White Wolf’s NEW 5E Adventure Is...Kinda Bland?

Summary

In this video, Xavier reviews *Under a Changing Moon*, the first adventure released under White Wolf Publishing's Play Renegade program. Designed for Vampire: The Masquerade or Werewolf: The Apocalypse, the one-shot revolves around retrieving a magical dagger with splat-specific powers. Xavier critiques the adventure as bland and generic, likening it to an inverted dungeon crawl, and highlights missed opportunities for thematic depth and crossplay between the two splats. He suggests ways to enhance narrative engagement, including cooperative or conflicting objectives and morally complex choices. The review also touches on potential future content exploring crossover adventures and maximizing interaction between vampires and werewolves.

Takeaways

• 😀 *Under a Changing Moon* is a one-shot adventure for either Vampire: The Masquerade or Werewolf: The Apocalypse, not both simultaneously.
• 😀 The adventure’s core plot revolves around retrieving a magical artifact (a dagger) with splat-specific effects.
• 😀 Pre-generated NPCs are provided with enhanced stats, simplifying play for storytellers and new players.
• 😀 The adventure is criticized for being essentially an inverted dungeon crawl, lacking narrative depth, surprises, or emotional stakes.
• 😀 Crossplay potential is underutilized; the historic rivalry between vampires and werewolves is barely acknowledged.
• 😀 Significant GM preparation is required, including research on contacts, building details, and artifact mechanics.
• 😀 The artifact has inconsistencies in its powers, leading to potential confusion for both vampires and werewolves.
• 😀 Reviewer suggests improvements such as true cross-splat interactions, simplified artifact mechanics, and increased player agency.
• 😀 The adventure is relatively short and bland, with predictable encounters and minimal branching paths.
• 😀 Viewer engagement and discussion are encouraged, especially regarding crossover ideas and creative expansions.
• 😀 The adventure is exclusive to the Play Renegade program, limiting accessibility for the general audience.
• 😀 The reviewer references *Under a Blood Red Moon* and *Dark Alliance Vancouver* as better examples of cross-splat integration.

Q & A

What is the main subject of Xavier's video?

Xavier reviews the adventure 'Under a Changing Moon,' a one-shot scenario for either Vampire: The Masquerade or Werewolf: The Apocalypse, highlighting its structure, mechanics, and potential for crossplay.

How does 'Under a Changing Moon' differ from traditional World of Darkness adventures?

Unlike previous adventures, it allows play for either vampires or werewolves (not both simultaneously), but the story is largely identical for each splat, creating a generic experience without meaningful differences.

What is the general structure of the adventure?

The adventure follows an inverted dungeon crawl: infiltrate a tower or building, face one encounter per floor, handle a rooftop challenge, claim the magical artifact, and escape.

What role does the artifact play in the adventure?

The artifact (a dagger) is central to the plot. For vampires, it uses Vicissitude to manipulate flesh; for werewolves, it causes a venous infection effect. Its mechanics differ between splats but are sometimes inconsistent with lore.

What challenges does the adventure present for the Game Master (GM)?

The GM must prepare extensively, including additional background, contacts, and artifact usage, and may need to reference multiple sourcebooks, as the adventure provides limited guidance for players or narrative context.

What criticisms does Xavier make about the adventure?

He calls it bland and generic, criticizes its by-the-book structure, notes missed opportunities for crossplay, highlights inconsistent artifact design, and says it fails to leverage the historical enmity between vampires and Garou.

What suggestions does Xavier give for improving the adventure?

He suggests creating a chronicle-style story with meaningful differences per splat, incorporating moral choices, alliances, and betrayals, simplifying artifact mechanics, and making encounters more dynamic.

How does the adventure handle character creation?

Pre-generated characters from the core books are provided, with some additional experience points to make them more powerful. Roleplaying notes are in the notes section, but the GM must manage background and abilities.

What is Xavier’s perspective on crossplay potential?

He sees it as underdeveloped. While the adventure allows either splat, it doesn’t encourage meaningful interaction or differences between vampire and werewolf players. He proposes a more integrated approach with cooperative and conflicting objectives.

Why does Xavier mention other adventures like 'Under a Blood Red Moon' and 'Dark Alliance Vancouver'?

He references them as examples of better crossplay integration, where vampire and werewolf interactions are more meaningful, suggesting that future adventures could learn from these examples.

What does Xavier mean by calling the adventure an 'inverted dungeon crawl'?

Instead of descending a dungeon to fight monsters, players ascend a building or tower to confront the artifact's guardians and rival splat, making it a reversed structure compared to traditional dungeon crawls.

What accessibility or availability limitations does Xavier note about the adventure?

The adventure is part of the Play Renegade scheme and isn’t widely available for purchase; it’s primarily distributed to participants of the program.