Unlike most of the other reveiwers, I've never encountered World of Darkness before, so this is my first foray into the Storytelling system.

The system is a cinch to learn and use. Rolling all those dice in your dice pool gives a feeling of such power!

The book itself is well written and laid out. The 'snippets' of stories used for background info are excellent. Just creepy and dark enough to whet your appitite and get you looking at the world around you in a whole new light (or 'dark'!)

All in all, a must have for any serious gamer.

The New World of Darkness, 09 Feb 2006
White Wolf’s announcement of discontinuing the old World of Darkness line was somewhat of a shock and annoyance to my seasoned players and myself.
How could anything hope to replace our much beloved Vampire, and in general the World of Darkness as a whole?
Scepticism and phobia of the re-released WoD was inevitable, and my first reading of the new World of Darkness Rulebook only helped to deaden my reaction.
But time changes many things, including my outlook.
I bought The World of Darkness Rulebook and Vampire: The Requiem as soon as they were released in the UK, but it was not until a month ago I decided to finally give it a try.
With much apprehension but a burning desire to make it work, I set out to tell my first story in the revamped WoD.
After eventually shunning my preconceptions and generally ignoring the sneers of my fellow players as I passed out the new character sheets, we started.

The World of Darkness Rulebook takes everything that made the old Storyteller system great and given it an overhaul. The result is a slick, beautifully written system that is not only simple to use but wonderfully adaptive.
The lack of meta-plot, something at first that actually turned me off it, in fact frees the Storyteller and players from searching through endless source books to make sure their story fits in with the pre-made background material.
It encourages Storytellers to be as creative as possible, making a setting and plot that befits their style of play and in essence, makes for a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
To publish the World of Darkness Rulebook separately to the other core books (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) may at first seem like an attempt to squeeze an extra few pounds (or dollars from our US cousins) out of the gamers’ pocket.
What it does do is enable you to create and tell stories centred around the mortal ilk of the World of Darkness, an unforgettable and sometimes foreboding experience as your near-helpless human characters are faced with unimaginable power and terror.
When it does come to the point where you wish your characters to become one with the darkness itself, you are no longer faced with buying a book that repeats the rules all over again and gives you very limited background and theme material for the said game.
Everything you need is in this one book, and never before has a fully functional slim-lined system been bound under one cover.
The revamped d10 system is near flawless, and enables dice rolls to slip seamlessly in between the drama. No longer does the story and pace have to suffer as you rummage through separate to-hit and wound rolls, counting up 6+ scores and deducting annoying 1’s.
In essence The World of Darkness Rulebook is as near perfect as one could expect from White Wolf.
It’s background has brought back the horror and mystery that the old WoD had started to lose.
The system itself is such a vast improvement you may feel that the game element has been virtually removed as dice rolls happen on the fly.
What is at the forefront now is the drama, the story. And that is way it was meant to be played.
The old World of darkness will always have a special place in my heart, but I can say it’s progeny is a beautiful thing, something White Wolf can be proud of.

Revised and looking damn good..., 08 Sep 2004
When I first heard that White Wolf were ending their ever popular World of Darkness series, I was pretty astounded. I mean, this is a series of books that has gone on for many years, and has earned them a lot of money. It takes guts to just up and end something like that. We all knew that they were going to release the next stage in the timeline, and we were wondering what it was going to be like. When they released names for the next line of books, my admiration for their courage waned slightly; World of Darkness, Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening, all signiature names for the flagship games they have been touting since they released the World of Darkness originally all them years ago. Apprehension abounded...was this just going to be the same as the old Storyteller games? Was it just the next new edition? How much is going to really be new?

The World of Darkness core book is the main system book, detailing the world, the system, and the main population of the World of Darkness - the Mortals. Things in here will look very familiar to long time fans of the WoD; a world in darkness, gothic-punk, hidden conspiracies, things not being as they seem, the supernatural menace etc. So far, it's fairly typical fare, and doesn't give much reason to own the book if you already have all the old WoD books. But this, in my opinion, is only a surface similarity. Let me get this clear, it is similar to the old World of Darkness, it is similar to the Storyteller system...but this isn't a mere update, this isn't a simple revision. This is an overhaul. Ending the old line gave White Wolf the opportunity to start at the beginning, keep some of the things they liked, and completely change things they didn't. The book itself is very stylish, cover to cover, it's a work of art in itself, with a glossy front cover, and incredible artwork, as you would expect from a White Wolf publication. The stories inside are very well done, and the information is portrayed neatly. As far as the system is concerned, there is much here that old WoD players will recognise, but there are still many changes, mainly used to streamline the rules, making it so that when they come into play, they are over with quickly, bringing the focus back to where it should be, playing the game. And i think making the main book concentrate on mortals is a stroke of genius. It brings to mind the fact that although there are super powers at work in the WoD, the world is primarilly made up of normal, human, mortal masses.

