If you’re a fan of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons and Dragons, probably one of the most famous, then you might want to consider Vampire: The Masquerade (VtM). The most modern edition of the game, the 5th edition, lets you roleplay as a vampire in modern times, pitted against political foes and fantasy creatures that really don’t like vampires. Even better, this digital bundle from Humble Bundle lets you grab the core rule book and 19 other pieces of supplemental materials. Just be sure to click on “Entire 20 item Bundle” to get the $18 discount.
Besides the Core Rulebook, this Humble Bundle throws in a lot of contextual information that you’ll need to flesh out any of your stories, especially if you’re going to be running the game. You might be familiar with previous Vampire: The Masquerade video games, especially Bloodlines, released in 2004. That version of the game was the 20th edition, or V20, and mostly takes place up until roughly 2015, when the V20 ‘timeline’ ends and the new game timeline takes place in the 5th edition, or V5. This bundle is for V5 and contains all the new lore that comes with updated rules and settings.
For starters, you get lore books on the game’s four main factions: The Camarilla, The Anarchs, The Sabbat, and The Second Inquisition, the last of which plays a much more significant part in V5 than in V20. This gives you a better understanding of how these factions now function in the new setting, so if you run your games, you can answer more detailed lore questions that you wouldn’t get with the core rulebook alone.
Besides that, you also get several different “Chronicles,” which are essentially pre-planned scenarios for you to play if you don’t want to create your own. Pretty much all these scenarios include some form of difficult moral choice while also trying to figure out social and political games and keep your head on your shoulders and a stake out of your heart. There are also some extra character-related sheets and booklets that give you additional traits and whatnot to add to your character.
