Customer Reviews:
how to be a GM.......2003-06-11
If you like to play vampire and like to play often you will eventually run into the problem of the GM and other veteran players getting into fights, moving, getting bored with the game, or getting married. This leads to the break up of groups and then it is necessary to find another group.... or make your own. Some times its hard enough to find other experienced players, much less match up everyones schedule. I think the next best thing to do is teach new people. This is more true to the game anyways. When first embraced the vampires know nothing about kindred society and the powers that vampires wield. This sets you up for a very realistic game.
You know all the times you were playing in someone elses game and thought "I could have done that so much better" here is your chance. BTW Its harder than you ever imagined, but also rewarding when you do a good job. If you just want hack-and-slash vampire campaigns, though, the players handbook has all the info you need. This book is almost too much information but if you want a very complex and detailed story it is highly recommended.
Best Gamemaster Guide out There.......2003-02-03
I have been reading gaming books since I was nine and gaming and gamemastering since I was in Junior High School (I am now a senior in college). In that time, I have read dozens of gamemaster guides for different sci-fi and fantasy worlds. The Vampire guide is the best of all of them, and it is one that everyone running a campaign, Vampire or otherwise, should read. Most gamemaster guides are the same thing as all of the others: they have the same campaign generation and adventure writing advice, the same NPC advice, just with the flavor text appropriate to the game in question added in. The Vampire guide is different. In addition to providing all of the behind-the-shield knowledge relevant to Vampire and its storylines, it also has sections on topics like 'How to deal with Problem Players.' It touches on the interpersonal aspects of gaming in a very blunt manner that all other gaming guides seem too squeamish to handle. Included herein are sereotypical 'problem players' that most of us have seen (or been) at some point and advice on how to deal with each of them. Three clans new to this edition (the Baali, Nagaraja and True Brujah), new advantages (age, military force, arcane) and new disciplines related to the new clans (all with powers detailed up to ten dots) are provided, as well as Vampire history and the like. In the history section, there are tips for gaming in any era from prehistoric to the present. In true White Wolf spirit, there is a good bit of humor in the book. The 'Problem Player' section in particular provided great entertainment.
A great confidence builder for storytellers.......2001-11-18
Until many other role playing games, "The Worlds of Darkness" are story based. Thus the storyteller is the single most important person in the group and players will often join or leave a group based on the personality of the storyteller and their ability to create an intriquing journey. But it is also very challenging to be a storyteller, especially if you are used to the less story-focused role-playing games where the DM or guide focuses on technical matters over characters or plot. This is a great book because it makes a lot of good suggestions, gives some needed guidelines, and also spends a good deal of time being honest about the storyteller's role, power, authority and the dynamics of players in this system. Does it answer every question? No, but it will help you become a better storyteller and everyone in your group will benefit.
IT'S ALL HERE!...mostly...somewhere...........2000-07-25
This helpful book includes information on elders and their society (from ELYSIUM mostly), mechanics for century-spanning chronicles (scattered and without as much detail as in other sources, unfortunately), an informative FAQ section, a section on how vampires interact with other World of Darkness creatures, advice on creating short (tournament size) games and possible alternative settings. There is a discussion about bloodlines including the modern Baali and the Daimonion discipline and material salvaged from SECRETS OF THE BLACK HAND- True Brujah, Nagaraja and their unique disciplines. A chapter covers the Hand's secret history and recent demise as an independent sect. The book offers suggestions for using free-form techniques to make the chronicle less numbers driven and more story driven- alternatives to merits and flaws, game balance treated as giving player characters equal story attention rather than equal powers, etc.
Unfortunately, some material seemed organized in a haphazard way. For example, elder society was in the chapter on vampiric existence but vampiric authority structures and power wielding techniques were over in the storytelling chapter. Things like this made it difficult to get an overall sense of where things were without reference to the index.
In places, it seemed overly long on theory and short on specifics. After reading the section on theme, concept and mood I was thankful that there wasn't going to be a quiz and wondered if this is really something you can learn from a book- especially with only broad suggestions about using music, props and (what'll they think of next!) descriptions. Specific suggetions for darkening a chronicle that seems too "nice" (and the reverse) might also have been more helpful than all the sidebar reminders to keep it cynical.
I found it very useful.......2000-03-17
Welp, this book is like a combination of the dirty secrets of the blackhand and the elysium. I found it really helpful in making elder vampires and dealing with the new changes produced ever since the 3rd edition came out. They had little detail ruling, e.g. does a vampire have fingerprints? Plus some inside information on the changes happening. It describe _a lot_ of the bloodlines and what happened to them, including Baali, True Brujah and Nagaraja. I recommend this book to storytellers, not players.
