Brancalonia Quickstart ENG

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)
onic -
d by Biondino T y
-Sponsore
that makes damsels merr
yaux sherry
the tord-bo
ily Jinx
Th eDa
a t c h m ost dom
p
The dhirsoughout theKin
g
e s p re a d t
wi d 0 102
S p r i n g

Based on Italian tradition, folklore, history, landscapes, fiction, and pop culture, Brancalonia is a Campaign Setting
for the 5th Edition of the most famous role-playing game ever.
Brancalonia is a game by Acheron Games.
Credits
Project Management: Samuel Marolla D esign and R ules D evelopment : Andrea Macchi and
Creative Direction: Mauro Longo Max Castellani
Direction of international version: Davide Mana I talian E diting and P roofreading : Simone Borri and
Editing: Masa Facchini Sebastiano De Angelis
Quickstart Design and Development: Mauro Longo E nglish E diting and P roofreading : Sebastiano De Angelis,
Artwork: Lorenzo Nuti and Alessandro Balluchi Epic Party Games and Sarah Jane Webb
Map and Worksheets: Fabio Porfidia Playtesting and consulting: Michele Garbuggio, Eugenio Maria
Layout and Graphics: Matteo Ceresa, Andrea Macchi Lauro, Federico Pilleri, Nicola Santagostino, Luca Bellini, Guido
“The Treasure of the Bigat” adventure was authored by Davide Mana Campanini, Dario Pesce, Giulio Grassia, Piercarlo Serena
www.acheron.it
Brainchild of Mauro Longo, Davide Mana and Samuel Marolla, Brancalonia also benefited from the invaluable contribution of Masa Facchini and of all the
authors of anthologies previously published by Acheron Books: Diego Cajelli, Marco Cardone, Giovanni De Feo, Masa Facchini, Lorenzo Fantoni, Livio
Gambarini, Michele Gonnella, Federico Guerri, F.T. Hoffmann, Jari Lanzoni, Federica Leonardi, Marco Lomonaco, Mauro Longo, Mala Spina, Davide
Mana, Luca Mazza, Giovanni Melappioni, Marika Michelazzi, Nerdheim, Elvio Ravasio, Roberto Recchioni, Julia Sienna, Alessandro Vicenzi. A special
mention goes to Vanni Santoni for his introduction to the second anthology and to Andrea Mollica for the two game books of Stregoneria Rusticana.
Regno di Taglia, Fratelli di Taglia, and Penumbria were created by Jack Sensolini and Luca Mazza (Ignoranza Eroica).
Borgo Stricchiano was invented by Federico Guerri for “Bucinella – approx. 25,000 inhabitants”.
The game’s launch and financing campaign are managed in partnership with Officina Meningi, Epic Party Games and Ludiblood.
Our special thanks go to Guido Campanini and Luca Bellini for their work in support of the game’s very first version.
Copyright © 2020 Acheron Games. All rights reserved.
Brancalonia is a product of the authors’ imagination: any reference to existing personalities, organizations, places, names or events is purely fortuitous.
Italian edition © 2020 Acheron Games
You can find Brancalonia adventures, companion, and utilities on www.acheron.it

Brancalonia Quickstart
Index
Brancalonia....................................................................... 3
Knaves, Bounties, Bands, and Jobs.................................... 4
Welcome to Brancalonia.................................................... 8
What you will find in the Setting Book......................12
Freezing nights and empty saddlebags............................ 13
Moves and Whacks ........................................................ 16
Barrel-Beating and Poppycock...................................20
The Treasure of the Bigat................................................ 22
Monsters and Enemies.................................................... 35
The basic rules of the SRD and the Quickstart will give you a good glimpse
of Brancalonia and of what the definitive game will be like. This manual
will introduce you to the setting, the moods, and the new rules of our
all-Italian fantasy world; it also features the demo adventure The Treasure
of the Bigat, complete with everything you need to try out this expansion
in a long single session, or even over a couple of games.
Through our Newsletter and dedicated Facebook Group you will always
find further expansions, tips, previews, as well as groups to play with,
live or online!
This Quickstart is updated to the final version of the core ruleset and to
the Brancalonia - Setting Book standard.

Brancalonia
Pizza, Daggers and Mandolino
C
Enter Brancalonia, a land full of pitfalls and money-making opportunities, in the most incredible and
roguish Italian role-playing game you have ever participated in!
Create your own band of knaves, enlist in a free company, get yourself some well-paid jobs, deliver a
fist-and-knife buffet to those who have it coming.
Once you have collected a tidy sum and somewhat climbed the ranks of your company, you’ll be ready
to try your luck in that final job that could enable you to go out in a blaze of glory...
After all, what could possibly go wrong?"
Zappa e Spada’s “Spaghetti Fantasy”, an anthology series from Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio to the most popular collections
published by Acheron Books, and Ignoranza Eroica’s of folk tales of the Bel Paese.
“Fantasy di Menare” (Fantasy of Hard Knocks) join forces
in Brancalonia, the campaign setting for the 5th Edition of ☞ The chivalrous and courteous tradition, from medieval
the most famous role-playing game of all times. “cantari” (minstrel ballads) to Renaissance epics.
A “back-to-front” version of Medieval Italy, this fantas- ☞ Our period movies, such as For Love and Gold (or The
tic, fairy-tale influenced, roguish world quotes, collects and Incredible Army of Brancaleone) and The Profession of
mixes contributions from contemporary and classic Italian Arms; and international blockbusters with Medieval and
fiction, pop culture and collective imagery: Renaissance settings, like Ladyhawke, The Princess Bride,
Flesh + Blood.
☞ Traditional Italian folklore and fairy tales, from Le Pia-
cevoli Notti (The Pleasant Nights) by Straparola to the ☞ Twentieth-century Italian fantasy masterpieces by writers
eighteenth-century Lo Cunto de li Cunti (The Tale of Tales); such as Pederiali, Eco, Buzzati, and Calvino.
C
Knaves, Bounties, Bands,

and Jobs
In Brancalonia, all playing characters are Knaves, i.e. members easily offering them a chance to collect two bounties... if you
of a Band of mercenaries, rogues, and similar rascals, engaged see what I mean!
in questionable Jobs across the various domains of what is In short, Knaves don’t normally collect each other’s Bounties,
left of an ancient kingdom now in ruins. but these are known to be highly coveted by Hunters, and
Guards, at least when the game is worth the candle.
The Knaves The Bounties of Knaves and other characters in the game
The world you live in is one of breathtaking adventure, he- represent not only their value in money but also their repu-
roic feats, and legendary deeds. tation within the Band and among the various Bands around
Here, knights in shining armor lead fearless armies against the Kingdom.
terrifying enemies; skilled treasure-hunters, ready for anything,
explore the forgotten basements of long-lost empires, juggling Rules for Bounties are explained in detail in the Brancalonia
lethal traps and nameless monsters; cunning, mischievous Setting Book.
heroines use their charm to deceive princes and merchants
and steal treasures worthy of a royal ransom in one night! The Company
But you’re not one of them... you are the ones who step in Rampaging freely up and down the Kingdom, acting on
when things go wrong: lazy swindlers, scoundrels of the lowest their own initiative or selling themselves to the highest bid-
order, listless dabblers and greedy knaves. der, the bands of Brancalonia are framed as companies of
The mean, the seedy, the ugly ones. fortune in the pay of some avid general, petty nobleman, or
That’s you, in short. vile local lord.
You’re the dregs of the adventure world, the cannon fodder The band which the Players’ Knaves belong to can be many
of all battles, the scum that emerges when you scrape the things: a battered army heading for the Overseas to wage war;
bottom of the barrel, the dirty dozen that is pulled out of a traveling caravan of rovers or mountebanks; a guiscard lodge
prison only for desperate missions. in search of a lost portent of the Draconian Age; a medley
Do you find this unfair? You’re not so stupid, then... it is of robbers who prey on wayfarers; a contingent of deserters
unfair. But let’s face it: fate has better things to do than bother who fled the war to seek refuge; a well-organized mercenary
playing clean with the likes of you ... company; the crew of a pirate ship; a bunch of treasure hunters;
Enough talking, scapegallows... it’s time to get busy! a gaggle of criminals in disarray; a brotherhood of pious friars
on the trail of some ancient relic; a squad of escaped convicts;
Bounties a guild of bounty hunters, reprobates, beggars or swindlers;
With all the rogues, losers and bootlickers like you out and a horde of pagans at the gates of the city; and anything else
about, the Kingdom could fill ten thousand galleys, and that comes to mind.
even wage war on the Soldan, out there in the Overseas. But In any case, ordinary people consider affiliated Knaves dan-
lo and behold, you’re still roaming the towns and country- gerous, annoying and ready for anything. Ideally, it’s advisable
side, making trouble wherever you go, and no-one seems to steer clear... failing that, it’s best to befriend them.
capable of putting an end to this scourge. In addition to carrying out their odd Jobs, Knaves help
This rabble, this throng of gallows birds, of which you are manage their own company together with their leader, accord-
such worthy exponents, is also identified in its entirety as the ing to rules of Rollick (passive time).. The choices made at
Bounty Brothers: the network of Bands and Knaves on whose this stage improve the conditions by which the missions will
heads a bounty – large or small – was placed at some time by then take place, and missions accomplished will improve the
one of the Kingdom’s fief lords. Band’s status.
Whatever the prize, selling a Bounty Brother to guards The rules for managing the Band, Notoriety and Dens are
and bounty hunters is universally considered an unparal- explained in detail in the Brancalonia Setting Book.
leled infamy, and no honorable brother would ever do it. Of
course, dishonorable rats are never hard to come by; even
so, a Brother who hands another one over to the Guards is
-4-
Knaves, Bounties, Bands,
and Jobs
The Band The Condottiero and the

In Brancalonia, the party of the Players’ Knaves called the atmosphere in Brancalonia
Band. The Condottiero is the Game Master of Brancalonia. He
A Band is a close-knit, tried and tested handful of Knaves is responsible for conducting game sessions and for tell-
who can be sent on a mission and relied upon to perform ing what happens during the adventures. As the company
together without murdering one another a few steps down the leader, he offers Jobs to be carried out by the Band.
road. The players' Band is only one component of a company,
which can count a couple, a dozen or even a few hundred. More than anyone, the Condottiero contributes to main-
Climbing up the ranks of the company and becoming its taining the correct atmosphere around the game table by
leader is one way for a Knave to advance in the game. mediating between the demands, inclinations, and desires
You will start off as third-rate scoundrels in a vile, dangerous of other players.
world, clawing your way up through dirt and blood; eventu-
ally, if you prove yourself up to it, you will rise to the rank of In fact, Brancalonia lends itself to many different approaches:
leader of your Band and shake the thrones of kings and lords.
Are you ready? Um, right: you were born ready... • You can focus on military campaigns and missions with a
tragicomic, bitter, raw or sarcastic tone: in this case, the
The Brancalonian Job company – probably a mercenary army that sells itself to
Companies (and consequently Bands) are often hired by the best patron around in the War of the Thousand Years
villagers, merchants, nobles, and warlords, for all sorts of – will be striving to get rich and live long enough to enjoy
odd jobs: generally illicit, dangerous tasks that nobody else its accumulated treasures.
wants.
And that's on a good day... • You can focus on folklore creatures, monster hunts, and
On a bad day, there are curses, demons, witchcraft, mon- fable-like stories. In this case, the atmosphere will be that
sters, and double-dealings behind the jobs. of the traditional fairy tale, with adventurous expeditions,
There’s got to be a catch if people resort to Knaves, right? treasure hunts, magical enterprises, or even with typically
Bands and companies also ensure a smooth exchange of rural-gothic themes.
players and characters, casual play, one-off sessions and
progress in rank and level. • You can focus on picaresque, rowdy and highly ironic
situations, rich in pop quotes.
• You can descend into a darker world, all intrigues, political

