New Vampire Release
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Thought you guys might like to check this out.
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@jaded
Should I copy/paste the stuff I posted on RL Things I Love over here about V5 just for compilation sake? -
My summary:
Theno: Ugh Zak Smith fuck no.
Bobotron: Not involved.
Theno: Oh hey Kenneth Hite yay!Wait, Mark Rein•Hagen is involved? Did they find him couch-surfing in California? Man, this article brings back the 90s.
(shudder)
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@thenomain
From everything I gather, The Dot's done some consulting and is writing up an article on unlife in the Camarilla for the Camarilla book. -
I wish I could convince myself to still give a damn about Masquerade.
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Just so it's all in one spot for discussion, here's a copy/paste of their full press release, with some added info as I've grabbed stuff from Facebook, Twitter and other places.
Bobotron a day ago
Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition Release Info!https://www.facebook.com/whitewolfpublishing/posts/10155988709660465:0
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEStockholm, Sweden – 23rd April, 2018
WHITE WOLF ANNOUNCES DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIP WITH MODIPHIUS ENTERTAINMENT FOR VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE 5TH EDITION
White Wolf Entertainment, creators of the World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade, is partnering with Modiphius Entertainment to distribute Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition (V5) worldwide in English.
Vampire: The Masquerade, the classic that changed role-playing games forever, returns in a fifth edition! V5 features a streamlined and modern rules design, beautiful new full-color art, and a rich story experience for new and returning players. Powered by the innovative Hunger cycle, the game also includes rules for creating system supported character coteries, Loresheets to directly involve players with their favorite parts of the setting, and Memoriam, a new way to bring the character's detailed backgrounds and expand on them in-session.
V5 is a return to Vampire's original vision, moving boldly into the 21sth century. While the rules have been redesigned, this new edition honors the deep story of the original, advancing the metaplot from where it left off and detailing exactly what has happened in the world of the Kindred up until tonight. The terror of the Second Inquisition, the conspiracies behind the Gehenna War, and the rekindling of the War of Ages: these are the building blocks of the modern V5 chronicle.
The ultimate game of personal and political horror roleplaying game, Vampire: The Masquerade, will see its fifth edition this year with the pre-order period starting midday GMT on Saturday the 28th of April. The V5 preorder will start shipping from August with the first release, the core book, available in stores from September. Two more V5 books will be released later in the Fall, the Camarilla and the Anarch setting books. V5 will also be available in other languages by the end of the year. Please visit the pre-order page for more details: https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade
“V5 is the foundation in our efforts of making Vampire: The Masquerade and the whole World of Darkness a global phenomena and one of the world biggest entertainment IPs”, says White Wolf CEO Tobias Sjögren. “We are incredibly proud of what the amazing team we had working on V5 have achieved and we are really looking forward to working with Mödiphious getting this product in the hands of old as well as new Vampire fans.”
“Vampire was a turning point in roleplaying culture and we’re proud to be part of the next evolution of this incredible world”, says Mödiphiüs CEO Chris Birch.The long anticipated V5 launch will feature three main full colour hardback books, the V5 corebook, the Anarch and Camarilla sourcebooks as well as an official V5 dice set, V5 storyteller screen and V5 notebook. All three books will also be available in a high quality slipcase for collectors along with a special edition of the corebook. For those wanting to mark this new edition, a collector edition of the corebook will also be available. The online pre-order will feature bundles including the V5 dice set, V5 storyteller screen and V5 notebook.
Modiphius will be launching a retail pre-order via it’s usual distributors at the same time, which will include special pre-order case bundles to get retailers started as a V5 retail partner, supported by downloadable digital flyers, posters, and web banners.
V5 will be available for pre-order at https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade.
V5 has been developed, designed, and written by Kenneth Hite, Mark Rein-Hagen, Matthew Dawkins, Juhana Peterson, Martin Ericsson, Karim Muammar, Mary Lee, Karl Bergström, Freja Gyldenstrøm, Jennifer Smith, Tia Carolina, Jason Andrew, Nicole Sixx, and Jason Carl.
V5 is published by White Wolf and distributed worldwide in English by Mödiphiüs.
