How to Play Chronicles of Darkness 

I just want to say, after two years, I'm sorry to the Hunter fans for my dismissive jokes about it. I still regularly getting comments and messages about how those didn't go over well. Don't get me wrong, I personally still don't enjoy Hunter much when put against pretty much every other option here, but it isn't a bad system. My only experience with it before this system was a real bag of farts, but I shouldn't have let that color my commentary on it here. My jokes were a little too mean spirited, and for that I apologize. Next, fans of Beast...hi. That's all. ... ...ok fine, I'm sorry too. Beast doesn't have to be like how I describe it. I still don't want to be alone in a room with it, but I get it.

Mage the awakening would probably be the best choice considering it's one of the most complex ones. If you could cover it then it would help several people immensly so.

This is hands down the best explanation of chronicles of darkness. Most concise, helpful visuals, information tracked for easy skip to's. Thank you!!!

Not only did you not miss anything important, you actually taught me, a veteran Storyteller, some stuff I didn't know. Somehow I never knew that you could spend willpower to turn a resisted roll into a contested one. 😅

I've been playing changeling the lost for years and I want to thank you for this video because I realized I've been playing some of the rules wrong. Very educational, keep doing what you do, keep being awesome. As for your question on individual monster splats I would say sure go ahead but prioritize showing off systems you love and make videos on the individual splats as a side project to be done when you have the time.

Fantastic stuff. I found your channel through your "How to" videos on FATE and Cypher. Easily the clearest and most entertaining of any I've seen on explaining systems. Kudos.

I'm gonna recommend this video to anyone interested in CofD. Great video,and unexpectantly funny at times.

Best guide for the game I have seen so far. Would like to see you do more on the specific denizens of darkness. Keep up the good work! I would specifically like to see mage or hunter in the future.

I have been thinking about leaving a comment on this video for awhile. Honestly, I think this is the best introduction to the game on RU-vid that I have found so far (shout out to Awkward GM Corbin for having another solid one) and I can definitely see myself showing any potential future players this video to give them a good idea on how the game works! While alot of people got introduced to White Wolf's World Of Darkness through the classic lines, my introduction to White Wolf games in general was actually from a blind purchase of Vampire The Requiem 1E while I was looking around in a tabletop gaming store as a teenager. The "New World Of Darkness" games replaced D&D for my friend group as what we always played behind the cafeteria during lunch at school. I actually didn't end up playing any classic World Of Darkness games until I was an adult. The Chronicles Of Darkness will always have a special place in my heart for this reason. I would love it if you eventually covered all of the game lines separately, I think it would help alot of people looking to branch out into one of the game lines they have yet to try in a more digestible way than consuming another entire 300+ page rulebook first. Either way, I am looking forward to future content, and thanks for the spectacular work so far!

Definitely would appreciate a deeper dive into its sister systems at some point.

Stumbled across this looking for a refresher on the system. It covers everything you need to know to get back into the swing of it.

The literal reason the system for CoD was redesigned was to facilitate crossover play. Some games like Changeling ot Geist might not be suited to it, but it's very easy to homebrew why different supernaturals would work together. Also, ahame on you for omitting Uratha from your example party.

I've been trying to learn to play Mage 2e. I've played some werewolf and, by comparison, I'd say Mage needs a tutorial. It's so cool and how it interacts with the other creatures is weirdly aggressive. I think werewolves just kill them on sight. There's a spell to turn a vampire into a chair. Permanently.

I'm still salty at CCP for not letting White Wolf really lean into the New World of Darkness. We could have even gotten actually interesting video games featuring the much superior settings.

So cool there is still interest in the NWoD (or CoD) in the 2020s. It's still my fav system ever and managed to use it for several different stories: X-Men, Silent Hill, Sandman, Legacy of Kain, Persona, Shin Megami Tensei... And of course Vampire the Requiem + the rest of the templates. Love it so much, also for its ease of use: getting new players in is so easy!

I skimmed the core CofD, and Changeling: The lost rulebooks and was left confused about a great deal. This video is exactly what I needed!

Man when I learned about Beast and read about it I was psyched and loved the concept and I'm surprised that everybody seems to hate it. Scaring people doesn't really seem to be that much worse than drinking blood or all the other potentially amoral stuff the chronicles of darkness allow and encourage.

Oh god.. Love your vids, man! Very, very easy to understand and weird sidenote, I love the BGM you choose for your vids Keep up the good work!

Wrote a long comment, deleted it, but basically - thanks for this video! It had been years since I'd played a session of these, and all the over-the-top character drama tied up in the various games made me forget how mechanically solid, competent, and interesting the underlying game system actually is.

This was one of the best Chronicles videos on RU-vid, I’d love to see more!

