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{{Short description|1996 tabletop horror role-playing game}}
{{WoD vampire}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox RPG
⚫
| title= ''Vampire: The Dark Ages''
| image= Vampiredarkages c.jpg
| caption= First edition cover art
| designer= Jennifer Hartshorn, [[Ethan Skemp]], [[Mark Rein-Hagen]], Kevin Hassall
| publisher= {{Unbulleted list|[[White Wolf Publishing]]|[[Onyx Path Publishing]]}}
| date= {{Plainlist|
* March 1996 (first edition)
* 2002 (''Dark Ages: Vampire'')
* July 29, 2015 (''V20 Dark Ages'')
}}
| genre= Personal [[Horror fiction|horror]]
| system= [[Storyteller System]]
| series=''[[World of Darkness]]''
}}


'''Vampire: The Dark Ages''' is a [[role-playing game]] originally published by [[White Wolf Game Studio]] in [[1996]]. Later, in [[2002]], the gameline was replaced by [[Dark Ages: Vampire]].
'''''Vampire: The Dark Ages''''' is a [[tabletop role-playing game]] published by [[White Wolf Publishing]] in March 1996. It is a spin-off from ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', also published by White Wolf, which is set in modern times. It was released in a new edition in 2002 as '''''Dark Ages: Vampire''''', and in 2015 as '''''Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages'''''.{{efn|Abbreviated ''V20 Dark Ages''<ref name="onyx now available"/>}}


==Setting==
The original game was set in the year [[1197]], while the 2002 edition updated the setting to the year [[1230]]. Both, however, are set in a dark [[medieval]] [[Europe]] where [[vampire (World of Darkness)|vampire]]s openly rule the nights.
''Vampire: The Dark Ages'' is set in [[medieval]] Europe in 1197, in the [[World of Darkness]];<ref name="arcane review"/> the updated version ''Dark Ages: Vampire'' moves the timeline forward to 1230,<ref>{{cite book |title=Dark Ages: Vampire |publisher=[[White Wolf Publishing]] |page=15 |year=2002 |isbn=1-58846-276-5}}</ref> and ''Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages'' further to 1242.<ref name="scifiuni review"/> Players take the roles of vampires, who believe themselves to have descended from the biblical [[Cain and Abel|Caine]], the first murderer. Each vampire belongs to one of thirteen clans with different vampiric powers and weaknesses, and with different relationships with other clans. Vampires hold a lot of power, and humans know of their existence, unlike in the modern setting of ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]''; because cities were smaller in the time of ''Vampire: The Dark Ages'', however, it is more difficult for vampires to hide their activities, and they need to face enemies directly as they do not have access to modern technology. In addition to vampires, all other beings from the World of Darkness games appear in the ''Dark Ages'' setting, including [[werewolves]], [[changeling]]s, [[ghost|wraiths]] and [[Magician (fantasy)|mages]].<ref name="arcane review"/>


==Gameplay==
Additionally, with the release of '''Dark Ages: Vampire''', several other game lines were added, [[Dark Ages: Werewolf]], [[Dark Ages: Mage]], [[Dark Ages: Inquisitor]], and [[Dark Ages: Fae]], each contributing to the shared setting.
''Vampire: The Dark Ages'' shares its basic [[Storyteller System]] gameplay system with the other ''World of Darkness'' games, and is compatible with ''Vampire: The Masquerade''.<ref name="arcane review"/><ref name="arcane despatches"/>


==History==
A related game, set in modern times, is [[Vampire: The Masquerade]]. The main differences stem from the historical setting (both real and fictional). In ''Dark Ages'', vampires rule the night and some are even revered and worshipped, though the powers of the [[Inquisition]] and other mortal foes restrain their freedom. The [[Cainite Heresy]] tries to infiltrate the Church. The [[Tremere]] clan is in its infancy and at war with the powerful [[Tzimisce]], but they have not yet imposed their blood curse on the [[Assamite]].
{{Main article|List of Vampire: The Dark Ages books}}


