The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I must admit that I bought M:SC, loved it, and then shelved it because I just haven't have the time or inclination to do the necessary research to actually run the game. With this supplement, however, I have pulled it back off the shelf, dusted it off, and am contemplating the campaign I want to run.

Chapter One is invaluable. Honestly, this really should have been in the main book, because I can't imagine trying to run an M:SC game without it. It covers all sorts of mundane aspects of life during the Renaissance. Clothing, money, food, disease, customs -- it is all in there. Everything you need to actually give yourself and your players some idea of how things are during the period. I have always found that the most difficult thing with historical games is making people comfortable with the period without giving them numerous books to read. This section is short, concise, and manages to pack everything in they need to know.

Chapter Two is on religion and continues the excellent treatment of such that has graced such recent White Wolf publications as

The Cainite Heresy and

Jerusalem by Night. Religion is of central importance during these historical periods and it is nice to see them getting detailed, in depth, and interesting treatment that works them into the game without being condescending or simplistic. The chapter itself is split into sections for Catholicism, Protestantism, Paganism, Judaism, and Infernalism. Unfortunately, there isn't much on Islam, which is a pity, particularly given that much of the re-discovered knowledge surfacing during the Renaissance has been preserved and expounded on by Islamic scholars, who saved many Greek, Egyptian, and Roman scholarship from oblivion.

Chapter Three details some prominant civilizations outside of Europe, including the Ottomans, Cathay, West Africa, and South America. Although I wished there was more here, I also recognized that any more detailed treatment would have dominated the book. What is given is surely enough to build on, and they take great pains to give the same sort of details as Chapter One did for Europe, so that you can adequately describe life in these kingdoms. Also, there is a mythical realm called the Dragon Isles which is just outstanding. A drifting archipeligo that defies maps and definition, it is a haven for lost travellers and the inspiration for legends such as Avalon and I Brazil. Wonderful stuff.

Chapter Four is a collection of some of the most playable and well-researched Craft mages I have ever come across. While those in the

Book of Crafts are generally unplayable due to odd concept quirks (like the Hem-Ka Sobk) or massive xenophobia, these are well-integrated into the setting material for their cultures and, with this context, really come alive and have a lot of potential for use, particularly in conjuction with the previous chapter. The two together are invaluable for a Explorator campaign or one based around emissaries of the Council of Nine.

Chapter Five includes the obligatory new abilities, merits, and flaws, which are as good as these generally get, even if they seem a bit repetitious with other such efforts from other supplements.

Chapter Six is a wonderful treatment and clarification of Scourge that includes a fine collection of Scourgelings that actually salvages the entire concept for me. Rather than being 'sterile' spirits with little depth or detail to make them interesting, these new offerings are all culture specific, with foibles, histories, and mannerisms that actually bring them alive and make them seem part of the game rather than a lame way to enforce a game mechanics. Now if they could just do the same thing for the spheres...

The Appendix is, as appendices are wont to be, a collection of disparate elements which don't fit terribly well anywhere else. The three major sections are fencing, which gives a wonderful, system-light treatment of the history, style, and place of fencing and duelling in the Renaissance world; herbalism, allowing another nice touch of authenticity for Euthanatos poisoners and Verbena midwives; and historical personages, which joins the first Chapter among the ranks of invaluable information for running the campaign.

The last part, in particular, deserves special note. Rather than approaching it as a straight list of names, which is hard to use and absorb, it sorts them first by families and then by sphere of influence. The first bunch lets you get a grasp on the major lineages who dominate the political landscape of the period (from Sforzas to Hapsburgs) and the second gives you notable figures in Science, Scholarship, Politics, and several other areas. This is immensely easier to reference and use.

All in all, this is a fantastic supplement. Fully worth the money I paid for it and invaluable to anyone interesting in running a long term M:SC campaign (particularly if they intend to transcend the Eurocentric focus). I only wish I hadn't left it in my car and melted the binding...

