The Inside Scoop on Gaming

It seemed somehow inevitable that the most compelling game which White Wolf put out as a part of its World of Darkness line would eventually meet its end due to lack of sales. The sheer psychological complexity of the game made it, for many, unplayable. A great concept, but just not practical (or, some claimed, enjoyable) to run. However, in the last couple years it seemed like the playability factor was increasing rapidly with the release of the second edition and supplements like the Book of Legions and Doomslayers. Unfortunately, it seemed like too little too late.

However, this book almost makes up for it. A beautifully crafted end to the line, it manages to tie up all outstanding plot threads, answer all of our questions, and still leave us with an infinite amount of possibility for future games. There is something touching about the way the authors trust the players of the game to be able to take it beyond the end of the published material. It makes this book seem less condescending than most White Wolf supplements. Certainly less than it should have, being, as it were, a supplement about the end of the world as we know it. Rather than an overbearing metaplot handed down from on high, like in the other lines, Wraith's Year of the Reckoning offering is a collaborative effort between the writers and the players to take the game into new places, towards new possibilities.

Chapter One brings us up to date with the Kingdom of Jade, detailing the most recent developments in their plan for an invasion of Stygia and highlighting the activities of the movers and shakers, as well as giving a fine history of such conflicts in the past (the Boxer Rebellion and Port Arthur being the most notable). While it is a little hard to follow if you don't own the Dark Kingdom of Jade supplement, it isn't impossible. They cover the material with enough detail that you have what you need to run the events of the included adventure and related scenarios with it.

Chapter Two is the four-part adventure which takes the players through the last days of Stygia, including the initial attack by the Jade Empire, the reprecussions of the attack on Enoch, the return of Charon, and the final seige of Stygia. Well crafted and versatile enough to allow for many different styles of play, it is both well-paced, thorough, and emotionally charged. While I don't want to give away too many spoilers, it does set up the characters to be pivotal to the aftermath of the Stygian Empire, which might seem cheesy were it not for the excellent writing and the theme of Fate which plays heavily into events.

Chapter Three details the Ferryman, at long last. Giving their history, many of their secrets, and details of their secret headquarters, it is full of long awaited revelations. However, a few items are left to speculation (such as the true nature of the Mourners). Also, rules are given for Ferryman PCs and NPCs, including alloyed Arcanoi (as per Great War), Artifacts, a new Background, and two new Skills. In keeping with the rest of the material, it presents information and answers questions relevant to the plot unfolded in the previous chapter, a trend which continues in the next seemingly autonomous section.

Chapter Four is the Mnemoi guildbook. Honestly, this has been tied with Intimation as my least favorite Arcanos. I've never felt that it had much of a place in the setting or in the themes of Wraith. This section changed my mind. Made pivotal to the events of the fall, they are made compelling, tragic, and presented in such a way as to offer myriad possibilities. The expansion of the power to include the construction of memory palaces, mnemonic mental constructs where they store collected memories is fascinating and presents wonderful opportunities for plots.

The Appendix ties up the rest of the loose ends, going through first the notable personages and then through places and giving short summaries of what happened to them and how they are reacting to the Sixth Great Maelstrom and the fall of Stygia. It manages to be fully informative while still being terse and leaves the details to the Storyteller's imagination. It also acts as a handy index, so that you are not required to leaf through the book to dig for the fate of a specific individual.

There is also a discussion of possibilities for chronicles set after the events of the book. While the plot device of throwing a world setting into chaos in order to freshen it up has been used before (see Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms for good examples), this doesn't have the same sense of abruptness that the others do. The way it is presented, it seems inevitable, and the hints have been there all alone. Thus, rather than being a sudden, drastic change, it is part of a continuing story. Not destructive to the setting and other interpretations, but well-integrated enough to be used in a variety of chronicles, opening up avenues rather than shutting them down.

All in all, I am glad for this. As the final farewell of the Wraith staff, it is worthy of its distinction. As part of the Wraith line, it continues the quality and magnificent combination of arching themes, political intrigues, and personal character-driven storytelling.

