Old World of Darkness: Difference between revisions

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CCP Games, the folks behind [[Eve Online]] and owners of [[White Wolf]] since 2006, are currently developing a World of Darkness MMORPG.
CCP Games, the folks behind [[Eve Online]] and owners of [[White Wolf]] since 2006, are currently developing a World of Darkness MMORPG.


In 2010 the very last book of the New World of Darkness would be published, titled "World of Darkness: Mirrors". While books will still be published, CCP Games and White Wolf will now put an added emphasis on PDF downloads, as well as investing in [[Print On Demand]] (commonly used by most small RPG publishers). [[Your Mileage May Vary|Most]] [[Ruined FOREVER|fans are not pleased]]. However the first benefit of this approach was realised in June 2011 when after six years of being out of print White Wolf put up a selection of their Vampire books back into production, and then four months later [[Un Canceled|began creating new "anniversary" editions of the old WoD gamebooks]]. [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|Fan Reaction was positive.]]
In 2010 the very last book of the New World of Darkness would be published, titled "World of Darkness: Mirrors". While books will still be published, CCP Games and White Wolf will now put an added emphasis on PDF downloads, as well as investing in [[Print On Demand]] (commonly used by most small RPG publishers). [[Your Mileage May Vary|Most]] [[Ruined FOREVER|fans are not pleased]]. However the first benefit of this approach was realised in June 2011 when after six years of being out of print White Wolf put up a selection of their Vampire books back into production, and then four months later [[Uncanceled|began creating new "anniversary" editions of the old WoD gamebooks]]. [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|Fan Reaction was positive.]]
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== This RPG provides examples of: ==
== This RPG provides examples of: ==
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* [[Authority Equals Asskicking]]: Well, the vast majority of roleplaying games use this trope at least sometimes, to reign in possible sociopathic behavior of [[Player Character|Player Characters]], but in the World of Darkness it is particularly prominent. Movers and shakers of the setting tend to be on a completely different level of power than normal starting characters and the main reason this is less noticeable in the new WOD is general downgrading of supernatural abilities, which makes the scale of abilities less steep.
* [[Authority Equals Asskicking]]: Well, the vast majority of roleplaying games use this trope at least sometimes, to reign in possible sociopathic behavior of [[Player Character|Player Characters]], but in the World of Darkness it is particularly prominent. Movers and shakers of the setting tend to be on a completely different level of power than normal starting characters and the main reason this is less noticeable in the new WOD is general downgrading of supernatural abilities, which makes the scale of abilities less steep.
* [[Beast Man]]: There are a lot of these, but generally this is the stereotype held against the vampire clan of Gangrel, the Pooka Kith of Changelings, and basically every Werewolf.
* [[Beast Man]]: There are a lot of these, but generally this is the stereotype held against the vampire clan of Gangrel, the Pooka Kith of Changelings, and basically every Werewolf.
* [[Beauty Brains and Brawn]]: This is how the various statistics are organized in the new world of darkness: Social (beauty), Mental (brains), and Physical (brawn).
* [[Beauty, Brains, and Brawn]]: This is how the various statistics are organized in the new world of darkness: Social (beauty), Mental (brains), and Physical (brawn).
* [[Beethoven Was an Alien Spy]]: It got to the point where virtually every historical figure was some sort of supernatural creature. Of particular note was Rasputin, who was claimed by about five vampire clans, a Mage Tradition and a Werewolf tribe. They ultimately explained that {{spoiler|Rasputin was all of the above and the ultimate [[Big Bad]] of Vampire: The Masquerade. Instead, he's eventually revealed to be a bodyriding Wraith.}} The revised editions clamped down ''hard'' on this sort of thing, making it very clear that most human things happened for human reasons with the supernaturals at most altering details.
* [[Beethoven Was an Alien Spy]]: It got to the point where virtually every historical figure was some sort of supernatural creature. Of particular note was Rasputin, who was claimed by about five vampire clans, a Mage Tradition and a Werewolf tribe. They ultimately explained that {{spoiler|Rasputin was all of the above and the ultimate [[Big Bad]] of Vampire: The Masquerade. Instead, he's eventually revealed to be a bodyriding Wraith.}} The revised editions clamped down ''hard'' on this sort of thing, making it very clear that most human things happened for human reasons with the supernaturals at most altering details.
* [[Badass Normal]]: Non-Imbued hunters in the old WOD. At least those few of them who weren't using some form of magic or the True Faith.
* [[Badass Normal]]: Non-Imbued hunters in the old WOD. At least those few of them who weren't using some form of magic or the True Faith.
