Vampire The Masquerade Review

This Vampire the Masquerade review is part of my “Best Tabletop RPGs of All Time” article. If you want to check out more TTRPGs and see how other top-tier tabletop RPGs are ranked, visit that page.

My Review – 75 / 100

If you didn’t know, Werewolf: the Apocalypse is also created by the same family of game designers and producers, as Vampire: The Masquerade. I mention this because both are great games with many followers, and rich worlds of lore. You’ll notice that Werewolf didn’t make the top list of best RPGs tabletop because of the two games, I simply believe Vampire to be the better.

Uniqueness of Vampire the Masquerade: (8/10)

Many play Vampire: The Masquerade (oftentimes, and henceforward in this post titled simply: Vampire) as a LARP (live-action roleplay game), instead of just as a tabletop RPG. The rules of the game fit both quite well. One of the most unique things about Vampire, and one of the things I love most about the game and culture is how much its audience has pushed the game forward in terms of both TTRPG mechanics and the roleplaying genre. I also love how diehard people who play Vampire can be about roleplaying their characters.

Vampire encourages players to roleplay at the deepest meaning of the word, and indeed, the Vampire crowd (on the whole) is one of roleplaying games’ most hardcore roleplaying groups.

Another unrelated aspect of Vampire gaming that I think is very unique is that character Experience in the game (Exp to gain level ups) basically just relates to your vampire’s age, experience, and maturity. It’s a nice idea, as it takes power away from simply killing enemies or completing quests. It makes sense that an immortal would gain power via their extending age, from immortality.

There are other LARP-style RPGs out there, and there are of course other Vampire-style games, but this one is pretty much the original, and probably does both better than most.

Ease of Learning the Game: (6/10)

There is a page in the Vampire rulebook that shows an overview for how to build a character. All the information you need in one place. Great, right? Well, not quite… The problem is that character creation requires more in-depth information than what is covered on the one character building page, and that information literally takes you all over the book.

I’ll be honest, you need to read at least parts of the entire 500+ page core rulebook to really create a fully-built character, in Vampire. Not good. That’s intimidating, even for me.

What I do like is that character creation in this game is more about roleplaying than stats, so you could possibly skip portions of character creation and still be fine. If you’re just gaming to roleplay, while largely ignoring stats, etc. I’d give this a high score. But to really play the game, in-full, getting started is just not an easy proposition.

Not that depth is bad. I actually think Vampire’s immense depth is part of what makes the game great, and part of what makes the roleplaying experience so rich. It’s just that the depth of the game hasn’t been tempered so well with an easy-to-learn process for new players.

Vampire the Masquerade Presentation: (7/10)

Vampire’s overall presentation is absolutely stellar. I love it. It’s dark, creepy, edgy, a little erotic, and everything you want and love about vampires. It certainly fits the mood, taking you to the game’s world. The game is inviting, and presented with great tact.

So, why doesn’t this section get a full 10/10? The main problem with Vampire, for me, comes back to the fact that the book is over 500 pages. I know. That may not seem like a great reason. But I just can’t bring myself to give a perfect score on presentation when I get bored going through another section that’s interesting to read, but doesn’t help me play the game now.

I’d describe Vampire the Masquerade in a way similar to other RPGs that almost got higher scores on this top TTRPGs of all time list in that the rulebook basically doubles as a novel. Or, at least a series of short stories. I like that there’s so much lore to the world (below), but I do think the game almost would’ve been better if 90% of the lore was moved to a separate “lore expansion,” or something similar. That way, the great information is still available to players, but in a way that’s not as distracting from the game’s core mechanics.

Vampire the Masquerade Lore: (10/10)

Ok, here’s the part that’s absolutely best about Vampire. This is the real reason you play this game.

In Vampire’s lore, becoming a vampire is a big deal for the entire vampire family, as it leads existing vampires to have more competition for food. So, someone must truly “fit” to be embraced into the fold. Every part of the game’s lore is then derived from that basic idea, which leads to rivalries, wars, espionage, and political maneuvering.

Characters’ overall view of life comes not only from the unliving eyes of a vampires, but the situation of immortals vying for power is made more dramatic because sometimes events are viewed primarily through a perspective of scarcity. There can be only so many vampires since there are only so many humans, and so much ability to remain undetected from the mortal population, at-large.

Vampire’s lore is goth-punk. It’s incredibly detailed and unique, even among the endless tomes of other vampire books, movies, and stories out there in the world. Vampire: The Masquerade does an excellent job of providing nearly limitless sources of inspiration for your LARP and tabletop games.

