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Disclaimer: As far as my qualifications are concerned, I have none. I'm not a professional writer. I'm not even an amateur writer. I'm a semi-competent fry-cook in a fern bar. A couple of the letters I've written to the local paper have seen print on the editorial page, but that's it. I've been playing D&D for a long time, but although I have kept up with the gaming industry I haven't actually played in a while. I guess I'm just trying to say you have to take this review for what it's worth.
Advisory: This review is intended as an innuendo free zone. Sure, I joke occasionally, but I am trying to convey accurate information here with a minimum of sniggering. So all you one-handed die rollers out there with hopes of droolworthy prose can just dig up a whole other website.
The Book of Erotic Fantasy, Overview: Let's start with what this book is not - it is not elf porn. Or perhaps I should say, it's not JUST elf porn. The contents of the BEF are all options for enhancement of a game setting, not a campaign itself. This material can be used to produce 'low sex' games, with a few die rolls and some rousing descriptions, or 'highly sexed' games with the narrative inclusion of every wiggle and grunt.
It is also not just a book of physical sex. It is erotic fantasy, presenting not merely the physical but the metaphysical, spiritual, and even sentimental implications of one of the thorniest kinds of relationships in the real world. Mind you, even all that highbrow stuff is optional; if you want to call your bard Don Wan and see how many chicks he can bag in one night, well, there are rules for that too.
And oh yeah - this is not a LARP book. If you decide to go Live Action, then as long as all the participants are consenting adults, fine. I simply observe that you are no longer playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Presentation: It is one beautiful book, hardback, with 190 glossy pages and good quality binding. The cover is done in a dark heavily stylized version of the 'fantasy tome' motif that Wizards of the Coast began with their issue of D&D 3rd edition. The front cover depicts a welcome from a Greater Succubus, one of the monsters described inside, in the style of all of the books pictures - an actual live photographic portrait, heavily photoshopped. And in full color. I don't know where the BEF's creators got so many models willing to wear so many different kinds of fantasy clothing, body paints, and odd prostheses, but the work is at worst striking, at best quite convincing. It is occasionally openly pornographic, but not always, and some of the plates are quite acceptable coffee-table material.
A noteworthy detail of the layout is the addition of a quote to each heading, in order to permit each subject to speak for itself, as it were. It is a common practice, and can be a little cheesy in the wrong hands, but the authors of BEF manage to keep it fun. (Heading: Sex and Humor. Quote: Is that a wand of wonder in your pants or are you just happy to see me?) Some of them are comical, some are deadly serious. Generally, I feel they do succeed in the important task of personalizing each subject. The style of writing is otherwise somewhat dispassionate, not too dry but very cool and non-provocative, which is the perfect way to write about a subject that could easily be distractingly salacious.
So without further ado, let's go through the BEF page by page.
On the front cover is the Parental Advisory sticker. Or at least, there had better be. It's serious. They aren't kidding.
There are things in this book that simply aren't suitable for children. There are some nominal grownups who can't handle it. I think I have voted for some of them. And I'm not talking about the occasional use of the word 'fuck' or a shot of ten pounds of titty in a tight brassiere. This culture being what it is, any child old enough to play D&D has already been exposed to such terms and images. That's not what this is about.
This is about the fact that even in campaigns where sex is not an issue, player characters tend to become valuable to their players. That value starts out as a simple investment of time and energy which players don't want to have wasted should the character be eaten by a passing bulette, or whatever. It often grows considerably deeper than that, with players investing aspects of their personality in the characters - sometimes aspects they wouldn't dream of exposing in any other way.
Now with the BEF that investment can involve some of the most powerful and rewarding sentiments in the human emotional palette. The narrative themes involved can cut deep.
That said, this book should not be utterly forbidden from any game with anyone under the age of 18 - everyone is different, and some people develop emotionally more quickly than others. Aside from entertainment value, the BEF can be educational as well. For example, although the venereal diseases described are fictional, the fact that the BEF includes them as well as a simple pregnancy risk assessment can inform the players' habits of thought - that sex has consequences that are desirable and anticipated, as well as some that are undesirable and unexpected. There could easily be a place for this book as an educational tool, as long as care is taken.
