Demon hunter
(The Other Half video game)
Context
The Other Half is a small, indie , 2018 video game.
It is a top-down twin-sticks fighter with a theme and beautiful, crisp art. For those of us who are terrible at twin-stick gameplay there are “Easy” and “Narrative” difficulties.
The Demon Hunter is the playable character.
This short profile *doesn’t* include any spoilers about the storyline. Just a few aspects of the early game’s setting.
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Powers & Abilities
The Demon Hunter is a fit and experienced traveller and fighter.
They also seem to employ acrobatic dodging techniques.
Demon Hunters have postcognitive abilities :
- They can hear scenes from the past while handling objects or investigating sites.
- They can also perceive a little visual context about these past events.
And it burns, burns, burns
Their main weapon is magical flame, fuelled by the Hunter’s hatred of demons. The Hunter can project gouts of flame over a few metres, and can control their trajectory to an extent.
I’d imagine this is done through hand movements. But it also resembles wielding an impossibly long flail.
This is particularly useful, since demons are an amalgamation of slime-like entities collectively animating a mass of inert matter. Fighting them means destroying the entities (which look like huge blue pustules) – and large demons have quite a few of these. Hitting the inert matter is useless.
Directing the gout of flame so its trajectory rakes over multiple pustules in one throw is thus an efficient technique. Taking out each demon on a creature using arrows would take too long.
On the other hand, the flame’s range means getting dangerously close.
This fire doesn’t harm living beings – only demons. This remains true even when consuming an object. Frex, a torch lit with Demon Hunter fire doesn’t burn plants. One gets the impression that it doesn’t emit much smoke either. Still, it’ll eventually go out.
Other assets
Over the course of the game, the Demon Hunter equips themselves with body armour, and protection against cold.
Demon Hunters are respected and trusted by most people. Their red garb and distinctive helmet make them instantly recognisable.
The Hunter arcs their flame to strike at an attacking demon. This creature is likely made of a tree trunk and other dead wood. Though you can see the actual demons — the blue pustules — affixed upon it. And a fresh fire impact from the big swing the Hunter just took with his flame.
History
One Daniel sent a letter requesting the help of a Demon Hunter. The mountain where his village was located was getting invaded by demons.
They were slowly growing, and apparently came from the summit. Their presence also caused a perpetual and ever-worsening winter.
The demons had originally manifested as translucent, slimy spores. But as they developed they grouped together to form deadly creatures.
The village would be able to resist for a while, but the invasion needed to be cut at the source.
Description
Almost everybody wears the same kind of billowing cloak as the Hunter. This seems necessary in the area, as ice-cold winds get everywhere.
Ordinary people have beige cloaks, and a healer wears a white one.
Personality
The Hunter is a grim, taciturn figure fighting for truth and healing. This manifests as their flame.
One suspects that they are driven by their own need to atone for past misdeeds.
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Demon Hunter
| Dex: 04 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 04 | Min: 05 |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 05 |
| Init: 011 | HP: 025 |
Powers:
Flame Project: 05, Postcognition: 18, Stretching: 00
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Flame Project has No Range, but can use Stretching for Range.
- Flame Project has Autofire.
- Flame Project cannot affect non-demonic creatures (but it works on people who perceive themselves as deeply corrupt).
- Stretching is only useable to deliver Flame Project.
Skills:
Acrobatics: 04, Evasion: 05, Military science (Survival): 03, Weaponry (Melee)* 04
Advantages:
Schtick (Conditional recovery (Slaying a demon)), Popularity (People trust Demon Hunters).
Connections:
None, but the Hunter develops a Low Wanderer’s Connection with the village.
Drawbacks:
Public Identity.
Motivation:
Responsibility.
Occupation:
Demon Hunter.
Wealth:
003
Equipment:
- WINTERIZED LEATHER ARMOUR w/HELM [BODY 03, Blunting: 01, Damage capacity: 02, Enhance (Cold RV): 02 (cap is 06), Enhance (Piercing, Slashing, Bludgeoning RV): 01 (cap is 05), Enhance (RV against Critical, Devastation and doubles): 02 (cap is 06), Drawback: Partial Coverage (Long coat), Bonuses & Limitations: Damage Capacity has the Full Recovery Bonus.]
- Demon Hunters presumably carry a conventional weapon — such as a short sword — for self-defence. But this plays no role when engaging demons.
Design Notes
The Flame Project + Stretching is a bit unusual. But it conveys the feel of the arcing gouts of flame used by the Demon Hunter. It also helps assess what sorts of not-quite-direct shots should be feasible.
Flame Project likely can serve as APs of Flash to blind/daze non-demonic opponents in self-defence.
Each “leg” of the adventure leads, in DCH terms, to a Hero Points award. The Demon Hunter chiefly uses these to LDD damage from attacks and the cold. This approximates the “killing demons grants back a bit of life” in-game mechanics.
The stats are based on the early game. As the storyline progresses, the nature of the Demon Hunter becomes more… uncertain.
Source of Character: The Other Half video game.
Helper(s): Civanfan, Ethan Roe.
Writeup completed on the 9th of December, 2018.