 Goto [ Index ] |
Lodges: The Faithful does exactly what it sets out to do, and that's a good thing. This book provides much greater detail to the 10 lodges introduced in the Werewolf: The Forsaken core book and provides 10 new lodges as well. In addition the book also provides information on other, one might say evil, Werewolf organizations similar to lodges. Lodge creation rules and a good if simple discussion on the role of lodges round out this product, making it an excellent self contained addition to the Werewolf line.
The Physical Thing
This is a hardcover 144 page book retailing for $26.99. The Above Average art and paper stock make this book a treat to read. Despite the very reasonable margins, I feel that this book is a bit pricey for its size. However, the page count is the same as other similar books in other World of Darkness lines including Ghouls.
There's a lot of art here, from full page images at the beginning of each chapter to specific symbols for each of the lodges. The sample characters are illustrated very nicely. All of the art in the book is grey scale and many of the images are behind the text, though that did not make the book difficult to read.
The Ideas
Lodges are special organizations meant to join together Werewolves who share very similar philosophy and, often, Tribe. They're the elite of the elite, and the memberships range from hundreds to ten or less.
To join a Lodge a character must meet certain mechanical requirements, such as having certain amounts of renown or fighting skills, as well as achieving roleplaying goals. Without exception the Lodges avoid advertising their existence, and while a few aren't concerned with secrecy the majority go out of their way to hide their presence. This gives rise to endless roleplaying opportunities.
This product is meant for Storytellers and Players, and I believe both will get equal use out of the book. Some of the Lodges are virtually unplayable for characters, as their requirements or beliefs are so severe that they seem meant for NPCs only. There are also a few Lodges which encourage actions that would not make them appropriate for most groups. Odds are your werewolf buddy wont appreciate it when you break his fetish, free the spirit, and explain that he has been enslaving our spirit equals.
Don't despair my Playing only friends, there is good news! These Lodges are interesting and provide a wealth of character ideas. Even the ones that are inappropriate for most games provide tons of hooks and ideas to get your brain working. Just gaining membership in these organizations could be a fun and interesting campaign goal.
In addition, many of these Lodges are accessible to a variety of character concepts. I would be amazed if a player looked through this book and couldn't find three or four Lodges they thought were extremely neat.
Finally, know that this product is completely self contained. The book clearly states that the Lodges presented here will not be referenced in future products, so you will never have to include any of this material in your game world if you don't want to. I think that's a great point in the book's favor.
Under the Cover
With an introduction and three chapters there doesn't seem to be a lot here until you realize that the book really is all about Lodges. Know that there are a variety of new special powers and fetishes introduced in this book, and that they're all organized with the appropriate Lodge. This makes looking things up a breeze, but I still wish they would have put in an Index. Some folk might want to use these powers and items without using the given Lodge.
Introduction 4 pages.
The introduction explains the purpose of the book, how it's organized, and very generally how you can use it. This is extremely generic advice, along the lines of If a player wants to use a Lodge, you should try to incorporate it into the game. It almost feels like pure filler, but every book needs an introduction of some sort.
Chapter 1 Foundations 16 pages.
This chapter discusses the role Lodges play in Werewolf society and how to create your own Lodge. It breaks down each of the aspects of a Lodge, such as requirements for joining and benefits, and talks generally about them. While there are interesting side bars to provide the reader with ideas, the guidelines are very general. I didn't find any information presented in this chapter that I would not have inferred from having played RPGs in the past.
For example, the chapter warns that if you create your own Lodge and load it up with special powers then players may wish to have their characters join just to get the special powers. Like the introduction, some of this information may be useful if you're relatively new to roleplaying games, but probably will be of little to no use to others. I will never read or turn to this chapter again.
Chapter 2 Tribal Lodges 90 pages.
This is the guts of the book and really what you paid for. There are twenty Lodges listed here, 10 from Chapter 2 of Werewolf: The Forsaken and 10 new ones. They range from extremely generic Weapon Masters to very specific We Watch the Seas for Evil.
Each of the Lodges is broken down into sections. First, about a half page of fiction material is presented to set the mood for the Lodge. Next, a general description of the Lodge and its place in the world. This is the real guts of the Lodge and it typically spans half a page.
We are then given a one to two paragraph bit on the Patron Spirit, followed by two to four paragraphs on joining the Lodge. After that Lodge specific Rites, Gifts, and Fetishes are presented. The presentation concludes with a set of three story hooks for the Lodge and a sample character who belongs to that Lodge.
