White Wolf Night Edition Number 10 is a newsletter printed on newsprint and published sometime in the Summer of 1998.
Contents[]
Cover[]
News, Events and Cream Filling About White Wolf. Free! Check Your Oil!
Dressed for Success?[]
It's summer and the person next to you in the game store is wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans and combat boors. That must be hot - and all that foundation can't help. But you don't care, you've got a copy of White Wolf Night Edition, the coolest free rag around. This is the breezy spot where all the secrets about White Wolf, and news of our upcoming events are revealed. Let 'em sweat, you've got t made in the shade.
Now if only they sold beer in game stores....
White Wolf Game Q&A[]
Ask Me, I Know Everything by Fred
I hear my fans crying for the truth and pleading for my advice. I will answer them if that is their desire, but they may wish they had remained blissfully ignorant. While the truth can indeed set one free, it can also raise deep, horrifying questions. Without further delay, I shall reveal the deepest secrets of the World of Darkness.
If a vampire collected a profuse number of opaque milk bottles - the type that block all light - and melted them together, but not so that they lost consistency, could they be used to create a safe haven?[]
Truly, this resourceful being has just cause for seeking answers from an enlightened being such as myself. While milk bottles would indeed block out the harmful rays of the sun, I would not trust my immortal body to such flimsy protection. Better to acquire a photographer's dropcloth or to simply retire to an old-fashioned coffin. Flimsy plastic provides little protection from dreaded Lupines or even from an angry gerbil.
What would the stats of a ghouled mosquito be?[]
There you have hit upon one of the great mysteries of vampiric nature. What indeed would the "stats" of a ghouled mosquito be? What horrific powers would such a preternatural parasite possess? Could it left man from the ground and fling him bodily over a cliff? Could it dominate the mind of a human lackey, forcing him to do the bidding of its master? Would it provide comfort throughout "the Long Night"? The answers are obvious to one who knows such things....
I just started playing Vampire: The Masquerade and my first character is a Gangrel. Where do I find armor?[]
Uhhh... The truths one holds... The armor of the soul... See Vampire: The Masquerade, page 229, for rules and statistics on Armor.
Once again, we have looked upon the abyss and laughed. Wherever there is doubt, wherever there are mysteries, I will shine my light f hope and pluck the truth from the ass of ignorance.
I need a beer.
The Story Behind Battleground[]
By Chris McDonough.
By now you're aware that White Wolf is doing a miniatures game. What, you ask? How could White Wolf, a company that makes storytelling games about characters, do a miniatures wargame? Well, let me tell you.
Our intent is to make a game that adds to the already incredibly detailed Trinity Universe. We want to give players and characters even more options for solar-system hopping adventures - and what's better than kicking some Aberrant ass?
Battleground is a character-driven skirmish game. Each miniature represents an individual character (complete with a simplified character sheet). You lead a small party of versatile psions into battle against your opponent who controls an incredibly powerful group of Aberrants.
The game is based loosely on the Storyteller rules; we've implemented changes to make the game strategic. If you already have a Trinity character, he can jump right into Battleground - just record his stats on the new character sheet.
Battleground is also intrinsic to events unfolding in the Trinity Universe. Those familiar with Trinity know that after Earth colonized a number of planets outside our Solar System, those outposts were cut off with the loss of the Upeo wa Macho (our teleporting psions). The colonies have been stranded for five years. It's only 2120 that we finally have the technology to return to them. Trinity supplements document what has happened at one of the colonies: Aberrants have invaded and psions now fight to liberate the planet. Battleground is your chance to wage that war - and to be a part of the ongoing struggle with humanity's greatest enemy.
Battleground also expands the Trinity Universe; it includes information that you can't get anywhere else. Setting material offers more information on Aberrants, their powers and their society. It also details the psions of the Seventh Legion.
Each future Battleground supplement will cover a new psi order; a new enemy (including the Chromatics...), and a new, dangerous locale in the Trinity Universe. Combine all that with a brand-new line of blister-packed miniatures (each comes with its own mini character sheet), an anthology of Trinity fiction later this year, and the Trinity game supplements that are already available (and still coming out), and you'll begin to know the epic scope of the Trinity Universe.
