Third Edition - How Much Does It Add? (Vampire)

Member Name: cyberstoat

Product:	Vampire
Date:	10/01/01 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A lot of new thematic information

Disadvantages: Poor combat rules

Initally, a lot. While the first impact of Third Edition books is the beautiful layout, gorgeous artwork and attention to detail which was perhaps lacking in the rather spartan fuctionality of the Second Edition, it is necessary to go deeper than this to see how much has actually changed. Window dressing is all very well, but what has been made better?

Well, not the combat rules. They're more complex, and don't work half as well as the Second Edition, which were amongst the finest combat rules of any roleplaying game I've seen. Add to that a huge change to blood pumping rules, and you get a major headache if you're used to Second Edition.

But if you want to use Second Edition combat rules, fine. I do. Look further for more positive news.

Major changes include the vanishing of the Tremere Antitribu, relief of the Assamite Bloodcurse, and significant changes to the Camarilla - Gangrel and Nosferatu repositioning, and more detail on the Malkavian network. Add to that a wealth of new information in the absolutely superb Camarilla and Sabbat Handbooks (a must buy if only for the marvelous artwork alone) and you get a well constructed new edition of the game. When you add further the rules for Dhampyr, Thin-Bloods and the reams of new Thaumaturgy (Asssamite, Setite, Koldunic, and Necromantic) and you get a lot of new resources to fill in the background that was clearly lacking in the past.

Should you buy Third Edition?

I'd say you should. Sure, it means looking out for new clanbooks and rendering some books obsolete, but to keep up with the new information, it is worth it. Without these books you lose a LOT of vital information.

Go buy it. It's worth every penny if you can integrate it with your simpler Second Edition game mechanics.

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