5 comments about Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement).

1. I was dissapointed when I first read throught this book to find that it is mislabeled as a Supplement when it is in fact an Adventure Module. I am running a campaign in the Cormyr region so I was desperate to find the fine detailed facts that only a true supplement can provide. The adventure looks fun but I am a little afraid to run it because my players read it.
   
   It does have some supplemental information about one city in Corymr. Just not enough of what I was looking for. I ended up turning to a Volo's guide.



2. Wizards of the Coast has been known to drown the public with crappy products just in the hopes of us buying it before we realize its crap, but this was far better then could have been expected. It is well layed out and easy to follow. The story actually makes sense and grabs the players. If you like Dungeons and Dragons and play in the forgotten Realms then I highly recommend this product. Even if you don't it provides some great ideas for any home run campaigns.



3. I was very disappointed with this book. It has little to do with Cormyr. Even if you're focused on setting a game in Cormyr you can skip purchasing this book. You'll get nothing in the way of useful source material. The adventure has one or two interesting parts, but you can definitely do better by writing your own. This book also seems to focus on a new style that comes off as focusing more on the fights than the story. I found important information scattered about the book and it was often difficult to make it fit together.



4. This product makes it very easy to put together a reasonable campaign adventure with very little prep. The combats are interesting and the adventure is well laid out. I had little trouble integrating it into my campaign. The fact that this fits very well with either Anarouch or Shadowdale makes it easy to take a group through a fairly extensive campaign very easily. A better more comprehesive series of adventures has not been produced since the T1-4A1-4G1-3D1-2Q1 series.



5. The plot to this adventure is a good one that is unfortunately hampered by two problems. First, the italicized descriptions placed at the beginning of most locations are for the most part horrendously bland and poorly written. This can obviously be fixed by a creative DM but surely after paying for this book you shouldn't have to. The second problem is the abundance of errors that plague the text. I can accept a few typos in a book but in the first chapter alone there were a half dozen or so glaring mistakes (the most obvious of which is on a handout of all things) A map that you are supposed to give the players tells them that a certain landmark lies to the west while the map clearly shows it to the east. Again, not an unfixable error but annoying nonetheless.
   The thing that I like the most is the use of what they call "tactical encounters". A specific page is set aside for each location that is likely to see combat, presenting NPC and Monster stats, a mini-map showing locations and possible tactics that will be used. At the end of the day I would say that if you don't mind spending the time fixing things and paying attention to poor writing, the adventure itself is well worth playing through if for no other reason that to segue nicely into the superior Shadowdale adventure.

No comments about Dungeon Magazine Annual 2009: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement.

5 comments about Elder Evils (Dungeons Dragons).

1. I had a chance to preview this before buying it, and it was a great disappointment. NONE of the "Elder Evils" from the book "Lords of Madness" is covered, and neither are any of the "Eternal Elder Evils" of the Forgotten Realms (Kezef the Chaos Hound, Dendar the Night Serpent, and the Elf-Eater). What we get instead are a few -- a very few -- NEW "Elder Evils" (as if we didn't have enough trouble with the others already!). And fluff. Lots and lots of fluff. And Atropus, the god-head (literally: he's the head of a god!) who floats through space destroying entire worlds as he reaches them; HE is a great "Elder Evil." The others? Meh... Buy a copy for six dollars and you probably won't be disappointed. Did I mention the fluff?



2. I bought Elder Evils expecting not much more than was found in Fiendish Codex I, and found just what I was expecting. And this is not a bad thing. It has plenty of different hooks for your campaign, NPCs to go with them, and a decent selection of feats. I was disappointed that there were no prestige classes, spells, or even a real monsters section, but it did exactly what it set out to do: Give the DM a half-dozen or so storylines that make the PC's feel heroic (or villainous) without making them take on the stereotypical dragon, pit fiend, or deity.