This is probably the best how to play series of ttrpgs I've seen yet. I'd probably would want to see videos on geist and mage personally. Hope to see more of this stuff in the future, cheers! 🥂

Just recently found your channel and have really enjoyed your how to videos. I learn better in video format than reading and really appreciate them.

I have recently fallen for changeling the lost. So i would love to see that

This helped alot, I was overwhelmed reading the guidebook but this made it easily digestible

You're amazing! Thanks for the several lessons on everything. Understandable without being simplistic.

Behold, engagement! It would be very cool to get a little about how Clues work. Given that this is primarily an investigation-driven game, this mechanic deserves a once-over. For splats, covering Mage and Werewolf would be great, since they got a full-on rewrite from 1st edition nWoD. Thanks for all you do!

Need Werewolf, Need Vampire, Need Mage, Need Changeling, Need Mummy, Need Hunter, Need Geist, Need Demon. 2nd Ed of course, don't need no Atlantas stuff. Oh and Dark Eras! I just got the bundle of Dark Eras books (and CofD 2e) on Bundle of Holding but it's just....so much text. I'm intimidated, I thought it was a series of adventures but may be more of a collection of time-period settings? Glad I decided to give the Chronicles a chance though. And thanks for this and all the other videos!

Reuben. And thank you for making this. I’m getting back into this game got the first time since nwod first came out. I’m using this video to prep my players for their first session.

Thank you so so so much. Needed this to make a homebrew horror oneshot. You are very good at making concise explanations that are easy to understand!

Thanks for this! Can't wait to play my first game on this tonight!

This video was so useful. Thank you very much

For the algorithm! 38:17 I don't know the system so the character sheet part felt a bit clunky. Especially when you jumped from part to part. Idk how much of a help this is but I'd like to suggest going over the character sheet as a whole in brief with necessary background info before breaking into parts with the details. Or maybe a supplement series with character creation.🤷 Ps any hints on what systems you may cover next? Thanks

I learned a LOT. I'd heard of Vampire (both), but I didn't know it was a portion of a more general system. I saw a lot to like about the system such as the damage track and the success/fail system. I will want to learn more.

solid refresher course i think. There is so many books in this one so good work

That is a great video! CofD is quite complex as I can see but you've done a remarkable job explaining it. I hope your work will attract more viewers because you do deserve them. I'm interested in doing my own hack based on this system and further explanations of the Denizens would be great. I'd like the Hunter and the Mage ones. But yes, doing the one you like is better for everyone's experience

A note on dice results: You can opt to get a dramatic failure when you fail with a regular roll. This nets you a beat, which eventually results in experience points to improve your character.

8:00 Minor correction (2 years late to the party, but still). On a Chance Die, you DO still apply the 10-Again rule. It's part of what I love about the game: No matter HOW many dice you roll, there's ALWAYS a chance of success or failure. I've personally seen someone roll THIRTY dice for an action and fail, and I've also seen someone get an Exceptional Success with only a Chance Die.

Chronicles is my favorite RPG game setting and all the denizens that fall under it. Werewolf is my favorite of them all but so many of the other ones have their own interesting aspects. It great to see some videos on it and getting into mechanics. So many channels on Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy dungeon crawling not much on Chronicles or World of darkness (unless it's just Vampire the Masquerade)

I like your presentation style. This is my first time playing a d10 system, and we're doing changling. Would love to see you do the rest of CoD but this definitely helps!

I've played Nwod/Cofd for MANY years and this will be my go to, to send to new players whenever I start a new game!

Thanks for these videos. The core chronicles book was on sale on drive thru recently. So I was curious if I should buy. your videos helped.

Thank you so much for this guide!

As a complete noob to this system (I was introduced to d&d as my first TTRPG a year or so ago). Our DM wanted to run this system for me and my hubby so sent us this link. It is a very easy to follow, helpful and funny guide and we now feel much more prepared to jump into it! So thank you very much :) Also, I like tuna mayo & cucumber sandwiches, he likes marmite and cheese. Judge however you see fit

Absolutely fantastic tutorial man. I have never played it, b it they’re is so much that fascinates me about this system that I would want to include in a game of my own. Thank you for making this video! (btw My favorite sandwich is probably the outlaw signature sub from subway. That thing is sooooo good.)

Great explanation of the new ruleset. I did sent your vid to my players. We are planning a new chronicles of darkness campaign which is starting in the near future. Will be new to me as I am used to the nWoD ruleset.

Thx very useful, cleared up some doubts I had

God I love you. I m new to the world of darkness and was trying to figure out what the hell is the New world of darkness and the diferences between vtm and vtr are etc. Just the beginning of the video made everything so much clearer.

