2 comments about Blood & Silk.

1. Well, The book is very good but I highly recommend getting Kindred of the East first and getting familiar with it. The book shows the different events and systems for the Dark Ages for Kindred of the East and it does a very nice job. Among my favorite is the list of the old weapons used in the far east like the naginata and the sai. Overall the book was good, but of course good only for those interested in Kindred of the East.



2. I found this book to be a very good source, like most anything connected with the Dark Ages setting of White Wolf. The setting has a rich character, which holds true all the way through the book. Even if you don't intend to run an entire chronicle in the East, there is information on the other shen of the time. I see it having some usefulness in other settings, or even in other game systems, for those who wish to add a touch of darkness to the Orient. Unfortunately, as I am not a Masquerade: Kindred of the East Storyteller or player, I shall have to purchase the Kindred of the East book, for enough information to actually play one of the Wan Kuei, as it is still only a source book. I highly recommend it.

3 comments about Mage Legacies the Sublime (Mage the Awakening).

1. This book gives you a lot of info to help you really get detailed in your character developement.



2. Legacies: the Sublime is the first collection of Legacies published for Mage: the Awakening. It serves the same purpose as the Bloodlines and Lodges books for Vampire and Werewolf, respectively. In short, it gives players and Storytellers examples of magical societies that characters might belong to, as well as the powers they receive, thereby presenting even more options for characters (beyond the default choices of Path and Order). This book expands on the idea of Legacies as presented in the back of the core Mage book, including an appendix on how to create one's own Legacy.
   
   Since this product is hardly necessary to enjoy a good game of Mage, the deciding factor will be whether the 13 Legacies presented herein interest you, either as a player or a Storyteller. I find them to be generally well done, although I'm not likely to ever use them all. Highlights include:
   
   The Clavicularius - Goetic sorcerers who battle their inner demons on the path to self-mastery.
   
   The Daoine - Enchanters inspired by fairy tales, they use Fate magic to reward the just and punish the wicked.
   
   The Fallen Pillar - Ascetic shamans who attempt to transcend the limitations of the flesh.
   
   The Sodality of the Tor - An Old-World witch cult, the "Spiral Walkers" channel personal divinity by means of ecstatic rites.
   
   The Transhuman Engineers - They believe their use of technomagic will help humanity "progress" to the next level of evolution.
   
   The Cult of the Doomsday Clock - Creepy as hell. Apocalyptic cult with ties to dark things... Would make good antagonists.
   
   Aside from the specific legacies presented, the book is also useful as an example of how much variation exists among Mages of the same Path. If players or Storytellers are in a rut and can't think outside the box of what's presented in the core book, Legacies: the Sublime ought to fix that. In summary, it's one of those books you don't really need but will probably find cool and useful.



3. LEGACIES THE SUBLIME is a supplement for MAGE: THE AWAKENING, a game set in the World of Darkness. Mages are able to craft their souls, a process that allows them to gain magical abilities that don't invoke Paradox, perform rituals that gain them mana when away from hallows, and learn some Arcana as if it were on their path. If a mage passes on the secret to crafting souls on to apprentices, a Legacy may develop. These are some significant powers, and the cost (mechanically) is to pass a tithe of the character's XP onto their mentor. There are other costs too, sometimes servitude to the group or significant bodily changes.
   
   How useful is LEGACIES? Well, I would compare it to BLOODLINES for Vampire. When I first heard of a whole book of bloodlines, I thouhgt it would be rather silly. A typical city holds maybe 20 vampires, with very few new ones passing through. What is the likelihood of even one belonging to a bloodline, let alone getting the use of a whole book of them? And given the secretive nature of vampires and the difficulty of traveling from city to city, I imagine that few vampires can make use of them. In contrast, every mage can join a legacy. If a character wants to travel to Glastonbury to meet the last surviving mentor of the Sodality of Tor, he or she can. There are journals and records of Legacies, plus mages travel from city to city, so it is easy for mages to find a legacy. Thus, I view LEGACIES as a big book of plot devices.
   
