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Title: Guide to the Sabbat (Vampire, the Masquerade) by Justin Achilli, W. H. Bourne, Anne Sullivan Braidwood, Joanne FitzRoy, Jess Heinig ISBN: 1-56504-263-8 Publisher: White Wolf Publishing Inc. Pub. Date: March, 1999 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.38 (13 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Sabbat: Vampiric Darwinists .. Meritocracy. Yeah.
Comment: Before I read this book, I knew very little about the Sabbat. From what little I could gather from various websites, it appeared to be a formalized gathering of anarchists, antitribu, Tzimisce, Lasombra, and other malcontents who chose to set themselves up as an opposition sect to the Camarilla. Masquerade? BAH! Kine are food. Allow your hunger to run rampant through the streets of the mortal world. Who cares? Gehenna is approaching and we must prepare ourselves for the coming battle. Ok. This book is much more than that. It outlines a much more involved code, rituals, and sociology. The Vaulderie and Vinculum bonds that result from it ... illustrate a genuine sense of vampiric camaraderie that may be imposed in the beginning, but that allows for disparate individuals to coalesce into efficient operatives dedicated to a mutual cause and immediate goal. In many ways the Sabbat is portrayed as a coalition of Cainite revolutionaries espousing understandably "human" traits, such as strength, loyalty, cooperation, and in some ways .... equity and order. They just approach things from a different perspective than the Camarilla. I agree with other reviewers who state that this book will provide more depth and dimension to the Sabbat, and if you roleplay and wish to start a Sword of Caine character - this is a resource you absolutely must acquire!
Rating: 4
Summary: Must-have for Those Playing (or Running) Sabbat
Comment: If you're even remotely interested in the Sabbat then you should seriously consider getting this guide, as the core rulebook *barely* touches upon anything more other than Sabbat being "perceived as mindless savages and bloodthirsty fiends." This book is vital for players of Sabbat characters (and Sabbat-using Storytellers), even moreso than the Guide to the Camarilla is vital for players of Camarilla characters since much about the Camarilla is already covered in the core rulebook (but the Camarilla guide is still a nice book to have).
Just about everything about the Sabbat is discussed in depth, like initiation, ritae and war tactics. Factions in the Sabbat are covered as well as individual political positions. A specifically-Sabbat method of character creation is presented and Sabbat-appropriate Abilities and derangements are also present. Many Sabbat character templates are listed, which are all extremely helpful (and pretty interesting). There are advanced Discipline entries, usually for ranks 6-9, as well as types of Disciplines not featured in the core rulebook.
New shades of vampirism are presented here (though due to their awkwardness / susceptibility to abuse, not all are recommended as being playable): the twisted Blood Brothers, the ominous Harbingers of Skulls, the bizarre Kiasyd and the vengeful Salubri antitribu, as well as the gruff Panders, the Sabbat's own brand of Caitiff (who seem to have more status in their sect than the Camarilla Caitiff have in their own). Also, there are all the Camarilla clans' antitribu - excluding the Tremere antitribu (who do get a mention, however), for pretty permanent reasons.
A really, really nice section takes up the burden of making Sabbat Chronicles something more than dice roll hack n' slash or rampant abuse of mortals and runs with it. It also talks about giving Sabbat characters greater meaning to their unlives than "the Camarilla hate you, so you must kill them" or any equivalent plot. I don't think it succeeds as much as it had probably hoped to, unfortunately - a lot of it borders on contradiction.
(On a side note, some of the art is very *explicit,* but not much. There's really only one picture that came close to challenging my will power to not disgorge my last meal. I certainly can't say the stuff illustrated therein isn't *appropriate* for a sect like the Sabbat.)
Rating: 5
Summary: A darn good read
Comment: I love the Sabbat now. I've always found an attraction to the Lasombra but never the Sabbat as a whole. This book changed my perception. The Sabbat isn't a group of mindless killers as the Camarilla makes them seem, they are Crusaders against the ancient ones who would destroy them.
The books intro "Smart Moneys on Vegas" is very nice and is probubly my favorite opening fiction. It captures the mood of the Sabbat and keeps you moving through the introducion area that explains the Sabbat structure and internal strife.
The book moves to the numerous Anti-Tribes of the Sabbat and even special bloodlines that previous reviewers mentioned. One that didn't fit in to me though was a group called the Kiasyd, they are like Faeries but Vampires also... I don't see where they fit into the Sabbat or any sect for that matter.
The discipline section was medicore. Nothing to new, or ground breaking. Especially considering the neutral disciplines like Auspex are in Guide to the Camarilla. The path section is rather interesting, especially since it drills in that many sabbat aren't on paths and stick to humanity, most people can't take pathes dangers.
The section detailing Sabbat tactics for taking cities is amazing and a story based around a siege would be amazing. The tactics are varied especially due to Sabbat disciplines and considering that they already are good at fighting makes me wonder how the Sabbat could ever lose.
This book was very good all in all but my one complaint is that it really doesn't say much about what a Sabbat city really does when it isn't crusading? They weed each other out? Well, this book is still worth the price. It's information is invaluable.
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Title: Vampire : The Masquerade (Revised Edition) by Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Phil Brucato, Richard E. Dansky, Ed Hall, Robert Hatch, Michael B. Lee ISBN: 1565042492 Publisher: White Wolf Publishing Inc. Pub. Date: October, 1998 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Vampire Storytellers Companion by White Wolf Games Studio ISBN: 156504259X Publisher: White Wolf Publishing Inc. Pub. Date: December, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Book of Nod by Sam Chupp, David D. Gragert, Andrew Greenberg ISBN: 1565040783 Publisher: White Wolf Publishing Inc. Pub. Date: January, 1996 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: Clanbook: Tzimisce by Lucien Soulban, James Stewart, Jess Heinig, Alan I. Kravit ISBN: 1588462021 Publisher: White Wolf Publishing Inc. Pub. Date: March, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Ghouls: Fatal Addiction by Ronni Radner, Ethan Skemp ISBN: 1565042301 Publisher: White Wolf Publishing Inc. Pub. Date: June, 1997 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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