1 comments about Mage Secrets of the Ruined Temple (Mage the Awakening).

1. One of the major themes of Mage the Awakening is exploration, and one of the major areas for that exploration is the ruins of ancient Atlantis. This being a World of Darkness book, there's a lot more to it, of course. The myth of Atlantis is the defining myth of the Mage worldview, whether they accept that and believe it or not. The first chapter delves into the myths and stories about Atlantis. Quite a lot of players from the old World of Darkness despised the choice to make the origin for true Mages. Part of that, perhaps a large part, was that it gave a clear and fixed beginning for Mages ... supposedly. The first chapter is a mind-spinning recounting of Mage research on Atlantis. Where was it? An island in the mid-Atlantic, of course. Or the continent of Antarctica. Or the Americas. Or New Zealand. Or in East Asia, the Middle East, the Sahara, the Mediterranean, Britain (that was new to me), Iceland, Scandinavia ... pick a location on land or sea, and some mage has evidence Atlantis was there. Then there the theories of a hollow Earth or a planet where the asteroid field now is. It is a wonderfully written chapter, and most of it is based on real-world claims, too. The best part of it may be that it links mages together, through time and across continents, in their research and travels because of Atlantis.
   
   The second and third chapters get into the fine details of exploration. The second chapter deals with the concepts of exploration, why mages go looking, how they get leads to lost ruins or artifacts. There are extensive descriptions of all the types of things that could be in a ruin: challenges, guardians, other explorers, weird creatures that escaped from experiments or were attracted to an uninhabited ruin, and of course pages of descriptions of all kinds of traps, magical and sometimes not. Naturally, there are also descriptions of all the kinds of treasures and artifacts and such the explorers may find. The third chapter goes into specifics, setting out example guardians, spirits and weird creatures, and example items and artifacts.
   
   The fourth chapter is still about exploration, but not so much about Atlantis. It is about the Astral Realms, a topic not covered in much detail by Mage books at this point. This section goes into considerable detail about the Temenos in general and various realms in particular. I find the concept itself fascinating, and the image of thousands of generations of mages exploring here and constructing citadels, libraries and universities is awe-inspiring. Then the chapter moves on to the creatures of the Temenos, and how those things can escape into the material world, and it inspires fear as well. Any player or storyteller interested in the Mastigos and inner demons should find this chapter really interesting and useful.
   
   Rather unusually, the book has an appendix which contains a conclusion rounding off the book as a whole. The appendix is about Atlantean High Speech, and goes into technical but clear details of how languages are constructed. It is also about the efforts of mages to reconstruct that language. There is subtle but powerful theme running through this section: in Atlantis, whatever it was, one mage feuded with another, but as a group they were united. Until the Celestial War divided them, that is. Now the main goal of plundering a ruin is to gain magic items and spells that can empower one cabal, or one lone mage, against all the rest. But recording and translating the High Speech would enhance the lives of all the Awakened - with the catch that they have to work together to even begin such a project. It is a sobering reminder that knowledge is power when you hoard it, but can become wisdom when you spread it around, a very fitting image for this game.

2 comments about Predators (Werewolf: The Forsaken).

1. What can I say about this book except: GET THIS BOOK! It is an absolutely essential supplement for Werewolf the Forsaken, and just about tied with Lore of the Forsaken in terms of its importance to players and storytellers.
   
   The book is split into three portions- the first goes into depth discussing various spirits, their social structure, their basic motivations and behaviors, and gives an example of at least one type of each spirit. The second part talks about various Hosts- the shards of powerful spirits who managed to figure out how to out-think Father Wolf and find sanctuary in the physical world by driving around bodies that they hollow out and live in until the body deteriorates. The third part talks about strange things from the distant past- powerful creatures who, for whatever reasons, are trapped in the physical world.... and very angry about it.
   
   This supplement is also excellent for creating antagonists for mortals, mages and (of course) werewolves. As such, I also recommend it for anyone who just needs ideas for antagonists. I'll say it again- buy this book!



2. Werewolf the Forsaken, the second core setting game for new World of Darkness is perhaps one of the best roleplaying games published TO DATE! It's just flexible as all hell - you can run a generational game in a small valley, or remake Wolfen, or delve into Unknown Armies territory in the backstreets of Detroit, or just play it for the combat value. Instead of cleaving narrowly to a particular adventure type, it offers room for expansion - it feels together. Predators expands it a little further, detailing spirits and going into more detail about the Ridden.
   
