1 comments about Tribebook: Glass Walkers.

1. The Glasswalkers have the most interesting history among the tribes, and this tribebook brings it out perfectly. From all the various names the tribe has had, the book not only covers them, but lists the gifts that each version would have. if you are the least bit interested in the "Weaver tribe", then get this book.

2 comments about *OP Rage Across Egypt (Werewolf: The Apocalypse).

1. Since I started playing Werewolf: the Apocalypse, one of my favorite tribes has always been the Silent Striders. They are so enygmatic, so tragic. Now, there comes a time for this tribe to get payback! The coming of the Red Star has given hope to the Striders to gain back their ancient homeland. And they have allies in this war!

   From the moment you take this book in your hands, it's amazing. It has one of the best cover arts in any Werewolf product I have ever seen (except, perhaps Werewolf: the Dark Ages). The book details the role of the denizens of the World of Darkness in Egypt, from the point of view of the Garou; it tells us more about the Curse that was laid upon the tribe; their connection to the origin of the Setite vampires; a very special kind of Bane that haunts the Egyptian deserts and their relationship towards other supernaturals (other Fera ans the Mummies, for instance).

   If you are a fan of this tribe, or if you want to take your Werewolf chronicles into the lands of sand, buy this book!




2. Perhaps one of the most interesting setting books for Werewolf: the Apocalypse, this book ventures into Egypt, the ancient homeland of the Silent Striders. After a wonderful piece of fiction telling the tale of Nepthys, kin to the Silent Striders who fell into vampirism and the punishment she recieved, this book starts out with a nice introduction to the themes and mood of the setting, complete with a lexicon of Garou specific words for Egypt, the Middle East and Africa. The next chapter covers the history of Egypt from the Garou's point of view (with input on the Mokole and Bastet), starting from Set and Osiris' war in ancient Egypt to the coming of Islam to the British, French and Turksih occupations to the modern era. Theres even a nice little timeline of Egypt's history with dates, and a chronology of rulers (the various Egyptian Dynasties, the Roman and Byzantine Empires, Arab Caliphates, etc).

   In the subsequent chapter we get a look at major elements in Egypt's culture, politics, geography and environment including a look at Islam, political parties, indigenous wildlife, minorities like the Copts, ancient ruins, cities like Cairo and Alexandria and places such as Lake Nasser or the Sinai. More importantly, there is an examination of the supernatural side of Egypt, including a look at the Tuat, Egypt's unique cultural spin on the Umbra, which includes four Umbral Towers (one for each element and direction, spiritually marking the boundaries of Egypt's borders) and the Twelve Hours of the Night (twelve Umbral Domains from Egypt's mythology). There is also a look at major Garou and Wyrm Caerns in Egypt. The next chaper goes onto to cover major NPCs for each Tribe, including Cairene Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers, the Silver Fangs of House Wise Heart, Bedouin Uktena, Red Talons in the Western Desert, Sufic Stargazers, British Fianna and, of course, the Silent Striders.

   The fourth chapter looks at major storyteller devices in Egypt, such as Jackal Fever, the Eaters of the Dead, the Egyptian Umbra, Sutekh's Curse and a secret Rite developed by the Children of Gaia that allows the Silent Striders to briefly return to Egypt. Theres also an examination of the Ahadi, an alliance of African Fera which includes Egypt in it's territory, and a look at the native Shifters of Egypt (Mokole, Bastet, etc), as well as some information for games set in ancient Egypt. Following this is a chapter on various antagonists in Egypt, such as the vampiric Followers of Set, Endron Oil (a subsidiary of Pentex), the Black Spiral Dancers, the Ratkin of Suez and even a few horrors unique to Egypt. This book does a wonderful job covering Egypt (and the Middle East in general), especially with the metaplot of the Striders trying to retake their homeland from the Leeches. Not only that, but your players can get in on everything from Jackal Fever and the fall of House Wise Heart to the sealing of the Ahadi. A great resource, and it fits in well with other Mummy and "Year of the Scarab" products in representing Egypt and the Middle East.

1 comments about *OP Garou Saga: Who's Who Werewolves (Werewolf).