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** Lampshaded in [[Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines]]: A number of other vampires you meet are convinced that their condition really is a pretty sweet deal, what with having a good chance at an eternal or at least really long life of doing whatever the hell they want.
** Lampshaded in [[Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines]]: A number of other vampires you meet are convinced that their condition really is a pretty sweet deal, what with having a good chance at an eternal or at least really long life of doing whatever the hell they want.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Being this, by comparison with DnD and its clones, became one of the main marketing points for World of Darkness games, when they first came out in the beginning of 1990s.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Being this, by comparison with DnD and its clones, became one of the main marketing points for World of Darkness games, when they first came out in the beginning of 1990s.
** This essentially caused it to be the Tabletop version of [[Rated M for Money]], where people insisted the game was good on ''basis'' of being [[Darker and Edgier]], and were many fan made campaigns included blood, gore, sex, and "mature" themes for the hell of it.
** This essentially caused it to be the Tabletop version of [[Rated "M" for Money]], where people insisted the game was good on ''basis'' of being [[Darker and Edgier]], and were many fan made campaigns included blood, gore, sex, and "mature" themes for the hell of it.
* [[The Dark Side]]: Vampires in the old WOD were like this. Partially subverted, as the degeneration carries nothing but severe penalties. Other beings in the old WOD had their own ways of falling to [[The Dark Side]] - wraiths turn into spectres by giving in to their shadows (sentient embodiments of their negative emotions), mages can turn themselves into Nephandi by inverting their Avatars, werewolves can be turned against their will by forcing them into the Black Spiral Labyrinth, changelings who get particularly bent by Banality can become Dauntain, etc. ... And of course, there is good old getting drunk on power.
* [[The Dark Side]]: Vampires in the old WOD were like this. Partially subverted, as the degeneration carries nothing but severe penalties. Other beings in the old WOD had their own ways of falling to [[The Dark Side]] - wraiths turn into spectres by giving in to their shadows (sentient embodiments of their negative emotions), mages can turn themselves into Nephandi by inverting their Avatars, werewolves can be turned against their will by forcing them into the Black Spiral Labyrinth, changelings who get particularly bent by Banality can become Dauntain, etc. ... And of course, there is good old getting drunk on power.
* [[Dark World]]: ''Several'' in both settings.
* [[Dark World]]: ''Several'' in both settings.
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** Similarily, the Sabbat got this treatment in the Revised Guide to the Sabbat. The book presented the idea that the Sabbat isn't just a howling mad group of nutcases who want to murder humans 'cause it feels good, but rather they want to destroy the Camarilla due to feeling that it is a pawn of the Antediluvians. And because they think they're better than humanity. There are plenty of examples of [[Knight Templar]] Sabbat.
** Similarily, the Sabbat got this treatment in the Revised Guide to the Sabbat. The book presented the idea that the Sabbat isn't just a howling mad group of nutcases who want to murder humans 'cause it feels good, but rather they want to destroy the Camarilla due to feeling that it is a pawn of the Antediluvians. And because they think they're better than humanity. There are plenty of examples of [[Knight Templar]] Sabbat.
* [[Evilutionary Biologist]]: Pentex in Werewolf: The Apocalypse has the trappings of this trope, but is actually run by outright evil cultists. Developmental Neogenetics Amalgamated is a straight example. Progenitors and Etherites in Mage: The Ascension could be this.
* [[Evilutionary Biologist]]: Pentex in Werewolf: The Apocalypse has the trappings of this trope, but is actually run by outright evil cultists. Developmental Neogenetics Amalgamated is a straight example. Progenitors and Etherites in Mage: The Ascension could be this.
* [[Extra Strength Masquerade]]: Depending on the game, you're sometimes left wondering "okay, how the ''hell'' can they cover ''that'' up?"
* [[Extra-Strength Masquerade]]: Depending on the game, you're sometimes left wondering "okay, how the ''hell'' can they cover ''that'' up?"
* [[Fantastic Fragility]]: Most supernaturals can get ''all'' the new powers they want, and more cheaply and quickly than working honestly would bring... at the downside of getting loaded down with (usually permanent) potentially crippling weaknesses. Have we mentioned being a supernatural is [[Blessed With Suck]]?
* [[Fantastic Fragility]]: Most supernaturals can get ''all'' the new powers they want, and more cheaply and quickly than working honestly would bring... at the downside of getting loaded down with (usually permanent) potentially crippling weaknesses. Have we mentioned being a supernatural is [[Blessed With Suck]]?
* [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink]]: Each game line in the original was incredibly insular, Vampires could go centuries never meeting a werewolf.
* [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink]]: Each game line in the original was incredibly insular, Vampires could go centuries never meeting a werewolf.
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