Torment: Tides of Numenera, The Explorer's Guide

by Shanna Germain (Creator)

Explore new lands. Discover new creatures. Unearth new secrets. The Torment: Tides of Numenera computer game is set in a whole new region of the Ninth World. This book details and expands upon the weird and fascinating places, people, and creatures first glimpsed in Torment. Discover secrets of the computer game, and explore its world in greater depth and detail. Incorporate the region and its inhabitants and conflicts, in whole or in part, into your campaign. Maybe even become a castoff or explore the Tides, mysterious forces that can shape human interactions.

The Torment Explorer's Guide (for short) is a deluxe sourcebook containing background in Torment's section of the Ninth World, including locations, items, characters and events from the game itself, as well as some that do not feature directly in the game but are part of the wider fiction and lore. Many of these were contributed to by our own designers and writers, and Monte Cook Games also expanded and fleshed them out for the tabletop.

Genres: Role Playing Games, Fantasy

162 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2016

About the author

Shanna Germain claims the titles of writer, editor, leximaven, vorpal blonde and Schrodinger's brat.

Reviews

[Joseph Riina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice descriptive sourcebook, has more than enough detail for setting (especially around the Sagus Protectorate). Wouldn't recommend trying to read it through if you're not gonna run a campaign there, and even then, just read the section that's relevant to your plans.

[Matthew J. · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I got a chance to play a very brief game of Numenera several years ago, and found the setting extremely compelling. This is my first time actually reading anything for the game, and I really dug it. Though this sourcebook is a tie-in to the computer game, and is set in part of the 9th World that is removed from the default setting of the original RPG, the book has ways of working it into an ongoing game.
The setting material here is extremely rich and dense. It too me a while of reading it in small doses to get through, but I found the whole thing very compelling. I'm not sure if I'll ever end up running Numenera (though it's definitely my type of setting), but I pulled several ideas from this already that I'm planning to work into other games.
Definitely hoping to read more and maybe actually get a game of this going at some point.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated world-building text that complements the computer game well. It was obviously written before the game itself was officially released as there are a few discrepancies, namely to do with cut stretch-goal content that is here presented as if it still appeared in the game itself, when it doesn’t. A great reference guide that makes getting into the groove of the Ninth World a much less daunting task.

[Petr · Rating 3 out of 5]

There can be something as too much weird - so much it becomes basically boring and just a chore to read. At least that was my impression from this supplement. While I read original Numenera books, I loved them, this on the other hand was a pain to get through. Dry, convoluted, too much.