Comparing D&D 5e to Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition

This is one of several reviews I am doing this year of various table top role playing games. I am specifically comparing them to D&D 5e. I am doing this with the assumption that my readers are already familiar with D&D 5e. The following review is based only upon my reading of the rulebook. I haven’t played this yet, but I will be posting my opinion after I get a chance to play test it.

I am referring here to the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons as 5E and to Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition as A5E. This information is for evaluation purposes, it should not be considered official rules of the game. You can assume things that I don’t list here are basically like 5E with only minor differences.

In A5E the Dungeon Master is called the Narrator.

Summary of the game system

Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition is the name of a game by EN Publishing, a UK-based tabletop roleplaying game company. A5E is an ‘advanced’ version of 5E with an extra layer of crunch and depth. It’s fully stand-alone with no need for the original 5E core rulebooks. This review is based on my reading of A5E’s Adventurers Guide, a 656 page replacement for 5E’s Player’s Handbook. It is what you would get if you started with 5E’s SRD, then added everything else that is in the Player’s Handbook, re-writing everything and changing everything that is copyrighted. And then you added a whole lot more of almost everything. If you know how to play 5E, you pretty much know how to play A5E, the rules have only been added to or modified in a few places.

Primary differences between A5E and 5E

Character Creation

• Hit Points, Abilities, Ability Modifiers, Proficiency Bonus
  • All the same as in 5E.
• Origins
  • Heritage: Who were your parents?  (Race in 5E)
    • Your heritage determines your age, size, and speed. Some heritages include multiple gifts for you to choose from to further diversify your character. At a higher level, each heritage grants an additional paragon feature (called a paragon gift).
    • Select Dragonborn, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, Human, Orc, Planetouched (Tiefiing and Aasimar in 5E), or Mixed Heritage (with parents of two different heritages)
  • Cluture: Where did you grow up? (Subclass in 5E)
    • Your culture contains a range of traits and the languages you know.
    • Select Caravanner, Circusfolk, Collegiate, Cosmopolitan, Dragonbound, Dragoncult, Forsaken, Godbound, Imperial, Itinerant, Lone Wanderer, Nomad, Settler, Steamforged, Stoneworthy, Tyrannized, Villager, Warhordling, Wildling, Deep Dwarf, Deep Gnome, Eladrin, Forest Gnome, Forgotten Folx, High Elf, Hill Dwarf, Kithbáin Halfling, Mountain Dwarf, Mustbairn Halfling, Shadow Elf, Stoic Orc, Stout Halfling, Tinker Gnome, Tunnel Halfling, or Wood Elf.
  • Background: What was your occupation?
    • Your background provides you with:
      • Increase of one ability score by 1 and another ability score of your choice.
      • Proficiency with two skills.
      • Proficiency with 1 or more tool sets.                         
      • Additional languages.
      • Someone that has had an effect on your life.
      • Suggested equipment sets.
      • Options for a sentimental item, a memento.
      • A feature that helps with interacting with the world and people around you.
    • Select Acolyte, Artisan, Charlatan, Criminal, Cultist, Entertainer, Exile, Farmer, Folk Hero, Gambler, Guard, Guildmember, Hermit, Marauder, Noble, Outlander, Sage, Sailor, Soldier, Trader, or Urchin.
  • Destiny: What is your personal story?
    • Your destiny provides your character with motivation, roleplaying hooks, and special features, including a bonus feature when your character eventually fulfills their destiny.
    • Select Chaos, Coming of Age, Devotion, Dominion, Excellence, Knowledge, Metamorphosis, Revenge, Underdog, or Wealth.
• Class
  • Choose Adept (Monk in 5E), Bard, Berserker (Barbarian in 5E), Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Herald (Paladin in 5E), Marshal, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard.
• Equipment
  • Weapons: The weapons are sorted by damage die.
    • Melee Weapons
      • 1d4: Brass knuckles, Club, Dagger, Dueling dagger, Light hammer, Punching dagger, Sickle, Throwing dagger, Whip
      • 1d6: Handaxe, Javelin, Mace, Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Shortsword, Spear, Trident
      • 1d8: Bastard sword, Battleaxe, Flail, Greatclub, Longsword, Morningstar, Rapier, Saber, Warhammer, War pick
      • 1d10: Glaive, Halberd, Pike, Scythe
      • 1d12: Greataxe
      • 2d6: Greatsword, Maul
    • Rare Melee Weapons
