Secondary Template - Slashers

[Stitchwork Doll]

1. Choose your character's concept, as per an ordinary Mortal. Select an Undertaking, which determines how and why your character kills. If your character was once a Hunter, determine his former Profession and former Compact or Conspiracy, if any.

2. Select Attributes - Your character's innate capabilities. Prioritize the three categories (5/4/3), as per an ordinary Mortal. Before spending any points, raise your character's Undertaking Attribute to four dots (for Rippers) or five dots (for Scourges.) With the exception of a Scourge's favored attribute, the fifth dot in any Attribute costs two dots to purchase. If your Undertaking has multiple attributes listed, select one for your character's favored attribute.

3. Select Skills - Your character's learned capabilities. Prioritize the three categories (11/7/4). Select two Undertaking Skills from those listed for your Undertaking. Both these skills must be rated at at least two dots. The fifth dot in any Skill costs two dots to purchase.

4. Select Skill Specialties - Your character's focused areas of expertise. Take three Skill Specialties of your choice, as per ordinary Mortals. At least one Specialty must be in one of your two selected Undertaking Skill.

5. Record Talents and Frailties. Scourges possess the Talents and Frailties of their Ripper counterparts, in addition to those for their own Undertaking.

6. Determine Advantages - Morality (As determined by the player & ST. No higher than 4 and players may not sacrifice Morality for Experience points), Willpower (Composure + Resolve), and Virtue/Vice.

7. Select Merits and Flaws - Spend 7 dots on Merits, as per ordinary Mortals.

8. Spend Experience Points - 15 starting XP. Again, Slasher characters may not sacrifice Morality points for additional Experience.  

[Stitchwork Doll]

Undertakings

Instead of Professions, Slashers have Undertakings. Rather than determine the character's identity in the ordinary world however, Undertakings determine the Slasher's modus operandi - the how and why he kills. Undertakings come in two tiers - Rippers (mortals with an exceptional talent and appetite for murder) and Scourges (whose abilities take on an even more supernatural bent.) Undertakings are linked in pairs, one Ripper and one Scourge. A Ripper can, with time and the right circumstances, become a Scourge, though its not required and many die before such a transformation can occur. (The lives of Slashers are often cut short, as potential victims, law enforcement agents, or hunters bring them down.) Likewise, Scourges need not have been Rippers prior to their current Undertaking.

Each Undertaking possesses a Talent and Frailty, special abilities and weaknesses that are hallmarks of their archetype. In addition to their own Talent and Frailty, Scourges also possess those belonging to their Ripper counterpart.

Rippers
Avenger - Possessing a need for justice that cannot be sated, these Slashers start out by punishing those who wronged them, and anyone who gets in their way. If their wrath is not sated with the death of their enemies, they may turn their attention to others who have sinned in similar fashions. Since nearly anyone can be taken by the overwhelming need for vengeance, Avengers are among the most versatile kind of Slashers, and are more likely to possess their own sinister moral code.
Examples: Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill), Marv (Sin City), Paul Kersy (Death Wish), Ben Willis (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Favored Attribute: Strength, Intelligence, or Presence
Undertaking Skills: Brawl, Computer, Expression, Firearms, Investigation, Intimidation, Stealth, Weaponry
Talent: Working the Room - Sooner or later, an Avenger is going to have to deal with a whole room of people trying to kill him before he kills them. Avengers receive no penalty when fighting multiple opponents at once.
Frailty: Nothing But the Mission - Once an Avenger is on the hunt, he finds it difficult to focus on anything else. When the opportunity presents itself to kill a target, the Avenger must spend Willpower to engage in any other action, even if it puts them at risk.

Brute - Rage personified, Brutes kill for no reason other than a primal urge to do so. Most prefer to keep to themselves, and even those who remain socially functional find empathy difficult, and rarely speak unless necessary. With the exception of their Scourge counterparts the Masks, Brutes are probably the most difficult type of Slasher to kill.
Examples: John Ryder (The Hitcher), Colqhoun (Ravenous), Mickey Knox (Natural Born Killers), Mars Krupcheck (Hostage)
Favored Attribute: Strength
Skills: Animal Ken, Athletics, Brawl, Craft, Intimidation, Stealth, Survival, Weaponry
Talent: Unstoppable - Brutes enter a sort of trance when they go on the hunt, becoming unfazed by pain and injury. They suffer no penalties from their wounds, and do not fall unconscious when their health track is filled with Bashing damage. If it is filled with Lethal Damage, they fall unconscious and begin to bleed out as normal.
Frailty: Blinded by Blood - The hyper-focus on murder that gives Brutes their strength also means they don’t perceive the world around them very clearly. Like ancient predators, they fail to notice hiding prey until they move, and subtle details often go unnoticed. Brutes suffer a moderate penalty to any actions involving perception.

