The Case for Tales of the Valiant

Tales of the Valiant is still a go-to game for me.

But why? I have the fantastic Level Up Advanced 5E?

When I don't want the lengthy (but wonderfully in-depth) character creation of Level Up A5E, I have ToV as my "drop-in" 5E replacement. ToV means you can turn your back on 2024 D&D and walk away. You won't be using D&D Beyond, but who cares? If you do character sheets by hand, character creation in ToV is more straightforward, streamlined, and faster than 2024 D&D.

Frankly, doing sheets by hand helps me learn and appreciate the game more.

With ToV, there's no need to consult an incomplete 5E SRD to incorporate a third-party book or play something like BattleZoo and enjoy it. Porting subclasses is a breeze, and most require no additional work - you simply take them. Any other book that delves into character options or subclasses fits seamlessly into the game.

It is as close as possible to a 5E-like core book, with no added flash or extra rules. The rules are so close that they are interchangeable with the SRD. The classes are different, improved, and solid, like fixed 2014 versions of those classes designed to play well.

Like early Pathfinder 1e, the game did not need to change much to do its job; that game was essentially D&D 3.5 repackaged. This is repackaged, drama-free, 5E.

While Level Up has the depth and options I crave, ToV is the accessible version of 5E. It works with my third-party books and is not changing. The fact that it isn't that different is its strength; you don't need to learn much here to play. The look and feel of the game is slightly newer, but it nods to the classic styles. It doesn't look silly or too modern, and have Concord-style art in there to distract you and take you out of the world.

I don't want the modern world.

I want the world I make to be the one that I imagine.

You also get a clean start, and you don't have to port in 10 years of legacy 5E books - just your third-party books that you love. I am not sorting through endless options on a website. I can play with the core books and have fun. The game is less about optimization and min-maxing and more about the adventure. More about the characters. More about the story.

This is why I like OSR games; there aren't many rules to get between you and the story. Granted, this is a 5E framework, but there are far fewer rules and options to worry about here than in 2024 D&D or Level Up. I love Level Up, but when I want "SRD 5E" - ToV is my game.

My mind is free.

I have a core set of books again with a unified set of rules.

Mail Room: Esper Genesis Master Technician's Guide

What in the...?

I pre-ordered this about two years ago and gave up hope a year ago. Then, I forgot about it and felt I would never have the third hardcover for this very "Mass Effect"-inspired 5E sci-fi game.

And to my excitement, it's finally here.

I thought this was the A5E sci-fi book when I opened the box.

I like EG. It is a stand-alone 5E sci-fi game with plenty of space monsters, evil humanoid aliens, and high-tech action to fill an entire space gaming campaign. It feels like a 5E Mass Effect RPG and captures the no-magic sci-fi aesthetic nicely. There are "esper and cyber" powers to fill the mystical power gap, so this isn't a psi-only game like Traveller, where most characters are average humans without special glowing bolts coming out of their hands and eyes.

This is a happy surprise alongside a whole box-load of Traveller books I am engaged with.

I like this game and setting more than Starfinder since it isn't "fantasy in space." This game isn't as "trader and commerce" focused as Traveller, so if you want to earn credits running cargoes, this isn't your game. This is more of a "blast things with star powers in a space dungeon" sort of science-fantasy game.

Oh, and all the art here looks pre-AI, which is incredible. I have to love that pre-AI art. I experimented a few times with AI art but found it hollow and lacking in soul. As a result, I no longer use it here and see huge downsides (and potential ethical issues). The art here is consistent, looks fantastic, and blows my mind.

Damage relies on you making more attacks and your class abilities making the weapons more deadly, which is nice (and mirrors 5E's design). Starfinder's fault is its "leveled gear," where you can find a level 20 laser pistol and one-shot anything in sight. The whole system is too "console RPG" for me and feels like a video game.

Again, I am shocked this was in the mail today.

This game has a future, which makes me happy.

YouTube: One Night with Level Up Advanced 5e

A great video on A5E today and some excellent points on how skills work in A5E versus D&D. A5E gets it right, while D&D gets it wrong and reinforces that with the official character sheet.

Excellent stuff and this is why A5E is my 5E of choice.

Mongoose Traveller 1E vs. 2E

When I first delved into Mongoose Traveller 1E, I was struck by the sense of community it fostered. The game felt much more 'out there' with the 1E Psionics book, which mentions time travel. There were even fantasy crossover elements in the tables. It was as if the game was searching for what Traveller meant to us, the community, and a larger market of sci-fi enthusiasts. It was a shared journey, a collective exploration of the unknown.

Despite that, the game didn't know what it wanted to be.

The second edition of Mongoose Traveller focuses more on the Imperium setting, and the 2022 revision further emphasizes this point. It turns the game into a semi-generic sci-fi setting that can absorb many sci-fi concepts. Your Imperium is yours, and you can take it however you want. Stick to canon or have your custom races and civilizations appear. This adaptability means your ideas are welcomed and can become integral to the game.

