Fan Chapter: Laws of the Realm (Killer, Survivor, Perks)

KigeAno

Killer: The Custodian

APPEARANCE: Medium height man in a torn and dirtied mid-20th century military police uniform, armed with a truncheon.

STATS: 110% Movement Speed (4.4 m/s)

POWER: Long Patrol

The Custodian leaves a dark trail behind him as he walks, which disappears after 20 seconds. At any time, The Custodian may use his power to retrace his path (facing backwards) at 4.5 times his walking speed (19.8 m/s), after a short (0.5 second) charge time. Once the trail is travelled along, it disappears.

Survivors who cross the trail trigger a sound notification for the custodian that becomes sharper the more recent the contact point of the trail was made. Shining a torch on the trail temporarily removes a portion, bringing The Custodian out of the ability briefly should he pass it whilst using Long Patrol. This will not affect the ability of The Custodian to continue past the section if he uses his ability again.

Bio:

James McGrath always had a penchant for breaking things. From machinery to cliques - little escaped his curiosity for disassembly and examination. Having learned early on to conceal this strange drive, he kept his head down, and seemed destined for the life of a loner, until his parents, eager to preserve some semblance of respectability, pushed him into the ranks of the police.

Despite a reputation for sowing discord amongst his colleagues, McGrath made a name for himself on the streets of the city with years of disrupting rampant organized crime, becoming infamous for his ability to turn even hardened gangsters against their former partners. Such exploits rarely go unnoticed however, and McGrath's department soon became a target for some particularly vicious attacks. After narrowly surviving a shooting that left half of his team bleeding out on the pavement, the city's bureaucrats saw fit to save face and disband the unit before losing any more officers.

James found himself stationed on the edges of a reservation, and with little of the challenge of cracking criminal operations, he resolved to employ his talents to break the spirit of the native communities that rejected state rule. Heralded with even more success than in the city, McGrath's iron grasp over the province led as quickly to promotion as it did subservience from his subjects. Driven as ever to dissect these groups, campaigns of suspicion and subterfuge marked his career, dividing once-steadfast communities into paranoid factions, easily dominated by the scant forces at his disposal.

Soon enough though, change came in the form of liberation movements. Hope and unity flooded the once-oppressed native enclaves and McGrath once again found himself the target of an insurrectionary force. A challenge had been made, and he knew better than to let it go unanswered.

Calling upon the full force of the National Guard, he styled himself an expert on policing the tribes, and struck out deep into the native heartlands with a hitherto unseen brutality. Communities were uprooted, sympathizers interred, and any resistance was crushed. Making public his shows of power, McGrath's executions were gratuitously intimidating, frequently accompanied by the desecration of spiritual sites. A man determined to rip the heart out of the land had been unleashed, but history would soon repeat itself. As the movement he exploited for power spread, so too did news of McGrath's actions. Once more at the mercy of higher powers concerned only with optics, McGrath was transferred to the management of the internment camps he championed the use of.

Under watchful eyes, his reign was more subtle, drawing hope out only to crush it, coercing betrayals and distributing swift reprimands to saboteurs - many of whom disappeared, their fate nonetheless clear. Those who had hoped that confining his authority would curb the vicious manipulation watched in terror as it magnified, seeming to echo off the walls that held his subjects.

Retribution found McGrath here, on a nocturnal patrol. A lone bullet tore through the midriff of the custodian, followed by a volley felling his watchmen. Realizing his impending downfall, he resolved to flee, leaving his men unaware and helpless as the insurgents took their revenge. Limping off into the wilderness and stranger lands still, McGrath looked only forward.

His hands steadied. He would find a new master.

He reached out to the fog, discarded his gun, and stepped forward.

For where there are masters, so too must there be acolytes.

Perks:

Quiet Deterrent:

Survivors outside of your terror radius cannot see the aura of other survivors being hooked.

Hooking a survivor gives a single stack of Bloodlust that persists for 6/8/10 seconds

“Whilst it is tempting to make a show of breaking prominent individuals, martyrs are significantly harder to rid yourself of than the living.” - J McGrath: On Policing The Natives of Sandwith

Methodical

Putting a survivor into the injured or dying state for the first time in a match causes the nearest (non-dying) survivor to scream, revealing their aura for 2/3/4 seconds.

Survivors revealed this way will have the killer’s Aura revealed to them for 4/3/2 seconds.

