ELYSIUM - THE ELDER WARS
VAMPIRE: The Masquerade
SUPPLEMENT
WHITE
WOLF GAME STUDIOS
[sterling]8.99 - 86PP
This book is aimed as source material for GMs only. If you want to play using
Elders as player characters it is recommended that you are an experienced or
mature player because if these guys aren't played properly you could have a
comedy of horrors on your hands. These guys are Powerful, these are the
bastards that have been screwing up all your previous PCs, as if they needed
the help! The Elders are very literally the Powers Behind The Throne and if
you ever meet one you won't need to remember to be scared - you will be.
The first chapter gives you a whole host of information on the deadly games
that the Elders play among themselves, their relationships with other groups
such as the Sabbat, Anarchs, and their own Camarilla. We are given the Five
Pillars of Power that the Elders use to keep their young in check - a greatly
enjoyable section that no player should ever, ever, see.
You gain an insight into the workings of an Elder's mind in the first part of
'The Status Quo' - Chapter Two. You also get some very good information
regarding the world and creating Elysiums - those areas of a city that are held
in high regard by the ruling elite, where meetings are held; the theatre land
districts, night-clubs, etc., where feeding and display of vampiric powers is
forbidden.
Salons are also described in great detail. Salons come in a variety of types
and styles, but all have just one real purpose - to give pleasure and
entertainment to the Elders involved. Salons can range from anything such as
creating new policies to a scavenger hunt where the goal could be an item or a
life. The Elders take great measures to gain enjoyment, after all if you've
lived for over five hundred years there's not much left you haven't done - you
need something hard, or risky, to get you going again.
A breakdown on the various Clan's views on the things that make up an Elders
power base are talked about in 'Tools of Control' as are sources of power and
tips on Storytelling Elders, although in much less detail.
The next chapter goes into creating your Elder character - now this is handy
for both someone wishing to play an Elder and the Storyteller who wishes to
give their NPC Elders a bit more personality and background. Now one of the
first things you will have to do is to come up with a history, memoirs, and
letters, etc., detailing the characters life and exploits throughout time. New
Merits, Flaws, Backgrounds, and point allocation all come into effect when
creating Elders and they do seem to work.
With the last section detailing a number of Gehenna Cults and giving you new PC
and Power Sources sheets for you to fill in I'd say that this is one of the
best Vampire releases in a long time - but I still say it should only be a
Storyteller's sourcebook!
Review by Angus Abranson
Product Supplied by Angus