   The core Werewolf rule book went into some detail about the spirit world and what it was like, but it not fully developed - it was more about impressions of the spirit world, rather than specific details.
   
   Predators essentially lays out the blueprint for what spirits are like, broken down by category - tool-spirits, bird-spirits, plant-spirits and so forth. It's here that the book makes itself invaluable. Instead of describing spirits in vague terms, the book goes into specific, concrete detail about what a spirit's like - where it typically spawns, what they look like and how the GM can use them in a game.
   
   
   Troublesome and individualistic, cantankerous and fastidious, imperious and demanding, cold and chilly - the personality of each spirit gets summarized in a nutshell. You don't have to guess at a spirit's motives anymore - look at some quotes from Predator, attach some human characteristics to the spirit and you can run the spirit for your group. All the traffic light ever says is "Stop!" and "Go!", but that's all that it needs to say. The storyteller advice is also pretty useful - in other words, it's all focused on why the players might have contact with the spirit, rather than how it fits into some abstract scheme that's of interest only to the authors of the book.
   
   It's worth noting that the book covers the entire range of spirits, from high to low - besides natural and artificial spirits, we also get the Celestial spirits (sun and moon, including lunes), conceptual spirits (apathy, war, dreams) and the bastard hybrid Magath. The Magath get some nice writeups, including a dump-truck/pain spirit who wanders the spirit highways, destroying car-spirits to siphon off their pain, and a dog/information spirit that haunts a library.
   
   We also get to find out how data/technology-spirits work, and how book and computer spirits prey upon them. We also get stats for Ghost Children, the spirit-children of two werewolves, who have some pretty nasty stats and a ban that demands that they must revenge themselves upon their parents. That's story hooks on the hoof, there. The chapter also includes some new spirit-powers, ranging from the generic but useful (Mechanical Possession, Speed, Emotional Aura, Telekinesis) to the specific (Dessicate, Fearstruck, Final Strike, Clasp).
   
   There's a couple of clinkers in there, though. The playground spirit is particularly irritating - while it may seem innocent and sweet on the surface, it's actually tainted by tortured and abused children, attracts pedophiles and child molestors, and spreads experiences of neglect, depression and aggression to all who approach.
   
   
   The next chapter deals with the Ridden - spirits who jump into people's bodies and ride them around. One of the best parts of the book is that it points out that Ridden can fill just about any need in a horror game, ranging from spooky Innsmouth folk (possessed by fish spirits) to cannibal hillbillies (gluttony spirits) to animals that are too smart for their own good (possessed by a spirit of their own species) to Swamp Thing (plant spirit in a human body) to any shapeshifter that you want as a villain. All that you have to do is to stick the appropriate spirit into the body, do a little chargen and you're set.
   
   It's that flexibility - that ability to create a new race without having to create a splatbook, the ability to use what you've already been given rather than having to buy something new - that makes the new World of Darkness so damned good. The possibilities are just endless. They're especially good for games with regular humans, just because the Ridden are so versatile. Imagine, say, a military game, where part of the force is suddenly jumped by war spirits. They're lighting each other up with live ammunition, jumping from body to body (like the Koleris of Tribe 8), nobody knows what's going on and it's ten hours until morning - and your military characters are right in the thick of it. Can they stop them before they reach the nearby town? What about the local werewolf pack?
   
   This book is one of the most essential and valuable books to the Werewolf the Forsaken game line.

3 comments about Mage Sanctum and Sigil (World of Darkness (White Wolf Hardcover)).

1. This supplement for Mage the Awakening is an excellent resource for understanding the dynamics of Concilium politics, the various roles and makeups of cabals, how Banisher cults work/what they do, and how some of the Seers of the Throne are organized.
   
   It gives quite a few suggestions for bonuses for cabal symbols and also suggests how you can decide what your sigil and name will be.
   
   However, you do have to sort of slog through this book. It's not very easy reading- the whole tone is very intellectual and a bit on the dry side, so you do have to sort of try to pay attention. Despite that, though, I highly recommend this book for either players or storytellers.



