The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Victorian Age Vampire

Victorian Age Vampire – previously, a setting once overlooked, is now Vampire's new look. To be sure, VAV will not replace either the medieval or contemporary settings provided by White Wolf games, but this new game line holds as much promise as the original game did, and may give Vampire and the entire World of Darkness line a good shot in the arm, if the core supplement is any indication.

Not a complete game by itself, Victorian Age Vampire requires a version of the Vampire core rules to play. Since VAV is light on rules, it would not be hard to use VAV with any edition of Vampire, including all three core editions, both editions of the Dark Ages rules, and the licensed GURPS Vampire publications. Sadly, several important features, such as “clan weaknesses”, as well as general backstory, are absent, making it unusable on it's own. However, it does make reference to these system-specific details, making conversion to other gaming systems, such as Eden Studios' Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, a bit problematic – it certainly contains plenty of setting, theme, and mood material for Victorian horror games, but references to clans, sects, signature characters, and socio-political structures unique to Vampire will deter the reader from applying VAV to other games. Which is a shame, because VAV is full of non-setting specific information on Victorian Gothic literature, and to a lesser extent, to the history of the Victorian Age.

Why White Wolf has not produced a Victorian Age book previously (after all, the Victorian Age was the setting of Dracula and a good portion of the Anne Rice book Interview With The Vampire, which restarted popular culture interest in vampires in general, was also set in that time,) has been posited by many people since the original Vampire: The Masquerade book came out in 1991, and restated even by it's own lead developer, Justin Achilli, in website notes and the afterword for the book. If the answer is “Because it took it this long to do it this well,” I would be satisfied. I found myself pleasantly surprised by its almost entire focus on the mood and feel of the Victorian era chronicle. One will find no new powers, and not many new skills, backgrounds, etc. In fact, it even admits in one particular sidebar that the core rules might be too rules-heavy for a story-heavy Victorian era chronicle, and provides quick alternatives, including a “dice light” version of the rules using 1d10 instead of the typical Storyteller dicepool method.

Instead, what one will find is an explanation of the setting and the tropes of the period literature. It may be too early to state that the research of the era's history is without it's flaws – Stone Mountain has been known for inaccuracy in these matters in previous publications, shrugging such things off with “We like our version of history better.” - but it is clear that the authors have at least done their homework. The book itself focuses on the literature of the setting, rather than the history of the setting. Instead of extrapolating what the real world would be like if vampires existed, VAV exploits not the real Victorian era, but the world referred to in its fiction. This dichotomy between what is “real” and what is “dramatic” results in the Victorian Era book having a very different feel from the Vampire core book. VAV presents a highly fictional and dramatic world, where adventure is as real as Sherlock Holmes, ennui is as real as Ethan Frome, and horror is as real as Dr. von Frankenstien.

Sadly, there are some experiences where this attempt to emulate literature falls flat. The game's opening fiction piece, “The Turning Of Adam, Or Innocence Conquered,” is written in a highly drawn out, highly verbose manner which is both indicative of the manner of speech of the age, as well as the fact that many novels were at first published in periodicals which paid by the word. Unfortunately, this can backfire. Those interested in the story may of course, be entertained by it, those that find the story rather trite will not really appreciate it. Whether the story is good or bad is a judgment call of personal taste, and since the story is available online at the White Wolf website, one can determine for oneself. I do know this, if you do not like the story to begin with, writing a version that is three times as long will not improve it, even if it is period-appropriate.

The rest of the book seems to be a bit wordy, although the authors, developers and editors involved managed to make the main text emulate the literature it draws it's source from, without writing in a terribly protracted fashion – a minor miracle in creative writing.

Starting with Chapter One, “The Empire After Nightfall,” it is evident how much is different in VAV from contemporary settings. First off, instead of the typical moral grays of the contemporary vampire chronicle, the Victorian Age is a world of black and white morality. Between civilization and barbarity, between the way that everyone acts and the way that everyone is supposed to act – instead of subtle shades of grey, VAV's monochrome is stark. There is no beating around the bush here, there is a right and a wrong way to behave, there is a write and wrong crowd to hang out in, and the player characters are not tragic romantic figures that try to survive. They are the monsters, the adversaries, and the bad guys. They are horrors not to themselves but to all the “proper” people around them.

