Black Flag Sell Me on Tales of the Valiant

[Reynard]

This thread is aimed at peopel that have actually played Tales of the Valiant as their 5E game, and like it. Anyone, of course, can offer up their opinion, but if you have not actually ed played it I am not sure you can tell me anything reading a review can't.

With that said: why did you choose -- and importantly -- stay with tales of the Valiant over 5E 2014 or 2024? What works in. What is new? What is comfortable? What doesn't work, but is doable? How compatible is it with stuff that has come before, both Kobold and other (including WotC)? Who is it for?

Thanks.

 

[aco175]

I wanted to make a character with both systems at level 1,5, and 10 to see what mattered and compare both the 5.0e. I have not gotten around to it, but interested if someone did.

 

[Chaltab]

I've not actually played but since I've wrote homebrew subclasses and converted them 2024, TOTV, and A5E I have a semi-decent feel for the changes, at least on paper.

I think TOTV is going to feel like a lot more like a 2014 game with a moderate power boost to the baseline and a slight nerf to nova. Smite and Stunning Strike both got nerfed and the Monk's buffs are honestly pretty limited compared to 2024. Fighters, Barbarians, and Rangers get significant boosts, and everyone can take an ASI and a Feat Talent at each level. But there's nothing like Weapon Mastery where you get a rider on every hit. Weapons do get some options, including something that might actually make the sling situationally optimal, but unless you're a particular Fighter subclass you have to choose between weapon options and damage for each hit.

Niche protection is enforced a bit more strongly than 2014. Talents are siloed off into Martial, Magic, or Technical by default, though some subclasses get access to more than one list. It also has four spell lists instead of one for each class. The bad news is that spells haven't been adjusted as much, so problem spells are still pretty problematic. There are a few judicious nerfs and buffs but not as many as 2024.

Rituals is another thing I'm not sure about in actual play: each class that gets them chooses them separately from their normal spell lists. The upshot is that you will know more rituals + spells overall, which is effectively a flat buff to casters with rituals.

 

[Shardstone]

Read it, tried it. Preferred 2024 to ToV; the class design was too similar to 2014 imo and I think 2014 classes were middling to ok, so ToV is the same. Only real difference is more feats. I
Subclasses in particular feel anemic. Great monster book tho.

 

[Velderan]

I don't have anything to add as far as how the game plays, but this is probably the best place to mention Kobold Press has a 30% discount for the Player's Guide and Monster Vault books promoted in a BlueSky post. It's part of a promo from this article, which is where you'll find the referral link with the discount coupon.

 

[Shardstone]

I would say, if you like the MIdgard setting or KP adventures, ToV becomes a more attractive option, as supplements and stuff they're producing tie in pretty well with their minor ToV hacks. Midgard is a fantastic setting, IMO worthy of being a core D&D setting like Greyhawk and Faerun, so I do suggest it on those grounds.

 

[tsadkiel]

I run a mixed table - players are free to pilfer from nearly anything in the 5e ecosystem. But Tales of the Valiant is the official baseline. I picked it because it's available in PDF, there's a low cost softcover version, the core rules are two books rather than three, and I prefer their take on some specific issues like Backgrounds and Rangers .

And it works fine - it's 5e, and I did not expect or particularly want a revolutionary game experience, but it's a solid interpretation of the rules and it works for me.

 

[Chaltab]

the core rules are two books rather than three

Not sure what you mean by that. There are 3 core books for TOTV.

 

[tsadkiel]

Not sure what you mean by that. There are 3 core books for TOTV.

The GM's guide is optional. I opted out.

 

[Reynard]

The GM's guide is optional. I opted out.

What is in the DMG that makes it optional?