In this review we will talk about Field Guide to Yokai, a bestiary that collects the horrors of Japanese folklore compatible with Yokai Hunters Society and other OSR games.
This manual was born from the mind of Chema González and published in English by Punkpadour; in Italian, it is localized by Nigredo Press and published by MS Editions. Thank you both for sending us a review copy. We recommend that you follow Punkpadour on Instagram, itch.io pages and visit them on their official website.
If interested you can find the product on the MonkeySpawnGames store for 22$. Otherwise, find only the digital version is available for 10$ always here.
Review of the Structure of Field Guide to Yokai
The manual opens with an introduction that tells us about the intentions with which it was conceived.As specified, we would like to emphasize that the work is not an academic work, but a game tool and as such may contain some inaccuracies.
It is presented in A5 format with milled paper, is composed of 55 pages and is very convenient for transport. The dominant colours are red, black and white; thanks to them the reference to Japanese art is very strong and impactful. Always talking about attention to detail, each yokai has its own name written in two ways: in Italian and in Japanese ideograms; surely it is a detail that allows you to immerse yourself even more in the atmosphere.
The texts are sliding and do not have smears; moreover, the use of italics for the names of the yokai and the terms of the Japanese culture allows easy reading.
A Small Artistic Pearl
The artistic side of the Field Guide to Yokai deserves its own section in this review, so as to give the right space to its beauty.
Each of the 33 yokai has a dedicated illustration and other contour images to enhance the visual impact.
All illustrations follow the same style and are consistent with each other. They are inspired by Japanese culture and are reminiscent of mangaka illustrations such as Junji-Ito. They are all wonderfully disturbing and detailed; thanks also to the use of white, black and red they remain imprinted and know how to disturb narrators and players.
Some details (such as sometimes the shadows and the background) are made by means of very efficient black or red dots. From this, it can be seen that it is a product made with the utmost care.
Profile of a Yokai
Each yokai in the manual was written and designed to be used with any OSR role-playing game, as well as with the Yokai Hunters Society.
For everyone we find a physical description, a behavioural one and the myth that concerns him; this information is already sufficient as a starting point for entire sessions.
Then each Yokai has its own unique special ability; they are all mechanically well made as well as being really interesting and well linked to the Yokai in question. We can for example find a yokai that can stretch the neck in excess and one with spider characteristics that can exploit against hunters.
Finally, everyone has their own levels, life dice, attacks, armour class, morale and options for movement; in short, everything you need to take them and use them as antagonists in your adventures. The manual also provides guidance on using these mechanics based on the RPG we have chosen.
An Overview of Some Yokai
In this review, I want to present some of the yokai that I think are more interesting and better made:
- Hyakume: a being made of flesh and eyes that can only be encountered at night; his special ability is the ability to detach an eye and send him in pursuit of the unfortunate.
- Ippon Datara: a yokai composed of a single huge leg, a giant eye and two creepy arms. He lives in the mountains and is usually meek, but on December 20 an inhuman fury assaults him and kills anyone he meets.
- Jikininki: a monster that recalls the ghoul of the Arab tradition with its habit of devouring human corpses. During the day it is totally invisible and its bite is very dangerous and can lead to diseases and lethal infections.
These are just a few of the monsters our PCs may face, but I assure you the others are just as particular and interesting.
Conclusion of the Field Guide to Yokai Review
In conclusion, I can say that the Field Guide to Yokai is a product of great quality, made with attention and passion.
One of its strengths is the quality/price ratio since with a small expense you will have at your disposal many fascinating elements. But also the writing and the artistic side are not to be missed, providing a lot of ideas and ideas for yokai hunting sessions.
Surely it is a manual that all fans of OSR and Japanese mythology should own!
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