Chapter One also explains the role of the sects and clans during this era, putting new spins on Vampire's staples – the concept of Status is reworked to show the Victorian view, the clans are reintroduced, hunting and feeding are reexamined, and the Traditions are reinterpreted for the age. Of particular note – and particular entertainment - is the section on “Leagues of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” which reexamines the role of the Hunter. White Wolf's new take on Hunters is perhaps it's most “sympathetic” yet – rather than being madmen imbued with special powers and a new sense of purpose, religious fanatics, or simply wronged individuals with too much time and ammunition on their hands, the Hunter is recast in the role of the hero. While emphasis is not on the hunter, this choice of casting Hunters as heroes centers the role of the villain directly on the player characters.

Finally, this very broad first chapter ends with a reexamination of the state of the world during the 1880s, an overview of innovations and both British and American politics, and the role of the other World of Darkness supernatural types within the setting. It finishes with a list of genre resources – other than the obvious Dracula, it also lists such books as Silas Marner and The Alienist among it's resources – not necessarily gothic or horror, but certainly evocative of the setting.

Chapter Two, “The Clans” provides detailed looks at all thirteen of the main V:TM clans, and at about three to four pages per clan, the information is highly detailed and very informative. It needs to be – there is new emphasis on playing according to clan stereotypes. A radical departure from the “Clans are not fraternities” ideal that the contemporary era writers have espoused, the game emphasizes conformity to social expectation – in essence, to play to the stereotypes. Players with memories of “teddy-bear malks” will be pleasantly reassured that all clans are given an in-depth look that treats them with utmost seriousness. Two examples, the aforementioned Malkavians actually get a very different look in an era in which madness was first seen as treatable, while the Ventrue, attempting to cling to nobility while nobility wanes and commercial interest waxes, seems to almost fracture under the weight. Independent clans get a further write-up – it is assumed that most of the Victorian era social mores affect the clans of the Camarilla, while the other clans see the world differently, and thus require more examination. Unlike many other White Wolf books, it does not follow the typical “splat” format (a brief review, listing of powers and typical character concepts, and a few quotes to show clan prejudice) instead opting for three or more pages of in-depth explanation and a single quote, closer to an entry in a player's guide than anything else.

The next chapter, “Characters” rehashes the character creation from the core contemporary rulebook with few changes – and more than a little repetition. If virtue and discipline selection remain unchanged, why spend any time on it, and focus on what has changed? Still, there are some significant changes, including new Nature/Demeanor archetypes, starting generation at 12, changes of skill from “Drive” to “Ride,” “Computers” to “Enigmas,” and redefined backgrounds. There are a number of new merits and flaws, but little more than a page. Of a significant change is “Humanity.” In the revised core contemporary rulebook, Humanity is seen as “an inner masquerade – a lie that the vampire believes in order to keep going.” In VAV, that is reversed. Vampires cannot deny their humanity and continue to exist – those who attempt to end up finally dead. It's, once again, a new look for Vampire, and one that certainly breathes new life into the old subject.

Chapter Four: “Chasing Sunset (Geography)” is perhaps the oddest and most indicative of the White Wolf authorship style. The chapter is written entirely from an in-character viewpoint – that of a ghost, in fact. It does explain geography – or more accurately, local culture in different parts of the world, but is perhaps most useful for it's collection of plot-hooks. While not entirely accurate – as in, there were no vampires running around the world to begin with, it does give a good feeling for differences in local culture around the world. (Those looking for a more “historical” world overview of the late 1800's will not find it here – I suggest the similarly themed and much more accurately produced GURPS Steampunk.) It ends with a quick reference to one of the contemporary signature characters, an inside tip of the hat, as it were, that also adds a number of questions to the ever expanding, (dare I say, infamous?)World of Darkness Metaplot.

