Black Flag Tales of the Valiant is out (in PDF)! What do people think?

[Ringtail]

What I like about Tales of the Valant's monster book is that the monsters do high damage. The Fey Guardian, for example, at CR 5, can output 40 damage a round. A handful of these, given their other various tricks, can be a real threat. It means combat is serious, and that players will need to rely on some outside the box tactics to win from time to time.

Kobold Press always made nasty monsters IMO. I remember using some creatures from the original Tome of Beasts and being surprised how much they could do for their CR.

 

[grimmdm80]

Hello , long time lurker first time poster…
So I really like what Kobold Press Did with ToV..
On the players side there more options to play with outside of gate with Linages, Heritages, Talents, and the fact they include a free conversion guide for those who want to throw their favorite subclass into the game.
I also like the updates to classes, some are subtle changes while others got the revisions they desperately needed (looking at you Ranger).
And on GM side giggle with delight with new nasty surprises with some old favorites…a gliding owl bear, or how bout the new Tarrasque with four claws and an acid spit attack …Also it’s has an intelligence this time around…
Love the regional effects…for legendary and powerful monsters…
Overall I like it…I can use other 5e elements as I wish and with not having to worry about having to do lots of work.

 

[Zaukrie]

The more I think about it, the more frustrated and disappointed I am that Kobold chose not to release this game fully under ORC, especially after all the talk of making it to ensure 5E is perpetually available no matter what WotC does.


I feel like Kobold has gone back on promises and abandoned its stated goal by putting out a worse-than-WotC SRD and not releasing the full game under ORC.

I'm just one potential consumer, but I won't be supporting ToV or Kobold based on this.

You've made this point in the other thread. Keep it there, please.

 

[Reynard]

You've made this point in the other thread. Keep it there, please.

It was perfectly on subject.

 

[grimmdm80]

It was perfectly on subject.

Sir? Am I understanding that you are “Disappointed “ that Kobold Press didn’t release ToV under the ORC license but instead released the BFRD under ORC that contains pretty much all of the inner workings of the game system with changes and updates made. But not all of the material contained with in the final product ..
Am I understanding you correctly?

 

[jadxq]

I'm disappointed with the player book--especially the spells being mostly a copy/paste from WotC's PH. Everything else is mostly just...meh? I wouldn't have purchased it knowing what I do now.

The monster book seems great--except that has to be a typo for the ancient red dragon's HP? Way too low compared with the boosts other monsters in the book have.

Overall, I won't be using the player book but will be using the monster book. Kind of what I should have expected seeing how I really like Kobold Press' Midgard campaign books and monster books. I have not liked the player facing books (Midgard Heroes Handbook and Tome of Heroes) and especially the Deep Magic series.

 

[Jahydin]

Hmmm, nothing that's going to pull me away from A5E...

 

[grimmdm80]

Hmmm, nothing that's going to pull me away from A5E...

That’s fine…whether you like D&D 2014 or D&D 2024-25 or Level up or Tales of the Valiant it’s good that there are options and 5e has went from being singular game line to an open gaming ecosystem.

 

[Chaltab]

A 5Ecosystem if you will.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Sir? Am I understanding that you are “Disappointed “ that Kobold Press didn’t release ToV under the ORC license but instead released the BFRD under ORC that contains pretty much all of the inner workings of the game system with changes and updates made. But not all of the material contained with in the final product ..
Am I understanding you correctly?

Probably not. He quoted the part of the Kobold Press Black Flag FAQ with the promise to release the whole game to ORC (at least it sounded like that). So he is really disappointed that Kobold press also held back parts of their system.

But at least they have put out more feats (talents) than WotC. So maybe it is enough to use well.

I also like their tool section. But it is not enough to switch right now.