1. A pleasant little storybook about various Garou of the Thirteen tribes through the Ages. Though, I wish they wrote more stories.

2 comments about *OP Silver Record (Werewolf: The Apocalypse).

1. Words cannot discribe the happiness that I felt when I picked up this book. I have always enjoyed the symbols in the 1st edition Players Guide for Werewolf, but like all things, it came to an end. And since it's demise, I've secretly longed for it's return. Now, who needs it? This book as all those symbols and more! Show them to your friends, look at them in the tub; you will be amazed by how fun this book really is. Don't wait order NOW! Oh yeah, there's some other stuff in it other than the symbols...but I don't care.



2. This is an excellent sourcebook for any devoted werewolf player. It is the silver record printed for you.... tales of heroism and foolishness from the best and worst of the garou. The greatest in character deeds are recorded lovingly in this little book. It also helpfully gives a full list of the pictograms of the garou nation, which is usefull for creating realism in games.

   This book is not a rule book, but a resource to allow you to understand the way the garou honour their heros. It is also a very intresting read. If you love werewolf, this is a great book for you.

5 comments about *OP Werewolf: The Dark Ages (Werewolf: The Apocalypse).

1. This book is great. It shows you how a werewolf really is, a creature that stalks in the night without fear because it knows that no one can stand before it. The only thing that fails in the book is that there's only a few new gifts.But the rest of the book is excellent. Sorry for my horrible english



2. Riiiiiiiight. Question: What the hell would be the purpose in buying this? There's absolutely nothing new in the material presented (in fact, there's LESS) and I don't think you really need the help to figure out how to play a game in the dark ages when u can just use the core book and adapt a few things. I suppose it has some nice features like great art and some interesting revisions of history, but is that really worth what you'd be paying for it?



3. I'm a GM and i've been one for about 8 months, I love Vampire: The dark ages, and this is a must if you want to run a dark ages game. The only problem is you do need Werewolf: The Apocalypse in order to use this book. Either that, or you are familiar with werewolf systems and have certain knowledge on Rolemaster. Still I strongly recommend this book for those who like White Wolf's WoD.



4. Dare you leave your filthy alleys and rotting cities, toss modernization behind you and visit the era when the wyrm was young and the garou mere legends? True enough, no real roleplayer needs to be told what a broadsword is, and not many would find the entire chronicles of the british islands necessary, but this book conveys an entirely new atmosphere. No longer a fugitive in a losing war and painful memory, the garou in the dark ages are the real monsters - the Bad Wolf of legends, horrors in the long nights. These are the times when a wolf can really be a wolf. However - don't mistake these times to be placid or tranquil - the young (and so far largely unknown)wyrm is growing stronger and bolder, huge monsters of old times stil wonder about, the Burning Times (the garou term for Inquisition) can return at any moment, and the abominable Leeches hold Europe by the throat. And intend to bite. You could say that this book is an interface between Vampire and Werewolf, because the Leeches recieve here a lot of attention - both in articles and in rules, and it is probably very handy reading this book along with Vampire. Being a devoted storyteller of the Apocalypse campaign, and having no vampire rulebook close by, I skipped through much of the Leechy parts, and focused on the wolf point of sight. Herein you would find the viewpoints of each of the Old World tribes along with short articles written on each (and smashing artwork - espeacially the one along the Fenrir and Fianna tribes), whole chapter devoted to history and atmosphere, new skills, gifts, rites and fetishes (sadly no new Totems), and new monsters to entertain the aggressive wolf race. Admittedly, those who know next to nothing about Vampire (like myself) miss a bit of the point, but overall this is a good book to have.



5. I rarely find myself dissatisfied with a product. I'm not this time, but there are a few comments I feel should be made. First and foremost, White Wolf crossovers simply don't work. This book requires you to take Werewolf out of its normal context and place it in a world designed for Vampire.

   This is not inherently a problem. Werewolf has certain perks, even in the Dark Ages. But there is no conflict. When White Wolf branches into alternate settings, there is always a unique conflict (such as the Storm Eater in Wild West). I find that oddly lacking. This book lacks the conflict in the Americas (for obvious reasons), all-powerful Wyrm spawn, and all other potential enemies. In fact, it seems more to me like a hack-and-slash version of a serious game.