Chapter five is the “Storytelling” chapter, and it is here that the book truly shines. Accurately referring to itself as “a challenging new variant of the game you think you know,” this chapter represents the true meat of the book – perhaps the other chapters could have been extracted, extrapolated, or congealed from historical research, light literature reading and old GURPS and Deadlands supplements. However, the book here concentrates solely on the emphasis of theme and mood, provides excellent “set pieces” for use in the game, gives GM advice, and points out some subtle but crucial elements to gothic literature that a casual reader might not notice, among these a sense of history, fascination with distant lands, claustrophobic entrapment, the idea of power and powerlessness, etc, as well as giving more explicit campaign or adventure ideas. It also includes “dice-light” and “dice-free” versions of the game. It explains the Victorian mindset as effectively as GURPS Steampunk explained Victorian technology, and gives good GM advice on getting players to experience suspense and dread.

The final chapter, “Antagonists,” is similar to the core rulebook's section, providing information and statistics on stock characters. Starting off with the “Witch Hunters” - which include scientists, men of the cloth, vengeful relatives, and mystics (both genuine articles and charlatans.) The Inquisition is revisited here – seen as a fractious and tenuous organization of several smaller organizations, and the Arcanum is seen in it's formative years. A new antagonist, the “Agents of the Queen” provides a bit more variety and, well, something new, while providing tenuous tie ins and metaplot questions for those who have read Guide to the Technocracy.

It continues with the typical “adversarial” types of creatures in the World of Darkness, and old supernatural types are given new looks appropriate to the age. The “Marauder” from Mage for example, is redefined as the “Meddler in Forces He Cannot Understand.” Wraiths are given more emphasis than in recent publications (since the discontinuation of the Wraith line) due to the fact that ghosts are as much as (if not more than) a staple of gothic literature as the vampire is.

And of course, something new. There is a good-sized section on Secret Societies, including the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, and the Weeping Moon (those familiar with Werewolf: Wild West might recognize the name.) There are also new “monsters,” such as “Madness Incarnate,” “The Serial Killer,” and “The Evil Twin,” which add new twists on old games.

Other than that, there's a one-page afterword by Justin Achilli, which boils down to “Hey, I really liked writing this book, and thanks to the fellow authors, playtesters, buyers, etc.” It's interesting but not terribly germane.

Comparisons/Combinations

Victorian Age Vampire is very much a Vampire supplement – it gives little consideration to other gaming books, and requires the core book to play. It pays no heed to other combinations, and those who want to incorporate this into other material may find little to interest them. However, this does not work in reverse, as many different Victorian era games, including GURPS Steampunk, and Deadlands: Weird West can use the GM advice here on capturing the essence of Victorian literature. Deadlands would probably enjoy the best direct conversion, and, of course, it's possible to use this game (though different in theme) with Werewolf: Wild West. Those looking for a historical supplement should keep looking (or pick up Steampunk,) as this book does not deal with history – it deals with fiction, unabashedly.

White Wolf “Fontitis” does show up here. The chapter introductions are all written with a highly stylized font on grey paper (It's the same font used for the in-character writing for Sascha Vykos.) Thankfully, the font is not used elsewhere, and it's always only about a paragraph of “script” before switching to normal text.

Cost Breakdown:

Victorian Age Vampire is hardcover color exterior, greyscale interior (with colored inside panels.) Christopher Shy and other White Wolf regulars supply the interior art. It's 216 pages (not including character sheets or 6 pages of advertisements for upcoming White Wolf products) and costs $26.95, for a page cost of about 12.5 cents per page.

