the roll, and
one step. usually require unique ingredients. Every six hours,
[ Hunger Mode: These are the unluckiest of the the victim suffers 1 harm, which can be bought off
unlucky. They shift one step down on the essence with stress or consequences. Cost unchanged.
degree chart every six hours. Cost -2.

228
[ Debilitating Poison: Instead of the normal effect, Consent WITH NO CONSENT
the poison causes the victim to suffer from a “Sick”
aspect with one free invoke or compel for each shift Monstrous abilities like the Instill Loyalty and
on the initial attack. It goes away in about 48 hours, Tempter features and the Agency Robbing gift exist
or until treated as with Slow Poison above. Cost to remove agency from characters. That, in a word,
unchanged. sucks for that character. This can be utterly awful for
a player, so these things need to get extra special
attention for consent issues. Look to the secton on
INHUMAN POTENCY levels near the beginning of the book for guidance.
Cost:: 3
Cost >>PAGE 26.

A monster can surpass normal human limitations of However, also keep in mind and communicate
strength, skill, and ability. When taking physical actions clearly—especially with newer players—that most
which would be bolstered by superhuman physical of these abilities ultimately just make aspects. They
prowess, take +2. can be invoked, compelled, or sometimes forced
into dilemmas. But in the end, the player still has

MONSTER FEATURES
[ Conditional Potency: Choose a narrow condition. choices, even if they’re not great ones. That’s of
The feature only works when that condition is valid. course if the player’s even cool with the idea to
For example, for a werewolf, Inhuman Potency
begin with. If they’re not, don’t fucking do it. Read
is only valid within their shapechanged form. For
the levels worksheets. Take them to heart. Respect
some monsters, it might only be the case when
Commercial Breaks.
they’re essence starved or bloated. The Cost -1.

[ Swole: The monster is an utter fucking beast. Their

physical prowess gives +4 instead of +2 in physical
fields. Cost +2. INVINCIBILITY
Cost:: 1
Cost
INSTILL LOYALTY Some monsters are just plain fucking unstoppable. With
Cost:: 1
Cost this feature, the monster gains an additional 4-point
physical stress box. Banes ignore this feature.
Some monsters have a supernatural gift for creating
loyal “minions.” This is gross as hell. But, also, they’re [ Ugh Bad: Stronger still, an Ugh Bad monster gains
monsters, what do you want? This is common in two additional 4-point stress boxes instead of one.
vampires, whose blood can create fawning, cultish One can be mental or physical, choose. Cost +2.
followers, and in demons who whisper promises of dark
[ Truly Invincible: With this variant, the monster is
desires. Creating a loyal servant requires the monster
a goddamn juggernaut. Halve all harm caused to it
to mentally attack the victim. This can be done over
and round down. If this would reduce harm to 0,
time. When the mental attack would take the character
it instead gives the attacker a boost. This does not
out, the player has the choice to be taken out >>PAGE
apply to harm caused by banes. Cost +3.
154, but the choice to concede becomes the choice to
succumb to the monster’s manipulation. The character
changes out one of their character aspects for an
“enthralled to (monster)” aspect. The monster gets one
LOST FOREVER
free invoke or compel on that aspect in every scene. Cost:: -3
Cost
Changing out this aspect must be done with the selfie
A monster who is lost forever is, well, lost forever.
rules on >>PAGE 119.
They’re animalistic, violent, and truly monstrous. Most
[ Addicting Fluid: The creature instills loyalty when importantly, outside of a huge story event level miracle,
humans consume or touch a specific bodily fluid they can never become conscious, thinking, and aware
from the monster, like blood. The mental attacks again. They have a perpetual “monstrous” aspect that
made for the feature get +2. Cost +1. has a free invoke against the monster every scene
because the creature simply does not act like a rational,
[ Projected Self-Preservation: The enthralled are not intelligent being.
only servants to the monster, but they will protect
the monster with their life. Essentially, their own
self-preservation instinct is extended to include the
monster. Cost +1.

229
 MAGIC RESERVES PROPAGATION
Cost:: 5
Cost Cost:: 0
Cost
Essence Feature. Sorcerers store magical energy that These monsters can create more like themselves.
they use to fuel their mystic arts. It’s their essence. I Usually this is genetic. You see, when a mommy monster
wanted to call it “essence,” but that’d be weird now, loves a daddy monster very much... You get the picture.
wouldn’t it? So it’s magic. Or, no. Evanescence. We’re If it’s quicker than baby-making, it’s a variant.
calling it evanescence. They store evanescence. They
also don’t normally have to use it, except when using [ Infectious: Anyone harmed by the monster has a
their crafts, so it doesn’t bleed away with time unless chance of becoming one. At the end of a scene where
there’s something wrong with them. If they’re bloated a character suffers a consequence from the monster,
at the end of a scene, they bleed it away down to full, they have to defend against a phantom attack. The
and suffer a moderate or severe consequence. Some “attack” is an infection, and it acts as if it had a +2
hunters have been known to exploit this little loophole, skill set, and can and will invoke consequences.
even though attempts generally end in the sorcerer just If the attack is defended, the infection is fought
casting some awful spell to flush the energy before it off successfully. If the attack prevails, it causes
becomes an issue. further harm according to the shifts rolled, and the
character has to suffer further “attacks” every hour
Regaining Essence: This is a weird one. There’s no until they’ve fought it off successfully or are taken
normal way to regain magical essence. A given sorcerer, out. If they concede against the infection, they’re
witch, or other practitioner has to figure out their own comatose until a relevant story event (like a Big
way of accumulating essence. This is generally tied to Fucking Deal selfie >>PAGE 120) saves them. Cost
the sub-clade a practitioner belongs to. +1

[ Compelled: The monster is compelled to perpetuate

MASKING its kind. The compulsion is an aspect which can be
freely invoked or compelled against the monster
Cost:: 1
Cost once per scene. Cost -2
Creatures with masking can change their monstrous [ Lesser Propagation: The monster can create lesser
appearance to look and seem perfectly human. There’s monsters from humans or sometimes animals.
always a catch, like, for example, photographs or mirrors Not full representatives of their monster clade,
might penetrate the illusion. It acts as an aspect with but pseudo monsters. Demons, for example, can
a free invoke for the monster’s ability to blend with create animal familiars. Vampires can empower
humanity. their servants with limited abilities. When taking
[ Mimic: The ability allows the monster to mimic a this feature, create a weak clade with a net refresh
living being it’s seen for more than a few seconds. cost of 0. The monster can turn others into those.
The free aspect reflects the specific mimicry. Cost +1
Cost +2. Cost +1 if the monster needs to interact [ Rise From Your Grave: With this variant, the
extensively or intimately with the person first. monster instills a bit of themselves in a person, like
a vampire feeding a human its blood. When the
NATURAL WEAPON person dies, they become a monster. Cost +1

Cost:: 1
Cost
Claws, tusks, spiky feet, whatever. The monster can
RAGE FACE
hurt people very badly with their body. All harm caused Cost:: 3
Cost
with the natural weapon is increased by 1. Most natural Choose a specific scenario. For example, when the
weapons are retractable and thus concealable. monster has suffered a moderate consequence, is
[ Bad Bad: Upgrade the additional harm to +2. Cost deprived of essence, or sees the full moon. When that
+1. condition is met, the monster gains +4 to all physical
skill set rolls, and ignores 2 harm from any attack against
[ Lethal: The weapon has a deadly poison or it not from a bane, but gains an enraged aspect which
otherwise is ridiculously, obscenely harmful. The can be compelled, invoked, or imperiled against it freely
attack kills Director characters instantly. Against one time.
Player characters, it causes +5 harm. Cost +5.

230
 REGENERATION SACRIFICE
Cost:: 3
Cost Cost:: 1
Cost
Some monsters heal really fucking quick. During any Sacrifice is a method of procuring essence, one
challenge, contest, or conflict, every time the monster common to sorcerers and some cultist types. It requires
gets an action, it also heals its lowest marked stress box. destroying meaningful, valuable, or unique things in
Outside of a tense scene, it fully recovers its stress in pursuit of magical energies. These things must be
about a minute, recovers mild consequences as if they currently infused with spiritual resonance to give
were stress, moderate consequences as if they were magical energy. Using this feature requires a feature
mild, and severe consequences as if they were moderate. which allows the monster to store essence, such as
This feature doesn’t affect extreme consequences. See

MONSTER FEATURES
the Magic Reserves feature above. Without such a
>>PAGE 153 for healing time rules. Harm caused by feature, the essence must be immediately used.
Banes is unaffected by this feature.
To sacrifice for essence, the monster must create an
[ Rapid Healing: With this variant, the monster advantage or otherwise seize an item worthy of an
recovers all stress boxes every time it gets an aspect. Upon destroying it, the monster shifts up on the
action. Cost +1 essence chart equal to the free invokes on the aspect.
As well, the monster can sacrifice living human beings,
[ Forced Healing: The monster can force immediate but this is an inefficient method. It shifts the essence
healing. At any time, by shifting its essence once chart once for every severe or extreme consequence,
down the chart, it can remove a mild consequence. and once for actual murder.
Shifting twice can remove a moderate consequence.
Shifting three times can remove a severe
consequence. Cost +2

231
 [ Mimicry: The creature can emulate anyone it’s
SENSORY GOODNESS touched. Unlike the Masking feature above, this
Cost:: 2
Cost is a physical change. It doesn’t confer any illusions
as to a person’s behavior or mannerisms, so the
Some monsters have perceptions which go far beyond creature must act particularly well to not seem as if
the ordinary. They might be able to hear a feather fall, something is “off.” Cost +2
or see for miles. Choose one sense to attach this feature [ Mist Form: The creature can shapeshift into an
to. Any rolls made for that sense get +4. intangible form which is immune to physical harm
[ Soul Reading: Some monsters can perceive spiritual except from specific banes. Usually this is a misty
energy in a person. This manifests in different or ghost-like form, but can be fire, smoke, or other
ways with different monsters. For example, some manifestations. Cost +3
vampires and most demons are able to sense what [ Monstrous Form: The monster has a form that’s
a person feels guilty about. Vampires use this as truly horrendous, usually large, dangerous, and
a tool to find the perfect targets for their nightly awful. Werewolves have this form, as well as many
blood. Some werewolves can sense if a person is demons. It confers the Natural Weapon, Rage
currently fertile. Some psychics can read auras, Face, and Unholy Armor features. Additionally, the
which help to discern what emotion a person is first time a human witnesses that specific type
feeling, kind of like a psychic mood ring. Cost +1 of monstrous form, the monster can make a free
mental attack against them. Cost +5

SHAPECHANGING [ Swarm Form: The creature takes the form of a

swarm of insects, bats, rats, or other tiny things.
Cost:: 0
Cost Outside of area effects like fire, or specific banes,
the monster takes no more than 1 harm from an
This feature allows a monster to change its physical attack. As well, this confers the Flying or Fast as
shape. Unlike Masking, above, this is an actual change Fuck features. Cost +3.
in form, and not an illusion. This is a signature feature of
werewolves and other animal shifters. It’s also common
in demons. It doesn’t have a default form—every version TEMPTER
is a variant. When taking shapechanging, determine Cost:: 2
Cost
one or two character aspects which change in the new
shape, and what they change to. Different variants also Demons, vampires, and some other monsters can tempt
add features which are only applicable in that form. Any humans into doing things they might not otherwise. This
other game rule changes should be reflected by buying may be through promises of wish fulfilled, otherworldly
other features, such as the Conditional variant on the beauty, minor illusions, or any other means. When
Inhuman Potency feature, above, or Sensory Goodness. taking this feature, choose the way the monster
tempts, and decide upon an aspect it confers. For
Unless otherwise noted, shapechanging does not cost example, “Tempted To Gamble” would be an example.
essence, but takes an action (but no roll) to complete. As well, choose the type of interaction which would
cause this temptation. Any time the monster engages
The “free” version of this Feature assumes the monster
in that action, create an advantage against the victim
has a “true” form and a “human” form. This is very
as normal. But the resulting aspect gains an additional
common, and usually has a specific set of rules around
free invoke/compel, and the aspect can be imperiled.
it. Like, for example, demons must reveal themselves
This doesn’t count against the normal limitation for how
when they hear their true name.
often a Director can imperil an aspect.
[ Animal Form: A creature with this variant can
change into an animal. Depending on the animal in
question, this can include the Flying, Fast as Shit, UNDYING
Natural Weapon, and Unholy Armor features. Cost Cost:: 0
Cost
+2
Some monsters outlive humans beyond just resistance
[ Conditional Shifting: This is a variant on other
to harm and disease. Undying monsters age about half
shapeshifting features. It means the creature’s
as quickly as human beings, so they have twice a normal
shifting is tied to a circumstance, like the full moon,
human lifespan. This doesn’t have an associated cost,
or when hungry. When that condition is met, the
because it really doesn’t affect gameplay much. Now,
creature must shapeshift. Cost -1
the variants, on the other hand...

232
[ Unaging: Monsters with this feature never age.
Either they’re sealed in time like a vampire from
the moment they become a monster, or they’re
born unaging, and stop aging once they reach
maturity—whatever that is for that monster. Either
way, they never die without outside intervention.
Additionally, they’ll always return to that point of
unaging. So, even extreme consequences won’t
permanently mar them. Cost +2

[ True Immortality: This takes the whole undying

concept to a whole new level. Unless they’re
killed by a Bane, a true immortal monster cannot
die. They can be taken out, chopped up, burned,
whatever, and they’ll recover. They never suffer
extreme consequences—they just fall into a sort
of hibernation for as long as it takes to regenerate
their body to an operational state. This is different
from monster to monster; some might take years,
where a monster with the Regeneration feature
might only take a few days. Cost +5

UNHOLY ARMOR
Cost:: 3
Cost
Many monsters are tougher than a normal human just
by virtue of their thick skin, stone hide, redundant
organs, or some other facet of their being that’s “always
on.” The monster reduces all harmful physical attacks by
1 shift before considering stress or consequences. This
doesn’t turn a successful attack into a failed attack—but
if it means an attack causes 0 harm, the attacker gains
a boost on a later action instead. Unholy Armor never
applies to attacks made with banes.

[ Debility: The monster’s natural armor prohibits

movement, makes them truly monstrous, or
otherwise makes life Really Fucking Hard in
normal existence. (A slobbering ghoul who isn’t
trying to blend in with society doesn’t get this
for being ugly, for example.) This adds an aspect
reflecting the debility that opponents can take a
free invoke on per scene. Cost -2

[ Tough As Shit: The monster is extra

special tough. Reduce all harm by 2
shifts. Cost +2

233
 MONSTER GIFTS
Monster gifts are the tools, the active abilities and powers a
monster can draw on to influence the world around them. SKILL SET APPLICATION
Some are very obvious, like the ability to spew fire from their Many of the monster gifts have an associates skill set action
mouth, whereas some are more subtle, like the ability to sway mentioned. For example, the Energy Blast gift says that the
a room’s general mood in their favor. There are really three monster attacks with the Assassin. That’s going to be true
things that separate monster gifts from creature features. most of the time, but depending on the monster’s specific
First, gifts must be willfully activated by the monster—they’re application of the gift, that could be different. For example,
not always active, and often have an associated cost. Second, maybe a weird baseball demon throws weird green energy
they’re more or less purely advantageous. They might be balls like baseballs, so she uses Athlete instead of Assassin.
detrimental in certain contexts, but they’re very much That’s totally okay. With the right stunts, you can even go
“powers” which the monster can use for immediate effects on totally weird with it. In our same example, maybe a monster
the world. Lastly, gifts are typically skills the monster either that takes the form of a manifested computer virus (I don’t
has to learn, or can learn to improve with time. fucking know, watch Denkou Choujin Gridman or some
This isn’t to say there’s not overlap—sometimes the line shit.) That monster might have a stunt that allows them
between gifts and features is pretty thin. If you’re designing to attack with the Hacker skill set. Do you see how I’m not
new traits for your monsters, consider whether the monster making a “hack the planet” joke right now? I feel like an adult.
can learn and develop it, or if it’s an inherent part of their ANYWAY, since that monster can attack with Hacker, maybe
condition. If they can practice it and get better at it, it’s it can also use Energy Blast through computers, exploding
probably a gift. anyone on the other side of the keyboard. Basically, this
monster is my most ultimate power fantasy.

GIFT COSTS MAGICAL GIFTS

Gifts have an associated refresh cost, just like with features.
Unlike features, gifts always have positive costs, since they’re Magic is its own fucking animal. It’s weird. It’s complicated.
always advantages. So a monster never gains refresh by It’s full of metaphysics and philosophy and spiritualism and
taking a gift. Also, gifts tend to have a range of costs, with it’s just way, way, way too much to deal with in detail in this
variable effects. For example, a gift might have a cost of 1-3, book. There’s a little discussion of it in the sorcerers section.
and the more refresh invested in that gift, the stronger the But in the end, this is a game about kicking monster ass, not
effect or the more ways it can be used. Unless otherwise exploring the finer points of magical planar theory. We’ll
noted, a monster gets all progressive ranks in a gift as they explore that in other books if this one does well.
progress in ability. Magical gifts all have five ranks, so they’re rated 1-5.
However, this isn’t directly a refresh cost like with other gifts.
ESSENCE For every refresh spent on magic, the character gets 2 ranks in
magical gifts. They can either take both ranks in one magical
Some gifts have an associated essence cost listed. Normally, gift, or they can split it between two different gifts.
this means a monster needs to have an essence feature
>>PAGE 224. However, there are two exceptions to this The reason for this is fairly simple; magical gifts are
rule. The first is, some features allow a monster to gain essence generally more narrow “tricks” than your average gifts.
without an essence feature, so long as it’s immediately spent. Additionally, magic takes some sort of action that makes
For example, the Sacrifice feature allows this. The second it stoppable. In immediate game terms, you handle turn
exception is that if a monster doesn’t have an essence feature, order as normal >>PAGE 151. However, characters using
they can instead take harm. Every essence is the same as 2 magical gifts don’t resolve their action until their next action,
harm, which can be bought off with stress or consequences during the following exchange. They still get to announce
just like any other harm, per >>PAGE 152. This tends to and potentially resolve another action. But, if anything stops
make for self-destructive, “fast burn” monsters. their spell in the mean time, it doesn’t work. They can ignore
this limitation by taking 1 harm per rank of the gift.

Magical gifts start on >>PAGE 243.

234
COST ARRAYS DON’T BE LIMITED
Some gifts don’t have proper ranks, and are listed as a cost In the strictest sense here, I’m focusing on the most common,
of “Array.” For example, the Amazing Feats gift. This doesn’t most general ways gifts will influence the story in ways
mean it’s free to buy. What it means is, it’s actually a collection the hunters are liable to encounter or otherwise witness.
of 1-rank gifts, and every refresh you invest into the gift, you Creative monsters can use their gifts in weird, creative ways.
get one of the listed powers from the array. So in the example Additionally, they might have secondary effects that don’t
of Amazing Feats, one refresh could buy Blinding Speed, a necessarily use the same rules that are listed here. If that
second might buy Jumping Jack Fuck, and a third might buy suits your particular story, run with it and improvise. For
Wrecking Shit. You don’t have to buy them in any specific example, if a monster has the Amazing Feat: Blinding Speed,
order. they could slam into a door to bash it open. There’s no real
rule for that. But, run with it because that’s cool.

MONSTER GIFTS
NAME OF GIFT
Gift: 1 - 3
Cost of Gift:
This is the description and the basic rules for how it
works in the general sense.

[ Rank 1: Different gifts have different effects at

different ranks, corresponding to their tiered cost.
This is where I’ll list these. Cost: If there’s a unique
cost for a rank, it goes after the description. If
there’s a cost in the main decription and here, this
one overrides the basic cost.

[ Rank 2: If there’s more than one rank, um, that goes

here.

Essence Cost: If there’s a cost that applies to all

variations on the power, it goes here.

235
 AGENCY ROBBING AMAZING FEATS
Cost:: 1-3
Cost Cost:: ARRAY
Cost
Demons, vampires, and anything else with mind control, Monsters with this gift can accomplish specific,
hypnosis, or other powers which force a person into remarkable feats of physical prowess. They’re sort of
action are Agency Robbing. The lower ranks are more “signature moves.” None of them are subtle.
subtle, where the greater powers are outright control.
Be mindful of the material on Consent With No Consent [ Blinding Speed: The monster moves in an utterly
on >>PAGE 229. These rules mostly apply to players’ ridiculous burst of speed. If uninhibited, they can
hunters. Against Director characters, the character will move any number of zones >>PAGE 155 freely.
almost always take the actions the monster commands. Any roll to move through zones or utilize their
speed gains +4. Essence Cost: Success
[ Rank 1 - Influence: The monster can make hypnotic
suggestions which the victim will likely obey if they [ Jumping Jack Fuck: The monster can leap small
don’t significantly alter their expected behavior. buildings with a single bound. Or, like, two zones
Attack mentally with Influencer. Any consequence vertically or horizontally. Any roll to move through
caused by this attack becomes “Swayed,” and it can zones or utilize frog-like jumping ability gain +4.
be freely invoked by the monster, and compelled Essence Cost: Success
once per scene.
[ Slaughter: The monster can just rip apart a bunch
[ Rank 2 - Impulse: This forces the victim’s hand, of people, which is fucking awful. Did we even have
often literally, causing them to take one physical to say that? Roll to overcome with Fighter at +2.
action that they otherwise wouldn’t. Attack mentally Every shift is one nameless Director character dead.
with Influencer +4. After the roll, the victim’s player Ew, right? This can also be used for +2 on any attack
chooses to take the harm normally, or the monster against a named character. Essence Cost: Success
controls them for one quick physical action. The
[ Throwing Big Things: The monster can pick up
monster must announce the action before the
and throw things that, in the real world, are so big
player chooses.
they’d fall apart if they were picked up. Things like
[ Rank 3 - Puppet Master: This power allows the cars, motorcycles, uprooted street signs, these all
monster to enslave the victim’s mind, which is gross become thrown weapons. Any massive object can
as fuck. It changes one of the victim’s character be thrown two zones away, and does +4 harm upon
aspects to whatever the monster chooses. This a hit. Essence Cost: Success
doesn’t normally work on hunters. But those
[ Wrecking Shit: The monster is very, very strong,
humans the monster has enslaved gain +5 to any
and can tear stuff apart with their bare hands. Like
attempts to get them to violate their new aspect.
cars. Or lonely hearts. Or brick walls. Any roll to
Their new aspect also receives one free invoke
overcome a physical obstacle through destroying
per scene. If a player opts-in to this power as part
gains +4. Essence Cost: Success
of their chosen narrative arc, you can use it as an
option for when they’re taken out >>PAGE 154 as
part of a mental attack. Normally the new aspect
does not change even if the monster dies. It has to
ANIMAL CONTROL
be changed out with a life-changing event selfie Cost:: 1-3
Cost
>>PAGE 121 as if it were an extreme consequence.
An example aspect the monster might choose is, This works identically to Agency Robbing, above, except
“Count Fuckwitovich’s Stalwart Manservant,” or it works on animals. Also, possessing this gift allows
“Shot Through The Heart and You’re To Blame.” Bon the monster to speak with animals. Swarms of smaller
Jovi is mind control, I’m sorry. animals count as a single target for the purpose of this
gift, if the monster wishes.

236
 AREA INVASION List of Monster Gifts
Cost:: 1-3
Cost Here’s a full list of all the monster gifts in this section.
This gift allows a monster to haunt an area, taking [ Agency Robbing [ Infect Machine
limited control of the entire area. This is common in
ghosts and demons, but some ancient vampires are [ Amazing Feats [ Influence Emotion
known to possess intricate, labyrinthine “nests” that
seem alive. The power affects everything in a single [ Animal Control [ Invisibility
location, within reason. A mansion or office building is
the upper limit. The monster must be intimately familiar [ Area Invasion [ Perversion
with the location in question to use this gift.
[ Burn Bright [ Poof
[ Rank 1 - Awareness: The monster can focus and
extend its senses to any one point in the place, and [ Deadly Aura [ Possession

MONSTER GIFTS
can move those senses as long as it concentrates.
By shifting down one essence, their senses can [ Decay [ Psychokinesis
extend across the entire location for a scene, giving
[ Elemental Form [ Relentless Pursuit
a full spatial awareness.

[ Rank 2 - Gremlins: At this rank, the monster can [ Energy Blast [ Telepathy
cause minor irritations with aesthetic aspects of
[ Hallucinations [ Terrorize
the place. Lights can flicker. Appliances can activate
randomly. This can’t directly attack, but it can create
advantages at +2. MAGICAL GIFTS
[ Blessing [ Shielding
[ Rank 3 - Animation: At this rank, the monster can
animate features of the location to irritate, stalk, or [ Charming [ Sight Beyond Sight
attack trespassers. This takes a fate point, and acts
like adding a scene element. However, against those [ Cursing [ Speak to the Dead
who don’t know of this gift, the created creature
enters play with an advantage reflecting potential [ Dream Seeing [ Summon Spirit
surprise or positioning. Be creative in creating game
[ Dream Shaping [ Transmutation
statistics for these objects. As a rule, they can count
as 1-star monsters. Essence Cost: Always [ Healing [ Warding

[ Portal [ Weather Control

[ Resurrecting [ Wield Force

237
 [ Rank 2 - Aura of Decay: When activating this, attack
BURN BRIGHT with Survivor against everyone within the same
Cost:: 1-5
Cost zone. Everyone it succeeds against gets a “Touched
by Pestilence” aspect with a free invoke or compel
Monsters with this gift can burn through their essence reflecting the monster’s particular contagion.
for temporary boosts in power. When activating the gift, Cost: Always
they can instantly create an advantage with a number of
free invokes equal to their ranks in this gift. This doesn’t
constitute an action in a conflict. The advantage created ELEMENTAL FORM
should reflect the specific way this power manifests. Cost:: 1-15
Cost
For example, a vampire may be able to use its blood for
bursts of strength, or a werewolf might be able to use This gift allows a monster to take the form of a primal,
this to gain advantages to tracking prey. Determine the elemental force. Common examples include demons
manifestation when taking the gift. who take the form of fire or sandstorms, like the non-
Disney versions of a genie. Once active, the form lasts
Essence Cost: Always for the scene or until willingly reversed. When taking this
gift, it’s “bought,” with each rank adding an additional
DEADLY AURA trait from the following list:

Cost:: 1-2
Cost [ Intangible: The elemental form gives the benefits
of the Ephemeral feature >>PAGE 227.
Some monsters exude a harmful air about them. Maybe
they’re on fire. Maybe they emit poison gas. Regardless, [ Elemental Aura: The form gains the Deadly Aura
being around them fucking sucks. Choose an aspect gift at rank 2, and does not need to spend essence
to reflect the particular deadly aura when making this to activate it.
gift. When active, every character in the monster’s
[ Elemental Blast: The form gains the Energy Blast
zone suffers that aspect unless somehow sufficiently
gift with 2 ranks, spent in any way. Additional ranks
protected (fire-proof suit or gas mask in the above
can improve upon the blast ranks, every rank spent
examples.) Once active, the aura remains active for the
adding 2 ranks to the blast.
scene.
[ Elemental Might: In the elemental form, the
[ Rank 1 - Foul Air: The monster gains a free invoke
monster gains +2 to a single skill set. This can be
or compel against anyone suffering their deadly
purchased multiple times, but cannot go above +6
aura aspect, once per scene.
in a single skill set.
[ Rank 2 - Deadly Wind: The aura is harmful, like
[ Flight: The monster gains the Flying feature
fire. Every exchange where a character is in the
>>PAGE 228 while in elemental form.
affected zone, they must take -2 to any actions to
avoid the harm, or they suffer 1 harm, which can Essence Cost: Always
be absorbed by stress or consequences normally.
This is calculated during the monster’s turn, and any
harm the monster causes simply adds the deadly
wind into a single attack.
ENERGY BLAST
Cost:: Array
Cost
Essence Cost: Always
This allows the monster a ranged attack related to its
particular monstrosity. Maybe it breathes fire. Maybe
DECAY it zaps things with electricity. Attack with Assassin to
hit anything within the same zone or the next zone
Cost:: 1-2
Cost over. When crafting this gift, it’s purchased by buying
individual elements from the array below. Only the
The monster has an aura of decay which warps organic
Massive Attack enhancement can be purchased multiple
objects, corrodes manufactured goods, and can cause
times.
sickness in the living.
[ Area Blast: The blast explodes outward on impact,
[ Rank 1 - Rotting Touch: The monster can touch
and can affect multiple victims. This costs an
non-living things and cause them to fall apart or
additional essence shift, even if the attack fails.
weather automatically.
Apply the same attack roll at -2 to everyone else in
the same zone as the original target.

238
[ Lingering Effect: With this enhancement, the
blast has a secondary effect, for example, setting INFECT MACHINE
the victim on fire. Choose a relevant aspect when Cost:: 1-4
Cost
buying this enhancement. Any character struck with
the blast suffers that aspect with one free invoke on Modern monsters adapt to modern times. A monster
it, so long as it makes sense. with Infect Machine has a strong affinity for technology.
This is often found in modern ghosts, but can be
[ Massive Attack: The blast is particularly fearsome. developed by ambitious, forward-thinking monsters of
For each instance of this enhancement, add +1 to numerous types.
all attack rolls with the blast, up to a maximum +5.
[ Rank 1 - Sniffer: With physical contact, the monster
Essence Cost: Always can read data within electronic devices as if it were
a book in front of them. It can take upwards of a
minute for highly specific searches on complex
HALLUCINATIONS computer systems.
Cost:: 1-3
Cost
[ Rank 2 - Network Expansion: With physical

MONSTER GIFTS
“Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots. How do they contact to a single node, the monster can extend
taste?” This is the classic mental switcharoo. It makes a their senses across a small network, projecting
person see things, hear things, or otherwise experience their senses to any other node on the network. This
things that aren’t really there. operates over about a city block at most. This only
requires a roll if someone is aware of this power and
[ Rank 1 - Glitch: Just a minor hallucination. The door takes mystical steps to stop it.
isn’t there. There’s a cat over there. Your spaghetti
is worms. It creates an advantage, no roll necessary, [ Rank 3 - Take Control: After using Network
but it counts as an action. It has one free invoke Expansion, the monster can operate computer
or compel, then it goes away forever because the systems on the network as if they had full
illusion fades. administrative access. This includes operating any
appliances or smart devices. This takes a Hacker
[ Rank 2 - Mass Hallucination: As above, but it affects overcome action. Essence Cost: Success
everyone in the zone with the same advantage,
with one free invoke or compel each. However, [ Rank 4 - Wired: With this power, the monster can
once someone has disproved it and demonstrated physically break down into data and travel across
that it’s fake, anyone suffering the hallucination can wired connections they could access via Network
overcome it for free. Expansion, appearing instantly at any other node
along the connection. This does not count as an
[ Rank 3 - Trap the Mind: This causes a massive, action, it only requires basic physical contact.
lingering hallucination that affects all the senses Essence Cost: Always
and completely dissociates the target. Create an
advantage with Social Worker at +4. The victim can
defend. Any shifts accrued can be defined as aspects INFLUENCE EMOTION
instead of harm. The aspects reflect some facet of
the proposed illusion, and each aspect comes with
Cost:: 1-2
Cost
a free invoke. These aspects last until overcome, Some monsters control minds, some more subtly
and so long as the aspect persists, so does that part influence emotion. When using this gift, declare an
of the hallucination. Only one of these aspects per aspect related to emotion that it creates. It can only
scene can be overcome. affect a person once per scene.
Essence Cost: Always [ Rank 1 - One-On-One: Overcome with Influencer.
If the victim is aware, they can defend. If successful,
give them the aspect created.

[ Rank 2 - Group Dynamic: Overcome with Influencer.

The gift affects everyone in the same zone. Anyone
actively aware of the power can defend. Anyone it
succeeds against gets the aspect. Cost: Deprived,
Success.

239
 Minor caveat; some monsters have been known to
INVISIBILITY use it against truly evil people, forcing them to publicly
Cost:: 3-5
Cost out themselves or otherwise find accountability. That’s
good. But you’ve got to ask, what kind of monster would
Invisibility is one of those classic monster tricks that’ll invest the time and effort to learn this skill for justice
never get old. The monster goes invisible. You can’t see when there are much easier, much more direct paths?
them. Real simple, right? Yeah it’s basically that simple.
The thing about invisibility though is, it’s not fool-proof. Essence Cost: Always
If someone knows you’re invisible, they can look for all
the signs like kicked dust, footprints, sounds, et cetera.
It doesn’t make it easy, but it’s possible. An invisible POOF
monster always has the “Is Invisible” aspect, and it Cost:: 2-5
Cost
can invoke it freely in any roll where it’s relevant. This
includes rolls to generate further advantages predicated This is the ability to disappear and reappear elsewhere.
on the invisibility, like ambushes. Once someone has a At first, it’s just a quick way to bamf to the other side of
good trick for stumping it, like tossing baby powder all the room. Later on, it’s extraplanar travel. Don’t get too
over the floor, then it stops being relevant. bogged down in what that means, unless you decide to
make it a major focus of your series. These abilities can
[ Rank 3 - Stillness: The monster is invisible so long be used to avoid attacks, so long as
as it’s perfectly still.
[ Rank 2 - Bamf: The monster vanishes and instantly
[ Rank 4 - Limited Invisibility: The monster stays reappears somewhere else one zone away.
invisible until it interacts with a person physically
and directly. For example, by attacking them. [ Rank 3 - Pocket World: The monster can step into
another tiny dimension and leave later in the same
[ Rank 5 - Perfect Invisibility: The monster remains space. The “dimension” is no bigger than a single
invisible indefinitely, until they decide otherwise or room. The only time limitation is how long the
the end of the scene. monster can remain in that one space.
Essence Cost: Always [ Rank 4 - Extraplanar Travel: The monster can enter
travel, and exit from another plane. Maybe this
is the world of the dead. Maybe it’s some weird
PERVERSION fairyland. It’s unique for each monster. Distances
Cost:: 5
Cost and time pass far differently in that other world.

This is another power that doesn’t work on players [ Rank 5 - Drag Me To Hell: With an Occultist
unless they ask. The monster whispers blasphemies, overcome action, each shift allows the monster to
entrances, tempts, or does ritual bullshit to force a take themselves and one other person into their
person to do something truly abhorrent to themselves. rank 4 plane. This can be defended against, but only
Usually this is murder. If the person is already a murderer, if the person has a mystical method for avoiding the
fuck, I don’t know, maybe they lie to start a war and power.
kill a million Iraqis. It’s awful. Figure out the thing that
Essence Cost: Always
person would—and should—regret most. Something
that would destroy them from inside. Then attack with
Influencer. If they should be taken out, instead they
do that thing. This is an ultimate violation of human
POSSESSION
agency, and before using it, take a good, long look over Cost:: 3 or 5
Cost
the levels sheets for your game >>PAGE 26.
Demons, ghosts, some vampires, and many other
The moment a monster uses this power, as Director, monsters can possess human beings. This is another
you need to immediately stop even considering that power you shouldn’t use against players unless they ask
monster for sympathetic storylines. This is some Henry for it. Also, be mindful of the levels sheets in exploring
Kissinger level monstrosity, and when the hunters kill this gift >>PAGE 26. To use this power against an
the monster (and they fucking should,) think about how unwilling target requires an attack with Influencer. If the
to throw them a goddamn party. Don’t pull moral gray attack would take the character out, they’re possessed.
area shit. Don’t ask, “by killing them, aren’t you just as The monster has full control over the person. This
bad?” No. This power lets the hunters be heroes. Don’t control lasts the scene at rank 3, but is effectively
drop the goddamn ball with that. indefinite at rank 5. If the body dies, the monster snaps
back to their original form.

