5 comments about *OP Freak Legion (Werewolf).

1. I simply can't believe NOONE took the time to comment on this book! This is the ONLY book I have 2 copies of, (one's worn out, the other's untouched, NEITHER'S FOR SALE!:) and frankly the ONLY book I ever WANTED to have 2 copies of. The artwork is excellent! The rules and details are bone-chilling terror combined with unusual clarity for White Wolf/Black Dog! I read it from cover to cover, had a chance to play a demon-possessed creature twice in my life now (as a plot device). Although I totally ADORE the book, I run a TableTop game and an online game (guidelines don't allow webpages so e-mail for details if you want them:), and would NEVER allow such super-powerful creatures to exist as Player Characters...but they sure do make for FANTASTIC plot devices! You're lucky (and hopefully over 18) if you manage to get this out of print book!!! :)



2. Freak Legion is not as gruesome as one might imagine. The material isnt overtly stomach churning(the opening comic is dire but not that bad)but it is still enough to warrant a bit of maturity. A fomori is one of the more tragic aspects of the Wyrm's corruption of humankind; they didnt ask to be made into monsters, and Pentex plays on their helplessness. While a fomori may be very powerful in combat against a Garou, it is ultimately a tragic monster that is manipulated by the evils of Pentex and the Wyrm. Keeping in line with the "Dark Side" aspect of the Wyrm, one is lulled, never forced into bloody service to the Wyrm. This is an excellent sourcebook on playing these tragic yet very powerful lost souls.



3. This book is every thing i would expect from yet another exellent release from Black Dog books. Yet another vile manisfestation of the perveted mind of Black Dog. This is defianatelly one of the most gruesome yet best roleplay sourcebooks i have had the pleasure to read in years. As a mature roleplayer who likes to deal with mature themes Black Dog gives me the oppurtunity to feed and corrupt my twisted mind. Thank you to Black Dog for yet another fantastic release.



4. I am a staunch White Wolf player, and have purchased 80% of my books right here from Amazon.com. They're faster and more reliable than my local retailer, so I've amassed almost every Werewolf: the Apocalypse book in print, with a large collection of Vampire: the Masquerade. This was my first Black Dog book, and also one of the more useful ones I own.

   White Wolf seems to not go so much "adult" in terms of pornography as it does on a "lets see how gross we can make it." The entry comic is enough to turn a weak stomach, so definitely keep it out of children's hands -- just as the company suggests. It had a healthy spattering of profanity which wasn't necessary at all times in this reader's opinion, tossing it in possibly to put the "adult" rating on it instead of for emphasis. In today's era, however, that's easily overlooked. Once you get past the general disgusting aspects, or if they don't bother you, the book itself is an excellent resource. It develops the Formori by leaps and bounds over the Book of the Wyrm First or Second Editions. In Freak Legion, you not only learn the in depth history of various Fomori types and breeds, but you also have a full list of how to create and build them with the special powers (and the taints it costs them to be in servitude to the Wyrm.) It was very informative, and excellent fodder for even the Vampire Storyteller who might want to introduce a new element into their game to throw of players who have already "been there, seen that, done that" with V:tM. Pentex certainly doesn't have to be Werewolf specific with a Malkavian antribu on its board of directors, and the company itself is outlined in some ways which are "political" similar to Vampire, although that isn't the focus of the book. All told, I would recommend this book to any serious White Wolf Storyteller. There is a small chapter with ST Guidelines to go from splatter horror, to possible politics, to a good old fashioned "blaze of glory" situation. There's something for almost everyone. A great companion to Book for the Wyrm Second Edition.




5. The other books don't go much into fomori save maybe the book of the wyrm. Fomori are some of the most heavly incountered supernatural nasties in the phsyical world... they are simply everywhere thanks to pentex's spreading of curuption.
   
   Regardless of how you whant to use one in your game this book is a must have for such, there is pages apon pages apon pages of example powers and taints for you to use derectly or as a guide to make your own. There is about as many here as all the werewolf gifts with a wide aray. Rather combative powers, stealthy powers, seductive powers, just about anything you can think of..... and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of realy SICK ones.
   
