Published by White Wolf Games
by Graeme Davis and James Estes
141 pages
$18

Ah, mummies, the square pegs of the World of Darkness. Denied their own game system but still cool enough to justify some sort of presence, the bandage-wrapped immortals of ancient Egypt have never really fit in with the White Wolf horror scheme. The first-edition Mummies, sourcebook was released before Werewolf hit the shelves; since then, there has been nothing on them at all, which is a great pity. Mummies are actually among the best-developed denizens of the World of Darkness, and come across with a lot more pep and pizazz than other, more heavily supported monsters -- which is why the release of the second edition Mummies this month is a cause for celebration.

The "Reborn" as White Wolf calls them, have been expanded and updated to reflect developments in the World of Darkness. Created through an ancient rite, mummies were designed as foot soliders in a war between the Antediluvian Set and the god-prince Horus. Unlike vampires which are merely endowed with the physical capacity for immortality, mummies truly cannot be killed. By anything. If their bodies are destroyed, they spend a certain period wandering the underworld, then return as good as new. It makes for some very tenacious PCs and chronicles that can literally span the length of civilization.

The second edition has greatly expanded the information available in the first. The character generation system has expanded to include characters not of Egyptian stock. If you want to play a Roman centurion, say, or an English archeaologist who has discovered the secret to immortality, now you can. The politics of the Reborn have been spiced up considerably as well. Before, all mummies were a part of Horus's crusade against Set and his minions. Now, while most Reborn continue to follow him, a select few have chosen to go their own path, either scoming Horus's autocratic rule, or simply ignoring what they see as an outdated political squabble. The result gives players more flexibility in designing their characters.

With the publication of Wraith, mummies now have somewhere to go when they "die," which brings up the largat change in the second edition. An entire chapter is devoted to running mummies in Wraith's Underworld, giving tips on how involve them in the political schemes there, and how to pursue their own agendas while waiting for their physical bodies to heal. What was once dull down-time now becomes a fascinating shift in the campaign, which also prevents the players from overly abusing their immortality. Fifty years in the Shadowlands can really crimp your long-range plans.

The magic system used by mummies has remained intact, and here is where the supplement really takes off. Mummy magic is distinct from the. systems used in Mage and Changeling, utilizing Egyptian concepts to create something unique. Amulets, embalming potions and the power of True Names are the order of the day here, and while not as powerful as the reality warping of Mage, it certainly gives the Reborn a nasty tool to play with. (Never, ever tell a mummy your middle name.)

There are problems with Mummy Second Edition to be sure. There is no character sheet anywhere, although the text and ready-to-play characters suggest that one was drawn up. Rules on incorporating mummies into other WoD campaigns are annoying brief, filling up las than two paga of text. And a surly box detailing how to turn vampires, werewolves, etc. into mummies is included, presumably to satisfy the power gamers who want to create the ultimate White Wolf bad-ass. A little less pandering and some sharper editorial oversight could have easily corrected these difficulties.

Most of that, however, can be overlooked. There's a lot of solid material here, and White Wolf fans of any stripe will find this book invaluable --character sheet or no. Wherher you're looking to add a new facet to your existing campaign, or to start a fascinating new one, Mummy: Second Edition has more than enough to satisfy you.