3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Watch your purses... and your kingdoms!, March 18, 2002
This review is from: Libellus Sanguinis 4: Thieves in the Night (Paperback)
Three clans seem to stand on the very fringes of Cainite society. Not because they are lone wanders like the Gangrel, nor because they follow a path of corruption like the Followers of Set. These Cainites are the margin simply because they are too difficult to control or deal with. The Ravnos follow a path that only the gypsy can fully understand. Nosferatu cling to the shadows, shunned due to their appearance. The Malkavian are avoided for they are fully mad and seek to know "Why?" By far these are three of the most difficult clans to play because of their marginality. This volume lets players know the deep intricacies of each clan and how each survives the Long Nights while being almost shunned by mortal, and Cainite.
Ravnos are fueled with the blood of wanderers. They move where ever their winds or whims take them. To many they are seen as a nuisance, or even worse as vagabond thieves that or only good for execution. How little they see this clan may be more closely knit than all others because of their treatment. How few notice these Cainites are everywhere. They can walk around as if unnoticed because all others wish to shun and avoid them. The Charlatans are masters at deception, and their section serves to illuminate the vast ability at trickery they possess. Their chapter holds not only more Chimestry abilities, but also a new background to help a Charlatan avoid prying eyes of mortal, Church, or even Cainite.
Next are those atrocious looking Nosferatu. Each carries an ancient curse to twist their bodies into monsters while also twisting their hearts into something else. Nosferatu are the less seen and less understood of the thieves. They possess powers to communicate over distances that boogie the mind. They almost have an Internet before electricity is even discovered. This section delves into their advances in Obfuscation as well as giving more backgrounds for the Nosferatu to cultivate his or her network of information. No secret will ever be safe with these Cainites around.
The last clan in this volume are the Malkavian. Just as a Nosferatu is twisted and deformed on the outside, the minds of the Malkavian are likewise twisted. Each Madman sees the world from a very different point of view. This section takes their madness out of the comic realms and puts the dark edge that they have always had back into the clan. Instead of lunatics running around the street dressed as clowns, these are brooding, plotting, methodical Cainites. Each seeking answers to an age old question, yet never finding what they need. This chapter expands their knowledge and power letting players fully enjoy the painful madness of these tortured souls.
In summary, if you need to create memorable characters from the margin, this is the book you need. The clan specific applications of disciplines will grant fresh life to overused, well-known disciplines. Adding this to any core books can only help increase the dynamics of a game. Enjoy, and just keep asking yourself... "Why?"
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bulding on Excellence, February 13, 2001
This review is from: Libellus Sanguinis 4: Thieves in the Night (Paperback)
White Wolf does it again - the fourth book in their Libellus Sanguinus series offers intriguing new information on the Vampire clans in the Dark Ages, interspersed with myriad tales, myths, tidbits that can easily spawn 100 new story or character ideas. This book details the history and status of the Malkavian, Ravnos, and Nosferatu, shedding much-needed light on the intricate inner workings of these clans. All new character templates offer some fresh ideas on who might find their way into these cursed brotherhoods, and the resource information is a must for all Vampire storytellers, whether playing Vampire: the Dark Ages or Vampire: the Masquerade.
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