plots, murders, and decadence, or even venture into
grimdark, low fantasy and grand-guignolesque scenarios.
• You can take to sea with corsairs and creatures of the

abyss, sailing the Sea of Sapphire,
the Charybdeans or
“Life is like a bowl of soup in a dive: the Murky Sea, to plunder and be plundered by pirates
you never know what your going to get." infesting such waters.
- Sor Foresto de'Gonzi, tavernkeeper - • You can experience more chivalrous stories of brigandage,
resistance, dynastic intrigues, and lofty ideals. What if
an heir to the Kingdom’s throne were hiding among the
thieves?
• You can indulge in the surreal and the fantastic, delving

into the more supernatural and fantastical aspects of the
setting, or imparting some magical realism typical of so
many twentieth-century Italian authors.
Within the Campaign Setting Book, all these ingredients

have been dosed to our personal taste: in your games, you,
the players, will decide which to use and which to leave out.
The important thing is that the Condottiero and the Knaves
always agree on what is about to happen in your Brancalonia!
-5-
Welcome to Brancalonia
The adventures of Brancalonia Knaves take place in what its inhabitants refer to as
"the Bounty Kingdom", or simply "the Kingdom; after all, what the Chancellor of
the Emperor of Altomagna stated is true: "the Bounty Kingdom" doesn’t really exist!
The territories of the Brancalonia Peninsula and neighboring islands are but a mi-
nor possession of the Empire of Altomagna, ceded to Queen Menalda of Catozza
as a vassalic benefit a hundred years ago and never recovered, even after the dynastic “The Bounty Kingdom
line of the Catozzi was broken by intrigues, plots, and a dozen suitors. is merely a geographic
The Bounty mentioned by Pomponius was for the head of Buemondo the Fat expression!”
from Aurocastro, who – from the bottom of the “bad boot” peninsula – had set up
a confederation of bandits, lords, and brigands. These villains raged from Piccadora - Clemens Pomponius,
to Falcamonte, assaulting each and every imperial army and refusing to pay taxes, Chancellor of Altomagna -
tithes, and levies.
-8-
In exchange for the head of Buemondo, said to weigh eighty thing has a price, honor is non-existent, and profit and interest
pounds, Menalda was given the regency of the Kingdom on reign throughout the villages and countryside. Many gold coins
behalf of the Emperor. A century has gone by: the entire flow around these parts, and parochial rivalries abound. The
peninsula has eluded Altomagna’s control – and no-one is Greats of Galaverna eye one other grimly from the battlements of
keen to reclaim it. their respective towers, while their skilled and greedy mercenary
With the Iron Crown of Menalda gone missing and the succes- armies sell themselves to the highest bidder, changing sides as
sion’s heraldry undecided, the Kingdom is now split into over a others change their underwear. This area is also renowned for
dozen independent regions; in turn, these are fragmented into its many workshops, factories, and craftsmen; for its alchemy,
local potentates, fiefdoms, counties, villages, marches, duchies, pyrotechnics, and watchmaking; and for the affected ways of
baronies, alliances, knighthoods, municipalities, and commer- its ladies. Here, companies of mountebanks, musicians, and
cial leagues; not to mention the uncertainty of the domains’ conmen draw crowds in the squares and courtyards, and wiz-
boundaries, and surrounding no-man’s-lands... ards, charlatans, charmers, healers, and Guiscards earn their
Given the wide variety of themes and tones that can be used living as theater actors and operetta sorcerers, or as genuine
when playing Brancalonia, each of these regions can be the scene experts of arcane arts.
of odd jobs and situations with a highly specific atmosphere.
Here is a quick overview. Vortigana, or of Sequins, Sailing Ships, and
Stabbings
Quinotaria, or of Ancestral Ruins, Sea Probably the largest region in the Kingdom, Vortigana is
Monsters, and Gorgons entirely the domain of the powerful merchant city of Vorti-
Legend has it that Quinotaria is the place where, centuries ga, so called because of the whirlpools (vortici) and currents
ago, a mythical beast called Quinotaur crawled out of the that stir its waters. Ruled by a lugubrious council of wealthy
waters and mated with the wife of the distant King Clodion tycoons, Vortiga is also famous for its masks, intrigues, and
of Overmountain, of whom the current rulers of Quinotaria Carnival. The’s city long fingers reach across an ample stretch
are thought to be the remote descendants. of the Murky Sea as far as Sidonia, including the islands of
The coast and valleys of this region are dotted with ancient Callista and Tasinnanta. This merchant opulence, whence
ruins of unknown origin, similar to the cyclopean ones found thousands of gold coins pour yearly into the Grand Coun-
further south along the boot. The most disturbing rumors about cil’s coffers, is countered by the constant siege of pirates and
these lands regard the dracians, a deformed and amphibian-like corsairs along the routes of its sailing ships; the rivalry of
people said to live along the coast; the gorgons, unnatural beings barbarians and Tergesta refugees; the presence of thieves
descended from the Quinotaur; and the Signs, abominable and murderers, of gifted and beggars along its streets; the
bodily deformations reputedly marring some of the inhabitants infestation of bandits, pagans, heretics, benandantes (good
and giving them unspeakable powers. Although not the capital, walkers), and supersticians in its vast hinterland. The main-
the most important city in the region is Lungariva, ruled by land domains are also a point of passage favored by fugitive
very wealthy merchants. gangs, marauders, deserters, spies, troublemakers and dis-
banded armies from Altomagna, as well as the homeland of
Falcamonte, or of Knights, Gobbolini, and choice of many mysterious and extraordinary beings, such
Brigands as sylvans, fanes, morgants, and magical creatures from the
The lands of Falcamonte are harsh and wild, with occasional north.
glimpses of rich and fertile views. The capital of the region
is Tauringa, where the royal seat was repeatedly placed; con- Pianaverna, or of Mists, Witches, and Pagans
sequently, the city and its surroundings teem with landed Pianaverna extends south of Vortigana, Falcamonte, and
gentry and town nobility of all sorts, old knighthoods gone Galaverna, and is formally ruled by the Greats of the latter.
to seed, brave cadets full of ideals, swordsmen in search of This is a foggy and depopulated land, traversed by the largest
recruitment, very wealthy winemakers, scheming courtiers, river in the Kingdom, the Fossa (Pit), and by all its tributar-
and decadent aristocratic families. Every forest and no- ies. Swampy, mephitic, haunted by wretches, bandits, and
man's-land is infested with robbers and bandits, thieves and fugitives, Pianaverna is scattered with tiny hamlets as well as
marauders, keen to return to the poor (including themselves) a few villages of a certain importance, all infested with scores
what was purloined by barons and princes of the blood. Last of mercenary companies and small armies of fortune. This
but not least, the gobbolini, a veritable plague of this region, is also the seat of old legends, forbidden sorcery, and very
lurk in gorges and caves at the foot of the mountains, at- ancient creatures: here, horrid hags and monsters of the riv-
tacking and insulting anyone who passes within their range. ers, fugitives and wanted men, malebranches and bavalisks
have their hiding places. Part of the region is occupied by
Galaverna, or of Merchants, Mountebanks the Pagan Plain, a no-man's-land home to one of the largest
and guiscards confederations of pagan tribes in the Kingdom. The area
While Falcamonte is home to ancient and impoverished aris- is frequented by hermits, monks, itinerant priests, preach-
tocracy, the neighboring Galaverna is the land of merchants, ers, and miraculists, seeking to bring the Light of the Saints
moneylenders, entrepreneurs and companies of fortune. Every- among the heathens inhabiting these parts.
-9-
Penumbria, or of Mourning, Crimes and more There is no shortage of wines and meat in the cities of Tor-
Mourning rigiana; indeed, Cucca, inhabited by prosperous bankers and
Part of the Kingdom is surrounded by the Mistide, a wall of shopkeepers, lends its name to the mythical land of Cuccaigne,
fog on the land, and sulfurous mist over the sea. This poi- where you can “drink, laugh and be merry”.
sonous phenomenon delineates the borders of Penumbria, As well as the celebrated Fioraccia, the best-known city in the
the darkest district of the boot peninsula. The origins of the region, Torrigiana is also home to the mephitic and disturbing
Mistide could lie in the occult feud disputed for almost half Maremma; and to the charming Borgo Stricchiano, governed
a millennium by the jinxes and the supersticians, or lurk in for centuries by the Della Guerra dynasty who, despite their
the very heart of Penumbria and its unspeakable secrets. belligerent-sounding surname, were wise and munificent patrons
Caught between the blades of mercenaries and outlaws, the of mountebanks and musicians.
hungry fangs of its abominable fauna, the abundance of unprej-
udiced lordships and the lack of a central power, Penumbria is Spoletaria, or of Castles, Mercenaries, and
marked by extreme political instability. Swordplayers
The rule of the fiefdom is divided between the Dukes-Counts As already mentioned, the main function of Spoletaria,
of Castel Notturno and the Criminese Cupola; the latter, a when still part of the Kingdom of the Two Scyllas, was to
panel of the dons (bosses) of the city’s families (each of them act as frontier march and garrison against horrors and fu-
heading a criminal activity), elects members of the Malavita gitives from Penumbria. Now that this region is no longer
family as godfathers. under anyone’s control, its fortified citadels have become
Here, settlings of scores among gangs, harassment perpetrated one of the main recruiting centers for mercenary gangs and
by the Guards, fraudulent dealings of corrupt local cops are sellsword companies. It is often here that the highly feared
permanently on the agenda. Penumbrians, renowned as the cruelest killers plying the
For the mooks of the gangs in the Orbino, Pertugia and battlefields of the Kingdom, find recruitment when flee-
Crimini suburbs, any pretext is valid to unleash feuds aimed ing their homeland. Again, it is here that, in the absence
at controlling a square, a pier or an intersection. The blades of other occupation, daredevil captains and marauders put
trade remains the most popular and profitable. together companies ready for anything and head up the Via
Every lordship in Penumbria is devoted to a particular saint, Cappia (Hanging Road) bent on looting. After all, what you
and prophecies are treated like bets. The region’s entire economy do in Penumbria stays in Penumbria, right?
is controlled by the Cupola, whose shady trafficking reaches The long military tradition of these districts has also fostered
every corner of the Kingdom. the flourishing of fencing schools of all kinds, and today this
The Penumbrians are violent, brutal and abject people: inces- is one of the hothouses of the Kingdom’s best swordsmen and
sant wars, armed feuds, massacres, crimes, killings, diseases, weapon masters, excelling in every technique, even the most
and abominations have made these districts the most lethal secret and forbidden…
in the Kingdom.
Alazia, or of Lost Empires and
Torrigiana, or of Signorie, Extravaganza and Descents in Hell
Talking Marionettes Alazia was once the very heart of the Draconian Empire,
The Torrigiana region is spread with fortresses, towers, light- and consequently the most important region in the penin-
houses, castles, strongholds, and villages; every prince or sula. Centuries ago, the city-state of Plutonia was the center
mayor rules only as far as their city walls, and each village is of a boundless empire that touched all known lands, and
disputed among powerful neighboring lordships. The region reportedly counted a million inhabitants. Under the weight
owes its name to its immense Hanging Towers: heritage of of this immense concentration of people and buildings, an-
a lost era, these also lie, sunken and forgotten, among the cient Plutonia sank into the ground exactly a millennium
marshes of putrid Maremma and even in the depths of the ago, kicking off the still-raging Thousand Years War. Today,
mysterious Sea of Towers. Plutonia is a wasteland of ruins as large as a region, said to
Torrigiana is rife with intrigues, quarrels among families, lead to the Hell itself, inhabited by devils, damned, ghosts
struggles for power, conspiracies, and armed scuffles, all of and shadows. Nobody lives around there anymore. The rest
which happen regularly, several times a year. of Alazia, now decayed and decadent, is peppered with in-
Yet the atmosphere here is warm and enchanted, and visitors dependent fiefs run by powerful families.
perceive that this is a land blessed with sunshine, fine wine, and Yet today the Calendar still has its headquarters here, and the
good living. When dwelling in or passing through Torrigiana, region is full of run-down churches, monasteries, and cathedrals.
you can’t help noticing how the presence of Turquoisies, the Traditional devotion lives on in its inhabitants, as do numerous
Blue Fairies, of sprites, talking animals, and other portents orders of chivalry, hard knocks and beggars who have their
totally permeates everyday life. Extravaganza, the mysterious convents, fortresses and abbeys here.
and paradoxical power that governs wonders and magic, is very
strong here; again, in this very place grows the tree whose magical
wood is used to make the talking marionettes so admired in
the rest of the Kingdom.
- 10 -
Kingdom of the Two Scyllas

