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Rating: 
Summary: I Recommend a Dose of Cold, Harsh Reality
Review: Amidst the plethora of truly unimpressive books White Wolf has been putting out over the past couple years, there are actually a few worth purchasing. If your interests lie in running a "street level" Mage game, this is one of them.Picking up where Outcasts left off, this book takes an in-depth look at the lives, attitudes, and spirituality of the Orphans and manages to present material that's both new and useful. The lessons from characters at the beginning, and the more analytical look at Orphans near the end, can be good inspiration in your own game as well. Unfortunately, as with most WW books, the vast majority of the pregenerated characters, templates, settings, and rotes in the book are dull and smack of a 'look how original I am!' attitude. Worse, there are far too many sections in this book where the authors feel the need to talk down to the reader. In fact, this tiresome trend has become increasingly prevalent in all WW books lately. Lastly, well, it's the art. It's not bad, as such, just mediocre. Another trend in WW books in recent days. Overall, my complaints with the book are largely aesthetic and don't nearly outweigh the valuable information and inspiration you can find. As long as you can put up with a little snottiness and the other typical WW garbage, you'll probably enjoy this book. In short, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: I Recommend a Dose of Cold, Harsh Reality
Review: Amidst the plethora of truly unimpressive books White Wolf has been putting out over the past couple years, there are actually a few worth purchasing. If your interests lie in running a "street level" Mage game, this is one of them. Picking up where Outcasts left off, this book takes an in-depth look at the lives, attitudes, and spirituality of the Orphans and manages to present material that's both new and useful. The lessons from characters at the beginning, and the more analytical look at Orphans near the end, can be good inspiration in your own game as well. Unfortunately, as with most WW books, the vast majority of the pregenerated characters, templates, settings, and rotes in the book are dull and smack of a 'look how original I am!' attitude. Worse, there are far too many sections in this book where the authors feel the need to talk down to the reader. In fact, this tiresome trend has become increasingly prevalent in all WW books lately. Lastly, well, it's the art. It's not bad, as such, just mediocre. Another trend in WW books in recent days. Overall, my complaints with the book are largely aesthetic and don't nearly outweigh the valuable information and inspiration you can find. As long as you can put up with a little snottiness and the other typical WW garbage, you'll probably enjoy this book. In short, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: I Recommend a Dose of Cold, Harsh Reality
Review: Amidst the plethora of truly unimpressive books White Wolf has been putting out over the past couple years, there are actually a few worth purchasing. If your interests lie in running a "street level" Mage game, this is one of them. Picking up where Outcasts left off, this book takes an in-depth look at the lives, attitudes, and spirituality of the Orphans and manages to present material that's both new and useful. The lessons from characters at the beginning, and the more analytical look at Orphans near the end, can be good inspiration in your own game as well. Unfortunately, as with most WW books, the vast majority of the pregenerated characters, templates, settings, and rotes in the book are dull and smack of a 'look how original I am!' attitude. Worse, there are far too many sections in this book where the authors feel the need to talk down to the reader. In fact, this tiresome trend has become increasingly prevalent in all WW books lately. Lastly, well, it's the art. It's not bad, as such, just mediocre. Another trend in WW books in recent days. Overall, my complaints with the book are largely aesthetic and don't nearly outweigh the valuable information and inspiration you can find. As long as you can put up with a little snottiness and the other typical WW garbage, you'll probably enjoy this book. In short, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: I Recommend a Dose of Cold, Harsh Reality