240
This power has two basic forms, but they’re not listed
as variants. The first is if the monster is ephemeral RELENTLESS PURSUIT
>>PAGE 227. In this case, the monster fully enters the Cost:: 1-3
Cost
body. The body can be hurt by the monster’s banes and
anything that would harm ephemeral entities as well Some monsters are just real fucking good at hunting
as things that would normally hurt the body. The other down their prey. Once the monster touches or attacks
form happens when the monster has a physical body. someone, they get a free advantage aspect with free
In this case, the monster falls into a sort of hibernation invokes equal to the ranks invested in this gift. That
state, where they’re fully vulnerable. However, the aspect has to reflect the monster’s supernatural
possessed body is immune to the monster’s banes. For method of hunting. For example, a werewolf or hungry
example, a vampire weak against sunlight can possess dead might generate a, “I’ve got your scent” aspect.
a human and walk around uninhibited in the sun, while The free invokes can be used to track, pursue, or take
their body rests in a coffin somewhere. down the prey. The only limitation is that there has to
be some sort of chase or pursuit—the monster doesn’t
just instantly get a bunch of invokes for the same fight.
PSYCHOKINESIS
Cost:: 1-3
Cost

MONSTER GIFTS
This is all about lifting and throwing shit. Except, with
your mind. It works up to one zone away, and lasts as Why Would They Ask?
long as the monster concentrates on it. Once active, A number of gifts in here say they don’t work on
it remains active for the scene without additional players’ characters unless they ask for it. The prime
essence—the monster can pick up and manipulate other
example is the Perversion gift. But what exactly
things in the same scene freely with concentration.
does that mean?
[ Rank 1 - Manipulation: At this level, the monster can
manipulate an object that can easily be picked by an
It’s exactly what it sounds like. As a Director,
average adult in one hand. The monster can manage you’re not allowed asking the player if the power
fine manipulation as with fingers, but cannot move would work on their character. You don’t put them
quickly enough to attack with the object. This takes on the spot and force them to opt-out. However,
an overcome action with Occultist to do. if the player sees the power and decides it would
make for a cool story for their character, and they
[ Rank 2 - Psychic Mastery: The monster can lift and ask about it, you can do that so long as you still
violently manipulate objects as with the Amazing respect their levels sheet >>PAGE 26.
Feats: Throwing Big Things gift >>PAGE 236.
Except, with their mind. Attacks are made with Before play starts, you can inform them that these
Occultist. sorts of powers exist, and if they see something they
think would be interesting against their character,
[ Rank 3 - Total Fucking Bedlam: The monster just they can bring it up. But why would they do that?
lifts every single object in the same zone they’re in, Well, because it’s cool. #iHunt is a game where the
any object that weighs about as much as an average
players have some really ridiculous problems and
adult could lift, and all those things start floating
adversity, but we know that in the end, they usually
around, spinning, and hitting everything around
wantonly. As long as it’s active, every exchange,
overcome. Just like in our favorite TV shows, it’s
the monster can make a single Occult attack at +4 cool when characters suffer major setbacks and
against everything in the zone. Defending requires come back from trial and tribulation. As players, we
the victims get out of the zone, or otherwise protect should always be looking for ways to make things
themselves in significant ways. more dramatic for our characters, so they get the
chance to shine brighter when they come back.
Essence Cost: Always
Also, these sorts of powers can sometimes allow
you to explore just what these things mean. In the
#iHunt: Killing Monsters in the Gig Economy novel,
the vampire character Natalie uses Telepathy and
Agency Robbing, both are opt-in only gifts. Yet,
she’s a protagonist character by the end. Part of
why is, I wanted to explore what these things mean,
and to let her redeem herself in the narrative.

241
 [ Rank 3 - Master the Mind: The monster can not
TELEPATHY only hear thoughts at this level, but dig into a
Cost:: 1-3
Cost victim’s mind, pulling out memories and innermost
thoughts. Attack with Spy, the victim can defend
Some monsters can hear thoughts, and communicate with Survivor if aware. If successful, the monster
psychically. This can be a sensitive point for some can ask questions about the character’s memories,
players, so be careful with it. ideas, and values, which must be answered as
truthfully as possible within the character’s
[ Rank 1 - Hear Thoughts: Just that. The monster can understanding. Cost: Deprived, Always
hear thoughts. The monster hears them like whispers
on the air, and with some focus can pinpoint who
they’re coming from in a crowd, and can hone in
on one individual’s particular thoughts. This doesn’t
TERRORIZE
break down things like language barriers, since Cost:: 1-2
Cost
most people think in their native language and you This gift makes the monster supernaturally terrifying,
can’t Google Translate your psychic powers. People allowing it to instill mortal fear in a victim. Choose an
aware of these sorts of powers can repeat chants aspect reflecting the sheer terror of the monster when
or mantras in the back of their mind to protect from using this gift.
this power. Lana from the #iHunt novels prefers the
Meow Mix jingle, or The Song That Never Ends. [ Rank 1 - Lash Out: Attack with Influencer, the
victim defends with Survivor. If successfully, add
[ Rank 2 - Two-Way Communication: The monster the chosen aspect with a number of free compels
can open a two-way communication between or invokes equal to the shifts rolled.
themselves and someone else. That person can
either be willing, or the monster can attack with Spy [ Rank 2 - Aura of Fear: Overcome with Influencer.
and the victim can defend with Survivor if aware Divide the shifts rolled among characters in the
of the monster’s powers. Once the connection is same zone. All those characters receive the chosen
open, the monster hears all the other character’s aspect with one free invoke or compel per shift
thoughts, and can broadcast their own thoughts to spent.
the other’s mind for the scene.

242
 MAGICAL GIFTS
The following two pages outline the various magical gifts As noted before, magical gifts all have five ranks. Instead
available to monsters. Monsters is sort of a weird word when of having separate powers, they just get stronger with each
talking about magic, because witches, sorcerers, and cultists successive level. Each practitioner chooses the skill set they
are just people, except for the magic they do. use for a given gift, and generally that does not change after
learning it. So we don’t list recommended skill sets, but

MONSTER GIFTS
In fact, human characters can learn a magic gift without
any special investment. They spend a refresh and buy it like usually Occultist, Academic, and Hacker are common. Also,
a stunt. For monsters and witches and sorcerers, et cetera, all magical gifts take an infusion of essence. Usually this will
normally a refresh will buy two ranks in magical gifts. But reflect a variable in the spell. It’s often more expensive than
for random non-magical humans, it only gets one. However, most gifts, because essence procurement is core to magical
Evileenas can get two ranks for one refresh with their special practice. For this reason, a practitioner can take as long as
Witch Crap Stunt >>PAGE 47. they need to cast their gifts, and they usually do most of
their work in advance. They’ll prepare protective amulets and
There’s one major difference between humans who learn create wands to fend off enemies long before a fight.
a trick and a full-blown practitioner—a practitioner has
dedicated part of their life to the practice. This is handled Different spells can be cast different ways. This is up to the
through character aspects. A practitioner must devote one individual practitioner. Some like ritual, they might paint a
of their open character aspects to define their relationship to sigil. Some bake their spells into recipes. Some tattoo them on
magic. So think about that when making practitioners. people. Generally the effects last a scene, but can be “stored”
for later activation. A permanent effect costs ten times
These aspects should tell something about the character, the normal essence to cast and must be tied to something
and about their place in the world. For example, “My Mother’s destroyable, like an amulet or a tattoo. A character can only
Magic” says a lot. “Utmost Expert on the Codex Maxus” also benefit from one instance of a single magical gift at a time.
does. “Follower of Xtalto” also does. Get it?

243
 BLESSING HEALING
Essence Cost: 3. This creates an aspect, named after the Essence Cost: 3. This spell heals a living being rapidly,
wording of the blessing. “You will find luck in love,” or, perhaps pulling them back from the brink of death. Roll
“you’ll defend yourself from attackers at your door,” for to overcome action with a difficulty determined by the
example. The aspect has free invokes equal to the gift’s current injury, see recovering consequences >>PAGE
rank. The activation is a simple create advantage action. 153. Add the ranks in this spell to the roll. If the roll
If permanent, the free invokes are per episode. gets as many shifts as a consequence or stress box, you
can spend the shifts to remove it. A person can only
CHARMING be subject to one use of this spell per episode. If made
permanent, a single essence can reactivate this spell,
Essence Cost: 3. This ingratiates a person to another. It’s but it must be attuned to a single person, only ever to
the proverbial “love potion.” It’s far from mind control, be used on them.
but guarantees favorable reactions unless there’s a good
reason otherwise. Think of it like a good first impression, PORTAL
but it never goes away. This requires a personal object
from both parties in the spell, and a create advantage Essence Cost: 5. This spell allows the caster to designate
roll. Create an “Ingratiated to...” aspect that the recipient a single location as part of the initial casting. Then once
can invoke or compel a number of times equal to the activated, the spell allows one person per rank in this
spell’s rank. If permanent, the invokes are per episode. gift to instantly transport from their current location
to the designated spot. If made permanent, the caster
CURSING chooses two locations, and every scene, a number of
people equal to the gift rank can step through one way
Essence Cost: 4. This is the opposite of a blessing. It’s a or the other. Neither version requires a roll.
very specifically phrased piece of bad luck turned into
an aspect. It takes a create advantage roll, and gets free RESURRECTING
invokes or compels equal to the rank of the spell. If
the roll was made with style, those can be dilemmas. If Essence Cost: 10. This spell allows the caster to resurrect
permanent, the invokes are per episode. a newly dead, basically intact body for one hour per
rank in the spell. This takes an overcome action. It
DREAM SEEING doesn’t repair the body, but the body remains magically
animated for the time allotted. If made permanent,
Essence Cost: 2. This allows the caster to see in a specific it’s, well, permanent. However, the body continues to
person’s dreams, as if they were there. It requires an decompose. This isn’t good. This is an understatement.
overcome action. It doesn’t allow any further action,
just witnessing the person’s dreamscape. The ranks in SHIELDING
dream seeing can be divided as free invokes on any
number of new or already created advantages related Essence Cost: 3. This spell protects the target from
to the person’s psyche, personality, or anxieties. If made physical or mental harm, the caster chooses when
permanent, this doesn’t allow for new free invokes or casting it. The ranks in the gift each act as 2-point stress
advantages, but does allow unfettered access to the boxes that do not replenish and are used before any
person’s dreams. others. If made permanent, the stress boxes replenish
every episode.
DREAM SHAPING
SIGHT BEYOND SIGHT
Essence Cost: 2. This spell allows the caster to reshape
a person’s dreams, often to create advantages, or to Essence Cost: 2. This spell allows the caster to see
attack them mentally. This requires the dream seeing into the spirit world, the land of the dead, Christmas
gift to be active before it can be used with any real Town, or some other plane of existence. Every rank
precision. The actual spell requires an overcome action, of this gift allows the caster to confer that ability on a
and the person dream shaping can take a number of single person. If made permanent, a single essence will
actions worthy of dice rolls equal to the shifts rolled to reactivate the spell.
cast it. Any actions taken inside the dream gain a bonus
to their rolls equal to the ranks in dream shaping. If
made permanent, this spell can be reactivated at the
cost of a single essence.

244
 SPEAK TO THE DEAD Infinity Spells
Essence Cost: 3. The caster can speak with ghosts. So what keeps a magic user from just spending all
They can ask one question and expect an honest, their spare time casting and storing spells for later
actionable answer per rank in the gift. If the caster activation?
wishes to ask further questions, it requires an overcome
action, with a progressive, cumulative +2 difficulty with The easy answer is, “well, they’re not player
each additional question. If made permanent, a single characters, so there’s no need to invest that much
essence activates the spell anew. thought into them.” And that works. But, let’s talk
logically for a moment.
SUMMON SPIRIT First, there’s boredom and attention span. Nobody
is going to spend every waking hour making little
Essence Cost: 4. This spell summons a spirit. It can
summon a spirit of a generic type, or a specific, named
doodads to use in a fight with a hunter or whatever.
spirit the caster knows. It can summon a spirit with a Most magicians will have a limited store of these
star rating equal to or less than the gift rank. Summoning things, but it’s a ton of work, and it’s fairly risky to go
requires an overcome action with a difficulty equal around generating that much essence. Be mindful
to twice the spirit’s star rating. The spirit is inherently how your magic users actually get their essence, in
predisposed to the caster, but will not endanger itself accordance with their features.
without reason. If made permanent, the spell must
be tied to a single, named spirit. A single essence will Second, it’s dangerous. On a societal level, magic
reactivate the spell. users are essentially stockpiling weapons. Their
peers don’t look kindly on that, any more than the
average person looks kindly to a guy in a bunker
TRANSMUTATION

MONSTER GIFTS
collecting machine guns for the apocalypse. On a
Essence Cost: 2. This spell transmutes a non-living more direct level, anyone who finds out a wizard has
thing into another. The ranks determine the potential a house full of invaluable magical trinkets is going to
end resulting object. At one rank, this is only very simple be tempted to crash the place and steal their shit.
objects, minerals. At two ranks, alloys. At three ranks, So every time a wizard adds to that stockpile, they
simple machines. At four, complex machines. At five, increase the likelihood that someone will find out
computers. Roll to overcome, each shift is about 5kg of and decide to wreck their shit over it.
mass.

If made permanent, a single essence can reactivate the

spell. However, the spell must be dedicated to a single
target object. So, a caster might make a wand which WEATHER CONTROL
transmutes things into laptop computers. Yes, this is a
get rich quick scheme. Essence Cost: 5. This spell creates a weather pattern
across a neighborhood. Depending on the type of
weather, the zones within can be considered zone
WARDING hazards >>PAGE 320. The zone has a maximum
Essence Cost: 3. This spell creates a ward, a magical effective skill set equal to the ranks of the gift. If made
barrier around an area. When casting, roll to create an permanent, the weather pattern is permanent. That’s...
advantage to make an aspect representing the ward, and not good. Very not good. Good luck handling it.
choose a type of creature (vampire, ghost,) or a specific
feature (red hair, virgin,) and that type of being cannot WIELD FORCE
enter. If they try to enter, they must overcome against a
difficulty of twice the ranks in the gift. If they overcome Essence Cost: 3. This allows for a primal blast of
the ward, the caster can spend the aspect’s free invokes force. The specifics of the blast, the composition and
to cause 4 harm to them. If made permanent, the ward aesthetics are up to the caster. It acts as a weapon that
has one free invoke per rank per episode. adds dice equal to the gift’s ranks, and fires off up to
two zones away. Two of the ranks can be exchanged
to make it also create an aspect against the target. The
blast requires a roll to attack. If made permanent, the
spell can be cast again for a single essence. However,
the particulars of the force blast must be identical.

245
 MONSTER BANES
Banes are inherent supernatural weaknesses that monsters
possess. Sometimes banes are directly things which hurt UBIQUITY
a monster more than anything else. Sometimes they’re Ubiquity is rated 0, 1, or 2. 0 ubiquity means it’s something
prohibitions against certain actions. Sometimes they’re very easy to find. Something that’s easily accessible for the
irrational fears. Sometimes they’re times or places where a hunters to exploit. 1 ubiquity is something that’s not out of
monster cannot operate at full power. the question for the hunters to exploit, but is difficult to get
Basically, banes are a hunter’s best friend. hold of. 2 ubiquity means something very difficult to exploit
because of accessibility or just the confluence of things that
Smart hunters pay close attention to monsters, learning need to come together. We’re talking, “Hearing intelligent,
which monsters share what weaknesses, and studying the compassionate, thought-provoking statements made by
different variables that lead different strains of monsters Donald Trump” level rarity.
to have different collections of banes. Not all vampires are
harmed by the sun—knowing which ones are can lead to This will clearly mean different things for different banes,
quick and easy kills, and knowing which ones aren’t can because not all banes are just objects you can pick up. And
save a hunter from embarassment or death at the hands of a pay attention to the way these play out in your setting—even
vampire who has no problem with sunlight. if you’re using one of the established clade templates, feel
free to adjust them depending on the circumstances of your
setting and your story.
BANE VARIETY
There are far fewer banes than features and gifts. This is POTENCY
because banes are very broad, and each encompass a number
of weaknesses. A vampire dies from a stake through the heart, Potency affects just how bad it is for the monster when that
and a werewolf is hurt greviously by silver bullets. Those are bane gets engaged. It adds 1, 2, or 3 to the cost. This means
technically different weaknesses, but they both fall under the something different for each bane, and will be described in
umbrella of the Deadly Weakness bane. the bane descriptions. As a guideline, potency 1 banes are
mild inconveniences that a monster should avoid. Potency 2
banes are major problems that can be deadly if the monster
BANE COSTS isn’t careful. Potency 3 banes are almost certainly deadly if
the monster doesn’t do something quickly to stop them.
For this reason, all banes have costs from 1-5. Different
versions of a bane will dictate different costs, depending Now, there are really only a few banes that cover a near
on degrees, rarity, and other variables listed in the bane infinite number of weaknesses, so the costs are really only
description. guidelines. Also, it’s worth noting that the costs mostly just
defray some of the refresh costs of features and gifts. Is 3
Every bane has two traits associated with it: Ubiquity and
refresh worth dying in the sunlight? Well, no. But the point
Potency. Ubiquity reflects obscurity and ease of application.
isn’t “fairness.”
Ubiquity has a cost of 0, 1, or 2. Potency reflects the amount
it harms or inconveniences the monster. This has a cost of 1,
2, or 3. Add these two traits together, and you get the total DUPLICATE BANES
cost for the bane. Keep in mind, this is mostly based on fiat—
You know what’s practical and realistic within the scope of Since banes are so abstract, and are built individually each
your story. If your game takes place somewhere that bane time you pick one, a monster can have more than one
is completely abundant, the bane will have a different value instance of the same bane. For example, vampires have
than if you’re playing somewhere it’s almost impossible to Deadly Weakness: Sunlight, as well as Deadly Weakness:
find due to legality, imports, or whatever. In America, a silver Stake Through The Heart. Even though they’re both the
bullet is ubiquity 1, because it’s relatively cheap and you can Deadly Weakness bane, they’re distinct and separate issues,
buy it online, but it’s not something you can just instantly so they count as separate weaknesses.
access without preparation. In Japan? Good fucking luck.
Silver bullets are ubiquity 0.

246
 Just be careful not to overload banes. There’s nothing
inherently wrong with a monster that has seven obscure CURING BANES & FEATURES
banes that could take them down. It would suck to be them. It’s usually assumed that banes just...are. They’re part of what
But, realistically not that many banes can come into play. If makes the monster the monster, and that’s all there is to it.
a monster has all these weird banes the players are never Often, banes—and features—are why monsters are so awful.
going to see in the story, then they’re really not banes worth Monsters with the Hunger bane are likely to do awful shit.
tracking and giving refresh for. If you’re considering them as Monsters with the Feast of Flesh feature, well, you know. Not
part of a greater clade of monsters, maybe instead look at every #iHunt contract has to include proof of a beheaded
adding them as unique personal banes. Like so: monster. Sometimes the client doesn’t care what happens, so
long as the monster’s no longer a problem. So, what if the
PERSONAL BANES hunters want to cure a monster of their banes and features?

Mostly, banes exist to fill out clade templates and sub- The short answer is: Figure out a way to let them do it.

MONSTER GIFTS
templates with weaknesses reflecting that monster in That’s a cool solution that adds variety and interesting levels
mythology or pop culture or whatever. But there’s nothing to of complexity to your stories.
say a monster can’t have unique, personal banes. In fact, this
is fairly common. The longer answer is: Well, do that, but be really careful
not to invalidate the monsters of the game. Why would there
For example, you know how in some stories, vampires be monsters if they could all just be cured? So make cures
are repulsed by the sight of the cross? Well, in #iHunt that’s personal, and make them hard to come by.
just not the case. Vampires don’t really care about churches
and all that. However, some vampires, especially those who
came from particularly religious human families, might
hold that repulsion not only as a personal response, but as The Banes List
something that’s so deep-seeded that it’s become part of their [ Deadly Weakness
supernatural identity.
[ Hunger
In fact, it makes monsters more interesting if you can give
them unique, especially context-sensitive banes. If you just [ Limited Power
slap Phobia: Crosses on a random vampire, that doesn’t mean
much. Especially if the hunters are used to hunting vampires [ Location Bound
and know they don’t have a problem with crosses normally. If
[ Phobia
you add that bane, it’s likely to never come up. What you’ve
just done in that case is given some free refresh to your [ Rule Bound
monster. However, if the gig you’re running has something
to do with the church, and you can seed that weakness into
the plot, you’ve got something potentially special for the Sample Bane :
players to hook onto. You don’t need to make it abundantly
obvious. But in that example, maybe the hunters have to go
to a family’s house to question them because one of them
witnessed the monster but luckily, the monster fled instead
of murdering her. When you’re establishing the scene,
you can describe it by adding an Abundance of Religious
Iconography aspect into the scene description. Then during
NAME OF BANE
the interview, the character can talk about how they rushed
into their home and the monster pounded on the door, then This bit describes the bane, and gives a few examples of
just... stopped. Leave it to the players to figure out why. how it might be applied.

[ Ubiquity: This describes the bane’s ubiquity ratings.

It uses minor examples to help you build the right
costs for your banes.

[ Potency: This explains how potency works for this

bane. Sometimes there are multiple ways this can
be reflected.

[ Special: If there are additional exceptions or notes

for the bane, they’re here.

247
 DEADLY WEAKNESS HUNGER
This bane is the one hunters most frequently interface This bane reflects a significant, problematic hunger
with. It means the monster has a thing that hurts which the monster suffers from. This can couple with
them or kills them much better than other things. Or, some of the essence features, but specifically adds
in the case of a monster with the Ethereal, Invincible, a sense of urgency to that hunger. For example, the
or Undying features, a bane might be the only way to hungry dead have to eat flesh. Lots of it. If they don’t,
stop them. Fairies are weak to cold iron. Vampires to they start falling apart.
stakes and fire. Werewolves to silver bullets. These are
all things that count as Deadly Weaknesses. [ Ubiquity: This is all about the difficulty of procuring
the source of the hunger, and thus a hunter’s ability
[ Ubiquity: This reflects the item or circumstance’s to deny sustenance. At ubiquity 0, it’s easy to find,
rarity or ease of procurement. An ubiquity 0 item and there’s no consequence for procuring it. For
is something that’s very difficult for hunters to example, some monsters have to eat a lot of meat.
come by. It might be something very rare, highly At ubiquity 1, the food source is difficult to come
illegal, or just impractical as hell to use as a weapon. across, takes work, or is otherwise not exactly
For example, having a weakness to grand pianos easy to get. Human blood that doesn’t require
dropping on your head is ubiquity 0, because that’s killing is the best example, but also some fairies
just very, very hard to make happen. An ubiquity eat gold jewelry, and some artificial constructs
1 item is something hunters would have to work have to consume specific chemical concoctions
to procure or make happen, but not to an absurd to stay alive. At ubiquity 2, the item is ridiculously
level. If you can order it online without hurting your prohibitive to get, and could cost the monster their
average wage worker’s income significantly, it’s life. This is stuff like fresh-killed human brains,
ubiquity 1. Ubiquity 2 is something very common, highly-controlled substances, or machine guns. I
like for example sunlight, or something found in don’t know what monster eats machine guns.
common household cleaners. Consider rules for
application when building a weakness. Some deadly [ Potency: The potency reflects how frequently
weaknesses will cause their harm just by touch. If the monster needs to feed. If the interval goes
a monster’s weak against water, not only do you by without the feeding, they a) take 2 harm that
have the stupid twist from Signs, that’s a monster they have to suck up with stress or consequences,
you can annihilate just by exposing them to steam and b) cannot heal at all until they’ve fed fully. At
(depending on the saturation required, which is potency 1, the monster only needs to feed from
kinda why Signs’s twist is stupid.) For vampires the chosen source once per week. At potency 2,
and stakes through the heart, well, they have to go it’s daily. At potency 3, it’s every four waking hours.
through the heart. A vampire can’t just hug a tree When making this bane, choose whether the harm
and die, no matter how poetic that sounds. When is physical or mental, and have an idea in mind of
figuring out the bane rating, consider this. A bane the types of consequences it causes. For example, a
will probably be lower rank if it’s hard to actually hungry dead might literally have body parts fall off
apply effectively. when they haven’t eaten, whereas a vampire might
become more feral and predatory.
[ Potency: Potency directly reflects the harm caused
by the bane. Every rank of potency adds 2 harm. So,
a potency 3 weakness causes an additional 6 harm LIMITED POWER
when it affects the monster. As noted above, you
have to consider how that actually happens, though. This bane makes a monster lose their beneficial gifts
Most weaknesses will require a trap or attack, which and features temporarily, under certain circumstances.
is usually reflected by an attack action. Sometimes Sometimes this is a specific range of time, like some
it’s automatic harm caused every exchange the vampires’ aversion to the daytime. Other times, it’s like
monster remains within the same zone as their when a superhero loses their power when in physical
bane. This is different for different monsters and contact with a glowing green metal. Of course, this is of
their unique weaknesses. immense value to #iHunters, because it means helping
to level the playing field. Since gifts and features are
[ Special: There’s a special form of potency for the most of what separates a monster from humanity when
Deadly Weakness bane. If the item instantly kills it comes to power levels, stripping that from a monster
the monster with no chance to resist, instead of means basically taking down a human.
causing harm, it is effectively potency 5.

248
[ Ubiquity: This refers to the commonality of the
thing or situation that robs the monster of power. PHOBIA
Ubiquity 0 is something rare and difficulty to come
In bane terms, a phobia is a sort of overriding,
by, like a holiday that only comes every year, or an
supernatural fear of some thing or circumstance. For
extremely valuable, rare metal. Ubiquity 1 refers
example, some monsters are known to be repelled by
to rare things, but things an average person could
the sight of the cross. Others are terrified of fire.
procure with some effort. Alternatively, it refers
to an event that occurs at least monthly, or can be [ Ubiquity: This reflects the rarity of the thing. 0
arranged with some effort. For example, during the ubiquity phobias are ridiculously rare, like a demon’s
new moon, or in the place of their mortal death. true name, or one specific sword lost for centuries.
Ubiquity 2 is an object found in most homes, or 1 ubiquity reflects things that are challenging to
something that occurs daily. A vampire weak during find, but can be found by enterprising hunters with
the daytime, or a monster disempowered with salt online shopping access. Things like water never
is a good example of this rank. touched by human hands is a good example, or true
holy water. 2 ubiquity items are very common, like
[ Power: This refers to the amount by which the
fire, sunlight, running water, crosses, or doggos.
monster is depowered when subject to the item
or event that depowers them. Power 1 means the [ Power: When the monster is in the presence of
monster must take twice as long to activate any their phobia, create a Mortal Fear aspect on them.
active feature or gift. As well, they lose access to At potency 1, the aspect gets one free invoke or

MONSTER GIFTS
their Bloated essence. They cannot refill it as long compel. At potency 2, every character in the scene
as long as the situation remains, and if it’s already gets one free invoke or compel on it. At potency
filled, they lose it. Power 2 is as power 1, but also 3, it has unlimited invokes or compels against the
means the monster loses half their points in features monster.
and gifts while the situation remains, and they lose
access to their Full essence. Power 3 means they
lose all positive effects of gifts and features, and
lose access to their Full essence.
RULE-BOUND
This is the classic Rumplestiltskin problem. If X happens,
the monster has to do Y. Or, how some vampires have
LOCATION-BOUND to count grains of rice thrown on the floor. It’s always
a strange rule-based relationship the monster suffers.
Some monsters cannot leave a location or be apart from
an important object. Ghost hauntings are a common [ Ubiquity: For these banes, ubiquity reflects how
version of this. Vampire lords who can’t sleep away from easy it is for a hunter to accomplish the X condition
their grave dirt are another. in the scenario. At ubiquity 0, this involves finding a
legendary lost artifact, digging up centuries-old lore
[ Ubiquity: This reflects the area the monster is thought long-forgotten, that sort of stuff. Ubiquity
safe to travel in. At 0, it’s limtied to about the size 1 is difficult, but not out of the question within the
of a city. So long as they check in, they’re fine monster’s context. Tricking them into revealing
to go wherever. At 1, the monster can travel a their real name is one example. Putting them in the
neighborhood without problems. At 2, the location moonlight under the convergence of three specific
is a single building. astral bodies would be another. Not impossible, but
tough. Ubiquity 2 is easy. Like pouring rice on the
[ Power: This reflects the penalty for stepping outside
ground, making a salt circle. That sort of thing.
the dictated bounds. At power 1, it causes 1 harm
per day, and the monster cannot heal so long as [ Power: Power reflects the Y part of the rule, and
they’re not within their required area. Alternatively, how annoying or dangerous it is. Power 1 rules
they must sleep with a specific object but are free require the monster to do something very simple,
to move around during their waking hours. At power like skip in place, shut their mouth for five minutes,
2, the monster suffers 1 harm every hour away or swing a United States election. Power 2 rules
from their chosen area or object. At power 3, the require more difficult or dangerous actions, like
harm comes every minute. When making the bane, going to a very high place and reciting a rhyme,
determine how the harm manifests. For undead or stabbing itself in the hand three times. Power 3
monsters, they might decay. For others, they might rules are downright absurd or potentially deadly. For
suffer psychological trauma from the detachment. example, catching themselves on fire, or traveling
to another hemisphere. These generally take the
monster out of play when engaged.

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 Who The Bees Are: Chapter 4
#BEES
Late late Friday Night, probably.
I’m going to set the scene for you so you get the idea of what went into this before you drag me.
We had this house that was fucked. I had this contract that said whatever was inside had to go. I had
this weird witch lady telling me to feel my feelings or whatever. There was something really fucking
terrible inside the house that wasn’t just a vampire or anything that cut and dry.
I had a drum of gasoline I borrowed from someone who wouldn’t miss it. I also had some... experience
with fires. Okay, a lot of experience with fire. I even sort of like fires, but I know what my limits are, alright?
“What are the rules here?” I asked Molly as I low key drenched the dry walls with gasoline.
Molly watched me, wringing her hands together like she was going to cry or run away. But not like she
was going to call the cops on me. I know what it looks like when someone is going to call the cops on
me. “I, what?”
“You wanna focus now? Maybe? What are the rules here. Let’s lay it out. I’ll start.” I set down the bucket
I’d filled from the barrel and considered my distribution of gasoline. “The thing inside can’t be killed.”
She shook her head as if to clear it. “Not as you understand death, no.”
“Well...” I gestured for her to take her turn.
“Uh, fine. It’s a thing of hate as much as matters for the discussion, and so typical methods of exorcism
or cleansing won’t necessarily work.”
“And I can’t just punch it.”
“And you can’t just punch it. Or hit it with a truck. Well. Maybe that. But it seems like you already have
a plan so...”
“I’ll keep that in mind as a back up plan.” I grinned at her, she didn’t seem to think it was funny. “It
doesn’t die like normal but it needs to stop being here. It’s attached to this house. And getting rid of it
gets me cash. That sounds about right?”
“So you’ve got some rules. What’s next?” She freed her hands from themselves and put her hands on
her hips, watching past me to the house.
“I know the job. I’m here to clear out the property. I have a plan for how to do that, and the means to do
it. It’s an unfair fight as long as we stay out here.”
She tilted her head, hands still on her hips. “Is that really the only reason you’re here?”
“You’re doing it again. You’re talking past me.”
She shrugged, leaving her question in the air between us.
“Uh. Fine. I’m also here to get a hold of what’s wrong with me and how to manage it.” I tossed my hands
up, because it felt stupid to say it out loud.
She nodded in approval. “How do you think that’s all going?”
I looked back at the house, avoiding her eyes. “Dunno. Kind of wait and see on all that.”
“A valid answer. Are you ready to do this? Are you ready to face this monster? Do you think you

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understand it enough?”
“Who are you talking to?” I turned around to see she was staring into the middle distance.
“You.”
“No, because you’re not looking at me and you’re using a weird voice.”
“No I’m not.”
“You really are.”
She shrugged. “Let’s say I’m talking to you, do you have an answer or not?”
“I have an idea of how to stop it. That’s what matters. Anything more nuanced than that is for
academics and...”
“People like me?” Molly added with a little smirk.
“You got it’s taxonomy, girl, not me.”
“Alright. Then I guess you go on, everything is ready, the hunt is before you. Roll the dice and see
where they fall.”
I didn’t bother to explain to her she was doing the voice again. I just sighed. I sighed and opened
a match box.
Let me tell you, even one as old and decrepit as this one was, you can’t just throw a match, throw
on some sunglasses and walk away from a fire looking cool. You have to set it in a few key places
using some specific match-hacks to make sure everything was hot enough to burn and stay burning.
Ideally, I would have wanted to burn it from the inside out to make sure it was good and destroyed
before fire and rescue could get there, but, well, demon inside and the Flip outside.
I stayed to watch the fire.
But I also stayed to make sure the fire didn’t spread. This not being my first time at bat, it didn’t
spread.
“This is not how I would have solved this problem.” Molly admitted to me as she stood beside me,
being weird.
“Yeah. That’s why I have the fun job and you talk to bees.” I couldn’t pull my eyes from the fire, but
I did clean my throat. “I mean. Glad someone is out there talking to the bees.”
“Wait until you someday figure out who the bees are.”
“You’re weird.”
“Yeah.” She said, the fire flickering in her big black eyes.
Anyway, I got paid for that gig. Still splitting it with the crew. Maybe to thank y’all for urging me to
get a little extra help. Take the help where you can get it, fam.

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 CHAPTER ELEVEN:
#THESTREETS
(BUILDING SETTING)
A good setting is like a character. It has personality— If you’re strapped for location aspect ideas, put
attitude. You can ship it the way you ship characters. yourself in the position. Set yourself in the scene. Do
“Bobbi would work really well in San Filipe. But Janice? some theater kid shit. Close your eyes. Imagine the
She doesn’t belong there.” If the setting’s expressed well, scene for a moment. Put yourself dead center of the
you start to think of it less in terms of a giant inanimate action. Now imagine looking around. What are the
object, and more in terms of behaviors. You might argue first three things you notice? Those are your aspects
that neighborhoods aren’t people; they can’t do things. in a pinch. In our previous example, THE JANITOR’S
I’m gonna argue that they can. Neighborhoods make WASH BUCKET doesn’t seem like it’s saying a lot, but
and break careers. Neighborhoods can be the life of the it’ll make the scene cooler when a hunter fills it with
party. They can crash a party when the cops show up styrofoam and gasoline to set a trap for the vampires
because fuck if the cops don’t always show up to every coming after them. They’ll do it, or worse. It’ll rock, trust
party in San Maria Cay. Neighborhoods, quite frankly, me.
can fucking kill people. They can chew people up and
spit them the fuck out. Dare the players with your aspects. Write location
aspects that are just giant red fucking buttons that say,
“DO NOT TOUCH, SELF-DESTRUCT EMINENT.” They
ASPECTS will push the button and it will make the scene better.
I talk about aspects, in particular location aspects, That janitor’s bucket seems unimportant, but by making
way back on >>PAGE 74. 74 It’s super brief though, it an aspect, you’re daring the players to bring it into
just explaining what an aspect is and how you invoke, play. They will. A lot of the fun of Directing is putting
compel, and imperil them. That’s important for the random shit together and seeing how the players fuck it
meaty, mechanical side of play, but let’s talk a little bit up. Think about it like this. As the Director, you represent
about how they work in a more touchy-feely sense. the oppressive forces in the world. You’re monsters.
You’re capitalism. You build this magnificent, terrifying
Every scene needs to be set. When the camera opens stage, and you get court-side seats to see how the
its shutter, the Director describes what everyone sees. players burn it all down. You’re a lucky motherfucker.
This doesn’t take a ton of flowery language—you can just Act like it. Cheer when they blow up all your precious
drop a few sensory cues and thematic elements to help toys. Location aspects are the easiest toys for this.
everyone understand where their characters are so they
can better interact in context. The same argument taking
place on a basketball court means something different in
ADDING ASPECTS
a posh high school gymnasium than it means in an urban As mentioned before, one to three location aspects is
public park. It breaks down further. That argument plays sufficient for most scenes. You just jot down a few ideas
out differently in the gymnasium during regional semi- to give players an idea where they’re at, you move on,
finals than it plays out at 3am when fifteen people are whatever. But in your average game, some locations will
holed up with marauding hungry dead pounding on the come up repeatedly throughout the story. Most games
doors. that run more than one episode will develop a sort of
“hub” location where the main characters meet and
Context matters. Context is where you get your
discuss their work. This can even be an online location.
location aspects. Focus on the first few things that
But these places deserve development the same way
come to mind—those are the things that are important
full-fledged characters do. On >>PAGE 122, 122 there are
enough to mention. Practically, here’s a few of these
some guidelines for developing locations with selfie
from the examples in the previous paragraph. GAME IS
milestones. That’s mostly as a reminder checklist to keep
TIED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER means something.
you thinking about these things. Any time a location
THE CROWD IS HUSHED does. TALE OF TWO
becomes more prominent to the story, or one element
CITIES does. MONSTERS AT THE DOOR, BLOOD
recurs, it’s worth adding an aspect. Do the characters
ON THE FLOOR, 3AM IN A SUBURB, and BROKEN
meet at a community college library? Maybe the cute
BOTTLES ON THE COURT all say different things
librarian gets to be a location aspect.
about what’s fundamentally the same basic setting.