   LEGACIES also fills some parameter space that the corebook has left empty, which is "What do Mages do with their time?" You can do anything you can imagine, provided no one is watching. Sometimes it's hard to be creative with no boundaries. LEGACIES gives characters something to do; pursue the membership in secret orders and later the day-to-day activites that make up that group. I find that a Legacy feels more like the social groups of Vampire (lance Sanctum, Carthians, etc.) than the Mage orders do, as I find them ill-defined with little focus on immediate goals. So I think this book is both interesting and practical from both a player and a storyteller's viewpoint.
   
   Each legacy has an entry of about 10 pages, describing what the legacy does, how it originated (or what they want you to think), and initiation ceremonies. It states who can join, what the attainments (magical abilites) are, and the oblations that generate mana.
   
   Here's the list of Legacies:
   Clavicularius
   Daksha
   Daoine
   The Fallen Pillar
   The House of Ariadne
   The Pygmalian Society
   The Scions of God
   The Sodality of the Tor
   Stone Scribes
   Threnodists
   Transhuman Engineers
   The Cult of the Doomsday Clock
   The Fangs of Mara

5 comments about World of Darkness: Mummy 2nd ed..

1. I found this book both fascinating and enthralling. It has great source material, new merits, flaws and generating system that allow you to create the NEAR eternal (not immortal, there is a difference) mummies. However, one thing that should absolutely be noted before purchasing the book - a warning so to speak - is that there is only one book in this series (there should have been more) and the background material covers only the Egyptian/Greek mummies, but refers to "the others" constantly. Also note, that the creation process for mummies is more grueling and there are not as many spells in their paths to work with solely on the facts in this book. You'll need to improvise if you wanna keep things fresh storytellers! Other than those warnings, this book gets 4 stars easy.



2. If you have been playing white wolf for a while and want to try a crossover game using various "species" from the main systems, consider a mummy character as the glue that holds the group together or as a means of getting the group together in the first place. Also, it is a wonderful game in its own right.



3. You wouldn't think a book about mummies, in the Vampire line, would be this interesting. And the book's slightly dated at this point. But the virtue system is far more meaningful than the vampire equivalent, and the Reborn add a fascinating element to any White Wolf game, not a B-Movie feel. In my opinion, the Reborn are virtually a *must* in Vampire and/or Mage games that delve into the origins of civilization, and while they should be rare, they're totally playable.



4. This version of the Mummy subset of the original World of Darkness is a must better rendition of this type of supernatural monster than its revision, Mummy: The Resurrection. Mummy Second Edition inproved on its precesessors by expading its scope, and showing how mummies from cultures other than Egypt can be created as characters. The mummies created using these rules are the mummies of film--the mummies created through Resurrection are reincarnations, and not as spectacular nor unique (when compare to other WoD creatures) than the mummies from this book.



5. Have to love the concept. A great alternative for those who whish to have a break from the regular Werewolf, Vampire and Mage ideas. It even incoroporates some of Wratih the Oblivion. Not a long term play however and is better suited for creating background stories or even NPC's. Needs a character sheet though. (Don't know why they would omit something so vital.)

No comments about Mage Intruders Encounters With the Abyss (Mage the Awakening).

1 comments about Werewolf: War Against the Pure (Werewolf the Forsaken).

1. The title of this book is kind of misleading; it would be more appropriate to call it WAR!
   
   This book does detail War Against the Pure--specifically in the Silver Crusade chapter. There it details Harmony loss and how to mitigate it, serving under a Lune, and additional Gifts and Rites. It also give you an idea of how to space and time everything, because as in any war you are not fighting all the time. There are Klaives and other assorted sundries to be found here as well.
   
   Before this chapter there is a chapter that deals with War against any opponent: other supernatural denizen, changing breed, Pure, or the Forsaken. This book is very useful for storyteller's and can assist players in detailing background information on a character who has seen combat. Following this chapter is a great little historical setting/chronicle ready to run with npc's and background details that gets snuck into the book--more bang for the buck and it's a cool setting to boot.
   