Charmer - In many ways the "classic serial killer", Charmers use their charisma and force of personality to lull their victims into a false sense of security. They often occupy positions of authority and respect in a community, or at the very least are well liked and admired by others. People around them rarely glimpse the truly disturbed individual underneath until its too late.
Examples: Stuntman Mike (Death Proof), Mick Taylor (Wolf Creek), Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct), Norman Bates (Psycho)
Favored Attribute: Presence
Skills: Computer, Empathy, Expression, Larceny, Persuasion, Socialize, Subterfuge, Weaponry
Talent: Disarming - Charmers are everybody's pals. Whenever they meet someone new, they can generally win them over with little more than a minute of conversation. Once a Charmer has won someone over, they refuse to see anything wrong with him, make excuses for his behavior, and may even lie for him. Common Sense and Danger Sense do not apply to characters who have fallen prey to the Charmer's wiles. If someone actually witnesses the Charmer harming another person, and the Charmer can’t make a case for self-defense or justifiable homicide, the effect ends. The Charmer gets only one chance to win someone over - first impressions are everything. If he fails to do so, the target sees through right through him to the Psycho beneath. She might just feel that the Charmer is a phony, not necessarily dangerous, but the warning bells definitely go off ... which probably makes her the Charmer’s first target.
Frailty: Thin Veneer - Charmers are tightly wound, their personas stitched together by a few strands of sinew. All Chamers have a trigger - a certain topic of conversation, being touched in a sexual manner, or some other form of behavior. When this trigger occurs or when someone sees through the Charmer's Disarming facade (a simple, "You're creepy, dude" is enough) the Charmer lashes out - usually just verbally, but sometimes physically.

Freak - Whether due to a genetic birth defect, a speech impediment, a mental illness, or a simple sense of being weird or wrong, the Freak is a pariah among polite society. Some Freaks are born into ordinary society and kill out of self defense, or to lash out at the world that mocked, feared, or hated them. Others take perverse pleasure in their deformities, or are born into lives where such matters are inconsequential (such as a Circus sideshow, or a murderous clan of inbred hicks.) What matters is that when Freaks come into contact with normal society, they react the only way they know how - by killing.
Examples: Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Prof. Henry Jarrod (House of Wax)
Favored Attribute: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wits
Skills: Animal Ken, Brawl, Crafts, Firearms, Intimidation, Stealth, Survival, Weaponry
Talent: Lay of the Land - Freaks tend to be highly territorial. They know their home inside and out, and they know when intruders have disturbed it. Freaks gain both the Danger Sense and Directional Sense Merits for free while in their home territory, and receive no penalty for moving on uneven terrain. ((Note: This talent assumes the Freak is somewhat territorial and clannish. If that is not the case, the character may instead use the Revulsion Merit, listed below, as their Talent.))
Frailty: Deformity - Freaks are hideous, revolting, or just flat out wrong. Whether their deformity is a an accident of birth, injury, or simply their own insecurities, everyone can sense it and none can avoid being repulsed by it. Freaks suffer a severe penalty to all Social actions that do not involve Intimidation whenever their deformity is clearly visible, and are often the target of scorn and mocking. In addition, while not all Freaks are physically or mentally disabled, it is not uncommon for them either.

