In any world of darkness game, there is the possibility for combat. Some games are based around it, other games avoid it whenever possible. Whichever type of game you're playing, this book is an excellent aid.
Armory expands on the streamlined rules for weaponry and combat presented in the basic World of Darkness corebook. Unlike the similar book in the old world of darkness line (World of darkness: combat, for you old-time gamers) Armory does not change or modify the basic mechanics of combat, nor does it introduce "maneuver values" and so forth. What Armory provides is a relatively in-depth look at the use of weapons and role that specific weapons, styles, and philosophies play in the world of darkness.
Of particular note to me was the "selecting a firearm for your character" section of the handguns chapter. While most armory books for any game system will provide a description of the weapons in addition to their statistics, Armory goes a step further and actually discusses why people choose specific guns. No longer is weapon selection a simple Damage vs. Conceal equation (I confess, in old WoD I had a damage/concealment ratio that strictly governed the firearm selection for each of my characters), instead, certain things such as past experience, firearm legality, ease of acquisition, and even department regulation (yes, police departments and military units all have specific firearms that they use, even when superior ones are often available) are taken into account, to select the gun that is "right" for your character. That is, should your character be a firearm-weilding combatant.
There is also a more in-depth vehicle guide, several new combat styles, clarifications on some of the combat rules, and variant forms of armor.
On the technical side, I have no complaints with the PDF. The text and images are all clear, though there is some background shading that might interfere with text recognition and translation between programs. There is a bookmark system in place, though the only slight complaint I have is with that system. The bookmarks are at the beginnings of each chapter, so there's no quick way to skip to a sub-heading or chart, and you do have to remember where it is.
To sum up: If there is a chance that combat will be even tangentially involved in your chronicle, this book is worth it. Whether the purpose is to give the characters and antagonists more powerful weaponry, or simply to make characters and organizations more realistic with the choice and use of weaponry, this book provides an excellent resource.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |