How is Kobold Press’ 5e-alternative Tales of the Valiant doing? Based on the thousands of backers and $300,000 pledged to the game’s expansion, The Labyrinth, gamers like it!
Of course, the beauty of Tales of the Valiant is that it’s 5e-cross compatible. Combine with The Labyrinth‘s clever pitch to be a connecting setting or overlay, and you can see the attraction. Fans and the curious have until October 23rd to get in the Kicstarter.
The Labyrinth Worldbook introduces a unique concept to 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons: a campaign overlay connecting various campaign settings. By incorporating the Labyrinth as a linking layer and source of adventure, players and Dungeon Masters can transition between different worlds and storylines as part of the adventure.
This expansion offers solutions for those seeking to explore new settings while maintaining their current campaigns. Kobold Press gives examples of venturing into the Hells, invading a god’s dream, and confronting cosmic horrors in the Near Void.
The Labyrinth Worldbook aims to enhance official and homebrew campaigns, offering a fresh approach to world-building and interdimensional travel within the 5E framework. Given the arrival of 2024e, the timing feels good.
Not sure? Kobold has published 18 pages of preview content for free download as PDF. They say;
This Labyrinth Preview contains a complete Table of Contents for the Labyrinth Worldbook, plus the Void Caster arcane tradition for wizard PCs, 4 Void magic items, and 4 Void magic spells. It also includes a villainous faction, the Great Chantry, and its NPCs, villainous faction adventure hooks, and complete monster stats for the CR 8 Void Angel.
At $20, backers unlock the Labyrinth Adventures as a PDF reward and can add options at an additional cost.
It’s $29 for the Labyrinth Worldbook PDF, though. The first is ten drop-in adventures, and the second is all the subclasses, lineages, monsters, spells and adventure ideas a GM might expand their rule base with.
Backers who can step up to $49 get the Labyrinth Adventures in both PDF and hardcover. Those who can stretch to $59 are rewarded with Labyrinth Worldbook in both formats.
You’d expect both hardcovers to unlock at the next tier, but, no, Kobold has a $63 branch where you get both books in PDF and the JPG map pack. That’s handy if you lean into VTT battle maps and are digital first.
Next up, and at $69, we’re back to Labyrinth Adventures, but now the physical copy has become a limited edition. Predictably, $79 is a similar limited physical and PDF combo for Labyrinth Worldbook.
It’s actually $109, now with well over 300 backers, before both books are rewards in both editions. The JPG map pack is included as well. $149 upgrades the rewards to the limited edition.
The twist in the tale is that Beadle & Grimm’s are involved, and at $899, there’s now a Beadle & Grimm’s Labyrinth GM Vault, an exclusive Styx coin and a leatherbound version of each book. Be aware, though, that there are only 2 of these tier rewards left for backers to claim.
Kobold Press are running the crowdfunding until October 23rd, which is a popular concluding date this month and is handling expectations by saying June 2025 for the delivery of all the tiers.
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