No Sabbat remain on the Path of Humanity and infighting is practically nonexistent. The Fifth Edition version of the Sabbat is more ideologically committed and united than ever. However, not all is ill in the Sword of Caine. No sign exists of the (False) Black Hand special forces that once were the deadliest killers outside of Alamut. There is no Regent of the Sabbat and it is controlled by a loose alliance of warring Cardinals. 5E amalgamation has also hit a few of these paths too with the Path of Night and Path of Metamorphosis becoming 'flavors' of the Path of Cathari and Path of Death and Soul. Some of the more popular Paths of Enlightenment have also become forgotten with the Path of Beast (Feral Heart), Honorable Accord, and Lilith being all but abandoned. The Sabbat has forfeited most of its territory to the Camarilla and Anarchs with defectors to both sects. The Fifth Edition version of the Sabbat has suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Second Inquisition, their massive Gehenna War, as well as civil war. I don't think anyone would have disliked having more material to follow up on. Given the Camarilla was 204, I have to wonder who decided to not give the writer room to breathe.

The book is more than a little on the short side, though, with 134 pages in length. There's also ample crunch to be found here as well as lore. It is written almost entirely out of character and gives clear, concise, as well as informative facts about what the state of the Sabbat is as well as how to run them. I prefer Chicago by Night Fifth Edition and Cults of the Blood Gods but this is definitely one of the better works done for Fifth Edition. This is easily the best of the main game books, surpassing both sect books as well as the main book, IMHO. I feel like the Sabbat are something the setting desperately needs to be complete and even if I have to make my own rules for playing them, I want as much as I can about them in Fifth Edition. Nevertheless, that doesn't automatically discount my interest in this book. I feel like if there's any gameline that shouldn't judge you for being 'evil', it should be Vampire: The Masquerade. I've played many interesting and fascinating Sabbat characters both as a Storyteller as well as a player. For me, I've always been a fan of the Sabbat and they are my second favorite sect after the Anarchs.

Vampire the masquerade sabbat