Author: Phil Brucato
published by White Wolf Game Studios
292 pages
$28

Most White Wolf games are games set with a dark almost selfish mood, where coming out on top requires death and destruction; where the bad guys are the only guys you can count on; where being evil is hard to define when people are drinking each other's blood; where the dead fight against unseen evils. Mage: the Ascension altered that formula, and now Sorceror's Crusade alters it even more. This time, the players are given a chance to save the world, something that isn't normally possible in any of the other Storyteller system games.

You see, this particular historical period is when the modern World of Darkness is forming. As a GM, you can actually let your players affect how the modern World of Darkness will develop, or even not develop at all! Since the Ascension War has not begun, there is a lot of free mingling between Conventions and Traditions, so players aren't locked into choosing just from the Traditions. Both sides advocate different positions, Traditions favor true magick and the old ways, while the Order of Reason advocates the new force on the magickal scene, Science.

For the most part, enemies remain the same. On one side, you have the Infernalists, which are the Renaissance version of the Nephandi - tainted mages in the present World of Darkness. They are just as miscreant and diabolical as their modern counterparts, but the knowledge (and fear) of them is more widespread, thus extending their sphere of influence. On the other hand, there are the Marauds, better known to us as the Marauders. Unchanged from what we know of them, they wreak havoc and mayhem. What comes as no surprise is that the Holy Mother Church ("No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!") is unknowingly aiding in the creation of the magus' final enemy: the garden- variety human/steeper.

In the 15th Century, there are a lot of things not going in the traditional mage's favor. For instance, the world is going to grow a whole new hemisphere with the discovery of the New World. This promotes travel for people, and opens their minds. New ideas are being spread (by inventions like the printing press), and are being widely accepted by the masses. This teaches them to rebel against authority and the old ways, embracing Science and Reason.

The peasants are questioning their role in the world, as well as their faith in an uncaring god. Who can blame them either, in a world where science and medicine are easily available and the power of prayer is fickle and uncertain. All of this comes together to slowly eat away at a Mage's cover. Breathing room is limited is becoming very rare.

In terms of system, this game hasn't really varied from the original. Some small changes have been made and for the more part, they're quite interesting. Most come down to semantics. In fact, the only real change that bothered me were the new Paradox rules. Paradox has become the Scourge (or has the Scourge become Paradox? My head hurts... ).

The Scourge is officially defined as holy retribution for wicked spell casting, or a reward for casting with altruistic motives. The really strange part about it is that it doesn't always punish the wicked or reward the good. It all depends on a roll of the die. If you roll a 10, good befalls you. If you roll a one - insert godlike voice here "Thou art hosed!" But the game comes back with the standard "if you don't like it, change it" philosophy.

What I truly enjoyed were the changes to the spheres of magick. What is and isn't known by man can affect magick and this a excellent concept to see them develop. After all, the mind cannot tap into energies in cannot perceive. For example, in the Ascension, the Forces sphere would control any sort of energy known to man - gravity, nuclear, kinetic, etc. But in Sorceror's Crusade, the fact that man doesn't yet know about those things, means that they cannot be controlled directly; only limited types of Force are at the player's disposal.

Overall I would say that The Sorceror's Crusade is one of the coolest games I have ever seen. It is now definitely my favorite White Wolf game. That helpless feeling that the normal World of Darkness normally leaves is missing here, and I for one am reveling in. This game will definitely change your way of thinking about "dark" role- playing. For those of you who like the helpless feeling, beware! This game is a departure from all the dark and evil in modern role-playing games, and I can't wait to get back to this game.

Explorers, witches, shaman, nobles, scientists...

Set anywhere within the framework of a 500-year era, Sorceror's Crusade provides an unexplored age for a new frontier of gaming. the world of darkness has hope and the victims of an uncaring age can finally change the course of demise and destruction that have so plagued their world. it's not your father's mage, it's your great, great, great, great grandfather's.