The Storytellers Vault Roundup passed from David Larkins (sirlarkins’) capable hands to mine and I’ll do my best to fill-in starting with some Storytellers Vault news then crafting a review of Bloodlinebook: Limonae.
In the news, Mage: The Ascension is officially available for third party content on the Vault just as Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse are. As already announced, this will continue with Changeling, Wraith, Hunter, and more throughout the year. What might be thematically unexpected is White Wolf’s announcement that Exalted – White Wolf’s high fantasy RPG that uses a variation of the Storyteller system – will be joining the Storytellers Vault. If you have Exalted content, soon that will be an option to create for in the Vault.
Bloodlinebook: Limonae is a 44-page book (cover included) by Ben Allsop and Sam Myatt for Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition. The book focuses on the Limonae, a new bloodline first sired in mythical Greece as a strain with a propensity to be heroes of the night. Creatively and writing-wise, this book is an interesting addition to the World of Darkness. The in-game culture, as well as the rules in this book, force the Limonae to live in areas where crime is a constant because they can only feed on those that they have just rescued. They are literally compelled to be heroes. This compulsion allows for vampires that are anything from selfless champions of the wronged to mysterious masterminds who act as silent partners in criminal enterprises in order to spark crimes then rescue their victims, so they can feed. You’re playing either the utterly righteous or the endlessly twisted “hero”.
Based in pagan gods and superheroes, many of the ideas in the book are bent to fit Greek mythology with superheroics. When the heroics are tempered, this combination works. When the vampire takes either “Disposition for Exposition” or “Costume” as Flaws, the result feels like it is reaching too hard for the comic book side of the equation. That’s not to say the entire book is like that, far from it, but there are small moments where it leaves the personal horror foundation of the World of Darkness behind in favor of superheroes, which tend to live in lighter mythos (excepting, obviously, White Wolf’s Aberrant).
The book offers a new Discipline, new Merits, and new Flaws. There are magic items (Divine Instruments) that include Mjolnir in another tip of the hat to the superhero side. The new Discipline, Aristeia, offers a good deal of customization as the origin (Air, Earth, Fire, Life, Magic, Metal, Spirit, Water, and Void) of the pagan deity that the vampire is following determines aspects of the power. For example, Aristeia: Anguished Cry (Air) alerts the vampire to “any disaster involving wind, altitude, or weather including plane crashes, hurricanes, airborne chemicals, and rooftop suicides.” The Earth version replaces all things air with “stone, or stone-like substances including landslides, sinkholes, earthquakes, and collapsing buildings.” This makes the path that the player takes with the powers more personal.
All-in-all, save for some moments of lightness that may be tonally out of place in the WoD, the concept and writing on this book has merit. The art is a variety of images that align well with the project. The art is, as of this writing, uncredited. However, the writers have a statement in the book about their desire to give credit where it is due:
I reached out to the writers, Ben and Sam, and they clarified that the art for the project is culled from the free Storyteller Vault art packs, which do not have much information about who did the work. They’re sincere in their desire to credit the artists and that’s another positive aspect of this project.
The writing on this book does justice to their concept of the Limonae. The powers have variety and will be interesting to see played at the gaming table. While the superheroics and feeding requirements would have to be addressed in specific ways to achieve a tale of personal horror, the idea is interesting enough to suggest it’d be worth the thought. Bloodlinebook: Limonae is a professional, original addition to the World of Darkness and an excellent Storytellers Vault product.
This article was contributed by Egg Embry as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Egg is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
In the news, Mage: The Ascension is officially available for third party content on the Vault just as Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse are. As already announced, this will continue with Changeling, Wraith, Hunter, and more throughout the year. What might be thematically unexpected is White Wolf’s announcement that Exalted – White Wolf’s high fantasy RPG that uses a variation of the Storyteller system – will be joining the Storytellers Vault. If you have Exalted content, soon that will be an option to create for in the Vault.
Bloodlinebook: Limonae is a 44-page book (cover included) by Ben Allsop and Sam Myatt for Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition. The book focuses on the Limonae, a new bloodline first sired in mythical Greece as a strain with a propensity to be heroes of the night. Creatively and writing-wise, this book is an interesting addition to the World of Darkness. The in-game culture, as well as the rules in this book, force the Limonae to live in areas where crime is a constant because they can only feed on those that they have just rescued. They are literally compelled to be heroes. This compulsion allows for vampires that are anything from selfless champions of the wronged to mysterious masterminds who act as silent partners in criminal enterprises in order to spark crimes then rescue their victims, so they can feed. You’re playing either the utterly righteous or the endlessly twisted “hero”.
Based in pagan gods and superheroes, many of the ideas in the book are bent to fit Greek mythology with superheroics. When the heroics are tempered, this combination works. When the vampire takes either “Disposition for Exposition” or “Costume” as Flaws, the result feels like it is reaching too hard for the comic book side of the equation. That’s not to say the entire book is like that, far from it, but there are small moments where it leaves the personal horror foundation of the World of Darkness behind in favor of superheroes, which tend to live in lighter mythos (excepting, obviously, White Wolf’s Aberrant).
The book offers a new Discipline, new Merits, and new Flaws. There are magic items (Divine Instruments) that include Mjolnir in another tip of the hat to the superhero side. The new Discipline, Aristeia, offers a good deal of customization as the origin (Air, Earth, Fire, Life, Magic, Metal, Spirit, Water, and Void) of the pagan deity that the vampire is following determines aspects of the power. For example, Aristeia: Anguished Cry (Air) alerts the vampire to “any disaster involving wind, altitude, or weather including plane crashes, hurricanes, airborne chemicals, and rooftop suicides.” The Earth version replaces all things air with “stone, or stone-like substances including landslides, sinkholes, earthquakes, and collapsing buildings.” This makes the path that the player takes with the powers more personal.
All-in-all, save for some moments of lightness that may be tonally out of place in the WoD, the concept and writing on this book has merit. The art is a variety of images that align well with the project. The art is, as of this writing, uncredited. However, the writers have a statement in the book about their desire to give credit where it is due:
“We must also apologize for not crediting the artists whose works is used in this book, but we have so far been unable to identify them. We would appreciate being informed so that credit can be given.”
I reached out to the writers, Ben and Sam, and they clarified that the art for the project is culled from the free Storyteller Vault art packs, which do not have much information about who did the work. They’re sincere in their desire to credit the artists and that’s another positive aspect of this project.
The writing on this book does justice to their concept of the Limonae. The powers have variety and will be interesting to see played at the gaming table. While the superheroics and feeding requirements would have to be addressed in specific ways to achieve a tale of personal horror, the idea is interesting enough to suggest it’d be worth the thought. Bloodlinebook: Limonae is a professional, original addition to the World of Darkness and an excellent Storytellers Vault product.
This article was contributed by Egg Embry as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Egg is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