A hundred years ago, upon the death of Queen Menalda,
the Kingdom was split for the first time when the successors
of Buemondo the Fat reclaimed the southern lands of the
peninsula in an attempt to reinstate ancient and long-forgotten
borders. The Two Scyllas are named after a huge pair of stone
statues in the form of such monsters, located on opposite ends
of the Great Bridge. Spanning the Strait that connects Zagara
and Piccadora, this is one of the outstanding engineering works
of the Draconian Empire. The Two Scyllas symbolized Zagara
and the entire south of the Kingdom – currently numbering
the regions of Volturnia, Ausonia, and Piccadora – plus the
mysterious Forgotten Counties. But soon these regions, too,
were divided: today they are fragmented territories, roamed
by armies and bands of brigands, claimants to the throne
and usurpers, supersticians and guiscards, mountebanks and
rovers. Here and there, bathed in the golden sunlight that
blesses the olive groves and vineyards, you will notice impos-
ing fortresses and watchtowers, titanic monuments of the
Draconian Empire, and cyclopean ruins said to date back to
before man’s first appearance on these lands.
These are regions where the Calendar Creed is strongly felt.
Hence there are scores of monks, miraculists and healers
around, as well as the unfailing crowds of wretches, scam-
mers, beggars, thieves, peddlers of false relics, sorcerers, and
pagans of all kinds. As well as with nobles and profiteers of
all sorts, it is common for gangs and commoners to have to
deal with the godfathers of local criminal organizations, the
most powerful in the Kingdom.
Obviously, there is no lack of prodigies and mysteries: among
the Two Scyllas’ districts, the best-known for its disturbing
riddles, portents and superstitions is the Duchy of Acquaviva.
The capital of the Duchy has a name that nobody knows,
aside from the Acquavivans, owing to the superstition that a
stranger’s learning the city’s name could cause its destruction;
to foreigners it is simply referred to as the City of Names.
Tasinnanta, or of Secrets, Treasures, and

Antiquities
The island of Tasinnanta is inhabited by a formidable and
stubborn, aloof and supportive people, never entirely tamed
by the Draconian legions of a thousand years ago, nor by the
Vortigan merchants who formally control its coasts today.
Poor in resources, harsh and inhospitable, the island
hides in its seemingly bottomless depths miles and miles
of tunnels, passages, and caves; remains of lost cities of the
cyclopean era; forgotten treasures, ruined towers, and all
sorts of secrets and legends. Its innermost regions teem with
monsters, witches, giants and morgants, barbarians, pagans,
malebranches and gifted.
Details of the Kingdom’s history, geography, and other inter-

esting facts can be found in the Brancalonia Setting Book.

What you will find in

the Setting Book
The Corebook of Brancalonia consists of 192 richly illustrated How to import other material into
full-color pages, featuring maps, characters, antagonists, mon- Brancalonia
sters and other images evocative of the Kingdom. To preserve the correct atmosphere and spirit of Brancalo-
This features: nia, we recommend using the Races, Classes, Backgrounds
and other game elements featured in the Setting Book.
• A general description of the Kingdom, its history and its However, importing into the Kingdom elves, dwarves,
main regions, from the Pale Mountains in the north to gnomes and other elements from official game rules, or
the Charybdean Sea in the south, from the barbaric city from works by other publishers, is neither forbidden nor
of Tergesta in the east to the coast of the Zigane Sea in impossible.
the far west. The Setting Book has a paragraph entirely devoted to this
• Five new playable races, in addition to the human, aspect, including, in particular, how to justify such imports
taken from italian tradition and folklore: the gifted, consistently within the setting, and how to manage them
the malebranches, the marionettes, the morgants and during the game.
the sylvans.
• Twelve new subclasses, one for each of the basic classes,
each adapted to the Kingdom, and strongly characteristic
of Italian history, tradition and folklore: hence we have
the benandante and the superstician; the sword-player
and the brigand; the miraculist and the friar.
• New Backgrounds, Talents, and Magic Items typical of
Brancalonian Knaves.
• Secrets, threats, curiosities, places of interest, rumors,
monsters and game suggestions for the Condottiero,
including a generator of Dives, one of Memorabilia and
one of Roads to nowhere!
• New Setting Rules:
• Moves and Whacks (full version)
• Shoddy Equipment and Counterfeit Equipment
• Band, Notoriety, and Den management
• Bounties, Revels, and Prophecies
• Long Rest and Gritty Realism
• Dive Games
• In search of quatrins: a collection of six adventures set in
different parts of the Kingdom.
• Twelve new monsters and twelve antagonists typical of
Italian history, tradition, and folklore.
“Not the nose"

- Medlar the marionette -
- 12 -
Freezing nights and
empty saddlebags
Freezing nights and

empty saddlebags Rules and variants to be used in Brancalonia
Shoddy Equipment Shoddy Magic

In Brancalonia, everyday objects come at the normal cost, as Magical components are expensive and rare. That's why
per common price lists. However, Knaves are generally short those in the Kingdom capable of casting spells and miracles
of money, and poor-quality equipment is all they can afford; usually employ a poor version of actual magic. This often
Shoddy items and services are badly crafted and offered by leads to accidents and weird effects, which have affected the
crooks and scoundrels. They have an unreliable appearance, reputation of magic, accused of unpredictability and oddity,
uninviting taste or ambiguous smell, and they always look as well as quackery, the prerogative of beggars, operetta wiz-
ready to fall apart on first use. indeed, poor equipment costs ards, and country superstitious.
way less than standard-quality gear (usually a tenth of the price). The effects of shoddy components and materials affect the
spells' appearance, but not on their practical functioning.
Objects and Tools For example, a familiar summoned with poor-components
When using shoddy objects or tools, you always run into may have a funny or grotesque appearance; a fireball could
inconveniences. From time to time, and depending on the smell of rotten eggs.
item being used and on the situation, the Condottiero can
choose which effects to apply; also, if any check involving All the rest
poor equipment fails by 5 or more, the object will break. For all the things that are not listed above, shoddiness man-
ifests itself in countless different ways, and it's hard if not
Weapons impossible to create an effect for every situation. When a
When you attack with a shoddy weapon, if the d20 roll is a character uses a shoddy-whatever, the Condottiero can use
1, the weapon comes apart. All your subsequent attacks are one of the following effects accordingly to the situation and
made with disadvantage. This effect lasts until you use an the object involved:
action to fix the weapon.
Small incident. A funny inconvenience with no
Armor consequences.
Shoddy armors fall apart, literally. Whenever an enemy hits Difficulty increase. If a check must be made, its DC will
you and the d20 roll is a 20, a piece of armor flies away increase or decrease unfavorably.
and the base Armor Class provided by the shoddy armor Malfunctioning. Shoddiness leads to an unexpected
decrease by 2. If you hold a shield, it will be the first to fly malfunctioning.
out of hand. The effect lasts until you retrieve the lost pieces Damaged. After being used, the item becomes damaged
and use an action to fix them. and needs to be repaired before it can be used again.
Not working. Not working. If the item is consumable or
Horses, mounts e animals has a limited number of uses (for example: vials of acid, flasks
When making a check with shoddy mounts, if the d20 roll of holy water, or a healing potion), roll 1d6: on a roll of 4
is a 1, the animal will get crippled and will no longer be able or higher the item functions normally, otherwise the item
to proceed, for 24 hours. A shoddy mount also has a 10 ft reveals itself as a bad imitation and it's useless or wasted.
lower speed than a typical animal of the same type. Annoying inconvenient. An unfortunate inconvenience,
such as a quiver leaking 1d4 ammunitions carried during
travel, or as having the rations soaked and inedible due to a
water infiltration in the boat while crossing the river.
- 13 -
- 14 -
Freezing nights and
empty saddlebags
Counterfeit Equipment
The Kingdom is well-known for its counterfeit goods: forged documents and fake
coins are almost more popular than real ones, bogus relics and works of art have
entirely dedicated retail and wholesale markets, the capital of Alazia itself, Porto
Patacca, takes the name from the rip-offs served to naive travelers (pataccas), and
any object or service that appears in the game can be counterfeit.
The counterfeit equipment has 3 key features:
• It always seems very convenient: in fact, a counterfeit item generally costs the
50% less than the corresponding object, according to the official price lists. To
any doubtful question of buyers, the sellers often try to justify themselves by
saying that it has been regularly stolen or it's "second-hand" (which is the same
thing). But that's hardly ever true: it's simply counterfeit!
• It looks like common equipment: counterfeit equipment does not cause any
malus to social reactions like poor-equipment.
• It works like shoddy equipment: apart from the aforementioned malus to

social reactions, counterfeit equipment shares the same issues and causes the
same disadvantages as the shoddy version of the same items.
Rest
Among the many game variations used in Brancalonia, the Gritty Realism variant
for Rests is essential. In Brancalonia, the Short Rest lasts 8 hours, and the Long
Rest 7 days.
Currency and Costs

