The Sea Devils is a very good book written by Skip Williams about one of D&D's most famous monsters, the orcs of the deep, the
sahuagin. It is a treatise on the Sahuagin written for Game Masters: it gives details about their anatomy, reproduction, religion, society, and some new allies and enemies. It also gives details on their origins (are they human or elf?), possible hybrids, and their mutants.
I found the pictures of the Sahuagin very striking: especially the surprise on their fantastic anatomy. The Art was very well done, a mixture of paintings, inks, and photographs, all done in a believable style.
When I read the book, it dispells the notion that these Sea Devils act like orcs. They are in fact, very very smart. The Sahuagin are a formidable foe, taking evolution as an advantage: they cull the weak from their society, and work towards being the smartest, fastest, and strongest race in the sea.
Everything in this book impressed me. A complete book dedicated to sahuagin in every respect. It does this so well you wonder why they aren't a player character race. However, the only thing bad was that it referenced a lot of information found in the Ships of the Sea accessory.
Although it was written for the Dungeons and Dragons game in mind (AD&D, really), it has a lot of useful information for GMs who run any fantasy game and is looking for some adventures underwater. The information in the book can be adapted to any underwater campaign: imagine Captain Nemo and the Nautilus facing a troop of these guys, or even a Call of Chuthlu game where some unsuspecting boat trip turns into one of horror when someone releases the Sahuagin into our world. The possibilities are endless.
Overall, if you are a GM looking to start or run an underwater campaign, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy this book.
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)