Combat in Vampire: (5/10)

One thing I really like about Vampire: The Masquerade is the use of small numbers both in character-building and combat. Character attribute scores, for example, are rated 1-5.

Simple enough.

Character attribute scores also line up with the vast amount of spells available in the game, making for very simple calculations when it comes to using special powers.

Similarly, each character level comes with a description of what a character of that level can be expected to be capable of doing. Ability scores also work the same way, along with knowledge scores, character backgrounds, virtues, willpower, etc.

Though the simplicity of numbers and descriptions in Vampire is great, I actually don’t enjoy the simplicity of the overall combat system, on the whole.

I like simple games, where things make sense rather intuitively, but Vampire is too simple for me. Combat is so simple that I wouldn’t enjoy doing it very often, which is a problem. You roll to hit, determine damage, and add in perhaps one of a few available combat maneuvers.

Vampire: The Masquerade is really not “about” combat, as a game. Combat is really just another means to tell the story of your vampire’s life, powers, and cunning. So, even though combat is too simple for my tastes, it still has a useful function in the game, and should not be a deterrent from anyone playing Vampire if you aren’t too into power gaming.

Vampire: The Masquerade Game “Flow”: (10/10)

Vampire the Masquerade actually states in the rulebook that players should limit dice rolling because it disrupts game flow. I wish more TTRPGs worked this way. Why roll for something that’s clearly critical to the story progressing? Unless there’s conflict involved, Vampire recommends for players to keep the story moving through roleplay alone, and either less, or no dice rolling.

I also like that when it comes to resolving conflicts of all kinds, if roleplaying alone is not sufficient for the situation, players simply roll one dice per point in their character’s associated attribute. This means that players never roll dozens of dice all at once (which can be fun, I’ll admit), and then have to spend time adding up their values (never fun for anyone).

To summarize, I would say that the flow of the game in Vampire is so great because the entire game is about roleplaying. There aren’t too many rules in Vampire to disrupt the flow of roleplaying. And even when there are mechanics and dice that come about during gameplay, as a necessity, they are kept to a minimum.

Vampire’s Artwork: (8/10)

Some of the artwork in the rulebook is incredible, and the images pop out. On the whole, the game comes with lots of very high-quality art. Furthermore, the art brings you into the game world very well. I’m a big fan.

I will say, however, that not all artwork in the book is equally engaging, and there are many lower-quality images further into the book than what you see at the very beginning.

It appears to me that perhaps there have been many artists who’ve contributed to the game over the years and Vampire’s many editions, which itself isn’t a bad thing. My main thought though it that the art does not have truly holistic or connected ideas, throughout. Instead, there are many ideas, themes, color schemes, etc. that though still good, are not entirely cohesive.

Ease of Purchase: (6/10)

Vampire can be found on Amazon, but if you don’t know anything about the game, it’s not really clear which book you should buy. The game can also be found on the World of Darkness website though, and can be purchased as a PDF.

Basically, it just takes a little more work with Vampire than with most games to find and purchase the right book for your gaming group.

Price & How Many Books Do You Need to Play: (10/10)

The PDF rulebook of Vampire is only $25. The price you pay for the value you get is insane.

I will say also that Vampire is just the type of game that if you’re going to play, you need to get the hardcover version. I don’t know why I say that, but it’s just how it is. There’s something about the game itself that requires a special place on your shelf between games, and a special place at the table, while playing.

Fame & Availability of Supplemental Material: (5/10)

Vampire is not super famous, surprisingly. The game and lore is really more of a cult following. If you’re at a large gaming convention such as GenCon, you’ll see Vampire. Otherwise, you may never hear about the game, as there aren’t a ton of tabletop groups playing this game.

If you decide that Vampire is for you though, there is some supplemental material for use in games. Of course, you can always additionally use any source of vampire inspiration out there, of which there is no end.

But overall, this may be a harder one to get people into since it’s not as well-known, and the rulebook isn’t exactly new person friendly.

