Roleplaying Books

I used to play RPG's mainly when i was younger but the similarity between them left me somewhat disenfranchised with the games after a few years, and i thought i had outgrown them until a friend of mine brought LOST IMMORTALS to my house, He had picked it up while on vacation and safe to say our first gaming session lasted well into the wee hours. I would not say I am into RPG's but this game is so much more. I truly hope to see it become a series and hopefully it will make it to the stores in this country.

Forget the cool back story and rich demonic pseudo-history of the orient in the early middle ages... the fighting system is amazing!! Really intuitive and can be as compelling as you want to make it. I cannot go back to the other RPG's - they just don't do it for me anymore.

If the bigger companies get wind of this book they're gonna' want some of this action and if they don't hear about it they won't know what hit'em!!!

I was curious about this game when I picked it up. I was interested in feudal Japan, and this game had an elaborate background that I enjoyed. What really suprised me was that you could 'mix it up' as much as you wanted. I tried building a wrestler, and was pleasantly surprised. I can do whatever grepple move, or punch, or kick, and be as exotic as i want. All are weighted the same. Roll the dice. Where else can you do a 'Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker' on a Demon! I do have a leinient GM, but everyone should give this a look! I've spent hundreds on D&D, Rifts, Palladium, but they are religated to the basement. Lost Immortals is all I play now!

The Best RPG I've ever played. It blows all the D20 systems (D&D, Star Wars etc...) out of the water. This book promotes customization of the character both in and out of combat. Simple, easy to learn. I've had the book for 3 months and I love it. Strongly reccomended for that gamer in the family.

This players guide rocks. It has an anciet orient plot and it makes role playing easy to understand for a novice like myself. I really like the ease with which you can created and adjust your character. I have created 3 different characters so far which a multitude of different fighting styles. I would suggest starting off with a simple fighter and then expanding from there into the magic and special skills. It is very realistic and I would like to see more of it's kind in the industry. If D&D is confusing to you, I would recommend that you buy this book. It will change your idea of role-playing forever. Good hunting.

The other books don't go much into fomori save maybe the book of the wyrm. Fomori are some of the most heavly incountered supernatural nasties in the phsyical world... they are simply everywhere thanks to pentex's spreading of curuption.

Regardless of how you whant to use one in your game this book is a must have for such, there is pages apon pages apon pages of example powers and taints for you to use derectly or as a guide to make your own. There is about as many here as all the werewolf gifts with a wide aray. Rather combative powers, stealthy powers, seductive powers, just about anything you can think of..... and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of realy SICK ones.

Thats about the only down fall of this book, some people will just down right be groosed out by this book some of the stuff in here is down right horable and wrong.... but this is the wyrms affects on men at it's worce, so what do you exspet.... DEFFENTLY a book for adults only.


One very intresting thing this book opens up is alowing people to have PC fomori rather tring to be good or not, you can let some one play one in your game. Or to make things realy intresting play a game with a buch of humans that start getting fomori taints together... various taints showing up more and more before they sudently found that they got powers along with them. And leave them to deside what to do about it when pentex comes knocking at there door.

Some of the possablites here for bad guys is impresive too, not just the brutish or out right nasty looking fomori there use to dripping with taint... but you can have one that not only feelts taint free with powers, but will feel like there dripping with wyld essence, looking perfectly human... using powers that make them very sugestive, only doing the most terable of horid tricks when they get one of the party members alone.



Overall grate resorce for ANY Word of darkness game, even a game in of it'self, but not for the faint of heart.

This book is every thing i would expect from yet another exellent release from Black Dog books. Yet another vile manisfestation of the perveted mind of Black Dog. This is defianatelly one of the most gruesome yet best roleplay sourcebooks i have had the pleasure to read in years. As a mature roleplayer who likes to deal with mature themes Black Dog gives me the oppurtunity to feed and corrupt my twisted mind. Thank you to Black Dog for yet another fantastic release.

