4 comments about Clanbook: Tremere (Vampire: The Masquerade).

1. An interesting book with great insight into the Tremere Clan. A must have for all who play Tremere



2. This books recounts Tremere history yet again. However, unlike the original CLANBOOK TREMERE- a classic source book, revealing the secrets of a mysterious clan- here a young Tremere narrates. Since most player characters tend to be young Tremere getting a sense of just how much such a character would know is very helpful. There are sidebars from a more ancient Tremere, hinting at how the narrator has been influenced by propaganda. (This assumes some background knowledge. You can find that in both the original CLANBOOK: TREMERE and TRANSYLVANIA BY NIGHT. The Tremere legend develops further in NIGHTS OF PROPHECY and TRANSYLVANIA CHRONICLES IV: DRAGON ASCENDANT.)

   While Clan Tremere is still highly organized and authoritarian, the description of Tremere society here allows more freedom. It's now possible to play an anarch Tremere with no clan contact and easier to imagine what interests more traditional Tremere would have beyond clan business. Basically, there's less internal politics and more to make Tremere playable in a mixed coterie. However, there's still detailed description of Tremere organizational structure. There's also a bit about the destruction of the Tremere antitribu and (now that they're gone) details on how the curse marking the antitribu worked. (Gee, thanks.)

   There are many good features- Tremere derangements, merits and flaws, a generous Thaumaturgy section with new rituals (some repeated from the original, some important to Tremere operations) and paths (one revived from DARK AGES), as well as explanations of how Tremere use clan disciplines, an all Tremere coterie, notable Tremere and character templates including spooky occultists and anarchs. MET statistics are often given. The only failings are small organizational problems (we hear about the "Transubstantiation of Seven" long before there's any explanation of what it is) and the need for familiarity with other material to appreciate the full picture.




3. I have two "Clanbook: Tremere" books -- one is the 1994/98 edition and one is this 2000 edition. While the feeling of the book is different as one reviewer states because it is told from a different viewpoint, the facts, the information, and the descriptions are pretty much the same. In terms of new paths and new rituals, I found "Blood Magic" and "Guide to the Camarilla" more informative. I think the new view of this book follows very neatly into the overall changes in the tone of the game books. Something very useful are the examples of character design and info on how to fit a "Mind's Eye Theater" player into a table-top game or the reverse. Frankly, our game is a bit of both -- I have had some really really great players/actors so it gives me reason to continue collecting and reading the books for this game. I just feel a bit like this one wasted some of my money because so much is a repeat.



4. First, I liked the fact that the history of the Tremere was laid out nicely. However, this book fails to mention the struggle between Tremere and Salout for the control of Tremere's body. It also fails to mention WHY the Tremere Antitribu were destroyed. I may be wrong, but I think that is part of the history of Clan Tremere.
   
   Still, I liked to see how well organized Clan Tremere is. It's obvious why their enemies fear them, as the most powerful and cunning Tremere are the ones in charge. Also, I thought that the various rituals presented in this book were interesting, especially the one that helped other vampires to learn Thaumaturgy. However, I bought this assuming that I would get a better understanding of the discipline of Thaumaturgy, which I did to a point, but not as much as I would have liked. For instance, what seperates Tremere blood magic from, say, Assamite or Setite Sorcery? Also, I would have liked a clarification of how exactly you advance your Thaumaturgy rating as opposed to the various paths that you have. Vampire: The Masquerade rulebook attempted to explain it, but I still avoid creating Tremere characters simply because I'm not sure how to advance in their most important discipline.

   Also, on the outside binding of the book, there is always the "clan symbol" that goes along with the given clan. I was surprised to see, for this book, a rose! If you're familiar with Vampire: The Masquerade at all, you'll realize that the rose is the symbol for Clan Toreador, not Clan Tremere! Obviously, this isn't a big thing, but I still thought I'd bring it up. To me, it just takes away from the overall presentation of the book; since basically I buy some of the books just to say I have them. I like having the various clanbooks all next to each other, but then when you see one that has a flaw like that (especially on the outside!) it takes away from the, again, presentation.