Customer Reviews:
Infernal goodness from the people who brought you the Sabbat.......1999-02-02
What can you say about this book except.... Wow! This book was good from the very start, but the chapter on Evil Revelations (it's not just a concept anymore!) was pure White-Wolf gold. The new infernal Discipline of Dark Thaumaturgy is just what any storyteller needs to reek havoc in a chronicle. The only thing I really didn't like about this book was the new Vicissitude rules... They were far too confusing without the necessary support. If you're a Storyteller (or ever intend to be), grab this book and its counterpart The Player's Guide to the Sabbat before they sell out. The new books won't be as in-depth, and it would be a shame to lose this classic forever.
Excellent- puts the source in sourcebook.......1998-09-05
I thought that the book was extremely insightful and players- even if they are not sabbat, will learn what it actually means to play one. The only downfall I thought of was that the descriptions of Sabbat rituals weren't detailed enough.
Mmmmm...Sabbaty good.......1998-01-17
A good sourcebook for the Sabbat Storyteller, it leaves some to be desired. It should include the information in the players guide, but leaves out many important features, such as Vicissitude. It is a good sourcebook for one heavily involved in a Sabbat Chronicle though. Just make sure you pick up the players guide to the Sabbat as well.
A sourcebook for VtM Storytellers (White Wolf).......1997-06-29
This book is packed with all the information on the Sabbat that your players shouldn't see. It provides a close look at the dreaded enemy of the Camarilla. I'd seriously say that if the Sabbat is very active in your Chronicle that this book is a good thing to have on hand, even if you don't intend to allow Sabbat PC's. It provides insight into the way these Kindred think, if nothing else
Customer Reviews:
Awesome resource for storytellers.......2003-09-28
The Mage Storytellers' Handbook may seem like another one of those optional books that are not necessary for people who have ran many games already. Though this book really isn't necessary for you to run a good game, it does contain a lot of helpful info and tips on how to enhance a Mage game. The section on Avatars and seekings should help clear up a lot of confusing concepts. The section on actually running a game and how to handle problems that may arise was not a waste of space but a section that I'm glad was included because I found their suggestions really helpful. The section on alternative settings sparked a lot of ideas as I was going through it. The section on cross-over games with other World of Darkness denizens should help GMs who want to incorporate them into Mage cabals/amalgams. Overall this was one of the best books released in the Mage Revised series.
No Mage ST should be without it.......2003-06-13
This book is fundamental in running a Mage chronicle. It gives plenty of background and setting information for those interested in that sort of thing. As any storytelling book, it gives tips and tried-and-true methods for storytelling. Additionally, there is a chapter dedicated to the explanation of philosophy, which is important because of Mage's philosophical nature. Also, the book further explains various systems like Paradox and Resonance and gives different options to change them to your liking. Moreover, the book gives an explanation of Seekings according to Essence types. All in all, the book is essential in fine-tuning and running any Mage chronicle.
Invaluable!.......2003-06-12
This is probably the most invaluable resource for any mage player or storyteller. It provides alternate rules for both magic and paradox and how to apply mage to alternate historical/fantasy settings. In terms of usability, it is indispensible and probably much better than the Guide to the Traditions.
Average customer rating:
|
Handbook for Storytellers
Caroline Feller Bauer
Manufacturer: ALA Editions,US
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Literary Theory
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Automation
| Library & Information Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0838902936 |
Customer Reviews:
ips, tricks, and techniques for narrative timing.......2003-06-10
Compiled and written by Caroline Feller Bauer, New Handbook For Storytellers: With Stories, Poems, Magic, And More is an extensive, 550-page guide to the art of storytelling, which ranges from reading a book at bedtime to making a grand production with visual aids to an entire classroom. Tips, tricks, and techniques for narrative timing, suggestions for enhancing the presentation, performance skills, a wide variety of unique enhancements ranging from paperback cut-ups to fingerplays and action rhymes, recommending storytelling booklists, and much, much more fill the pages of this highly recommended "how-to book" designed for aspiring as well as practicing storytellers everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
The system is easy and realistic........1998-07-31
I found Vampire: The Masquerade to have one of the best rpg systems on the market. That, plus a plethora of source material, an interesting subject everyone can relate to, and plenty of willing players have made it my game of choice. I mean, who hasn't wondered what it's like to be a blood-sucking night-crawler?
A guide for VtM Storytellers (White Wolf).......1997-06-29
This is a collection of rules, hints, information and essays intended to help the Vampire Storyteller run a better Chronicle. I found it useful for the information on organizing a chronicle and the advice on things to do to make it more entertaining
Customer Reviews:
This is not the storyteller's handbook revised!.......2002-09-14
contrary to what it may seem, this book is not a revised edition of the last (paperback) storyteller's handbook. it is an all new book containing lots of all new information, including frequently asked question section. While the book isn't the easiest read, it contains a great deal of valuable information, including some plot springboard ideas. Weather your a veteran storteller or a newbie, i would highly reccomend this book as an addition to your storytelling refrence library.
