Among tabletop RPGs, World of Darkness once reigned as the de facto number two behind the iconic dungeon crawling classic. The series quietly built up a cult following so vast that would make upholding the Masquerade a near impossible task. Yet despite its popularity, the World of Darkness never got as many adaptations as it deserved. Such a deep world has so many stories to tell, and for the longest time, that itch went unscratched.
That is, until the premiere of a now iconic web serial.
Hunter: The Parenting is a web series developed by Ogre Popenang, the team behind Warhammer 40k fan darling "What if the Emperor had a Text to Speech Device?" While it's unfortunate that the series never made it to the Warhammer 40k 11th edition era, it spawned a worthy successor. Hunter: The Parenting follows a bombastic man of an "Imperial" persuasion alongside his massive family of misfits as they hunt down all that stalks in the night.
Though the series' foundations are built upon the pre-existing characters from their 40k forebear, it has undoubtedly created a world all its own. What makes Hunter: The Parenting so good perhaps lies in not being a parody, but an outright story set in the world. The mix of grimdark supernatural horror with clown fiesta urban fantasy showcases a serious love of the material.
I also love how many big swings the series takes with World of Darkness lore. I won't spoil specifics, but needless to say, there's a reason I call this a World of Darkness story. It does not tie itself down to one game. Just as Warhammer 40k factions clash in their personal agendas, so too do the Hunters get caught in supernatural wars they know terrifyingly little about. My personal favorite episode, Chapter 5.2, involves a visit to my home country, the Philippines. Hunter: The Parenting comments on colonization and its effects on local superstition in such a clever and dramatic way, all while paying respect to my culture.
The only bad thing about Hunter: The Parenting is that there isn't nearly enough of it. I sincerely hope Hunter: The Parenting shows White Wolf just how awesome a World of Darkness series can be with great writers and artists at the helm, even in an indie capacity.
You can support Hunter: The Parenting on Patreon here.
It's not quite Hunter.net, but the Wargamer Discord still has plenty of colorful characters to chat with!