Cosmere RPG Assessment – IGN

Cosmere makes use of a D20-based system, much like one thing like D&D or Pathfinder, the place you’ll use a 20-sided die to make varied ability checks, with different cube used to satisfy different wants (akin to dealing injury). The motion financial system will even really feel acquainted, with primary actions throughout fight falling into both Actions, Reactions, or Free Actions territories, with Actions requiring wherever between one and three of your pool per flip. Typically, in your flip, a participant may have two or three motion factors they’ll use, with extra highly effective Actions requiring a number of factors to tug off. Due to its clever use of icons denoting the different sorts and what number of factors an motion takes to make use of, the entire course of is fairly new player-friendly and fast to know. However simply because points might really feel acquainted doesn’t imply that the Cosmere RPG doesn’t do something new, nonetheless.

Contemplating this can be a system that was designed partly by Brandon Sanderson, a person with the power to write down an inhuman quantity of books in a brief time period, it shouldn’t be a shock that narrative and story play a big half within the precise mechanics of the Cosmere RPG, too. A particular d6, known as the “Plot Die”, isn’t used for each test and is as an alternative reserved for these moments that the GM deems as moments vital to the plot and story they’re telling. Moments the place the stakes may very well be raised, granting unexpected alternatives that influence the story or granting you an “Alternative,” which is a particular useful resource that may be spent. On the flip facet, your roll of the plot die might as an alternative trigger a complication to come up in your plan, maybe inflicting you to get in an ally’s method throughout a vital second, or one other blunder that leads to a failure.

This intertwining of narrative and story growth additionally seeps into the character creation course of and development, leading to a extra open and versatile system that I discovered notably enamored by. Earlier than something, you choose your ancestry from both Human or Singer (and sure, you possibly can fiddle with Singer kinds), which can assist dictate what areas of the world or lore you specialise in. As a human, you possibly can choose from what area you hail from, supplying you with an edge on checks on matters, legends, homes, and language, for instance, that will make sense in your character to have. Along with your ancestry picked, you begin fleshing out the kind of individual they’re.

As an alternative of selecting a selected class like Warrior or Druid, gamers as an alternative select a Heroic Path, akin to a Hunter, Chief, or Agent, every with its personal distinctive ability tree and specialization traces that you may dive into. There are six base Heroic Paths (Agent, Envoy, Hunter, Chief, Scholar, and Warrior) accessible within the Stormlight Handbook, every with three specializations, and every has a particular Key Expertise that helps set every path aside from the others. If you stage up, you aren’t leveling up a category however your character themself, that means in order for you you possibly can proceed down the trail you will have chosen already and unlocking new Skills (the skills of the trail) in order for you, or you possibly can freely select a brand new path to start out touring down that is smart for the place your character finds themselves at that second. No having to take care of sophisticated multi-class guidelines or totally different hit cube for well being, none of that. It makes the concept of constructing a sophisticated and multi-faceted character extra approachable and incentivized, and likewise simply makes the leveling course of faster.

When you hit stage two, although, issues actually get thrilling as, if you happen to want to, you’ll be able to start down a Radiant Path of your selection, and sure, all of them are right here: Stonewards, Bondsmiths, Windrunners, Skybreakers, Dustbringers, Edgedancers, Truthwatchers, Lightweavers, Elsecallers, and Willshapers. Every Radiant Path will grant you a spren of your individual you possibly can provide you with, entry to that Radiant’s related Surges, and naturally, spending Stormlight and Investiture. In case you have learn the Stormlight books, then let’s be sincere with ourselves, being a Knight Radiant is an enormous promoting level of those books for us, however if you happen to haven’t learn them, consider these orders as tremendous Paladins. Every order has entry to fairly superior powers, a bit acquainted, and finally, you possibly can even recruit squires to work with you. And identical to the Heroic Paths, every Radiant Path options three expertise bushes you possibly can dive into, with two specializing in a selected surge, Abrasion and Division, for instance, with Dustbringers, after which a path that improves your bond together with your spren, permitting you to swear additional Beliefs as a Knight Radiant. Sure, that is superior, and sure, I’ve provide you with extra spren associates than I care to confess to since getting these books. Come at me, Unmade!