There are many currencies, ancient coins, chicken feed and items of exchange
circulating up and down the Kingdom’s cart tracks. Those wishing to avoid any
hassle should always use the monetary system in the official rules: gold, silver and
copper coins with fixed purchase values and price lists. Call them with the name
of the metal they’re made of, and you’ll be fine. Keep in mind that no one in the
Kingdom has the faintest idea what platinum is: as for electrum, they wouldn’t
even know how to pronounce it. Brancalonia replaces electrum with iron, which
has the same value.
In general, the least-valuable coins are made of copper and are only good for buying
eggs at the market. These are generically known as quatrins, coppers, or piccioli (in
Zagara, for example).
10 quatrins (CP) are worth 1 silver coin (SP). The most important and common
exchanges are made in silver coins, and each region of the Kingdom has its own mint-
age. In the Kingdom of the Two Scyllas they are called taralles; in Penumbria baiocchi;
florins, triskeles and sequins in Torrigiana, Quinotaria and Vortigana respectively.
Marks is the name they go by in Spoletaria, sesterces in Alazia, bissones in Galaverna
and Pianaverna, and lire in Falcamonte.
Whatever their name, the weight and value of these coins is roughly the same.
As we were saying, the electrum is replaced by the iron piece (IP). 5 silver coins
correspond to 1 iron hunk. If you find this strange, you obviously haven’t seen the
coins: silver and gold ones are small and thin, while iron ones are as large as medals;
given their considerable weight, hunks are also called petechins.
Finally, we have gold coinage, commonly called aureos or big pieces (GP). Some cities
mint sequins and florins of gold, others use weights and units from the old Draco-
nian Empire or other minting. Again, 1 gold piece is roughly worth 10 silver coins.
Are you totally confused? Not to worry: so is everyone in the Kingdom!
- 15 -
Moves and
Whacks Introduction to Brawling Rules
With his worn and crumpled clothes and a freshly-swollen face, he could not wait
to spend some of the considerable swag that he and his men had just earned, sack-
ing the haunted sanctuary atop Colle Ramino. Drain a couple of mugs, taste the
seafood specialties of the renowned inn overlooking the lagoon, and finally have a
peaceful sleep on a proper bed – these were the thoughts of the Wandering Knight
of the Short Breath Band, the first to cross the shabby wind-doors of the Lobster
Inn. Unfortunately, even before the alluring aroma of grilled fish ever reached
his longing nostrils, a fir-wood stool – missing one leg – whistled across the room.
It hit him hard. He wasn’t yet back on his feet when his Knaves stepped over him,
drooling, delivering slaps and punches, screaming and shouting, brandishing mugs
as swords and hoisting trays as shields.
Without a second thought, the Knight leaped onto a rickety table, whispering a
prayer through clenched teeth to Santa Flammetta from Fioraccia, and lunged
into the void ...
With bewildered glances, those beneath him realized too late that they would not
see the end of that scuffle.
Brancalonia has specific mechanics for the management and resolution of non-le-
thal fights called Brawls.
Said Brawls are carefully thought out to act as boisterous and amusing intervals.
They can be used to start an adventure, animate slower moments, enliven a Job
with unusual challenges, or simply as a fun alternative to ease the stressful pace of
the deadly fights that can put the Band to the test.
The rules for Brawl in this chapter are a temporary and simplified version of the
final mechanics in the Setting Book. They are explained here as a demo, although
perfectly playable in their own way.
- 16 -
How to Brawl
Being non-lethal disputes by definition, Brancalonian Brawls are regulated by
simple rules that replace the typical cycle of combat.
A Brawl basically works like combat, but introduces significant differences re-
garding the actions you can take at each turn, and how Hit Points, Damage and
Movement are calculated.
Note: During a Brawl, you cannot use class privileges such as Class Spells, Extra
Attacks, etc., but you are allowed to take advantage of passive Features such as Unar-
mored Defense, Sense of Danger, etc.
B
To the brawl,
with honor
Movement. On their turn during the Brawl, brawlers can move an unspecified The culture, the rules of honor
distance: this enables them to move as much or as little as they like within the between scoundrels and rogues,
Brawl’s environment. and even the legislation in force in
If the movement of your brawler is 0, he or she cannot move. the various domains of the Kingdom
establish scrupulous practices for
Damage. Beatings, Moves, and Props deal Whacks and, in some cases, Tavern Brawls.
Conditions (see Whacks Levels and Conditions below). Conditions inflicted or
suffered during a Brawl last until the start of the character's next turn. In case of “Neither for copper nor hunger,
critical hit, the number of Whacks inflicted is doubled. let the blades hit in anger.”
Racial Powers A Brawl is a non-lethal fight, and

Each Brancalonian race has a specific Brawl Racial Power: must remain so. If blood were spilled
or death brought to the street or into
Morgant: a morgant can use an Epic Prop with a bonus action. a tavern, the bloody fight would
Human: a human has an additional Move Slot. immediately escalate from mere
Gifted: The gifted can choose 1 Move also from the Magic Moves list when “breach of the peace” (which nobody
selecting Moves at first level. really cares about), and branded as
Marionette: a marionette can use as a Prop one of its limbs as a bonus action: this murder or attempted murder, and
will not break during use. Bounties on the heads of Knaves
Sylvan: a Sylvan is immune to effects suffered at the first two Whack levels. held accountable would rise dra-
matically. A Brawl is a Brawl, and
Whack levels and conditions there must never be any killing. For
During a Brawl, Damage from Beatings, Moves and Props deal 1 or more Whacks. this reason, participants must never
Whacks are measured in 6 levels (see table on the next page). use their weapons or, more generally,
If an already-Whacked creature suffers another Whack, its current level of strike to kill.
Whacks increases by the amount specified in the effect's description.
“As taught by good ole manners,
Conditions. losers pay damages to
Some Moves and hits with Epic Props inflict additional conditions. Conditions shabby taverns.”
imposed by Moves and Props follow the normal rules of Conditions. All effects
last until the end of the next turn. As also provided by the law, Brawl
rules sanction the convention by
Brawl Table which, at the end of a Brawl, anyone
1 Bruised -1 CA found unconscious inside the inn (or
2 Beaten -1 CA
similar establishment) or within ten
steps of it, may be stripped of their
3 Injured -1 CA
possessions by the landlord, enti-
4 Damaged -1 CA tled to compensation for damages
5 Crushed -1 CA caused during the Brawl.
6 Unconscious Flat Out
- 18 -
Moves and Whacks
Beatings Stray Dangers

Beatings are the regular attacks that each character (or PC) Stray Dangers are additional effects that the Condottiero
can make as an action during a Brawl. can decide to include during the Brawl. All Brawlers (PCs
Each player character is competent in Beatings (attack roll: and NPCs) must achieve a successful saving throw against
Strength bonus + proficiency bonus). the Stray Danger in progress or suffer the consequences de-
Each time a Beating hits, it deals a Whack. scribed in the Stay Danger description.
Examples of Stray Dangers that can be used in the Brawl
Moves during the Job included in this starter set:
Moves can have various effects, some of which provide an
attack roll based on a specific Ability (indicated in brack- • Rain of Stools: Each Brawler must succeed in a
ets). Each character is competent in every Move he knows. Constitution saving throw (DC 11), or be stunned.
A character can only use a limited number of Moves before • House of the Flying Punches: Each Brawler must succeed
resting (Short Rest). in a Strength saving throw (DC 12), or suffer a Whack.
Every time your character uses a Move, he or she expends • River of Beer: Each Brawler must succeed in a Dexterity
a Move Slot. saving throw (DC 13), or become Prone.
Pre-generated character sheets are complete with assigned Opponents

Moves and Moves Slots. Drunk yokels looking for trouble, vicious bands of wran-
When you finish a Short Rest, you recover all Moves Slots glers, bandits waiting for the right fool to toughen their
expended during Brawls, and any Whacks suffered. knuckles on, tipsy guards on leave looking for a fist-fight.
The Kingdom’s Taverns always overflow with the worst
Stage Props thugs and brawlers, and while some of them will drop like
You can also inflict Beatings by using anything you can get flies under the Knaves’ storm of slaps, others will hold their
hold of within the environment in which the Brawl takes own and give them a hard time.
place. All objects that can be wielded during the Brawl are Opponents in a Brawl are divided into two categories,
called Stage Props (or Props) and are divided into Common Heavy-Hitters and Mob.
Props and Epic Props. The Heavy-Hitter is a single powerful individual, usually at
the head of a large bunch of brawlers.
Common Props The Mob, on the other hand, is a group of individuals who
(bottles, pots, cutlery, dishes, candelabra, torches, flasks, stools, act separately but share the same Whacks levels (Conditions
pokers...) are applied individually).
Collecting a Common Prop requires a bonus action (each
character can use a bonus action during the Brawl).
You can use a Common Prop to attack, as a bonus action,
or for improvised defense (AC +2), as a reaction.
After use, a Common Prop will be destroyed or useless.
Epic Props
(tables, barrels, decorative armors, chests, trunks, chandeliers,
characters ...)
Collecting an Epic Prop requires an action.
You can use an Epic Prop to attack, as an action, or for improvised
defense (AC +5), as a reaction.
After use, an Epic Prop will be destroyed or useless.
“Lions in the evening, asses in the morning"
- Very famous saying used by the venture captains,
When using an Epic Prop, you can choose to inflict one of inspectioning their weakling troops -
the following effects:

• 2 Whacks
• 1 Whack and the target is stunned
• 1 Whack to two different targets
• The target is Paralyzed
- 19 -
Barrel-Beating
and Poppycock Introduction to Dive Games
From north to south, the whole Kingdom is strewn with – 1. Each participating character chooses 2 abilities,
and, for the most part, blighted by – taverns, inns, hostels, representing his or her approach to the game,
wine shops and hovels of various (and mostly dubious) with which to perform an ability check.
worth. In game terms, they are collectively called Dives, Here are some examples:
which is indicative of their level of refinement...
Between jobs with the Band, the best things to restore a • Investigation (INT): make an accurate calculation of
Knave’s body and soul are a bowl of slop and a little wine, the probabilities by monitoring the results of the cards;
the buzz of auctioneers and singers, a nap by a warm fire- • Insight (WIS): unveil opponents' bluffs;
place, a little company for the night. • Deception (CHA): bluff;
However, what really make a self-respecting Bounty • Sleight of hand (DEX): attempt at cheating [failure
Brothers’ Den are its games and pastimes: their assortment causes the betting plate to increase by an additional
of competitions, large and small, to make a bit of money, amount at the expense of the cheat, unless he or she
drive out boredom, and have a laugh or two at the expense leaves the game].
of dorks and drunkards.
Two of the most popular are the card game Minchiate, or 2. Ability checks: at the Poppycock table, each ability check
Poppycock; and Barrel Beating, which, with a little luck, DC is equal to 10, + 1 for each player (including the one
can help an honest Knave fill his purse with jingling coins! doing the checks).
You will find other games described in the Brancalonia Set- 3. Each successful ability check results in an
ting Book. increase in each player's Win Roll, as follows:
0 successes = 1d6; 1 successes = 1d8; 2 successes = 1d10.
Poppycock (card game – gambling)
The Poppycock (aka Minchiate) card deck was born in Torri- 4. The Win Roll balances the Knave’s skill at the table and
giana, home to some of the most experienced and prestigious the Saints' will.
card players in the whole Kingdom. Poppycock is, in fact,
a deck of cards used for various games, though it owes its 5. The player who scores the highest result on his or her Win
popularity to the one it is named after.. Roll wins the game and takes the money..
The recipe for the perfect Brancalonian gambling experience In the event of a tie, the winners share the plate.. or, more
requires a number of ingredients: luck, a quick hand, intu- often than not, start a Brawl!
ition, acumen, a sharp eye, but also... some skilled cheating!
Indeed, in Poppycock – designed for rabble of the most sordid
kind – cheating is an essential and regulated part of the game,
providing the cheater is smart enough not to be discovered: if
caught, the gambler must fill the “Cover” (betting plate, table
stake) with an additional fee or leave the table.
How to play:
For a quick game of Poppycock in a Brancalonian session,
the Condottiero and players can follow the rules below, sim-
ulating about one hour of play at the dive table:
Each participating character places on the table the same
jointly-agreed bet, then the game starts.
- 20 -
Barrel-Beating
and Poppycock
Barrel Beating 4. Starting with the player who wagered and drank the most,
This ancient tavern sport was born as an allegorical rein- down to the one who wagered and drank the least, each
terpretation of the well-known popular saying "you can't player launches a single attack against the barrel. The game
have yer barrel filled to the brim, and yer wife drunk too", continues for as long as there are players with attacks still
and sees the participants challenge each other in a test that available or until the barrel breaks.
combines resistance (to alcohol), talent (in arms) and a little Note: A critical hit breaks the barrel immediately.
bit of good luck (as long as it's the Saints' will)
5. When the barrel breaks, or when all the participants are out
of attacks, the game ends. The character who dealt the coup
Every tavern, respectable or otherwise, has a Barrel Beating de grace is the winner and gets the jackpot. If the barrel is
corner. still intact at the end of the game, the innkeeper will get
The barrel – though called a “barrel”, this is sometimes a the prize, and beers drunk by the participants will be on
pot, a coffin, or other container – is usually robustly made and the house.
even reinforced, and hangs on creaking ropes, or occasionally
on chains. The barrel contains the loot, consisting of the sum Each tavern has its version of Barrel Beating, with different
total of the bets collected from all the participants. weapons for throwing, barrel types of varying resistance, and
Before starting, the Condottiero determines both the bar- costumes (Dives sometimes offer special outfits to be worn
rel's AC and its hit points, as well as any special traits or by the participants).
peculiarities.
How to play:
1. Participants place their bets inside the barrel (same agreed
amount for everyone), then the barrel is hung and the
game begins.
2. Participants wager how many shots (ranged attacks with

light weapons) they will take against the barrel; these will
be equivalent to the number of beers they will have to
consume before throwing.
3. Each player must succeed in a Constitution saving throw