2. As the previous reviewer noted, SIGIL AND SANCTUM can be pretty dry. It is a supplement for MAGE: THE AWAKENING and deals with the laws and practices of Awakened society. At times it reads as interesting as the corporis jure of most countries. The main sections are on the rights and duties of cabals to Mages in general, Consilia laws, courtly etiquette, sanctum security, etc. It's hard to imagine getting much use out of this unless it's important to the ST to create an illusion that his/her NPC's have an historical, detailed tradition that the PCs must follow in order to fit in. Otherwise, it seems like overly involved information that either will never come up or could be invented on the fly as need arises. It's about as banal as finding out whether Mages prefer Wheaties or Cheerios for breakfast. Of course, some people will need precisely this kind of book for a specific scenario they have in mind. More power to ya, buddy, but it seems like an awfully small niche. Plus, you could choke on the number of specialized, narrow-use merits introduced. There's a merit for sanctum security, with dots distributed between locks, doors, walls, windows, etc.
   
   The most interesting part of the book is on the structure of Seers of the Throne pylons and Banisher cults. Now this is interesting, but it seemed unrelated to the rest of the theme. Very interesting stuff and very useful as potential antagonists. So even if you don't like the first part of the book, maybe you'll like the second.



3. This book is indispensible in understanding not only the place where Mages dwell (their sancti) but in understanding their political culture and society. It is written well and clearly and concisely to help you understand these two main topics.
   
   Prologue is the obligatory introductory fiction that describes the book. The book is then divided into 4 chapters. One covers Awakened politics; two covers sanctums and defenses for the places that Mages call home; three discusses cults and various antagonists including the Seers of the Throne and the Banishers. Finally chapter four is for storytellers to help them understand how to introduce Mage politics and sample cabals to help players model theirs.
   
   Overall this book is more a tool and reference book for Mage storytellers, its not ideally suited for players (look at Tome of Mysteries and Tome of the Watchtowers for that). However, it is ideal in helping to craft and fleshout a good story or chronicle that is set in awakened society. It is beautifully illustrated and the rules for helping build sancti are well done.

4 comments about Lancea Sanctum (Vampire: The Requiem).

1. This book details the covenant Lancea Sanctum- its history, the reasons why Kindred join it, the roles of the clans in the covenant, how one joins, its relation to other factions in the World of Darkness, and various in-covenant factions, bloodlines, and heresies.
   
   I actually delayed buying this book because of the heavily Christian flavor to the book, so I was very surprised when I actually went to my local game store and thumbed through the book. It presents a truly diverse and changing (as much as anything Kindred-related can be "changing") covenant with as many iterations as their are Bishophrics (essentially parishes, each city or area with a different one.)
   
   Get this book even if you are turned off by the apparent Christian flavor of the book. You won't be disappointed- there is something in this book for every player or storyteller.



2. I am a member of the Camarilla and that is why I only gave it three stars, for none camarilla members I would give it four.
   First of all, the book is wonderful for making a character for the sanctum or running a campaign around it. I was a little disappointed with the Theban sorcery section, white wolf behind well white wolf decided against putting the Theban Sorcery rituals from nomads and coteries in it so the chapter really isn't complete. White wolf cares to damn much about money and not enough about gaming, but to be fair that greed is how the new system came about and it is far superior for player versus player style games. The reason I lowered a star is that all the good rituals past two dots are high approval for camarilla games, and that urks me.
   The Bloodlines in this book are horrible. The Ventrue bloodline is decent but its extra discipline is no fun. The Meket get a blood line that should be a flaw in and of itself and the other three clans get to piggy back on the Davea line that although the Davea are the parent clan anyone can join.
   Skimping on the cheese aside, this books does have an extremely good insight into the inter workings and view points of the Lancea sanctum, and if you would enjoy a view into those working this is a good book for you. If you are the type that wants new bloodlines and extra cheese you may be disappointed by this book.
   Also the artwork in this book is awesome in my mind.
   Oh and before I forget I would like to send a message to white wolf because I am sure someone from the group looks at these review; PUT A FREAKING INDEX IN YOUR SUPPLEMENT BOOKS, YOU CHARGE ENOUGH FOR THEM YOU CAN AFFORD THE EXTRY THREE OR FOUR SHEETS OF PAPER YOU CHEAP CHILDREN OF UNWED PARENTS!!!!!



3. Lancea Sanctum presents the religious Covenant of vampires dedicated to preying on humanity and fulfilling the role God has chosen for them. A lot of detail is presented on the structure of the Lancea Sanctum, from the role a typical ancillae plays to how the Covenant relates to other World of Darkness entities. Factions, Bloodlines, Disciplines, and new Thebean Sorcery rituals are included to add mechanical support to this broad take on one of the oldest vampiric organizations.
   
