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	Disclaimer I: I have seen in reviews that the content had "spoiler" ascribed to it. I feel that if you are reading a review, you invite that upon yourself. If you don't want "spoilers," why would you read a review of a product you do not own? I will not use the phrase of "Contains Spoilers" in my reviews, if you want a non-biased review that doesn't reveal content-look elsewhere. Disclaimer II: The majority of this review is opinion; your actual enjoyment of this product should vary accordingly.
	"... The Dark Ages. Those words conjure images of ruined castles and dark forests, both foreboding and mysterious; of hilltops where armies clash amidst a sea of mud and blood; a time when monsters are made real and terrifying by the simple words, Here there be dragons. They paint a picture of a Europe shoured in mists and superstition—an era when both kings and serfs fear the spirits of the night and pray for dawn to arrive...." (from the Introduction, p. 13)
WARNING SHOT: Most have called Dark Ages: Vampire "Vampire: the Masquerade in a historical play." Some of the set dressing is touch on, but the rest makes it hard to have a sense of disbelief. Dark Ages: Vampire also forms the core for White Wolf's Dark Ages game line. Does it carry enough weight on its own, or does it get bogged down before truly taking off?
Dark Ages: Vampire is a second-edition cousin to the now-gone Vampire: the Dark Ages, Masquerade's historical setting offspring. Using the Revised Storyteller system, Dark Ages: Vampire covers the world of the Dark Medieval with a lens focused on its vampiric side. Vampires in the Dark Medieval follow a loose feudal system of lord and lackey, prince and province-without the whole waiting for the master to die mentality, though. As undead creatures, vampires get to be host to the night, as sunlight does the typical burning sensation. Medieval vampires play at king and country during the starlit hours, hunting humans as prey, holding court in empty throne rooms, and influencing the thrust of the world with their vampiric powers (Dominate, Presence, etc.). Dark Ages: Vampire reads like a novice (neonate) vampire's primer. Discussing the rules and systems behind each vampire's station. The time period is set up to allow a conflict, called the War of Princes, to filter down into the way a player might shape their character in this game. As a time of vampire struggle, with the feeling that the end of their world is near, most people may be put into epic roles in their stories. Those familiar with Masquerade's Camarilla-Sabbat wars will find that this conflict (retroactively) stems from a caste separation of vampire clans (into High and Low Clans, based on European mentality). Those coming to the book for the first time may see an interesting, if biased, view on the workings of medieval Europe during the Crusades. Clans forming the High Clans are the Brujah, Cappadocian, Lasombra, Toreador, Tzimisce and Venture. Those clans form the rough concepts of fighter, magic-user, rogue, artisan, demonic cultist, and knight. This is only a very rough view of the clans and shortchanges them to a word, or two, descriptor. (Tzimisce, are renowned for their body sculpting powers, as are the Lasombra for their shadow-walking ability.) The Low Clans come from the world outside Europe, or are just from outsiders. These Clans are the Assamite, Followers of Set, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Ravnos and Tremere. Roughly, these clans are assassins, serpent cultists, barbarians, lost souls, hideous spies, gypsies and blood sorcerers. This, as well, is only a very rough view of the clans and shortchanges them to a word, or two, descriptor. (Malkavians are well known for the madness that their bloodline possesses, as even the Tremere are known to have stolen their vampiric nature.) After the discussion of the vampire's station, several views of vampiric morality are presented. Pursuit of a Road (ideology), a vampire has a set hierarchy of sins and ideals that they fail or follow through out the game. A Road has a set of virtues that it extols so that a player may follow with varying dice rolls (or dice penalties, should they fail their path). Of the several Roads talked about, the Roads of Sin, Kings, Humanity, Heaven and the Beast, have full descriptions that give players a better idea of how their character might follow or fail one ideology. (e.g.: Showing mercy to an enemy, from the Road of the Beast is one sin. As is turning down a chance for material gain, from the Road of Sin.) The book then turns its attention to game mechanics, covering the whole from forming dice pools, to enumerating skills and abilities to details on the various vampiric disciplines (powers). Dice pools are formed from adding two ratings together from a character's attributes and abilities, such as Strength and Law (for strong arming your way through a castle gate). Using d10s, a player rolls against a number value (say 8, as it's past sunset and the guards are nervous at the sight of someone wanting out at this time of night) and counts successes that are that value and above. Disciplines are harder to adjudicate, as the ratings have varying effects per each discipline. One level has enhanced eyesight at the first rating, while another discipline has the enhancement at the third rating. Some add to the character's speed based on ratings (Celerity) while another adds to the number of successes in feats of strength (Potence). The hardest disciplines to work with are the magic-using ones. In place of spell lists and effects, Dark Ages: Vampire has a number of thaumturgic spell-like effects that certain characters may use. Mortis, the Cappadocian wizardy, focuses on necromancy. Each path in Mortis has one way or another to deal with the dead or their corpses. Thaumaturgy is the Tremere (mainly, as there are others who use it as well) blood sorcery. A number of paths deal with weather, blood theft and various other things. The book ends with various additions to the character in way of merits and flaws. Merits take points from creation to give one benefit or another, while flaws give points for creation at an impediment or other handicap. Dark Ages: Vampire does a good job translating Vampire: the Masquerade revised into a historical frame, though the feeling is less than complete as Dark Ages doesn't quite feel as though it wanted to be historical. As one of the stated lines in the book, it succeeds at giving both player and storyteller something to work from in terms of historical ideas. It feels like fantasy, but uses a real world time period as stage dressing. Overall, Dark Ages: Vampire is a Vampire player's book. I don't see how this book could carry a game line not focused on vampires (say, Dark Ages: Mage, or Werewolf) but as a core book for Vampire, it runs well. Those wanting a departure from their typical fantasy, or even modern, games may want to give this book a once over. Those wanting to add more horror to their historical games might glance over it as well. Not a bad beginner's book, Dark Ages: Vampire is just better geared for those already involved with the Storyteller System.

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