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Join the Ranks of the Valiant!
Every adventure needs a beginning. Start your own tale in an infinite universe of high fantasy adventure with the Tales of the Valiant Player’s Guide! Within these pages, a trove of knowledge lies ready, waiting for the valiant to claim it!
- Make your own unique and legendary hero with the new Lineage and Heritage system.
- Select Talents and Backgrounds that make your hero truly stand apart.
- Master improved spellcasting and martial abilities to ensure every hero stands tall in a fight!
- Explore new downtime, exploration and social encounter rules to expand your game beyond the dungeon.
- Learn a streamlined, 5E-compatible ruleset with unique mechanics to increase both risk and reward.
Tales of the Valiant is a Black Flag Roleplaying Game from Kobold Press. Gather your friends and journey together across a labyrinth of worlds in search of adventure!
Purchasing this digital title unlocks the content in the digital reader on 5e NEXUS, as well as in additional tools as they become available during Early Access.
Table Of Contents
Introduction
- What Is Tales of the Valiant?
- What Is a Roleplaying Game?
- Role of the Game Master
- Role of a Player
- Using This Book
- What’s in the Book?
- How to Play
- Collaborative Storytelling
- The Dice
- Other Tools You Need
- Fantasy in a Nutshell
- Rules to Remember
- Safety Tools
- Discussion Around Wants
- Agreements Around Lines
Chapter 1: Character Creation & Leveling
- Step-by-Step Character Creation
- Three Ways to Score
- Find Ability Modifiers
- Leveling Up
- Leveling Methods
- Awarding XP
- Tracking Milestones
- Optional Rule: Multiclassing
- Prerequisities
- Hit Points and Hit Dice
- Proficiency Bonus
- Proficiencies
- Class Features
- Elements of a Character Sheet
Chapter 2: Character Classes
- Spellcasting Classes
- Spellcasting Ability
- Magic Source
- Spell Circles
- Spell Slots
- Cantrips and Rituals
- Known and Prepared Spells
- Spellcasting Focus
- Elements of a Class
- Progression Table
- Hit Points and Hit Dice
- Proficiencies
- Starting Equipment
- Feature Descriptions
- Subclasses
Barbarian
- Barbarian Subclasses
- Berserker
- Wild Fury
Bard
- Bard Subclasses
- Lore
- Victory
Cleric
- Cleric Subclasses
- Life Domain
- Light Domain
- War Domain
Druid
- Druid Subclasses
- Leaf
- Shifter
Fighter
- Fighter Subclasses
- Spell Blade
- Weapon Master
Mechanist
- Mechanist Subclasses
- Metallurgist
- Spellwright
Monk
- Monk Subclasses
- Flickering Dark
- Open Hand
Paladin
- Paladin Subclasses
- Devotion
- Justice
Ranger
- Ranger Subclasses
- Hunter
- Pack Master
Rogue
- Rogue Subclasses
- Enforcer
- Thief
Sorcerer
- Sorcerer Subclasses
- Chaos
- Draconic
Warlock
- Warlock Subclasses
- Fiend
- Reaper
Wizard
- Wizard Subclasses
- Battle Mage
- Cantrip Adept
Chapter 3: Lineage and Heritage
Lineage
- Elements of a Lineage
- Age
- Size
- Speed
- Traits
Lineage Descriptions
- Beastkin
- Dwarf
- Elf
- Human
- Kobold
- Orc
- Syderean
- Smallfolk
Heritage
- Elements of a Heritage
- Languages
Heritage Options
- Anointed Heritage
- Cloud Heritage
- Cosmopolitan Heritage
- Cottage Heritage
- Diaspora Heritage
- Fireforge Heritage
- Grove Heritage
- Nomadic Heritage
- Salvager Heritage
- Slayer Heritage
- Stone Heritage
- Supplicant Heritage
- Vexed Heritage
- Wildlands Heritage
Chapter 4: Backgrounds and Talents
Backgrounds
- Adherent
- Artist
- Courtier
- Criminal
- Homesteader
- Maker
- Outcast
- Rustic
- Scholar
- Soldier
Talents
- Magic Talents
- Martial Talents
- Technical Talents
Chapter 5: Equipment & Magic Items
- Currency
- Selling Nonmagical Items
- Equipment
- Armor
- Calculating Armor Class (AC)
- Armor Types & Proficiencies
- Getting Into and Out of Armor
- Armor Materials
- Armor Properties
- Weapons
- Weapon Types & Proficiencies
- Improvised Weapons
- Weapon Options
- Weapon Materials
- Weapon Properties
- Adventuring Gear
- Object and Structure Statistics
- Tools
- Tool Descriptions
- Mounts
- Mount Gear and Expenses
- Services
- Spellcasting Services
- Food, Drink, and Lodging
- Vehicles
- Elements of a Vehicle
- Vehicle Movement
- Vehicle Repairs
- Vehicle Descriptions .
