For the last 15 years I have been patiently waiting, like a slumbering immortal being asleep in their cold, dank crypt, for the release of Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition. But now, the wait is over and it’s time to rise again and claim the night as our own. But what is in the new edition, when is it releasing, and how can you get your icy hands on all the new products? Just be patient a little longer and all will be revealed to you. But what if you’ve only heard tales of this game and never actually played it?
What is Vampire the Masquerade?
VTM was originally published by White Wolf Games as the first RPG in their World of Darkness in 1991. Designer Mark Rein-Hagen redefined the world of roleplaying games with this dark, gritty game of personal horror.
This game used a Storyteller System in which the mechanics of the game, while important, were never as important as the story and the direction in which the Storyteller wanted to take the game. Set in a grungy, gothic version of the modern world, each character plays a Kindred, a member of Vampire Society, as they come to terms with their unlife, struggle with losing their grip on their humanity and suppressing their inner beast. Imagine Lost Boys set in a David Fincher universe and you are halfway there.
The game spawned tons of offshoots including a setting in the Dark Ages and Victorian Era England, a Live Action Roleplaying version, collectible card game, video games, dozens of novels and a short-lived television series directed by famous Melrose Place creator Aaron Spelling. The game was unique because, instead of traditional weapons, characters were asked to wield weapons of subterfuge, deception and political prowess to claim victory over their adversaries. And as an immortal creature, a political game of chess has the potential to play out over centuries and completely change your view of the world, the choices you make and the fate of your character in the overall World of Darkness.
What’s in the new edition?
Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition (V5) is a return to the original vision of VTM but transported to the 21st century. The rules have been completely overhauled with the additional of a new component, hunger dice. These dice bring back the horror of the original game by making the descent into bestial madness possible at any moment. Also there is now a variant rules that allow scenes to be resolved with a single dice roll, or if you prefer, no dice at all allowing for a more customizable gaming experience.
But wait didn’t the world end in the original VTM – is this a reboot?
Lucky for fans of the original metaplot of VTM, the story will pick up right where it left off meaning that this is not a reboot of the world. Instead, the game will fill in the time that has lapsed since the “end” of the OG World of Darkness.
What products are coming out and when?
Vampire: The Masquerade Fifth Edition Core Book will be released along with the V:TM Anarch Sourcebook and V:TM Camarilla Sourcebook in a high-quality slipcase edition for collectors.
A Deluxe Edition of the core book will be available, and a highly-collectible hand-bound edition of the core book by artisan El Artesano Del Rey will be available for online preorders only.
V:TM Camarilla Sourcebook outlines the global blood opera, where the Ivory Tower has begun to crack as the elder vampires begin to disappear. What was once the strongest faction of vampires is now devolving into the chaos of neo-feudal conspiracies as it fights back the Second Inquisition, attempting to maintain the Masquerade under the intense scrutiny of modern technology. Mark Rein-Hagen and Matthew Dawkins offer readers deeper insights on unlife.
V:TM Anarch Sourcebook reveals the current state of the Anarch Movement, which once shared an uneasy truce with the Camarilla. Now they are free, unfettered by their Elders. Juhana Pettersson offers readers essays on nocturnal survival and politics of the undead.
Additional products available as part of the preorder include the Official V5 Dice Set, V5 Storyteller Screen and V5 Notebook.
Here’s the full list of products:
August
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Ed. (Hardback, Full Color), $55.99 MSRP
September
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Ed. – Deluxe (Alt. Cover with special finish, Hardback, Full Color), $137.99 MSRP
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Ed. – Storyteller Screen (4 Panel screen with 32-page booklet), $27.99 MSRP
- Vampire: The Masquerade Dice Set (20 Custom 10-sided Dice- 15 black Vampire and 5 blood red Hunger dice), $20.99 MSRP
- Vampire: The Masquerade Official Notebook (160-page Digest Notebook Supp.), $14.00 MSRP
Fall
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Camarilla (Vampire 5th Supp., Hardback, Full Color), $48.99 MSRP
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Anarch (Vampire 5th Supp., Hardback, Full Color), $48.99 MSRP
- Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Ed. Slipcase Set (3 Books in Slipcase), $137.99 MSRP
Pre-orders are open now and you can submit your request via our website or in store for any of the products above! Please note that orders over $100 for a single item require a deposit of 25%.
Written by Robbie
