World of Darkness: Book of Spirits is a sourcebook for the Chronicles of Darkness. The book details the Shadow, its spirit denizens and the various ways in which both interact with the material world. Primarily intended for use with just the CofD: World of Darkness: Storytelling System Rulebook 
, it also contains information for vampires who interact with the Shadow and expands on the information already presented for werewolves and mages.
Summary[]
From the Onyx Path catalog:
- A World of Infinite Shadows
- The world has a Shadow, an invisible reflection where archetypes are made solid. Too often, the spirits of the Shadow slip unseen through the cracks in the wall between worlds, manipulating or possessing luckless humans to alien ends. Are you willing to look into the broken mirror and see what awaits?
- A Setting Book for The World of Darkness™
- A comprehensive look at the spirit reflection of the World of Darkness, designed for mortal and supernatural chronicles alike
- Extended rules on the interplay between the flesh and the spirit, providing ways to use spirits and the spirit-touched in any chronicle
- A variety of mortal perspectives, as well as an extensive selection of antagonists that come from the other side
- New spirits, Ridden, rules and setting lore for Vampire, Werewolf, Mage and more
Prologue: Get Away[]
Fiction. A local bootlegger's famous and spectacular crash in his beloved car spawns a car spirit who enters the material world seeking new passengers.
Introduction[]
An overview of the book and the themes and moods that the Shadow can evoke.
Chapter One: Invisible Lore[]
A collection of the research and information gathered by mortals, exploring religious, occult, superstitious and even scientific understandings of the Shadow.
Chapter Two: The Shadow Realm[]
A tour of the Shadow, covering the various types of environment, the nature of spirits and reflections, ways of traveling to and from the Shadow, and the dangers to mortals (and other creatures) who may enter the other realm.
Chapter Three: Keys to the Kingdom[]
A collection of "enablers": Merits, powers, items and rules that interact with the Shadow and help to bring it into any chronicle.
Chapter Four: Denizens of Shadow[]
A toolkit for building spirits and a host of sample Shadow denizens.
Background Information[]
Unusual for a general Chronicles of Darkness title, this book includes a new set of Discipline powers for vampires, allowing them to access the Shadow. It is also the first Chronicles of Darkness book to mention Changelings in the text; a sidebar describes how the powers of Prometheans and Changelings might be affected by the Shadow. An ad for Changeling: The Lost is included on the last page.
This book contains an unusually large amount of typographical and grammatical errors, including the word "finish" spelt "Unish". (See below for the quote from which this error comes.) Later books edited by Scribendi do not have noticeably worse editing.
Memorable Quotes[]
"She choked, and couldn't finish. Because she'd just looked into his eyes, and hadn't seen him there. She didn't see him when he moved, either."
- An excerpt from the intro fiction to Chapter Four
Characters[]
Mortals[]
- Acoma
- John Bedford
- John Randall Carver
- David Braughn
- Nelson Chang
- Morgan Coles
- Curtis
- Frank Donnely
- Bill Ebberds
- Lemuel Ebberds
- Malcolm Edwards
- Robert Edwards
- Karen Foster
- Hal
- Edward Holcomb
- Adam Jameson
- Javier
- Frank Jenner
- Donnie Lavelle
- Kieran Leary
- Gareth McIntyre
- Cain Mendoza
- Nicola Michaud
- Arthur Minturn
- Bethany Naismith
- Harold Naismith
- Maryann Naismith
- Nellie Naismith
- Mayur Patel
- Jack Prince
- Lisa Radcliffe
- Ayesha Rahman
- Sheriff Richard
- Elliot Shultz
- Carson Thews
- Tony
- Chuntao Tsang
Spirits[]
- '57 Chevy
- Bat-Spirit
- Beshilu
- Blightling
- Bullhammer
- Chain Reaper
- Charnel Cabin
- Churntide
- Crocodile-Spirit
- Erdgeist
- Ghost Tooth
- Gremal
- Hollow Man
- King's Crown
- Michaud's Stylo
- One Girl's Ecstasy
- Preyhound
- Rafixul
- Relict Man
- Roach Colony
- Salamander
- Scorpion-Spirit
- Shadowraith (Ush-Hissa)
- Spearfinger
- Steed's Pond
- Sylph
- Undine
- Urban Feral
- Virus-Spirit
- Void-Spirit
- Water Horse
- Worms of Gluttony
Groups[]
- Bedford Hermetic Coalition
- Blood of the Earth Mother
- Bureaucracy of Numbers
- Burnt Savanna
- Children of the Truth
- Dog and Shake
- Harvest Carnival
- Hungry Undertow
- Pullman Parlor
- Red Specter's Traveling Executioner Show
Terminology[]
Blood Tenebrous, brood, cursed items, dead spots, domains, loci, numina, Places-That-Aren't, rat nests, red mescaline, ridden, Ritual of the Pin, Shadow, Shadow sickness, spider webs, spirits, shoals, Twilight, verges, wounds
References[]
| Previous release | Game Books | Next release |
|---|---|---|
| CofD: World of Darkness: Urban Legends |
Chronicles of Darkness books | MCWOD: Monte Cook's World of Darkness Rulebook
|