Vampire: The Masquerade's Second Inquisition Sourcebook Arrives In 2022
Two upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade sourcebooks have received release dates, with Second Inquisition and the Book of Nod arriving next year. Vampire hunters have always been a part of Vampire: The Masquerade, such as Grunfield Bach from Bloodlines, but they have never been a bigger threat than they are in the current edition of the game.
In the lore of the current edition of Vampire: The Masquerade, elder vampires used the war on terror as a pretense for targeting their enemies. This had the side effect of alerting mortal anti-terror agencies to the existence of vampires, leading to the formation of the Second Inquisition, which aims to wipe all undead from the face of the world. Vampires have gone from being the hunter to the hunted, as highly-trained operatives with incendiary rounds stalk the shadows. The storyline of the fifth season of L.A. By Night involves the Second Inquisition turning into a common threat for the Anarch and Camarilla factions to face.
The Second Inquisition will be the focus of an upcoming sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade. Renegade Games has announced that the Second Inquisition sourcebook will be released in January 2022. The book describes the different factions that make up the Second Inquisition in each region, such as the Society of Leopold, as well as the technology and weaponry they use in their missions. Second Inquisition also offers information on how vampire players can fight back against their new enemy. The Second Inquisition might have fancy computers and guns, but they are still mortal.
Second Inquisition isn't the only Vampire: The Masquerade book that's coming out next year. The Book of Nod is more of a prop than a rulebook. It's a faux-leatherbound book that contains in-game lore and poetry regarding the myths of the creation of vampires. The Book of Nod is notable for its predictions regarding the end of the world, which some vampires take as gospel. Copies of the Book of Nod are rare and valuable items in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade and a physical version would make for a great prop, especially for groups who LARP.
The secret war between the Second Inquisition and vampires is a major aspect of the lore of Vampire: The Masquerade, and setting up a conflict with mortal vampire hunters is a great idea for an introductory game for the system, especially for people coming from other tabletop games. The introduction of a universal mortal enemy also make it easy to come up with villains for all of the Vampire: The Masquerade video games that are in development, such as the Entity in Bloodhunt.
The Second Inquisition will be released in January 2022, while the Book of Nod will arrive in October 2022.
Source: Renegade Games