Legality of Hunters: Equipment Laws

A wide variety of equipment is also available and can be used during operations. Ranging from portable electronics to armor there are limitless possibilities to be added to one’s kit. A hunter might decide to make use of something such as a thermal sensor to detect exceptionally warm or cold blooded creatures, many wear bullet proof or stab proof vests to protect themselves from attack, and most teams will make use of cell phones and/or radio to communicate.

Holy Ammunition is creating a database for those who work to protect humanity from monsters independently and may not have access to the same depths of information as those with more resources at their disposal.

In this regards HA divides areas up by Category with 0 being the least restrictive and 5 being the most restrictive.

Equipment law will be listed slightly differently than other laws. Herein unless listed as more restricted all classes of equipment shall have be set as Category 1 by standard.

Category 0:

In these areas there are no limitations on that equipment type. Anyone can own and use it.

An example of this would be handheld radios in the United Kingdom. There is a small limitation when it comes to larger sets and certain rules associated with emergency channels, but they are so inconsequential as not to count.

Category 1:

There are very few rules in these areas. The majority of people can own and use these with few requirements.

Cell phones within Australia would qualify. They are easily available for purchase however you have to give proof of identity documents and have a credit history to be able to acquire even a pay as you go phone.

Category 2:

Equipment falling within this category can mean that either a law prevents certain people from owning an item or there are licensing requirements to their use.

Body Armor within the United States would qualify as Category 2 equipment. While a normal person can own and even wear Body Armor those, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony from wearing Bullet Proof Vests.

Category 3:

Items within category 3 are licensed or restricted from the general population or have use restrictions in place.

Within Canada, low powered radio equipment such as walkie-talkies and baby monitors are considered Category 1 items, however medium to high powered radio equipment such as long range and Ham radios are licensed and require permits to operate and only within certain ranges.

Category 4:

Category 4 equipment is generally reserved only for those who go through special licensing and equipment certification or has strenuous use restrictions placed upon it.

In Poland it is legal to own a Mobile Phone Jammer; however the use of it in public with special licensing and permission is illegal.

Category 5:

The highest category, this equipment is illegal to own and use. These items are generally reserved for the government only. Operatives are encouraged to use great discretion and forbearance before using any Category 5 equipment and even then only if absolutely necessary.

Wiretapping equipment in most countries is considered Category 5 equipment. Most governments reserve the right to spy on their and others citizens and take great umbrage at anyone else treading on their territory.

It is important to pay attention to the law when tracking your prey from one country to another. This is very true within the European Union which has very close borders and a hunter may have to cross through several countries while in pursuit. Night Vision devices, while considered a Category 1 device in many countries, within certain European Union countries, are a category 4 item. In Germany they are classified as a Category 5 item if they are attached to a firearm, but a Category 2 item if not.

In this way both what the item is and how it is used play a factor. Bullet Proof vests are legal to own in Australia which would nominally make them a Category 1 Item, however if you wear it and do not have a need and agreement from the police it is illegal, pushing the item up to a Category E charge, the same as having an illegal concealed weapon. This makes Bullet Proof Vests in Australia a Category 4 item.

Legality of Hunters: Weapons Laws

One joy that most hunters share is their love of their equipment, specifically their weapons. Each and every hunter has a preferred weapon or weapons that they use to vanquish the creatures which prey upon mankind. Some such as the Vampire hunters will stick with a small proven array of tools whereas the rapid response teams that the DPRCD, Department of Paranormal Research, Containment, and Destruction employs are trained in a wide variety of weapons; including standard weapons such as Shotguns and rifles, to the arcane fire casters, and other stranger weapons such as super soakers filled with Holy Acid (Editor’s Note: Works like holy water but on a wider variety of creatures).

Yet many areas do not differentiate between those hunters who protect humanity and the average citizen. For this reason it is important to pay attention to the limitations an area may impose upon weaponry and equipment. Holy Ammunition has created a 5 category system to define the laws of a location in regards to what weapons a hunter can carry.

Category 0:
A Category 0 area has no limitations to what can be used and carried. All manner of devices and weapons are allowed within the area, be it a pocket knife or a rocket propelled grenade.

