Kobold Press Releases Black Flag Reference Document

Kobold Press released the System Reference Document for Project Black Flag, the updated version of 5e that Kobold Press announced following the OGL controversy earlier this year. The 138-page document includes character creation rules and the classes of Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard plus combat and gameplay rules, equipment and magic items, spellcasting, and monster stat blocks. From the blog post:

It’s been a while since we have had a Black Flag update, but we’re excited to announce that the drought has ended!

Kobold Press is excited to announce our first public Black Flag Roleplaying Reference Document (BFRD). This document is built off the current public Alpha Release and falls under the ORC license. This means that now EVERYONE can freely create using this open rules system!

This is only the first version of the BFRD. As we complete more of the final rules, the Black Flag Reference Document will be updated and re-released to stay current. Make sure to follow us on social media, in our Discord, or through the Courier newsletter so you don’t miss when the next update of the Black Flag Reference Document goes live.

You can download the Black Flag Reference Document from the Kobold Press website.

 

[FoolishFrost]

Well, it makes a really good baseline. Considering that it offers up to level 5 for testing.
not that it needs a lot of testing. It basically 5e with the serial numbers filed off. Which is what people wanted.

 

[aco175]

There is another thread from earlier in the week on this, but mostly it turned into the licenses and not on what is in the document.

 

[Prime_Evil]

Between this and the Advanced 5e SRD, we are very close to having a drop-in replacement for 'official" 5e supporting a wide range of play styles.

 

[FoolishFrost]

I just find it funny they renamed it Tales of the Valiant, but people seem to like the temp name better.

...

Well, I liked Black Flag better.

 

[Morrus]

I just find it funny they renamed it Tales of the Valiant, but people seem to like the temp name better.

...

Well, I liked Black Flag better.

D&D’s SRD isn’t called “D&D” either. The brand names aren’t open content.

 

[Abstruse]

I just find it funny they renamed it Tales of the Valiant, but people seem to like the temp name better.

...

Well, I liked Black Flag better.

"Black Flag" looks like what they're calling the system that powers Tales of the Valiant. Will also let them do other genres with the same system and keeping a bit of the brand recognition. Like how it's the Cypher System not Numenera because they use it for The Strange as well, or how it's not Star Wars System it's Genesys System. Which is a good move because it separates the rules system from the game and lets them keep some of the marketing momentum they had from the "Raise the black flag" posts back in January.

 

[SpaceOtter]

Between this and the Advanced 5e SRD, we are very close to having a drop-in replacement for 'official" 5e supporting a wide range of play styles.

Out of curiosity, what playstyles do they cover between them?

 

[Prime_Evil]

Out of curiosity, what playstyles do they cover between them?

Black Flag is closer to a "vanilla" 5e experience, while Advanced 5e is a little bit more crunchy. It does have some very interesting rules variants though and the monster statblocks are far superior to anything produced by WoTC

 

[am181d]

I don't understand the legality here. So much of this is still a straight lift from D&D. Can anybody explain what qualifies as derivative and what doesn't?