Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East
DesignersEthan Skemp
IllustratorsAndrew Bates, Michael Gaydos, Aileen E. Miles, Steve Prescott, Jeff Rebner, Ray Snyder, Ron Spencer, Richard Thomas, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook, Drew Tucker, Melissa Uran, Kathleen Ryan
WritersBrian Campbell, Harry Heckel, Heather Heckel, Deena McKinney, Kathleen Ryan, Ethan Skemp
PublishersWhite Wolf Publishing
PublicationSeptember 1998
GenresTabletop role-playing game supplement
SystemsStoryteller System
Parent gamesWerewolf: The Apocalypse
SeriesWorld of Darkness
ISBN1-56504-338-3

Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East is a tabletop role-playing game supplement released by White Wolf Publishing in September 1998 for use with their game Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and is part of the World of Darkness series.

Overview edit

Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East is a sourcebook intended to be used with the tabletop role-playing game Werewolf: The Apocalypse.[1] The book covers Asia as it is portrayed in the series, and introduces various types of shapeshifting hengeyokai as playable characters.[2]

storyteller,[a]

Production and release edit

It was released by White Wolf Publishing in September 1998[4] as part of the Year of the Lotus line of World of Darkness books released throughout 1998, which introduced Asian supernatural beings to the games in the series, including Kindred of the East for Vampire: The Masquerade and Land of Eight Million Dreams for Changeling: The Dreaming.[1][5] The book has also been released in other languages, including French[6] and Spanish.[2]

Includes a manga-inspired comic[1]

Reception edit

Reception
Review scores
SourceRating
Backstab5/10[7]

[8]

  • Excellent book, by far the best in the Year of the Lotus line and recommended to all Werewolf: The Apocalypse players[1]
  • "very playable" and elegant in how well it works with the rest of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, compared to Kindred of the East and Land of Eight Million Dreams, which feature very different mechanics compared to their parent games and require one to learn a lot before playing[1]
  • Steeped in mystery[1]
  • Incredible setting[1]
  • Good introduction with glossary, that relies less heavily on loanwords from Asian languages than other Year of the Lotus book, making the book easier to begin to use[1]
  • well written and evocative backgrounds, making the hengeyokai fit well into the setting and giving the reader a good idea of what they are like[1]
  • smooth integration of the kitsune chapter into the rest of the book[1]
  • Great visuals, including one of the best cover designs they had seen in some time, with its use of gold foil for the text[1]

liked the comic[1]

  • nice art of the hengeyokai[1]

Notes edit

  1. ^ The person leading the game is called the "storyteller" in World of Darkness games, a role called "gamemaster" or "dungeon master" in other role-playing games.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bassingthwaite, Don (1999). "Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East". SF Site. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  2. ^ a b "Hengeyokai, Cambiaformas de Oriente". Lider (in Spanish). No. 6. La Caja de Pandora. August 2000. p. 11.
  3. ^ Allison, Peter Ray (2020-02-06). "Shedding light on World of Darkness, the gothic-punk universe of RPG Vampire: The Masquerade". Dicebreaker. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  4. ^ "New Gaming Arrivals: September 1998, Part III". SF Site. September 1998. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  5. ^ Appelcline, Shannon (2014). Designers & Dragons: The '90s (2nd ed.). Evil Hat Productions. pp. 7–52. ISBN 978-1-613170-84-7.
  6. ^ http://www.legrog.org/jeux/loup-garou-l-apocalypse/werewolf-2eme-edition/hengeyokai-fr
  7. ^ Blondel, Julien (September–October 1998). "Hengeyokai, Shapeshifters of the East". Backstab (in French). No. 11. FC Publications. p. 45.
  8. ^ Lhomme, Tristan (October–November 1998). "Hengeyokai". Casus Belli (in French). No. 116. Excelsior Publications. p. 18.