I might have given this book 4 stars on it's own, because although it is an astounding fount of information, there are still many common threads that run between this book and the previous WoD incarnations. But I upped it to 5 because of it's potential. With what's changed, to the system and the world, I can't wait to see what White Wolf do with the upcoming Vampire, Werewolf and Mage sourcebooks, as well as any other expansion books. It's a revolution in the Storytelling system, it's not a simple update at all, it opens up whole worlds of possibility now that White Wolf have more or less restarted after the old WoD became too cluttered with metaplot. If you have the old systems, and you like the old systems, then I suppose you could do away with buying this book. But for new and old gamers alike, I would advise buying this book. It has so much potential, and so many possibilities, and new players will be able to slip into it no problem. Even the old players that like the old system may like to get this simply because I believe the rules make a great deal more sense. In summation...only if you're a dyed in the wool old skool WoD player would I advise against this book, as there are quite a few changes...but if you're a role-player, old or new, buy this book, and have fun...

Unlike most of the other reveiwers, I've never encountered World of Darkness before, so this is my first foray into the Storytelling system.

The system is a cinch to learn and use. Rolling all those dice in your dice pool gives a feeling of such power!

The book itself is well written and laid out. The 'snippets' of stories used for background info are excellent. Just creepy and dark enough to whet your appitite and get you looking at the world around you in a whole new light (or 'dark'!)

All in all, a must have for any serious gamer.

The New World of Darkness, 09 Feb 2006
White Wolf’s announcement of discontinuing the old World of Darkness line was somewhat of a shock and annoyance to my seasoned players and myself.
How could anything hope to replace our much beloved Vampire, and in general the World of Darkness as a whole?
Scepticism and phobia of the re-released WoD was inevitable, and my first reading of the new World of Darkness Rulebook only helped to deaden my reaction.
But time changes many things, including my outlook.
I bought The World of Darkness Rulebook and Vampire: The Requiem as soon as they were released in the UK, but it was not until a month ago I decided to finally give it a try.
With much apprehension but a burning desire to make it work, I set out to tell my first story in the revamped WoD.
After eventually shunning my preconceptions and generally ignoring the sneers of my fellow players as I passed out the new character sheets, we started.

The World of Darkness Rulebook takes everything that made the old Storyteller system great and given it an overhaul. The result is a slick, beautifully written system that is not only simple to use but wonderfully adaptive.
The lack of meta-plot, something at first that actually turned me off it, in fact frees the Storyteller and players from searching through endless source books to make sure their story fits in with the pre-made background material.
It encourages Storytellers to be as creative as possible, making a setting and plot that befits their style of play and in essence, makes for a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
To publish the World of Darkness Rulebook separately to the other core books (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) may at first seem like an attempt to squeeze an extra few pounds (or dollars from our US cousins) out of the gamers’ pocket.
What it does do is enable you to create and tell stories centred around the mortal ilk of the World of Darkness, an unforgettable and sometimes foreboding experience as your near-helpless human characters are faced with unimaginable power and terror.
When it does come to the point where you wish your characters to become one with the darkness itself, you are no longer faced with buying a book that repeats the rules all over again and gives you very limited background and theme material for the said game.
Everything you need is in this one book, and never before has a fully functional slim-lined system been bound under one cover.
The revamped d10 system is near flawless, and enables dice rolls to slip seamlessly in between the drama. No longer does the story and pace have to suffer as you rummage through separate to-hit and wound rolls, counting up 6+ scores and deducting annoying 1’s.
In essence The World of Darkness Rulebook is as near perfect as one could expect from White Wolf.
It’s background has brought back the horror and mystery that the old WoD had started to lose.
The system itself is such a vast improvement you may feel that the game element has been virtually removed as dice rolls happen on the fly.
What is at the forefront now is the drama, the story. And that is way it was meant to be played.
The old World of darkness will always have a special place in my heart, but I can say it’s progeny is a beautiful thing, something White Wolf can be proud of.

Revised and looking damn good..., 08 Sep 2004
When I first heard that White Wolf were ending their ever popular World of Darkness series, I was pretty astounded. I mean, this is a series of books that has gone on for many years, and has earned them a lot of money. It takes guts to just up and end something like that. We all knew that they were going to release the next stage in the timeline, and we were wondering what it was going to be like. When they released names for the next line of books, my admiration for their courage waned slightly; World of Darkness, Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening, all signiature names for the flagship games they have been touting since they released the World of Darkness originally all them years ago. Apprehension abounded...was this just going to be the same as the old Storyteller games? Was it just the next new edition? How much is going to really be new?

