World of Warcraft: Monster Guide (Sword & Sorcery)

Customer Reviews:

Great game, but not for all.......2006-03-27

This is a wonderful, comprehensive book. Even if you only have this to work with, you can run a successful Changeling game. Changeling is, by the way, my favorite of not only the WhiteWolf games but of all games I've played - so I admit I am quite biased. Changeling is well put together and a joy to play; however, since it is quite different from the rest of the WhiteWolf pantheon it is not for everyone. Hope is a strong aspect of this game, whereas the other games - Vampire, Wraith, etc. - lack that particular element. Changeling has it's dark sides, too, but the system is much more malleable and can easily range the entire spectrum of emotional settings at the GM's discression.

the last hope.......2004-06-03

so youve played a vampire where you suck the life out of humans

youve played a werewolf where you go crazy and kill humans

youve played a mage where most humans who know about you want to kill you.

enter, changeling the dreaming, a world of darkness game that allows for a bit more. most people at first look pass off changeling as a bunch of shiny happy people, they couldnt be furthur from the truth. changeling has its dark side and its as black as night. so your this fairy soul trapped inside a human sack of meat, you spend too much time as a human? your fairy side dies. you spend too much time as fae? you go insane. its a good balance, some say that the seelie/unseelie courts have been messed up from the get go and have many other problems. i have problems with most games but luckily whitewolf has the golden rule, if you dont like it, change it, if you dont have enough imagination to adapt something you dont like what are you doing playing rpgs anyway? go back to killing monsters on your console and leave those who roleplay for the joy of the story be.

5 stars from a french roleplayer.......2002-04-01

Yes, we also play changeling in France. And although the first edition has been translated a few years ago, we prefer this one.

Changeling is a great game. I love the seelie/unseelie division which is not a manichean good/bad division. I love the way faeries are somewhat alien to this world and nevertheless part of it.

I love the fight against banality : it's the fight of my life!!

Changeling is Great for People Who Like Low Powered Games.......2002-03-31

Changeling is a great game that is based on fairy tales from around the world. You play one type of Fae or another (anything from a globe-trotting Eshu to a blood-thirsty Redcap). It's hard to make these characters bland and the flightly nature of the Changeling world allows for endless possibilities as long as your GM is flexible. This is not a game for GMs who like to have all their ducks in a row, nor is it a game for people who only like high powered campaigns. It is ideal however, for the low powered player who likes lots of character development. Also, the nature of Changelings makes it very easy for the campaign to stay upbeat if that is your choice. However, Changelings can have all sorts of interactions with other supernaturals, giving the campaign a chance to get dark if that is your desire. The book itself is in full color, and has the most beautiful art work of any Whitewolf book I've seen (the whole Changeling series of books is well done). I can see how Changeling's reputation for being a girls' game is true but guys, if you like character development, you should give this one a try!

A good idea gone bad.......2002-03-01

I'm not particullary fond of fairies, but I seem to enjoy detailed stories of this kind. Not nursery rhymes, but true folklore belief of spirits that seem to be inhabbiting our world many ages before us. Fairies do have their certain charm, and when stories about them can turn nasty enough (which is most of the cases if we study what folklore tells us) this seems like a perfect concet to introduce to White Wolf's excellent World of Darkness.

Meet Changeling. A game where fairies of folklore shield on human hosts to protect themselves from the ravages of unbelief. The concept itself is a great one; one probably even greater than any other World of Darkness concepts.

Unfortunatelly, the main book seems to do it completely wrong. It's written in a way that it seems a nursery tale, and while it mentions a clear seelie/unseelie division among changelings, this division seems more of a plain good/bad one than what the fairy courts originally seemed to mean on Irish folklore.

Rules are completely upside down, too. The magic system (a combination of what you can do (Arts) that is frankly narrow, and to whom you can do it (Realms) that is completely annoying) is the worst White Wolf has ever created. The Kiths (the game splats) are based on wonderous creatures, but the descriptions used are completely uninspired. The Dreaming is a great concept, but how mechanics work around it are too rigid.

