SOURCEBOOK FOR VAMPIRE
WHITE WOLF
WRITTEN BY MARK CENZYK, RICHARD DANSKY, GRAEME DAVIS, JAMES ESTES, ALEX HAMMOND, ANGEL MCCOY, DEENA MCKINNEY, JAMES MOORE, LUCIEN SOULBAN, AND RICHARD WATTS

Camarilla. Sabbat. Inconnu. Lupines. Changelings. Whatever the hell is in East Asia. Five continents. Two hundred countries. Five billion people. And 160 pages to cover it all. You certainly can't blame A World of Darkness for having no scope.

An ambitious attempt to cover the length and bredth of White Wolf's World of Darkness, this sourcebook of the same name is something of a double edged sword. It touches on every area of the globe, giving a brief overview of the supernatural denizens in each nook and crannyWith the notable exception of India, no part of the world is overlooked, and almost every significant country has at least a little bit written on its undead population. But at the same time, "a little bit" is really all that's given, and detail is often sacrificed in favor of an all-encompassing comprehesiveness.

This, presumably, is a deliberate act on the part of the publishers. The first edition of A World of Darkness received a great deal of criticism for being incomplete. It gave information on a few areas - notably England and Jordan - but failed to include so much of the world that the name became a joke. The second edition attempts to redress those grievances, and to that extent, the product succeeds.

Ten different chapters cover every conceivable spot where the Kindred might be found, from Helsinki, Finland to Melbourne, Australia. A few areas (such as Great Britain and Egypt) are given special attention, but no place is left entirely unmentioned.

To be sure, this is primarily a Vampire product, and the Kindred are given the lion's share of the space. Changeling or Werewolf players looking for insight on their respective races are in for a grave disappointment. For fans of Vampire, however, there are a plethora of tantalizing tidbits to incite the imagination. The final fate of Prince Mithras of London, the Camarilla's toehold in Sabbatheld New York, and more shadowy hints of what exactly lies in wait on the Asian mainland - A World of Darkness is full of bits of information like this.

Anyone expecting more than such "bits," however, is in for a big let-down. The sheer scope of the information and the limited space in which to present it keep A World of Darkness from being anyth ' ing more than an overview. Most countries have a paragraph or two dedicated to them, the largest cities get likewise, and the general political situation of each area is made clear. Other than that, players are on their own, and many might find such "superficial" coverage frustrating.

So with that in mind, is A World of Darkness worthwhile? Absolutely. By providing such a wide overview, it permits GMs to tailor their individual campaigns to fit the "official" specifications. Anywhere a Storyteller wants to place his group can be facilitated with A World of Darkness. This is not a product for lazy GMs, looking for an instant Fill In the Blank By Night to run their campaign for them. It is a useful guide for GMs who want a little help in either creating their own city, or running an adventure some place other than the By Night supplements produced thus far.

Vampire players willing to take suggestions and run with them will find no end of story threads here to help them along. Understanding that, and knowing that the book concerns itself solely with overviews and not details, will increase its usefulness considerably. A World of Darkness promises the globe, and to a great extent, it delivers, as long as you don't mind the short version of it. So when do we find out what's in Calcutta, folks?