The Shadow Players Guide is a splatbook for Wraith: The Oblivion detailing the concept of the Shadow, adding new tools to make different Shadows, covering the Shadows of the Risen in depth, and discussing the concept of the Shadow in each of the Dark Kingdoms.
Summary[]
From the White Wolf catalog:
- Surrender to the Dark Side
- Every wraith has his own personal whisperer in darkness, telling him what it's a very good thing to be bad. (And it is, it is - trust me.) They call the voice the Shadow, and every wraith must strive to resist its efforts to drag him down to Oblivion (Why? It's always more fun heading downhill!) This Shadow will urge the wraith to untold acts of depravity and evil until he is lost forever to the Void. (So, like, does anyone have a problem with this?)
- You and Your Shadow....
- The Shadow Players Guide discuss the less pleasant half of a wraith's personality, the part of a wraith's soul that wants to fast forward the plunge into Oblivion. In other words, it's all about the nasty fun part playing Wraith, so buckle up and get prepared for a hell of a ride. Want to find out how Shadows work around the world? Need to see the top-10 Shadow dirty tricks? Have a yen to char with a Shadow who actually enjoys getting Castigated? All that and more hides between these covers, waiting for you. (And ignore all that sissy stuff about Castigation, the Eidolon and whatnot. This book is about serious fun - for my kind, at least.)
- The Shadow Players Guide contains:
- The ins and outs of the Shadows of the Risen; (Wrecking the Skinlands for fun and profit. Wheeee!)
- New Merits, Flaws, Thorns and more; (More toys for the arsenal - we're loaded for bear!)
- And of course, dirty tricks galore. (You were expecting maybe recipes for chocolate chip cookies? Wimp.)
Contents[]
Ghost Story: Whispers[]
Chapter One: Shadows: The Big Picture[]
More information on creating a playable Shadow and the art of being a Shadowguide.
Chapter Two: Systems and Dirty Tricks[]
New Shadow Archetypes, Shadow-related Merits and Flaws, and Thorns, as well as the standard tricks Shadows tend to pull on the Psyche, and how Shadows interact with a Harrowing. There are also some basic ideas for Shadow heavy plots.
- New Shadow Archetypes
- The Delver
- The Plague Dog
- The Rager
- The Victim
- The Voice of Hope
- The Innocent
- The Somnambulist
- The Stormcrow
- Merits and Flaws
- Nostalgic Shadow (1-5 point Merit)
- Embittered Shadow (1-5 point Flaw)
- Endless Hunger (1 point Flaw)
- Good Relationship (3 point Merit)
- Obsession (3 point Merit)
- Shadow Haunt (3 point Flaw)
- Warded (1-5 point Merit)
- Castigation Junkie (3 point Flaw)
- Thorns
- Nightmares: 2 points
- Wrack: 2 points/level
- Mirror, Mirror: 2 points
- Van Gogh: 3 points
- Cat Food: 4 points
- Honeyed Tongue: 4 points
- Whispers: 6 points
- Manifestation: 6 points
- Vampiric Nature: 7 points
Chapter Three: The Dark Kingdoms[]
Details on the role of the Shadows in the Yellow Springs, the Flayed Lands, the Bush of Ghosts, the Mirrorlands (including the Arcanos Connaissance), Swar, Karta, and the Sea Which Knows No Sun. Each section may have additional tools to use in Shadow creation, such as Archetypes, Merits and Flaws, and/or Thorns.