Customer Reviews:

Review of Kingdom of Willows for Changeling: the Dreaming.......1998-11-06

Ok, I just have to say, I love Changeling: the Dreaming anyway, and this book is the first in a hugely-anticipated (by me, anyway) line of Kingdom-books for Concordia. I love the way they present the information, also, by putting a continuing plot throughout the series of sourcebooks (the disappearance of High King David). I'm sure any southern fans of Changeling would get a kick out of it by recognizing some of their landmarks within the book, and it's why I'm looking forward to Kingdom of Grass. Basically, if you play Changeling, and you want a fully-fleshed setting and plot that you can do virtually anything with, buy this book.

Kindred of the East (For Vampire, the Masquerade)

Average customer rating:

The most interesting book White Wolf has published so far.
Hey, if you can figure it out...
Great book!
Strangers in strange lands
Buy this book

Kindred of the East (For Vampire, the Masquerade)
Justin Achilli , Phil Brucato , Jackie Cassada , Mark Cenczyk , Richard E. Dansky , Robert Hatch , Ian Lemke , Nicky Rea , and Ethan Skemp
Manufacturer: White Wolf Games Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Vampire | Gaming | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565042328

Customer Reviews:

The most interesting book White Wolf has published so far........2002-09-05

This book is simply amazing.
Even if you don't like vampires or the entire White Wolf line of monster rpg's this is a very interesting book. The subject matter is unique and it isn't just European vampires transplanted to Asia.
Before this book came out I was skeptical that W.W. would do Asian "vampires" justice but they exceeded my wildest expectations.
It mostly focuses on N-E cultures (China/Japan/Korea) but there is even a bit on Malaysian "vampires".
W.W. has even done an excellent job of putting out supplements for the game.

Hey, if you can figure it out..........2001-08-22

Hey, this book is pretty awesome. The art work is amazing, the concept is very intriguing, and the entire idea of a race of vampires in no way relate to the curse of caine is wonderful. But, my only problem is, i can't figure out the dang thing! I love the fact that there is more to worry about than blood, health, and willpower; but i can't figure out what the heck you do with the rest of it! P'o? Hun? Yin Chi? Yang Chi? Gee, one day i will figure it out, and then i will have a good ol' time. But until then, i'm gonna play with my new fav (Vampire: The Dark Ages) until the great day when the epiphany hits me, and it is all made clear.

Great book!.......2001-06-21

I love this book even though I'm more of a Mage type player. I have played and ST'ed all but Wraith and this BUT! it would definately be my next choice.

I think the KotE are some of the most defined characters a player can make. That said, the KotE are also some of the more complicated to play because the book KotE is not a stand alone game. It was produced to add more flair and versatility to VtM.

There were only a few questions I had. Agravated damage was never covered.. or not that I saw. I read about them being able to do it with several of their powers but I could only find 2 ways that they could soak it. the lvl 2 or 3 bone shentai and the demon shentai with the armor. ohh well something else to e-mail WW about.

Definatly a game for intermediant to advanced players. I'm not sure if I would suggest it as a starter though.

Strangers in strange lands.......2001-05-12

Gorgeous artwork. Fantastic new world. Great reinterpretations of things. Wonderful use of mixing history with the World of Darkness. They promised to deliver a vampire alien to the kindred of Caine, and they succeeded; the setting is exotic, interesting, and definitely recommended. I especially liked their take on lycanthropes. I didn't like the lack of information on India, which would have been a great setting and prime conflict ground with British vampires. The Russia/Mongolia/China boundaries could have been interesting as well. It's impossible to play without the original Vampire book, which irks me; a completely new setting could use a reexplanation, I think. Lastly, the nature/demeanor/dharma split isn't quite clear. It's obvious that some traits are connected to and sympathetic with others, but what this sympathy does in terms of the game is never well-explained.

Buy this book.......2000-08-09

I think this is the best book that White Wolf has published so far. If you have any interest in "vampires" from Asia, this is the book to get, followed by The 1000 Hells. Even if you never actually play an eastern vampire, this book is a great read.

The Sorcerers Crusade Companion (Mage, the Sorcerers Crusade)

Average customer rating:

Very useful
downright great
Basic principles for Renaissance roleplaying
Pretty Darn Good!

