Prep to run a mortal Hunter game set in mid to later 1980s in Bismarck, North Dakota

[ChristopherZacher]

Going to be a side story for my current game. I heard the Year of the Hunter books are good to use. Any other recommendations?

Have any of you played/ran normal mortal hunter games? Any advice?

[Aya Tari]

Read up on racial tensions between the white and Native American inhabitants of North Dakota. North Dakota is one of the least racially diverse state in the USA when you exclude Native Americans, having among the lowest proportion of Asian, Black, and Hispanics, and it was worse in 1980. With a lack of diversity comes racism and bigotry, so your hunters will be hunting homosexuals and non-whites more than they will supernaturals, which is fiting for WoD.

[The Laughing Stranger]

With a lack of diversity comes racism and bigotry, so your hunters will be hunting homosexuals and non-whites more than they will supernaturals, which is fiting for WoD.

This is absurd and sounds about as much fun as a poke in the eye. It's Bismarck in the 80s, for crying out loud; not exactly Spain in the 1500s.

I would use this as an opportunity to incorporate the history and legends of the native tribes like the Lakota or Cree. Having lived in North Dakota longer, they might have more experience with the unpleasant things that haunt the area. Ways of the Wolf and (I believe) Croatan Song both have gribbly beasts that would be right at home in such a place.


One thing about the Dakotas and Montana is that there just are not a lot of people, at all. Bismarck has a quarter of the population of some Dallas suburbs. Lots of empty space and big sky. Rather than carping about a lack of diversity among the already tiny population, I would highlight the relative isolation, as well as the necessary self-sufficiency of the people. I hesitate to use the term 'wild west,' but if something foul and old comes down out of the hills in the dead of night, those far-flung ranches aren't getting much help from deputies a county away. If there are indeed things that go bump in the night, this is going to be the sort of place where the fights might get all the more brutal for lack of witnesses.

What sort of antagonists do you envision plaguing Bismarck? The odd vampire or werewolf is good, but stranger things unique to the territory might be fun also. Old chestnuts are fine, but new mysterious critters will give your players a chance be surprised.

[Aya Tari]

Yes, I knew Native Americans who lived in North Dakota during the 80s, the whites did not like them at all. Racism against Native Americans is ubiquitous in the American West. Unlike the East Coast, where having Native American blood is considered cool and practically every Native American I have known (straight or gay, female or male) has never lacked for friends, people in the American West still look down upon Native Americans.

[Fat Larry]

Deleted because why bother.

[ChristopherZacher]

Read up on racial tensions between the white and Native American inhabitants of North Dakota. North Dakota is one of the least racially diverse state in the USA when you exclude Native Americans, having among the lowest proportion of Asian, Black, and Hispanics, and it was worse in 1980. With a lack of diversity comes racism and bigotry, so your hunters will be hunting homosexuals and non-whites more than they will supernaturals, which is fiting for WoD.

Um, no thanks. I have family who lives there and that thought didn't even come into my head. Please don't derail my thread with this type of stuff.


So anyways, yeah I want it to come across like a weird mixture of Fargo and some gritty also No Country for Old Men feel.


What books would you all recommend?

[ChristopherZacher]

This is absurd and sounds about as much fun as a poke in the eye. It's Bismarck in the 80s, for crying out loud; not exactly Spain in the 1500s.

I would use this as an opportunity to incorporate the history and legends of the native tribes like the Lakota or Cree. Having lived in North Dakota longer, they might have more experience with the unpleasant things that haunt the area. Ways of the Wolf and (I believe) Croatan Song both have gribbly beasts that would be right at home in such a place.


One thing about the Dakotas and Montana is that there just are not a lot of people, at all. Bismarck has a quarter of the population of some Dallas suburbs. Lots of empty space and big sky. Rather than carping about a lack of diversity among the already tiny population, I would highlight the relative isolation, as well as the necessary self-sufficiency of the people. I hesitate to use the term 'wild west,' but if something foul and old comes down out of the hills in the dead of night, those far-flung ranches aren't getting much help from deputies a county away. If there are indeed things that go bump in the night, this is going to be the sort of place where the fights might get all the more brutal for lack of witnesses.

What sort of antagonists do you envision plaguing Bismarck? The odd vampire or werewolf is good, but stranger things unique to the territory might be fun also. Old chestnuts are fine, but new mysterious critters will give your players a chance be surprised.

I'm actually not sure to be honest, I thinking about maybe some high generation Cattiff. I lived in Bismarck for 4 years when I was a kid after my folks split and I thought it would be fun to run a horror gam that takes place there because of the memories I have there of being a horror fan.

Almost like a fright night type of story.

The backdrop will be these low income apartments where the PCs would live, with a long of scene at ranches and situations where it's just on them to survive.

[ChristopherZacher]

What would even be more fun is a Stephen King type story, but instead of small town Maine, have it be ND.

[etherial]

I recommend getting a copy of Shadis Magazine #47, featuring the custom campaign setting Fargo By Night.

[ChristopherZacher]

I recommend getting a copy of Shadis Magazine #47, featuring the custom campaign setting Fargo By Night.

Thanks I'll have to hunt it down.

[ChristopherZacher]

Oh another aspect I was going to do was tap into the Satanic fever that caught the area in the late 80s when the book "The Ultimate Evil" came out.

[ChristopherZacher]

So I have finally gotten a copy of the Ultimate Evil, and for those of you interested here is an article kind of covering what it deals with.

http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/10...0-years-later/