Hunts of a metaphorical sort

[Primordial newcomer]

Before I start, I guess this is an issue that can be more broadly discussed. So, if any want to speak in more general terms concerning hunts that do not usually end with bodies on the floor, go ahead. I don't mind.

So I started storytelling a Hunter game recently. And one of my players said he'd like his character to have the chance to join the Barret Commission. While I love the Barret Commission, I'm still new to storytelling. More importantly, I struggle on how i should represent the different stakes when a hunter goes from the immediate risk and reward of hunting a monster physically, to taking up the game of finding how far the rabbit hole goes in a game of politics to flush out the "big players" (and the fallout that comes with monster society dealing with that kind of successful hunt). Furthermore, I struggle with representing the 5 stars Division. He's a military brat and I think he'd enjoy seeing that sub faction. Problem is I have a lot of trouble understanding how that division works in comparison to the other 2 (and smaller ones I've made). Of course, this could be me missing the forest for the trees as I usually do having preferred being a PC for so long.

To sum up, I think I know what themes could be explored with the Barret Commission. The paranoia, the disloyalty and shady deals, and the disgusting tendency to treat people as statistics just as much as the monsters, but also their belief PEOPLE, not monsters, should lead society, their drive to rise to the occasion, and the will to sacrifice ones own integrity to better the lives of everyone else. The only issue I have is showing how they hunt. How do they drive out the monsters in the halls of power, what does a successful and failed hunt look like, what is the fallout, and when do they decide they need to get things done the old fashioned way?

I will note that we are playing a first tier game. I've been clear that player knowledge of compacts and conspiracies is "yall don't know about them". However, they will see glimpses of these organizations (and I discussed with them also which ones they'd like to see make appearances the most). As for joining the compacts, my players all know that will be much later as their characters learn more about the Vigil.

[wyrdhamster]

Maybe look from Werewolf the Forsaken 2E for ideas on more metaphorical hunts - it's exactly the game with model you look for. Werewolves hunt monsters in it - but also ideas, goals or even new law. WtF 2E point werewolves to need of ritual pointing they need to achieve as extra Aspirations, bound by Condition on the hunt - I would simply make Hunters in Vigil to make some 'ritual/oath' - and share Long Term Aspiration they NEED to achieve. Missing the Aspirations idea and/or duration - would lead to Hunters lose of trait, probably Integrity and/or Willpower.

[Primordial newcomer]

Maybe look from Werewolf the Forsaken 2E for ideas on more metaphorical hunts - it's exactly the game with model you look for. Werewolves hunt monsters in it - but also ideas, goals or even new law. WtF 2E point werewolves to need of ritual pointing they need to achieve as extra Aspirations, bound by Condition on the hunt - I would simply make Hunters in Vigil to make some 'ritual/oath' - and share Long Term Aspiration they NEED to achieve. Missing the Aspirations idea and/or duration - would lead to Hunters lose of trait, probably Integrity and/or Willpower.

Hmm, but how do show this hunt? Like if I have the Barret Commission in the game, and likely with. Player character much later, how would the progress be? The compact finds out about some odd financial manipulation, odd complaints from the citizenship concerning a night club, or even just notice the business may be running some very unusual drug on the side. How would I show the weight of the conflict and how the Commission tackles it? At what point do they go "fuck it" and start just flat out hunting the vampire. And how bad should the fallout of the all night society be when the Commission successful dethroned a highly influential vampire out of human scene?

[Satchel]

The preponderance of compacts whose hunts run through societal channels feels like one of those things for which having organization rules in the core rules and systems for modeling the dispositions of large groups of unaffiliated people would be useful, but in the meantime, I'd take a page or two out of Deviant's book and model the societal assets of a given monster or group of monsters as Nodes with Linchpins that players can investigate and be investigated by.

Winnowing the chase down to a face-to-face confrontation with the monster is technically optional in this approach, but it's likely to give the hunters a little more peace of mind.

[Primordial newcomer]

The preponderance of compacts whose hunts run through societal channels feels like one of those things for which having organization rules in the core rules and systems for modeling the dispositions of large groups of unaffiliated people would be useful, but in the meantime, I'd take a page or two out of Deviant's book and model the societal assets of a given monster or group of monsters as Nodes with Linchpins that players can investigate and be investigated by.

Winnowing the chase down to a face-to-face confrontation with the monster is technically optional in this approach, but it's likely to give the hunters a little more peace of mind.

Gotcha. So I guess I'll be re-reading some of werewolf and Deviant.

And you have a point about a satisfying end to the hunt. I'll have to thunk about how I can add societal channels for my players later down the line