So here is the vital thing to know for anyone over the age of 18 who wishes to incorporate the contents of this book into a campaign that includes players under the age of 18, that is to say, minors - before doing any such thing, make sure you have a clear understanding with the parents or guardians of said minors. It might be an awkward conversation, but any less scrupulous behavior could easily result in unpleasant legal repercussions.
A quick side note on the question of sexual relations with children as depicted in the BEF - there aren't any. Except for noting that all but the most evil and depraved societies have a taboo against child molestation, the authors avoid the subject entirely, which is also as it should be. Of course, the BEF also notes that the definition of 'child' differs from one culture to another, depending on the local Rites of Passage, but the BEF was explicitly written assuming that all the characters involved are consensual, sapient adults. For my money, I wouldn't try to push a controversial age in the game unless all the players were legally adults in MY culture - and maybe had signed waivers. I guess I'm a bit of a coward that way.
That said, let's actually open the book and see what we find...
Chapter 1: Love, Sex & Roleplaying. This chapter is the least rules-intensive in the book, starting off with the basic question 'Why include sex in your game?' which, along with many of the other topics, could apply to any RPG on the market. The authors note that where sex is involved comedy is almost inevitable. This is a useful observation, considering that many gaming groups include a few quit-joking-around-and-be-serious types. That approach doesn't fly with the BEF. Perhaps even more useful is the reminder that not every single rule in the BEF needs to be incorporated in a campaign just because some are. Mind you, I can well imagine that in a magically active universe, the lustful appetites of Gods, ancient dragons, mighty spirits and high-level characters might leave their mark on vast swaths of reality, but I'm not sure I'd want to play in such a campaign for long. The BEF is not a campaign setting but an accessory, more of an idea mine.
Some of the ideas fall flat. Some are almost irresistible.
I could go over every single subject in the chapter, but I think I shall content myself with observing that the authors are terribly inclusive. From the RP value of pornography (actual dirty pictures are optional) to the significance of sexual orientation taboos, this chapter is packed with detail on character interactions with character, as well as some advice on player interaction with player(translation - how to keep it from getting acrimonious.) In fact, I should be very interested in hearing someone better educated than I am give an opinion of this chapter as real-world social discourse.
But of course, D&D players will be especially interested in two specific parts - Sex and the Alignments, and Sex and the Species.
Regarding the Alignments section, it is interesting to reflect on ones' own preconceptions. If I had been asked previous to reading this what the sexual attitudes of a Lawful Good character would be, I would have said 'unbroken abstinence before marriage, unmitigated monogamy afterwards.' After the fact, though, it is clear that this is a cultural perspective; Lawful Good characters can be sexually active to the point of promiscuity, but not capriciously so. A Lawful Good character will make promises before sex, and keep them afterwards. I am reminded of the real-world custom among some Moslems, of performing a brief ritual of marriage to a prostitute before transacting with her, then performing a brief ritual of divorce the next morning. There is something of the same character at work here, of people meeting their physical needs without abrogating their moral ones.
Each alignment gets a quote (the one for Lawful Good is 'Be Virtuous in All Endeavors'), a few paragraphs explaining the general approach to sex, marriage, and sensuality held by characters of that alignment, and a vignette illustrating that approach. The Chaotic Evil alignment gets no vignette, but then their quote says it all (it's the one that begins this review.)
Next is Sex and the Species. Each of the major species gets a few paragraphs describing their typical sexual mores, attitudes and behavior, then another section on Pregnancy and Childbirth. These sections bear careful reading for the simple reason that many of the major races were inspired by, if not based upon, the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien. The D&D interpretation has been getting further and further away from Tolkien's work over the years, and the BEF presents the furthest orbit yet.
The Dwarves aren't too surprising. One noteworthy aspect of dwarven reproduction is that unlike many other races - with the exception of the gnomes - dwarves do not successfully crossbreed with other species often, and as a rule this suits the dwarves just fine.