Trinity: Battleground is available in August.
Trinity Battleground, First Contact[]
>>> Personal file: John Dutton, 1st Class Gocho, Phoenix Squadron, Strike Team Anvil. 1.24.2120. Audio only. <<<
Well, we're finally here. After years of hard work and preparation, we've made it back to Khantze Lu Ge. When the teleporters disappeared five years ago, humanity almost gave up on our deep-space colonies. Thank God we didn't - these people have survived and need our help.
Preliminary reports show that our worst fears come true: The Aberrants are here and n control of parts of the planet! I'm scheduled for the first drop to the surface tomorrow. We're supposed to recon the town of Wan Xian to see if there are any Aberrants in position there. All my life, I've heard about Aberrants - of how they were once thought to be the next step in human evolution - until they went berserk, that is. I can't help but picture the holofile of Divis Mal's final act when he attacked the UN. Bullets just disintegrated around him as he turned the secretary general to ash! I don't think even General Larson has that kind of power. I know I don't.
I'm scared. I've never seen an Aberrant in the flesh before and now we're about to be dropped in the middle of a whole mess of them. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to do anything else. Being a psion and a Legionnaire is the greatest honor a psion could have. Besides, this is what the Legion is here for. We have to protect humanity!
I should get some sleep. It's gonna be one hell of a day tomorrow.
>>> Personal file: John Dutton, 1st Class Gocho, Phoenix Squadron, Strike Team Anvil. 1.26.2120. Audio only. <<<
The docs think I'll be able to walk again soon. I'm surprised I'm even alive, much less whole.
It was an ambush.
The Aberrants knew we were coming. They waited until we landed and then destroyed the dropship. I think they were just toying with us, like a kid does with a bug - playing around until he gets bored and then stomps on it.
A few of us managed to get off the ship before it blew. I got to my feet in time to see them coming. We were out numbered. I fried one with my Pyro and saw Janson get one with his L-K Avenger. I thought at the time that we had a chance.
Then this huge thing with four arms came out of nowhere. I emptied the clip of my Cyclone into it and it didn't even break stride. When it was close enough to almost touch, I gave it a heat blast that would fry a bulkhead. That slowed it down, but not by much. The last thing I remember is the sound of breaking bones - mine.
The Captain tells me only three members of my strike team survived. She says I'm lucky. I guess I am. But from what I've seen, I wonder if we have a chance, I wonder if they're too powerful to stop....
- Trinity: Battleground
- Name: John Dutton
- Aptitude/Order: Pyro/Legion
- Strike Team: Anvil
- Cost: 75/120
- Tier: 1st
- 5 Ranged
- 4 Heavy Weapons
- 2 Close Combat
- 5 Soak
- 2 STR, 4 DEX, 2 STA, 3 MEN, 2 SOC, 4 HLTH, 2 INIT, 5 PSI, 6 AP
- Skills: Firearms 1
- Weapons and Armor: Banji Cyclone (20) AP: 2 R: 8/18, U: 3; Armor Carapace (25) Armor Rating: 3
- PSI Powers: Plasma Control RANGE 16, AP 5, PSI 5, DAM 8, ROLL Psi, TEM 2"; Ignition RANGE 12, AP 3, PSI 3, DAM Spe, ROLL Psi, TEM No
White Wolf's Summer '98 Releases[]
July[]
Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East[]
If you want to see how the Changing Breeds are different in the East - this is your book. Hengeyokai examines the shapeshifters of the East, describing their unique cultures and secret magics. Learn how the Tengu differ from their Western Corax brethren and how they view the face of the Eastern Umbra. What's more, the secrets of the elusive Kitsune werefoxes are revealed, making this a complete Changing Breed book as well!
Stock #3063, ISBN 1-56504-338-3, $20.00 U.S.
- Clanbook: Baali Written by Sven Skoog and Lucien Soulban. Cover art b John Bolton. For adults only. Stock #2817, ISBN 1-56504-213-1, $12.00 U.S.
- Crusade Lore: The Storytellers Screen and Book Written by Phil Brucato, Kenneth Hite and others. Art by Larry Elmore and Alex Sheikman. Stock #4801, ISBN 1-56504-490-8, $15.00 U.S.
