The Beginner’s Guide to the Chronicles of Darkness I 2018 Edition 

Changeling the lost, you start human in 2019, cross the edge and come back in cyberpunk 2077...i am gonna use that

So, lets see if I got this scaling of begginers friendless right, from easiest to hardiest game to play: Vampire Requiem Hunter the Vigil Werewolf the Forsaken/Mummy the Curse Promethean the Created/Changeling the Lost Demon the Descended Mage the Awakening Geist the Sin-Eater/Beast the Primordial

Glad I’ve found your site. I used to own nearly all of the nWoD books, but life stuff happened and sadly they had to go towards other things. Now I’m back to maybe having the time and resources to role play again, thinking about getting into WoD again. After listening to this vid, I’m reminded of much of what I used to think of some of the books - some were hardly playable with anyone beyond system readers. My idea is to keep to the human side of players in WoD and run games that people who may play can understand - maybe Scooby Doo, Invaders, warehouse 13, Stranger Things, Mulder and Scully etc etc

I just started running games a year ago and I wish I had found this sooner. I look forward to more of your content due to my preference being CofD

Love what you did here! I'm just getting into these games and I swear I thought I was having a stroke trying to read some of these books, it's so satisfying to know that some are just.... Bad 😂

Had this video on the backlog for a long time. It is a great introduction to CofD! As you said in the other podcast, it is true that almost no one talks about this. When people talk about WoD, it is mainly about VtM, so there is a lack of CofD content around. Glad you're doing your part.

And now I have a go-to video for when I finally present my group CoD 😁

This is exactly what I needed, thank you. I'm trying to find a new system for my games with the D&D OGL drama happening, and I really couldn't find a good place to start with this system even though it looked super interesting.

I'd like to firmly state: Oranges.

If I can make a case for Beast, there's three reasons it might feel lacking. While one of those is that the writing was botched, there's also a theme and a mechanical focus that are helped by the fact it's more simple (and in fact, Beast is very simple to use in rules; the main problem for a ST using it is *what to do with it*). So, first, one of the theme of Beast is "Build your own story", aka, decide your life, how it will go, who you'll be, and what people will remember about you. If the path is already fully charted with everything having already been done... there's not really a point for player to define their own story. Second... Beast has a lot of focus on crossovers, or Zoo games as you call them. They can easily be used as a catalyst for other types of supernaturals. They can bring out the best and worse out of them, and magnify their powers. The lack of lore and mechanical clutter makes it easier to do than with two lore or mechanical heavy splats. Additionally! The two other Beast books, the Night Horrors and Player Guide of Beast, address a lot of problems. Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes, despite the name, has more focus on another enemy for Beasts to engage. And that enemy makes them look like nice little kittens; it's essentially what the Strix are to the Vampires, but for Beasts. And the Beast Player Guide, despite the name, helps STs a lot with building a setting, by giving 4 organizations to play with, and allowing to explore the Primordial Dream more deeply than just the Lairs of Beasts.

It really saddens me you didn’t enjoy beast a little more, though I can completely understand your points on the matter. Hopefully you’ll still be doing a beginners guide and may I suggest giving the short stories (in the anthology book I think?) a read I think it could be a helpful tool painting a more concise picture for newbies.

I’m curious: what are your thoughts on VtM5e? Personally, I just like Chronicles better: I’ve never been much for the metaplot and, in fact, view it as a hindrance. However system-wise, I think a lot of the ideas they present in VtM5e are interesting, particularly how the clans present themselves when they’re really hungry.

I've just started reading the Chronicles of Darkness and Mage: the awakening 2nd ed. You mention "zoo games" quite often throught your video. Could you tell me what they are?

I'm sorry, but Beast the Primordial really seems like Onyx Path's "Special OC that is the most badass and everyone loves them" I mean they apparently have a feature that makes other supernaturals like them... That coupled with the theme of "I have to abuse you for your own good" is a Yikes for me

You guys are awesome! And hopefully I can get my question/observation in before you blow up too much to reasonably reply. But I wanted to say, I think Beast the Primordial works best if you look at your character as a Horror Host like the Crypt Keeper. In that they construct and feed off of ghoulish morality tales (at least to them, whether or not they're in the right is up to you I assume.) Admittedly I haven't read the rulebook yet, and am just a big fan of the concept, so I'll gladly take you on your word that the wording and direction was poorly done. I just think the concept works well if you look at it from an EC comics sort of way. Or even something like the Spectre from DC comics, if only through dreams. I was wondering if you thought that was accurate or am I way off with how they could be played/viewed?

If you really want to appreciate Vampire Horror and Humour Read the book Vampire$ by John Steakly, that the Vampires movie was badly based on (dont get me wrong I'm a massive fan of Carpenter - but he did not make the movie that the book was). It is the single best piece of vampire literature I have ever read and takes you from laughing till you wet yourself to heart pounding horror from one line to the next. Cannot recommend it enough. Read it. Read it. Read it.

I think you talked very little of how Chronicles of Darkness can play by itself, great video anyway

Hey there i had a question Well i by no means am new to world of darkness mostly the older version and bought some pdfs of Chronicles (which i enjoy). I am trying to get into it now for the first time HARD i wanna get at least the main book in all the lines (as updated as possible ect) Do you have any advice what one's to get given the names can be bit confusing at times?? I have also been wanting to run a game that is a Zoo game my self for my friends. Starting with them as children and every arch of the story they are going to be jumping some age range's until we get to them ad adults and as whatever they wanted to become (Or if they choose randomly decide). Do you have advice for this sort of thing given you have experience with Zoo games? I know when it comes out ill be getting Contagion Chronicles which is the first video i found of yours. Lastly just wanted to say from what some friends i have online told me who are much more into WoD then me currently. Beast the primordial was completely rewritten when it was about 90% ish done and that is how we got. I personally like the idea of the "Hero's" being the big bad's of Beast it is fitting for the setting BUT completely agree with it being a mess i still love the idea of it though!

Thanks for your review! I am new to this system and I am planning into making a Vampire The Requiem 2E campaign, since I am a Bloodlines fan. Maybe it's a stupid question now but it would be ok to have a party size of 6 in a vampire setting? Like variety of powers, clans between characters and all.

What would you say are the best 2e suplements?

Nice overview. Geist is my favorite Chronicles and Worlds of Darkness setting. I missed backing the 2nd edition KS which makes me sad. Beast is my least favorite (really don't like it).

Wasnt one of the mage towers in the world of Fay?

What do i need to buy to play with ghosts

The thing about Chronicles is that I love the B string games,can't get behind the A string. Lost is complex af,but I love it. Vigil is one of my top 5 rpgs ever. It's a better action game then a Bay movie,a better story game then a Fincher movie. Awakening is cool as hell,as good as Ascension. I bought a copy of the Banishers splat. But oh Vampire and Werewolf. Just a random garble of lore and mechanics. Just design by wall throw.

RU-vid put ads every 3 or 4 minutes on this video. It will deter people that are just here because they are curious about the game. Thus or player base won't increase.

What about hunter the vigil?

From what others have said, and I have read and the way some lore has been changed in other settings beast has best been summed up as SJW power fantasy.