Gallia – Land of Chivalry, Intrigue and Romance is a new d20 Fantasy Setting Sourcebook PDF from Dog Soul Publishing.
Once again I delve into a Folkloric sourcebook. This one, like others before it, is steeped deep in history and legend. Gallia is a setting for d20 fantasy, inspired by the myths and legends of medieval France.
From page #1: “Jean was the third son of a widow, out to seek his fortune.”
Content: The PDF opens with a short story about Jean and his attempt to succeed at what his brothers failed at. Following this is a extensive section describing the regions of Gallia. The recent history is not only full of French-inspired history, but also has links to Arthurian legends. Gallia has been at war throughout the years prior with the island nation of Albion (this fantasy version of Britain) and Saracen (Spain).
Also included in the introduction is a short summary of Chivalry and Knighthood, Courtly Love, and Rules of Tournaments. A knight should be the epitome of the knightly virtues Piety, Honor, Courtesy, Chastity, and Loyalty. Chivalry goes hand in hand with the rules of courtly love, an interesting concept to bring into the world of role playing. The Rules of Tournaments are discussed below. The Prestige Class section is next, and is discussed in more detail below as well.
Places In Gallia covers the countries surrounding Gallia as well as key locations in Gallia. Highlights include:
- Albion – The equivalent of England in this fantasy world, it is a country that Gallia has long been at odds with. However, relations have been calm since the great king has united the kingdoms of Albion. This has changed recently, however, as the great king has fallen.
- Tang – The equivalent of the European countries north of France, these lands are populated by barbarian tribes and wilderness.
- Lyon – Coastal kingdom of Lyon, it is a laid back place ruled by the hero king Belenus, the Shining One
- Ville Lumière – The city of lights, Ville Lumière is a place of wonder, as well as a place of education and enlightenment.
- The City of Ys – The City of Ys, the submerged city built by a foolish king for his corrupt daughter, lays at the bottom of the Gulf of Lyon.
Heroes of Gallia includes several NPCs based on French historical figures of the times. These include Analise The Ugly (the cursed daughter of a king), Blue Beard (the generous man with a dark secret), Charlemagne and his Paladins (The holy Emperor and savior of Gallia from the Saracens), Launcelot Du Lac (The legendary knight of the great king of Albion) and King Louis, Richelieu, and The Mousquetaires (in other words, the classic Musketeers… all for one and one for all). There are nearly 20 total NPCs described.
Monsters of Gallia includes 9 creatures including giants, dragons and fairies of Gallia, racial stats for talking animals (inspired by Puss in Boots), and Melusine the shape-shifting serpent woman. Following the Monsters, the section of Equipment, Magic Items and Other Treasures includes interesting stuff like Jousting Equipment, the Book of Secrets, Durandal the legendary bastard sword of Roland, and Silver Boxes Of Usefulness – magical boxes that produce something useful for the user.
All NPCs and typical examples of the monsters are stat’ed out in one of the last sections of the PDF. Following this is the handy plot hook section.
From page # 1: “And there, Jean waited to discover what fate had in store for him…”
Rules: One of the most interesting chapters is the one about rules on medieval jousting and tournaments. It describes not only the general rules of the tournaments, but the underlying purposes and political consequences of such events. It describes the vents that occur at a tournament, including archery, dueling and tilting. This is fascinating information and valuable to those that want to have an accurate tournament in their game, regardless of what universe.
For player characters, there are several new Prestige Classes including the Mousquetaire (musketeer), Goliard (wandering monk bards), and the Jongleur (traveling entertainers). As mentioned above, also included are rules for playing ‘Talking Beasts’, a list of equipment and magic items as well as Monsters and NPCs.
Layout: The layout, not unlike its predecessors, is very professional and not distracting to the subject. The art is appropriate and is pretty much a mix of original art and historical clip art.
In conclusion, strongly inspired by early French folklore, medieval French romances, and later French literature, this book contains a rich array of history merged with myth to create another great fantasy setting. The author has created a highly detailed sourcebook for gamemasters. It is packed with intriguing places and rich historically-inspired background. It also has many NPCs, monsters, magic items and equipment. It is yet another quality supplement in a great line of d20 supplements.
For more details on Dog Soul Publishing and their new d20 Fantasy Setting Sourcebook PDF “Folkloric: Gallia – Land of Chivalry, Intrigue and Romance” check them out at their website http://www.dogsoul.net.
Folkloric: Gallia – Land of Chivalry, Intrigue and Romance
From: Dog Soul Publishing
Type of Game: d20 Fantasy Setting Sourcebook PDF
Author: Alana Abbott
LineDeveloper: Deborah Balsam
Artists: Brad McDevitt and Matthew Meyer
LayoutandCover: Deborah Balsam
Cartographer: Sean C. Frolich
Editors: Alfred Cloutier and Matthew Gregory
Proofreader: Lisa Hartjes
Number of Pages: 83
Game Components Included: 1 PDF File
Game Components Not Included: Core d20 Rulebooks
Retail Price: $ 8.95 (US)
Item Number: Type Manufacture’s Item Number
Website: www.dogsoul.net
Reviewed by: Ron McClung