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Let me offer a disclaimer with this review. It reads thusly: I do not own the actual KINDRED OF THE EAST sourcebook. This is a playtest review based on a brief encounter with the book and a single session I played at an area convention with White Wolf guru Justin Achilli (developer of the VAMPIRE: DARK AGES game)

KINDRED OF THE EAST has a variety of things going for it, in my opinion. A strong, exotic cultural background adds a combination of fun new powers and dynamic, interesting fetters to the experience of roleplaying a creature of the night. An attractive, oversized book with White Wolf's old-school high-quality design lures readers in without being hard to navigate. A broader connection to other supernatural elements makes for a great, mysterious environment. These elements work well together and, more importantly, operate wonderfully in their own environment (read: no need to mix this game in with some of the others).

The KINDRED OF THE EAST, or kuei-jin ("demon people") fill the societal niche of vampires in the eastern world (understood by me to be anything with a strong Chinese cultural descent or history, from Japan to Vietnam). To be clear, kuei-jin are not actually vampires, in the traditional European sense. Justin Achilli likened their existence to that of The Risen (in World of Darkness terms), but they really do have a flavor all their own. Kuei-jin are re-embodied corpses, formed by the reinsertion of the body's soul following a long and painful journey through the various Hells of eastern mythology. In theory, these demon people are meant to finish off the deeds they began in their life, possibly make amends, or try their hardest to regain their honor and move onto the next world (if you will).

Not too surprisingly, few modern kuei-jin are too focused on this objective. Many enjoy using their abilities to terrorize the living, some just want to explore their newfound immortality. Since they have passed through the angry afterlife in a certain sense already, kuei-jin have a stronger connection to the spirits of the dead and a wider array of undead powers at their disposal (though each has a believable and complex relationship to each other and a genuinely valid reason for not being overused). Mix this up with a bit of Yin and Yang Chi, some Demon Shintai powers and you've got creatures that make for slightly more cutting metaphors in a somewhat more textured environment than the original VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE.

KINDRED OF THE EAST, by giving more game-based nooks and crannies to explore within any given character, plus an articulated setting, evokes the stylistic, mysterious and personal elements of the earlier White Wolf games that made them so fascinating to me the first time around. This is a welcome addition to the family, more so than some of the recent products, and has sparked me to by my first White Wolf book since WRAITH's second edition. And, at around $30, that's a bold statement.

[It should be noted that KOE *is* a sourcebook, and V:tM is necessary for complete use of this product.]

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Kindred of the East
Author: unknown Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Games Studio Cost: about $25 Page count: unknown ISBN: unknown Playtest Review by Wil Hindmarch on 04/07/98. Genre tags: none	Let me offer a disclaimer with this review. It reads thusly: I do not own the actual KINDRED OF THE EAST sourcebook. This is a playtest review based on a brief encounter with the book and a single session I played at an area convention with White Wolf guru Justin Achilli (developer of the VAMPIRE: DARK AGES game) KINDRED OF THE EAST has a variety of things going for it, in my opinion. A strong, exotic cultural background adds a combination of fun new powers and dynamic, interesting fetters to the experience of roleplaying a creature of the night. An attractive, oversized book with White Wolf's old-school high-quality design lures readers in without being hard to navigate. A broader connection to other supernatural elements makes for a great, mysterious environment. These elements work well together and, more importantly, operate wonderfully in their own environment (read: no need to mix this game in with some of the others). The KINDRED OF THE EAST, or kuei-jin ("demon people") fill the societal niche of vampires in the eastern world (understood by me to be anything with a strong Chinese cultural descent or history, from Japan to Vietnam). To be clear, kuei-jin are not actually vampires, in the traditional European sense. Justin Achilli likened their existence to that of The Risen (in World of Darkness terms), but they really do have a flavor all their own. Kuei-jin are re-embodied corpses, formed by the reinsertion of the body's soul following a long and painful journey through the various Hells of eastern mythology. In theory, these demon people are meant to finish off the deeds they began in their life, possibly make amends, or try their hardest to regain their honor and move onto the next world (if you will). Not too surprisingly, few modern kuei-jin are too focused on this objective. Many enjoy using their abilities to terrorize the living, some just want to explore their newfound immortality. Since they have passed through the angry afterlife in a certain sense already, kuei-jin have a stronger connection to the spirits of the dead and a wider array of undead powers at their disposal (though each has a believable and complex relationship to each other and a genuinely valid reason for not being overused). Mix this up with a bit of Yin and Yang Chi, some Demon Shintai powers and you've got creatures that make for slightly more cutting metaphors in a somewhat more textured environment than the original VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE. KINDRED OF THE EAST, by giving more game-based nooks and crannies to explore within any given character, plus an articulated setting, evokes the stylistic, mysterious and personal elements of the earlier White Wolf games that made them so fascinating to me the first time around. This is a welcome addition to the family, more so than some of the recent products, and has sparked me to by my first White Wolf book since WRAITH's second edition. And, at around $30, that's a bold statement. [It should be noted that KOE is a sourcebook, and V:tM is necessary for complete use of this product.] Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Kindred of the East