- Magic Items
- Elements of a Magic Item
- Type
- Rarity
- Attunement
- Price
- Identifying Magic Items
- Equipping Magic Items
- Multiple Items of the Same Kind
- Paired Items
- Activating Magic Items
- Command Word
- Casting Spells From an Item
- Charges
- Special Magic Items
- Cursed Magic Items
- Fabled Magic Items
- Buying and Selling Magic Items
- Setting-Based Availability
- Item Type And Value
- Magic Item Descriptions
- Fabled Magic Items
Playing the Game
- Rolling the Dice
- Making Checks
- Ability Modifiers
- Proficiency Bonus
- Determining Success or Failure
- Determining DC
- Luck
- Gaining Luck
- Losing Luck
- Spending Luck
- Which Ability Modifier?
- The Three Types of Checks
- Attack Rolls
- Saves
- Ability Checks
- Advantage and Disadvantage
- Skill Descriptions
- Adventuring
- Tracking Time
- Movement
- Speed
- Special Movement Rules
- Difficult Terrain
- Forced Movement
- Traveling
- Interacting with Creatures
- Interacting with Items
- Types of Items
- Lifting and Carrying
- Senses
- Vision and Obscured Areas
- Special Senses
- Planes of Existence
- The Material Plane
- Transitive Planes
- Other Planes
- Travel Between Planes
- Life and Death
- Hit Points
- Temporary Hit Points
- Damage
- Damage Types
- Damage Resistance and Vulnerability
- Healing
- Hit Dice
- Resting
- Dropping to 0 Hit Points
- Death
- Dying
- Stable
- Monsters and Death
- Other Forms of Harm
- Conditions
- Curses
- Diseases
- Dread
- Poisons
- Starvation and Dehydration
- Suffocating
- Encounter Gameplay
- Initiative
- Rounds and Turns
- Determining Initiative Order
- Exploration Encounter
- Dungeons
- Wilderness Survival
- Hazards
- Traps
- Social Encounters
- Settlements
- Attitude
- Combat Encounters
- Combat Steps
- Movement in Combat
- Actions in Combat
- Making an Attack
- Melee Attacks
- Ranged Attacks
- Death and Dying
- Special Combat Rules
- Between Adventures
- Downtime Activities
- Time
- Cost
- Resolution
- Activity Descriptions
- Carousing
- Crafting
- Researching
- Training
- Working
Spellcasting
- What Is a Spell?
- Sources of Magic
- Arcane Source
- Divine Source
- Primordial Source
- Wyrd Source
- Spell Circles
- Spell Slots
- Casting at Higher Circles
- Schools of Magic
- Abjuration
- Conjuration
- Divination
- Enchantment
- Evocation
- Illusion
- Necromancy
- Transmutation
- Known Spells
- Prepared Spells
- Cantrips
- Rituals
- Casting in Armor
- Combining Magical Effects
- Elements of a Spell
- Casting Time
- Bonus Action
- Reaction
- Longer Casting Times
- Range
- Area of Effect
- Components
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Concentration
- Description
- Target
- Spell Saves
- Spell Attack Rolls
- Spell Lists
- Arcane Spell List
- Arcane Ritual List
- Divine Spell List
- Divine Ritual List
- Primordial Spell List
- Primordial Ritual List
- Wyrd Spell List
- Wyrd Ritual List
- Spell Descriptions
- Ritual Descriptions
Appendix A: Conditions
- Blinded
- Charmed
- Deafened
- Exhaustion
- Frightened
- Grappled
- Incapacitated
- Invisible
- Paralyzed
- Petrified
- Poisoned
- Prone
- Restrained
- Stunned
- Surprised
- Unconscious
Appendix B: Gods & Pantheons
- Labyrinthian Pantheon
- Cartokk, the Dreaming God
- Herak-Mavros
- Nakresh
- Rava
- Sabateus
- Solana
- Fantasy Historical Pantheons
- Egyptian Pantheon
- Greek Pantheon
- Norse Pantheon