   The final chapter is really where this outstanding book really brings it home by giving you the capability to create your own changing breed complete with your own historical (or not) concept that is useful for both st (storyteller) and player. A great way to keep players on there toes and keep things from getting stale or to frame the Forsaken in a new light by contrasting them with a new changing breed of your own creation.
   
   Another Excellent book in a long line of them in this setting. You should own this.

No comments about *OP WOD: Mummy (The World of Darkness).

5 comments about *OP YotS Heralds of the Storm 1 (World of Darkness (White Wolf Paperback)).

1. I read this book with a bit of trepidation because of the cheesy cover and the very cheated feeling I had after finishing the clan novel series. However, unlike almost all WW books, this book was written by someone who is a little more upbeat and can keep the pace of the book moving by not getting bogged down in this angst-ridden tone that other books of the genre seem to have.

   I wasn't expecting the Vampire Hunter angle, but it really worked here. The plot had a few snags, but overall it moved really quickly and had enough action and realistic character development (something almost absent from V:tM books) to keep me interested. Plus, I live in Chicago and the author actually seemed to know a bit about the city (rather than having the just-read-the-Guide-to-Chicago feel of the clan novel series)

   Overall, I would recommend this book highly to action, horror, vampire and V:tM fans alike.




2. This is the first volume outside of the Predator & Prey introductory series that deals with hunters, humans who have pierced the shroud of darkness around the Masquerade and are actively seeking to do away with creepy guys. I have honestly been less than enthusiastic about the P&P tales, but "Heralds of the Storm" turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

   Thea Ghandour is a member of the Van Helsing Brigade, a clan of monster hunters that works in and around Chicago. Her compatriots, Romeo, Parker, Jake, Dean, Carl, and Lilly, are young men and women with a strong sense of cause. Each has developed special talents that help in their battles and have kept them alive so far. They do not lack for courage, but frequently hide their fears behind anger and bickering.

   The book opens with an attack on a vampire's lair near Chicago. Even as they infiltrate the site, they realize something isn't quite right. It goes too easily. Most of the guards are gone or are quickly handled. The guard watching the security is dead. After killing the Vampire with minimal injury, the entire lair is destroyed by explosives as they leave. Thea and the others suspect that someone was there before them, and that they are being set up.

   When Thea gets a brief, anonymous phone call her fears are confirmed. But the gang has no clue on how to proceed. Before they can do much research, several brigade members are attacked and killed by zombies. Thea arrives in time to prevent things from being even worse and finds herself being helped by a stranger, who identifies himself as Maxwell Carpenter and pulls Thea and her unconscious friends from the building. Then he erases her memories and disappears.

   Thea awakes in a hospital. When Romeo tells her she was pulled from the building by a super zombie who can pass for human she remembers what happened. Frantic research reveals that Carpenter was a 1920s gangster and was definitely dead. Many more phone calls and arguments later they finally meet with Carpenter. He asks them to help him get into the Temple of Akhenaton in downtown Chicago and gives them some time to consider their answer.

   Carpenter has his own agenda, the complete destruction of the Sforza clan that caused his death years earlier. Thea and the Brigade find this out and are torn over whether they should cooperate with Carpenter or kill him for the monster he is. What they decide, and the horrific results of that decision fill the remainder of this volume and the next two novels of this promising and exciting trilogy.

   This may be Andrew Bates first novel, but he shows considerable skill and talent. His characters have none of the stick figure quality which often troubles World of Darkness novels. Bates has a good sense of timing and a fine eye for detail as well. My only gripe is that the novel's designer decided to sacrifice page numbers for decoration. As a reviewer, I found this quite irritating. Otherwise this series looks like a winner from the folks at White Wolf.




3. I picked up this book as an impulse buy, so I wasn't expecting much from it. I had never read a World Of Darkness novel and I had no idea who, or what, Hunters were. This book knocked my socks off.

   My only complaint is that I wish the back cover had been a little LESS descriptive. Knowing that the trilogy serves to introduce the M-words to the World Of Darkness universe dulled a bit of the impact the ending would have held.




4. This book didn't exactly give me what I expected, but still delievered quite the page turner. The story mainly centers around a Hunter, who seems to have some unwanted assistance, but suprisingly the story continues to branch out in numerous ways switching perspectives to give a reader a full view of the entire story.

