Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition is a role playing game supplement published by Onyx Path Publishing. This is the 20th anniversary edition of one of the five core books that made up the original World of Darkness.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a PDF for $29.99, as a standard hardcover print on demand book for $60, as a premium hardcover print on demand book for $130.99, as standard hardcover and PDF for $63 or as premium hardcover and PDF for $133.99. It is also available in print form from sites such as Amazon. The PDF is the version reviewed although it was purchased at a reduced price during a sale. The primary PDF has 594 pages with two pages being the front and rear covers, four the front matter, nine the Contents, 19 the Index, two testimonials, 15 Kickstarter backers and two pages the Wraith and Shadow character sheets.
Prologue: The Face of Death is an extensive combination of story and comic book, taking up over 60 pages.
Book One starts with Chapter 1: Introduction explains that in Wraith you play the ghosts from ghost stories. It gives a bit of history on the game and that Wraith is about roleplaying and storytelling. It briefly explains what’s in each chapter of the book, and that there is a Storyteller, who is the player running the game, and players, who control the player characters. It explains a basic concept found in most RPGs, in that there are no winners or losers in the traditional sense, and that all that’s needed to play are ten-sided dice, pencils and printed character sheets if going hardcopy. Live-action role playing, or LARP, is another way of playing Wraith, and a sidebar gives some core rules for LARPing.
Basic details on the game and setting are given, explaining that wraiths are the spirits of the dead who haven’t moved on from the trappings of their lives and are now suspended between life and death. A brief overview is given of the Underworld, which is covered in more detail later, the fundamental abilities of wraiths, the Shadow, which is a wraith’s worst enemy and lives in their own mind and can sometimes take control, Oblivion, which is the end of everything and fuels the Shadow and marshals Spectres. There is said to be Transcendence, the opposite of Oblivion, ascension to a higher state of being. A Lexicon covers various terminology used in the game and finally there is some suggested source material.
Chapter 2: Setting starts with the geography and metaphysics of the world of Wraith. The Skinlands are the living world, similar to our own, and it looks at how the World of Darkness has an edge to it that the normal world does not. The Shroud separates the realms of the dead from the Skinlands and the Fog is a defence mechanism in the minds of the living that prevents humans from recognising and remembering signs of ghostly activity.
The Underworld is the collective name for all the realms of the dead. Oblivion is the name for the force of passive destruction in the universe, and in the Underworld it has far more of an effect than normal. It turns wraiths into Spectres, fuels the monstrosities of the Labyrinth and sucks the material from the Tempest. Its physical manifestation is as the Void, the ultimate emptiness.
Following this is the history of the Dark Kingdom of Iron, starting from before the Underworld existed and before it separated from the realm of the living and was separated by the Shroud. The Lady of Fate found Charon and helped him establish Stygia. Stygia’s history, from its original founding, through various Great Maelstroms and other upheavals, is covered.
The economics of the Underworld is next. Almost everything in the Underworld is made of either souls or memories, with the bulk of the raw materials being the latter, relics of destroyed items from the Skinlands that have made their way across the Shroud. However, souls are the strongest materials, and they can be transformed into objects, used as raw material for everything from construction to cash; an obolus is a coin made from a single coin. This makes souls valuable and wraiths try in different ways to find ones to use. Details are given on soulforging and the being, Nhudri, who discovered the process. The two main classes of items in the Underworld are relics, which come from the Skinlands, and Artifacts, which are things created in the Underworld, though they may be created from relics. Wraiths do want to buy things, but what they want is different to what the living do, due to having different needs. Relics and Artifacts are always sought, and oboli are the only universally accepted coinage of Stygia. Though cash is available, many transactions are done through barter of goods or services. Stygian steel is the final type of durable material available to wraiths.
Metaphysics starts by explaining that if everyone died at peace with themselves and the world, there would be no wraiths. Wraiths are because most die without that resolution. Wraiths start their existence in the Underworld wrapped in an ectoplasmic sheath called the Caul, appearing in the Shadowlands; some never make it out of their Caul. Their body in the Underworld is called the Corpus, made of a material called plasm that is essentially the raw stuff of the afterlife. New arrivals are often found by Reapers, and these Reapers may not have the best interests of the new wraith at heart. Thralls are officially souls too weak to resist Oblivion on their own and are thus pressed into service; many are in truth victims of Reapers. Masks are a common symbol for the Restless Dead and come in different kinds. A wraith’s Corpus is marked with indicators of their life and death. Wraiths are divided into Psyche and Shadow, both essences of the wraith, and both self-aware, but the Shadow is their dark side. Passions and Fetters are a wraith’s unfinished business with life that allow them to stick around. Catharsis is when a wraith is dominated by their Shadow and Harrowing is when a wraith suffers several different kinds of serious loss and is pulled into the Labyrinth until they can get out.
