I went through a shark phase.
Most children, at some point in their life, become obsessed with dinosaurs - and actually, I was no exception. But as I studied the age of terrible lizards (birds, I guess, these days) I found myself drawn to another prehistoric species that continued to exist, in a sense, to the present day: the shark. Here was a creature stronger than the dinosaurs - not only did they survive the cataclysm responsible for the extinction of the ancient reptiles/birds/whatever we’ll be calling them tomorrow, but unlike so many other creatures on this planet, sharks were effectively immortal. (It’s true: as far as anyone can tell, sharks do not die of old age. For the most part, indigestible junk accumulates in their stomachs as the years pass until, finally, they sink to the ocean floor and find themselves unable to move, even to collect food.)
There was a time when I could have shared with you enough facts about sharks to fill a small library. Of course, most of that is gone now, and sharks have lost their appeal through the same awful magnetism that draws the wonder and beauty of dinosaurs from most kids’ minds. Still, when I saw that White Wolf was at last going to release a Changing Breed Book on weresharks, or Rokea, in the World of Darkness, a little of that old magic was reawakened.
The first thing one notices is the comic in the front of the book. This is a fairly mediocre story, typical of the fiction that graces many White Wolf sourcebooks. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s not all that spectacular. The gore (and there’s a fair bit of gore - but again, it’s pretty much on par with most Werewolf books) doesn’t add much, if anything, to the plot. Sadly, this comic reinforces an impression of Rokea that the rest of the book tries to destroy: the popular image of weresharks (and, indeed, sharks) as bloodthirsty marauders. To be sure, there is one wereshark character that argues for peace, but this is lost as a fight with seafaring werewolves breaks out over a handful of misunderstandings.
The text introduction is also standard fare; the “iconic character” (to borrow a D&D term) used throughout the book to facilitate explanations of the history and culture of the Rokea is presented in another bit of fiction, which is followed by the standard chapter summary, bibliography and glossary.
And said history is actually fairly interesting. There is, of course, a strong resemblance to the Garou point of view (i.e., one overall mother - Gaia, or Sea in this case - who has three children/helpers/whatever who are rather like the Wyld, Weaver and Wyrm: Kun, C’et, and Qyrl), but important differences as well. For example, the Rokea do not necessarily believe that the same forces extend to the entire universe; Sea is exactly that - Sea - while land is Unsea and the sky is Oversea, both governed by separate entities. There are also interesting references later on to nuclear weapons and the effect they had on Sea and her inhabitants.
Of course, the history section can be rather misleading - but fortunately the chapter on Storytelling clears certain things up. It is emphasized, for example, that Kun, C’et and Qyrl are not simply Wyld, Weaver, and Wyrm, respectively; or rather, not exact duplicates. “Secrets of the Deep” (as the Storyteller’s chapter is called) is another useful section of the book, containing more information on Qyrl, advice on dealing with homid Rokea (the book’s iconic character is actually the first in a while, according to the official metaplot, but the door is open for other homid characters), and various inhabitants of the sea. This chapter also contains a pregenerated story which expands on the comic - but as this has little bearing on the rest of the chapter, I’ll return to it later.
In the meantime, back to the earlier chapters. Chapter Two describes Rokea culture from the viewpoint of a Betweener - a wereshark who has chosen to remain on land, which is not considered acceptable by most such creatures. In fact, Betweener hunts are often used to train young Rokea. Again, while the information in this section comes from someone with a distinct bias, it’s actually quite useful and interesting. This chapter also provides a brief survey of the world from the Rokea point of view and touches on their relationships with other supernaturals.
Chapter Three contains all-important rules for Rokea character creation, Gifts and other important statistics. There’s not a whole lot to say here: rules are rules. Some of the Gifts are intriguing (especially Drown, which turns air-breathers into water-breathers), and useful information is provided on various breeds of shark and their effect on the character creation rules. Rokea auspices (there are only three) are described, as is Renown; and of course there are new Rites and Merits and Flaws. Finally, a handful of new combat manuvers designed specifically for Rokea are included, making this chapter all the more interesting.
At the back of the book we find the standard collection of pregenerated characters - a wide variety are presented, running the gamut from reasonably liberal Betweener to conservative Rokea judge. A number of notable weresharks are also discussed, though no statistics are provided. There is also a four page appendix discussing sharks in the real world and the mythology associated with them; from what I remember of my old studies, this information seems fairly accurate.
The story contained (as I mentioned) in the chapter on Storytelling is theoretically intriguing - it’s set off the coast of Australia, primarily in the Great Barrier Reef, and deals with the aftermath of the events depicted in the comic. In particular, the characters in this story have a chance to interact and possibly make peace with some Australian Garou as they work together (or so it is hoped) to defeat one of Qyrl’s more interesting beasties. - an entity known as a Progenitor that bears a suspiciously close resemblance to the deepspawn, a classic AD&D monster. A few things mar this story. First, in some places, the text leaves Storytellers with too little information - for example, one scene requires the characters to engage in battle without providing alternatives in case the PCs choose to avoid the battle, as mine did. Unless STs railroad their players into this fight, the entire story has the potential to unravel. Yes, an experienced Storyteller can improvise - I did - but there is no guarantee that this book will be used by someone with such experience. Also, the climactic battle is supposed to be won with very little input from the player characters. This may be a personal gripe, but I’m from the school that says powerful NPCs shouldn’t force the PCs into their shadow. The player characters should be the ones who get to savor the sweet taste of victory.
In the end, is Rokea worth the eighteen American dollars White Wolf is charging for it? I’d say so. Despite a few flaws - even some significant ones - the book does succeed in its stated goal: to convince the reader to see weresharks as just another Changing Breed with its own unique strengths and vulnerabilities - yet still a distinct and special race in its own right. The vast majority of Rokea’s pages are filled with useful information. Even if you’re not a shark fan, you’ll probably find something to like.
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