Castles & Crusades vs Tales of the Valiant
Compare Castles & Crusades and Tales of the Valiant side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Castles & Crusades | Tales of the Valiant | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Heroic, Dungeon Crawl, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Theater of the Mind, Vancian Casting | Heroic, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | SIEGE Engine: roll d20 + modifier + level vs. Challenge Class (12 for primary attributes, 18 for secondary). Primary/secondary attribute distinction replaces complex skill lists with a single unified check system. | Roll d20 + modifier against a target number or opposed check. Uses the core 5e framework: six ability scores, proficiency bonus, advantage/disadvantage. Adds a Talent system for additional character customization, reorganizes spells into numbered Circles, and introduces new Heritages and Lineages for character creation. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Availability | Free core rules | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | Book tools not listed |
| License | OGL 1.0a | Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 (Black Flag Reference Document) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Troll Lord Games | Kobold Press |
| Year | 2004 | 2024 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups wanting the classic AD&D feel with streamlined, unified mechanics: old-school spirit with modern ease of play. | Groups who want to continue playing 5e-style fantasy with backwards-compatible adventures but prefer an independent publisher with new heritages, talents, and spell circle organization. |
| Highlights | SIEGE Engine unifies all attribute checks, easy to convert AD&D/d20 content, 13 classes with classic archetypes, fast character creation, large back-catalog of adventures | Fully backwards-compatible with 5e adventures and supplements, Talent system adds character customization beyond subclass choice, spell Circles streamline spell level organization, backed by Kobold Press's extensive monster and adventure catalog |
| Considerations | Primary/secondary attribute split can feel arbitrary, limited non-fantasy support | Very similar to 5e: groups satisfied with existing 5e rules may not find enough differentiation, still building its own identity separate from D&D, Monster Vault sold separately |