      • 1d4: Assassin’s gauntlet, Boot dagger
      • 1d6: Ring blade
      • 1d8: Double weapon, Sword pistol
      • 2d4: Spiked chain
      • 2d6: Mercurial maul
    • Ranged Weapons
      • 1d4: Blowgun, Dart, Sling
      • 1d6: Hand crossbow, Shortbow
      • 1d8: Composite bow, Light crossbow, Longbow
      • 1d10: Heavy crossbow
    • Rare Ranged Weapons
      • d6: Geared slingshot
      • d10: Pistol, Shotgun
      • d12: Carbine, Ratcheting crossbow
      • 2d6: Revolver
      • 2d8: Musket
    • Miscellaneous Weapons And Accessories
      • Garrotte, Lance, Net, Spear-thrower
    • Weapon Properties: In addition to its specific features, each weapon type may have one or more of these properties: Breaker, Compounding, Defensive, Dual-Wielding, Finesse, Hand-Mounted, Heavy, Loading, Mounted, Parrying, Parrying Immunity, Range, Reach, Simple, Thrown, Trip, Two-Handed, Versatile, Vicious
  • Shields
    • There are 4 shield types: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Tower
  • Armor
    • Light Armor: Padded cloth, Padded leather
    • Medium Armor: Cloth brigandine, Leather brigandine, Hide Armor, Chain Shirt (steel), Chain Shirt (mithral), Breastplate (bone), Breastplate or Cuirass (steel), Elven Breastplate (mithral), Half Plate (steel)
    • Heavy Armor: Hauberk (steel), Splint (steel), Full Plate (steel), Elven Plate mithral, Dwarven plate (stone)
    • Helms: Helm, Visored Helm
  • Materials:
    • Your gear may be made from these materials, each with different price, weight and other properties: Adamantine, Bone, Bronze, Cloth, Cold iron, Hide, Iron, Leather, Mithral, Silver, Steel, Stone, Wood
    • Material Properties: the material your armor or weapon is made of may have one or more of these properties: Comfortable, Feybane, Flaw, Fortified, Hardy, High-Quality, Lightweight, Low-Maintenance, Rust, Silvered, Underarmor, Weighty
  • Adventuring Gear
    • There are a lot of things listed with their cost, weight and descriptions. I’ll not list them all here. I’ll just indicate the number of items of each type.
    • Herbal Remedies: (17), Spellcasting Foci (13) , Simple Poisons (5), Survival Gear (19), Containers (16), Miscellaneous Adventuring Gear (76), Artisan’s Tools (16), Gaming Sets (3), Musical Instruments (15), Miscellaneous Tools (8), Mounts (8), Mount Gear (4), Land Vehicles (5), Water Vehicles (5), Air Vehicles (4), Siege Weaponry (4), Trade Goods (20), Magic Items for Sale (12), Crafting Prices (9), Spellcasting Services (26), Common Pets (21), Uncommon Pets (27), Rare Pets (10), Monster’s Egg Prices (18)
• Multiclassing: Basically the same as in 5E, but the Prerequisites are an optional rule.
• Feats: They are not listed as an optional rule. Getting them instead of an ability score increase is the same as 5E. The list of feats has been expanded and modified.
  • The available feats are: Ace Driver, Athletic, Attentive, Battle Caster, Bladechanter (Whirling Incantor, Eldritch Whirlwind Master) Brutal Attack, Bull Rush, Combat Thievery, Covert Training, Crafting Expert, Crossbow Expertise, Deadeye, Deflector, Destiny’s Call, Dual-Wielding Expert, Dungeoneer, Eldritch Archer (Arrow Enchanter, Eldritch Volley Master), Empathic, Fear Breaker, Fortunate, Grappler, Guarded Warrior, Hardy Adventurer, Heavily Outfitted, Heavy Armor Expertise, Heraldic Training, Idealistic Leader, Intuitive, Keen Intellect, Lightly Outfitted, Linguistics Expert, Martial Scholar, Medium Armor Expert, Moderately Outfitted, Monster Hunter, Mounted Warrior, Mystical Talent, Mystic Arcanist (Pure Arcanist, Arcanum Master), Natural Warrior, Newblood (Vampire Spawn, Vampire Lord), Nightstalker (Subtly Skilled, Night Master), Physician, Polearm Savant, Power Caster, Powerful Attacker, Proclaimer (Divine Orator, Harbinger of Things to Come), Primordial Caster, Rallying Speaker, Resonant Bond, Rite Master, Shadowdancer (Shadowmancer, Shadow Assassin), Shield Focus, Skillful, Skirmisher, Spellbreaker, Stalwart, Stealth Expert, Street Fighter, Surgical Combatant, Survivor, Swift Combatant, Tactical Support, Tenacious, Thespian, Untamed (Living Stampede, Wild Rioter), Vendetta (Revenant, True Revenant), Vengeful Protector, Vigilante (Equipped for Justice, A Symbol That Strikes Fear), Weapons Specialist, Well-Heeled, Woodcraft Training
• Skills: the same as 5E with the addition of Culture and Engineering.
• Advantage, Disadvantage, and Expertise
  • Advantage and Disadvantage are the same as in 5E.
  • Some class features of the game may grant you an expertise die on a d20 roll. In that case you add another die (usually a d4) to the roll. If you get another expertise die that applies to the same roll, the size of the largest expertise die increases by one step for that check, from 1d4 to 1d6, or 1d6 to 1d8.