Genius - Geniuses are slashers who use their minds as a weapon. While they are perfectly capable of doing their own dirty work (and may even enjoy doing so), many prefer to use poisons, traps and intermediaries to manipulate their targets into killing themselves or each other. Geniuses enjoy proving their mental superiority, and are also likely to stage a scene, leave obscure clues, or call investigators to taunt them. Others however take great pains to leave no evidence behind - their victims simply vanish, never to be seen again.
Examples: Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs), Alex (A Clockwork Orange), Mitch Leary (In the Line of Fire)
Favored Attribute: Intelligence
Skills: Academics, Crafts, Empathy, Investigation, Medicine, Science, Stealth, Weaponry
Talent: Profiling - Geniuses aren't usually psychic, but the can certainly appear to be. By carefully observing their targets, they can predict how that person will react to a given situation, with almost flawless accuracy. This gives them the upper hand in almost any interaction with their target. Worse though, given the chance to talk with their target, the Genius can ferret out insecurities, neuroses, and other mental problems - or even create them. After a number of scenes of conversation equal to half the target's Willpower or Morality (whichever is higher), the Genius may either learn one damning fact about their target (a dark secret, a hot button issue, a phobia, the location of something important, etc), or force the target to gain a Derangement.
Frailty: Intolerance for Chaos - Not every variable is predictable. Geniuses might understand on some level that they can’t allow for every freak of chance, but in practice, they get frustrated if they miss something or if something happens that they couldn’t have predicted. If a Genius' player fails an action related to Intelligence or an Undertaking Skill, the Genius loses two points of Willpower.

Predator ((Jack, RPGnet Forum))
Unlike other Slashers, the goal of the Predator is not necessarily murder. For them, the chase is the thing. The distinction is often lost on their victims, who are dead all the same either way, but for Predators the kill is simply the culmination of the hunt. For some the kill is almost anti-climatic, and they enjoy prolonging the chase for as long as possible.
Examples: General Zaraoff (Most Dangerous Game), Kraven the Hunter (Spider-Man)
Favored Attribute: Dexterity, Resolve, or Wits
Skills: Animal Ken, Survival, Firearms, Weaponry, Stealth, Crafts, Investigation, Subterfuge
Talent: I Have Your Scent
Frailty: Thrill of the Hunt

Stranger ((JustinCognito, RPGnet Forum))
Like many Freaks, Strangers feel isolated and ostracized by humanity. Strangers, however, are not defined by what they are, but what they are not - Complete. Free. At home in their own skin. Murder for them is not about some fetishistic thrill, or revenge, or even proving their worth. It is the means by which they hope to make themselves whole, transforming themselves into something more than human.
Examples: Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs), Francis Dolarhyde (Red Dragon), Amanda Young (Saw)
Favored Attribute: Dexterity, Stamina, Intelligence, or Resolve
Skills: Academics, Animal Ken, Investigation, Larceny, Medicine, Streetwise, Survival, Weaponry
Talent: Dreams of the Other
Frailty: No Heart But Another's

Mercykiller ((Bree))
Despite their homicidal nature, Mercykillers cannot stand to see suffering. However, they believe that suffering can only be ended, rather than managed or eventually cured. They favor comparatively humane methods of disposal: a discreet overdose or substitution of medication, a ventilator quietly disabled, a pillow over the face in the dead of night. Despite believing that there is nothing wrong with what they do, Mercykillers take great care to cover their tracks, often remaining undetected for years, knowing that they will be unjustly punished by a "flawed" system if caught. Mercykillers do not see what they do as murder, but rather as assisted...sometimes overzealously assisted...suicide. This enthusiasm can sometimes extend to the intended victim's family or caregivers. After all, how can a body know it ought to die with so many people struggling vainly to keep it alive?
Example: Steven Kiley (Millennium, "Goodbye Charlie"), Victor Zsasz (Batman), Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
Favored Attribute: Intelligence, Manipulation, or Wits
Skills: Academics, Animal Ken, Computer, Investigation, Medicine, Science, Stealth, Weaponry
Talent: Unassuming - Like Charmers, Mercykillers have a knack for blending in. Rather than doing so through charisma and presence however, they do so by being completely unremarkable. They are rarely where they are not supposed to be, being viewed as part of the scenery rather than specific individuals. Any suspicious activity on their part is glossed over, and people often have trouble remembering their names or faces. This talent is negated if the Mercykiller engages in any obviously homicidal behavior in someone's presence.
Frailty: Code of Mercy - Mercykillers don't kill people who aren't suffering or prolonging suffering. That would be murder, and that's wrong. Against any victim who does not fit their profile, they suffer a moderate penalty to attack and cannot deliver a direct killing blow. The Mercykiller's potential victims may expand like an Avenger's, especially as he or she advances towards Angel of Death, but there is always a line he or she has difficulty crossing.