Vampire: The Masquerade is Produced By

World of Darkness

Gargoyles in armor stand on a stone roof at night under a blue moon

Stoneborn of Crooked Moon: D&D Gargoyles

By Jacob Tegtman • April 13, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMnHDV9p7hk Transcription What if your next D&D character was carved instead of being born? And what if their entire purpose was decided the moment they were made? Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG. Today, we’re returning to Crooked Moon to explore the playable monstrous races that this awesome campaign setting provides. Next on list are the Stoneborn from Pholsense – I hope you’re ready, as this race is really fun. Stoneborn are carved from – well, from stone – by the ruler of their land—and they’re brought to life through a divine force called the Silver Path. In Pholsense, Stoneborn don’t come from families. They literally start as blocks of stone. The ruler of the province, Archbishop Danton Alexandre Renault (a name you may have heard from some of my other Crooked Moon videos – particularly the ones based on specific adventures), oversees their creation. A body is carefully carved into shape—usually with wings and a humanoid form. So, think gargoyle statue. At some point during this process, the Silver Path—a divine power—brings that body to life. Based on the lore of Crooked Moon, we don’t really know exactly what “the Silver Path” is. It’s not like buried somewhere obscure, later on in the campaign book. I think it’s left open-ended so your group, or DM, can sort of play it up as they’d like. Mystery is, after all, a big part of the Crooked Moon setting. It’s worth starting here with the Stoneborn though because the Silver Path is the process of how this carved statue of stone awakens. The Silver Path is clearly stated in the lore as A divine force or guiding power associated with order, light, and purpose. In the Crooked Moon setting, whether you’re playing a Stoneborn or want to highlight them as a DM, the Silver Path functions as: A religious belief system (what people worship) – as the whole process of Stoneborn creation is either overseen, or even performed, directly by the Archbishop A real source of power (it actually does things, like awaken inanimate stone) And is a standard for morality (what’s considered “good” and “right” in the lands of Crooked Moon) In short, the Silver Path is the god-like force that defines “order and good” specifically within the lands of Pholsense. It’s also worth noting that the Silver Path is not described as a spell, and it’s clearly not some form of hidden technology. It is like a divine power. So, moving on, the Stoneborn are made of whatever stone they were carved from. That determines their color and texture. Their shapes can vary a lot, depending on their creator’s artistic choices. This means that your Stoneborn could be a gargoyle, like I mentioned before. But, they could also have features similar to animals, dragons, or angels. You can also have a lot of fun with it and mix different traits rather than having just one clear form. All Stoneborn do have wings, but they’re heavy. And they can fly—but just not quickly or easily. When it comes to the land of Pholsense it’s a strict and orderly place. Rules are taken seriously, and roles are clearly defined. Stoneborn are usually created to actually serve a very specific function within their society. Common roles include: Guards Enforcers of the law Or protectors of important places, such as religious buildings (perhaps even locations where the Silver Path takes place) Because they are created rather than raised, many Stoneborn strongly believe in following their assigned purpose. But – and this makes for great roleplay opportunities – not all of them agree with their assigned paths, forever. Some eventually start to question: Why they were made Whether their role in life is fair And whether the Archbishop—or the Silver Path—is always right Mechanically, Stoneborn are durable and flexible. They’re classified as Constructs. You can choose to be Small or Medium-sized. They also have a flying speed equal to half their normal movement. When it comes to abilities, Stoneborn come with: Argent Gleam Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to choose one of two effects: 1) Path’s Grace You cast Bless without needing components. 2) Zealous Charge You take the Dash action, and your next attack deals an extra 2d6 radiant damage—even if the attack misses. Next, they have Silver Bulwark When you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, You can use your reaction to gain resistance to those damage types until your next turn. And then lastly, Watchful Senses gives you proficiency in either: Insight Perception or Survival When it comes to roleplaying, Stoneborn characters are mainly about purpose. You might think about: Why your character was created Whether they still believe in their assigned purpose now And how they feel about the person who made them Some Stoneborn fully trust the system they come from. Others might not. You can also explore their relationship with the Silver Path: Do they see it as a real guiding force? Or just something they were told to believe in? Finally, Stoneborn don’t die of old age, in quite the same way as most creatures. After a long life—around 300 years—they physically break down and return to rubble. Personally, I think it would be kind of cool if they just permanently petrified, returning to their state before the Silver Path – almost like every Stoneborn graveyard isn’t just filled with creepy gargoyle statues like in most fantasy games... but the graveyard is the gargoyles... providing a glimpse into each stoneborn’s life, and what mattered to them. So what do you think? Would you play a Stoneborn, or have you played one already? And more importantly—Would you follow the Silver Path… no matter where it leads, or what it asks of you? Or would you be a black sheep among the gargoyles? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. I think next up I have planned to cover the Plagueborn. But if you have another Crooked Moon race on your mind that you want me to dive into, let me know. See you guys next time!

