Brancalonia

Brancalonia is a "Spaghetti Fantasy" third-party setting for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition released on DriveThruRPG in 2021. Currently, there are two books; the corebook, and the Macaronicon, which is an expansion for the corebook of roughly the same size.

WTF is "Spaghetti Fantasy"?

Spaghetti Fantasy is a genre largely unknown outside of its native Italy (hence the "spaghetti" part of the name), which is half the reason this setting exists - to expose it to an unfamiliar audience. At its core, one could describe Spaghetti Fantasy as Low Fantasy with a light-hearted tone, an emphasis on tragicomedy, abundant black comedy, abundant (but non-lethal) brawls and a focus on the endlessly smart-arsed lower-classes of society. Even your players are assumed by default to be "loveable rogues" who work as less-than-reputable sellswords and troubleshooters for hire; this is a world in which your adventurers are earthy, foul-mouthed mercenaries or bawdy witches (think Nanny Ogg in her hot-and-steamy youth), not shining noble knights or aloof, sagacious wizards.

In short - Italian commedia dell'arte, made famous by Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron and George Gascoigne's translation of I Suppositi. Chaucer? ...Shakespeare? A couple of thieves.

The basic "rules" of Spaghetti Fantasy as outlined in the book itself are thus:

• Low (But Widespread) Magic
• Light-Hearted Tone - Sure, the setting's about thieves and rogues, but they're not all morally reprehensible bastards. In fact, the morality of it all is quite flexible, leaning towards the silly side.
• Tragedy and Comedy - Yes, there is plenty of tragedy in the life of a penniless charlatan, but all of this adversity is faced with a smile.
• Hoe and Sword - The setting isn't one about epic chivalric knights, but a bunch of broke pickpockets, menials and beggars who still aspire to something noble despite their brokeness.
• No Money for Special Effects - This setting is akin to a budget movie, so a canny GM can consider things like abandoned settings, recycled extras and sparingly-applied monsters.
• Likelihood - Instead of the typical fantasy logic, this setting tries to ground itself in something akin to historical accuracy.
• Brawly Fantasy - Expect plenty of tavern brawls for silly reasons.
• Grandguinolesque - Just because it's silly doesn't mean it can be dark. There are elements of grimdark and bleak here, especially in Hell.

To help emphasize its distinctive features, PCs in the world of Brancalonia are called "Knaves", because they represent a wide array of mercenaries, rogues and rascals. Normally, a PC group (or Band) is but a small sub-unit of a larger swarm of knaves, called the Company. Despite this shabby reputation, however, the general assumption is that Knaves are not truly evil, as summed up in the sidebar on Brancalonia alignments:

In Brancalonia, most Knaves are likeable scoundrels (CG or CN); belong to communities or covens who follow their instincts or the laws of nature (N); slobs who make a living as best they can (NG); or dreamers aspiring to honor and glory in a world not worthy of high ideals (LG and LN).

Play in Barcelonia is recommended for levels 1-6 at most; this is a Low Fantasy derivative that revels in being sleazy, ironic and low-powered. Because of this, all of the setting unique subclasses don't bother to include features higher than 6th level, and new system called "Emeriticence" is introduced to allow for players to continue adventuring after 6th level, replacing the normal level-up boons with a selection of feat-like bonus abilities. That's right, it's an Epic6 setting.

The World

Hmmm, looks familiar...

Brancalonia takes place in what is called "The Bounty Kingdom"; a peninsula and neighboring islands that were originally a minor possession of the Empire of Altomagna, but which has been out of the Empire's direct control for a century and subsequently splintered into over a dozen independent regions, which in turn are broken up into local potentates, fiefdoms, counties, villages, marches, duchies, baronies, alliances, knighthoods, municipalities and commercial leagues... not to mention the uncertainy of the domains' boundaries and surrounding no-man's lands.