- New Merits and Flaws: Yellow Springs
- Improper Burial (2 point Flaw)
- Kuei-p'o (4 point Flaw)
- Exceptional Burial Site (3 point Merit)
- Kuei Vulnerabilities (5 point Flaw)
- Flayed Lands Shadow Thorns
- Miquiztli: Corrupting Touch (7 points)
- Acatl: Enigma (3 points)
- Cozcaquauhtli: Means to an End (6 ponts)
- Tochtli: Enfeeblement (5 points)
- Tochtli: Escape (4 points)
- Ehecatl,: Xipe (The Flaying) (6 points)
- Bush of Ghosts: Goredeena Archetypes
- Beast
- Dictator
- Hermit
- Outcast
- Sorcerer
- Thorns
- Curse: 1 point/level
- Sweet Tongue: 1 point/level
- Corrupt Passion: 2 points
- Harried Pursuit: 2 points
- Assume False Face: 3 points
- Summon Abiku: 3 points
- Zombie Master: 4 points
- Shapechange: 5 points
- Thorns
- Bush of Ghosts Lexicon
- Les Invisibles:
- Les Invisibles Lexicon
- New Arcanos: Connaissance
- Basic Abilities: Eyes of the Abyss, Language, Regler Mait' Tete
- Reler Baka
- Renvoyer Baka
- Engagement
- Reler Mystere
- Marrer Baka
- Swar
- Vharuna - Statistics
- Rhakshaza - Statistics
- Swar Lexicon
- Kingdom of Clay
- New Thorns
- Shadow Bond: 3 points
- Contact with Ancients: 1 point/level
- Shadow Compact: 2 points
- Wave of Sorrow: 2 points
- Tapping the Tempest: 3 points/level
- Instill Guilt: 5 points
- Merits and Flaws
- Dreamtime Shadow Ally (3 point Flaw)
- Culture Shock (3 point Merit)
- Relics
- The Mask of Ned Kelly (Level Four Relic)
- Convict Shackles (Level Two Artifact)
- New Thorns
- Sea That Knows No Sun
- Ainu Thorns
- Spectre Prestige
- Tainted Relic
- Infamy
- Death's Sigil
- Aura of Corruption
- Shadow Call
- Shadowed Face
- Tainted Touch
- Shadowplay
- Shadow Familiar
- Freudian Slip
- Shadow Life
- Devil's Dare
- New Archetypes
- The Compulsive
- The Kahuna
- Ainu Thorns
Chapter Four: Spectres and Risen[]
First come the details of Shadows taking over and turning a wraith into a Spectre. Next comes notes on the Doomslayers, followed by information on the nature of the strange relationship between a Risen and their Shadow, and how both must work together to accomplish much of anything in the Skinlands.
Chapter Five: Eidolon and the Lighter Side[]
The concept of Eidolon is reintroduced, and is detailed here, including how to create an active "higher being", and the system of Recognition. There is also more detailed notes on how to Shadowguide a Shadow under Castigation.
- Eidolon Archetypes
- Architect
- Avant-Garde, Explorer, Gambler
- Bon Vivant
- Bravo
- Bureaucrat
- Caregiver
- Child
- Conniver
- Critic
- Follower
- Jester
- Leader
- Martyr, Rebel
- Mediator
- Scientist
- Survivor
- Traditionalist
- Visionary
Chapter Six: Roleplaying[]
Miscellaneous essays on the nature of the Shadow and the roles it can play in a chronicle.
- Where Horror and Shadows Meet by James A. Moore
- Forging the Shadow: Unearthing Your Evil Inner Child by Laurah Norton
- Notes from the Dark Side by Andrew Bates
- Shadows on the Mirror: Sexuality in Gaming by Cynthia Summers
- Plain and Simple by Ethan Skemp
- Devil's Advocate by Trevor Chase
- Shadowy Thoughts by Richard E. Dansky
Background Information[]
- Ads at the back of the book include: Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah (April 15, 1997) and a Year of the Ally Ad.
Memorable Quotes[]
"If I had the capacity, I would weep joy" - pg. 11
"Your Arcanoi are supposed to send us, cowering and screaming, back into the Tempest. Your Citadels are touted as fortresses of light, warding away the evil that would overwhelm you all.
What a bunch of crap. Most of you couldn't Spook your way out of a paper bag, let along harm one of us. And the Citadels? I can't count the number of times I've waltzed through the halls of one.