To assist additional outline your character, additionally, you will set up a function for them, one thing that drives the character in what they do, which can lead you to create targets for them to attempt for. A purpose could also be one thing so simple as looking for revenge on somebody to one thing extra nebulous, akin to discovering new methods to heal others, however you might be additionally required to provide you with obstacles or character flaws that you need to take care of whereas striving in your purpose. Maybe in your pursuit of your purpose to seek out new methods to heal others, your character may very well be blinded by a number of the hurt accomplished in attempting to verify a speculation, or be keen to check concepts that might not be utterly secure. Making this purpose and impediment part front-and-center not solely helps the GM plan and tailor adventures to particular person characters, but in addition makes the gamers assume extra in regards to the characters they’re enjoying as folks and never only a character sheet. I’ve discovered that extra role-playing is at all times a superb factor in TTRPGs.

Whereas I could benefit from the mechanics of the Cosmere RPG, as a fan of Sanderson’s books, I’d dare say I could like these RPG books extra for the small print they reveal and the way they dive deeper into the world of Roshar and Cosmere as a complete. Since you’ll be able to play as a member of any of the orders of Knights Radiant, I liked wanting by the descriptions and breakdowns of not solely the assorted beliefs, but in addition their respective Surges (i.e. the particular talents of a selected order). Studying by these books, particularly the World Information, gave me a greater concept of the cultures and visible id of the peoples of Roshar.

Brandon has acknowledged that the fabric in these guides will probably be thought of canon with the occasions in his books, and as such, a large amount of care has been taken by the group to seek the advice of and make sure together with his lore keepers that all the things suits. For readers who might not have completed Wind and Fact, the newest entry of the Stormlight Archive that was launched in December 2024, it would be best to watch out of spoilers.

In a wierd method, the wealth of data these books current additionally actually drew my consideration to what the Cosmere RPG doesn’t give me to mess around and roleplay with, and it’s right here the place a overwhelming majority of my complaints reside. Take, for example, the Heralds, legendary heroes which have held again the evil forces of Odium between desolations. Beings that total religions on Roshar have been constructed up round, and whose affect is felt in almost each aspect of the lore. The books have good sections speaking about them, that includes beautiful art work, however the RPG is totally missing in particulars for folk which will need to strive enjoying as one.

As somebody who is often within the “ceaselessly GM” chair, the truth that not one of the books give me primary stat blocks for them is surprising to me. Why aren’t there guidelines or stats for the Honor Blades? Going even a step additional, the truth that the principles don’t give me particulars for large bads like the assorted Unmade and even the shards of Odium, Cultivation, or Honor, simply bum me out. To a lesser extent, I want that these first books gave us a minimum of a bit tease on what followers might anticipate from how the opposite magic techniques might function or the course they need to take with them. The Ghostblood Implement enemy does characteristic “Burning Pewter” which solely serves as a buff, and doesn’t give a lot of an concept on how burning metals will differ from utilizing Stormlight. I understand that every of the worlds will finally get their very own tomes of goodness that dive deep into these items, however couldn’t we have now gotten a small, itsy-bitsy tease of how allomancy or AonDor may match?

Along with the bodily books that will probably be accessible to the plenty in November, Cosmere is seeing comparatively frequent updates and extra supplemental supplies being added to the Digital Tabletop service. Not solely can you snag digital variations of all of the books proper now, permitting you to construct your characters and run video games, CosmereRPGNexus.com additionally has situations that you may run and give you particulars and guidelines to create customized higher-tiered enemies to take care of. For those who would like simply having PDFs, although, you should buy all of them at Drive Through RPG, too.

For diehard Sanderson followers, even when you have no want to play a TTRPG, these books, notably the World Information, is a must-buy only for lore and the data it supplies on Roshar. As TTRPG books, they do properly sufficient, however the merchandise and enemy choices are missing when it comes to choices, particularly when in comparison with different fantasy RPGs. As each a longtime TTRPG participant and lover of the Cosmere, it surprises me that a few of what has been omitted has left me a bit disenchanted. It simply comes off as “simply watch for the second Roshar set” to me.

The bodily Cosmere RPG books will probably be launched on November 12, with digital variations accessible for buy now on DriveThruRPG or nearly on Demiplane.