Werewolf: The Apocalypse [Paperback]

Mark Reinhagen (Author), Bill Bridges (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: White Wolf Pub (August 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565040279
• ISBN-13: 978-1565040274
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,555,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Bridges is Senior Content Designer at CCP Games / White Wolf. Bill is the co-creator of Holistic Design's Fading Suns science fiction game universe, and was the lead designer of the award-winning Storytelling system rules for White Wolf's World of Darkness games. Bill designed and developed the award-winning games Mage: The Awakening, Promethean: The Created, and Werewolf: the Apocalypse.

His novels include The Silver Crown and Last Battle. He has also written for Chaosium and helped develop Last Unicorn's Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine roleplaying games. He co-wrote the scripts for Viacom's interactive horror movie Dracula Unleashed, Interplay's Starfleet Academy, and contributed to world design for Segasoft's Emperor of the Fading Suns. See a complete list of Bill's publications and games here.

Bill is a Fellow of the Mythic Imagination Institute, host of Atlanta's Mythic Journeys conferences. A list of his complete works can be seen at: www.bill-bridges.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Claw Marks for the Win!, October 5, 2010

By 

Eric E. Johnson "'ntohign slhe thaersam'" (Cheyenne, WY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Werewolf: The Apocalypse (Paperback)

I'm going to try hard not to gush, because this is the core rule book for my favorite roleplaying game of all time.

The 2nd Edition Werewolf: the Apocalypse (W:tA for short) is easily identifiable by the open-wound style claw marks in the cover. The tome is book-ended in a great comic that serves as the perfect introduction - werewolves (properly known as Garou) are spiritual warriors fighting for the well-being of Gaia (Earth and all its realms). They are powerful creatures who take their duty in every direction that could be conceived. Garou can be born to three Breeds: homid (born of humans), lupus (born of wolves), or metis (born of werewolves themselves, sterile and a living embodiment of sin). There are thirteen tribes of Garou, each a proponent of geographic or philosophical history. There are five auspices delineating a Garou's position within their tribe or pack. The sheer number of combinations mean that individual characters tend to be unique.

There are literally dozens and dozens of source books available, though they are not needed. The 2nd Edition core book does an amazing job outlining all of the aspects of play that can be brought to the table. Street level adventure is perhaps the most simplistic, dealing with Garou fighting back evil corporations, gangs of evil werewolves, and even mutants known as formori. On the furthest opposing end of the storytelling possibilities, the characters can explore the realms of the spirit world searching for lost lore and artifacts to aid Garou in their struggles to save the world.

But this game is marred in tragedy - the Garou are a dying race, severely outnumbered in their efforts. It is in this element that Garou can shine their brightest, fighting a seemingly impossible fight just because there is no one else that can.

The mechanics are simplistic, standard d10 'Storytelling' systems found in White Wolf's other games of the times: Vampire, Mage, Changeling, Wraith, and Hunter. Tasks are rated at a Difficulty 1-10, a dice pool defined by raw capability (attributes)and experience (abilities); the more successes scored mean a greater level of overall effort.

If heroic tragedy appeals to you, try it out. If you like the idea of resounding spiritual quests, you may find a new favorite game. If you like power-gaming and heavy handed combat, you can't do any better. Werewolf: The Apocalypse is all these and more. So the only question left to ask is "When Will You Rage"?

<EDIT>
This review is supposed to be for the hard cover book, not the paperback. I don't think this edition was given a paper back set. Either way, if the book literally has claw marks through the cover, then you're looking at the correct book.</EDIT>