3. Good assortment of borderline epic level big bads in here. everything you need to plop them into any campaign.



4. Demon lords, devil princes, dark gods, ha! They all pale next to Elder Evils, the latest hard cover supplement designed for the ultra high-level player. Oh seriously now, if as the book describes, that even Gods are wary of standing in the way of Elder Evils, what chance do even the mightiest of player characters have? The first thing that is well evident is that this is WOC's attempt at creating cosmic monstrosities in the mode of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Even the name `Elder Evils' freely borrows from Lovecraft's Elder Gods and Old Ones, mythical creatures whose hint of existence can drive men insane. These Elder Evils are not merely monsters to battle and gain treasure from, but rather these are threats on an epic scale, such as a Morgoth or Sauron, if not even more threatening. These are what challenges epic level characters when there is nothing left to challenge them. Elder Evils have no interest in life other than to destroy it.
   
   Chapter one provides an introduction to Elder Evils. The arrival or awakening of these being is usually foreshadowed by signs of its presence. These can be things like drastic changes in weather, outbreaks of disease or infestation, the dead returning to life, and so on...Cults soon spring up devoted to the Elder Evil. Dozens of new feats are included that can be acquired by the servants of an Elder Evil.
   
   The next nine chapters spotlight a different Elder Evil being. Each chapter provides a background on the being, its goals and motivations, the signs of its arrival, tips on running the being in a campaign. The Elder Evil have several powerful minions which serve them and would be the likely actual foes of the PCs. These servants are also included in each chapter with full statistics and abilities included. Finally, each chapter comes with a mini-campaign that is fully developed and comes complete with maps and locations.
   
   The Lovecraft influences are again very obvious as you read about each of these ultra-powerful foes. Father Lymic, for example, seems to be a bit of an amalgam between Cthulhu and Azathoth. He sleeps, dormant, in an icy prison, locked in a glacier, yet his alien thoughts are still lethal to mortals.
   
   Leviathan is a great sea creature which owes its influence to both biblical writings as well as the Norse Mythology of Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent which is large enough to completely encircle the world. Ragnorra, Mother of Monsters is almost certainly based on the Babylonian myth of Tiamat who gave birth to all manner of dragons and serpents.
   
   As you can see, there's not a great deal of originality to Elder Evils. These are creatures that seem mainly built on existing myths and legends. But how does it all come together in D&D land? Well, that's a tough question. Even with very high-level characters I can't see where a good DM would have to resort to the use of these mega-powered threats in order to provide a challenge. On the other hand, the mini-campaigns are actually very good and I can see taking these, and adapting them for use without incorporating an apocalyptic-style of campaign. This is another WOC product that falls into the category of being well designed but is it necessary?



5. This book is amazing. Even as 3rd Edition chafes at me compared to 4th, the content in this book is beautiful. High levels never receive enough support, and this book endeavors to remedy that beautifully.

5 comments about GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns (4th Edition).

1. 
   The "Gurps 4th Edition" just fixed all "Gurps 3rd Edition" weakness. The two books are so great. The color and hardcover look and feel are some big diference between the books and the the old versions.
   
   The bad comercial thing: are two books, and you need to have both if you want to be a Game Master.
   
   The "Characters Guide" have lots of resources to make a rich character and the "Campaigns Guide" have a good Game Master stuff.
   
   If you want to have some good RPG System, well, you need to buy "Gurps 4th Edition", but you need some time and practice, cause the game system is so rich, then the rules number is high.



2. An awesome upgrade to GURPS 3rd Edition. Full colored and illustrated book, some new rules added and some old rules banished, creating a better balanced and understandable system.
   Five stars again to SJG.



3. GURPS is one of the most, truly, generic systems around... and that's no suprise since it's the first. In this fourth edition, SJ games brings to bear their 20+ years of experience with this system and delivers an excellent addition to the GURPS line. The system is fully able to be employed in any genre from fantasy, science-fiction or horror and it flexible enough for even the most creative of gamers. If it has any weaknesses they would be:
   1. too many options: some gamers might be overwhelmed by the number of options available. Keep in mind that the game can be as simple or as complex as you like.
   2. all of the "flavor" is on you: GURPS (since it is generic...duh) is not set up to convey flavor through the design of its character sheets, the naming of abilities or the graphics in the books. Flavor is ALL up to the game-mast
   
   ... on the otherhand, perhaps those are strengths.



