Hunter: The Reckoning 5th Edition edge
Thwart the Unnatural
Thwart the Unnatural is an edge in Hunter H5: Endowment Edge that resists supernatural powers and breaks their hold on you and your allies.
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Key facts
- Category
- endowment
Overview
Thwart the Unnatural is resistance made active. When a creature reaches for your mind, or has already taken a member of the cell, Thwart is what pushes back and what cuts the connection from the outside. The Edge answers a specific and common failure: the encounter where nobody is injured but somebody is no longer acting for themselves. A cell without Thwart usually has to solve that with force, which means hurting their own friend. Endowment affinity belongs to the Faithful creed, though Thwart earns a slot in any chronicle where the antagonists work through influence rather than violence.
How it works
Category: Endowment Effect: Resist supernatural powers aimed at you and break them off other people Benefits: Shrug off attempts at domination or compulsion, free an ally who has been controlled or possessed, and interrupt a power as it is being used, with Perks extending protection to several people at once and against stronger sources Advancement: No dot rating. Buy the base Edge, then Perks at 5 XP each to cover multiple allies, counter more powerful effects, or turn an effect back on its source
Tips and playstyle
Best For: Chronicles built around vampires, ghosts, and other creatures that manipulate rather than maul, support-focused hunters, cells that have already lost someone to control. Playstyle: Resolve and Composure carry this Edge, and together they also set your Willpower, so the build reinforces itself. Use Thwart early in an encounter rather than saving it, because preventing an ally from acting against the cell is far cheaper than undoing it afterward. Keep Despair in mind: a 1 on a Desperation die on a failed roll locks you out of Desperation dice until you redeem it through your Drive, and the moment your resistance breaks is exactly when that tends to happen. Character Concepts: Cult deprogrammer, trauma therapist, meditation teacher, stubborn detective, survivor who was controlled once and refuses to allow it again.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of powers can Thwart resist?
Supernatural mental and spiritual effects: domination, compulsion, imposed presence, possession, and comparable abilities. It is not general protection, so it does nothing about claws, and the Storyteller rules the edge cases at the table.
Can I use it on another hunter?
Yes, and that is its best use. Breaking an effect off an ally is what separates Thwart from having a high Willpower score, and Perks at 5 XP each let you cover several people at once.
Thwart or Repel the Unnatural?
Thwart if your antagonists get inside people's heads, Repel if they come through the door. Both are endowments and both cost 10 XP as new Edges, so most cells split them between two hunters rather than stacking them on one.