Combat

• Initiative: Same as in 5E – except you roll a Dexterity check to set the order (sometimes a WIS, STR or CHA check depending on the situation).
• Flanking: When you and an ally are on direct opposite sides of a target, you gain an expertise die on your actions against that target.
• Actions in Combat
  • On your turn in combat you perform actions exactly as in 5E, with a few additional actions available to choose from. They are:
    • Press the Attack (bonus action): Before you attack, designate one creature within your reach. Your melee attacks against that creature gain an expertise die this round unless they are made with disadvantage, and attacks against you have advantage.
    • Fall Back (reaction): Whenever a creature takes the Press the Attack action against you, you can use your reaction to move backwards 5 feet, and your attacker does not gain an expertise die against you. As part of its action, your attacker can move 5 feet towards you. This doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
    • Sprint (action): You can move in a straight line up to quadrupled your speed, or triple your speed if you are encumbered or wearing heavy armor. You may not take any other actions, bonus actions, or reactions this turn. You may Sprint for a number of turns equal to your CON mod. Attacks against you are made with advantage.
    • Tumble (action or bonus action): Make a DEX save vs. creatures combat maneuver DC, on a success, you can move through the hostile creature’s space.
    • Use a Basic Maneuver (action): Disarm, Grapple, Knock-down, Overrun, or Shove.
    • Use a Combat Maneuver (action or reaction):
      • Exertion Pool: To use a combat maneuver, you must expend exertion points. You have a maximum number of exertion points equal to double your proficiency bonus. You regain any spent exertion points at the end of a short or long rest.
      • How many Combat Maneuvers do you get? You know a number of combat maneuvers determined by your class and class level. Your known combat maneuvers are chosen from the combat traditions you are proficient with.
      • There are 165 combat maneuvers. Here is an example:
        • Hear the Wind: (3 points) 5th degree Biting Zephyr bonus action “You can literally hear the sound of incoming missiles and react to them easily. Until the end of your next turn, you gain blindsight to a range of 20 feet. When you are hit by a ranged attack, you make a Perception check against a DC equal to the attack roll. On a success the attack misses you, and on a critical success you redirect it back at the attacker.”
• Spellcasting
  • Everything regarding Knowing and Preparing Spells, Casting Spells, Spell Slots, Casting Spells With a Higher Slot, Cantrips, Rituals and Casting Spells in Armor is the same as in 5E and the spell descriptions have the same basic formatting and components as in 5E. The spell descriptions have been re-written and more spells have been added.
  • Example 5E spell description:
    • ACID SPLASH Conjuration cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous Description: “You hurl a bubble of acid. Choose one or two creatures you can see within range. If you choose two, they must be within 5 feet of each other. A target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take ld6 acid damage. This spell’s damage increases by ld6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
  • Example A5E spell description:
    • Acid Splash Cantrip (conjuration; acid, arcane) Classes: Sorcerer, wizard Casting Time: 1 action Range: Medium (60 feet) Target: Up to two creatures within 5 feet of each other Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Dexterity negates Description: “A stinking bubble of acid is conjured out of thin air to fly at the targets, dealing 1d6 acid damage. This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).”
• Conditions: The same as in 5E, but A5E has added Confused, Doomed, Encumbered, Rattled, and Slowed.