   Overall though, it explains a lot about Clan Tremere and it's inner workings, which is probably what most people expect from this book. So therefore, if you're looking for that, you will be pleased. If you want a sprawling history of this clan, however, you should look elsewhere.

2 comments about Chicago Chronicles Vol. 2: Chicago by Night 2nd Edition and Under a Blood Red Moon (Vampire: the Masquerade).

1. This book gave alot of useful info along with maps and many charactors to use in the citys of berlin and L.A.



2. The Chicago Chronicles, a story supplement for Vampire the Masquerade, consists of three volumes. There are many game sessions worth playing in the three volumes and spectacular city guides to Chicago and Milwakee.

   The second volume provides an updated city guide of chicago which details all of the major players left in the city after the adventure "Under a Blood Red Moon"--which is also included in this volume.

   The adventure is quite stimulating, featuring an all out war between Lupines and Vampires in Chicago. Whereas the city guide provides all one needs to know to role play a campaign in Campaign.

   While this volume can probably stand on its own, it is very helpful to have the first volume as well. The first volume helps to acclimate the players to Chicago prior to having to engage in a challenging all out war in the city.

   The odd thing about the three volume set is that the adventures detailed in the third volume seem to chronologically come before the events set in the second volume.

   Again, these are wonderful supplements that are great to revolve a role playing campaign around. But, if nothing else, they are also fun reading that can inspire any other campaign.

1 comments about *OP Cainite Heresy (Year of the Reckoning Series).

1. This book uses a lot of real information from the period. Being interested in real religious studies, I can vouce that many of the religious heresies listed were historically real. I own some of the religious texts this book makes reference too. It's grasp of the gnostic movements and their many Dark Ages spawns is amazing.

   The Merits/Flaws and fictional heresies in this book are equally excellent. This book adds a mature, dark feel for an already bleak game.

   It is one of the best mood books ever released under the White Wolf/Black Dog title.

1 comments about Transylvania Chronicles II: Son of the Dragon.

1. This book keeps the transylvania chronicle started in the Dark Tides Rising going and makes it even better. Players that have started this chronicle should have characters that are already 100's of years old and that are quite strong. But this section of the chronicle really tests their worth and makes the players fight for their survival.

5 comments about Clanbook: Lasombra.

1. All I have to say about the Lasombra is that they are all a bunch of self-righteous idiots who think they are god's gift to the Sabbat. Every word you read of this book makes you want to vomit! I can't believe such arogence exists ouside of clan Tzimisce, I mean, DAMN! Not even the TREMERE are that self-absorbed. Stupider than the do-boys (akashic brotherhood), reading this book made me a worse person. Just to prove how terrible a person I am after reading this SH*T, I'm goin to play a Lasombra in the next chronicle I'm in!



2. Can't even trust them shadows when ya around'em. That's what some Nosferatu friend of mine used to say. Died of a Shroud of Night, poor wretch. And that Assamite dude back at the Tremere clan book, hey, he's just as bad, don't believe anything else. He poses as a Lasombra at every chance. Boy, he's got it, man ! He can stalk you in the shadows like few Lasombra I've seen. Better keep quiet. Well, anyway, Lasombra are not exactly what I would call a fallen angel, although some of them refer as that to them. Don't get me wrong, they ain't devils either, not half as bad and mad as the Baali, but, you know, kinda like not the people you wanna hang around with the whole time. You wouldn't wanna end up as some midnight snack, ya know... The good thing about the Camarilla is that they abolish sucking your brother. Good thing about the Sabbath: You know they will. Keep about a jaw's space between you and the Lasombra next table, and you should be able to have your drink in peace. As soon as you step outside, though..... the Marquis, vampire hunter and leech himself



3. This is one of the first clanbooks I read. It is also one of the most revealing. While the Lasombra are initially made to be a dangerous, yet one dimensional foe, this book clearly shows their true powers.



4. This is a excellent sourcebook, but its lack of comments in the Lasombra Antitribu keeps it from achiving 5 stars. At least, WW has corrected it by including that description in the new Guide to the Camarilla.