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 You never want to overwhelm a location. Don’t
hesitate to casually remove old, irrelevant location
aspects. You don’t even have to replace them with new
ones unless you feel the location’s a bit anemic and
deserves a replacement detail. That said, there’s no
upward limit to how many location aspects a place can
have. It just comes down to what feels right, and that’s a
thing you just have to learn to intuit in play. For me, the
sweet spot tends to be one to three for most locations,
with about five for the most important recurring places.

You can also break a single “location” into multiple

scene locations for the purposes of aspects. For
example, in our community college library, it might have
UNDERFUNDED BUT APPRECIATED, MOIRA
THE CUTE LIBRARIAN, and HAS SURPRISINGLY
GOOD COFFEE. However, in a locked, private room
of the library, there’s an occultic sciences room with
ancient tomes and artifacts. This is where the hunters
hang out and do their research montages. It’s a separate
location, despite being within the library. It might have
WHO EVEN DECIDED TO BUILD THIS PLACE?,
WEIRD BIRD STATUE THAT’S ALWAYS STARING
AT YOU, MOIRA ALWAYS INSISTS SHE CAN’T
COME INSIDE, and ALWAYS DUSTY ENOUGH
TO TRIGGER ALLERGIES. That makes them distinct
places for your stories even if they’re technically the
same place.

Now conversely, while you should get rid of irrelevant

aspects that no longer add value to the story, also
you should consider making these aspects add value
to the story if they haven’t in a while. Sometimes it’s
just a matter of nobody invoking or compelling them,
and that’s something you should work on. While you
don’t want to interrupt the flow of a good interaction,
if there’s any lull or lag in the storytelling, look at the
location aspects and challenge yourself to bring them
into play.

Also, it’s important to allow the players to influence

these choices. The Director is final arbiter of what does
and doesn’t constitute an aspect, but everyone around
the table should be contributing to the pool of aspects
that builds the setting.

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 SETTING CHEAT SHEET
I recommend you use a simple cheat sheet for setting
building. It doesn’t have to be anything complex, just a
good place to keep aspects and other details organized
in a way you can present and share around the table. I
recommend leaving a stack of the recurring locations
in the middle of the play area. You can make these
between the first and second play sessions, or if you’re
using a highly planned one-shot scenario, make them
in advance. If you’re planning a one-shot, make sure
you strongly tie the characters to the locations you’ve
made. I recommend a few basic points:

PHOTO
This one’s important. It makes flipping through a list
that much easier, and it helps players instantly visualize
their location. You know how they say a picture says a
thousand words? Yeah, that.

LOGO
Typography is important. I know, “Why would you say
something so controversial yet so brave?” The thing is,
writing or typing the name of your location at the top of
the cheat sheet can influence impressions just as much
as a good photo. Lettering can be super evocative. Just
think of that weird “S” symbol everyone drew in the 90s
(Google it Zoomers and Boomers.) The way you present
words goes a long way to evoke a feel. So get out those
markers and tag some shit.

ASPECTS
Come on I just spent two pages talking about this.

NOTES
Leave some space for notes that aren’t aspects. Things
like lists of characters who live or hang out there, names
of businesses and architectural features are also useful.
Dates and historical bits are fun, especially in games
with old monsters like vampires who might have been
around for those historical events. Just anything to keep
these places consistent across your story. Think of this
cheat sheet like a wiki.

TEMPLATE
On the next page I’ve provided an example template. It’s
covering the San Jenaro neighborhood of Palo Verde.
You’ll see it doesn’t have to be anything complicated.
I also like to stick post-it notes for temporary aspects.

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Don’t go overboard here. This isn’t a massive homework If your scene is taking place in an alleyway of a certain
project. Most importantly, you don’t want to get people neighborhood, try to focus on the alleyway as much as
lost scanning over these sheets during play. Everything possible. Let that alleyway be the spokesperson for the
should be short, concise, and relevant. Nothing’s neighborhood when you’re developing the aspects for
stopping you from taking other notes. Hell, it’s worth it. Think of it like a server in a restaurant. Sure, you’re
building a bullet journal if you plan on Directing for the in the rest of the restaurant and it all exists. But the
long-term. That’s like master class shit, and unique to server delivers everything that really matters to your
your own needs and style. Maybe we’ll put that kind of experience aside from set dressing. The server, in that
content in a supplement book later down the line. case, is the face that brings the greater experience. So
your alley is expected to deliver the experience of that
Really, the important takeaway from all this is that neighborhood, if you intend on using that neighborhood
small details matter. You don’t need a whole ton of them, in your greater story. Maybe there’s a back door to
but a few good anchor points go a long way to build a noted hot dog place accessible from the alley. Or
verisimilitude and give your setting a real identity. Many maybe the city has installed awful metal knots all over
times, these types of games can feel very generic—any the walkway to keep the homeless from sleeping there.
given scene could happen anywhere. One dungeon or Maybe there’s a BMW blocking the alley exit, parked
one back alley is no different than another. #iHunt is in such a way that they’d be towed if the car wasn’t
grounded in places and times, and these rules exist to expensive. All of those things build on the experience
help bring that out in spades. of being in that alley, but they also tell you something
about the area where that alley exists.
By default, #iHunt is set in the city of San Jenaro, the
setting of the #iHunt novels. Whether or not you’re
using San Jenaro, it’s more important what’s in this alley
right here, right now than what San Jenaro’s actually like.
The trick: Focus on the smallest picture possible.

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 PEOPLE PEOPLE HAVE LIVELIHOODS
Now, #iHunt is a game about society. Society is defined Not everyone has a job, but everyone has a thing. They
by its people. This whole thing is about how modern life might be a college student, they might be collecting
and the gig economy affect people. Thus, when you’re cans to recycle for beer money. But the quickest way
building settings, when you’re establishing scenes, it’s to identify someone is by the thing that takes up most
important to think about people. of their time.
Specifically here, we’re talking about characters the This isn’t a hard rule, but much of the time in #iHunt,
hunters aren’t going to have to murder for money, or hunters will interface with people based on their
otherwise engage with in great depth. For these people, livelihoods. If the hunters talk to someone at a country
you really just need to name them, give them a couple club because of the hungry dead on the fourth hole
of important aspects, and maybe a couple Skill Sets. fairway, they’re talking to a groundskeeper or a manager.
That livelihood dictates the terms of the engagement,
PEOPLE HAVE NAMES and ultimately sets the stage for the entire job.

Names say a lot about a person. Or, really, they just This livelihood is functionally identical to a hunter’s
imply a lot about a person. I recommend building and Day Job aspect >>PAGE 63,63 and it saves you the trouble
maintaining a list of names you can use on the fly. Often, of coming up with one epithet aspect. Fortunately for
just choosing a random name from a list can help me to your stories, livelihood aspects are already double-
build a character from scratch. edged, because they can be threatened.

I put them into a spreadsheet with a random select Clearly this won’t come up for every single character
function, and force myself to go with whatever pops up in an environment, but if possible, it should, and use
first. I have to ask myself, “Why would a Hannah be in that to help better define the setting. Not everyone has
this neighborhood/business/building/whatever?” Then the same relationship to their livelihood, even if on the
I let the answers build who that person is. surface two people might have the same work.

Once you have a character’s name, your challenge as PEOPLE HAVE LIVES
Director is to bring that name into play. Even if it’s as
simple as “the cashier’s name tag says Shaun,” that helps Livelihoods are important, but don’t fall into the trap
the players to better identify the character, and it gives of thinking that’s all a person’s got. Even a person who
them an instant weight and identity in the story. works three jobs is an individual. No matter how much
society would like us to think it, we are not our jobs.
One minor point of advice is to differentiate characters
related to a specific scene or area by giving them names Characters have a second aspect reflecting this. It’s
with different first letters. This helps players to keep functionally identical to the High Concept aspect that
them separate in their minds. Learning names can a hunter gets like on >>PAGE 62. 62 This usually comes
be difficult, especially on the fly, and using different up organically in play as the hunters find out who the
starting sounds helps people parse fickle memory. person is.

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 That said, sometimes it’s important. In those cases,
PEOPLE HAVE DRAMA use this simple system to come up with skill sets. Choose
The other big thing that defines a character is the trouble the skill set you think the character should have. Ask
in their life. Just like with hunters, we represent this with yourself four questions. For every “yes,” add +1.
a Drama aspect like on >>PAGE 62. 62 For these aspects, [ Is this skill set important to the character’s role in
it’s usually best to let them develop in play unless the the story?
character is being introduced for a reason that directly
ties to a potential drama aspect. [ Would the character be truly skilled at this thing?

OTHER ASPECTS [ Is this the character’s best skill?

[ Is this a recurring character?

Characters can have two other aspects. Do not come
up with these up-front. Do not. Let them develop in That’s it. This gives a quick 1-4 rating. Don’t worry
play. This is important, because supporting characters’ about the ladder limitations on what skills a supporting
aspects should serve the story, not the other way around. character is allowed having.
Supporting characters exist as tools to communicate
setting and plot, so leave those aspects open for the Note that sometimes the answers to these questions
right time to do so. can change. For example, sometimes characters
intended for a single appearance resonate with the
This is especially important because you don’t want story and become recurring characters. If that happens,
to front-load supporting characters. Unlike the hunters, just bump up their skill set.
who are heavily developed before entering play, these
supporting characters should be slowly introduced to Note that this isn’t something you should just do
the players, and what’s introduced should service the lightly to fill in every skill set. Don’t do it at all unless a
immediate needs of the narrative. If you communicate skill set becomes relevant. If you do so, every recurring
too many aspects up-front, the players will be character would have every skill set at least at 1 rank.
overwhelmed with choice paralysis, and they’ll get a That’s nonsensical. Characters are only awarded skill
false sense of importance. sets that matter. They’re assumed to not have skill sets
that aren’t particularly story-relevant.
SKILL SETS
ORGANIZING THE CAST
Skill sets tend to be more than you need for most
supporting characters. Their relationship to the game Name. Maybe three aspects. One or two skill sets. That
mechanics tends to come in the form of aspect vehicles should all fit on a sticky note. Stick it with the location
because most of the time they’ll only be somewhat if it’s a location-relevant character. Between sessions,
related to Overcome actions, not contests, and they print photos for your recurring characters and build on
shouldn’t be making dice-based actions of their own those. Your players will love you for it.
unless it’s important.

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 BUILDING THE ZONE MAP
I talked about zones on >>PAGE 150. 150 That’s a good
general, “how to use the rules” approach to set up
LINK POINTS
spontaneous action scenes. But what about places that Zones are all about movement and traversal. So it’s
you expect to a) recur in your stories, and b) be the site important to note where characters are able to move
of multiple scenes that involve action, movement, and to and from zones. This doesn’t necessarily have to be
thinking in terms of conflict? complex, or even involve staggered, layered passages.
As you’ll notice in my example to the right, two steps
For these kinds of locations, you should build a
should get you anywhere you need in the Palo Verde
persistent zone map you can refer back to. This isn’t
neighborhood map.
particularly different than doing a normal zone map, but
it deserves more attention and consideration. Different This doesn’t mean that you can get wherever you
zones have a handful of aspects—more for persistent want with just two zones’ movement. The map is a
zone maps—and you have to consider access points guideline, and you can expect breakdowns within that
between zones. Pretty simple, right? Dig a little deeper. map. For example, if someone is going to go through
the historic Belmont Theater on Palo Verde Boulevard,
My favorite method for this is to build a collage. Get that would constitute a map unto itself. If characters
a handful of photos, paste on some paper for notes and moved the story into the Belmont, you’d want to throw
aspects, and put them together on a piece of paper. If together a zone map for it. It might require seven zones
you’re so inclined, you can even build a scrapbook full to move through it! This map exists just to detail basic
of persistent locations for your series. movement within the neighborhood.
I recommend getting together a bunch of photos
for this purpose. Collect them. Chop them out of ZOOMING IN
magazines, travel guides, maps, whatever you can find Zone maps serve an additional function in helping to
with evocative imagery. establish and maintain scale and scope in your stories.
If you set down that Palo Verde map at the start of your
WEIRD SHAPES play session, your players will intuitively assume the
story is set in a neighborhood, and that traversing that
Once you have your pictures, chop them up in weird neighborhood will be the scale of play they can expect.
shapes. There’s a reason. When you’re building your Of course, this isn’t set in stone. Choices can change
zone map, you want to fit the pieces together loosely. this organically. But, this helps to keep those choices
This will help inspire you to make connections you might focused. Depending on the zone maps you choose to
not have considered, and it’ll help make the map feel make and present, your story will cascade out from that.
cohesive even though you’re using unrelated pictures to
build the map. As you’ll see in the example on the right, If you’re using the Palo Verde map over to the right for
I used random waves and cuts as a guideline for how to example, your story might end up with more detailed
assemble the map. It overlaps some. That’s okay! maps for the different districts in that neighborhood.
You might build one for the theater district, and one for
ADD ASPECTS the North Residential district. That way you can sort of
“pull back the camera” when you need to, and focus it
Use pencil, or sticky notes, or something temporary. You as fit. Imagine a game where your initial zone map is the
need to add aspects to each zone. I recommend about entirety of North America, and what that implies!
three or four. But understand that these are just notes
off the top of your head—they don’t need to be flawless, THE EXAMPLE
clever aspects. They just need to help describe the area.
Then, as you play through your stories, you can add or On the right, you’ll see an example I’ve thrown together
replace aspects that don’t feel particularly compelling or representing Palo Verde in San Jenaro. It’s a lot like
as you reveal elements of the area. Hollywood in the real world. This is based on some
notes I threw together for the Battle of Palo Verde, an
This isn’t just a guideline; if you add a number of event that happens in the novel #iHunt: The Chosen One.
aspects to your zones, players will grab onto those Of course, Chosen One is a novel, and we’re talking
things, and you’ll find improvisation much easier for it. about a game. But that’s sort of the secret to all this—a
This is a sort of “survival of the fittest” game, because lot of the best tricks for running a good game of #iHunt
aspects the players don’t grab onto are ones you dump. are the same tricks used to write fiction.

258
259
 Chapter twelve of fifteen. The book’s coming quickly

CHAPTER 1:
LANA’S STORY

#LOCKTHETARGET
to a close. You really have what you need to play—
the rest is just adding depth to the experience. With
four chapters to go, I almost feel like an afterthought.
I got brought up in some of the play examples early
on, and I think someone shared an old forum post
in the Knight kink section of chapter two. I can’t help
feeling like a postscript tacked on at the end.
That’s motherfucking bullshit.
I’m Lana. I’m the protagonist of the #iHunt novels.
I’ve spent like seven books being gawked at. In
#iHunt: Killing Monsters in the Gig Economy, I had
embarrassing, terrible, unfulfilling sex with a guy
who got off and passed out. In another book, I got
my guts torn out and I had to bandage myself with
duct tape right before getting shot down by a hot
lawyer after I saved her from her mad scientist ex’s
monster killer death robot. This series, and this game
wouldn’t exist without me. But still, I’m pushed off
to the last four chapters. Don’t worry; it’s a cycle of
marginalization I’m completely used to by now.
And don’t you even give me that, “they saved the
best for last,” shit. This is #iHunt. It’s supposed to
start strong, hit fast, and never stop hitting even after
the monster’s dead and I swear I don’t actually need
therapy I was just confirming the kill and you don’t
get to judge me anyway, officer.
Look. I’m going to prove it to you. Fuck chapters
one through eleven. I’m going to pretend none of that
exists and the next four chapter intro fiction pieces
are just going to be me telling you the beginning of a
story. By the end, you’re going to be saying, “Oh my
god Olivia, you totally did Lana raw by putting her
in the back of the book, now you have to publish the
rest of the story she started in the ever-so-amazing
chapters twelve through fifteen. You should apologize
to the fictional character who is accusing you, her
author and creator, of treating her badly. Here’s a lot
of money and five star reviews as incentive.”
So, um, let’s get into some story shit, okay? But not
just like a story from point A to point B. This is game
fiction, so it has to relate somehow to the chapter
it’s alongside. It’s infotainment. I don’t know how
this one has anything to do with poverty, except for
the fact that I’m murdering someone for cash. Well,
okay, that’s it. Right there. So let’s start.

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Vampires aren’t the worst. “I accept your apology. So that means you’re
That’s it. That’s the tweet. They’re not the not going to kill me?”
worst. I furrow my brow and stare at him for a
With werewolves, one little scratch and you moment.
might end up howling at the moon. Demons “You’re still going to kill me?”
like to go after your friends and loved ones, I shrug.
possessing them and using them against you.
Wizards are pretty much unstoppable so long “It’s a money thing, isn’t it?”
as they have access to their voice and their I nod.
hands. “What are they paying you? I can pay you
Vampires are just insufferable. Every aspect more.”
of them is annoying. Take for example their I think for a moment then pull out my phone
regeneration. All of them have it. One of the to check the #iHunt app. “Twelve thousand.”
single best things you can do in a fight with
His eyes go wide. “Twelve thousand?
a vampire is take out their fangs. There’s two
Someone really wants me dead, don’t they?”
different reasons depending on the type of
vampire you’re fighting. Some of them have this I shrug, then nod.
trick where they bite you and you go limp with “Was it the orphanage? Oh my god, it was
euphoria. They have this moment where you’re the orphanage. Look, I didn’t mean to—”
stuck in orgasmic pleasure and, well, they
“What orphanage?” I cut him off.
fucking kill you. The others have venom that
shuts down your nervous system and dissolves “What orphanage?” He forces out a weak
your blood vessels from the inside out, turning chuckle. “I didn’t say anything about an
your innards into mush. Both of those scenarios orphanage.”
are bad. So, you smash a vampire’s fangs. But I cross my arms and stare at him.
with their regeneration, you have maybe ten to
“Um. Okay. So, I was delivering some
thirty seconds after you smash their fangs until
Christmas presents for orphans, when there
they get a new pair.
was this mob guy there and...”
This is annoying as shit. You have to smash
He looks up at me. I keep crossing my arms
them over and over if you don’t want to risk
and staring at him.
being bitten.
“Not gonna work?” He winces.
“God damn it! I’m tied to a chair! How am
I going to bite you? And who are you even I shake my head. Then I get my machete off
talking to?!” The vampire screams right after I the table.
smash him in the face with the business end of You see? Vampires? Totally insufferable. They
a 2x4 for... I’m just going to estimate the forty can’t even die with dignity. They beg. They
seventh time. struggle. They fucking whine.
“I’m talking to the audience, asshole. And “God damn it, who are you talking to?!”
don’t try to convince me you can’t bite through Really, the best parts of the hunt are getting
those ropes.” to this point.
“They’re CHAINS!” He screams. To do that, we’re going to have to rewind
I pause to consider that. “You know. You’re about two weeks.
right. They are chains, and you definitely can’t Meet me in Chapter Thirteen.
bite through them. That’s on me. And I’m
sorry.”

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CHAPTER TWELVE:
#THINKPOOR
(RUMINATIONS ON LATE CAPITALISM)

#iHunt is a game solidly set after 2009. As of this

writing, we’re real fucking close to 2020 and it’s set DIGNITY
Extremely Now. This is also a game that acknowledges One important aspect to this material is that we want to
the socio-political realities of its time. It’s a game about present the people portrayed with the utmost dignity.
millennials. It’s a game about poor people making awful The poor are not only people, but they’re often truly
choices to get by. amazing, inspiring people. One of the saddest parts
We know that not everyone picking up this book can of history written about “great men” is that it always
really understand what it means to be in these positions, focuses on the one person generally born into privilege
so this chapter exists as a way to help shoulder some of who gets to be the face of change in the world. It always
that burden. It’s about helping Directors represent the ignores the multitudes of hard-working people who
characters’ world, and it’s about helping Players portray shed blood and tears to shape their futures. I promise
these people. you that #iHunt will always focus on the latter people,
not the former.

A NARROW PERSPECTIVE #iHunt isn’t just a game about people who struggle.
It’s a game about people who struggle, and at least on
We are writing this book largely from our experiences. their own terms, they win. It’s one thing to succeed
This is to say, our experiences will come through a lot when you’re handed power and influence. It’s another
in this material. This isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. The game to survive in spite of an entire fucking world being built
presumes a default setting of San Jenaro California, so to make your life impossible. For the poor, survival is
it’s written with that fictional city based on real-world a revolutionary act. That’s fucking amazing, and while
cities in mind. #iHunt is inherently a dark game because it’s set in a
dark world in a dark time, it’s a game about celebrating
Can you play #iHunt set in France or Hong Kong?
people standing up to adversity.
Sure. But you have to consider what that means. The
reality of a poor person getting food in France is wildly #iHunt is “competence porn.” Except instead of
different than someone in Southern California, which is showing you the best spy in the world or a world
wildly different than someone in Hong Kong. renowned ninja assassin, we’re showing you people who
struggle against the horrors of late stage capitalism and
The thing is, we really only have so much space in this
live. Poor people are like the survivor girl in a slasher
book, and so much time to write it. Would we like to
film, every single goddamned one of them.
present the realities of #iHunt in every corner of the
world? Of course, that’d be super cool. But to write Or, as Washington Congressional candidate Joshua
those elements with thoroughness and authenticity Collins (https://www.joshua2020.com) eloquently said:
would take a lot of time and run the risk of a lot of
unintentional insensitivity. So instead, we’re favoring
a more robust approach to a single, more narrow
situation. Think of it like the difference between a
documentary about a single event that took place over
an hour, and a documentary that covers a decade. In the
former, you can get more interesting, specific details. In
the latter, you can only get snapshots of the extremely
broad picture. We’d rather you really understand life as
a millennial in San Jenaro in 2019 than what #iHunt is
like for every poor person all over the world.

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In #iHunt, heroes don’t wear capes. NOTHING’S OBJECTIVE
They wear aprons. They wearoveralls. A thing you have to understand is that infinite variables
go into a person’s circumstances, so you can’t just paint
They wear shitty nametags on people by the same broad brushes based on “objective
facts” that dismiss individual experiences.
worn-out uniforms.
Let me give you a minor example to demonstrate.
They clock out after two College, for a lot of people, is simply a financial
impossibility right out of high school. I’ve discussed this
hours’ overtime when reality before, and been shut down by people over some
common arguments. Community college, for example,
covering for a sick coworker. is much cheaper than a private university. Coupled with
public grants and student loans, community college is
not only free, but the student receives cash which can
go toward expenses such as housing and books. These

#THINKPOOR
are things that are true. However, not every person
is an individual in a vacuum. Many young people are
responsible for their entire families at that age, due
to medical or other conditions. And in the US, grants
and student loans are based on a student’s financial
aid application, which has to be completed by a parent
before the age of 25. If the parent is unwilling to do this
because, for example, active warrants or embarrassment
over illiteracy, the student cannot receive that money
until they’re at least 25 years old.

So, while you might think you have the solution for
the problems presented in this chapter, understand that
your solution isn’t necessarily applicable to everyone,
and these problems persist regardless of whether you
think you could fix them if you were in their shoes.

This is a common problem with modern

neoliberal means-tested social welfare
programs. They view social and financial issues
with an “objective” lens, wherein if X, Y, and Z
are true, then the solution is applied. Any time
you view problems in this way, people who are
suffering will fall through the cracks because
of the unique combinations of factors that go
into their realities. “All you have to do for college
money is fill out this paperwork.” Okay, but what
about the people who can’t fill it out? Often, the
people falling through those cracks are less fortunate,
and more in need.

263
 Let’s do another more directly applicable metaphor:
FEAST OR FAMINE You’re stuck in a horror movie situation, locked in
One important thing to keep in mind is that poverty a building with survivors in a walking, hungry dead
isn’t just a temporary, immediate state. It’s a lifestyle, apocalypse scenario. Bullets are tight. You just traded
and in many ways a state of mind. Poverty can change a week’s food for five bullets. One of the monsters gets
a person and cause habits to form that a person might into the base. You shoot it four times and it goes down.
never overcome, even if they become wealthy. The You have one bullet left. The feast or famine mentality
easiest of these habits to understand is feast or famine says you should shoot it in the head and confirm the kill.
mentality. The “logical” mentality says you should save that one
bullet in case you need it for the next monster.
Feast or famine mindset has a person indulge whenever
any degree of surplus happens, in preparation for an But one bullet won’t be enough. The next thing that
inevitable lack of those resources. For example, when a comes through that door will slaughter you. So the
person gets their tax return at the end of the year, they best thing you can do is put that one last bullet in the
might buy a nicer television, or take their family out to a monster’s brain pan, then enjoy your last six hours alive.
“nice” dinner at a fast casual restaurant chain. Critics say
these people should instead “save it for a rainy day.” But OPULENCE
here’s a secret to being poor: There’s always a rainy day
ahead, and no amount of saving is enough. A related concept is that of opulence. Not in the sense
of great wealth or extravagance. When we talk about
If you have a $500 tax return and save it, next week opulence here, we’re talking about the airs of wealth
you’ll have a $700 car repair and lose your job because and extravagance. There’s a little bit about it in the
you can’t get to work. You’re still fucked, but you didn’t previous bit, with the expensive TV purchase. But the
have a nice dinner, and don’t have a TV to relax with. idea is, often times underprivileged people will “live
Some logic would suggest that the $500 could help to outside their means” in seemingly frivolous ways by
buffer the problems associated with the job loss. But buying expensive things when they could be spending
like I said—it’s never, ever enough. If you lose your job that money more “wisely.” You see this a lot in discourse
and have that $500, a relative will get sick and need it surrounding things like, for example, athletic sneakers
to cover the hospital bill, and your kid will break their or smartphones.
glasses and need an immediate replacement.
So what’s this all about? Well, first off, let me say
This isn’t really irrational. This isn’t magical thinking. these are individual decisions people make, and they
It’s a clear and present pattern. There’s not a poor person can make them for a near infinite number of reasons.
on earth who hasn’t tried their very best to make financially But I want to discuss two very specific reasons.
sound decisions on multiple occasions, only to be proven
time and again that it’s not sufficient. So why try? If you The first is, under capitalism, wealth is fetishized. It’s
have money, someone will take it. It’s best to use it for valorized. It’s glorified. If you’re wealthy, it doesn’t mean
temporary relief while you can, if you’re fully aware that you just have money—it means you’re a good, capable
there’s no realistic scenario where you’ll actually have person. Someone who works 60 hours per week and
your basic needs covered and you won’t have to worry barely makes ends meet is morally inferior to someone
about the next crisis. who was born with 5 billion dollars and has never
worked a day in his life. Clearly, if the worker was a good
In #iHunt terms, this is covered by the Dilemma person, he’d choose to be rich.
mechanics on >>PAGE 86. Every chapter of the story,
the Director is empowered to make each player make However, society is by and large quite shallow. It’s not
a hard decision between two undesirable outcomes. as if everyone makes a comprehensive analysis of exactly
This exists to perpetuate this reality in some ways. In how wealthy a given person is, and makes a line-item
a game sense, it means the players will always have judgment of individual values. No. They look for certain
motivation to continue #iHunting, and by extension markers, certain signs of wealth and extravagance. They
to keep the story going. #iHunt isn’t a game where the look for opulence. That opulence is a show of worth, of
prince gives the characters a noble quest to slay the basic human dignity.
dragon. It’s a game where the characters need money,
and there’s a dragon over there and a big fucking price So, people in poverty will sometimes make these
tag on his head. After the dragon’s dead, because of choices so sometimes they’re seen as human, as moral
feast or famine mentality, you spend that chest full of equals to people who are financially better off than they
gold pieces because if you don’t, someone will fucking are. If you have the same new iPhone the celebrities
take it from you. If #iHunters are in a situation where they have, then you share in their inherent worth, even if it’s
don’t need money anymore, they stop #iHunting. a little white lie.

264
 The second reason is defiance. The system as it stands
exists to tell the working poor that they’ll never be WHAT YOU’LL FIND AHEAD
CEOs, movie stars, rock gods, or coveted supermodels. In the following sections, I’ve broken up the material
While you get some dreamers here and there, most into a few distinct topics.
working poor people know they’ll never be these things.
They have zero illusions to that effect. However, a little 1. #POORTAX. This is about how expensive it is being

#THINKPOOR
bit of opulence serves as a way to tell that system to go poor. It’s about the unexpected costs associated
fuck itself. If you put together a nice suit and you clean with not having money.
up just like that motherfucker who made billions with
that social network then stands in front of Congress 2. #THEIRLAW. This is about the legal system and
smirking when they grill him about his dystopian basic bureaucratic shit that causes disproportionate
business practices, then you’re putting on a little bit of annoyances in a poor person’s life.
that magic. In that moment, he’s no better than you.
3. #LIFEHACKS. This is some ways that poor people
It’s a way of telling the world that the limitations hustle and get by in spite of the system. Some of
placed upon you are purely artificial, and have nothing to it’s illegal. Some of it’s unethical. But it’s all very real
do with your inherent value as a person. It’s a wholesale things that some people do to make ends meet.
rejection of class limitations. It’s punk as fuck.
4. #SPOONS. This is a short essay on the emotional
For people suffering from more specific, intersecting labor and social load expected of poor people, and
forms of cultural and financial marginalization, like how they have to deal with it.
non-white queer communities, this kind of defiance
can spawn entire subcultures with extensive in-group
languages, mores, and folkways. The obvious example
people still talk about and crib today is Drag Ball Culture.
But as a historical California-specific example, World
War II era Zoot Suit culture had a massive and often
understated impact on greater societal relations. It was
such a threatening defiance of the status quo that law
enforcement and military forces brutalized hundreds of
Latinx, black, and Filipino Americans.

265
Thesis: The foundations of modern capitalist economies presume
a person has a certain degree of success in order to maintain basic
standards of living. This is often presented as a “cost of living,” yet
many people live below those means. Because of these expectations
of certain means, people living in poverty end up investing more of
their income to compensate for these insufficiencies, and are stuck in a
constant cycle of trying to catch up to these basic standards, but never
quite being able to. Meanwhile, those living at the expected basic
means take for granted the additional costs which the less fortunate
accrue in perpetuity.

Disclaimer: These are facts of living poor in parts of the United

States. These things replicate elsewhere, but they’re particular
crises for poor Americans. They’re also not universal experiences—
some poor people will go their entire lives without ever stepping
foot in a payday lending office, for example. The specifics come
down to numerous variables, such as region, community support
networks, and the specific costs of living where the person resides.
Most of these topics come from my experience living in Southern
California, and in very specific neighborhoods. I encourage you to
do some research into the specific financial issues that face the
poorer residents in your chosen setting.

#POORTAX

Honestly, I’m against this government.

I ain’t gotta cover it up, that’s what I meant.

Sick of paying bills and I’m sick of paying rent.

Seems like I work all the time but don’t know

where the money went.

And the funny shit is we supposed to like this

shit.

—The Coup, Get Up

266
It’s expensive being poor. There’s a lot of great writing on
this topic, so go digging. But I’m going to start with the most
popular example, because it’s so imminently quotable.

SUBSTANDARD GOODS
This quote comes from Terry Pratchett, in his 1993 book, Men
At Arms.

“The reason that the rich were so rich...was because they

managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned
thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of
leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots,
which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell
when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were
the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles
were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a
foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A The Domino Effect
man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still
be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who The things I’m talking about here aren’t
could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars always that bad. Like, yes, it sucks that you
on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.” might have to buy an extra can opener every
couple of months. But understand that
This is such a concise, such a perfect explanation of life in

#THINKPOOR
these things almost always combine into an
poverty. A poor person works so much for so little—they don’t unexpected domino effect.
really have the privilege of making efficient, economically sound
choices. This is all cyclical, because one bad choice means Let’s go with the can opener bit again. It’s
the next bad choice is worse, and so on and so forth. Poor annoying, sure, but not a huge financial or
people buy from the Dollar Store. That shit breaks. They have time burden on the surface. Now let’s say
to replace it with more shit from the Dollar Store. Eventually
our poor person has a ten year old daughter,
they’re trapped in a constant cycle of replacing the same shit,
or finding a way to do without those basic conveniences. hypothetically named Olivia. She wants some
tuna for dinner. Mom’s at work at the truck
Without those conveniences, those tools, life takes a little stop. She tries opening the tuna can, but the
longer, or is a little more stressful. If you get a cheap can ragged edge traps her finger in the can and
opener, it’ll break. You can replace it with another, but if all you cuts it up really badly. Once she gets her finger
have in the house is cheap canned food, you’re fucked. So you out, it’s bloody and hurts like hell. Because she
either store that food away and replace it with something that
doesn’t want to panic anyone, she bandages it
doesn’t take a can opener, or you get a new can opener. It takes
time, money, and frustration, no matter which choice you go
up and takes a few aspirin.
with. The third choice, and the one that we see the most of, is Then, on a whim, Olivia reads the back of the
the person keeps using that same fucking can opener, telling
aspirin bottle, about how children shouldn’t
themselves, “It’ll work this time. It’s about finished, but I can
get one more can out of it.” The can opener spins and barely take aspirin because of the threat of a serious
pierces the metal. In the end, the person ends up hitting the and deadly condition called Reyes Syndrome.
can with a hammer until they get their peaches in light syrup. It She reads up on it, then interprets her symptoms
wastes ten minutes, exhausts the person, and maybe even gets as being a sign of brain hemorrhaging.
them cut up when they try to pull open the jagged can lid. Then
thirty cans later, they’re still telling themselves the can opener She calls mom. Mom panics and leaves work
will work one last time. On the other hand, someone who can to rush her to the hospital. The doctor laughs
buy the fancy $15 can opener can keep that motherfucker for it off. Mom misses out on Saturday night tips
years, and it still cuts right through a can like the day it was at the truck stop, gets in trouble for leaving
opened. her shift, and is stuck with a $300 emergency
room bill. All over a stupid can opener.

Hypothetically.

267
 At a certain point, it can seem like the process is so
WAITING IN LINE complex, so eldritch that the real goal is to get you to
Of course, in most places in the developed world, there give up in frustration, or to die waiting.
are at least limited social safety nets to deal with poverty What can you not do while you’re making these calls,
issues, right? Starving in the street happens, but a lot of waiting in these lines, procuring these documents? Well,
people are covered by social welfare programs. In the literally anything else. It’s dehumanizing, exhausting,
United States, the SNAP, aka the Food Stamp program, and time-consuming, on top of being grossly unreliable.
helps to make sure people are fed. If you need housing, This is life when you’re poor. It’s spending too much
the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency time hoping for basic scraps with uncertain outcomes.
helps with low-income housing. The Home Energy
Assistance Program (HEAP) is there to make sure you This extends beyond just social services. Look at the
have necessary heating when it’s cold. Temporary discount big box stores the poor shop at, compared to
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program to smaller boutique grocers. On average, a poor person
provide cash grants for families’ immediate needs. has to spend more time shopping for essentials, and
far more time waiting in underpaid, understaffed lines.
It sounds like people are more or less covered when Having money means access. And in this case, it means
they’re in need, doesn’t it? access to the front of the line. It means not wasting your
It’s more complicated than that. Those programs valuable time standing in the checkout.
each require applications. This means knowing the Even just using those government programs in the
agency exists, looking them up, finding a time they’re checkout line takes longer. Food stamps can cause
open, then spending a day waiting in long lines, filling immense holdups. This couples added time with added
out dehumanizing applications where you have to embarrassment. In some places, this can mean open
meticulously line-item and validate your need, then hostility, as people using social services are considered
you wait for who-knows-how-long to get an answer. inferior “freeloaders.” Snark, insults, or even violence
Sometimes minor mistakes mean spending another day can result from the use of food stamp cards that are the
waiting in line. Sometimes applications require validating last ditch effort to feed your family withour resorting to
documents which require you to call government theft. The American way doesn’t think suffering through
agencies you never even knew existed, and beg them poverty is enough—it requires the person be repeatedly,
for paperwork that takes weeks to arrive (unless you’re egregiously shamed for the moral failure of not having
willing to pay $60 for expedited processing...) Housing money. If your industry folded because a politician
programs like HUD often have wait lists that stretch out passed a tax credit that got your job outsourced
for years. Complex, arbitrary criteria mean you never overseas, that’s a personal moral failing you should feel
really know if your family can expect that SNAP money abject shame over.
to handle groceries next month.