Freak Legion is not as gruesome as one might imagine. The material isnt overtly stomach churning(the opening comic is dire but not that bad)but it is still enough to warrant a bit of maturity. A fomori is one of the more tragic aspects of the Wyrm's corruption of humankind; they didnt ask to be made into monsters, and Pentex plays on their helplessness. While a fomori may be very powerful in combat against a Garou, it is ultimately a tragic monster that is manipulated by the evils of Pentex and the Wyrm. Keeping in line with the "Dark Side" aspect of the Wyrm, one is lulled, never forced into bloody service to the Wyrm. This is an excellent sourcebook on playing these tragic yet very powerful lost souls.

I simply can't believe NOONE took the time to comment on this book! This is the ONLY book I have 2 copies of, (one's worn out, the other's untouched, NEITHER'S FOR SALE!:) and frankly the ONLY book I ever WANTED to have 2 copies of. The artwork is excellent! The rules and details are bone-chilling terror combined with unusual clarity for White Wolf/Black Dog! I read it from cover to cover, had a chance to play a demon-possessed creature twice in my life now (as a plot device). Although I totally ADORE the book, I run a TableTop game and an online game (guidelines don't allow webpages so e-mail for details if you want them:), and would NEVER allow such super-powerful creatures to exist as Player Characters...but they sure do make for FANTASTIC plot devices! You're lucky (and hopefully over 18) if you manage to get this out of print book!!! :)

I am a staunch White Wolf player, and have purchased 80% of my books right here from Amazon.com. They're faster and more reliable than my local retailer, so I've amassed almost every Werewolf: the Apocalypse book in print, with a large collection of Vampire: the Masquerade. This was my first Black Dog book, and also one of the more useful ones I own.

White Wolf seems to not go so much "adult" in terms of pornography as it does on a "lets see how gross we can make it." The entry comic is enough to turn a weak stomach, so definitely keep it out of children's hands -- just as the company suggests. It had a healthy spattering of profanity which wasn't necessary at all times in this reader's opinion, tossing it in possibly to put the "adult" rating on it instead of for emphasis. In today's era, however, that's easily overlooked. Once you get past the general disgusting aspects, or if they don't bother you, the book itself is an excellent resource. It develops the Formori by leaps and bounds over the Book of the Wyrm First or Second Editions. In Freak Legion, you not only learn the in depth history of various Fomori types and breeds, but you also have a full list of how to create and build them with the special powers (and the taints it costs them to be in servitude to the Wyrm.) It was very informative, and excellent fodder for even the Vampire Storyteller who might want to introduce a new element into their game to throw of players who have already "been there, seen that, done that" with V:tM. Pentex certainly doesn't have to be Werewolf specific with a Malkavian antribu on its board of directors, and the company itself is outlined in some ways which are "political" similar to Vampire, although that isn't the focus of the book. All told, I would recommend this book to any serious White Wolf Storyteller. There is a small chapter with ST Guidelines to go from splatter horror, to possible politics, to a good old fashioned "blaze of glory" situation. There's something for almost everyone. A great companion to Book for the Wyrm Second Edition.

This is the most comprehensive Suppliment for Call of Cthulhu...especially for the Secrets of "" line they have. Thicker than the core book and is literally a better reference than my Japanese language books. The scenarios in the book are ok but don't take advantage of the source they draw from. The author takes various different angles to develope styles of play within the game and can expand from the basic Lovecraft style. You can even involve Delta Green type of flavor from this book. Even though it does not come straight out and say Delta Green. I think some players and GM's may be intimidated by conceptualizing a Secrets of Japan game but I found my players quickly picking up things during the game because of how much Japan oriented stuff we are exposed to in the media. The material is for the modern time and not for the 1920's as most of CoC is based in.
It's very well put together but is a big read if you don't know too much about Japan. It's well worth the price and invaluable resource for any GM.

Secrets of Japan is a new supplement for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game that moves the setting into the present day and to the far east of Japan. This massive supplement is actually larger than the actual Call of Cthulhu game book, which should give you some idea of just how thorough and comprehensive it is. It covers virtually everything that the original book did but slanted towards play in Japan. Author Michael Dziesinski begins with an introduction to Japan, its people and culture. It's this milieu which makes it unique from the original game which while providing information for playing in the modern day, was still heavily slanted towards play in the 1920's.