(DC 10 + 1 for each tankard consumed), or become drunk
and suffer a disadvantage in all attack dice rolls against the
barrel.
“I spent a lot of money on

wine, ladies and fast horses.
The rest I just squandered"
- Sir Giorgio de' Migliori,

Knight-errant -
- 21 -
The Treasure
of the Bigat
Introductory Job for a Band of 3-6 Licensed Knaves.
Written by Davide Mana
Supplements, tests, and revisions by Mauro Longo, Andrea Macchi and

Max Castellani
Inspiration for this adventure was partly drawn from Giuseppe

Pederiali’s novel by the same name,
a cornerstone of Italian fantasy.
To the east of the Fossa, upstream of Borgoratto, the Old

Bucket flows between wild hills, draining a narrow valley the
bumpkins call “Del Bigat”. Tis there that lurks one such crea-
ture, said to have a lair of gold and a lust for human flesh.
Many sought the valley, few found it, no-one returned.
- Braccio da Montone,
“Brancalonia Corbellatica, Liber V” -
Introduction for the Knaves

Legend has it that the dreaded Bigat (“the giant worm”) living along the Fossa
River accumulated a vast treasure over the centuries.
This is probably the usual folklore on hidden monsters and lost treasures
heard all over the Kingdom. Still, since you’ve been hanging around the
Den for weeks with nothing to do, and eating for free without doing a
minute’s honest work, your band leader, Roughger of Punchrabbit, has
given you a kick in the butt and ordered you to find out whether this ru-
mor is true, just to get you out of his hair.
Before you come to blows, you decide to accept this great mission. Crack-
ing jokes and playing pranks, you head off for the given area to look for a
certain Biondello of Pera, a rapscallion said to have an extremely valuable
long-lost map of this treasure.
- 22 -
The journey from your Den takes several carefree days on foot, a couple of
which are spent going around in circles, but eventually you find yourself walking
along the placid Fossa River, between accursed Penumbria and the Pagan Plain, in
search of the splendid and welcoming venue this Biondello reportedly hangs out
in: the Holed Coin Inn!
Background for the Condottiero

Biondello of Pera is a rough-hewn, Cheap Bounty of Vortigan origin, whose one
pride is that he can read (badly, and moving his lips).
These days, he mainly earns his living peddling yellowed and densely-scribbled
sheets of paper describing the legend of the Bigat of the Fossa and its fabulous
treasure. A mere few pages, copied – with the occasional blunder – from a book, “You see, in this world
too bulky to be pocketed, which Biondello found in the library of a wealthy Vor- there's two kinds of people,
tigan family for whom he briefly worked as a boot scraper. my friend: Those with
Being an ambitious and cunning young man, Biondello proceeded to write mul- loaded crossbows and those
tiple copies of the text in question, which he then sold to several adventurers, all who dig. You dig."
eager to get their hands on the fabulous Treasure of the Bigat. The rumor also
reached Roughger of Punchrabbit, head of the gang our characters play in, which - Lapidario de' Mali,
is why he sent some of his best Knaves to complete the Job. Maybe they would the bravest bravo inPenumbria -
finally prove themselves useful …
But Biondello went overboard, so to speak, and sold one of the copies to Turtle-
head of Toadi, also known as the Toad: a bandit with a commander’s ambitions,
leading a handful of brutes.
A miserable excuse for a company of fortune, the Toad Gang compensates with
crude violence for its lack of discipline and military training. The Toad’s men
serve as bodyguards for the merchants they have yet to rob, and accompany debt
collectors on their rounds. Generally speaking, if it weren’t for the fact that Tur-
tlehead has a certain pride and dreams of glory, his men would be happy to get
their hands dirty for free.
Having discovered that Biondello has sold the map to others, the Toad is deeply
disappointed, and about to react in his usual way, just as the Knaves reach the Inn.
After saving Biondello (or at least his package with the treasure map), the Band
goes up Old Bucket creek to challenge the monster and reap wealth, luck and glo-
ry, or at least to save its hide, meeting, on its way, mercenaries, brigands, guards,
and the Stump Hag.
And then, the final confrontation with the Bigat.
Scene 1 - At the Sign of the Holed Coin.

The Knaves reach the dive and find Biondello, a moment before throwing them-
selves into the wildest of fights against the Toad Gang.
Scene 2 - The Secret of the Bigat.

The Knaves discover or recover the secret of the Bigat and head towards the Old
Bucket valley.
Scene 3 - Along the Fossa River.

The next stage of the journey takes place along the southern bank of the Fossa and
offers opportunities to collect rumors, meet interesting people and buy equip-
ment.
Scene 4 - The Return of the Toad.

The Band runs into the Toad Gang again and must succeed in sabotaging its ad-
vance and shake it off its tail as it proceeds up the Old Bucket.
- 24 -
The Treasure of the Bigat
Scene 5 – Above and beyond the river.

Note It’s time to cross the Fossa River towards the north bank.
This job covers a span of several Scene 6 - Granny's House.

days of encounters, explorations, The Knaves must cross the land of the fearsome Stump Hag, an inhuman, de-
and travels. If you want to keep monic creature with unnatural powers. But with a bit of luck and cunning, the
the session time shorter than two Hag can be circumvented...
hours, you can skip Scenes 3 to 6
directly. Scene 7 - Bigattus dormiens numquam titillandus.
The Band and the Toad Gang reach the Bigat’s cave almost at the same time,
The scenario is also an excellent awaking the sleeping beast. And that's bad.
testing ground for the following
options and rules (see pages 13-19): Scene 8 - The ecstasy of gold.
If any of your Knaves survive the previous scene (you never know), this is the time
☞ Stoody Equipment to get their hands on the Bigat's treasure. Um, fine... but how will they carry tons
☞ Moves and Whacks of precious stones downstream without being robbed?
☞ Dive games
☞ Gritty Realism
Reference is also made to the Boun- Scene 1 - At the sign of the Holed Coin
ties, the Kingdom’s Coinage and
Memorabilia, details of which can The Holed Coin Inn is a dive, the most popular and widespread type of venue
be found in the Setting Book. throughout the cities and dusty roads of the Kingdom. A common room stink-
ing of rancid wine, ill-heated by a fireplace whose inefficient chimney fills the
If you don't want to use the pre-gen- room with smoke, the den has a counter scarred and dented a thousand times,
erated characters of Brancalonia, and variously stained by all sorts of fluids; a rat-infested cellar; a kitchen to the
pending the rules for the creation of rear; and, beyond the small courtyard where suppliers deliver their barrels, a
the Knaves that you will find in the solitary latrine. The common room hosts half a dozen tables, all lame, all stained
Campaign Setting, you can import with wine and oil and squashed cockroaches, all marked by burns and obsceni-
or create more “traditional” charac- ties engraved with knives. The benches and stools are uncomfortable enough to
ters by using the official rules avail- square out your buttocks.
able. The adventure is designed for
Level 3 Knaves, with limited access Scan the place and you’ll easily spot the following:
to arcane and divine resources.
• Patrons sitting hunched over their glasses, pouring wine from terracotta jugs and
Thieves, warriors, barbarians, rang- busy minding their own business. Some are playing Poppycock, shouting and
ers, paladins, warlocks and monks laughing loudly, the fuse of a quarrel already alight, the row about to explode.
are the most appropriate classes. One of them corresponds to Biondello's description: a slight man in his twenties,
Humans, halflings, half-elves, and with threadbare clothes and blond hair. If interested, there is room at the table
dwarfs are the most appropriate for 1-2 Knaves.
breeds. In all cases, remember
that you are moving in a low-fan- • A group of dangerous-looking men in worn and grubby attire, with mismatched
tasy context, where races, powers, weapons and armor. Even for a place like this, they are a coarse and filthy lot,
and supernatural effects should be their rags mended umpteen times, their armors dented, more rust than metal. At
modified in terms of aesthetics, to a table in the corner near the front door, they are playing Barrel Beating, drinking
lend them an “extraordinary” rather and talking, and seem to be waiting for someone. A successful DC 13 Intelligence
than a “magical” appearance, even (History) check will allow you to recognize the Toad Gang, a bunch of cheap
without touching the mechanics. thugs, but the Toad himself is not around.
Anything too extreme to be rede-
fined in this manner comes from • Behind the counter, Hugh the Hanged Man serves drinks and maintains order
Extravaganza, the power of fairies swiftly, using a cooper's mallet if necessary. A bulky brute with a shaved head and
that makes everything possible. a large overflowing belly, Hugh owes his charming nickname to a misadventure in
These fairy characters with incredi- his youth, when he was hanged for stealing chickens, and the rope broke, unable
ble powers travel incognito so as not to bear his weight. Hugh came out of it lame, and with a noticeable scar on his
to arouse fear, suspicion or mistrust neck.
in ordinary people.
- 25 -
• Zina and Melia serve at the tables, and whether they are
sisters, mother and daughter, cousins or
relations, or share
no kinship at all, is the subject of heated alcohol-fueled
discussions among the regulars. Over the years, the two
women, somewhat wilted, have refined a technique that
allows them to keep drunkards and other romantics at a
distance.
• Vanni is in charge of the kitchen and is the sort of

phenomenon the minstrels sing about: a skinny cook. He’s
as thin as a wraith, in fact – so much so that the Hanged
Man usually forbids him from being seen by customers, lest
he give the wrong impression on the quality of his cuisine.
• In the large fireplace in the main room, a roast suckling

pig on a skewer is slowly turned by a very scruffy, bored-
looking lad: Spiedino.
If the Knaves go straight to Biondello, he will chase them

away and ask to end the game. Daggers and knives will be
drawn under the tables at the first annoying gesture.
Teasing the Toad Gang before Turtlehead makes his ap-
pearance could easily cause a fight to break out.
If the Knaves take a seat and begin to guzzle the first round
of wine, the fight hits them forthwith.
In fact, a few minutes later the door opens and Turtlehead
comes in; after exchanging banter with his men, he grabs
Biondello, slaps him in the face and slams him onto the
Knaves’ table, his nose broken and bleeding profusely. The
poor fellow groans, as shards of your wine glasses fly in all
directions.
The background buzz in the tavern suddenly dies down.

The little man tries to sit up, his eyes glazed over, when a
shadow falls between the Knaves and the light.
Two huge ham-like paws grab Biondello by the collar and
lift him up. A hulk of a man with arms like sacks of water-
melons shakes the little man furiously, bellowing in scorn,
then slams him back onto the table so hard that its legs give
way, and the whole thing collapses.
The Knaves jump back to save their ankles.
Turtlehead of Toadi is here.
Behind him, the half dozen ugly faces of his gang are ap-
proaching.
On the floor, among the remains of the table, the little
man tries in vain to get up by grabbing hold of a Knave’s leg.
Turtlehead now bends and lifts Biondello up off the
ground.
The men behind the brute start to push the other patrons
away to make room. Some of them push back. One of the
waitresses screams, a slap resounds. Someone laughs.
And while a stool cleaves the tavern’s smoky air and hits the
skull of an unsuspecting Poppycock player, an alcoholic roar
announces the explosion of a violent riot in the Holed Coin!

