Marika Polla
We begin this review by thanking Acheron for providing us with a copy of The Jinx’s Almanack, allowing us to broaden our knowledge of the vast world of Brancalonia. We cannot fail to also thank Mauro Longo and the entire team of scribblers and pen sellers.
This manual presents itself as an expansion of the Italian pop culture-based setting for D&D5e, offering a compendium of all the out-of-print material. Within this edition, we find a whole series of various limited edition publications published for Brancalonia, as well as all the stretch goals unlocked in the 2021 Kickstarter campaign.
For those who don’t know yet, Brancalonia is the Spaghetti Fantasy setting based on the Zappa e Spada series. A revisited medieval Italy is the backdrop to the adventures of our scoundrels. It is a heroic, parodic world peppered with brilliant references to Italian popular folklore, but not only. Another expression of this creativity can be found in the manual Brancalonia – The Empire Whacks Back.
If after reading this review you would like to purchase it, you can find Brancalonia The jinx’s Almanack here, on the Acheron website, at a cost of 39 euros for the physical copy including PDF.
Much More than a Simple Almanack
This manual immediately proves to be excellent for broadening one’s vision of the vast world of Brancalonia; in fact, inside there is a great variety of materials.
The entire first part offers particular objects and monsters, additional descriptions, equipment and connections for various adventures. In the second part, however, the pre-made adventures reign supreme.
Some of this content is in-depth analysis, references or summaries of other texts already published or that will be published in the future. Others are exclusive and will never appear elsewhere. All obviously seasoned with the usual strong irony that distinguishes this editorial line, offering a smooth and above all entertaining read.
Kinave’s Ledger
The first part of the manual is called Kinave’s Ledger, a set of inserts signed by the mysterious Banda del Patibolo. The name evokes that of a magazine and, as we will see later, it also emulates its aesthetics.
In turn, the magazine is divided into several parts, offering a considerable breadth of ideas. In fact, we find events, characters, new objects, sizes and a detailed description of the calendar. An interesting example is given by the Postal Market, a section dedicated to objects that can be ordered by post and delivered anywhere in the Kingdom, without additional costs; among these, I can mention a corpse carrier mask or a frosted weapon. I appreciated this creative and clever way of expanding the list of game items.
As if all this wasn’t enough, The Tales of Master Briny section offers (in story form) a series of mini adventures ready to be played. There are seven stories, each of which details the plot, maps and statistics of the characters involved. all of them are set between the Seven and a Half Seas of the Kingdom and present different scenarios complete with connections to place them within larger adventures. We can cite for example the Showdown at the Hanged Man, a scenario for first-level scoundrels. The gang, who until then had been gorging themselves at the tavern, find themselves having to solve a little problem for the innkeeper Magagna; a little problem that is obviously not as small as it may seem. Who knows if the characters will be able to solve the mysteries hidden in the cellars of the place and bring home the hide!
A Vastness of Adventures
In the second part, the manual dedicates itself to adventures, offering more elaborate plots than the novellas. This is not only additional material to bring to the gaming table but also offers a more complete and broader vision of the world of Taglia and the events that shape it.
The ferment is powerful and there are many threats and adversities to face, from the awakening of the Bigatto della Fossa to the descent of the Emperor’s army, up to the dangers created by the Dark Guelphs and the Tall Guelphs. In general, these are compelling, varied and above all very ironic stories. Unfortunately, it is impossible to dedicate a complete review to each of these adventures, otherwise you would have to read for hours (and the Emperor forbid me). What you can do, however, is mention at least one, so as not to leave you totally high and dry.
For a Fist of Hops is an adventure for level 3-4 scoundrels. The protagonists are sent by Countess Castragatti to recover war supplies. It would almost seem like a simple mission, if only the target wasn’t at the foot of a volcano, in the centre of an island. The chances of success are limited, hygiene is questionable… the perfect job for scoundrels, in short! Adventure is divided into six different scenes, each of which is characterized by bizarre events and characters. You will find yourself immersed in amazing events that will also make you die (hopefully only) laughing.
The Aesthetics of Brancalonia – The Jinx’s Almanack
From an aesthetic point of view, the manual maintains the typical style of the editorial line, with red titles that stand out on pages with an antiqued effect. The rest of the text is also very readable and perfectly laid out.
Another striking aspect are the illustrations, not only for their large number but also for their quality and references. In fact, there is no shortage of parodistic advertising posters of very famous Italian personalities or advertisements. Do you remember “the blonde alcoholic who drives the world crazy”? Here, it’s just one of the examples, but I’ll leave you to enjoy them first-hand.
Another graphic aspect of this work deserves due attention. In fact, the division of the manual into two parts presents itself not only as conceptual, but also aesthetic. The part dedicated to the newspaper has darker pages, dotted with spots and with titles written differently to give even more of the idea of being leafing through a magazine. These differences can be noticed even with the manual closed; the dark border distinguishes this section and helps you navigate the manual easily.
Conclusions of the Review of Brancalonia – The Jinx’s Almanack
Analyzing a manual with so much material in a single review is really difficult. There would have been a thousand other things to write, but my aim is not to list all the contents. No element revolutionizes the gaming experience, but all the material expands its possibilities and variety.
What can certainly be said is that this time too the authors have done an excellent job, creating an extremely rich manual that is pleasant and easy to read. The result is therefore a versatile and decidedly useful manual for all Brancalonia enthusiasts.
So all you have to do is throw yourself into this sea of laughter and absurd scenes, among scenarios and characters that are impossible to forget!