Incredibly good presentation.

A series of videos for the different races systems would be neat :D

Thanks for the video, it was really helpful. I'm going to be starting a Chronicles game in May and my storyteller recommended you because I've never touched the system before. I'm still a little confused and I'll probably need to watch this a few more times but I'm better than I was before watching. I would have really liked a brief overview of the different skills but I understand you felt pressed for time.

Making videos about all the different Splats would be a Herculean task! I couldn't say which one should be first but a few comments say pick the ones you like best. The counter argument would be "Pick the best for last" but its up to you. Breaking down the game system this way makes it easier to digest and teach others with so thanks for the video!

this is one of the best "How To" videos I've seen about CofD, I'm a fan of the CofD line of games. I've been using these rules wrong but that is what makes each table different right? XD anyways, great video! hope you do the other lines as they're awesome in their own right. CofD line is underappreciated imo.

Thanks for the great vid.. helps me to prepare my group for our first CofD Season

This is a really excellent description and summary of the system. I just wondered why you skipped the clues sub-system when you did cover the social combat sub-system. Very recommendable, and I think I will use this to prime new players. Thanks!

I feel like the internet is STARVED for WoD and CoD game explinations. There are pleanty of them for lore, and I love that, but when it comes to actully running the game, you don't get as much of a good explination of how to even get started or what a normal campaign or session looks like. I have had my hands on Changling the Lost for the longest time and I always wanted to play it, and I think this can actually help as a good jumping off point. Thank you 😊

Please make videos for each book! I'd love to understand each one and maybe play them!

Great video, I don’t think that there is any more to tell, but I’ll like to hear about vampire the Requiem, I have always loved the intrigue in the world of the dead

Man this was so helpful!! Now i can start and prepare a session for my group! Hope there will be more Videos about CofD

This was very helpful!

I may be a year late, but thank you for such an informative video. Planning on running a Hunters game for my partner who has never played a TTRPG before.

Glad I found your channel getting ready to run a chronically of darkness game after years of not. A figured it be a fun refresher. Also hey! I still like beast...well at least the idea of the them *sighs* if they only didn't rewrite it into how it is now. Still love the idea. Also slightly insane cause gonna be doing a multi splat game.

I havent gotten to play much of the 2e era games (other than a little bit of Demon, which is effectively 2e). Like you I worry that I'm missing the forest for the trees sometimes when reading the rules, but as as far as I can tell, you seem to be accurate and not missing anything huge (and seem to acknowledge where there is extra detail/nuance that you glossed over). I reckon you've helped me have some more confidence that the game does in fact work the way that it looks like it does from my reading.

Just want to say this was a great breakdown. I have watched it multiple times. I would love to see more CofD content but its so far and few between.

As someone who likes Beast i feel bad, like that one family member everyone doesn't want around

The comical part of explaining each system is great.

Please do the MAGE! Great work by the way!

Was Gifited a couple of these books and this video makes me really excited to run a cod/wod campaign!

I really hope you do make a video for all of the books because your videos are really good

First off, thanks for that amazing tutorial, it really helped. But I would love if you could go deeper into the various systems, more specifically Vampire and Werewolf.

Having tried running this system, I want to congratulate you on helping me understand it even better. And to realize its just too chrunchy for me.

I've been playing this since it was released you did a good job breaking it down I'd like breakdowns of the denizens if you feel like it

Loved the video. Clarifies a lot of doubts I had. I want to see a Geist: The Sin-Eaters HtP.

Was really hoping you would go over the 1st edition as well, since that is (in my humble opinion) the better version... but, this is a good video for me to show to my group to explain why we don't play 2nd :D. LOL. Love it! Also, I have to say that I adored when you said "track down the werewolf that kicked my butt" the text on the screen said "get myself killed"... truer words have never been spoken, lol.

This has excited me to no end!! I don't know if you're still looking into whether you want to make a tutorial for these other "game modes" or "Denizens". Still, if you do I agree with the top comments, Mage 2e seems to be the single hardest ttrpg to get into as a know-nothing beginner. Your perfectly digestible tutorials would be the perfect foot in the door for anyone like myself that just can't quite understand how to play it! Personally, I'm also very interested in the logistics of getting multiple denizens to work together in one campaign! The idea of a Mage bumping into a werewolf or vampire and running with them to solve mysteries just scratches that nice Dresden Files itch that I'm always looking for in these ttrpgs! And finally, thank you for this well-worded and easy to understand video! :D

Very nice job!

