This is the first of several reviews of revised Clanbooks — later I'll discuss both Clanbook: Lasombra (Revised) and Clanbook: Tzimisce (Revised). To set the stage, here is Clanbook: Ventrue (Revised).
Since I own several first edition Clanbooks I thought it would be nice to start with a discussion of the main differences between the first edition Clanbooks and the Revised line. In my later reviews I'll refer to this section, so as to minimise the amount of redundancy. It'll take some time, so bear with me.
White Wolf is one of those publishers who excel in bringing out book after book highlighting the various fractions in each of their games: we got Kithbooks in Changeling, Tribebooks in Werewolf, and so on. Vampire has its own type of 'splatbook' (for that's the derogative nickname these books got): the Clanbook.
The first editions of these books weren't that great, except for some notable exceptions (Clanbook: Giovanni, for instance). They were 72-page perfect-bound books, with black-and-white interior and a full-colour cover. The idea was always the same: first you got a piece of fiction, setting the atmosphere of the book. Then the history of the clan was discussed from the point of view of some vampires belonging to the clan. History gave rise to the traditions and organisation of the clan. After that, we got some stereotypical views on the other clans, the sects and the other supernatural beings out there. Goodies (new Merits, Flaws, Disciplines etc.) were next. Following the goodies were 10 character templates and a write-up of (in)famous members of the clan. A four-page character sheet rounded out the book. Of course, there was some deviation from this theme, but it was little.
Well, the new clanbooks are still very much a cookie-cutter affair, but some notable changes were made. Sure, the books still have a black-and-white interior, a full-colour cover, and are perfect bound. The first difference is that the page count is raised considerably: instead of 72 pages, we get 104 pages. The extra rules that are given in the book also get a Mind's Eye Theatre version. (MET is the live-action roleplaying division of White Wolf). This carries over to the character templates. In the first edition, a template consisted of a picture and a description on the left and a filled-in character sheet on the right-hand page. In the Revised clanbooks, the character sheet is made very small and put on the same page as the description and the picture. Added is a one-half page MET character sheet, with two of those put on one page. This results in a total of 15 pages of character templates, with more information on them, than 20 pages in the first edition. This, combined with more pages and generally less art, leads to a clanbook with a lot more space to actually discuss the clan in a thorough manner. Part of this is filled with a sample brood (a group of vampires sired by the same vampire).
The art direction of the new clanbooks has also changed. The cover illustrations are done by John Van Fleet and were first used as the chapter frontispieces in the Revised core book. The character templates are now made by Leif Jones, instead of Joshua Gabriel Timbrook. The "vampires of note" are done by Christopher Shy in his distinct dark style — while not to my liking (every character portrait looks like the other), many people will love this choice of artist. The main look of the books has also changed. The older clanbooks were a jumble of different artists thrown haphazardly through the book. Clanbook: Nosferatu included snapshots of litter, and Clanbook: Ventrue included works by Van Eyk and Durer. This is replaced by a more consistent art direction: every chapter in each book has its own artist. This approach has the merit of still showcasing the various styles and perspectives of the different artists while presenting a more uniform look. The number of illustrations in the clanbooks has decreased, adding to the amount of text available in one book.
The contents
The book opens with the obligatory fiction: To Fail And Succeed. As with most gaming fiction, it did make me feel neither warm nor cold. It tells us about the Embrace of a low aide into the ranks of Clan Ventrue by a high-standing businessman. Well, at least the story gets the methods of the clan across.
The Ventrue see themselves as the first clan among the Kindred. The first real chapter, The Kings of the Kindred, tells us why they see themselves in this way and what the history of the clan is. It runs for 22 pages and tells us first of the birth of Ventrue as the first of the Third Generation. Apparently, Caine placed Ventrue under his direct supervision. The rest of the chapter discusses the rise, fall and rebirth of the clan through the ages. The intricate history of the clan is entwined with that of the Old World. The Brujah Wars are discussed at last (the first clanbook hardly mentions them). After this we get the fall of Clan Ventrue, only to rise again with the birth of the Camarilla. The chapter's main goal is to drive home the point that the clan's history is its guide, and it succeeds herein. Several excellent sidebars are provided, discussing for instance the fact that Embracing famous mortals is not a smart thing.
