Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Slayers Handbook

Rating:
Summary: Kendra had a Slayer's Handbook and now you do too
Review: "The Slayer's Handbook" is a supplement for the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" role playing game. The inspiration, of course, comes from the episode "What's My Line?: Part Two," where Buffy was astounded to find out that Kendra has been reading the Slayer's handbook and demanded to know why Giles had not provided her with a copy. This version has not been passed down by the Watcher's Council but is the product of game designer C. J. Carella, writers Timothy S. Brannan and David F. Chapman, assisted by some able quotemeisters.

Included in the "Slayer's Handbook" includes background on being a Slayer, tales of the Slayers, and advice for Directors on using Slayers in their games. You will also find new character creation ideas, qualities and drawbacks, equipment, and more character analysis, as well as guidelines for alternative settings in a Slayer-oriented game, including different places, times, and histories. There are also three ready-to-play mini-settings for Slayers of all shapes and sizes as well as a complete Episode continuing the plotline begun in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Corebook." While the information is geared towards the role playing game, there is also a concerted effort to make sense out of the Buffyverse as revealed in the television series over the first six seasons. This is actually a good starting point, because the seventh season in general and the final episode in particular totally rewrites the rules for Slayers.

Be aware that these books go beyond the Buffy canon, but explicitly so. So while you get character information for the Chinese Slayer and the New York Slayer along with Kendra and Faith, but new creations such as the Reluctant Slayer, Dark Slayer, Slayer Heiress, etc. This volume also provides character type heroes (e.g., Rebel Without a Clue, Slayer Gunslinger), white hats (e.g., Wannabe Shaman), and sundry Hellworld critters (e.g., Behemoth, Flesh Rider). The back of the book contains character creation basics and updated tables for qualities and drawbacks, armor, combat maneuvers, and base damage.

Be aware that there are a couple of more supplemental volumes out there, "Monster Smackdown," that covers vampires, demons, and major villains from the show, and "The Magic Box," which explores the history of magic and supernatural in the Buffyverse. There is also a Corebook out for "Angel" as well.

Rating:
Summary: Kendra had a Slayer's Handbook and now you do too
Review: "The Slayer's Handbook" is a supplement for the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" role playing game. The inspiration, of course, comes from the episode "What's My Line?: Part Two," where Buffy was astounded to find out that Kendra has been reading the Slayer's handbook and demanded to know why Giles had not provided her with a copy. This version has not been passed down by the Watcher's Council but is the product of game designer C. J. Carella, writers Timothy S. Brannan and David F. Chapman, assisted by some able quotemeisters.

Included in the "Slayer's Handbook" includes background on being a Slayer, tales of the Slayers, and advice for Directors on using Slayers in their games. You will also find new character creation ideas, qualities and drawbacks, equipment, and more character analysis, as well as guidelines for alternative settings in a Slayer-oriented game, including different places, times, and histories. There are also three ready-to-play mini-settings for Slayers of all shapes and sizes as well as a complete Episode continuing the plotline begun in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Corebook." While the information is geared towards the role playing game, there is also a concerted effort to make sense out of the Buffyverse as revealed in the television series over the first six seasons. This is actually a good starting point, because the seventh season in general and the final episode in particular totally rewrites the rules for Slayers.

Be aware that these books go beyond the Buffy canon, but explicitly so. So while you get character information for the Chinese Slayer and the New York Slayer along with Kendra and Faith, but new creations such as the Reluctant Slayer, Dark Slayer, Slayer Heiress, etc. This volume also provides character type heroes (e.g., Rebel Without a Clue, Slayer Gunslinger), white hats (e.g., Wannabe Shaman), and sundry Hellworld critters (e.g., Behemoth, Flesh Rider). The back of the book contains character creation basics and updated tables for qualities and drawbacks, armor, combat maneuvers, and base damage.

Be aware that there are a couple of more supplemental volumes out there, "Monster Smackdown," that covers vampires, demons, and major villains from the show, and "The Magic Box," which explores the history of magic and supernatural in the Buffyverse. There is also a Corebook out for "Angel" as well.

Rating:
Summary: You do not need to play the game to enjoy the core rulebook
Review: At the beginning of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Core Rulebook," writer and designer C. J. Carella acknowledges that the reader of this volume could just as easily be a Buffy fanatic as a veteran of role playing games. Indeed, Carella considers it a safe assumption that anyone who gets to page 194 of this volume is a fan of the show (but he sees advantages for those who are not). Of course, I am the former, although I do remember an evening with college friends trying unsuccessfully to get me hooked on Dungeon & Dragons and my daughter and I have attempted the Buffy the Vampire CCG game a few times (I am happy just to collect the cards). Certainly, Carella has put together a gorgeous volume. On top of that, the role playing game, part of the Unisystem, might actually prove to be fun as well.