   Thats about the only down fall of this book, some people will just down right be groosed out by this book some of the stuff in here is down right horable and wrong.... but this is the wyrms affects on men at it's worce, so what do you exspet.... DEFFENTLY a book for adults only.
   
   
   One very intresting thing this book opens up is alowing people to have PC fomori rather tring to be good or not, you can let some one play one in your game. Or to make things realy intresting play a game with a buch of humans that start getting fomori taints together... various taints showing up more and more before they sudently found that they got powers along with them. And leave them to deside what to do about it when pentex comes knocking at there door.
   
   Some of the possablites here for bad guys is impresive too, not just the brutish or out right nasty looking fomori there use to dripping with taint... but you can have one that not only feelts taint free with powers, but will feel like there dripping with wyld essence, looking perfectly human... using powers that make them very sugestive, only doing the most terable of horid tricks when they get one of the party members alone.
   
   
   
   Overall grate resorce for ANY Word of darkness game, even a game in of it'self, but not for the faint of heart.

1 comments about WoD Shadows of the United Kingdom (World of Darkness).

1. White Wolf's new and revised 'World of Darkness' game line has been full of creative and useful ideas, and this first book to highlight the 'World of Darkness' beyond the US is nothing short of brilliant. The authors, mostly Brits themselves, do a wonderful job mixing the nation's rich cultural heritage, folklore and myth with thematic material, mysteries and the outright bizarre.
   
   The first chapter gives a wonderful overview of the British Isles as they exist in the World of Darkness, paying full attention to Vampires, Mages and Werewolves (though there is a strong focus on werewolves), along with other stranger things like alien big cats, the owl man of cornwall, great lake worms, fox-spirits, djinn, ghosts and tantalizing hints of the fae. Things like the blood farm and 'the other city' of Glasgow are outright brilliant, but equally interesting are cultural changes that make British Vampires, Mages and Werewolves unique from their American counterparts. Notes are given on social changes, prominent individuals, rumors and even a few Bloodlines and Legacies, like the Pakistani Brothers of Sadr-Ud-Din and the 'chav' Tanners, though none are actually written up. As I said before, many of the writters on this book are Brits themselves, and it shows. Gone are many of the stereotypes that older books sometimes suffered from.
   
   Like I said, this book is really aimed at the Werewolf audience (though others will get use out if it too), and the second chapter highlights this. It focuses on the Uratha of the region, even goes as far as to make write-ups for each Tribe, mentioning things like how British Bone Shadows study human ghost lore and take tokens from fallen foes, or how the British Iron Masters have adapted to the cities. Several new Lodges are written up, like the Lodge of the Howling Death, who fight the Pure to the death over territory, and the Lodge of Scavengers, who are cunning urban survivors. A small number of lesser Lodges are also mentioned, but not written up, like the Lodge of the Baital, Bone Shadows who study Asian myth. There are also a number of British Totems, Fetishes and Rites given, even some cultural notes on Klaives.
   
   The third chapter gives some more setting information for Great Britain, including notes for American players, historical games, and bringing foreign characters into the UK. Once again, there is a strong focus on the setting for Werewolf, showing different cultural variations on typical foes such as the Beshilu (the idea of the Rat God thing is horribly creepy) and the Pure (such as inbred, aristocratic Ivory Talons who hunt two-legged prey on their estates, and Fire-Touched with a different fervor from their American brethern). Theres more ST material in the fourth chapter, which includes information on prominent NPCs and antagonists in the British Isles, and other useful crunch (like a new Cruac Ritual). All in all, theres alot of good stuff to throw at players, and for developing the United Kingdom as a unique supernatural landscape. But the creepiest stuff are the unexplained and bizarre things that have no real connection to other supernaturals. Things like the Drowned Men, who may or may not be the Fomori of Irish legend, and the hints about the Fae.
   