   Unfortunately, Lancea Sanctum speaks far too much in vague generalities and adds little new and interesting material to this Covenant. The rites, prayers, and roles observed by members are simplistic modifications of existing church roles that any Storyteller could easily invent. The history of the Covenant starts out interesting, but quickly degrades into a historical survey of questionable use. Finally, the new game mechanics (Bloodlines, Disciplines, etc.) are sparse and largely flavorless.



4. LANCEA SANCTUM is a sourcebook for the roleplaying game VAMPIRE: THE REQUIEM by White Wolf. It is meant for both players and storytellers, to provide information on the vampire covenant and religion, the Lancea Sanctum. The covenant is one of the most important groupings in VAMPIRE: THE REQUIEM, because membership reflects a philosophical choice by the characters rather than the vagaries of circumstance. Of all the covenants, the Lancea Sanctum maybe the most important because it will likely be the first the characters encounter and the most different from their initial impression.
   
   Many, if not most, players will have played the introductory scenario "Mary's Childe" and the Lancea Sanctum is an integral part of that scenario. It is also likely to be misunderstood; the Lancea Sanctum borrows heavily from Catholic imagery and rituals, but demands that its adherents admit their damnation and act accordingly. It is a vampire religion, that worships God by putting the fear of Him into mankind. A book like LANCEA SANCTUM provides useful information to both players and storytellers on this misunderstood but pervasive group.
   
   The introductory fiction for LANCEA SANCTUM is very interesting - the paper is very distinctive, meant to resemble vellum (I think), and the font is made to resemble illuminated script. It also does an excellent job of setting the mood for the covenant; religious fanaticism and monstrous power. The first chapter describes the history of the covenant, specifically its founding and spread throughout the world. Of course, it is written from the perspective of the covenant itself, which gives each covenant book its own flavor and allows competing history with no "canon" that must be followed.
   
   The second chapter is a large one and deals with night-to-night unlife in the covenant. I felt that this is one of the most useful aspects of the VAMPIRE supplements. What motivates an undead monster? What do they do to fill their time? What do they believe in? Thinking about these questions seaprates the roleplaying of a vampire and roleplaying a superhero who gets bad sunburn. LANCEA SANCTUM dewcribes the contents of the vampire religion's holy book, "The Testament of Longinus", the different creeds that define denominations within the Lancea Sanctum, offices, titles, and positions within the covenant, and how each clan can serve within the covenant. It also lists rites, rituals, and holy days for the Lancea Sanctum (which if nothing else, give the PCs the sense that there is something going on in the world besides their personal issues).
   
   The third chapter describes how vampires relate to each other within the covenant; how new vampires are recruited and inducted, and how neonates, ancillae, and elders serve the religion. The following chapters describe factions (which one might expect, given the splintering of real-world religions), bloodlines (which aren't spectacular), bloodline disciplines, Theban Sorcery rituals, and sample characters. The Theban Sorcery section is very interesting, as it suggests that new rituals are hidden throughout the world, and that understanding of the symbolism is provided when the need arises. It's an interesting interpretation.
   
   Overall, I thought LANCEA SANCTUM to be the most useful of the covenant books, in that it described something that is difficult to generalize from human experience (vampire religion) but that has specific and well-known attributes (dogma, rituals, holy days, etc.) Every PC will probably encounter the Lancea Sanctum as a backdrop of midnight masses and vampire evangelists. PCs don't even have to belong to the covenant to go to a mass, which allows even greater exposure to the material in this book.
   
   The only real downside to LANCEA SANCTUM is how closely it apes Christianity and historical development. Besides the main Lancea Sanctum denomination, which models Catholicism, there is an Anglican branch, a Baptist branch, and "Unitarian" branch, a Jewish branch, and an Islamic branch. Why not just have competing covenants based on Judaism and Islam, instead of shoehorning them into the "religious" covenant? Why would vampires reinvent Anglicanism? Also, the "Testament of Longinus" is clearly modeled after the New Testament, with gospels, apostolic acts, epistles, and an apocalypse. It comes across as parody rather than convergent evolution. However, these points don't detract too heavily from a great roleplaying supplement.

2 comments about WoD Midnight Roads (World of Darkness).

