Hunter: The Reckoning

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Hunter: The Reckoning is a horror tabletop role-playing game, and the sixth main game in the World of Darkness series. It was originally released by White Wolf Publishing in November 1999 as part of their Year of the Reckoning line. A second edition, based on the Vampire: The Masquerade 5th edition ruleset, was released in 2022 by Renegade Game Studios.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is supported by a series of supplementary books which expand the game's setting and describe types of characters.

Led by a gamemaster, players role-play as human characters in modern times who learn of the existence of the supernatural, such as vampires, werewolves, and mages, and fight back as monster hunters. Having little knowledge of the supernatural and no one but each other to rely on, they share information and organize through the internet forum Hunter-Net. The hunters are divided into several creeds, which determine their philosophies and outlooks on the hunt, and what sets of powers they learn.

The game was designed with themes of righteous fury, paranoia, hope, and retaining a normal life. The game was critically well received and considered appealing to both returning players and those new to the series, and became one of White Wolf Publishing's most successful and popular intellectual properties. It has seen several adaptations, including a fiction anthology, a novel series, several video games, and a live-action role-playing game.

Overview

Hunter: The Reckoning is a horror tabletop role-playing game set in modern times, in which players take the roles of human characters who become aware of the existence of the supernatural, including vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, and fight back as monster hunters.<ref name="scifi age rev"/><ref name="style guide"/> In the game's first edition, this revelation comes from the voice of beings called Heralds or Messengers, who imbue the player characters with insight and power;<ref name="scifi age rev"/><ref name="pyramid rev">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="dosdediez feature"/> in Hunter: The Reckoning 5th Edition (H5), hunters do not become imbued.<ref name="geek transcript"/> The hunters are mostly unorganized and know little of the supernatural, and have to rely on each other as the world at large does not know about it: they often communicate and share information through the anonymous internet forum Hunter-Net, which is managed by a hunter known as Witness1. Because of their lack of knowledge, they typically have to study their targets before attacking if they want to survive the encounter.<ref name="style guide"/>

Players create hunter characters with a character sheet,<ref name="mim rev"/> assigning points to various attributes to determine what they are good at,<ref name="htr overview grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and deciding which of several creeds they belong to: Avengers, Defenders, Hermits, Innocents, Judges, Martyrs, Redeemers, Visionaries, or Waywards. The choice of creed determines characters' philosophies, how they relate to the hunt, what their weaknesses are, and which powers they will learn.<ref name="scifi age rev"/><ref name="dosdediez feature">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="htr overview grog"/> The hunters' powers are called edges, and are learned through paths, where the first power often is the most powerful;<ref name="dosdediez feature"/> in the first edition, edges are supernatural, which is not necessarily the case in H5.<ref name="geek transcript"/> Led by a storyteller,Template:Efn players role-play as these characters. The game uses the Storyteller System, where the outcomes of attempted actions are determined through the character's values in relevant attributes and through rolling dice pools.<ref name="scifi age rev"/><ref name="htr overview grog"/>

Production

Hunter: The Reckoning was originally designed by Andrew Bates, Phil Brucato, Ken Cliffe, Greg Fountain, Ed Hall, Jess Heinig, Michael Lee, Richard Thomas, Mike Tinney, and Stewart Wieck, with art direction by Richard Thomas and cover art by Brian Glass.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was inspired by Ends of Empire, the ending of the earlier World of Darkness game Wraith: The Oblivion, which depicts the underworld being engulfed, leading to an influx of spirits and zombies in the human world.<ref name="hunterchat 2000"/><ref name="designers and dragons"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The development team designed the game with the concept of righteous fury as its main theme;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> other themes include paranoia and the fear of the unknown, the effect of monster-hunting on one's humanity, finding hope and continuing fighting in seemingly hopeless situations, maintaining a normal life,<ref name="style guide"/> and how power can corrupt people. According to Cliffe, the inspiration for the hunters mainly came from average people, as he considered underdogs to make for better heroes than superheroes do. The game was mostly written in-character, to show rather than tell what it is like to be a hunter.<ref name="hunterchat 2000"/> Although the game includes monsters appearing in other World of Darkness games, they do not necessarily abide the same rules as in their home games, creating an experience that reflects how hunters do not know how supernaturals work. For example, a vampire in Hunter: The Reckoning may be more brutal and vile than one in Vampire: The Masquerade and may have other abilities and weaknesses.<ref name="style guide">Template:Cite book</ref>

