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| A collection of fantastic creatures, the descriptions of which may or may not be true. |
There have been three more recent releases from the Warlock! roleplaying game over the last few months. Two of them brand new material, and the other is a limited edition compilation of the core book, part of the Compendium and the Kingdom! book. I'll be reviewing the first two. Warlock! Phantasmagoria is an expanded bestiary for the game.
TL;DR: Phantasmagoria is a bestiary with a good selection of creatures presented in a style that inspires ideas and hooks for adventures. Not essential, but very useful.
The book has the usual Warlock! trade dress and layout, and is clear and simple to read. The cover is striking, but not one of my favourites. The blurb describes it as having more than fifty creatures, and I think I count fifty-five. Each creature is presented as a two-page spread; one page for a black-and-white illustration and the other with game statistics and then some annotations.
The book is written as an in-game artefact; a set of notes produced by the Master Magician Dolkepper, describing conversations that he'd had with Strix the Manticore when descended upon his second library. Initially, Dolkepper had assumed that Strix was an annoying and mindless beast that would destroy the works therein, but - instead - he was surprised to find an erudite and entertaining creature who was more than willing to share his experiences travelling across the Kingdom in return for access to library.
The descriptions in the book are Strix's, which are then annotated by Dolkepper who discusses whether he believes the description, along with any supporting lore or evidence that he has found. There are further annotations in the hand of Maegeller the Magnificent, a former apprentice corrupted by an urge for power and the dark arts who has stolen the book. This works really well, as the comments create the opportunity for adventures and uncertainty.
The creatures range from the fantastic (Wyrms) to the tradition (Face Stealer, very much a Doppleganger) to the demonic. They'll give a GM a great selection to draw upon.
In summary, Phantasmagoria is a bestiary with a good selection of creatures presented in a style that inspires ideas and hooks for adventures. Not essential, but very useful. Recommended.
11 April 2021
My other Warlock reviews are here:
My other Warlock reviews are here:
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