1. According to the introduction, Midnight Roads attempts to show the dangers that result in most World of Darkness supernatural creatures clinging to the cities. Does it succeed? Well, the book doesn't showcase danger as much as pure weirdness. It is generally aimed at mortal chronicles, but there is plenty here for any character on the road. The book begins with a good piece of atmospheric fiction. Unfortunately, the fiction also features the Road Gospel, a fascinating concept nowhere else referred to. The introduction and first chapter set the tone and provide an overview of America's road, its history and the many components that make it up. As with many White Wolf books, the authors found a huge amount of weird and dark material before they start adding the fictional shadows of the World of Darkness to it. After the short but interesting history, legend and fetish section, comes a section on the commercial support for travellers, gas stations, diners, truck stops, campgrounds and such, and finally an examination of various types of travel apart from driving, such as buses and hitch-hiking. Each section features plot hooks and plot sidebars.
   
   The second chapter is about character mechanics. It starts off light with a review of basic survival skills of vagabond travellers: finding food in the wilderness or on the streets, conning people, that sort of thing. Then it moves into systems for dealing with cars. Cars and the Crafts skill is a big section all its own, and features Modifications (fun stuff to do to your car) and Sabotage (fun stuff to do to other people's cars). There is good coverage of other things like car chases, combat inside cars and various other issues. It finishes with new merits. It introduces a car 'Fighting Style' as it were, with special maneuvers as you buy dots, such as the Smuggler's Turn and Offensive Driving (and they don't mean tail-gating). It is a short but focused chapter.
   
   The third chapter is about story ideas while the fourth features full-size stories. The third chapter has a few too many "Oh look, there's a Changeling/Promethean/Whatever" types for my taste. Just having a Storyteller character be supernatural isn't enough of an idea. Plus, if the PCs' chances of catching up with their stolen car are remote, why should they care what type of supernatural being stole it? On the other hand, many of these stories are good ideas about how mortals can cause unexpected problems for overconfident supernatural beings. The fourth chapter opens with a section on storytelling on the road. One of the issues it mentions is how to pin down the PCs long enough to have an adventure. The first two stories solve this in heavy-handed fashion, by simply trapping wanderers until they escape. One of the other stories is mostly the introduction to a road trip and framework for using material from chapter three. Another story shows how an area can have a haunted reputation and something genuinely supernatural, without the two actually being directly connected. The last story is one in which the antagonists wander where the PCs do, and on the dangers of prophecy.



2. I was looking forward to this one. Honest. But again, it seems a potential thrilla was thwarted by McFarland's paste-like sensibility. This WoD supplement has precious little to offer in the way of mechanics, to expand the canon of design in the Storytelling system, so that leaves us to rely on the book's production and writing. As to the former, the production is top-notch, as usual; White Wolf has some of the best artists and ADs in this (or any) area of publishing.
   
   As to the writing and development... not so much. Despite being one of the more prolific guys in the WW stable, McFarland just isn't very *good* at this sort of stuff. His Werewolf material is solid, but every time he's ventured into core WoD territory (or, heaven forbid, Vampire), he just leaves you dissatisfied, and more often than not, cold, which is the greater crime when one is discussing horror gaming. He's a decent researcher, which is why his work for books like Asylums -- where he's not providing content nor setting up the story so much as doing the reader's real-world homework for him -- comes out well enough. But the aesthetic for WoD games (and thus, WoD supplements) should be evocative and rich, the experience of which should make the player really think and feel. McFarland would have us believe that experiencing the World of Darkness is like eating a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal. With a cold.
   
   And, well, that's always disappointing to real fans of the setting.
   
   Ultimately, this book is worth a look if one is really interested in getting another perspective on the general topic, but truly only worth the buy for collectors and completists.

No comments about Orpheus Shadow Games (Orpheus).

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.

5 comments about World of Darkness: Sorcerer.

1. Hedge Magic was much a better idea for magic than true magick. It was a lot simpler to understand and a much better new type of magic



2. I am of an alternative religion, and have always striven to bring my characters to be as close to my true self as possible, and this book lets me turn my self into a realistic, playable character. As has been said, they don't have the overpower complex magic of Mage, but do have an edge over other mortals. In the end, if you want to play a mortal with a chance of survival, this is one of the best books for it!



