There is a lot of whining about how this game is for abusers and bullies but I don't see the same outrage for the other game lines. You're playing monsters. Have fun with it and play into the humanity side as well. Never forget this is a game and not real life

Put simply besides the rules feeling redundant with its own preset descreiptions, the biggest problem I see is that it agrandizes abusers. You gain power and strength by Torturing and psychologically traumatizing others "For their own Good." You are hunted by Heroes who want to protect the innocents from your abuse. WHat is this? I liked the idea until I got into the rules and saw only a game for people who want to create an excuse for abusing others with no ideas of guilt or remorse. These are actually set up as anathema to the characters you play.

Very underated game. No not pay attention to the drama. The game is great. It has several flaws and will benefit greatly from a second edition, but the mechanics are neat, the powers awesome, and the crossover options very interesting. Just buy this togheter with the Player Guide, that book is a must to expand the options presented here and to get clarifications about other things.

It's basically a power fantasy for abusers/people on the sociopath spectrum. It's TERRIBLE as a game, as bad as Changing Breeds, but valuable as an insight into the minds of abusers. The head writer, Matt Mcfarland, actually was fired for sexually assaulting a young teenage girl, and based on this book he's one of the most obvious socios I've ever encountered.

The one good thing is that you can easily write up a homebrew with Beasts as antagonists and Heroes as player Hunters, or neutral/good supernaturals. The book railroads Heroes into being antagonists even though they're more or less correct about Beasts, and Beasts have no other weaknesses than Anathema. It's all part of the psychopath's power fantasy. Being able to get revenge on the people who protect them from their victims, and the narrative/universe itself agreeing with them that their victims deserve it and it's the anti-psychos that are in the wrong.

Great general concept, but the mechanics are awful.

The darkest of the CoD gamelines, Beasts are best played as unapologetic bastards.

The latest Chronicles of Darkness core rulebook to come from the Ontx Path Publishing studio, and the first to be released after the name change to Chronicles of Darkness from World of Darkness, Beast: the Primordial is about monsters, and their purpose in a hideously overcrowded world.

Using the new game mechanics introduced in The God-Machine Chronicle and later released as The World of Darkness, Second Edition and later still as The Chronicles of Darkness, Beast: the Primordial is literally about monsters in human form, and the lessons they have to teach humanity.

Features:-

• The core back story is that Lilith, the Mother of Monsters, birthed all of the big horrifying creatures - the giants, gorgons, gryphons, Krakens and shadowy beast which lurk in the dark - and that these creatures dwell in a distant part of the Astral called The Primordial Dream. Some people have nightmares of these creatures all their lives, until one day they are given a choice: give in, assume your first best destiny, or eat a blue pill. Those who accept are Devoured by their monsters, called Horrors. When they wake up, they are human no more, but rather Beasts. Their whole existence is about causing nightmares, teaching lessons and feeding off fear and pain.
• Every Beast has a Lair, in which their Horror, their monstrous soul, dwells.
• Beasts are always hungry. They can only be fed through preying on people, or punishing wrongdoers and so on. They can walk in people's nightmares and growing their Legend, so that their power can grow through telling and retelling of their stories like Grendel and the Kraken.
• The enemies of the Beasts are Heroes; deluded individuals who rejected the call to become Beasts but who, instead, chose to become hunters and killers of Beasts.
• This game is designed for crossover play with any and all of the other ChoD likes, from the blue book to Vampire: the Requiem all the way up to Demon: the Descent. However, it can be used on its own.

I did not know what to think when the name of this game first appeared. I did wonder whether Onyx Path had run out of steam or something. However, the game surprised me and greatly exceeded my expectations. So far, I have only scratched the surface; but already, several story ideas have formed, and as a Storyteller this is usually a very good sign, promising much for the game.

I look forward to running Beast: the Primordial, the second new game to emerge which does not have an Old World of Darkness counterpart (the first being Promethean: the Created of course) and seeing how the players like playing these brand new types of monsters.

Build'a'Bear workshop but with monster's**** This books works really well with cross over campains, npc creation for different and unique nasties, and for new player introductions to the world of darkness.As it allows you to bring in any new player with them having minimal knowledge into any going campain. Allowing them to learn as they play and transition later on; all while letting them feel unique and powerful with out being overpowered so they can have fun with more advanced player characters. That's really where this book shines. Other then that it really doesn't add a whole lot to the WORLD or lore of WoD if that's what your looking for. Its Kind of the opposite of demon the decent in that regard.

This is yet another excellent world of darkness title that helps people who are fans of crossover games really start to work with material from all of the other titles. The world of Darkness games never disappoint and this one is no exception