Despite your thought talk, you're all a bunch of babies, afraid of the dark. You don't have the power to bend the darkness to your will. You don't have the balls to face Oblivion. You don't have the strength to feel the pain of the universe filling your soul." - Maxwell Carpenter
"We're not a bunch of mindless drones, you know. That's you." - Maxwell Carpenter
"There's a fine line between inspired evil and simple depravity. Let me draw it for you." - Maxwell Carpenter
"What, you think we walk around with name tags saying "Spectre?!"" - Maxwell Carpenter
Characters[]
- Ghost Story: Whispers
- Melissa - Wraith
- Jerry - Wraith
- Chapter One: Shadows: The Big Picture
- Sister Mary Margaret - Wraith, Player character
- Father Kiley
- Orel Rooney - Puppeteer Wraith
- Alix Travais - Masquer Wraith
- Clayton - Wraith
- Susan - Wraith
- Michael - Wraith, Emerald Legion
- Chapter Three: The Dark Kingdoms
- Che-Min - Mortal, Grandson
- Quetzalcoatl
- Tezcatlipoca, "The Smoking Mirror"
- Ix Chel
- He Who Serves Indra
- Chapter Four: Spectres and Risen
- Maxwell Carpenter, a notorious Doppelganger in the Philadelphia Citadel (and the POV character for parts of Chapter Four)
- Plesus Mar - Wraith, Knight of the Thorn
- Seth - Risen, Player Character
- Armand Malthus - Risen of Antwerp, Belgium
- Chapter Five: Eidolon and the Lighter Side
- Lyle Van Arne - Pardoner
- Elyse - Wraith
Terminology[]
Acatl, Ainu, Antwerp, Australia, Belgium, Bush of Ghosts, Bush of Ghosts Lexicon: Abambo (Ibambo: Singular), Abiku, Akua, Chioneso, Goredenna, Hagundo, Ile Aiye (House of Life), Ile Olokun (House of the Deep), Ile Orun (House of Heaven), Ori'bi, Sikhumbuzo, Sinkinda; Catharsis, Castigate, Cells, Children of Tané, City of Delights, Conduit, Cozcaquauhtli, Dark Kingdom, Dark Kingdom of Ivory, Dark Passion, Doomslayer, Dreamtime, Ehecatl, Eidolon, Flayed Lands, Gleaning, Great Pit, Harrowing, Helldivers, Hun, Karta, Kingdom of Clay, Kingdom of Jade, Kuei, Les Invisibles Lexicon: Abyss, Baka, Connaissance, Cosmic Mirror, Creole, Govi, Gros-bon-ange, Invisible, Island Below the Sea, Les Chevaux, Les Invisibles, Les Morts, Les Mysteres, Loa, Mait' Tete (Agwe, Damballah, Erzulie, Ghede, Legba, Ogoun), Mirrorlands, Mount, Nanchon, Retirer d'en bas de l'eau, Serviteur, Surface, Ti-bon-ange, Visible; Li, Maku, Mangaia, Martyr Knights, Mexico, Miquiztli, Oakwood Cemetery, Order of the Thorn, P'eng Lai, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, P'o, Psyche, Recognition, Risen, Samsara, Sea That Knows No Sun, Shadow, Shadowguide, Solos, Spectre, Sunless Sea, Swar Lexicon: Apsaras, Asuras, Bhur, Bhuta, Bhuvar, Gandharvas, Gunas, Gurdwara, Khalsa, Loka, Nagas, Pisacha, Rajas, Rhakshaza, Satva, Sea of Shiva, Soma, Sthula Sarira, Sukshma Sarira, Swar, Tala, Tamas, Tvashtriyas, Vharuna, Yama; Tabu, Tanéwood, Tenochtitlan, Thorn, Tochtli, The Tomes of Golden Light by Lyle Van Arne (1984), True Jade, Vaekai, Way of the Soul, Yellow Springs,
References[]
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WTO: Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah   |
Wraith: The Oblivion books | WTO: Mediums: Speakers with the Dead
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