268
 This juggling means paychecks are never reliable. One
UNSTABLE PAYCHECKS week, everything can be fine, where the next, you’re
Most poor people don’t work salaried positions. That is calling utility companies, asking for extensions so you
to say, their paycheck isn’t exactly the same from week have power for the next two weeks.
to week, based on a contracted amount. It’s hourly,
based on a week-to-week schedule. Since hours worked BANKING NIGHTMARES
key directly to a number of labor laws, employers have
to play a weird balancing game with scheduling to make To operate in modern society, you basically have to have
sure employees don’t hit certain numbers of hours in a access to a bank account. Just having a paycheck means
given pay period. needing a bank account to cash it. Even getting some
social welfare income requires a bank for deposits. Sure,
For example, in retail, you might have to work extra you can cash your check in some stores and payday loan
hours during the holiday season because of the sales offices, but it costs a few dollars. $3 might not sound
rush. However, if you average 40 hours per week in a like much, but when you’re supporting a household on
given month, you’re classified as a full-time worker. This $240 a week paychecks, $3 looks like a lot. Couple it
means you have to be eligible for health insurance. So, with the time and transit cost necessary to even do
if one week you work 44 hours, the next you have to that, and it’s a suprisingly big burden many people
work 35 so it averages out to under 40. simply never consider.

If you’re in restaurant work, there are times when you So just get a bank account, right?
might just get sent home because there aren’t enough
customers. Often, downtimes like Sundays are full of Wrong.
these cut shifts, so employees will fight to not have to
work Sundays. Of course, someone has to. This means IDENTITY WOES
the workers who aren’t close friends with the restaurant

#THINKPOOR
manager have to eat shit and take a pay hit. Some people can’t. First off, thanks to the post
September 11th 2001 surveillance state, just getting a
Then there’s the issue of tipping. Normally, employees bank account requires multiple forms of identification.
are entitled to a $7.25 minimum wage. If they receive at Some people simply don’t have a sufficiently entrenched
least $30 in tips in a given month, their minimum wage is identity on paper to even clear those needs. You need at
only $2.13. This means the vast majority of their income least two forms of ID, and if you’re using non-standard
comes from the whim of tipping customers. One bad identification, approval depends on the whims of some
table can wreck a restaurant server’s whole night. stranger behind a desk.

Then there’s the issue of basic expenses. Subway

GETTING TO WORK passes, gas, car insurance, parking passes, these things
The very act of getting to work is difficult for a poor add up quickly no matter which method you choose, and
person. First off, most jobs are in urban centers. Yet, the there are always negatives and positives you have to
closer you get to those locations, the more expensive weigh. Up-front costs are always a problem when you’re
housing is. This means most low-paid service workers just scraping by. A subway pass saves you a little money
don’t live near their jobs. This means longer, and by over individual tickets. But you might not have enough
extension more expensive and more taxing commutes for the monthly pass. Getting a car requires a chunk of
to and from work. cash and often a monthly payment when you’re never
sure if you’ll have a paycheck next month. Two dollars
Further, these kinds of jobs are precarious, since for a subway ticket ends up looking like $120 a month.
there’s always a glut of potential replacements in need
of a job. For this and other reasons, employers are Another transit complication is interviewing for jobs.
ridiculously strict with attendance. If your shift starts at Every single job interview is an additional expense with
9am, and you know it takes you 45 minutes to get to no guaranteed return, and that expense comes when
work, you can’t just leave at 8:15. Any minor issue with you’re in the most need. You might have to interview
the subway or bus or traffic means the potential loss of at ten places before landing a position. You might have
your job. So you leave at 8am or even 7:45. That’s a half to do three separate rounds of interviews for a job. And
hour out of your day where you’re devoted to the job you know one of the best ways you can affect your
but not being paid. chances? Having nice clothing and a nice haircut. Fun!

269
 If you call the bank and wait on hold for an hour,
MINIMUM BALANCES you can beg them to reverse the charge. They’ll do a
Even if a poor person can get a bank account, it comes “courtesy fee reversal” one time per year. So that means
with a lot of fine print. For example, minimum balances. they’ll reverse one of the five overdraft fees. Your $40
A real world example requires account holders have paycheck is now $75.
a qualifying direct deposit of $1,000 per month. For
The landlord isn’t going to accept “I have a bunch
a minimum wage worker, that means hoping like hell
of overdraft fees” for an excuse. So at that point, you
your employer gives you 40 hours per week and you
consider payday lenders.
don’t miss any work that month. If you miss that deposit
threshold, you’re charged another $8.95 that month. Of
course, if that takes you below a $0 balance, then you PAYDAY LENDERS
have to deal with overdraft fees.
Payday lenders are a uniquely American problem I think.
They’re small offices that deal in short-term loans.
OVERDRAFT FEES They’re one of the only options for poor people with
bad credit. The way they work is, you get an “advance”
Overdraft fees occur any time your balance falls
on your paycheck by giving the office access to your
below $0. The average overdraft fee is about $30-35 in
bank account. They give you a certain amount of money,
2019. Of course, if your balance is less than $0, you’re
then once your paycheck comes in, they withdraw that
broke. You’re waiting on your next check, which is less
amount plus a “service fee.” This amounts to an average
any negative balance you already had, and the amount
interest rate of 400%. This is not a typographical error.
of the overdraft fee. It turns a small paycheck into a
It can go upwards of 700%.
dismal one, which leads to further overdraft situations.
For example, for a two-week loan of $500, barely
That’s not even the half of it. Overdraft fees charge
enough to get in the door of an emergency room, that
at the end of a day usually, and a person can accrue
400% rate means you’re repaying $575. If, for whatever
a number of them accidentally. The banks can also
reason, your bank account doesn’t have enough when
rearrange charges to maximize the fees. Say for example,
those two weeks hit, you have to deal with another fee.
you think you have $70 in your account, but you actually
Couple this with overdraft fees, unstable paychecks,
have $40 because of an automatic bill pay. You go about
and all that... I think you can probably imagine how this
your day, and make four separate $5 purchases, and a
goes. It’s not good.
$45 purchase. You think $65 is safe to spend.

Of course, you actually have $40, so that means that TAKING ON DEBT
last purchase takes your account to -$25. That means
you’ll get hit for $35 in overdraft fees, for an account Okay so what do you do when you need something but
balance of -$60, right? you don’t have money? You take on debt. If you can
get a credit card, you get a credit card. If you can’t, you
Wrong. figure it out.
The bank can rearrange those charges, so the last In the US, the biggest culprit here is medical bills. If
charge, the $45 purchase, takes you into the negative you can’t afford a $50 doctor visit for necessary care,
before the others. So the $45 takes you into the you can go to an emergency room where they can’t turn
negative, then each of the $5 charges take you further you down. Stepping in the door costs $300, and you’re
into the negative, each giving their own overdraft fees. bound to walk out with a $1,500 bill. You just don’t pay
This means you accrue five overdraft fees, or $175. it. That $1,500 goes on your record. It hurts your credit.
That means your balance at the end of the day is -$200. It means you can’t get credit cards, and many apartments
Now, imagine your weekly paycheck is $240. will discriminate against you, requiring massive deposits
if they even allow you to rent. But, you’re alive, right?
You’re fucked. Not only are you broke until your That is, until you can’t afford the next $50 visit, and you
paycheck, but when it comes in, you have to get by for have to go back to the emergency room and rack up an
another week on $40. even bigger bill. This is one of the many reasons medical
bills are the single biggest cause of bankruptcy in the
US.

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 Another common debt scheme is “rent-to-own.” If
you need a refrigerator, a sofa, a computer, or any basic SALES TAXES
necessity of modern life, but you can’t afford it because The last thing worth considering is a weird one. Sales
saving just isn’t possible with your pay scale and tax. A lot of people consider sales tax to be one of
schedule, you can get it rent-to-own. If you need $500 the only truly fair forms of taxation, since it hits every
for a serviceable refrigerator and can’t afford that, the expenditure equally.
rent-to-own price of $27 per week sounds much more
reasonable. Besides, there’s no way your shitty car can But does it?
get a refrigerator home. You just sign on the dotted line,
and a few days later you have a fridge. The part they The thing about sales taxes are, they don’t affect
don’t tell you is that they’re wrapping a $200 delivery things like savings and investment income. If you’re just
and installation fee into the cost. Then with their high hoarding away the majority of your wealth and using
interest rate (called a service fee so as to avoid interest it to accrue more wealth, you don’t really have to deal
laws,) you end up paying $27 a week until you’ve paid with sales tax so long as it’s just moving from account to
about $1,400. That $500 refrigerator costs almost account like a thief in the night.
three times as much. And unlike a shopper with a chunk
of cash on hand or a good credit card, you can’t go On the other hand, poor people have to deal with
shopping around for sale prices—that $500 refrigerator sales tax on almost every purchase they make. So this
might be on clearance at your local electronics shop for is one of many ways the poor pay a higher tax rate than
$300 with free shipping. In the end, the poor person the wealthy. It’s also an unfair burden, because frankly,
paid nearly five times the cost someone with $300 the least fortunate have the most need, yet they’re
available had to spend. paying the same rate. A 6% sales tax isn’t going to hurt
a wealthy person buying a luxury car. But to a poor
person, a 6% sales tax actually looks like a meaningful
MOVING EXPENSES chunk out of an already meager paycheck.

#THINKPOOR
People have to move houses from time to time—that’s
a fact of life. Poor people tend to have that need a little
more often than average, though. After all, fluctuating,
unstable pay means sometimes rent’s just too much. It
can also just mean you’ve been evicted and need to find
a solution, quick.

If you need to move quick, and you’re moving because

you don’t have any money, you can’t just get a moving
company to help you out. Often, you also don’t have the
privilege of taking time off work. So, you’ve got to move
quick, move light, and move in your spare time. This can
mean throwing things away, or leaving things when you
go. If you don’t have a friend who can help you move
your refrigerator, this means you have to get a new one
in the new place. Tough shit. What do you do? Well, you
go to a payday lender. Or you get it rent-to-own. Or
you get a shitty used one on Craigslist. See how this
cycle goes? Repeat this for numerous appliances, basic
entertainment needs, and essential furniture. Do this
enough, and you start living out of cardboard boxes. Did
you know that push comes to shove, you can use a box
cutter and quickly turn a cardboard box into a simple
dresser? This is a fact of life when you’re too poor to
stay in one place.

Most people take for granted the startup costs

associated with a new place to live. Just simple stuff like
school supplies and utility deposits are a huge, taxing
issue for people who had to move because they were
broke. This perpetuates that cycle, guaranteeing they
never get off on the right foot.

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Thesis: Most modern legal systems are established with certain
assumptions of truth in mind. These systems use a complex balance
between affected parties, law enforcement, attorneys, judges, and
juries in order to achieve what is believed to be a good faith attempt
at fairness. In reality, profit incentives, racial and social prejudices, and
media biases build inherent inequity in these types of systems. While
they may work suitably for large swaths of the population, there exist
fringes who receive unfair treatment either in or against their favor.
The privileged are all but immune to the law. While the marginalized
see overwhelming, disproportionate effects from it. Most unaffected
people are unaware of any but the most sensational ways this occurs.

Disclaimer: This is holy shit 101 level stuff, very broad

brush stuff, and very much based on my experiences
with the United States’s legal system, and from friends’
and loved ones’. None of this is presented as hard facts
or legal advice. It’s mostly to give some perspective
for people who have never had to deal with these
problems. Dig deeper and go searching for the way
injustice manifests in legal systems if that’s a thing you’re
interested in exploring. Also there’s a heavy California
focus since the default setting is San Jenaro California.

#THEIRLAW

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When people talk about legal systems and the Rule Now I said that case hurt me meaningfully, even
of Law, they’re usually trying to ascribe some degree though it was thrown out. I think it stands as a pretty
of objectivity to systems. If the law, as written, is the good example of how the system can fuck poor people
guiding force, and to change that, we must change the despite being “objective.” First off, if I wasn’t driving a
law, then everyone’s treated as fairly as possible, right? shitty beater of a 78 Caprice Classic, I probably wouldn’t
have been pulled over.
Well, in a perfect world maybe? But these systems
are built by humans, the laws are written by humans, I knew I had a light out, but I had to wait until the
and they’re interpreted and enforced by humans. Every following Friday’s paycheck to fix it.
step of the process, there’s more bias introduced.
You can make robots enforce your laws, but the laws If I was pulled over anyway, but had a prestigious
were still established by human beings and the robots position to lean on, I could have talked my way out of
programmed by humans. Objectivity is a myth. arrest. After all, a doctor probably has reasons to carry
around chemicals, right?
So who benefits? In systems like most of the readers
of this book will experience, the beneficiaries are When you’re arrested, everyone finds out. It doesn’t
people who can afford good attorneys. This works on matter if you’re guilty or innocent. The second one
both sides—a good attorney can turn a questionable person hears you were arrested, your entire community
case into a slam dunk, and turn a no-brainer conviction knows. That means fewer job prospects. That means
into a slap on the wrist. This is maybe most obvious in less trust from support networks. Even if you’re proven
copyright and trademark cases. Companies like Disney innocent, that damage is done.
can sue the pants off anyone even approaching their
In that case, I was on my way to my job. I had limited
property, while they can just straight-up crib artists’
phone access, and had to reach out to my family. They
work and sell it with little to no modification.
told my job what happened, but I was still written up as
a no-call, no-show, because at shitty hourly jobs, if you
DEALING WITH COPS

#THINKPOOR
don’t call yourself, they give zero quarter. I lost a raise
over that writeup.
When it comes to the day-to-day criminal justice
system, if a cop wants to arrest you, there’s really little While I didn’t stay in custody that night, I still had
to stop that. If you resist arrest, you’re dead. If they to return for two different court dates. From what I
don’t have foundation, you’ve got the choice of being understand, it should have been a single meeting, in
shot, giving in, or trying to mount a legal defense that and out. But there was some complication I don’t even
could take months or even years and cost more money understand, so it had to be rescheduled. I later spoke
than you’ve made in your entire life with no guaranteed to an attorney who said it was ridiculous, and that she
success. could have talked the judge out of the reschedule, and
she does it every day. One of the two days, I was able
Bringing it back to #iHunt, hunters have to regularly to use the last of my five paid sick days/vacation days
engage in illegal activity. Of course, there’s this weird for the year. The other? I just had to eat that day’s
layer of the supernatural overtop it all, but there’s a paycheck. When you’re making $300 a week, a $60
lot of mundane legal wiggle room that can mean the dent in that paycheck can be downright disastrous. Try
difference between a routine traffic stop and life in telling your landlord, “I was arrested and had a court
prison. Are you familiar with acetone? It’s a simple date so I missed work, sorry.” I promise you, they don’t
chemical that’s commonly used in nail polish. Did you care that you were found innocent.
know you can be arrested if you have it in the back of
your car in an unmarked bottle? I know this because I chose this example because it’s very benign. Every
I’ve dealt with this before. I had it for college project. step of the way, if my circumstances were better,
It’s perfectly legal—you don’t even need a permit. it would have ended there, no problems. Instead it
But because the cop said it’s used to clean meth and cascaded outward into more complication and impact.
cocaine, he said he had reason to arrest me. This was of I was wrongly targeted in ways other people wouldn’t
course ridiculous, and was eventually thrown out. But it have been. Now, there are factors which could have
did meaningful harm to my life despite all that. Hunters made this downright deadly. If I were black, for example,
can have all sorts of suspicious shit in their cars. Often, I might not have survived the initial arrest. A lot of
they have actually illegal shit. There’s only so much you variables go into just how complicated dealing with the
can break down a weapon for storage before it’s no criminal justice system can be. But it’s best to look at
longer practical to put back together on the scene. the system as a series of dominoes. If you remove one
from the chain, they stop falling. The more dominoes
you have, the longer they’ll keep going.

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 For #iHunters, this means their neighborhoods are
DEALING WITH FINES typically hotbeds of police scrutiny. Hunters come in
Fines are another way the system disproportionately and out at all hours of the night, so they’re prime targets
affects the poor. Imagine two people, one financially for overzealous police with chips on their shoulders.
comfortable, and one poor. Both of them get a $200 If they have to visit affluent clients, they have to be
fine. For the comfortable person, that fine is annoying. careful to blend in and not draw attention, since they
For the poor person, it’s catastrophic. The comfortable often look like what a cop thinks a criminal looks like.
person might have to skip their Starbucks for a few A single gunshot in an affluent neighborhood can draw
days. The poor person might have to borrow money down an entire SWAT team.
from friends, pawn some possessions, or work extra Conversely, if a hunter has to work in a poor
shifts. Sometimes it’s just not possible to squeeze out neighborhood—which is common since a lot of
an extra $200. So then it become a matter of skipping monsters nest in those areas—they have a bit more
meals or going to jail. leeway outside of a cop’s immediate attention. In a lot
This is also presuming both parties even get a $200 of these places, a gunshot or even a small explosion
fine. If you’re barely scraping by, paycheck-to-paycheck, won’t even pique a cop’s interest. While they might not
you’re probably compromising on some of your legal pay the same degree of attention, they still take a “shoot
responsibilities. Like in my example on the previous first, ask questions later” attitude.
page with the car light; it was a $20 fix but I just couldn’t
take care of it until my paycheck. So if that $200 fine LICENSING & PAPERWORK
was for a traffic violation, I might have also gotten
another $70 for the light. Then that $20 light problem A lot of law ultimately comes down to paperwork, and
becomes a $90 light problem, and that immediate $200 paperwork is a money issue. Say you’re in San Jenaro
becomes $270. California, and you’re offered a lucrative gig in Baja
California (part of Mexico) clearing out a town a medical
Towing is another good example of a fine that hits firm used as a testing ground and that ended up full of
poor people harder than comfortable people. Towing hungry dead. That’s a ton of money for a straightforward
companies don’t all have the best office hours, and if job. But what if you’re one of the 64% of Americans
you can’t take off work and immediately pay a sizeable who don’t have a passport? Crossing the border both
chunk of money because you don’t have a credit card ways makes that job more dangerous than just killing a
with a big enough limit, welcome to the world of late hundred flesh-eating corpses.
fees. If your car’s only worth $500 to begin with,
sometimes it’s not even worth getting your car out of Getting a passport’s about $150 and it takes 8 weeks.
the lot. You can spend an extra $60 to get it in about half
that time, if you’re lucky. But this kind of job is Right
Fucking Now because those monsters aren’t going to
INCREASED SCRUTINY wait four weeks for processing. Here’s the other weird
Police have a different relationship with different part: Poor people are much less likely to have the
neighborhoods depending on a number of factors, necessary documentation to get a passport. Because
but race and class are the biggest. In predominantly poverty is often generational, some people simply do
affluent, white neighborhoods, police tend to be very not have documents like birth certificates, because their
hands-off but ready to strike at a moment’s notice. If parents just never bothered. If you’re in that situation at
a resident calls the cops, they’re on the scene quickly, 30 years old, welcome to the delightful experience of
and more importantly, they’re inherently going to side trying to chase down baptismal records from a church
with the person calling. They’ll swiftly move into action, that closed when the Simpsons was still good. Even if
doing whatever they can to protect class interests you find the utterly absurd documents that pass for
and property from the savage barbarians threatening non-standard identification, you’ve got a human on the
civilization. other side of a desk in Washington DC who determines
whether or not it’s sufficient, and you’ll find out in a
In a poor or non-white neighborhood, police patrol few weeks. Of course, if you’re affluent, you can just
adversarially, looking for problems. If someone calls talk to an attorney service who specializes in passport
the police, the cops generally assume everyone’s in the applications. Just a few hundred dollars extra, and you
wrong. Accusers clearly invited whatever happened, have a passport in hand in 24 hours.
asked for it, or made it up. Offenders are presumed not
just guilty, but armed and dangerous. One wrong move
ends in gunfire.

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 Now extend similar logic to all the other documentation
a person might need. A driver’s license? Yeah that’s a INHERITANCE?
gigantic pain in the ass. A lot of poorer people simply You know how most millennials don’t own homes? Well,
don’t bother getting a driver’s license, even though there’s one way they sometimes get houses, and that’s
they drive regularly. Sure, they get arrested if they’re through inheritance. Home ownership might seem like
pulled over. But often times they’re not sure if there’s a a nice prospect, since it means no longer paying rent.
warrant out for their arrest, and if going to get a driver’s Costs of living adjust. You move some of that money into
license will immediately draw police attention. It’s not fixing up the house. Then, all of a sudden, you realize
as if they can just ask a cop if they’re on good terms. just how bad property taxes can be. Especially in places
In many places, basic service workers need licenses like California, a viable working class home purchased
which can be more complicated than expected. In in the 1970s or 1980s is now a fairly valuable chunk
California for example, everyone who works in preparing of land. If the parents weren’t paying, that can accrue
or serving food needs a food handler’s card. It’s cheap a fairly massive property tax backlog. When a $25,000
and fairly easy; it’s $8 and a two hour class. It’s a legal bill shows up unexpectedly, life can change overnight.
requirement, and you can be fined if caught without For this reason, entire cottage industries have popped
one. Now, to get one, you need a state ID. For most up to prey on new inheritors. A couple of upwardly
people that means a driver’s license. As of today, you mobile former attorneys start a franchise of buying tax
don’t need proof of citizenship for this, but it changes delinquent homes for pennies on the dollar, then turning
from governor to governor, and not everyone keeps around and selling them at market value. Sure, you can
up with the way the laws ebb and flow. So, if you’re try to sell the home yourself, but nobody wants to pay
not a documented citizen for whatever reason—there’s off that tax lien. When the state’s threatening to take
a million reasons you should be able to figure out if your home, and our upwardly mobile former attorneys
you think about these previous sections—you might come to your door with a check for $40,000, you see
find yourself discouraged from getting that mandatory a way out of that tax debt. Even though your parents’

#THINKPOOR
license. This limits your employment opportunities, and home might be worth $400,000, and their entire lives’
sets you up for fines. All over an $8 card. savings, you sign the fucking deal because you have no
other choice.
DEATH AND TAXES
Did you know that in America, the poor pay higher tax HEALTH INSURANCE
rates than the rich? This is a common misconception, The average American household spends about
because conservative propaganda would have you $10,000 on healthcare every year. If you’re unfamiliar
believe the wealthy are put upon philanthropists holding with the system, this is the very basics:
up the entirety of the nation on their shoulders. There’s a
lot of reasons they pay less in taxes. The simplest reason Premiums: These are the regular monthly payments
is that most of their money isn’t classified as income; it’s you have to make for basic coverage.
mostly capital gains, which is taxed differently. Part of
it comes from write-offs; your average billionaire writes Deductibles: This is the minimum amount you have to
off more every year than your entire family will make in spend before receiving financial coverage. For example,
a hundred lifetimes. There’s a lot of other reasons, but a common deductible is $2,000. This means that until
just go with me. It’s a fact—they pay less. you’ve spent $2,000 out of pocket on medical care,
your health insurance does fuck-all.
Things like sales taxes add an unbalanced burden. A
7 or so percent sales tax hits almost everything a poor Co-Pays: After you’ve met your deductible, the co-pay
person buys, whereas a wealthy person only pays it on is how much you pay of the final bill. The average is
a small portion of their income. about 20%.

Income taxes are a quagmire. If you’re working a Let’s run a not-so-hypothetical. Say, you’re me, paying
“normal” position, you have to do the guesswork of $500 a month for healthcare. Your daughter is born, and
claiming exemptions, and either the government takes the bill is $27,000. “Hypothetically.” Take off $5,000 for
more than they need and you have less cash in pocket my deductible. That’s $22,000. My co-pay was 20%, so
until a year-end refund, or at the end of the year you’re $4,400. I was paying $500 per month, $6,000 per year for
hit with a massive bill that’s damned near guaranteed to healthcare coverage, and my daughter’s bill was $9,400
accrue late fees. If you’re working a freelance job, say, out of the original $27,000. This is why healthcare is the
#iHunt, taxes cost double since you pay your own self- single most common cause of bankruptcy in the United
employment tax, and it’s all on you to figure out. Read: States. In #iHunt, it’s probably the single most common
You will get fucked at the end of the year. Period. reason people hunt monsters.

275
3
Thesis: The system works in accordance with specific, rigid rules. The
system in accordance with its rules doesn’t work for the poor. To live
within a hostile system, deigned outsiders must adapt to survive. Thus,
the poor who have survived this long by and large have learned to
adapt and bend the rules sufficiently to allow them necessary access.
Further, by extension, the poor have developed methods for dealing
with everyday life, methods which your average non-poor person
might not understand. For this reason, it’s important to lay out some
of these adaptive skills, tricks, and tools, so a person who doesn’t
understand can properly portray a fictional character.

These sorts of adaptations are survival tools. It might not seem like it. After all, does
anybody really need an iPhone? Understand that when I’m talking about survival, I’m
not just talking about very basic human needs to keep the heart pumping. I’m talking
about the basics required to be a fully operational participant in society. Not everyone
needs an #iPhone, but some do in order to maintain a semblence of normalcy. It’s
hard to be treated as an equal when you’re poor, and often it’s just a matter of certain
trappings that makes the difference between normalcy and alienation. Sometimes,
when people look at you and don’t start judging you based on the fact that you don’t
have a smartphone, that means the difference between an okay day and a day that
ruins your life forever. Often, those people judging you hold all the cards, so it can
literally be life-saving to trick them into not passing judgment.

#LIFEHACKS Ethics disclaimer: Some of this shit is illegal. Some can hurt small
businesses. I can say this is a game about murdering people for
money so it’s all okay, but you know as much as I do that here I’m
talking about very real scenarios that happen in the real world, not
ghouls and goblins. Understand that sometimes poor people steal
bread to survive. And sometimes they do unethical shit. Deal with
it. Just never, ever fuck a tipped worker out of their wages.

Simple hack: If you need a suit for just one job interview, pay attention to return
policies. Scotch tape a piece of cardboard to the tags so they don’t crease, since the
store knows to look for creased tags. Carefully tuck the tag into the collar, or use a
cleverly applied scarf. Be extra sure that if you eat in it, you use a napkin as a bib. You
cannot return a suit with a ketchup stain. Never, ever use this technique twice at the
same store, or even at the same shopping mall.

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 FOOD HACKS
I’ll start off with some simple tricks for procuring food in a pinch. Some
of these are US-centric, but #iHunt is too. So...

Mystery Shopping: This works for food and other stuff, although with
other stuff you tend to just get a discount, not fully free. It’s simple:
You sign up for a mystery shopping dispatcher. The only real trick here
is that you have to inflate your income when they ask. If you tell them
you’re broke, they won’t hire you. They want middle to upper middle
class shoppers. Fill out their surveys and jump through all their hoops,
and you can land yourself a nice dinner every week or so. Pay close
attention to their reimbursement policies, too. If you go to a $10 a
plate place and they tell you they’ll reimburse $30, bring a friend and
order an additional entree to take home. Then your friend owes you a
meal and you’ve got microwave dinner for the next night.

Prepared Meals: This one takes a little finesse, up-front investment,

and risk. On one day, you buy a prepared meal from a grocery store.
Something like a rotisserie chicken is best because of the hand-wavey
policies they use for keeping food fresh. Later that night, right before
closing, you call the store with a sob story about how the food wasn’t
sufficient. Be specific. Don’t get hostile—get sympathetic. You tell
them you grabbed the meal after a long shift, and how it was so dry
What about a garden? your dog wouldn’t eat it, how it was clearly left out overnight. Tell them

#THINKPOOR
to feed your kids, you had to order pizza you couldn’t afford. Play the
What about a fucking garden, Susan? grift right, and they’ll take down your name and tell you that the next
Yes, if you grow your own vegetables, time you come in, your meal is on them.
you can sustain yourself organically Apps: Some fast food apps have sign-up bonuses and frankly absurd
and ethically, while cutting down on coupons.
blah blah blah fuck off. If you want to
maintain a garden and can maintain a Reward Clubs and Coupons: Read the fine print on your store
garden, good for you. Do it. membership cards, save coupons, and play them creatively. There’s
a popular drug store chain in the US known for giving cash back
The thing is, gardens take a lot of vouchers that are sometimes worth as much or even sometimes more
time, and a lot of space. Sure, you can than the items you’re buying, if you couple them with manufacturer
do complex hydroponics systems and coupons. If you buy a six pack of soda for $3.99 from that store, and
you can grow lettuce on your apartment they’re giving a $3 cash back coupon, and you’ve got a 30% off coupon,
you’ve gained twenty cents. This might not sound like much, but it
windowsill or whatever, but we’re really
adds up quick. Then couple this with things like food stamps. You use
not talking about a setup that’s simple your food stamps, which can only be used for food, then you walk out
and sustainable enough for someone with $3 you can use for anything in a drug store. That’s diapers. That’s
working two or three jobs. That window bandages. That’s condoms.
lettuce is good for a few salads here or
there, and the up-front investment of Samples: Go to a nicer mall or a big box store on the weekend. Spend
both time and money ends up being a an hour “shopping around.” Don’t be picky, and you can net what
huge burden for an urban worker with amounts to a free meal.
negligible payoff. Birthday Rewards: Many restaurants offer free or “free with purchase”
dishes on your birthday. Do some digging and sign up for one with a
Now, some hunters have been known fake birthday every two weeks. Then you get to eat out at a different
to operate as urban farmers. This is rare, place every two weeks.
but possible. It’s an okay day job, selling
to farmers’ markets and what have Movie Extras: If you can, sign up to be an extra in a movie. Not only
you. But it also takes a lot of up-front will you get three acceptable meals from craft services, you’ll also get
investment that your average hunter a paycheck for standing around and eating. For big productions, this
means signing up in advance. But for mid-budget movies and TV, they
can’t afford.
advertise for next-day positions on Craigslist.

277
Meal Kit Apps: There are a lot of services popping up that offer meal Maybe it’s a given, but if you’re
kits delivered to your door. You’ve probably heard of them on your using the less ethical of these tricks
favorite podcast. While they’re generally expensive as hell, they at stores, be careful which stores
often have sign-up bonuses where you get your first three meals or you use. There are a few huge
whatever for free. Use the free meals, then make sure you cancel.
considerations to keep in mind:
Parties: This one’s simple. Get invited to a party. Go to the party.
Eat as much food as you can get away with without looking weird.
Repeat Customer: You don’t want to
Make sure to socialize and bring that bag of chips that’s been sitting go to the same store over and over.
in your pantry for months so you don’t look like a freeloader. Space it out. Keep an eye on who is
working. You can consider morning
Temp Jobs: A lot of food service jobs are one-shots or short-term, and evening shifts to be separate
and part of the job means getting free meals on the clock. Banquet stores for this purpose.
servers are a good one for this. You can find ads online and work the
gig same day. You get paid in cash, and you get a fancy meal. You just Putting On The Ritz: Don’t get too
have to put up with rich people pretending you’re not human. But cocky and go to the rich people
that’s just everyday shit, right? stores. Rule of thumb is, you need
Part-Time Jobs: You can also just get a job, hippie. That is, a job to fit in. If there’s an unspoken dress
you work mostly for the food, not for the money. Check out your code and you’re under-dressed or
local arena district, and apply at the all you can eat Mongolian your hair cut is obviously too cheap,
barbecue. Tell them you’re interested in filling off-hour shifts like they’ll just call the cops.
Sunday mornings. These are the shifts where people don’t tip, so
these restaurants are practically begging for workers. You’ll work Don’t Shit Where You Eat: Don’t use
2-4 hours before being sent home, and you get your meal paid for. these tricks at poor people shops.
Two main reasons. The first is, you
Hotel Breakfast: At cheap to mid-range hotels, if you’ve got a probably go there anyway. You’re
suitcase in hand, a tired look on your face, and a Hawaiian shirt, you
likely to burn bridges or at least get
can walk on up to their breakfast bar and have a meal on the house.
talked shit about. It’s best to be a
Lie At The Drive Thru: When you’re ordering from the drive thru stranger. The second is, they know
window at a fast food place, especially during a huge dinner rush, these tricks because they’ve either
the cashier wants to get you in and out. So, you tell them that the seen them before or done them.
day prior, you had a mistaken order and you were told you’d get your
next order free. Don’t be greedy—just place a regular meal order.
Since they can’t afford to tie up the line, they’ll usually capitulate.

Make Friends: Make friends who work closing shifts in high-volume

places like fast food and short order restaurants. Bonus points if
they’re the closing manager. Go in right before closing, and offer
to help your friend clean up a little, and you can get yourself a free
meal. The trick is to make yourself useful. Everyone gets what you’re
doing, but at the end of the night, they’re throwing everything away
anyway.

First Class Dining: This one is risky and expensive up-front, but the
payoff is divine. I’m including it because a friend tried it when I was
younger, and I have to respect the grift. You have to buy a refundable
first class airline ticket. They’re expensive as HELL. We’re talking
thousands of dollars. The trick is simple. On the day of your flight
at most airlines, first class passengers are eligible for free food and
drinks in the first class lounge. So you check into security, you go to
the lounge, and you eat all the caviar your heart desires. Space it out,
make a day of it. Then, a few hours before the actual flight, you call
to reschedule the flight for the next day you want free food. With
first class refundable tickets, they do this practically no questions
asked. You can do this over and over so long as you’re willing to act
like an entitled rich asshole. If they start getting suspicious or giving
you shit about it, you refund your ticket.

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 Dumpster Diving: This is a time-honored tradition in
STUFF HACKS first world countries, where people throw away far more
Some ideas for getting goods and services on the cheap, than they need. It’s not always literal—sometimes it’s as
to get you thinking creatively. easy as driving by the curb when people throw things
away, and picking out the expensive stuff. Sometimes
Phone and Data: #iHunters need that data. You can’t do it is literal—you just jump in the dumpster and get what
work out of an app without a smartphone. You need the you need.
job because you’re broke as fuck. But you need money
to get the smartphone and the data. So what’s a person There are two real “tiers” of dumpster diving. You can
to do? do it for necessities, and you can do it for profit. For
necessities, it’s as simple as going to places that are
One simple trick to get an essentially “free” smartphone likely to have the things you need. If you need clothes,
is to just eat a contract termination fee. After all, your you find out when the clothing stores throw away
credit’s probably already fucked. To do this, you sign up their surplus. Often, this means making friends in the
for a ridiculous 2+ year contract with a major mobile right places. You can do this through more “legitimate”
provider. Get the best phone you can because you’re means by building a little network of workers in
not paying for it anyway. Then you get with a friend various industries, where you each trade free or deeply
who knows tech or just do some internet searching for discounted surplus with each other.
a service that unlocks phones. It’s quick and it’s easy.
The only downside is it voids your warranty, but, like, The other method is as a profit enterprise. This takes
warranties are for people who are paying their phone a little savvy and an eye for bargains. For example, look
bill. Now, you’ve got an unlocked phone. to the local university right at the end of the school year.
Both students and academic departments throw out far
With an unlocked phone, the next step is data. more than your average person expects. When students
graduate or go home, they’ll throw out expensive
Believe it or not, there are a couple of services out

#THINKPOOR
electronics they’re just too lazy and privileged to move.
there where you can actually get a free SIM card with Academic labs will often throw away bulk, outdated
free data. It’s not amazing, super fast data. It’s limited to supplies. For example, an old computer lab might throw
a couple hundred megabytes per month. But, it’s free. away 50 racks full of outdated SCSI hard drives and
You have to have a credit card on file, but you can use a disk interfaces. To the average person, this is garbage
$25 prepaid VISA card. It doesn’t matter. Since it’s free, you couldn’t give away at a thrift shop. But if you know
there’s no reason to not have a couple of these sitting the market, you know you can sell every single one of
around on standby in case you’re in a pinch. There are those drives for $50-200 apiece on Ebay. This is a niche
also some services where you can watch ads and fill out market, so you have to know your stuff and you have to
surveys for gift cards which can be used for mobile data. learn enough to test the individual devices, but learning
a little tech could double your annual income if you’re
You should also look at wifi hotspot database apps. willing to go digging through the university trash late
There are a few, which can mean free data in a pinch. Of at night.
course, this doesn’t work everywhere, but it can mean
the world when you have to download a 300mb scanned Community Marketplaces: Some people just have
PDF of a 13th century text on the demon you’re hunting. shit they don’t need, and want to give it away or sell
This is also a place where a little area knowledge goes it for next to nothing. If you have a friend with a truck,
a long way. Public libraries, shopping malls, fast food an internet connection, and a little patience, you
places, coffee shops, all these places have wifi—some can furnish an entire home for the cost of gas. If you
of the times it’s free, and it’s better to know in advance need a car, sometimes you can get one—not a great
instead of wasting your time scrambling for a free signal. one—if you’re willing to handle the paperwork and the
Portable wifi routers are also a good solution. While not emissions taxes. Smaller communities have even more
free, they’re cheap, and fit the on-the-go lifestyle of an reasonable, and more understanding networks for
#iHunter much better than home internet. These are sharing used possessions. For example, often teachers
nice because one can support an entire crew of hunters will have Facebook groups for sharing bulk resources
for on-location research montage scenes. since teachers spend their own money for supplies and
making every dollar stretch is important. #iHunters
A couple of savvy Phooeys have even started their in some cities have set up similar groups. After all, six
own wireless internet service providers. This takes a silver bullets aren’t much more expensive than one
fairly big investment to start up, but in the feast and silver bullet, and if you’re good, you only need one. This
famine world of #iHunting, a few dedicated crews in a has even resulted in a sort of secondary market, where
city can make it worthwhile. enterprising hunters take advantage of bulk pricing and
economy of scale to distribute to their fellows.