5. WW did it again. They came out with yet another gaming clanbook that just plain ROCKS. It's been said before that WW was losing it's touch but I must disagree...this is a must have for anyone who plays the game and especially those that play sabbat or Lasombra..It takes you into the world of the sabbat and the Lasombra. It doesn't touch on the antitribu but why should it? After all the main game resources even point out that in the WoD there are not many anti's of the clan...It's a great resource for young players and even those who have been around will enjoy reading this story...it takes you inside the mind of the Keepers and their shadows...what evil lurks? I urge you to read this chronicle and tell me just how frightened of the shadows you become..

5 comments about Book of Erotic Fantasy.

1. Despite what you may think about the title of this book, it is an amazing read. It helps explain a lot about certain aspects of sex that are generally ignored in D&D. I would recommend it to everyone who is allowed to read it.



2. It is entirely appropriate that this book should close with a "What's New with Phil and Dixie" cartoon; "Phil and Dixie" have been a charming staple of the D&D magazine Dragon for years, and they have been promising a "how to add sex to D&D" comic for almost as long. Kestrel and Scott have finally written a sourcebook for it.
   
   For almost all games/gaming groups, sex will be only be an occasional element; most gaming groups are, after all, "mixed company." Because of this, I expect that very few players will opt to spend their valuable character resources on the prestige classes, spells, and magical sexual items presented in this tome ("How often would I get to use my abilities if I took the 'Sacred Prostitute' prestige class?").
   
   Because of its limited utility, I would consider this book a whimsical addition to your gaming library; something to giggle and blush at, but not something you would actually use. On the other hand, when a player dares to venture into sexual territory ("I flirt with the shopkeeper to get a better price"), it might be nice to have a resource to cover the situation.
   
   I cannot give this product 5 stars because of some cramped typesetting reducing the legibility in some places; and because of some gaps, like the fact that half-elf/half-elf offspring is not explicitly addressed (are they elf? human? half-elf? random pick? I wrote a paper on it).



3. The tome combines all but the most personal aspects of sex and sexuality for the D20 system. I have seen many older forms of this throughout the ages of D&D (and AD&D), but this one work sums it all up. The only thing it lacks is the bio-functions (i.e. monthly cycles, measurements, etc.) for the races expressed. I would have liked to have seen a chart to the fertility cycles (and the variance thereof) as well as the weight and dimensional gains for internal gestations. Otherwise, this book has all the essentials for adding in sexuality and relationships not covered by general role playing.



4. I consider this as an excelent material to make marvelous adventures based on how creatures see the their sexuality.



5. For a change I'll review a copy of an independent production for d20/D&D 3.5 system: the "Book of Erotic Fantasy" a little pearl in a sea of mediocrity, at least concerning the plethora of books and supplements for this always popular game system.
   I must warn you, I'm not a great fan of the d20 line of products (see my entry for "Encyclopedia Vanguard" for more) but I'm more than willing to give credit where credit is due. I first learned of this book after reading a little known PDF from the same author(s) dedicated to GURPS: GURPS Sex precisely.
   It was a very professionally made "supplement" regarding sex in a role-playing context seen from every facet possible in a serious-to-humorous kind of way and very interesting to read. Obviously, it was "for adults only"...
   This book is no exception, is a "sequel" of sort, only dedicated to the D&D/Fantasy setting.
   First things first, the book is lavishly illustrated, full colors and realized with excellent materials, from glossy paper to a very strong hardbound cover.
   The illustrations (all photograph sporting models with make-up and costumes aptly made and with a good use of CG for backgrounds and other details - like the wings and horns of the various faeries and/or demons) are well made and never out of context. The text format is elegant but still fully understandable. Due to its strong emphasis on fantasy, the book shows all the possible relationships between adult members of the various races: human, elf, orc, dwarf and others, including what happens when the partner is "not so human" (god, demigod, dragon, fairy, demon or devilkin and so on). Half breed and crossbreeding is fully analyzed and rules for intercourse and pregnancy are provided. There is even a chapter on "sexually-related" creatures, magic items and other paraphernalia, always sex-related. Even this book is classified as "for adults only" and it's very, very serious when dealing with the more delicate aspects of sex, like homo/bisexuality, bondage and/or sado-masochism, STD etc.
   All in all, I strongly suggest this book to everyone interested in a serious yet entertaining study of sexuality in a role-playing context. Be advised that the "Book of Erotic Fantasy" needs mature readers for a mature treating of the matter, no frat-house-party humor around here, so, if you're looking for soft porn, please stay away. On the downside, with a price of $34,99/23,57/£17,76 isn't exactly your "cheap buy of the week" but, in my humble opinion, the book it's worth any buck you put in it.