Lost Gary Gygax MegaDungeons Crowdfund

By Jacob Tegtman • April 9, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Ut7R3J2m0 Transcription Lost megadungeons from Gary Gygax himself are hitting crowdfunding this week. This is unpublished content from the father of D&D that's been sitting in archives for decades. Plus, the community is reacting strongly to what this might mean for old-school gaming. Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG - your go-to source for all things D&D and tabletop RPG news. Today we're diving into what might actually be the most significant piece of D&D history to surface in years. So here's the scoop that's got the “old school renaissance” community in a frenzy. The Gygax Trust has announced they're bringing previously unpublished megadungeons created by Gary Gygax to crowdfunding platforms. Now, before you ask "wait, didn't Gary pass away in 2008?" - yes, he did. But here's the thing that makes this absolutely incredible. These aren't reconstructions or "inspired by" content. These are actual, honest-to-Mordenkainen unpublished works that Gygax created but never got to release during his lifetime. Here’s what We're Actually Getting: According to the announcement, we're looking at multiple megadungeons that showcase Gygax's legendary dungeon design philosophy. And when I say megadungeons, I mean the real deal - we're talking about sprawling, multi-level complexes that could keep your party busy for literal years of gameplay. The Gygax Trust is being pretty tight-lipped about specific details, but they've confirmed these materials were found in Gary's personal archives. Think about that for a second - these are dungeons designed by the original dungeon master. They are effectively classic D&D dungeons... that were never released. Also, I will be putting links for these megadungeons in the video’s notes, so be sure to check there to back them and get your copies if you’re interested! And with this... Community Reaction Is Off The Charts The D&D OSR (old school renaissance) subreddit is absolutely exploding right now. One user posted: "This is like finding lost Beatles recordings. Gary's dungeon design was unmatched - geometric, deadly, but fair. If these are authentic Gygax creations, this could be the most important RPG release in decades." But it's not just the old school gamers who are getting excited. Even 5e players are recognizing the historical significance. Over on r/DnD, another user wrote: "Even if you never run OSR games, owning actual unpublished Gygax content is like having a piece of D&D's DNA. This is our hobby's history." Now, here's where it gets interesting from a business perspective. The Gygax Trust is going the crowdfunding route rather than partnering with Wizards of the Coast or another major publisher. This makes total sense when you think about it. Crowdfunding gives them complete creative control, and honestly - The OSR community has proven they'll throw serious money at quality old-school content. Just look at the success of campaigns like Rappan Athuk or Barrowmaze. Here’s What This could mean For The Hobby: These dungeons matter beyond just nostalgia. Gary Gygax wasn't just the co-creator of D&D - he was a master of dungeon ecology and design philosophy that modern game design still draws from. These megadungeons could provide incredible insight into how he approached long-form campaign design. We're talking about seeing the evolution of ideas that influenced everything from the Temple of Elemental Evil to modern 5e adventures. Plus, let's be real - in an era where a lot of published adventures hold your hand every step of the way, getting pure, unfiltered Gygax dungeon design could be exactly what some tables are craving. D&D has effectively – shall we say, lost its soul(?) – in recent decades. This represents a return to what D&D was at its core, from one of the gentlemen behind the game. There are some Questions with these adventures though, that Everyone's been Asking Of course, the community has concerns too. The big question is authenticity and presentation. How complete are these materials – that is, is there a reason they weren’t published to begin with? Will they be published as-is with Gary's original notes, or will they be "updated" for modern sensibilities? One user said: "I hope they preserve Gary's original voice and design philosophy, even if it means the content feels dated by today's standards. That's literally the point - we want to see how the master actually designed dungeons." So that's this week's big news! The return of Gary Gygax content through crowdfunding is honestly something I never thought we'd see. What do you think? Are you excited for authentic Gygax megadungeons, or do you think some things should stay in the past? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. If this video got you hyped for some classic dungeon crawling, smash that like button and subscribe for more TTRPG news every week. I’m certain these will be some dungeons that I’ll be covering in the future, once they’re available. Until next time, keep those dice rolling!

