The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Society in Shadows is "a Live Action Role Playing Experience," also suitable for tabletop gaming. It undoubtedly owes alot to White Wolf's World of Darkness, but that does not mean that it is a worthless copy. In fact, I would say that in some ways this new modern horror roleplaying game is superior as a vehicle for larping than the World of Darkness games. A First Edition has not been published yet, but they are marketing a preview edition for $18 that gives all the rules that you need to play. Unfortunately, the preview edition, as you may guess, contains many typographical errors and very little artwork.

The SiS System uses a point based system with colored marbles as a randomizer. Their method is virtually cheatproof, doesn't rely on dice or a smooth surface to throw dice, and your stats mean much more than they do with the Mind's Eye Theater Rock/Paper/Scissors method. The system is readily adaptable to other genres. I already have plans in the work to do a weekend-long LARP set in the Middle Ages, using the SiS system.

Another advantage that SiS has over the WoD is the description of the characters and society. In WoD, you always know who your friends and enemies are based on the character class that they are playing. SiS bases its politics on politics not the character class, therefore you spend more time trying to create allegiances and disrupt other players alliances.

The final advantage that SiS has over WoD is that it is a truly integrated system. If you play a wraith or a fairy in WoD, you will have a hard time finding reason or capability to even affect other character classes. Werewolves automatically kill any other character class that stands up to them. In SiS, the classes are well-balanced. In fact if any class is tougher, than the others, it would be the psionicists, termed Adepts by the game. In addition to adepts, there are Aeternari(Life Force draining undead), Shammas(werewolves and other lycanthropes), Sidhe(fairies), Sorcerers, and Vampyres. Each class has its own abilities and weaknesses,but none drastically outclass the others.

The First edition is scheduled for publication in January. They can contacted at http://wiie.com,wyrd@wiie.com or call (785)749-4406.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Society In Shadows
Author: Jerry Myers II Category: game Company/Publisher: Wyrd Images Cost: 18.00 Page count: 209 Playtest Review by Martin Nussbaum on 10/02/97. Genre tags: none	Society in Shadows is "a Live Action Role Playing Experience," also suitable for tabletop gaming. It undoubtedly owes alot to White Wolf's World of Darkness, but that does not mean that it is a worthless copy. In fact, I would say that in some ways this new modern horror roleplaying game is superior as a vehicle for larping than the World of Darkness games. A First Edition has not been published yet, but they are marketing a preview edition for $18 that gives all the rules that you need to play. Unfortunately, the preview edition, as you may guess, contains many typographical errors and very little artwork. The SiS System uses a point based system with colored marbles as a randomizer. Their method is virtually cheatproof, doesn't rely on dice or a smooth surface to throw dice, and your stats mean much more than they do with the Mind's Eye Theater Rock/Paper/Scissors method. The system is readily adaptable to other genres. I already have plans in the work to do a weekend-long LARP set in the Middle Ages, using the SiS system. Another advantage that SiS has over the WoD is the description of the characters and society. In WoD, you always know who your friends and enemies are based on the character class that they are playing. SiS bases its politics on politics not the character class, therefore you spend more time trying to create allegiances and disrupt other players alliances. The final advantage that SiS has over WoD is that it is a truly integrated system. If you play a wraith or a fairy in WoD, you will have a hard time finding reason or capability to even affect other character classes. Werewolves automatically kill any other character class that stands up to them. In SiS, the classes are well-balanced. In fact if any class is tougher, than the others, it would be the psionicists, termed Adepts by the game. In addition to adepts, there are Aeternari(Life Force draining undead), Shammas(werewolves and other lycanthropes), Sidhe(fairies), Sorcerers, and Vampyres. Each class has its own abilities and weaknesses,but none drastically outclass the others. The First edition is scheduled for publication in January. They can contacted at http://wiie.com,wyrd@wiie.com or call (785)749-4406. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Society In Shadows