Elves, on the other hand, present a whole entire different species from Tolkien's Eldarin. Tolkien himself was a devout Catholic, and explicitly described the sex lives of elves as being emblematic of his own extremely conservative beliefs. For the Eldarin, sex is marriage and vice versa, and after a husband and wife have fulfilled their procreational duties sexual activity diminishes sharply and irreversibly.
The elves as described in the BEF are different enough to cause Tolkien to do some quick spins in his grave. They like sex, and do not cease to like it, maybe not ever. They aren't callous about the sentiments involved, but neither do they see a need to be constrained by human beliefs about monogamy, promiscuity, or sexual orientation. Plus, on a biological note, the BEF's elves have a gestation time of about two years, nearly twice what Tolkien allotted for the Eldarin.
The section on Gnomes finally explains why the pointy-hatted little burrowers are so often depicted as smiling.
Half-elves and Half-orcs each get their own section, going into detail on how their sex lives are derived from the culture in which they are raised, and how they aren't.
Halflings. Hooboy, the halflings. If the elves had Tolkien spinning in his grave, the halflings of the BEF probably have him rototilling the cemetery. I hold Wizards of the Coast responsible - with the publication of the 3rd Edition of D&D, they finally got around to reworking the halflings, I suppose to settle the disparity between halflings as stout and staid homebodies and the great number of scouts, spies, thieves and even cutthroats they produced. It stands to reason that 'game' halflings would be more adventurous as a species; the BEF takes that adventurous spirit more or less where you might expect.
Humans, by contrast, are given a very brief treatment; a paraphrase of the content of the Players' Handbook, with sexual content emphasized. There is then a section on Other Humanoids, who are treated similarly to the major species but are painted in broader strokes, a consequence of being given less space. From the lizardfolk (Quote: "It is now time to mate.") to satyrs (Quote: "How about now?") there is something for everyone. Heck, as far as sexual proclivities go, there is something for everyone in the dopplegangers' entry alone (Quote: "No better lover than one who can read your mind.")
And finally there is a section on Other Creature Types. Some of it is enlightening - so that's why there are so many kinds of half-dragons. Some of it is dismissive, and deservedly so (here's the quote from the Ooze entry: One Ooze, Idiot Damages Ooze, Two Oozes.) And some of it I really didn't need to know. The Undead entry comes to mind, and I kinda wish it didn't.
Chapter 2: Rules, Skills & Feats. Here is where it starts to get really rules intensive. When I conveyed an early draft of this review to a friend, the listener reacted negatively: "Why all the dice rolling and charts? What's wrong with narrative and character development?"
My answer to this is that for some people, a prolonged description of sexual activity would actually be a distraction to an ongoing story. It is possible to play a pornographic game using the rules presented in the BEF, but it certainly isn't necessary. Everything in the book is an option, and it is perfectly plausible to have a game of D&D in which sexual activity is important to the plot but not central to the narrative.
On the other hand, there are consequences to sexual activity, and in a world where magic works it follows that some of these consequences might be overtly supernatural in nature. In such cases, even if graphic description is involved, an element of chance might prove to be important. As with all accessories, don't get hung up on the fact that dice are mentioned - some DMs don't roll dice for such things, but just decide whether a result will be amusing or edifying and include it or reject it on that basis.
And now the unpleasant news.
I'm afraid the very first couple of pages of Chapter Two are given up to a Horror. Get ready for a Sanity loss. We thought we were rid of it, but they brought it back. This is going to hurt. Sit down. Ready?
Those crazy Valar Project bastards have resurrected The Seventh Stat.
You know the one I mean. Comeliness. Attractiveness. Beauty. Hottitude. By whatever name, it sucks as bad.
The BEF calls it Appearance. It still sucks.
Okay, I exaggerated for dramatic effect; it's not San-blastingly bad. But it is a bad decision. At it's most superficial, it means that anyone using a store-bought character sheet will have to write Attractiveness into the margins of the Ability Score section. The kind of people who want to write in the margins are using notebook paper.