   What I find most distasteful is that it's a reprint of existing information. It varies only in small areas from the information in Werewolf: the Apocalypse. The Pure Ones are missing and the Glasswalkers have a period-appropriate name. But the Vampire: the Dark Ages covers this information sufficiently.

   In the end, all I can say for sure is that this is a good game out of its element. If Werewolves are to be used in the Dark Ages, use them with crossover rules: there are no tribes, they're all Lupines. Keep the games true to themselves, leave them in their own time.

2 comments about Rokea: Changing Breed Book 8 (Werewolf: The Apocalypse).

1. Well, this was going to be an interesting read. The brief description of the Rokea (weresharks) in the Werewolf Players Guide sounded intriguing, but problematic. The sharks are the only shapeshifter in the sea, limiting the potential for all-Rokea games, venturing on land is a capital crime amongst them, and weresharks born from humans are virtually non-existant. All of this made them one of the more awkward races to work into a Werewolf game. So does this book solve that problem. In a word, yes.

   The Rokean point of view is expanded on. Essentially, the Rokea have one directive: Survive. Until recently, they were happy to let the land-dwellers (pretty much every race in the World of Darkness) take care of themselves until over half their race were wiped out by a nuclear blast in 1955. Since then, they've been split into those who would live with the surface world and those who would live without it.

   We also get an insight into the somewhat primal mind of the wereshark. Their directives are simple: Protect the oceans and do whatever you have to to survive. Everything stems from that, and as usual with these books, provide fodder for the method actors among us (how would you see the world if you were born as a tiger shark?)

   As usual for the 'Breedbooks', there are a collection of new Gifts, Rites, Merits and Flaws (the funniest of which is 'Tonic Immobility' which means that like normal sharks the Rokea will lapse into a torpor if placed on their back-even if in human form!)

   The artwork bears especial mention, capturing the sleek brutality of sharks well (and reminding you why 'Jaws' was so scary) Standouts are the monstrous Black Shark, a horde of Rokea attacking a Soviet submarine and the demonstration of the five Rokea forms (human, muscular, hunchbacked human, the shark-man war-form, the prehistoric giant shark and shark)

   At the end, we're given a sample adventure which includes some possibilites for bringing werewolves and weresharks together

   Lastly, there is some miscellaneous information on sharks in the real world, the varying perceptions of sharks in mythology and pop-culture and information on the evolutionary role of sharks (they predate even the dinosaurs and the Mokole werereptiles)

   Overall, it's an impressive book. Well worth the purchase if you plan to send your Mage / Werewolf / Vampire party near the sea any time soon.




2. Well I must say Rokea, the Werewolf:The Apocolypse supplement about weresharks, was a much better read than I'd anticipated. The opening story draws one in, and I think it covers it's topic rather well. Their take on the Triat is interesting, if a little too long. That said, I'd gone in terribly skeptical about it. I mean, werewolves are one thing, but weresharks? I wasn't hopeful but ended up pleasantly surprised by it. It's very interesing, and gives the Story Teller good ideas on how to use them in a Chronicle. Might even be fun to run an all-Rokea game!

   Per usual though, I was not terribly impressed by the artwork. If you like stiff or over-exaggerated (bad) comic book stuff, you might appreciate it. Being a fan of one or two of the artists in the White Wolf stable (John Cobb and Steve Prescott, to give you an idea on my tastes) I am disappointed that those that get the most play are the poorest. In my opinion of course.

   So long as you're not interested in the pictures, I highly recommend this book.

1 comments about Minds Eye Theater: The Changing Breeds 1 (Laws of the Wild).

1. Very good book if you like the Mind's Eye Theater system. Has very useful information about incorporating Nuwisha, Corax and Bastet into a LARP setting. A worthy read if you like characters other than wolves.

3 comments about Werewolf Blasphemies (Werewolf the Forsaken).

1. The deceptively titled Blasphemies presents only a few pages of alternate creation myths and a few supporting Lodges. By far the book is focused on Storyteller ideas and potential antagonist groups, especially cults and the corrupt Bale Hounds. New Lodges unconnected to anything are presented as well, so there is some material for players too.
   
