The ‘Stormlight RPG’, Secretly the ‘Cosmere RPG’ All Along, Surpasses $2 Million Within Hours
Also the Stormlight RPG is actually just the first in a wave that will see Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere in RPG form. Exciting times.
There was no question that the RPG for Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives RPG was going to be huge. Sanderson raised more than forty million dollars last year for four more novels.
Of course such a dedicated fanbase is going to translate to an RPG, especially with the new reveal that The Stormlight RPG is only the beginning. Eventually, as the Kickstarter says, it’ll move to encompass the entire Cosmere.
It follows that the Kickstarter is on track to become the biggest RPG Kickstarter of the year, if not ever. I started writing this article when the Kickstarter had hit 2.28 million, and I’ll be surprised if I can finish before it hits 2.5 million, so fast is the number rising. That momentum is palpable.
The Stormlight RPG Turns Out to Be the Cosmere RPG
It turns out the Stormlight Archive is just the beginning. The entire Cosmere gets encapsulated in the RPG, which starts with the Stormlight World Guide, Stormlight Handbook, and Stormlight Stonewalkers. In 2026, though, Mistborn comes to the tabletop.
Why a Cosmere RPG? As Sanderson explains, it’s because he likes a good reveal, but also to keep exploring the Cosmere. These are companion pieces to the novels and the series. These games will be a sort of “living RPG” that follows the unfolding story.
Already we’ve seen that the first adventure for the Stormlight RPG encompasses a story that hasn’t been told in the Cosmere universe: what happened to Taln’s Honorblade. Sanderson wants there to be a mix of canonical events in which players participate, as well as room to explore and do their own thing.
The Cosmere will soon be your sandbox, so yeah, obviously, this is going to do well. And with 2.4 million raised by the time I’ve gotten to this paragraph, it is well on track. What can you expect to see? It all starts with the world of Roshar and the magic of the Stormlight Archive.
But beyond that, you’ll get to play as masters of Mistborn or Feruchemists in the world of Mistborn, or Elanrians or Forgers or Blood Sealers from Elantris. Or be a Worldhopper and unlock powers everywhere. It’s the culmination of every bit of magic systems with intricate rules that Sanderson loves.
But how does it play? Well it’s very much built on 5th Edition, with a few unique wrinkles. Like the Heroic Paths, which is more like a sort of talent based system, so whenever you level up, you get different, exciting choices.
And, of course, you’re encouraged to try and use the rules of your magic and/or the game “creatively”:
The rules encourage players to use their poweres creatively – just like the protagonists of Cosmere novels. The game rules provide specific answers to questions like, “How much faster can my Edgedancer move with Abrasion?” But this system is also ready to handle improvisational actions like using Abrasion to survive being swallowed by a Chasmfiend.
Of course, every magic system in the Cosmere will be different. Like Surgebinding, Allomancy and Awakening rely heavily on skill tests. […] Feruchemy and AonDor, on the other hand, offer powerful but more narrowly defined effects that reward well-prepared characters. In a Worldhopper campaign, you might even design a magic system of your own!
