The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The BoW is the Otherworlds/Umbra Sourcebook for Mage (though it works for Werewolf and the others). Overall, an excellent book.

It starts up with 'Introductions all around, which is your basic White Wolf intro metachapter. It contains a lexicon and all the other stuff we've come to except. The book is told from a first person viewpoint from various charachters from the book; I like it.

Now we get on to the good stuff. The first chapter details the Astral /High Umbra, the world of concepts and ideas. The actual idea-worlds I found somewhat boring, but there are plenty of other worlds. The Afterworlds (Heaven and Hell) and the Inventium(Son of Ether Paradise!one of themanyway)in particular were great.

Chapter Two: the Velvet Curtain beats the living crap out of the one or two paragraph descriptions in the main Werewolf book. In other words, I could actually understand what was there. Granted, it only covers seven or so Realms, but that's probably all a mage is going to visit anyway. All of the descriptions are well done, and the Mythic Worlds, alone, could feul a thousand campains.

Chapter Three is The Great Enigmas. Basically descriptions of The Hollow World(Second SoE paradise!) the Low Umbra, the Dream Zone, and Paradox Realms. The Hollow World is basically a cross between the home of 1950-style-comics giant killer robots, Jurassic Park, SoE toyboxes and Hermetic hangouts(reader discrestion is advised). The Low Umbra is the land of the ghosties. The description is great,but useless if you already have Wraith. I don't. The Pardodox Realms section covers the biggest, baddest, and oldest PRs. The descriptions are great as usual, but don't offer much in the way of guidleines for them, which is what we really need. And the Maya... well, simply put, the Maya kicks ass. The Land of Nod kicks lots of ass.

Now we have "realms of intrest" which covers a whole lot, most notably Horizon Realms. Horizons Realms, simply put, Tradition/Convention super strongholds. There are 'heavens' for Iteration X(one guess), the Sons of Ether,+the Cult of Estacsy. Geeze, those Etherites are getting pretty spoiled, aren't they? We also have Void Engineer Hell (Darkside Moonbase) and Void Engineer Heaven(Copernicus Research Center). The Verbena get thier 'Seasonal Realms and Victoria Station.

Allright, I'll give you one guess to which overindulged Scientific Tradition gets Victoria Station. Then again, thier my favorite, so yay!

Chapter Five is About the Celesital bodies and thier Spiritual reflections. More complete Campain ideas - apparently there's a huge freakin' battle going on in Jupiters moons. The Shade Realms seem a bit too vauge, but otherwise good.

Next we go on to Spirits and rules. Standard fare.

Go get it. You could fuel a thousand sessions, a thousand campains, a thousand games even with this book.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Beyond the Barriers: the Book of Worlds
Author: Phil Brucato, Heather "Alexis Hastings" Curatola, Harry Heckle, Chris Hind, Angel Leigh McCoy, Judith A. McLaughlin and Kathleen "Fisher Princess" Ryan Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Line: Mage: the Ascention Cost: $22.00 Page count: 195 ISBN: 1-56504-434-7 SKU: WW4007 Capsule Review by Matthias Wasser on 02/05/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Horror Space	The BoW is the Otherworlds/Umbra Sourcebook for Mage (though it works for Werewolf and the others). Overall, an excellent book. It starts up with 'Introductions all around, which is your basic White Wolf intro metachapter. It contains a lexicon and all the other stuff we've come to except. The book is told from a first person viewpoint from various charachters from the book; I like it. Now we get on to the good stuff. The first chapter details the Astral /High Umbra, the world of concepts and ideas. The actual idea-worlds I found somewhat boring, but there are plenty of other worlds. The Afterworlds (Heaven and Hell) and the Inventium(Son of Ether Paradise!one of themanyway)in particular were great. Chapter Two: the Velvet Curtain beats the living crap out of the one or two paragraph descriptions in the main Werewolf book. In other words, I could actually understand what was there. Granted, it only covers seven or so Realms, but that's probably all a mage is going to visit anyway. All of the descriptions are well done, and the Mythic Worlds, alone, could feul a thousand campains. Chapter Three is The Great Enigmas. Basically descriptions of The Hollow World(Second SoE paradise!) the Low Umbra, the Dream Zone, and Paradox Realms. The Hollow World is basically a cross between the home of 1950-style-comics giant killer robots, Jurassic Park, SoE toyboxes and Hermetic hangouts(reader discrestion is advised). The Low Umbra is the land of the ghosties. The description is great,but useless if you already have Wraith. I don't. The Pardodox Realms section covers the biggest, baddest, and oldest PRs. The descriptions are great as usual, but don't offer much in the way of guidleines for them, which is what we really need. And the Maya... well, simply put, the Maya kicks ass. The Land of Nod kicks lots of ass. Now we have "realms of intrest" which covers a whole lot, most notably Horizon Realms. Horizons Realms, simply put, Tradition/Convention super strongholds. There are 'heavens' for Iteration X(one guess), the Sons of Ether,+the Cult of Estacsy. Geeze, those Etherites are getting pretty spoiled, aren't they? We also have Void Engineer Hell (Darkside Moonbase) and Void Engineer Heaven(Copernicus Research Center). The Verbena get thier 'Seasonal Realms and Victoria Station. Allright, I'll give you one guess to which overindulged Scientific Tradition gets Victoria Station. Then again, thier my favorite, so yay! Chapter Five is About the Celesital bodies and thier Spiritual reflections. More complete Campain ideas - apparently there's a huge freakin' battle going on in Jupiters moons. The Shade Realms seem a bit too vauge, but otherwise good. Next we go on to Spirits and rules. Standard fare. Go get it. You could fuel a thousand sessions, a thousand campains, a thousand games even with this book. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Beyond the Barriers: the Book of Worlds