Friday, April 12, 2013

Legality of Hunters: Monster Laws

This is the second in our Legality Series.

Part one can be viewed here.

In the first post we discussed the different categories of Laws that can affect a Monster Hunter and how these can vary from location to location, from country to country and even with neighboring cities.

This post goes into the varying levels of laws that a hunter may encounter within any given zone.

Categories of Monster Laws:


The DPRCD has given a scale of 0-5 for any given areas Monster Laws. Furthermore any Category will have either an A or B designator. The A designator means that these laws apply universally to all monsters found within the region. The B designator means that these laws are not equally enforced across all species within the zone and that some may fall into a lesser or greater category.

Any hunter looking to operate into an area with a B designator needs to pay close attention to what species are covered as an area that usually is a Category 1 for 90% of the monsters may be a category 5 for certain creatures.

The most notable would be in Germany, while nominally a 2B country there are some creatures such as unicorns which fall into Category 5 legislation and any effort to hunt these can result in stiff penalties, jail time, and even the death penalty for uninformed hunters.

Category 0: 

There are no regulations for hunting any type of monsters within this area. Any hunter may protect humanity regardless of the creature being hunted. As there is no laws against their hunting there is no A or B designation for Category 0 zones.

Romania would qualify as a Category 0 country, due to the vampire infestation and the minions they bring, the country itself has no laws that protect any denizens of the night. This is mostly due to their long history of preying upon the people of the country.


Category 1: 


These locations have very few or very lax monster hunting regulations that are generally easy to comply with. This could mean as little as a fee paid or proper notice given. Licensing is scarce if required at all.

The Ukraine is a Category 1B country. The effects of Cherynobyl have caused a variety of new creatures to form and the government has little will to stop the populace from protecting themselves against any such abominations. However there are many Vedmak whom operate within their territory and the mixed results have led to certain protections that are not afforded to any other abomination or even witches.

As a result, in regards to Vedmak, the Ukraine has Category 4 regulations.

Category 2:


These locations have limited protections and rules that protect the monsters. Generally these are areas that have attachments to the creatures for some ungodly reason. It is still possible to hunt these creatures but often certain niceties and customs must be performed before a hunter can get to work.

Vatican City/Rome qualify as a Class 2B country/city. While the pope and church stringently hunt down and destroy any creature that may appear within their domain and support others to do the same, generally there are rituals and ceremonies of the Catholic faith that any hunter must go through before they receive papal permission. Notable exceptions appear to be Angelic beings which have a Category 5 rating within the Vatican.

Category 3:


In these regions monsters can find some legitimacy under laws, they approach more humane regulations. This could mean that a creature could be killed on a person's property but not in the wild or that they enjoy protection within designated areas, but not in others. Licensing and regulation of monster hunting licenses are more prevalent at this level.

The United States of America is a Class 3B country, it's laws and regulations vary so sharply within its borders that any independent hunter wishing to operate within its borders must check federal, state, and local laws before beginning work. In the USA and other first world nations there are generally organizations such as the Department of Paranormal Research Containment and Destruction that can assist hunters in their tasks.

Category 4:


Very stringent laws and protection. Category 4 areas are often signs of a high number of intelligent creatures that are capable of blending in and influencing the locals. However this is not always the case, the stringent protection could just arise from a relatively harmless but diminished population. The locals taking the view of preservation rather than extermination.

Norway is a Class 4A country, the local trolls are protected and only rarely are hunting permits issued. It is joked that you have more luck hunting a bear than getting a troll hunting permit by the local monster hunters. If an individual kills a troll without a license, they must prove to the respective entities that it was done in self defense or to save a life.

Category 5:


The highest possible Category any area can receive. In these areas monsters can not only have the same rights as humans, but even greater rights. These laws are universal and like the Category 0 areas does not have an A or B Classification as exceptions if they exist are incredibly rare.

The nation of Brunei is an example of a Category 5 country. The creatures that inhabit the country are not to be hunted or harmed by the locals. There are exceptions in regards to the Sultan and his family, however the laws are stringent enough and so limited as to classify the nation as a Category 5.


