A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is a 144 page resource for use with the D20 system. It is an extensive study of the medieval period, and the possible ramifications of inserting magic into such a setting and culture. The back cover says it quite well:

"No new spells
No new feats
No new classes"

This is not, by any means, your typical resource book. The focus is on the Dungeon Master, but not on an everyday level. Instead, it is written for DMs who are looking to build worlds, and add rich detail to their campaign settings. How useful the book would be to a typical DM is almost entirely dependant on how much background detail and historic accuracy is desired in the campaign.

I would first like to point out a few general impressions of the book. Presented with a very clear layout, and a sometimes-quirky sense of humor, Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is hard to put down. For a book that for the most part is a textbook on medieval culture and society, it is entertaining to read and extremely informative. The artwork and page decorations are subtle, and done in period style, which only further drags the reader into the proper feeling of the setting.

The book is divided into 8 chapters, preceded by an introduction, and followed by five appendices, a glossary, bibliography, and an exam (yes, an exam) at the end.

Introduction: (2 pages) A brief discussion takes place here which covers a few assumptions of 3rd edition D&D, and how the magical medieval society reacts to the same issues. Gender, Race, Communication, Alignment and the Pervasiveness of Magic are all issues that the Introduction addresses. Coverage is brief, but to the point and very relevant.

Chapter One: On Those Who Toil (11 pages). This chapter gives you a good look at life on the magical medieval manor. Terms are defined and cultural roles and ramifications are examined. A labor calendar is provided, along with charts and tables describing such things as "Seed and Yield per Acre" and "Taxes and the Lords Rights."

Most every individuals job, from the lowly serf to the lords Bailiff, is described in fairly good detail. Adventurers dont have a place here, but a very good look at how about 92% of the populace lives is provided. If a dungeon master wanted to present his players with what life on the manor is like, whether for a players background or if theyre just passing through, this chapter tells him all he needs to know.

The last two pages are the only ones devoted to incorporating magic into the setting. This is a pattern that is typical throughout the book. The majority of the information is on a medieval setting in general, and only a small portion of the text is involved in inserting magic into the context presented. Dont let this discourage you, for the portions that are devoted to how magic factors in are very well-written and get to the heart of the matter. As well, it takes much of the chapter to genuinely understand the concepts that magic is then applied to.

The chapter concludes with a small selection of plot hooks that fit into a rural manor setting.

Chapter One Question: For what reason would a lord provide the peasants on the manor with at least a gallon of ale apiece (page 14)?

Chapter Two: Generating Manors (10 pages). Now that weve taken a good look at what life is like on the magical medieval manor, its time to start applying some numbers. Theres some discussion of how one goes about acquiring a manor, as well as the distinguishing features of one (geography, size, population, arable land, and various sources of income and expenses).

Manorial rights are discussed as well, since these are also income factors. Most of what life on the magical medieval manor comes down to is translating the rights and privileges of the gentry, nobility and royalty into income to line their pockets. To all appearances, this is quite consistent with the medieval period, magical or otherwise.

The system for generating manors with considerable detail is straightforward, and the worksheet at the end of the chapter lays it all out quite neatly. A magical medieval barony could be generated in fairly short order, with a folder full of manor worksheets to provide the DM with all the information he needs on each part of the realm.

Chapter Two Question: What is the most profitable (and subsequently, the highest rent) industry on the manor (page 22)?

Chapter Three: On the Magical Medieval City (18 pages). From the rural countryside, we now move to the urban landscapethe magical medieval city. The chapter starts off discussing why cities formed, and what purpose they served, for both the residents and the lord (if any) that ruled over it. A discussion of the different types of city, revolving mostly around governance, is presented.

The layout of the city is then explored. Various elements that make up the city are discussed, along with their historic roles and what purpose they serve from bathhouses to universities. Various issues that can plague a magical medieval city are also explored, such as sanitation, fire and plague.

The next section discusses various power centers; first guilds (craft, merchant, wizard and thief), and then other sources of power. Religion, patriciate (the powerful and wealthy), the city council, and the town lord each represent various power centers, and have differing levels of influence. As with the countryside manor, power equates to money, and the level of influence one has determines how big a piece of the "taxation and fee collection" pie that individual or organization is receiving.

The chapter discusses trade and economics towards the end, and concludes with factoring magic into the equation. Magic in the city is much more commonplace, and has a more significant influence. Not only does it bring stability and aid in defense, but it also brings another source of revenue. How magic fits in with civic issues, and its relationship with both crafts and law, conclude the chapter.

