Witch Hunter: The Invisible World

[Cynical Cat]

I picked up the book today. I'll have a character up in a few days.

[Soontir948]

Reading further about it I've decided to order it. Though I messed up on the address it should be sent to but I hope my email notifying them to change it or cancel so I can re-order it soon.

There wouldn't be such a title as Witchfinder General in here would it?

[Comrade Tortoise]

I am interested. Will hunt down the book.

[Haizu]

You can get it in .pdf format on the companies website for 20 bucks. Also I fixed the stat problem, dropped Edu down to 2 and fixed associated skills, sorry math sux at times.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Name:Bertram Neuman
Nationality:German
Religion: Catholic
Height: 5'10
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair: dirty blonde, with a close beard
Eyes: green
Catalyst: Odd Bob/witness combination
Background: occultist
Order: Apostles of the New Dawn
Vice:Greed (mmm magical power)
Virtue:Prudent
True Faith: 1
Damnation:
hero points:15


Physical
Strength 2
Agility 2
Toughness 2

Mental
Education 5
Will 3
Reason 4

Spiritual
Courage 3
Intuition 2
Personality 1

Defense Dice: 2+1(from shield)+ (armor rating 1)

Skills

Occult 1(6)
Research 1(6)
Hand to hand 1(3)
Command 1(4
Swim 1(3)
Concentrate 2(5)
Resolve 1(4)
Sorcerous Tradition 5(10)
Trained Knowledge:Philosophy and Theology 1(6)

Languages: Native language is German 3(L)
English 2(literate)
Dutch 2(literate)
Latin 4(literate)
French 2(literate)
Greek 2(literate)
Bank: 8 language levels

Basic Talents
Basic Hermeticism
Eldritch Blast
Summon the Unseen
Circle of Binding
Greater hermeticism
Shield

Backstory
Born in Heidelberg within the german kingdom of Wurtenburg to a well off Catholic Family strange things seemed to happen to him. While playing with the other children it would always be he who stumbled across a mangled corpse, or found an old book in some hidden cranny of a library or church that did not seem to belong. Rather than brush these strange occurrences aside he started to investigate. He began to actively seek out knowledge that others would find unseemly or flat out forbid him to have. He knew that if all of these stories were correct, things moved in dark places, places hidden in plain sight. He listened to the stories people told in taverns and read about entire armies going into central and south america and disappearing without a trace.

When he was thirteen years old, Bertram discovered an ancient text in an old crypt. It was written in Latin, which the tutor hired by his father had already given him a basic grasp of. He removed it from its hiding place and deciphered it, and found that it was the journal of a hermetic sorcerer. A Witch Hunter. In it were confirmations of his fears, and the means by which he could defend himself and others.

By the time his parents sent him to the University of Heidelberg to study for the jesuit clergy he had begun to amass a level of occult and magical knowledge that if someone knew, may have gotten him into a lot of trouble. In seminary he studied not only philosophy and theology but languages. He learned how to spend hours in silent contemplation. However he entered seminary at 15. Prior to entry, he did not know church law on the matter of the practice of Hermeticism. He had simply assumed that what he was doing was forbidden by the church and if caught would lead to his death. He could not defy his fathers wishes, and he could not set aside his magic. It had become part of who he was. The day he learned church law on the matter, he approached the Abbot and voluntarily submitted himself for the Ordeal.

It damaged him. Physically and mentally. He was deprived of food, given crusts of bread and water, with the occasional hunk of cheese. He was deprived of sleep for days at a time in prayer vigils enforced by the lash and he studied magic and scripture when he was not being purified by pain. When he left he had scurvy, had lost 40 lbs from stress and starvation and was covered in scars on his back and arms which would never heal. His mind was also left ravaged and he suffers from phantom pains, attenuated versions of his suffering on the rack that are triggered by the sight of ropes that get especially severe when he is bound. He was however "pure", and survived the year long Ordeal.

He also left with a deep loathing for the church that could so treat one of its own, to torture a boy to within an inch of his life every day for a year was repugnant to him and it left him bitter. What was worse, he could no longer have the vocation which was to be his, and upon receiving word that their son was a Hermetic, his family disowned him. He was left with nowhere to go, and no one to whom to turn. So he left the land of his birth and set off for the Nertherlands intent on signing on to a voyage to New Amsterdam.