As one can imagine these areas do not exist in the majority of the planet. There are only two places in the world that contain Category 0 areas, Africa and parts of South America. Somalia would count as a Category 0 area, despite having gun laws the enforcement is so minimal as to be non-existent.

Category 1:
Category 1 areas have few limitations on ownership however they do have some. In general weapons such as Rocket Propelled Grenades and other heavy ordnance are either banned, heavily restricted, or limited to authorized organizations only. Like Category 0 this designation is rarely used outside of South America and Africa, although some parts of Asia.

Category 2:
Category 2 cities, counties, states, and countries have further limitations on weapon ownership. In these places the purchase of automatic weapons is restricted or banned. Explosives are generally also banned or with extremely heavy restrictions as well. Regular firearms and weapons are either not regulated or have very limited regulations.

South Africa would qualify as a Category 2 location. While it has extensive firearms regulation these are able to be navigated with a modicum of effort allowing the ownership of just about any weapon.

Category 3:
Category 3 places further limitations on the ownership of firearms. It restricts them from many members of the public based on conditions or locations. High explosives and Automatic weapons are both illegal or require extensive contacts or work to acquire.

The United States is a Category 3 Country. While the federal laws qualify the country as a Category 2, once the state and local regulations are factored in it places the country at a solid Cat 3.

Category 4:
Category 4 regions have bans on most firearms. Ownership is generally limited to police and a privileged few.

North Korea would qualify as a Category 4 country as only the military or political elite are allowed to own weapons.

Category 5:
Category 5 sectors have the most restrictive personal weapon ownership of any areas. In these locations even basic personal defense tools such as knives are banned.

The United Kingdom is a Category 5 which functions closer to a Category 4. You have to show ID to purchase steak knives and the carrying of any type of weapon is banned. However due to the fact that their laws are impossible to enforce and the availability of these weapons it is functionally a Category 5.

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.

The DPRCD

There are many old orders which hunt monsters; the Vatican's Pontifical Swiss Shadow Guard, the Dutch Hellsing Institute, The Shaolin Devil Hunters, etc. Each of these organizations has long protected mankind from that which dwells in the dark.

However these institutions are for the most part secretive and insular by nature. Many view the others with suspicion and mistrust. In some cases such as that between the Swiss Guard and the French Foreign Legion hunting teams it is a healthy and competitive competition. In other cases such as the York Rite's Templars and the Islamic Shayātīn Assassins there have been cases of hostility and outright violence when the two organizations meet.

The Department of Paranormal Research, Containment, and Destruction; commonly known as the DPRCD, came into being in the mid 20th century. This multinational organization was formed by groups of concerned citizens who saw the darkness encroaching on mankind and chose to fight back. The organization was founded as a non-profit entity that would avoid the regionalism and issues that served to isolate other such entities.

The first hunter team the DPRCD put into the field saw action in the jungles of Vietnam. The fifty man team enrolled US, Australian, and French hunters with both North and South Vietnamese acting as guides and manpower. Frustrated by both sides ignoring the growing number of undead attacks that plagued North and South during the war the DPRCD team operated in secret across the country, even entering Cambodia and Laos to pursue the overfed children of Xương Cuồng and setting to peace many of the angry spirits that the bloodshed had caused.

Recruits to the DPRCD come from every corner of the world and rapidly became the leader for paranormal extermination research and conduct. The department understands that the most effective way to neutralize the threat is the application of science and understanding backed with traditional faith and the human spirit.

The DPRCD is comprised of four distinct elements.

Tactical Branch: The Department's Tactical Branch is a paramilitary order responsible for the training of international Hunter teams and response forces. The personnel that make up its ranks range from combat veterans and skilled hunters to talented survivors and local volunteers.

Research Branch: The Department's Research Branch is responsible for delving into the secrets of the occult and undead to learn new defenses, better our understanding, and provide the Tactical Branch the tools it needs to protect humanity. Its members range from crypto-biologists and meta-physicists to blacksmiths and chemists.