The World of Darkness core book is the main system book, detailing the world, the system, and the main population of the World of Darkness - the Mortals. Things in here will look very familiar to long time fans of the WoD; a world in darkness, gothic-punk, hidden conspiracies, things not being as they seem, the supernatural menace etc. So far, it's fairly typical fare, and doesn't give much reason to own the book if you already have all the old WoD books. But this, in my opinion, is only a surface similarity. Let me get this clear, it is similar to the old World of Darkness, it is similar to the Storyteller system...but this isn't a mere update, this isn't a simple revision. This is an overhaul. Ending the old line gave White Wolf the opportunity to start at the beginning, keep some of the things they liked, and completely change things they didn't. The book itself is very stylish, cover to cover, it's a work of art in itself, with a glossy front cover, and incredible artwork, as you would expect from a White Wolf publication. The stories inside are very well done, and the information is portrayed neatly. As far as the system is concerned, there is much here that old WoD players will recognise, but there are still many changes, mainly used to streamline the rules, making it so that when they come into play, they are over with quickly, bringing the focus back to where it should be, playing the game. And i think making the main book concentrate on mortals is a stroke of genius. It brings to mind the fact that although there are super powers at work in the WoD, the world is primarilly made up of normal, human, mortal masses.

I might have given this book 4 stars on it's own, because although it is an astounding fount of information, there are still many common threads that run between this book and the previous WoD incarnations. But I upped it to 5 because of it's potential. With what's changed, to the system and the world, I can't wait to see what White Wolf do with the upcoming Vampire, Werewolf and Mage sourcebooks, as well as any other expansion books. It's a revolution in the Storytelling system, it's not a simple update at all, it opens up whole worlds of possibility now that White Wolf have more or less restarted after the old WoD became too cluttered with metaplot. If you have the old systems, and you like the old systems, then I suppose you could do away with buying this book. But for new and old gamers alike, I would advise buying this book. It has so much potential, and so many possibilities, and new players will be able to slip into it no problem. Even the old players that like the old system may like to get this simply because I believe the rules make a great deal more sense. In summation...only if you're a dyed in the wool old skool WoD player would I advise against this book, as there are quite a few changes...but if you're a role-player, old or new, buy this book, and have fun...

Not your "run of the mill" dice set, 29 May 2006
These dice are required if you wish to play Vampire: The Requiem, or indeed any of the games set in White Wolf's "World of Darkness" (Although each game has it's own dice design).

These dice are blood red (speckled with black), with the success numbers (8, 9 and 10) in a highly visible silver. They also come with a handy red bag, for storage.

If you intend to buy these dice for anything other than playing a World of Darkness themed game, then don't. While the success numbers are silver, the others are black which can sometimes make them hard to read.

Unlike most of the other reveiwers, I've never encountered World of Darkness before, so this is my first foray into the Storytelling system.

The system is a cinch to learn and use. Rolling all those dice in your dice pool gives a feeling of such power!

The book itself is well written and laid out. The 'snippets' of stories used for background info are excellent. Just creepy and dark enough to whet your appitite and get you looking at the world around you in a whole new light (or 'dark'!)

All in all, a must have for any serious gamer.

The New World of Darkness, 09 Feb 2006
White Wolf’s announcement of discontinuing the old World of Darkness line was somewhat of a shock and annoyance to my seasoned players and myself.
How could anything hope to replace our much beloved Vampire, and in general the World of Darkness as a whole?
Scepticism and phobia of the re-released WoD was inevitable, and my first reading of the new World of Darkness Rulebook only helped to deaden my reaction.
But time changes many things, including my outlook.
I bought The World of Darkness Rulebook and Vampire: The Requiem as soon as they were released in the UK, but it was not until a month ago I decided to finally give it a try.
With much apprehension but a burning desire to make it work, I set out to tell my first story in the revamped WoD.
After eventually shunning my preconceptions and generally ignoring the sneers of my fellow players as I passed out the new character sheets, we started.

The World of Darkness Rulebook takes everything that made the old Storyteller system great and given it an overhaul. The result is a slick, beautifully written system that is not only simple to use but wonderfully adaptive.
The lack of meta-plot, something at first that actually turned me off it, in fact frees the Storyteller and players from searching through endless source books to make sure their story fits in with the pre-made background material.
It encourages Storytellers to be as creative as possible, making a setting and plot that befits their style of play and in essence, makes for a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
To publish the World of Darkness Rulebook separately to the other core books (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) may at first seem like an attempt to squeeze an extra few pounds (or dollars from our US cousins) out of the gamers’ pocket.
What it does do is enable you to create and tell stories centred around the mortal ilk of the World of Darkness, an unforgettable and sometimes foreboding experience as your near-helpless human characters are faced with unimaginable power and terror.
When it does come to the point where you wish your characters to become one with the darkness itself, you are no longer faced with buying a book that repeats the rules all over again and gives you very limited background and theme material for the said game.
Everything you need is in this one book, and never before has a fully functional slim-lined system been bound under one cover.
The revamped d10 system is near flawless, and enables dice rolls to slip seamlessly in between the drama. No longer does the story and pace have to suffer as you rummage through separate to-hit and wound rolls, counting up 6+ scores and deducting annoying 1’s.
In essence The World of Darkness Rulebook is as near perfect as one could expect from White Wolf.
It’s background has brought back the horror and mystery that the old WoD had started to lose.
The system itself is such a vast improvement you may feel that the game element has been virtually removed as dice rolls happen on the fly.
What is at the forefront now is the drama, the story. And that is way it was meant to be played.
The old World of darkness will always have a special place in my heart, but I can say it’s progeny is a beautiful thing, something White Wolf can be proud of.