Quintoria

A coastal region that has fallen from a former position of wealth and historical importance into a harsh, wild, largely neglected land. Rumored home of gorgons and a race of deformed amphibious humanoids called the dracians - actually a pagan sylvan people with amphibious traits. Many pagans and heretics still live here, practicing ancient seafaring religions, most prominently the worship of the Father of the Deep. What makes this domain important is that it serves as the home to Lungariva, one of the richest mercantile trading hubs in the Kingdom, and its array of iron and silver mines.

Falcamonte

A land of harsh, wild terrain that was repeatedly the home of the royal seat in ancient history, resulting in a veritable plague of landed gentry and town nobility to match the plague of gobbolini infesting its hills and mountains.

Galaverna

A realm abundant in waterways, marshes and vast stretches of fertile countryside hugging the slopes of the Heretic Alps. Dominated by merchants, who thusly cause it to be infested with mercenaries who seek to profit from the endless trade-wars.

Vortigana

The largest region in the Kingdom, and the most powerful, due to it being home to the coastal merchant city of Vortiga. One of the wealthiest and most resource-rich territories in the Kingdom. The frigid northlands are abundant in sylvan tribes and clans of morgants. Also home to two unique varieties of marionettes; the cabin dolls, made from water-seasoned wood (often harvested from shipwrecks) and thus preternatually attuned to the sea, and the saintlets, living symbols of the Saints used in Creed rituals and rumored to be innate miraculists.

Pianverna

A foggy, depopulated land of swamps and tiny hamlets, abundant in pagans, sorcerers and monsters.

Penumbria

Surrounded by the Misttide, a poisonous ring of fog and sulfurous mist that stretches the land and sea borders of this region, Penumbria is a cursed realm of monsters both human and supernaturale, ruled over openly by criminal gangs and infested with strange and deadly creatures. This is a place of darkness and savagery; the "horror/noir" domain, with a distinctly Grandguignol cast to its nature. This no more evident than in its native marionette subrace; the Guignols, who form by encysting and growing inside the bodies of flesh-and-blood invidiuals until they are fully developed and ready to come out, and who are marked by an innate passion for the macabre and histrionic.

Torrigiana

The most heavily settled region in the Bounty Kingdom, filled with fortresses both literal and metaphorical and consequently rife with intrigues, familial quarrels, power struggles, conspiracies and armed scuffles. Yet, at the same time, it is the most openly magical and mystical of the lands; fey and magical creatures abound here, and this is the native fields of the triflewood, the enchanted tree from which the living marionettes are fashioned.

Spoletaria

Frontier march and garrison against the horrors and criminals of Penumbria in its past, Spoletaria is now the central hub of mercenary and sellsword activity, recruitment and training throughout the Bounty Kingdom. Rowdy, violent and constantly roiling in brawls, this is a realm of humans, sylvans and morgants, where the racial differences barely attract notice - in contrast to Torrigiana, this may be the least magical part of Brancalonia.

Alazia

Centuries ago, this was the hub of the great Draconian Empire, the most important region in the peninsula. Now it lies largely abandoned, a wasteland of ruins inhabited by devils, damned, ghosts and shadows. It is, however, weirdly infested with churches, monasteries and cathedrals despite its eerie and bloody history... or perhaps because of it.

Ausonia

A coastal region long shaped by its affinity for both the sea and working the land. Much of its population is nomadic or semi-nomadic, traveling either the sea or the land.

The Forgotten Counties

A mysterious region wedged between Alazia and Torrigiana to the north and Ausonia and Volturnia to the south. Very little is known about these lands, except they are held to be very weird and abounding in magic.

Volturnia

As old as Alazia, Volturnia escaped the doom that befell its counterpart and now remains a hub of civilization. Decadent, corrupt and self-destructive civilization that has largely fallen from its past grace, resulting in vast legions of the impoverished languishing amongst a climate of decay and neglect, but civilization all the same.

Piccadora

Once a major trade center, Piccadora has largely fallen into decline and become a wild, isolated region; its ports and a few coastal districts are rich and industrious, but most of the region is taken up by wild, impenetrable hinterland. Also notable as being home to the magocracy of Abracalabria, a rare exception to the largely Low Magic nature of Brancalonia.

