Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms Now Available from Loot Tavern

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A new world of kung fu and kaiju has arrived, with the D&D 5e compatible sourcebook Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms now available from publisher Loot Tavern. The book is billed as a TTRPG love letter to Japanese folklore, anime and pop culture franchises like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Pacific Rim and Kung Fu Panda, offering new rules, player options, monsters and magic items. It’s also the brain child of YouTuber William Earl (better known as DnD Shorts), who first launched the project on Kickstarter back in 2023, generating a whopping $3.3 million USD in funding in the process.

The supplement is now available to the general public, with the PDF now available on Loot Tavern (notably the hardcover version is available for pre-order with an early December 2025 release). Below, we smash apart all the details.

What’s included in “Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms”?

Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms is a 392-page supplement that uses the 2014 D&D 5e rules and is geared towards both players and Game Masters. The book, however, isn’t meant to be a detailed campaign setting. Instead, it’s really a unique blend of monster manual, character options and new rules for combat and crafting. In particular it includes:

• New Kaiju battle mechanics that allow players to battle gargantuan god-like entities, with rules on targeting vulnerabilities, damage-induced rampages and destructive effects that occur after a creature is defeated. The book also includes stats for several kaiju, with everything from giant beetles and demonic sea creatures to city-sized beasts that channel lighting. In addition, it provides rules and guidance on how GMs can create their own kaiju.
• New combat options, including Combo Attacks that allow two players to string together melee and ranged attacks to deliver extra damage and unleash unique effects. In addition, the book also includes new Weapon Masteries with new rules for superior strikes and advanced combat techniques.

• New harvest and crafting rules, with options for how players can turn kaiju and yokai monster parts into weapons, armor and other items.
• 16 new species, including the monkey-like Enkoh, the sentient aquatic plantfolk known as Fuyohren, magic-infused clay constructs known as Haniwa and the crab-like Istesu.
• 14 new subclasses, including the Path of the Kaiju Barbarian, College of Masks Bard, Circle of the Yokai Druid, Spirit Caller Sorcerer and the Shinobi Wizard.

• The new Element Bender class, which can channel earth, air, fire and water and includes four corresponding subclasses, all clearly an homage to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
• New equipment and weapons, including a variety of Asian-themed items, such as katanas, shuriken and nunchaku, plus new rules for constructing combat-focused prosthetics to replace or augment a character’s limbs.
• 54 new Asian-themed magic items, including the God Speaker Kimono, the Reaper’s Kama and the Xyxlwood Bonsai, with optional rules on how to craft them.
• 62 new monsters, including a range of yokai spirits inspired by Japanese folklore, plus new rules for running familiars and catching and training your very own pocket monster.

• 39 news Feats, including Nunchakuu Master, Prosthesis Fighting, Tengu Training and Tessen Master
• 62 new spells, including options like Bakuryo’s Blessed Blizzard (which creates an icy rain that shields allies and freezes enemies), Earthen Uppercut (which essentially lets you Earth bend enemies), See Future Death (which allows you to avoid critical hits and makes you more difficult to hit) and Water Whip (which allows you to turn nearby sources of water into deadly projectiles)
• New backgrounds, including the Elementalist, Kaiju Tracker and Hanabi Engineer.
  

How much is “Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms”?

The PDF of the book retails for $34.95 USD and is available on the Loot Tavern website. A Foundry version is also available for $49.95 USD. A price has not yet been released for the physical hardcover.

When was “Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms” released?

While individuals who backed the Kickstarter received a PDF copy several months ago, the PDF was officially released to the general public on October 23rd, 2025. The hardcover book is expected to be released in early December.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a D&D 5e player and also a fan of DnD shorts, anime, kaiju, Avatar: The Last Airbender and kung fu movies, then Ryoko’s Guide to the Yokai Realms may be worth checking out.

You can pre-order the hardcover or pick up the PDF now from Loot Tavern.