All aspects are revisited including character creation, occupations, which include many new ones such as Bushido "The Way of the Warrior" which certainly gives some punch, or kick, to PC's. There's also many new skills, magic, and of course, being in a modern setting, weapons and vehicles to utilize. Dziesinski goes so far as to provide the scope on how PCs find themselves in Japan to begin their investigations, assuming you're not using characters born and raised there. This is an interesting approach as you do become a stranger in a strange land, which certainly adds even more mystery to the game.

There are lengthy sections on religions and cults and other shadowy organizations and how they all interact with the Cthulhu Mythos. It's very well thought out and harkens back to yellow menace pulps of the 30's and 40's. Several new monsters, elder gods, great old ones, etc, are included. In addition, there are new, complete adventures included as well as a couple of dozen adventure hooks and ideas that the Keeper can build on. The depth and scope is quite staggering. That is the book's greatest strength and perhaps its greatest pitfall. There's a LOT to try and absorb and you have to wonder if players are going to want to invest the time to learn this new setting. There are great ideas here and it's certainly possible to run a campaign using just the ideas that fit you and your players, and adding more detail as you go along.

Ultimately it will be up to the Keeper to decide how much to use. There's no shortage of source material, that's for sure.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Japan is a natural setting for Call of Cthulhu. It is a place absolutely festering with monsters, beasts, ghosts and horrors of every possible nature. Combined with a long history and an enigmatic culture, the possibilities for adventures in both modern and past times is boundless. And with Lovecraft's fear of what lies under the sea...why, any trip to a sushi restaurant could be a sanity shattering experience.

Michael Dziesinski has put together a tome. "Secrets of Japan" is a thick book, and the author was sure to pack in as much as possible from his considerable knowledge. The first section, Atmosphere, provides a crash-course in Japan both ancient and modern. Politics, social life, technology...everything you need to give your game the appropriate mood. Other sections detail more specifically game-orientated information, including secret societies and power groups, new skills, magic and characters. The final section contains some very short scenarios, and a collections of scenario ideas. Due to the depth of "Secrets of Japan", it would be great to see a companion volume of scenarios for those who don't really have the time to home-cook their own.

The format of the book also keeps in mind the various way people view Japan. He has a tongue in cheek comic strip running through the book called Cthulhu Sushi which is very funny. A certain giant green famous monster of filmland makes an appearance, although slightly altered. There is even a short section on running Call of Cthulhu anime-style, which made me do a sanity check when I read it.

However, for all of its excellence as a Call of Cthulhu game book, no one should mistake "Secrets of Japan" as anything like an authentic book on Japanese society and folklore. Although Dziesinski deeply mines the rich history of Japanese monster tales, he freely molds them to suit the game, something leaving little resembling the original beast other than the name. He also makes some mistakes in his Japanese translations, specifically in his section titles "Cultural Lexicon", where he attempts to show aspects of Japanese society using the language. This is no terrible error, however, as it doesn't affect game play in any way.

Secrets Of Japan: Surviving The Mythos In Present-Day Japan by Michael Dziesinski, et.al. (1568821565, $34.95) is a guide to roleplaying in modern Japan: a survey of the underworld of Japan which serves as a battle-ground for primordial entities. Japanese cities and suburbs receive histories, roleplaying insights, and extensive links to Cthulhu in this guide for Cthulhu roleplayers in modern Japan. Packed with black and white artwork and complexity: a 'must' for serious Cthulhu roleplayers.

Chaosium shows why their Call of Cthulhu line is considered to have the best supplements by both old and young turks in the game industry. This book is exceptionally well-researched and written; any gm interested in running a game in Japan or using Japanese mythology in a rpg would do well to have this book. I'd recommend it to Keepers, period; it encourages you to think about the Mythos and its relationships in a new light the way that the tragically underrated Creature Compendium can.

I recommend Secrets of Japan to every Keeper out there without hesitation.

