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Old 08-08-2018, 05:02 PM   #1
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Default Wraith anniversary

I see that DriveThruRPG is now offering a version of Wraith. I admired Wraith extravagantly and always regretted not being able to get my players to sign up for it, so I was curious about this version. But when I look at the sample I can access, all I see is a lot of pages that are mainly art; I can't even get to the ToC. Has anyone acquired this, and if so, can you comment on what the insides are like, once you get past the shiny wrapper? How much useful material is there for someone who still has the original book?

(I hope they haven't used white text on black pages! There was one of the Wraith supplements that I found interesting—but it had reverse type, and I'm not going to subject my eyes to that kind of strain.)
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Old 08-10-2018, 04:20 AM   #2
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

I was in the Kickstarter and got the ebook-only version.

There are actually 67 pages before you get to the ToC.

The text is black letters on a white background, with an occasional light grey background image.

I haven't read it, and am not that familiar with old Wraith.

Quote:
Contents
Prologue: The Face of Death i
Book One 12 (77 pages into the PDF)
Chapter 1: Introduction 15
Chapter 2: Setting 25
Chapter 3: Rules 95
Chapter 4: Character 105
Chapter 5: Traits 125
Chapter 6: The Shadow 221
Book Two 250
Chapter 8: Systems 279
Chapter 9: Drama 313
Book Three 340
Chapter 10: Spectres 343
Chapter 11: The Risen 385
Chapter 12: The World of Darkness 405
Chapter 13: The Other Dark Kingdoms 433
Appendix: Orpheus 468
Glossary 469

(Backer list) 493

There doesn't seem to be an index, but the ToC runs 8 pages.
(Is posting a ToC fair use?)
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Old 08-10-2018, 04:49 AM   #3
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

Quote:
Originally Posted by cptbutton View Post
There are actually 67 pages before you get to the ToC.
Ah, definitely White Wolf!
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Old 08-10-2018, 06:47 PM   #4
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

Quote:
Originally Posted by cptbutton View Post

(Is posting a ToC fair use?)
in the US, reasonably likely to be -so long as the purpose is review and/or critique.

IANAL; IANYL; TINLA
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Old 08-10-2018, 06:54 PM   #5
whswhs
 
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

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Originally Posted by cptbutton View Post
There are actually 67 pages before you get to the ToC.
Thanks. That persuades me not to buy it; I still admire the original game greatly, but 67 pages of pretty pictures before there's any text is just too self-indulgent and arty even for a WW game. I feared as much from a look at those opening pages.
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Old 08-11-2018, 02:28 AM   #6
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

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Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
Thanks. That persuades me not to buy it; I still admire the original game greatly, but 67 pages of pretty pictures before there's any text is just too self-indulgent and arty even for a WW game. I feared as much from a look at those opening pages.
I suspect it's 67 pages of purple prose occasionally sprayed with angsty pictures, or 67 pages of gloomy comics. At least that is how I remember other "wait, so where is the ToC?" moments with WW.
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Old 08-11-2018, 08:00 AM   #7
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
I suspect it's 67 pages of purple prose occasionally sprayed with angsty pictures, or 67 pages of gloomy comics. At least that is how I remember other "wait, so where is the ToC?" moments with WW.
Yes, the latter. The preview is a selection of these.
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Old 08-11-2018, 03:46 PM   #8
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

To risk a stupid question:

What exactly are you supposed to _do_ in Wraith? What's the game about? I read the original book, back when, and was left simply puzzled. It had all this setting background, along with the artsy and angsty pictures, and imparted that really well. But the Wraiths themselves seemed to have no actual abilities -- in fact, lacking the ability to influence the world seemed to be part of the point -- and so seemed to have little to do other than sitting around angsting about their deaths until they got turned into coins.

I always felt that I really missed something on that one. But then, it was WW, so maybe I was right on the money.
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Old 08-11-2018, 03:48 PM   #9
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

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Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
To risk a stupid question:

What exactly are you supposed to _do_ in Wraith? What's the game about? I read the original book, back when, and was left simply puzzled. It had all this setting background, along with the artsy and angsty pictures, and imparted that really well. But the Wraiths themselves seemed to have no actual abilities -- in fact, lacking the ability to influence the world seemed to be part of the point -- and so seemed to have little to do other than sitting around angsting about their deaths until they got turned into coins.

I always felt that I really missed something on that one. But then, it was WW, so maybe I was right on the money.
Resolve things that keep you undead and ascend to the next life, for example?
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Old 08-11-2018, 08:14 PM   #10
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Default Re: Wraith anniversary

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
To risk a stupid question:

What exactly are you supposed to _do_ in Wraith? What's the game about? I read the original book, back when, and was left simply puzzled. It had all this setting background, along with the artsy and angsty pictures, and imparted that really well. But the Wraiths themselves seemed to have no actual abilities -- in fact, lacking the ability to influence the world seemed to be part of the point -- and so seemed to have little to do other than sitting around angsting about their deaths until they got turned into coins.

I always felt that I really missed something on that one. But then, it was WW, so maybe I was right on the money.
Survive long enough as a wraith to resolve your tethers, without falling to your shadow in a permanent way. Said shadow is played by another player at the table.

Most WoD players seem to ignore the core, and a number choose to play Risen (from one of the supplements) in WoD games allowing multiple cores (or in later nWoD).

Wraith failed to appeal to the powergamers that were readily apparent in WWtA, VTM, and MtA.

The one thing Wraiths have going for them is that they are immune to almost everything except mages, and can literally not be stopped by most mortal things.

So, you can occasionally make yourself known, and you have to try to get the poor victims of your haunting to accomplish the goals that let you move on.

Not all of those victims are humans, either. Vampires, werewolves, magi†, mummies*, ghouls*, risen, changelings, and even some not-formerly-mortal spirits. Magi are the real threat - they can end you easily. Mummies can end you in a way that really sucks - by ending all memories and records of you, and erasing you from reality, but they're usually busy.

* Noting that the WoD versions are not entirely aligned to the typical conceptions thereof.
† sorcerers, including vampiric ones, are a different, and much less dangerous threat, than the magi.
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