A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement The Octopi of the Ninth World

The Octopi of the Ninth World by Monte Cook is a role playing game supplement published by Monte Cook Games for use with Numenera.

The supplement is available as a 12-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $2.99, although it was purchased at a greatly reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover.

A Brief Look at the Octopus starts with the author understanding their creation of the Ninth World by what they’d written about how octopi reacted to humans. It then starts going into detail about the underwater realm of the octopi. Octopi have engineered many creatures to serve them and, underwater, they are omnipresent and extremely powerful. The octopi have a long history, throughout which they have remained mostly unchanged (completely, according to them) and see little point in interacting now non-octopi, who will quickly die out; they are effectively immortal themselves. The octopi’s organisation is covered; they are ruled by a queen, even though octopi are by preference solitary. Details are given on some of the members of the queen’s court.

Octopus Technology covers their biotechnology, ultraterrestrial technology using a material from another universe and weapons and defence. Some items of octopus technology, including cyphers, are detailed.

A large sidebar covers the Bay of Peyclin and some underwater locales.

Next are details in octopus player characters.

Finally, there are stats on a biological creation of the octopi used by them to roam the land and octopi themselves.

The Octopi of the Ninth World in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. Given the length, navigation is very good. The text maintains a two column with sidebar colour format and appeared to be free of errors; the sidebars are used for miscellaneous information, internal references, stats and references to other supplements. There are a number of colour illustrations, some of which may be custom. Presentation is very good.

This supplement is intended to expand on the details on octopi from Into the Deep and that book is referred to frequently. It does provide information on an unusual, slightly different, but still recognisable species of creature that, despite what it might say, has changed over a billion years. The Octopi of the Ninth World is an interesting small supplement and it can be found by clicking here.