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See also Wraith: The Oblivion Second Edition

The Wraith: The Oblivion Rulebook, sometimes referred to as Wraith: The Oblivion First Edition, is the initial rulebook for Wraith: The Oblivion.

Summary[]

From the White Wolf catalog:

A Storytelling Game of Death and Damnation
With each passing day, Oblivion encroaches further. With every soul that surrenders to Shadow, the end draws ever nearer.
The world is not as we know it. Decay's sweet stench now clings to all we hold dear. It is called the Shadowlands.
In death there is nowhere to hide, nowhere to run from the hate and fear, pain and bitterness, the Shadow within.
Hope is fragile, and few have the courage, the Passion, to face Death and say, "I do not go gentle into that good night."

Chapters[]

Prelude[]

Book One[]

Chapter One: Introduction[]

A general introduction to roleplaying, a summary of Wraith: The Oblivion and its themes and moods, and a lexicon of Wraith terminology.

Chapter Two: Setting[]

Information on the Gothic-Punk attitude in Wraith, a breakdown of the Underworld from Necropolis to nihil, a Revision of the Imperial History of Stygia written by Herodotus, the physiology and metaphysics of the dead, the wraithly social structure, and the main factions of Wraith: the Hierarchy, the Heretics, and the Renegades.

Chapter Three: Storytelling[]

A guide to storytelling Wraith, including common themes and ideas for campaigns, how to create chronicles and antagonists, and tips for creating conflict and keeping the story rolling along.

Book Two:[]

Chapter Four: Rules[]

The basic rules of Wraith, including actions, dice rolls, and game terms.

Chapter Five: Character[]

Step-by-step instructions on how to create your very own wraith.

Chapter Six: Traits[]

The traits needed for Chapter Five, including Nature and Demeanor, Attributes, Abilities, and Backgrounds, tips on creating Passions and Fetters, and the complete list of thirteen Great Arcanoi.

Book Three[]

Chapter Seven: Shadow[]

Creating and playing a wraith's Shadow in a chronicle, as well as additional information on Angst and Harrowings.

Chapter Eight: Systems[]

Details on game play, including gaining and spending experience points, healing injuries and how a wraith can be hurt, information on Transcendence, and the effects of the Shroud.

Chapter Nine: Drama[]

This chapter discusses the timing of scenes and turns, taking actions, the dramatic systems, and combat and weaponry.

Appendix[]

Information on the antagonists of Wraith, such as Spectres, gifted mortals, and other supernatural creatures, as well as a list of Artifacts, important dates for wraiths, and a sample setting, Atlanta's Little Five Points.

Background Information[]

Errata for this book is included on the final page of Midnight Express. Among other changes that were made were to correct the spelling for writer Jackie Cassada's name and add a left-out credit for design contribution for Ray Winninger.

According to information in the "Last Words" section of the book, one of the first games Mark Rein•Hagen worked on for White Wolf, pre-dating even Vampire: The Masquerade, was a game called Inferno, where players were recently deceased spirits who were cast into hell. A series of unfortunate, almost deadly events during playtesting caused Inferno to be shelved. Much later, during the development of Ghost (Wraith's predecessor), some of the concepts used in Inferno were used pulled out and used. Problems began to surface again, and Wraith developed something of a "cursed" reputation. Appropriately enough, Wraith would be the first game in the World of Darkness to come to an end, brought down by poor sales.

Characters[]

Terminology[]

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WTO: The Face of Death Wraith: The Oblivion books WTO: Wraith Storytellers Screen
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