''Vampire: The Dark Ages'' was published by [[White Wolf Publishing]] in March 1996 as the first in a line of ''[[World of Darkness]]'' games with historical settings,<ref name="arcane despatches">{{cite magazine |date=January 1996 |title=Vampire: The Dark Ages |magazine=Arcane |publisher=[[Future plc]] |issue=2 |page=10}}</ref> each based on previous games in the series; the series also included 1997's ''[[Werewolf: The Wild West]]'' and 1998's ''[[Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade]]''.<ref name="designers"/> An updated version titled ''Dark Ages: Vampire'' was released in 2002,<ref name="Inquest79">{{cite magazine|title=Year of the damned |issue=79|magazine=[[InQuest Gamer]]|page=24|publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]]|date=November 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Dark Ages: Vampire |publisher=[[White Wolf Publishing]] |page=10 |year=2002 |isbn=1-58846-276-5}}</ref><ref name="designers"/> and received supplements based on other ''World of Darkness'' games, including ''[[Dark Ages: Mage]]'' and ''[[Dark Ages: Inquisitor]]'' in 2002; ''[[Dark Ages: Werewolf]]'' in 2003; and ''Dark Ages: Fae'' in 2004.<ref name="designers"/> A further update of the core game, ''Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages'', was published by [[Onyx Path Publishing]], and was funded through a [[Kickstarter]] campaign in 2014<ref>{{cite web |url=http://diehardgamefan.com/2014/10/21/tabletop-review-book-of-the-wyrm-werewolf-the-apocalypse-20th-anniversary-edition/ |title=Tabletop Review: Book of the Wyrm (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition) |author=Lucard, Alex |date=2014-10-21 |website=[[Diehard GameFan]] |access-date=2020-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114203947/http://diehardgamefan.com/2014/10/21/tabletop-review-book-of-the-wyrm-werewolf-the-apocalypse-20th-anniversary-edition/ |archive-date=2019-11-14 |url-status=live }}</ref> and released on July 29, 2015.<ref name="onyx now available">{{cite web |url=http://theonyxpath.com/now-available-v20-dark-ages/ |title=Now Available: V20 Dark Ages |author=Watson, Ian A. A. |date=2015-07-29 |publisher=[[Onyx Path Publishing]] |access-date=2020-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504190351/http://theonyxpath.com/now-available-v20-dark-ages/ |archive-date=2016-05-04 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[it:Vampire/Dark Ages]]
[[pl:Wampir: Mroczne Wieki]]


The game was given a French translation and published in France by Hexagonal in November 1996;<ref name="backstab review"/> ''Twentieth Anniversary Edition'' also got French and Spanish releases by Arkhane Asylum Publishing and NoSoloRol in 2016 and 2017, respectively,<ref name="scifiuni review"/><ref name="spanish V20"/> both of which were financed through crowdfunding campaigns,<ref name="spanish V20">{{cite magazine |date=May–June 2016 |title=Et au sud? |language=French |magazine=[[Casus Belli (magazine)|Casus Belli]] |issue=19 |page=30 |publisher=Black Book Éditions}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=May–June 2017 |title=L'Âge des Ténèbres |language=French |magazine=[[Casus Belli (magazine)|Casus Belli]] |issue=22 |page=19 |publisher=Black Book Éditions}}</ref> and is planned to be released in Russian by Studio 101 in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mirf.ru/news/studiya-101-zapustila-predzakaz-nri-vampiry-tyomnye-veka-klassicheskie-pravila/ |title="Студия 101» запустила предзаказ НРИ «Вампиры: Тёмные века. Классические правила" |language=ru |date=2021-07-13 |website=[[Mir Fantastiki]] |publisher=[[Hobby World]] |access-date=2021-07-26 |archive-date=2021-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717221801/https://www.mirf.ru/news/studiya-101-zapustila-predzakaz-nri-vampiry-tyomnye-veka-klassicheskie-pravila/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
⚫
[[Category:Vampire: The Dark Ages]]

