Vampires (role play)
| Pen and paper role play |
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| Live role play |
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| Trading card game |
| computer game |
Vampire (English ˈvæmpaɪə ) is the title of various role-playing games by the American game publisher White Wolf . These games were z. T. by Mannheimer Verlag Feder & Schwert published in German.
Among the numerous games and role-playing games that focus on the mythological figure of the vampire , the White Wolf games are by far the most popular. With the game world " Welt der Dunkelheit " (in the original: World of Darkness ) and the vampire game " Vampire: Die Masquerade " (in the original: Vampire: The Masquerade ), the publisher triggered a veritable vampire game boom in the early 1990s . In 2004, the background story, which continued over several editions of the masquerade game, was completed and the publication of this game was discontinued. However, the publisher created a new game world, which is also called "World of Darkness". In this new game world, the game " Vampire: Requiem " (in the original: Vampire: The Requiem ) approaches the vampire theme from a different angle (comparable to two separate vampire novel series, each with its own story and background world).
The term "vampire" is slang for any of these vampire-themed games, largely because they have the word in their title. Other vampire-themed games are rarely given that name.
Vampire games from White Wolf
White Wolf's vampire systems are classic pen & paper role-playing games (published in Germany by Feder und Schwert Verlag ), in which players can slip into the role of vampires. A distinction must be made between two completely separate series of games, which are being laid by White Wolf:
Vampires: The Masquerade
The original vampire game was titled Vampire: The Masquerade and was published in 1991. Further editions with revised rules and information on the changing world of vampires followed in 1992 and 1998. Characteristic for the masquerade setting was the Cains myth, who was at the center of the vampire belief in a forefather of all vampires, and the work of ancient vampires, who waged a holy war against each other from behind the scenes. Typical of the system were also secret conspiracies that often stretched over several centuries, a close connection between the history of the Kainskinder and the history of the unsuspecting "normal mortals" and the progressive metaplot of the game during the game. Its inevitable conclusion - a kind of vampiric Armageddon , called Gehenna - had already been mapped out in the first edition of the game, to find its climax and conclusion in 2004. The sequential structure of the game and the systematic introduction to a grand finale cast a spell over many players, some of whom were disappointed or angry after the series was over in 2004.
The German title is " Vampire: The Masquerade ".
Vampires: The Requiem
Due to the popularity of the masquerade game, its successor Vampire: The Requiem had to struggle with some difficulties, including some unfortunate, if only apparent similarities between the two games (such as the retention of certain central control mechanisms, the adherence to the concept of the "vampire clan" and some parallels of names). In contrast to Masquerade, Requiem is more focused on the fate of the individual vampire and the intrigues within individual cities - huge global conspiracies do not take place at Requiem. Another difference is the break with the tradition of the canon and metaplots: Requiem, like the entire new world of darkness, follows a modular principle in which every narrator can freely combine and redesign the elements described in order to convey his own story.
The world of darkness
What both vampire games have in common is that they are located in the “here and now” of our modern world, which is populated not only by humans but also by werewolves, magicians, fairies, ghosts and other horror figures. The world is therefore referred to as the World of Darkness and the products of both vampire series bear the logo of the respective game world on the spine of the book.
The world of darkness of the masquerade game is called "classic World of Darkness" (cWoD) by the publisher, while the newer is simply called "World of Darkness". Before this name was given by the publisher, fans already had the terms "old world of darkness" / "old world of darkness" (aWdD or oWoD or WoD1) and "new world of darkness" / "new world of darkness" (nWdD or nWoD or WoD2).
In both game worlds there are also other games that deal with humans or other supernatural beings as player characters. For an overview of these games see World of Darkness # The Role Playing Games .
Alternative game worlds
- "Vampires from the old world" (English: Dark Ages: Vampires ) describes the game world AD 1198 (1st and 2nd edition) and AD 1230 (3rd edition).
- " Victorian Age: Vampire " (only published in English) describes the game world around the year 1880 with a focus on Victorian England.
- " Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom " (only published in English) describes the culture and special bloodlines of the vampires in modern Africa.
- "Children of the Lotos" (English: Kindred of the East ) describes the culture of the vampires of the Far East (the "Kuej-jin" or "Cathayers" are called).
An alternative setting, Ancient Rome , has been released for the game Vampire: The Requiem .
Games away from the gaming table
In Germany there are many active groups of players who play vampires both as a classic pen & paper role-playing game and in the form of a live role-playing game ( Live Action Role Playing (LARP)). Unlike the well-known Fantasy LARPs , Vampire Live games mostly focus on intrigue and not fights with latex weapons. In addition, Vampire Live games are classically designed as PvP , in which everyone competes against everyone and tries to improve the status of their own character in the society of vampires (called in Requiem Danse Macabre , in Masquerade dominated by the worldwide sect of Camarilla ).
Furthermore, there are also groups of players whose members are spread across Germany who play vampires as a classic pen & paper role-playing game via Skype or Teamspeak ( VoIP ) on the PC.
The Activision computer games Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines were also created according to the rules of table role-playing .
For Vampire: The Masquerade a massively multiplayer online role-playing game has been announced, for which White Wolf will work together with its partner company CCP Games (makers of EVE Online ), which merged in 2006 .
Novels about the game
Both Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Requiem have several novels and series of novels of varying quality.
Other vampire role-playing games
In addition to a GURPS version of the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, there are two vampire role-playing games by the company Wanadoo . In the first game "Dracula - Resurrection" the player has to face the evil forces of Dracula as Jonathan Harker . This game is based on the novel of the same name by Bram Stoker . In the second part (a continuation of the first game) "Dracula 2 - the last refuge" Dracula returns and takes possession of the hero's wife. This must now go through various dangers in order to free his wife from the clutches of the monster.
Of course, many more vampire-focused games exist on the computer and in the online world. In the classic table role-playing game area, there are countless horror-centered games (such as the Ravenloft campaign world for the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons ), but hardly any games in which the "heroes" are vampires themselves.
An interesting outlier is for the D6 system of West End Games -made game called Blood Shadows . This pulp- centered game mixes elements of style from fantasy, horror and film noir. In the Bloodshadows game it is thus possible, for. B. to play a vampire private investigator in a trench coat who tries to solve a series of murders with his revolver loaded with holy bullets.
A game in which many other supernatural beings can be played alongside vampires is Everlasting .
Web links
- Feder und Schwert - German publisher of the vampire role-playing games Masquerade and Requiem by White Wolf (until 2006)
- White Wolf (English) - Link to the website of the American game publisher White Wolf
- [1] - Overview of German vampires LARP round (masquerade and requiem)