Chapter Two: The King Is Dead, Long Live the King is the longest of the book and amounts to 46 pages. A good thing, for this section provides the meat of the book. Richard Dakan introduces the term dignitas: a Roman term that "encompasses not only dignity, but also many of the Japanese ideals summarized in the word 'face' (as in saving face). Dignitas is a person's standing in society, a measure of his accomplishments, his social stature and his honor." It's an interesting term, which is hard to put into any rules. The author understandably refrains from doing so, but also neglects to give any guidelines.
After this the organisation, the traditions, the protocols and the methods of the clan are discussed at great length. How is the clan organised? In what way does the clan interact with the mortal world and how does it achieve such wealth and power? All these questions (and more) are answered. The answers to the last question in particular are very interesting and makes me wonder what The Gilded Cage has to add to that.
Intertwined between this are the answers to questions relating to neonates. What are the reasons for a Ventrue to Embrace a mortal? How does the sire educate the child? The best subsection here is a primer on how to achieve a desirable power level. This is very useful stuff and it accomplishes something I think every splatbook should: making a fraction more playable for players, and new players in particular. Kudo's to Mr Dakan here. The only thing what I wanted for is a set of guidelines regarding the use of the clan weakness: just how specific and restrictive must the choice of vessels be?
The clans outlook on the other clans are presented next. This section is rather pedestrian and even lacks some important items: no mention is made of the Ventrue's view of the Sabbat. And while we get the Ventrue's opinion on the departure of the Gangrel from the Camarilla, we don't get the Ventrue's opinion on the Gangrel themselves. To add insult to injury: while the author commendably avoids the mistake of mentioning every supernatural in the overcrowded World of Darkness, he doesn't mention any supernatural.
People who like new rules (Merits, Disciplines, etc.) will be disappointed with Clanbook: Ventrue: it provides a mere two pages. Nothing amazing here, except for the Level Seven (!) Fortitude power Curse The Laurel: I thought this power is more suitable for a more physically-minded clan, such as the Gangrel.
The final chapter, Of August Blood, gives us the 10 character templates. The sample brood is called Bilé's Gambit and gives us an idea of the things a Ventrue will do to achieve power. Descriptions of three infamous Ventrue round out the book, one of them another write-up of Jan Pieterszoon. Decent stuff, this last chapter, but nothing brilliant here.
The information found in this book is very useful. I have, however, two problems with the book. First is the way the information is presented, its general feel. The picture the book sometimes paints is that of a stereotype of Clan Ventrue: cold, arrogant and aloof. It makes the clan less likeable. I don't know whether this was intentional.
The second problem is maybe a "luxury problem": the book is very useful, but never did it struck me as brilliant. Nothing jumped out from the pages and provoked me.
The look
As I said in the introduction, the look of the revised clanbooks is much more uniform, and also much cleaner. The artists in Ventrue are (apart from Leif Jones and Christopher Shy) Steve Ellis (chapter one), Vince Locke (chapter two) and Andy Trabbold (chapter frontispieces). I think that Steve Ellis' hard lines are more suited for Werewolf than for a sophisticated clan such as the Ventrue. Vince Locke's work is much more appropriate, but why some of the illustrations feature Tzimisce-like monsters is beyond my grasp. Slip of the Masquerade, anyone? Trabbold's signature fine lines are very nice and draw a noble vampire. Very good.
The layout is very clean, with no noticeable errors. The editing was likewise: I didn't find any mistakes. Dakan's writing style is good, although his sentences are sometimes a bit long. The general tone of the book is a bit aloof, in a way matching the arrogance of the clan. All in all, very little detracts, presentation-wise, from this neat book.
Conclusion
What can I say? This revised edition of Clanbook: Ventrue is a good book: well written, handsomely presented, and lots of information. It takes full use of its page count, and I there was little more I could have asked for. The book has some minor flaws, preventing its grades to rise to the full five. One of those flaws is the fact that nothing really inspired me: this supplement is solid, but not a high-flyer.
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