The Sorcerers Crusade Companion (Mage, the Sorcerers Crusade)
Jackie Cassada , John Maurer , Tara Maurer , and Buck Marchinton
Manufacturer: White Wolf Games Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565044940

Customer Reviews:

Very useful.......2003-05-13

The Sorcerers Crusade Companion is different when compared to other general RPG source books. This book does not contain a lot of game mechanics or new powers. It provideds all the necessary information to run a historically accurate Renaissance game. Everyday details such as fashion, food, behavior, and culture were all presented in just the right amount. The art of swordfighting, plants, famous Renaissance figures, and Umbrood were discussed in the core book but was elaborated here. Most importantly, the book discussed the other cultures of the world during the Renaissance and their beliefs. This opens a lot of doors for games involving explorers and diplotmats. This book is a must for the average gamer who knows little about the world during the Renaissance and would like to add some accurate historical flavor to their games that might otherwise end up like generic D&D adventures.

downright great.......2002-02-28

the usual scenario involves a storyteller cracking his head to little pieces trying to find out whta to do about scourge in the renaissance. Tryin to get some ambientation cause the characters don't feel the renaissance and trying to run the chronicle. This book gives the in and outs about renaissance and works with scourge and scourgelings (paradox spirits) in a great way to add fun to your roleplaying, sure it's worth the money.

Basic principles for Renaissance roleplaying.......2001-03-12

For several of us players who love Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade but have had some trouble getting to "feel" life in Renaissance, this book is a must. It brings crucial information about life in Renaissance (what they ate, what they wore, how did they relate to each other), the most important reigns (Tuscany and Italy, Spain, England, etc.) and even the countries that the Age of Exploration has uncovered (or will uncover), such as Cathay (China), America and so on.

It's more intended towards ST than players, though (except for the first 2 chapters, which are a must for both players and ST), and it goes as far as describing Renaissance personalities, and giving some cool ideas about Scourgelings.

And excellent book!

Pretty Darn Good!.......1999-07-15

If you're looking for a guide to explain the intricate game mechanics of this often arcane RPG, better look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you're eager to start playing Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade but know diddly about the Renaissance (a not-inconceivable problem given the state of education nowadays), this book is what you need. In fact, I would suggest it for anyone needing info about this wonderful period of history. If only regular textbooks were this exciting & interesting! There is also a nice little essay on period fencing and dueling which I recommend highly to the incipient swashbuckler out there. You can do no wrong with this little gem in your Mage collection. Avanti!

Average customer rating:

An essential Ravenloft Book!
A Good Buy
Gave me what I wanted
Old-school Ravenloft... Exactly what is needed!

Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol 3
Jackie Cassada
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 158846086X

Customer Reviews:

An essential Ravenloft Book!.......2004-08-14

This book is one of the Best Books you can buy for Ravenloft. In it are some cleaverly created domains full of lycanthropes (including a newly edited werepanther), banshees, undead treants, and all the other terrors of Ravenloft. This book gives incredible detail about groups of people living in the domains and also the the rulers (darklords) over these domains.
This book itself contains Alfred Timothy and Baron Urik von Kharkov and many more. The domains it primaryly focuses on are Borca, Invidia, Verbrek, Valachan, and Sithicus. While each of them are unique and full of terror I think that the forest of Verbrek make the book the most. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Ravenloft, Werewolfs, Vampires, or Roleplaying in a heartbeat.

A Good Buy.......2004-01-29

I've been waiting eagerly for details on the new darklord of Sithicus ever since I read "Spectre of the Black Rose." My only problem with the book was that the elven vampire Lady Adeline, who was mentioned in the section on Valachan, wasn't given an entry of her own in the DM's Notes section. Her entry in the old 2nd Edition accessory "Children of the Night: Vampires" made her out to be a generic elf vampire -- no class specified, just a summary of the old Ravenloft Mostrous Compendium stats. In third edition, *no* vampire who's more powerful than a vampire spawn (or minion, to use a term from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has no character class. Based on her background, I could see Adeline as a ranger, probably at least seventh- or eighth-level. After all, in third edition being undead doesn't mean you can't be a ranger anymore. I mean, considering she's Urik von Kharkov's tax collector, she's one of the most likely evil NPC's for PC's to butt heads with in Valachan after they've finished trashing a few Black Leopards.