- Doomslayers: Into the Labyrinth Written by Bruce Baugh, Geoff Grabowski and Fred Yelk. Cover art by Larry MacDougall. Stock #6064, ISBN 1-56504-635-8, $18.00 U.S.
- Trinity Field Report: Extrasolar Colonies Written by John Snead. Stock #9201, ISBN 1-56504-771-0, $4.95 U.S.
- The Roads Between the Worlds The Eternal Champion, Volume 6 Written by Michael Moorcock. Cover art by Gerald Brom. Stock #12543, ISBN 1-56504-197-6, $14.99 U.S.
- The Road to Science Fiction Volume 6 Edited by James Gunn. Cover art by Kathy Ryan. Stock #11092, ISBN 1-56504-158-5, $14.99 U.S.
August[]
The Changeling Storytellers Guide[]
Changeling: The Dreaming is the game of faeries, hidden magic, strange realms and imagination, all set in the modern world. That's a lot of stuff - a lot more than we could we ever hope to fit into one rulebook. The Changeling Storytellers Guide therefore picks up where the Changeling rulebook leaves off and offers a plethora of new information, from rule clarifications to new and advanced systems for handling fae magic.
Stock #7009, ISBN 1-56504-708-7, $18.00 U.S.
- War of Ages Written by Bill Bridges, Daniel Greenberg and Teeuwynn. Cover art by John Maston. Stock #2022, ISBN 1-56504-243-3, $16.00 U.S.
- Wild West Companion Written by James A. Moore and others. Cover art by Brian LeBlanc. Stock #3704, ISBN 1-56504-344-8, $18.00 U.S.
- The Traditions Gathered 1: Songs of Science Written by a host of visionary magicians. Cover art by Michael William Kaluta. Stock #4053, ISBN 1-56504-445-2, $20.00 U.S.
- World of Darkness Pin Set Ten brand-new pins! Stock #5717, ISBN 1-56504-511-4, $99.00 U.S. The new pins are also available individually for $4.95 each.
- Trinity: Battleground Designed by Chris McDonough. Cover art by Chris Moeller. Miniatures designed by Bob Naismith. Stock #9400, ISBN 1-56504-754-0, $59.95 U.S.
- Darkness Revealed: Passage Through Shadow Written by Bruce Baugh and Richard E. Dansky. Cover art by William O'Connor. Stock #9102, ISBN 1-56504-752-4, $15.95 U.S.
- To Dream of Dreamers Lost For the Grails Covenant Trilogy Written by David Niall Wilson. Cover art by William O'Connor. Stock #11033, ISBN 1-56504-997-7, $5.99 U.S.
- Swords Against the Shadowland Written by Robin Wayne Bailey. Stock #12016, ISBN 1-56504-893-8, $9.99 U.S.
- Irrational Fears Written by Willian Browning Spencer. Cover art by Bill Koeb. Stock #13353, ISBN 1-56504-915-2, $19.99 U.S.
September[]
Secrets of Elysium[]
At last, here are the long-demanded elder rules for Mind's Eye Theatre. Everything you need from Experience Trait charts to Master-class Disciplines is included. Nor did we skimp on the dark Ages; this book contains extended Disciplines for The Long Night. This is the complete resource for creating, maintaining and running (not to mention becoming) a vampire elder.
Stock #5012, ISBN 1-56504-536-X, $15.00 U.S.
- Transylvania Chronicles 2: Son of the Dragon Written by Brian Campbell and Nicky Rea. Cover art by Andrew Ritchie. Stock #2812, ISBN 1-56504-291-3, $15.00 U.S.
- Wendigo Tribebook Written by Bill Bridges. Cover art by Joshua Gabriel Timbrook. Stock #3078, ISBN 1-56504-334-0, $10.00 U.S.
- World of Darkness: The Bygone Bestiary Cover art by Mark Jackson. Stock #4802, ISBN 1-56504-491-6, $16.00 U.S.