What you need to get started

5E’s Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual can be replaced with A5E’s Adventurers Guide, Trials & Treasures, and Monstrous Menagerie.  You have free access the rules on-line HERE: You can buy hardcover and PDF versions of their books at the EN Publishing web site “https://enpublishingrpg.com/“, or “https://www.levelup5e.com/“.

Final Thoughts

• If you are thinking (like I was at first) that, “A5E is just like 5E so I can skip over reading what it says about ____ (fill in the blank with a class, race, feat, spell, or anything else you know by heart in 5E),” that would be a mistake. The Adventurer’s Guide is a big book, with 656 pages compared to D&D’s Player’s Handbook with 320 pages. You don’t have to read everything, for instance, there is no need to read all of the equipment, feat or spell descriptions. But Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition is not Dungeons and Dragons. It is a stand-alone complete role playing game that is based on Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Even where the topic or rule is basically the same as the one in 5E, A5E has re-written it and often made small changes. They would call these improvements or clarifications and, for the most part, I would agree.
• Even if you never play A5E, there are a lot things here that could easily be used in your 5E game. For instance the entire section of weapons and armor could be lifted from this book and used with only minor changes in any 5E game. There are a lot of other things that a DM could find handy, such as costs for buying magic items or crafting them. Or if you need to look up the cost of an iron pot and how much does it hold? And there is a whole section on building a stronghold.
• In general, I prefer lower crunch games to higher crunch games. A5E definently has more crunch than 5E. However, the reason I have for preferring lower crunch games are largely avoided in A5E. The reasons I don’t normally care for games with a lot of crunch are: 1) They are overly complicated and bogged down with too many rules. This makes them harder to learn and to teach new players. 2) The game is slowed because it is too complicated. 3) Combat in particular is too slow because you have too many decisions to make and/or you must always be looking things up in the book.
  • 1)  Because Level Up is looking at this game as an enhancement to 5E, if you already know 5E you will only need to learn the few things that are different, and that makes it no harder than learning a DMs house rules.
  • 2) The large majority of what has been added to the game only effects characters during character creation and advancement. Yes, this takes time, but it isn’t time spent “adventuring”. Also, there are a lot of additional feats, but these too are only selected during character level advancement.
  • 3) The main difference in combat – that could make it take longer – is the addition of special attack actions they call “Maneuvers.” There are only 4 Basic Maneuvers that everybody can use, which isn’t too bad. There are, however, a large number of Combat Maneuvers. Only 7 of the 13 classes have access to Combat Maneuvers. The Fighter gets 3 at first level and the others start at second level with 2, and they each add one more every couple of levels on average. What slows down combat is having to look up the rule. With this slow progression and the few number of  new Combat Maneuvers introduced on advancing to higher levels, I don’t see this as having a big effect on the speed of play during combat.
• The bottom line is, I like it! It would be easy to switch a group of 5E players over to this. You could even start out a group of players new to role playing with this game. It would be no harder to learn or teach than 5E. And you could easily play any published 5E adventure using these rules.