3. WoD: Sorcerer is a great book, detailing a system for"hedge wizards," IE, sorcerers you don't have to break yourneck reading the Mage book to understand. The seven or eight Sorcerer lineages bring all kinds of fresh occult material to a World of Darkness where you thought you'd seen everything (just because you know what vampires, werewolves, and wraiths are). With juicy descriptions and a bunch of "hedge paths," of magic, WoD Sorcerer brings much-needed mystery and diversity to any WoD game. It has rules for awakening or being embraced *after* sorcerous study, too, so if you really want to complicate your Vampire or Mage chronicle from the start, this is your book.



4. Despite the complaints of some of the other reviewers, the Mage system is not complex - it is only slightly more difficult than anything else. However, as far as WoD: Sorcerer goes, not every spellcaster in the WOD can act as a Mage - that is, not everyone can bend reality at a whim. The Sorcerer book discusses the rigid paths of magic studied by mortals. While it does not take into account new canon (see Sorcerer:Revised), it's systems are more simplified than the new Sorcerer book, and in addition, lists a /great/ deal of Rituals. Anyone that wishes to run a game based around dark and gritty magic (something to the effect of Call of Cthulu magic), ought to pick up this book. /Don't/ buy this book just because "Mage hurt my wittle head".



5. This older book delves into "hedge magicians" for the World of Darkness in general, not just Mage: the Ascension. Unfortunately, its nowhere near as good as the revised edition, but theres still some good info to be found here. The introduction makes a point of how "sorcerers" have been overlooked by "True" Mages, and also tries too hard to make distinctions. Basically, the introduction gives a look at what "hedge magic" is and why people practice it, as well as what its like to play as a seeker after occult knowledge (from the point of view of an Arcanum investigator). It then closes out look some "basic rules" (ie sorcerers aren't members of Crafts, they don't work True Magic, etc) which are basically artificial distinctions that few Mages pay attention to anyway.

   The next chapter takes a look at Sorcerer societies. Five groups get full write-ups complete with histories, magical styles and connections to other supernaturals, including the high ritualists of the Ancient Order of Aeon Rites, the Balamob Mayan shaman, the Mormon mystics of the Nephite Priesthood, the Nigerian Uzoma priests and the new age Thal'hun. Minor groups like the Irish Fenian, Mogen ha Chav kabbalists, Dozen Priests of the Pythian Order and others also get brief mention. However, as good as the full write ups are, some of the things have now changed with the metaplot (ie, Balamob and Uzoma joining the Dreamspeakers, Nephites becoming Choristors and the Thal'hun disbanding and being reabsorbed into a new group called the Star Council).

   The next chapter covers character creation, including a handful of new Traits, Archetypes and Backgrounds, as well as some appropriate Merits and Flaws. Some of the stuff is a bit overpowered though (immortality for instance), but most of it fits the mood and themes of the World of Darkness. Theres also a chart for converting "hedge magic" into Disciplines, Arcanoi or Spheres (for sorcerers who die, Awaken or are Embraced). Its an okay system, but again slightly unbalanced. Following this is an entire chapter on "hedge magic" covering casting, systems and common foci and styles. Theres also over a dozen Paths (and associated rituals), magical effects such as shapeshifting, divination, speaking with spirits, alchemy, healing, controlling elements, making magical items and so forth. Unfortunately, the Paths aren't always well defined.

   Theres also a chapter of templates, like the shapeshifting hitchhiker, antiquarian, street prophet and secret agent/witch. Nothing interesting, but it seems like all of the sorcerers in this chapter are not members of any of the above described groups. The appendix includes sorcerers of note, like Cagliostro, the wandering African Uzoma thief Taneela Rangi Ya Fedha and the disturbingly mysterious "Gretchen", as well as some cool magical items like the love poppet, vision skull and a demonic mask. In addition to a character sheet, theres also a decent bibliography and list of websites. Overall, this is a good book, especially if you want information on things like the Balamob, Nephites or Uzoma. Otherwise, just save your money and buy Sorcerer revised. You get more up-to-date systems and mechanics (including way more paths), plus it meshes up better with the current setting.

5 comments about Bloodlines: The Hidden (Vampire: The Requiem).

1. I've got to admit, I was blown away by the Bloodlines book. While White Wolf spoke about streamlining its titles and trying to stay away from too many Vampire clans (or bloodlines), they released this. I was hopeful though and was not disappointed.
   The book covers 12 different bloodlines from the 5 original clans from the Vampire: The Requiem corebook (needed if you buy this book). Each bloodline gains a second weakness from the original clan when joining the bloodline and some, but not all, have new disciplines. Each bloodline is interesting and not overly powerful. They all have their own histories and unique quirks about them that make them all that more appealing. Such as the Qedeshah which believe it is their duty to sire more vampires which puts them at odds with the local princes. However, their discipline allows for sanctuaries, protection, and such, that also makes them sought after by princes.
   All in all I'm very happy with the book and look forward to the next release, Bloodlines: The Legendary, which I will hope rivals, if not surpasses this quality book.