Hard Knocks!
It's time for a fun Brawl! Play by the special rules on page 14 and consider the
following ideas:
Dive Games
• The men of the Toad Gang can't wait to start throwing punches at random, and
Any Knave who wants to participate attack, unprovoked, even the adventurers, throwing themselves at them with
in a game of Poppycock or a round a real surprise attack, or at least with an Advantage. They are mostly standing
of Barrel Beating must follow the between the adventurers and the front door, making it difficult, therefore, to
instructions on page 18-19. get away.
• The rest of the patrons try to make the most of this fun occasion, attacking
Here are the special rules for play- anyone who comes within range. See Wandering Dangers: The Tavern of the
ing Barrel Beating at the Holed Flying Fists.
Nickel Inn:
Opponents in the Holed Coin Inn
(Barrel | Total HP: 23 | CA: 12)
Description Toad Gang

At the Holed Coin Inn, the disguise
AC: 12
provided for Barrel Beating play-
Attack: +4
ers is pretty traditional: bonnets,
Whack: Every bandit has 2 Whack Levels
handkerchiefs, and rice-harvester Moves: Bouncer, Clothesline
aprons; the barrel is resistant and Move Slots: 2
reinforced with iron bands.
Clothesline. As an action, the henchman can make an attack. If it hits,
Available weapons: Throwing hoe the move deals 1 whack and the target is knocked prone.
Bouncer. As a reaction, when the henchman is successfully hit by an
(Ax) or Nasty Knife (Dagger).
attack, it can make an attack roll against his opponent. If it hits, the
target is stunned.
Turtlehead of Toadi (the Toad)

AC: 18
Attack: +7
Whack: 6
Moves: Bouncer, Clothesline, Driving Drop
Move Slots: 2
Special Moves: "A crown for their heads!", Human Shield
Brawl Features: Iron Jaw
Bouncer. As a reaction, when the Toad is successfully hit by an attack,

he can make an attack roll against his opponent. If he hits, the target is
stunned.
Clothesline. As an action, the Toad can make an attack. If he hits, the
move deals 1 whack and the target is knocked prone.
Diving drop. As an action, the Toad can make an attack roll. If he hits
the target, the move deals 1 whack and the target is stunned. The Toad
take 1 whack.
Special Move: “A crown for their heads!” Once per Brawl, the Toad
can summon the help of the Inn's bystanders, promising a reward for
anyone who will help him. The Special Move activates the Stray Danger
“The House of the Flying Punches”, but it only targets the PCs.
Special Move: Human Shield. When the Toad is attacked by a creature,
it can use his reaction to grab a member of the mob that takes the hit in
his place.
Brawl Features: Iron Jaw. The Toad can spend a move slot and use his
reaction to remove a condition that affects him.
- 27 -
Round One: the Toad, in a thunderous voice, accuses Round Three: Hugo the Hanged Man jumps onto the
Biondello of being a cheat, a deceiver and a great liar (all counter brandishing a cooper's mallet, and begins to strikes
true), and repeatedly roars “you lump of dung! Get up, right and left indiscriminately, yelling blasphemies. See
scumbag! How many of those have you sold, so far?!” Unless Stray Dangers: Rain of Stools.
he is distracted by the intervention of the adventurers (who
could take the boy's defense, for example), his actions in the
following turns will all be focused on his prey.
Round Two: The waitresses try to get out of the way, but if “Turn the other cheek, brother,
cornered, they might ask for help from the most charismatic so I can turn the other hand”
Knave in the Band.
At the same time, an envelope of yellowed papers will slip - Fracas from Trivelle -
unseen from Biondello's torn coat.
With a Wisdom (Perception) check DC 14 the player can
spot the envelope falling on the ground and being kicked
under a table. A Dexterity (Stealth) check DC 11 is required
to reach it unseen.
- 28 -
Scene 2 – The Secret of the Bigat

If the Knaves manage to save Biondello from the clutches With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcane or History)
of the Toad Gang (or at least save a copy of his papers), then check, the player can correctly identify the volume and under-
things can go on. stand its reliability (medium: Braccio was a learned captain and
Biondello's envelope (the one seen in the tavern, or one of lover of writing, but he stuffed his chronicles with colossal lies).
the many copies that the crook peddles) contains five pages Provided the Knaves can read, or find someone to do it for
copied from a book, namely the Fifth Volume of the classic them, they will find the following information in the five pages:
“Brancalonia Corbellatica”, compiled about a century ago by
Braccio da Caprone.
Pages of Brogliaccio
The Bigat and its nature – With extensive quotations from the classics, Braccio da Caprone describes the Bigat as “a
1 strange lizard” that lives along rivers and has a fondness for marshy areas. A lonely creature, it only mates every five
hundred years, and doesn't even enjoy it. It collects treasures, usually in the order of several hundred silver coins.
The Bigat and its nature (Cont.) – The Bigat is not afraid of fire and water, but fears iron and magic. It is subject to
long periods of hibernation, but when active it craves fresh meat once a moon, and is particularly fond of human
2
flesh.
In the absence of men, it is content with beasts.
The Bigat of the Fossa – Braccio da Caprone reports the tale of frequent sightings of the creature along the Fossa Riv-
3
er, where the beast frequently attacked fishermen. The last sighting along the river dates back over two hundred years.
The Valley of the Worm – Sightings along the Fossa may have ceased, yet many people claim that a Bigat took up
4 residence along the course of Old Bucket creek, a tributary of the Fossa. Once luxuriant, the valley, known to the
villagers as the “Vàl del Bigat”, is now a wilderness, and no-one ventures there if they can avoid it.
Map of the Valley – A map of the place, with partial description.
5 Unfortunately the page was torn out unevenly and part of the map is missing, as is part of the text, which mentions a
“Granny's House” not featured in what remains of the map.
If things go wrong and the papers get ruined, the Con- dozens of copies in the hands of Biondello, and can help
dottiero will only be able to provide information on some the Knaves if they promise to let him join their Company.
of the pages. In fact, Spiedino craves a little adventure and can't wait to
If things go even worse than expected, salvation will come leave that dump of a tavern. Also, he hides a secret: Spiedino
from the fearful attendant of the tavern, Spiedino, who can is actually a girl, but in this mean old world it seems safer
read, knows the content of the papers by heart, having seen to pretend to be a boy for as long as possible...
Scene 3 - Along the Fossa River

Having somehow recovered the directions of Braccio da the most important communication routes in the region,
Caprone’s text, the Knaves are free to plan their trip to the manned to some degree by guards from nearby cities and by
Old Bucket valley and to the mysterious “Granny’s House”. mercenary companies.
According to the map, the route unfolds as follows: This part of the trip is a good opportunity to have the Knaves
interact with a few local characters – petty merchants, dis-
• Three days on horseback, or five on foot, along the Fossa, turbing fishermen, and grubby boatmen – in order to acquire
heading west. supplies and equipment, and to collect rumors on the Bigat
and the course of the Bucket.
• Three days on foot northwards along the course of the Any equipment that can be found during the trip will be
Bucket. Shoddy (see page 13).
The first part of the journey takes place along the southern There are no guards around, but only beggars, wayfarers,
bank of the Fossa River, mainly through wild and marshy jugglers, scoundrels, and peasants, all ready to defend them-
lands, among chestnut and larch woods. selves and deliver summary justice, if need be.
Although the Fossa is dangerous, owing to its proximity
to the Mistide of Penumbria, and to the Pagans’ incursions,
the waterway and the road that runs alongside it are among
- 29 -
Collecting Rumours Encounters along the way

If the Knaves distribute quatrins left and right, or convince Once a day, roll 1d6 to see if the Band meets someone spe-
someone to speak, with a successful DC 11 Charisma (Per- cial along the way. If the same number comes out multiple
suasion or Intimidation) check, here's what they could find times, consider it “1”.
out (launch 1d12):
d6 Encounters
d12 Rumor Hunger and thirst: the road along the Fossa is de-
The Bucket flows into the Fossa about forty miles 1 serted and a little eerie. But you’re better off alone
1 than in bad company. Or are you?
upstream of the Holed Nickel (roughly true).
The course of the Bucket has been uninhabited for Three Guards: they are on the trail of the dangerous
2 Brega the Dwarf, a pagan chief who has been seen
decades (roughly true, if we exclude the Granny).
wandering around the region with some henchmen.
The spirit of the Bucket is a kind and elderly fairy 2
The guards ask a lot of questions, but are essential-
3 who helps anyone who treats him courteously ly harmless and don't really want to get into trouble.
(humph!). If suitably approached, they also offer 1 Rumor.
A group of pagans led by a fierce dwarf has crossed A procession of scabies victims on a pilgrimage to
4 over from the north and is now wandering around the Sanctuary of the Good Women of Mercy to beg
the district (true). 3
for relief from their dreadful illness: you need to give
There is a pleasant woodcutter village called Fairwil- them a wide berth, and thus lose half a day.
5 low at the top of the Bucket valley (false as a fake Melabella, a young woman in distress: her mother
florin). has twisted an ankle while looking for mushrooms
The Bucket gets its name from the magical golden in the woods, and the daughter is too weak to carry
bucket lying on its bed: this will bring infinite riches her. Whoever follows the girl in the woods to help
6 her will be attacked by Pagans armed with sticks,
to those who retrieve it from its waters (as true as
any legend). henchmen of Brega the Dwarf. The girl has a dagger
4 and knows how to use it. She will offer food, cour-
The Stump Hag lives along the course of the Old teous reverence, 1 dose of groggy mushroom (see
7
Bucket (true). below) and 1 Rumor in exchange for help. If Spiedi-
“Granny” was an old woman and a woodcutter by no, Biondello or Aleramo travel with the group, this
profession, but has been dead for a hundred years is an opportunity for them to leave the Band behind
8 and follow a new path. Or Melabella could join the
or more (true, except that she has turned into the
Stump Hag). Band, who knows?
A beautiful girl lives in the valley and spends time A wandering knight without a horse: this is Aleramo
9 picking flowers (true, but it's the Hag in the morn- from Roccaspra, a young aristocrat of high hopes
ing). and little money. He was thrown by his steed Bofal-
macco. If the adventurers help him find his jumpy
A beautiful lady lives in the valley and offers hospi- horse, they will earn one silver coin each, 1 Rumor,
10 tality to wayfarers and hunters (true, but it’s the Hag 5 and his eternal gratitude, but they will lose half a
in the afternoon). day. Aleramo could also join the Band as a follower
Recently, adventurers and knaves (“like you”) have or as an ally, but only if convinced that their work
11 been seen heading for the valley (true); the reason is honorable and can bring him glory. If they don't
is unknown. help him, or if they rob him, they will make an ene-
my for the future.
12 Nobody has ever come back (true).
A Company of Mountebanks – a chariot pulled
The Condottiero should grant the whole Band 1 rumor by a meek old horse with five passengers:
from ordinary people a day, in addition to the rumors that • Farina the aged and pompous leader
can be collected through other encounters. • Clara the first actress, as attractive as she is
nasty
• Taricco the minstrel, who constantly strums a
lute
6 • Ursula, graceful and vain
• Reinardo, who plays all the parts that the others
“I'm looking for the owner of that horse. don't do, all of them badly
He's tall, blonde, he smokes a pipe,
The Knaves can travel with the artists for a day,
and he's a pig!" saving on supplies and getting 2 Rumors for free. At
sunset, the troupe turns to a fishing village where
- Verrettone, king of the hogs - they plan to stop for three days, and our heroes
must continue alone.
- 30 -
Scene 4 – The Return of the Toad