Stygia starts by looking at the city of wraiths in the Dark Kingdom of Iron. It starts by looking at home the city is approached, by land and by rail, then at the major features of the island, with a map of it. The city’s different districts are covered, with details on important or unusual places in each. Next it looks at the Necropoli, which are Hierarchy outposts in the Shadowlands that usually overlay a mortal city. Several notable Necropoli are looked at, along with civilian ranks within a Necropolis; the Legions stationed there have their normal ranks. There are different factions in the Underworld, though Stygia is supreme in the Dark Kingdom of Iron. Renegades are those that primarily refuse to be part of Stygia’s system, Heretics are different cults, the Hierarchy is the organisation that supports the Dark Kingdom, the Ferrymen stand outside Stygia but travel through the land on their own missions, frequently stopping to help wraiths in need and the Midnight Express is the train that travels through the Shadowlands to the heart of the Underworld and back. There are eight different Legions in Stygia, and which one a wraith can end up in depends on how they died (there is sometimes overlap), and the overall similarities between the Legions is covered first. Next, each of the eight Legions is described, with an overview, their values, military and civilian life for Legionnaires and their view of other Legions.
The Guilds explain that these are part trade cartel, part secret cabal. They were founded around the perfection of specific Arcanoi, which are covered later. The Guilds are the masters of their arts, but aren’t trusted by the Hierarchy, even though their abilities are useful. The origins of the Guilds are covered, along with their attempted coup, the reason for the distrust, the Guilds in modern Stygia as they are still officially outlawed after the coup attempt, their organisation and how the Menmoi are the most reviled in Stygia thanks to their ability to manipulate memories.
Chapter 3: Rules starts by explaining that the game’s rules are intended to determine what happens in a way that’s simple and flexible, to avoid too much time being spent looking rules up and avoid arguments. This, fairly brief, chapter has the basic rules and some optional ones for more complicated situations. The golden rule is that if you don’t like a rule, don’t use it.
Time is measured in turns, the amount of time a character needs to perform an action, scenes, made of turns at a single location, downtime, the time between scenes when characters are not actively involved in play, chapter, which is scenes and downtime, story, made up of chapters, and chronicle, made up of stories.
The game uses ten-sided dice (d10s) and the Storyteller should have at least ten. Players may need fewer, but a second set of ten is suggested. Dice are rolled when success or failure is interesting. The Storyteller assigns a default difficulty between 2 and 10 to an action; modifiers can be applied. Each time a single die reads equal to or higher than the difficulty, it’s a success; multiple successes are sometimes required. The player rolls a number of dice equal to their relevant Traits for the action. No successes is a failure; the more successes that are rolled, the better the success. This is the basics for the entire system.
Actions are what a character does that needs a dice roll; some things do not require one and therefore are not actions. The Trait rating, from 0-5, is how good a character is in that Trait. Difficulty, success and failure are gone into in some more detail.
Following this are some optional rules. Botch is a catastrophic failure, with no successes and at least one 1. Multiple actions can be done in a turn by splitting the smallest dice pool. Extended actions require multiple successes across multiple turns. Resisted actions are when characters oppose each other. Teamwork is when they work together. Trying it again is self-explanatory, but increases the difficulty. Not every action can be tried again.
Finally, the Lexicon has the general gaming terms for Wraith.
Chapter 4: Character starts by explaining that character creation is fundamental to the experience of roleplaying in Wraith, with systems and character being almost the same thing. In addition, by its nature, Wraith involves characters who are not new; they’ve had a life already, even if it was a fairly short one.
It moves on to some basic principles, which is that you can be anyone, that character creation is a way of discovering the character’s personality, that Traits are numbered numerically, usually from zero to five, with two being average, that a key element is why your character became a wraith instead of succumbing to Oblivion and that you need a character who will work well with the others. Storytellers should be familiar with the system and have the framework to a plot, as they need to be able to guide players through the process of character creation, and they should also ensure that the characters have linked plot hooks, to give them a reason to work together. It also explains that some of the prelude, as the game is getting setup, can be done premortem, not post.
