Laws of the Resurrection LARP Review
Posted on September 25, 2004 by Flames
Written by Bruce Baugh, Kieran Dewhurst, Conrad Hubbard and Alan I. Kravit, White Wolf Publishing (WW5035)
A World thrown completely out of balance calls out for a defender and sets the stage for White Wolf’s continuation of the Mind’s Eye Theatre (MET) line.
Drawing on themes as old as civilization itself, Laws of the Resurrection hearkens back to the myths and legends of ancient Egypt to offer to players the role of a truly immortal protector of the world, a Mummy. Born of the fusion of ancient knowledge with modern souls, these creatures, known as Amenti, carry out the sacred law of Ma’at, bringing balance and order to a chaotic world.
Laws of the Resurrection deviates from White Wolf’s stand-alone pattern of MET products to offer something truly unique: a genuine cross-over opportunity. While Laws of the Resurrection can be played by itself, the setting describes the Amenti as rare individuals, something that is instantly lost in a game full of such creatures. Instead, the material presented in Laws of the Resurrection seems most suited to adding a surprising twist to an ongoing LARP populated by other denizens of the World of Darkness. The book offers plenty of built-in crossover rules for Vampire, and its themes easily translate to Hunter, Oblivion, and other MET lines. The abilities of the Amenti seem to have been created with crossover in mind; despite the phenomenal power the Amenti can achieve, they are limited by very mortal weaknesses.
To be truly appreciated, the themes of Laws of the Resurrection must be treated with respect. The rich framework of Egyptian mythology gives purpose and meaning to the Amenti’s actions. Without it, mummies simply become ‘almost-humans with nifty powers’ who simply cannot be utterly destroyed. Storytellers chosing to add Laws of the Resurrection to their current games should give ample thought to how the Amenti will affect game play, and whether the story will allow the depth of mythological detail necessary for the Amenti to assume their place in the natural order. For games fluid enough to handle the Amenti, however, the inclusion of a Mummy to an ongoing LARP can have profound and exciting results.
Laws of the Resurrection continues to use White Wolf’s basic Rock, Paper, Scissors system for rules arbitration, making it simple to understand and utilize in LARP settings. For the Amenti, use of powers takes true forethought and planning, increasing the roleplaying aspect of such abilities instead of the simple point and use powers of other MET lines. By emphasizing theme and forethought in this line, White Wolf has taken another step in emphasizing the theater-over-game-mechanics aspect of the Mind’s Eye.
Entirely new avenues of theme and play are easily added to any pre-existing MET LARP by an enterprising Storyteller using this product. From ancient pyramids to the modern-day streets, enter the cycle of death and rebirth with Laws of the Resurrection.
Reviewer: Tony Pileri
Look for other Mind’s Eye Theatre eBooks at RPGNow.com.
Tags | LARP, world-of-darkness