Average customer rating:
- Behold! The Storyteller's Bible!
- Behold! The Storyteller's Bible!
- Excellent Choice
|
Werewolf Storytellers Handbook (Werewolf)
Clyde Caldwell
Manufacturer: White Wolf Games Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| Arthurian
| Contemporary
| Epic
| General
| Historical
| History & Criticism
| Magic & Wizards
| Series
Werewolf
| Gaming
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Adventure
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| General
| Graphic Novels
| High Tech
| History & Criticism
| Series
| Short Stories
| Space Opera
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1565041313 |
Customer Reviews:
Behold! The Storyteller's Bible!.......2000-05-31
The Werewolf Storyteller's Handbook is a must-have for anyWW:TA Chronicle. It will revolutionize the game and flesh out completestories to drive the pack. The expansion of fetish rules was a nice touch. The only flaw (and its a 1 pt. flaw) in the book was the bogging down of text at times, making some of it difficult to chew on all at once. The lack of systems will throw off many people, until they come to the realization that it is all about the concepts of the game, and not dice-rolling or gift-slinging. All in all, a complete guide for the member of the gaming group stuck with all the work. :)
Behold! The Storyteller's Bible!.......2000-05-31
The Werewolf Storyteller's Handbook is a must-have for any WW:TA Chronicle. It will revolutionize the game and flesh out complete stories to drive the pack. The expansion of fetish rules was a nice touch. The only flaw (and its a 1 pt. flaw) in the book was the bogging down of text at times, making some of it difficult to chew on all at once. The lack of systems will throw off many people, until they come to the realization that it is all about the concepts of the game, and not dice-rolling or gift-slinging. All in all, a complete guide for the member of the gaming group stuck with all the work. :)
Excellent Choice.......2000-03-25
This book is an excellent companion to the main book. It should definitely be bought to add to your werewolf collection. It is also excellent to buy if you are just beginning to learn about Werewolf.
Book Description
Running IPv6 explains how to install and operate the IPv6 protocol for Windows XP, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, Red Hat Linux, and Cisco routers. The book also covers DNS and BIND, Zebra, Apache 2, and Sendmail. While IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long, and allow for more unique addresses. While the adoption of IPv6 won't be immediate, it is necessary.
Running IPv6 compares and contrasts IPv6 to IPv4, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. Because most major software and hardware vendors have (or will) adopt IPv6, the focus of this book is to leverage your existing knowledge of IPv4 and to help you apply that knowledge to the newer protocol.
Customer Reviews:
Essential IPv6 Reference.......2007-06-09
'Running IPv6' by Iljitsch van Beijnum is an essential reference for any IT people who are looking to:
1. Upgrade from IPv4
2. Learn more about the IPv6 standard
3. Want to configure and set up IPv6
This book covers Windows, Mac, Free BSD, Linux, Cisco routers, DNS and bind... the whole shebang
Not written for a novice, this book assumes that you have knowledge of IP-related material and are not reading this book simply for "vacation reading". In a niche market this book scales its way to the top of the moutain.
Great resource!!
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Very solid introduction to IPv6.......2006-12-30
As an author of technical books I am especially critical of the delivery of technical information - especially when covering topics that can be heavily theoretical. Iljitsch van Beljnum's book on IPv6 provides an excellent balance between theory and practice. It introduces the IPv6 protocol and how to run it. It provides real-life examples of the protocol in action and how it can be used with a variety of applications. It particularly addresses the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, myths about IPv6, routing and DNS. It also importantly covers changes in IP protocol security as a result of the introduction of IPv6.
If you're looking at moving to IPv6 or if you are simply interested in how it is run, routes, and interacts with operating systems and applications then I strongly recommend this book.
If you want to build a Lab with IPv6 this is a must have book.......2006-03-09
I've have been working on an IPv6 lab and Running IPv6 is a great reference for setting up OS and router configurations. Excellent material in a short compact format with no bull or filler. I have to say this is the best IPv6 book I have read so far. It is also the most up to date of the books considering all the RFC changes that happen for IPv6.
If you are looking for something that is clear and to the point about how to USE IPv6 then this is it. There are plenty of other books out there that go into the theory and design which might be better suited for studying (Joseph Davies - Understanding IPv6 or Regis Desmeules - Implementing Cisco IPv6 Networks) but if you want to get an IPv6 network running NOW then Iljitsch van Beijnum book is for you. Kudos for writing a great practical IPv6 book.