Victorian Age Vampire
Victorian Age Vampire Capsule Review by Funksaw on 12/10/02 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty) Vampire's new look breathes new life into an old franchise. A pleasant surprize which may be the start of a new direction for Vampire. Product: Victorian Age Vampire Author: J. Achilli (Developer), K. Blackwelder, B. Campbell, W. Hindmarch, A. Marmell Category: RPG Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studios Line: Vampire Cost: $26.95 Page count: 216 Year published: 2002 ISBN: 1-58846-229-3 SKU: WW2470 Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Funksaw on 12/10/02 Genre tags: Historical Horror Vampire Gothic	Victorian Age Vampire Victorian Age Vampire – previously, a setting once overlooked, is now Vampire's new look. To be sure, VAV will not replace either the medieval or contemporary settings provided by White Wolf games, but this new game line holds as much promise as the original game did, and may give Vampire and the entire World of Darkness line a good shot in the arm, if the core supplement is any indication. Not a complete game by itself, Victorian Age Vampire requires a version of the Vampire core rules to play. Since VAV is light on rules, it would not be hard to use VAV with any edition of Vampire, including all three core editions, both editions of the Dark Ages rules, and the licensed GURPS Vampire publications. Sadly, several important features, such as “clan weaknesses”, as well as general backstory, are absent, making it unusable on it's own. However, it does make reference to these system-specific details, making conversion to other gaming systems, such as Eden Studios' Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, a bit problematic – it certainly contains plenty of setting, theme, and mood material for Victorian horror games, but references to clans, sects, signature characters, and socio-political structures unique to Vampire will deter the reader from applying VAV to other games. Which is a shame, because VAV is full of non-setting specific information on Victorian Gothic literature, and to a lesser extent, to the history of the Victorian Age. Why White Wolf has not produced a Victorian Age book previously (after all, the Victorian Age was the setting of Dracula and a good portion of the Anne Rice book Interview With The Vampire, which restarted popular culture interest in vampires in general, was also set in that time,) has been posited by many people since the original Vampire: The Masquerade book came out in 1991, and restated even by it's own lead developer, Justin Achilli, in website notes and the afterword for the book. If the answer is “Because it took it this long to do it this well,” I would be satisfied. I found myself pleasantly surprised by its almost entire focus on the mood and feel of the Victorian era chronicle. One will find no new powers, and not many new skills, backgrounds, etc. In fact, it even admits in one particular sidebar that the core rules might be too rules-heavy for a story-heavy Victorian era chronicle, and provides quick alternatives, including a “dice light” version of the rules using 1d10 instead of the typical Storyteller dicepool method. Instead, what one will find is an explanation of the setting and the tropes of the period literature. It may be too early to state that the research of the era's history is without it's flaws – Stone Mountain has been known for inaccuracy in these matters in previous publications, shrugging such things off with “We like our version of history better.” - but it is clear that the authors have at least done their homework. The book itself focuses on the literature of the setting, rather than the history of the setting. Instead of extrapolating what the real world would be like if vampires existed, VAV exploits not the real Victorian era, but the world referred to in its fiction. This dichotomy between what is “real” and what is “dramatic” results in the Victorian Era book having a very different feel from the Vampire core book. VAV presents a highly fictional and dramatic world, where adventure is as real as Sherlock Holmes, ennui is as real as Ethan Frome, and horror is as real as Dr. von Frankenstien. Sadly, there are some experiences where this attempt to emulate literature falls flat. The game's opening fiction piece, “The Turning Of Adam, Or Innocence Conquered,” is written in a highly drawn out, highly verbose manner which is both indicative of the manner of speech of the age, as well as the fact that many novels were at first published in periodicals which paid by the word. Unfortunately, this can backfire. Those interested in the story may of course, be entertained by it, those that find the story rather trite will not really appreciate it. Whether the story is good or bad is a judgment call of personal taste, and since the story is available online at the White Wolf website, one can determine for oneself. I do know this, if you do not like the story to begin with, writing a version that is three times as long will not improve it, even if it is