Note that this isn't a review. I edited this book in return for a free copy and some other goodies so there's no way I could be called objective about it.
What is the Teratic Tome? It's a monster manual chock full of horrors. And I do mean horrors; the monsters in this book tend to express aspects of body horror, religious-based terrors, and sexual anxieties. Whereas TSR's Monster Manuals tended to re-purpose monsters from folklore, myths, and legends, the Teratic Tome mines the same spot in the collective unconscious that Clive Barker, David Cronenberg, and Thomas Ligotti have been working in throughout their careers. Many of the monsters therein are culled from Raphael Chandler's Dread and Spite.
What is great about the Teratic Tome? Generally monster books present you with a creature's stats and general habits; this one gives you both motivations for the monster's behavior and its modus operandi. These bits are filthy with plot hooks--you will read each entry and immediately want to put that monster into your game. The Teratic Tome also does a great job "filling in" mid- and high-level niches in D&D games.
I also like a great deal of the art. I even like the cover style of the book, somewhat despite myself. I don't usually like modern products that ape the style of TSR's "classic days," but instead of being a copycat product the Teratic Tome looks like it fell through a wormhole into our world from one that was playing a very different version of D&D in the 1970s.
Who isn't likely to want this book: people who are bothered by grotesque sexualized art, people who are bothered by grotesque sexualized monsters in general, people who demand a pure Tolkien or high fantasy feel from their gaming products.
The Teratic Tome can be had here.
The cover doesn't look remotely like a D&D cover from the 1970s, different version or no. It looks like the late 1980s Manual of the Planes.
ReplyDelete'Repurpose' is a shitty modern jargon word. You should be ashamed.
Tentacles, proboscises and so on are only 'sexual' for people who haven't got to grips with human sexuality yet.
I meant that it looks like another universe's version of the orange-spine AD&D books. The spine is, in fact, orange and is meant to look like those editions of the AD&D books.
DeleteI've been exposed to too many OSR products to be able to properly feel shame.
What if those tentacles and proboscises are protruding from genitals, Kent? What then?
In that case the horror for me would lie in the organization of the genitals of the monster's ladyfriend.
Delete"There's nothing the matter with the instrument, it's the body. The woman's body is all wrong!"
Delete@Scott, that is one of my favorite movies, mang.
DeleteI sincerely hope that you're not suggesting that there are any sexualized proboscises in my book, Kent, because I find that notion to be extremely problematic, and I'd take great offense at the notion.
ReplyDeleteSexy tentacles, on the other hand, are hot. Also, "come to grips" LOL.
When those monsters become civilised, prophylactics could be a multi-billion dollar industry.
DeleteA nice edition to anybody's collection of monster manuals. It's got a lot interesting creatures with sort of a "high concept" to them. It reminds me a bit of The Book of Unremitting Horror, though this one is more in the "old school" vein.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think it's the high concept nature of the beasts that I like best. The more general-issue niches are already filled to the bursting point, may as well fill out the high concept slots.
DeleteHey, thanks a lot, Trey!
ReplyDelete(And thanks for the shout-out, Jack, and for being such a kickass editor.)
My pleasure!
DeleteActually, repurpose is a perfectly fine, easily understandable, and highly utilitarian modern jargon word that nobody should be ashamed to use unless they're trying to write in semi-Medieval dialect or something.
ReplyDeleteI'm also curious; are we talking about tentacles being overtly used in sexualized horror, or is this a reference to the vaguely Freudian notion that tentacles and proboscises are a priori sexual?
Also, what kind of system is this book for: pan OSR, or something else?
Shhh, Kent just likes to wag his tongue softly despite his own idiosyncrasies. Best leave him too it.
DeleteThe latter more than the former, though the origin points for some of the tentacles and maws is certainly meant to evoke a sexualized "body horror."
The monsters are statted out in AD&D/OSRIC style with a neat treasure system add on and something akin to THAC0 as well.
In the interrst of seeing that every circle recieves its jerk, her is the review from the most wonderful place on the internet http://themetalearth.blogspot.com/2013/02/reveiw-teratic-tome-by-rafael-chandler.html
ReplyDeleteA chicken in every pot, a jerk in every circle. You've got my vote!
DeleteInteresting... I may pick it up sometime in the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteThere's a heafty preview on rpgnow/drivethrurpg if you want to check it out.
DeleteThese comments made a sale to me. Been browsing it and liking it.
ReplyDelete