| 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 (Ludlow, Shropshire,
England) |
