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World of Darkness: Sorceror

Author: James Estes Looking Eagle, Phil Brucato
Category: game
Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studio
Line: World of Darkness
Cost: $16 (US)
Page count: 128 pages
ISBN: 1-56504-5-451-7
SKU: WW4010
Capsule Review by Bradford C. Walker on 08/03/99.
Genre tags: Fantasy Modern_day Horror Conspiracy Gothic
For everyone that digs hedge magic, or just wants to use it, this is the book you've waited for.

Chapter One has all of the information you need to portray a sorceror as a character in the World of Darkness. It also covers all of the reasons for playing such a character, from issues of practicality to issues of genre appropriateness, to the challenge of playing someone who's power can't be exercised on a whim- thus requiring patience, wit, and a good sense of timing. It addresses the fundamental differences between a hedge mage and a True Mage, which is more than the differences between Paths and Spheres.

Chapter Two has a handful of societies that deal with hedge magic, in whatever form they care to call it, but I have no love for any of them. I'd rather use the real names, and the real people, for my hedge magic societies. It's easier, it's faster, and it's much better for creating a strong suspension of disbelief than a thinly-veiled version of the real deal.

Chapter Three has all of the character creation mechanics. There's nothing here to make it stand out over anything else published for the World of Darkness, so suffice it to say that it's just as good as the rest. At least the book includes conversions for mortals who Awaken, get Embraced, become Wraiths, or become Mummies.

Chapter Four has the meat. This is where all of the Paths and Rituals are, and it's it good eating for the hungry minds. With what you find here, you can keep busy for months (or longer) working at building a sorceror PC up to the point where he can pull of some of the truly impressive magics. The variety of stuff is also quite neat, because you go from Alchemy to Weathercraft. There's also Hellfire, Cursing, Summoning (two types), Countermagic, and more. After this book, you need not despair for hedge magic ever again.

Chapter Five has the sample PCs, which feel a lot like sample Mage PCs, and plenty of them look and feel a lot like people I know in real life. Who would've thunk it, eh?

The appendix has the Notable Hedgers of days past, and plenty of Relics for you and your fellows to play with. The toys are neat, but not completely safe. They have anti-munchkin failsafes built in, so don't worry about it too much.

Should you get it? Only if you need hedge magic in abundance. The rest of you can get by without it and never miss its presence.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

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