period-appropriate. The rest of the book seems to be a bit wordy, although the authors, developers and editors involved managed to make the main text emulate the literature it draws it's source from, without writing in a terribly protracted fashion – a minor miracle in creative writing. Starting with Chapter One, “The Empire After Nightfall,” it is evident how much is different in VAV from contemporary settings. First off, instead of the typical moral grays of the contemporary vampire chronicle, the Victorian Age is a world of black and white morality. Between civilization and barbarity, between the way that everyone acts and the way that everyone is supposed to act – instead of subtle shades of grey, VAV's monochrome is stark. There is no beating around the bush here, there is a right and a wrong way to behave, there is a write and wrong crowd to hang out in, and the player characters are not tragic romantic figures that try to survive. They are the monsters, the adversaries, and the bad guys. They are horrors not to themselves but to all the “proper” people around them. Chapter One also explains the role of the sects and clans during this era, putting new spins on Vampire's staples – the concept of Status is reworked to show the Victorian view, the clans are reintroduced, hunting and feeding are reexamined, and the Traditions are reinterpreted for the age. Of particular note – and particular entertainment - is the section on “Leagues of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” which reexamines the role of the Hunter. White Wolf's new take on Hunters is perhaps it's most “sympathetic” yet – rather than being madmen imbued with special powers and a new sense of purpose, religious fanatics, or simply wronged individuals with too much time and ammunition on their hands, the Hunter is recast in the role of the hero. While emphasis is not on the hunter, this choice of casting Hunters as heroes centers the role of the villain directly on the player characters. Finally, this very broad first chapter ends with a reexamination of the state of the world during the 1880s, an overview of innovations and both British and American politics, and the role of the other World of Darkness supernatural types within the setting. It finishes with a list of genre resources – other than the obvious Dracula, it also lists such books as Silas Marner and The Alienist among it's resources – not necessarily gothic or horror, but certainly evocative of the setting. Chapter Two, “The Clans” provides detailed looks at all thirteen of the main V:TM clans, and at about three to four pages per clan, the information is highly detailed and very informative. It needs to be – there is new emphasis on playing according to clan stereotypes. A radical departure from the “Clans are not fraternities” ideal that the contemporary era writers have espoused, the game emphasizes conformity to social expectation – in essence, to play to the stereotypes. Players with memories of “teddy-bear malks” will be pleasantly reassured that all clans are given an in-depth look that treats them with utmost seriousness. Two examples, the aforementioned Malkavians actually get a very different look in an era in which madness was first seen as treatable, while the Ventrue, attempting to cling to nobility while nobility wanes and commercial interest waxes, seems to almost fracture under the weight. Independent clans get a further write-up – it is assumed that most of the Victorian era social mores affect the clans of the Camarilla, while the other clans see the world differently, and thus require more examination. Unlike many other White Wolf books, it does not follow the typical “splat” format (a brief review, listing of powers and typical character concepts, and a few quotes to show clan prejudice) instead opting for three or more pages of in-depth explanation and a single quote, closer to an entry in a player's guide than anything else. The next chapter, “Characters” rehashes the character creation from the core contemporary rulebook with few changes – and more than a little repetition. If virtue and discipline selection remain unchanged, why spend any time on it, and focus on what has changed? Still, there are some significant changes, including new Nature/Demeanor archetypes, starting generation at 12, changes of skill from “Drive” to “Ride,” “Computers” to “Enigmas,” and redefined backgrounds. There are a number of new merits and flaws, but little more than a page. Of a significant change is “Humanity.” In the revised core contemporary rulebook, Humanity is seen as “an inner masquerade – a lie that the vampire believes in order to keep going.” In VAV, that is reversed. Vampires cannot deny their humanity and continue to exist – those who attempt to end up finally dead. It's, once again, a new look for Vampire, and one that certainly breathes new life into the old subject. Chapter Four: “Chasing Sunset (Geography)” is perhaps the oddest and most indicative of the White Wolf authorship style. The chapter is written entirely from an in-character viewpoint – that of a ghost, in