I think I am the perfect person to review Forsaken Chronicler’s Guide because while I have access to the book and I have checked out what it is about this is the first Forsaken book I have read; which is strange because the first White Wolf book I ever purchased was Werewolf: the Apocalypse Second Edition back in 1994. I give Forsaken proper respect for washing away the Gaia mythology and putting the Wolf back in the bloody center of Werewolf with packs and territory being central.

The Forsaken Chronicler’s Guide continues White Wolf’s dedication since Mirrors to providing toolkits for players and storytellers to craft exactly the kind of game they want rather than expansion of a metaplot of the “official” way to play the game. Volume 1 is dedicated to isolation of the werewolf concept, ways to extract the essential nature of the beast so to speak.

The first section capitalizes on the recent trend of young adult supernatural themed fiction, werewolves in High School. Authors did a fine job of explaining why this is a good idea as the werewolf concept shares quite a bit with adolescence: strange new hair growth, raging hormones, emotional rollercoaster and uncontrolled urges. The werewolf is a strong sexual metaphor after all, and any coming of age story has to address sexual development. Ha, here’s an excuse to use my favorite German vocabulary word, “Bildungsroman”. I enjoyed the story ideas and the plot themes were well elucidated. I particularly liked a “True Stages of Puberty” section, puberty starts much earlier than most think and for Uratha changes deviating from mundane humans starts at age 7 with craving for meat leading to violent dreams and more. Nice touch. There are some crunch options for playing teenagers as well simulating the abilities and drawbacks. A character could choose to have a bonus on Athletics if they are playing the star basketball player, for instance but shyness leads to a penalty in Socialize rolls. In short, provided is a set of tools for creating a great Ginger Snaps-like adolescent themed chronicle.

Now section two is the one that really primes my engines and gets me to want to play Forsaken for the first time. You see White Wolf has been playing a con for the last nineteen years when it comes to their Werewolf lines. They are not Lycanthropes, they are Shape Shifters. If you want a true werewolf tale in accordance to myth, the classic Lon Chaney Jr. Universal Monster it should be a curse. An unpleasant curse wherein you can’t control your shapeshifting, it is painful, you shift according to the Moon. Finally White Wolf gives us tools to play That kind of werewolf. They are nicknamed The Cursed and not really true Uratha. They are nearly immortal and change on their Lunar phase or when they take enough Lethal Damage. They are susceptible to certain substances like silver or wolfsbane but only under certain conditions like the New Moon. The book offers all you need to roll up one of these characters, including several origin mythologies, their lifestyle, how they differ from Uratha, storytelling advice and even a sample Cursed NPC. It would be a fine template for PCs or antagonists alike, particularly a player character in a mixed game.

Finally, my dream of American Werewolf in London: The Roleplaying Game!

Finally cue up the sad Incredible Hulk walking away with a duffel bag to a new town music because the final section speaks of the plight of the Lone Wolf. The pack is such an important element to a Forsaken game that a little consideration for the Pack of One is needed, since it is entirely different to bond with a totem spirit by your lonesome. It’s you against the world. You set your agenda and territory. Maybe you wander the earth like Caine from Kung Fu. There are suggestions as to how the Auspice roles change for the lone wolf, and as mentioned the process of merging with a personal totem spirit is rather horrific. There is also storytelling advice on lonesome plot elements and chronicles, how to attain Loci and other considerations really that provide a lot of efficacy.

Like Mage Noir I recommend this product because it made me want to play the game for the first time. ( )