A second edition, titled Hunter: The Reckoning 5th Edition (H5), is in development by a team that includes the series' creative lead Justin Achilli and art director Tomas Arfert.<ref name="geek transcript">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="h5 announcement">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Achilli described the game as realizing the aspirational and hopeful aspects of the setting, through human characters who are given a fighting chance and can change the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Development of H5 began during the production of the fifth edition of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, to be able to expand the line-up of active World of Darkness games despite the delays in WerewolfTemplate:'s development,<ref name="geek transcript"/> and was inspired by the dramatic action of Werewolf.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The hunters in H5 were conceived as street-level groups, rather than the large vampire-hunter organizations seen as antagonists in Vampire: The Masquerade, who instead are portrayed as secondary antagonists to the H5 hunters who want to preserve the status quo.<ref name="geek transcript"/>

Release

Hunter: The Reckoning was originally released in November 1999 by White Wolf Publishing as a 300-page hardcover book,<ref name="h1 core grog"/> as the sixth main game in the World of Darkness series and as part of their Year of the Reckoning line of books released throughout 1999.<ref name="designers and dragons"/> It has since also been released as an e-book,<ref name="h1 core grog"/> and has been translated into other languages including Brazilian Portuguese,<ref name="dragao rev"/> French,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and German.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Prior to the H5 revival, the game line was ended with the cross-over event Time of Judgment in 2004.<ref name="designers and dragons">Template:Cite book</ref> H5 is planned to be published by Renegade Game Studios in Q2 2022,<ref name="icv2 h5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and is planned to be supported by the online toolset World of Darkness Nexus, which includes a rules and lore compendium, tools for creating and managing characters, matchmaking, and video chat functionality.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The game is supported by supplementary books, which describe the setting and types of monsters and hunters;<ref name="htr overview grog"/> the publisher did not create adventure modules for Hunter: The Reckoning, as sourcebooks were more popular with World of Darkness players.<ref name="hunterchat 2000">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Like the game itself, the supplementary books are presented as taking place in real time.<ref name="style guide"/>

Books

First edition (1999–2003)