Survivor


Scourges
Legend - When tales of the Avenger's exploits have spread so far and grown so grandiose that even he doesn't know where the truth ends and the story begins, he becomes a Legend. Perhaps more than any other Undertaking, Legends seem to take on a mystic (and often mythic) quality. They take their power from the very stories told about them, but these stories also hold the key to defeating them.
Examples: Candyman (Candyman), Eric Draven (The Crow), Freddy Kreugar (Nightmare on Elm Street), Kaiser Soze (The Usual Suspects), Mary Shaw (Dead Silence)
Favored Attribute: Strength, Intelligence, or Presence
Undertaking Skills: Brawl, Computer, Expression, Firearms, Investigation, Intimidation, Occult, Persuasion, Stealth, Weaponry
Talent: Strength from the Story - Say "Bloody Mary" or "Candyman" six times and they will appear. Die in the dream and you die for real. Don't have sex at Inspiration Point, or the Hook Hand will find find you. Rat on your pop, and Kaiser Soze will get you. Whenever someone behaves in a manner consistent with a Legend's story, they may choose to heal damage, regain willpower, or gain a moderate bonus to one action. Legends can also instinctively sense when someone is behaving according to the rules of their story, meaning any ritual that summons them has a good chance of actually working. Choose one or more rules to encompass the Slasher's legend during creation, but be aware the more such rules there are, the further the character becomes "Trapped in the Story."
Frailty: Trapped by the Story - Kill the crow and the man dies. Shotgun Daddy cannot approach a door with a rose wrapped around its handle. Only one of the Resurrection Man's original killers can kill him for good. The stories of a Legend all have rules, and just as those rules can empower him, they also hold the key to his downfall. For every rule that provides the Legend "Strength from the Story", choose one that provides an appropriate weakness. Attacks exploiting a weakness bypass any defense. Rules that ward off or banish the Legend, or forbid him from taking certain actions, do not give him a chance to resist.

Mask - When a Brute becomes totally consumed by the urge to kill, to the point that any trace of his already questionable humanity is stripped away, he withdraws behind the Mask. The classic Slasher movie killer, the Mask is cold, emotionless, and expressionless. It does not, nay cannot, speak or communicate in anyway more complex than a simple gesture. It has difficulty comprehending any attempts to communicate as well, not that many are dumb enough to try. Some theorize that Masks are lost behind their own rage and pain, killing because the very presence of living beings, the very fact they are alive, causes them agony.
Favored Attribute: Strength
Skills: Animal Ken, Athletics, Brawl, Craft, Firearms, Intimidation, Stealth, Streetwise, Survival, Weaponry
Examples: Jason Vorhees(Friday the 13th), Michael Myers (Halloween)
Talent: Killing Machine - In addition to not suffering wound penalties as per the Brute's Talent, Masks do not need to eat or sleep and suffer no penalties from fatigue. Also, any successful attack against them inflicts only one health level of damage. Other incidental types of damage however (falling, drowning, fire and electrocution) do their normal damage (though there can be exceptions if it's appropriate to the concept - the Burned Woman, from WoD: Slashers, applies this talent to fire while a Brute who was sentenced to the electric chair and resurrected as a Mask might apply this to electricity.)
Frailty: No Mind but for Murder - Masks cannot speak, read, or write language of any kind. They cannot communicate in any meaningful way, short of roaring, moaning, grunting, or extremely simple gestures. Furthermore, Masks have difficulty understanding any attempt to communicate with them as well. They may understand simple commands well enough, but anything more complex is beyond them. Also just because they understand a command does not mean they will listen.

Psycho - When a Charmer becomes consumed by the madness within, cracks in his charismatic facade form to reveal the Psycho beneath. Psychos possess the same forceful personalities as Charmers, but their insanity makes long term social functioning difficult at best. They can hold it together for short periods of time, but anyone who spends an extended amount of time in time in their presence quickly realizes there is something fundamentally wrong with them. Unfortunately for their victims, a single moment is all a Psycho needs.
Examples: Patrick Bateman (American Psycho), Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men), Jack the Ripper (From Hell)
Favored Attribute: Presence
Skills: Computer, Empathy, Expression, Intimidation, Larceny, Persuasion, Socialize, Stealth, Subterfuge, Weaponry
Talent: Deadly Distraction - A Psycho can cause someone to drop her guard just long enough to incapacitate or kill her. This requires only a turn of conversation. If the Psycho’s succeeds, the victim falls prey to the Psycho’s charms for one brief but fatal moment. What this means depends on what the Psycho is trying to accomplish. He might just be trying to gain entry into a building or recover a lost weapon or piece of evidence, and if that’s the case, the victim gets off light. But if the slasher wishes to attack the victim, he can make a Killing Blow with whatever weapon he has at hand. Despite the name, the attack might not actually kill the victim, but it certainly wounds her grievously and probably places her at the Psycho’s mercy.
Frailty: Obsessive - Psychos just can’t let something go. Once a Psycho chooses a victim, and attempts to charm her (either by using his Disarming or Deadly Distraction talents or mundane Social attempts) and fails, the Psycho cannot just leave her be. He must break her down, hurt her, scare her and finally kill her. The Psycho can be patient, but most of them aren’t equipped for it, and wind up impulsively attacking the victim (who is often by no means unsuspecting and helpless). If the victim inflicts damage upon the Psycho, the Frailty’s effects end and he can flee, but months the effects will return and the Psycho must seek out his target once more. This Frailty is obviously a problem for the potential victim, but it does make Psychos easier to track and predict than other slashers.