   Like I said before, the authors have a deep sense of what's 'British' and really draw on alot of obscure regional folklore - like the Green Children of Woolpit, alien big cats, ghost stories, and the like. They also do a good job making mention of material from other books that can be brought in - like the Bron and Melissidae from Bloodlines: the Legendary, or the Sodality of the Tor, Daksha and Pygmalian Society from Legacies: the Sublime (and Wood's signature character Lucy Sulphate even gets mentioned). I was a little disappointed we didn't get write-ups for the Tanner or the Brothers of Sadr-Ud-Din, but theres always room for me to make up my own stuff for that. The vague hints and allusions to the Fae are also a great tie in with the forthcoming Changeling game (if the ST is so inclined that is). So yeah, this is a great book, an essential for Americans planning on running a game set in the UK. Even so, Brits will still get a kick out of many of the things in this book too.

3 comments about Mage Guardians of the Veil (Mage the Awakening).

1. Following White-Wolf's popular "splat book" style, this is the first in a series of books for the new Mage: the Awakening game examining the Orders which modern Mages divide themselves. And what a start! From the first previews I saw, the Guardians of the Veil fascinated me. This book does much to clear up misconceptions on them, and makes them alot more playable.
   
   The Guardians of the Veil are the secret police, spies and assassins of Mage society. This is both true and completely false. As the book goes on to show, the Guardians of the Veil do what must be done to protect magic. Duties that nobody else would take upon themselves. The first chapter explores their history, from taking up the role of the fallen Visus Draconis after the collapse of Atlantis to the Mystery Cults of antiquity and the political (and economic) intrigues of today. It also gives a very interesting look at Guardian influence and flavor in different regions.... The Catholic Church's Opus Dei, Voudon cults in West Africa, media moghuls in the US, Gnostic heresies, Taoist and Buddhist sects in Asia, Shi'ite mystics in the Middle East, Hindu devotees to Shiva and similar groups all serve as cover/initiation for Guardians.
   
   The second chapter is even better, explaining the belief, purpose and structure of the Guardians of the Veil. WHY they do what they do. In this chapter we get information on the Order's laws and objectives, their use of parables and koans, optional systems for gaining Wisdom, titles and duties (based on Status rating), Path roles (with five sample concepts per Path), relations with others, and a whole lot of information on spying, both mundane (the Cold War, cryptography, etc) and supernatural. We also finally get a system for the 49 Masques, archetypal roles that the Guardians of the Veils use in their magic. Each Masque can be bought as a Merit which the Mage can master, gaining particular benefits and drawbacks as a result, as well as providing a supernatural disguise by fulfilling the archetype.
   
   The third chapter gives a very detailed look at Guardian recruitment and indoctrination, through the Gray Veil, the Crimson Veil and finally the Black Veil. We also are presented with information about rank, relations (and relationships) within the Order, information on why the Guardians generally don't recruit from inside intelligence agencies anymore, and a very good look at Labyrinths, the secret societies the Guardians create to attract potential initiates (and to weed out the unworthy). The next chapter looks at the Factions and Legacies of the Guardians. All five factions are given write ups: the Faceless (subtle assassins who supress their ego), the Inheritors (who cover up secrets other Mages aren't meant to see), the Messianics (religious zealots who want to install a righteous leader), the Ordeal Keepers (who perfect their minds and bodies through intense rites) and the Prophets (who gather and collect information) along with a sub-Faction for each of them.
   
   The Legacies presented are pretty interesting too. My favorite are the Eleventh Question, a GotV specific Legacy of genius detectives and investigators (think Sherlock Holmes, Monk or Detective Goren from Law and Order: CI), but we also get the Bearers of the Eternal Voice (Mastigos who are masters at manipulating others through their lies) and the Votaries of the Ordained (Moros who protect people and places of great destiny). Theres also a Left-Handed Legacy, the Austere, a corrupted Legacy that fuses their body with strange Atlantean technology. This leads to the chapter on magic, which explains the mudras and tools used by the Guardians, common applications of magic for spying (and preventing others from spying on you), and the Guardians' rote specialties (Investigation, Stealth, Subterfuge) are all examined, and we are presented with about a dozen pages of new Rotes, along with Artifacts and magically enhanced items.
   
