Mummy: The Resurrection

Rating:
Summary: Hey its fun
Review: I know mummies are far too powerful tu be simply added into a game... but get a good storyteller with a few good players and even the lousy i can do nothing 14th generation vampire can make a fun sidekik for a hundred years old mummy.
If you are into the white wolf storyteller system crossover is the whole idea behind it, so, yeah, it IS worth your money.

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Summary: Year of the Scarab
Review: In the spirit of Kindred of the East, this book is an add on for existing World of Darkness games. You need another core book (preferabley Vampire, Mage or Wraith for cross over use, but any of the games work), but fear not, because this has allowed the writers to add a whole bunch of juicer information into the pages.
Essentially, this game allows you to take on the role of a Mummy, just as the previous World of Darkness games put you in the role of other monsters. But these aren't the bandaged wrapped monsters of the cinema. Rather, they are more an amalgam of Boris Karlof's immortal mystic from the original Mummy and Egyptian mythological beings. These Mummies are immortal heros, blessed by Osiris and given the task of restoring balance to the world. As such, this is a much more hopeful tone when compared to, say, Vampire or Wraith, but that only makes the game that much more challenging. Mummies are made of a combination of a flawed mortal and an ancient Egyptian soul, so they are both modern and ancient at the same time. And they are also considerably less powerful than their ancient age would make you think. Therefore, these Mummies are not as unbalancing in cross overs as they might seem. Indeed, even the immortality thing isn't as big an advantage, because it does take considerable time to come back, plus Mummies do not have supernatural endurance on par with some of the other denizens of the World of Darkness.
The book is pretty straight forward. Mummies and their role in the World of Darkness (along with some great tips and ideas for better running Mummy games) are all described in great detail, including Osiris, Anubis, Ma'at, the Judges and various Cults of Life such as the followers of Isis and Osiris. There is a lot of usage of Egyptian and even Arabic words, but these only serve to add to the flavor and shouldn't confuse the reader overly much. Theres even a glossary of the major terms used, and some brief descriptions of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Plus theres the recommended reading, viewing and listening which give you some more points of reference for incorporating mummies, ancient Egypt and Middle Eastern culture into your games. And many of these sources can be found on Amazon.com, conveniently enough.
Like other denizens of the World of Darkness, the Mummies are divided into different splats, in this case based off aspects of the Egyptian soul (plus another one for "unaffiliated" mummies). Each of these splats are given full page write ups, which helps players get a handle on what motivates their characters. Each splat also specializes in a specific Hekau, ancient magics of Egypt such as alchemy or making ushabtis. These are given ratings from one to five, and work kind of like Vampire Disciplines or Mage Spheres, so players should grasp these pretty quickly. Furthermore, although Mummies only get a few new abilities, differing from those presented in the core book, Mummies also have a wealth of new backgrounds to help flesh them out, such as Ba, Ka and Companion, and even a handful of new merits and flaws.
As the first book in the "Year of the Scarab" series, Mummy also details the core setting for the game, Egypt and the lands of the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean. The histories of Egypt and Saudi Arabia are given, along with an extensive write up of Egypt's geography, from Luxor to Sinai. There are also some description Persia (Iran), Iraq, Kuwait, Kuwait, Israel and the Palestinean Territories, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Greece. Also, the Lands of the Dead (and beyond) are described, mainly from an Egyptian point of view, but fans of Wraith should be pleased.
The back of the book is also loaded with lots of juicy stuff for STs. Not only are there detailed notes for adding Mummies into a game, but there are also some other nasties, both for Mummy only games and for cross-overs. Corrupt "bane mummies", cannibalistic Egyptian cults, undead monsters and other servants of Aphosis and corruption are unique foes specifically for Mummies. Other supernaturals, such as the local Vampires (Assamites and Followers of Set), the walking dead, Wizards such as the Arabian Ahl-i-Batin and Persian Taftani, ghosts and other spirits, Djinn, shapeshifters (not only werewolves, but also werecrocodiles, werecats and even wereserpents) and monster hunters are all given, either as allies or antagonists, along with stats for various mortal animals native to the mid-east, like scorpions and camels. And then there are also other Mummies as well. Ancient Mummies who lived since the dyas of Egypt, non-Egyptian Mummies (created from Greek translations of the Egyptian ritual), Incan Mummies from the mountains of South America and immortal Taoist sages from China are all presented, with just enough for you to play them or incorporate them into your games.
All in all, this is an extremely useful book for STs and Players alike, whether you intend to run an all Mummy game or run a cross over game. Or even if you just want to add a Mummy or two into your game as NPCs. Even without Mummies, there is a wealth of information about Middle Eastern culture and settings provided in this book, with a specific emphasis on Egypt. If you run a Vampire game with lots of Assamites, or a Mage game focusing on Hermetic lore from ancient Egypt, you might find this game extremely useful, even without Mummies.

Rating:
Summary: Mummy: The Resurrection -- Okay if you're into Egyptian Lore
Review: It's an okay sourcebook, assuming your head doesn't swim with the barrage of Egpytian terminology and mythology it tends to shove right into your face. Some tidbits --such as the (horrific) effects drinking mummy blood has on Cainites-- were kind of neat (and _scary_), plus they revised some of the Hekau paths, Sekham cost, and whatnot, but overall, it doesn't truly carry much weight as far as my opinion goes. Some changes, like the different types of mummies and the fact that Asian mummies cannot learn Ren Hekau now (Nomeclature irrc in the revised version) were kind of needless and a letdown. However, Trabbold's artwork is nice, which is mainly why I bought the, but in the end, it just wasn't enough to hold my interest. Maybe it's more suited to your needs, but not mine, I'm afraid.