3 comments about Coteries (Vampire: The Requiem).

1. This was rushed work, instead of fully developing each coterie and giving it it's own book white wolf decided to slap together a bunch of crap and stick it together in it's never ending quest for cash instead of going for a good story. I love the circle of the crone and they didn't even bother to put level 4 or 5 rituals in it. They did however find room to put them in other books not even related to the circle. White wolf is simply doing what they always do, spreading there information over multiple books so you have to spend a bunch to know a decent amount about anything.



2. Coteries is a good book in general, but not for every Vampire gamer. It contains a lot of considerations on how and why a group of characters band together, be them from the same clan, covenant or mixed backgrounds.
   As a consequence, the book is even more useful for those Storytellers who don't want to spend a lot of money with all 5 Covenant books just to better portray them in a few stories that won't have any of them as a central piece of the plot. It expands on each Covenant writeup mentioned in the core book.
   If you're that kind of player that thinks a roleplaying book should have lots of "kewl powerz" for you to use right away, this is not the book for you. But if you like to portray your character with style, this is a nice enough place to start.



3. There's an old army joke about a soldier writing home to his mother: "I've got two complaints about chow in the Army... the food is terrible and the portions are too small!" I felt that way after finishing COTERIES; the material wasn't great and the amount of it was too small.
   
   COTERIES is a supplement for the World of Darkness game Vampire: the Requiem. The purpose is to explain what a group of players might have their characters do for a "living" in the game, from the perspective of the political affiliations of the game line. I think this is a noble task; if you have never played a game of Vampire of either flavor (like me), you might very well ask this kind of question: "Okay, I'm a blood-drinking angst ridden undead monster. Now what?" If you have never run a game of Vampire before, you might not know what kinds of goals lead to cohesive groups and coherent games. COTERIES seeks to explore those possibilities based on what covenant the characters are part of. So in addition to being a player and storyteller companion, COTERIES also serves as a more in-depth look at the covenants than the sourcebook provides.
   
   That's part of the problem, though. I got the sense after reading through COTERIES that the useful information had been stripped from the core for some reason and then had to be stretched into a 100+ pg supplement. The complaint that ideas for games and suggestions for how characters might spend their nights should have been included in the sourcebook is one for a different review. However, the complaint that the material is stretched too thin is substantive. Having been both a student and a teacher, I know a little about padding one's wordcount. COTERIES has a section on coteries composed of each of the 5 covenants (Ordo Dracul, Carthian Movement, Circle of the Crone, Invictus, and Lancea Sanctum) and one on mixed groups. Each section had multiple instances of repetitive sentences or the same material presented more than once in each section, with the mixed-covenant section being the worst offender. After 10 pages or so of hearing the same platitudes repeated, I began to wonder if the author thought I was too dumb to realize s/he was saying very little or had an unrealistic page count to meet. The other frustrating element is that the author went out of his/her way to, for each stereotype, emphasize that the opposite is not unheard of and quite playable. An author that repeatedly emphasizes the accpetablility of both "A" and "Not A" isn't adding a lot of information to the conversation, and frankly it insults my imagination to suppose that every character stereotype requires a disclaimer that anti-types can be played as well.
   
   My other big gripe is the structure of the chapter. The section on Ordo Dracul ends with blurbs on how the covenant views each of the other covenants. I found this information helpful, so I was disappointed to see that no other chapter had this information. Carthians and Invictus both had blurbs on how groups of neonates, ancillae, and elders work, which the other chapters do not have. The chapter on the Lancea Sanctum ended abruptly; I kept looking for extra pages to finish the chapter. These sound like minor complaints, but having each chapter have a different layout destroys the overall coherence. It could have just as easily been 5 unrelated pamphlets stapled together. I'm not discounting that it was done for a purpose, but the effect was unpleasant. If you're e e cummings, you can drop punctuation; otherwise, it just looks like you're putting out an unprofessional product.
   
