Teratic Tome review

This is the short review I did of Teratic Tome that rpg.net rejected for being to short.  Just a quick note I am not that good at writing reviews for game products.  I do much better at writing reviews for static media such as a movie.  But this book deserves a review if you ask me.  So here it is... in rpg.net stats I gave it a five in both style and substance.

Oh you can find the book on drivethrurpg for the cost of Pay What You Want.  
Or pick it up in print over on Amazon.

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The Teratic Tome is a monster manual for the not yet existing game setting “Evolved Grottoes & Griffins”, I say not yet because there is some hints from the author lately that it may become a reality. It is set up using the OSR rules set known as OSRIC and it compatible with the older version of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Therefore giving it some double usage among various groups.

Style. The book is set up to look like another edition to the old AD&D Monster Manual series. That was the established goal by the writer and one thing is for sure he has hit the bulls-eye. The layout inside matches up completely, monster descriptions and stat blocks. Even the fonts used on the cover make it fit right in beside those old classic books. It's a nice breath of fresh air to see somebody avoid all the modern layout designs and going back to something that just flat out works. The simplicity of it really sets it apart.

The artwork inside is a mix from various different artists. Some of it is highly detailed and breathtaking, others not so much. But even the blend of good and not so good seems to give it that old school feel. Not everything got the top knotch art treatment even if the monster described dearly deserved it.

Substance. Now here is where the book really departs from the old standards. The creatures lurking within these pages are of more horrific nature than what the original Monster Manuals were known for. Again this is done quite on purpose as the back cover blurb clearly mentions. This is the nightmare fuel for adventurers, the things they don't want to talk about when they walk away from the dungeons. Horrors that aren't boasted about in tales of glory but mentioned in low hushes in the crowded corners of taverns when the survivors are finally drunk enough to speak of them.

Some of these are new takes on old monsters. Like the Alpha Hell Hound, Daedal Minotaur and the Gelatinous Pyramid. Others are quite original with their influences seeming to come from horror stories drenched in blood and suffering. You get a full serving of variety in this book and many of them quite unsettling.

In the end I can't recommend this book enough. I don't use OSRIC or AD&D to run anything. But I will be using this as a source for encounters in other games that I run. Quite a collection of inspirational creatures for any game masters arsenal.