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

Ends of Empire
Author: Bruce Baugh, Richard Dansky, Geoffrey Grabowski, Ed Huang Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studio Line: Wraith: The Oblivion Cost: $19.95 Page count: 157 ISBN: 1-56504-618-8 SKU: WW6014 Capsule Review by Eric Christian Berg on 10/08/99. Genre tags: Modern_day Horror Gothic	It seemed somehow inevitable that the most compelling game which White Wolf put out as a part of its World of Darkness line would eventually meet its end due to lack of sales. The sheer psychological complexity of the game made it, for many, unplayable. A great concept, but just not practical (or, some claimed, enjoyable) to run. However, in the last couple years it seemed like the playability factor was increasing rapidly with the release of the second edition and supplements like the Book of Legions and Doomslayers. Unfortunately, it seemed like too little too late. However, this book almost makes up for it. A beautifully crafted end to the line, it manages to tie up all outstanding plot threads, answer all of our questions, and still leave us with an infinite amount of possibility for future games. There is something touching about the way the authors trust the players of the game to be able to take it beyond the end of the published material. It makes this book seem less condescending than most White Wolf supplements. Certainly less than it should have, being, as it were, a supplement about the end of the world as we know it. Rather than an overbearing metaplot handed down from on high, like in the other lines, Wraith's Year of the Reckoning offering is a collaborative effort between the writers and the players to take the game into new places, towards new possibilities. Chapter One brings us up to date with the Kingdom of Jade, detailing the most recent developments in their plan for an invasion of Stygia and highlighting the activities of the movers and shakers, as well as giving a fine history of such conflicts in the past (the Boxer Rebellion and Port Arthur being the most notable). While it is a little hard to follow if you don't own the Dark Kingdom of Jade supplement, it isn't impossible. They cover the material with enough detail that you have what you need to run the events of the included adventure and related scenarios with it. Chapter Two is the four-part adventure which takes the players through the last days of Stygia, including the initial attack by the Jade Empire, the reprecussions of the attack on Enoch, the return of Charon, and the final seige of Stygia. Well crafted and versatile enough to allow for many different styles of play, it is both well-paced, thorough, and emotionally charged. While I don't want to give away too many spoilers, it does set up the characters to be pivotal to the aftermath of the Stygian Empire, which might seem cheesy were it not for the excellent writing and the theme of Fate which plays heavily into events. Chapter Three details the Ferryman, at long last. Giving their history, many of their secrets, and details of their secret headquarters, it is full of long awaited revelations. However, a few items are left to speculation (such as the true nature of the Mourners). Also, rules are given for Ferryman PCs and NPCs, including alloyed Arcanoi (as per Great War), Artifacts, a new Background, and two new Skills. In keeping with the rest of the material, it presents information and answers questions relevant to the plot unfolded in the previous chapter, a trend which continues in the next seemingly autonomous section. Chapter Four is the Mnemoi guildbook. Honestly, this has been tied with Intimation as my least favorite Arcanos. I've never felt that it had much of a place in the setting or in the themes of Wraith. This section changed my mind. Made pivotal to the events of the fall, they are made compelling, tragic, and presented in such a way as to offer myriad possibilities. The expansion of the power to include the construction of memory palaces, mnemonic mental constructs where they store collected memories is fascinating and presents wonderful opportunities for plots. The Appendix ties up the rest of the loose ends, going through first the notable personages and then through places and giving short summaries of what happened to them and how they are reacting to the Sixth Great Maelstrom and the fall of Stygia. It manages to be fully informative while still being terse and leaves the details to the Storyteller's imagination. It also acts as a handy index, so that you are not required to leaf through the book to dig for the fate of a specific individual. There is also a discussion of possibilities for chronicles set after the events of the book. While the plot device of throwing a world setting into chaos in order to freshen it up has been used before (see Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms for good examples), this doesn't have the same sense of abruptness that the others do. The way it is presented, it seems inevitable, and the hints have been there all alone. Thus, rather than being a sudden, drastic change, it is part of a continuing story. Not destructive to the setting and other interpretations, but well-integrated enough to be used in a variety of chronicles, opening up avenues rather than shutting them down. All in all, I am glad for this. As the final farewell of the Wraith staff, it is worthy of its distinction. As part of the Wraith line, it continues the quality and magnificent combination of arching themes, political intrigues, and personal character-driven storytelling. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Ends of Empire