Jess Lanzillo Joins White Wolf as Creative Director

Jess Lanzillo, the former VP of Dungeons & Dragons that departed the company last month, is joining White Wolf as the creative director for World of Darkness. In a press release, White Wolf noted that Lanzillo will lead IP development for all World of Darkness story worlds, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse and others. This includes the TTRPGs, video games, and other projects.

Lanzillo has been a lifelong World of Darkness fan since the inaugural release of Vampire: The Masquerade back in 1991.

“World of Darkness has been my creative north star since the '90s, and I've seen firsthand how these games create communities and inspire storytellers,” Lanzillo said in the press release announcing the news. “My focus is on supporting and amplifying what makes these worlds special—the rich lore, the player agency, the mature themes—while ensuring they reach everyone who would love them. World of Darkness is so much more than just games; it's a cultural touchstone with a passionate community and incredible untapped potential.”

"Bringing Jess on board to shape the creative future of World of Darkness is a big win for White Wolf," said Marco Behrmann, White Wolf Executive Vice President in the same press release. "She’s a world-class Creative Director with deep roots in developing transmedia properties and a sharp instinct for audience-first storytelling. Jess’s experience makes her the perfect fit to lead White Wolf in bold, ambitious ways. Jess is a key pillar of our expanding studio, helping drive a strong and clear creative vision from the heart of our team. Her arrival underscores Paradox’s long-term commitment to White Wolf and our goal to make World of Darkness the number one horror entertainment brand in the world."

 

[Dire Bare]

I've been in modern stores that were selling 3e, 4e and 5e

Yup, one of my stores sells used RPG books and has 3e, 4e, 5e 2014, 5e 2024, and last time I was in there and looked, some older books as well. Serious fans know the difference, but for casuals and grandmas buying gifts it's confusing.

You can ask a staff member for help . . . but they will likely try to convince you to buy Pathfinder instead . . .

 

[Staffan]

But, yeah, too much lore can be a problem. I purchased Runequest a few months back in a Humble Bumble. It's got a great setting, but there's so much to it I opted out. Even if I read it all, most of my players would not, and unless they understand the setting the game won't be very fun.

Yeah, lately I've been preferring more focused settings. This doesn't necessarily mean geographically small, but that it's primarily about One Thing. For example, earlier this year I went in on the Han Cluster crowdfunder for Savage Worlds. In geographical terms it's huge, covering Earth as well as a cluster of about ten more solar systems 1800 light years away. But the whole setting is basically built around the Transcendence campaign – you could do other things there, but that's what it's for.

There's definitely room in my heart for big sprawling settings that can accommodate a large number of different campaigns, like Eberron or Star Wars, but I already have those and if I'm going to buy something new I'd like it to be a specialized tool rather than a Zil Army Knife.

 

[bedir than]

Yup, one of my stores sells used RPG books and has 3e, 4e, 5e 2014, 5e 2024, and last time I was in there and looked, some older books as well. Serious fans know the difference, but for casuals and grandmas buying gifts it's confusing.

You can ask a staff member for help . . . but they will likely try to convince you to buy Pathfinder instead . . .

This were brand new at a B&N

 

[Von Ether]

Yup, one of my stores sells used RPG books and has 3e, 4e, 5e 2014, 5e 2024, and last time I was in there and looked, some older books as well. Serious fans know the difference, but for casuals and grandmas buying gifts it's confusing.

You can ask a staff member for help . . . but they will likely try to convince you to buy Pathfinder instead . . .

I have literally seen that happening.