On the fourth night of travel, our adventurers can stop off at • Sneak away and travel all night to outdistance the
the Four Winds Shack, a run-down dive where, for a couple competition as much as possible: fine, but let's face it, not
of copper coins or an hour’s work (chopping wood, empty- much fun. The adventurers would earn half a day: a very
ing spittoons, plucking chickens), you get a portion of bread narrow advantage.
soup and a place to sleep in the stables.
Whether they stop at the Shack or outdoors, the Knaves are • Lace the Band’s wine or supper in order to put the
preparing to retire for the night when the bustle of a group mercenaries out of action for a couple of days: actually the
of armed men announces the arrival of the Toad Gang, who kitchen is isolated from the rest of the Shack (or the cook
settle in the common room, ordering wine and boiled capons is separate from the other members of the Band).
(or make camp near the Knaves’ night shelter). This time, the
Band is almost complete: there are over a dozen mercenaries If your Knaves decide for the latter, one of them at home in
(fifteen, actually, for those who can count). the wild can try to find something useful in the undergrowth
While two of them leave to use the latrine behind the stables with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check; alterna-
(or the trees in the field), they discuss how they will spend tively they can bribe a passing apothecary with 5 silver coins.
their share of Bigat's treasure. In both cases you obtain (roll 1d6):
Evidently the Toad is also after the treasure. If there was still
any doubt, the accusations made by Turtlehead to Biondello d6 Findings
are now perfectly clear. 1-2 Groggy mushroom – a mild hallucinogen that promises
The Toad and his men must be slowed down or stopped: to provide the mercenaries with 12 hours of colorful vi-
this Job is already complicated enough without competition sions and silly giggling, and two days of killer headache.
for the final prize. 3-4 Stitch Leaf – a powerful laxative, capable of incapaci-
tating an adult man for 36 hours, with excruciating pain
Your main options could be: and seismic bowel movements.
5-6 Snoozy Berries – a narcotic effect that can knock out
• Confronting the Toad and his men in combat: it can be an adult for 24 hours
done, but it’s perfectly clear to the Players that it will be
like catching a tiger by the tail. Once the evil ingredient is procured, one of the characters
must mix it in the food or wine destined for the Band; this
• Wait until the Toad and his minions are asleep, and can be done by carrying out appropriate checks based on the
put them out of action: not a bad idea in itself, but the players’ choices.
mercenaries seem uninclined to go to bed, and when they
finally do, well after the moon has set, they leave some What if the Knaves eliminate the Toad and his minions?
men on guard. Weird, huh? There are bad people around, In this case, the Band deserves a breather: after all, it’s been
apparently. hard work…
In the final part of the adventure, the Knaves will meet the
• Set fire to the Shack: true, the service is bad, but this remnants of the Gang, led by the guiscard Saetta, the Toad’s
would probably slow down the mercenaries only until right-hand sidekick.
dawn.
- 31 -
Scene 5 - Above and Beyond the River

After the first five days of travel, it's time to cross the Fossa ☞ Stealing a boat
and go up the Bucket. The Fossa River, along which the first Along the Fossa there are several fishing villages: crooked
part of the journey unfolds, is still navigable in this stretch. huts; children, and occasionally pigs, splashing around in
It can be crossed in two ways: by paying a boatman; or by the mud; and a heavy smell of stale fish in the air.
stealing a boat, which in the local smugglers’ jargon is called Stealing a boat from one of these villages, thus depriving
“going above and beyond”. a family of its only means of livelihood, requires a heart of
stone. With a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check
☞ Gambaro the boatman you avoid being caught in the act, and with a successful DC
Old Gambaro has spent his life on the river – often in the 8 Dexterity (Water Vehicle) check, you avoid overturning in
river – and knows every bend, current and legend. He lives the middle of the river and risk drowning.
in a hut about two spits from the water, across which he has
stretched a chain that acts as a guide for the raft with which ☞ Sabotage the ferry and boats
he ferries travelers from one shore to another. Knaves who want to further hinder other treasure hunters
You can cross the Fossa on Gambaro's raft for 1 iron piece can break the chain of the ferry and puncture the boats after
a head or – if you don’t have the money – you can threaten using them.
the boatman, or tell him a story he has never heard. If the For practical reasons, it is not possible to sabotage all the
transaction takes place amicably, Gambaro will also tell or boats in all the villages along the Fossa.
confirm 1 Rumor, but the Condottiero must choose a true one.
If poor Gambaro is treated badly, on the first occasion
he will report the group’s position and intentions to the
local Guards or to the Toad Gang.
Scene 6 - Granny’s house

On the following days, the Knaves go up Bucket creek and immediate danger. Indeed, with a little cunning, Knaves
its uninhabited valley. Looking back from elevated points, can turn her against the Toad Gang with the famous (or
will allow you to see a camp fire a few miles away to the infamous) ”eat-me-when-I'm-fatter” trick: “Why waste
south with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. time with us, when a much better-fed group is on its way?”
Your Knaves are not alone on the trail to the treasure!
On the third day of travel along the Bucket, you will find • In the afternoon, the Hag appears as an attractive and
yourselves at the confluence of the Old Bucket with the New provocative mature woman, scantily dressed in tattered
Bucket, the most substantial river branch. Your Knaves’ path rags. She has long black hair, very white skin, and full red
continues along the Old Bucket. From now on, you are in lips. This too is an illusion created to entice her victims,
the Stump Hag’s territory, the real reason no-one has ever attract them to her hut and then behead them at ease.
found the Bigat and its Treasure. If the Knaves never take a
wrong turn, they will reach their destination in the morning; • In the evening and at night, the Hag shows her true
otherwise, all half-day delays and night stops will have to be appearance: a horrible old woman, smiling obscenely
considered. with four crooked yellow teeth, a body seemingly made of
withered twigs, held together by what’s left of a dress once of
So, let’s meet the Hag (see page 36). great beauty, and now reduced to rags. She effortlessly wields
a large executioner's ax whose blade appears to be encrusted
The Stump Hag owes her name to her habit of beheading with rust (or worse). This is the Hag’s true form, also revealed
her victims with an ax. Just saying. What she does with the if the evil spell is somehow broken; it is also the form that the
heads (or with the bodies, for that matter) is the subject of Hag takes if confronted in her hut (see below).
grim legends and morbid speculation.
Whatever her guise, the Hag is endowed with superhuman
The Hag comes in three different forms depending on how dexterity and ability to dodge danger.
and when she meets the Knaves:
If, after showing up with an illusory appearance, her true
• In the morning, she appears as a handsome young woman form is revealed:
dressed in simple clothes. In this form – the result of
spells and illusions – the Hag interacts socially with the • If she has the chance, she will escape and take refuge in
characters; she can provide 1 Rumor (true or false, but her hut, then return at night and go after the Knaves
chosen by the Condottiero) and does not constitute an with her ax.
- 32 -
• If she has no chance to escape, she will attack using her When cornered and reduced to a few Hit Points, the Hag
own list of spells. becomes invisible and tries to escape under cover of darkness,
leaving behind her ax, a heavily cursed weapon (the Condot-
Granny’s House is clearly visible at the top of the Bucket tiero can freely decide what nefarious properties the object has).
valley: it is nothing more than a hut with four dry-stone By defeating the Hag, or making her flee the premises, you
walls and a rush roof. The door is low and narrow, and there can plunder her hut. This requires a second saving throw on
are no windows. the Constitution.
A massive stump stands out in the small clearing next to
the hut. In a niche at the end of the hut there is a casket containing
The interior of the Hag's house is a macabre showcase of loose jewelry for about 50 silver coins, a snake-shaped hilt
skulls in various states of decomposition. dagger (Poisoned Dagger) and a silver medal of Saint Sbarella
Imperceptible from the outside, the stench in there hits from Belveglio, the patron of business travelers.
you like a brick wall: anyone who enters the hut must pass a A trunk placed in a corner contains an assortment of fine
Constitution saving throw with DC 11, or they will be prey clothes, including cloaks, belts, and boots, evidently taken
to uncontrollable retching and incapacitated until the end by the Hag from her victims. Considering the slashes and
of the next turn. bloodstains, their overall value is merely a few iron pieces,
but something useful could be salvaged.
In the confined space of the hut, the Hag's ax becomes a What happened to the bodies remains a mystery, but perhaps
deadly weapon which the old woman wields with unexpected it’s just as well...
force. The blade often hits the walls, causing blue sparks to
go off in the half-shade.
Scene 7 – Bigattus dormiens numquam titillandus

After passing Granny’s House you reach the upper valley of At present his Band is made up of himself, a number of
the Bucket, nothing more than a steep ravine on the bottom Bandits equal to the number of Knaves +2, and Saetta who,
of which flows a muddy stream. so far, has remained on the sidelines.
If you study the territory – with a successful DC 16 Intel- If the Knaves defeated the Toad and his Gang along the
ligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check – you way, there will only be Saetta plus the 2 surviving members
will notice a series of footprints in the muddy river bed. With of the Gang.
a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check, you can follow After three rounds of combat, or as soon as things get worse
the trail: from the riverbed, this passes along the bank then for one of the two factions...
returns to the river. These are the traces left by a very large Well, there’s an ancient draconian saying that goes something
animal with webbed and clawed feet: the Bigat! like this: Bigattus dormiens numquam titillandus, or “Let the
Following its tracks for about two miles upstream, the Knaves sleeping Bigat lie!”
will approach a pond of bright-green water. A semi-submerged
cave opens on the rock face on the western side of the pond. The monster in question is, in fact, as dangerous as it is indo-
The tracks end there. lent. It spends most of its time wallowing in some watercourse,
This is when the Toad arrives. Let the weapons speak... napping and very slowly digesting its most recent victims. And
everything’s fine until someone disturbs its rest...
Turtlehead da Toadi is cross. In our case, the creature’s sacrosanct digestion is brutally
He is cross because the fool Biondello has sold hell-knows interrupted by the uproar of two groups of frenzied people
how many copies of the treasure map and what have you up trying to murder one another, with a tremendous crashing
and down the Fossa. of metal and shouts and blasphemies, right outside the cave
He is cross because the adventurers have repeatedly slowed that the beast has elected as its residence.
down his march and pestered him and his men, some of
whom have yet to recover. In the third round of combat, the Bigat bursts through the
surface of the pond, launching its unmistakable bellow, and
He is cross because he hates coming in second. pounces on the shore, tearing into the combatants indis-
He doesn’t intend to waste time offering the adventurers a criminately.
way out. He just waits for the right moment, then unleashes
an attack with no quarter. The fight against the Bigat is to the death (see page 35).
- 33 -
With a successful DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion or Decep-

tion) check, it is possible for one of the Knaves to persuade
the Toad Band's survivors to join forces against the beast. Or,
vice versa, to convince the monster to target other enemies
with a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check.
If the trick works, the faction so cunningly deceived will
do all the dirty work and, when the Bigat or the Bandits
have been eliminated, the Band will be able to face the one
still standing.
Scene 8 - The ecstasy of gold

Defeating the Toad Gang brings 40 silver pieces in various
coins and assorted trinkets, as well as a fair amount of abrasions,
bruises, and aching bones. The opponents’ weapons and armor
are all shoddy, except for those of Turtlehead and Saetta.
Bigat’s Treasure is much richer. The weapons and armor
of its victims are all ruined by centuries of dampness, but
inside the den there are hundreds of Old Draconian aureos,
mounds of jewels, valuables and silver coins, as well as thou-
sands of iron pieces and half-rusted quatrins.
The Condottiero can calculate the exact amount of the
treasure, the presence of Memorabilia and that of any magi-
cal or special objects as he thinks fit.
The Condottiero can also evaluate the difficulty – for a
Band of rogue Knaves – of recovering this fortune from the
submerged bed of the lair, and of bringing it back. After all,
they have no mules, or carts or anything, and the road to
the Den teems with guards, mercenaries, bandits, robbers,
thieves and villains of all kinds.
Will our heroes be able to bring the treasure back to their
Company Den? Or will they squander it in Revels along
the way?