Revised and looking damn good..., 08 Sep 2004
When I first heard that White Wolf were ending their ever popular World of Darkness series, I was pretty astounded. I mean, this is a series of books that has gone on for many years, and has earned them a lot of money. It takes guts to just up and end something like that. We all knew that they were going to release the next stage in the timeline, and we were wondering what it was going to be like. When they released names for the next line of books, my admiration for their courage waned slightly; World of Darkness, Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening, all signiature names for the flagship games they have been touting since they released the World of Darkness originally all them years ago. Apprehension abounded...was this just going to be the same as the old Storyteller games? Was it just the next new edition? How much is going to really be new?

The World of Darkness core book is the main system book, detailing the world, the system, and the main population of the World of Darkness - the Mortals. Things in here will look very familiar to long time fans of the WoD; a world in darkness, gothic-punk, hidden conspiracies, things not being as they seem, the supernatural menace etc. So far, it's fairly typical fare, and doesn't give much reason to own the book if you already have all the old WoD books. But this, in my opinion, is only a surface similarity. Let me get this clear, it is similar to the old World of Darkness, it is similar to the Storyteller system...but this isn't a mere update, this isn't a simple revision. This is an overhaul. Ending the old line gave White Wolf the opportunity to start at the beginning, keep some of the things they liked, and completely change things they didn't. The book itself is very stylish, cover to cover, it's a work of art in itself, with a glossy front cover, and incredible artwork, as you would expect from a White Wolf publication. The stories inside are very well done, and the information is portrayed neatly. As far as the system is concerned, there is much here that old WoD players will recognise, but there are still many changes, mainly used to streamline the rules, making it so that when they come into play, they are over with quickly, bringing the focus back to where it should be, playing the game. And i think making the main book concentrate on mortals is a stroke of genius. It brings to mind the fact that although there are super powers at work in the WoD, the world is primarilly made up of normal, human, mortal masses.

I might have given this book 4 stars on it's own, because although it is an astounding fount of information, there are still many common threads that run between this book and the previous WoD incarnations. But I upped it to 5 because of it's potential. With what's changed, to the system and the world, I can't wait to see what White Wolf do with the upcoming Vampire, Werewolf and Mage sourcebooks, as well as any other expansion books. It's a revolution in the Storytelling system, it's not a simple update at all, it opens up whole worlds of possibility now that White Wolf have more or less restarted after the old WoD became too cluttered with metaplot. If you have the old systems, and you like the old systems, then I suppose you could do away with buying this book. But for new and old gamers alike, I would advise buying this book. It has so much potential, and so many possibilities, and new players will be able to slip into it no problem. Even the old players that like the old system may like to get this simply because I believe the rules make a great deal more sense. In summation...only if you're a dyed in the wool old skool WoD player would I advise against this book, as there are quite a few changes...but if you're a role-player, old or new, buy this book, and have fun...

Not your "run of the mill" dice set, 29 May 2006
These dice are required if you wish to play Vampire: The Requiem, or indeed any of the games set in White Wolf's "World of Darkness" (Although each game has it's own dice design).

These dice are blood red (speckled with black), with the success numbers (8, 9 and 10) in a highly visible silver. They also come with a handy red bag, for storage.

If you intend to buy these dice for anything other than playing a World of Darkness themed game, then don't. While the success numbers are silver, the others are black which can sometimes make them hard to read.

Nothing that's not in the main book, 07 Sep 2008
This book isn't so much a 'for dummies' book as it is a compendium of Vampire: The Requiem. Even the sample characters are copied from the appendix. There are no hints which dont appear in the WoD or VtR books themselves. The only this book is good for is to have it go give to someone who doenst know hoe to play or as a quick reference. I'm glad I bought it second hand as if I had bought it new I would feel ripped off.

The only new material is the top 10 section. However anyone with sense would realise it themselves what the top 10 crone and dracul rituals are.

