It's intriguing to ponder if D&D's unique blend of story-gaming influences, particularly evident in its 5E iteration, contributes to its charm. Undoubtedly, this aspect of the game has played a significant role in its widespread appeal. However, the 'story game mechanics' integrated into the game could benefit further refinement. With its perceived immunity to death and consequences, the current implementation has led some to draw comparisons to games like FATE.
You tell a story, something-something rules come up, roll a die, nobody dies, keep the story going, something rules, please roll, and so on. People get "knocked unconscious" constantly. Death really isn't death.
Even role protection things like a rogue's "find traps" have been given al-a-carte to casters. Everyone has dark vision, so light has been minimalized compared to storytelling. Passive skills turn the DM into a Blu-ray player; reading the next paragraph. The SRD version of Find Traps is vague enough that it could be a trap detector.
Shadowdark, on the other hand, holds these aspects to a higher standard, which is why it resonates with many players. Light is a finite resource, just like your life. The game asks: Do you risk another room for profit or cut and run while still ahead?
In Shadowark it is not just character backstory. The dungeon is not just a backdrop; it's a crucial element of the game. The dungeon is the story.
This is where Tales of the Valiant comes in. A mechanically similar 5E implementation, rebalanced for a CR+1 encounter level, solves many problems but maintains others for compatibility. The death mechanics are just as soft, and I would need to patch these to have the game I want.
Why patch? I will lose interest (again) in 5E and go to games with better rules. That Shadowdark-level challenge needs to be there. Things need to be tough. Decisions need to be made. ToV does make many positive changes, like getting rid of the 'Find Traps' spell and streamlining the rules. They move rituals into their own spell category, like 4E. They fix the level 2 subclass problem.
But Tales of the Valiant doesn't invalidate games like Level Up Advanced 5E. The community projects to rebuild 5E into a better game are not new. LUA5E is a CR+0 implementation of 5E with a stringent clean-up of all math and integrates old-school concepts and pillars of play. Rangers excel at the exploration game. Social classes have meaning. Death is softer than Shadowdark, but each time you are knocked down and avoid dying, it begins ticking up exhaustion.
Where Tales of the Valiant is a cleaned-up, streamlined heroic version of 5E, Level Up is a tighter, more detailed, meatier character, pillars of play, in-depth, and old-school implementation of 5E. The math in LUA5E is tight; every nut and bolt has been tightened up and checked, and the team rewrote the entire game (no SRD content) to make a clean-rule implementation of the game.
The character options in Level Up are fantastic, and with all the expansions, there are so many choices that they will make your head spin. You can be a velociraptor-riding Sherlock Holmes. The only downside is that the game loads up your character with over a dozen special abilities once you make all the required choices. As a result, it is a more "heavyweight" game, but it supports all three pillars of play nicely and even has a resource-tracking and resting game for survival-focused adventures that make a few classes must-haves in a balanced party.
Even Level Up fixes the Find Traps spell, too, but it makes it a "Are there traps in the line-of-sight and spell radius" detection power rather than a magic trap finder. It won't tell you how many and where they are; you still need a rogue. Also, Level Up has the concept of "rare spells" as unique finds, giving casters extra depth and motivation.
Where ToV captures that easy-to-play and streamlined 5E experience I was looking for, Level Up goes in-depth and supports classic old-school pillars of play. Both of them have fantastic community fixes and improvements.
Is there room for both?
I say yes. Since ToV is CR+1 that is a more action-heavy and heroic version of the game. Level Up is a CR+0 "pillars of play" style where things are toned down, more on the familiar balance level, with complex and detailed characters, much like the classic Aftermath game. With Level Up, you want more to your characters and get more. With Tales, you want fast-playing and higher-powered action, which you get.
I have a few classic dungeons converted over to play with the 5E rules. While I could play them with Tales, they would work better with a CR+0 system and one that supports old-school concepts like the "pillars of play." So Level Up is a fine choice here, and it gives the rules support I want for an old-school flavored game.
This may change once the ToV GM's Guide introduces optional rules and a hardcore mode and supports exploration games like Level Up, but that is a wait-and-see. Right now, Level Up does the best job at a CR+0.
Tales will do the best Kobold Press adventures, so if you are playing those, ToV is the best choice.
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