Chapter Three Question: In a world where magic can heal most injuries and ailments, why would nearly every ward of a city still have a hospital (page 33)?

Chapter Four: Generating Towns and Cities (13 pages). As with chapter two, Generating Manors, chapter four revolves around putting mechanics behind the theory of the previous chapter. Statistics such as population density and structures per acre come into play, along with the all-important amount of income that the city provides to its lord (and other parties).

Cities are made up of wards, varying from the poor (and densely populated) shanty towns to the upscale, wealthy and lightly populated patriciate. Determining the types of wards in the city starts the process.

The remainder of the chapter is made up of enormous charts, from the frequency in which certain structures appear in each given type of ward, to the different types of workshops and offices one could find, to the massive D10,000 chart which determines the profession of a random "man on the street".

The chapter concludes with both a City Worksheet (analogous to the Manor Worksheet) and a Power Center Worksheet (to keep track of whos in charge, and how much influence they have).

Chapter Four Question: How many inns will you find in a typical dock ward (page 51)?

Chapter Five: Economic Simulator (9 pages). In the magical medieval society, prices were not fixed. Negotiation was the rule of the day, and an item that was sold to a wandering adventurer could easily demand a higher price than that sold to a neighbor. Alas, the existing system of economics in the core rules does not take this into account. Enter the Economic Simulator.

The Economic Simulator consists of a set of rules for adjusting prices for various goods that take into account supply and demand, and the rarity of the item in question. The system sounds difficult, but in practice it is fairly simple. Most of the chapter, actually, is made up of a chart...a massive chart to list the price of most anything that can be bought or sold in a magical medieval setting, and just how hard those items are to come by.

More than anything else presented thus far, this chapter has the greatest influence over the day to day lives of an adventurer, so consider carefully what the ramifications are before including this into your campaign. It is well written and balanced, not punishing players overmuch if theyre sensible and reasonable, and not rewarding them overly either for "playing the game".

Chapter Five Question: Given sufficient funds, which is most difficult to acquire: A pound of cloves, an exotic military saddle, or a hand crossbow (pages 66-68)?

Chapter Six: On Those Who Pray (12 pages). More than any other portion of this book, the chapter On Those Who Pray has to deal with some very difficult to reconcile differences between the historic medieval society and the magical medieval society. Very few campaigns have a religion that mirrors the power and influence of the Roman Catholic Church during the historic medieval period.

One of the first concerns in determining the nature of religion in the magical medieval society is choosing whether to have a Multiplicity (a variety of faiths all with more-or-less equal power) or a single strong Patron God society. Obviously, the latter greatly increases the influence and power of that single religion and affects not only how it relates to the others (whether tolerant or intolerant), but also how it relates to the nobility. A strong single religion becomes a powerful competitor for the secular authority of the land.

The church is examined in its social, political, and fiscal aspects, all of which have a great deal of meaning. Different organizational structures (centralized and decentralized) are examined, along with the effects of denominalization and of monastic orders.

The chapter concludes with examples of different faithsthe church of the Neutral Good God, the roles of Adepts and Druids, and finally the ramifications for evil religions.

Chapter Six Question: Why is priestly magic a nearly useless tool for proving the superiority of ones faith?

Chapter Seven: On Those Who Rule (21 pages). The largest chapter for a reason, On Those Who Rule covers a lot of ground. Feudalism and Vassalage are defined and discussed. The vassals obligations include military service and counsel, while the lords obligations include protection and maintenance.

The six rights of land are homage and fealty, knight service, feudal aids, social rights, justice and feudal incidents. Upon these principles the complex weave of the magical medieval society is based. Numerous examples are used throughout the chapter, and they are neededbecause a genuine, working model of feudalism is complicated in the extreme.

A chart lists the precedence of nobility, descending from the highest imperials (the Emperor himself) down to the lowest of the gentry (younger sons of knights). The education of various levels of the aristocracy is described and examined, giving the DM a good idea of what the upbringing of a typical noble would be like.

Kings are held apart from the rest of magical medieval society. Ruling by divine right, and at one with the land even the weakest of kings stands at the peak of the feudal order, and the power he wields is great indeed. Other parts of government are mentioned as well; the bureaucracies, the chanceries, even the development of parliaments.

The evolution of magical medieval law is discussed, as is the nature of magical medieval diplomacy. The various types of courts are explained, along with how the magical medieval court system functions.

The chapter concludes with a four-page chart of crimes and punishments, divided by severity, separated by different classes of victims, and describing the punishments inflicted on members of the various classes. An aristocrat is punished differently (and almost invariably less) than a commoner who commits the same crime, and a crime against an aristocrat is far more severe than that same crime against a commoner.

