The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols is a long title for a small but dense book. I found this gem while perusing Half Price Books. I really love visuals in my games, especially my RPG adventures. Any time I can provide a handout or physical item, I feel it really adds to the ambiance and mood of the game. Even in tabletop games, I prefer ones with thematic components and beautiful artwork that help me immerse in the game. Symbology is an area that can really add to the accuracy and history of a game. This book delves into those real world signs and symbols that could be used in our games and campaigns.
“In this book you will find the definitive A-Z guide to the ancient meanings of signs and symbols, some of which have been lost for thousands of years. From different cultures and religions across the world, here are signs of magic and mystery, secret alphabets, scripts, and numerology.” (Back Cover Text)
The book jumps right in with an introduction that has a summary of the anatomy of symbols and how they are designed. The book then is broken into various parts and includes well researched discussions of heraldry, runes, astrology, religious symbols, alchemy and more. I also found in the back cover that there is an entire series of Element Encyclopedias that I need to seek out for my reference library.
So, if you are like me and love good reference material and visuals for your games, this book can be a real asset on your shelf.