4. I've been contemplating the purchase of this book for a couple of years now, and finally broke down to make the purchase. The physical object itself is a thing of beauty. It has the lovely full color design and quality printing and binding that past purchasers have come to expect from GURPS products.
   
   This isn't a product for somebody who wants to buy it and run a game the next weekend. GURPS itself is less a game than a toolkit for making your own game. Once you have the rules, you need to either create your own setting and character archetypes (what GURPS calls templates), or you need to purchase one of the many game world books published for use with the game. Fortunately the book provides a lot of good guidance and examples. The published material that describes game worlds is also excellent. The high quality of this supporting material is what helped me decide to purchase GURPS Basic Set: Characters, Fourth Edition and GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns (4th Edition).
   
   Given that caveat, I recommend this product for any gamer who wants to expand their gaming into new directions. There's nothing revolutionary here, but this toolkit gives you what you need to produce any other kind of game that you want to play. You might want to play ghost hunters right now, but in six months you can switch to a space opera, and six months after that to cape-wearing super heroes. And for any of those options, you can purchase additional supporting material, or just wing it on your own. The number of games you get by purchasing this one set of books makes it an excellent bargain for the serious role player.



5. Been a long time GURPS fan and I think the 4th edition is absolutely great.

1 comments about Shadowrun.

1. There are a few Typos but a must have if you are going to run the Shadows ;)

5 comments about Monster Manual: Special Edition (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Core Rulebook III).

1. Well this is going to be a bit of a short review because, after all, it's the Monster Manual. We all know it, we all love it, and we've all used it for years. It's obviously one of the core books to D&D. Part of the Holy Trinity you might call it. Back in the early days of AD&D this trilogy was all you needed, and quite frankly, all we really had. Younger gamers are used to seeing Wizards of the Coast coming out with two or three new hardcover books each month. Such was not the case 25 plus years ago. It was a few years before we got a new hardcover and even then it was the crappy Fiend Folio. Heck, you've got it made today!
   
   Anyway this is obviously the final book in WOC's Special Edition series of the core titles and it's another gorgeous book. Leather bound with gold gilt pages, it's the kind of tome that book lovers like myself go ga-ga over. The main worry is that it's just too nice to risk getting pizza, Dorito, and beer stains on. For me the book is a collectible pure and simple like the other two are. It's something to put on the book shelf and just admire. Yes there is some new material inside that formerly could be found only on the Wizards website and so if you are a completist then I suppose you'll want to use it. Or, you could make Wizards very happy by buying two copies, one to use and one to save. Whatever the case may be it makes a classic book even better. A truly gorgeous product!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. I had the standard monster manual and ordered the special edition one, since I already had DMG and PHB special edition. Since Im a big D&D fan, I loved this special edition. But the book is exactly like the standard edition, except for cover, page marker and most recent errata.
   
   So, if you're buying this looking for new content, forget it. If you want the most recent print with errata corrections or just want to celebrate the 30 year old edition, go for it.



3. If you are a fan of D&D like I am, this book is a wonderful addition to your collection of books. The pages are in vibrant colors and they have fixed some of the errors from the first printing of the Monster Manual. I've found the book is good to use in a game just like the normal ones. My only complaint is that when you first get it, alot of the pages are stuck together and have to be turned carefully to peel them apart or you can tear a page. Other than this, its a great product.