If it even had new sample charaters, sample stories or something unique then it might be justifablely bought, however it doesn't. It seems to be designed for those who arne't sure if they want to play vampire or not. However as the price new is close enough to the core game book you may as well buy it instead.

Unlike most of the other reveiwers, I've never encountered World of Darkness before, so this is my first foray into the Storytelling system.

The system is a cinch to learn and use. Rolling all those dice in your dice pool gives a feeling of such power!

The book itself is well written and laid out. The 'snippets' of stories used for background info are excellent. Just creepy and dark enough to whet your appitite and get you looking at the world around you in a whole new light (or 'dark'!)

All in all, a must have for any serious gamer.

The New World of Darkness, 09 Feb 2006
White Wolf’s announcement of discontinuing the old World of Darkness line was somewhat of a shock and annoyance to my seasoned players and myself.
How could anything hope to replace our much beloved Vampire, and in general the World of Darkness as a whole?
Scepticism and phobia of the re-released WoD was inevitable, and my first reading of the new World of Darkness Rulebook only helped to deaden my reaction.
But time changes many things, including my outlook.
I bought The World of Darkness Rulebook and Vampire: The Requiem as soon as they were released in the UK, but it was not until a month ago I decided to finally give it a try.
With much apprehension but a burning desire to make it work, I set out to tell my first story in the revamped WoD.
After eventually shunning my preconceptions and generally ignoring the sneers of my fellow players as I passed out the new character sheets, we started.

The World of Darkness Rulebook takes everything that made the old Storyteller system great and given it an overhaul. The result is a slick, beautifully written system that is not only simple to use but wonderfully adaptive.
The lack of meta-plot, something at first that actually turned me off it, in fact frees the Storyteller and players from searching through endless source books to make sure their story fits in with the pre-made background material.
It encourages Storytellers to be as creative as possible, making a setting and plot that befits their style of play and in essence, makes for a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
To publish the World of Darkness Rulebook separately to the other core books (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) may at first seem like an attempt to squeeze an extra few pounds (or dollars from our US cousins) out of the gamers’ pocket.
What it does do is enable you to create and tell stories centred around the mortal ilk of the World of Darkness, an unforgettable and sometimes foreboding experience as your near-helpless human characters are faced with unimaginable power and terror.
When it does come to the point where you wish your characters to become one with the darkness itself, you are no longer faced with buying a book that repeats the rules all over again and gives you very limited background and theme material for the said game.
Everything you need is in this one book, and never before has a fully functional slim-lined system been bound under one cover.
The revamped d10 system is near flawless, and enables dice rolls to slip seamlessly in between the drama. No longer does the story and pace have to suffer as you rummage through separate to-hit and wound rolls, counting up 6+ scores and deducting annoying 1’s.
In essence The World of Darkness Rulebook is as near perfect as one could expect from White Wolf.
It’s background has brought back the horror and mystery that the old WoD had started to lose.
The system itself is such a vast improvement you may feel that the game element has been virtually removed as dice rolls happen on the fly.
What is at the forefront now is the drama, the story. And that is way it was meant to be played.
The old World of darkness will always have a special place in my heart, but I can say it’s progeny is a beautiful thing, something White Wolf can be proud of.

Revised and looking damn good..., 08 Sep 2004
When I first heard that White Wolf were ending their ever popular World of Darkness series, I was pretty astounded. I mean, this is a series of books that has gone on for many years, and has earned them a lot of money. It takes guts to just up and end something like that. We all knew that they were going to release the next stage in the timeline, and we were wondering what it was going to be like. When they released names for the next line of books, my admiration for their courage waned slightly; World of Darkness, Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening, all signiature names for the flagship games they have been touting since they released the World of Darkness originally all them years ago. Apprehension abounded...was this just going to be the same as the old Storyteller games? Was it just the next new edition? How much is going to really be new?

The World of Darkness core book is the main system book, detailing the world, the system, and the main population of the World of Darkness - the Mortals. Things in here will look very familiar to long time fans of the WoD; a world in darkness, gothic-punk, hidden conspiracies, things not being as they seem, the supernatural menace etc. So far, it's fairly typical fare, and doesn't give much reason to own the book if you already have all the old WoD books. But this, in my opinion, is only a surface similarity. Let me get this clear, it is similar to the old World of Darkness, it is similar to the Storyteller system...but this isn't a mere update, this isn't a simple revision. This is an overhaul. Ending the old line gave White Wolf the opportunity to start at the beginning, keep some of the things they liked, and completely change things they didn't. The book itself is very stylish, cover to cover, it's a work of art in itself, with a glossy front cover, and incredible artwork, as you would expect from a White Wolf publication. The stories inside are very well done, and the information is portrayed neatly. As far as the system is concerned, there is much here that old WoD players will recognise, but there are still many changes, mainly used to streamline the rules, making it so that when they come into play, they are over with quickly, bringing the focus back to where it should be, playing the game. And i think making the main book concentrate on mortals is a stroke of genius. It brings to mind the fact that although there are super powers at work in the WoD, the world is primarilly made up of normal, human, mortal masses.