2. I will say this much, when the new World of Darkness hit the shelves, I was quite the skeptic. I didn't like the system rules, the layout, the look, the feel, nor the fact that 13 clans of vampires were reduced to a measly FIVE! But then I explored more. When I saw Bloodlines: The Hidden, along with a few other source books, namely the VII book, Ordo Dracul, and Lancea Sanctum, I was hooked. Bloodlines: The Legendary expands out and gives you the possibility to run games using the "bloodlines" as they are meant to be, off shoots from specific clans, or it gives you the freedom to run them as actual clans. In particular, the Bohagande are one of my favorite bloodlines. They are bred from Gangrel blood and the story behind them is just amazing. Each story is in depth and most of the bloodlines have all new disciplines to mess people up with. The Khabit have Obetenebration, which I am very happy to see back in the mix from the old World of Darkness that followed Caine, Lilith, and The Crone. This is a great addition to the collection of new WoD, regardless of what most people would say. White Wolf may come out with a new source book every month or so, but they know how to market and they know how to get you. That's not bad business, it's excellent marketing. If you need or want anything for your game, get this book. Personally, I can't wait until Bloodlines: The Legendary comes out. If it's even half as good as this one it will be worth it.



3. I have been consistently impressed with the new "World of Darkness" setting, especially with its customizability. A series of "Bloodlines" books seemed like the perfect solution to the otherwise unimpressive and thin selection of Clans in "Vampire: The Requiem." Unfortunately, "Bloodlines: The Hidden" can be divided into two general groups: the first is a series of repulsive, nauseating Bloodlines (The Anvari, The Gethsemani, The Morotrophians, and The Nahualli), each more unpleasant and disgusting than the last; the second is a series of unimaginative and unoriginal lineages (The Alucinor, The Nelapsi, The Qedeshah and the Bohagande).
   
   There are a few Bloodlines worthy of note:
   
   -The "Rakshasa" are a breed of ill-tempered Nosferatu warriors from India; characterized as demons in the subcontinent, they value hard work and discipline in all areas of...er...un-life.
   -The "Oberlochs" are a line of insular Gangrels tied to a particular mortal family, who challenge Werewolves for dominion over the wilderness; unfortunately, they age physically like normal human beings.
   -The "Architects of the Monolith" are a genuinely fascinating and original Ventrue Bloodline, a Victorian-style secret society whose mystical, architectural rites give them power over cities.
   
   Other tribes, such as the Bohagande and the Khaibit, are interesting and seem like they might be fun to play; however they are too derivative of concepts from "Vampire: The Masquerade" (The Ravnos, and the Assamites & Lasombra respectively), without retaining what made the original models so intriguing.
   
   Overall, the book is a mixed bag. Were all the Bloodlines as compelling as the three I have described above, the book could easily have earned 5 Stars. What few gems it contains however cannot justify it's price, and I would recommend this as a "must-have" only to die-hard players and readers. Let us hope that subsequent entries in the "Bloodlines" series will be more original and less grotesque.



4. Well Whitewolf disappointed me in Bloodlines:The Legendary, which didn't present anything too legendary (see my other review of that title for the real legendary bloodlines). However this book is the better of the two. A few of the Bloodlines are a little rediculous like the Alucinor(dream Vampires)and the Qedeshah(female vampires who almost seem like healers) he rest of the book is golden. Among my top ten favorite Bloodlines this book offers four of them.
   
   The Bohagande: Gangrel who have the ability to basically ruin the luck of those who run a foul of them. They have a native american spin put on them. I like them because honestly the Gangrel and the Nosferatu seem to get the short end of the stick on bloodlines and well, just reading about these Gangrel intrigued me and gave me ALOT of ideas for my chronicles.
   
   Morotrophians: The best way to think of these Nosferatu is like a whole group of qwack surgeons, Doctors, nurses aides, Orderlies, and prison guards. They like the whole idea of being in control of the power structure of whatever area these Haunts haunt (haha, pun intended, unfortunetly. Once again these guys gave me some great ideas, and there disciplines also are very unique. While useless out in the open, but behind closed doors these disciplines can be very dangerous. While perhaps not the best character for a player, the Morotrphians to make wonderful allies or antagonists.
   