About White Wolf Entertainment
White Wolf is a licensing company focused on creating the best participatory brands in the world. Since its original entry into the roleplaying game market in 1991, White Wolf’s World of Darkness has grown to be one of the most recognized and successful brands in the hobby game space with collective book sales in excess of 10 million copies during this time. White Wolf’s World of Darkness brands, which include Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Wraith: The Oblivion, and Orpheus, has been licensed for television series, console and computer video games, interactive media events, and a myriad of merchandise and other entertainment products.Website: www.white-wolf.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitewolfpublishing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wwpublishing
Youtube: www.youtube.com/worldofdarkness
Contact: press@white-wolf.com
Hashtags: #vampirethemasquerade #worldofdarkness
Presskit: https://whitewolf.box.com/v/presskitAbout Mödiphius Entertainment
Modiphius Entertainment is a London, England-based entertainment publisher of tabletop games and related hobby merchandise. The company launched its first game, the Achtung! Cthulhu Roleplaying Game, in 2013, followed by the Mutant Chronicles RPG, Infinity The Roleplaying Game, Conan, Adventures in Age Undreamed of, the official roleplaying game of Robert E Howard’s barbaric universe, Matt Leacock’s Thunderbirds, a cooperative board game based on the classic 60’s show, the Star Trek RPG & Miniatures line, and this year the Fallout: Wasteland Warfare miniatures game and official Kung Fu Panda Boardgame.
Modiphius Entertainment seeks to inspire with its tales of heroism, adventure and courage. Modiphius also works to combat global child trafficking through raising awareness of and funds for Vision Rescue.www.modiphius.net
Contact: +44 207 736 7020About the V5 Camarilla book
The global blood opera of the Camarilla story continues. As the eldest vampires begin to vanish, the Ivory Tower starts to crack under the weight of its own decay. Once it was the mightiest faction of vampires in the world, a stronghold of immortality. Now it retreats into a maze of neo-feudal conspiracies to protect itself against the deadly threat of the Second Inquisition, struggling to enforce the Masquerade in the face of modern technology. Featuring insights and perspectives on unlife in the Camarilla from Mark Rein-Hagen and Matthew Dawkins.About the V5 Anarch book
Welcome to a blood thriller on the streets of the modern nights. For centuries the Anarch Movement enjoyed an uneasy truce with the Camarilla, but no longer. Now, the Unbound refuse to bow to the sickening hypocrisy and tyranny of their former allies. Claiming the nighttime streets as their own, the Anarchs seek independence from the despotic Elders, by any means necessary. Only the toughest and smartest of self-made vampires will survive. Featuring all-new essays on nocturnal survival and politics from Juhana Pettersson.- Update 1: A PDF will be released as well.
- Update 2: They plan for multi-language support, as they already have localization contracts out.
- Update 3: Their distro model via Mophidius does support traditional stores. It's up to those stores if they want to stock it.
- Update 4: They're going to have a preview of the final version at PDXcon in May.
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@bobotron That's fine with me. This can be a discussion thread. I just did not see another convienent thread to post this in where people who would like seeing this, would see it.
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@tragedyjones said in New Vampire Release:
I wish I could convince myself to still give a damn about Masquerade.
Same, brother.
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Next preview is an art layout for the Toreador.
https://www.facebook.com/whitewolfpublishing/posts/10155997449295465:0
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What a bizarre stance they made that model make. Did it just not look right if she was standing straight?
And I hope that layout is just a flair, and not what they're doing all across the book. Drawing attention to uneven justification while drawing attention to straight-line justification is going to be distracting to read. It's fine since this is entirely flavor text, but White Wolf had a tradition of slutting up the text without any care about what they're doing to the content. (c.f. the original Mage Player's Guide and the first trade-papberback printing of Aeon neé Trinity.)
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@Thenomain
Another forum I lurk had someone who does fashion give a review from her standpoint on the fashion of it. I don't get it (my fashion is not that fashion), but I get they're doing something different.Also, presale is live.
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade
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Man, I said I wasn't gonna buy into the 5E hype for Vampire but those books look so pretty...
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I'm interested, but at least until I see reviews of the final product I don't see the point in preordering (and unless I missed it there's no price incentive to do so, either).
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Yeah, Modiphius takes the stance that special edition items exist for collectors and collectors alone. That was my main problem with their Star Trek RPG release, they were unapologetic about how expensive the Borg Cube editions were. That said the Elder bundle is a really good deal...if you don't care about the special edition. Which I don't.
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My main complaint is that Modiphius is probably the worst name for a company ever.
It sounds like a neckbeard doing Matrix fanfic's Gary Stu original character.
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@bobotron said in New Vampire Release:
Another forum I lurk had someone who does fashion give a review from her standpoint on the fashion of it. I don't get it (my fashion is not that fashion), but I get they're doing something different.
I would like to see this if you run into the link again. Bueno.
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edit:
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade
This is the first I've seen that the game will use non-standard dice. 10 sides, 3 symbols (maybe 4). Anyone know what's going on here?
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I hope those are just artistic dice and not a non standard mechanic.
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Here's what I currently think:
1d10.