4. For fans of the latest incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons, the special editions of the core rulebooks have been great. While the content is fundamentally identical to the standard versions of the books, these deluxe "leatheresque" covers enhance the fantasy feel that goes with the game. The latest release, the Monster Manual, lives up to the quality standard set by the two previous releases. The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 instead of a 4 is that strictly speaking the much less expensive, standard version of the book is just as good as far as the game goes and the little "hope you like it/thanks for buying" note from WotC slipped inside isn't actually a bound-in page (same problem as two other books). If you're a casual player, especially if you don't run games as a DM, this version of the Monster Manual is a bit pricy. But if you're a die hard fan who collects all of the D&D products this book, and its predecessors, must be on your list. This is also a great book for anyone who appreciates quality book construction with an interesting layout and page after page of great fantasy art.



5. I was happily surprized that the book did not match the image suppled by Amazon and other web sites! So glad it matched the other 2 leather bound books. I hope more are produced by wizards in the future.
   
   The leather book is similar to the previous 2 supplied by Amazon and by far Amazon has the best price.

5 comments about Monster Manual V (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. Well, I thought this book was very good, some new ideas and a nice format, and the monsters actually seem real, not a bunch of made up things just to fill a book. I really liked it until.......
   
   Unfortunately I found out a few days ago at GenCon , that Wizards is putting out Dungeons and Dragons Version 4 in May 2008, so Version 3.5 will be retired. Be ware before you go gung ho on buying a lot more 3.5 stuff.



2. I bought this more to round out the collection than thinking it would have a lot of high-class monsters to use. I was right. Most of the monsters are either regular humanoids with levels and feats tacked onto them or very esoteric monsters that would have little impact on a regular game. That being said, the production values and artwork remain impressive, and I would reccommend it for the hard-core gamer. People on a budget could use their money better elsewhere.



3. This is a very nicely done book of monsters - many of them are very strange and unusual. One of my favorites is the mockery bug, basically a disgusting bug-like creature that lives inside a host (the image of the creature bursting out its human shell through a persons head is one of the bloodiest, graphic pieces of art in a D&D book you'll find - well done!). Many of the monsters are very creative and interesting to read about - the undead fool is just creepy weird, hopefully your PC will never encounter him. The artwork in this book is top notch all the way, better than just about any other monster book I've seen in the 3rd edition line. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking to populate their world and dungeons with interesting monsters.



4. This is a very very solid addition to your dnd library. It has a LOT of good monsters. The new mind flayer section is amazingly good, and I really like the hobgoblin/kuo-toa sections. However the vampire section is just vampire template added to a normal class, nothing special and a waste of space. Also I do not like the added "mini-adventure maps" for some sections as they take up space and no players will use them as well as very few and desperate DMs.



5. Once the 4th edition came out, I found a lot of good 3X edition books on sale. The 3.5 Monster Manuals are great - not really compatible with the new rules, but they give you good ideas for monsters. I bought the whole series, Monster Manual I through V, and the Fiendish Codex, Hordes of the Abyss, and the Lords of Madness. All good!

5 comments about Steve Jackson Games Munchkin 2 Unnatural Axe.

1. This non book expansion card set for the non-book game of Munchkin adds 112 new cards. More wierdness and tounge-in-cheek humor for old D&D players and young alike.

   I still don't know why these are listed as books but it still doesn't matter, buy them. Remember this is an expansion deck, you should own Munchkin before buying this game. (Yes game NOT BOOK)

   But you CAN read the cards.....




2. Munchkin 2 makes the original Munckin card game even better. This item arrives in disposable packaging, and is meant to be slipped into the box you got along with your original Munchkin game. The cards from the two decks are fungible, so once you have put them together you will never find the need to seperate them.

   I purchased this game along with Star Munchkin about eight months ago. The latter game was fun, but the addition of all these extra cards to the Munchkin deck made Munchkin my group's game of choice. If you are considering either buying Star Munchkin *or* the expansion sets to Munchkin (Munchkin 3 Clerical Errors was recently released as of this writing), then I would suggest that you buy the two expansions. If you want to add an "Oriental Adventures" flavor to your card gaming, Munchkin Fu, another new release should do the trick. It can be added with the other Munchkin cards or played seperately.