I was very leery for a while to buy this product after the LUG debacle but was was very glad I did afterwards. Decipher put together a great psuedo-d20 d6 sytem RPG that is easy to play with tons of Star Trek backround in it that will please gamers and fans alike I think. In fact only a non-trekkie would be crippled when reading the many in rule Star Trek references from all the series except Enterprise. As other reviewers have stated, this book focuses on character creation and has little in the way of Narrator tools and it is best used with the Narrators guide. Fan books, maps, galaxy guides, technical manuals, creature guides etc. from Star Trek all are very useful one might say essential to this game as well. In short the pictures, backround, rules, and system are all excellent with this Star Trek license game and I give it my highest marks.

First, let me say that I bought this for the Trek content and for inspiration as a writer and may never play the game. I have played some previous RPGs (none Trek) so I can still evaluate it as one - I hope. Anyway, this appears to be a complete player's guide. Unlike some games, everything you need is here, and sourcebooks are extras not essentials. There are ten starting species to play: Humans, Bajorans, Betazoids, Cardassians, Klingons, Ferengi, Trill, Vulcans, Talaxians and Ocampans. Each matches what we have seen in the show in their attribute modifiers and special abilities, although Vulcans have so many that some were cut. The action is done by rolling dice once, adding your character's skill score, bonuses and penalties and then comparing the result to the number needed for success. Everything your characters can do is expressed in a skill, and the range of skill coverage is very good. Characters also have edges and flaws, character traits that help define their personalities and affect their skills. Finally, each character also has Courage points. These represent heroic action and you use them to add to your rolls, either to prevent failure or boost the level of your success. (I would love this feature as a player.) There are seven basic professions: Diplomat, Merchant, Mystic, Rogue, Scientist, Soldier and Starship Officer. There are elite starship officer professions for every one we have seen in the shows. There are other elite professions that can be entered by anyone meeting their prerequisites. This system manages transfers like Spock from Science Officer to Commander to Ambassador and then probably either Envoy or Spy, all as a Starship Officer. All in all, the system really captures the feel of Star Trek characters.

The guide has a number of flaws. Least annoying first, there are a number of canon errors, which is surprising considering how much trivia the Decipher staff know about Star Trek. It was enough to bother me a little, so some fellow Trek reviewers may be driven crazy by it. As has been mentioned in most reviews (such as on rpg.net) the chapter and section order is really bad. The sections on character mechanics and level advancement should have been consolidated and in front. Character Development should probably have been in front of Professions, since you would use them in that order, and the non-starship elite professions should have followed the basic professions. The worst flaws are outright errors in presenting the mechanics of the game. There are edges listed in training that were renamed or eliminated by the time the Traits chapter was written. There are errors in the examples supposed to clarify how the game works. The level advancement rules are sometimes unclear. The Starship Duty ability is, according to the FAQ on the web, importantly more limited than it reads in the Guide. This needed a much more thorough editing before printing.

These problems are irritating, but they are fortunately simple to resolve. The character generation system and the skill test system are solid and very simple to implement. The guide also explicitly states that the players can create their own skills and edges, and even rules for doing so, and that the Narrator can change the type of skill test as he sees fit, if necessary. Should I ever choose to play, I would be very happy to use this system. As a collector, the insight into the skills and abilities of the character types, especially the elite professions, was worth the price. Also, nearly a third of the guide is given to chapters on equipment, starships, the galaxy and the Federation. Those sections were really interesting and informative. As a player I would give this a four for the errors, but as a collector I give it five stars.

This book is one of two core books, the other being the Narrarator's Guide. This book is full-color, with pictures from the original Star Trek all the way through Voyager and Enterprise. It has just about every gadget you've ever seen, and some you haven't, available to characters. Classes include Trader, Rogue, Starship Officer, Warrior, etc. If you're a Star Trek fan and enjoy roleplaying, do yourself a favor and get this book!

This is the best. I'am a narrator and I own all of those decipher manuals. This is the best rpg I ever played. Not just the best of trek rpg ,but the best of all I have played, and I have played almost all.
Perfect rules, Perfect manuals (that explain deep the ST universe and clear all on the rules for roleplaying and starship battles, spece astrogation or space hazards), perfect universe : what u are looking more? I have only a thing to say: buy it, and play.