That might seem trivial, but it is emblematic of the real problem, which is that a seventh score doesn't have a place. Charisma. Charisma is where Attractiveness is. Just as Dexterity includes footwork as well as hand-eye coordination, so Charisma is where the Attractiveness lives. It's difficult to imagine divorcing the two concepts. A person can be charismatic without being attractive - see Limbaugh, Rush - but it is rather difficult to imagine a character who was attractive without being charismatic.
So what? What about the 'everything is an option' concept? Well, some things are more optional than others, and the authors of the BEF use Appearance as a reference in a significant fraction of the rest of the material. If you hope to include the BEF stuff in your game, your going to have to account for the Appearance Ability Score.
One option is simply to average Charisma with some other ability score to generate a number as needed. This is the simplest option, and can be quite workable in campaigns with a small amount of BEF material.
Another option might be to make Appearance a skill. Charisma based, Class skill for everyone, can be used untrained, synergy bonuses from or to bluff, disguise or diplomacy. The DM who goes for this option has to do some paperwork but not a prohibitive amount. In particular, this relegates the Base Classes presented elsewhere in the book to Prestige Classes, but I'll get into the ramifications of that in a minute.
So much for Appearance. I'll try to not bring it up again.
There is a sidebar in this chapter that deals directly with the question of Appearance and Size of Sexual Organs. The authors note that since other aspects of a characters appearance are up to the player, these should be too. And no, making them big and shapely won't give any bonuses to the Sexual Performance skill. Even in the game it's not the size of the boat, it's the motion in the ocean.
There is a whole section on the duration of a sex act and ways to prolong it. (No, there are few real world details presented; if you want such details, you can probably find them without too much difficulty. This simply isn't the book for it.) This can be done as an expression of love or pleasure, but it also has some potentially striking supernatural effects; sex generates energy, and in the BEF cosmology that energy can be captured and used for a number of benefits. The upside comes in a later chapter; right now simply note that the Perform (Sexual Techniques) skill is used for a lot more than a prostitutes nightly pay.
There is a section on Sexually Transmitted Diseases that the players had better read if the DM plans to include it in the game. No one wants surprises like these. In addition to some fantasy analogs of real world diseases - Burning Release is pretty obviously gonorrhea; Asteral's Doom, with it's six month incubation period and hellish constitution damage, stands in for AIDS - there are some old fantasy standbys that I wasn't clear on. Not only are lycanthropy and vampirism STDs, so is mummy rot and ghoul fever. There is one entry on the relevant table, Engorgement, that has no corresponding text description. The name is suggestive, but the damage is listed as Special, so I can only guess what the authors had in mind.
There is a section on Fetishes, but it's almost perfunctory. Anyone hoping for an education on fetishism, even in a gaming context, is in for a disappointment. That's okay, though - by definition, a fetish is usually pretty personal in nature.
The section on Pregnancy and Childbirth makes up for it. Specifics vary, but the authors simplified things greatly by assuming that all humanoid creatures react to pregnancy in physiologically similar ways. Thus, with trivial allowances for species, the techniques for magical and non-magical birth control work for everyone they would be intended to work for. This applies to fertility enhancement as well - some creatures like nymphs and outsiders are capable of volitional control of conception arising from a sex act, but for most others some form of magic would be required. There is one table on species conception chance and gestation interval, and another very extensive table on crossbreeding (for my money, Green Ronin's excellent work Bastards & Bloodlines would be an invaluable supplement to this material.)
Finally, there are the Feats. Some of these are positively innocent, but many of them make ample use of the prolonging sex material cited earlier - there is a feat for every Ability Score whereby the energy of a sex act can be used for a 24 hour long enhancement bonus. There are also some counterintuitive feats - Chaste Life gives you a bonus as a consequence of choosing to live entirely without sex, and Sterile is a condition I wouldn't have applied as a feat. And Sexually Private Society (incompatible with Sexually Open Society) gives you a bonus to resist magical spells or effects with a sexual descriptor.
