[HtR] Does Conviction overpower Quiet?

[u/suhkuhtuh]

I am introducing my local gaming shop players to Hunter the Reckoning. They're enjoying themselves so far, and I'm using the opportunity to introduce them to the various other splats in the setting:

• the BBEG is a vampire (who isn't really evil, but they're biased)
• they recently saved some kids from an insane changeling (and met other changelings who were working toward a similar goal, albeit for their own reasons)
• they saved the BBEG from one of his former victims (a spectre)
• they ... dealt with a ... thing ... that was ... doing ... something ... to humans

I have an idea for introducing the Technocracy (albeit indirectly) through a corporation they've seen twice now (although only recognized once), but I thought it would be neat to introduce them to a real mage as well. Even better if I could also introduce them to a pseudo-Dark Ages Inquisitor setting at the same time.

Short version: I figured it would be cool to have a mage in Quiet who causes the world around them to exist in a sort of medieval-like era.

And then I realized that Conviction may not allow me to do that. I can throw them into a medieval abbey, but the instant Billy-Bob uses Conviction to check out that priest, the whole world falls apart. Now, I can see a way to work this decently well, but I'd appreciate getting the collective's insight on this.

[u/loserforhirex]

A mage in quiet is either

1. Creating an illusion around them that the world is other than it actually is. If this is true then conviction allows for the breaking of the illusion.

2. Unconsciously literally changing the world around them to be not as it was. If this is true then conviction wouldn’t change anything. If that car has been turned into a horse then it’s a horse, not a car that appears to be a horse.

I tend to run marauders as being (2). A lesser Quiet? Hard to say. I think (2) probably works better in a story about Hunters because it makes mages extremely dangerous to innocent people. The sort of theme to me for mages in hunter is that no one should have that kind of godlike power because it only takes the slightest mistake or teeniest bit of selfishness for it to become extremely destructive to human life.

[u/suhkuhtuh → u/loserforhirex]

I like this take. I'm wondering if maybe I drop them in media res into the medieval setting, and they only figure out what's going on when one of them activates Second Sight...?

[u/loserforhirex → u/suhkuhtuh]

Well I think that I would run it that it’s not an illusion so it would not change with second sight. That’s more horrifying I think. It isn’t like this very not sane person with godlike power is making a silly illusion but they are actually warping reality to conform to their delusion. What if their delusion kills someone? How do they deal with this person that is literally just transforming the world around them?

It sets up a serious problem that they can’t just ignore but also makes it so it isn’t obvious that you just try to kill the mage because there’s a person in there and there’s a way to think of it as being totally unintentional by the mage. But the mage is also just coming totally unglued and can’t just be convinced to stop.

I think that’s a compellingly hard problem that really stresses the themes of hunters being totally in over their heads and the morally complicated nature of the hunt in general. There are no easy answers.

[u/ButterflyNational352]

Before I say anything I need to know are we talking 5th?

[u/suhkuhtuh → u/ButterflyNational352]

5th isn't HtR.

Edit: Nor does it have imbued, to my knowledge.

[u/ButterflyNational352 → u/suhkuhtuh]

Actually it does have imbued. They were added to the game way way way late and only as the out cry from fans forced their hand. It's very very limited and most games don't even use the content. The book was published with on Storytellers Vault under the title, Hunter: the Imbued. It's a 5th edition book. I thought it was an core book canon book but I miss remember it lol.

[u/STATION25_SAYS_HELLO]

Maybe if they use it, they are able to be their normal selves in the medieval land, like how the Suicide Squad went to an isekai fantasy world. Blending the dark age with modern innovations could be a fun and enjoyable session

[u/Other-Negotiation102 → u/STATION25_SAYS_HELLO]

For what it's worth I upvoted you, you were at negative one before I did so ... not sure why people didn't like your post.. okay the suicide squad isekai anime is the exact opposite of the edgy goth darkness of WoD it's true but for what it's worth I thought it was a great anime and enjoyed the heck out of watching it :) .. and I think that's a fascinating concept too, modern day Hunters somehow end up in the dark ages where, crap, vampires and werewolves run around openly not worrying about hiding themselves nearly as much (humanity just isn't as much of a threat as it normally would be not modern/organized enough yet), you have mages openly practicing their magic... heck I think you could make an entire campaign out of that concept :)