Pyramid Pick
Infernalism: The Path of Screams
Published by White Wolf
Written by Phil Brucato
128 pages, $18.00
Roleplaying games have long been accused of promoting Satanism, so I can understand the reservations Phil Brucato had in writing this excellent supplement for Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade. Treating the topic of black magic as it does, this should surprise no one. Yet, I'd be hard pressed to find within its 128 dense pages anything approximating an endorsement of selling one's soul to the Devil in exchange for magical powers. If anything, Infernalism is a cautionary volume, warning would-be Fausts against the perils of such a bargain -- which is why I so heartily recommend it.Infernalism is divided into four meaty chapters and an appendix. Sadly, the first chapter ("Better to Reign in Hell") is one of the weakest. It presents yet another reworking of the "war in heaven" origin of demons and devils. This being a White Wolf product, the reworking removes most of the traditional Biblical explanations in favor of a more inclusive mythology that incorporates Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other more esoteric beliefs. Whatever the merits of such an approach in absolute terms, I must object to it in a supplement for The Sorcerers Crusade, a game usually more steeped in the worldview of its time period. This chapter seemed far too modern for my tastes and inappropriate for a game set in the 15th century.
Fortunately, the second chapter ("The Devil's Own") is so good that . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: November 12, 1999
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