This is the first book of the Star Trek RPG series. In this volume, it gives you the basics of character creation and gameplay from the player's point of view. It's a pretty simple and flexible gameplay system. However, there are a few complaints about this book. First of all, I feel that it wasn't organized very well. There isn't a checklist for character creation (I had to get that from another GM), so at first it's a little confusing. You have to jump around to different chapters to get all the information you need on character creation. Even just adding a checklist would have helped a lot. A second complaint is that a lot of skills, especially racial skills and abilities, are not listed on the character sheet, so again, you'll have to use resourses created by other GMs or make your own.

Even though this book has weak points, they can be overcome with resources available on the internet. Just be warned, this book only presents the game from the standpoint of the player. While the book claims that the game is playable with only this book, it's very difficult because there are no adventure seeds, or even many races or creatures to play with. If you're planning on running a game, you'll definitely need to pick up the Narrator's Book as well.

My brother and I started playing TORG when it was first released. It quickly grew to be one of our favorites, ranking up there with Call of Cthulu. What made it so special? Two things: the cinematic/heroic theme, and the flexibility of the rules system and world.

The drama deck and "storm knights vs. the Gaunt Man and his minions" theme lent itself to heroic combat and adventure. We found that you could run typical rpg "missions" or "adventures" with limited aims (e.g. let's go find the missing infinity relic) or you could run campaigns that greatly changed the entire possibility wars (e.g. let's uproot that stelae and limit the influence of the Nippon Tech realm). In either case, there were clear cut goals and heroic opportunities.

Likewise, the rules allowed for great flexibility in designing characters of any rpg genre (e.g., superhero, pulp, modern military, fantasy). The rules used a logrithmic scale and was generalizable to all skills and powers, so one system could accommodate any genre. Also, the division of the Earth into many different realms, each occupied by a separate reality, allowed for great flexibility in plotting adventures and campaigns. As a gamemaster, you could essentially use TORG to create any reality that you wanted.

While support for TORG is no longer available, the old sourcebooks can still be found and bought online.

If you are a rpg fanatic and you haven't yet given TORG a try, you should as soon as possible, you'll be delighted that you did.

This is what roleplaying is all about. The best elements of roleplaying are packed within this game. The setting is totally unique and original and the games system is beautifully laid out. Drama is what makes a true RPG and the aspects of using drama cards knock this rpg out of the park. A must have for any true RPGer.

Torg is the best RPG I've ever seen...it's very unique, with a huge range of options for characters. It's a must have for all RPGers

Torg is a unique game system that provides a very simple system for players and a very logical system for GMs. It panders to creating movie-like action sequences within most popular genres-- cyberpunk, pulp fiction, high fantasy, dark horror, and Lost World-esque areas of the world.

The idea of the reality invasion and the execution of it in game rules is a wonder to behold. No serious roleplayer can claim that title without having experienced the Torg system

This is an RPG that is truly unique. A clash of realities is on Earth and you can play anything from an elven mage, to a cybernetic warrior, to a prehistoric tribesman, to a corporate ninja. It is a world spanning game that gave me some of the best gaming I ever experienced.

I have been reading gaming books since I was nine and gaming and gamemastering since I was in Junior High School (I am now a senior in college). In that time, I have read dozens of gamemaster guides for different sci-fi and fantasy worlds. The Vampire guide is the best of all of them, and it is one that everyone running a campaign, Vampire or otherwise, should read. Most gamemaster guides are the same thing as all of the others: they have the same campaign generation and adventure writing advice, the same NPC advice, just with the flavor text appropriate to the game in question added in. The Vampire guide is different. In addition to providing all of the behind-the-shield knowledge relevant to Vampire and its storylines, it also has sections on topics like 'How to deal with Problem Players.' It touches on the interpersonal aspects of gaming in a very blunt manner that all other gaming guides seem too squeamish to handle. Included herein are sereotypical 'problem players' that most of us have seen (or been) at some point and advice on how to deal with each of them. Three clans new to this edition (the Baali, Nagaraja and True Brujah), new advantages (age, military force, arcane) and new disciplines related to the new clans (all with powers detailed up to ten dots) are provided, as well as Vampire history and the like. In the history section, there are tips for gaming in any era from prehistoric to the present. In true White Wolf spirit, there is a good bit of humor in the book. The 'Problem Player' section in particular provided great entertainment.