Game books for Hunter: The ReckoningTemplate:'s first edition

Title	Original release	ISBN	Publisher	Notes
Hunter: The Reckoning	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 core grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 core grog"/>	Core rulebook<ref name="h1 core grog"/>
Hunter: The Reckoning Storytellers Companion	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 st companion grog"/>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 st companion grog"/>	Guide to the setting for storytellers. Bundled with storyteller screen.<ref name="h1 st companion grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Hunter: The Reckoning Survival Guide	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 survival guide grog"/>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 survival guide grog"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Hunter-Book: Innocent	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 innocent grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 innocent grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Innocents<ref name="h1 innocent grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Martyr	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 martyr grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 martyr grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Martyrs<ref name="h1 martyr grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Redeemer	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 redeemer grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 redeemer grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Redeemers<ref name="h1 redeemer grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Avenger	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 avenger grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 avenger grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Avengers<ref name="h1 avenger grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Judge	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 judge grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 judge grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Judges<ref name="h1 judge grog"/>
Template:Hidden sort keyThe Walking Dead	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 walking dead grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 walking dead grog"/>	Sourcebook about the undead<ref name="h1 walking dead grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Hermit	Template:Dts<ref name="hermit d20">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="hermit d20"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Hermits<ref name="hermit d20"/>
Hunter: The Reckoning Players Guide	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 players guide grog"/>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 players guide grog"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Hunter: Holy War	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 holy war grog"/>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 holy war grog"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Hunter: The Reckoning Storytellers Handbook	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 st handbook grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 st handbook grog"/>	Guide for storytellers on running games<ref name="h1 st handbook grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Defender	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 defender grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 defender grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Defenders<ref name="h1 defender grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Visionary	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 visionary grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 visionary grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Visionaries<ref name="h1 visionary grog"/>
Utopia	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 utopia grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 utopia grog"/>	Sourcebook about a potential future for hunters, where a sector is freed from monsters<ref name="h1 utopia grog"/>
Hunter: First Contact	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 first contact grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 first contact grog"/>	Sourcebook about hunters' relationships with organizations linked to the supernatural<ref name="h1 first contact grog"/>
Template:Hidden sort keyThe Nocturnal	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 nocturnal grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 nocturnal grog"/>	Sourcebook about vampires<ref name="h1 nocturnal grog"/>
Fall from Grace	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 fall from grace grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 fall from grace grog"/>	Sourcebook about extremist hunters<ref name="h1 fall from grace grog"/>
Template:Hidden sort keyThe Moonstruck	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 moonstruck grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 moonstruck grog"/>	Sourcebook about werewolves<ref name="h1 moonstruck grog"/>
Hunter-Book: Wayward	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 wayward grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 wayward grog"/>	Sourcebook for the hunter creed the Waywards<ref name="h1 wayward grog"/>
Template:Hidden sort keyThe Spellbound	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 spellbound grog"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Hidden sort keyThe Infernal	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 infernal grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 infernal grog"/>	Sourcebook about demons<ref name="h1 infernal grog"/>
Urban Legends	Template:Dts<ref name="h1 urban legends grog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	White Wolf Publishing<ref name="h1 urban legends grog"/>	Sourcebook about rumors and urban legends<ref name="h1 urban legends grog"/>

5th Edition (2022–present)

Game books for Hunter: The Reckoning 5th Edition

Title	Original release	ISBN	Publisher	Notes
Hunter: The Reckoning	Template:Dts October 2022<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Isbnt	Renegade Game Studios<ref name="icv2 h5"/>	Core rulebook<ref name="icv2 h5"/>

Reception

An illustration of a man in a coat and carrying a gun, walking towards the viewer past undead and a werewolf, with fire behind him.

The game's illustrations were criticized for incongruity with its themes. Pictured: the cover art for the Storytellers Companion.

