Edges FAQ

What are these edges you speak of?
Edges are the "powers" of the imbued. They are abilities bestowed upon the chosen by the Messengers.

So how do they work?
Each edge varies hugely in what it can and can't do - the specifics are in the individual description (which you will receive with your character). However, a couple of factors remain constant:

With any edge that requires a test to activate you may add your total amount of virtue traits relevant to that edge's virtue (IE Zeal for Defense, Judgement and Vengeance edges, Mercy for Innocence, Martyrdom and Redemption edges and Vision for Visionary edges) to your total traits in the event of a tie.

In additon, on any edge related test you may risk between zero and ten points of conviction. If you succeed in the test you gain an extra point of conviction, if you tie you may add the amount of conviction risked to your total traits for the test (and gain an extra point of conviction if the test succeeds!) and if you lose you lose any risked conviction (in addition to possibly losing ALL your conviction).

These two common factors mean that edges are different to other "powers" in other White Wolf games in one distinct way - namely that they become vastly more useful as time goes on. For example wheras <insert supernatural of choice> powers remain static (a vampire's celerity will constantly give the same amoun of additional actions regardless of power) low level edges become more potent as the imbued gains in power.

Take for example the Defense edge Ward: any monster that wants to come closer than the imbued's Zeal in paces must first defeat the imbued in a Willpower challenge (to which the imbued adds his Zeal trait). So, let's take a newly imbued Hunter with two willpower, one zeal and three conviction. A monster comes towards him and he yells "Get back!" A test is made and he ties with the monster. Comparing traits he's going to be able to bid a maximum of six traits if he risked all his conviction on the test - enough to hold back some fledgling beasties but something that most mid power monsters are going to be able to best. If he ties he's only going to be bidding three!

However, let's imagine the same Hunter a few years down the line with seven willpower, seven zeal and seven conviction. That means he's bidding a MINIMUM of fourteen traits if he ties with the option to ramp it up to twenty one if he wishes (which will also net him some more conviction if he succceeds)! Most elder vampires will flinch in the face of this!!! So, in short edges start off weak, but even the weak powers become good over time. Sound no moaning to the effect of "Oh if I was a vampire now I'd be able to..."

Wow - sounds amazing! What's the catch!
Welllll... It seems that the fragile human mind simply can't handle all this cosmic power. When an imbued gets to seven virtue traits he gains a derangment. He gains another one at eight. And then at nine. Oh and at ten too. Result? A powerhouse of potential but who's completely doo-lally (and probably hard to play)! Start buying willpower

So how do I buy edges?
The bad news - you can't buy edges with XP. Period. You gain edges depending on how many virtue traits you have.

Oh, and you can't buy virtues with XP either. Instead, when you've got ten points of conviction you can trade that in for one point in a virtue.

And no, you can't buy conviction with XP either. Instead, the only way to gain conviction is either by risking it on edge tests or acting in a manner that befits your creed (taking the fight to the enemy if you're an avenger, building up your idea of "The Big Picture" if you're a visionary, helping others through self-sacrfice if you're a martyr etc).

Still with me?

Cool.

Basically, it works like this:

To have a level one edge you must have one virtue trait of the relevent virtue (IE to have a level one innocence edge you must have one level of Mercy).

To have a level two edge you must have three virtue traits of the relevent virtue PLUS a preceeding level one edge of the same path (IE to have the level two vengence edge "Trail" you must have three zeal traits plus either of the level one edges "Cleave" or "Impact").

To have a level three edge you must have six virtue traits of the relevent virtue PLUS a preceeding level two and a preceeding level one edge of the same path.

To have a level four edge you must have ten virtue traits of the relevent virtue PLUS a preceeding level three, level two and level one edge of the same path.

Any virtue traits spent on edges are gone - that is if you have one level of zeal you may "buy" a level one vengeance, defense or judgement edge - not have all three. You still have the traits themselves - you just can't spend them on other edges.

You may also take edges from any path - not just that of your creed - but you may never exceed your total edges in your primary path (IE an avenger with a level two vengeance edge can have other edges in other paths but may never have any of them at higher than level two).

You are not restricted in rigidly following the 1, 3, 6, 10 formula for a path. For example, if you have three points in Mercy (and you are a martyr) you may choose to have a level one and a level two martyrdom edge; or you may choose to have two level one martyrdom edges (each path has two edges of each level) and a level one innocence edge. Or you might want to have a level one martyrdom edge, a level one innocence edge and a level one redemeption edge. Or you might choose a level one martyrdom edge and a level one innocence edge and "save" the other point of mercy to be spent at a later time. Or...

You get the picture

The only hard and fast rule is that you may never have more edges in a single path than your primary path.

Likewise, you may never have more virtue levels in a virtue than your primary one.

As will be seen from the formula used if you "stray" from your creed path (IE you have three Mercy and choose a level one edge of your creed and a level one of another mercy creed) you will never be able to attain your full potential in that path. Such is the cost of diversifying...

That's only four levels of edges. All other games have five levels of powers! Do Hunter not have level five edges???Well spotted grasshopper! Using the above formula and given that no virtue may ever go above ten you'll have noticed that it is mathematically impossible to attain a level five edge. Yet, there ARE level five edges available. So how do you get them? Simple - it's something that can only be attained in game, and only after a rather intense story.

To put it into perspective, in the last Hunter LARP only two characters managed to get a level five edge and only through enormous sacrifice. Wes, for example, took his character, one that he'd built up from day one, which was really interesting and powerful and which he really enjoyed playing, OUT OF THE GAME to try and attain a level five edge. After achieving it he returned for ONE game! Likewise, Tom's character was turned into a complete and utter mess by his experience (I'd appreciate it if you kept the specifics of what happened to yourself Tom!).

In terms of power we had one level five edge used in the whole of the last Hunter LARP - and that ended up ending everything on a really, really bad note.

In short, level five edges are stupidly powerful and not something that can be gained by anything as simple as cashing in a few points of virtue (not that that's simple but that's putting things into perspective)! Most (all?) of you will never get one. In the whole of Hunter canon and out of the hundreds of NPCs that they wrote I can only think of seven that had a level five edge. Out of those two died and the other five were implied to have died.

I think I may have stressed how much of a big deal level five edges are