manhunter
DESCRIPTION
A Rogue Trader Career reformatted for Dark Heresy/TRANSCRIPT
Manhunter "No world beyond His reach; no foe beyond His
wrath.” –Motto of the Officio Assassinorum
Human life is a resource to be used and
expended as required by those with power—this is a
truism both within and without the Imperium, dogma
for the powerful to live by. The deaths of many have
been required for all manner of reasons, ranging from
the necessary sacrifices of war or the dangers of
grand industry, to examples made to deter others
from thoughts of rebellion. But it is not merely a man’s
fate to die. Lives of labor and toil, or of penitent
suffering, are valuable things for anybody in power.
While those who kill or dominate other men are
not uncommon, there are those amongst this
ubiquitous breed who have turned this calling into an
art form, hunting other humans without remorse or
doubt.
Amongst those who might claim to the moniker of
Manhunter, assassins are rightly feared, whatever the
tools of their grim trade. Most dreaded of all are those
who slay for the Emperor alone, the living
embodiments of His wrath, but their dire attentions
are reserved for only a select few of particular
notoriety, whose lives and deaths influence the
Imperium in some grand manner. Others still are
renowned for their lethal grace, their chosen aliases
whispered by those with much to lose and those who
would employ their services.
Bounty hunters and others who take their prey
alive are perhaps regarded with somewhat less terror,
but the skills they posses are no less worthy of fearful
respect, in spite of less glorious reputation. Dozens,
even hundreds, of bounty hunters buy passage to
frontier worlds and across the Imperium in search of
those who are wanted by governments and
organizations both legitimate and illicit. To those who
are so pursued, the snares and traps of these
Manhunters are no less terrifying than a sniper's bullet
or murderer's blade.
Becoming a Manhunter
As already noted, anybody can hunt other
humans to kill or capture them, but it takes particular
dedication to become a true Manhunter. The process
is not automatic, and there is no easy way to
distinguish a skilled amateur from a true professional;
rather, it is a path that one travels down, gaining ever
greater proficiency with every hunt, successful or not.
The first step upon this path is the capture or
murder of another human being, performed solely for
personal benefit. This is not merely the simple
violence of a battlefield, but a calculated act, planned
in considerable detail and performed without remorse,
mercy or hesitation..
Required Career: Guardsman, Assassin, or
Arbitrator
Alternate Rank: Rank 5
Other Requirements: The Acolyte must have
murdered or imprisoned another human being for
personal or financial gain.
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Killer's Eye (Talent) Prerequisites: Perception 35 and either Sure Strike
or Deadeye Shot
The Acolyte can find the weaknesses of his prey
with only a few moments of observation. When he
makes a Called Shot attack and scores a number of
Degrees of Success on the attack roll equal to or
greater than the target’s Agility Bonus, he immediately
inflicts a 1d5 critical damage result on the target in
addition to any normal damage. Roll on the
appropriate Critical Hit table for the damage type and
location struck. Any modifiers to critical damage from
Talents or other sources apply as normal. However,
the Critical Damage inflicted from this ability does not
stack with actual Critical Hits.
Take them Alive (Talent) Prerequisites: Perception 35 and either Sure Strike
or Deadeye Shot
The Acolyte is well versed in laying his enemies
low without killing them, able to incapacitate his
targets and limit the damage he inflicts to them. When
the Acolyte makes a Called Shot attack against an
enemy, he may choose to reduce the damage he
inflicts after reduction by the target’s Armor or
Toughness Bonus by a number equal to his
Perception Bonus, and inflict a level of Fatigue for
each point of damage reduced in this way. In addition,
the Acolyte’s familiarity with nonlethal weaponry
means that enemies do not gain the usual bonuses
from armor to resist the stunning effect of Shocking
weapons, and suffer a –10 penalty to avoid or escape
any attack with the Snare quality.
Fearful Reputation The Manhunter advances contains a single entry
which cannot actually be purchased under normal
circumstances—this advance grants the characters
the Fear 1 Trait, and requires Skills and Talents which
are not available through this advance scheme. This
is entirely deliberate. For a character to gain such a
terrifying reputation requires he be well-known and
feared, and this is something that cannot be obtained
solely through the expenditure of experience points.
Even then, it should not be easily obtainable.
Meeting the prerequisites for this advance should
be something obtained through play, an
accomplishment for the character, worked towards
over time. It takes both a grand reputation and a
considerable degree of personal presence to be able
to make your enemies flee before you; they must
know without doubt that the enemy they face is
someone to be feared…and such a feat is not easily
accomplished.
Advance Cost Type Prerequisites
Awareness 100 S - Inquiry 100 S - Awareness+10 200 S Awareness Concealment 200 S - Dodge 200 S - Inquiry+10 200 S Inquiry Shadowing 200 S - Silent Move 200 S - Concealment+10 300 S - Disguise 300 S - Dodge+10 300 S Dodge Shadowing+10 300 S Shadowing Silent Move+10 300 S Silent Move Disarm 200 T Ag 30 Takedown 200 T - Bloodtracker 500 T - Crack Shot 500 T BS 40 Crippling Strike 500 T WS 50 Deadeye Shot 500 T BS 30 Exotic Weapon Training (x3) 500 T - Killer's Eye 500 T Per 35, Sure Strike or Deadeye Shot Lightning Reflexes 500 T - Peer (underworld) 500 T - Precise Blow 500 T WS 40, Sure Strike Sharpshooter 500 T BS 40, Deadeye Shot Sure Strike 500 T WS 40 Take Them Alive 750 T Per 35, Sure Strike or Deadeye Shot Fearful Reputation 750 T Good Reputation (Underworld), Intimidate+20
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