I might have given this book 4 stars on it's own, because although it is an astounding fount of information, there are still many common threads that run between this book and the previous WoD incarnations. But I upped it to 5 because of it's potential. With what's changed, to the system and the world, I can't wait to see what White Wolf do with the upcoming Vampire, Werewolf and Mage sourcebooks, as well as any other expansion books. It's a revolution in the Storytelling system, it's not a simple update at all, it opens up whole worlds of possibility now that White Wolf have more or less restarted after the old WoD became too cluttered with metaplot. If you have the old systems, and you like the old systems, then I suppose you could do away with buying this book. But for new and old gamers alike, I would advise buying this book. It has so much potential, and so many possibilities, and new players will be able to slip into it no problem. Even the old players that like the old system may like to get this simply because I believe the rules make a great deal more sense. In summation...only if you're a dyed in the wool old skool WoD player would I advise against this book, as there are quite a few changes...but if you're a role-player, old or new, buy this book, and have fun...

Not your "run of the mill" dice set, 29 May 2006
These dice are required if you wish to play Vampire: The Requiem, or indeed any of the games set in White Wolf's "World of Darkness" (Although each game has it's own dice design).

These dice are blood red (speckled with black), with the success numbers (8, 9 and 10) in a highly visible silver. They also come with a handy red bag, for storage.

If you intend to buy these dice for anything other than playing a World of Darkness themed game, then don't. While the success numbers are silver, the others are black which can sometimes make them hard to read.

Nothing that's not in the main book, 07 Sep 2008
This book isn't so much a 'for dummies' book as it is a compendium of Vampire: The Requiem. Even the sample characters are copied from the appendix. There are no hints which dont appear in the WoD or VtR books themselves. The only this book is good for is to have it go give to someone who doenst know hoe to play or as a quick reference. I'm glad I bought it second hand as if I had bought it new I would feel ripped off.

The only new material is the top 10 section. However anyone with sense would realise it themselves what the top 10 crone and dracul rituals are.

If it even had new sample charaters, sample stories or something unique then it might be justifablely bought, however it doesn't. It seems to be designed for those who arne't sure if they want to play vampire or not. However as the price new is close enough to the core game book you may as well buy it instead.

ENEMIES A PLENTY, 08 Feb 2005
The book is split into four main chapters the first deals with the undead trying to give ideas and settings for the undead and emphashing the many differnt ways you can use them. The major undead not included being Vampires. Also included are rules for creating undead this gives you the ability to tailor the undead to suit your parties style of play and expirance from the single possed undead to ravaging hordes of zombies. The only thing is it does go on a bit and can be a bit long winded.

The next section deals with the Hunters giving you ideas on how to set them up as oppenants to your charachters with various ways of working and if your players are the hunters it gives you ways to manipulate them. This is a very good section well worth the inclusion in the book and a must have for supernatrual PC games.

The next section deals with cults and I think gets it right on what and how cults operate and its sujjestions on how they should be played I think are spot on. The only thing I might have a problem with is the way its stats that the leader is the glue that holds it all togatherand if they die the cult scatters is wrong. To be honest if the leader dies they become a saint and a new leader will quickly arise perhaps more dedicated than the original.

The last chapter deals with true out and out Monsters for you to play with. It mainly deals with the way to use monsters in your game and how to set the scene. It also tries to get you to think of an origin and story for each monster to make it a more fun expirance than to alsways keep on just dropping in the next mad killing machine for the players to clean up. If you want to do just want to do that they include almost a dozen monster already written up to drop into any story. There is no set system that you absoulate must use to create each monster and it encourages you to expirment what I really like.

At the end of each chapter are given examples of each type of threat discussed with the Monsters being the biggest.

I really like the examples as they are not all uber hard need a tank just to hurt them and some have real problems of there own where other may bring the character's a real criss of conscince.

I think this book is generally well written and the little stories for each chapter just help to bring to life the ideas there trying to get across.

My only problem being at some points the book does get a bit long winded. But it is well well the price and the fact that it is hard back Ithink is great as is the artwork fopr the most part. I hope we see a lot more hardback books from White Wolf as they are well worth the price.

Unlike most of the other reveiwers, I've never encountered World of Darkness before, so this is my first foray into the Storytelling system.

The system is a cinch to learn and use. Rolling all those dice in your dice pool gives a feeling of such power!

The book itself is well written and laid out. The 'snippets' of stories used for background info are excellent. Just creepy and dark enough to whet your appitite and get you looking at the world around you in a whole new light (or 'dark'!)

All in all, a must have for any serious gamer.

The New World of Darkness, 09 Feb 2006
White Wolf’s announcement of discontinuing the old World of Darkness line was somewhat of a shock and annoyance to my seasoned players and myself.
How could anything hope to replace our much beloved Vampire, and in general the World of Darkness as a whole?
Scepticism and phobia of the re-released WoD was inevitable, and my first reading of the new World of Darkness Rulebook only helped to deaden my reaction.
But time changes many things, including my outlook.
I bought The World of Darkness Rulebook and Vampire: The Requiem as soon as they were released in the UK, but it was not until a month ago I decided to finally give it a try.
With much apprehension but a burning desire to make it work, I set out to tell my first story in the revamped WoD.
After eventually shunning my preconceptions and generally ignoring the sneers of my fellow players as I passed out the new character sheets, we started.

The World of Darkness Rulebook takes everything that made the old Storyteller system great and given it an overhaul. The result is a slick, beautifully written system that is not only simple to use but wonderfully adaptive.
The lack of meta-plot, something at first that actually turned me off it, in fact frees the Storyteller and players from searching through endless source books to make sure their story fits in with the pre-made background material.
It encourages Storytellers to be as creative as possible, making a setting and plot that befits their style of play and in essence, makes for a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
To publish the World of Darkness Rulebook separately to the other core books (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage) may at first seem like an attempt to squeeze an extra few pounds (or dollars from our US cousins) out of the gamers’ pocket.
What it does do is enable you to create and tell stories centred around the mortal ilk of the World of Darkness, an unforgettable and sometimes foreboding experience as your near-helpless human characters are faced with unimaginable power and terror.
When it does come to the point where you wish your characters to become one with the darkness itself, you are no longer faced with buying a book that repeats the rules all over again and gives you very limited background and theme material for the said game.
Everything you need is in this one book, and never before has a fully functional slim-lined system been bound under one cover.
The revamped d10 system is near flawless, and enables dice rolls to slip seamlessly in between the drama. No longer does the story and pace have to suffer as you rummage through separate to-hit and wound rolls, counting up 6+ scores and deducting annoying 1’s.
In essence The World of Darkness Rulebook is as near perfect as one could expect from White Wolf.
It’s background has brought back the horror and mystery that the old WoD had started to lose.
The system itself is such a vast improvement you may feel that the game element has been virtually removed as dice rolls happen on the fly.
What is at the forefront now is the drama, the story. And that is way it was meant to be played.
The old World of darkness will always have a special place in my heart, but I can say it’s progeny is a beautiful thing, something White Wolf can be proud of.

Revised and looking damn good..., 08 Sep 2004
When I first heard that White Wolf were ending their ever popular World of Darkness series, I was pretty astounded. I mean, this is a series of books that has gone on for many years, and has earned them a lot of money. It takes guts to just up and end something like that. We all knew that they were going to release the next stage in the timeline, and we were wondering what it was going to be like. When they released names for the next line of books, my admiration for their courage waned slightly; World of Darkness, Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening, all signiature names for the flagship games they have been touting since they released the World of Darkness originally all them years ago. Apprehension abounded...was this just going to be the same as the old Storyteller games? Was it just the next new edition? How much is going to really be new?

The World of Darkness core book is the main system book, detailing the world, the system, and the main population of the World of Darkness - the Mortals. Things in here will look very familiar to long time fans of the WoD; a world in darkness, gothic-punk, hidden conspiracies, things not being as they seem, the supernatural menace etc. So far, it's fairly typical fare, and doesn't give much reason to own the book if you already have all the old WoD books. But this, in my opinion, is only a surface similarity. Let me get this clear, it is similar to the old World of Darkness, it is similar to the Storyteller system...but this isn't a mere update, this isn't a simple revision. This is an overhaul. Ending the old line gave White Wolf the opportunity to start at the beginning, keep some of the things they liked, and completely change things they didn't. The book itself is very stylish, cover to cover, it's a work of art in itself, with a glossy front cover, and incredible artwork, as you would expect from a White Wolf publication. The stories inside are very well done, and the information is portrayed neatly. As far as the system is concerned, there is much here that old WoD players will recognise, but there are still many changes, mainly used to streamline the rules, making it so that when they come into play, they are over with quickly, bringing the focus back to where it should be, playing the game. And i think making the main book concentrate on mortals is a stroke of genius. It brings to mind the fact that although there are super powers at work in the WoD, the world is primarilly made up of normal, human, mortal masses.