I've played or added npcs from almost every denizen book. Except Beast, caused fudge that noise. Also, much like those below, I'm learning new things as an old dog

after reading the changeling book and writing a campaign i started work on a campaign! I got 2 of the players to make characters already but tomorrow... we start... AND I DON'T KNOW THE PROPER RULES FOR COMBAT?! but this video FIXED THAT! and it also filled in alot of gaps for me in other places too! Thank you SO MUCH for doing this! Saved my bacon! New Sub

I would be really interested in a video covering the game Geist: the Sineaters. It truly is a great game. I find your videos a great resource for visual learners who want to play these games, but go cross-eyed when trying to read through the rule books. The books are great for reference, but often i find the barrier to entry (ie. reading the core book plus whatever game line you are running) can deter new players from even trying out the hobby. Thanks for great videos!

Please make your Videos about CofD! Perfect explanation!!!

Really good

Thanks so much for this. I'm starting a CoD campaign with some people who still have oWoD preconceptions. Hopefully, this explanation will save me having to do it. :P Moar plz!

Please do the other systems as well!!!

First of; you're quirky and funny and that is great! And kind of a miracle if you're trying to find a video on Chronicles of Darkness! Most people are dark and gloomy. So keep doing what you're doing and if you could find the time to make one of these wonderful videos about hunter, I would be very much obliged.

hunter is so so good, my favourite by far; though Changeling and Deviant are also fun

This is an excellent crash course! I have been getting back into WoD and introducing friends to it as well and this was just the refresher I needed on core mechanics. Anything else is pure gravy, I am excited to see you do the other core books. (hilarious most of my groups have been mixed gamelines, it works well as long as the story teller is willing to be familiar with the various books) I have heard good things about Deviant though, which is finally out. Also don't feel bad about not liking Beast, I recall the community backlashing really hard when it was released so you are super not alone. It wasn't what was advertised and like you said it's basically Sociopath The Tabletop Game. All other books give you a choice of being a jerk or not as whatever creature you play as, Beast does not. Plus the whole lack of actually being a monster of myth you might as well be some really edgy human supervillain straight out of an iron age comic book so it doesn't even fit thematically very well with the rest of the other books.

Will you ever make a video on other CoD books? This is insanely good, I have ADHD so it's difficult for me to read the entire core books and understand the rules on my own, but videos are much better. I'm obsessed with the lore of the hunters and the mages, I'd love to see a vid about them! :D

I'm a bit late to the party, but I'd love to see an in-depth guide for Geist. The concept itself fascinates me for years, I every now and then catch myself reading the core rulebook as a fiction novel instead, imagining all sorts of situations and short stories fitting this or that explanation, but I find it a bit hard to conceive what a campaign would truly look like (same for Wraith, but more appealing in practice) and I coukd never form a group, nor have I found engaging-enough videos about it on YT, despite its conceptual brilliance and innovation. I feel like it's such a shame and waste of potential that it is not brought up and explored as much as some other classic "denizens"...

From a veteran player: Great summery but you did forget a major thing. This video is all about the 2nd edition. The 1st edition of chronicles of darkness is different in a notable way and deserves mention, especially since many people prefer it to the revised 2nd edition. I’ve played both and their are enough differences to at least let viewers know that they should be aware. If you start buying books from one edition and expansions from another, elements won’t line up. Not even the XP system lines up.

I'd love if you could do a video on the books of Vampire and Hunter! Please please please please!

This was great! I bought the original "New World of Darkness" when it first came out, and minus a few quibbles, I really liked it. I later downloaded the God Machine Rules Update (before they decided to revamp it as WoD 2e, then CoD), but I've been too lazy to read the entire thing, so I never really knew what was changed between editions. Looks like I might give the new version a try at some point.

This is a viewer showing interest in you making more CofD videos

Cool thanks for show how to play this game

my favorite sandwich is a panini where you use hummus as the condiment between fillings and bread. cheese is of course a must as well.

I think we’d be interested in other templates and the chronicle that allows you to link them all

Hey I recently found your channel and I am really enjoying your "How to play" videos. I was wondering if you are ever going to do one for GURPS?

Hey, I’ve been playing WoD/CofD games for years, and this was a GREAT video. Please do videos for each game line, except Beast - because we all know why. Also, which VTT would you recommend for running a CofD campaign?

make a video for each book bruh, please. i've been playing this system for like years now and i still feel like there's so much to learn. i'm gearing up to run a game set in medieval times and my players are all different supernaturals. i'd love some more content to watch while i do my research. screw beast tho!

3:05 it's a funny gag (love the mummy!) but... the Camarilla isn't a thing in Requiem- except as a footnote in Kindred history. 'I have a meeting with the Invictus' would make more sense here.

you did good :D

I would vote either Promethean or Mage for a vid. Both have systems (Pilgrimage and Magic respectively) I know could use some explanation.