Mutant - When a Freak's deformity and isolation advance to such a degree he no longer appears human, he is considered a Mutant. Most people's deformities do not progress as time goes on, but there are numerous ways a Freak may evolve (or devolve) into a Mutant. He may be the subject of supernatural or scientific experimentation, or self mutilate himself to develop a thick hide of scar tissue. Mutants who are born that way might have been exposed to radiation before birth, or be the results of generations of inbreeding, or even be an alternate line of human evolution adapted to living underground or in some other extreme environment. For Mutants, their deformity becomes an actual weapon, one they wield with sick glee.
Examples: The Mountain Men (Wrong Turn), The Crawlers (Descent), The Clan (The Hills Have Eyes 2006), The Infected (I Am Legend)
Favored Attribute: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wits
Skills: Animal Ken, Brawl, Crafts, Firearms, Intimidation, Investigation, Occult, Stealth, Survival, Weaponry
Talent: Natural Weaponry
Frailty: Sensitivity

Maniac - When a Genius' manipulations reach labyrinthine proportions, or when his obsession with a single abstract principle renders his mind alien to that of ordinary, sane people, he becomes a Maniac. While a Genius may have only a couple assistants, Maniacs can potentially command dozens of disciples. Indeed, prolonged contact with a Maniac seems to breed these followers, as the Maniac's insanity is contagious. While Geniuses typically kill to prove their intellect, or to seek validation of it, Maniacs kill to send a message or further an agenda. The message or agenda doesn't necessarily need to make sense to anyone except the Maniac however.
Examples: Jigsaw (Saw), John Doe (Se7en), The Joker (Dark Knight), Light Yagami (Death Note)
Favored Attribute: Intelligence
Skills: Academics, Crafts, Empathy, Investigation, Medicine, Persuasion, Occult, Science, Stealth, Weaponry
Talent: Compelling Madness - Within moments, a Maniac knows his target better than the target knows himself. Using their Profiling talent to predict the reactions of others requires only a few minutes of observation rather than a whole scene. In addition, Maniacs may not only stir derangements in those they encounter, but may even alter a person's Morality. This requires at least a scene's worth of interaction, but the Maniac need not actually be in the same location as the intended target - a phone call, voice recording, or even a letter may have the same effect. If the Maniac is successful, the target replaces a single Morality sin with one in accordance with the Maniac's world view, as determined by the Storyteller. The new sin does not need to mirror the Maniac's moral code (if any.) The Maniac and his pupil never see eye to eye for long. Maniacs may only use this talent on those who are already susceptible - those with Morality of 5 or less, a derangement gained from Morality loss, or at the player's and/or Storyteller's discretion.
Frailty: Obvious Lunatic - Maniacs are dangerous, and it’s obvious to anyone who talks to them. They can keep it under wraps for a few minutes, long enough to give instructions or convey a message, but beyond that time, people around them feel threatened. Maniacs suffer a moderate penalty to all Social actions with others, unless that person is susceptible to their logic (Morality of 5 or less, a derangement gained from Morality loss, or player’s/Storyteller’s decision). The penalty, of course, can be mitigated with a Willpower point, but sooner or later the Maniac’s insanity comes through. At that point, the listener is suspicious of the Maniac and probably keeps her distance. She might not call the police right away, but if the cops come asking questions, she’ll definitely remember the Maniac.