Like every other time in his life, this trip was not without strange happenings. Virtually everywhere he went he saw the indelible stain of the Adversary and his minions. It was in Hamburg that he found them... and they in turn found him. He saw a group of cowled men carrying a suspiciously large person shaped bundle into an old graveyard and naturally, being 17, stupidly decided to follow them. He found them in an partially ruined charnel house in the crypt preparing to use the woman they had taken as a human sacrifice. Accursed. Pawns of the Adversary. He acted before he thought, and let loose a blast of magical energy horribly burning one of the sorcerers, but he was no match for three. He was forced to flee for his life. When he thought that his life was at an end, his rescuers came. A group of Witch Hunters also bound for Amsterdam had followed him to the spot and came to his rescue, in a flash of fire and steel they slew the accursed sorcerers and rescued both him and the girl who they had intended to feed to whatever dark power it was they called upon. He traveled with them to the New World, and learned from them before being formally inducted into the Apostles of the New Dawn. He has been hunting down and destroying agents of the Adversary and preventing the spread of their corruption in the New World since.

Equipment and money

Belt
Boots
breeches
cloak
hat
shirt
waist coat
socks
backpack
bedroll
Books(2)
Chalk 5 pc
3 wax candles
3 ink vials
lamp
Paper 10 sts
purse
quill
tinderbox
waterskin
Rations 3 day
Rapier
Staff
dagger
shield
Fencing Jacket
Total weight 49.5 lbs

Remaining cash
7 pounds 1 crown 3 shillings

[frigidmagi]

You beardy bastard!

[Hotfoot]

Okay, my order finally came in and I have a bunch of new Witch Hunter books.

Those of you who are interested, they have new Orders, new backgrounds, new magic, new fighting styles, pretty much anything you want. Well recommended as a player's handbook.

Also included is a Jewish order of Witch Hunters, and Kabbalism as a type of magic.

[Soontir948]

Huzawhitsowha? What book/s are you referring to?

[General Havoc]

I am giving thought to this. What would you suggest would be the best method of going about it?

[Hotfoot]

Bah, I thought I had that as part of the post. The Blessed and the Damned is the book.

[Hotfoot]

CT, Unitarianism was not anywhere near to an established religion until well after when the game is set.

[Cynical Cat]

The Blessed and the Damned has nice cover art, but it pisses me off because you can't really do what's depicted thus making it nothing but a bait and switch.

Also, I hate this character creation system. The language system in particular blows goats.

Character Name: Karolyi Istvan
Religion: Christian
Nationality: Hungarian
Background:Soldier (Special Ability: Veteran)
Social Standing: Professional
Order: Stalkers of the Unseen Hunt
Catalyst: The Sole Survivor
Sin: Vengeful
Virtue: Courageous
Hero Points: 5
True Faith: 2
Reflexes: 4 (3)
Defense: 3 (5)

Abilities
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Toughness: 3
Education: 3
Reason: 3
Will: 3
Courage: 4
Intuition: 3
Personality: 2

Skills
Fighting
Firearms (Agility) 3
Hand to Hand (Strength) 4

Interaction
Charm (Personality) 1
Command (Courage) 1

Movement
Ride (Agility) 1

Professional
Speak Language 1

Reaction
Balance (Agility) 1
Endurance (Toughness) 1
Notice (Intuition) 1
Parry (Strength) 2
Reflexes (Agility) 1
Resolve (Courage) 1


Talents
Attack Focus Sword (Reduce weapon's complexity by 1)
Attack Specialist Sword (+2 Damage with Sword)
Inheritance(money)
Night Vision (double vision range in darkness)
Talented (Hand to Hand, reroll any single 1)

Languages
Native Language (German 4 + literacy)
6 ranks

Gear:
Pistol, double barrel C:1 DM: +2 3/6/12
Dagger C:0 DM: +1 Range: 2 Small T: 4 10d
Sword C:2(1) DM:+3 Medium T:4 1 pound 10s
Buff Coat Armor: 2 Agility Penalty: 1 2s2d

Fine Ring 5 pounds
long coat 10s
Suit, fine 19s
Suit, common 7s6d
Tinderbox 1s
Backpack 8d
Bedroll 4d
Whetstone 3f
Mirror, small 15s
Rope, 10 yards 1s
Pocket Watch 3 pounds
Powder and bullets for 24 shots.

11 pounds 9s 5d 1f

[Hotfoot]

After some discussion, I figure I'll make the following changes.

Languages:

*Players will get double their education in language slots
*Literacies will be bought by Alphabetic families, rather than by language
*Dead languages, such as Hebrew, Aramaic, etc. only have literacies.