Hunter: The Reckoning was critically well received,<ref name="designers and dragons"/> and considered appealing both to new players and those with prior experience with the World of Darkness series.<ref name="scifi age rev"/><ref name="cb rev"/> It became one of White Wolf Publishing's most successful and popular intellectual properties,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and was in 2003 described by IGN as one of "the most successful tabletop RPGs of the modern era".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In Spain, the first edition debuted as the sixth highest selling new role-playing game of the March–May 2001 period.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Spelkult looked forward to H5, calling it a welcome reunion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The gameplay was generally well received,Template:Refn with Template:Ill describing it as an efficient and classic system with nothing to complain about,<ref name="backstab rev"/> and Casus Belli considering it similar to Call of Cthulhu, but with fresh additions to the game design.<ref name="cb rev"/> Dragão Brasil considered the game's system easy to understand, with well-written explanations and examples, making the core rulebook among the best in the World of Darkness series.<ref name="dragao rev"/> Template:Ill similarly called it the most successful World of Darkness system, with a convincing presentation and everything needed to play and manage a game.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> One commonly criticized point was the division of the hunters into several creeds, which critics considered too systematic of a representation of philosophies and too similar to previous World of Darkness games' handling of character types, such as the vampire clans in Vampire: The Masquerade.<ref name="dosdediez feature"/><ref name="mim rev"/><ref name="cb rev"/> The hunters' powers were positively received, with Dosdediez appreciating the variety of them,<ref name="dosdediez feature"/> and Science Fiction Age liking how hunters, unlike player characters in other World of Darkness games, get their most effective powers first, necessitated by how the characters have little knowledge of the supernatural at first;<ref name="scifi age rev"/> Meanwhile, Magia i Miecz found it strange how the hunters themselves use supernatural means to fight off supernatural beings.<ref name="mim rev">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Critics liked the game's setting and mood,Template:Refn finding them to bring a lot of potential for role-play and for exciting campaigns with oppressive tones:<ref name="dosdediez feature"/><ref name="backstab rev"/><ref name="cb rev"/> Dragão Brasil recommended the game to anyone who likes mature, human stories with emotional depth.<ref name="dragao rev"/> The portrayal of supernaturals was also well received: critics enjoyed seeing them depicted from a new perspective compared to in their respective home games, and how they are written to retain a sense of mystery.Template:Refn Dosdediez further recommended using the game together with the World of Darkness supplement The Bygone Bestiary, to further surprise players with unusual monsters.<ref name="dosdediez feature"/> The game's illustrations and cover art, although considered well made, were frequently criticized for feeling incongruous with the stated themes of the game, depicting what Science Fiction Age described as "muscled-up special forces types" rather than regular people, encouraging a play-style of immediately resorting to violent options.Template:Refn Backstab also criticized the backgrounds used in the first-edition rulebook for at times making the text difficult to read.<ref name="backstab rev"/>

Related media

White Wolf Publishing released the Hunter: The Reckoning fiction anthology Inherit the Earth in 2001, which was edited by Stewart Wieck and contains nine stories.<ref name="mammoth 13">Template:Cite book</ref> They also published the six-part novel series Predator & Prey by Carl Bowen and Gherbod Fleming in 2000–2002,<ref name="mammoth 12">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="mammoth 14">Template:Cite book</ref> consisting of Vampire, Judge, Werewolf, Jury, Mage, and Executioner.<ref name="mammoth 13"/><ref name="mammoth 12"/><ref name="mammoth 14"/> Hunter: Apocrypha, a replica of a fictional book appearing in the Hunter: The Reckoning setting, was written by Tim Dedopulos and illustrated by Drew Tucker, and published in August 2000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Laws of the Reckoning, an adaptation of Hunter: The Reckoning for the live-action role-playing game Mind's Eye Theatre, was developed by Cynthia Summers and Alyson Gaul and written by Peter Woodworth, and released in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Dark Ages: Inquisitor, a supplement for the tabletop role-playing game Dark Ages: Vampire for playing as hunters in 1230, was released in December 2002.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hunter: The Vigil, a tabletop role-playing game in White Wolf Publishing's Chronicles of Darkness series, was released in 2008,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="gencon 2008">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and takes inspiration from Hunter: The Reckoning along with Dark Ages: Inquisitor and the Vampire: The Masquerade book The Hunters Hunted.<ref name="designers and dragons"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

High Voltage Software developed three hack-and-slash video game adaptations: Hunter: The Reckoning in 2002, and Wayward and Redeemer in 2003. They performed moderately well commercially, attributed by GameFan in part to the pre-existing fan base for the tabletop game,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and were met by critical reviews ranging from average to positive.<ref name="metacritic vg"/> After Paradox Interactive acquired the World of Darkness series in 2015, they said that they wanted to create a fourth Hunter: The Reckoning video game;<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> in 2023, the interactive fiction game Hunter: The Reckoning – The Beast of Glenkildove by Choice of Games was announced.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Uwe Boll acquired the movie rights for the 2002 video game in 2004.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film was planned to be directed by Boll, produced by Shawn Williamson, and written by David Schneider and Drew Daywalt, with shooting planned to take place in British Columbia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

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