It feels much more accessible than Star Wars and Star Trek, and those games are dying a "heat death" of too much lore as it is and no freedom for your own ideas. You can never introduce your race in Star Wars without people looking at you funny and saying, "Well, then, why didn't you just use X?"

Traveller has room. And every universe is a blank slate set to a default starting point. You can even create your own sector maps and ignore canon. I feel freer in Traveller than in the licensed settings of Star Trek or Star Wars. Part of me feels I can't tell "my stories" in those universes, and they eventually devolve into guest-star appearances of licensed characters.

1E felt more like a generic sci-fi game wearing a Traveller skin. That edition had the rules, but it felt strangely divorced from the setting, and 1001 ideas were in there that were searching for a campaign setting. It is still very inspirational for a sci-fi game, trying to cover many genres and do everything.

I have the 1E pocket rulebook, and the art is something out of a cyberpunk or Aeon Flux game.

Now, Cepheus Engine drives all the 2d6 experimental concepts with community-made games, and Mongoose 2E returns to the game's roots. If you want generic sci-fi, any community-developed Cepheus Engine games are great. What I like about them is "no Imperium included." I don't need the battle-dress armor and scout couriers if I try to do a "Buck Rogers" setting. That "clean room" aspect is what I want.

If I am playing in the Imperium setting, it is Traveller all the way. I like the 2E setting; the Imperium feels like a "Greyhawk" setting, gigantic, with room for everything, and most of its ideas will be your creations. You can fall back on "what is there" if you have no ideas, but this is space, and space is infinite.

The setting has tentpole adventures and campaigns, just like AD&D, but you are free to ignore those.

Want to take a slice of the world and make it yours? That's fine. Import Star Frontiers and use a 2d6 ruleset (Cepheus Deluxe EE works best for this). If you want, put it in the Foreven sector. 2E is remarkably malleable, but it avoids over-the-top and crazy.

The 1E universe had demons and angels running around in it. Time travel. All sorts of crazy.

The 2E universe doesn't - but leaves it up to you.

The Potterization of D&D

They are modern people in a fantasy world, a delightful contrast that never fails to amuse!

The 2024 D&D PHB art has sparked a debate, with some labeling it as 'corporate stock photos' masquerading as fantasy art. The scenes depict groups of modern-looking, happy people enjoying 2024 fast food. It's a stark contrast to the traditional fantasy settings we're used to. But this modern twist on D&D has certainly got us all thinking about the influence of contemporary culture on our beloved fantasy genres.

We're witnessing a significant shift in audience preferences. In this day and age, Harry Potter captivates the younger generation, not the likes of Lord of the Rings, Leiber, Howard, Moorcock, Conan, or any of the Appendix N greats. For 95% of kids today, 'fantasy' is synonymous with 'self-insert YA stories of modern folks in fantasy settings.' This change is shaping the future of fantasy literature.

Look at that art again.

Let that sink in.

Harry Potter killed D&D as we knew it.

In fact, D&D feels like it is trying to "take that mantle" by adopting that theme and art style as its default "look and feel" of the game and its universes. D&D is trying to displace Potter as the next generation's "bible of self-identity." In some ways, this form of Potterism is a religion that D&D is fighting to supplant. If they ever remake Dark Sun, it will be happy Harry Potter YA characters in a Disney theme park sanitized version of the setting, eating fast food from cross-promoted chains like Chipotle.

Remember, the faith has to be safe enough for Wall Street to cross-promote in.

Back in the 1980s, during the Satanic Panic, there used to be hyper-religious types who preached against the dangers of "too much fantasy." It wasn't really D&D's occult roots that bothered them but about tying your identity too much to a fantasy that you could never attain and would spend your entire adult life chasing and living an unfulfilled life with no faith, children, legacy, and you would forever be the tool of crass manipulators trying to "sell you the dream again."

You can trace it back to 9/11 and a generation of parents trying to hide their children from a world nobody wanted to live in. Harry Potter became the "safe place" for parents to shove their kids into. D&D adopted some of these "safe space" concepts, such as the world not being too deadly, giving everyone too much power, and deemphasizing things that are not a part of the world of children (money, sex, politics, nations, laws, war, death, and responsibility). Classic games will dip into that "adult world" where the Potter reality shies away from them.

I come from the 1980s and have a healthy respect for the line between fantasy and reality. I can play these games safely and endlessly follow the advice the books gave us in the 1980s. I can mix in mature themes without needing handrails and safety tools. The Gen-X safety tool?

You are not your character and never put yourself in the game.

I look at games like Dungeon Crawl Classics, and there is a general love and appreciation for pre-Harry Potter fantasy works. You even see that "never put yourself in the game" theme here with funnels and random generation concepts. For me, DCC has replaced D&D, and I hope they will always retain their canonization of the classic writers and authors.

Those classic works are the heart of the hobby and genre.