Logistical Branch: The Department's least recognized but incredibly important group. The Logistical Branch keeps the organization running. It's members provide the funds, support, transportation, and other resources necessary for the organization to continue functioning. The men and women of this group are made up of transport experts, diplomats, lawyers, pilots, and investigators.

Contract Branch: Recognizing that it is incapable of single-handedly fulfilling its role of protecting humanity the DPRCD has taken many smaller organizations on as Contractors that while working with the Department they are still separate entities. Some contractors are independent groups that are brought on for certain situations while others work so closely as to be almost indistinguishable from it. Holy Ammunition falls under this department's purview.

Each Branch is further divided into groups, orders, and missions that ensure the running of a successful operation.

All the Department of Paranormal Research, Containment, and Destruction members have a common goal. The protection of humanity from that which lurks in the shadows. The tireless efforts of these brave men and women keep the werewolf from the door.

Legality of Hunters

Long gone are the days when all it took to be a hunter was a suicidal abandon, righteous zeal, and a pointed stick. A very real concern that monster hunters face in this day and age is the threat of the law.

This is the first post in a series on laws and the legality of hunting monsters. We will delve into different areas of the law and what legal hoops a hunter must jump through to protect humanity.

Each and every area has its own rules and regulations that govern a hunter's ability to pursue prey. For ease of Classification HA has divided these countries into categories:

Monster Protection:
Certain misguided individuals will sometimes try to protect monsters and their ilk from hunters with regulation of when and where they can be hunted. It also covers permits and legal documents that a hunter will need. This can appear multiple times as National, Regional, and Local laws sometimes disagree.

An excellent example of this would be Los Angeles and San Fransisco. Both cities reside within the state of California inside of the United States of America. The United States of America while a melting pot of humans does not recognize the rights of a majority of creatures beyond humans to exist. While most things are not denied by their laws there is a massive difference on the State level.

California has some of the most restrictive monster hunting laws within the USA. However many such as the Chupacabra (Genus Caprisangulgus) despite being less common than other species are considered vermin and are not protected while within San Francisco where it is rare to find them the Chupacabra is listed as a protected species while Los Angeles actually pays a bounty for their heads.

Equipment Laws:
Another integral part of hunting, if a hunter is only allowed to go out with a pointed stick and a pocket knife they will have considerably less luck than one armed with the latest technology. However high-explosives, automatic weapons, and other tools may not be carried in many areas. In some countries such as Britain the very act of carrying a simple knife is illegal.

This extends beyond just weaponry to other equipment as well. In most of Australia it is illegal to merely possess body armour. In parts of the United States it is illegal to hunt using night vision devices depending on the species being pursued.

Local Perception/Integration:
How accepting the populace in general to not just the existence of the paranormal, but to the hunting of them. Not necessarily the legality, but how well are the creatures integrated into the population. Is the town you are going to hunt in 90%+ monsters such as some werewolf dominated places in the Catskills? Is the town police and government inundated by Shape-shifters or Vampires?

These are important questions that every hunter has to know before they enter a territory. More than one well meaning savior has hunted a beast to its home and slain it only to be strung up by a lynch mob for killing an "innocent". For while not a true legal matter has great standing on a Hunter's safety.

Methods of Hunting:
While similar to both the Protection and Equipment categories, methods of hunting is different enough to require its own derivation. This category determines the techniques that may be used in purging creatures. An example would be areas that outlaw trap hunting.

Miscellaneous Rules & Regulations:
This category is for any extra legal notes that a hunter would need to know when hunting in an area.

We will continue updating this series so as to better educate those hunters and improve their safety and success.

The Hunter's Mindset: Fear

 The most successful hunters are not the strongest, fastest, or smartest, and while none of these things can hurt a hunter the most useful tool we have is our mindset. A hunter's mindset is what keeps him alive and working.

The hunter must accept that he will probably not live to see a ripe old age as long as he remains a hunter. The creatures that lurk in the shadows are all deadly foes that have preyed on humanity since we ventured from our caves with crude flint to do battle. Some have learned to hunt and survive over a hundred human lifetimes. Some such as Dracula have taken the lives of countless vampire and monster hunters and still remain*.

