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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Sword of Caine: Sharp, Not Dull..., April 3, 2000
This review is from: Guide to the Sabbat: A Sourcebook for Vampire the Masquerade (Hardcover)
It is a common and persistent misconception that Vampire characters and chronicles should be Camarilla by default. Maybe this is because the core rulebook outlines the Camarilla more thoroughly than other possibilities, or perhaps because Camarilla society is closest to human in ideology and behaviour. Either way, other storytelling options tend to be neglected, and none more so than the Sabbat. More than any other vampire group; the Sabbat is routinely labelled as the "bad guys". Most Storytellers present them as little other than marauding packs of bloodthirsty, monstrous, straightforward adversaries. Are they bloodthirsty? You're damn right. Monstrous? Maybe. Straightforward? Hardly. If you've always found the Sabbat confounding and two-dimensional, this book will change that. The "Guide to the Sabbat" contains a wealth of information on Sabbat culture, lifestyle, philosophy, motivation, and behaviour. Included are useful guidelines for creating Sabbat characters, incorporating Sabbat into stories in a rich and interesting fashion, and developing and running Sabbat chronicles. This guide serves to show the depth and complexity of this misunderstood sect and reveals the many excellent storytelling opportunities it offers. In all, the book is handsome, well formatted, thorough, and entertaining. An extremely useful volume, it makes a necessary addition for any Vampire game.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good solid introduction to "one-third" of the Vampire world, March 17, 2002
This review is from: Guide to the Sabbat: A Sourcebook for Vampire the Masquerade (Hardcover)
Every now and then, the Sabbat gets mentioned in our game -- only mentioned because I really didn't have the tools to make them more than paper characters. Now I do. In fact, now I have more information on the philosophy, politics, and social lives of what might be considered "one-third" of the vampire population in terms of the major categories the undead can be placed into. I really liked the comparison between elder and younger Sabbat members because it shows some of the tensions in the Independent and Camarilla groups too. A lot of time is spent on how to make a Sabbat character more than a stereotyped killing machine and how to make a Sabbat story more than a murder spree. One huge disappointment was the repetition of information about the various clans in the Sabbat -- I think the two page summary might be better worked into the more general discussion of the clans so one doesn't have to flip back and forth so much. I also think some stories from the view of "allies, antagonists and others" would strengthen the good job done on describing Sabbat packs and Sabbat society in general.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Just Misfits, August 18, 2001
This review is from: Guide to the Sabbat: A Sourcebook for Vampire the Masquerade (Hardcover)
The Sabbat are many things, mysterious and everpresent, violent and oppressive, exotic and different. These are not the Kindred of the hidden Camarilla, they are the Cainites who roam the streets. The Sabbat clans and bloodlines are given here in detail, save for those already in the primary Vampire sourcebook. Also included (and excellently done) are several bloodlines designed for non-player characters. Among these is the Harbingers of Skulls, an odd group of Cappadocian Elders who escaped the Giovanni purge. Their now-forgotten legacy is only hinted at in this book, following a powerful tradition of answering one question and opening two. The overall tone of this book is moving. Like its companions, it focuses on horror. But this is a whole different horror, from being buried "alive" to torturing mortals. It's a powerful guide to the darker half of the night, and an absolutely marvelous resource to anyone running a Sabbat chronicle.
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