The Inside Scoop on Gaming

It seems every RPG I play takes an inordinate amount of time to get going on the first session. With some games, this is due to complicated mechanics. With others, it's due to a difficult-to-understand setting. The Whispering Vault definitely falls into the latter category.

THE SETTING:

The Whispering Vault setting is filled with copious amounts of jargon. I'd definitely recommend getting the glossary found at the company's website. Imagine all the weirdness of OtE. Now add in the fact that the PCs know almost _all_ of the weirdness as presented in the main rules.

Basically, there are three parts to the Whispering Vault setting: the Realm of Essence, the Realm of Flesh, and Neitherspace (a shapeless void between the two, inhabited by strange creatures called "Shadows"). Godlike beings called the Primal Powers give shape to the Realm of Flesh (our universe) through the Dreaming of their vassals, the Aesthetics. Sometimes, though, the Aesthetics become obsessed with the Dream and cross over into the Realm of Flesh, damaging the very fabric of reality. These are the Unbidden.

To stop the Unbidden and mend the Dream, the Primal Powers give certain exceptional mortals new supernatural bodies of Essence. These are the Stalkers.

The Stalker's missions are called "Hunts", and they can occur in any time or place throughout human history. This makes for a very flexible setting...

THE MECHANICS:

One of my main criteria for judging game mechanics is how seldom I need refer to the rulebook, and in this respect, WV is surpassed only by Over the Edge. In fact, the rules are even simpler than OtE in some respects.

There are only two kinds of dice rolls in the game, using only six-sided dice. Challenge Rolls are made by rolling a number of dice equal to a character's attribute, with skill points added to the result. Only the highest die or highest total of matching dice are counted for this purpose. (Most people I describe these rules to say, "Oh! Like Yahtzee!" I've never played that game, so I look forward to learning how to do so and telling my instructor, "Oh! Just like The Whispering Vault!") Damage Rolls involve rolling the appropriate number of dice and adding the result.

The GM never need make a Challenge Roll unless he doesn't want to determine conflicts between NPCs by fiat -- NPC stats are written as target numbers for the PCs' rolls. In other words, if a PC is attacking, he makes an Attack roll against the NPC's Defense attribute. If a PC is defending, he makes a Defend Roll against the NPC's Attack attribute. This frees the GM to concentrate on the story.

CONTENT:

The Whispering Vault definitely gives you a lot for your money, largely due to the small amount of space required for the rules. It's a game very heavy on atmosphere, one that would likely be appreciated by fans of Call of Cthulhu or Kult. The concepts presented are downright horrifying.

Included in the main rulebook is information on:

- Displines and Servitors (the two kinds of supernatural powers used by Stalkers);

- The Unbidden and Shadows (including an adequate Shadow bestiary);

- Hunts and campaigning;

- Mortals and their cults and magics.

THE PLAYTEST:

I was very enthusiatic about playing this game, but unfortunately I was a little disappointed. The easy mechanics pleased both myself and my players, until things really got hot and we found just how hard it was to succeed at anything. An "Easy" target number, for example, is 10, which my players found themselves lucky to be able to roll. Most of their foes had Attack and Defend attributes in the 12-15 range. This quickly created a mood of hopelessness rather at odds with the attitude of authority Stalkers are supposed to have when dealing with other beings.

To make matters worse, physical Attributes begin to drop once characters have lost all of their hit points -- a frequent occurence, considering the power of their foes. This meant that PCs were rendered helpless long before they died.

In addition, since the rules make Stalkers' use of anything other than their natural weaponry rather ineffective, and since very few offensive powers are offered, combat quickly became repetitive. This problem might have been alleviated if my players had made more use of the leeway they're given in describing the appearance of their powers, but after a certain number of rounds that becomes a bit of a chore.

With a little rules tweaking -- mainly in the area of making PCs a little more competent -- I think The Whispering Vault could be a classic game. If you like bizarre horror and don't mind slightly flawed rules, give WV a try!