Character creation is a five-step process. The first is the concept, in which who the wraith was, how they died and why they are still around are determined, along with their nature and demeanour, with a list of personality archetypes. Step two is choosing Attributes, which are Physical, Social and Mental. The third step is choosing abilities, which are the Traits that the wraith can do intuitively or through training. These are Talents, Skills and Knowledges. Step four covers advantages, and you get a set number of points for each. Arcanoi are the powers wraiths possess and are divided into Common and Initiate, with the latter largely restricted to Guilds (covered later). Backgrounds are a wraith’s contacts, alliances, relics and status. Passions are the core of their being, and are inextricably linked to who the wraith is. Fetters are the parts of the wraith’s former existence that tie them to the world. Step five is the finishing touches, which cover, Corpus, Pathos, Willpower, some freebie points and finally the wraith’s personalisation, which covers appearance and quirks. There is an example of character creation after this.
The final part of the chapter covers roleplaying the Prelude (Session Zero), a short scene narrating the wraith’s last living moments, death and rebirth as a wraith. There’s a Q&A explaining how this will help answer character questions.
Chapter 5: Traits explains that these represent a character’s capabilities, strengths and weaknesses and enable the character to be translated into the game through rules. Some Traits can have specialities; when a character has a rating of 4 or higher in that Trait, they can choose a speciality, an aspect of that Trait for which they have a particular aptitude.
Wraiths have basic abilities, which are Lifesight, the ability to see the life force within a living being, Deathsight, the ability to see Oblivion in all things, heightened senses, which allow them to sense the world more clearly, and insubstantiality, which allows them to pass through things.
Archetypes are the personality a wraith projects and the one they conceal. These are broad frameworks for characters, and thirty are described. These have a name, a brief description and a benefit that Archetype has.
Attributes are the basic description of a wraith, and they fall into three categories, each with three attributes, and each attribute rated from 1 to 5. Physical Attributes are Strength, Dexterity and Stamina, Social are Charisma, Manipulation and Appearance and Mental are Perception, Intelligence and Wits.
Abilities come in different categories, and each again has the standard 1-5 rating, the first being Talents. Talents are the things a wraith has a knack for from the day when they were born and most can’t be picked up through training. Talents have a name, description, what can be done at the different levels, examples of people who might possess it and specialities.
Skills are gained through training or apprenticeship; they are otherwise laid out the same way as Talents. Knowledges are Abilities gained through application of the mind, and again are laid out in the same manner. Backgrounds are Traits that help define the character’s history and context, and this time only have a name, description and what can be done at different levels, which are again from 1-5.
Arcanoi starts by explaining that the rules of the Underworld are different to those of the Skinlands; they have metaphysics, not physics. Wraiths who understand these differences can learn the Arcanoi, either from other Restless, rediscover them through study, spontaneously manifest them or acquire them from their Shadow. Like most other things, Arcanoi are ranked from 1 to 5 dots, with the more dots meaning greater proficiency. The Guilds are the primary method for learning Arcanoi, and these Guilds each teach a specific one. The different Guilds also have traditional allies. Practicing an Arcanoi results in the wraith’s corpus manifesting guildmarks, which are permanent changes to appearance or behaviour caused by the Arcanoi. The 16 different Guild Arcanoi are then described. Each is named and a description is given of the guildmark, the Guild itself, the factions and the specific Arcanoi, followed by the different arts in that Arcanoi.
Chapter 6: The Shadow starts by explaining that this is the hidden half of a wraith, the part of their personality where their worst impulses and cruelty reside. These aspects always existed, but when the wraith died, they became the Shadow, which is self-aware and powerful. The Shadow will attempt to negotiate with the wraith, and is always there, commenting on things, but its end goal is always the same; drag the wraith into Oblivion, enjoying the process as it happens. Shadows are more than a wraith’s evil twin; they are self-aware and have distinct personalities and voices. In game, the Shadow is roleplayed by the Shadowguide, which is another player; this adds an additional challenge as a player has a character and another character’s Shadow to play, and each knows different things. A cheatsheet of what the Shadow only knows is advised, and some advice is given on playing a Shadow.
Shadowguides can be selected randomly, which is the easiest way of going about it. The Shadowguide can simply whisper things to the player of the wraith, or they can deploy Thorns to have a greater effect. Shadows do not always have to be played negatively; playing positively most of the time can make the negative times even worse. Shadows can take over the wraith’s Corpus when conditions are fulfilled. There are suggestions on how to pick Shadowguides, when random selection isn’t used, and how to set limits; by their very nature, Shadows and Shadowguides push boundaries, and some things should be off-limits. Though a Shadow’s ultimate goal is to send a wraith to Oblivion, they can still cooperate with their wraith in the face of a greater threat. There are also some dirty tricks suggested for Shadowguides. Finally, Catharsis, the act of taking over a wraith’s Corpus, is looked at.