1-5: blank (no success)
6-9: Masquerade logo (success)
10: Masquerade logo with flair (success + one half of a critical success)On the Blood Dice, same pattern but the 1 is a skull: Messy failure.
From the Alpha:
A result of 0 [on 1d10 - T] on two normal dice (00) is a critical success
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Any result of 0 on a Hunger die (see Hunger, below) is a “messy critical.” [a "messy success" or a "messy failure" - T]...although there is both a flair-ankh and a skull on the blood dice, so I'm guessing a change in rules from playtesting.
But I sincerely doubt this is Fantasy Flight style dice. Just easier to count ankhs and flair and skulls (oh my!).
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@thenomain
The dice may be a mock up, or they may be just making it easier to count successes. I'm fine with the latter, but also hope that the book explains that normal d10s can be used.Also, the fashion critique:
Person 1: This particular style is more reminiscent of the close fitting, sheer looks you might find in the likes of a zuhair murad collection. The symmetrical angular gloves do what they are supposed to do - symbolize the twin nature of the vampire. The pose is entreating, which fits with the side-bar, helping to craft the overall impression of a creature who craves attention to its core and is simultaneously enslaved by it's base nature. A pose that looks confident on initial examination and then pleading. Excellent choice of style for the message being conveyed. And if you want asymmetry you can find it in the immaculate hair styling.this is good fashion as art damnit
(he might be right on it not being a super inspired piece of clothing on its own, but as a storytelling element? loving A+)
Person 2: If we're symbolizing the dual nature of the vampire, stigmata-iconography bondage gloves are the wrong way to do it. They only advance the slave motif, not a vampiric struggle one, and we already have plenty of that in the dress itself. It's redundant, they're an eye sore, and it's all a little on the nose. The hair's asymmetricality actually works against the outfit because of the organic shape, since while asymmetrical hair can work really nicely it needs to be balanced by angularity elsewhere and the gloves are failing to provide that visual balance. The pose is nice - but the pose is not the outfit, which is my point of critique.
Person 1 again: The stigmata iconography in question is something I'm not picking up on. While she has her hands out, there's nothing highlighted in the palm of either glove. The point is also that the Toreador are presented in the sidebar as kinda hypocritical ponces who would absolutely push the narrative of being enslaved by their base nature as opposed to taking responsibility for managing it.
I'll agree to disagree on the hair front. I find that the natural and organic shapes help to convey softness in potentia. The angularity is, I feel, provided by the gloves and the pose itself - which while the pose is not the outfit, even a casual view of a fashion show will demonstrate that the pose and bearing of the model contribute heavily to the overall feel of a look that a designer has put together. Someone slouching and staring at the floor would completely alter the feel of the outfit, which in this case is a very clear statement piece designed to complement the accompanying meta. I personally wouldn't wear that dress and find it tacky as hell, but it is daring, and it is making some very strong statements.
Person 2 again: The pose, together with the emphasis on the wrist presented by the gloves - a more viable placement for nails than the palm proper - have pretty clear stigmata overtones to me. We're in agreement that the dress is tacky, though. As for the asymmetry issue, I maintain that either angular asymmetrical or symmetrical organic are the way to go with outfits that play with the lines of the human body (with some exceptions, e.g. sweepingly organic pieces overall), and that the doubling up on angularity at the wrist is a poor decision.
P1 again: While I can now see what you mean, my first thoughts were of an opera singer. Although having thought on it some, a deliberately profaned presentation of stigmata iconography works really well with the overall message being conveyed by the piece. I find the jarring angular symmetrical lines work really well with the dress in highlighting that nothing here is really organic anymore to begin with, and the hints of it which remain - the hair, the makeup, the exposed skin - are a facade. It's unsettling on purpose. I maintain that while it might not be a particularly effective dress if you're looking at it in isolation, the finished image is excellent art.
And really, couture is about art and statement, rather than any kind of practical application. So in that regard, it is also an effective dress.
P2 again: I'm not sure we really disagree that much at this point, so much as we're coming at it from different perspectives. I don't disagree that it's an acceptable art piece - a little mediocre and a bit cliche, but it works - but just that the outfit itself isn't particularly well done, both due to the nature of the chain drape (I'm a fan, but it's also cliche these days, and with the gloves it's a little on the nose with the 'restraint' motif. If our Toreador example is meant to be a Poseur of the clan, so much the better, I suppose.) and the symmetricality of the gloves which you find a strength. I think those gloves and the hair are our only significant points of dissent on the matter.
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I am going to play vampire again, I think. I am looking forward to this a lot. The more I talk about it / read about it, the more excited I am. I am probably just now on the other side of the line between many years of burnout and nostalgia, but...yeah. Really looking forward to this.