Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive TTRPG Makes $1M In Under An Hour

The highly anticipated Stormlight Archives TTRPG Kickstarter--now renamed the Cosmere RPG--broke the million dollar barrier in under an hour, joining the million dollar Kickstarter club.

Published by Brotherwise Games, the game encompasses Brandon Sanderson's entire universe of novels. It includes a world guide, a rulebook, and an adventure called Stormlight Stonewalkers. It's a new game system, based on a d20 mechanic with talent trees and skill-based magic.

The question now is whether it can beat the Avatar Legends TTRPG's almost $10M record? Avatar hit the million dollar mark after the first few hours, so--at least at this point--the Cosmere RPG is tracking ahead of it. Brandon Sanderson already holds the Kickstarter record for the most funded project ever--his novel series made over $40M on Kickstarter in 2023!

 

[Lidgar]

I often think of BS's books (particularly the Stormlight Archive ones) as good Marvel movies (more Endgame than Guardians). Big, cinematic scenes with characters you generally care about. Tend not to be too gritty or dark. Sticks the landing in most books with some kind of intense revelation/self discovery combined with an epic battle.

I like them, but for some the writing and content can feel, well, like a Marvel movie.

All that said, I'll pass on this KS. Between 5e, Shadowdark, and DCC, the last thing I need is another system to learn, never mind convincing my group to play it.

 

[Aldarc]

Are people still playing Green Ronin's Game of Thrones RPG? It's out of print now, which suggests that the cost of the license outweighed the revenue it brought in. Still, I heard good things about the game during its heyday.

Generally if the system is good enough, it often breeds a game with the serial numbers of the IP filed off. Green Ronin's Game of Thrones RPG is unavailable but if one likes the system well enough, one can play Green Ronin's Sword Chronicle: Feudal Fantasy Roleplaying.

 

[Parmandur]

Other than the name and the record Kickstarter I know nothing about BS, Mistborn, Stormlight, or anything related to this really. Can any give me there thoughts on if the stories are any good? Is there anything unique about the settings?

I had mostly avoided Sanderson before early 2023, because I was afraid that he might possibly become my favorite author and I just didn't have the energy. Turns out, yes, he is my favorite living author now. He is an absolute master of plots and character, but his world-building is legendary, and these worlds are extremely diatinct.

On Goodreads, the second Stormlight book Words of Radiance has an average rating of 4.76 after 370,000+ ratings...which means according to Goodreads Words of Radiance is the "best book" of all time. Not specific to genre, just across all books ever that are rated by readers. Seems about right to me as a literature nut, but there is a survivor bias in that few people that dislike Way of Kings would start Words of Radiance.

Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)

Words of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, …

www.goodreads.com

 

[Zehnseiter]

I can answer that question for me (and I realize this is only for me). I am really done with 5E. I'm ready for something new and different to come along. When I see a project generate a lot of buzz, I think "is this going to be something new and different that catches fire?" And I don't think that the Stormlight RPG is going to be that thing.

Don't think that you are alone. D&D 5E has overstayed its welcome for me a while ago.

Back to the topic at hand: While I have read next to no novels of Mr. Sanderson. I don't begrudge anyone his success with RPG kickstarters. The higher the better. It shows that our hobby is alive and more then just 5E. Maybe it will even bring some new blood into it if some of his readers get a taste. Who knows.

I watched that video someone already linked before.

Adapting the Cosmere to a Tabletop Roleplaying Game | With Brandon Sanderson and Johnny O'Neal

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brotherwise/the-stormlight-archive-rpg/descriptionJoin #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sa...

www.youtube.com

Mr. Sanderson is a RPG player. He has way too much knowledge not to be. An he isn't a single system player.
He has great signing discipline. I would fail so hard doing this while having a discussion.
And he had exactly the same problems getting into Vampire 1E then I did back then.
(Actually he had great points that on why they designed that game a bit more on the crunchy side)

I guess I need to at least take a look at the rules. The attribute and defence spread on the example characters already shows that they have no intention to just accept the 5E status quo. That one is imho on first look already an improvement compared to 5E.

 

[Zarithar]

This is a giant reminder to me that I really need to get started with Way of Kings. I've read the Mistborn Trilogy, Warbreaker (my favorite so far), Tress of the Emerald Sea, Yumi and the Nightmare Painters... but I am still lost as far as the greater Cosmere goes.

 

[Parmandur]

This is a giant reminder to me that I really need to get started with Way of Kings. I've read the Mistborn Trilogy, Warbreaker (my favorite so far), Tress of the Emerald Sea, Yumi and the Nightmare Painters... but I am still lost as far as the greater Cosmere goes.

I just finished cat hing up to the full Cosmere a month or two ago (0-60, all done in like 16 months). Honestly, though there is an overarching series of connections, each story stands alone.

 

[VenerableBede]

Most of the background story happens in Mistborn and Stormlight Archives—and we've been promised that the Elantris sequels will do this as well. Those are the core series for the "Background Thanos MCU–type story" going on. That said, as an avid Sanderson reader, I don't notice most of the background story stuff going on—I don't really look for it—and I have a great time.

Interconnectivity still happens in his other novels, and many of his recent standalones have some pretty deep Cosmere cuts for those in the know—but I read them to my wife, decidedly not in the know, and she had a great time anyway. (ESPECIALLY with Yumi. She loved that one.)

 

[DoctorPip]

They changed the two cheaper Kickstarter Options .. 60$ for two pdfs or your choosing and 95$ for two physical books. This is a big improvement, especially for those who only want one world.

You can order just one through a $1 pledge and addons.

Please look at the Kickstarter. There's a whole graphic about it with the prices listed.

 

[Skywalker]

There is already a Mistborn TTRPG, but it has a pretty strange system.

The existing Mistborn RPG is very well designed. The system is tailored to the IP and how the action played out in the books. It wouldn't be a good basis for a Cosmere wide RPG though and there is no doubt that more RPGers will be familiar with D&D5e, so its a sensible choice if you want break those KS records.

 

[Phenomen]

I went through the beta rules and starter adventure and it seems pretty good. A mix of 5e (base mechanics), SotDL (paths and fast/slow turns), and Genesys (plot die). I really want to playtest it, but none of my friends have read The Stormlight Archive, and the setting is way too alien and complex for me to explain during the one-shot.