Review: Amidst the plethora of truly unimpressive books White Wolf hasbeen putting out over the past couple years, there are actually a fewworth purchasing. If your interests lie in running a "street level" Mage game, this is one of them. Picking up where Outcasts left off, this book takes an in-depth look at the lives, attitudes, and spirituality of the Orphans and manages to present material that's both new and useful. The lessons from characters at the beginning, and the more analytical look at Orphans near the end, can be good inspiration in your own game as well. Unfortunately, as with most WW books, the vast majority of the pregenerated characters, templates, settings, and rotes in the book are dull and smack of a 'look how original I am!' attitude. Worse, there are far too many sections in this book where the authors feel the need to talk down to the reader. In fact, this tiresome trend has become increasingly prevalent in all WW books lately. Lastly, well, it's the art. It's not bad, as such, just mediocre. Another trend in WW books in recent days. Overall, my complaints with the book are largely aesthetic and don't nearly outweigh the valuable information and inspiration you can find. As long as you can put up with a little snottiness and the other typical WW...you'll probably enjoy this book. In short, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: I Recommend a Dose of Cold, Harsh Reality
Review: Amidst the plethora of truly unimpressive books White Wolf hasbeen putting out over the past couple years, there are actually a fewworth purchasing. If your interests lie in running a "street level" Mage game, this is one of them. Picking up where Outcasts left off, this book takes an in-depth look at the lives, attitudes, and spirituality of the Orphans and manages to present material that's both new and useful. The lessons from characters at the beginning, and the more analytical look at Orphans near the end, can be good inspiration in your own game as well. Unfortunately, as with most WW books, the vast majority of the pregenerated characters, templates, settings, and rotes in the book are dull and smack of a 'look how original I am!' attitude. Worse, there are far too many sections in this book where the authors feel the need to talk down to the reader. In fact, this tiresome trend has become increasingly prevalent in all WW books lately. Lastly, well, it's the art. It's not bad, as such, just mediocre. Another trend in WW books in recent days. Overall, my complaints with the book are largely aesthetic and don't nearly outweigh the valuable information and inspiration you can find. As long as you can put up with a little snottiness and the other typical WW...you'll probably enjoy this book. In short, I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Only for the complete collection
Review: If you're interested in the "orphan lifestyle" the book is fantastic. Great info on a true street-level game. However, it doesn't make the orphans more interesting or complex. No new character enhancements. Don't buy it if you're looking for a way to make orphans more appealing as a character option. Buy it if your looking for the harsh reality of orphan life.
Rating:
Summary: Only for the complete collection
Review: If you're interested in the "orphan lifestyle" the book is fantastic. Great info on a true street-level game. However, it doesn't make the orphans more interesting or complex. No new character enhancements. Don't buy it if you're looking for a way to make orphans more appealing as a character option. Buy it if your looking for the harsh reality of orphan life.
Rating:
Summary: The Concrete Jungle and the Mages who live in it.
Review: The Orphan's Survival Guide was a nice book which focused on the unguided magi of Mage the Ascension. I enjoyed this book a lot since it didn't focus on the battlefields of the Ascension war, but on the day-to-day struggles of magi in the concrete jungle. Yes the monsters that plague the modern World of Darkness was discussed but the book showed that an adversary can be a mere mortal and still pose a serious threat.
The best sections of the book included the bit on the Hollow Ones and the various magical paradigms utilized by magi who are unaffiliated with the established groups. Light on systems and mechanics the sections focused on the philosophies and beliefs necessary to help new players get started.
Survival was the focus of the book as opposed to Ascension Wars and personal Ascension itself. This was reflected in the spell list section. Many of the spells focused on practicality as opposed to out-right destruction and ethereal realm traveling.
A good companion to Destiny's Price and Mage Revised, the Orphans' Survival Guide will help storytellers and players alike. All PCs, regardless of their affiliations with the Traditions or Technocracy will find this book useful because it provides useful information on the nitty-gritty details needed to run a street campaign. Not all players or adversaries need to be bad-ass Nephandi or Marauders, nor do all games have to take place in the Umbra or a mystical land. This book will show you all the horrors that are right in the city and the Orphan magi that have to deal with them.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best in a while
Review: Well, okay, you might get turned off by some of the content, thats okay, its the WoD, your supposed to be uncomfortable, anyways, it is very, very good, and may give you a brand new prespective on mage, like it did to me, buy it, read it, and you will begin to see Mage through Orphan eyes...
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