Chapter 3: Base & Prestige Classes. Here's where that seventh stat gets really pesky, with the three base classes presented. Frankly, these don't look like they were very well playtested before presentation - I haven't playtested them myself, so perhaps you shouldn't read too much into the fact that I don't 'get' them. The Imagist is a kind of divine spellcaster with a distinctive spell list, sorcerer-style spell use, and Appearance as a spellcasting ability. That's pretty striaghtforward I guess. I'm just still bitter about the Appearance thing.
The Kundala is a different kettle of fish. The Appearance ability isn't even mentioned, so that can't be it. Think of a monk with some personal enhancements swapped out for spellcasting. Perhaps my problem is that the first level class trait, Sexual Code of Conduct, is not explained. It is clear that the Kundala must be sexually active in order to use his (or her) powers, but the parameters of this activity are not explained, a peculiar absence considering the breadth of material available for this in the previous chapter. Do they have to make it once a night in order to use Flurry of Blows, or once a week, or what? It doesn't say, just that they can't take feats, classes, or vows that would preclude such activity. Duh.
Ditto the Tantrist, a spellcaster whose arcane magic is fueled by sexual energy. They have a Sexual Code of Conduct too, but this one has a pretty clear detail - the tantrist must have sex for at least an hour in addition to getting a full nights sleep in order to prepare a spell for casting (the reviewer is not going to comment on any reality testing that might have been done for this arrangement.) The tantrist doesn't have a distinct spell list, but gains spells from the wizard/sorcerer list as well as gaining access to a few domains. Okay, I get this one, but it's not a viable option in a low-sex campaign. Yeah, 'duh'.
The Prestige Classes are much better. The Divine Celibate is a little counterintuitive, but then a class that derives power from celibacy would be too easy in a low- or no-sex setting. The class would be truly balanced only when surrounded by temptation.. The Harem Protector is another one that might be lifted from the BEF without much other context, but then without the Sterile feat it won't make much sense.
With some other prestige classes in this book, the authors have finally added elements that I have felt the lack of for years. From time to time in Dragon Magazine I have seen articles on what might be called 'quality of life' fantasy professions. Hedge wizards, cloistered clerics, and mystical architects have all seen various permutations through the years, but such classes rarely caught on for the simple reason that they rarely got into fights. Sure, a charismatic farm-boy might develop sorcerers powers, but there would then be a strong social pressure for said farm-boy to go do something spectacular with his powers; consequently, one rarely sees a 'household sorcerer.' Spellcasters in particular are effort intensive characters to create, and it's not frequent for DMs or adventure designers to bother. With the DMG's Adept spellcaster, the hole was at least addressed, but hardly filled.
The BEF authors have made an effort to make such characters worthwhile. The Knot-Binder of Kaladis is the quintessential example. They are 'marryin' preachers', the priests of Kaladis, god of vows and binding agreements. They act as witnesses to unions of any kind, not judging the union itself as much as providing divine recognition of the oath. The special powers include the abilities to force someone to remember every oath they've ever broken, and to turn any willingly taken oath into a Geas. Without striking a single blow or casting any offensive spells, these characters can be the supernatural catalysts for all manner of plots.
The other classes of similar 'quality of life' focusses are dedicated to sexual interactions of various kinds, but that stands to reason. Given that someone is going to use their magical gifts to bring pleasure, sexual pleasure is simply the most obvious application. The Disciples of Aaluran, for example, are dedicated hedonists who serve the god of sex and sexual freedom. (I could make a 'it's a hard job' joke, but shall refrain.) The Sacred Prostitute is another kind of divine spellcaster, who embodies a quote from Spider Robinson: "A prostitute is just a priest for someone who prefers to do his confessing lying down." They give a whole new depth of meaning to the term 'sexual healing.'
