The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Having long possessed an interest in LARP bordering on the obsessive, I have always tried to get my grubby little paws on any new live-action gaming system or supplement that cross my path. I will long remember the day I found Shades of Nightfall awaiting me on the shelf. For the uninitiated, I will say this. SoN is perhaps the most novel game in my collection. Novel in its forthright unoriginality, delicious in its inanity, this alleged roleplaying game is paralyzingly self-important and jaw-droppingly wretched. I know of only one gaming community that has attempted to run a lengthy game using its precepts, and I will say this: they are braver folks than I. Then again, so were my high school classmates who shot pressurized cheese spread up their noses during the lunch period, and so is the guy who eats crickets for a living at the state fair.

OH, THE HUMANITY!

The back-cover blurb sets the stage for the SoN experience, proclaiming: "This is not a clumsy adaptation of a tabletop game." That's correct- its clumsiness is 100% original. "In opposition to the gross commercialization of roleplaying games, Shades of Nightfall is complete in this book; there are no other supplements needed to become a vampire in the world of Dark Reality." This is quite good, since it implies this company won't be offering many books in a similar vein, and somehow I'm okay with that.

SETTING

SoN is set in- isn't this precious- "Dark Reality." Dark Reality, it turns out, is much like our own world, except it's ... darker! Yes indeed, the missing chapter of the Book of Revelations it isn't. It seems, gentle readers, that the World of Darkness has a younger, smaller, more introverted cousin named Dark Reality. I'll call it "Li'l Darkie" from this point on. Li'l Darkie doesn't say much. Li'l Darkie doesn't do much. As far as roleplaying settings go, Li'l Darkie is like one of those abused "box children" who weren't let out of a tiger cage for most of their developmental years. Li'l Darkie gets about three sentences of explanation in the entire book. To call the setting underdeveloped would be a slap in the face to creators of underdeveloped settings. For atmosphere, the introduction is liberally sprinkled with pseudo-biblical quotes attributed as "Graffiti from the Walls of Immortality." Of course, the Walls of Immortality could be in the Land of Dairy Queen for as much context as SoN provides.

STYLE

A quick peek at the filler art crammed in among the rich, fruity paragraphs reveals the usual suspects- ankhs, crosses, skulls, and bare-breasted vampiresses mincing and screeching, generally for a display of Maximum Breastosity. The artwork ends suddenly on page 28, which is more of a blessing than you can know, and begins reappearing on page 118. The sections in between lose narrative space to an unnecessary sidebar, which can be one of five grayscale designs depending on the chapter you're mired in. The black-and white ink illustrations will have an intense familiarity for anyone who spent their high school years doodling intertwined guitars, roses, knives, and revolvers in the backs of their notebooks. I will say this about the art in SoN: at least you can't see the blue lines it probably came on.

As for the text itself, well, the less said the better. Rampant typos and grammatical nincompoopery neatly fuse with prose so purple that Crayola probably has a crayon named after it. I have tried three times in the past hour to wade through it again, tallying a specific count of how many of the game's supernatural powers are combat-related, but I guess I just don't hate myself enough at the moment to finish the entire thing.

SYSTEM

SoN characters have no definitive traits or skills/abilities. While this could have been a powerfully liberating feature, the game makes continuous reference to characters using their "abilities" to solve puzzles and carry out actions. What do characters have? 370 different supernatural powers. You read that correctly. Eighty-eight pages out of one hundred and thirty-two of relevance (Two-thirds of the book! Sixty-six percent of its text!) are lists of powers. Powers to end all powers. Powers uber alles. Weather control, shadow control, monkey control, you name it. Vampires can even grow four-foot tongues spiked with rose thorns and use them in vicious melee combat. I think I'll pass on that one, thanks.

Vampires are rated on a linear power scale according to their total Dynamic Power Points (DPP). Points of DPP may be spent on powers. Thus, a character with a DPP total of 250 also has 250 points worth of supernatural powers, or something close to it. Current Dynamic Power Total (CDPT) serves as a measure of physical health and supernatural endurance. While this is, at the very least, nice and straightforward, characters in SoN are effectively limited to either talking or attacking one another. And, yes, "Virago the Dread Lord of Newark" with a DPP total of 580 will get hit by machine-gun bullets and stakes just as often and easily as "Bob the Paraplegic Laying on the Grass" with a DPP total of 2. Unless, to be fair, Virago has certain supernatural powers.

Damage given to and taken by characters is divided into normal sources, Execrated (supernatural) sources and Consecrated (holy) sources. Faith is also explored, and there are three different levels of power listed. The following is an excerpt from the description for the first level of faith. I am not making this up. "All children are blessed with this (provided they have a symbol to use) until such time as they lose their virginity." Had enough yet?