Beast ((Jack, RPGnet Forum))
When a Predator loses himself to the hunt so completely he becomes a creature of instinct rather than reason, the Beast within emerges. They become feral and savage, viewing themselves not just as the ultimate hunter, but the ultimate creature. While some are capable of hiding their true nature for a time, many have lost much of the social functionality of Predators. Beasts are often throwbacks to times when people were more animal than man, and may identify with warrior ideals based on predatory creatures, such as the Jaguar Warriors of Aztec tribes or Viking Berserkers who believed they gained the strength of the bear by wearing it's skin.
Examples: Jean-Francois de Morangias (Brotherhood of the Wolf), The Eaters of the Dead (The 13th Warrior)
Favored Attributes: Dexterity, Resolve, or Wits
Skills: Animal Ken, Brawl, Firearms, Intimidation, Weaponry, Survival, Stealth, Crafts, Investigation, Subterfuge
Talent: Top of the Food Chain
Frailty: Law of the Jungle

Transcendent ((JustinCognito, RPGnet Forum))
When a Stranger reaches apotheosis, she becomes the Transcendent. Where Strangers kill to study that which she longs to become, the Transcendent has achieved her idealized form, and sees no reason to stop killing. Mere perfection is not enough, they must also exalt their new found glory. For investigators, the Transcendent is testament to an uncomfortable truth - the Stranger was right all along.
Examples: The Metal Fetishist (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), Max Renn (Videodrome), Sylar (Heroes)
Favored Attribute: Intelligence, Resolve, Dexterity or Stamina
Skills: Academics, Animal Ken, Investigation, Larceny, Medicine, Streetwise, Survival, Weaponry
Talent: Malleable Self
Frailty: Only Human

Angel of Death ((Bree))
A Mercykiller becomes an Angel of Death if she becomes so disillusioned that she becomes convinced that the whole world is sick and thus needs to be put out of its' misery. The innocents will die first, to spare them the horrors of what is to come. Angels of Death often haunt the children's ward of a hospital, picking off sleeping patients in the middle of the night. Terminally ill (and sometimes not-so-terminally ill) children simply stop breathing and cannot be revived. Given sufficient time, the Angel of Death moves on to the staff of the hospital, giving them the sweet release of death in exchange for their righteous but ultimately futile struggle to preserve life. Even when Angels of Death lurk outside the walls of hospitals and hospice care facilities, they remain committed to the ideals of their medical bretheren. Consider the broken Hunter convinced the world must die in order to be reborn anew, free from supernatural intervention. Or the ecoterrorist bent on destroying humanity so that the earth may heal itself. Or the mad research scientist who does believe the suffering of others can be cured... and is willing to kill hundreds in torturous experiments and vivisections to find that cure. Whatever the ideology, the Angels of Death are united by a single, mad vision - through blood, death, and sacrifice, they can save the world.
Examples: Der Kindestod, The Gentlemen (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer), The God's Hand Killer (Frailty)
Favored Attribute: Intelligence, Manipulation, or Wits
Skills: Academics, Animal Ken, Computer, Crafts, Investigation, Medicine, Occult, Science, Stealth, Weaponry
Talent: A Touch of Death - Angels of Death are even more difficult to detect than their Ripper counterparts. Not only do people fail to remember them, they are nearly impossible to catch through electronic means as well. Security cameras snow up, obscuring their face, keycard and other entry systems data becomes temporarily corrupted and fails to log their coming and goings, and so forth. This only applies to electronic systems active at the time of the Angel's killings however. Fingerprints and DNA left behind will still register and match to any priors, so the Angel better take care not to leave any behind. This talent also does not allow them to bypass security systems without proper clearance, it only blocks the systems from recording their passage. Additionally, an Angel's methods of killing are extremely difficult to detect. If the Slasher chooses, he may kill a victim without leaving any evidence of cause of death. If he also possesses the False Pretenses Merit, he may alter the apparent cause of death, even causing wounds inflicted post mortem to appear inflicted prior to death. The Slasher may only use this aspect of their Talent against someone who has been substantially weakened, whether by illness, injury, torture, or starvation.
Frailty: Pillars of Sand - Angels of Death fancy themselves as "hyper sane" in an insane universe, for they are the only ones capable of seeing the extent of the world's suffering. The truth is they're goddamn lunatics. Whenever they encounter someone who challenges their world view, either by offering care and comfort to the suffering or simply by calling "Bullshit" on them, they gain a severe Derangement or Tell. This Derangement may only be removed when the offending person has been killed, thus reasserting the Angel of Death's vision of reality. Common Derangements suffered by Angels of Death are Anti Social Personality Disorder, Anxiety, Martyr Complex, Megalomania, Melancholia, Messiah Complex, Paranoia, and Obsessive Compulsive. All Hunter and Slasher Tells are appropriate, even grotesque ones like Sadism, Overkill, Warning Signs, and Cannibalism - Angels of Death may claim to alleviate suffering, but the bitter truth (one that would certainly set off this Frailty) is they lost any sense of the word's meaning a long time ago.