Fear has a very healthy place within the hunter's mind. Fear sharpens the hunter, it releases chemicals that sharpen his aim, speed his reflexes, and strengthens his arm. This extra boost is what allows the hunter that final push to get the deed done. If a slayer feels no fear then it is only because they do not care about their own life. While not necessarily suicidal these individuals may take incredible risks that will endanger civilians or their team.

To this extent the highest chance of survival lies not in being fearless, but in controlling ones fear and channeling it into productive means.

Who fights with monsters, likes to see that he is not a monster. And if you look long into an abyss, the abyss can also look into you.
-Friedrich Nietzsche

Of all the cliched phrases that ring true to the hunter this one is the most accurate. The sights that an individual will see take their toll on the psyche. Nietzsche's encounters with the preternatural have been documented by hunters of the day, such as his encounter with a wolf strap** user, this partially explains his rejection of atomism and his works on perspectivism.

Many hunters go beyond pragmatism believing that the ends will justify the means and that as long as they fight monsters then everything is allowable. More than one hunter has tried to justify the butchering of innocents or sacrificing their comrades to slay a beast. There are many zealots in the ranks of monster slayers who view themselves as pure no matter what crimes they commit. By this a hunter must learn to accept the opinion of those they trust as a moral compass.


*There is some debate over whether Dracula is actually a title, claimed name, or something that is passed on as reports of his demise using every known method have been repeated yet within a decade there is always another reported Dracula.

** A monstrous instrument by which a person can turn themselves into a werewolf at will. The technique for handling a wolf strap and its user will be covered in a later post.

Dealing with a Zombie Bite

Even the finest of hunters will make mistakes, from the rankest amateur to the hardiest professional, if their lucky they will be able to learn from their mistakes. Proper hunter protocols should always be employed when approaching any infectious or venomous creature. Examples of these include werewolves, vampires, lamias, and viral zombies.

For this post we will be addressing the viral zombie. It is hard to differentiate sometimes between those zombies created with magic or drugs from those created with a reanimation viruses. We will address the difference between these types of zombies in a later post. For a VZombie such as those seen in the popular documentaries Dawn of The Dead or World War Z, their bite is fatal although not instantaneously so.

The manner of dealing with a zombie bite will depend on the severity of the injury. From the moment of the bite a countdown clock starts ticking. Upon death the infected will return with an insatiable hunger for human flesh and no mental ability to control this hunger. At this point in time the individual’s soul has fled the body and all that remains is to make the corpse rest.

Step by Step Guide:

There is no hard and fast rule to how long it will take an individual to turn. 

Step 1: Don’t Panic.

Everyone including the victim should remain calm and not jump to conclusions. For the victim panicking will only increase blood flow and spread the virus faster. Cherish every moment of life remaining.

Step 2: Establish the fact that the person has in fact been bitten.

More than one victim has been put down because their friends and colleagues were too zealous and didn’t have the proper mindset to check. Many hunters wear leather, Kevlar, and other protection that will prevent a zombie from actually breaking a person’s skin. The procedure for this is to have at least two people pull back clothing to expose bare skin, wash away any blood and dirt and check for bite marks.

Step 3: Check that the zombies are in fact viral zombies

This might be a hard question to answer, refer to the later post (when available) on differentiating zombies in the field. Sometimes this is easier to establish than others, i.e. if you are in a medical laboratory, secret bunker, or in a full blown apocalypse. If the zombies are not Vzombies then clean the wound as zombie mouths are absolutely filthy and soldier on. If signs point towards Vzombies proceed to step 4.

Step 4: Determine time remaining

This is generally a rough guess at best an infection can take anywhere from minutes to days to claim its host depending on the location of the wound, virulence of the infection, and immune system of the victim. A bite to the arm can take hours, a bite to the neck minutes, etc.

Step 5: Treat the victim accordingly

An infected individual can still serve a variety of uses depending on the situation; bait, a distraction, and many more uses can be served by the soon to be walking dead. If they can still carry and use a weapon then they serve as excellent point men as there is nothing left to lose. Should the rest of the team need to extricate from a situation the infected will make a great rear guard.