Zagara

Not an official part of Brancalonia per say, but rather its closest neighboring country; the largest island of the Sea of Sapphire, Zagara has been conquered by wave after wave of different races and factions for centuries.

Tasinnanta

A poor, harsh, inhospitable island nation that has resisted taming by outside forces for over a thousand years.

Native Races

As a Low Fantasy derivative, the races of Brancalonia are rooted in Italian mythology, fairy tales and folklore, amounting to the six races summed up here:

Humans: Well, duh. Brancalonians use the Variant Human racial statblock.

Gifted: A human variant that possesses an innate affinity for magic in some fashion, due to mystical circumstances surrounding their births or conceptions. These are Variant Humans who drop the bonus skill and feat for a single Wizard cantrip and 1st level spell (usable 1/day at base level), both of which must be taken from the same School (Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation).

Morgants: Also known as "demi-giants", these are unnaturally huge and sturdy human-kin who basically fill the role of orcs. They are renowned for their massive physiques, which make them prized mercenaries and soldiers, and their hearty appetites, but are typically quite meek and accomodating in personality. Physically, they look like humans, but bigger. Mechanically, they are Medium, Base Speed 30 feet, with +2s to both Strength and Constitution, and the racial traits Gargantuan (Powerful Build by another name), Sturdy as a Rock (+1 max HP per level), and Cast-Iron Stomach (require twice the daily rations, but gain Advantage on all ability checks relating to eating or drinking).

Sylvans: Despite what you'd think from the name, these aren't anywhere near elf-like. They're a nature-connected human subspecies who traditionally live as hunter-gatherers, and can be distinguished primarily by their wildly abundant hair. Mechanically, they are Medium creatures with a Speed of 30 feet, gain +2 Constitution, +1 Wisdom and +1 to a third ability score of their choice, and have the racial traits Raised in the Forest (the Wood Elf's Mask of the Wild trait by a new name) and Primal Instinct (free Proficiency in Perception and Survival). They're based on traditional Italian myths of "the Hairy Men of the Forest".

Marionettes: Ever heard of a little Italian fairytale called "Pinocchio"? That's what these are; artificial humanoids made from a magical wood called "triflewood" originally bred by the turquoises - blue elf-like archfey - who have chosen to propagate this wood more widely in recent years. Marionettes are Small sized, with a Speed of 25 feet and gain +1 Dexterity and Constitution. Their racial traits are Triflewood Construct (immunity to poison and poisoned, don't need to eat/drink/breath, immunity to disease), Vulnerability (Fire), and Self Mending (gain +2d8 HP as part of a short rest 1/day), whilst they have two subraces; Pinocchios (+1 Charisma, Disadvantage on Insight checks) and Zagarian Puppets (cannot wear armor, base AC is 12 + Dex modifier + proficiency bonus, can use shields). The Macaronicon adds mechanics for the Cabin Doll (free proficiency with water vehicles and navigator's tools, can communicate with sea creatures, Druidcraft at 1st level, Fog Cloud 1/day at 3rd level, Gust of Wind 1/day at 5th level) and Saintlet (+1 Wisdom, Thaumaturgy at 1st level, Bless 1/day at 3rd level, Prayer of Healing 1/day at 5th level) subraces, who had previously been mentioned but unstatted in the corebook.

Malebranche: Brancalonia's replacement for tieflings; devils who have turned their backs on the Archdevil Lucifuge and forsworn true evil, gaining their freedom at the cost of losing most of their supernatural powers. Malebranches are Medium sized, have a Speed of 30 feet, and gain +2 Charisma/+1 Constitution and Darkvision. They get to select two of the following "Helltraits" to represent what remains of their former fiendish powers, with a feat called Malebolge Nostalgia to power them up:

• Hellwings: Immune to falling damage. (Nostalgia: Fly speed 20ft)
• Hellflames: Fiery breath weapon, ala Dragonborn, that can be used in either a 15ft cone or a 5ft wide, 30ft long line. (Nostalgia: +2d6 Necrotic damage, or half that if target saves)
• Hellfeet: +10 feet of base speed. (Nostalgia: +10ft to jumps, ignore difficult terrain when landing)
• Hellvoice: Can cast Charm Person 1/day. (Nostalgia: Cast Fear 1/day)
• Hellclaws: Climbing speed 20 feet and Claw attack as per a Tabaxi. (Nostalgia: +10ft climb speed, +1d4 Poison damage with claws)
• Hellears: Free proficiency in Perception, double Proficiency Bonus to hearing-based Perception checks. (Nostalgia: Blindsight 30ft)

The Macaronicon added three new races to the setting: Wolfcat: If Marionettes are "Pinnochio: The Race", then Wolfcats are "Puss in Boots: The Race". These unusually large cats can stand on their hind legs and have opposable thumbs, as well as the ability to speak and reason like people. Though obviously magical, their relatively non-threatening appearance and their innately curious, optimistic and adventurous personalities make them relatively welcome amongst the humans of Brancalonia. Wolfcats are generally known as skilled swordplayers, vagabonds ever ready for new engagements and quests, musicians, and poets. Gaining +2 Dexterity and +1 Charisma, wolfcats are treated as Small sized with a base speed of 30 feet. They have a weird setting variant of Darkvision; they treat dim light for 120 feet as if it were bright light, and they treat total darkness as merely dim light. For racial traits, they have Scratch (unarmed strikes can do 1d4 + Dex modifier Slashing damage due to claws), Leap (Wolfcats can jump 30 feet and don't need to make checks for landing in difficult terrain), Deceitful (Proficiency in Deception and Perception) and Waterfear (Disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim).

Nonexistent: Perhaps the weirdest race in Brancalonia, Nonexistents look like empty suits of clothing walking around under their own power, as if wrapped around some invisible person. Nobody knows what they are, where they came from, or how they spring into being, but in the case of the nonexistents, belief defines reality; they believe they are who they say they are, and as far as they're concerned, they function exactly like that. Even a nonexistent who literally just popped into existence five minutes ago has all of the appropriate knowledge and skill for their self-decided backstory. Nonexistents gain +2 Constitution and +1 to another ability score of their choice, and are Medium sized with a base speed of 30 feet. Their racial traits are Extravaganza Being (immune to Poisoned, poison damage and disease, don't need to eat, breathe or sleep), Anti-Magic Susceptibility (entering an anti-magic field leaves them Incapacitated until removed, a Dispel Magic spell knocks them unconscious for 1 minute unless they beat the spell save DC as a Constitution save), and Dressing (a nonexistent must always be dressed with some kind of suit of armor; they ignore the Shoddiness quality for this body-defining clothing, the items they wear become magical at 3rd level, and at 5th level, they gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws).

Pantegan: Brancalonia's ratfolk, pantegans are giant, sapient rats with the ability to walk on their hind legs, just like the wolfcats. Unfortunately, they don't have the same beneficial reputation and are largely forced to the fringes of Brancalonia's society, though they make their living through their rodent-like resilience, their natural skills in engineering, goldsmithing, precision craftsmanship, and counterfeiting all sorts of objects and documents, and their adroitness in the exploration of places underground. A pantegan PC gains +2 Dexterity/+1 Constitution, is Small sized, and has a speed of 25 feet and similar "Darkvision" to the wolfcat's (but only to 60 feet). Their racial traits are Nimble and Snappy (the Halfling Nimbleness and Naturally Stealthy traits of the Lightfoot Halfling treated as one trait), Rat Life (Immunity to Disease), Live Fast (Proficiency in Stealth and Perception) and Flee & Survive (Disadvantage on saves vs. Frightened).

Subclasses

Every one of the twelve core classes has a unique subclass in Brancalonia! ...Unfortunately, because the setting has a hardcoded level cap of 6, they are pretty incomplete compared to normal setting subclasses. The Macaronicon added several more subclasses as well as the new Puppeteer class, which is basically a puppet-show themed Artificer that has its own subclasses (Geppetto, those who form deep bonds with their animated puppet creations, and Mangiafuoco, which treat their creations as simple tools) but, once again, only goes to 6th level.