The "BtVS RPG" covers a lot of ground (by its own admission), from rules to stats to descriptions to backgrounds. There are eight chapters and an appendix: (1) "It's the Slayer's World, We Just Play Here" contains introductory sections, notes about role playing, a list of conventions, and a brief recap of Seasons One through Five of the television series (note, breakdown is by season rather than episode specific); (2) "Some Assembly Required" covers character creation and provides the game stats for the main characters as well as a gallery of Archetypes (e.g., New Slayer, Demon Hunter, and Former Vampire Groupie); (3) "Rules, Borders, and an End Zone" provides the rules of the game, teaching you how to play the game, when to use dice, detailing character development, and explaining the importance of Drama Points; (4) "Playing With Primal Forces" explains the upside and the downside of magic in the Buffyverse; (5) "Sunnydale After Dark" goes over both the favorite hotspots in and around the home of the Hell Mouth and the major Guest Stars of the show such as Joyce, Amy, Jonathan, etc.; (6) "Children of the Night" covers all of the vamps, demons, and other Big Bads from the show's first five seasons, providing such great details as character motivation (e.g., Glorificus wants to go home but Drusilla is just a "Whimsical nutjob"); (7) "Episodes, Seasons and Drama" is for the Director of the game and provides guidelines on how to create storylines and run games; and (8) "Sweeps Week" provides an actual adventure for the "BtVS RG" game, to be played with the Archetypes. Finally, the "Appendix" helps you hone your Buffyspeak and also provides useful charts and tables, a glossary, an index and conversion notes from other Unisystem games.

Christopher Golden, who has written some of the best "BtVS" novels along with the comic book and "The Watcher's Guides," writes the Foreword to this volume, which is basically a teaser for a role playing game. My son, who has considerably more experience with role playing games than I do, assures me this is fairly basic stuff and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a natural for this sort of fun. It is well established that "BtVS" is my favorite television show and I am fascinated by the details for the role playing game Carella has developed (e.g., the idea that guidelines are providing for "Breaking Things" tickles me). I also like the idea that playing the game can be developed in terms of Episodes and Seasons as well, providing a grand narrative structure to the fighting and biting. For those who love both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and role playing games, this Core Rulebook as to be a treat.

Rating:
Summary: You do not need to play the game to enjoy the core rulebook
Review: At the beginning of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Core Rulebook," writer and designer C. J. Carella acknowledges that the reader of this volume could just as easily be a Buffy fanatic as a veteran of role playing games. Indeed, Carella considers it a safe assumption that anyone who gets to page 194 of this volume is a fan of the show (but he sees advantages for those who are not). Of course, I am the former, although I do remember an evening with college friends trying unsuccessfully to get me hooked on Dungeon & Dragons and my daughter and I have attempted the Buffy the Vampire CCG game a few times (I am happy just to collect the cards). Certainly, Carella has put together a gorgeous volume. On top of that, the role playing game, part of the Unisystem, might actually prove to be fun as well.

The "BtVS RPG" covers a lot of ground (by its own admission), from rules to stats to descriptions to backgrounds. There are eight chapters and an appendix: (1) "It's the Slayer's World, We Just Play Here" contains introductory sections, notes about role playing, a list of conventions, and a brief recap of Seasons One through Five of the television series (note, breakdown is by season rather than episode specific); (2) "Some Assembly Required" covers character creation and provides the game stats for the main characters as well as a gallery of Archetypes (e.g., New Slayer, Demon Hunter, and Former Vampire Groupie); (3) "Rules, Borders, and an End Zone" provides the rules of the game, teaching you how to play the game, when to use dice, detailing character development, and explaining the importance of Drama Points; (4) "Playing With Primal Forces" explains the upside and the downside of magic in the Buffyverse; (5) "Sunnydale After Dark" goes over both the favorite hotspots in and around the home of the Hell Mouth and the major Guest Stars of the show such as Joyce, Amy, Jonathan, etc.; (6) "Children of the Night" covers all of the vamps, demons, and other Big Bads from the show's first five seasons, providing such great details as character motivation (e.g., Glorificus wants to go home but Drusilla is just a "Whimsical nutjob"); (7) "Episodes, Seasons and Drama" is for the Director of the game and provides guidelines on how to create storylines and run games; and (8) "Sweeps Week" provides an actual adventure for the "BtVS RG" game, to be played with the Archetypes. Finally, the "Appendix" helps you hone your Buffyspeak and also provides useful charts and tables, a glossary, an index and conversion notes from other Unisystem games.

Christopher Golden, who has written some of the best "BtVS" novels along with the comic book and "The Watcher's Guides," writes the Foreword to this volume, which is basically a teaser for a role playing game. My son, who has considerably more experience with role playing games than I do, assures me this is fairly basic stuff and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a natural for this sort of fun. It is well established that "BtVS" is my favorite television show and I am fascinated by the details for the role playing game Carella has developed (e.g., the idea that guidelines are providing for "Breaking Things" tickles me). I also like the idea that playing the game can be developed in terms of Episodes and Seasons as well, providing a grand narrative structure to the fighting and biting. For those who love both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and role playing games, this Core Rulebook as to be a treat.