Werewolf - The Apocalypse

Rpg : Wod

Why playing Werewolf?

Why Werewolf - The Apocalpse - is sometimes regarded (by a certain kind of people) as the epitome of communal pen & paper role playing games.

First, take a look at the following citation:

Design Precepts:

  1. Elegantly Simple: the rules need to be simple, but in a beautiful way. No excess or stray rules of any sort can be tolerated. Every rule needs to apply to the basic rules system.
  2. KISS: We want this game to be even simpler then Vampire; we need to keep the complexity level way down.
  3. Violence: This is a game about tragic, epic battle, not about sex. It is Macbeth, not Romeo and Juliet. The difference needs to be constantly apparent, in every rule, in every phrase.
  4. Society: Garou society is even more complex then Vampire society. Its strictures and standards should be demonstrated not so much in rules, but in stories and myths. Players should get a sense what this bizzare society is like frome the very first sentence on.
  5. Spirituality: Though much of this game will deal with spiritual matters, it needs to be understated: a subtext rather than something we hit people over the head with. The theme is that spirituality is a private relationship: discovered, not taught.
  6. Heroics: While tragic, Werewolf is about heroes - heroes fighting against an insurmountable evil. It's not about winning, it's about doing the right thing.
  7. In your face: This game needs to be bold and brutally honest. The themes and issues should be black and white (at least at the first glance).

Source: Werewolf - The Apocalypse, 2nd Edition by Mark Rein Hagen, Afterword, p. 293

Second, remember what narrative story telling role playing games are all about: they tell about the daily struggle of individuals, living (or unliving) creatures who possess heart and soul, conscience and destiny. Werewolf depicts all that, and more.

As far as group dynamics of pen & paper sessions are concerned, some players prefer the role of the lone wolf, while others tend to stick to the rest of the group. The wolf pack, a highly dynamic bunch of individuals, allows for both options. It emphasizes each person's distinctive personality as well as the group as a whole, thus offering opportunities for all kinds of players to make their claims. While other minorities of the World of Darkness, such as vampires and wraiths, tend to be mostly egocentric and independent, Werewolf reconciles a variety of different alignments, goals and aims. It is not in the least surprising that Werewolf is so successful a playing concept.

Last modified by Pitt Murmann at 1999-02-20.