   The book finally closes with a number of sample Guardian of the Veil NPCs the Storyteller can throw into a game as allies, antagonists or whatever. A hand full of them are given names, backgrounds, details and full statistics, while others are simple concepts the Storyteller can elaborate on such as "the assassin", "the conspiracy nut", "the investigative journalist" and "the police negotiator".
   
   All in all, this is a wonderful book, especially if you plan on playing a Guardian of the Veil, or are running a game which features the Order prominently. I'm slightly biased, since the Guardians were already my favorite Order to begin with, but for those who want to understand more about the Mage: the Awakening setting, this is an essential buy. Especially if you have difficulty getting behind the GotV mentality, and tend to portray them as "a bunch of spies and assassins". This book clears up alot of the misconceptions, while adding depth and interest to the most secretive of the Orders.



2. The Guardians of the Veil are one of five "Orders" in Mage: the Awakening, representing the social group that a player character can choose freely; by contrast, the "Paths" represent the fundamental direction and 'flavor' of a character's magic, and in the context of the game, is NOT something the character can choose. The brief description in the main rulebook describes an interesting combination of a secret police force and a conspiracy mostly for the sake of conspiracy, and this sourcebook goes a long way toward reconciling those seemingly contradictory aims.
   On the one hand, even mortal organizations need to be at least somewhat concerned about double-agents and other corrupting influences within; the notion that Mages retain this need even after Awakening is intriguing, to say the least. On the other, even in the real world, there's nothing quite like the thrill of being a part of something bigger than yourself, but secret. The Guardians use this human impulse to an excellent advantage to further their own doctrine of "not all mortals are worthy of Awakening": those who do not pass certain subtle tests of aptitude and character are shunted through an endless blind alleys of cross-linked conspiracies with no real substance, referred to as the Labrynth; the details of this global web of illusions are mostly left to the Storyteller, but the raw materials for constructing your very own series of false conspiracies are provided.
   
   Another element that I enjoyed was an in-depth discussion of how disguise works as an in-game concept. It goes beyond the popular "rubber mask" transformations of 'normal' espionage fare into what makes a disguise believable, with or without magic. While it is by no means a teaching tool for changing identities along with clothes, it does allow most gamers to understand more interesting in-game details.



3. When I got the MAGE AWAKENING core book, I found it uninspiring. At the core of that feeling was a vagueness about what being a Mage was about. Vampires hunt for blood and amass power, Werewolves fight unruly spirits, but what do Mages do? Go to work, study some spells, go to Consilia once a month? Might as well be the Rotary Club!
   
   Then I picked up GUARDIANS OF THE VEIL, and then I saw that Mages do have a job, a purpose. And that is to protect magic by shielding it from the eyes of Sleepers (who draw in the Abyss through their Disbelief) and unworthy mages (who push the Supernal further away with vulgar spells and Paradox). Sometimes you even have to break a few eggs, and always constant vigilance! GUARDIANS OF THE VEIL was what I needed to shape what I perceived as the formlessness of Mage into something dynamic. I think that GUARDIANS OF THE VEIL will open up new ways of approaching MAGE once you've read it.
   
   GUARDIANS begins with the beginning - Atlantis. The Guardians' account of things is presented as historical fact (which helps the players get into the mindset of factional dogma), and that account is that after the fall of Atlantis magic became more difficult. Paradoxes pushed the supernal away, making the link between mage and the higher realms ever more tenuous. The secret history of the Guardians is spelled out, with a minimum of placing the protagonists at the center of every historical event. The order developed a culture of secrecy, to protect the mysteries of magic from being debased by disbelievers. To accomplish these aims, it is sometimes necessary to subvert even other magical orders.
   
   There is quite a bit of information on finding magical students and thwarting others (the Labyrinth, initiation into the order (the Veils), positions of authority within the order (Cultor and Epopt), and order discipline. Guardian dogma is explained, with different Factions holding to different interpretations and how they relate to other mages. New legacies and rotes are described, as well as specific mudras. Sample items and artifacts are listed, as well as sample NPCs.
   
