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I saw it at Origins and thought it looked amazing. Apparently it is a pseudo-historical fantasy game that takes place in early colonial America. It changes some of the period's conceits (many women have near-equal rights for example). I couldn't afford to pick it up but I wish I had, it looked like an awesome game.
If you haven't seen this yet, go take a look.
I never heard of Witch Hunter before, but I noticed that it recived three Ennie award nominations... so I figured that it's probably worth checking. Anyone who can share something or otherwise let me know his opnion about the game?
As has been said, Witch Hunter is a game of swashbuckling horror set in an alternate-history late 17th century Earth. You play a Witch Hunter, a man or woman who has a calling to battle the forces of the Invisible World and thwart the schemes of the Adversary. Whether with skill or magic (or a combination of both), you fight to keep humanity safe, though you do so from the shadows, lest you be hunted down yourself.
Though the game has a global background, the core book focuses on Colonial America, starting in the year 1689. Big changes include the Dutch still controling New Amsterdam and its environs, and the Aztecs fighting off the Spanish invasion and remaining a vibrant empire. Witch Hunters come from all backgrounds and ethnicities, though the core book only describes European- and Christian-based Orders of hunters, along with a Native American one called the Ghost People. Non Euro/Christian Orders are coming soon from Paradigm.
Personally I like the game because the setting is very compeling with a strong background history and a lot of complexity in its treatment of the topic of religiously-themed horror, an easy-to-use system based on d10 dice pools (comparisons to oWoD are not that far off) that does what it needs to do and makes off-the-cuff extrapolation a snap, and even narrative-focused rules mechanics (for the story game-loving crowd) that make a character more than just attributes and equipment.
To that you can add Dark Providence (the WH organized play campaign run by PCI) play support at cons and game days, plus the adventures are all available for free to either play the Dark Providence campaign at home, in case you don't care for that aspect, simply use them to play home games, giving you free, instant play opportunities right off the bat. This month also saw the release of The Grand Tome of Adversaries, a book of enemies for the heroes that includes forbidden societies, lots of critters and detailed rules for critter-creation, all exquisitely presented with tons of story material to give context and generate play hooks.
I honestly cannot recommend the game enough. If you want to learn some more, there are Witch Hunter threads going on now at RPG.net and EN World, including one with some actual play reports (you'll find it linked within those threads).
Any specific questions about the game, ask away. I love talking Witch Hunter.
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Daniel M. Perez
Highmoon Media Productions
The Gamer Traveler Podcast
The Digital Front Podcast
Did anyone else think Solomon Kane when they first saw the cover? ;)
(admittedly Witchfinder General was first in mine, Solomon Kane second)
I know a number of people whose alley this may be right up. They're huge Werewolves of Barrow Hill fans, which has probably gotten them paranoid and accusatory enough to drop into this setting without much explanation of its character.
My one-track mind has to ask though: Is the burgeoning age of piracy touched on any?
Did anyone else think Solomon Kane when they first saw the cover? ;)
No, but then again I was only barely aware of SK when Witch Hunter came out. Funny thing is, both Witch Hunter and Solomon Kane came out last summer (WH at Origins, SK at Gen Con). Figure the odds of that!
I know a number of people whose alley this may be right up. They're huge Werewolves of Barrow Hill fans, which has probably gotten them paranoid and accusatory enough to drop into this setting without much explanation of its character.
Comparisons to 7th Sea have also been known to get people to buy into the game on sight.
My one-track mind has to ask though: Is the burgeoning age of piracy touched on any?
Yes, but not extensively in the core book. It gets mentioned in some detail during the world gazetteer section. One of the introductory Dark Providence adventures, Storm Tide, is set in Jamaica and deals with pirates and ghost ships, so it could be a great way to kick off a Witch Hunter campaign with piracy as its focus.
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Daniel M. Perez
Highmoon Media Productions
The Gamer Traveler Podcast
The Digital Front Podcast
So excspt the setting, how is WH really diffreant from the WoD Hunters game? Becuse I talked with a friend who's opinion I value, and he told me that Wod's Hunter game was really lame.
The entire "Witch hunter" style is totaly cool, IMO, but if WH isn't better than WoD's, I'll pass.
Honestly (thinking of Hunter: The Reckoning), I think they are similar in the same way fantasy RPGs are about you playing characters in a magical pseudo-medieval world with magic and monsters. Witch Hunter has more in common with the old Hunter's Hunted supplement than with HtR, because while your characters may indeed have supernatural powers in the form of sorcerous traditions and/or things that emulate them, at the end of the day you're not really that ubder powerful, and it's your will and determination that really drives you to hunt down these threats from beyond. There's also the time in history each is set, and the fact that Witch Hunter has alternate events to create a even more dramatically charged 17th century.
As far as systems go, Witch Hunter is not WoD, just similar in that it's a dice pool system where you roll Skill + Attribute to achieve a target number, and then it riffs on that. People who like the Storyteller (not Storytelling, or New WoD) system like this one pretty much immediately, but I've seen people who both did not know about the Storyteller system, or even did not care for it one bit, embrace the Witch Hunter system without a problem.
Ultimately, WoD's Hunter is a modern game about how much you can fight the monsters before you become one, while Witch Hunter is a game about hunting down the evils of the Invisible World with panache and without succumbing to the horror inherent in that fight.
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Daniel M. Perez
Highmoon Media Productions
The Gamer Traveler Podcast
The Digital Front Podcast
I've played it once. Setting wise its very good and flavorful. I didn't much care for the rules, the comparison to WoD are very correct, too correct I sugessted at the end of the game that we swicth over to WoD rules set. Sadly this led to the groups downfal, as some loved the rules, others hated them, and still others like myself, didn't like them but was willing to deal. Long story short lead to too much bikering and complaining.
Please don't mis understand the rules were not bad, I just liked to go old school WoD with them. Your Opinions my differ. However in terms of the setting this game has a lot of flavor. Its one of those games you'd enjoy reading if if not playing. And although not the darkest game out, it'd be for a mature group.
Apparently this game has been out for a while now but today is the first time I heard about it after seeing a supplement for it advertised. Given it's a few years old now, can anyone say how this game plays, if they've used it to run a campaign, if the style, presentation and artwork make for a good collector piece for those interested in this genre?
L
Apparently this game has been out for a while now but today is the first time I heard about it after seeing a supplement for it advertised. Given it's a few years old now, can anyone say how this game plays, if they've used it to run a campaign, if the style, presentation and artwork make for a good collector piece for those interested in this genre?
L
I have heard rumors that they are releasing a new edition of this game soon.
