Monster Hunters is set in the Edwardian Europe, where the idea is Gothic horror. Werewolves, vampires and other strange beasts run rampant in this setting. This unique setting mixes the traditional fantasy setting with one that is quite a bit more technological than you might be accustomed to. Monster hunters focuses heavily on new classes and their origins, but it also introduces new rules like modern weapons.

The Book doesn’t waste any time and dives right into the origin stories. There are 8 and each focuses on the following on helping the player round out the character. The origins can easily help the player define his motivation, how they learned about the monsters, and why you hunt the things you do. I chose to make a character using the Romani origin story because it reminded me of the gypsies in several b&w horror movies.

The 10 classes are basically reflections of the core classes that have been customized to fit this particular game world. For example the hunter closely resembles a Ranger. This class grants class abilities like favored enemy, favored terrain, and Hunter’s Tricks. Which is what I think is a cool ability that is a Hunter’s trick. Once per day the hunter can, when reduced t 0 hp, take a five foot step instead and be staggered until his next round. It could be a very beneficial ability.

All of the skills and feats offered in this book help further the characters development within this Edwardian horror setting. Since that time frame for this is 1911 it includes skills like drive, collect evidence, and jury rig. All of which can prove to be very advantageous in this setting.

It’s also worth mentioning the inclusion of a modern day currency system that reflects 1911. The system includes a conversion for gold. The flavor created by this is a much better reflection for purchasing aeroplanes or Harley’s. Not to mention some of the more interesting equipment like the Luger, and telescoping sights.

The most detailed or critical section of the book is the mechanics covering modern firearms. Avalon Games spent a lot of time explaining the nuances the new weapons bring. Some of these are rate of fire, strikes are made against touch AC. But my favorite is called shot by location. They cover both the advantages and disadvantages of targeting just about any portion of the body imaginable. For example if I target a large part of the body, like the torso, I suffer a minus two penalty, while shooting something smaller target grants a larger penalty. If you hit there are three possible outcomes,called shot, critical called shot, and debilitating called shot they cause anything from inconveniences to permanent damage. I feel you should know that these optional rules teeter on 50 pts of damage being done in order for the more sever effects to occur.

I have found this to be a good read, it offers a unique break from your normal fantasy game. The rules are well written for a setting that has become a classic genre in literature. If you are creative this is a great book that you can easily adapt for your own projects.

Monster Hunters is available at Avalon Games and DriveThuRpg. It is part of the Pathfinder Drivethru sale that ends tomorrow October 20th 2014.