   Two bits in the book caught my attention as particularly original. The "Masques" are merits bought by a Guardian that allow him to take on a persona, sort of a Platonic form. He plays a part so well that he represents that form, gaining some play modifiers for acting his part. There is one for every combination of virtue and vice (representing abstract perosnality stereotypes). The idea of becoming a mask you wear intrigues me.
   
   Also, this is a secretive, conspiracy minded group. A lot of the ordeals and secrets are explained, but parables are sprinkled throughout the text. They make a point to the wise, but I can't figure out most of them and no explanation is given. I guess I wouldn't think much of an order's secret wisdom if I could get the point right away - very clever in my mind.
   
   GUARDIANS OF THE VEIL is a great book for both protagonists and antagonists. It gives an idea of what mages do with their time and how th mysteries of the ancient world affect mages today.

5 comments about Mage Tome of Watchtowers (Mage).

1. This is essentially Mage the Awakening's answer to the question of "Where are my Path books?" It goes over the Paths, what their Supernal realms are like, sample sanctums, sample nimbii, their roles (generally) in each Order, and their relations (again, generally) to other Paths.
   
   Some people have a pretty big problem with this book's views on the Paths, that they're too stereotypical, which I agree with to a degree.... which is why I gave this only four stars instead of five. I also dropped the rating down one because the Legacies in the book aren't really that great- the Stormweavers or whatever the name of the Acanthus Legacy is comes to mind.
   
   Overall, though, I'd suggest this book, and if you were to buy supplements for Mage in order, this would be second after Sanctum and Sigil (absoultely essential.)



2. A very uneven book with each section written by a different person and of different quality and format. The Mastigos and Moros are very good, the Obrimos is alright, and the Thyrsus and Acanthus sections are lackluster. These better ones do an excellent job of giving cultural grounding for the Path, describing the Supernal Realm and its effects, and offering interesting practices and traditions. The worst offer only cliches, unbalanced effects, and limiting interpretations that offer more of a charicature than a creatively fleshed out portrait of the Path.



3. The purpose of this book is to expand on the descriptions of the Paths in the Mage: the Awakening rulebook. It gives their histories, expands their character concepts and oblations, and generally explains their outlook on life, their Supernal Realms, and other Mages. The history sections look at the real world and what areas would have been appropriate for the influence of a particular Path, or would have been a real setback for that Path. They are sometimes quite imaginative in how they fit things in, and make use of some intriguing real world examples, such as King Solomon's reputation for binding demons. The Acanthus and Mastigos chapters were the best for me. They really give one a deep feeling for what it can be like to be a Mage on one of these Paths, and they gave a lot of options and ideas for Mages that might depart quite a lot from the standard images of these Paths. The Moros and Obrimos are good and quite useful but not inspiring. In the Moros chapter, they were described as spending a lot of time thinking about how events shape the sympathy between the material world and Stygia, which did not make that much sense and really differentiated them from the other Paths. That said, it did describe how and why Moros Mages want to return to Stygia, whereas Mastigos for instance never want to return to Pandemonium and are extremely wary of its inhabitants. In the Obrimos section, there just wasn't enough information to see how an atheist, or even anyone not obsessively devout, would Awaken on that Path, or how they would follow it. That is somewhat surprising, as at one point it says that even the devout actually have their faith somewhat shaken by Awakening on this Path. Overall, well according to another reviewer each chapter was written by a different author, and they all made false assumptions about how and about what the others would right. It is amusing and doesn't hurt, but it doesn't add much either. On the editing, it is like the editing for every other World of Darkness book: hopeless. There are wrong words, missing words, hanging sentences and basic bad grammar.
   