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

The Sorcerer's Crusade Companion
Author: Phil Brucato, et al. Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studio Line: Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade Cost: $22.95 Page count: 192 ISBN: 1-56504-494-0 Capsule Review by Eric Christian Berg on 08/26/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Historical	I must admit that I bought M:SC, loved it, and then shelved it because I just haven't have the time or inclination to do the necessary research to actually run the game. With this supplement, however, I have pulled it back off the shelf, dusted it off, and am contemplating the campaign I want to run. Chapter One is invaluable. Honestly, this really should have been in the main book, because I can't imagine trying to run an M:SC game without it. It covers all sorts of mundane aspects of life during the Renaissance. Clothing, money, food, disease, customs -- it is all in there. Everything you need to actually give yourself and your players some idea of how things are during the period. I have always found that the most difficult thing with historical games is making people comfortable with the period without giving them numerous books to read. This section is short, concise, and manages to pack everything in they need to know. Chapter Two is on religion and continues the excellent treatment of such that has graced such recent White Wolf publications as The Cainite Heresy and Jerusalem by Night . Religion is of central importance during these historical periods and it is nice to see them getting detailed, in depth, and interesting treatment that works them into the game without being condescending or simplistic. The chapter itself is split into sections for Catholicism, Protestantism, Paganism, Judaism, and Infernalism. Unfortunately, there isn't much on Islam, which is a pity, particularly given that much of the re-discovered knowledge surfacing during the Renaissance has been preserved and expounded on by Islamic scholars, who saved many Greek, Egyptian, and Roman scholarship from oblivion. Chapter Three details some prominant civilizations outside of Europe, including the Ottomans, Cathay, West Africa, and South America. Although I wished there was more here, I also recognized that any more detailed treatment would have dominated the book. What is given is surely enough to build on, and they take great pains to give the same sort of details as Chapter One did for Europe, so that you can adequately describe life in these kingdoms. Also, there is a mythical realm called the Dragon Isles which is just outstanding. A drifting archipeligo that defies maps and definition, it is a haven for lost travellers and the inspiration for legends such as Avalon and I Brazil. Wonderful stuff. Chapter Four is a collection of some of the most playable and well-researched Craft mages I have ever come across. While those in the Book of Crafts are generally unplayable due to odd concept quirks (like the Hem-Ka Sobk) or massive xenophobia, these are well-integrated into the setting material for their cultures and, with this context, really come alive and have a lot of potential for use, particularly in conjuction with the previous chapter. The two together are invaluable for a Explorator campaign or one based around emissaries of the Council of Nine. Chapter Five includes the obligatory new abilities, merits, and flaws, which are as good as these generally get, even if they seem a bit repetitious with other such efforts from other supplements. Chapter Six is a wonderful treatment and clarification of Scourge that includes a fine collection of Scourgelings that actually salvages the entire concept for me. Rather than being 'sterile' spirits with little depth or detail to make them interesting, these new offerings are all culture specific, with foibles, histories, and mannerisms that actually bring them alive and make them seem part of the game rather than a lame way to enforce a game mechanics. Now if they could just do the same thing for the spheres... The Appendix is, as appendices are wont to be, a collection of disparate elements which don't fit terribly well anywhere else. The three major sections are fencing, which gives a wonderful, system-light treatment of the history, style, and place of fencing and duelling in the Renaissance world; herbalism, allowing another nice touch of authenticity for Euthanatos poisoners and Verbena midwives; and historical personages, which joins the first Chapter among the ranks of invaluable information for running the campaign. The last part, in particular, deserves special note. Rather than approaching it as a straight list of names, which is hard to use and absorb, it sorts them first by families and then by sphere of influence. The first bunch lets you get a grasp on the major lineages who dominate the political landscape of the period (from Sforzas to Hapsburgs) and the second gives you notable figures in Science, Scholarship, Politics, and several other areas. This is immensely easier to reference and use. All in all, this is a fantastic supplement. Fully worth the money I paid for it and invaluable to anyone interesting in running a long term M:SC campaign (particularly if they intend to transcend the Eurocentric focus). I only wish I hadn't left it in my car and melted the binding... Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

The Sorcerer's Crusade Companion