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Vampire Storytellers Companion

Most of time, companion books that White Wolf releases for its games are like double-edged swords. They have probably some small bits of useful information there and there, but also some quite worthless information, which could have been left out, and nobody wouldn't be complaining. And Vampire Storytellers Companion embodies this well-known fact rather well. So what you get for your fifteen bucks?

First of all, you get Storytellers Screen. What can be said about it? Well, it's made cardboard and is quite sturdy, so it doesn't fall when game gets hectic. It probably burns rather well in fireplace, so I can warm myself with it in cold winter nights. Illustrations to other side are taken from revised Vampire: the Masquerade rulebook, and look very good, although I would have liked to see that picture that Clyde Caldwell made for the 2nd Edition Players Guide and Screen. Storyteller's rules summary in other side is OK, but I just wonder why some rather useless information must be printed there (like six traditions which won't do any good to run game more smoothly).

But Storytellers Screen isn't probably the main reason why you would buy this product and pay fifteen bucks for it. You pay for actual Storytellers Companion, which is short, 68 pages long patchwork quilt of information. First we get two pages long introduction about what book contains. Nothing interesting there.

Then, at Chapter one: Bloodlines, we get three new bloodlines to use in game, which are quite well known by veteran players. Each bloodline gets two pages long description, same fashion as clans get in revised rulebook, which is good thing. However, I wonder that how many troupes actually use these bloodlines in their games, or how many storytellers would allow their players to use them? I understand that they can quite good adventure hooks when used sparingly, but maybe World of Darkness will get too overcrowded, if I introduce every possible bloodline, changing breed, demon, mummy, kith, kue-jin, and wyrmling to the game. But maybe this is just me.

First of the new bloodlines is all-female Daughters of Cacophony, bloodline which members have mastered using her voice in new ways, and have new discipline called Melpominee. Bloodlines weakness is quite same that Toreadors have, but now it is related to beautiful sounds that can distract Daughters of Cacophony.

Second new bloodline is Samedi, which members are just like Nosferatus, too horrible to see. But unlike Nosferatus, which always look like pure monsters, Samedis look like walking, but rotting, corpses. They have new discipline called Thanatosis, which can rot Samedis enemies and alter their bodies in rather unpleasant ways. Samedis curse in quite obvious. They have monstrous appearance just like Nosferatus and fail automatically in appearance-based checks.

Final bloodline is ex-clan Salubri, which antediluvian and father Saulot was diablerized by clan Tremere. Bloodline members have very pacifistic attitudes, and their discipline Valeren can be used to heal mortals and vampires physically and mentally. Bloodline is persecuted by Camarilla (especially by Tremere), and there is only seven true Salubris in the world, so this bloodline isn't very suitable for players. Their curse is that bloodline can't feed blood from humans that aren't willing vessels for feeding.

Unfortunately, useful information ends here, as we go to Chapter Two: Secondary Skills. What we get here is ten new talents, skills and knowledges. Anyone with any brains can make these all by themselves, as the new skills aren't that innovative. For example we get skills like archery, demolitions, hobby talent, sewer lore, style, throwing, etc. Not really worth of your money, if you are seasoned storyteller or player. Maybe some new players can get something out of them, but for me, this is just waste of space.

Chapter Three: Disciplines only gives rules to new disciplines that bloodlines have. Melpominee has seven discipline levels, and last one wasn't introduced in old 2nd Edition Player Guide. Thanatosis has eight discipline levels and names have just been changed after 2nd Edition Players Guide, so there isn't actually anything new here. Valeren discipline goes so high as ninth level and power are same as in old Dark Ages Companion or old Players Guide.

Then we have Chapter Four: Equipment, which basically just introduces new ways to kill and blow others away, which isn't that useful to anyone, besides those troupes who are really action oriented, and argue about that how much Magnum .357 does damage and can Waldemar Wampire conceal it to his jacket. Chapter introduces weapons with six attributes, which are caliber, damage, range, rate, clip and conceal. These attributes are naturally very self-explanatory, except for conceal, which tells how easily weapon can be concealed. There is also over forty new firearms to play with (ranging from the Saturday Night Special to Uzi and AK-47) with small descriptions, and also some special equipment that can be attached to weapons, like laser sight, silencers and suppressors.

Melee weapons get additional rule about how much strength character must have before he or she can use weapon, and there is also about fifteen new melee weapons ranging from clubs to katana. Some throwing weapons and bows are also listed, if someone wants to be modern age Robin Hood and start shooting with crossbow. In addition to common weapons, chapter has also over fifteen different types of armour. There isn't much to say about them, except that armours now have different soak values for different kinds of damage, and every armour has its own concealment rating. And finally, there are rules for explosions and some basic explosives.

So would I pay fifteen bucks for Vampire Storytellers Companion? It depends. If you count new bloodlines and disciplines out, there isn't anything that probably isn't worth of your time and money, except for that case that your group is full of combat oriented psychos. Screen is OK, but then, it isn't worth of cost. For newbies that doesn't know bloodlines by earlier experience, Companion could be worthwhile investment, if you could get it as used or at discounted price.

Style: 4 (normal White Wolf style)
Substance: 2 or 3 (3 goes for newbies)