''Digital Web'' is a
tabletop role-playing game supplement originally published by
White Wolf Publishing in February–April 1994 for their game ''
Mage: The Ascension
''Mage: The Ascension'' is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and was published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1993. The characters portrayed in the game are referred to as mages, and are capable of feats of magic. Magic in ''Ma ...
''. A second edition, ''Digital Web 2.0'', followed in October 1998.
Contents
''Mage: The Acension'' supposes that everyone in today's world carries the innate ability to do magic. Those that are unaware of their powers are "sleepers"; those who have become aware of their ability to reshape reality are the Awakened.
''Digital Web'' explores those mages called Cybernauts who use the internet as a manifestation of magic power.
Divided into five chapters,
the book covers:
* the Cybernaut's three main forms of ingress into the Web (Sensory Visitation using virtual reality goggles; Astral Immersion, projecting one's mind into the Web; and Holistic Immersion, transforming oneself into raw data to be uploaded into the Web.)
* various special areas of the magical Web
* viruses and other dangers that lurk in the Web
* a history of the magical Web, from
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
to
Alan Turing
Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical com ...
.
* Explanations for how magic operates within the Web
* suggested ways to use the Digital Web in other White Wolf role-playing games set in the modern world such as ''
Vampire: The Masquerade'' and ''
Werewolf: The Apocalypse''.
* Two brief scenarios, "Recursive Tale" and "Deus ex Machina".
* Various notable personalities within the Web
* Talismans that can be used within the Web
The book also includes a three-page short story, and an appendix with further sources for the reader to explore.
Production
''Digital Web'' was originally designed by
Daniel Greenberg, Harry Heckel, and Darren McKeemen, with additional material provided by John Cooper, Jonathan Sill, Heather Curatola, Lee Chen,
Bill Bridges, Brian Campbell, and Brad Freeman. The book was illustrated by
James Crabtree
James Crabtree is a British author and policy analyst living in Singapore. He is currently executive director of the Asia branch of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Crabtree writes columns for Nikkei Asian Review, Foreign Polic ...
, Darryl Elliot, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook,
Quinton Hoover
Quinton B. Hoover (March 16, 1964 – April 20, 2013) was an American artist best known for his art in the collectible trading card game ''Magic: The Gathering''.
Career
Hoover drew over 70 pieces for the ''Magic: The Gathering'' collectible ca ...
, and
Dan Smith, with cover art by
John Zeleznik.
released the first edition of the book in February–April 1994, and the second, ''Digital Web 2.0'', in October 1998; both have since also been released as ebooks.
[
]
Reception
Rick Swan
Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR.
His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995.
Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pre ...
of ''Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' called the premise of ''Digital Web'' "audacious", saying that it "reshapes cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...
like so much modeling clay." But despite this, Swan found the book "hard to digest ..the text is burdened with overstuffed sentences ..and saturated with gobbledygook." He concluded by giving the book an average rating of 4 out of 6, saying "There's much to admire, particularly for those who believe that cyberpunk could stand to shed some cliches. But the text is so dense, so riddled with gamespeak and consumed by abstractions that a good portion of it borders on the incomprehensible. ''Digital Web'' is an impressive effort. But it needs a translator."
Reviews
*''Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...
'' #1 (Sept., 1994)
*Backstab #2 (Mar-Apr 1997)
References
{{World of Darkness
Mage: The Ascension
Role-playing game books
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1994