   You will enjoy the Munchkin card game if you are able to get a group of players together that will harbor no ill feelings towards backstabbing and general treachery. I find that four works best, three being too few because two have a tendancy to gang up on one, and five being still quite fun, but taking a little longer between plays to progress.




3. If you have the original Munchkin this is a must buy! If you don't have the original Munchkin go buy it and then come back and pick this up too! I command it! Haha :P



4. Munchkin, like all good comedy, makes it look easy. The game seems to be a haphazard collection of puns and silly in-jokes for gamers. But there's something else there. It plays well, has fairly balanced rules and manages to keep the competitiveness in the game even through all the laughter, right up to the last card.
   
   This expansion walks the same tightrope, but it does work. The humor is as good as the cover implies, and if you have a group of gamers that enjoy a good laugh, you NEED to grab Munchkin and the first two expansions at least.



5. The add on for this game is great! More awesome character's to love! My family loves munchkin and with the add on of Munchkin 2, the game doesn't get boring or repetitive. A must have for all munchkin lovers.

4 comments about Explorer's Handbook (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Eberron Supplement).

1. Well, another Eberron book, and another winner.
   The artwork in this book is awesome, the cover art, the chapter beginning and pictures throughout are all of consistent high quality.
   
   The content seems to be well laid out, however the lack of index in reference books is becoming frustrating.
   
   The book contains the following Chapters (you will need the TOC as there is no index...)
   Introduction
   Intro and overview, how to read the stat block etc.
   
   Chapter 1: Travel
   Reasons for travel, motivations for travel, (I especially liked the section on travel vs. teleport, which gives a range of situations in which travel not teleport is appropriate.), how to travel, modes of transport, travel encounters
   
   Chapter 2: Tools of the trade
   Elemental vessels, everything you wanted to know, how to construct, controlling bound elementals, freeing them and so forth. Airships, attacking airships, elemental landcarts.
   Lightning rail, movement of, battles on and a useful lightning railcar map.
   Stormships and wind galleons and other vessels.
   The chapter then goes on to boarders, forged papers, funded expeditions, organisations and then has...
   3 Prestige classes
   Cataclysm Mage
   A seer like mage who's desire for forgotten knowledge and prophecy leads to great power and greater risk
   
   Thunder Guide
   A sort of scout/ranger adventurer
   
   Windwright Captain
   Most likely an NPC class as it revolves around piloting elemental vessels.
   
   Chapter 3: Points of Origin
   (Containing 4 Map Sites)
   Where adventures start, a few adventure hooks, a map of the docking tower at stormhome, a lightning rail station etc.
   The Crimson Ship deserves special mention as an inventive and potentially exciting role-play side adventure.
   
   Chapter 4: Midpoints
   (Containing 4 Map Sites)
   The places along the way, along with many further adventure ideas to go with them
   
   Chapter 5: Destinations
   (Containing 9 Map sites)
   The final destination of the adventure, described in the chapter are several fairly well detailed locales. The Khyber Dragonshard Cavern, the Shalquar Monastery and Tharkgun Dhak appeal particularly to me.
   Appendix: Ancient Treasures
   Giant and Dhakaani Antiquities
   Magic items from past ages, some cool new items and a new special material (Eldritch whorlwood)
   
   The book is packed with adventure hooks, detailed maps and ideas.
   Looks like it will be a fantastic game aid and the artwork is fantastic.
   
   4 stars, possible 4.5, however the lack of index prevents a 5 star rating.



2. it seems to me that the entire Eberron product line is victimized by the same glaring flaws. I now own this product,the main campaign book, and 5 nations. they all have wonderful art, a durable design, and a very pleasing interior layout. However, this book cost $30 (less on amazon) and has roughly 128 pages of text. If you're the type of gamer who is looking for an enjoyable read full of clever twists/plots/ideas; then you might also tend to gloss over the assorted charts, npcs, and worthless side notes. That brings it down to under 100 pages. Not only did WotC rip me off with this book, but they also don't have much to say about this shiny new campaign world.