   Then we come to the Thyrsus chapter. Here the writer just lost the plot. All the other chapters expand on the views and character ranges of their Paths. The Thyrsus here are actually even more one-dimensional than they are in the Mage rulebook. The best way to encapsulate it is to picture the 19 th Century attitude to women: incapable of logic or reason, creatures of impulse without thought. The Realm of the Primal Wild is not one of nature, it is one of predation, and somehow it supposedly turns those who Awaken to its Watchtower into beasts. NOT people that behave like animals. By that, I mean animals do not behave like that in relation to others of their type. This is the human fantasy of bestiality: to be free of all the constructs of human society, the social standards, the ethics, the morality, the capacity for pity, all the things that keep us from hurting and killing other human beings. The Mage presented in this chapter has nothing to do with any type of real-world Shaman that I have heard of. None of the Thyrsus characters presented in the Mage rulebook, the free demo, the two Legacy books, or Chicago act like this, except the Nemean of Boston, who is deliberately letting his Wisdom fall, and the cannibal from the demo. The cannibal is specifically used as an example of a deeply corrupted Mage, but apart from the flesh-eating, in this chapter he's pretty standard.
   
   I almost forgot about the Legacies. That says something in itself, as Legacies are one of my favourite things in Mage. The Mastigos Legacy seems quite noble and good, but way too restrictive of membership. The Moros Legacy is great but seriously Left-Handed. The Acanthus Legacy has attaintments too powerful and too vague, and the Obrimos Legacy is nothing special. The Thyrsus Legacy is only great in sort of summarising just how bad and useless the description of the Thyrsus is.
   
   For serious role-players, this is a great book. More casual types probably won't find much to interest them, there are few merits and no spells, and the Legacies are either too vague or too restricted. The example characters aren't good examples and the wrong types were chosen to be fully statted out. Finally, the Thyrsus chapter is a total write-off. This only gets three stars.



4. All the pentacle paths of the Mage the Awakening game are here: Obrimos, Thyrsus, Acanthus, Moros and Mastigos. Each of the supernal watchtowers are described along with their corresponding supernal Realms. Each path is given decent treatment and details the common practices, outlooks and perceptions of these mages. I use it regularly when I storytell my Mage games and have lent it to my players to detail and flesh out their characters. Also includes sample rotes and other pertinent rules, sample nimbi, magical tools and practices for the various magical paths and how each of the mage Orders views them.
   
   A very useful reference and players guide book to Mage!



5. Overall, Tome of the Watchtowers is a very good expansion on the basic concept of a Path and how they affect the magic of those who walk it. I was particularly interested in a broader range of examples for what a Nimbus could be. That said, I do agree with other reviewers who say that the material is 'uneven': each of the five sections were, in fact, written by five different people. While there are useful ideas in all five sections, the noticeable variances in terms of how much of what kind of material is present detracts from my enjoyment of the book. Still, I have my copy, and it does contain a wealth of ideas for characters and plots, so I do recommend it as one of the first supplements a new Mage player/Storyteller should pick up beyond the core rulebook.

2 comments about Mysterium (Mage).

1. The book has a lot of interesting information in it, describing several things about the nature of the world from the perspective of the Mysterium. It's well-written, and has a lot of useful organizational descriptions and story hooks in it.
   
   The game mechanics items were worth reading, and they did a good job of supporting the described notions of differing approaches between the Mysterium and the Free Council. (Especially look at the different mechanics they cover for skills and electronics.)
   
   Some of the rotes should either be extremely common outside the Mysterium, however, or have an explanation given as to why not. That's the biggest flaw in the book I saw. (They have a rote for copying grimoires, for example. That's something that would proliferate unless it is somehow extremely difficult to develop.)
   
   All in all, it's a good book for those playing Mage: the Awakening. Even if you deemphasize the orders in your, you may still find some value in it. The legacies and rotes give some new ideas as to mechanics for spells and systems. I simply wish they had explained a touch more about the rotes describing how they had been secured over the years.



2. This splat book covers the scholarly mages of the Mage the Awakening rpg game. It also offers lots of background ideas for creating characters in the mold of Mysterium including an interesting Indiana Jones type of treasure hunter, mages who seek the lost treasures and artifacts of los Atlantis. Included are new rotes and spells and a very in-depth description of this order. A must for the Mage the Awakening fan.

1 comments about Dark Kingdom of Jade (Wraith: The Oblivion/World of Darkness).