- Trinity: America Offline Written by Bruce Baugh, Robert Martin Heinsoo and Robert Scott Martin. Cover art by David Seeley. Stock #9003, ISBN 1-56504-762-1, $17.95 U.S.
- Orgotek T-Shirt Stock #5951, ISBN 1-56504-594-7, $17.95 U.S.
- Edgeworks: The Collected Ellison, Volume 6 Partners in Wonder Written by Harlan Ellison. Cover art by John K. Snyder III. Stock #11955, ISBN 1-56504-965-9, $22.99 U.S.
- Dante's Disciples Edited by Peter Crowther and Edward E. Kramer. Stock #13308, ISBN 1-56504-878-4, $5.99 U.S.
The Midnight Dance Continues...[]
They stalk in the shadows, moving gracefully and unseen among their prey. They are the blood-drinking fiends of whispered legends - Kindred, Cainites, the Damned. Above all, they are vampires. Their eternal struggle, waged since the nights of Jericho and Babylon, plays itself out among the skyscrapers and nightclubs of the modern world. But the vampires' grand Masquerade is imperiled, and the night of Gehenna draws ever closer.
Until the End of All Things[]
Seven years ago, White Wolf rocked the roleplaying world with the release of Vampire: The Masquerade. Vampire presented mature themes, cutting-edge design and an emphasis on character to a previously stagnant industry. The book introduced people to the art of roleplaying and paved the way for a new generation of game designers. Vampire further broadened the industry's horizons by becoming the first RPG to see treatment as a prime-time television series (Kindred: The Embraced).
As more roleplaying games have taken their cues from Vampire, expectations have risen. Both the World of Darkness and the real world have grown and changed. It is clear that the time has come to update Vampire: The Masquerade for the coming millennium.
It began with an interoffice memo from Vampire Developer Rob Hatch....
Of late, people [at White Wolf] have been saying that it's high time to update our flagship game, modernizing it and making it of a quality similar to all our other second edition games. I couldn't agree more. While Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition is a beautiful book, it is not nearly as complete as our other second edition books and deserves to be expanded, updated and polished.
I want to clarify the guiding principle of the new edition: V2 works. It is the simplest of our games, the most elegant and the most popular. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" has to be central to our thinking here. Most of us who have been in the RPG industry know the horror stories of perfectly good games "fixed" all the way into obscurity and ruin.
That caveat aside, I propose the creation of a "revised" version of Vampire: The Masquerade. This book would be of a size similar to our other core game books. Its primary purposes would be to update the book for the 21st century (new quotes) and to compile everything necessary to play (all the clans, all the Disciplines, etc.) under one set of covers; however, we would also tweak those rules that need fixing, and most importantly, provide a lot of really cool bells and whistles....
In the coming months, we will be releasing more details on the changes that occur in the new edition. For the time being, here are answers to some soon-to-be frequently asked questions.
Will this new edition be compatible with existing material?
Yes. The new core book is designed to be compatible with the existing rules system. The goal is to not make the current line obsolete - just to make a better introduction to the line.
Does this mean that all of the World of Darkness core books will be revised?
Absolutely not. Vampire Second Edition was a remarkable product from a young company. We expanded on that effort with each subsequent game, and feel that the other WoD books can stand on their own for many years to come.
Does this mean that all of the books in the Vampire line will be revised?
Some of the core Vampire titles will be updated to reflect the more modern setting, but the line will not be changed whole cloth. Most existing Vampire books will remain as is.
The new edition of Vampire: The Masquerade releases in October 1998.
Go East Young Man?[]
White Wolf welcomes its newest addition to game development: Jess Heinig. Jess is in charge of Kindred of the East supplements and some Vampire books planned for 1999. We thought we'd give him this space to either introduce or make a fool of himself.
Moving to Atlanta from San Diego was daunting. Sure, I got to work for White Wolf, and my expenses were handled, and it's not like there was anything holding me back - except maybe the weather - but it was a really big change.
Of course, now that I've settled here, it's time to head even further east, to the domains of Thailand, India, China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, the Philippine Islands... those mist-shrouded places of ancient civilization and mystery.
