Fall of London
A chronicle of vampires awakening in 2012 London under siege.
Fall of London is a tabletop role-playing game supplement released in March 2020 by Modiphius Entertainment for Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition, part of the World of Darkness series. It places players as vampires awakening in 2012 London after decades of unconsciousness, tasked with acquiring five artifacts while the Second Inquisition prepares a secret assault. The supplement was developed by Matthew Dawkins and Steffie de Vaan and written by a team of six authors.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Modiphius Entertainment
- Designer
- Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan
- Writer
- Steffie de Vaan
- Klara Horskjær Herbøl
- Kira Magrann
- Mike Nudd
- Andrew Peregrine
- Hilary Sklar
- Date
- March 2020
- Genre
- Tabletop role-playing game supplement
- Parent game
- Vampire: The Masquerade (5th edition)
- Series
- World of Darkness
Facts from the source article.
Content
Fall of London is an adventure module for Vampire: The Masquerade, comprising six chapters with six possible endings determined by player actions. Set in London in 2012, it depicts the local vampire community during Operation Antigen, a covert attack by the Second Inquisition, an organization formed by global secret services after learning of vampires. Players control pre-made vampire characters who emerge from torpor in 2012, having been unconscious since the 1940s, and are awoken by devotees of the ancient vampire Mithras. A ritual has rendered them amnesiac, leaving only their loyalty to the Cult of Mithras intact. Before escaping the Second Inquisition, they must complete a job for the cultists: locating five artifacts tied to Mithras that are held by other vampires. As the story progresses, the characters regain their memories and free will. The chapters lack a fixed play order and each typically focuses on a London district, featuring vampires such as the artifacts' current owners. Flashback sequences show the city in other eras. Explorable locations include the Underground, the British Museum, The Shard, the London Mithraeum, the Coronet Theatre, and Southall.
Production
Fall of London was produced by Modiphius Entertainment, then responsible for Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition. Matthew Dawkins and Steffie de Vaan developed the supplement, ensuring chapter alignment and adherence to series lore. De Vaan also wrote, alongside Klara Horskjær Herbøl, Kira Magrann, Mike Nudd, Andrew Peregrine, and Hilary Sklar, each author handling one chapter. Nudd, a Londoner, served as a consultant for the setting, verifying accuracy and adding local flavor; the other writers and developers were Londoners, former residents, or frequent visitors. The book used photography primarily, with some drawings, consistent with other fifth edition Vampire: The Masquerade titles. Interior artists included Tomas Arfert, Michele Frigo, Rodrigo Gonzelez Toledo, Damien Mammoliti, Othon Nikolaidis, Edouard Noisette, Paolo Puggioni, and Amy Wilkins; Arfert also created the cover art. De Vaan described the project as challenging and opportune due to its scale. Work began with extensive brainstorming based on a brief from Modiphius and White Wolf Publishing: to explain what happened to Mithras and London's vampire community after the Second Inquisition, and to depict modern London in the World of Darkness. Nudd led background work and compiled Mithras information from earlier editions. Because the story of Mithras' destruction left unanswered questions when first described in A World of Darkness second edition (1996), the team added context to that narrative.
Reception
Fall of London received critical acclaim and was named one of the best tabletop games of 2020 by Tabletop Gaming. Reviewers praised how the supplement lets players experience a pivotal event in the Vampire: The Masquerade setting and become active participants, serving as both a narrative bridge for fifth edition developments and an accessible entry for newcomers. Mephisto noted, however, that the supplement offers limited utility for long-term campaigns set in London after the chronicle ends. Critics lauded the characters and setting: Mephisto called the pre-made player characters diverse, well designed, and integrated into the story, allowing interaction with legendary London vampires, while Tabletop Gaming said the supplement captures London's uniqueness and history. Exploration and character interaction were highlighted as strengths, though the core fetch-quest premise was criticized as unimaginative yet effective at facilitating exploration. The story and writing were praised—Tabletop Gaming called it beautiful and well-crafted, and Mephisto described the flashbacks as brilliant. Tabletop Gaming noted that the supplement sometimes contains too much text, feeling restrictive or hindering quick reference during play, as if it forgets it is meant to be played. Casus Belli found the book sober and refined in content and aesthetic, with an appealing premise.
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