Shadow

 

[MikaKeegan]

Slasher Merits

Mental Merits
* Atavism
** or *** Tell-Tale Murder
*** Murder Expert
**** Damnable Certainty

Physical Merits
* Hands of a Killer
** Weaponry Monomaniac
*** Revulsion

Social Merits
** Morbid Fascination
 

[Stitchwork Doll]

Slasher Tells

Weapon Fetish -
Mild -
Severe -

Trophies -
Mild -
Severe -

Warning Signs
Mild -
Severe -

Cannibalism
Mild -
Severe -  

[The Court of Barton]

Slasher Conspiracy - The Y Collective

VASCU Agents respond to a distress call at a local police station, where their latest collar sits in holding. They arrive to find police and prisoners alike all dead, the victim of some lethal nerve agent. The collar's cell is empty, his body not among the dead. A search of his cell reveals a hand held tape recorder. When played, the tape addresses the agents by name…

A Psycho lures men and women back to her safe house with lurid promises of kinky sex, then tortures them and slits their throats. She's meticulous, obsessive compulsive even, and she leaves absolutely no evidence except for a small photo scrapbook. One night, while cleaning up her latest kill, she gets an anonymous phone call. "The police are coming to your apartment. You have fifteen minutes until they arrive. Start running."

VASCU field offices receive anonymous tips on important cases. This in itself is not unusual, but the callers - sometimes male, sometimes female, and always a different voice - are linked by a common sign off: "Y is watching." Sometimes these calls are dead ends, other times they lead agents to the slaughter, but VASCU keeps taking them, because some also lead to breaks in important cases. Agents both dread and eagerly await these calls, because they know they're being drawn into a deadly lottery game.

The Collective is a recent conspiracy, only a few years old, but it is a conspiracy none the less. It currently has less than a couple hundred members worldwide, but they come from all walks of life and their numbers grow daily. The Collective isn't everywhere, not yet anyway, but nearly anyone could be working for them. Its membership includes homeless vagrants, law enforcement officers, public officials, young professionals, high society members and blue collar workers.

Only one trait remains constant among every member - they kill people. Oh sure, they hunt vampires and werewolves and other supernatural beasties like any other compact or conspiracy of Hunters, but they also kill ordinary, everyday people. That's because the members of the Collective, every single one of them, are Slashers.

Unlike other Slasher cabals, killing ordinary people is not the official purpose of the Collective. The conspiracy simply acknowledges that its Agents have needs, and those needs likely include torture, sexual deviance, murder, and mayhem. These activities carry no repercussions from the Collective. Rather they're viewed as hobbies, something Agents can engage in during their free time and discuss around the water cooler. Agents in the field, however, are expected to turn their talents and proclivities towards far more dangerous game than man. The total elimination of the supernatural threat is the Collective's ultimate goal.

In a twisted way, the Collective actually sees itself as protecting humanity even as they prey on it. It's an oft repeated quote that, "He who battles with monsters must take care, lest he become a monster." Agents of the Collective do not have this problem. After all, one cannot lose what one does not have to begin with. What toll can the Vigil take on one's humanity when one has no moral compass? How can staring into the abyss destroy a person's sanity if their mind was already broken? What damage can the endless cycle of violence do to one who revels in blood and death?

From the moment of its creation, the entity known as Y has been obsessed with this notion. The philosophy coalesced much in the way Y itself did, from fragments of ideas in the minds of VASCU Agents Andrew Flemming, Lionel Solerno, and Marianne Cortez. Slashers, in Y's view, are the evolutionary response to the predation by the supernatural on mankind. They're unrestrained by the weaknesses of emotion, empathy, or morality, willing to go as far as is necessary to exterminate a threat. Torture, mass murder, and acts of terror are seen simply as acceptable collateral damage. The fact that some of its Agents enjoy inflicting this collateral damage a little too much is immaterial.