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Request Samples: You don’t always need brand
name perfumes and cosmetics. Just sometimes. Like SHELTER HACKS
job interviews, or those jobs where you have to go Now, a little bit on quick and (relatively) affordable
undercover at an upscale Congressional fundraiser ways to find a place to crash. All over the neoliberal
where a vampire is showing his face for the first time world, the rent’s too damn high. It’s no clearer than
in a century. For these situations, get samples. If you in San Jenaro, where a minimum wage worker has to
go to a store, you can sample things. That’s old hat. You work upwards of 120 hours per week to afford a one-
can do that with food, since you always need food. But bedroom apartment.
for cosmetic and toiletry samples, you need to plan in
advance. But if you go to company websites, you can This is especially tough for #iHunters, since they have
often request samples for the small price of signing up additional demands for privacy that other people might
for bullshit mailing lists. not. You can’t just find a roommate who will be okay
with your coming home at 3am, tracking blood all over
The Library: Libraries are an #iHunter’s best friend. Not the carpet.
only can you dig up all sorts of weird dirt on esoteric
occult topics, but you can keep yourself entertained on I talk about moving expenses a bit on >>PAGE
the cheap. On a boring stakeout? Your library has access 271. But keep in mind, people in poverty can live very
to audio books and ebooks, and can order damned near transient lives. #iHunters doubly so, since a monster
anything you request. In some cities, your library card finding out where they live can mean needing to move
can net you free or heavily discounted access to certain with zero notice. This means #iHunters can’t reliably
places like museums or sporting events. stockpile supplies. It’s fun to think of the “war room,”
where a crew of #iHunters store weapons and occult
Online Retailer Reviews: This one’s hit or miss, but paraphernalia. But in reality, an experienced #iHunter’s
can pay off in spades. You need to have a track record life tends to look more like a backpacker’s, with
for positive reviews, so sites like Amazon are a good everything they own and care about in a few choice
place to do this. A strong social media presence is also bags, usually kept in the trunk of a car. Many hunters
important. You simply find products that don’t have a will use their first few big contracts to get a nice place
lot of reviews, and are currently being aggressively with a basement for questioning minions. But then the
advertised (sponsored links on Amazon for example.) reality sets in when a wizard firebombs it and they have
Then, you request a review copy. Depending on your to hole up in the Motel 6 for a while. This is just one
record of reviews and your social media reach, companies added expense in the cost of living of a monster hunter.
will often jump at the chance to get a good review. This
isn’t a surefire bet, and requires a little perseverence, Friends: Always, always friends. In fact, this is the
but if you play your cards right, you can end up with primary reason #iHunters work in crews. A smart crew
top-of-the-line products you can turn around and sell can share in the rent, cover for when one person’s in
for a profit. a dry spell, and keep each other in high spirits. If one
person can maintain good credit, they can find better
Theft: This one should be a given. If you need rent, and have lower deposits. A fact of #iHunt life is
something, you find someone who has it, and you take that you never, ever get your security deposit back.
it. There’s a lot of room for debate about the ethics, who
it’s okay to steal from, and what things are okay to steal. Even outside the immediate circle of #iHunters, couch
But regardless of whatever debates may come, taking surfing is something a lot of people have to do from time
something is almost always on the table. to time. It’s difficult to maintain a hunting lifestyle, but
when has difficulty stopped anyone? You find a friend,
stay with them until you’ve outlived your welcome, and
you move onto the next. For a hunter, this can mean
putting unwitting friends in danger. Unfortunately that’s
just the way life works sometimes.

House Sitting: If you’re careful, you can get work house

sitting. If you’ve never heard of it, the idea is you take
care of a person’s home while they’re away on business
or leisure travel, or in a lot of cases, while they’re living at
a different property off-season. You stay in the person’s
home, sometimes with a small stipend for food, and you
take care of the home and often their pets. This is, in a
word, the life. You do very little work, and in return, you
live in a fancy-ass place for no rent.

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 Unlike a lot of other housing solutions, house sitting RV Life: This is related to urban camping. It requires
gives you access to a fully-stocked kitchen and all the an RV, which can be expensive (but see Community
basic amenities you could ever ask for. Between hunts, Marketplaces on >>PAGE 279, it’s not always that
you can kick back in front of a big-screen TV with a unreasonable.) It’s also nice for the #iHunting lifestyle
million channels. The downside is, you have to be extra because when your home’s on wheels, a monster can
careful not to take work home with you. There’s no never really find out where you life. It doesn’t mean they
room for tracking blood on the carpet. can’t leverage a pal in the police department to run your
license plates and cause hell for you that way. Also, it
Motels: Motels are an #iHunter’s best friend. This means never going without work if you’re willing to
seems unintuitive. After all, the dollar-for-dollar uproot and travel to another city. There might not be
breakdown seems worse than a cheap studio apartment. any good, active contracts in your city right now, but
However, there’s a lot of give-and-take that makes them you can always find a monster somewhere.
worth your time.
The one major downside to RV living is that most
First off, they’re furnished. Since an #iHunter tends to hunters need a vehicle for getting to and from jobs, and
live a fairly transient life, it’s nice to know you can just an RV just isn’t practical for everyday casual driving. In
go somewhere and collapse into a fresh-made bed. fact, a lot of crews who work around an RV maintain a
separate vehicle which they take along with them on
Second off, they don’t require deposits or credit checks.
their voyages, or they pick up a new car in each new city
Often you can pay in cash. But a cheap motel is the kind
they stop in.
of place that doesn’t care who you are, just that you can
pay. This saves time and headaches. At least one known hunter crew has taken this to
an interesting extreme—they live out of a semi trailer
Third off, you’re not the only criminal there. There’s a
they’ve turned into a portable home. One of the crew
good argument for sticking to seedier motels where
drives from city to city taking small-time trucking
possible. After all, every drug dealer between you and

#THINKPOOR
contracts, while the other members hunt. Once the
the cops is a buffer zone. Of course, this also means you
monster contracts (or the hunting contracts) dry up,
can’t go flashing cash everywhere, and you can’t walk in
they move on to the next city. Another does the same
and out wearing expensive headphones, because your
with a small house boat. Huge up-front cost, but that
room will get robbed.
stops being a concern once rent drops to zero.
Squatting: There are two empty homes for every
These options all have complexities involved, like
homeless person in America. If you know your shit, you
showering. This means creative solutions, like relying on
can find one and stick around until you’re kicked out.
truck stop showers. Nomadic life also requires creative
This one can be dangerous. In many places, it’s legal to
budgeting, and the ability to adapt quickly. Sometimes,
open fire on a squatter.
you need to take a job for a couple of days to cover an
Now, I don’t want to get too detailed about this unexpected expense. If there aren’t any good contracts
process, because it’s immensely case-by-case. There on #iHunt that can be turned around quickly, this means
are detailed guides to successful squatting online. getting a gig bartending or using whatever unique skills
Depending on the location, you can have legal you happen to have.
protections afforded to you. In some places, squatters
Storage Units: $35 a month for a 10 x 20 space?
have remarkable amounts of rights, almost as many as
There’s nowhere you can get an apartment like that.
full-fledged renters. I recommend that if this is a thing
Unless you’re willing to camp in a storage unit. Of
you want to focus your #iHunt stories on, do a little
course, policies and sometimes laws will get in the way,
research. See how it works, and how it can enhance the
but push comes to shove, you’ll do what you’ve got to
drama you’re creating. If you’re just using it as a one-off
do. In fact, many of these places are used to people
story feature, make it up and roll with it, because the
camping in their units. After all, it’s far safer than full
possibilities are so varied that any given thing you come
homelessness. So, if you’re able to play nice and work
up with could be true. Look up “Adverse Possession” for
with the employees and not make a lot of noise, it’s an
some interesting details.
absolutely viable if not ideally comfortable situation.
Urban Camping: This isn’t unlike squatting, depending
Understand that for many of these examples, the
on the specific details. The idea is, you set up a tent, and
penalties generally include being kicked out, or being
you make yourself at home. Depending on where you
arrested for trespassing. So long as you don’t have an
choose and the locality, this can go relatively smooth
active record or warrant, that’s not a huge issue for
or it can result in constant hassles. If you do it legally,
someone facing death day-in and day-out.
at a designated site, it can be a cheap alternative to
traditional rent.

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Thesis: In a society built around a robust service economy, service
becomes an expectation, but in a broader sense than acknowledged
on face value. Workers and young people are expected to shoulder a
massive emotional burden. The weight of the dying world is on their
shoulders. In a world with more equity, these people would be able to
step aside when their mental and emotional reserves are exhausted.
However, the persistent, endless intensity of modern life asserts that
those who step aside fall behind, and those who fall behind are left
behind and can never catch up. This leads to a constant sense of grind,
where people must erode themselves until nothing is left. No matter
what these working people do, it can never be enough.

Ethics disclaimer: The title of this

section refers to a popular metaphor
for the energy levels of people with
disability or chronic fatigue, to help
people understand those differences in
daily life. The reference here though is
asserting that society doesn’t respect
those limits, no matter who draws them
or why. Read up on it. It’s interesting.

#SPOONS

282
Everyone has their limits. Due to physical and mental
health concerns, some people’s limits come sooner than
others. Once you hit your limit, you’re exhausted. You’re
done. You need to replenish your reserves.

But here’s the thing: If you’re at the bottom, the world

doesn’t care. The world doesn’t give a shit about your
limitations, and if you can’t push forward in spite of
those limits, the world throws you away.

The working poor are “the help.” They’re not just

expected to serve the customer, but they’re expected
to do it with a smile, and they’re expected to go above
and beyond their job descriptions to do so. It doesn’t
matter if the job application said you will only need to
lift 15 pounds. During the Christmas season, you’ll be
up and down that ladder carrying 30 pound toys for
twelve hours a day, and it doesn’t matter that your back
hurts and you’re doing irreparable harm to your body, AOC is the single youngest woman to ever be elected
because the customer is always right. to US Congress. She defeated one of the most powerful
Congresspeople in office, a remarkably successful
The entire concept of the “work ethic” comes down incumbent with massive party support and an entire
to the willingness to push oneself further than is safe political machine at his back.
or healthy, for the purpose of benefiting an employer.
Of course, people who are disabled or suffer chronic She comes from New York, from a Puerto Rican,
illness hit their limits sooner, and are not acknowledged Spanish, black, indigenous, European, Jewish mixed

#THINKPOOR
for hitting or even exceeding those limits until they’ve heritage, and was raised to hard working parents. In high
met and exceeded the same performance of those more school, she came in second in the Microbiology category
inherently capable. of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
with a microbiology research project. Her performance
This goes so far beyond work, though. You’ve seen was so impressive that MIT named an asteroid after
the headlines. “Millennials are killing fast casual her. She went on to work for a Senator’s office dealing
dining.” “Millennials are killing the diamond industry.” with immigration issues in college. She graduated from
“Millennials could afford homes if they’d just stop eating Boston University with honors in international relations
avocado toast.” and economics. A year ago as of the writing of this
These takes put the weight of the world economy on book, she was a bartender. Now, she’s one of the most
millennials’ shoulders—on low-wage workers’ shoulders. influential people in Congress at the age of 30. If there’s
Anything to deflect from the harmful systems which got a story of a person working hard to overcome their life’s
us in this mess. They give us a system that, by the rules situation to become successful, AOC’s is that story.
they set out, we can’t get by in. When we do get by, we Turn on the news, and she’s laughed at. She’s teased
do it with creativity, ingenuity, hard work, and selective for being a bartender—for being “the help.” She’s called
austerity. Yet, when we do these things necessary for ignorant, despite having an academic record that’s
survival, they point to those things and blame us for the objectively impressive by any realistic metric.
system. It’s cyclical, and there’s no way we can win.
AOC is the perfect example of why you can never
We’re told the reason we’re poor is because we don’t work hard enough. You can never perform well enough.
work hard enough. That with harder work, greater merit, You can never, ever do enough to validate yourself in the
greater intelligence, we can overcome these limitations. eyes of the ruling class. AOC is an honorary #iHunter.
Just “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” right?
But this is #iHunt to a T. The people on the ground,
2018 and 2019 gave us what is maybe the single best serving your drinks and cleaning your hotel room, the
example of how this entire concept is bullshit, in the people building your computers and taking your bill
form of United States Congress member Alexandria payment over the phone, they work their fucking asses
Ocasio-Cortez, further referred to as “AOC.” If you’re off. They grind themselves to the bone, and no matter
reading this, there’s a damned good chance you’ve what they do, it’s never enough to win.
seen news about her. She’s making a lot of waves in US
politics. And with good reason. The only difference is that in #iHunt, they’re fighting
literal monsters as a second, third, or fourth job.

283
His partner abuses him. You don’t get to see that when he hands you your croissant. Late at night he watches Youtube
videos to learn basic makeup tricks for hiding black eyes. If he drops the mask for a single second, if you fill in the
customer satisfaction survey and give him a 4 out of 5 instead of a 5 out of 5, he might not get that promotion. That
promotion is more than just a better schedule. It means the money for an apartment deposit, so he can get out. To him,
right here, right now, that promotion means freedom. That promotion means going home and not having to tiptoe and
hope his girlfriend doesn’t hear him. That promotion means the freedom to have friends home without being accused
of cheating. He has Crohn’s disease and every plate he delivers hurts. But he doesn’t have the privilege of resting,
recharging, or self-care. He can’t afford anything short of perfect performance, even if his body falls apart trying. So
y o u ’ l l never see the mask drop. All you see is a smile and an, “is there anything else I can get you?”

For people raised in the 80s and 90s, we were all given
the exact same story. If you just work hard and go to
college, you can be whatever you want to be. If you
don’t go to college, you’ll be stuck bagging groceries,
living paycheck-to-paycheck for the rest of your life.

Now, we all have advanced degrees, tens of thousands

of dollars in student loan debts, and we’re stuck bagging
groceries, living paycheck-to-paycheck for the rest
of our lives. Well, that is, until a machine replaces the
cashiers and customers are expected to bag groceries
for themselves. Then we’re in the unemployment line
struggling to validate our own suffering, or we’re driving
people all over town on some app in our personal
vehicles as “independent contractors.”

The worst part is, we’re still held to the highest

possible standards when we’re struggling with those
last-ditch options. When we’re driving that car on that
app, a 4 star review can irreparably harm us. When we
take a second job at a call center, one bad customer
review can cost us that job.

If you’ve never lived that dread, imagine it for a

moment. You have to wait 30 tables tonight. Any single
one of them could cost you your job. Every single one of
them comes through that door with baggage. They step
in with their alcohol addictions, with their bad attitudes,
with their breakups, with their ruined birthdays.

They think they’re entitled to not only your time

and attention, but your emotional labor. They
expect you to put on such good airs that
your mood will rub off on them and give
them a good time. Every single person has
a different idea of how much time you should
spend interacting with them—often different
amounts of time for different people at the same
table. If you engage too little, that’s bad. If you engage
too much, that’s bad, too. So you have to be a mind
reader.

284
At a certain point, right around the fourth time the disability office told her they lost her application paperwork, she had
to start assuming it was intentional, and she’d never be approved. So she waits tables on Saturdays and Sundays. Not
that this is her only job. She works Monday through Friday at the library. But thanks to the mayor’s budget cuts, she has
to falsify her time cards so she doesn’t get paid overtime. Her landlord didn’t care about the mayor’s budget cuts when
he raised her rent by 10% this year. She suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia, so she can’t help but perceive every kid
asking for a copy of Where the Wild Things Are and every Half Caf Americano with Cinnamon is an attack, someone
watching her, someone plotting against her. She’ll never hurt anyone, because she’s even more afraid of what the police
will do. She’s more in control than your average person on the street. But for her, control is a survival skill. She has to
face that Hell for 60 hours a week and she has to face every second of it with a smile. Dante couldn’t do what she does.

You’re waiting 30 tables, but really you should only

be waiting 20. Connie called off. That means you’ve
got to move at 150% speed or else the tables are going
to think you’re not fast enough. Except who are we
kidding, even if you only had 10 tables, there’s no way
you could move fast enough for some of these people
because Tom in the kitchen can only make so many
sandwiches in a fucking hour.

Look at those 30 tables, and understand that if you

#THINKPOOR
fuck any single one of them up, it can change your life
forever. It can ruin you. You can be sent home and told
not to come back. Then you miss rent. Then you need
to get a new place. This takes a deposit you can’t afford
without a new job. This means going to ten interviews
and practically begging since you’re in competition with
a hundred people your age who are all prettier than
you. You could always check out that call center your
friends work at, but their training is four weeks long and
training only pays minimum wage. Minimum wage won’t
even pay the rent, let alone a deposit. Besides, the bus
line doesn’t go there so you’ll have to walk a half mile to
and from the office. Does the bus even run after 11pm?

So you look at every fucking table and you go up and

you smile, and you give it your all because your entire
fucking life is riding on that table. And you repeat it
thirty more times tomorrow, and maybe forty more
times the day after because now Connie knows you’ll
cover for her because you’re a team player and—

This is what we deal with, every fucking day, seven

days a week. Welcome to the real world.

Want to kill some fucking monsters now? Vampires are

$5,000 a head. That’s over 300 hours in the restaurant
business.

285
 Chapter Thirteen. At last we left our hero, we were

CHAPTER 2:
#BAITTHELINE
LANA'S STORY
about to discuss how she got into that room with a
vampire chained to a chair, ready to behead him.
"Do you even realize I'm right here? I can hear you!"
I look to the vampire and roll my eyes. Then I swing
my machete in a wide arc, taking his head with one
clean chop.
Let's go back two weeks. Or as they call it in Ye
Olde Woyrld, "a fortnight ago." I was on my sofa,
smoking a bowl, trying to relax after a long week
of looking for a new day job because the monster
hunting's been shitty lately.
Chapter Thirteen is all about the #iHunt app, so let
me tell you about that side of the business. We had
a war in the vampire world that killed more than half
the local vampire population in the novel #iHunt:
The Chosen One, so a lot of the hunting contracts
had just vanished. A lot of hunters were finding it
really fucking hard to make ends meet, because most
of the contracts on the app are vampire contracts,
and they're generally the most reliable money since
they're fairly easy and pay fairly well, and then all of
a sudden that dries up.
Basically, San Jenaro had hunters all over the place
scrambling for work, competing for contracts, and
taking side jobs to make ends meet. You know, more
than normal. I was looking for any work I could get.
I hate this process so much. It's a lot of hurry up and
wait, and interview after soul-sucking interview in
hopes that someone will throw me $15 an hour to be
demeaned by shitty customers. It's really hard to go
back to $15 an hour when I'm used to $5,000 for a
werewolf head.
Sometimes my girlfriend Natalie tells me my work is
awful, that it's destroying my body and will eventually
kill me. Then I'm reminded of the last time I had to
work retail. Having to stand in one place for ten hours
a day, only to go home with back pains and having
to return six hours later for morning shift. The same
store where a disgruntled white supremacist customer
shot one of my friends. The real difference is, with
#iHunt, at least I'm making pretty good money, and
making my own hours. I'm not killing myself for less
than the cost of a health insurance premium.

286
 I swipe through the jobs. It's mostly scam I went almost two weeks without a single
gigs. You'd be surprised to find how many fucking lead. Nothing worth pursuing. I spent
#iHunt gigs are variations on, "I want a strong hours swiping through the app between job
woman who can kick some ass to come and applications and interviews. Job interviews
pose for me while I beat off in a sock." Like, were all the same. "We'll call you if there's a
motherfucker, there are apps for that. Go look fit." The universal sign for "We had way more
on those. No kink shaming, but on #iHunt, applicants than we could hire, so we're going
it's monster hunters looking for monsters to to go with the one we think we can exploit the
fucking hunt. I think the violation of trust is part most."
of what gets them off. They want to pressure
a desperate woman into doing something she I was getting nervous—what little bit of cash I
didn't want. The worst part is, those guys never had saved up was drying quickly. I had a little
pay. They just say you didn't kill the monster infection I was afraid was going to blow up
they didn't even fucking ask you to kill, and into a full-grown thing. I had some antibiotics
because #iHunt's policies are shit, you have I'd been saving for a while, but probably not
zero recourse. enough to curb it if it got bad.

There's also a lot of poorly categorized gigs. Then I stumbled upon Joey. $6,000 (I lied
Sometimes you'll see a great gig with good pay about how much they were offering.) He was a
and a reasonable mark. You get all excited, night stalker style vampire, preying on young
then it's like, "Meet up with us at our house women in Palo Verde. Those are my favorite
in New York." It turns out they either entered gigs because there's absolutely no moral and
the location wrong, or they were shitheads and ethical ambiguity. You're doing the world a
didn't bother at all. favor, and getting paid for it. It's like working
for Greenpeace.
There's also a lot of scam gigs. There's a few
guys from maybe India who post ads like the Joey looked like the end to my dry spell. I
old classic Nigerian Prince scams. They'll tell claimed the job before I even finished reading
you that they're interested in giving you a huge the listing because I was afraid someone else
up-front cash payment to kill a dragon or would grab it first.
some shit, and all you need to do is wire them Fortunately, my girlfriend Natalie's a vampire,
some funds to verify your bank account. I wish and she knew Joey. She said he was trying to
I could say there aren't any #iHunters stupid build a little vampire gang to fill the power
enough to fall for that shit, but I've met some vacuum left by the Battle of Palo Verde, which
really fucking stupid #iHunters in my day. is what everyone was calling the vampire war
The last category of shitty listing is the ones that wiped so many of them out. And unlike
where it's just completely impractical. A lot of with some of my jobs, Natalie was pretty openly
jobs on #iHunt would cost more in expenses into the idea of my killing Joey. Apparently in
than they're paying, and they don't cover addition to being a vampire, he was also a
expenses. You can just look at most hauntings, raging misogynist who did a horrible job of
and immediately think about what it'd take to cleaning up after himself. A lot of vampires
handle the job, and nope the fuck right out. were quietly hoping someone would kill him.
Anything with a particularly high chance of Unfortunately vampires have laws against
injury applies here, since nobody pays medical killing each other. Well, or fortunate for me,
expenses on #iHunt. because that meant I got offered money for it.
This was shaping up to be a great gig. See
me in Chapter Fourteen for more.

287
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
#iHUNT
(#iHUNTING, OTHER HUNTERS, AND APPS)
You're reading this massive book about #iHunt and I realize
there should probably be a chapter about, you know, #iHunt.
WHO DOWNLOADS #IHUNT?
There's a little bit in chapter one about the real basics of how Realistically speaking, most people never think twice
the app works and the day-to-day life of an average #iHunter. about #iHunt's existence, and what it means for the world.
But that's real surface level shit. Pretty superficial. In this But when a person gets confronted by monstrosity, they
chapter, we're going to talk more specifically about how the think, "Shit. Isn't there an app for this?"
#iHunt app can influence your stories, how the gig economy
should influence them, and the other apps that have sprung Think about it. Have you seen ads for a malpractice
up in the wake of #iHunt's success. attorney? There's a good chance you have. But there's also
a good chance you've never really taken them seriously. But
SEEING THE UNSEEN then you go to the doctor and the doctor pulls a fast one on
you, and hey, you remember you saw that ad that time. It's not
By and large, #iHunt is relatively well-known and visible. like you didn't think medical palpractice existed, it's just that
Most people have seen #iHunt advertisements, maybe until it hits you personally, you don't necessarily consider the
made fun of them on Twitter. Academically, most people implications of the cottage industry surrounding it.
are aware that the #iHunt app is for freelance monster
hunting. However, the reality just hasn't set in for most of the LOOKING FOR STRANGE
population because it's just not comfortable.
What about the people who go looking for monsters? Well,
As far as your average person goes, it isn't that they most of them fall flat on their faces because they don't really
necessarily believe or don't believe that monsters exist. know what to look for. Most monsters have some parallels
They've absolutely seen evidence of the supernatural at one with popular horror media, but there are enough differences
point or another. It's just that until monsters start attacking that it means most monster hunts are wild goose chases.
them directly, and through directly supernatural means, Also, movies, books, and TV just don't have the minor details
they'd really like to pretend it's not a thing. You see, if you that help you find people and things that don't really want to
acknowledge monsters are real, shit gets really depressing, be found. Then again, some do find monsters. A lot of times
really quickly. Most people would rather be at brunch, talking they end up dead. Sometimes they end up brainwashed.
about the new Netflix series they binged, and complaining Sometimes monsters enslave them. Sometimes they end up
about how this comedian's special is racist throwback humor monsters themselves. Sometimes, just sometimes, they come
that needs to be canceled or is "triggering snowflake liberals." out on top. And there's a saying in the hunter community:
Meanwhile, the hordes of hell are bearing down on the Once you've opened your eyes, you can never close them. You
population, devouring people whole. can't just pretend the supernatural world doesn't exist once
you've went looking and found it. Those people end up
The monsters like this. The monsters would prefer to prey hunters.
on humanity in peace and quiet. So most monsters have
sort of informal rules about this. Some even have formal Even when hunters sometimes walk away from the job,
rules. For vampires, for example, it's considered a huge more often than not they end up coming back. Not necessarily
faux pas to tell humans about vampirekind. It happens all because of need, but because once you know what to look for,
the motherfucking time, but it's still against the rules. Some you see the supernatural everywhere. And when you see it
vampires think there's this grand ruse, a global vampire everywhere, you can't just let it go. This is often driven by
conspiracy held up over thousands of years to keep the truth moral compunction, but a lot of the time it's paranoia. If
about vampires a secret. That, of course, is stupid. Because if you saw thirty serial killers every day on your commute to
one stupid vampire could ruin it for everyone by throwing a work, and you had the tools to get rid of them, why wouldn't
car on national TV, it would have happened long ago. If your you? After all, there's a chance they'll turn their knife on you
"master stroke conspiracy" could be toppled by one stupid eventually if you don't.
vampire, then you've either never met vampires before, or
you're a stupid vampire who thinks they're not.

288
NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT You're broke. You're drained. You're in a bad place in your
life. Maybe just broken up with. You see an online ad for a
hunting gig where you get to stay rent-free in a cabin in the
Neither the client nor the contractor may mountains for a month with food provided and a $5,000
equest, accept or make any payment for Listing cash bonus, you just have to kill a yeti. Very few hunters
Fees outside of the #iHunt® platform or #iHunt would turn down a chance like that.
Payments®. If you do so, you acknowledge and
agree that you: (i) would be in breach of these
Terms; (ii) accept all risks and responsibility
WHO MADE #IHUNT?
for such payment, (iii) hold #iHunt® harmless Alexander Bennett gets the credit for it. He's the public face.
from any liability for such payment, (iv) will be On the app, he's @alex. When people talk about #iHunt's
prohibited from further usage of the #iHunt® success, Alex's name comes up.
platform; and (v) any outstanding contracts
Okay, but who is Alexander Bennett?
will be rendered null and void; with #iHunt®
For someone who is ultimately a
witholding all payment.
public figure, there's not much known
#iHunt has cornered the market on freelance monster about him. It's all superficial. We know
hunting. Where monster hunting used to be comprised he's worth 4.5 billion. We know he
completely of individual transactions and negotations, started a microinvestment company
#iHunt now makes up some 90% of freelance hunts. A meant to help start small businesses.
handful of small dispatch organizations exist here and We know he's single. At least one
there, but are generally highly regional in nature, and only magazine interview claimed that he
hire from a stable of hunters they know. Basically, to operate got started when he had to handle a
successfully outside of #iHunt, you have to know the right vampire edging in on his business, and
people. he realized that monster hunting was
an untapped, disorganized market he
#iHunt's policies say that if you work for #iHunt, you can't wanted to "disrupt."
take outside monster hunting work. Technically the policies
only prohibit cash transactions for actual #iHunt listings, but While he's conducted interviews,
numerous hunters have had their accounts terminated when he's been notoriously good at dodging
they were suspected of taking outside jobs. If you hunt for questions and keeping very vague and
long enough, you will be approached by people offering you aspirational in his responses. While
cash for gigs. Most hunters will absolutely take a lump sum a controversial figure because of his
of cash in hand, under the table for a job. It's just a matter of shrewd distance and mystery, he also
keeping it from #iHunt. has an unofficial brigade of "reply guys" who will vigorously
defend him from even minor criticisms online. Criticising
How can #iHunt even know? That's a good question. his stance on a potential #iHunt union (that #iHunt workers
Somehow, they seem to be pretty good at finding out. Not are "privileged," and that unions are for needy workers, so
perfect, by any stretch, but more than a few hunters have #iHunters calling for a union are participating in "poverty
reported bans based on cash transactions nobody should appropriation") in any public online space will result in
have ever known about. Maybe the clients were catfishing dozens if not hundreds of aggressive responses. Some
the hunters for the company? It's hard to say. But look at it minor celebrities have even deleted their entire social media
like this: presences because of his voracious "defenders." Because of
these reply guys, a common meme on social media sounds
something like, "Alex, why don't you hunt the real monsters?"

Let's take a look at a recent piece on Bennett's recently

purchased home from the San Jenaro Tribune.

289
 The
San Jenaro
Tribune
News Sports Opinions Lifestyle Culture More

#iHunt co-founder buys record-breaking

San Jenaro mansion for $120m as hunters
die from lack of healthcare coverage
San Jenaro deals with record heat, and more than 40 residents have died from exposure
alone. Meanwhile, the largest San Jenaro mansions are producing air conditioning bills
to rival developing nations.

Talia Geller in San Trending News

Jenaro
@TaliaGellarSJTribune

Oct 1, 2019, 9:21am PST From Russia With Hate

The only things you need
to know about the election

Ice Caps Melting Fast

Time to binge Game of
Swords S7 while you can?

Micro Mansions
▲This 70,000 sq foot Ava Blue mansion was previously owned by legendary record Tiny houses are nice. But
producer Lucas Galleon. Photograph: Sara Terrell/Lanyard Class Productions are they small enough?
While these sorts of sales don’t typically make the news, two leaked social
media posts from real estate agents have revealed that the popular #iHunt
app’s cofounder Alexander Bennett has purchased what is believed to be
the single most expensive home in the prestigious Ava Blue neighborhood
of San Jenaro.
Meanwhile, three local deaths have been identified
as regular users of #iHunt. In all three cases, an
independent investigation by the San Jenaro
Tribune has found that each died of relatively
minor, treatable injuries incurred on the job.

A representative from #iHunt gave us the

following statement. "#iHunt contractors are not
employees of #iHunt, they're independent entrepeneurs. #iHunt employees at
our home office enjoy industry leading medical benefits."

290
WHO'S BEHIND #IHUNT OF COURSE IT'S HUNTERS
Of course, Alexander Bennett is just a face. He's likely The other popular theory is that it's hunters. This one's
never actually programmed an app in his life, and he most probably the biggest stretch because of the scope and scale of
certainly didn't launch the app with his own money and sway #iHunt's operations. While there are organized, connected,
alone. It took a very specific series of social and political wealthy hunter organizations out there, there are simply
circumstances for #iHunt to succeed, and it's important to none with the global reach necessary to make #iHunt work.
consider the context and theories that surround it.
The only way this could realistically work is if there
IT'S JUST CAPITALISTS was a network of these hunter organizations, working in
collaboration to support the delicate and unique needs of
The easiest theory to explain #iHunt's success just requires #iHunt in different regional markets. This isn't completely out
you take Bennett's story at face value. Bennett saw a massive of the question, but when you consider the reality, many of
opening for business. He pitched it to powerful investors, these organizations, like some centered on ancient heretical
they gave him the cash, and he made it happen. This is knightly orders, established international churches, and
the generally accepted version of events, but it has a few dynastic families stretching back centuries, they fight. Some
problems. of these organizations kill more of each other than monsters.
Getting them to work together would be like pulling teeth.
First off, #iHunt is hemorrhaging money. It's operating at a Then again, dentists exist. It's not out of the question, just
massive loss. This would be an understandable direction if it logistically remarkable.
was trying to crush competition. But they're the only name in
town, so it's a completely unnecessary tactic. But why would a cabal of international monster hunting
conspiracies invest in an app that brings civilians in
Second off, the actual revenue potential just isn't that great. on the hunt? After all, these groups all have ideologies,
Monsters aren't an everyday problem for most people. Most methodologies, and sometimes even religions centered
people will go their entire lives never even considering hiring on their hunting styles. Would they want upstarts coming
a monster hunter. So why is it worth the painstaking lobbying in and mucking the place up? The reality is, a lot of these
and palm-greasing to make #iHunt work? organizations have seen better days. In the internet world, it's
hard to run an international conspiracy without getting found
One might argue that a smart capitalist might be funding out. When churches violently brainwash their membership, it
#iHunt to make the world a safer place, after all, the world is can make news. So with declining membership and public
more important than the next fiscal— scrutiny, some of these groups are in danger of metaphorical,
or even literal extinction. Vampires and demons hold
Ha ha ha ha ha sorry I thought I could say that without
grudges, and they'll absolutely rip asunder the hunter group
laughing but I can't.
that hounded them 500 years ago if they can.

IT'S MONSTERS, STUPID So, hunters have good reason to draw in fresh blood.
Firstly, it acts as a distraction. Monsters won't go beating
The cynical answer is, it's monsters. The monster hunting down the church doors if they think Joe the Carpenter is
industry is run by monsters, and all the "heroics" #iHunters the immediate threat. Secondly, it cuts down on monster
do is just doing the dirty work for evil. There's a few popular numbers all around, which makes everyone safer and works
theories here. toward the greater agenda. For most of these groups, it's not a
competition. They're largely not for-profit groups, or at least
It could be ancient evils, trying to keep the herd thin.
they're not obsessed with being the only hunters out there.
For example, vampires go into chrysalis states where
Also, it's one of the only ways some of these groups can
they're immensely vulnerable when they get older. Some
effectively recruit. #iHunt has detailed analytic data on every
particularly paranoid vampire lords have good reason to fear
one of its hunters. If they fit certain criteria and prove good
the younger generations, so why not hire humans to keep
at their jobs, some #iHunters will get a call for "a promotion."
their populations manageable?

It could be everyday, run-of-the-mill monsters with money, IT'S EVERYTHING

and who could benefit politically from the power vacuums
caused by efficient monster hunters. So they build this huge I don't think I'll ever say exactly what's behind #iHunt. At
network to obfuscate their very specific targets. least, not in some official, comprehensive capacity. The best
answer is, "it's a little bit of everything." Capitalism doesn't
It could also be truly benevolent monsters. Monsters who discriminate when there's money to be thrown around. And
hate what they are, and want to see a better world. They when you're dealing on numbers as big as we see in the
fought their own kind, but realized mobilizing humanity gig economy, all sorts of complimentary and contradictory
would be the only way to change things on a global level. interests will work together to disrupt the game.

