The Core Hunters
As it stands right now, the core rulebook will contain full write-ups for fifteen pre-made, ready-to-use hunters. Eleven of them were ported from the original card game version of Urban Manhunt and I created a brand new one today (Neon Leon). The Grinning Reaper, based on the fantastic illustration Nolan Segrest crafted for us, will be statted up soon as well. That leaves two “slots” open. I’d like to do a create-a-hunter contest soon to fill one more slot.
The list of hunters is as follows:
Chang Mu: A vicious but philosophical bad-ass with an “Attila the Hun” type of gimmick.
Gridiron: This strong woman in football garb is hellishly dangerous when she gets up close.
Magnum Steel: A veteran who has defined the role of the modern hunter. Super versatile!
Sly Fox: A weasel of a man who delights is screwing with other hunters and using his cleverness to win matches.
Crazy Joe Hacker: A psychopath with a chainsaw. What’s not to love?
Hugo Strong: A big-game hunter who meticulously stalks his prey before making the elimination.
Punkster: A chaotic young woman with a skateboard, sword and unpredictability on her side.
Fastlane: The most popular hunter, even though he relies on constant communication with his “Pit Crew”.
Pirate Jane: Her name says it all. She’s a true swashbuckler and violent as hell. Her parrot helps her out a lot too.
Blue Beret: This military woman is serious-minded and lacking in pizzazz, but she is absolutely brutal, capable of taking out multiple crims in a short amount of time.
Neon Leon: A gargantuan ex-pro wrestler in power armor covered in neon lights. His glow can be very distracting to other hunters and crims alike.
The Grinning Reaper: Very dark and mysterious killer who may be the best melee combatant in the game.
Bonnie Clyde: A lethal woman with a tommy gun and a 1930s-era gangster gimmick. She can avoid damage so easily!
My goal with creating these hunters was to encourage a truly different playstyle for each one, yet make them versatile enough to accommodate other ways to play them. Some are more versatile than others, but that goes with the territory.
One would think that porting the old characters would be an easy task, but it wasn’t. Their stats for the card game were extremely generalized and simplified due to the nature of that style of game. For example, each hunter had one special rule and all fighting skills were relegated to a stat called “Combat”, with no mention of specific weapons. That simply wouldn’t due for a miniatures game that focuses on each player controlling one hunter. So the old stats were of little assistance.
I had to reconstruct them more or less from the ground up, using their illustrations as a guide and working in the various weapons depicted and the like.
Creating Sly Fox
To give you a better idea of what was involved in recreating the old hunters for a new type of game, I decided to shine the spotlight on one hunter and go through the process with you.
In the card game, Sly Fox was quite one-dimensional. His sole ability was to allow the player to draw two cards instead of one. Granted, in that game, it was a pretty powerful ability, but it didn’t do much to give the player a grasp of who he was as a person, what his personality was like or anything else. It simply insinuated that he liked having options at his disposal. That was a start, at least.
When it came time to create his new stats, I found more inspiration in his name and in Patrick Sullivan’s illustration than I did in the game stats. “Sly Fox” speaks volumes about the man, really. Or at least as I saw it. To me, it indicated that this fellow was slick, cunning and knave-like. The illustration certainly bore that out as well, which is testament to Patrick’s ability to bring these characters to life visually. The rakish mustache, the little domino mask, his facial expression and even the way he was pulling the pistol out of his jacket… it all suggested that we were dealing with a smarmy but charming rogue. Now THAT was something I could work with!
The flavor text on the old card lent a hand as well, but also opened up another question that needed to be answered. It read:
“Sly’s success is baffling. He’s not that good in a scrap, he doesn’t have an imposing aura about him, and he doesn’t seem to possess a strong killer instinct. But the truth of the matter is that the man is good. Damn good.” ---- Hugo Strong
That vagueness was fine for the card game, but for a miniatures game with a lot more detail? Not a chance. I had to figure out exactly how he managed to do well in the sport if he wasn’t a great fighter, didn’t have that “it factor” and lacked killer instinct.
After some serious thought, I came up with a solution: maybe he screws with other hunters, stymying their efforts at every turn so that his modest combat abilities would be enough to pull him ahead. He’s a pest!
This channeled my efforts into developing Special Rules, Attacks and Momentum Options that would facilitate how I was now envisioning him. I gave him three Special Rules. The first one was “Outfoxed”, which could force an opponent to discard a card from their hand. The second was “Denial of Glory”, which represented him sabotaging the eliminations made by nearby hunters so that they seem less exciting to the fans (who normally award exciting eliminations with additional points). The final Special Rule was “Steal the Thunder”, allowing him to steal a point of Momentum from an opponent.
I wanted to carry this theme on with Momentum Options as well. While he has the “Re-roll” Option that almost every hunter has and the fairly standard “Upgrade”, he also has “Distraction”, an Option that reflects Sly constantly annoying other hunters when they’re trying to win the game. To those ends, he can spend 2 Momentum to downgrade all their dice to effectively lessen their chances of success. His final Option is “I’ll Take That”. With it, you can plunk down 3 Momentum to swipe a freshly drawn from another player.
