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White Wolf Night Edition Number 14 is a newsletter printed on newsprint and published sometime in the Summer of 1999.

Contents[]

Cover[]

News, Events and Hormonal Outbursts from White Wolf. Free! The Other "F" Word!

Tis Not The Season[]

Look at you! You're in the game store! It's summertime and awesome out! Unless a comet has hit the Earth by the time you read this, you should be ashamed. Go play frisbee. Mow the lawn. Scope out chicks or dudes or whatever. Soak up that sun before it's gone. You can game tonight! And if you do all that cool stuff, take your White Wolf Night Edition along. We have no lives.

It Takes One to Know One[]

Aberrant Design Notes and Smarminess by Rob "Quintessential Studmuffin" Hatch

Aberrant is here. Since the superpowered game of the summer has arrived, we thought it timely to get developer Rob Hatch's delicate insights into the game, among other things.

Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Gautier, Skullcrusha, Darling... Names, Names, Names!

There's a misconception that we here at White Wolf are a bunch of effete, pretentious, gothic douche-bags. Well, dammit, I take exception to that demeaning stereotype, particularly as it seems to come primarily from a bunch of stinky, overweight*, gamer-T-shirt-wearing douche-bags. And it's so, so, so unfair: I mean, hey, I like Switchblade Symphony, lace skirts and bondage balls as much as the next red-blooded American male, but for a long time the man's man in me has been clamoring for release from my monochromatic, mascara-lined prison of Gothic-Punk.

So, when I got a chance to turn Vampire over to that nancyboy Justin Achilli and work on Aberrant, White Wolf's game of superhumans and sacrifice in an eerily familiar near-future, I jumped over the entire White Wolf office with a single bound. You see, I wanted a break from the angstboy routine. And, in particular, I wanted to make sure my next book was chock full of so much virile heroic manliness that testosterone would ooze off the pages,

To that end, I carefully avoided some of the superheroic conventions that have always made me cringe. I was tired of the comic-book cliché of a bunch of people gaining incredible powers, yet having absolutely zero impact on the world around them. None of that "Dr. Doom invents a time machine but the rest of the world still can't fix Y2K" BS. None of that "Superman has the power of a god but has no influence beyond beating up muggers in Suicide Slum" crap. Uh-uh, nohow, nosirree. The aberrants - or novas as they are commonly referred to - would be few, far between, but important. And their powers would reflect their essential ass-kickitude.

So I designed Mega-Attributes - exponentially more powerful versions of normal Attributes - and quantum powers based on, among other things, artillery rules. Want to roll 20+ successes on an attack roll? Want to inflict an automatic 25 health levels of damage with that punch? Cool. Be warned, though, that other freaks can dodge your punch, or soak 30 health levels automatically. Bummer.

Once we got to the setting, however, I had already OD'ed several times on my seething masculinity, and my natural hormonal balance was beginning to assert its catty head. To that end, I put down those trashy comic books and went back to source material more befitting my sensitive side - stuff like Absolutely Fabulous, Boogie Nights and (God help me) Network.** I mean, after all, when you've got the eyes of the world on you, you simply cannot go out in last year's lines! In Aberrant, Traits like Style, Etiquette and Subterfuge matter as much as Melee (even with that Automobile specialty), and the most important battles may well be fought between your agent and the licensing rep from the toy company.

And you thought roleplaying was escapist....

*Well, I shouldn't throw stones here, as I have ballooned all the way up to 143 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal. At this rate, I can be Stevie Ray for Halloween this year. Rule!

Aberrant Breakout![]

Now that Aberrant is loose, here's a look at the kinds of characters you can expect in the game, whether they're your own or those running around your world (the guys you can fight). These superpowered people are cool, tough and dangerous, not to mention highly photogenic.

Duke "Core" Baron[]
  • Birth Name: Louis Marin Freeman
  • Date of Birth: August 4, 1979
  • Place of Origin: Brooklyn, NY
  • Occupation: Tournament shootfighter; current XWF World Heavyweight Champion
  • Powers: Core possesses powerful plasma-generation powers, which he can manifest in several ways. Most common is the projection of plasma bolts capable of liquefying solid steel. However, he is also able to manifest a plasma shield that can stop small-arms fire, as well as channel his excess energy through his own form to increase his physical strength and durability.
  • Background: By his own account, Louis Freeman manifested his powers almost immediately after the Galatea explosion of 1998. Nobody could approach the whirling mass of plasma that surrounded him - until the effects died down two hours later. Louis fled at that time, evading police and National Guard alike to find his way underground.
  • He resurfaced in Japan two years later, where the first nova-level shootfight competitions had begun. Having learned to control his innate abilities, as well as keeping his already potent fighting prowess up to date, he rapidly made a name for himself in the independent fighting circuits. When the XWF formed in 2004, Freeman - now under a new name - became one of it first recruits.
  • Core is most famous for the radiant yellow-white glow of his energy powers, which emanates from his eyes and mouth when he experiences "power buildup" - an even t that often accompanies an aggravated emotional state. In other words, the angrier he gets, the more his power builds. This happens now and again in tournaments, and when it does, watch out - because the Core Meltdown TM isn't far behind!

