The more I read, the more I feel the CR+1 assumption about Tales of the Valiant is false in a few ways and true in others. Yes, characters feel more fun and powerful—but are they, really?
Especially when considering Kobold Press' monster design theories that feel like optimizations and speed-ups for gameplay.
Modern D&D has evolved significantly, surpassing the original 2014 PHB classes and powers. As of 2024, D&D is a CR+1 game, especially considering the vast expansions from Wizards themselves and third-party content. The power level of 2024 D&D is far higher than the 2014 core books.
So saying ToV is CR+1 and holding it against the 2014 CR+0 standard is a bit of a false argument, and if you were to do that, you would force ToV to be a "weak" version of the game that "doesn't compare to modern D&D."
ToV can play side-by-side with any D&D content. It is mostly parity with the current 5E; add 30% hit points to balance and a similar damage. The monsters in the Kobold books may feel like CR+1, but people want a challenge, which is what sells.
The original 2015 Monster Manual and 5E SRD monsters seem weak because they were designed for a 10-year-old game before all the power gaming splat books came out. Most of the monsters in the 2014 Monster Manual are pushovers these days, with their original CR ratings blown out.
The one clear difference is in monster toughness. Even the ToV conversion guide mentions this. You look at the SRD Orc (15 hp, +5 attack, damage by weapon +3) versus a ToV Orc (25 hp, +5 attack, damage by weapon +3), and you can see a difference. ToV hit points are closer to 4E's, and even the Goblin is 12 hp in ToV versus 9 in the SRD. The damage output of the low-level monsters is on par, but the hit points are higher to keep them competitive.
I like the harder-to-kill orcs. This is how they were in 4E to us. When the Orcs showed up, it was like the Red Army arriving compared to the Goblin partisans and locals. They were evil's main-line forces, and they felt like it.
Also, with more hit points, fewer monsters are needed, which speeds up play. There are changes made to improve play versus ones that increase power. The monsters in ToV feel like they have more hit points, but they have the same to-hits and damages. So the overall power of the monsters is about the same, with only staying power as the difference.
So, a blanket statement like "ToV is a CR+1 game" is true in some ways and false in others. Enough that I want to be careful about repeating it without a qualifier now that I know more. ToV is tuned for more challenging encounters, but that is where the market's sweet spot is, and it also lends itself to a faster-playing game.
100 hit points of Orcs is six in 5E versus four in ToV. Granted, no one rates an encounter on hit points, but this is how much damage you must do to "clear this room." So I need four initiative rolls and actions per turn versus six or seven, which speeds play. Fewer, more challenging monsters make a faster-playing game.
Level Up's Goblins are 10 hp, while Orcs are a player race and follow the class rules (hit points as class level, so 10-ish again). So, Level Up is closer to the original 2014 5E rules than ToV, and more of the CR+0 game in this comparison. Level Up does a good job sticking to 2014 power levels, so they can do that low-end, low-hit-point, balanced game much better than what modern D&D and 5E have become.
Still, Level Up does that "you can one-shot a goblin" well, and orcs, too, if you rate them as lower-level fighters. With ToV, fighting one orc will be a 4E-like battle with a few rounds of trading blows. You will need less of them, so the combat will be faster.
CR+0 and CR+1 are terrible choices for power-level descriptions.
When you begin to look at it, is the version of 5E you are looking at closer to the 2014 numbers or the 2024 ones? I suspect you could pick up a 3rd party book, look at the publication date, and be able to put that on a scale between these two dates and rate power accurately. Monsters from 2019 are likely more potent than in 2014 but less than in 2024.
Tales of the Valiant encounters are balanced against 2024 numbers (triple B/X).
Level Up Advanced 5E is balanced against the 2014 numbers (double B/X).
I see this in the math of both games, and it is one of the cleanest ways to describe their differences.
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