Now, before you start thinking that ol’ Sly is completely incapable of eliminating crims, rest assured that although his Shoot rating isn’t stellar, it is respectable. He can handle his pistol fairly well. And what a pistol it is! The Bruiser Pistol is capable of doling out some blood-soaked punishment. If used in conjunction with his “Re-roll” and “Upgrade” Momentum Options, this gun can blast right through just about any crim!
All told, I’m excited to see how he balances during playtesting. I’m sure some adjustments will have to be made, but I want to ensure that the character’s essence stays intact. That’s what’s important to me. Sly Fox offers a unique way to play the game. To lose that would be a travesty.
With all of the crims, I want their game stats to define who they are, not just what they can do. Their individual personalities should be as integral to how they’re played as their skills with swords and guns.
Here’s what Sly’s stats look like:
Sly Fox
Fight 2
Shoot 3
Defense 5
Athletics 2
Mind 4
Pizzazz 3
Height: 2
Wound Maximum: 5
Special Rules
Outfoxed: This hunter may take a Universal action and choose another hunter within 12 inches and in line of sight. Make a Mind vs. 2 check. If the check is successful, the player who controls the targeted hunter must discard a “Keeper” card from their hand.
Denial of Glory: Hunters within 6 inches of this hunter can not make Elimination Quality checks unless they spend 3 Momentum to do so each time.
Steal the Thunder: This hunter may take a Universal action and target another hunter within 6 inches and in line of sight. The target hunter loses 1 Momentum and your hunter gains 1 Momentum.
Attacks
Strike (Range 1”; Accuracy +0; Damage 1; Keywords — melee, blunt, unarmed)
Bruiser Pistol (Range 10”; Accuracy +0; Damage 2; Extra Rules — Each surplus success on the Shoot check will inflict 2 Wound Tokens; Keywords — ranged, item, small, gun, ballistic, depletable)
Momentum Options
Re-roll (1+ Momentum): Once per check or roll, this hunter may re-roll one die for each point of Momentum spent. All re-rolls must be made simultaneously.
Upgrade (1 Momentum): Once per check or roll this hunter makes, upgrade one die for each Momentum spent. All upgrades must be made before the dice are rolled.
Distraction (2 Momentum): Use before another hunter within 12 inches and in line of sight makes a check. Up to three of the dice are downgraded.
I’ll take that! (3 Momentum): Use when another player puts a “Keeper” card in their hand. The card is placed in your hand instead, unless the player spends 2 Momentum.
As it stands right now, the core rulebook will contain full write-ups for fifteen pre-made, ready-to-use hunters. Eleven of them were ported from the original card game version of Urban Manhunt and I created a brand new one today (Neon Leon). The Grinning Reaper, based on the fantastic illustration Nolan Segrest crafted for us, will be statted up soon as well. That leaves two “slots” open. I’d like to do a create-a-hunter contest soon to fill one more slot.
The list of hunters is as follows:
Chang Mu: A vicious but philosophical bad-ass with an “Attila the Hun” type of gimmick.
Gridiron: This strong woman in football garb is hellishly dangerous when she gets up close.
Magnum Steel: A veteran who has defined the role of the modern hunter. Super versatile!
Sly Fox: A weasel of a man who delights is screwing with other hunters and using his cleverness to win matches.
Crazy Joe Hacker: A psychopath with a chainsaw. What’s not to love?
Hugo Strong: A big-game hunter who meticulously stalks his prey before making the elimination.
Punkster: A chaotic young woman with a skateboard, sword and unpredictability on her side.
Fastlane: The most popular hunter, even though he relies on constant communication with his “Pit Crew”.
Pirate Jane: Her name says it all. She’s a true swashbuckler and violent as hell. Her parrot helps her out a lot too.
Blue Beret: This military woman is serious-minded and lacking in pizzazz, but she is absolutely brutal, capable of taking out multiple crims in a short amount of time.
Neon Leon: A gargantuan ex-pro wrestler in power armor covered in neon lights. His glow can be very distracting to other hunters and crims alike.
The Grinning Reaper: Very dark and mysterious killer who may be the best melee combatant in the game.
Bonnie Clyde: A lethal woman with a tommy gun and a 1930s-era gangster gimmick. She can avoid damage so easily!
My goal with creating these hunters was to encourage a truly different playstyle for each one, yet make them versatile enough to accommodate other ways to play them. Some are more versatile than others, but that goes with the territory.
One would think that porting the old characters would be an easy task, but it wasn’t. Their stats for the card game were extremely generalized and simplified due to the nature of that style of game. For example, each hunter had one special rule and all fighting skills were relegated to a stat called “Combat”, with no mention of specific weapons. That simply wouldn’t due for a miniatures game that focuses on each player controlling one hunter. So the old stats were of little assistance.
I had to reconstruct them more or less from the ground up, using their illustrations as a guide and working in the various weapons depicted and the like.
Creating Sly Fox
To give you a better idea of what was involved in recreating the old hunters for a new type of game, I decided to shine the spotlight on one hunter and go through the process with you.
