A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Yog’vhus’chuul, Harbinger of the Deeping Void (PFRPG)

Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Yog’vhus’chuul, Harbinger of the Deeping Void (PFRPG) by Matt Banach and Justin Sluder is a role playing game supplement published by Rite Publishing for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. This is a single NPC at three different CRs.

The supplement is available as a 25-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $2.95 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover, one the front matter, one the Open Game License and two pages are ads.

Yog’vhus’chuul, Harbinger of the Deeping Void is the introduction and gives some background on this NPC, who appears to most as just a lowly, foul-smelling fishmonger, but waits for the arrival of his eldritch masters from the Dark Tapestry. This also covers Dreamburning, Yog’vhus’chuul’s apparent appearance in the Tarnished Souk, lore and using him in game.

The three different versions follow, arranged in the book from high to low CR. Each comes with two variants, beyondling and hive and a sidebar explains why Yog’vhus’chuul has the void domain, when it shouldn’t be allowed, which is because it fits the character concept.

The CR 10 version is an aquatic worm that walks young sync druid (blight, mystic) 4.

The CR 15 version is an aquatic divine worm that walks young sync druid (blight, mystic) 9.

The CR 21 version is an aquatic divine worm that walks young sync druid (blight, mystic) 15.

Archetype, Domain and Subdomain starts with beastlord, which allows prepared spells to be spontaneously converted into different ones. Blight druids are servants of corrupted nature. Mystery grants an oracle mystery. Void is a subdomain and dark tapestry is a subdomain of it.

There are six new feats, three of which are related to altering creatures, and two weapon enhancements. Yog’vhus’chuul has a selection of magic items, including lokanaut, which is a relic from Genius Guide to Relics of the Godlings II, which increases in power as the owner levels, new abilities unlocking.

Monsters has the CR 4 Botfly Swarm, the CR 14 Advanced Froghemoth, the CR 1 Advanced Grindylow, the CR 8 Advanced 6-Headed Cryo-Hydra, the CR 12 Advanced 10-Headed Cryo-Hydra, the CR 1 Advanced Stirge and the CR 6 Sync, which becomes deadlier the longer it fights the same opponent.

Templates has the aquatic creature, which is self-explanatory, the beyondling creature, corrupted by the powers of the planar maelstrom and great beyond, the divine creature, touched by a deity, the hive creature, which is the nest of a swarm, and the worm that walks, created from worms who fed on a powerful spellcaster’s body.

The Last Face is a postscript that explains this is the last in the series.

Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Yog’vhus’chuul, Harbinger of the Deeping Void (PFRPG) in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. Navigation is decent. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. As well as the custom cover image, there are a number of stock black and white pieces. Presentation is decent.

What with being a worm that walks and a worshipper of eldritch abominations from space, Yog’vhus’chuul has a definite Lovecraftian feel to him. Though his genuine delight in the world undermines this a bit; he’s not quite as gruesome as some Lovecraftian horrors. Which is not the same as saying he’s not dangerous, or even nice. Yog’vhus’chuul is definitely dangerous and one of his hobbies is combining creatures together, which some of the less pleasant inhabitants of the Tarnished Souk find delightful. Faces of the Tarnished Souk: Yog’vhus’chuul, Harbinger of the Deeping Void (PFRPG) is a wonderful conclusion to this series and can be found by clicking here.