   My main complaint with this book, was a problem that befalls most white-wolf books though. The characters seem to perfect, why are Thea and her workaholic room mate, both, apparently, so sexy? Infact most of the characters who are good guys, seem to all be made up as incredibly attractive. I don't think that's overly problematic, but it seems to be something that plagues many white-wolf books, and to those who are extremely picky it can seem rather silly.




5. Let me say this up front, because it affects how I read things: As a rule, I HATE books that end on a cliff-hanger (the single exception being "The Lord of the Rings").

   This is the first of a trilogy featuring Thea, a young, club-hopping monster hunter and her comrades in Chicago who are being manipulated by a creature who has his own motives. Like many World of Darkness novels, there is a bleakness and despair that threatens to drag the story into depression, but Bates avoids that by keeping his style light and contemporary.

   However, the plot was obviously padded. Instead of a tightly-plotted adventure, there are extraneous sub-plots with Thea's roommate that go nowhere, and the story suddenly changes viewpoints to a secondary character on a side-quest that has no bearing on the primary plot.

   Bates' style is fun and easy to read. I will be looking for more books by him, as long as they can stand on their own. "Heralds of the Storm" cannot.

4 comments about *OP WoD: Blood-Dimmed Tides (World of Darkness Series).

1. This book can add an oft-overlooked dimension to any world of darkess game or chronicle, with in-depth descriptions of everything necessary for running what I consider to be one of the most terrifying types of game.



2. It's a great book for all those changelings out there. It contains that secrets of the two NEW aquatic Merfolk, yes Merfolk Kiths. From the dark and sinister Thallain, Merrow to the glorious (and a bit conceited) Merfolk. 3 New Arts, 5 introductory treasures, and a bunch on the new brithrights and abilities. Although, the rules are a bit scratchy, but great buy.

   And for all those other living in the WoD new information on how wraiths survive in the oceans and the great wars and relic ships and arts of the sea. Aquatic Gangrel and Lasombra. The dark secrets of the Technocracy and Pentex in the deep sea. And the evil activites of the Wyrm and the "Kraken" under the sea, plus information on the children of Kraken, those infected with a powerful virus. The whole book adds new depth and dimension to the WoD.




3. When I first saw this book on the shelf of my usual retailer (at that time), I wondered what it could be. I wasn't sure to buy it, but I took a chance, and did so. From the beginning on, it felt really interesting. Who hasn't ever heard stories of ghost-ships? Then, as a Werewolf storyteller, I wondered about the Rokea (at that time their book wasn't out yet). The book grew more and more interesting, and even when I'd never before run chronicles "on the sea", I did so from then on. The book also features the incredible Gangrel Aquarii or Mariners, which are a really interesting bloodline of the Gangrel clan. So, if you liked "Deep Rising", "Jaws", "Moby Dick", and others... you'll probably like to tell your own stories on the furious seas of the World of Darkness.



4. A cheeseball, badly written, absurdist play in twinkery, this supplement is an insult to gaming in general. Avoid at all costs.

1 comments about Dark Ages: Players Guide to High Clans (Vampire).

1. The books for Dark Ages Vampire have been uniformly great. The new direction that Matt McFarland has taken the entire line is refreshing and his insights have proven a breath of fresh air in a book-heavy system.

   Truly, you do not need this book to play the game. However, you will be at a great disadvantage to your fellow players who do have it. I know I wish I had this book when I created my last character!

   The true highlight of this book is the best rendition of koldunic sorcery (the Tzimice's priest-mages) EVER!!! If you have wondered as a GM wha tthe heck kolduns could do, or wondered as a player wondering what made a Tzimice mage different from a Tremere, your answer is here, laid out in a frightening explanation of why these wisemen still control Eastern Europe.

   Other highlights are Abyssal Mysticism (the Lasombra get some great infomration laid out here.), a healthy grouping of Combination Disciplines, and an indepth discussion of how th High Clans adopt mortal institutions into their unlives.

   In short, buy it! You will love it!!

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.