There is a large illustration of all of the sample characters, and the characters are mechanically reasonable. That is, they are strong but not so powerful that they aren't useful to a storyteller. Indeed, with the description, stats, and picture the 20 NPCs listed in this book could easily be dropped into any World of Darkness game.
Here's a brief description of all 20 Lodges. Each Lodge corresponds to a given Tribe, though many of them allow werewolves from any tribe. Brief descriptions of 10 of these may be found in the core book.
Lodge of Arms Werewolves who have dedicated themselves to mastering a unique weapon.
Lodge of Ashes Powerful werewolf monks dedicated to freeing enslaved spirits.
Lodge of Cerberus Guardians of the Underworld, policing ghosts as strongly as spirits.
Lodge of Crows A secret Storm Lords group dedicated to ruling through subtlety.
Lodge of Death Dedicated to understanding death and divining information from ghosts.
Lodge of Doors Curious explorers unearthing the hidden truths of the world.
Lodge of Garm Werewolves focused on preparing for and engaging in battle.
Lodge of Harbingers Those who have survived encounters with the true horrors of the world and live to warn others.
Lodge of Harmony Protectors of the natural world with an environmentalism focus.
Lodge of Lightning Inventors and technologists working to benefit The People.
Lodge of the Maelstrom Watchers of the seas who defend the world from the creatures of the deep.
Lodge of Metal The ultimate crafters, building weapons and tools for The People.
Lodge of Night Cunning warriors who are the first in and last out of every scrap.
Lodge of Prophecy Prophets and oracles trying to predict the future.
Lodge of Ruin Werewolves who embrace entropy and decay through a simple existence.
Lodge of Salvation Leaders dedicated to leading all Werewolves. They focus on converting the Pure.
Lodge of Scrolls Historians focused on recording werewolf lore and history.
Lodge of Seasons Werewolves who dedicate themselves to a season oriented philosophy.
Lodge of Stones Werewolves working to understand the young and powerful city spirits.
Lodge of Swords Warriors and crusaders dedicated utterly to a cause or goal.
Lodge of Thunder Storm Lord leaders focused on leading through open and honest leadership, charisma, and strength.
Lodge of Voices This Lodge works to learn more about ancestor spirits and to gain wisdom from dead werewolves.
Lodge of Wendigo Werewolf assassins who use stealth, concealed weapons, and observation to bring down their foes.
Lodge of Winter Werewolves focused on gaining power slowly by observing their foes and carefully planning attacks. Focused on leadership and political power.
Lodge of Wrath Those werewolves dedicated to vengeance and punishment.
Chapter 3 Outside Paths 25 pages.
This chapter presents unusual Lodges that don't correspond to any of the tribes.
Cult of Bones A Pure Lodge dedicated to finding and reuniting the remains of Father Wolf to return him to the world.
Lodge of the Feast A Lodge focused on cannibalism, especially on various methods of eating humans.
Lodge of the Grotto Werewolves who were driven underground and are now a subterranean splinter society.
Lodge of Mammon Focused on obtaining as much physical wealth as possible.
Lodge of the Savior Christians reconciling their faith with their werewolf heritage.
Lodge of Unity Diplomats working to organize the Forsaken tribes.
My Take
I had a lot of difficulty working out how I feel about this product. The production value is easy. The art is beautiful, the format is great, and it's an expertly put together book. The only things that could be better production wise is a simple Index, though the Lodges are all in alphabetical order. I find the product to be a bit pricey too, probably because the page count includes the ad in the back and the very general introductory material.
It's the content that leaves me conflicted. There's a lot of great stuff here. Plenty of neat hooks, a Lodge for everyone, and a hundred different storyteller ideas make this a great product. On the other hand, a certain amount of the Lodge information is understandably recycled and many of the Lodges differ only in minor and flavorful ways. Some of the Lodge material feels a little bland as well.
The bottom line here is that if you want more Lodges, period, then this is a good product. If you want a book full of adventure ideas, then this is a good product. However, if you're the type of player who prefers to avoid unnecessary complexity you may not enjoy this product. Since it was built as being a completely optional add on, which is a plus, the information within is far from necessary to have a wonderful and fulfilling campaign.
Help support RPGnet by purchasing this item through DriveThruRPG.