Until many other role playing games, "The Worlds of Darkness" are story based. Thus the storyteller is the single most important person in the group and players will often join or leave a group based on the personality of the storyteller and their ability to create an intriquing journey. But it is also very challenging to be a storyteller, especially if you are used to the less story-focused role-playing games where the DM or guide focuses on technical matters over characters or plot. This is a great book because it makes a lot of good suggestions, gives some needed guidelines, and also spends a good deal of time being honest about the storyteller's role, power, authority and the dynamics of players in this system. Does it answer every question? No, but it will help you become a better storyteller and everyone in your group will benefit.

If you like to play vampire and like to play often you will eventually run into the problem of the GM and other veteran players getting into fights, moving, getting bored with the game, or getting married. This leads to the break up of groups and then it is necessary to find another group.... or make your own. Some times its hard enough to find other experienced players, much less match up everyones schedule. I think the next best thing to do is teach new people. This is more true to the game anyways. When first embraced the vampires know nothing about kindred society and the powers that vampires wield. This sets you up for a very realistic game.

You know all the times you were playing in someone elses game and thought "I could have done that so much better" here is your chance. BTW Its harder than you ever imagined, but also rewarding when you do a good job. If you just want hack-and-slash vampire campaigns, though, the players handbook has all the info you need. This book is almost too much information but if you want a very complex and detailed story it is highly recommended.

Welp, this book is like a combination of the dirty secrets of the blackhand and the elysium. I found it really helpful in making elder vampires and dealing with the new changes produced ever since the 3rd edition came out. They had little detail ruling, e.g. does a vampire have fingerprints? Plus some inside information on the changes happening. It describe _a lot_ of the bloodlines and what happened to them, including Baali, True Brujah and Nagaraja. I recommend this book to storytellers, not players.

This helpful book includes information on elders and their society (from ELYSIUM mostly), mechanics for century-spanning chronicles (scattered and without as much detail as in other sources, unfortunately), an informative FAQ section, a section on how vampires interact with other World of Darkness creatures, advice on creating short (tournament size) games and possible alternative settings. There is a discussion about bloodlines including the modern Baali and the Daimonion discipline and material salvaged from SECRETS OF THE BLACK HAND- True Brujah, Nagaraja and their unique disciplines. A chapter covers the Hand's secret history and recent demise as an independent sect. The book offers suggestions for using free-form techniques to make the chronicle less numbers driven and more story driven- alternatives to merits and flaws, game balance treated as giving player characters equal story attention rather than equal powers, etc.

Unfortunately, some material seemed organized in a haphazard way. For example, elder society was in the chapter on vampiric existence but vampiric authority structures and power wielding techniques were over in the storytelling chapter. Things like this made it difficult to get an overall sense of where things were without reference to the index.

In places, it seemed overly long on theory and short on specifics. After reading the section on theme, concept and mood I was thankful that there wasn't going to be a quiz and wondered if this is really something you can learn from a book- especially with only broad suggestions about using music, props and (what'll they think of next!) descriptions. Specific suggetions for darkening a chronicle that seems too "nice" (and the reverse) might also have been more helpful than all the sidebar reminders to keep it cynical.

I have long been a fan of the works of the late Howard P. Lovecraft, and when I discovered a roleplaying game set in his horror universe existed, I knew I had to get it. From the modules to the setting books and creature compendiums, CoC has been a never-ending delight for my inner horror gamer. I highly recommend this sourcebook, along with every single other CoC sourcebook, module, and rulebook. Call of Cthulhu is definitely worth it!

I found this to be an excellent "modern-day" resource for the "Call of Cthulhu" role playing game. Fans of other settings for the game probably won't find it as interesting, or as useful, but if you like to play your "CoC" in the "here and now," this is definitely a must-have resource.

Chaosium's summary text for this product reads: "What secrets lie within the Devil's Triangle? Why was the Mary Celeste abandoned after it passed through the triangle's waters? What caused the disappearance of an entire flight of Avengers in 1945? Why do electronics fail in the triangle for no apparent reason? Now, the answers can at last be revealed.