Shadow Creation is a four-step process. The first is to choose the Archetype for a Shadow, which is like the Archetype for a wraith, but more negatively skewed. A number of sample Archetypes are detailed. Step two is determining the Shadow’s Angst. Angst is what fuels a Shadow, like Pathos does a wraith. Similarly, step three looks at Dark Passions, like a wraith’s Passions. Finally, the last step assigns a number of freebie points. Thorns are the unique powers at a Shadow’s disposal, and these are detailed. An example of wraith creation is given.
Angst looks into this fundamental part of a Shadow, and it’s initial rating. Angst can be temporary or permanent. 10 points of temporary Angst can be traded for one point of permanent. The more Angst a wraith has, the stronger their Shadow is and the easier it is for a Shadow to seize control. How Angst can be gained and lost and how Harrowing can affect this as well are looked at, as is the Catharsis roll when a Shadow attempts to take control of the wraith’s Corpus. Some optional ways Shadowguides can be played are looked at, and a note that being too effective as a Shadowguide can affect the player, not the character, and Shadowguides should be careful of this. However, Shadows are a fundamental part of the game and, though different ways of playing them are given, it’s impossible to remove them. An example is given of Shadowplay.
Harrowings are a nightmare ride through the deepest parts of the Underworld, directed by the wraith’s Shadow with assistance from Spectres. They are specifically designed to torture the wraith. They need to be figured out, as failing to choose the right path in a Harrowing can lead to weakening or loss of Fetters and Passions and even the wraith’s destruction. How a Harrowing happens, how it’s played and how to get out of it are looked at, along with the different kinds of Harrowings. It’s even possible for group Harrowings to happen, or for a wraith to self-inflict one as a way to avoid something bad that’s about to happen. How to roleplay in a Harrowing, an example of a Harrowing and some different Harrowing systems are given.
Book Two starts with Chapter 7: Storytelling starts by explaining that ghost stories are a deeply human response to the fear of death, and Wraith is an outgrowth of it. The role of the Storyteller in Wraith is explained; this is the system’s name for the GameMaster. Those familiar with GMing any RPG should be familiar with the concepts, for they transfer. The most important one being to ensure everyone, including the Storyteller, is having fun.
Wraith Storytelling Key Elements explains that the key elements of Wraith are the theme, with a list of different themes, and ending with the big three; fear, terror and horror, which are not the same. And that these need to be handled carefully.
Storytelling Tools looks at events, which are the things that happen, the purpose, which is why they happen, the scope and scale of the chronicle, which should be tailored to characters’ current state and capabilities and pacing events. Storyteller Characters looks at NPCs, how to deal with them and their role as friends and allies as well as antagonists. Setting looks at the setting of the chronicle and the importance of staying together as much as possible, for outside game reasons. Stories revolve around conflict, and different kinds of conflict wraiths can enter into are looked at.
Chronicles looks at the chronicle, the core narrative arc of the game, from getting started, its direction, different chronicle concepts, divided into three categories, the Shadowlands, Stygia and the Tempest and beyond, the individual stories that make up a chronicle with different kinds looked at, and Passions and Fetters.
Advanced Techniques looks at a number of methods that can be used to tell stories, by using non-linear methods; flashbacks, foreshadowing, symbolism, lost memories, unreliable narrators and crossover games with other games in the World of Darkness, which could range from minor to full-on.
Endings looks at how to end a chronicle, which can be difficult. Character destruction is one obvious ending, and it may be a good one depending. The timing of ending a chronicle is looked at.
Finally, Authority & Responsibility explains Wraith can be a tricky game, both to run and to play.
Chapter 8: Systems starts by looking at how wraiths interact with wraith-specific elements of the setting. This starts with Reaping, the process of how a wraith has their Caul removed and how they are vulnerable to soul harvesting when they emerge in the Shadowlands. How wraiths interact with the Shroud, the barrier that separates the Shadowlands from the Skinlands is next, and how the rating of the Shroud can be affected by things, including other supernatural creatures, and become thinner and easier to penetrate. The Fog is how the living react to encounters with wraiths, often with them glossing the encounters over, though a range of other reactions down to catatonic fear can happen.