SUPPORT

Following the all-important lists of powers we have a section on hurting things, from which the rules on damage and Anti-Vampire Virginity are drawn. Then we have a section exploring the other denizens of the world of Li'l Darkie (er, Dark Reality) including fallen angels, witches, and ghosts. (Each of these was scheduled to receive their own book. I know that Shades of Divinity, focusing on fallen angels, saw print. I am not aware of the status of the others.) Lastly, we have a spartan bit of exposition about intrigue, record-keeping, and the duties of the Story Guide, whose task is evidently to ensure that character attrition rates remain high enough to recycle the cast about every two game sessions or so. Every suggestion of "intrigue" revolves around killing, usurping, burning, or consuming other vampires, and if no outsiders are available then a character's own "coven" will do in a pinch. Fight, fight, fight! After all, those bad-ass powers aren't provided for no reason, eh?

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

Before I write the epitaph and lay flowers on the grave, let me say this: The author of this book deserves a great deal of credit for actually bringing his creation to print, whatever my opinion on it might be. Small-press roleplaying projects are necessary for the advancement of the industry and the gaming culture. There may be many better writers out there than our Mr. Ellison, but he had the discipline and persistence necessary to bring his project to fruition. If by some chance he should ever read this, I directly implore him to keep applying his creativity to new projects, and to seriously endeavor to improve upon SoN. It would be truly sad were this his sole legacy to the world- commitment in a writer is a far rarer quality than stylistic talent.

With that said, let me sum up what we have before us:

SoN is an astoundingly dense, angst-dripping cliche factory stuffed to the gills with overwrought pathos, insulting stereotypes, half-baked ideas, orphaned creative concepts, and a depressing disregard for the exploration of anything but adolescent greed and wish-fulfillment fantasy violence. It simultaneously disdains White Wolf's World of Darkness game line and steals directly from it. Even its plagiarism is half-realized, consisting of a few capitalized nouns and little else. This product tries the patience of the reader with every humorless, churning page of turgid "Darque Gothick Horror" hand-wringing it spits out.

However, as a direct result of this, SoN is also one of the most entertainingly awful games you'll ever find. It belongs on the shelf of any would-be game designer as an unsurpassed example of what not to do and how not to do it. The cover price is obnoxious for what's between those covers, but think of it as the equivalent of five or six pricier books on how to avoid writing mistakes. Plus, if you're ever running a game using White Wolf's Mind's Eye Theatre system, you can have some fun with your players by leaving SoN out for them to peruse while enthusiastically telling them that you intend to "convert the game to Shades of Nightfall rules as quickly as possible." Watch the expressions on their faces, but strap on a good pair of running shoes before you tease them. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)