291
 THE WAY IT "WORKS"
Accounts store a "Hunter Score," which is an aggregate of
all the hunter's review scores from  to  (with
The basics on >>PAGE 24 more or less explain the #iHunt fractions.) This affects what contract access. New accounts
app. But let's give it a little more attention, because it's with fewer than ten reviews only have access to 1-2
important, what with the game being named after it. Like contracts. Currently, ten reviews with a Hunter Score of
anything else, there's a way it works on paper, and there's the + grants access to 3 contracts. Thirty reviews and
way it really works. a Hunter Score + grants access to 4 contracts. 5
contracts are very rare and only handed out to specific hunters
ALWAYS CHANGING with flawless, proven track records. If a hunter's Hunter Score
falls below , they're put on "probation," where their
One of the single most frustrating parts of the #iHunt app is contract access goes down one level. They have to regain
that it's technically in beta. It's been "in beta" for about five years the  rating and maintain it for a full month before
now. Every couple of weeks, the creators tweak something, getting back their full access. For this reason, 1 reviews are
change something, add a feature, remove a feature, and you almost always devastating to a hunter's livelihood.
never really know what the app will do at any given time. You Client accounts need only a valid credit card.
could be knee-deep in a monster lair, trying to escape, and
surprise surprise, they developers changed the location of
the map feature. Not just that, when you open the app, you
WHO HIRES #IHUNTERS?
have to tap through bullshit terms and services before you There are really four categories of #iHunt client by class
can even access your account. definition. There are some outliers, but this is most clients.
In game terms, this is an excuse for there to not be a true [ Wealthy people who want to get rid of a problem.
"canon" for the app. You can change it. You can fuck with it. Not These are people who can throw cash at an issue, who
that you couldn't fuck with anything in this book—it's your often pay above average rates by virtue of wanting
fucking game, knock yourself out—but I actively encourage fast and effective results, and who don't usually take a
you to regularly change expectations and functionality for hands-on approach to the work, which is nice. Caveat:
the #iHunt app to suit your story needs. You know that When they decide to take a hands-on approach, it's
whole bit about imperilling aspects on >>PAGE 86? The insufferable. They tend to think of themselves as
#iHunt app is always available to make life hard. Also, this experts, even though they have no idea what they're
addresses how #iHunt works in the United States. If you set talking about. This gets people killed. They tend to rate
your game in Europe, Asia, or wherever else, I encourage you well if only because they don't care.
to fundamentally restructure it because cultures and laws are
[ Economically comfortable, upwardly mobile people.
so different, it wouldn't do your setting justice to just stick
These people are usually the worst clients. They're
with the defaults.
particularly concerned with results, and tend to
micromanage the work. They will argue payments, and
YOUR ACCOUNT try to line-item different parts of the work to negotiate
less than agreed-upon amounts. They often require
Every #iHunter has to sign up for an account with the #iHunt
regularly scheduled updates, and they're the most
app. This requires three basic things: A Social Security
likely clients to review poorly even for good work.
number or tax identification number, a bank account able to
receive direct deposits, and a smartphone with a dedicated [ Workers who service the wealthy. This includes
number able to receive SMS messages. #iHunt is notoriously country club groundskeepers, assistants to government
lax about identification requirements—many hunters use officials, and other workers. They're often tight on
false or even purely made up Social Security numbers. budgeting, so they don't pay particularly well. But
#iHunt counts its workers as "independent contractors," so the amount they offer is the amount you get. They
you're expected to handle taxes on your own. Technically, don't always micromanage, but they always want
policy is that every person can only ever have one account. quick, discrete results above all. Their biggest fear is
There's no real protection in place here, but if you're caught inconveniencing their patrons.
with multiple accounts, all accounts are immediately and
irrevocably terminated. The bank account must be verified, [ Groups of working people. #iHunt ain't cheap.
which involves a small deposit and about a 48-72 hour wait Families, coworkers, and communities will sometimes
period. The bank account does not have to match the hunter's band together to pay for an #iHunter to manage a
identity. The phone number requirement is required for community threat. In these cases, pay isn't great, but
initial setup and account recovery. Most hunters advise one they don't argue results. The stakes are high, because
another to keep a dedicated, prepaid SIM card they can use these jobs tend to involve terrorized loved ones and
for account recovery purposes. Phones get lost on the hunt. the only real result they care about is their loved ones
staying alive. They know the hustle, and review well.

292
People tend to learn about #iHunt through word of mouth Third off, banks will sometimes flag #iHunt payments as
or through advertisement. Advertisement is insidious and "suspicious activity." This can cause an account to be locked,
indirect—it's not as if someone sees an ad and decides they or payment to be unexpectedly rejected. Many banks don't
need to call up a hunter. The advertisements sit in the backs update online account information until the next business
of their minds, typically as a one-off joke. "Ha, ha, these day, and since most #iHunt contracts happen at night, it's
people think they hunt monsters? What a racket." Then a hard to tell if the money went through. In these cases, calling
monster attacks, and they know just how to solve it. a bank tends to result in the bank saying the hunter needs to
contact the person issuing the payment. If the hunter contacts
But for the other crowd, the word of mouth types, this is #iHunt, they're told that the problem is on the bank's end.
all based on results. You see, if a client knows about specific Usually this gets sorted out, but can take hours on the phone,
hunters, they can search for and request a specific hunter on and days, weeks, or even months.
the app. That means if you do a good job, you get referral
work. In fact, some hunters have been known to do a sub-
par job in order to seed later work. Example: A client hires
THE MARK
a hunter to kill a vampire terrorizing their business. The The mark doesn't need an account, for obvious reasons. In
hunter finds out that the vampire is a low-ranking member fact, there's nothing whatsoever on #iHunt's side that verifies
of a family nest of vampires. She could destroy the nest and or validates information about the job itself. While #iHunt
everything in it, perhaps negotiating a greater rate. However, policies require the client to tap and agree that the contract
she knows that vampires propagate. So, she just kills the is for a harmful supernatural creature, how many of those
mark. She knows that the remaining and new members of the terms and agreements things have you just tapped through
nest will continue terrorizing local businesses, and so long without any thought and consideration? There's nothing
as she does an impressive job with the first vampire, she will really stopping a client from taking out a contract on a plain
continue getting word of mouth contracts from other nearby old harmless human being that the client doesn't like. It's
businesses. illegal. But frankly, taking out contracts on vampires is also
technically illegal. So is sharing your Netflix account with
THE PAY your best friend, throwing out a former tenant's junkmail,
speeding, and depending on where you live, sodomy. But
Technically, the way the app is supposed to work is, the everyone does that shit.
app verifies a payment source for the amount listed in the
contract. Once the client confirms the contract's completion, This isn't to say it's the same thing—#iHunt is murder.
the amount is transfered from that account to the hunter's. It's just murder that nobody's bothered to enforce because
it's wrapped up in layers of Silicon Valley "disruption." The
Things are never so simple. public by and large doesn't care about what happens on
#iHunt, because 1) they don't really believe in monsters, 2)
First off, #iHunt doesn't really confirm the payment amount. they don't really think about the implications, and 3) if they
They charge a $1 authorization on the credit card to verify do, they assume the marks always did something to "deserve"
that it's valid at the time of the contract. If the card doesn't the contract. In fact, if you go on social media and talk about
have the final amount at the end of the contract, #iHunt will how #iHunt should be shut down because it's monetized
continue to attempt the charge every 24 hours thereafter for murder, you will get 100 guys replying to you, telling you
one week, and the client will receive notifications on the app that you're trying to "punish the app creators for being
reminding them to update their payment information. After successful," that you're "hurting jobs," or that you're engaging
about one month without a valid payment source, the client's in "purity politics."
account is terminated, and the hunter is notified that they
will not receive payment. There's no direct recourse for this. Usually, the monsters #iHunters hunt are, well, monsters.
They're awful. They're terrorizing people. They're eating
Second off, the verification isn't guaranteed. The client people. It's bad. If you take a vampire off the streets,
must go into the app and tell #iHunt that the job is complete. there's a good chance you're saving countless lives in the
Then they're asked for a review rating. If they rate from long-term. But it's not always that simple. It's not always
1-3, they're asked to confirm the review, and are offered mindless corpses devouring puppies. Sometimes the really
a discounted rate in exchange for a 5 "satisfied" review. awful monster takes out a contract on the lesser monster to
Currently, a 3 review offers a 25% discount, a 2 review eliminate competition. Sometimes vampires are good people
offers a 50% discount, an a 1 review offers 75% off. who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and
Repeat clients who abuse this system can have their accounts hunters have to make a Hard Fucking Choice. Do you kill
revoked in theory. Most clients only ever take out a single the innocent person who happens to be a wizard? Or do you
contract, so this is a largely irrelevant point. eat the 1 review, and maybe miss out on paying rent this
month? It's no coincidence that many #iHunters have ended
up in at least temporary relationships and friendships with
former marks. Hell, Lana from #the novels' girlfriend is one.

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 OTHER HUNTERS REGIONAL STORIES
In the past five years, #iHunt's aggressive, predatory There are some hunter organizations that are, for all intents
distruption tactics have positioned the app to essentially and purposes, "worldwide." The Catholic Church supports
corner the popular market for the commercial monster hunters who travel to most of the world as the need arises.
hunting industry. Talk about the kind of sentence I never But the real value in these kinds of hunter organizations is
thought I'd write in my career. in better establishing your setting. When you're developing
your story's setting, it's worth considering if there are any
This isn't to say there aren't other hunters out there—there
regional hunter organizations that the #iHunters might ally
are—they're just not as ubiquitous as they once was. This isn't
with, compete with, or run afoul of.
all due to #iHunt, either. Most of the major organizations of
monster hunters had been on the decline for years prior to For example, if your game is set in the Rocky Mountain
the #iHunt boom. Most were simply hampered by the social region of the US, you might decide that a separatist group
and economic realities of the times. Many were funded by has taken to hunting werewolves as an extension of a white
church organizations who saw massive membership decline supremacist militia group, the Church of Latter Day Saints
since the 1980s, and really since the 1960s. Some were might fund a cabal of demon hunters, and an industrialist
funded by old money interests who lost prominence and tycoon might be organizing vampire hunters to eliminate
influence after Reaganomics and into the dot com boom. potential market competition. The existence of outside
Often hunters focused on very specific monsters, and quite hunters adds drama to your environment, offering an
simply, the demographics shifted so they were out of work. additional layer of challenge and complication for the
For example, demon hunting isn't as profitable industry as #iHunters.
it was in the 1920s—demons just aren't as common as they
used to be. Some organizations saw the opposite problem;
vampire hunters used to be in demand, but now are a dime
JOB SECURITY
a dozen thanks to the popular media since Anne Rice. Why One value in alternative hunter groups is to present an
would you give a clandestine organization $25,000 to hunt alternative. #iHunt is a gig job. Monster hunting through
your vampire problems, when Jenny from the block will do it an established organization is a "real job." Thanks to their
for $500 a head? wealthy, corporate, or church ties, organized monster hunters
tend to enjoy benefits like paychecks, time off, and even
#IHUNTERS VS THE WORLD health insurance. Sure, it's deadly work, but what isn't?

Other hunters still exist, and have complex relationships with In a lot of ways, #iHunters are usurping relatively fair,
#iHunt. Many #iHunters will go their entire careers without equitable work. This isn't the #iHunters' fault—they don't
ever meeting another hunter. But when they meet, it often wake up thinking, "I'm going to undercut someone for the same
results in conflict. While an #iHunter and another hunter work, guaranteeing a race to the bottom where corporate slash
might have the same general agenda (kill this monster,) their and burn tactics guarantee workers are always struggling."
motivations, methods, and need for credit are different. While They're struggling. They're hustling. They're doing whatever
usually they could work it out with a little communication it takes to get by. It's not the #iHunters' faults; it's all on the
and compromise...well, have you met people? app creators. That doesn't stop the hurt, and it most certainly
doesn't stop the resentment hunters experience when their
Sometimes #iHunters end up working with other outside organizations shutter thanks to #iHunt.
hunter groups. This is usually very temporary, since #iHunters
have to take a broader, more open approach to what they
hunt, organized hunter groups have very specific targets and
EXAMPLES AND OTHERS
methodologies. Additionally, most hunter organizations are Here's a few examples of groups who hunt. Some come from
"lifestyle groups," where the organization is not just a job, but the #iHunt novels. Some are just random ideas. Use them if
family, fraternity, hobby, and everything else. you want, but they're here to give you an idea what can exist
in your stories.
In some cases, hunter organizations actually hire
#iHunters. It's not a remarkably common practice, because What we don't give example of is the individuals who do
many organizations turn their noses up at #iHunters. But if a the work but who aren't #iHunters or part of organizations.
hunter group needs a little additional firepower, especially of Some people go from town to town, investigating newspaper
the disposable variety, #iHunt is just a few taps away. If your clippings, taking money from their targets and the dead left
secret vampire hunting brotherhood has fifteen members behind, and otherwise hunting completely independently.
worldwide, you can't really afford to lose three in a raid on a It's a very, very hard life, and every single story is different.
vampire castle. Why not sell some of your ill-gotten artifacts Buy a lot of copies of this book if you want some attention to
and hire a few #iHunters? those kinds of people, too.

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VAN HELSINGS
After the (partly fictional) events of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing returned Quincey Morris's
mortal remains to his hometown in Texas. Van Helsing remained for a few months with Morris's older brother,
who became romantically involved with the doctor. The two hunted vampires across the United States,
Mexico, and Canada, taking six months here and a year there to train new hunters. When the men passed,
the Morris oil fortune was passed on to Quincey's niece Marguerite, who took on the name Van Helsing
in Abraham's honor.

Today, the Van Helsings are a loosely familial organization that exists across North America
and Europe, with some stragglers in South America and Africa. While the "family" all has access
to part of the old Morris fortune, they're a rather unique monster hunting group. Instead of
organizing in formal cells, individual members travel from town to town, region to region,
exploring supernatural occurrences and helping the locals with information, tactics, and
organizational tools. Their primary agenda isn't the hunt specifically, but to spread
information about how to effectively hunt monsters. It's the old "teach a man to fish"
adage, but with monster killing.

When it comes to #iHunters, most Van Helsings find for-profit hunting distasteful.
After all, your average Van Helsing is a young person backpacking across the United
States, who lives on a trust fund and never has to worry about where their next meal will
come from. However, they have been known to help #iHunters, so long as the
#iHunters are willing to heed their advice.

Sometimes, the Van Helsings are assigned to "priority targets," usually ancient
vampires tied to the Dracula line, branched off Dracula's famous "brides." These
assignments are do-or-die, and the Van Helsings will stop at nothing to end the
remaining threads of the Dracula family. An #iHunter would be wise to stay out
of their way.

The White Tower of San Jenaro 

In actuality there are dozens if not hundreds of ancient orders of the this or that who
hunt monsters for many reasons. This is one of them.
The Towers, or the Grimms depending on who you’re dealing with, consider themselves
academics first and hunters second. They have collected folklore for centuries. Their
collections of lore are for the "betterment of mankind" in theory. In practice, it’s more
like a network of hoarders who collect books about spooky stuff instead of newspapers
and cats. In practice, they collect knowledge, experiment, research, and engage in "field
work" to test theories and see how monsters are adapting to changing times.
There are Towers all over the world, and in general, Towers spring up when a group of
Grimm (or whatever they call themselves) disagree with their superiors and want to do
it better.
In this case, the Tower of San Jenaro came about when a field agent made a report
about how #iHunters were a part of the modern folkloric landscape and not to be
ignored. Her superiors said "nope, ignore them." She said "nah" and now there’s
a classically-trained monster slaying folklorist hanging out in San Jenaro hiring
#iHunters to study their methodology and write down their stories.
Well, one became two became five Grimm. Other Towers get funding from
the rest of the hierarchy in ways similar to universities moving around the
money of the wealthy and powerful. The San Jenaro Tower is mostly cut off,
and so they’ve been forced to seek other methods for making money. Like hiring
#iHunters to hunt and kill very specific monsters or steal very specific
mystical items so that they can resell on the occult black market. 

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 The Poor Sisters of St. Januarius
The Catholic Church has a lot of hunters. Like, of course they do. But networks of
hunters within the Church, both official and unofficial, are complicated and obfuscated.
Officially, no such practice is recognized, and as with dioceses themselves, groups
of hunters act often as free agents unless something goes wrong and then they get
excommunicated by some greater authority. 
The Poor Sisters of St. Januarius are an order of Church Sisters who do God’s
work by killing vampires and taking communion of their blood. The whole thing is
based on some confusion about St. Januarius’ relic of liquefied blood, a passing
apocryphal passage about Jesus’s transubstantiation, and a practical need to be
vicious on a hunt. At the end of the day, their religious claims to vampire blood as
sacrament are shaky at best, but their results cannot be denied.

Meeting a Poor Sister outside of the hunt is not too different from any other
interaction with a devoted Catholic practitioner. Some are kind and loving, some
are judgmental and abusive. So it is with the Sisters. On the hunt, the Sisters are
territorial and see interference as a direct threat to their divine mandate. They will
most certainly work with #iHunters if they can be assured their communion won’t
be disturbed, and even invite women of faith to take part in the rite, but they will kill
a human just as quickly as they’d kill a vampire they see as a real threat to what
they do.

Because they are recognized as an Church group they get a little bit of funding,
but not commensurate to their needs. As such they are both looking for lay sisters to
join their numbers, and they are looking for ways to spin their work to draw in charity
and donations. Some even use the #iHunt app.

MAJESTIC 12
Majestic 12 is not the secret government organization that contacts aliens,
experiments with cross-breeding human and extraterrestrial DNA, or uses secret
technology to harness extradimensional energies for secret weapons manufacturing. 
Majestic 12 is the second string government agency that cleans up after other
organizations when their experiments go badly or their research is flawed or they
bit off more than they can chew. The long standing assumption among #iHunters as
well as conspiracy theorists is that Majestic 12 shows up to coverup alien encounters
or proof tof extra terrestrial life. In fact, these agents couldn’t care less if you believe
in Grays or not. But they do need to kill you if you’ve been infected by the memetic
killswitch left behind after Black Eyed Children plants itself in your head.

In San Jenaro, Majestic 12 is pretty busy watching for signs that Project Miranda,
Project Nike, or Real Kid Films for Kids manifests in a dangerous way. When
they get a ping, they move in, neutralize everything they can, and retreat back
to watching for other government fuckups spill into the civilian world.
The problem is, like with Zener cards, there are hits and there are misses
and the agents' radar for incidents they need to suppress isn’t 100%. It
isn’t even 60%. So an #iHunter may be going about a particularly routine
werewolf hunt when, surprise, a bunch of men in suits who looks shockingly
like a former governor of Minnesota show up, shoot at everything that
moves, and take the quarry right up from under the hunter in question.
As with any other small government agency, how they get their money
is up for debate and probably has something to do with pork.

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The Lift Institute for Brilliant Young Minds
The important thing to know is that Pete Lift was probably a pedophile so whatever is
going on now is for sure justified.
Anyway, Lift was one of those rich guys who stepped out of a some apartheid country
with a stolen fortune and Big Ideas about "disrupting" things. His goal? Disrupting the
age of consent private education. With that in mind, Lift built the Lift Institute to shape
the best and brightest minds from all over the world. He gathered not the children of
privilege for advancement, but rather children with certain talents, certain gifts.
That is, he stole a bunch of psychic kids from poor countries to prove he could make
wunderkind and once the process was refined he could sell it off to the highest bidder.
The problem with real deal psychic kids is they can kind of tell when one of their
friends is being hurt, or is in danger of being hurt.
Anyway, despite the kids not even sharing a language, as soon as they realized what
Lift was really into and that he was staring a little too long at Mae, they hollowed him
out with their united brain powers and use his body as a puppet to support their real
goal. What the goal of seven super psychic teens is?
I mean who the fuck knows.
Sometimes they’ll show up where #iHunters are hunting in groups of three. They
chant a warning in whatever language the hunter was raised using, and shut everything
down. Are they protecting monsters? Killing the monsters themselves? Protecting the
hunters? Or something else entirely. Only the kids know, and they’re not telling.
And Pete Lift still shows up on TV from time to time to talk about how the institute
is always recruiting talented kids. But now he wears sunglasses.

N.O.V.A.S.
After the incident in Badger Grove, an isolated mining town in rural California in which nearly
the entire population was wiped out by an accidental act of so called bio-terrorism, certain
private interest groups created a think tank to recommend possible solutions to future
outbreak occurrences. Working hand in hand with unnamed bodies within the pharmaceutical
industry, the think tank came up with a plan. N.O.V.A.S. is an anti-terrorist organization
created to track and stamp out both terroristic and naturally-occurring eruptions of the
shambling dead.
Well. That’s the idea anyway, and once the funding comes in, they’ll probably do just
that. For now, N.O.V.A.S. is stuck in San Jenaro and the surrounding area, gathering intel
on global threats and training themselves for the next big outbreak. Currently, there are six
N.O.V.A.S. agents, including a sheriff’s deputy who survived the incident in Badger Grove
and a pair of Army Rangers who had to retire after their unit was wiped out by shamblers
and also they were outed as gay. Mostly that second part.
Training without a specific model is tricky as best. The ground unit is working out their
differences in personality and training as best they can while seeking the best possible
methodology for dealing with the undead. Unlike any other sort of hunter, they have very
little awareness of the occult, the history of these creatures, or the wider, weirder nature
of the world. For the most part they seem to think shamblers are the result of bio-terror
and that’s it. Currently, they’re working in pairs, seeking targets, and bringing back intel to
the unit’s technical team. Recently, they’ve started running into #iHunters in their training
missions. Obviously, hilarity occurs as a result.
The going wisdom between #iHunters is, for now, let the private military goons stay in the
dark as much as possible if only to keep them out of business as usual. 

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 OTHER APPS
MedPDQ isn't exclusively for #iHunters, but #iHunters do
make up a rather significant portion of their business. For this
The gig economy doesn't center on a single app. Nobody just reason, most MedPDQ doctors know at least some factoids
uses #iHunt and that's it. #iHunters have and take advantage about the supernatural, at least in the context of solving
of all the apps you're used to today. But here's some unique related injuries. In fact, before #iHunt, MedPDQ doctors
to the #iHunt universe. didn't generally carry units of blood on the job—they just
relied on saline solutions for emergency replacement. But
MEDPDQ with the frequency of vampire bites among #iHunters, the
demand skyrocketed. They also usually carry innoculations
Who really has time to go to the to prevent the spread of common supernatural diseases like
emergency room?™ With MedPDQ, lycanthrope. However, these aren't perfect sciences, and rely
the emergency room comes to you! heavily on how quickly the victim gets treatment.
Why drive across town or get an
expensive ambulance then wait in line FUMBLE
for hours when a qualified, trained, certified medical
professional can come to you on demand? We don't Wanna fumble around in the dark?™ With
even ask invasive questions about your gender identity Fumble, log on and in just a few minutes, you
or tell you to lose weight before giving you the care you can find someone to keep you warm for a few
need right now. hours. Or cold, if that's your thing. Fumble is
no-nonsense, no-judgment connection. It's
MedPDQ is an app that allows anyone to call for seven minutes in heaven, and you never even have to
emergency medical services wherever you're at. The app know their name.
records your GPS location, and dispatches the nearest
available MedPDQ doctor on call. The MedPDQ stable of For the first year of Fumble's existence, the critical think
doctors is mostly licensed, although their lax verification pieces all made fun of how a financially insolvent app
processes have led to some suspended doctors unemployed naming itself "Fumble" was appropriate. The thing is, Fumble
due to malpractice claims. Some news outlets have called it never had to make money to be successful—that's not the real
"the mob doctor app," but if you're bleeding out and afraid to purpose. Fumble was funded by vampires looking for easy
go to the hospital because it's a gunshot wound or a werewolf blood. This isn't even a big secret. One of Fumble's biggest
bite, maybe you're not so picky. selling points is that it's a relatively safe and consensual way
for people looking for a vampire bite to meet up with people
MedPDQ only requires a valid credit card for service. who need to give vampire bites. Could it be safer? Yes. At
Ironically, while their prices can be intimidating, they're least, theoretically. If vampires were out in the open, and
typically significantly less than the average emergency room's if our society weren't completely horrendous about people
cash prices, because of the lack of middle men or hospital into kinks, the app could have much safer, more transparent
operating costs to account for. While most MedPDQ doctors policies. But as it stands, secrecy is of the utmost importance.
carry relatively robust stocks of emergency medicines and
blood transfusion units, some medicines require an order Oddly enough, Fumble does a relatively good job of
through the MedPDQ pharmacy services. However, due to regulating itself. Since vampires use it extensively for food, if
the nature of the business, these pharmacies are 24 hour anyone shits the bed and kills someone, that makes it harder
storehouses working on an honor system, so in a way, they're for everyone else. More than one vampire in San Jenaro has
actually very efficient. However, if there's a problem, you been killed by their peers after getting greedy and murdering
have little recourse. There's a complex arbitration agreement a Fumble partner. Advocates for the app are readily aware
in the app terms and conditions. But it's not like you have of this fact, and hold it up as a defense. "It's safer than
money for a lawyer if you're ordering emergency medical Craigslist." And, well, it is.
services on an app, right?
#iHunters often discuss using Fumble as a hunting
Ironically, with the right regulation and support, the tool. But, it's just not realistic. The anonymity it offers
MedPDQ app could be something truly amazing, and means you can't really hunt specific monsters using it with
revolutionize the concept of healthcare. But since they don't much reliability. However, some hunters use it as a sort of
accept insurance, it's still locked behind credit card payments therapeutic tool. Sometimes it's cathartic, or even necessary
that can be rather massive. The app offers a payment plan to see the... bright side of the dark. A quick, hot, purely
system where users can split a bill into three equal, monthly positive interaction with a monster reminds you that They're
payments with 0% interest. This doesn't matter if you can't Not All Bad, just the ones you're contracted to kill. Also, let's
pay $3,000 up front or in three months. This is doubly be honest: Vampires are sexy. Sometimes it's hard to see
important for #iHunters, who can't afford to have their app them all the time and never get down.
access terminated.

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 Also. Fumble is haunted. It’s difficult to pin down if it’s a Tempest is also a godsend for human traffickers, hitmen,
victim or vampire who died after making a mistake but on drug cartels, and other criminal enterprises. In one famous
occasion an anonymous account that can’t be traced pops case, Tempest's founder was brought before the US Congress
up, makes a few dates and then ghosts them. Literally. The to testify on his app's use in a child porn ring. He argued that
makers say it’s a bug and has nothing to do with totally his app is just an access point for already existing protocols,
unrelated disappearances. and all that taking the app down would do is prompt users to
go through another service. Shortly after the case, he moved
TEMPEST to Bosnia and Herzegovina and began operating the app
from their non-extradition territory.
Tempest fights for you. ™ In a world
of ever-increasing surveillance and #iHunters have few reliable alternatives since, after all,
uncertainty, Tempest lets you rest easy they're engaging in murder, and a part of the job involves
knowing that one thing—your data—is trafficking in data which could implicate them in any
safe and secure. We'll never sell your reasonable court of law. It's not just a standard for #iHunters
information to third parties. We'll never comply with in general hunting usage, there are "sub-contractors" who
a subpoena for your data. Know that Tempest has the work from the #iHunt app, mysteriously selling information
best attorneys in digital rights ready to rain a storm to hunters about their marks. It's generally assumed that
down on anyone who aims to violate your privacy. these are rival monsters or clients looking to undercut their
initial contracts. These sub-contractors almost exclusively
On its surface, Tempest is just another cloud data storage offer their information through Tempest drive links.
app. It isn't run by the mummy or the wolfman. It doesn't
have some dark magic behind it. It's just a cloud drive to Tempest also has a branded web browser which allows
store your data. It prides itself on privacy, using meticulous unprecedented privacy in internet access, with built-in,
encryption and Tor protocols to distance the user from their randomized VPNs and other services to obscure usage.
data trail. This, of course, is of the utmost value to people
who hunt deadly monsters for a living. That's why Tempest
advertises through #iHunt, offering free storage space to
anyone contracting through #iHunt with hopes they'll
upgrade their plans with time.

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 BIOPURE WETINKER
When you really need to tidy up.™ At WeTinker, we get the job done.™
Biopure knows that everyone makes No matter when you're in need of
mistakes, and could use a little help a work bench and quality tools,
from time to time. Biopure arrives WeTinker is there for you. With our
on the scene quick and prepared, state-of-the-art facilities, WeTinker
ready to clean up after life's little mistakes with no provides a better experience than your uncle's garage,
questions asked. and access is always at your fingertips.

Imagine, if you will, you're going about your day. You're Silver bullets are hard to come by in a pinch. You can order
having a normal one, and in the course of your everyday, them online, but it generally takes at least a few days to get
professional interactions, you kind of sort of bury an ice pick them, if not a few weeks. When you're hunting a monster
in someone's skull, and roundhouse another across the face who turns into a giant killing machine for three days then
with your steel-toed boots, spraying blood all over the office, disappears into the rest of humanity for the next month, you
staining every little crack and crevice of your manager's PC can't afford to wait. Did you know you can use a shotgun shell
with a deep red blend of water, salt, and human proteins. In reloading press to make shotgun shells loaded with silver
the process of cartwheel kicking the undead body of Suzy slugs or buckshot? But who has a shotgun shell reloading
from Accounting, you put incriminating fingerprints all over press? WeTinker, that's who.
her glass desktop. Wouldn't you want an app where you
could call a crew, they show up in twenty minutes or less, and WeTinker operates a number of small warehouses and
restore the place to its "before the warpath" glory? If you've office spaces full of computers for protected browsing,
ever had that need, then Biopure is the app for you. metal and woodworking tools, gun sighting tools, and even
a pristine, sound controlled space for ritual magic and
Realistically speaking, Biopure was the biological exorcisms. For a small fee, you can get a one day pass to your
waste disposal wing of a major pharmaceutical research nearest WeTinker space. Alternatively, you can pay a monthly
company. Some complicated stuff happened with name amount for unrestricted access to all qualified locations.
rights, licensing, and antitrust laws, so when that pharma Every WeTinker space has a QR code scanning terminal at
giant closed its doors, Biopure offices found themselves the door, with a code that changes every day. You can only
without a parent company to serve. Now, Biopure works as get that code through the app. WeTinker even has numerous
an on-demand cleanup crew, primarily interested in sanitary supplies with an on-demand vending model. Need some
disposal of human waste. In practical terms, though, they're sheet metal? You can buy it on the app for only slightly more
experts at eradicating every last molecule of evidence from a than you'd pay at your local home improvement supercenter.
crime scene.
Is it just for monster hunters? Of course not. WeTinker
Biopure ain't cheap. While they can save an #iHunter some is a great space for anyone in an urban environment who
time, and further, some jail time, this can cost thousands of needs 3am access to a metal shop and reloading bench.
dollars. For most #iHunters, the cost of a Biopure call is more Need to get some last-minute work in on your college art
than they'll make on the job. After all, when you call Biopure, project? WeTinker's got you covered. Did you wake up in a
you're getting a van full of dedicated, college-educated cold sweat, afraid the goblins in the government are going
professionals, to quickly and discreetly save your life. to come to your apartment and control your mind, and the
only thing that can stop them is a blast of hot sulphur in the
Their privacy policy is sacrosanct—you don't even need face? You need WeTinker. Does your coven need to call the
to be on-site, identify yourself, or even explain the mess to four corners, but you just don't have the spoons to clean your
Biopure to call a crew—you just tell them where to show up. dining room? WeTinker is here for you.
The Biopure model comes from pharmaceutical companies
doing research on drugs that have ultimately eradicated Some locations even have an on-site technician who, with
entire towns. Those drugs caused deadly outbreaks, and only a modest hourly fee, can help with basic tasks. Need
Biopure workers had to march in with hazmat suits and someone to hold that board while you apply the clamp?
shotguns, working the forensic equivalent of a saturation You've got a friend in WeTinker.
bombing. Biopure considers this part of doctor-patient
confidentiality. One of the reasons Biopure is so expensive It's shared space, so there's a chance you'll have to wait a bit
is because they hire staff psychologists to manage thorough for access to a specific tool, but the alternative is improvising
unbriefings after any particularly traumatic events. dangerously or even buying a workshop when housing's
unstable and too crowded for any real tool storage.

300
TAPCRASH
Surf the waves of comfort.™ Tapcrash
offers quick, worry-free housing. This
isn't a rental home for a vacation. It's a
couch that you can rent at a moment's
notice when the last trains have run for
the night when the hotels are booked. At Tapcrash, we
think that sleeping on the couch is cool...on occassion.

Tapcrash was originally tested in as a way for people in #iHunters specifically have developed a sort of community-
dense, urban areas to make a little extra cash by allowing within-a-community on Tapcrash. This was to solve two
office workers to crash on their sofas after late night business primary issues for hunters. The first is, Tapcrash takes 30%
parties. Quickly, it became the go-to solution for people too of all payments through the app. The second is, it can be
wasted to go home after a rave, for cheating spouses go after complex dealing with non-hunters during the high-stress
their late-night affairs, and anyone without running water in periods before, during, and after a hunting contract. There's
need of a quick shower. Well, and #iHunters. nothing like having to explain the blood on your clothes to a
complete stranger. So #iHunters post their homes on the app,
Unlike services like Airbnb, Tapcrash presumes the but price them at exorbitant, completely irrational rates, so
owner will be present in the home, that the rental space is nobody rents them. Then, using a simple code, they use the
only a tiny portion of the residence, and that the cost will be listing description to explain just how much the room really
significantly smaller than the average rental, be it through is, and that it's hunter-friendly. For example, if a listing says,
home sharing services or hotels. "Amigos, pay attention to the stop sign by the mail box in
Tapcrash has had a hell of a time gaining traction because the alley," That means it's $38, because Three Amigos, and
of immense negative press, some of which coming from eight sides on a stop sign. You enter through the back alley,
astroturfed efforts from competitors. Other criticisms involve and drop the cash in the mail slot. Note that this means
the relative danger surrounding low-accountability crash skirting the app's take, so if you're found out, your account is
space, and how it's easily exploited by predators and thieves. terminated instantly.
The average Tapcrash user is tired, at the end of a very long,
very hard day, and can't really do much to defend themselves.
Tapcrash revokes host accounts after credible accusations,
but like with all similar crimes, it's hard to provide evidence
and underreporting is a huge problem.

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 Chapter Fourteen. This one’s about San Jenaro.

CHAPTER 3:
#SPREADTHENET
LANA’S STORY
San Jenaro’s a particularly important topic for me,
because it’s my home and it was basically created as
a fictional city perfect for me to live in. Okay actually
it was made for the vampires in the first San Jenaro
novel, Blood Flow. But we’re not going to count that
one because my #iHunt novels are far more popular
(sorry Dylan.) So basically it’s a city made for me.
Palo Verde’s the heart of San Jenaro’s movie
industry, or at least it was in the earlier part of the
20th century. It’s what everyone thinks of when
they think of San Jenaro, but people haven’t made
movies there for years. Well, unless you count little
independent B-movie type stuff. All the big movies go
to Canada or New Zealand or wherever they can get
huge tax credits. People who live in San Jenaro know
Palo Verde for its bustling drug trade, for its shitty
tourist traps, and its awful treatment of the homeless.
For a misogynist pig like Joey, it’s actually a perfect
recruiting ground. All the little diners and hotels in
the area are packed full of employees who came to
San Jenaro a couple of years ago to make it big in
the movie industry but couldn’t quite break in. So you
have a neighborhood full of pretty young women
who are desperate for validation, and even more
desperate for even the most minor opportunity to
dig out of the ditch of living paycheck to paycheck,
begging for tips. Turn on just a little bit of vampire
charm, and you’ll have them begging you to turn
them into your little vampire love slaves.
I’m getting furious just thinking about it.
In this case, the client was one of his potential
victims. It was Cara Demarque, the director of a
handful of bigger movies lately. An up and comer.
She told me she was slumming it, looking for a little
hookup for an evening. He didn’t know who she was,
and she wasn’t interested in a star fucker, so it was
a perfect connection. He tried to charm her and get
her to submit to him, to become his little pet. Funny
coincidence, but she actually had a run-in with a
vampire a while back, and had a lucky charm that
protected her from him. So, she played along until
she could escape, then got on #iHunt and took out
the contract. It was an easy choice—she said she had
a few industry friends who used #iHunt before.