“Never rely on a single tactic. It takes many roads to reach anywhere worth going.” - Memo on Noticeboard of North Sandwith Constabulary

Disciplinarian:

Kicking a generator reveals the aura of any survivors who repaired it in the last 30/45/60 seconds.

The Aura persists for 2/2.5/3 seconds after kicking.

“When distributing punishment, selecting perpetrators is essential, even in the absence of evidence. Effigies burn brighter than loose kindling.” - Found in the journal of J McGrath two weeks after the sacking of Camp Iringham

Common Addons:

Faded Epaulettes

A dated token signifying membership to the lower ranks of the police.

Increases the persistence of your trail by 20% (+4s).

Petty Theft Warrant

A dusty warrant for theft, the first of many to be investigated by the future Iringham Warden.

Increases speed of travel whilst using long patrol by 11% (+2.2 m/s)

           Cheap Notepad

Standard-issue police equipment used to log case details.

Reveals the aura of your trail.

Survivors who cross your trail have their aura revealed to you for 2 seconds.

           Crime scene report

A rough description of a home invasion quickly typed by the attending officer.

Moderately obscures your trail (80% opacity)

Ripped Mugshot

A photo of an Iringham inmate, torn off the wall.

Survivors who cross your trail suffer the Broken Status effect for 60 seconds.

Notifications from survivors touching your trail diminish with distance.

Creased Photograph

A badly creased picture likely kept in a wallet.

Survivors who cross your trail suffer the Exhausted Status effect for 30 seconds.

Notifications from survivors touching your trail diminish with distance.

Uncommon Addons:

Department ID

Card denoting service in the Organized Crime Squad.

Increases the persistence of your trail by 40% (+8s)

Conspirator’s Testimony

A transcribed confession from a hardened criminal. The deal he was offered never reached the courts, unlike the names he provided.

Increases speed of travel whilst using long patrol by 22% (+4.4 m/s)

Muddy Banner

A dirty and torn banner meant to be held aloft by a crowd.

Reduces charge time of Long Patrol by 20%

Forensic report

A detailed analysis of a suspected gangland execution by the forensic examiner.

Considerably obscures your trail (65% opacity)

Shredded Picture

A carefully destroyed piece of evidence. It would take some time to piece back together,

Survivors who cross your trail suffer the Hindered Status effect for 30 seconds.

Notifications from survivors touching your trail diminish with distance.

Discarded Negative

Poor visual quality meant this covert photo had to be thrown out.

Survivors who cross your trail suffer the Oblivious Status effect for 60 seconds.

Notifications from survivors touching your trail diminish with distance.

Rare Addons:

Sheriff’s Emblem

Proof of an assignment to a backwater town, a promotion only by name.

Increases the persistence of your trail by 60% (+12s).

Hidden Microphone

An early iteration of the bugs that put to rest any honor among thieves.

Removes the Blinded Status and allows free look whilst using Long Patrol.

Removes any restrictions on being notified when survivors interact with your trail.

Handwritten Note

A shakily written note listing agitators in Sandwith, the only link between McGrath and the uninvestigated disappearances under his watch.

Increases Speed of Travel whilst using long patrol by 33% (+6.6 m/s)

Leather-Bound Notebook

A premium pocketbook weathered from hours of meticulous use.

Reveals the aura of your trail.

Survivors who cross your trail have their aura revealed to you for 4 seconds.

Post-Mortem Summary

Summarized findings of the Coroner to the Native Task Force on the killing of a Sandwith officer.

Considerably obscures your trail (50% opacity)

Burned Portrait

A ceremonial photograph ripped out of its frame and burned, found in the rubble of Camp Iringham.

Survivors who cross your trail suffer the Exposed Status effect for 15 seconds.

Notifications from survivors touching your trail diminish with distance

 

Very Rare Addons:

Liberty Flag

A paper flag, the kind favored by the native movements in Sandwith and found, ironically, on the desk of its sheriff.

Reduces charge time of Long Patrol by 40%

Beaded Bracelet

A common gift among the natives of Sandwith, cultural touchstones like these were often taken as trophies.

Increases Speed of Travel whilst using long patrol by 11% (2.2 m/s), increases the persistence of your trail by 40% (8s), and reduces charge time of Long Patrol by 20%.

Iringham Logbook

A comprehensive administrative text carefully edited and altered to conceal any untoward actions.

Reveals the aura of your trail.

Survivors who cross the trail have their aura revealed to you for 20 seconds.