Estimated Power Levels:

  • Strength: 6
  • Intellect: 3
  • Speed: 6
  • Offense: 8
  • Defense: 7
  • Versatility: 5

Aberrant bursts into stores in July in a limited-edition hardcover format, and an unlimited-edition softcover format.

Ad for Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption[]

Your Dark Secret is About to be Revealed to the World.

Making Its Computer Game Incarnation This Fall

Hunter: The Reckoning[]

Taking Back the Night...[]

For centuries, supernatural powers have reigned, warring among themselves, culling the human herds and lashing out from the shadows. The creatures of the night have held court since before the dawn of history. Nothing lasts forever.

From the throng of humanity, individuals emerge who know the truth. They know monsters exist. Enough is enough! The forces of darkness must pay their due. The time of retribution is at hand.

One Monster at a Time[]

Hunter: The Reckoning is the sixth Storyteller game in the modern World of Darkness. This lavishly illustrated, hardcover book presents all the rules and background information needed to finally bring mankind's fight to the supernatural. The game is not a Hunter's Hunted second edition. These are all-new character types with their own agendas for the world... and the monsters that inhabit it. This is the cataclysmic finalé to White Wolf's Year of the Reckoning.

Hunter is available in November.

White Wolf Game Q&A[]

Ask Me, I Know Everything by Fred

Sorry, no prophetic tone today. As I write this, I'm about to leave for a convention in Vegas to answer some questions of my own: How much free booze can I consume in a week? Is prostitution really legal in Vegas? Should one always bet on black? I'm sure I'll find answers to these, and to other questions that I don't want answered, such as "What does a Nevada prison look like"? Since my flight doesn't leave for a couple hours, I'll just look busy by "bequeathing my knowledge."

If I have armor dedicated to me, do I still get the bonuses in non-human form?[]

This is a good point. We should change the Werewolf rules to make dedicated equipment completely ludicrous. Right now, dedicating is a clever Garou trick to avoid "Hulk pants." But why not make it totally overpowering? We'd all love to run around with invisible other-dimensional armor that soaks damage even as it sits safely in the Umbra.

Or as the Werewolf developer put it, "No. (I mean, come on!)".

At how many diablories should you receive the flaw Methusila's Thirst?[]

Six or none.

Do werewolves, mages, wraiths, vampires and other races exist in Trinity?[]

An all-too-common question with a very clear answer: Yes they do. For everyone who can't play a single game without crossing over every obscure bloodline and half-breed mutant, Trinity has it all. Heck, if you want to throw in some things that we don't even own, go right ahead. I'm sure the Borg, Batman and Madonna have all made it into World of Darkness games, why not into Trinity as well? I say cross them all and let the Storyteller sort them out.

Please send me any errata for Mind's Eye Theatre that you may have.[]

While more of a command than a question, I'll go ahead and respond anyway: No. We print books to cover rules. First editions sometimes need to be followed by second editions, but that's how game companies stay in business. If you want some good information, check out the Mind's Eye Theatre Journal that comes out every quarter.

That's it! I'm off to Vegas and may never come back. However, should I decide to, you can send your questions to me at *****@**********.com and I'll be sure to attack you in writing. Seriously, we do try to provide real answers, but we also like to vent - a lot.

The Red-Headed Stepchildren of Darkness[]

By Greg Fountain

Greg's a sad, sad person in our sad, sad Marketing Department. Hell, he is the Marketing Department. Just let him have his piece.

By merit of the fact that you're reading this - that is, you picked up a White Wolf newsletter and got all the way to this corner of vitriol without running away - you must be one of two kinds of people. You are either one of our Minions of Darkness who (Knowingly or otherwise) does our bidding and steadily advances the program to The-Time-That-Is-To-Come, wherein our dark machinations will be fulfilled and we will turn a decent profit and stop stealing gasoline from our neighbors' cars. Or, you are one of the notorious White Wolf Hunters who has perceived our plans and our inherent evil and who seeks to destroy us by putting nails in our tires and by telling Jerry Springer that we encourage nun-battery. In either case you will likely be surprised to learn that in spite of our immense magnificence/fiendishness, we are largely ignored by the so-called "industry professionals" of roleplaying.

Consider this: At a time when we have received more mainstream publicity than most other RPG companies combined; when this interest comes from media giants like Time, Rolling Stone, Spin, The New York Times and Glamour (I'm bot kidding about Glamour - I couldn't make that up); when this exposure is not even about the great "changeling massacre in the steam tunnels beneath the Pentagon," but rather about White Wolf's contribution to the subcultural architecture of the world; when last year we made the most significant in-roads into the RPG leader's market-share in the history of gaming... we are scarcely noticed in professional roleplaying journals.