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 Cara told me she mostly wanted to get that The bartender pointed me to a guy named
monster off the street because it’s despicable Monk. They called him that on account of his
that he’s preying on people’s dreams, making being a drug dealer who never touches drugs.
it even harder for women in film. Gotta say, it’s Not even caffeine. Far as anyone can tell, he’s
nice to see new faces in the movie scene trying also completely asexual, and lives in a near-
to pay it forward. Motherfucker’s out there empty apartment even though all evidence
pulling a Weinstein and needs to be stopped. suggests he’s rich.
Funny enough, I had more information I met with Monk, ready and willing to give
about him than I usually get on these kinds him a nice big bribe for information. It’s not
of gigs. Apparently, he wouldn’t stop talking that dealers don’t want to give information for
about himself, and Cara managed to hang free. It’s just that if they do it once, everyone
onto every word. She said it’s essential in expects it of them and then everyone and their
the movie business, because you constantly mother’s knocking at their door for something
have to deal with self-important men who talk that isn’t an overpriced fix. Monk was
about themselves at length and they expect different. There’s always something, someone
you to remember every boring-ass detail. The different. People are like that. I met him at
problem was, none of the details were things his apartment, and he was eager to tell me
I could work from. She had a notebook full of everything he knew. He said it was important
information like how he grew up in Texas, how we get Joey off the streets. He said Joey had
his favorite movie was American Psycho, and an apartment at the El Oasis building. Luxury
how he donates to Andrew Yang. What she apartments. What a motherfucker. He told me
couldn’t get out of him was where he kept his Joey isn’t there often, because he tends to stay
incestuous little nest. He told her she’d need to with his new recruits for a few days after he
wear a blindfold. When she refused, he started picks them up. Monk knew he was a vampire.
to suspect he wasn’t in control of her mind, so Monk know he was turning those girls. People
she bailed at first opportunity. on the streets are a lot smarter than they get
credit for. Not only did Monk not charge and
It wasn’t hard to find leads with a few days even refuse to take money, he also gave me
looking. Every bar in Palo Verde saw him. He an eighth, free of charge. Said I was doing
never bought drinks. He’d pester the women. the public a necessary service. Just about $60
Then all of a sudden, every time he’d leave dollars’ worth. It’s like fate.
with someone way out of his league. He’s the
kind of parasite good bars hate. He costs them You see, the game runs on Fate Core. It’s a
a ton of money, and costs the staff a ton in tips joke. Nevermind.
specifically. So, they’re usually happy to dish
on them. Their knowledge usually ends right When you want to find a vampire in an
around where the door begins. But sometimes apartment, you use deduction. You check it out
they know people who know a little more. In during the daytime. Even vampires who can
Palo Verde, that means dealers. handle the sunlight don’t like it. So, you take a
picture of the outer walls. Then you mark every
You can’t just ask a bartender to point you to window that’s excessively covered. In Southern
a dealer who might know where some guy is. California, luxury apartments with ocean views
You have to make it worth their time. These are don’t have covered windows. That is, unless
tourist bars. I get lucky at the Gotham, an art you’re doing something super fucking shady.
deco style bar with $15 cocktails. This means Or you’re a vampire. Or, well, both. I guess
two drink minimum, and a 200% tip. $60 for that’s a given? That quickly turned a building
a lead is well worth it if it pans out. Otherwise with 120 identical windows into a list of six
it’s $60 for two watered-down drinks. apartments where a vampire might live.

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 CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
#SANJENARO
(THE “CANON” iHUNT SETTING)

THE SERIES
The #iHunt and a few other novels are set in the #iHunt
universe. Specifically, in San Jenaro California. San Jenaro is
a fictional city that has a lot of Los Angeles, a lot of Orange
County, with shades of San Diego and the San Francisco (AS OF RIGHT FUCKING NOW)
Bay Area. It’s a sort of ur-California, an archetypal place that
lets me lean on realistic themes while maintaining fictional The San Jenaro book series consists of a number
distance so I’m free to manipulate events and history for of novels and novellas. There’s a rough overarching
more targeted, intentional storytelling. meta-story in them, but they’re each standalone stories
you can pick up without any knowledge of the others.
I don’t have the space to give you a full treatment of San Here’s the current chronology. Books marked with an
Jenaro here. I could easily write a whole book just about the asterisk are novellas, not full-length novels:
city in my head. So instead, I’m going to use a few pages to #iHunt: A Transylvanian Prince in Southern California*
explain why and how I use San Jenaro as a storytelling tool.
I’m not ruling out a more comprehensive San Jenaro book Blood Flow
down the line—that’s all on how successful this book is. #iHunt: Frankenstein’s Monster (Sort Of) (Not Really)*
#iHunt: Killing Monsters in the Gig Economy
WHY SAN JENARO? ULTRA
The #iHunt stories are meant as commentary on real life, Reaching Out
through a light science fiction lens. It’s set in our world, but
not really. San Jenaro is California, but not really. It lets me #iHunt: Mayhem in Movieland*
play around with ideas and imagery from the real world #iHunt: The Chosen One
without having to skew too closely and run the risk of doing #iHunt: A Dark Knight (Not THE)*
something wrong.
As a run-down, the ones called #iHunt are clearly
In a lot of ways, San Jenaro is the California I grew up #iHunt stories. They’re about Lana Moreno, who gets
in—the theme parks, the movie stars, the income inequality, mentioned a few times in this book. Technically, this
the overcrowded beaches—but without the baggage of the book takes place after #iHunt: The Chosen One in the
specifics that distract from the more iconic identity of the chronology, shortly after the Battle of Palo Verde. Watch
region and more importantly, the modern zeitgeist that out with #iHunt: A Dark Knight though—it’s straight up
goes beyond just California. Movieland is inspired a lot kinky queer erotica.
by my time living near and working at Disneyland. It’s not Blood Flow is a story about the vampires of San
Disneyland though. There’s a bit of Knott’s Berry Farm and Jenaro. It gives a nice political layout if you want to
Universal Studios in there. The oceanside and Modena Beach focus your stories on vampire hunting. It also introduces
is partly inspired by Venice Beach and Santa Monica. It’s some characters that end up being important in #iHunt.
also inspired by Santa Clarita from The Lost Boys, and even
has some ideas from the time I spent working in the tourist ULTRA is about a weird government experiment,
traps around Niagara Falls. That’s not even California—that’s psychics, aliens, and all sorts of strange stuff. It’s not
Ontario—but the themes work to hit home, so it works better the focus of #iHunt, but it’s stuff I want to explore in
for me experientially than just using Venice. If I were put in later books if there’s demand.
charge of an #iHunt TV show, you’re damned right I’d try to Reaching Out is a story about a woman named
get it filmed in Venice. But let’s be honest; we’d just end up Molly who speaks with the dead. She helps them find
shooting in Vancouver. rest, and is a super touching story. She’s friends with
Lana. Not a hunter herself, but it gives a lot of great
Really, San Jenaro works best if you bring your own identity metaphysical ideas for your #iHunt stories.
to it. Do you have experience as a banquet server in Cardiff?
Take the iconic moments from that experience and use them
to make your setting.

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REAL WORLD THEMES
One great thing about using a fictional city like San Jenaro
is you get to run roughshod with realistic themes without
having to skew too closely to real world issues. If you want to
tell a story about police brutality, and everyone’s on board to
tell that potentially traumatic story, you can do it.

But #iHunt is set right fucking now, and San Jenaro takes
away some of the temptation to make your story about real
people in real places, potentially crossing some ethical lines
with your story. We’re telling stories about monsters and
magic as well as capitalism, and the second you say (insert
real world victim of police brutality) was killed because
monsters manipulated the cops, that’s fucking gross. That
person wasn’t the victim of supernatural weirdness—they
were the victim of gross motherfucking cops.

That said, it’s still important you remember that monsters

didn’t change the world. Hitler wasn’t a vampire. Genghis Khan
wasn’t a werewolf. Ronald Reagan wasn’t listening to a demon
in his ear telling him to ignore the AIDS crisis. Wizards
didn’t cause right wing coups all over Latin America. Maybe
monsters were involved at some level in world affairs—it’s
logical they were—but they weren’t pulling the strings
and pushing the important buttons. Do not give monsters
credit for the depths of human atrocity. Keep stories about
monsters small, personal, and unique. Not only is this a
major sensitivity issue, but it helps you to suspend disbelief.
After all, #iHunt proposes that monsters exist basically in this
world, but in such a way that most people just overlook them.
If they’re responsible for every major world crisis, people
would start to take note. In #iHunt’s world, a lot of monsters
can, and will, point to the real awful people of the world, and
say, “hey at least I’m not as bad as that guy.” And they’re right.

SAN JENARO BRINGS...

Okay so all these things considered, why San Jenaro? Why
not just use any old random fictional city? To be completely
honest, you can do that! You can build your own city as part
of the first play session. It’s a fun exercise. If you’re doing so,
might I suggest taking a look at the Fate Core Rulebook? It
has some great, robust tools for building your own settings.
#iHunt doesn’t assume you’ll be doing that, partly for space,
and partly because the existing #iHunt stories this game is
based on are all set in San Jenaro, and get a lot from that
setting’s existence. What kind of things, you ask?

San Jenaro brings two big things to the table for #iHunt
stories: Decaying Opulence and Hyper-Realism. These two
elements make San Jenaro the modern answer to the gothic
tradition that gave us Frankenstein, Dracula, and all the other
monsters #iHunters are expected to murder for cash.

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 THE GOTHIC TRADITION That’s America. That’s California. We’re told the streets
are paved with gold. But what we really have is the last
Wait? Gothic? vestiges of old industries. You have monuments to a popular
film industry that hasn’t filmed in California for as long as
I hear you. most of this book’s readers have been alive. But it clings to
that mystery, that glamour. It’s all facades. It’s all temporary
Olivia! I’ve combed through this entire book, and I don’t see a masks to hide cracked and decaying foundations. We cling to
single character smoking clove cigarettes and standing brooding pretty lies about another time.
in a leather jacket in front of a brick wall. There’s nary a Siouxsie
and the Banshees quote in the entire fucking book. How can you San Jenaro embodies this. Movieland is a massive resort
call this gothic? theme park dedicated to the golden age of film. It’s all a
facade—it’s a lie. It looks the way we want to remember the
That’s the thing—#iHunt isn’t using the trappings of 1940s and 1950s. But it’s all just a little paper, a little plaster,
Victorian gothic as an aesthetic while doing something else and a little particle board over the same sound stages. We
entirely as a story. This isn’t epic conspiracy adventure with want to remember James Dean and Audrey Hepburn, but we
The Cure lyrics interspersed throughout. #iHunt is a modern don’t want to remember segregation or the polio epidemic.
gothic. It takes the defining elements of the gothic novel and We want to remember the fashion and the dancing, but we
translates them into a modern context. don’t want to remember the Zoot Suit Riots.
The gothic novel blends foreboding terror, horror, death, But deep down, we know. We know how awful it was. It’s
and romanticism. In the Victorian gothic, the foreboding just more comfortable to pretend it began and ended with
terror, the horror, comes from a decaying, dark castle on the the glamour. We know it’s scary. We know there are monsters
horizon, home to a monster that you can’t just kill and call it a in that old castle. We look to it with awe and admiration
day. Dracula comes by night, and the best you can do is hope because it’s just easier to pretend away the fear.
to survive until dawn. In #iHunt, the castle is capitalism. It’s
a terrifying, dark presence on the horizon. You can’t just kill This happens on all levels in San Jenaro. On the south side,
capitalism. Sometimes the best you can hope for is to survive you can find closed warehouses and factories from when
until the next paycheck. In #iHunt, you’re killing monsters, California was a manufacturing and shipping powerhouse.
but remember, the real monsters in the gig economy don’t That all ended in the Reagan, and to a lesser extent the Clinton
have fangs—they have stock options and country club years. Nobody tore down those old buildings because it just
memberships. The monsters look like the customer service wasn’t practical. Now, small-time filmmakers shoot shitty
number on your health insurance card, the people who tell straight-to-cable sci-fi movies in those buildings, turning
you that, we’re sorry, we just cannot approve you for that them into their own weird form of decaying opulence.
cancer medication. In the gig economy, there’s no safety from
the monsters, just temporary reprieve. On the northeast side, you can find office parks full of
nondescript offices and about half the doors have For Rent
signs on them. They were America’s huge hope during the
DECAYING OPULENCE dot com bubble. As that ended, they shuttered until recently,
when the startup boom filled some of them for a few weeks
Consider for a moment the gothic castle. The scary old
at a time. In the 90s, everyone renting one of those offices
mansion where the ancient aristocracy resides, ready to
thought they were going to be the next Amazon or Facebook.
drink your blood and steal away your women.
Now, the lucky ones are selling insurance. Some are on the
It’s opulence, but it’s on its death throes. It’s dying. It’s streets begging for change.
decaying. It’s a sign of a “greatness” that never really was,
Since the 90s, people have been leaving San Jenaro thanks
standing as a terrifying reminder of a more barbaric time. It’s
to ever-increasing rent and costs of living. During the 90s,
monsters clinging to a lost time, holding on with sharpened
everyone thought California was going to keep drawing in
claws, no matter what the cost may be.
more people thanks to the tech bubble, so they built outward
We call this decaying opulence. with more and more, denser and denser housing. So now,
there are far more empty homes than homeless people, and
What we call the “gothic aesthetic” or “gothic fashion” it’s still tougher than hell to get an apartment. Credit checks,
romanticizes that sensibility. It’s Victorian dresses with dark massive deposits, and meticulous background checks keep
trappings that pine for that time that’s long gone and never out all but the most “desirable” (read: upper middle class,
coming back. It’s not Victorian. It’s not actually what that time white) tenants. It means upward mobility is particularly
long lost looked like—it’s what we wanted it to look like. We tough, and everywhere you go, empty apartments stand as
like the frilly dresses, the top hats, and the pocket watches. a constant reminder of what California was supposed to be,
We don’t like the conservative attitudes that kept women which makes what it really is, a testament to inequity, stand
almost completely immobile and covered from head to toe. out like a sore thumb.

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HYPER REALISM In play, this means you need to find a focus, and hit on it
hard. Usually, your scene aspects will do this for you if you
San Jenaro is hyper realist. It’s everything we accept as real just invoke and compel them as much as possible. But when
in our world, but with an intense, all-consuming focus. We building them, consider the types of stories you’re trying to
let the other stuff fall by the wayside, in favor of turning up tell, and how to make your scenes hyper realistic. You’ll want
all the parts we care about to 11. Do people in the world of to determine what point you want to focus on when making
#iHunt go for days without being reminded of gross income neighborhoods in your story, and consider how you want to
inequality? Of course they do. But #iHunt stories are about bring those elements out.
that inequality, so we’ve taken it and turned it into a game Instead of going into a ton of detail about this process
mechanic you should expect to see in almost every game which should be fairly self-explanatory, I’m going to spend a
session. When I describe neighborhoods in San Jenaro, I do little time giving examples of San Jenaro neighborhoods from
so by focusing on the contrast between what neighborhoods the #iHunt novels. Each example will give a brief description,
used to be and what they are now, or more or less affluent as well as a way that I focused on that neighborhood’s sense
neighborhoods nearby. Everything’s about power dynamics. of decaying opulence and hyper realism. This also serves as a
Everything’s about unfair, artificial hierarchies. nice jumping-off point for you to use in your own stories, or
This is important to the gothic—you have to turn up all if you want something closer to the San Jenaro “canon” of the
the contrasts. Jonathan and Mina Harker are increasingly #iHunt novel series. You can also dig up more information
modern, young people with their lives ahead of them. on these neighborhoods at http://sanjenaro.wiki.
They stand in contrast to Dracula, an ancient pillar of a
forgotten time, only clinging onto existence by stealing from
those younger than him. #iHunters are people the world
has systemically and institutionally disempowered, while
monsters are naturally superior beyond human limitations.
The #iHunters are broke as fuck, scrambling from meager
paycheck to meager paycheck, while #iHunt and the gig
economy are endless fountains of seemingly inexplicable
money. The #iHunters have to go to every length to grab on
to every little advantage for victory, meanwhile the system
they’re operating within can erase them, destroy them on a
whim.

San Jenaro delivers hyper realism by identifying through

those contrasts. Every neighborhood in San Jenaro comes
from taking one thematic, real world anchor, and then
elevating it to a primary, defining feature for that area. For
example, in the novels, the San Filipe neighborhood was built
on the idea of a sort of border zone between the more affluent
city proper, and the working class residential sprawl. In the
real world of Los Angeles, you can drive a few blocks and go
from upscale fashion boutiques to tenements. San Filipe was
created as an embodiment of that liminal space; that point
of crossing over through class divisions. It’s “just across the
other side,” but with that idea kicked up to the forefront of
every choice I made in designing it. It was largely inspired by
an experience I had at a hostel. While I was there, my car was
shot in a drive-by shooting. But the hostel itself was mostly
filled with rich kids “slumming it” for the weekend in the
party-friendly hostel grounds without having to travel too far
from home. That experience couldn’t exist on the other side
of that artificial boundary, and it couldn’t exist deeper into
the residential sprawl.

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 Ava Blue Modena Beach
Ava Blue is nestled up in the hills north of The iconic beach everyone emulates when
San Jenaro proper. It’s full of massive multi- filming a movie “set in San Jenaro.” When most
million dollar estates, movie stars, plastic Americans think of the west coast, they think
surgeons, entertainment attorneys, and record of the Modena boardwalk. It’s mostly a tourist
producers. The old joke is, it’s the only part of trap, but a lot of b-list celebrities live there if
San Jenaro that’ll survive when the whole west they can’t afford nicer coastal property.
coast finally floods. It’s one of the richest parts Opulence: As you walk the trash-strewn
of the city, and a little world within a world boardwalk, you see the homeless and drifters
where the rich and powerful can segregate selling art celebrating the golden age of film,
themselves away from the working class down with rhinestone-encrusted t-shirts of Marilyn
below. Monroe and Marlon Brando decorated like
Opulence: Ava Blue is an odd outlier in San Latinx gangsters.
Jenaro’s general sense of decaying opulence. Realism: As people from all over the world
It’s in constant flux—as money comes and flock to Modena Beach, you can watch people
goes, there are always people moving in and in the crowd as they pickpocket them. The
out of the Ava Blue hills. But sometimes you tourists don’t notice or care. It’s like they’ve
see a $150 million mansion sitting empty as come to be robbed.
a stark reminder that America isn’t quite what
Ava Blue promises. Palo Verde
Realism: Every single lot in Ava Blue is a dark Palo Verde is the home of the classic movie
success story. Nobody gets a hundred million industry in San Jenaro. Nobody films movies
dollars without hurting someone. Find the hurt, there anymore, but the area makes fairly good
and you find the hyper realism. money on “golden age” tours of the old studios
and classic theaters. If you’re a local, the only
Luciana Cay real value in Palo Verde is the cheap and easy
Luciana Cay is a southern coastal suburb, to find drugs. That is, unless you’re a vampire.
and a place of stark contrast. On the north, The vampires of San Jenaro have turned Palo
you have docks full of yachts. On the south, Verde into their seat of power.
you have derelict shipping warehouses. The Palo Verde is a place of broken dreams, where
wealthy on the north side try to pretend the people move from all over to start their careers
south doesn’t exist, and try to erase it where in a long-dead industry that doesn’t care about
possible. The people on the south are clinging them. Every cashier at every hot dog stand
on to some of the only affordable housing for wanted to be the next big movie star.
seaside workers.
Opulence: Everything in Palo Verde is a
Opulence: From the yacht docks, you can see polished, fake version of something everyone
abandoned warehouses that, just a decade knows from the 40s or 50s. San Jenaro at its
ago, were bringing in millions of plastic Chinese most obvious, obsessed with a time long gone
toys for distribution all over America. that was never really that good to begin with.
Realism: The town of Luciana Cay is in a Realism: Palo Verde is an interesting case of
perpetual class war, with two sides pushing a place known for one thing that it doesn’t do
each other back and forth. You see some of anymore, and hasn’t done in a very long time.
the poorest people of San Jenaro walking past People come from all over the world to see the
million dollar house boats every day. sights, but usually they go home disappointed
and disenchanted.

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Resort District San Maria Cay
The Movieland Resort is one of the most well- An eastern suburb for people working in San
known locations in San Jenaro, and the reason Jenaro who could never afford to live there.
some fifteen million people per year travel to The people of San Maria Cay all perpetually
the city. The resort brings in massive revenue, have the scowl of workers who have to
and has commensurate amount of control over commute for an hour twice a day during rush
local and state government because of it. The hour. It’s known for... not much. Mostly just
resort itself is massive, but when coupled with methamphetamine, trailer parks, and skinhead
the district surrounding it, including numerous gangs.
restaurants, hotels, and other amenities, it’s like Opulence: The trailer parks of San Maria Cay
a city and culture unto itself. Some people live are all holdovers from the classic romantic
years without ever leaving the resort district, California Route 66 era. They looked amazing
and in cult-like fashion, many employees and “space age” in the 50s and 60s. Now, they
couldn’t dream of life “on the outside.” look like tarnished old sheet metal.
Opulence: Movieland brings in billions of Realism: San Maria Cay is an extremely hostile
dollars a year, and is a hot spot for celebrities suburb. It’s immensely white, and everyone
and royalty to visit. Meanwhile, Movieland knows it’s overrun by the white supremacy
employees sometimes die of exposure in their movement. While many people would love
parking lot because their wages aren’t enough something to be done about them, most are
to pay the lowest rents in San Jenaro. just glad they’re segregated to that one region.
Realism: It’s a place of pure, saccharine
happiness nestled in the most draconian,
UC San Jenaro Campus
controlled, corporate environment imaginable. University of California San Jenaro is a world
renowned public research university. Over
San Filipe 40,000 students attend UCSJ campus, a bit
“The Flip” as it’s called, is a border between the northwest of the city proper. For this reason,
wealth of San Jenaro proper, and the poverty the campus area has grown into a city of its
of the working class residential zones on the own.
south. It’s defined by one long street—San Opulence: Did you know that a former US
Filipe Boulevard—that cuts straight up through president attended UCSJ? UCSJ is well-known
the city, and straight down to the southern for people who attended and graduated years
suburban sprawl. ago, and who really became successful only
Opulence: One block to the next, you can see after graduate programs at Ivy League schools
upscale boutiques known worldwide, and then elsewhere. UCSJ is the university equivalent
tenements full of squatters unable to afford of the guy who peaked in high school football.
rent even with two full-time jobs. Realism: UCSJ lives and dies by its major
Realism: On the north side, all the bus benches successes. Numerous politicians and
have spikes to keep the homeless away. On prestigious, award-winning scientists and
the south side, just blocks away, there are doctors have come from UCSJ campus. These
entire tent cities. unicorns make up some .01% of the student
body, while the rest of the students are just
overpaying for the same public university
education they could get anywhere else.

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 Oh shit I only have one more chapter to finish this

CHAPTER 4:
LANA’S STORY

#CATCHTHEMAN
story. I’m gonna have to pick up the pace, aren’t I?
Well, um, I started casing the place. Six apartments.
This kind of thing is always the part that devours
time on a hunt. Six apartments, but you have to know
exactly which one it is. You can’t just knock on the
door, jam a stake through their heart, and if they
die, that’s the vampire. Fun fact: A stake through the
heart kills a human, too. So it’s not really a weakness
for vampires. It’s just one place where they’re on an
equal playing field, kinda.
I settled on a stakeout. Stakeouts are a fact of
hunting. They’re where most of my time gets spent,
in fact. Also money.
For a job like this, I like to set up cheap webcams. I’ll
set them up in hidden spots outside each apartment,
and monitor them from the nearest spot I can. In this
case, it’s a local Airbnb across the street I got for $60
a night since it’s the off-season. It’s so absurd. I was
chilling in this tiny studio apartment for $60, and out
my window I could see this building full of $6 million
condos. It’s all so arbitrary.
So I sat and listened to music, watching my laptop
with six tiny windows. Every time someone came in
or went out, I zoomed in and get whatever minor
details my shitty cameras could.
It wasn’t hard to rule out the first few.
One was a famous rock musician. I can’t remember
his name but he had a hit single a few years back.
He’s not a vampire. Just lives the vampire life, you
know?
One was a sex trafficker. Unfortunately outside the
realm of what I can manage. Take one of these guys
out, you get a hit on your head, and someone else
steps in to take their place. But you can tell what he is
because he comes in with a new woman or two every
few days. They leave with heavy glasses and big men
keeping real fucking close to them. I take a note so I
can tell a friend who might be able to do something.
A third was a rich guy cheating on his wife,
bringing home a girlfriend. These kinds of guys think
it’s important to shut out your 34th floor ocean view
window, while taking your mistress to your $6 million
apartment.

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 With every elimination, I get to close out one guess in the four seconds I had it against his
of the camera windows. Three windows down. head, he got stabbed in the skull about two
hundred times.
The other places were are all basically dead
for a week. Nobody coming in. Nobody going “Why do you have an air hammer, Lana?”
out. That’s California, though. People leave I’m sure you’re asking. You see, on a previous
for a while. They come back for a while. That’s job, I was working for an automotive repair
the dry season. guy and he was falling on hard times, so he
offered me some of his tools as payment and
Imagine the kind of person who has a $6 wouldn’t take no for an answer. When life gives
million apartment and doesn’t live in it all the you lemons, you make lemonade. When life
time because they’ve got other places to go. gives you an air hammer, you use it to pump
Then, I hit paydirt. Vampire Joey came a chisel into a vampire’s cranium two hundred
home after more than a week away. He had times in four seconds.
a young woman with him. Black hair. Thin. I tossed the girl, now screaming, a business
Pale. She had the look of the girl who’s the card. “That address. Go there. Tell the woman
best friend in the romantic comedy. A little there, Natalie, that Lana sent you.”
quirky, a little apprehensive about the man in
the protagonist’s life, but ultimately supportive. She hissed at me. That was Joey’s blood
The biggest difference was the dead look in controlling her. The thing about vampire blood
her eyes. She was brainwashed. No doubt. control is, a little pain and self-preservation
instinct breaks it.
Better still, Joey didn’t have his key. So he
So I kicked Joey, also screaming and
fumbled with the door for a few minutes,
grabbing his shattered-ass skull, to the side.
then got a key from above the door jamb. He
Then I jammed a spare chisel head into her
popped the door open and put the key back.
arm. “I SAID GO.”
Perfect. She snapped to attention, stared at me for
I gave him about ten minutes. By that, I mean a moment, then nodded and grabbed for her
I finished my burrito and snorted a line of coke pants.
for good luck and superpowers. Then I went to “What do you want?!” Joey shouted at me.
pay him a visit.
I looked at him and tossed the air hammer
I popped open the door. I heard growling aside. It turns out they jam when you get them
and moaning. They were fucking. all full of blood. Who’d have thought?
Of course they were. “What do I want?” I stepped in front of him,
leering down at his broken body.
I crept up behind him with a portable air
hammer. I held it to the back of his head. He nodded and put up hands like he could
stop whatever I was going to do to him.
“Hey. Are these apartments soundproof?”
“I want you to tell me where you keep your
He stopped fucking the black-haired girl and chains—”
said, “Yeah. Why?”
“But, but, but—”
I gave him about three seconds to process
“I know you have them.”
that. He started turning his head, and I pulled
the air hammer’s trigger. The specs say it He quivered and nodded. And that brings us
thrusts a chisel 3,000 times per minute. So I to now.

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 CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
#ADVANCEDCLASS
(ADVANCED RULES AND DIRECTING)
MASTER CLASS ourselves if the hunters can kill a given monster. We should
be celebrating how they manage to do it in spite of the odds.
As the Director, you should be thinking in terms of a camera.
That’s pretty pulpy. In #iHunt, the horror comes from the
Your job is to present the world, narrate it, and describe it.
societal and institutional barriers that keep people down. The
Your words, your presentation, your acting, they’re all the
horror is capitalism. The horror comes from people having to
camera. I’m going to give you a ton of advice in this chapter,
make awful choices in the absence of good choices.
stuff that pertains to the rules themselves, the dice, and how
you interpret all that and use it in play. I’ll also be providing In practice, the horror in #iHunt happens when you come
more general advice for presentation and delivery. home from a hard day of kicking monster ass, and you realize
the bills still aren’t paid enough to keep the utilities on. The
A lot of this chapter is advice on how to tinker and fuck
horror happens when you get the biggest paycheck of your
with the Fate Core rules to tell better #iHunt stories. One
life, but then realize your medical bills are just a little bit
big reason I’m using the Fate Core rules for #iHunt is that
more than that. In game terms, it comes from the moments
they’re just so damn modular, it’s easy to fuss with them to
when the Director imperils an aspect >>PAGE XX. In
get different outputs.
those moments, the characters get to be truly terrified. The
But if you want to be a better Director, I’m going to players can ham up the awful as much as they want, while
recommend you look outside the discipline of story gaming. never really worrying about the blood on the carpet from the
Dig into some film theory. Look at it critically. Then consider monsters. #iHunt comes from a long tradition of monster
how you can apply these techniques to your game. I’m not hunter media, where we never really have to worry about the
telling you to enroll in a university and take on student loans heroes in a fight—we come to see them rock that shit—the
you can only pay off if you kill vampires. Start simple. For drama outside the arena is where the real stakes are. So for
example, check out the popular video essay series Every this reason, Fate Core works perfectly for #iHunt.
Frame a Painting by Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou. For
#iHunt, I specifically recommend the essays on Jackie Chan
and Edgar Wright. Think film. Think cameras. Think scenes,
FUCKING LADDERS,
cutaways, action, impact, and transitions. Think about how HOW DO THEY WORK?
to tell better stories.
When setting passive opposition, the Director chooses a
point on the ladder >>PAGE XX to act as a basic difficulty
FATE SUCKS FOR HORROR for the action. Actions can be Poor, Fair, Superb, Epic...okay
Fate Core comes from the rules for a game called Spirit of that’s not saying too much, is it? What the fuck does all that
the Century, which is a pulp action game where intelligent mean? It seems super arbitrary and completely up to Director
gorillas can fistfight with mad scientists with laser guns while fiat, doesn’t it?
balancing on the wings of a 1940s biplane. It’s fun and campy It is.
and awesome. Fate also powers games like Atomic Robo, also
pulp science action, and The Dresden Files, which is urban It just totally fucking is.
fantasy noir action.
The ladder we’re using is straight jacked from the Fate Core
#iHunt’s a horror game. I don’t think Fate Core is Rulebook, and we like it because the language ultimately
particularly good at horror. It’s good for pulpy action, leads itself to irreverent, ironic usage at the table. #iHunters
because players are empowered and encouraged to escalate don’t do things that are actually epic or legendary. But that’s
the action using their narrative control, whereas horror is certainly how people who grew up in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s
often predicated on a lack of agency. So why use Fate Core describe it when you get a +8 roll on fighting a rampaging
for #iHunt? werewolf in the laundry mat while keeping your whites white
so you don’t have to explain to your boss on Saturday night
Basically, it’s because I came to the realization that #iHunt, why your peasant shirt is covered in flecks of werewolf blood.
as a horror story, isn’t about whether or not the protagonists That, in a word, is epic.
can kill the monsters. In #iHunt, we shouldn’t be asking

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 But some people want more guidance than that, and I do this by considering that the average roll on four fate
that makes sense, so let’s talk a little bit about the ladder in dice is +/-0, and I consider a tie to be the “desired” result
practical application. on average, since succeeding at a cost tends to be the most
interesting result. There are a few factors that go into your
Let’s take a look at the ladder as it stands: average #iHunt dice roll:

+8 Legendary [ The character’s skill set, usually +1-4, sometimes +5 in

a long-running game.
+7 Epic
[ Aspect invokes. Those usually add +2. Remember that
+6 Fantastic multiple aspects can play into one action.
+5 Superb
[ The Edge die. This makes the average dice roll about +2
+4 Great to +6 instead of +/-0. It’s a game changer.
+3 Good [ Stunts can add about an effective +2.
+2 Fair So breaking it down like this, it’s easy to consider under what
+1 Average circumstances a character should tie on an action, on average.
If the character has better circumstances, clearly they’ll
+/-0 Mediocre perform better on average. Likewise if their circumstances
are worse. If they’re worse off, they’d better start considering
-1 Poor
creating advantages.
-2 Terrible
Below, I’ll break down each of those four basic ladder
But when I’m thinking of passive opposition, I mentally levels, but with a focus on two scenarios where a character,
simplify the ladder, breaking it down in multiples of two. on average, should tie at that level. It’s still abstract, talking
I just toss out the concept of Poor, Terrible, and Mediocre about game mechanics instead of narrative framing. Because,
difficulties, because those just aren’t worth rolling dice at at the end of the day, we should be thinking in game terms
all. Then I conceptualize the remaining results—Fair, Great, about the results we want the game rules to deliver to the
Fantastic, and Legendary—by what characters will achieve narrative—not the other way around.
what results on average.

THE LADDER, REDUX

# Adjective Circumstance 1 Circumstance 2
+8 Legendary Character with a skill set at +4, a relevant Character with a skill set at +2, the Edge, an
stunt, and an aspect available aspect, and a relevant stunt
+6 Fantastic Character with a skill set at +4 and a relevant Character with a skill set at +2, the Edge, and an
stunt aspect at their disposal
+4 Great Character with a skill set at +4 Completely unskilled character with the Edge
die and an aspect at their disposal
+2 Fair Character with a skill set at +2 Completely unskilled character with one aspect
available
As you can see, those numbers look a lot less daunting Most of the real mechanical challenges for #iHunters come
when you break them down this way. Relatively competent when you factor in active opposition. Monsters don’t fuck
characters in #iHunt will succeed against passive opposition around. Some monsters will offer active oppositions upwards
most of the time with only minor circumstances in their favor. of +10 to +12 on average, so you can’t just go at them all
The average #iHunt player will machinate circumstances willy-nilly. And remember, the “real horror” in #iHunt comes
deeply in their favor—many players love to build entire from imperiled aspects enforcing the awfulness of capitalist
arsenals of advantages and grab onto the Edge before tackling realism—that isn’t reflected by things like passive or even
a problem. This is good! This is expected! This is built in to active opposition you can overcome—it’s all just a matter of
the system’s basic assumptions. Remember, #iHunters live making shitty choices. You can’t just punch your bank into
and die by things like prep work and balancing the odds removing that late overdraft fee, after all. 
unfairly in their favor. We like this.

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 FUCK THE HERO’S
The Return. At the end of these stories, there’s a sort of...
undoing. The hero goes home to a changed world, coming
JOURNEY home a changed person. The common term is “The Master of
Two Worlds.” The hero becomes transcendental. Enlightened.
Just seriously, fuck Joseph Campbell. To tell a good #iHunt This isn’t #iHunt. The point of #iHunt isn’t to change the world.
story, you have to forget all that shit about refusing the call to It’s to temporarily alleviate the circumstances which oppress
adventure, the threshold, all that shit. the hunter, with the expectation that it’ll all come crashing
back down soon enough. You can absolutely tell stories about
The thing about The Hero With A Thousand Faces is, it
revolution in #iHunt, but that’s not the default expectation
works well for what it very specifically, very narrowly does. It
by any stretch. Like we’ve said a number of times throughout,
just happens to be that a lot of us in geek media spheres have
you can’t just punch capitalism into nonexistence.
been taught that “what it does” isn’t that narrow, and should
be applied to literally goddamn everything. But fortunately, The best an #iHunter can hope for is finding a strong
this gives some space to talk a little bit about some of those support network and living well in spite of the system. But
story expectations, and how they apply to #iHunt specifically this isn’t the story of a transcendental hero—this is the story
(or don’t, as the case may be.) This is surface level, people— of someone who refuses the world as it is, and chooses to
we don’t have all the page count in the world. live on the outside. If one person or even a hundred could
end the conditions that trap us in these devastating cycles,
The call to adventure. Adventure, in #iHunt, is killing
someone would have by now. The only thing that can end
monsters for money. It’s not a grand quest you’re invited to.
these conditions is a widespread coalition of the working and
#iHunters are not making a good and honorable choice by
marginalized classes, one strong enough and willing enough
hunting. #iHunters make the choice to hunt knowing damned
to refuse to serve capital any longer.
well that it’s a deadly risk for kind of shitty pay, because it’s

THE FATE FRACTAL

the only choice they have. In a lot of these classic monomyth
style stories, the hero takes a moment at the beginning to
refuse the call to adventure. You know the moment. “Oh I can’t
Enough bullshit literary theory stuff for now. Let’s talk about
pick up the magic laser sword of destiny, dad, it’s too scary
what the Fate rules are for #iHunt, and, knowing that, how to
and what if I fail!?” #iHunters don’t have the privilege to turn
use them to your advantage.
down the adventure, because for them, the adventure is life
or death. It’s not a choice. As a Director, Fate, at its essence, is your camera. It’s the
way we view the world of #iHunt. We know how hard that
There’s no miraculous circumstance of birth in #iHunt.
punch lands because we’re looking at it through the lens of
Nobody’s chosen to be a hunter. The entire system was set up
the Fate Core #iHunt rules, and it shows us that it causes 6
in such a way that numerous average people who shouldn’t
harm. The way we apply the stress and consequence rules to
be out in the streets fighting monsters have to. If you want to
that 6 harm all comes down to what that camera shows us, be
think of it as a form of destiny, sure, go ahead. But in the case
it a red filter, a focus on the broken jaw, or whatever. We view
of #iHunt, “destiny” looks a lot like “a bunch of rich old white
the world of #iHunt through the Fate Core rules. That “camera”
men alienating working people from the fruits of their labor.”
allows the Director to describe the results of actions.
The road of trials. In your traditional action epic 3-act
There’s one special rule we call The Fate Fractal. It goes
structure, this is the second act where blah blah adversity and
like this: You can treat anything in the game world like it’s a
et cetera all happens. The character is tested and tempted,
character. This is an extension of Fate’s modularity—you can
tempered for the final battles ahead. While #iHunt does
take those basic ideas on the character sheet and apply them
tend toward arcs with “season bosses” and stuff like that, it’s
to anything in the game world, be it physical or conceptual.
important to note that #iHunters don’t really get tested and
More specifically, you can give character traits like aspects,
tempted—they get thrown right in the fire and are expected
stunts, stress, and consequences to anything in the game
to perform. There’s no training period for #iHunters. There’s
world you want. Anything that you decide can take action
no orientation. Some hunters might have a friend or mentor
can also have skill sets.
to teach them, but when the series starts, when the hunter
starts taking contracts, it’s do or fucking die, immediately. To use this rule, you really need to figure out a couple
The job starts at “way too fucking intense” and never once of things about your element in the game world. First off,
calms down from there. is it capable of taking actions on its own? If so, treat it like
a character. Second off, if it can’t act, but can resist action
There’s an expectation of failure and redemption in these
from the characters, it’s an obstacle. If it cannot act on its
sorts of stories. Characters sink and have to climb out, born
own, but enhances others’ actions, like a tool or persistent
anew from the trial. #iHunters don’t get that privilege. If you
magical effect, then it’s a tool. Characters have access to all
fail on the hunt, you die. Or worse, you end up a monster. Or
game traits. Obstacles should be represented by opposition,
a slave to a monster. Or who the fuck knows what else. It’s
and potentially stress, consequences, and aspects. Tools offer
bad. Poor people don’t get to fail forward—that’s for rich kids.
stunts and aspects to the user.