1. This book is one among the better books in the White Wolf's Eastern World of Darkness setting, in my belief it is right next to Kindred of the East. Set in the Dark Kingdom of Jade with its unique family system, eastern philosophies and honor systems, the book greatly expands and completes the view of the Eastern world of Darkness. I find the Dark Kingdom of Jade setting more better related to the idea of the Chinese underworld (less so than the Japanese and Buddhist) than say the somewhat boring and flawed Dark Kingdom of Iron, Stygia in the main Wraith game. I recomend that you get this supplement if you really like the Kindred of the East as it will greatly expand the Eastern World of Darkness. On the downside of the game, they're certain things within the game that doesn't seem to fit. It is somewhat difficult to explain but the world is just somewhat more restricted and the idea of free adventure is somwhat stunted by the feeling of political games between the wraiths. But one thing is true though, the Eastern underworld is much more horryfying than the western one.

1 comments about WoD Storyteller Screen (World of Darkness).

1. Great Product, hides information from the other players and gives you quick access to information that you need.

2 comments about Libellus Sanguinis 4: Thieves in the Night.

1. White Wolf does it again - the fourth book in their Libellus Sanguinus series offers intriguing new information on the Vampire clans in the Dark Ages, interspersed with myriad tales, myths, tidbits that can easily spawn 100 new story or character ideas. This book details the history and status of the Malkavian, Ravnos, and Nosferatu, shedding much-needed light on the intricate inner workings of these clans. All new character templates offer some fresh ideas on who might find their way into these cursed brotherhoods, and the resource information is a must for all Vampire storytellers, whether playing Vampire: the Dark Ages or Vampire: the Masquerade.



2. Three clans seem to stand on the very fringes of Cainite society. Not because they are lone wanders like the Gangrel, nor because they follow a path of corruption like the Followers of Set. These Cainites are the margin simply because they are too difficult to control or deal with. The Ravnos follow a path that only the gypsy can fully understand. Nosferatu cling to the shadows, shunned due to their appearance. The Malkavian are avoided for they are fully mad and seek to know "Why?" By far these are three of the most difficult clans to play because of their marginality. This volume lets players know the deep intricacies of each clan and how each survives the Long Nights while being almost shunned by mortal, and Cainite.

   Ravnos are fueled with the blood of wanderers. They move where ever their winds or whims take them. To many they are seen as a nuisance, or even worse as vagabond thieves that or only good for execution. How little they see this clan may be more closely knit than all others because of their treatment. How few notice these Cainites are everywhere. They can walk around as if unnoticed because all others wish to shun and avoid them. The Charlatans are masters at deception, and their section serves to illuminate the vast ability at trickery they possess. Their chapter holds not only more Chimestry abilities, but also a new background to help a Charlatan avoid prying eyes of mortal, Church, or even Cainite.

   Next are those atrocious looking Nosferatu. Each carries an ancient curse to twist their bodies into monsters while also twisting their hearts into something else. Nosferatu are the less seen and less understood of the thieves. They possess powers to communicate over distances that boogie the mind. They almost have an Internet before electricity is even discovered. This section delves into their advances in Obfuscation as well as giving more backgrounds for the Nosferatu to cultivate his or her network of information. No secret will ever be safe with these Cainites around.

   The last clan in this volume are the Malkavian. Just as a Nosferatu is twisted and deformed on the outside, the minds of the Malkavian are likewise twisted. Each Madman sees the world from a very different point of view. This section takes their madness out of the comic realms and puts the dark edge that they have always had back into the clan. Instead of lunatics running around the street dressed as clowns, these are brooding, plotting, methodical Cainites. Each seeking answers to an age old question, yet never finding what they need. This chapter expands their knowledge and power letting players fully enjoy the painful madness of these tortured souls.

   In summary, if you need to create memorable characters from the margin, this is the book you need. The clan specific applications of disciplines will grant fresh life to overused, well-known disciplines. Adding this to any core books can only help increase the dynamics of a game. Enjoy, and just keep asking yourself... "Why?"

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.

No comments about Promethean Magnum Opus (World of Darkness).