WARNING: Do not attempt to execute or terminate the victim before they have come to terms with their predicament. This can lead to retaliation and an escalation of injuries, it is best to allow them the time needed to get what affairs they can in order before the end.

Step 6: Wait and monitor

If there is no suicidal position or use for the infected then allow them to continue as before if it will not put others at risk. They will grow weaker and sicker as the infection takes root. Should they stumble and fall, do not attempt to assist them. Speak to them in calm tones and try to get a response. However respect must still be shown while the individual is still alive and cognizant, this is an excellent opportunity for goodbyes.

Step 7: Terminate

It is recommended that the task of terminating your friend/family member/team mate be left to no less than three individuals. Emotions and misplaced feelings can lead to a person firing high or not being able to bring peace to the corpse. Studies show that the more guns are pointed at the recently deceased the more likely hood of a shot finding the mark.

Holy Ammunition LLC sells a device called the Z Preventer, a halter monitor connected to a small shaped charge attached to the base of the skull. The halter monitor will detect when the heartbeat has ceased, the Preventer produces little more than a quiet pop and separates the brain from the spine, causes great trauma to the brain while only causing a relatively small and clean wound. If body recovery is possible this will also allow an open casket funeral.

 If a Z Preventer is available hook the individual up with the failsafe. Then a team can be assured that the individual will be dealt with at the proper time without any additional burden of guilt or human foibles getting in the way. The low level of noise is also much less likely to attract any other creatures that are in the area as compared to a series of gunshots.

If these seven simple steps are followed it will allow a group to deal with the tragedy of a zombie bite with as little suffering as possible.

Proper Staking Technique

While removing the heart, severing the head, and burning the remains is by far the safest and only true way of getting rid of a vampire. The easiest way to prevent them from causing problems is to drive a wooden stake through their heart.

The most popular method of this is to position the stake over the heart and hammer it in. Thanks to movies and popular culture this is by far the most tried method by hunters. While it is an effective technique it is not an ideal one for all circumstances.

There are two problems with this method, the first is the rib cage.

The Rib cage is a strong shield of bone that protects the vital organs. This makes the direct method much more difficult as any stake has to be pushed through the ribs. The strength of the rib cage is why a mallet or hammer is used by most hunters. There are very few humans who have the physical strength to shove a proper sized stake through the chest with only their bare hands. This poses problems for combat situations as it requires a hunter to have an object in both hands and be able to use them in coordination.

The other problem is that while ideal for any bloodsucker still in their coffin or one which is properly restrained, it is hard to accomplish when these monsters are moving. While we at Holy Ammunition encourage all hunters not to engage in hand to hand combat with creatures that are faster and stronger than humans, we do recognize that in some situations it is unavoidable.

If a mallet or hammer are unavailable then the following technique will give a hunter the best chance of surviving the encounter and ending the unlife of the vampire.

Plunging the stake in just below the sternum and angling it upwards means that the hunter only has to push through the abdominal muscles, organs, and soft tissue. This technique is very messy, depending on when the creature last fed as it causes a lot of tearing through organs, most notably the gallbladder, bowels, and liver.

It should be noted that the stake needed for this technique should be longer than that used for a standard staking, approximately eighteen inches in length instead of the standard twelve. This allows the hunter to not need to put their hand inside the monster's chest itself, although in case of emergency any hunter squeamish enough to be put off by digging through some undead intestines should call it a day while they still can. By using this technique it allows a hunter to use a single hand and only have to carry a solitary slender implement.

Whichever technique a hunter uses always be sure to follow standard protocol and ensure that the stake is firmly embedded in the heart. Please remember that staking will merely incapacitate and not kill some vampires.

Silver Concentration on Werewolves

Silver is the bane of evil, the most pure and holy of substances. Its very touch will burn evil and prevent corruption, but how pure must an object be to truly allow it to effectively ward off a werewolf?

The three primary types of silver available on the market are Elemental Silver, Sterling Silver, and 900 Silver.

