World of Darkness books - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

World of Darkness books

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
kreider204
Apr 03, 2009 10:07:54 Hi, I'm getting back into RPGs after years of not playing. There are all these new games out, and I don't know where to start! The World of Darkness games look interesting, but I'm a little confused about how some of the rulebooks and source books work.

Are the WoD core books a game unto themselves? Or do they just give basic rule mechanics and source material that you can use to flesh out one or more of the other specific games (Vampire, Werewolf, Hunter, etc.)?

And on the flip side of that question, do I NEED the WoD core books in order to play other games - for example, Hunter: The Vigil? Or does (again, for example) the Hunter rulebook give me everything I need (at least rule-wise)?

Finally, any recommendations on which game to get? Totally subjective, I know, but I like to hear about what games other people enjoy.

Thanks in advance,

e
#2
grimgent
Apr 03, 2009 15:10:59 The World of Darkness is the essential corebook, with all the rules for creating and playing regular human beings. It's the basic RPG for generic horror scenarios about ordinary people trying to cope with various ghostly threats, and there's also a line of supplements to further expand its scope without moving away from mortal PCs: Second Sight, Mysterious Places, Midnight Roads, and so on.

You always need WoD. The likes of Vampire: The Requiem or Mage: The Awakening are not standalone games, but rather more comprehensive supplement lines, each with a character template that allows you to play supernatural PCs instead of the default mortals and the specific mechanics as well as setting details which apply to that particular template. They don't repeat the material from the corebook.

Also, the only nWoD title that I've followed is Changeling: The Lost, and in my honest opinion it's a massive improvement over Changeling: The Dreaming. It's also completely different except in that it still deals with matters of Faerie, which is something to keep in mind if you happened to be a fan of the old game.
#3
kreider204
Apr 03, 2009 15:25:08 Thanks for the response. I'm glad I'll need the core book, since I just now bought it - I was at the bookstore, they had it, and I'm prone to impulse purchases. :-) It looks great, now my only issue is which other games I want to buy (I know, not bad problems to have . . . ). I'm leaning toward Changeling and Hunter, they both look very cool.
Thanks again!
#4
grimgent
Apr 03, 2009 17:54:42 Actually, unlike all those vampires, werewolves, mages, changelings and Prometheans, Hunters aren't a supernatural template in their own right. By default, they are mortals just like the ones from the corebook, except that their sense of morality has shifted slightly to cope with hunting monsters and they've learned a few special tactics to use against their prey. Their most powerful organizations, the global Conspiracies, also have access to various magical and superscientific perks. Basically, the options cover everything from low-powered Supernatural road trips to secret agent action in the style of the Men in Black.

Note that Hunter includes a system for generating monsters which bear a superficial similarity to the supernatural denizens of the WoD, with "Dread Powers" of their own, so you aren't expected to be familiar with the other lines.
#5
namer_and_shaper
Apr 04, 2009 7:57:18 Get Hunter if you're new to any other than bashin monsters, but Changeling is awesome! That is all.
#6
grimgent
Apr 04, 2009 14:43:06
Get Hunter if you're new to any other than bashin monsters, but Changeling is awesome!

It's certainly one of White Wolf's finer efforts. A word of caution, though: some people tend to absolutely loathe the idea of playing a character who's been victimized in any way, and changelings are by definition characterized by the abuse which they suffered in Faerie after the Gentry stole them away from Earth. They are, essentially, runaway slaves who learned a few tricks from their former owners and now use those to survive in a world which no longer seems to have a place for them.
#7
kreider204
Apr 05, 2009 16:21:27 Interesting stuff! For now, I'm thinking about sticking to a mortal / core WoD campaign for a while, maybe morphing that into Hunter later.

Thanks again!
#8
grimgent
Apr 06, 2009 7:05:31 That shouldn't be any problem. The major templates cannot stack (so that you'll never end up with an unholy vampire-werewolf-mage hybrid), but ordinary people can easily go on to become capital-H Hunters, and later even turn into one of the supernatural creatures. For example, a Hunter who's dragged screaming through the Hedge into Faerie will become a changeling like any other, as the thorns which separate the two worlds tear his soul apart and he's forced to become something other than human just to live and breathe over there.

Good luck with the game.
#9
kreider204
Apr 06, 2009 15:18:02 That sounds very cool. If I go in the supernatural direction, I'd definitely be looking more at Hunter and Changeling than the others.
#10
RalofTyr
Jun 08, 2009 14:36:02 Get Dark Ages: Mage. It's old world of darkness. It has a very fantasy feel about it. I've used DA: Mage in an ancient Greek/Conan the Barbarian type of game. It was wonderful. The players were mortal Barbarians fighting against a Mage.