Monsters and Enemies

Bigat
Bigat is a legendary creature that often appears in the stories Bigat
of the Fossa River. According to the different versions, it is Large dragon, unaligned
described as a dragon without wings, a huge lizard, or even Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
as a sort of titanic worm. Hit Points 110 (13d10+39)
Regardless of its appearance, the Bigat is a highly territorial Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
creature, which avoids inhabited places and prefers rivers and
wild areas. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
In the folklore, the Bigat collects a hoard during its entire 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 5 (-3) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
existence, and it guards and defends the treasure within its

Condition Immunities charmed
own lair.
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages -
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Hold Breath. The Bigat can hold its breath for 1

hour.
actions
Multiattack. The Bigat makes three attacks: one
with its bite, one with its claws and one with its tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10
ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning
damage.
Brutish Roar (Recharge 6). The bigat emits an
explosive and deafening roar. Each creature within
30 feet of the bigat and able to hear the roar must
make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed
save, a creature takes 18 (4d8) thunder damage
and is deafened for 1 minute. On a successful save,
a creature takes half as much damage and isn't
deafened. A deafened creature can repeat the
saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending
the effect on itself on a success.
- 35 -
Stump Hag
According to some, the evil Hags of the Kingdom are an- “The Befanas come at night
cient cursed beings of unnatural origin, or cannibal mon-
sters similar to fairytale orcs. For others, however, they Children have a look of fright
are witchcraft practitioners who have been corrupted by
dark powers. Whatever the truth, each Brancalonia Hag is In their sack broken bones
a creature of its own, with different powers, background,
habits and weak points. However, they share a number of What a gift from those crones..."
common traits.
- Nursery Rhime -
Stump Hag
For all the effects, characteristics and powers of the Stump
Hag, in this scenario use the Green Hag, with the following
changes:
GS 5 (1,800 XP)
Damage Resistance (only at night time) against
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-
magical attacks waged with silvered weapons.
Horrific Appearance. Any humanoid creature that

starts its turn within 30 feet of the Hag and sees
her true form must make a DC 11 Wisdom saving
throw. If it fails, the humanoid will be frightened for
1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end
of each of its turns, with a disadvantage if the Hag
is within its line of sight; if it succeeds, the effect
ends. If the creature's saving throw is successful,
or if the effect ends, the creature becomes immune
to the Hag's Horrific Appearance for the next
24 hours. Unless the target is surprised or the
revelation of the Hag's true form is sudden, the
target can avert its eyes and avoid making the
initial saving throw. Until the start of its next turn, a
creature that averts its eyes has a disadvantage on
attack rolls against the Hag.
actions
Multiattack. The hag makes two greataxe
attacks.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
- 36 -
The Toad Gang

Turtlehead from Toadi - Saetta (“Lightning”)
The Toad Saetta is the Guiscard of the Company, so called for her love
Experienced warrior, he fights with a greatsword and wears a for the Lightning spell, the most powerful she have learned
full armor in good condition. It also has a dagger at the belt so far.
and a second one hidden in a boot. He's not particularly Or perhaps, according to the gossips, for her ability in run-
smart, but he's definitively bad. ning away when things go wrong...
Turtlehead of Toadi Saetta

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 18 (Full Armor) Armor Class 12 (15 With Mage Armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d8+16) Hit Points 22 (5d8)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 9 (-1) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2 Saving Throws Int +5, Wis +3
Senses Passive perception 10 Skills Arcana +5, History +5
Languages Vernacular Senses passive Perception 11
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Languages Vernacular, Draconian
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
actions
Multiattack. The Toad makes two melee attacks. Spellcasting. Saetta is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC
5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage. 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The Guiscard has
prepared the following wizard spells:
reactions
Parry. The Toad adds 2 to his AC against one melee • Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand,
attack that would hit it. To do so, the Toad must see prestidigitation
the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. • 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor,
magic missile, shield
• 2nd level (3 slots): misty step, trance
• 3rd level (3 slots): lightning bolt, speed
actions
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to
hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4
(1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
- 37 -
Toad Gang Bandits

In his company, the Toad brought together some of the
worst cutthroats of the region.
Toad Gang Bandits

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 12 (Leather Armor)
Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Senses Passive perception 10

Languages Vernacular
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
actions
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to
hit, reach 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1)
piercing damag
- 38 -

Other Encounters
Guard Chief guard
Medium humanoid (human), any alignment Medium humanoid (human), any alignment
Armor Class 16 (Chain Shirt, Shield) Armor Class 17 (Splint)
Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) Hit Points 58 (9d8+18)
14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
Skills Perception +3 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3

Senses Passive perception 13 Senses Percezione passiva 13
Languages Vernacular Languages Vernacular
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Challenge 3 (700 XP)
actions actions
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., Multiattack. The Chief Guard makes two
one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. longsword attacks. If wielding a shortsword, it can
also make a shortsword attack.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage,
or 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two
hands.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to
hit, reach 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1)
piercing damage.

Knight-errant
Medium humanoid (human), any alignment
Armor Class 18 (Plate)
“s this the real life?
Hit Points 52 (8d8+16) Is spaghetti fantasy?
Speed 30 ft. Caught in a landslide
No escape from knavery"
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) - Soldiers' popular song -
Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2

Senses Passive perception 10
Languages Any One Language (Usually Vernacular)
Brave. The knight-errant has an advantage against

fear in saving throws.
actions
Multiattack. The knight-errant makes two melee
attacks.
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to
hit, reach 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10)
piercing damage.
Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long
Rest). For 1 minute, the knight-errant can utter a
special command or warning whenever a non-
hostile creature it can see within 30 ft makes an
attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add
a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand
the knight-errant. A creature can benefit from only
one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if the
knight-errant is incapacitated.
reactions
Parry. The knight-errant adds 2 to its AC against
one melee attack that would hit it. To do so,
the knight-errant must see the attacker and be
wielding a melee weapon.
- 41 -
Pagan Pagan warrior

Medium humanoid (human), any alignment Medium humanoid (human), any alignment
Armor Class 12 (Hide Armor) Armor Class 13 (Hide Armor)
Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
12 (+1) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 8 (-1)
Senses Passive perception 11 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3

Languages Vernacular Senses Passive perception 13
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Languages Vernacular
Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack
roll against a creature if at least one of your allies Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its
is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t damage when the pagan hits with it (included in
incapacitated. the attack).
actions Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack
Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, roll against a creature if at least one of your allies
reach 5 ft., or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t
(1d6 + 1) piercing damage, or 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing incapacitated.
damage if used with two hands to make a melee actions
attack. Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5

The Spaghetti Fantasy is by
Acheron Books
www.acheron.it

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a
Legal Information notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in
Permission to copy, modify and distribute the files collectively known as the System terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content
Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD5”) is granted solely through the use of the Open that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as
Gaming License, Version 1.0a. described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any
This material is being released using the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a and Open Game Content distributed using this License.
you should read and understand the terms of that license before using this material. 3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your
The text of the Open Gaming License itself is not Open Game Content. Instructions acceptance of the terms of this License.
on using the License are provided within the License itself.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the
The following items are designated Product Identity, as defined in Section 1(e) of
Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty free, non exclusive license
the Open Game License Version 1.0a, and are subject to the conditions set forth in
with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
Section 7 of the OGL, and are not Open Content: Dungeons & Dragons, D&D,
Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master, Monster Manual, d20 System, Wizards of the 5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original
Coast, d20 (when used as a trademark), Forgotten Realms, Faerûn, proper names material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your
(including those used in the names of spells or items), places, Underdark, Red Wizard original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by
of Thay, the City of Union, Heroic Domains of Ysgard, Ever Changing Chaos of this License.
Limbo, Windswept Depths of Pandemonium, Infinite Layers of the Abyss, Tarterian 6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Depths of Carceri, Gray Waste of Hades, Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, Nine Hells of portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Baator, Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, Peaceable of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and
Kingdoms of Arcadia, Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, Twin Paradises of Bytopia, You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the
Blessed Fields of Elysium, Wilderness of the Beastlands, Olympian Glades of Arborea, COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
Concordant Domain of the Outlands, Sigil, Lady of Pain, Book of Exalted Deeds,
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as
Book of Vile Darkness, beholder, gauth, carrion crawler, tanar’ri, baatezu, displacer
an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent
beast, githyanki, githzerai, mind flayer, illithid, umber hulk, yuan ti.
Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not
to indicate compatibility or co adaptability with any Trademark or Registered
All of the rest of the SRD5 is Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d)
Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except
of the License.
as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such
The terms of the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a are as follows:
Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product
Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright
retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate
1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners
which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.
who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means
copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated
other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy,
upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any
work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, version of this License.
license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy
(d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game
Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission
content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means from the Contributor to do so.
any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under
12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of
copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity”
this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute,
means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including
judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game
trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements,
Material so affected.
dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses,
formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply
audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming
personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision
logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which
COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards
specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos,
of the Coast, LLC.
names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself
or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors
by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James
edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based
Game Content. (h) “You” on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
www.acheron.it
- 44 -
Enter Brancalonia, jo
in
us now on Driv
eThruRPG
www.Acheron.i
t

For the Bounty!
Brancalonia is an all-italian medieval, roguish and picaresque setting
for the 5th Edition of the most famous role-playing game of all time.
C
In this Quickstart you can find a taste of the Campaing Setting, and everything you need to play the first
introductory adventure:
• A general introduction to Brancalonia. • The Treasure of the Bigat: an introductory Job for
• New Rules and Options for Brawls and Dive a Band of 3-6 experienced Knaves.
Games.
On DriveThruRPG and on our Facebook Page Acheron Games you will

also find the blank Sheet and many Pregenerated Knaves.
www.acheron.it

Brancalonia Quickstart ENG

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Brancalonia Quickstart ENG

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Brancalonia Quickstart ENG

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)

Brancalonia is a game by Acheron Games.

You can find Brancalonia adventures, companion, and utilities on www.acheron.it

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)

Knaves, Bounties, Bands, and Jobs.................................... 4

What you will find in the Setting Book......................12

Freezing nights and empty saddlebags............................ 13

Moves and Whacks ........................................................ 16

Barrel-Beating and Poppycock...................................20

The Treasure of the Bigat................................................ 22

Monsters and Enemies.................................................... 35

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)

After all, what could possibly go wrong?"

Knaves, Bounties, Bands,

The Band The Condottiero and the

• You can descend into a darker world, all intrigues, political

• You can take to sea with corsairs and creatures of the

• You can indulge in the surreal and the fantastic, delving

Within the Campaign Setting Book, all these ingredients

Kingdom of the Two Scyllas

Tasinnanta, or of Secrets, Treasures, and

Details of the Kingdom’s history, geography, and other inter-

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)

What you will find in

“Not the nose"

Freezing nights and

Shoddy Equipment Shoddy Magic

• It works like shoddy equipment: apart from the aforementioned malus to

Currency and Costs

Are you totally confused? Not to worry: so is everyone in the Kingdom!

Racial Powers A Brawl is a non-lethal fight, and

Beatings Stray Dangers

Pre-generated character sheets are complete with assigned Opponents

the following effects:

2. Participants wager how many shots (ranged attacks with

3. Each player must succeed in a Constitution saving throw

“I spent a lot of money on

- Sir Giorgio de' Migliori,

Written by Davide Mana

Supplements, tests, and revisions by Mauro Longo, Andrea Macchi and

Inspiration for this adventure was partly drawn from Giuseppe

To the east of the Fossa, upstream of Borgoratto, the Old

Many sought the valley, few found it, no-one returned.

Introduction for the Knaves

Background for the Condottiero

And then, the final confrontation with the Bigat.

Scene 1 - At the Sign of the Holed Coin.

Scene 2 - The Secret of the Bigat.

Scene 3 - Along the Fossa River.

Scene 4 - The Return of the Toad.

Scene 5 – Above and beyond the river.

This job covers a span of several Scene 6 - Granny's House.

• Vanni is in charge of the kitchen and is the sort of

• In the large fireplace in the main room, a roast suckling

If the Knaves go straight to Biondello, he will chase them

The background buzz in the tavern suddenly dies down.

Milo Selas (Order #32705950)

Description Toad Gang

Turtlehead of Toadi (the Toad)