- Ed Horley
My first must-read book of 2006.......2006-01-31
When I read and reviewed O'Reilly's IPv6 Network Administration by Niall Richard Murphy and David Malone, I called their book "a must-have book for all network administrators." Upon seeing Apress' Running IPv6 by Iljitsch van Beijnum, I wondered if I would waste my time reading and reviewing another book on IPv6. Now I'm glad I digested Running IPv6 -- it's my first must-read book of 2006. The books are complementary, so I recommend them both.
Three years ago I read and reviewed van Beijnum's book on BGP, which I liked while thinking it was somewhat terse. In Running IPv6, van Beijnum strikes the proper balance between explanatory language and technical details. Every chapter in the new book taught me something useful. In Ch 1 I liked comparisons involving IPv4, IPv6, IPX, DECnet, AppleTalk, and OSI CLNP. In Ch 2 I enjoyed sections on using 48 bit MAC addresses in IPv6 addresses. Ch 3 featured tips on the "on-link" assumption. As would be expected in a book by a BGP expert, Ch 4 provided lots of guidance on routing IPv6. Ch 5 included history on the evolution of DNS for IPv6, with RFCs 1886 and 2874 competing for primacy.
Ch 6 covered issues that applications might encounter when handling IPv6. Ch 7 introduced the "HD ratio," which estimates the point at which the effort required to manage increasingly "used-up" address space suggests that expanding it would be more efficient. Ch 8 mentioned the headaches caused by automatically generated, multiple MAC addresses for IPv6 multicast. Ch 9 scared me with use of the multicast ping for host discovery. Ch 10 was the first time I saw an effort to show how to use Tcpdump with IPv6.
I had no real issues with Running IPv6. I found a few production errors and typos that can be fixed in later printings. All are obvious, except the use of the word "maximum" in the first sentence of the last paragraph on p. 153. (I think that should be "minimum.")
Like IPv6 Network Administration, I liked van Beijnum's attention to command syntax for multiple OS' -- especially FreeBSD. He even covered Cisco and Juniper in the same book. Since I suggest reading the O'Reilly and Apress titles, I recommend reading the former first and the latter second. Van Beijnum's book is best read by those with a little more exposure to IPv6, but it can certainly stand alone if need be.
If you plan to ever have anything to do with IPv6, you must buy van Beijnum's latest book. Bravo.
how to go from IPv4 to IPv6?.......2006-01-05
IPv6 has been brooded over for a decade by various Internet groups. This book shows its present incarnation. It has grown very sophisticated; well beyond a simple vast expansion of the address space from 32 bits to 128 bits. So the text talks about the various tunnelling and routing options that become possible under it, that are unavailable under IPv4.
Yet to me the most interesting section of the book is the chapter on transitioning from IPv4 [the current Internet] to IPv6. Every other technical issue about IPv6 pales in comparison to this quandry. The author gives the best value in the book in this chapter. He shows firstly that IPv4 will inevitably exhaust its space. Though he prudently refrains from speculating when that might be. The transition must also be incremental. No one expects a swift global change to be realistic.
Then he explains that the modes of transition come down to analysing only 4 communication models for most common web usage. Namely email, Web browsing and two types of peer-to-peer usage. Examples of the latter are VoIP and BitTorrent.
From the models, we see the necessity for using a proxy or address translation to handle the transition. An especially clear analysis.
Books:
- World Of Warcraft The Roleplaying Game (d20 3.5)
- Xena Warrior Princess: Complete Illustrated Companion
- 25 Ways to Win with People: How to Make Others Feel Like a Million Bucks
- A Matter of Taste: How Names, Fashions, and Culture Change
- A Path of Shadows
- A Smart Girl's Guide to Starting Middle School: Everything You Need to Know About Juggling More Homework, More Teachers, and More Friends (American Girl Library)
- Across the Moscow River: The World Turned Upside Down
- And the Cow Jumped over the Moon: Over 650 Activities to Teach Toddlers Using Familiar Rhymes And Songs (For Toddlers and Twos)
- At the Vanishing Point, A Critic looks at Dance
- Barrel of Monkeys (Executive Office Toys)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower
- History: Fiction or Science
- Art Deco Ornamental Ironwork
- City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village, Revised Edition
- Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
- Forecasting Financial Markets: Technical Analysis and the Dynamics of Price
- Designer Knockoff: A Crime of Fashion
- Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide
- Authentic Color Schemes for Victorian Houses: Comstock's Modern House Painting, 1883
- New Techniques in Biophysics and Cell Biology
Vampire : The Masquerade (Revised Edition)
Guide to the Camarilla (Vampire, the Masquerade)
Vampire Storytellers Companion (Vampire: The Masquerade Companions)
Guide to the Sabbat (Vampire, the Masquerade)
Dark Ages Companion: A Sourcebook for Vampire : The Dark Ages (Vampire - the Dark Ages)