⚫
[[Category:Vampires in games]]
==Reception==
{{Game ratings
| title = Reception
| rev1 = ''Arcane''
| rev1score = 8/10<ref name="arcane review">{{cite magazine|last=Butcher|first=Andy|date=April 1996|title=Vampire: The Dark Ages|magazine=Arcane|publisher=[[Future plc]]|issue=5|pages=56–59}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''Backstab''
| rev2score = 7/10<ref name="backstab review">{{cite magazine |last=Bailly |first=Arnaud |date=October 1996 |title=Vampire: L'Age des Ténèbres |language=French |magazine=Backstab |issue=0<!--Preventing citation bot from removing it--> |page=12 |publisher=FC Publications}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''SciFi-Universe''
| rev3score = 70/100<ref name="scifiuni review">{{cite web |url=https://www.scifi-universe.com/critiques/9067/vampire-l-age-des-tenebres-edition-20eme-anniversaire |title=Critique du jeu de rôle : Vampire: l'Age des Ténèbres Edition 20ème anniversaire [2017] |language=French |first=Christophe |last=H. |date=2018-04-23 |website=SciFi-Universe |access-date=2020-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629002600/https://www.scifi-universe.com/critiques/9067/vampire-l-age-des-tenebres-edition-20eme-anniversaire |archive-date=2019-06-29 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

Andy Butcher of ''Arcane'' called ''Vampire: The Dark Ages'' a great game with a lot of potential for many different kinds of scenarios. He called its "moody" atmosphere one of the biggest achievements of the game, which was helped by the artwork in the rule book, and enjoyed the interaction between the medieval setting and the vampires. He did however criticize how the game does not clearly define the nature of its version of vampires and only describes the setting broadly, making the game more difficult to play unless players have experience with ''Vampire: The Masquerade'' and some knowledge of 12th century history. He appreciated the single-roll, dice-based system for determining whether attempted tasks succeed, describing it as "simple and elegant" for allowing degrees of success or failure, but also criticized the gameplay for having unclear combat rules, something he described as a recurring problem in ''World of Darkness'' games.<ref name="arcane review"/>

By 1998 White Wolf was facing continued economic problems, and was hitting a crisis. ''Vampire: The Dark Ages'' was the only game from their remaining five ''World of Darkness games'' – the three historical games, and 1994's ''[[Wraith: The Oblivion]]'' and 1995's ''[[Changeling: The Dreaming]]'' – that sold well.<ref name="designers">{{cite book |last=Appelcline |first=Shannon |year=2014 |title=Designers & Dragons: The '90s |edition=2nd |publisher=Evil Hat Productions |pages=7–52 |isbn=978-1-613170-84-7}}</ref>

==Reviews==
*''[[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=4593|title = Pyramid: Pyramid Pick: Vampire: The Dark Ages}}</ref>
*''[[Casus Belli (magazine)|Casus Belli]]'' #94<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/casus-belli-094/page/n13/mode/2up | title=Casus Belli #094 | date=1996 }}</ref>
*''[[Australian Realms]]'' #29<ref>{{Cite book |last= |url=https://archive.org/details/australian-realms-magazine/Australian%20Realms%20#29%20JulyAugust%201996/page/4/mode/2up |title=Australian Realms Magazine - Complete Collection |date=June 1988}}</ref>

==Related media==
In 1998, video game publisher [[Activision]] acquired the rights to develop video games based on ''Vampire: The Dark Ages'', along with ''Vampire: The Masquerade'' and ''[[Kindred of the East]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Os vampiros da Activision |magazine=Dragão Brasil |language=Portuguese |page=4 |publisher=Trama Editorial |date=July 1998 |issue=40}}</ref>