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

The Whispering Vault
Author: Mike Nystul Category: game Company/Publisher: Ronin Publishing (originally printed by Pariah Press) Cost: 20.00 Page count: 142 Playtest Review by Dan Davenport on 02/07/98. Genre tags: none	It seems every RPG I play takes an inordinate amount of time to get going on the first session. With some games, this is due to complicated mechanics. With others, it's due to a difficult-to-understand setting. The Whispering Vault definitely falls into the latter category. THE SETTING: The Whispering Vault setting is filled with copious amounts of jargon. I'd definitely recommend getting the glossary found at the company's website. Imagine all the weirdness of OtE. Now add in the fact that the PCs know almost _all_ of the weirdness as presented in the main rules. Basically, there are three parts to the Whispering Vault setting: the Realm of Essence, the Realm of Flesh, and Neitherspace (a shapeless void between the two, inhabited by strange creatures called "Shadows"). Godlike beings called the Primal Powers give shape to the Realm of Flesh (our universe) through the Dreaming of their vassals, the Aesthetics. Sometimes, though, the Aesthetics become obsessed with the Dream and cross over into the Realm of Flesh, damaging the very fabric of reality. These are the Unbidden. To stop the Unbidden and mend the Dream, the Primal Powers give certain exceptional mortals new supernatural bodies of Essence. These are the Stalkers. The Stalker's missions are called "Hunts", and they can occur in any time or place throughout human history. This makes for a very flexible setting... THE MECHANICS: One of my main criteria for judging game mechanics is how seldom I need refer to the rulebook, and in this respect, WV is surpassed only by Over the Edge. In fact, the rules are even simpler than OtE in some respects. There are only two kinds of dice rolls in the game, using only six-sided dice. Challenge Rolls are made by rolling a number of dice equal to a character's attribute, with skill points added to the result. Only the highest die or highest total of matching dice are counted for this purpose. (Most people I describe these rules to say, "Oh! Like Yahtzee!" I've never played that game, so I look forward to learning how to do so and telling my instructor, "Oh! Just like The Whispering Vault!") Damage Rolls involve rolling the appropriate number of dice and adding the result. The GM never need make a Challenge Roll unless he doesn't want to determine conflicts between NPCs by fiat -- NPC stats are written as target numbers for the PCs' rolls. In other words, if a PC is attacking, he makes an Attack roll against the NPC's Defense attribute. If a PC is defending, he makes a Defend Roll against the NPC's Attack attribute. This frees the GM to concentrate on the story. CONTENT: The Whispering Vault definitely gives you a lot for your money, largely due to the small amount of space required for the rules. It's a game very heavy on atmosphere, one that would likely be appreciated by fans of Call of Cthulhu or Kult. The concepts presented are downright horrifying. Included in the main rulebook is information on: - Displines and Servitors (the two kinds of supernatural powers used by Stalkers); - The Unbidden and Shadows (including an adequate Shadow bestiary); - Hunts and campaigning; - Mortals and their cults and magics. THE PLAYTEST: I was very enthusiatic about playing this game, but unfortunately I was a little disappointed. The easy mechanics pleased both myself and my players, until things really got hot and we found just how hard it was to succeed at anything. An "Easy" target number, for example, is 10, which my players found themselves lucky to be able to roll. Most of their foes had Attack and Defend attributes in the 12-15 range. This quickly created a mood of hopelessness rather at odds with the attitude of authority Stalkers are supposed to have when dealing with other beings. To make matters worse, physical Attributes begin to drop once characters have lost all of their hit points -- a frequent occurence, considering the power of their foes. This meant that PCs were rendered helpless long before they died. In addition, since the rules make Stalkers' use of anything other than their natural weaponry rather ineffective, and since very few offensive powers are offered, combat quickly became repetitive. This problem might have been alleviated if my players had made more use of the leeway they're given in describing the appearance of their powers, but after a certain number of rounds that becomes a bit of a chore. With a little rules tweaking -- mainly in the area of making PCs a little more competent -- I think The Whispering Vault could be a classic game. If you like bizarre horror and don't mind slightly flawed rules, give WV a try! Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)