Hunter: The Vigil focuses on regular humans who have undergone "The Awakening" (not to be confused with Mage). They have pierced the veil of normalcy, realized that monsters exist, and chosen to fight them. This commitment to the war against the supernatural is called the Vigil.

Chapter five offers sample monsters for use in games, along with their habitats, origins, and powers. The Dread Powers system has been expanded, and there are rules for creating custom horrors that defy easy categorization. Second edition shifted focus away from having hunters fight against the other “splat” monster groups (vampires, werewolves, etc.) exclusively, moving instead toward more generalized folkloric monsters, cryptids, and slashers.