   Oberlochs: Not much to say for them. However I will let the reader use there imagination and say some words, just combine them, and here are the words: Hill Billy, Deliverence, Vampire, Gangrel, Mid-west.
   The funny thing about Oberlochs is that they seem to know more about Were-wolves then they do about vampires......
   
   Rakshasa: Where as the Burakumin are japanese Nosferatu, these haunts are Indian. I like these guys because they put a more global touch on vampire. They are basically deal brokers, and warriors. Who really don't belong to any covenent due to there strange and foregin ways.
   
   All in all Bloodlines:The Hidden is an excellent book, plenty of ideas for allies, antagonists, and players! the only thing that stops the book from getting a 5 is the lack of balance of making bloodlines equal (as in the total number) in the book



5. I think it's reasonable for there to be some confusion among players and storytellers about what is the purpose of BLOODLINES: THE HIDDEN. Some will see it as a player's aid, with additional character types and powers. Some will see it as a storyteller's aid, with additional bad guys to choose from. The problem I have with BLOODLINES is that it breaks the setting. A vampire belonging to a Bloodline should be an unusual thing. It should be even more rare for a vampire to join a bloodline, since even a large city has at most twenty or so vampires and they cannot (or with great difficulty) travel between cities. So how are all these bloodlines going to appear in your story? If the players want to join a bloodline, they know ahead of time that it will be unlikely within the story, so they probably will choose one at character generation. Then, you have the problem of how all these rare breeds of vampire happened to show up at the same time.
   
   All of this can be handled with some setting tweaks; I personally go with every vampire having a bloodline, so they are not rare, but it doesn't get expressed unless the player wants to join. Still, a player might not want to buy this book if the storyteller doesn't want bloodlines for all.
   
   In the end, I view BLOODLINES as more of a collection of story hooks rather than character options.Each bloodline has a unique story, another creepy look into life after death. I enjoyed reading the vampire bios, but I would not have felt I received enough value if I paid the sticker price. The bloodlines here are as follows:
   -Alucinor (Mekhet) have the power over dreams
   -Anvari (Daeva) the power to induce a drugged state in others
   -Architects of the Monolith (Ventrue) power over cities; insane
   -Bohagande (Gangrel) power to steal good luck and bestow bad
   -Gethsemani (Nosferatu) power to induce stigmata, yielding powerful blood
   -Khabit (Mekhet) power over shadows
   -Morotrophians (Nosferatu) power over the institutions they lock themselves
   into
   -Nahualli (Ventrue) power over the beast
   -Nelapsi (Daeva) nice devotions, but require 1 vitae PER BP to rise each day!
   -Oberlochs (Gangrel) they age as normal humans but don't die
   -Quedeshah (Mekhet) women only vampires who use their bodies to heal
   -Rakshasa (Nosferatu) Indian vampires, with some interesting discussion on the organization of vampires in India.

3 comments about *OP WoD: Bygone Bestiary (World of Darkness (White Wolf Paperback)).

1. Not the best supplement for White Wolf that I've seen, but definitely useful and I like that they paid more attention to background and story than stats (though..check out the health levels for mundane frogs, I laughed). Get it if you work at all with changeling or the dark ages/Renaissance games.



2. While intended foremost for use with the game Mage: Sorcerer's crusade, a medieval spin-off of the popular Mage: The Ascension game, the Bygone Beastiary is can practically stand alone (if you're already familiar with *some* white-wolf game), and is a fantastic addition to any Mage game, particularly if you don't want to incorporate the banality of predictable Garou and Kindred on every streetcorner, and/or you like custos, familiars, and so on, but don't own the anciently-out-of-print Ascension's Right Hand. (This is more comprehensive than Ascension's right hand for Consors and mythic beasties, anyhow.) Also very creative, mythic thinking.



3. Yeah, it's good for the storyteller, and players of mage would surely prefer seeing a dragon or a griffin every once in a while to the everyday werewolf, vampire and the so. However, the advise not to use it for player characters because characters are too powerful is something that needs to be kept in mind. Rather just use it sporadically to add up to the fun, not just to let beasts roam the mortal world. Be cautios, but outside of that, the supplement is fine.