Money:

*Starting Cash will 50% of your background's yearly income.
*Inheritance and Dilettante talents are changed as follows:

Inheritance (Basic): You gain 1d10x5 pounds in a windfall

Dilettante (Greater): You gain 2d10x10 pounds, with 1d10 each period you do not withdraw funds.

For the record, I do not accept die rolls from behind the computer screen. Any talent, skill, or ability that is in question will be considered to be a roll of 5 on 1d10 or will be rolled via the board's die roller. Note that if you roll you choose to accept the consequences of doing so and there are no take-backs.

The game itself will be done in a largely free-form fashion, with the character sheets being a basic list of capabilities. I will be granting some experience points before play begins to play with, since free-form games via the board tend to award things slowly.

[Cynical Cat]

for starting wealth

[Comrade Tortoise]

CT, Unitarianism was not anywhere near to an established religion until well after when the game is set.

Not the Unviersalists no. But Unitarians existed in this time period and were non-trinitarian christians. I could just go quaker I suppose.

[Haizu]

So what you're saying is that we get the base 3 for our native language and the bonus points we get for additional languages is double our Edu score? EG: Edu 3 = 6 points for additional languages

Also, you're saying that Hebrew will be considered a dead language and you can only be literate in it? My characters native language is Hebrew... Or am I reading that wrong?

[Comrade Tortoise]

So what you're saying is that we get the base 3 for our native language and the bonus points we get for additional languages is double our Edu score? EG: Edu 3 = 6 points for additional languages

Also, you're saying that Hebrew will be considered a dead language and you can only be literate in it? My characters native language is Hebrew... Or am I reading that wrong?

Your characters native language would be either Yiddish or German.

[Hotfoot]

So what you're saying is that we get the base 3 for our native language and the bonus points we get for additional languages is double our Edu score? EG: Edu 3 = 6 points for additional languages

Also, you're saying that Hebrew will be considered a dead language and you can only be literate in it? My characters native language is Hebrew... Or am I reading that wrong?

At the period of time the game is taking place, Hebrew is a dead language, meaning nobody uses it to converse. The Jewish Diaspora stopped speaking it, speaking either the native language of the land, or, as CT pointed out, Yiddish. It wasn't until the late 19th and 20th centuries (odd to use that in the past tense now, but hey), that Hebrew had a revival as a spoken language.

To put it into perspective, now Latin is a dead language, basically only used in rituals or pursuits of high academia. Nobody really speaks it anymore, and certainly not conversationally, save maybe in the Vatican.

[Haizu]

Alright, I'll switch it up then. Now what I said about the points is correct then?

[Hotfoot]

Alright, I'll switch it up then. Now what I said about the points is correct then?

Yes. Of course you can spend as many of those points on your native tongue as you can (though remember, the level of any one language can't be above the base attribute).

Additionally, so long as a language uses the same alphabet, you only pay for literacy once.

[Haizu]

Alright cool, just wanted to clarify.

[frigidmagi]

Not the Unviersalists no. But Unitarians existed in this time period and were non-trinitarian christians. I could just go quaker I suppose.

Anti-trinitarians aren't automatically unitarians. Now there were communities of them scattered across eastern Europe but venture outside of Poland (hell even in some of Poland) and you're a heretic and they'll hang you. Oh wait the Poles threw y'all out in 1660, every man's hand is against you in Christiandom as you are also considered to be possible crypto-Muslims. Seriously Ben, you would have to dig up information on a very obscure and odd sect to play according to time period (we're in the late 1600s right?) and if the wrong folks find out you're screwed. You're actually safer as a Jew. At least then you have legal status.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Not the Unviersalists no. But Unitarians existed in this time period and were non-trinitarian christians. I could just go quaker I suppose.

Anti-trinitarians aren't automatically unitarians. Now there were communities of them scattered across eastern Europe but venture outside of Poland (hell even in some of Poland) and you're a heretic and they'll hang you. Oh wait the Poles threw y'all out in 1660, every man's hand is against you in Christiandom as you are also considered to be possible crypto-Muslims. Seriously Ben, you would have to dig up information on a very obscure and odd sect to play according to time period (we're in the late 1600s right?) and if the wrong folks find out you're screwed. You're actually safer as a Jew. At least then you have legal status.

Its why I went quaker

[frigidmagi]

quaker

Quakers? Last I checked they were pacifists.

[Comrade Tortoise]

quaker

Quakers? Last I checked they were pacifists.

I seem to remember one of the generals in the revolutionary war being one... And I am pretty sure there would be an exception to the rule if confirmed minions of the devil started to eat people.