Not that non-divine spellcasters don't get into the act. There is the Pierced Mystic, who enhances previously acquired spellcasting power with special body alterations, the Rake, whose socially adept training includes things like Pillow Talk and the Forgetful Caress as well as a Sneak Attack that I imagine would be devastating, the Frenzied Disciple, who is kind of like a Barbarian except that the berserk state is fueled by ecstasy instead of wrath, and the Dominator, who turns the intimidate skill into a science and the Will save into a fine art.
There are a couple of classes here that have very little to do with sex and eroticism - the Metaphysical Spellshaper, for example, seems awfully peripheral to the subject of the BEF. They enhance their metamagic with loss of ability points instead of raising the casting level, and that's about all they bring to the table. The Voyeuristic Seer also has little to do with erotic fantasy except for the name, being kind of a hyper-diviner. That said, these are some interesting and useable classes in their own right.
Chapter 4: Magic. All right, here is where the rules get juicy. We have a few new domains - Body, Denial, Joining, Perversion, Pleasure and Voyeur. New spell lists, just like in the Players Handbook. And gentle readers, what spells. Each with it's own quote, so you know what sentiment is going to be involved. They range from the ridiculous (Ale Goggles. Quote: "What happened to the cutie I saw last night?") to the sublime (Youth's Beauty. Quote: "Youth is wasted on the young.")
Some of the low-level spells have pretty explosive campaign implications, yet they are so obvious that it's hard to see how they weren't in use before. Hedonist's Delight, for example, simply enhances the senses. The bonuses are almost trivial - all healing spells the subject receives are maximized, and he gets a bonus to Craft checks, but if a spell like that existed in the real world, midlevel bards could make good money simply by casting that one spell a lot. Impotency is another spell which, with a deft use in a land where bloodline was important, could make the local maps obsolete simply by ensuring that someone never becomes a parent. Find a Soulmate is the ultimate match-maker's tool. Trivial? Consider how much money is spent on dating services in the real world.
This is not to say there aren't some spells here just for fun - the Grope cantrip is a nice touch, metaphorically speaking, and the Reverse Gender spell brings back the good old days when just trying on the wrong belt could get you a spot in the 'other' restroom. When it comes to spells, the authors of the BEF have been creative in ways most readers probably won't expect.
There is also a section on new uses for old spells. I, for one, have never had the nerve to use the Command, 'Masturbate' in a game, so the fact that it would cause someone who failed their save to drop everything and be helpless for a few rounds simply never occurred to me. In retrospect it's obvious, just as it is obvious that Invisibility is broken by violence, not sex. There is a paragraph devoted to the operation of 'blindfold societies', where Invisibility is cast at the door...
There is also a sidebar on Sex, Spells, Law, and Morality. All the stuff therein was kind of obvious to me - coercing someone into giving consent is actually an act of rape, morally and in most campaign settings legally as well, etc. It's worth the read, though, considering how close to the line some players like to dance.
Chapter 5: Items. This chapter starts off with a remarkably comprehensive list of nonmagical items, including Toys, Aphrodisiacs, Birth Control Devices, and Services. The BEF does an excellent job of translating the contents of various X-rated catalogues into fantasy terms.
The section on magical items is reasonably stocked, but an imaginative DM or player, if given access to the spells in the previous chapter, could come up with the same items or analogs. Just as with the Book of Exalted Deeds and the Book of Vile Darkness, there is an artifact described in here called the Book of Erotic Fantasy. Don't mention it in the wrong company...
There is a table on Alternate Spaces for Magic Items on the Body that might be informative. No, I'm afraid that even the BEF only permits two rings to be used at once, but they don't necessarily need to be worn on your fingers.
There is also a sidebar entitled 'You're Not Wearing That to Bed, Are You?', which addresses the stereotypical adventurer who refuses to remove his Armor of Snail Mucus +3 not matter how inappropriate it might be. If you play with one of those guys, this is definitely worth the look.