Volumes are written about WotC's duties to the distribution system. Accolades are heaped upon third-tier Publisher X for the seventh printing of Game Y, sales of which have just topped those of say, The Streetfighter RPG. And still we go unseen. But that is, of course, our plan. Our nefarious schemes can work only if we remain hidden, dealing in misdirection and casting shadows.

So, dear minion, we dare not say more in this forum for fear of the White Wolf Hunters among you. But don't worry, we have not forgotten your loyalty. When the time is right, we'll be... in touch.

The New Face of Night[]

By Cynthia Summers

A new era of live-action, nightstalking roleplaying begins in September with the revised edition of Laws f the Night. Game developer Cynthia Summers stops practicing her patented "scissors" gesture (that's what she told us it was) to explain further.

When Laws of the Night was released in 1996, it gave live-action roleplaying a new burst f life (unlife?), like a vampire rising from torpor to face a new era. Now, after the re-release of Vampire, tabletop undead have had tie to shake off the grave dirt and take up their night lives. It's only fair that live-action bloodsuckers should get the game opportunity.

Laws of the Night has done an excellent job and has served in good stead for years as a veritable bible of many LARPs. However, with story advance, Discipline changes and time ticking down to the millennium, the original digest rulebook looks a little moth-eaten. In addition, several rules holes and oversights have plagues me over the years, both as a player and proponent. The short-span, one-shot games for which the original Laws of the Night was intended have given way to long-term chronicles. The upshot of all these changes is makeover time for the grand old lady.

As our flagship Mind's Eye Theatre book, Laws of the Night Revised Edition is going to be the prego of the line. Put your nose up to the jar and look - it's in there! New players will find setting material and clan descriptions to help them jump right in, while veterans will find plenty of updated material from the new edition of Vampire. Disciplines are being reworked to bring them more in line with the tabletop game (check out Dementation for Malkavians and updated Quietus for Assamites). Character creation is being tweaked to include Backgrounds and a means to measure Ability prowess. Whether your chronicle is Camarilla or Sabbat, this book will be all you'll need to get a story up and running. Storytellers aren't neglected, either. We provide setting material and a new storytelling chapter, both rich with material for novices and veterans alike on how to keep a game running in and out of character. Also look for corrections for rules problems that have cropped up in the past few years.

Laws of the Night Revised begins with a special limited edition, hardbound rulebook with a leatherette cover, silver images and ribbon bookmarks - stylish enough for a Tremere regent's grimoire or a prince's library. That book is followed by a regular edition - with all the same text and photographs - in the usual soft-cover format.

In September, the night has a thousand new eyes.

The End Times Approach[]

While mortals plan for New Year's Eve and worry about the Millennium bug, forces stir in the shadows. The Camarilla struggles to retain its cities while the Sabbat gains ground nightly. Rumors abound of anarchs crying for aid against an invasion of mysterious Asian vampires. Masses of thin-blooded Caitiff, untaught and heedless of battle lines, huddle in the shadows if skyscrapers. Prophecies are whispered in the Elysiums, and none know where change will take them. It is a time of fear and suspicion - with a promise of more to come.

Where do you stand amid the chaos?

Times Change[]

And with them comes Laws of the Night Revised Edition, a new rendering of the popular Vampire: The Masquerade game for Mind's Eye Theatre. Let these redefined rules be your guide as the millennium winds to a close. Will you stand with the Camarilla, which shakes from within even as it defies the monstrous Sabbat? Will you side with the Sabbat, assaulting strongholds of Antediluvian pawns? Or will you stand among outsiders, seeking only survival in the maelstrom?

Laws of the Night Revised Edition is available in September, 1999. You've been warned.

White Wolf's Summer '99 Releases[]

July[]

The Time of Thin Blood[]

The Time of Thing Blood allows you to portray the hunted childer of high-generation vampires in the Year of the Reckoning. The Final Nights are upon us and this book offers Storytellers a glimpse at one the events of the unfolding Gehenna.

Stock #2101, ISBN 1-56504-245-X, $15.95 U.S.

August[]

Guide to the Technocracy[]

Guide to the Technocracy contains all the information needed to run a Technocracy-based chronicle and characters. Explore the defenses of Technocratic bases, their corridors of political power and their hopes for the future. Learn the Union's beliefs and goals and how it plans to empower all of humanity in the Year of the reckoning. Hardcover.

Stock #4014, ISBN 1-56504-417-7, $25.95 U.S.

September[]

Eternal Hearts[]

Eternal Hearts is a novella released from Black Dog Game Factory that examines the vampire as a sexual metaphor. This book redefines the vampire in a modern context, and it's all depicted by none other than Lucy Taylor and John Bolton. Hardcover.

Stock #2400, ISBN 1-56504-205-0, $19.95 U.S.

NightEdition14WtATheHeartofGaiaAd

Ad for Werewolf: The Apocalypse The Heart of Gaia[]

Coming Fall 1999 to PC CD-Rom.

Go on-line with White Wolf. Check us out at:

http://www.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storyteller

A "blueberry" computer is not a substitute for nature.

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