Rating:
Summary: Mummy: The Resurrection -- Okay if you're into Egyptian Lore
Review: It's an okay sourcebook, assuming your head doesn't swim with the barrage of Egpytian terminology and mythology it tends to shove right into your face. Some tidbits --such as the (horrific) effects drinking mummy blood has on Cainites-- were kind of neat (and _scary_), plus they revised some of the Hekau paths, Sekham cost, and whatnot, but overall, it doesn't truly carry much weight as far as my opinion goes. Some changes, like the different types of mummies and the fact that Asian mummies cannot learn Ren Hekau now (Nomeclature irrc in the revised version) were kind of needless and a letdown. However, Trabbold's artwork is nice, which is mainly why I bought the, but in the end, it just wasn't enough to hold my interest. Maybe it's more suited to your needs, but not mine, I'm afraid.

Rating:
Summary: Ancient Wisdom in the Modern World
Review: Mummy: The Resurrection, like Kindred of the East, is an add-on sourcebook for the World of Darkness, and also like Kindred of the East, it's hands-down some of the finest work ever done by White Wolf.

The showpiece of the book, of course, is the new breed of mummy which has appeared in the World of Darkness. In the wake of the Year of the Reckoning, Osiris has stirred from his long slumber, and for the first time in millennia, he has sanctioned the creation of new mummies. They are known as Amenti, and are born from the fusion of an ancient soul and a modern one. The Amenti are far more dynamic and interesting than the older mummies you might remember from WoD: Mummy Second Edition. (And no, they don't want around wrapped in toilet paper, either.)

The tone of Mummy is also much more positive than that of most other White Wolf games: Mummies are mortals who have been reborn as something more than human and given a second chance. They are beacons of light and hope in the World of Darkness, inspiring others through their example. While one can certainly play an all-Amenti chronicle, Mummy: The Resurrection really shines when used to run a crossover game. The Amenti can interact in the realms of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures in all sorts of interesting and flavorful ways: Adding a mummy to a coterie, pack, or coven will open up some great roleplaying opportunities. In addition, the balance issue present in WoD: Mummy Second Edition have been resolved, and the Amenti are now an excellent complement to other supernaturals. Their powers tend to be very subtle; they are not combat monsters or world-breakers, but they have many useful abilities such as healing, alchemy, and powers of the spirit world.

The book also includes tons of information on the Middle East, both in the present day and in the history of the World of Darkness, details on how the Amenti interact with vampires, werewolves, mages, and other supernaturals, as well as a whole chapter on other types of immortals from all around the world. Highly recommended.

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Summary: Misticism of Egypt with a modern view
Review: Ok, I've just read this magnificent book, and I'm very happy to see that we've lost nothing comparing it with previous games as Vampire, Mage or Werewolf. I can say it is even better than those before, since a Mummy character is somehow more complete, more powerful, and with a misticism that other characters lacks. From the point of view as a book just for reading, it is also awesome, the fiction is great, the way it explains since how the ancient egyptian spirits survived the Great Storm that dweled in the Shadowlands thanks to Osiris to how they merged with the dying spirits from the modern era creating a new Spell of Life that gives the mummies a credibility that a lot of mummies from other sources didn't have. All I can say is that this is a book you can't miss

Rating:
Summary: Mummy: The Ressurection
Review: This book, although not a complete sourcebook, is a wonderful resource for playing a new(old) denizen of the World of Darkness; the Amenti(Mummy). This sourcebook is rich in the culture of ancient Egypt, the combination of old and new souls is fascinating, and the mystical powers of the Amenti are intriguing. The character types are a bit rough, and each one has its own drawbacks, but what can you expect from the dead? Overall, this is an excellent addition to any World of Darkness campaign, and I hope that White Wolf does it justice by coming out with suppliments for it as earnestly as they come out with suppliments for Vampire: The Masquerade.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Sidestep From the Norm
Review: While not a complete game, much like Kindred of the East, this book does have several worthwhile bits of information: - The WOD Middle East - The WOD revised Ancient Egypt - An expansion of my favorite WOD "non-humans" the Mummies - And mentions of a few brand new enemies. I love the fact that there are new Mummies, and that they've been given their own "auspices." While it might seem that the Mummies are far more powerful, it only makes sense. You get to be 1000 years old, you're going to know which end of a smack is down. You're also granted one of the few clear potentials to be a true blue "white-hat."

Rating:
Summary: Mummy: The Ressurection
Review: Yes, there will be people that want to play mummies. This book, however, requires that you have a couple of other suppliments in order to understand it all. Furthermore, since this is a suppliment to a book, it practically invites crossover, and the power levels are far too skewed in the mummies favor, causing jealousy among players.

In short: Do you really need this book?

Rating:
Summary: Not a good book
Review: Yes, there will be people that want to play mummies. This book, however, requires that you have a couple of other suppliments in order to understand it all. Furthermore, since this is a suppliment to a book, it practically invites crossover, and the power levels are far too skewed in the mummies favor, causing jealousy among players.

In short: Do you really need this book?