Yep, it's time to head to the exotic lands of Asia. Those of you who have picked up Kindred of the East know that book offers just a glimpse into a whole new realm of the World of Darkness. Well, I have some El Niño in my pocket and I'm going to blow away the fog that has, until now, concealed the temples, valleys and cities of the East. You've had a taste of the exotic. Now you're going to get the full seven-course meal.
I spend quite a bit of time (too much, according to my parents) in the roleplaying community. During that time, I learned about characterization, story, myth - all the "good stuff" of game design. Then, by a strange twist of fate, I managed to land some work for Vampire. When White Wolf decided to hire a Kindred of the East developer, I took the plunge and joined the studio full time.
My job is to introduce you to the alien and mystical World of Asian Darkness. In Vampire, White Wolf's developers and writers focus on inhuman and monstrous creatures; in Kindred of the East, we're going to bring out the strange, the hidden and the legendary. Eastern culture - which is simultaneously rich, beautiful, exotic, deadly and grandly terrifying - is older than the western Methuselahs themselves. I plan to showcase the heights and depths of that culture and its denizens, and hope to give you the tools to be a part of it all.
Of course, the mystic East wouldn't be complete without clashes with the West. I'm also working with Justin Achilli to expand the Vampire line. Where the two worlds meet, you can be sure that sparks will fly.
When Worlds of Darkness Collide[]
By Justin Achilli, Vampire Developer and Resident Ranter
There's a specific kind of question that I'm asked at least once a day and it drives me to frothing madness. In fact, in the end, all the questions that I'm asked are variations on the meta-world "dilemma": Why don't vampires gain Paradox? What's the best way for a vampire to enter the Umbra? What happens when I Embrace a changeling?
I'm going to let you in on a little secret: The World of Darkness games aren't supposed to work together! Sure, the Storyteller system remains constant throughout them, but each game is presented on its own terms. You know why vampires don't get Paradox? Because they don't worry about it!
Call this what you want (But if I hear you say the word "paradigm," I'll have you deported. "Paradigm" is Phil's word, and there's a constitutional amendment preventing you from using it outside of a Mage context.) Paradox, seemings and the Gauntlet don't have anything to do with Vampire, and my development isn't concerned with them. It's not inconsistency, it's mood - each game's mood contains those elements best suited to it. Vampire isn't a game about "reality on the brink," it's "a storytelling game of personal horror." Go look at the back cover if you don't believe me.
When some chucklehead sends me a question about using countermagick against Disciplines, or a proposal for a book about the relationship between the Ventrue and the Syndicate (which, of course, owns Pentex [or not, depending on which book you read]), it knots my Calvins something fierce. The back of each core rulebook gives a few bits about the other supernaturals and how they relate in terms of the given game. How much more obvious does it need to be?
Granted, some of you like crossover games. God knows why -every single one of them I've seen has been a horrorless clash of mystical powers (not unlike a Marvel comic with a bad Sisters of Mercy soundtrack) - but I'll accommodate it. There are crossover rules in numerous sourcebooks, and I can stomach them as an unfortunately necessary evil. What I won't tolerate, however, is the stubborn insistence that it all fits into one Grand Cosmic Scheme - because it doesn't. The mood and the story are what's important, not whether Pustulo of Clan Peste can use his Chlamydius Discipline against Tail-Burr from the Cave Bees tribe. If it makes sense (or drama) in the story, fine. If not, why sweat it? It's just a game - and if you don't think it is, you need help.
Don't worry about Justin, he also hates it when you get Scotch in his vodka or chocolate in his peanut butter. Come to think of it, he just hates....

Artists Spotlight on Christopher Moeller[]
Chris has worked as a comics painter and writer since 1990, and in 1995 was nominated for an Eisner Award for his series "Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers." "Sheva's War," Moeller's second painted Shadow Empires (now Iron Empires) series is scheduled for August release in DC Comics' Helix line.
Chris' recent comic book covers include "Star Wars: The Battle of the Bounty Hunters," "Batman: Shadow of the Bat" and a Green Lantern poster.
You're familiar with Chris' work in gaming from Trinity itself and now the cover of Trinity: Battleground. You know his fiction work from Michael Moorcock's A Nomad of the Time Stream and Pawn of Chaos.
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