Black Tokyo: The Hentai SRD Review
http://www.skortchedurfstudios.com/archives/226
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php? ... ers_id=402
Reviews Note: The only experience with d20 Modern is a 2 session one shot (3rd level) and the critiques of PhoneLobster.
Now this isn't going to be one about a free supplement but rather one that has sparked some controversy on many rpg review sites. Most have just been appalled by the fact that someone would make a Hentai RPG, even though this isn't the first time this has happened.
The first thing about this game that sets off red flags is that it uses the d20 Modern system. Then next thing to note is that there is no editor for this, it was all written by Chris Field. He is the head of Skortched Urf Studios and only employee the rest are freelancers. Also there are three artist, Anthony Cournoyer, Amanda Webb, and Chris Field. This is also the order of quality for the art. Anthony's art is very good, Amanda's is okay, and Chris's is just awful. So with this out of the way let's really get started.
The first three pages are used to give an overview of the book and about hentai in general. Blah, blah, blah, mature content viewer discretion is advised. If things get too heavy, stop playing. The next couple of page goes into integrating other S.U. products and the occasional other 3rd party product into Black Tokyo. There are gray sideboards that make notes about why somethings are the way they are in hentai. I don't think that Chris knows what an SRD is, since this is not an SRD.
FEATS
We are now in the meat of the product, there are 62 feats. I will go over each one.
Anointed Cleric: Gain +4 sacred bonus to Diplomacy, Gather Info, and Sense Motive with people of your faith. Not really worth it.
Barbaric Rage: You need Great Fortitude to get Barbarians rage, but you can go into a frenzy that can be specified to a gender it give a shitty +2 to unarmed damage, attack bonus and grapple bonus that gender and you are immune to fear. This shit feat takes 8 paragraphs to write up.
Bishonen Hermaph: Must be taken at first level and you can sexual feats and abilities equal against everyone. You get the ability to shift fully to one gender as a full round action. You get a +2 "racial" bonus to Diplomacy and Bluff against Homosexuals and a +10 to Disguise check when you tuck and/or tape. You can also use all feats that are gender specific you can also knock ladies up or bear children. You can't switch genders when carry the child though. This is probably one of the better feats to get.
Black Fatherhood: This feat is labeled as Supernatural. Any woman you knock up you can control their physical actions if the fail a fort save. You can also kill the child bearer after the child is born, it's a FORT save (CON Based). You can also change the bearer's allegiance vs a Will Save (CON Based). Too much of a Xantos Gambit. 6 Paragraphs for this one.
Bodymeld: Supernatural - You and you willing sex partner become one large monstrous creature for 10 minutes per point of CON mod. You take the best of pair's stats +1 and gain some minor +1s, Low light vision and scent. After times up you are both fatigue. It takes an action point from both people to activate but only one needs the feat. So this is feat is shit. 7 paragraphs long.
Bodywalk: Supernatural - You can travel into one person and out another within 60 feet. Both victims get a FORT save (CON based) or they are nauseated. If the second target resists you are nauseated. This is a move action that is used CON mod times per day. The kick is that the targets must be humanoid, the same race, and species. There is some minor marking affect that gives victim a minor penalty to Disguise. This feet is not really good, since it is so limiting. 6 paragraphs
Bones of Paper: Supernatural - Burn a feat to gain the ability became jelly as a standard action. You can also spend an action point to get a stackable 5 Damage reduction from bludgeoning and blunt trauma. This is ass.
Burning Miasma: Supernatural - Get a short range acid fog. Pretty okay.
Caress of Soiled Cloth: Metamagic (I don't know why)- orgasm onto a piece of clothing that was worn by target in the past 24 hours and now you can target them with any of you sexual feats or abilities there is no max distance. This one could be good.
Cocoon of Filth: Supernatural - Shit yourself to get some shitty armor. It can be destroyed with "water" damage and it gives " Damage Resistance 5/magic against piercing and slashing" Damn this guy needs an editor badly. It can also cause minor penalties to those near it.