Some people say D&D died when Wizards took over, but I am hesitant to say that these days, especially not in this light. D&D during the Harry Potter years was trying to hold on to that classic experience and traditional influence. But D&D could not keep the tidal wave of "never die YA fantasy fiction" out for very long, and in 5E, "classic D&D" eventually succumbed and left us forever in 5.5E.

Do not just look at today to find out where these pictures of "modern people in a fantasy setting" came from. It is easy to blame what we see as "the last outrage" as the cause. It never is.

Trees grow from seedlings and have roots that run deep.

Look at the books that today's generation grew up with.

Cepheus Deluxe (EE) vs. Traveller, part 2

Cepheus Deluxe (Expanded Edition) is a modernized pulp sci-fi version of the Traveller game. With their stamina and lifeblood system, the combat rules allow characters to shrug off minor wounds, adding a sense of resilience and tension to the game. On the other hand, the talent system brings characters to life with its cinematic feeling, offering a deeper level of customization and engagement.

Cepheus Deluxe (Expanded Edition) is a versatile powerhouse, designed to seamlessly fit into any generic sci-fi setting. This adaptability empowers you to create your own unique universe, play established IPs, or even convert other sci-fi settings. It's a game engine that can fuel a 2d6-based Star Frontiers conversion or a hybrid mix of Star Frontiers, Space Opera, and Traveller, giving you the creative freedom to craft the sci-fi experience you desire.

Cepheus also does Star Wars, Star Trek, and other IPs just fine as a rules system. The pulp additions to characters and combat ensure you get that tension and danger in combat while brushing off light wounds and not needing medical attention for minor wounds and punches to the face. In Traveller, all wounds require medical attention. In Cepheus, there are some you can just shake off and get on with the action. The talent system helps give characters a "larger than life" feeling and allows for deeper specializations.

To me, Traveller has moved out of the "generic sci-fi game" space (which Mongoose Traveller 1E was in) and has become a very strong setting-based game for the mind-blowing Imperium setting. This version embraces the setting and merges the rules with it, just like Runequest 7th does, and gives you a great starting point for any sci-fi campaign. The key word here is starting point since the universe is designed in that Harnquest-style "one starting point" that you can take in any direction and then reset for your next campaign.

Want to do sort of a "space alien" game? Do that in one campaign, then wipe the slate clean the next. Time travel? It is not canon, but it is sci-fi, but those stories can be told here. When the campaign is done, the universe resets to "year zero," and you have a fresh slate for the next story. Time travel and space monsters may not exist in future games, but every playthrough is unique, and you make the universe "yours" every time you play it. Dimensional travel and magic? Fine, it is in your current game.

I love these "single starting point" games far more than the "constant canon" games where new metaplots, lore, and characters are added to the world with every book - like the old Forgotten Realms was in the 1990s. You would make one unused part of the world your own, and a novel would come in and overwrite everything. Players will go there and expect to see "the novel stuff" like tourists; your contributions mean little and are marginalized.

Runequest is done the same way, just like Call of Cthulhu - you get the campaign world set as the single starting point, and any direction you take from it is excellent. This is the only way to do deep game worlds these days since updating the universe for new events invalidates old books, steps on player contributions, and creates a mess of lore and dependencies, where X had to happen for Y, and all of a sudden you need to play at the "tail end" of history to have any fun.

Cepheus does generic sci-fi the best. It is free from the iconic Traveller ships and lets you create your own without scout couriers flying around reminding you that you are in "not Traveller" again. The pulp- elements create a high-action sci-fi experience, and it does a 2d6 experience for these genres just about the best. Traveller is a more realistic game.

What I love about Traveller is being able to pick any map and any star and drill down into it to read about "what is there" and dream of all the adventures that can occur there. I can't do that in D&D. I get a greater sense of wonder about a sci-fi universe where characters are relatively ordinary and discover the extraordinary than I do the "high magic Avengers" of most fantasy gaming these days. I can put an unexplained phenomenon in Traveller, and players will ask, "What is that?"

In D&D, players know the page number of what just happened.

Magic is no longer magic if it is pedestrianized.

D&D magic is just "power"—not magic. There is a massive difference between being amazed by what a stage magician does, watching the same thing, and "knowing the trick." Magic assumes wonder, not knowing how it happened, and feeling that sense of shock and amazement at something happening before your eyes that you can't explain.

The same is true for Traveller. I can set up an anomaly in which a ship "teleports" between stars using some unknown drive, and the players race around trying to find where it goes next and what it shall do. That drive isn't in the rules or the books, it is in my imagination. The players will likely only partially understand it, only the parts they need to give them an edge. I will never need to write a "technical manual" explaining how it works. Players will never be able to "replicate it" by gaining access to "high-level engineering powers."

The ship will likely never appear in another campaign. This is it. If it gets destroyed, that is the end. It is not in the "Mega Tech Guide" book. The players will never know anything else about it, its origin, or its purpose. There is no page in a book you can flip to for an answer.

It is what it is, the unexplained.

And we need space for that in our games and our imaginations.