Elemental Silver: Also known as pure silver, this is 99.9% pure silver, (it is considered impossible/not cost effective) to separate out the last .1% of other elements. This is the most pure form of silver available, due to how soft it is this silver is not commonly used in anything but jewelry (and even then Sterling Silver is more common).

Sterling Silver: A silver alloy, it is 92.5% silver and also contains some other elements, commonly copper. This is the most commonly found silver around the house and what will be available in an emergency. It is much stronger than pure silver.

900 Silver: Within the US only items which contain at least 90.0% silver can be marked as silver, usually with a stamp that says 900.

All three of the above have been proven with great success to burn and harm werewolves and other monsters. A hunter should feel no fear when using any of the above substances. In laboratory conditions the three substances when applied to bare skin produced interesting results. The pain inflicted on these monsters was notably higher with Elemental silver than with Sterling and higher with Sterling than with 900. The wounds themselves showed no additional burns or damage, however an interesting result was observed amongst lycanthropes with regards to healing.

A slight increase in the silver content slowed the werewolf’s ability to heal. A small 1cm incision into Werewolf A’s abdomen with a 900 silver scalpel took about 24 hours to heal (as opposed to the ten minutes when a non-blessed, steel scalpel is used). The 92.5% took 28 hours and the 99.9% took nearly two days for the wound to close. With subjects B and C the times varied based on the creature’s healing ability, however there was a definite correlation between healing and silver content.

This leads us to draw the conclusion that while a higher silver content will not cause more damage it will slow the creature’s healing speed and cause them considerably more pain.

Field trials produce mixed results with the above items, the additional pain inflicted can lead to heightened aggression in the target or submission. The actual results vary entirely on who and what the beasts once were.
 

A warning: Often times you will encounter silver that seems to tarnish a little too quickly and then doesn’t clean up well. This can be gotten primarily from Mexico especially in small disreputable markets. This “silver” is actually an alloy called Alpaca silver, also known as Mexican silver, German silver, new silver, Paktong, and Nickel Silver. These can actually contain no silver at all, being an alloy of nickel, copper, cadmium, zinc, or tin. This “silver” has no effect on lycanthropes and has lead to the death of more than one hunter who has been carrying these inferior knockoffs.

Gold Alloys: Silver is often used in gold to produce different colours. Most notable amongst these are white and green gold. An easy way to understand is the meaning of Karats for gold. The highest number is 24K, which means that it is 99% pure gold (like silver it is not possible to get pure gold with all other elements removed). 10K means that there are 10 parts gold to 14 parts other alloy. The two numbers will always add up to 24, so 12K means 12 parts gold, 12 parts other. For a hunter’s purpose this means that the lower the Karats the more effective it will be as there will be a higher possible concentration of silver.

White Gold: A gold alloy made with varying amounts of other silver coloured metals. Before trying to use anything white gold to protect yourself you will need to determine just how much if any silver is in it. While much White gold jewelry is a mixture of gold, palladium, and silver others are mixtures of gold, nickel, and copper. As such a 9K white gold ring may contain up to 60% silver, or it could contain none at all.

Green Gold: This gold is primarily made with Silver as the alloy making it work well for a hunter. For these items low Karats will work best as that means a higher concentration of Silver.

Tests with gold alloys produced mixed results, as best as we can tell the lycanthropes respond to silver in many ways as an allergic reaction. While no lycanthrope is immune to silver some are more resilient to it than others. Werewolf C responded to a 22k green gold chain (8% silver) with a rash while Werewolf A was not even discomforted. The abdominal slice test was conducted and found that while Werewolf C’s healing time was slowed by the 22k green gold, Werewolf B required at least a 25% silver content for any noticeable retardation of healing and Werewolf A required at least a 50% silver content to impede its own healing ability.

In conclusion we have discovered that while lower silver concentrations will work to cause actual damage to a lycanthrope it is highly dependent on both the silver concentration and the ability of the beast. What this means is that we encourage everyone to acquire an item with higher silver content, but it should also be based off the task at hand. While a knife made from elemental silver will cause the most damage it is too soft to be truly effective