Maelstroms are the terror of the Underworld, and what they do and how they affect wraiths is covered. Haunts are unquiet places for various reasons which are thin places in the Shroud and which are places of interest to wraiths as they confer various advantages. Finally, how wraiths can be injured is looked at, and wraiths can be injured, though injuries affect them differently to the living.
The section on perceptions covers Transcendence, the legendary method by which wraiths achieve another state of existence. Little is known about Transcendence, though how it can be used in game is covered, and the fact that seeking it can cause problems with the authorities.
Finally, character development is covered. This looks at how experience points are gained and what they can be used for, how Passions can be gained, may wane or be resolved and how Fetters can be lost, acquired or resolved. Though resolving Fetters and Passions might seem a bad idea, given they are important to a wraith’s survival, there are benefits. This last section also looks at how wraiths sleep.
Chapter 9: Drama explains that it fleshes out the dramatic systems used by most chronicles, building on the rules from Chapter Three with specific examples. A sidebar explains that the more dice rolls that can be avoided, the better. First, it looks at time in the game, from the Turn, the time needed to perform a discrete action, to the Chronicle, a series of connected stories, with some details on Downtime, which is time when nothing significant happens and is essentially glossed over in game. Action scenes, which are scenes involving dice rolls usually, often combat, are given an overview as to how they are laid out.
The dramatic systems section is next, and this provides rules for the Storyteller for a number of common activities. Automatic feats are those that require an action, but seldom involve dice as success is essentially guaranteed, and examples are given. Physical feats involve the Physical Attributes and are similar but require a dice roll. Examples are given for different feats of Strength. Mental and Social feats are similarly handled, though these are for the Mental and Social Attributes as appropriate. Each of the three sections on feats has examples of what would be needed to perform various feats. A sidebar gives details on Relic vehicles.
Combat is looked at next; this can be close or ranged. Combat Turns are summarised with the different actions needed, then these are gone into in more detail, from rolling initiative to resolving combat. The different kinds of damage are considered, how damage can be Soaked and the effect of armour. The Corpus for different objects is next. Finally, there are details on combat manoeuvres, starting with conditions that can impact specific manoeuvres in combat. Defensive, close combat and ranged combat manoeuvres are next, along with things that can complicate manoeuvres, and sidebars cover melee weapons, thrown weapons and explosives, modern ranged weapons and archaic ranged weapons.
Book Three starts with Chapter 10: Spectres. It explains that Spectres are the servants of Oblivion and gives a brief history of them, how they are created and what motivates them, bringing forth Oblivion, explaining how they go about it. It covers the ability of Spectres, including the Dark Arcanoi and Shadecraft, the unique abilities of Spectres; Dark Arcanoi are covered in the same way as Arcanoi. The different kinds of Spectre are detailed, up to the Malfeans, the rulers of Spectres and the most powerful, some who were never human and some who were.
How Spectres can be used by the Storyteller is next, which covers the standard of using them as a foe to using them as a protagonist in a chronicle where the players are Spectres. Such is a different, darker kind of chronicle, and there are chronicle concepts, story concepts and themes. Spectre characters and how to create them is next, including the Psyche, which is similar to the ordinary wraith’s Shadow, only it uses its similar abilities to attempt to redeem the Spectre. A game using one or more Spectre characters will be a completely different type of game.
Chapter 11: The Risen looks at those wraiths who return to the Skinlands, in their original body though not by any real definition alive, nor are they zombies. It first looks at what a Risen is and what it isn’t, as well as why they have chosen to pass through the Shroud to the world of the living, which is usually to fulfil a task.
Becoming Risen is a difficult process, and as it’s also illegal, tutors are hard to find. Tracking down how to do it can be an adventure in and of itself. The Shadow also needs bargaining with, though most Shadows are in favour of their wraiths becoming Risen, because it makes them more vulnerable to the Shadow. In favour of is not the same as will easily cooperate with, however; Shadows want something from the deal.
How to create a Risen character is covered; existing wraiths have a character sheet that is modified, but there’s also a process for creating a Risen from scratch. Risen also have two of their own Arcanoi that can only be used by the Risen. Other than that, they are handled like other Arcanoi are; they are just even harder to find teachers for them, and no Guilds exist.
How to handle Risen in a game is covered, as one thing to avoid is having one character becoming Risen leaving the others with nothing to do to help. It is possible for an entire Circle to become Risen. Different types of campaigns involving Risen are looked at, as well as the dangers to the wraith of becoming Risen.
Chapter 12: The World of Darkness looks at those things that are not wraiths in the World of Darkness that wraiths can interact with. Humans are the most common, and mediums are those humans that can see wraiths, which includes ghost hunters and amateurs. There are also a number of secret orders that have different goals when it comes to wraiths.
