Available at RPGNow.com ^[1]

This is a fun little book (52 pages/no ads). I can see why it’s holding at number one at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop ^[1] since its release. It’s a useful little bastard that gives canon material to what gamers have been doing since Masquerade’s end and Requiem’s release. I guessed it would be a book about translating the old system to the new, but it doesn’t play favorites. It goes both ways.

The first three pages detail the similarities and differences between the two lines. For example, the original line ran with the “we’re the Childer of Caine” speech where untrustworthy memories make any origin story suspect in Requiem. There are also subtle notes that show the differences just a little over a decade of gaming can do to a line.

The Clans get their moment in the spotlight next. First, the Masquerade vampires are translated to the new line with hints, quick fixes, and the like. The “chapter” ends with the reverse. Of all the breakdowns, I think I like the Daeva’s treatment the best, especially that they are more Followers of Set (without the Set bit) than Toreador. There take on humanity is, well, worth a great game. The Sects and Covenants get this exact treatment next (though at a mere five pages against the previous 11).

Disciplines understandably see the biggest overhaul. The magic of the Tremere alone proves quite a handful to translate. Some abilities move straight across (Potence, for example). Others, like Necromancy, have to be toyed with a bit.

Traits (Backgrounds, Virtues, Blood Potency) and Systems get their treatment next just before two characters go through the full process (in excellent detail) to show a translation both ways (though two virtues should have been crossed out on the Masquerade conversion. You can’t have Self-Control and Instinct).

Overview? First, let me say I love the new tone of the artwork. The colorful, realistic style is still making for some of my favorite finds in gaming books of late. Next, the reader really knows what they are getting with this book. This is a hard book of rule conversions.

There is next to no filler material, although suggestions for play are sprinkled throughout for seasoning (you can’t have too dry of a read).

Artwork: Five out of Five Dice (Why? It’s a strict PDF release where White Wolf is showing that the quality of their books aren’t going to suffer because they are moving away from the forests and into the digital realm.)
Layout: Five out of Five Dice (Watch the new and old bleed together on each page.)
Writing: Five out of Five Dice (Strong editing, readable technical material, useful addition)
Overall: Five out of Five Dice (no reason to hold off buying that Requiem book now!)

Review by Todd Cash

^[2]