In the card game, Sly Fox was quite one-dimensional. His sole ability was to allow the player to draw two cards instead of one. Granted, in that game, it was a pretty powerful ability, but it didn’t do much to give the player a grasp of who he was as a person, what his personality was like or anything else. It simply insinuated that he liked having options at his disposal. That was a start, at least.
When it came time to create his new stats, I found more inspiration in his name and in Patrick Sullivan’s illustration than I did in the game stats. “Sly Fox” speaks volumes about the man, really. Or at least as I saw it. To me, it indicated that this fellow was slick, cunning and knave-like. The illustration certainly bore that out as well, which is testament to Patrick’s ability to bring these characters to life visually. The rakish mustache, the little domino mask, his facial expression and even the way he was pulling the pistol out of his jacket… it all suggested that we were dealing with a smarmy but charming rogue. Now THAT was something I could work with!
The flavor text on the old card lent a hand as well, but also opened up another question that needed to be answered. It read:
“Sly’s success is baffling. He’s not that good in a scrap, he doesn’t have an imposing aura about him, and he doesn’t seem to possess a strong killer instinct. But the truth of the matter is that the man is good. Damn good.” ---- Hugo Strong
That vagueness was fine for the card game, but for a miniatures game with a lot more detail? Not a chance. I had to figure out exactly how he managed to do well in the sport if he wasn’t a great fighter, didn’t have that “it factor” and lacked killer instinct.
After some serious thought, I came up with a solution: maybe he screws with other hunters, stymying their efforts at every turn so that his modest combat abilities would be enough to pull him ahead. He’s a pest!
This channeled my efforts into developing Special Rules, Attacks and Momentum Options that would facilitate how I was now envisioning him. I gave him three Special Rules. The first one was “Outfoxed”, which could force an opponent to discard a card from their hand. The second was “Denial of Glory”, which represented him sabotaging the eliminations made by nearby hunters so that they seem less exciting to the fans (who normally award exciting eliminations with additional points). The final Special Rule was “Steal the Thunder”, allowing him to steal a point of Momentum from an opponent.
I wanted to carry this theme on with Momentum Options as well. While he has the “Re-roll” Option that almost every hunter has and the fairly standard “Upgrade”, he also has “Distraction”, an Option that reflects Sly constantly annoying other hunters when they’re trying to win the game. To those ends, he can spend 2 Momentum to downgrade all their dice to effectively lessen their chances of success. His final Option is “I’ll Take That”. With it, you can plunk down 3 Momentum to swipe a freshly drawn from another player.
Now, before you start thinking that ol’ Sly is completely incapable of eliminating crims, rest assured that although his Shoot rating isn’t stellar, it is respectable. He can handle his pistol fairly well. And what a pistol it is! The Bruiser Pistol is capable of doling out some blood-soaked punishment. If used in conjunction with his “Re-roll” and “Upgrade” Momentum Options, this gun can blast right through just about any crim!
All told, I’m excited to see how he balances during playtesting. I’m sure some adjustments will have to be made, but I want to ensure that the character’s essence stays intact. That’s what’s important to me. Sly Fox offers a unique way to play the game. To lose that would be a travesty.
With all of the crims, I want their game stats to define who they are, not just what they can do. Their individual personalities should be as integral to how they’re played as their skills with swords and guns.
Here’s what Sly’s stats look like:
Sly Fox
Fight 2
Shoot 3
Defense 5
Athletics 2
Mind 4
Pizzazz 3
Height: 2
Wound Maximum: 5
Special Rules
Outfoxed: This hunter may take a Universal action and choose another hunter within 12 inches and in line of sight. Make a Mind vs. 2 check. If the check is successful, the player who controls the targeted hunter must discard a “Keeper” card from their hand.
Denial of Glory: Hunters within 6 inches of this hunter can not make Elimination Quality checks unless they spend 3 Momentum to do so each time.
Steal the Thunder: This hunter may take a Universal action and target another hunter within 6 inches and in line of sight. The target hunter loses 1 Momentum and your hunter gains 1 Momentum.
Attacks
Strike (Range 1”; Accuracy +0; Damage 1; Keywords — melee, blunt, unarmed)
Bruiser Pistol (Range 10”; Accuracy +0; Damage 2; Extra Rules — Each surplus success on the Shoot check will inflict 2 Wound Tokens; Keywords — ranged, item, small, gun, ballistic, depletable)
Momentum Options
Re-roll (1+ Momentum): Once per check or roll, this hunter may re-roll one die for each point of Momentum spent. All re-rolls must be made simultaneously.
Upgrade (1 Momentum): Once per check or roll this hunter makes, upgrade one die for each Momentum spent. All upgrades must be made before the dice are rolled.
Distraction (2 Momentum): Use before another hunter within 12 inches and in line of sight makes a check. Up to three of the dice are downgraded.
I’ll take that! (3 Momentum): Use when another player puts a “Keeper” card in their hand. The card is placed in your hand instead, unless the player spends 2 Momentum.