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 Let me give three simple examples, so you get the idea but
without harping on it too much. DEPTH
The haunted house on 13th street is a character. Why? Because Depth, in film, literally just refers to being able to see the
it’s fucking haunted. It can act against characters. It can physical depth of the scene, and using that to effect. If all
terrify them by making the walls bleed. It can keep property we see on the screen is the character’s faces, with an out-of-
values low in the neighborhood. So when representing it, you focus image in the background, we know that they’re all that’s
can choose to give it all the same traits you’d put on a normal important right now. If we see them in the distance, moving
character sheet. It gets skill sets. It gets stresses. As far as the through a crowd, then we know that crowd, that setting is
game is concerned, it’s a proactive part of the story. important. In the first example, we’re focused on emotion and
dialogue. In the second example, we’re focused on movement
Charity’s auto loan is an obstacle. Why? Well, she has through space.
to overcome it with regular actions. It resists sometimes,
because some months only have four weeks while others In #iHunt, you can use this tool almost identically to the
have 31 days. Sometimes her bank rejects her payments for way it’s used in film. If the environment isn’t important, don’t
suspicious activity. So we represent it with a couple of aspects laser focus on it. If the greater location isn’t a big deal to the
and a series of ladder difficulties for various actions taken scene, fuck it. However, if movement through space is a big
against it. deal, then draw out the camera a bit. Remember, if you make
something an aspect, it’s important. So don’t let your aspects
The Blessed Pipe Wrench is a tool. Sure, it makes the person betray your chosen depth.
who owns it kind of weird and insufferable, but it bashes
in skulls like nobody’s business. It’s probably possessed by Let’s go with two examples here. Two scenes in the same
a demon, but when you get results like that, you just kind location, with the same two main characters. Alejandrina,
of ignore the whispering in the back of your head, right? We or Alex, is at the Carfax Diner with Britney. In scene one,
represent this with a couple of aspects and stunts the wielder they’re having a moment. Britney’s trying to explain to Alex
has available to them. that she’s just been diagnosed with cancer. In scene two,
they’ve just realized that Jorge the fry cook is a reptoid and
You’ll notice a lot of this comes down to the decisions
he’s trying to escape out the back. We’re just focusing on the
you make. You could make the haunted house on 13th
initial scene descriptions, and anything that’s an aspect will
street just an obstacle. You could make Charity’s auto loan a
LOOK LIKE THIS.
character. You could definitely make the Blessed Pipe Wrench
a character. But it’s all just a matter of how you want to look
at it, and how you want it to affect your game. “Everything SCENE 1
can be a character” is a great tool, but only when used THE MUSIC’S TOO LOUD in the diner. Alex and Britney
sparingly, for things that are narratively important. You can have to lean in across the booth to hear each other without
make everything a character, but it’s important to think about sharing their conversation with the whole place. On one side
whether you should make any given thing a character. of the table, we see A TEAR IN BRITNEY’S EYE. On the
other, we see the scratch across Alex’s face from the ghoul
COMPOSITION & FRAMING earlier. Where they hold hands across the table, there’s a little
In cinematography, composition and framing are literally haze from the steaming coffee cups below.
about what you see on the camera, and how you see those
things. As an advanced Director, you should always be SCENE 2
thinking about what the players “see,” and how they see it.
At a glance, there’s about 25 people in the diner. 20 in the
Remember, the players aren’t seeing the world through their
booths, 5 behind the counter. Here’s the zone map. Over
characters’ eyes directly—they’re seeing the world through
on the south part of the restaurant, IT’S CROWDED
your descriptions. While it’s not the same as film composition
TO CAPACITY. Britney and Alex’s booth is on the north
and framing, I could go on for an entire book about this topic,
side because it was quieter. You notice A WET FLOOR
but let’s focus on three particular elements; depth, contrast,
SIGN CONSPICUOUSLY GUARDING A STRANGE
and on-off screen relationships.
PUDDLE. Connie’s at the hostess station—she looks on
These should at least give you a starting point for thinking edge, we see her tapping her pen on the podium over and
about the way you compose and frame your scenes. It all over as she looks all around, like she’s trying to stand guard
comes down to actively thinking about the choices you’re for Jorge. The kitchen’s really active since it’s Saturday, even
making instead of just arbitrarily throwing down details. though the KITCHEN IS UNDER-STAFFED. There’s
A little consideration goes a long way. What we’re really just two people back there. Well, two and Jorge, who you see
talking about is the difference between home movies and a bolting toward the back door.
professionally crafted film.

315
 As you can see, those are both relatively simple Imagine a scene in a high school gymnasium. You describe
descriptions, but describe distinctly different scenes. In the the team playing. You describe the crowd full of nondescript
second, we don’t even get any details about Britney and conformists in team jerseys and t-shirts all cheering slavishly
Alex because that’s just not where the camera’s focused. We at the game. You describe the goth girl with the purple hair
know they’re there, but we’re really only interested in the who keeps looking at the clock, nervous. Then you describe
movement and positioning here. In film terms, the first scene some more of the crowd members who all look the same.
looks like a close-up, dramatic affair, while the second might Do that, and your players are going to hang on the goth girl.
be an overhead shot or gearing up for a series of fast-paced They’re going to want to know what she’s thinking, why the
action shots. time is so important to her, and what she’s even doing there.

CONTRAST Really, what you’re looking for is something to upset

the conceptual status quo of the scene. Think about what
Contrast uses color and imagery in such a way that scene the players would expect to be in the environment you’re
elements stand out from one another. Used subtly, this can describing, and shake that up a little. If that’s hard to do, then
help to guide the audience’s attention to the right elements. maybe you’re using the wrong environment for your scene.
Used poorly, it can cause a muddy scene where the focal Another fight in a nondescript warehouse or sewer isn’t likely
points aren’t very clear. Used boldly, it can cause strong to surprise your players and draw their attention. Monotony
responses. Consider the Woman in Red from The Matrix. She isn’t going to do you any favors in your storytelling.
stands out in a sea of blacks, whites, and grays, so she draws You don’t have to present contrast up-front, either. You’re
full and immediate attention. That’s contrast. welcome to hide it, and let the players uncover it. If you have
In a game of #iHunt, you can’t really play with color the a contrasting element hidden and a player decides to make
way you can in film. But you can play with expectations. If an advantage, you can step in and offer them that element
you describe a scene element that players wouldn’t expect to to help fill in the scene. Then, you’re not just working with
fit within the rest of the scene you’ve described, they’ll grab contrast on your side, but that element becomes an aspect
right onto it and won’t let go. Players are always looking for so the players are all but guaranteed to grab onto it and run.
the hook, for the thing they think you want them to discover. Remember that this logic works in-character as well as out.
So, help them out a little. Give some consideration to what Monsters will grab onto contrasting elements. Consider a
you want the players to pay attention to, and put it somewhere house cat. The one thing that stands out gets pounced.
that it’s out of place.

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ON/OFF SCREEN CUT ASAP
When we talk about “off-screen” in terms of a game, we really Related to on/off screen considerations, you should “cut” as
mean two distinct things. One is more “off-screen” than the soon as possible. Because this style of game is about choices
other, but both are valuable tools for consideration. and interactivity, there’s an instinct to follow up every wind-
down with, “Okay what do you do next?”
The first, the real “off-screen” tool, is things that literally
just happen outside the bounds of direct description. Really, Resist this instinct. It’s bad. It’s very bad.
this happens for three big reasons:
Scenes should be as short as possible. They should take
[ Sometimes things just aren’t worth addressing in any the shortest time necessary to achieve the scene’s agenda. In
detail. We can just assume some things happen, or we film terms, you want to cut to the next scene as soon as you
can say they happen and move on. possibly can. This is a skill you have to develop and foster. I
recommend doing it through direct camera descriptions. For
[ Sometimes the Director wants to play the cards close to example, “Thomas hits the ground with a thud. The camera
their hand. That’s a good tool if you do a lot of planning, pans to Monica’s face. Her eyes go wide. She didn’t expect
and you like to pull twists. Some groups prefer that that hit to land. Not like that. And we fade to black. The next
style of play, and some prefer to have a bigger hand in scene, we open to a wide shot of the library. Who do we see?”
the story’s development. This really comes down to the
group’s play style, and it’s something you have to feel In these cases, it’s okay to jump to a different location
out with every troupe of players. at a different time. Even if the players want to know what
happened between scene A and scene B, that’s okay. You
[ Sometimes you don’t really know what’s happening off- can figure it out in post. In our little example above, the
camera, and you’d prefer to figure it out in post. This can library scene might be a good time for the characters to
be a fun improvisation tool, or just a way to cover your discuss just what was going through Monica’s head when
ass if you can’t come up with something in the moment. the hit landed. This is a dramatic device—you’re forcing the
players to think about things laterally instead of directly,
These are all valid approaches to simply letting things which means they’ll have to give deeper consideration to
happen without direct attention. A game session only has events and their meaning. If you just let the scene progress
so long—maybe three to five hours on average—so you have organically, then the players would address Monica’s reaction
to prioritize what gets time and attention. Every scene you in the immediate, directly, and then be done with it. If you
detail is another scene you can’t. There’s no right answer or force them to think about it indirectly, they’re more likely to
wrong answer here. Moving past a scene is simply a tool you consider things like consequence and emotional resonance.
should consider where possible.
If you get comfortable with fast and furious scene cuts—
The other off-screen tool is not actually off-screen. You can and you should—you should also give the players the option
hold entire scenes without the players’ hunters. Think about to use fate points to cancel or influence scene cuts. In our
some of your favorite TV shows. Sometimes cutaways where example, Monica’s player might intervene at the scene cut.
you give the villains a moment or two to shine in private, “Hold on. I’m going to spend a fate point. I want to see
away from the protagonists’ prying eyes can be really fun, Monica bash the fucker’s head in. In her mood right now,
and build interest in those characters. she’d confirm the kill. He’s not coming back. Not again.”
That’s a perfectly viable use of a fate point. But since the
Now, this can be boring as fuck if it’s just the Director
player is essentially getting an intangible benefit that’s just
playing a little puppet show for the players. If this type
canceling an arbitrary choice from their fate point, feel free to
of scene goes on for more than a couple of lines, ask the
give them a boost or the ability to introduce a scene element
players if they want to get involved. Let them ad lib some bit
if they do this.
parts, minions, or other characters on the scene. They don’t
necessarily need character sheets, and the players don’t need For people who are used to playing other styles of story
to portray them every time they come up. This is especially telling games, they’re liable to ask, “But what happened?” Get
true if they’re villains—the hunters might have to kill them used to that. Tell them, “I don’t know. Let’s figure that out.”
later on, and it can get confusing if the players are trying to Then roll with it. You have to train them (or untrain them?) to
handle both sides at once. take these narrative opportunities and run with them. As you
get more used to using this technique, you should aim to get
Sometimes this style of play can branch out into something
more and more daring with it. Find what feels like the best
of its own. Hell, I’ve got plans to make a whole game about
moments for a cut, then push it forward just a little bit. Think
the vampires in the #iHunt world. If you end up enjoying
in terms of leaving the audience at the edge of their seats,
a little side action about the vampires in your stories, you
breathless for the resolution. Your agenda here is to build
might have a good opportunity to do a “spin-off ” series.
suspense and impact.

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 IMPACT AND FEEDBACK FEEDBACK: CUMULATIVE
One of the most potent elements of visual storytelling is Cumulative feedback is a cumulative response to action.
feedback. This is to say, the response to action. In a game like Actions don’t occur in a vacuum, and one of the biggest
#iHunt, feedback is arguably the single most important role a strengths about this type of game is how you can organically
Director has. Feedback rewards players for doing cool shit—it adapt feedback over time. As the players continue to hunt
teaches them that when you do something bold and awesome, monsters in a neighborhood, they might notice the general
you’ll get back something bold and awesome. In essence, it level of safety in that neighborhood improves. However, they
helps to turn players into fans of their game. Feedback can might also notice negative effects on the local economy since
also be a teaching tool. It’s very Pavlovian—when players the monsters were local high rollers.
do something sub-optimal, they get a sub-optimal result,
and learn to do better next time. In #iHunt, usually the sub- The most obvious way to use cumulative feedback is “small
optimal choice is “play it boring.” Boring action gets boring wins” leading to something greater. Many things they players
results. will want to do would take far more effort than a single
action could accomplish. Sometimes they’ll want to change
There’s a few basic ways you can use feedback in your the world. Giving them smaller victories on the path is how
games as a storytelling tool: you reflect sustained feedback. In reverse, you can enforce
negative sustained feedback when the players keep pushing
FEEDBACK: GRANULAR a button they shouldn’t. If they keep fucking with the mayor,
he’ll have their cars towed at first. Eventually he’ll start
Granular feedback happens as a direct result of action. Often, sending the cops. If it goes far enough, he’ll just have their
this means literally the response to dice rolls. It’s granular homes condemned. That’s cumulative feedback.
because of this relationship to variable numbers—an action
with five shifts is different than an action with three shifts,
even if the narration is purely predicated on Director fiat. CUTAWAYS
This is also the most common feedback you’re likely to see Another common instinct with this sort of game is to act
in #iHunt: Player does thing, Director explains how that within a pure, direct chronology. This thing leads to that
changes the world around the player’s character. The most thing which leads to that thing. This isn’t at all necessary.
important feature of granular feedback is its immediacy, and #iHunt stories benefit from cutaways—scenes outside the
direct causal relationship. It teaches the player that X action direct chronology, where you can deliver asides, flashbacks,
has Y result, and as a Director, you should respect those and other non-sequential material. Not saying you need to go
established relationships. Even when subverting them, you all David Lynch and add random shit where nobody knows
have to acknowledge that the trend exists and that you’re when it’s actually supposed to happen (although you can if
choosing to buck it. you want.)

FEEDBACK: SUSTAINED The idea is that sometimes the best way to explore a topic
isn’t with direct, chronological action. Even if you’re not
Sustained feedback happens when a desired result takes fucking with the timeline in any real way, using flashbacks
sustained effort. Imagine the characters wanting to break into and the like, you can use arbitrary timing. For example, if the
a car and hotwire it. They have to deactivate the alarms. They players are currently in a chase against time, trying to catch a
take a few hits to smash through the window. They have to go fleeing monster before it causes irreparable harm to the local
searching through the electrical panel. They have to fuss with bodega, you might flash to a time the players’ characters were
the wiring. Any given one of these parts of the whole might hanging out at the bodega and the owner did them a favor in
take multiple actions to accomplish. a time of need. It doesn’t really matter when it happened—
you’re doing it for impact and drama.
Usually you represent this with a challenge >>PAGE XX.
But it’s important to not fall back on just letting numbers In game terms, there are two directions you can take
dictate the narrative movement. Make the increments with these sorts of scenes. After all, would game traits in a
valuable. Make them interesting. Since the increments aren’t flashback to 1989 matter in 2020? In short, maybe? If there’s a
wins, per se, you have to offer intangible rewards in the form mechanical gravity to the scene, if there’s impact that matters
of description and interactive engagement. You’re delivering (read, persistent aspects,) then just use the modern, current
psychological feedback here. It doesn’t have to be amazing, game traits. It doesn’t matter; game traits are abstracts related
but it should have personality. Maybe when the players are to narrative weight more than direct modeling of physics. On
busting into that car’s electrical panel, they find a breath the other hand, if the cutaway or aside doesn’t really matter
mint. This of course helps because earlier, they were out in the scope of persistent aspects, then just don’t worry about
drinking and they’ve been worried about their breath. it. For these types of scenes, you don’t really need dice. Just
remember, cut at the earliest possible opportunity. Don’t let
that shit drag on too long.

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RULES EXCEPTIONS MULTIPLE TARGETS
There’s a near-infinite ways you can fuck with the Fate Core Some actions would logically affect multiple targets. Keeping
#iHunt rules to tell your stories the way you want. I’m just it simple, which is to say violent, think about spraying a room
going to go into a few examples here to get you thinking on with an automatic machine gun. The whole point is hitting
your feet. None of these are “hard rules,” they’re all just ideas multiple people. Or is it? Here’s three ways to handle it:
for manipulating the rules for different emphasis.
[ The easiest way to handle this is to think in terms of
STAKE THE HEART aspects. What if, instead of worrying about hitting
multiple targets, you add a general “live fire” aspect
“Have you ever tried cutting fabric with child-safe scissors? This is to the scene? That way it can be invoked or compelled
why good vampire hunters, real vampire hunters, don’t do stakes against anyone trying to move and act while bullets
through the heart. It’s just not practical. You can sharpen the stake are flying. It also helps you to emulate the extended
as much as you want, but there’s just no realistic way to put it bedlam of a firefight without having to micromanage
through a rib cage unless you’ve got a mallet and the vampire’s individual shots.
asleep. Only some vampires sleep during the day. So, I prefer the
tried and true method—the machete.” [ The second way is to divide up shifts among any
number of targets. If you roll seven shifts, you might
—#iHunt: Killing Monsters in the Gig Economy use three on one target and four on another, or three
on one and two on each of two others, or any other
Have you ever considered just how hard it is to put a stake combination. Each target applies their own defense as
through a vampire’s heart? In some TV shows, the plucky appropriate. This gives the player a bit of control over
heroine just slams a chunk of wood through a monster’s their action, and allows them to spread effects a bit. The
chest like it’s made of Jell-O®, then they explode into an icky downside is, applying a given target’s defense against
mess. The reality is, ribs and collar bones are a pain in the a smaller number of shifts means the actor is highly
fucking ass, and putting wood through a few inches of meat unlikely to affect all but the weakest targets. This can
is fairly tough. A stake ain’t a meat cleaver. feel anticlimactic. On the other hand, if a monster is the
one acting against the players as a group, it can keep the
If you want to represent this sort of complicated action with monster from overwhelming them.
the rules, think about requiring the player “spend” a certain
number of shifts to accomplish a specific, special effect atop [ The third approach is a little more complex. Decide who
a basic effect. For example, just hitting the monster with the will be targeted before taking the action. Figure out
stake might hurt it, because, you know, poking it with a big which target has the best defense of the group. Roll the
piece of wood. But with another few shifts, the stake hits the action, and resolve the defense. If the action succeeds
monster’s heart. You can represent this effect with an aspect, beyond the defense, then divide the shifts among the
or in the case of things like a stake through the heart, you can targets however you wish. This tends to result in a
just use the monster bane rules >>PAGE XX. Those “spent” more homogenized and expected result across targets.
shifts don’t add to the normal action effects. In the case of It can be a bit overwhelming depending on the power
your stake through the heart, the stake would cause less differential between the actor and the targets. For
harm than normal for the shifts rolled, but, stakes through example, a powerful monster with the Edge can utterly
hearts suck for the recipient. Fate Core isn’t really meant to wipe out a crew of hunters using this rule.
be super granular, though, so keep it simple where possible.
For example, I recommend allowing players spend three When you need to take action against multiple targets, work
shifts for an added aspect or special effect. out which of these (or another) solution works best in the
moment. Don’t make a hard, universal decision unless you’re
When you let them “spend” their shifts, be sure to allow really, really dedicated to doing so. It’s best to improvise to the
that as a granular choice. For example, if the opposition for a needs of the moment. Remember, if the results of an action
stake through the heart is 3, and the player rolls 6 shifts, they wouldn’t be fun, then it’s a shitty rule and shitty gameplay. So
could only really “succeed” by reducing their roll to 3 shifts. don’t do that.
That’d be succeed at a cost; not a full success. That’s okay!
That’s actually good. That means they get a success at a cost,
and that success means staking the vampire. That’s fun and
dramatic, and it gives the players very clear stakes (ha ha see
what I did there) for their cost. A player might not choose to
succeed at a cost if the result would just be “hurt the monster.”
But if the result is “put a stake through the vampire’s heart,”
the player is much more likely to take a bold chance. Bold
chances mean more fun, and more drama.

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 ZONE HAZARDS Rating Potency
1 Slippery chemicals, really bad smells, easy
In the zone rules >>PAGE XX, I mention that you should
to navigate crowds
differentiate zones by adding aspects. It helps to describe
them, and it gives a little mechanical incentive to engage with 2 Somewhat harmful chemicals, a small fire,
the various environments in the story. suffocating fumes, dense crowds
3 Dangerous chemicals, large fire or
Sometimes hazards and situational elements are a little potentially deadly temperatures, hostile
too big to just be aspects. Like everything else, this all comes crowd
down to fiat and personal judgment. You might decide that
if a zone is on fire, the “on fire” aspect is fine. But you might 4 Deadly chemicals, conflagration or instantly
also decide that it hurts anyone in that zone because it’s a big harmful temperatures, trained and hostile
fucking fire. In the case of a zone hazard that you’ve decided crowd
is too big for an aspect, you can turn it into a zone hazard. A 5 Immediately life-threatening environment
zone hazard is basically just a truncated character. It gets a or an elite, trained, and hostile crowd
relevant skill set to act against characters. It might get a stunt I recommend giving the hazard a stress box for every skill
or aspect or two of its own. It can have consequences and set level just to keep it easy to remember. And just key it to
stresses, at your discretion. Look back to The Fate Fractal on the rating. So a hazard with a skill set at 3 has a 1, 2, and
>>PAGE XX for some guidance on how you can do this. 3 stress box. Unless you’re really invested in keeping the
The important thing here is that a zone hazard can act hazard going, don’t bother with consequences—it just gets
and be acted upon. An aspect can be created, destroyed, too complicated. And so long as you’re realistic about what
compelled, or invoked. Zone hazards can attack and defend, can actually affect a hazard, usually stresses are more than
and be attacked and defended against. Most zone hazards enough. For example, you can’t just punch a house fire away;
really only need a single skill set, because most are simple you need chemical solutions like fire extinguishers to fix it.
enough that they really only do one thing. A zone on fire So anyone trying to “attack” the zone hazard would need
might have Fighter, for example. The degree of that skill set is a reasonable extinguisher to even try. Also, zone hazards
up to your determination, but here’s some guidelines: should attack indiscriminately against every potential target,
unless there’s a good reason otherwise.

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DIRECTING ASPECTS COMPELS
If you ask a person familiar with Fate what the most important A compel, either player to player, director to player, or player
feature of Fate is, they’re liable to tell you that it’s the aspects. to director character, then is like a musical sting. That is, it’s
We give them attention in their own chapter on >>PAGE when the sound track that was bedded under the scene is
XX. However, they’re important enough to warrant a little FUBARed by a dramatic violin, a record scratch, or whatever
further discussion and consideration. is appropriate to the milieu.
Aspects are remarkably versatile tools, because they can Dun dun.
use them to describe the entire world. People, places, things,
mood. Or possibly dun dun duuuunnnn if you’re old school.

Yeah, I said mood. You can read The Fate Core Rulebook, A compel is a dramatic change of the energy in the scene.
articles on the internet, plenty of sources on how to best use It’s a moment when we pause and consider the ramifications
aspects to bring objects, weather, people, potential threats of what choice is to follow. And that choice will for sure
and so on into focus. So let’s talk about using aspects to effect change the tone of the scene. Perhaps it is followed my a
and reflect mood. dramatic reprisal of the character’s theme but in a minor key
to let you know shit just went south. Or maybe that ominous
Imagine you had an orchestra cued up and ready sitting in villainous leitmotif follows. All depends on how the dice fall,
your living room next to your gaming table with a conductor really.
ready to hit a music cue on command live whenever you
wanted to add a little drama to the scene you’re directing.
Well, that’s not possible, of course. Aspects are the next best
IMPERIL
thing. Go with me a minute on this, okay? It’s a metaphor. Perhaps most dramatically of all, I tend to think of imperiling
as the moment when the soundtrack just...
INVOKES
Stops.
You know the moment in the movie where the hero says
something significant, something especially on brand that Silent.
suggests the scene is going to pivot at least slightly in their
The script might call this “cut abruptly,” and abrupt is
favor? When they get up after getting punched and the music
a good word. Just the sound of breathing as the character
swells, possibly with their theme song or a song that makes
sweats. A distant sound of crying. The crackling fire getting
you feel like FUCK YEAH WE GOT THIS? That’s a fade-in
closer. The whisper of ghosts under the radio static. In the
script format, and that’s what an invoke is like. When the
moment when a character is imperiled, the sound track steps
player does it, you imagine calling up the aspect in their
back, gets out of the way, and lets the drama sit firmly on
favor, it’s the moment when you acquiesces a certain amount
the player’s choice. (There’s a really killer example of this in
of scene juice to that moment going the player’s way. (It
a John Wayne movie, but fuck that Nazi, you know what I
won’t always, that’s in the dice, but you should prepare as if
mean without it.)
it’s forgone conclusion that way if the player still woofs it, you
can all share in the devastation. Casey at the Bat style, ne?) All the drama, all the tension, all of it, it’s in the actor’s
faces, the scene’s lighting, the story so far. The aspect here
When you or a player pull on a free invoke specifically,
is silenced, because it is the choice inside the character that
imagine this is the tiny version of that swell of music. When
matters. It was always going to, eventually, come to this
the sound track gets a little jolly and we all laugh because
choice, and what aspect the choice was based on hardly
we know OF COURSE the guy grabs his hat at the end. He
matters. Sooner or later, the character would have to make a
always has his hat. Duh.
hard choice. In was inevitable.
When the director is invoking, assume there’s a music swell,
but depending on circumstances it might be much more CONTESTS UNDER FIRE
ominous. A cross-fade, if you will, from the scene’s music to
something fitting but more tense. The thing with invokes and So what about when the musical bed rises up over the
how they feel in the mood as soundtrack metaphor is that dialogue, over the acting, the music becomes super intense
the change is present and clear but still a part of the flow. and what you see on the screen becomes all action. Running.
Dramatic but not jarring. Fighting. Driving. Exploding? When you break out the
particularly pulse-pounding theme rises from played under
to front and center?

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 THE SUPPORTING CAST
Well, that’s probably because the characters are actively
under fire, and so it’s time to sneak in an advanced rule you
can use at your table if you want. There are hunters.
Penned by Fate Genius, Ryan Macklin, the idea of Contests
There are monsters.
Under Fire is pretty simple. It’s when one party (probably
your band of merry #iHunters) are making a contested And then there’s everyone else. As the Director you gotta
challenge toward a specific goal, while another party (like, play them, too.
dunno, a volcano) are trying to take out the contestants so
they can’t reach their goal using the conflict rules. That said, every single living being who exists in the world
Ryan refers to this as technique rather than a rule because of #iHunt is not a part of the supporting cast. They might be
it’s using what’s already there. Fair point. Here’s how that a scene aspect like PROTESTING CROWD or they might
looks for our purposes: be bit parts existing briefly as a thing to overcome like KARL
THE SLEEPY SECURITY GUARD. Karl doesn’t need a
Pick Sides: Decide who’s doing what. For our purposes character sheet probably, he’s just a one and done roll without
let’s say one side is a band of hunters, and the other side stats of his own. So he’s just a scene aspect. (Sorry Karl.)
is, dunno, a horde of restless dead who have risen to eat.
The hunters can’t fight them all because there’s an airstrike If, for example, they did not manage to sneak past Karl in a
coming in to take out the outbreak and bombs don’t care one-n-done way, but instead he confronts them and there’s a
who’s not the undead. This means you have: conversation? Now he might be supporting cast. Might be if
[ Contest Actors - Hunters: AGENDA - GET OUT OF he creates an advantage and can leverage character strength.
TOWN BEFORE THE AIRSTRIKE.
If you’re going to give a non-monster a sheet, antagonist,
[ Shamblers: NATURE - EAT. friend, lover, cop, lawyer, cousin, younger sister, parole officer,
You’ll see I’m treating this horde as an “act of nature” therapist, bartender or regular bus driver, they become a
similar to an earthquake or dunno, an elder god waking tool for driving home the reality, the drama, the grace and
from it’s eon-long slumber. Shamblers don’t have an agenda. sadness that is the “real life” of an #iHunter and a way to help
They just do what they do. If they were being controlled by ground us in the idea that #iHunt is not a fantasy. It’s what-if
a necromancer, he’d be a side maybe, and have an agenda all so close to our own world it’s mostly identical. Supporting
his own. Whoever is pushing the button on the airstrike might cast members ground the story in reality.
be an actor in the action in a more complicated situation. But
we’re keeping it simple for now. NON-MONSTER OPPOSITION
Statting it Up: Anyone or anything with an agenda is a While a hunter might get in a fight with Officer (un)Friendly
character and so they have stats. when caught by him breaking into a vampire den, or she
Anything that is a raw force of nature gets an aspect that is might punch out the super pushy hockey dad who keeps
their nature, more or less. Our friends the dead could easily calling her younger brother a slur in the peewee hockey
get UNYIELDING HUNGER for example. Don’t worry game, those things aren’t really a challenge on the same level
about stress tracks. An active volcano is not going to sweat as hunting down a werewolf and ending it’s rampage. It’s a
your nonsense. The plague is unending. little... easy? And probably it’s manslaughter because for sure
The Contest: See your contest actors? Good. First decide she’s gonna kill that guy, right? #iHunters kill monsters, not
if it’s a shared contest or each character is working toward people. So by and large the drama is not in violent conflict.
their own end. Escaping a rock slide is probably individual That’s not very realistic. No one actually goes around solving
contests, an exorcism is probably a shared contest. all their problems by attacking other people’s stress tracks.
(Physical or otherwise.) Not heroes, anyway.
Next, decide how many victories are necessary to reach
your the actor’s goals. And even when we’re talking about support characters
[ A short contest is probably 3 victories. Anything less who aren’t adversarial, bringing a support character into a
can happen with a single roll and that’s not fun. scene should be useful. Here’s how you take a scene with a
supporting character and make it useful:
[ A medium contest is five or more victories.
[ A long contest is seven or more victories.
So what are the conflict actors doing at this point? The
shamblers? Uh. They’re using their stats or their nature to
destroy the characters. Normal conflict rules apply, except
that the contest actors aren’t attacking back to destroy a
stress track or whatever. All their rolls are aimed at getting
the victories to reach their goal.

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 When we say strengths here, we mean very specifically the
CREATE ADVANTAGES strength of character. So that’s not “can hack the Gibson.” This
Support characters are not the problem. They cause the is “deep down, a person worth a redemption arc.”
problem. The cop is not the problem, (again, manslaughter),
A short bitter example: Drawing from some back story
the problem is the new aspect ON CAMERA, COP KILLA
and aspects, the Director sets up Howard’s brother finally
that’s on your sheet now.
catches Howard leaving his day job. There’s no avoiding
The drunk hockey dad is not the problem. GOTTA the conversation. “You never visit dad in hospice. He’s sick,
LOOK AFTER MY BROLING, the aspect just begging to Howard. It’s almost over.”
be imperiled on the table is the problem.
“And I never will. He doesn’t deserve to die in comfort.”
When you introduce a support character, friend or foe, Howard blurts out and everyone watching the scene leans in
bring them in with the intention of creating an aspect in play because whoa. “He’s lucky it’s cancer killing him. I wouldn’t
that will complicate or enhance the story. be so kind.” The end result of the little scene is an aspect for
Howard, CUT OFF OFFICIALLY. And the unbelievably
A short sweet example: Chi Chi is not currently covered in juicy temptation for Director as well other characters to find
blood and killing anything. She’s actually drinking a coffee at out more about this dramatic scene from otherwise quiet
a shop. This is down time. That’s when she sees The Woman. Howard.
(Her name is Anne but we haven’t gotten that far.) Anne is
six foot 8 with a mile of legs who wears heels anyway. That
is, an ideal woman. Chi Chi is, of course, instantly in love.
CHARACTER SHEETS
they chat. Monsters have nothing to do with this situation. Very small section left for this write up. Gotta hurry.
There is no vampire manipulating Anne to get at Chi Chi.
Anne is not a vampire. She’s just a very very tall woman with 1. Get a bunch of head shots printed out. Small ones.
the sweetest laugh Chi Chi has ever heard. The Director Like passport size. Keep them on hand to shuffle
and player throw around some dice to have Chi Chi be as through and attach to whatever support characters
charming as she hopes, and the end result is Chi Chi ends you think might come up more than once.
the scene with HOT DATE THIS FRIDAY as a new aspect.
2. Get an index card, the real small ones that are like
You’re a clever Director. You know exactly what to do with business cards are even better. You don’t need more
this new aspect. space that that. A sheet of paper in a notebook split
into four would cover four support characters, if you
LEVERAGE STRENGTHS prefer that over index cards.

Introducing a support character is a way to give the players With each support character you need:
chance to flex. Note I said player here, not necessarily
[ A name
character. The priority should be this is a chance to reveal
something about the hunter. Hunters have plenty of chances [ An aspect that reflects a relationship to the characters
to be awesome when beating up monsters. These moments
of (potentially) horrific mundanity should be a chance to [ A high concept aspect
show their depth of character. Their humanity. Their daily
struggle. It is a chance for the players to share, at the table, [ A skill set related to the relationship between the
the inner beauty (or not) inside the character they’ve crafted. support character and the hunter
It’s not always as dramatic as I’m laying it out here, but your
[ One stress track, your choice, based on how you think
focus in these scenes should be to dig deeper and show more
they’ll be interacting with the hunter
even if it’s in a small and quiet way. Take for example Chi Chi
landing a date in our story above. One, we learn from the way Leave some space at the bottom for whatever aspect they
Chi Chi’s player plays the scene, this new found boldness is may create as a result of this scene. You can (and should)
probably borrowed confidence from the hunt. Before #iHunt, reuse characters when you can—just keep track of which
for better or worse, Chi Chi would never have had the aspects are still live and which ones were either used or over
courage to flirt so openly with another woman—let alone one time.
so beautiful. There, we’ve learned something and we’ve set up
future drama! This is a well crafted support character scene That’s it. Get in there and drag your sad bad asses back to
even if it’s not two people in a room crying and shouting at reality. It might be sad. It must be beautiful.
each other.

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 NAME PRONOUNS

KINK

DESCRIPTION PLAYER NAME

HIGH CONCEPT

DRAMA

VISION BOARD

DAY JOB

EXTRAS STUNTS

MILD
1 1
1 2 MODERATE
2 2 1 2
3 4 SEVERE
3 3 3 4