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Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition $19.99
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
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by A customer [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 06/24/2019 14:34:41

Vampire the Requiem 2nd Edition builds on the good work done in the original reset of the World of Darkness rules and worlds and corrects a good amount of flaws. Compared to the 1st edition of VtR here is my summary:

The Good: fixes XP cost by using a flat XP system. The fifth dot costs the same as the first dot, making XP much easier to track and allowed much easier creation of advanced characters (or foes). Merit now have rules for their elimination and reuse - no more GM fiat of "you fell out of favor, you lose your Status X merit dots". The beat system finally makes Dramatic Failures not only possible, but likely, and better yet - interesting! Frenzy is now much more possible as each successful resistance gives the "Tempted" condition, a cumulative penalty. The beast has three faces, making for more interesting role-play than just "growl! I charge".

The Bad: For all the good things of the Beat system, it can be mined by players gaming the system. Making too many dice rolls, making every failure a dramatic one. A good GM (sorry... WoD storyteller) can reign it in but that smacks of arbitration. Combat could still use some tweaks. I don't expect Hero Games and 40+ combat maneuvers (my gold standard to hold other games combat systems by), but at least give some rules at a Pathfinder RPG level (tackle/bull's rush, trample, trip, etc.). The Social Combat mechanic uses "first impression" when they really, really mean "reputation". It doesn't matter how well you enter the room; what matters is what they know (and think they know) about you. Some other quibbles about terminology persist - poor explaintation can be confusing, but the core is solid.

The Ugly: Honestly I have found no Ugly with the 2nd Edition, other than a theme issue and that is one of personal style. It is still a local game of vampires, not the global historic conspircy like Vampire the Masquarade. I freely admit I prefer Requiem's theme, but to each gamer his own fun. Hell, VtR2 has less pretencious prose then previous WoD and nWoD games. It even has (wait for it) and Index! A mostly usable Index! Well, not all the related products, but we are reviewing the core book here.

Actually, there is one ugly thing with VtR2, but it's not about the game - it's about Onxy's press/publication system. Having Facebook as your only marketing tool is a terrible idea. The version naming is inconsistant, but perhaps I can excuse that due to the buisness game of "who has the legal license today?". Wizards of the Coast? CCP? Onxy Path Publishing? Black Dog Gaming? Mark Rein•Hagin note-the-bullet-it-is-not-a-dash? I am also saddened at the declining support of local gaming stores and the complete lack of nWoD product there, but the demise of the book store and gaming book store is a larger issue, but this also means that an avenue of marketing is closed. But that is beyond the scope of this product. In essence, I found nothing ugly in the game.

The Meh: Social Combat. I give the authors props for including a social combat system that kinda works, and finally allows the Ausbergers player to play a Daeva by roll-playing, but the Social Doors mechanic does not elegantly fit with the rest of the mechanic very well, and can either be min-maxed to unbalanced levels, or require an XP sink of Merits to use or counter.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition
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