fact. It does explain geography – or more accurately, local culture in different parts of the world, but is perhaps most useful for it's collection of plot-hooks. While not entirely accurate – as in, there were no vampires running around the world to begin with, it does give a good feeling for differences in local culture around the world. (Those looking for a more “historical” world overview of the late 1800's will not find it here – I suggest the similarly themed and much more accurately produced GURPS Steampunk.) It ends with a quick reference to one of the contemporary signature characters, an inside tip of the hat, as it were, that also adds a number of questions to the ever expanding, (dare I say, infamous?)World of Darkness Metaplot. Chapter five is the “Storytelling” chapter, and it is here that the book truly shines. Accurately referring to itself as “a challenging new variant of the game you think you know,” this chapter represents the true meat of the book – perhaps the other chapters could have been extracted, extrapolated, or congealed from historical research, light literature reading and old GURPS and Deadlands supplements. However, the book here concentrates solely on the emphasis of theme and mood, provides excellent “set pieces” for use in the game, gives GM advice, and points out some subtle but crucial elements to gothic literature that a casual reader might not notice, among these a sense of history, fascination with distant lands, claustrophobic entrapment, the idea of power and powerlessness, etc, as well as giving more explicit campaign or adventure ideas. It also includes “dice-light” and “dice-free” versions of the game. It explains the Victorian mindset as effectively as GURPS Steampunk explained Victorian technology, and gives good GM advice on getting players to experience suspense and dread. The final chapter, “Antagonists,” is similar to the core rulebook's section, providing information and statistics on stock characters. Starting off with the “Witch Hunters” - which include scientists, men of the cloth, vengeful relatives, and mystics (both genuine articles and charlatans.) The Inquisition is revisited here – seen as a fractious and tenuous organization of several smaller organizations, and the Arcanum is seen in it's formative years. A new antagonist, the “Agents of the Queen” provides a bit more variety and, well, something new, while providing tenuous tie ins and metaplot questions for those who have read Guide to the Technocracy. It continues with the typical “adversarial” types of creatures in the World of Darkness, and old supernatural types are given new looks appropriate to the age. The “Marauder” from Mage for example, is redefined as the “Meddler in Forces He Cannot Understand.” Wraiths are given more emphasis than in recent publications (since the discontinuation of the Wraith line) due to the fact that ghosts are as much as (if not more than) a staple of gothic literature as the vampire is. And of course, something new. There is a good-sized section on Secret Societies, including the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, and the Weeping Moon (those familiar with Werewolf: Wild West might recognize the name.) There are also new “monsters,” such as “Madness Incarnate,” “The Serial Killer,” and “The Evil Twin,” which add new twists on old games. Other than that, there's a one-page afterword by Justin Achilli, which boils down to “Hey, I really liked writing this book, and thanks to the fellow authors, playtesters, buyers, etc.” It's interesting but not terribly germane. Comparisons/Combinations Victorian Age Vampire is very much a Vampire supplement – it gives little consideration to other gaming books, and requires the core book to play. It pays no heed to other combinations, and those who want to incorporate this into other material may find little to interest them. However, this does not work in reverse, as many different Victorian era games, including GURPS Steampunk, and Deadlands: Weird West can use the GM advice here on capturing the essence of Victorian literature. Deadlands would probably enjoy the best direct conversion, and, of course, it's possible to use this game (though different in theme) with Werewolf: Wild West. Those looking for a historical supplement should keep looking (or pick up Steampunk,) as this book does not deal with history – it deals with fiction, unabashedly. White Wolf “Fontitis” does show up here. The chapter introductions are all written with a highly stylized font on grey paper (It's the same font used for the in-character writing for Sascha Vykos.) Thankfully, the font is not used elsewhere, and it's always only about a paragraph of “script” before switching to normal text. Cost Breakdown: Victorian Age Vampire is hardcover color exterior, greyscale interior (with colored inside panels.) Christopher Shy and other White Wolf regulars supply the interior art. It's 216 pages (not including character sheets or 6 pages of advertisements for upcoming White Wolf products) and costs $26.95, for a page cost of about 12.5 cents per page.