"'The Bermuda Triangle' is a 1990s sourcebook centered around the famous mystery of the Devil's Triangle. It acts as a guidebook to the entire Caribbean region, detailing not only Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and other nearby islands, but also exposing the mysteries of Rha'thylla, the Sargasso Sea, and more. Guidelines are included for running entire Caribbean campaigns. The book concludes with 'The Privateer's Diary,' a scenario."

This book is a great addition to any CoC collection. Not only does it provide tons of information on the people, politics, and customs of the Bermuda triangle and surrounding areas, but it is loaded with useful creatures, ideas, theories, etc. It has many charts that all keepers should find useful, such as one that randomnly chooses a sea animal. And, to top it all off, it comes with a scenario that I cant wait to throw on my investigators. It is well worth the cost, and then some!

This book is very good if you enjoy the modern adventures for this game. I really liked it because i am very interested in the Bermuda Triangle. I won't tell you any of the story because it would ruin the fun of the game. I wouldn't reccomend this book if you enjoy long campaigns like Beyond th Mountains of Madness (which took me a couple of months to complete with my friends). I would highly recommend this book to anyone except people who like the 20's or 30's adventures.

This book is a very useful source for storytellers. It provides a different look at the triad as well as a lot of good information about how to play members of DNA. I would recommend this only for storytellers and not players. I beleive almost all of the information is not covered in other books which is why I gave it 5 stars.

If you missed the planetary merits and flaws from the first edition player's guide, well they are now back. Along with that, there are other merits and flaws based on the Incarnae that inhabit those planets, as well as a wealth of new gifts, fetishes, and story hooks, including the fulfilling of the child of two metis prophecy. It continues to explain the cosmology of the Garou where Umbra: The Velvet Shadow left off, particularly the Aetherial Realm. It also explains how Garou view the stars and constellations. Overall, a very good addition to the Storyteller's repetoire for Werewolf, or even Mage.

The Book of the Weaver is an excellent resource for the Weaver in the World of Darkness. For once the White Wolf-folks have come off their behinds and written a book that actually compares Mage: The Ascension with Werewolf: The Apocalypse (for instance, a new background: Device!). A good run-down on the history of the Weaver is included (and, for once, from a fairly subjective point of view), as well as a guide to the different fractions that, knowingly or unknowingly, serve the Weaver, which will be most helpful. Some good points on shapechangers vs. technomagick helps put things in perspective, especially about implants. All in all, this book is a must for anyone who pretends to know anything about the Triat and technology in the Garou cosmology, i.e. any Werewolf Storyteller worth mentioning. This book is also recomended for Mage storytellers as well, though remember which game this book is meant for. When WWGS will print The Book of the Wyld is anyones guess, but one can only hope that it will be of the same prime quality that Book of the Weaver is of. This is by far one of the best Werewolf-sourcebooks in a long time.

Man they should have had this book a long time ago the Weaver is just too fascinating a spirit to ignore... While I dislike the villanous slant that they give the Weaver in this book. ( I am a major Glass Walker fan.) I really loved this book it was long overdue and just makes me wonder if they are going to do a book on the Wyld as well...?

This is the best book since sliced bread

I read this when I was 10 and crazy about ninendo. I still read it again and agian. I loved how it uses nintendo characters. The story changes every time you read it. The puzzles give this book and intresting twist. They just don't write books like they used too.

There have been many books that I've read but there is none like this one. It has everything a kid could want from a book--action, plot, memorable characters with a humorous twist.

I read this book when I was seven and I thought it was the best book I ever read! It's too bad they don't write books like they used to. This book is the most beat-up book on my shelf yet I still continue reading it!

As a huge fan of the Alternity Dark Matter source book and novels I picked this up as soon as it was released. That being said if you have the Alternity version that you really don't need to pick this one up as well, it is almost the same book, just converted to the D20 rule set. It is a great source book book though and very well presented. The book is clearly laid out, presented well and easy to read. There are a good number of illustrations and little side sections that better explain some items of interest. If you are looking for a good conspiracy type campaign and don't want to go as fantasy as Urban Arcana or as true spy and the Sprycraft series then Dark Matter is for you. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

This book gave an excellent setting, especially for any conspiracy buffs. By keeping it so varied, DMs can add whatever additions (such as arcane magic or psionics) that they wish.