I have the OWoD Changling Book. If you love C.S. Lewis' works, then you'll love Changling.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 kreider204 Apr 03, 2009 10:07:54	Hi, I'm getting back into RPGs after years of not playing. There are all these new games out, and I don't know where to start! The World of Darkness games look interesting, but I'm a little confused about how some of the rulebooks and source books work. Are the WoD core books a game unto themselves? Or do they just give basic rule mechanics and source material that you can use to flesh out one or more of the other specific games (Vampire, Werewolf, Hunter, etc.)? And on the flip side of that question, do I NEED the WoD core books in order to play other games - for example, Hunter: The Vigil? Or does (again, for example) the Hunter rulebook give me everything I need (at least rule-wise)? Finally, any recommendations on which game to get? Totally subjective, I know, but I like to hear about what games other people enjoy. Thanks in advance, e
#2 grimgent Apr 03, 2009 15:10:59	The World of Darkness is the essential corebook, with all the rules for creating and playing regular human beings. It's the basic RPG for generic horror scenarios about ordinary people trying to cope with various ghostly threats, and there's also a line of supplements to further expand its scope without moving away from mortal PCs: Second Sight, Mysterious Places, Midnight Roads, and so on. You always need WoD. The likes of Vampire: The Requiem or Mage: The Awakening are not standalone games, but rather more comprehensive supplement lines, each with a character template that allows you to play supernatural PCs instead of the default mortals and the specific mechanics as well as setting details which apply to that particular template. They don't repeat the material from the corebook. Also, the only nWoD title that I've followed is Changeling: The Lost, and in my honest opinion it's a massive improvement over Changeling: The Dreaming. It's also completely different except in that it still deals with matters of Faerie, which is something to keep in mind if you happened to be a fan of the old game.
#3 kreider204 Apr 03, 2009 15:25:08	Thanks for the response. I'm glad I'll need the core book, since I just now bought it - I was at the bookstore, they had it, and I'm prone to impulse purchases. :-) It looks great, now my only issue is which other games I want to buy (I know, not bad problems to have . . . ). I'm leaning toward Changeling and Hunter, they both look very cool. Thanks again!
#4 grimgent Apr 03, 2009 17:54:42	Actually, unlike all those vampires, werewolves, mages, changelings and Prometheans, Hunters aren't a supernatural template in their own right. By default, they are mortals just like the ones from the corebook, except that their sense of morality has shifted slightly to cope with hunting monsters and they've learned a few special tactics to use against their prey. Their most powerful organizations, the global Conspiracies, also have access to various magical and superscientific perks. Basically, the options cover everything from low-powered Supernatural road trips to secret agent action in the style of the Men in Black. Note that Hunter includes a system for generating monsters which bear a superficial similarity to the supernatural denizens of the WoD, with "Dread Powers" of their own, so you aren't expected to be familiar with the other lines.
#5 namer_and_shaper Apr 04, 2009 7:57:18	Get Hunter if you're new to any other than bashin monsters, but Changeling is awesome! That is all.
#6 grimgent Apr 04, 2009 14:43:06	Get Hunter if you're new to any other than bashin monsters, but Changeling is awesome! It's certainly one of White Wolf's finer efforts. A word of caution, though: some people tend to absolutely loathe the idea of playing a character who's been victimized in any way, and changelings are by definition characterized by the abuse which they suffered in Faerie after the Gentry stole them away from Earth. They are, essentially, runaway slaves who learned a few tricks from their former owners and now use those to survive in a world which no longer seems to have a place for them.
#7 kreider204 Apr 05, 2009 16:21:27	Interesting stuff! For now, I'm thinking about sticking to a mortal / core WoD campaign for a while, maybe morphing that into Hunter later. Thanks again!
#8 grimgent Apr 06, 2009 7:05:31	That shouldn't be any problem. The major templates cannot stack (so that you'll never end up with an unholy vampire-werewolf-mage hybrid), but ordinary people can easily go on to become capital-H Hunters, and later even turn into one of the supernatural creatures. For example, a Hunter who's dragged screaming through the Hedge into Faerie will become a changeling like any other, as the thorns which separate the two worlds tear his soul apart and he's forced to become something other than human just to live and breathe over there. Good luck with the game.
#9 kreider204 Apr 06, 2009 15:18:02	That sounds very cool. If I go in the supernatural direction, I'd definitely be looking more at Hunter and Changeling than the others.
#10 RalofTyr Jun 08, 2009 14:36:02	Get Dark Ages: Mage. It's old world of darkness. It has a very fantasy feel about it. I've used DA: Mage in an ancient Greek/Conan the Barbarian type of game. It was wonderful. The players were mortal Barbarians fighting against a Mage. I have the OWoD Changling Book. If you love C.S. Lewis' works, then you'll love Changling.