Product Review

A Storytelling Game of personal horror.

Vampire is probably the most popular RPG that White Wolf has ever made. It is set in the World of Darkness and was first published back in 1992, since then it has gathered a following of thousands. This article reviews the core rulebook, which is the only book you will need to start playing the game

The World of Darkness
The World of Darkness is a fantasy world very similar to our own but with subtle differences, it’s a little darker, a little bleaker, a little grimmer and for those in the know, a hell of a lot more scary. In this game you take on the role of a vampire or cainite, and are responsible for all your characters triumphs, failures, dark deeds and acts of humanity. For first time gamers you will usually assume the role of a newly embraced (created) vampire coming to terms with what you have become and what you are going to have to do to survive.

The Masquerade
The Masquerade is one of the six traditions of vampire society; it is the curtain put up by the kindred to shield their existence from mortal eyes. The rulebook is divided into several chapters each of which I will now explore.

Chapter 1: A world of darkness
The book begins with a chapter on what a vampire is, how it is created, what it means to be a vampire and how the myths of the modern day horror culture came about. It also begins to build up the World of Darkness setting and gives you a brief outline of vampire society and the clans that make it up.

Chapter 2: Clans and sects
Now we delve into greater detail about each of the 13 great clans that exist today and the organisations to which they belong. The largest and most influential of these is a sect called the Camarilla, which is the group most concerned with Masquerades preservation. The Camarilla is made up of seven of the major clans. Its direct opposite is the Sabbat, a sect that revels in its own anarchy and disorder and despite the fact that it only includes two clans, its power and cunning is not to be scoffed at. The four remaining clans are known as independents and they claim to be a part of neither sect. The Sabbat can be hard to let un-experienced players use and it’s best to wait until you have the Sabbat sourcebook. The other independent clans are all a little strange and although they can be used the players will normally come from the Camarilla.

Chapter 3: Characters and traits
The techniques of the game come into play in this chapter and now it is time to create your alter ego through whom you can interact with the game world. The chapter talks you through, step-by-step, how to create a fledgling character and explains all the traits etc. that are on the character sheet. It also introduces you to basic dice rolls. Vampire is much like the other World of Darkness games and uses the same rules system. All you need to play the game apart from the book are D10’s and a pencil.

Chapter 4: Disciplines
Disciplines are the supernatural powers or gifts given to each vampire once they have been embraced. Disciplines differ from vampire to vampire and can be affected by her age, clan and generation.

Chapter 5: The Rules
In every game you need some rules and vampire is no exception, the only rules you will usually have to use are ones that account for parts of the game that you cant actually participate in, like seeing if you can climb a tree. This is a good time to remind you that using the rules as law is no substitute for letting your imagination run a little wild and bypassing some for the sake of the fun of the game. Always let your common sense and discretion prevail when the game is at STAKE.

Chapter 6: Systems and Drama
This Chapter goes into more depth about the more complicated rules and specific dice mechanics. It is all stuff that adds to the game though and includes some general dramatic systems, combat, health, injury and recovery.

Chapter 7: A History of the Kindred
This is an in depth and interesting narrative, which truly immerses you in the world of the Kindred (vampires). Starting with the biblical fable of Caine and his murdered brother Able, it follows Caine's subsequent banishment and then embracing the mortals. It then takes you through the early wars, past Transylvania and the Dark Ages, the Renaissance and the Inquisition. There are also parts on the setting up of the Masquerade and the modern world of today. This is a good bit to get your players to read as it helps give them more background.

Chapter 8: Storytelling
This section is used to give you some hints and advice on how to create a vampire adventure and ensure it runs smoothly. They have also given you some good ideas on creating mood, atmosphere and successfully interacting and engaging with vampire player characters.

Chapter 9: Antagonists
This is a short chapter presenting the basic info on the Kindred’s enemies, which are numerous. It ranges from the obvious Vampire Hunters to Werewolves and Magi. These are good groups to use if you ever want to put your Vampires up against something that will put up a bit of a fight. The average human is rather puny after all, no offence. Following this is an appendix, which lists a few extras for experienced and more advanced roleplayer’s.

For first time buyers this game offers everything an RPG should, an extremely detailed storyline and background, yet with a surprising easy rules system. This game is a must for fans of the horror genre or even anyone with a love of films with a similar atmosphere and setting (like Bladerunner or Dark City). Ultimately Vampire is about the struggle between humanity and monstrosity in the face of unfettered power and eternal life, or more importantly, how your character deals with this.

Vampire: The Masquerade, buy it and see if you like being a Vampire, because you never know when someone might ask.

Reviewed By Dave Jones