   The information on spirit cults is, by far, the most interesting part of the book. It is very evocative and does a perfect job of filling the reader with those creepy ideas that work so well in the World of Darkness. Discussion of spirit motivations and why spirits interact with the world is extremely helpful given that spirits are a major part of any Werewolf: The Forsaken game.
   
   The alternate creation myths are interesting and creative. The Lodges are flavorful and have an aura of mystery about them, though they are narrowly focused. The chapter on Bale Hounds, corrupt Werewolves dedicated to the seven deadly sins, provides a more subversive antagonist for Storytellers who want a more tangible foe than most spirits provide.



2. This book is a wonderful addition to the almost flawless stable of Werewolf the Forsaken supplements. While not quite as broad in scope as Lore of the Forsaken or Blood of the Wolf, this book still has its uses.
   
   First and foremost among these is the in-depth treatment of the Bale Hounds. Werewolves sworn to various archetypical spirits of do-badding (Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Greed, and so on), they feel that the world is on its way to being mastered by negativity, and that they want to be on the winning side. They basically swear to do as much harm as possible and to bring the world closer to what their masters want.
   
   The second focus of the book is on spirit cults- how and why a spirit from the Shadow would want to be the focus of human worship, what sort of benefits and risks come from this activity, and so on. This builds on the spirit stuff talked about in the core book and various supplements, and is another great thing about this book.
   
   The third focus, and something that could have been a bit more in-depth, are various alternate creation myths and the Lodges and Mots (local party-oriented Lodges) who back them up. They're great, and do a fine job of explaining the origin of the Uratha, but the Pure don't really figure in to most of the stories.
   
   This is a fantastic book, especially if you're looking for something to really shake up your players' RP world- nothing says "Apocalyptic doom" like a bunch of werewolves shoring up the power of a local Wound, or a Lodge saying that werewolves are really descended from a king cursed to live as a wolf for his wrongdoings.



3. The alternative myths concerning werewolves are a good start, but I feel like they didn't go far enough and tended to be a bit more wordy than needed. I would have liked a bit less narrative and more actual concepts. The lodges and mots are alright, but nothing spectacular. The Bale Hound section is the best, offering three different options on what they are and how they operate with the option to mix and match elements of the three to complicate matters further. I would have liked less attention on the descriptions of Bale Hounds dedicated to a specific Maeljin, though, and maybe a few more options.

2 comments about *OP Tribebook: Silver Fangs (Werewolf - the Apocalypse).

1. This book is good, rich in the Silver Fangs history. It has all the information you'll ever need about Silver Fang Heirarchy, including camps, houses and lodges. It also lists Silver Fang fetishes, rites, gifts and merits & Flaws. This book is not a waste of money for those that want to play a Silver Fang correctly. If you can find it, buy it.



2. beginning with a comic form short story, The history of the tribe from prehistory to the current decade is then described in a series of letters between tribe scholars. I would have like more detail here, but what's here is good. I would also have like to see more detailed info on tribe protocols, but structure info, and global polical view are good. Apart from the two points mentioned, this is an essential book for any werewolf enthusiast. One of my three must have werewolf books!

1 comments about Werewolf Territories (Werewolf, the Forsaken).

1. Territories is a resource for Storytellers interested in fleshing out the all-important land werewolves have dedicated themselves to protect. Building a setting for a Chronicle can be a daunting task, but with the tools and suggestions found in Territories it becomes a lot easier. While this product has a Werewolf focus a lot of the suggestions and story hooks found within could be applied to any World of Darkness game.
   
   The biggest flaw of this product is Chapter 2, which reads more like a general introduction to Storytelling than a part of a book focused on Territories. Despite that, the other two chapters are so good they pick up any slack lost in the middle of the product. Example territories, useful places to put into any game, how territory is gained, lost, changed, and an otherwise complete description of everything that could be included in a setting. Information on how to get characters involved in their territory, how to build a territory with players at the start of a Chronicle, and how to otherwise make territory an important part of the game is presented.