The game was novelized as the thirteen-part ''Dark Ages Clan Novel'' series from 2002 to 2004.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Jones (author) |year=2003 |title=[[The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror]] |volume=14 |pages=51–52 |publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |isbn=978-0-786712-37-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Jones (author) |year=2004 |title=[[The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror]] |volume=15 |page=48 |publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |isbn=978-0-786714-26-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Jones (author) |year=2005 |title=[[The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror]] |volume=16 |page=66 |publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |isbn=978-0-786716-00-5}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011006141426/http://www.white-wolf.com/Games/Pages/Darkageshome.html |date=October 6, 2001 |title=Official website}}

{{World of Darkness}}

[[Category:Fiction set in the 1190s]]
[[Category:Fiction set in the 13th century]]
⚫
[[Category:Historical role-playing games]]
[[Category:Kickstarter-funded tabletop games]]
[[Category:Role-playing games introduced in 1996]]
[[Category:Vampire: The Masquerade]]
[[Category:Vampires in written fiction]]
[[Category:Vampires in written fiction]]

Latest revision as of 13:01, 28 August 2024

Vampire: The Dark Ages
First edition cover art
DesignersJennifer Hartshorn, Ethan Skemp, Mark Rein-Hagen, Kevin Hassall
Publishers
Publication
  • March 1996 (first edition)
  • 2002 (Dark Ages: Vampire)
  • July 29, 2015 (V20 Dark Ages)
GenresPersonal horror
SystemsStoryteller System
SeriesWorld of Darkness

Vampire: The Dark Ages is a tabletop role-playing game published by White Wolf Publishing in March 1996. It is a spin-off from Vampire: The Masquerade, also published by White Wolf, which is set in modern times. It was released in a new edition in 2002 as Dark Ages: Vampire, and in 2015 as Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages.[a]

Setting

[edit]

Vampire: The Dark Ages is set in medieval Europe in 1197, in the World of Darkness;[2] the updated version Dark Ages: Vampire moves the timeline forward to 1230,[3] and Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages further to 1242.[4] Players take the roles of vampires, who believe themselves to have descended from the biblical Caine, the first murderer. Each vampire belongs to one of thirteen clans with different vampiric powers and weaknesses, and with different relationships with other clans. Vampires hold a lot of power, and humans know of their existence, unlike in the modern setting of Vampire: The Masquerade; because cities were smaller in the time of Vampire: The Dark Ages, however, it is more difficult for vampires to hide their activities, and they need to face enemies directly as they do not have access to modern technology. In addition to vampires, all other beings from the World of Darkness games appear in the Dark Ages setting, including werewolves, changelings, wraiths and mages.[2]

Gameplay

[edit]

Vampire: The Dark Ages shares its basic Storyteller System gameplay system with the other World of Darkness games, and is compatible with Vampire: The Masquerade.[2][5]

History

[edit]
Main article: List of Vampire: The Dark Ages books

Vampire: The Dark Ages was published by White Wolf Publishing in March 1996 as the first in a line of World of Darkness games with historical settings,[5] each based on previous games in the series; the series also included 1997's Werewolf: The Wild West and 1998's Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade.[6] An updated version titled Dark Ages: Vampire was released in 2002,[7][8][6] and received supplements based on other World of Darkness games, including Dark Ages: Mage and Dark Ages: Inquisitor in 2002; Dark Ages: Werewolf in 2003; and Dark Ages: Fae in 2004.[6] A further update of the core game, Vampire Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages, was published by Onyx Path Publishing, and was funded through a Kickstarter campaign in 2014[9] and released on July 29, 2015.[1]

The game was given a French translation and published in France by Hexagonal in November 1996;[10] Twentieth Anniversary Edition also got French and Spanish releases by Arkhane Asylum Publishing and NoSoloRol in 2016 and 2017, respectively,[4][11] both of which were financed through crowdfunding campaigns,[11][12] and is planned to be released in Russian by Studio 101 in 2022.[13]

Reception

[edit]
Reception
Review scores
SourceRating
Arcane8/10[2]
Backstab7/10[10]
SciFi-Universe70/100[4]

