Matthew McFarland In previous updates, we’ve mentioned Kinship and the fact that the Children feel that the other creatures in the World of Darkness are their little brothers and sisters. That’s brought out some reaction, some of it receptive, some not, and I want to take a little time to talk about my intent in designing the … Read more
Welcome back! Before we get into our next Beast reveal, I want to mention that if you happen to be attending GenCon in Indianapolis this summer, you can sign up to play Beast: The Primordial. Just plug the word “beast” into the “game system” slot when searching for events. I’m running the Thursday 8PM slot … Read more
(I apologize, I know it’s a terrible movie, but he actually uses the word “atavism” in a monologue.) OK! So! I know I’ve been a little lax in Beast updates this week, and the reason for that is that another project I’m working on – not for Onyx Path, but for my own company, Growling Door … Read more
The Begotten are born of primal horror, the simple, revolting, visceral fears that plague people the world over. Beasts can harness the power of these fears and inflict them upon others, to exert control, make a target isolated and paranoid, and even kill with pure terror. Beasts of any Family or Hunger can learn any … Read more
Every Beast has cravings. Beasts’ bodies are human, they need food and water and so on just like any other living thing. But the Soul of a Beast is a primordial monster. Its needs stem from the nightmares that formed it. The Beast’s Soul – and therefore the Beast herself – require spiritual sustenance. If … Read more
One of the big themes of Beast: The Primordial is family. The characters in Beast refer to themselves collectively as “the Children” (or, if they’re feeling formal, “the Begotten”) and consider themselves the offspring of the Dark Mother. The first monster, the mother of nightmares. Lilith, Tiamat, Hekate, the Queen Mother of the West — she’s been called … Read more
Eve loosened the hoodie. She had pulled it tight around her face, trying to screen out the world, for all the good it had done. The cafeteria was too loud, and the sounds too diverse. Boys thumping on tables, high-pitched laughter from girls, the hum of the microphone that the lunch lady used, in vain, … Read more
In 1994, I bought a copy of Wraith: The Oblivion, and in the back was an ad for the next World of Darkness game, along with a passage from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. So. Same idea, different play. You do look, my son, in a moved sort, As if you were dismay’d: be cheerful, sir. Our revels … Read more
Sort of an odd title for a post, yeah? If you’ve been paying attention, though, you know that parenting, children, and representing those things well in gaming are important to me as a designer. I know not everyone has or wants kids, and I respect that. But for me, being a parent (and someone who … Read more
They have been with us since the beginning, adjusting and guiding Humanity’s destiny. Often quiet and subtle, sometimes terrifying and awe-inspiring, the strangers promote change; distillation and entropy. They have been frequently mistaken for angels, and religious alchemists named them qashmallim, the Dominions. Of all the World of Darkness’ inhabitants, Prometheans know them best, as … Read more