3. The Explorer's Handbook advertises itself as being a book for, well, exploration for both DMs and players. When I first purchased it I was expecting a well written discussion on travel and adventure in Eberron, perhaps similar to a wilderness guide discussing all the fantastic inbetween places in Eberron. What I got was disappointment.
   
   This book is, by far, a DM oriented book that describes a number of locations you may wish to insert into an Eberron game. The locations tend to be focused on the mid to extremely high levels. The Prestige Classes are the only part of the book I would consider being oriented towards players, and there are only three of them. The writing, on the whole, is sub par.



4. As others have stated, this book really is more valuable for DMs than players. Being a DM playing in the Eberron setting, however; I find that this book includes many of those little tidbits of information like travel times and side adventure material that really fill in a world. A lot of the information in this book could be made up by a DM if they didn't have it, but having concrete rules in place lends a stability to the world. I found that reading a 'starting location' entry can give numerous adventure ideas that can easily be fleshed out.
   
   Again, really much more useful for a DM than a player, but interesting either way.

5 comments about Vampire : The Masquerade (Revised Edition).

1. This is not a white wolf book, rather it is the conversion rules for people who are interested in playing vampire but not in learning a new system and who are already competent with the GURPS rules. If you are new to role playing and want to play a vampire then I suggest you find the world of darkness rules for this game as they are more expansive and complex.

   However, if you already know GURPS and are interested in playing a vampire then I strongly suggest this book. The rules are clearly laid out for people to read and understand. Though it is not a stand alone product, it's not trying to be. And it allows people who like WOD but who don't want to learn a new system to use a system they already know to play it.

   For those unfamiliar with vampire I'll do my best to give a rough over view. There are many different types of vampires known as Clans. Each clan has separate special powers which give them an edge up on one another. Some people find this system to be stereotype based, I have found, however, that the point is not to play a typical Brujah, Tremere, Venture, Lasombra or Toreador (just to name a few), but rather to create one who falls with in the lines of the clan but also is a unique individual. The Storyteller then guides the players though an advanture just like any other roleplaying game.

   As for the format of the book it is a bit confusing for those who aren't used to the way White Wolf sets up books. Unlike most WOD books, however, the index is surprising useful and can be used to find just about everything that is needed in the book. I do suggest the use of sticky notes for some sections as quick reference or your can write in the margins if you don't mind writing in books.

   One last thing for those with young children, Vampire is an intense rather dark game. It's not happy or light and fluffy. The plays are playing vampires who do kill people, and it is a horror based game. The book is dark and intense and probably not suitable for children under the age of 14.




2. I wasn't a vampire player at first in fact a freind and I were at each others throats for a while over the diferences between mage and vampire. but after taking a closer look at the two games I have come to realize that they coenside with each other quite well and are very easily mixed together.
   
   And as for the stupid assumptions of this Jonnhy traunt character he probably hasn't even played the system under a descent game master. His arguments are pethetic as well and heres why.
   
   
   1)you are of course going to run into a lot of gothic players. if he read the book then he would know that it says you are playing in the gothic punk world of darkness on page# 28 the paragraph labled in BIG BOLD LETERS stating "Gothic punk isperhaps the best way to describe the physical nature of the World of Darkness". So thus endeth that stupid assumption. I think I speek for all of Us Goths out there Christian Goth or not that this is definatly a Highly goth game and that this guy has just insulted the population of Goths.
   
   2) Munchkins, Power gamers, Rules lawers, and Dicers are all varyiants that the Game master should have to syphon through. I know this because I am A GM for vampire, Mage, Werewolf, Shadowrun, and heros unlimited. It even states in the GMs guide that the GM has to take care of that problem and Either remove them or deal with it. Note that comprimises are acceptable.
   
