The Nomicon

Publisher: Mythmere Games
Author: Matt Finch
Format: Hardcover & PDF
Length: ~350 pages
Use Case: Campaign inspiration, advanced referee material, old-school philosophy, creative design

🧭 Overview

The Nomicon by Matt Finch and Mythmere Games is a dense, thought-provoking tome that sits at the intersection of game design theory, adventure-building toolkit, and system-neutral inspiration manual. Much like Tome of Adventure Design and Tome of Worldbuilding, The Nomicon is part of a suite of tools from Mythmere Games that aims to empower Game Masters—not by prescribing stories, but by expanding how they think about RPG design and play.

But The Nomicon is something different. It’s not a manual in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s more of a philosophical grimoire for game referees, filled with design essays, imaginative spark tables, mechanical commentary, and metaphysical musings. This book is less about what to run and more about how to see your world—offering GMs a deeper, sometimes darker lens through which to view fantasy roleplaying.

📖 Structure and Content

The Nomicon is divided into several major sections, each offering a different dimension of support for worldbuilding, campaign design, or dungeon mastering. The content ranges from theoretical essays on game design to table-driven content generation. While the layout and typography are reminiscent of old-school rulebooks, the content often transcends system and style.

📚 Key Sections Include:

• Principles of Weird Fantasy
  These essays discuss the underpinnings of “weird” fantasy roleplaying: mystery, unknowability, horror, surrealism, and the non-heroic underpinnings of OSR-style play. It emphasizes tone and philosophy over rules and mechanics.
• Tables of Invention
  Hundreds of tables for generating strange places, gods, dreams, monsters, spells, encounters, and other creative stimuli. These aren’t the standard fare—they are often cryptic, poetic, or surreal, encouraging deep interpretation.
• Mechanics of the Arcane
  This section dives into the nature of magic—less in terms of spell lists, and more in terms of how magic functions philosophically and thematically in a world. Topics like “mythic magic,” “heretical sorcery,” and the “structure of magical law” abound.
• The Referee’s Lore
  Advice and insight into running worlds that lean into the metaphysical, the ambiguous, and the uncanny. It includes commentary on sandbox play, managing randomness, creating purpose through entropy, and incorporating deeper storytelling layers.

🧠 A Book of Ideas, Not Instructions

What sets The Nomicon apart from traditional supplements is its tone and intention. You won’t find plug-and-play dungeons or prebuilt stat blocks here. Instead, this is a book that wants to change how you think. It challenges assumptions about player agency, game balance, character power, and narrative structure.

For example, the “Dream Generator” table doesn’t just generate a surreal image—it suggests what that dream means within a metaphysical hierarchy. The deity tables don’t just offer a god’s name—they include a divine paradox, an incomprehensible doctrine, or a cursed holy symbol.

This emphasis on meaning rather than mechanics makes it a standout among GM resources.

🧷 Compatibility and Application

Although written with an old-school mindset, The Nomicon is system-agnostic. Whether you’re running B/X, OSE, Shadowdark, 5E, Dungeon World, or your own homebrew, the content can be adapted to any campaign.

It works especially well for:

• GMs building new settings who want a surreal or mythic tone.
• Sandbox campaigns where world logic emerges from discovery rather than a pre-written narrative.
• Weird fantasy or cosmic horror themes where unknowable truths and warped realities are central.
• Experienced referees looking for philosophical inspiration beyond typical rulebooks.

It’s not ideal for new GMs seeking a beginner-friendly how-to guide. The prose can be dense, the ideas complex, and the tools require thoughtful interpretation.

✅ Strengths

🧩 Philosophical Depth

One of the rare RPG books that invites deep thinking about the nature of play, storytelling, and the player/referee relationship.

🎲 Inventive, Evocative Tables

Hundreds of tables, all dripping with inspiration, mystery, and thematic resonance. They are useful for sparking ideas during prep or at the table.

📖 Rich, System-Neutral Content

No need to convert stats or rules—everything is focused on ideas, meaning it’s portable across any system.

🧙‍♂️ Perfect for Weird and Mythic Play

If your campaign includes dreaming gods, ancient machines, unknowable magic, or metaphysical horror, this book is pure fuel.

⚠️ Weaknesses

🔍 Not Beginner-Friendly

This is a high-concept book. New GMs or those unfamiliar with OSR principles may find it intimidating or opaque in places.

📄 Dense, Sometimes Esoteric

Some entries are abstract or poetic, requiring GMs to recontextualize or interpret for practical use.

🖼️ Minimal Art and Layout Flair

Like other Mythmere releases, the layout is utilitarian. It’s clear and functional, but don’t expect lavish illustrations or premium design.

🧾 Ideal Use Cases

• Campaign Brainstorming: Let the tables and essays shape the tone and themes of your world.
• Session Prep: Use the tables to add mysterious artifacts, strange NPCs, or cryptic omens on the fly.
• Game Philosophy: Refine your style and approach as a GM by exploring its deeper ideas about worldbuilding and narrative.
• Adventure Design Companion: Pair it with Tome of Adventure Design for a full creative toolkit.

🧠 Final Thoughts

The Nomicon is a rare kind of RPG supplement—more grimoire than guidebook. It is a love letter to strange worlds, the subconscious, and the mythic underpinnings of fantasy storytelling. It doesn’t hand you answers; it hands you mysteries. And for the right kind of Game Master, that’s exactly what’s needed.