Also, the "True" Timeline section can easily launch several campaign ideas.

Overall, a thoroughly well laid-out and thought-out book.

This is a remake of the Dark Matter book for Alternity, and it is still a fantastic gaming setting. If you like X-files or any sort of conspiracy theory alien invasion book, this is the one for you. This book incorperates magic, psi, high tech, alien species, even extra dimensional creatures all seamlessly.

Reasons to buy this book:

1) Fantastic new rules, feats, classes, etc. This book doesn't dissapoint there.

2) Brilliant art. I know, I know, gaming isn't about the art, but this book has art second only to some high end WOD books.

3) It's very true to the original Dark Matter from Alternity. I played D20 modern for years using the old Dark Matter book and transfering evertying to the D20 system. The original book is more thorough, but this one has every major thing you'll need in it, and you won't need to juggle between gaming systmes to do so.

4) The timeline of the "true history of the earth" is really brilliant. All you need to do is pick a date on there, and you've got yourself an adventure. (A few years ago, we ran what we called Dark Matter 1942 and set the entire campaign in WWII at the birth of the OSS and the downfall of the Nazis who really weren't quite human...)

5) The Hoffman Institute (the group your characters are supposed to work for) is well thought out, and it's founder Dr. Nakami ends up being a very interesting character when you put him in the game. Normally, I hate this type of thing and come up with my own hooks, organizations, and NPCs, but this stuff is so well done, I used it all.

6) This is VERY well researched and thorough. If there is a strange place (there's a whole atlass of strange places and their histories in this book--very cool!), and odd event, or a mythological creature anywhere in the world, this book somehow manages to weave it in to it's all encompasing conspiracy. Vampires? Sure. Big foot? No problem. Gray aliens? It's got you covered. Everything to Tesla and Tanguska to the Masons and a moon base are tied in here!

Weaknesses:

1) The only one I can think of is a lack of enemies in a creature section. Having said that, however, most of the key creatures and aliens you'll encouter are already published in other D20 modern creature suppliments, so they're out there! Go buy the menace manual, and you'll be covered.

2) The original was a real no-holds-barred gaming experience. The PCs were never safe, and even minor creatures could kill the most advanced of characters. This led to some real spooky and intense gaming moments as players were genuinely worried about their characters. The D20 translation isn't quite as nice here. Your 15th level tough character is simply NOT going to be threatened by a gun or even a Weren. Even in a fantastic setting, realism lends a lot. I'd suggest playing it in the D20 Cthulu system for some more brutal rules and less powerful characters.

All in all, this is a book like no other. If you like aliens and modern day conspiracies, this book will change your games forever. I've run two full Dark Matter campaigns now, each lasting a few years, and I'm bearing up to do my third. This is, quite simply, as good as gaming gets!

Did you own Alternity Dark Matter? If so, you may not need this book. It's largely a straight-forward conversion of the original Alternity Dark Matter book-- it even has the same sample scenario, "Exit 23!" I'd say about half the art was lifted from the original book.

That said, the Dark Matter setting has always been really nice, and if you never bought the Alternity book, or are looking for a supported conversion, this is the book for you. In the vein of the X-Files, you and your party are working for the mysterious Hoffman Institute, investigating paranormal phenomenon and defending the ignorant humanity from supernatural threat. The "real" history of the Earth is presented, as well as the various cults and conspiracies that thrive today, hidden in the shadows. You can investigate mysteries involving traditional unknown such as Greys (Fraal), the Men in Black and the Sasquatch, or Dark Matter-specific entities such as the Kinori, the Sandmen or the many secret societies.

There are three new starting occupations, rules for four non-human character species, twenty new Feats, two Advanced Classes, three Prestige Classes, a few pages of specialized equipment and...85 pages of setting, twenty or so pages of GM advice and plot hooks, and the Exit 23 adventure. They don't even give any, repeat, ANY stats for creatures, referring you to the d20 Menace Manual.

All in all, it's a GOOD PRODUCT, but be aware of what it is and decide for yourself whether or not you should buy.

P.S. The front and rear covers glow in the dark, and are pretty cool.