You know, I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt with being distracted by V5 but...this is literally the 3rd book in a row that's had the "we don't know what edition or game line we're talking about" issue. I'd say:
Secrets of the Covenants: The only real value imo is the last chapter full of merits and stuff, which you can find on WODCODEX with enough context to use them, really. It's styled like the 1e clanbooks except it's almost impossible for me to read the actual covenant blurbs because it's all weird font on collage art backgrounds. If you're short on cash, skip it.
Thousand Years of Night: Worth it, doesn't get the editions mixed up TOO bad, but it's skewed more in fluff on the fluff/mechanic balance and doesn't really give much info on methuselahs. Very easy to work around, though.
Half-Damned: also worth it! Has more of the edition confusion issue and is more mechanic heavy except it contradicts itself in the fluff a lot and never answers the very important question of whether vampire/human intercourse ALWAYS spawns a dhampir or not.
Guide to the Night: Skip this one. Has the worst edition kerfluffle and isn't even saved with anything useful because although the settings are intriguing (minus one I have issues with), all of the merits and mechanics are sort of only useful for those settings. The social combat system just....is another rehash of the multiple attempts to use social stats to attack with in specific contexts. The overview of how to run the clans and covenants are where we get the bulk of "do they even know what game they're writing for?" Honestly I kind of wish Drivethrurpg had a return policy for pdfs because I regret buying this one.
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Date: 2019-01-20 06:23 am (UTC)From:Secrets of the Covenants: The only real value imo is the last chapter full of merits and stuff, which you can find on WODCODEX with enough context to use them, really. It's styled like the 1e clanbooks except it's almost impossible for me to read the actual covenant blurbs because it's all weird font on collage art backgrounds. If you're short on cash, skip it.
Thousand Years of Night: Worth it, doesn't get the editions mixed up TOO bad, but it's skewed more in fluff on the fluff/mechanic balance and doesn't really give much info on methuselahs. Very easy to work around, though.
Half-Damned: also worth it! Has more of the edition confusion issue and is more mechanic heavy except it contradicts itself in the fluff a lot and never answers the very important question of whether vampire/human intercourse ALWAYS spawns a dhampir or not.
Guide to the Night: Skip this one. Has the worst edition kerfluffle and isn't even saved with anything useful because although the settings are intriguing (minus one I have issues with), all of the merits and mechanics are sort of only useful for those settings. The social combat system just....is another rehash of the multiple attempts to use social stats to attack with in specific contexts. The overview of how to run the clans and covenants are where we get the bulk of "do they even know what game they're writing for?" Honestly I kind of wish Drivethrurpg had a return policy for pdfs because I regret buying this one.