Gave me what I wanted.......2003-06-12

Some people are bashing this book. It gave me what I expected plus some nice extra tidbits. The only valid complaint is it gives an unfair amount of space to one domain while shortchanging the other two. It still does the job of giving you a lot of flavor to add to whatever you do in these domains.

Bottom line: I bought it and got what I wanted out of it. It could have been better, but so can all the other books.

Old-school Ravenloft... Exactly what is needed!.......2002-10-17

I love Ravenloft, ever since it first came out as a module.It's brooding, dark atmosphere and mixture of tension and dread makes it one of the most unique and engaging settings ever concieved in the entire gaming industry. I was receptive to Ravenloft 3E, but wasn't very impressed. Until now.

The Ravenloft gazetteer combines alot of esoteric trivia from countless supplements and adventures and compiles them into a single sourcebook. I've just only gotten a chance to skim through the Barovia chapter, and it's packed with material from the old boxed sets, the adventures House of Strahd and Roots of Evil, and the Monstrous Compendium appendices. It's terrific! For the old-school DM like me who just wants 3E stats of the older material, it's exactly what I needed. I run an I6 game every year, and this year I'll finally be able to do it in 3E without having to dedicate a week or two to converting the module. Great job, Sword & Sorcery Studios!

So why only 4 stars? Two major reasons. The artwork isn't exactly the most gothic in the world, I miss the older illustrations with alot of blackness in the illustrations and alot of shadows and darkness. The new art is mostly line drawings with alot of "white space." Secondly, the book has no maps of the towns it discusses. A rather crude pencil sketch on page 37 shows the area around Castle Ravenloft itself, but maps of the towns really should have been included. SSS makes great maps, as anyone who has seens the Scarred Lands Campaign Setting: Ghelspad hardcover can attest to. If such maps of the towns had been included, the book would be a straight 5.

But it's still a great buy, even essential I would say, to run canon adventures in Barovia.

Average customer rating:
Lords of the Known Worlds (Fading Suns)
Bill Bridges , Jackie Cassada , Sam Chupp , James Estes , Andrew Greenberg , Rustin Quaide , and Nicky Rea
Manufacturer: Holistic Design Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Cassada, Jackie | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Chupp, Sam | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1888906111

Average customer rating:

Path book for your Mage game

Generally good, with one glaring exception

Highly Variable

Mage the Awakening's "Big Book of Occult Correspondences"

Tome of Watchtowers (Mage)
Kraig Blackwelder , Jackie Cassada , Sam Inabinet , Steve Kenson , Matthew McFarland , and Nicky Rea
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Cassada, Jackie | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Secrets of The Ruined Temple (Mage the Awakening)

Guardians of the Veil (Mage the Awakening)

Legacies: The Sublime (Mage the Awakening)

Sanctum And Sigil (World of Darkness (White Wolf Hardcover))

Tome of the Mysteries (Mage)

ASIN: 158846427X

Customer Reviews:

Path book for your Mage game.......2007-10-09

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!

Generally good, with one glaring exception.......2007-06-05

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.

Highly Variable.......2006-09-26

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.

Mage the Awakening's "Big Book of Occult Correspondences".......2006-09-18

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.)

The Shadow Court (Changeling - the Dreaming)

Average customer rating:

Bad guys, bad guys, bad guys...

The Shadow Court (Changeling - the Dreaming)
Brian Campbell , Jackie Cassada , and Nicky Rea
Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Changeling | Gaming | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565047109

Customer Reviews:

Bad guys, bad guys, bad guys..........1998-08-16

Whoa boy. Now these are what I call villains. Fae so evil they even manipulate the manipulators of Camarilla, Sabbat and Wyrm, not to mention the Thallain, the really, _really_ dark reflections of the normal fae. The next time someone calls your Unseelie troll an Ogre, introduce him to a real one...

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