   To be clear, COTERIES wasn't a useless book, merely disappointing. Each chapter had a lot of ideas for how the different groups of vampires act out their nights. Since I won't be buying the covenant books any time soon, I found this an economical way to get an overview of all 5 covenants. Also, as a new player and Storyteller, I found Coteries helpful as inspiration for stories and a guideline for what players might have their characters do. But I would have a hard time recommending this book to anyone with experience in the game.

1 comments about Book of the Kindred (World of Darkness).

1. If you already have the sourcebooks for Vampire: The Masquerade or The Guide to the Camarilla, you may not want this book. It provides some information about each of the clans in the Camarilla (Pre Gangrel departure, vampric vernacular, explanations of some terms, the Traditions of the Camarilla as well as the Book of Nod. You may like to buy the book for the stories it contains or for allowing a beginner to read it and get a feel for the World of Darkness rather than throwing the game books at them. I believe that would be the most useful part of this book, for loaning to someone who has not played Vampire: The Masquerade before to learn about what they may have to expect in the games as well as observing current gaming sessions. The stories may give an insight to the new player of the adult horror and themes of Vampire.

5 comments about Assamite: Clan Novel (Vampire: The Masquerade).

1. The good people at White Wolf seem to have developed a sort of fascination with the Assamites (go and look at the number of entries Assamite characters get in CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT if you don't believe me). Unfortunately, I'm one of those who has never found the Assamites all that appealing. If that isn't your problem, tho, there's a lot in this book to like. It takes you inside the Assamite headquarters of Alamut, for example, and gives you a good sense of the secret workings of the clan and their internal politics.

   This book is more scattered in its focus than Fleming's CLAN NOVEL: GANGREL but less so than his CLAN NOVEL: VENTRUE. There is a strong central character- the Assamite elder, Fatimah. She shares the stage with other Assamite characters but, more importantly, with the Lasombra Lucita and Lucita's sire Cardinal Moncada. My problem is that I couldn't really find anyone to like in this story. Fatimah seemed stiff and humorless. I generally like the Lasombra (which makes this book especially hard to enjoy for a number of reasons) but I've never gotten Lucita's appeal and she seems to have even fewer redeeming qualities here than usual. Moncada did have the virtue of being truly creepy but loving to hate someone can only do so much.

   In short, this really wasn't the book for me and I was relieved to get to CLAN NOVEL: RAVNOS after this. Still, if you click with these characters better than I did, then, yes, I would say that this book does tell a story that stands alone- although not as much as GANGREL does- and can be read apart from the rest of the series.

   But don't do that. First of all because Assamites are creatures of intrigue and unless you know what's been brewing some of the stuff that happens here- especially with the Assamite Parmenides- won't begin to make sense. Second, the really fun and bestest thing here is the delightful way this book fills in pieces of the puzzle created by the earlier books in the Clan Novel series- retelling incidents from other characters' points of view, for example, so that you finally have some idea of what was happening and why.




2. I thought most of this was good. What they did to Moncada though? PLEASE. He would've thrashed Lucita and Fatima. What a serious let down. It should have been no contest. Thumbs down.



3. It's a cool novel! Exciting, thrilling, amazing! You accompany Fatima al-Faqadi to Alamut, where you get an insight in the structure and inner politics of the Eagle's Nest. You visit a Sabbat invasion in the USA and a showdown with the Lasombra Archbishop of Lisbon. You learn details about some of Fatima's Rafiq colleagues as well as about Clan Elders like Jamal, Ur-Shulgi, Thetmes and Al-Ashrad. Maybe the best VtM book I have read.



4. Assamites are one of the most intriguing vampire clans. Warriors, scholars, and sorcerers, they are assassins most often used to take down other vampires. They are in a private war with the Tremere, who are vampires made by means of blood magic whom the Assamites see as an abomination. White Wolf has carefully modeled them after the legendary Muslim cult, and the spiritual and religious context of the Assamites is strongly Arabic in tone. Which adds to their mystery.
   