Chapter Seven Question: What are the economic consequences (inheritance and relief) of a lord that dies and is subsequently raised from the dead?

Chapter Eight: Generating Kingdoms and Aristocracy (6 pages). Finally, we reach the top level of the generation system, Generating Kingdoms and Aristocracy. This brings the system full-circle and goes into how an entire kingdom is charted and configured.

Determining how large the population of the kingdom is, and how strong the king, are the critical factors. As with the past, an extensive and detailed example makes the whole system much clearer. The chapter concludes, unsurprisingly, with a Kingdom Worksheet.

Chapter Eight Question: How many manors, at a minimum, must a "great landowner" hold?

Appendix I-Demographics (5 pages). This section deals with various charts and graphs to help flesh out the demographics of communities, including a demographics worksheet and an influence worksheet.

Appendix II-Generating Magical Resources (1 page). This section describes what portion of income a noble can expect to receive in the form of magic items and services, how it can be increased, and examples of what it can be good for.

Appendix III-Magical Medieval King Template (1 page). The presumption from On Those Who Rule about the nature of kings as someone entirely apart from their peers is reflected here. This page describes a template that can be applied to any corporeal creature who rules a magical medieval society of a million or more adults. It represents the privileges of divine rule, as well as the responsibilities.

Appendix IV-Building System (19 pages). This appendix delves into the complex process for constructing buildings, from the meanest peasant hovel to the grandest cathedral. There is a great deal of detail and variation provided here. Again, the system is complicated, but the examples make it clear. A number of popular spells and magic items, and their contribution to the bottom line, help round out the chapter. It concludes with (yes, you guessed right) a Building Worksheet.

Appendix V-A Magical Medieval Miscellany (6 pages) A selection of example charters and proclamations are presented so as to give a feel for how such matters are presented. Two tables describe examples of both mundane and magical tolls and taxes. Finally, a page and a half of additional medieval plots are presented, a much more extensive list than was presented back in chapter one.

Conclusion: (6 pages) To wrap things up, A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe presents a glossary of terms, which will be referred to again and again by the reader. A bibliography provides an exhaustive list of resources. Finally, a Magical Medieval Exam tests how well the reader has studied the material presented.

CONTENT: 4.5
A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe provides an extensive amount of detail on its topic. The reader can hardly help but feel overwhelmed at times by the volume of information presented. With the sheer volume of useful and clear tables, detailed descriptions, and solid examples, the book is packed with everything the reader could want to know on the subject.

ORIGINALITY: 4.5
Sourcebooks and setting books are commonplace, and treatises on the medieval period arent too hard to find, but nothing Ive yet seen approaches matters in the manner that A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe does. The book presents an add-on that is applicable to most any campaign, without adding to (and overwhelming) the existing system. Most of the mechanics presented arent tied into existing mechanics, but use their own subset. In this sense, while it is presented as a d20 sourcebook, it could just as easily be applied to any other system using the same setting.

SIMPLICITY/CLARITY: 4
Strictly due to the sheer volume of difficult concepts that this book presents, A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe suffers some for simplicity and clarity. Despite this complexity, however, it still earns high marks due to the very careful and well thought layout and presentation of the information provided (without holding back on details), and due to the many and detailed examples provided.

LAYOUT: 5
Easy to read, with a clear and legible font and artwork that compliments rather than competing, A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is first rate in terms of layout. I may have been confused about a concept or an idea that was presented, but never about where or how to find information I was looking for, nor about why one part logically followed another.

VALUE: 4
At a retail price of $25 (US), A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe isnt cheap. Its a book that appeals to a specific subset of Dungeon Masters who are heavily into world-building and providing detailed backgrounds. To most, its not going to be worth the price, but for those who do want this information; its well worth it. Ultimately, it makes more sense to evaluate it from the perspective of potential customers than from the point of view of those who would not be interested.

Fortunately, Expeditious Retreat Press also makes it easy to make up ones own mind on the subject. You can download a free PDF of the city-building sections of the book from their website.

OVERALL: 4.5
A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is a first-rate supplement. For the purpose for which it is intended, it does an excellent job. Doubtless, it will be worn thin by those Dungeon Masters who purchase it and put it to good use, and it is a wonderful primer for the period for those Dungeon Masters who havent made a study of the period on their own. I highly recommend it for a great source of information, a good read in general, and a very refreshing departure from your standard collection of feats, spells and prestige classes.