The Awakened are supernatural beings in the World of Darkness, which does include wraiths themselves. This looks at vampires, werewolves, mages and changelings. It gives an overview of each and examines their abilities in wraith terminology, should the various rulebooks not be possessed. Some specific types of these that have a connection to wraiths are looked at in more details. It also looks at whether the Awakened can become Restless, and how, as well as how Arcanoi can affect the Awakened.
Dwellers in the Storm looks at those creatures other than Spectres that can be found in the Tempest, with stats and descriptions for them. Finally, Relics and Artifacts has samples of these of different levels, as well as Skin Artifacts made from plasmics and other beasts and artifacts made by Spectres.
Chapter 13: The Other Dark Kingdoms looks at the realms of the dead other than Stygia, which are the versions of the Underworld that were created by other cultures than those that created Stygia. Some endured, some retreated and others were wiped out. It then looks at each of those kingdoms individually, with details on their history, current condition and other important elements. The Dark Kingdom of Jade is the Chinese afterlife, Svarga, The City of Delights, is a primarily Hindu realm, the Dark Kingdom of Obsidian is the lost Dark Kingdom of the Americas, the Bush of Ghosts covers Africa, Karta: The Dark Kingdom of Clay is Australia, though separate from the Shadowlands and the Mirrorlands covers the Caribbean. These kingdoms are not necessarily the only kingdoms of the regions in question, but they are the best known, even if what Stygia knows about them is wrong.
Following this are new Arcanoi, for the Jade Empire, Tvashtriya for Svarga and Moriman for the Bush of Ghosts. Stygian wraiths will be limited in their use, or incapable of using, these Arcanoi.
Appendix: Orpheus looks at the Orpheus Group, a corporate group in the Skinlands that uses technology to breach the Shroud. It starts with a lexicon of terms used by Orpheus, then covers its history, with a sidebar explaining that this spoils some material from the end of the original Wraith: The Oblivion line, when it was known by different names and discovered that cryonics subjects had visited the Underworld. The group had many issues and deaths and also saw involvement from the NSA. It looks at a new drug related to the Underworld, how Orpheus recruits the living to head into the world of the dead and the missions they undergo.
There are details on how to create projector characters, which are mortals who venture into the Underworld but are not true wraiths as, amongst other things, they lack Shadows, and the abilities they have. Orpheus characters are members of crucibles, which are even more tightly bonded than most wraith Circles. Projectors have Stains, not Shadows, which have an effect on them. There are new backgrounds and a new archetype, as well as some themes for Orpheus chronicles, antagonists in such, how Orpheus could be involved in a Wraith chronicle and mixed chronicles.
There are also two separate one-page PDFs, copies of the Wraith and Shadow character sheets.
Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition in Review
The PDF is bookmarked, with major and minor sections linked. The Contents is to a similar level of depth and is hyperlinked. The Index is thorough but lacks links. There are also some internal links where one sections refers to another. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be mostly free of error. There are a variety of colour and black and white images, up to full page in size, and most appear to have been taken from previous editions, with not always complimentary styles. Presentation is okay.
Though this is a large book, the game mechanics are generally simple and naturally compatible with other books in the setting. However, the biggest difference is the use of Shadows, which means that each character is controlled by two players. This makes the game significantly more complex, and opens up the possibility for strife between players, given that a Shadow who is played correctly is deliberately sabotaging the wraith character. Though much of the core mechanics are in one place, there are enough systems scattered throughout other sections to add complexity in looking stuff up.
Like the other four core books, there are references to the other games in the World of Darkness; where perhaps Wraith differs is that interaction between the other games and this one is much harder, given that all wraith characters are dead, and properly dead at that. This means that it is more likely that a Wraith game will be more self-contained by default than Mage, Changeling, Werewolf or Vampire. This won’t be a problem if the intention is to play a more self-contained game, but is one if other influences from the World of Darkness are planned to have more of an effect. This is perhaps where the Orpheus Group from Appendix: Orpheus would be useful, as it allows a game to be set in the Skinlands with the perils of such, yet also to venture into the Underworld.
This may be one of the more complicated of the 20th anniversary edition games, and it’s not that easy a book to read before playing the game either, though that does also apply to many of the other games. The differences between a Wraith game and some of the others will add to the difficulties. Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition is probably not for everyone interested in the World of Darkness, though aspects of it can be transferred to other games, and it can be found by clicking here.
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