I might have given this book 4 stars on it's own, because although it is an astounding fount of information, there are still many common threads that run between this book and the previous WoD incarnations. But I upped it to 5 because of it's potential. With what's changed, to the system and the world, I can't wait to see what White Wolf do with the upcoming Vampire, Werewolf and Mage sourcebooks, as well as any other expansion books. It's a revolution in the Storytelling system, it's not a simple update at all, it opens up whole worlds of possibility now that White Wolf have more or less restarted after the old WoD became too cluttered with metaplot. If you have the old systems, and you like the old systems, then I suppose you could do away with buying this book. But for new and old gamers alike, I would advise buying this book. It has so much potential, and so many possibilities, and new players will be able to slip into it no problem. Even the old players that like the old system may like to get this simply because I believe the rules make a great deal more sense. In summation...only if you're a dyed in the wool old skool WoD player would I advise against this book, as there are quite a few changes...but if you're a role-player, old or new, buy this book, and have fun...

Not your "run of the mill" dice set, 29 May 2006
These dice are required if you wish to play Vampire: The Requiem, or indeed any of the games set in White Wolf's "World of Darkness" (Although each game has it's own dice design).

These dice are blood red (speckled with black), with the success numbers (8, 9 and 10) in a highly visible silver. They also come with a handy red bag, for storage.

If you intend to buy these dice for anything other than playing a World of Darkness themed game, then don't. While the success numbers are silver, the others are black which can sometimes make them hard to read.

Nothing that's not in the main book, 07 Sep 2008
This book isn't so much a 'for dummies' book as it is a compendium of Vampire: The Requiem. Even the sample characters are copied from the appendix. There are no hints which dont appear in the WoD or VtR books themselves. The only this book is good for is to have it go give to someone who doenst know hoe to play or as a quick reference. I'm glad I bought it second hand as if I had bought it new I would feel ripped off.

The only new material is the top 10 section. However anyone with sense would realise it themselves what the top 10 crone and dracul rituals are.

If it even had new sample charaters, sample stories or something unique then it might be justifablely bought, however it doesn't. It seems to be designed for those who arne't sure if they want to play vampire or not. However as the price new is close enough to the core game book you may as well buy it instead.

ENEMIES A PLENTY, 08 Feb 2005
The book is split into four main chapters the first deals with the undead trying to give ideas and settings for the undead and emphashing the many differnt ways you can use them. The major undead not included being Vampires. Also included are rules for creating undead this gives you the ability to tailor the undead to suit your parties style of play and expirance from the single possed undead to ravaging hordes of zombies. The only thing is it does go on a bit and can be a bit long winded.

The next section deals with the Hunters giving you ideas on how to set them up as oppenants to your charachters with various ways of working and if your players are the hunters it gives you ways to manipulate them. This is a very good section well worth the inclusion in the book and a must have for supernatrual PC games.

The next section deals with cults and I think gets it right on what and how cults operate and its sujjestions on how they should be played I think are spot on. The only thing I might have a problem with is the way its stats that the leader is the glue that holds it all togatherand if they die the cult scatters is wrong. To be honest if the leader dies they become a saint and a new leader will quickly arise perhaps more dedicated than the original.

The last chapter deals with true out and out Monsters for you to play with. It mainly deals with the way to use monsters in your game and how to set the scene. It also tries to get you to think of an origin and story for each monster to make it a more fun expirance than to alsways keep on just dropping in the next mad killing machine for the players to clean up. If you want to do just want to do that they include almost a dozen monster already written up to drop into any story. There is no set system that you absoulate must use to create each monster and it encourages you to expirment what I really like.

At the end of each chapter are given examples of each type of threat discussed with the Monsters being the biggest.

I really like the examples as they are not all uber hard need a tank just to hurt them and some have real problems of there own where other may bring the character's a real criss of conscince.

I think this book is generally well written and the little stories for each chapter just help to bring to life the ideas there trying to get across.

My only problem being at some points the book does get a bit long winded. But it is well well the price and the fact that it is hard back Ithink is great as is the artwork fopr the most part. I hope we see a lot more hardback books from White Wolf as they are well worth the price.

For anyone interested in the Fatima/Lucita story!, 10 Jun 2001
Following the story behind the Clan Novels, in this book we see Lucita trying to reach her target, which is protected by another Lasombra, Talley the Hound, sent by Lucita's own sire, Cardinal Monçada, to stop her. See what happens when Fatima herself is assigned to kill Monçada! And the price for failure is well known...We also discover more about the inner-workings of clan Assamite, and about the awakening of the Sephard, Ur-Shulgi, he who shattered the long-standing curse of the Tremere,and the effect this had in all of the Assamites. There are winds of change in the Eagle's Nest, and who knows what will happen next? I find this book to be very good, the plot is fascinating, a very carefully weaved web of intrigue, mistery and death... The details concerning the Children of Haquim are revealing in a way i've never seen before, and what goes on in this book will certainly change the future of the clan.