Chapter 6: Gods & Monsters. The first section is devoted to Sex Gods, and the sex of gods. Godly sex lives are addressed only briefly, but then they aren't treated too specifically. The ground is wide, and is gone over quickly. Then the Sex Gods are statted out as deities suitable for inclusion in a fantasy campaign. Aaluran the Ruler of Temptation; Alilial the Childbringer, Midwife to the Gods; Cevelis the Chaste One, Lady of Denial; Kaladis the Binder, Guardian of the Sacred Vow; Vershat the Prolific Mother, Warren Queen of the Goblins; and finally Zanbos the Defiler, the Abusive One. Except for Zanbos, all of the deities listed have portfolios that are treated extensively in the BEF; Zanbos is the perfect villainous deity in a high-sex campaign.
The second section is entitled Creatures of Passion, which just means that this is where to find the monsters. There are included a number of templates along with the straightforward monster entries, which ties into the info on crossbreeding and the many kinds of star-crossed lovers permitted in the BEF. There is a rather high proportion of tiefling types. Demonbred, Devilblood, Half-demon and Half-devil are presented with the good-aligned outsiders left with the Half-celestial template that appears in the Monster Manual. An odd detail considering the work the authors went to to assure us that good alignments do not preclude an active sex life, but then I guess the fiends have some kind of agenda in spreading their progeny across the worlds of mortals that celestials do not share. That's just my own opinion, though - the BEF says nothing of the omission.
The other templates are sketchy to the point of merely being examples of the breadth of crossbreeding possible. The giantborn and feykissed are easy to figure out, whereas the felids and serpentines aren't. The serpentines in particular are almost gratuitous; we have the Yuan-Ti, what else do we need from ophidian people?
Bottom line: Not many monsters, but the ones that are here play into the themes of the BEF well enough. I can imagine an excellent dungeon trap involving Bliss Motes and a Pleasure Golem, one you couldn't persuade the prisoners to leave...
Chapter 7: Adventures and Organizations. This chapter starts off with the almost obligatory table of 100 Adventure Ideas. I like some of these; depending on the culture of the campaign setting, something as simple as 'The mayor of a large city has recently announced that he is gay' could start more than tabloid headlines. No? How about this one - 'A covey of hags has conspired to bring two evil people together in order for the resulting child to be a powerful servant of evil.' Or this one - 'a local lord demands the right of First Night, in which he consummates the marriage by sleeping with the bride.' Some of these are pretty interesting, and perfectly suitable for a low-sex campaign. As with all such tables, though, there are some that can only barely be stretched into a single encounter, let alone an adventure.
The next section is Organizations. Only three organizations and one brothel are listed, but the material on them is detailed and effective for a story. These groups are not really suitable for a low-sex game, though - one escort service and two Fantasy sex clubs, basically. You don't want to be bringing any bluenoses into these circles.
Appendix 1: Creature Appearance Scores. Earlier, the BEF brought in a Seventh Ability Score, knowing that every creature in the Monster Manual was going to have to be reworked. With this appendix, they at least made a start, listing every monster in the MM and in the BEF with an Appearance value.
Appendix 2: Creatures by Challenge Rating. Here we find a table of all of the monsters in the Creatures of Passion section, along with all the characters occasionally drawn up to serve as examples and such.
And the Index, which is at least up to the standards set by the Core Rulebooks, which is 'we might have one, and if we do it might be accurate.'
Finally, my copy of the BEF includes a 'What's New with Phil and Dixie' one-page comic, which is reasonably funny, but I am told that this is in some legal jeopardy. I have no idea if other copies will be similarly capped off.
Oh yeah, really finally, there is the copy of the OGL in lots of small print.
Summary: This is some book. The format, binding and other esthetic concerns of the book itself are top notch, and the material is well-written and articulate. Some of the concepts were clearly conceived in the heat of whatever heat the authors were in, but all in all it is solid material, clearly but tastefully exploring a dimension of D&D that gamers have been contemplating ever since the 1st editions Monster Manual depicted a Succubus posed to reveal that she was wearing no bra under her invisible blouse, but which until now has remained ... only fantasy. If you are interested in such explorations, and have an extra thirty-five bucks of spending money, the Book of Erotic Fantasy is unreservedly recommended.
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