The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I bought Vampire when it was first released, enjoying it but not finding it THE BEST RPG EVER, as many gamers in my area did, which meant that purchasing supplements for it was not high on my "to do" list. The first supplements I did get were birthday presents from fellow gamers, and among the gifts was Awakening Diablerie: Mexico. Overcoming my initial shock at how different the finished book was from the original ad copy for it (which described it as taking place in Colorado, not Mexico) I found AD:M to be written less as a scenario for a Storytelling Game of Personal Horror and more as a High-Quality Dungeon Crawl/Power Gamer Fantasy. Despite that fact, the book is quite enjoyable.

The first portion of the book discusses Diablerie, going over the process, its consequences, the powers that the blood of an ancient vampire possesses, and a new Ritual that allows multiple vampires to experience the benefits of Diablerie from a single victim. This is followed by a nine-page backstory on the ancient vampire your players' Kindred will attempt to Diablerize in the adventure portion of this book. While somewhat interesting reading, it seems odd to devote so much space to a character who your PCs will interact with in what amounts to little more than knock-down, drag-out brawl.

The third portion of the book sets up how to involve Player Kindred in the adventure. It's basically an excuse to introduce the Diablerizing ritual mentioned earlier, with some brief notes on how to use the scenario in a Chicago By Night campaign. A rival Kindred is also introduced, though he can easily be expunged from the adventure by the Storyteller with no problem.

Next up is the Player Kindred traveling to the pyramid tomb in Mexico where the vampire they wish to Diablerize rests. It's almost comical the way the author glosses over the problems (sunlight, wild animals, extreme temperatures, dense jungle) a Kindred faces in getting to the pyramid. Perhaps he was keeping the travel section short due to space limitations, or perhaps he realized players would have more fun exploring the pyramid than worrying about traveling through the jungle. Once the PCs reach the pyramid (and deal with its exterior guards) the real fun begins, with the World of Darkness's equivalent of the Tomb of Horrors awaiting them.

Make no mistake: the pyramid is no place for characters who are not well-rounded. Kindred who rely solely on Presence and their social skills will quickly perish, as will those who feel Potence, Celerity, and high combat skill are all they need to survive. There are traps, servants of the ancient Kindred, and hostile spirits who will test the mental might of Player Kindred as well as their physical attributes, and simple greed can cause more problems than a pack of Lupine. Toward the end of the adventure players may be surprised, as ancient magics force their characters to confront aspects of their personalities they probably do not wish to meet; this is an excellent chance for role-playing, which is something not usually found in a dungeon crawl. Of course when the ancient Kindred is finally confronted your party best have excellent combat skills to take him down. If the players are successful (not to mention observant) they can obtain several million dollars in treasure, along with several potent mystic artifacts. Believe me, if your players' characters survive they'll have earned anything they get.

If you're a Vampire Storyteller who doesn't mind a combat-heavy adventure I recommend this adventure. Heck, if you can figure a way so Garou can't enter the Umbra and bypass the temple's traps this would be an excellent quest for Garou to go on to hunt down a Wyrm-tainted Leech. The stats and traps found in this adventure are easily translated into other game systems, and over the years I've converted AD:M to Call of Cthulhu, Deadlands, Bloodshadows, and Torg. Check it out!

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Awakening Diablerie: Mexico
Author: Nigel Findley Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Line: Vampire Cost: 10.00 Page count: 56 ISBN: 1-56504-018-X SKU: 2005 Playtest Review by Ralph Dula on 06/29/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Historical Horror Vampire Gothic	I bought Vampire when it was first released, enjoying it but not finding it THE BEST RPG EVER, as many gamers in my area did, which meant that purchasing supplements for it was not high on my "to do" list. The first supplements I did get were birthday presents from fellow gamers, and among the gifts was Awakening Diablerie: Mexico. Overcoming my initial shock at how different the finished book was from the original ad copy for it (which described it as taking place in Colorado, not Mexico) I found AD:M to be written less as a scenario for a Storytelling Game of Personal Horror and more as a High-Quality Dungeon Crawl/Power Gamer Fantasy. Despite that fact, the book is quite enjoyable. The first portion of the book discusses Diablerie, going over the process, its consequences, the powers that the blood of an ancient vampire possesses, and a new Ritual that allows multiple vampires to experience the benefits of Diablerie from a single victim. This is followed by a nine-page backstory on the ancient vampire your players' Kindred will attempt to Diablerize in the adventure portion of this book. While somewhat interesting reading, it seems odd to devote so much space to a character who your PCs will interact with in what amounts to little more than knock-down, drag-out brawl. The third portion of the book sets up how to involve Player Kindred in the adventure. It's basically an excuse to introduce the Diablerizing ritual mentioned earlier, with some brief notes on how to use the scenario in a Chicago By Night campaign. A rival Kindred is also introduced, though he can easily be expunged from the adventure by the Storyteller with no problem. Next up is the Player Kindred traveling to the pyramid tomb in Mexico where the vampire they wish to Diablerize rests. It's almost comical the way the author glosses over the problems (sunlight, wild animals, extreme temperatures, dense jungle) a Kindred faces in getting to the pyramid. Perhaps he was keeping the travel section short due to space limitations, or perhaps he realized players would have more fun exploring the pyramid than worrying about traveling through the jungle. Once the PCs reach the pyramid (and deal with its exterior guards) the real fun begins, with the World of Darkness's equivalent of the Tomb of Horrors awaiting them. Make no mistake: the pyramid is no place for characters who are not well-rounded. Kindred who rely solely on Presence and their social skills will quickly perish, as will those who feel Potence, Celerity, and high combat skill are all they need to survive. There are traps, servants of the ancient Kindred, and hostile spirits who will test the mental might of Player Kindred as well as their physical attributes, and simple greed can cause more problems than a pack of Lupine. Toward the end of the adventure players may be surprised, as ancient magics force their characters to confront aspects of their personalities they probably do not wish to meet; this is an excellent chance for role-playing, which is something not usually found in a dungeon crawl. Of course when the ancient Kindred is finally confronted your party best have excellent combat skills to take him down. If the players are successful (not to mention observant) they can obtain several million dollars in treasure, along with several potent mystic artifacts. Believe me, if your players' characters survive they'll have earned anything they get. If you're a Vampire Storyteller who doesn't mind a combat-heavy adventure I recommend this adventure. Heck, if you can figure a way so Garou can't enter the Umbra and bypass the temple's traps this would be an excellent quest for Garou to go on to hunt down a Wyrm-tainted Leech. The stats and traps found in this adventure are easily translated into other game systems, and over the years I've converted AD:M to Call of Cthulhu, Deadlands, Bloodshadows, and Torg. Check it out! Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 3 (Average)