Shades of Nightfall
Author: Patrick Ellison Category: game Company/Publisher: Silver Shadows Publishing Line: CovenMaster Cost: $17.95 Page count: 138 ISBN: - SKU: - Capsule Review by Scott Lynch on 10/27/99. Genre tags: Modern_day Horror Vampire Gothic Diceless Live-action	Having long possessed an interest in LARP bordering on the obsessive, I have always tried to get my grubby little paws on any new live-action gaming system or supplement that cross my path. I will long remember the day I found Shades of Nightfall awaiting me on the shelf. For the uninitiated, I will say this. SoN is perhaps the most novel game in my collection. Novel in its forthright unoriginality, delicious in its inanity, this alleged roleplaying game is paralyzingly self-important and jaw-droppingly wretched. I know of only one gaming community that has attempted to run a lengthy game using its precepts, and I will say this: they are braver folks than I. Then again, so were my high school classmates who shot pressurized cheese spread up their noses during the lunch period, and so is the guy who eats crickets for a living at the state fair. OH, THE HUMANITY! The back-cover blurb sets the stage for the SoN experience, proclaiming: "This is not a clumsy adaptation of a tabletop game." That's correct- its clumsiness is 100% original. "In opposition to the gross commercialization of roleplaying games, Shades of Nightfall is complete in this book; there are no other supplements needed to become a vampire in the world of Dark Reality." This is quite good, since it implies this company won't be offering many books in a similar vein, and somehow I'm okay with that. SETTING SoN is set in- isn't this precious- "Dark Reality." Dark Reality, it turns out, is much like our own world, except it's ... darker! Yes indeed, the missing chapter of the Book of Revelations it isn't. It seems, gentle readers, that the World of Darkness has a younger, smaller, more introverted cousin named Dark Reality. I'll call it "Li'l Darkie" from this point on. Li'l Darkie doesn't say much. Li'l Darkie doesn't do much. As far as roleplaying settings go, Li'l Darkie is like one of those abused "box children" who weren't let out of a tiger cage for most of their developmental years. Li'l Darkie gets about three sentences of explanation in the entire book. To call the setting underdeveloped would be a slap in the face to creators of underdeveloped settings. For atmosphere, the introduction is liberally sprinkled with pseudo-biblical quotes attributed as "Graffiti from the Walls of Immortality." Of course, the Walls of Immortality could be in the Land of Dairy Queen for as much context as SoN provides. STYLE A quick peek at the filler art crammed in among the rich, fruity paragraphs reveals the usual suspects- ankhs, crosses, skulls, and bare-breasted vampiresses mincing and screeching, generally for a display of Maximum Breastosity. The artwork ends suddenly on page 28, which is more of a blessing than you can know, and begins reappearing on page 118. The sections in between lose narrative space to an unnecessary sidebar, which can be one of five grayscale designs depending on the chapter you're mired in. The black-and white ink illustrations will have an intense familiarity for anyone who spent their high school years doodling intertwined guitars, roses, knives, and revolvers in the backs of their notebooks. I will say this about the art in SoN: at least you can't see the blue lines it probably came on. As for the text itself, well, the less said the better. Rampant typos and grammatical nincompoopery neatly fuse with prose so purple that Crayola probably has a crayon named after it. I have tried three times in the past hour to wade through it again, tallying a specific count of how many of the game's supernatural powers are combat-related, but I guess I just don't hate myself enough at the moment to finish the entire thing. SYSTEM SoN characters have no definitive traits or skills/abilities. While this could have been a powerfully liberating feature, the game makes continuous reference to characters using their "abilities" to solve puzzles and carry out actions. What do characters have? 370 different supernatural powers. You read that correctly. Eighty-eight pages out of one hundred and thirty-two of relevance (Two-thirds of the book! Sixty-six percent of its text!) are lists of powers. Powers to end all powers. Powers uber alles. Weather control, shadow control, monkey control, you name it. Vampires can even grow four-foot tongues spiked with rose thorns and use them in vicious melee combat. I think I'll pass on that one, thanks. Vampires are rated on a linear power scale according to their total Dynamic Power Points (DPP). Points of DPP may be spent on powers. Thus, a character with a DPP total of 250 also has 250 points worth of supernatural powers, or something close to it. Current Dynamic Power Total (CDPT) serves as a measure of physical health and supernatural endurance. While this is, at the very least, nice and straightforward, characters in SoN are effectively limited to either talking or attacking one another. And, yes, "Virago the Dread Lord of Newark" with a DPP total of 580 will get hit by machine-gun bullets and stakes just as often and easily as "Bob the Paraplegic Laying on the Grass" with a DPP total of 2. Unless, to be fair, Virago has certain supernatural powers. Damage given to and taken by characters is divided into normal sources, Execrated (supernatural) sources and Consecrated (holy) sources. Faith is also explored, and there are three different levels of power listed. The following is an excerpt from the description for the first level of faith. I am not making this up. "All children are blessed with this (provided they have a symbol to use) until such time as they lose their virginity." Had enough yet? SUPPORT Following the all-important lists of powers we have a section on hurting things, from which the rules on damage and Anti-Vampire Virginity are drawn. Then we have a section exploring the other denizens of the world of Li'l Darkie (er, Dark Reality) including fallen angels, witches, and ghosts. (Each of these was scheduled to receive their own book. I know that Shades of Divinity, focusing on fallen angels, saw print. I am not aware of the status of the others.) Lastly, we have a spartan bit of exposition about intrigue, record-keeping, and the duties of the Story Guide, whose task is evidently to ensure that character attrition rates remain high enough to recycle the cast about every two game sessions or so. Every suggestion of "intrigue" revolves around killing, usurping, burning, or consuming other vampires, and if no outsiders are available then a character's own "coven" will do in a pinch. Fight, fight, fight! After all, those bad-ass powers aren't provided for no reason, eh? THE FINAL ANALYSIS Before I write the epitaph and lay flowers on the grave, let me say this: The author of this book deserves a great deal of credit for actually bringing his creation to print, whatever my opinion on it might be. Small-press roleplaying projects are necessary for the advancement of the industry and the gaming culture. There may be many better writers out there than our Mr. Ellison, but he had the discipline and persistence necessary to bring his project to fruition. If by some chance he should ever read this, I directly implore him to keep applying his creativity to new projects, and to seriously endeavor to improve upon SoN. It would be truly sad were this his sole legacy to the world- commitment in a writer is a far rarer quality than stylistic talent. With that said, let me sum up what we have before us: SoN is an astoundingly dense, angst-dripping cliche factory stuffed to the gills with overwrought pathos, insulting stereotypes, half-baked ideas, orphaned creative concepts, and a depressing disregard for the exploration of anything but adolescent greed and wish-fulfillment fantasy violence. It simultaneously disdains White Wolf's World of Darkness game line and steals directly from it. Even its plagiarism is half-realized, consisting of a few capitalized nouns and little else. This product tries the patience of the reader with every humorless, churning page of turgid "Darque Gothick Horror" hand-wringing it spits out. However, as a direct result of this, SoN is also one of the most entertainingly awful games you'll ever find. It belongs on the shelf of any would-be game designer as an unsurpassed example of what not to do and how not to do it. The cover price is obnoxious for what's between those covers, but think of it as the equivalent of five or six pricier books on how to avoid writing mistakes. Plus, if you're ever running a game using White Wolf's Mind's Eye Theatre system, you can have some fun with your players by leaving SoN out for them to peruse while enthusiastically telling them that you intend to "convert the game to Shades of Nightfall rules as quickly as possible." Watch the expressions on their faces, but strap on a good pair of running shoes before you tease them. Don't say I didn't warn you. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)