Andy Butcher of Arcane called Vampire: The Dark Ages a great game with a lot of potential for many different kinds of scenarios. He called its "moody" atmosphere one of the biggest achievements of the game, which was helped by the artwork in the rule book, and enjoyed the interaction between the medieval setting and the vampires. He did however criticize how the game does not clearly define the nature of its version of vampires and only describes the setting broadly, making the game more difficult to play unless players have experience with Vampire: The Masquerade and some knowledge of 12th century history. He appreciated the single-roll, dice-based system for determining whether attempted tasks succeed, describing it as "simple and elegant" for allowing degrees of success or failure, but also criticized the gameplay for having unclear combat rules, something he described as a recurring problem in World of Darkness games.[2]

By 1998 White Wolf was facing continued economic problems, and was hitting a crisis. Vampire: The Dark Ages was the only game from their remaining five World of Darkness games – the three historical games, and 1994's Wraith: The Oblivion and 1995's Changeling: The Dreaming – that sold well.[6]

Reviews

[edit]
[edit]

In 1998, video game publisher Activision acquired the rights to develop video games based on Vampire: The Dark Ages, along with Vampire: The Masquerade and Kindred of the East.[17]

The game was novelized as the thirteen-part Dark Ages Clan Novel series from 2002 to 2004.[18][19][20]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Abbreviated V20 Dark Ages[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Watson, Ian A. A. (2015-07-29). "Now Available: V20 Dark Ages". Onyx Path Publishing. Archived from the original on 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e Butcher, Andy (April 1996). "Vampire: The Dark Ages". Arcane. No. 5. Future plc. pp. 56–59.
  3. ^ Dark Ages: Vampire. White Wolf Publishing. 2002. p. 15. ISBN 1-58846-276-5.
  4. ^ a b c H., Christophe (2018-04-23). "Critique du jeu de rôle : Vampire: l'Age des Ténèbres Edition 20ème anniversaire [2017]". SciFi-Universe (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  5. ^ a b "Vampire: The Dark Ages". Arcane. No. 2. Future plc. January 1996. p. 10.
  6. ^ a b c d Appelcline, Shannon (2014). Designers & Dragons: The '90s (2nd ed.). Evil Hat Productions. pp. 7–52. ISBN 978-1-613170-84-7.
  7. ^ "Year of the damned". InQuest Gamer. No. 79. Wizard Entertainment. November 2001. p. 24.
  8. ^ Dark Ages: Vampire. White Wolf Publishing. 2002. p. 10. ISBN 1-58846-276-5.
  9. ^ Lucard, Alex (2014-10-21). "Tabletop Review: Book of the Wyrm (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)". Diehard GameFan. Archived from the original on 2019-11-14. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  10. ^ a b Bailly, Arnaud (October 1996). "Vampire: L'Age des Ténèbres". Backstab (in French). No. 0. FC Publications. p. 12.
  11. ^ a b "Et au sud?". Casus Belli (in French). No. 19. Black Book Éditions. May–June 2016. p. 30.
  12. ^ "L'Âge des Ténèbres". Casus Belli (in French). No. 22. Black Book Éditions. May–June 2017. p. 19.
  13. ^ ""Студия 101» запустила предзаказ НРИ «Вампиры: Тёмные века. Классические правила"". Mir Fantastiki (in Russian). Hobby World. 2021-07-13. Archived from the original on 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  14. ^ "Pyramid: Pyramid Pick: Vampire: The Dark Ages".
  15. ^ "Casus Belli #094". 1996.
  16. ^ Australian Realms Magazine - Complete Collection. June 1988.
  17. ^ "Os vampiros da Activision". Dragão Brasil (in Portuguese). No. 40. Trama Editorial. July 1998. p. 4.
  18. ^ Jones, Stephen (2003). The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. Vol. 14. Constable & Robinson. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-0-786712-37-3.
  19. ^ Jones, Stephen (2004). The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. Vol. 15. Constable & Robinson. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-786714-26-1.
  20. ^ Jones, Stephen (2005). The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. Vol. 16. Constable & Robinson. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-786716-00-5.
[edit]
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