Considerably increases charge time of Long Patrol (x4)

 

Ultra-rare Addons:

Warden’s Badge

An ornamental signifier of governance over Iringham Prison, kept in immaculate condition.

Your Trail becomes permanent.

You are no longer notified when a survivor crosses its path.

           Destroyed Documents

Smoke-damaged and half-shredded case files on inmates of Iringham who had been “removed”. Recovered from the razed remains of the prison.

Survivors crossing your trail whilst you attack suffer damage

Long Patrol can no longer be used to travel along your trail.

Miscellaneous perks (killer):

Transgression

One survivor becomes the obsession.

When the obsession heals, or is healed, their aura is revealed to the killer for 3/4/5 seconds.

Any survivor who heals the obsession becomes the new obsession, revealing their aura for 3/4/5 seconds.

The new obsession will be put into the injured state after 60 seconds outside the killer's terror radius. They are notified of this timer.

Dire Affect

All generators that have not been interacted with in the last 15 seconds lose repair progress at a rate of 0.2%/sec.

Exit gates that have not been interacted with in 15 seconds lose progress at a rate of 1%/sec.

 

Survivor: Susan Muir

Mid-forties woman in comfortable formalwear.

A big fish in the small pool of her hometown Strathmore, Susan quickly dropped the lofty aspirations of her peers when confronted with the reality of being depressingly average in the Law classes she once dreamed of. Seeking more fulfilment than the endless ladders of large firms, she turned to representing public cases to pay her bills while she decided on her path.

What started as a stopgap job quickly became a lifestyle, giving counsel to the poor, broken, and desperate, often on short notice and with little chance of a positive outcome. Susan found herself acting as much as an emotional bulwark and life manager during people’s lowest moments as she did a legal defender, although her undesirable position as a last resort for her clients gave her a somewhat brusque manner.

Poor pay and an endless backlog made sure that precious little time in her life went to matters outside her work, and as the years progressed, those close to her grew more distant. They knew that she was happy, that good work was being done. When she stopped picking up the phone, it was surely a busy season, a well-deserved break, or a mid-life retreat. She was entitled to that much.

But for someone who gave to so many, few came calling.

Interjector:

"Cut to the chase for me."

You're used to shouldering the pressure if needed.

Become the obsession. Every stun and chase escape from the killer confers a stack of Interjector, up to a maximum of 3/4/4. Lose 1 stack upon being hooked.

Upon performing a heal, sabotage or repair action, a special skill check occurs. Succeeding this consumes 2/3/4 stacks of Interjector. Failing the check consumes a single stack.

On consumption, each stack confers up to 20% progress for sabotage and healing actions, and up to 10% for repairs.

Lash-up:

"Pull yourself together. By the looks of you, we don’t have time to faff."

Sometimes, rigour can wait.

Once every 180/165/150 seconds, healing a dying survivor at above 50% recovery progress can instantly put them in the deep wounds state instead.

Survivors healed this way will be broken for 60/50/40 seconds afterwards.

Chin up:

“You’re off the hook, mate. Stay out of trouble.”

A new lease of life is all the more valuable to those on the brink.

Gain 20%/25%/30% speed for altruistic actions on survivors who have been hooked once.

Gain 40%/50%/60% speed for altruistic actions on survivors who have been hooked twice.

Survivors performing altruistic actions on you will also gain this effect based on your previous hooks.

KigeAno

Had a strange desire to flesh out some ideas from a month or two ago, so here's an upgrade of a killer concept to a whole chapter. Do enjoy.

Ideas behind Quiet Deterrent and Disciplinarian were to have the objective busywork of the killer be able to provide some utility with chases and info. Methodical is designed to be like a mini infectious fright to give some early game pressure at the cost of late game redundancy.

I like obsession-switching perks, and interfering with the killer's plans for their stalking victim special person seemed thematically appropriate in transgression. Dire affect is a passive pressure perk that encourages survivors to dedicate themselves to gens/be time-economical to make it redundant, enough said.

Interjector is something I've always wanted - a way of linking successful chases to objective progress to reward a bolder playstyle. Lash-up gives the option to cut and run during an interrupted anti-slug manoeuvre, which is a mid-point between the ideal full heal and the very sad abandonment. Chin up is only ever going to be useful in niche situations, but is fairly character-consistent.

Milkasa

Jesus Christ that killer ability sounds amazing. Its like Nurse level of anti looping.