Enter the Space Between Worlds: Tales of the Valiant – Guide to the Labyrinth Reviewed

Title: Tales of the Valiant – Guide to the Labyrinth

Publisher: Kobold Press

Authors: Wolfgang Baur and Backer Contributors

Artists: Krzysztof Porchowski Jr., George Johnstone, Viktoria Kanellopoulou, William O’Brien, Ian Perks, Roberto Pitturru, Kiki Moch Rizki, Florian Stitz, Bryan Syme, and Egil Thompson

Year: 2024

Genre: A multiverse supplement for the Tales of the Valiant RPG and Dungeons & Dragons

Pages: 73 pages

MSRP: $9.99 for the PDF at DriveThruRPG

Enter the space between the worlds in Kobold Press’s Guide to the Labyrinth.

At its core, the Labyrinth is a sort of backrooms to reality. It is a space between worlds, a twisted highway connecting the mortal realms via passageways, the River Styx, the World Tree, the Astral Sea, and the Void. Though it may not be a world unto itself, it has denizens, politics, and plots aplenty – even if they aren’t as closely packed as one might find elsewhere. Fans of multiverses or reality hopping stories will be instantly drawn to the Labyrinth, but it may also intrigue fans of Changeling: the Lost who long to return to the Hedge and all of its wonders and terrors.

As a setting, the Labyrinth feels fleshed out and properly unique. Its ruins, bottled cities, and demiplanes expand its storytelling capabilities far beyond that of a not-so-simple means to traverse the worlds. The encroaching threat of the Void, which endlessly hungers, and the growing discord threatening to cleave the Servants of the Dreaming God in two are vast enough to fuel an epic campaign, yet rich enough to drive a compelling one shot.

Of course, the Labyrinth also serves the rather handy purpose of enabling casual travel that would otherwise require high-level magic. Want to run a plucky group of heroes tracking a dastardly villain from world to world, trying to outfox her at every turn? Great, the Labyrinth makes that easy. Feel like running a daring world-spanning heist promising unbelievable danger — and riches? Yup, not a problem!

The Labyrinth as a text also benefits from reasonably nuanced portraits of the various factions that call the not-a-world home. The text is unafraid to label that good may not mean right and that a villain may act not out of malice, but out of a sincere belief that their actions will help far more than they harm. Brilliant explorers are not always cut out to maintain the everyday necessities of a place under constant threat. Even with the best of intentions, people are fallible – and there is wonderful storytelling potential in that.

As a counterbalance, the book also includes fifty unique locations within the Labyrinth. Created by backers, these locations take on wildly divergent traits, with some remaining strictly within the realm of fantasy and others veering into science fiction. While this does make things a little disjointed, it is ultimately a testament to the diversity of what players might encounter in a campaign that takes them into this liminal domain.

Guide to the Labyrinth is a tantalizing introduction to the eponymous setting, serving as a getting started point for original stories or as a compelling add-on to an existing campaign. The worldbuilding established in this first outing is robust with a compelling set of storyhooks and ample opportunities to expand far beyond. While the Labyrinth Worldbook is still forthcoming, the Guide to the Labyrinth is worthy investment of time and money for players interested in running a game or playing a character enmeshed In this world.