The Infinite Macabre accomplishes what a roleplaying supplement should ideally provide. I find myself very giddy and eager to play the game. This is one of two science fiction-themed supplements to World of Darkness: Mirrors, material that had to be cut due to space constraints from their chapter entitled “Shards” which offered genre hacks for the World of Darkness system.

In many ways Mirrors accomplishes a task set forth in the World of Darkness core rulebook, which did away with the orthodox metaplot and then boosted further with Hunter: the Vigil which gave Storytellers a system to create any sort of monster antagonist, unbound to any of the core rulebook mythologies. Mirrors was essentially a toolbox of hacks for tweaking or altering the World of Darkness rules and setting into whatever sort of beast you would like. The Infinite Macabre sets out the framework for you to take your campaign into a far future space opera setting! It is a slim 30 pages long so instead of a fully-fleshed setting it gives you more suggestions, hints, and a few tools. At many points it reminds you of the central tenant of Mirrors, you are assumed to be more creative than the game designers (or at least you know your own tastes better than they do, and should rise to the challenge to create your own masterpiece).

Infinite Macabre starts off with a description of a dark space opera environment, giving many juicy details on how to provide the right mood and themes and locales to paint across your broad new canvas. Next is a simple spacecraft creation and combat section which is Merit-based, familiar to any Vampire player who has crafted a Haven, or Changeling who ever built a Hollow. These rules are simple and dirty, though I can see how they might let down a gamer who is more sci-fi than World of Darkness inclined; in Which Case one can make new rules, or import them from a more crunchy game system. Next is a discussion of Stygian Gates, which is a fine way to make your spacefaring campaign truly galactic. Think of them like the hyperspace gates in many science fiction franchises, but there is the intriguing hint that there is one Gate for every game line (a Vampire gate, a Hunter gate, etc.). This provides a great motivation to explore the Gates and explore their history and how they fit into the mythologies of the game lines. Chuck Wendig does a great job in painting these various space opera elements in a patina of horror, just as the World of Darkness is like our world but more monstrous.

The bulky abdomen of the book considers how the seven character types of the main game lines are changed via translation into a space opera genre. I really liked this section because it allows you to let your imagination run wild taking a concept to its ultimate conclusion. I was worried that this process would be problematic, but really it gives you a way to amplify aspects of the genre. For instance, how would your Mage react if he finds out the Five Watchtowers usually thought of as being metaphorical destinations are real and out there on different star systems situated in a vast pentacle shape? Your Changeling can enter the Hedge and explore a vast mad landscape, but now she can send the crew of a whole spaceship through and there is whole terrible worlds out there in an Arcadia as vast as galaxies. Lastly, there is a short section on creating your own aliens, rather like the monster creation system for use with Hunter (of which Wendig was chief designer). The system is versatile even if it is Spartan, but Wendig reminds us that Mirrors can be used here in case you need more tools or inspiration.

Space opera World of Darkness adds more to your options. It is like combining Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Firefly. Genetic splicing of Science Fiction and Horror are fairly firmly established so it shouldn’t be too strange to craft a World of Darkness tale off some distant nebulae and still have it feel like a White Wolf game.

There are drawbacks, because now you have to roll up your sleeves and create a whole new universe in a completely wide open sandbox but if you are the sort of gamer I am than that is less of a burden and more of a challenge and most of the fun and point of why we game. There are a few problems that should be addressed. On page 6 there is mentioned of a star chart table on page 10 which is missing. I have to say I am inspired to write a hundred new campaigns and roll up a thousand characters to inhabit them so The Infinite Macabre has accomplished its task! ( )