A high-angle shot of a crowded Gen Con event

Does DnD Actually care about Gen Con Again? Return to DnD's Roots

By Jacob Tegtman • April 5, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvxI1GXJerE Transcription Dungeons & Dragons is finally returning to the convention that made it famous… Well, to be clear – D&D has been at Gen Con. It’s just, they haven’t really had much of a presence there in recent times, have they? Even small indie games have had substantially larger booth space than D&D, which I saw last year basically tucked into a back part of the convention, with pretty much only like a 20ft by 10ft space, or so. If even that, to be honest. And, I don’t know for sure if D&D hosted many events even at Gen Con while we were there last year. Maybe a few intro games? But if I had to guess, I would’ve said that third parties may have run more games of D&D than Wizards of the Coast D&D actually did. But, after years of near silence… Wizards of the Coast is planning to go all-in on Gen Con again. The real question is—why now? We’ve seen a lot of relatively big moves from D&D recently, back towards its roots. So, what could this move mean for the future of D&D? Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG—your go-to news channel for all things D&D and tabletop roleplaying. Today we’re diving into some pretty cool news, hopefully a big positive for the direction of D&D: Wizards of the Coast is officially heading back to Gen Con with D&D in a big way. And honestly… it’s kind of a full-circle moment. Let’s rewind for a second, because – as I’m sure you know – Gen Con isn’t just any convention. Gen Con was founded back in 1968 by Gary Gygax, which to be honest, I didn’t know prior to researching for this video. If you aren’t aware, Gen Con is now the largest convention for tabletop gaming, I believe in the world. It pretty much takes over Indianapolis for, what I can confidently agree, is probably indeed the best 4-days of gaming each year. At the time they started Gen Con, it was just a small gathering of wargaming fans in Wisconsin. But in 1974… Gygax and Dave Arneson released Dungeons & Dragons. And, of course, Gen Con became ground zero for spreading the game. People would attend… pick up a copy… and bring it back to their hometowns. That’s how D&D went viral—before the internet even existed. It turns out, hanging out with cool people in person and telling them about cool things – in person – was the OG way to go viral. Go figure! So, fast forward a few decades… Gen Con became the D&D event, and the tabletop gaming event. We’re talking massive tournaments, huge reveals… Even a life-sized castle built on the convention floor. Yeah. That actually happened. But then something changed. In recent years, Wizards of the Coast has been… mostly absent. No big booths. No major announcements. Just a quiet, minimal presence—if anything at all. I can tell you, seeing them last year, like I mentioned, was not only unimpressive... it was actually even a bit sad. I remember thinking like, “why are you guys even here? Why bother with a booth like this, it just makes D&D look bad.” And other fans have definitely noticed, as well. At this point, you might be wondering: why did D&D pull away from Gen Con, anyways? Well, a few key things: First—vision. Wizards started treating D&D less like a game… and more like a global entertainment brand. You’ve seen the somewhat recent movie, and then they’re pushing hard towards digital tools now, trying to make D&D more of a money-making tool, and truthfully, less like the D&D we all grew up with. Second—control. Instead of third-party events like Gen Con, Wizards of the Coast has focused more on their own events. Things like MagicCon – for Magic: the Gathering. And third—cost. Giant booths and live events are expensive, and brand-awareness is not the same as actual sales. In the past, the cost of large-scale live events like Gen Con was a no-brainer investment for D&D. However, with D&D moving towards online income, live spaces didn’t fit the online vision as much. So, for years… Gen Con became more of a community-run D&D space rather than an official one. But now—that’s changing. Wizards vice president recently confirmed that Gen Con is about to become a major part of D&D again. Starting this year: Annual D&D product roadmaps will be revealed at Gen Con They’ll have more organized play events And there will be more direct and “official” community engagement Like so many of the things Wizards of the Coast is doing to push live community spaces for D&D again, this could be a big deal – but it will depend on how well Wizards follows through. Still though, this is the first time in years that Wizards is showing up where the players are. And this could be a great sign for the game. With all of this in mind, we now finally come to the question: “why is this happening now?” There are a few clues. First—D&D has lost major momentum in the TTRPG space, let’s be real. Wizards is, perhaps, finally recognizing the loss of their community, and is trying to reconnect with the people who built the community to begin with. We’ve seen: The return of classic settings – which is ok. I’d rather see – as one recent viewer put it – new stuff. Done in the classic way, but some actual new content would be x1,000 times better. And they are creating new seasonal content, with a return to D&D modules and “official” weekly play at local gaming stores. Second… Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The OGL controversy. You may remember: The Open Gaming License controversy, when Wizards of the Coast tried to change D&D’s open license in a way that would restrict creators and potentially take a cut of their earnings—sparking massive backlash and boycott calls from the community. That moment seriously damaged trust with fans. And while things have cooled down… This Gen Con push feels like a very intentional move to rebuild goodwill. Because if you want to win back hardcore players—You show up at Gen Con. That’s all there is to it. Show up, and make it fucking awesome. Make your audience actually want to play D&D again. For a lot of fans, D&D skipping Gen Con has felt… weird. It’s the place where the fire started. It’s been the biggest name in tabletop ghosting the biggest tabletop event in the world, in favor of creating online subscription models that very few people actually want. But now? This feels like a return to D&D’s roots. A reconnection with the community that built the game’s legacy in the first place. So the real question is—Is this just good PR… Or the start of a new era for D&D? What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments. And if you enjoyed this coverage, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and roll for initiative on the next video. See you next time!