   This volume expands on the Assamite role in the struggles for supremacy in the US. This is a game of elders, we discover, and intrigue is their favorite weapon. Assamites are often the means, set on both sides to carry out tasks that only seem to be chaotic. Fatima al-Faqadi, of ancient blood, is one of the Assamite's deadliest. She is called on to bring death to Cardinal Moncada and his childe Lucita to answer the coming judgment of her clan. Other Assamites dot this story as well - Parmenides (the servant of Vykos, Anwar, Walter James. Assamites have a streak of independence, which has created a large number of antitribu - rebels who fight where they will.
   
   The story spins about Fatima and Lucita shedding bits of light on some of the unexplained mysteries of the paste six volumes, and spreading confusion elsewhere. The two are perfectly matched in deadliness, beauty, and determination. Their paths only cross a few times in the book, but the impact of their meetings will determine the future of the overall story arc.
   
   Fleming again lays his carefully crafted characters out beautifully against the light and shadow of the Masquerade. He has never been one to romanticism vampire life and will often disillusion those who were hoping for vampire romances. Love tends to turn out badly in the world of darkness, eternal life comes at the price of an utter loss of humanity, and altruism is a lost motivation. But like moths, us readers return to it time after time.



5. If so, read these books. I know that White Wolf quit making the game, but the books are still cool.

3 comments about Rites of the Dragon (Vampire: the Requiem).

1. This book is a great inspiration for how the Covenant of Ordo Dracul was founded, as well as inspiration on the very creation of kindred in the V:tR RPG.
   
   It opens up the possibilities of many original vampires that were cursed which in my oppinion improves on the one founder Caine from the old vampire game.
   
   The only aspect that this book does not have in its favour is the price for such little content. What is in it however, is useful.
   
   It is a tale, and does not contain systems or rules for the game.



2. I liked this book and want to give a higher star rating, but I can't justify it. For the steep price, this book is overall just mediocre. The story is intriguing, it does a very good job of drawing upon the Dracula stereotypes and showing how the new Requiem Dracula differs from "common knowledge." The artwork is at times stunningly brilliant, and on other pages downright hideous to look at. I finished reading the book in just a little more than an hour, which was disappointing. The only real information you might get about the Ordo Dracul, or Dracula himself, from this book will probably be repeated in the Ordo Dracul sourcebook for the Vampire the Requiem RPG. Overall, this book will probably be worth the money to a collector, but I would hesitate recommending it to anyone unless its at least 40% cheaper.



3. First of all this book is not a roleplaying manual per se, it is a book that chronicles the events, exploits and happenings in the life of one of the vampire clan founders, Vlad Tepes, also known as Dracula. In it you will not find stats, in game mechanics or a module of story ideas. Its an In-Character book (IC in roleplaying speak).
   
   Written for the most part in the first person as the words of the Dragon himself, Rites of the Dragon follows in the tradition of the Book of Nod and the Encyclopaedia Vampirica in its style and content. Designed as an in game resource it is as much for the characters as it is for the players and the book bears all the hallmarks of the older tomes.
   
   Within and without the books provides a sense that what you are holding is an altogether different type of book. The cover is visually eye-catching, coloured in deep red and bright sliver, the emblem of the Ordo Dracul prominent on the front. Even the material encasing the book provides a sense of touch usually absent from the regular books of the game line.
   
   Inside we are presented with a great deal of artwork that is expected of this kind of book. Most images depict an aspect of the Impaler's sojourn through the hidden life of the undead and his progression from a soul damned into vampirism by God himself to the founder of the Coils of the Dragon. The depictions of Dracula in these pictures are varied. The artists utilise many different styles and present him with Norse, Mongolian and other influences to his aspect. While this may be regarded as inconsistent it would be better to view each picture in the spirit of the tale being told. If belief can be suspended for a moment, it can be imagined that these images to be the work of loyal Dragons enhancing their primary text rather than a game company hiring people to provide art for their new game book.
   
   The story itself is broken down into four chapters, each imparting a tale in the life of Dracula and his brides. It is a great resource for game ideas and to flesh out the Ordo Dracul Covenant.