As with all things the laws of a country may be different from that of a state, county, shire, city, etc in very noticeable ways. What is a Category 0 country may contain Category 5 cities. All hunters are to look in depth into the areas rules and regulations before going to work.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Kickstart the Dungeon: Dwarven Forge

Taking a moment away from our duty as protectors of humanity we find ourselves in need of relaxation and refreshment every now and then.

However even in our downtime we find the time to train and prepare ourselves for the challenge to come.

In this regards I encourage our readers to support the Dwarven Forge Kickstarter for their Dungeon Tiles.

An example of the configuration of just one set


Dwarven Forge is a company that has been around for about 17 years now. It makes resin interlocking pieces about 2x2" for purchase to gamers and hunters. The tiles all came painted and ready to go out of the sturdy boxes/storage units.

A set up using their dungeon/cavern/building lines.

They were expensive, but you got a quality set every time from an individual who loved what he did. The new Kickstarter brings us the great resin sets that the Dwarven Forge fanbase has come to love, but for cheaper and made out of the resilient Dwarvenite so that instead of heavily padded large boxes they can be lovingly stored and transported without having crates and a forklift to move your collection.

The tiles allow you and your team to arrange a top down approach when setting up strategic scenarios and running through them in the dark dank reaches where monsters have a tendency to hide.

Editor's Note: I have personally been collecting Dwarven Forge sets since my first advanced builder set in 2002. I have always loved these tiles and am happy to see them doing so well. I have backed this kickstarter for 5 painted sets.

At this time they are completely funded at over $500,000, ten times their initial funding request and are working through some excellent stretch goals.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Stories from the Edge: Torment

I had just come back from having dinner with a lovely young girl and had just shut my eyes when they came for me.

It was the breathing that I heard first, the slow raspy intake of breath through their breathing slits. All I could do was lay in my coffin thinking that I must have misheard, that it was all a figment of my imagination. The stairs to my lair were old and poorly maintained and when I heard it creak of heavy booted feet.

I also realized that it was black, pure pitch black with not even a sliver of light coming from the first floor or stair well. My night vision was excellent, but not even my kind can see in absolute darkness, and yet I could hear the slow steady steps, one stair at a time, as they came for me.

There were several of them, moving silent as ghosts once they stepped off the stairs. I bared my fangs and moved towards the footfalls of one of them. Somehow they knew where I was and the others closed around me.

Their voices were hollow and monstrous. They commanded me to stillness and I scoffed. Their hearts were beating faster, I had inspired fear within them and it made me confident.

I wanted to resist, who were these insects, what did they want with me? Surely no human could see in the dark or sound like that.

A bright spark of light and my world was filled with fire. I tried to flee and yet my body would not respond, I thrashed uncontrollably like a newborn child. They bound me tightly in silver wire and slipped me into a rigid coffin of some kind. The burning never ceased and I nearly bit through my tongue when trying to cry out. Eventually I succumbed to the pain and slipped into oblivion.

When I awoke it was here in this room where they have kept me for the last several months. I am fed through a small slot where they drop my food. It is never enough, it is cold and lifeless, the hunger gnaws at me constantly.

Yesterday a rat crawled on the floor, overcame I seized and devoured it utterly. The rat's blood will sustain me, but it has nowhere near the flavor, that essential spark that mortal blood possesses.

Occasionally they come and set my body afire with their devices and yet never to the point of death. The only freedom I have is this pencil and paper, why I do not know, they must be reading and yet I no longer care.

I have driven the pencil into my heart three times already and yet each time I awaken the next night healed and whole.

What do you want?

Where am I?

 Why do you torment me?

*Written on the notepad of Subject NI-0725482**
Subject: NI-0725482
Alias: The Butcher of Babes, Old Red Eyes
Species: Nosferatu Imperator
Known Kills: 47 females, 25 under the age of 15.
Suspected Kills: 250
Origin: France, captured in St Petersberg
Age: 175 Years unlife, ~27 living
Subject Terminated after complete examination August 12, 2005