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Bastet: The Players Guide to Werecats for Werewolf: The

Author: Phil Brucato with Bill Bridges and Richard Dansky
Category: game
Company/Publisher: White Wolf
Line: Werewolf
Cost: $18
Page count: 160
Capsule Review by Lisa Padol on 05/07/99.
Genre tags: Fantasy Modern_day

Bastet: The Players Guide to Werecats for Werewolf: The Apocalypse Changing Breed Book 1

by Phil Brucato with Bill Bridges and Richard Dansky

White Wolf 780 Park North Boulevard Suite 100 Clarkston, GA 30021

$18.00

160 pgs, perfect bound

A-

This review was intended for The Familiar, but it was never printed, as far as I know.

Who says there is no truth in advertising? The authors describe Bastet as "sort of a rulebook, tribebook and players guide all in one" and that is exactly what it is. Bastet is an example of what I would have liked WW to do with the five major Storyteller games. It does not repeat information or core rules from Werewolf; it simply tells you what else you need to know to play a Bastet. This means that you will need Werewolf to use Bastet, but you will not need anything else.

The nine tribes of the Bastet, from the werepuma to the werelion, are described, as are the outcast werehyenas. There are chapters on character creation and magic, as well as sections on fetishes, spirits and totems. In addition, there are five Bastet character templates, although the overview in the introduction claims that there are nine. I do not know if that was a misprint, or if four templates were cut.

The short comic strip at the beginning is confusing enough that I had to read it several times before I figured out what was happening, but the rest of the book is clear, and is enhanced with sections narrated by several Bastet. The sections piece together to provide entertaining stories about the adventures of a few individuals, as well as insight into the culture of the Bastet as a whole.

Another good touch is that the Bastet have a much more ambiguous attitude towards humanity than the Garou. After all, humans often care for cats. Besides, what cat could resist being curious about humanity's wonderful gadgets? This is a welcome relief from the anti-technology anti-city stance displayed in many of WW's supplements to date.

Bastet is a product that delivers what it promises, and delivers in style. It is worth every penny of the asking price if you are running or playing in a campaign where the werefelinoids play a major role.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

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