Barbarian: Barbarians in Brancalonia are Pagans, remnants of the original cultures of humans, morgants and sylvans who still uphold the old traditions and gods from before the not!Chrisianity of the setting spread into their lands. They are associated specifically with the "Path of Unheard-of Ferocity", which heightens their senses, speed and initiative. The Macaronicon added the Mountaineer, which is a mountain-climbing wilderness warrior who brews magical liqueurs and tonics from special mountain herbs; when it "rages", it can consume one (or two, from 6th level) of these special brews to gain temporary boosts.

Bard: The iconic Brancalonian bard is a Harlequin, who takes the "College of Carnival" subclass, which focuses on a mixture of costumed theatrics and slapstick. The Macaronicon added the Guappo, the wandering folk musicians of Brancalonia.

Cleric: The Miraculist is a new Cleric Domain which represents a Cleric of "The Creed", the not!Catholic Christianity, complete with saints, that dominates modern Brancalonia. An alternative Cleric of the Creed debuted in the Macaronicon in the form of the Exorcist, specialized in hunting down and banishing hostile creatures.

Druid: Much like how the Barbarian represents the lingering Pagans of Brancalonia, so too does the Druid represent the surviving tradition of the Benandante; priests of the pagan gods who seek to preserve their people against the influence of the dark entities of the forest. The iconic Benandante practices the "Circle of the Dance Macabre", which focuses on seeing and dealing with the restless spirits of the dead.

Fighter: The Swordfighter is a master duelist specialized in how to use their sword most effectively. The Macaronicon added the Bravo, a swaggering street-trained hired sword.

Monk: The only Monks in Brancalonia are the Friars; traveling itinerant preachers who practice the "Way of the Brawly Rule" as a means to defend themselves and to protect those who need help against evil. The Macaronicon offered an alternative in the form of a very specific tradition of martial Friars; the halberd-wielding and highly paid Svanzic Guard.

Paladin: Brancalonian Paladins, as befits a Spaghetti Fantasy setting, are Knight-Errants; impoverished aristocrats follow the "Oath of Knightly Erring" to simultaneously win fortune, power and respect for their families, regardless of the fact they must live the life of a Knave to do so. Alternatively, with the Macaronicon, a Brancalonian Paladin can instead be a Gallant Knight, who draws their powers from their dedication to the principle of Courtly Love.

Ranger: The most iconic Brancalonian rangers are Matadors, who specialize in capturing and defeating monsters in the myriad fighting pits of Brancalonia. The Macaronicon added the Rat Catcher, who finds there isn't that much difference between their day job of descending into dark, dangerous underground terrain and fighting unwanted creatures and that of the adventurer!

Rogue: Brigands are rogues who specialize at surviving in the highways and vast sprawling country reaches of Brancalonia, preying on those who pass through their territories. The Macaronicon added the Gadgeteer, who can assemble various useful gizmos.

Sorcerer: The only strain of sorcerers native to Brancalonia are Supersticians; connected to the fey and the powers of fate, they are essentially a sorcerous analogue to abjurers and diviners, with the ability to learn Abjuration spells from all the spell lists, the ability to roll 2d20 and pick the higher 1/day, and the power to perform a magical blessing 1/day. That is, until the Macaronicon was published and added the Heresiarch, which is a fiend-blooded sorcerer and essentially takes up the role of the traditional Fiend-pacted Warlock in the setting.

Warlock: The most iconic Brancalonian warlock is the Jinx, who serves Madame Jinx, the incarnate spirit of misfortune. The Macaronicon added the Talismancer, an individual who found a crystalized gem of angelic essence, called an Enchiridon, and found it fusing to the palm of their hand when they held it; whilst they are bound for life, it gives them access to celestial magic and a certain paladin-like affinity for war.

Wizard: A remnant of Brancalonia's most ancient and perhaps magically advanced past, Guiscards are wizard-rogues who specialize in seeking out the lost fragments of that former age, relying on an increased affinity for (and ownership of) magical relics and trinkets to compensate for their dearth of raw spellcasting power.