Organization & Divisions

The Collective is organized in a manner similar to most Federal law enforcement agencies, specifically as a mocking of VASCU's command structure. Y has assumed the title of "Director", and oversees the general objectives of the Collective as a whole. Beneath Y are the twelve Assistant Directors, most of whom were among the original members of the Collective, who oversee each of the four divisions. Everyone below the Assistant Directors is technically an Agent of the same rank, although field offices and teams still have a chain of command, determined by some combination of seniority and merit.

In theory, the Collective welcomes members of any Undertaking provided they have tested and found worthy by Y or a Specialist. This certainly appears true of the Rippers, each of whom are represented through out the organization. For Scourges, the truth is a bit more complicated, as their overtly supernatural nature casts them in a suspicious light. Psychos and Maniacs, whose talents are perhaps more subtle than other Undertakings, are generally accepted and tend to do well in the organization, while the far more obvious Legends, Transcendents, and Angels of Death are regarded with wary eyes at best.

To make matters more complicated, status within the Collective seems to somehow act as a catalyst in the evolution from Ripper to Scourge. The Collective itself is unsure exactly why this is. Some theorize that joining the Collective somehow enhances a latent ability of all Slashers to draw strength from people's fears and beliefs, much like Legends do. Others say its supernatural contamination from fighting the inhuman threat for so long - proof that even monsters must take care when fighting evil, lest they become even worse monsters. For this reason, Brutes, as well as most Predators and Freaks, tend not to rise very far in the organization. Those who do go on to become Masks, Beasts, and Mutants, typically find themselves with a one way transfer to the Shock Troop kennels at best - or a trip to the crematorium at worst.

Analysts: Sometimes called "Census Takers", the Analysts serve as the eyes, ears, and brains of the Collective. Composed primarily of Geniuses and Maniacs, with the occasional smattering of intelligent Freaks and Mutants, Analysts gather and compile data on targets, as well as potential recruits. Many are skilled hackers who use their skills to uncover every detail of a subject's life, although a few prefer to get their hands dirty and do their investigating in the field. Others still are brilliant tacticians who use the gathered intelligence to tailor mission parameters.

Operatives: Operatives are the largest division of the Collective, and the ones who carry out its main objective of hunting the supernatural. As such, an Operative can be of nearly any Undertaking, provided he is intelligent enough to obey orders and capable of blending in with the normal human population - Obviously, this rules out Masks, Mutants, most Freaks, and even some Brutes. Maniacs are uncommon also, as their talents make them better suited to being Analysts and Specialists. Operatives spend the most time in the field; most are sleeper agents, living the lives of "ordinary" Slashers until they're activated for a mission. Higher ranking Operatives help coordinate field agents, and work with Analysts to plan missions.

Specialists: Like Operatives, Specialists are often found in the field. They are the recruiters and trainers of the Collective, and as such are sometimes called "Collectors" or "Lecturers". Specialists comb through the files of likely candidates compiled by the Analysts, looking for those with the most potential. If the potential recruit has already started their Slasher career, the Specialist will often arrange confrontations with law enforcement, hunter cells, or even supernatural entities, as a way of testing the subject. Otherwise, the Specialist will attempt to assist the process of creating a new Slasher, most commonly by subjecting the target to an encounter with the Specialist or another Slasher, and sometimes even by abducting them and administering the Ludovico Process. Charmers, Psychos, Geniuses, and Maniacs are the most common Undertakings of Specialists.

Shock Troops: Y normally has no use for the more mindless types of Slashers, such as Masks or atavistic Beasts, Freaks and Mutants. They attract too much attention, have difficulty following orders, frequently can't distinguish friend from foe, and tend to make a bit of a mess. Still, there are circumstances where they prove useful. Even the most highly trained cell is likely to suffer casualties against an entire pack of werewolves, so why sacrifice a number of highly trained Operatives when you can send in a couple lumbering tanks? Shock Troops are typically kept in kennels under heavy physical and chemical restraint, and are regarded more as attack dogs than as fellow agents of the Collective. They are at the bottom of the heap and have no rank as such - each kennel is run by a "handler" from another division, usually a specially trained Operative. Rumors persist of a "Special Forces" branch of elite shock troops, such as exceptionally intelligent Beasts and even Masks, who are capable of handling more complex and delicate missions, but these have been repeatedly denied by the top brass.