Cosplay: Create costumes that give minor bonuses (untyped) to a list of skills. Not worth losing a feat.
Dark Lover's Carapace: Supernatural - Burn two feats for armor that is slightly worst than Special Response Vest. It also has a minor DR/- for how many people you have sex with (max DR 5/-) Still not worth it.
Dropping of Stone: Supernatural - Orgasm on people to turn them to stone on a fail fort save (CON based). It can be used to all within 10 feat. The feat plain sucks since its range is so short.
Enraged Armory: Supernatural - Burn two feats and during a rage and spending an action point you can form magical weapons that you are familiar with (including cannons). Too many feats to make it worth it.
Entropic Rage: Supernatural - Burn two feats, during a rage and spending an action point all objects get an immediate and permanent hardness reduction. Carried and worn objects get a save. Also your unarmed strike ignore some equipment bonuses to Defense. No not good at all.
Familial Bodyswap: Supernatural - Two feats bad feats, and once per day after having consensual sex with a immediate family member you can switch bodies. The benefits are not that great and it last a number of hours each to the combined WIS mod total. If you are not touching when it ends you are stunned for 1d6 minutes. Pass
Grave between the Legs: Supernatural - You need either Iron Will or Great Fort and 4 ranks in Know(Arcane Lore) - You get the ability to use your sexual fluids or blood as toxin (CON damage, once per encounter, potent for 1d4 hours, and scale to your character level). This is a good feat as well. The toxin can be delivered through ingestion or contact. It can as be deactivated at will.
Gift of Innocence - (metamagic, don't know why) - take someones cherry and you can keep tabs and know their condition and location. Also if it was in the past 24 hours you get a +1 to caster level with Conjuration and Enchantment spells. Also +2 insight bonus to Treat Injury and Sense Motive. Not good at all. It's also funny that in the text it makes references to virginal lover when I could swear that after using the feat they are not virgins any more. Also they have to be willing and sentient.
Gifts of Estacy - +4 competence bonus to some sexual oriented skills. Pass unless you want to boost Diplomacy.
Gunslinger's Fetish - Supernatural - Burn some feats. Shoot anybody you want to have sex with any they are affected by any sexual feat or ability you can use with them as the target (you can't use any healing or buffs though). Could have been useful but the requirement make it suck.
Haze of Pleasure - Supernatural - CON modifier times per day you can exhale a small cloud of gas that if any creature fails a Will Save (18+Con modifier) they get a -10 penalty to Wisdom based skills and Will saves for 2d6 rounds. Wow that seems good and the requirements aren't bad.
Hissing Bile - Supernatural - Get punkass 1d4 acid spit. Next
Hypnotic Beauty - Burn a feat to be to fascinate sentient creatures only problem is it 2d4 HD worth. So pass.
Infectious Rage - Superantarual - You rage is infectious and can give others a shitty version of the one you have. Pass
Incestuous Voyeur - Supernatural - Watch a family member a sexual act and you can see through their eyes and vice versa. Spend an action point to give them some minor abilities. Pass.
Innocence Restored - Supernatural - Have consensual sex with a sentient being and you wipe away all the bad sex stuff from them. This includes pregnancy (Fort save) and STDs. And it restores their V-card. This is a feat you don't want but you NPC lover to have.
Insinuation - (LPJ Design product plug) - you can change someones beliefs and allegiance. Pass
Junishi Zodiac - Supernatural - First Level feat. Choose a month and gain some minor bonuses to some skills. Also get +1 caster level on a specific school depending on the month. Could be useful, but there are better feats.
Moonflit Wings - Supernatural, Female Only, - You need Moonwise feat for this. You gain wings that do minor damage coming out and gain 60ft (good maneuver) flight. In a full moon it is 80ft and perfect and it last an hour per activation that CON mod times per day. You can only use it when you are unarmored or, lightly armored, and carrying a medium load. It not too bad except Moonwise sucks.
Moon Wise - Supernatural, Female Only - Burn skill points on stupid shit to get very minor abilities. These can only be used during your mensual cycle.
More coming soon.
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