   3) This game is set for mature gamers not for beginners. This jonnhy guy really must of started with it and thought that its rules were to complex. Wrong the rule are simple. you just gotta be smart.
   
   So last Dont take any of the whining gibering of Jonnhy truant. BUY THIS BOOK. Oh yeah and Jonnhy be smarter than the equipment you opperate, or, in this case learn to read the whole book before you try to give a stupid opinion that has no good reasoning. can we say hollow?....... Come on I know you can do it. never mind.
   
   
   To the rest of you i leave this
   
   
   Life is short, But death is eternal.



3. This was the first version of Vampire that I played, and I absolutly love it. Yes, the dice is a little confusing, but as with all systems, it all comes down to how each individual player chooses to interact with the system. My favorite part of the system is the merit/flaw system that allows characters to have twice as much depth as some other systems.



4. A novel approach to the role playing game, that was quite successful, with a different feel, style and mechanism. Vampires are a popular theme, and this had more crossover appeal to more of the population it seemed than something like Dungeons and Dragons, so a definite breakthrough at the time this was produced.



5. Ok, here's the honest deal. Some people love this game above all others. Others hate it. There are few people in the middle ground. I am certainly in the middle on this one. I will play Vampire if I am invited to a game, but there have been multiple times when I was unsatisfied. Typically, I play Malkies or Setites. That comment right there will probably stop most hard-core Masquerade fans from reading the rest of this review, but these are the clans that interest me.
   
   Ok, on the mechanics. A storyteller, and even players, need to know the White Wolf D10 system pretty well to run any of their Storyteller games properly. This becomes more true with Vampire, because this is one of the few games with huge amounts of social powers to listen in on distant conversations, dominate another person's mind or make them love you, or even drive them mad with a glance. With perhaps the exception of Changling, no other White Wolf game requires so many roles in non-combat situations. I do consider this a weakness to some extent since it really does slow down game sessions considerably while the two parties roll, and inevitably counter-attack, and so forth. Frankly, it does seem like there is a roll for everything in Vampire, which is not really the case for many of White Wolf's other storyteller system games.
   
   On the plus side, this game has an amazing backstory. From the fall of man, and more specifically Cain, to modern nights, the history is great. It ties in things from actual history that make this stuff seem almost believable. The only problem I have with this is, to get most of that history you need to shell out some hard cash to get the supplement material. You can easily find yourself lost or just relying on another player on points of Vampire history and society most of the time. Some more development in the base book on this deep history and culture would be appreciated. That said, as long as the ST of your home game is aware of this information, you should be fine.
   
   A comment on the players of this game is needed. A number of reviews have been blasted because they discussed the players being goths or just in general complained about the players. It is a valid point, however. You can't play Vampire by yourself. That is called day-dreaming. Many of the players are devoted fans with deep knowledge of their clans' histories and can tell you all didn't want to know about them. This is not a real problem, but for a new player it can be very daunting. I was fortunate that my first game only had two such people, and one was the ST. If you are the only new player in the game, however, be afraid.
   
   I should also point out, since most of the negative reviews complain about LARPing, this is NOT the Vampire: the Masquerade LARP manual. Go look for Minds Eye Theatre stuff. This is the table top version. If you are more comfortable sitting around a table with your friends with chips and pizza somewhere, this is the version for you.
   
   This game is part of a larger world created by White Wolf. The meta-plot of the World of Darkness has many other games in it. If Vampire isn't your cup of suspiciously red and thick tea, but you enjoy the world or the system, try looking into the other games. Werewolf: the Apocalypse is great for combat oriented folk in defense of nature. Mage: the Ascension is a deep thinking look at subjective reality. Changling: the Dreaming is a call to return imagination to the world. The list goes on. White Wolf's games are not like D&D or some other RPGs. What game you play gives your character preset goals. There are stereotypes, especially in Vampire, to play with. If you haven't tried one of these games yet, Vampire is a good starting place, but if pseudo-political drama-queen blood-suckers ain't your style, move on down the list until you find something you love.