Does Anyone Care? (Cosmere RPG)

[TwoSix]

Yep, just picked this up today at the local game store as an (expensive!) early Christmas present to myself.

Still going over the core rulebook, but pretty impressive. Does the number one thing a licensed RPG needs to do, which is give a fan all the tools needed to make up that fanfic character you’ve had in your head for years.

(And yes, I’m self-implicating here.)

It’s a solid evolution of the 5e core. Eliminates prof bonus, moves to straight modifiers, slightly rearranges stats, and gets rid of classes in favor of a “one talent per level” system, plus slow targeted progression of numerical modifiers.

Having a core magic skill for each type of magic, plus talent modifiers is great; I’ve loved that sort of system since “Spheres of Power” for 3e (and I think there are earlier examples). Definitely curious to see how they’ll adapt that to Mistborn allomancers and feruchemists.

 

[Parmandur]

Yep, just picked this up today at the local game store as an (expensive!) early Christmas present to myself.

Still going over the core rulebook, but pretty impressive. Does the number one thing a licensed RPG needs to do, which is give a fan all the tools needed to make up that fanfic character you’ve had in your head for years.

(And yes, I’m self-implicating here.)

It’s a solid evolution of the 5e core. Eliminates prof bonus, moves to straight modifiers, slightly rearranges stats, and gets rid of classes in favor of a “one talent per level” system, plus slow targeted progression of numerical modifiers.

Having a core magic skill for each type of magic, plus talent modifiers is great; I’ve loved that sort of system since “Spheres of Power” for 3e (and I think there are earlier examples). Definitely curious to see how they’ll adapt that to Mistborn allomancers and feruchemists.

They have talked about bit about the latter already: in short, it is going to be significa tly more complex than the Stormlight book, but also essentially the same.

Stormlight has 9 Orders of Knights Radiant available, each of whom have access to two Talent trees for Surges from the possible ten. Note that the Surges are on a different chapter than the Knights Radiant Careeers, with all 10 Surges getting their own tree.

Mistborn is going to have a whopping 32 Metallic Art Talent trees, 16 for Allomancy and 16 for Feruchemy. Some (looking at you, Alllomantic Aluminum) are not going to be in-depth for canonically obvious reasons.

PC options will be full Mistborn, full Feruchenists, Mistings, Ferrings, and Twice-Born, with the different options unlocking those 32 trees. Mistborn and Feruchemists are basically balanced by being Hacks of All Trades, and thus Masters of None. A Mistborn will be capable of some astonishing synergies, but any Misting will be much better focused in their Skills and Talents. Just like the books.

 

[TwoSix]

PC options will be full Mistborn, full Feruchenists, Mistings, Ferrings, and Twice-Born, with the different options unlocking those 32 trees. Mistborn and Feruchemists are basically balanced by being Hacks of All Trades, and thus Masters of None. A Mistborn will be capable of some astonishing synergies, but any Misting will be much better focused in their Skills and Talents. Just like the books.

Sure. And the game itself isn't intended to be combat-balanced like a 5e, so it's easier to have a Misting like Breeze control a scene even when there's a Mistborn present.

I'd also assume they'd want to make Mistborn accessible at low-level (like Vin), so I'm thinking there's a key talent that's something like "Burn Metals", and all of the basic techniques for each metal are available. I'm just not sure if "Burn One Metal" will be a separate Key talent, or there will be some other filter applied to basic "Burn Metal" talent.

Also curious if the skill used will be "Allomancy" or if there will be a separate skill for each metal. Maybe a Mistborn unlocks each skill with a +0 modifier, and a Misting only gets one but at a +2?

Also wondering if they'll dive into some of the more esoteric stuff, like Compounding. Considering how plot-vital it's been for several books, I would assume so. Same thing with Duralumin effects.

 

[Parmandur]

Sure. And the game itself isn't intended to be combat-balanced like a 5e, so it's easier to have a Misting like Breeze control a scene even when there's a Mistborn present.

I'd also assume they'd want to make Mistborn accessible at low-level (like Vin), so I'm thinking there's a key talent that's something like "Burn Metals", and all of the basic techniques for each metal are available. I'm just not sure if "Burn One Metal" will be a separate Key talent, or there will be some other filter applied to basic "Burn Metal" talent.

Also curious if the skill used will be "Allomancy" or if there will be a separate skill for each metal. Maybe a Mistborn unlocks each skill with a +0 modifier, and a Misting only gets one but at a +2?

Also wondering if they'll dive into some of the more esoteric stuff, like Compounding. Considering how plot-vital it's been for several books, I would assume so. Same thing with Duralumin effects.

Compounding is definitely in, though only available to Twinborn characters in Era 2.

Each Allomantic ability snd each Feruchemical ability is a seperate Skill, that's how Mistborn are balanced: they won't be able to invest Skill points in every power, though they cam make the rolls when they need to. Speculation here, but based on the Talent trees in Stormlight, to really climb the Talent trees portion, the character also probavly needs to invest in non-Allomantic Skills, so a group of Mistings can do things that a lone Mistborn couldn't.

Taking Kelsier as an example, he probably only really invests Skill points in Iron & Steel, and builds up his Leadership and other Presence Skills, plus Acrobatics and Weapons. That's why he has Vin learn from the other members of the Crew.

Looking at Stormlight, a Windrunner is going to be absolutely a unit in combat, whereas my wikey veteran merchant might contribute nothing: but flying and stabbing don't help on negotiation Scenes.

 

[TwoSix]

Compounding is definitely in, though only available to Twinborn characters in Era 2.

Each Allomantic ability snd each Feruchemical ability is a seperate Skill, that's how Mistborn are balanced: they won't be able to invest Skill points in every power, though they cam make the rolls when they need to. Speculation here, but based on the Talent trees in Stormlight, to really climb the Talent trees portion, the character also probavly needs to invest in non-Allomantic Skills, so a group of Mistings can do things that a lone Mistborn couldn't.

Taking Kelsier as an example, he probably only really invests Skill points in Iron & Steel, and builds up his Leadership and other Presence Skills, plus Acrobatics and Weapons. That's why he has Vin learn from the other members of the Crew.

Looking at Stormlight, a Windrunner is going to be absolutely a unit in combat, whereas my while veteran merchant might contribute nothing: but flying and stabbing don't help on negotiation Scenes.

Makes sense. In game terms, Vin also just has lots of "protagonist energy" and levels up very quickly, which is why here ability spread is good, plus she just makes a lot of Complication rolls.

Definitely excited for the Twinborn rules, I always thought they felt the most "PC-like" between the somewhat limited Mistings and the more "OP" Mistborn.

 

[Parmandur]

Makes sense. In game terms, Vin also just has lots of "protagonist energy" and levels up very quickly, which is why here ability spread is good, plus she just makes a lot of Complication rolls.

Definitely excited for the Twinborn rules, I always thought they felt the most "PC-like" between the somewhat limited Mistings and the more "OP" Mistborn.

Oh, I can see Mistings doing very well im this system, focused as it is on Skills: they will be able to max out their Allomancy while still developing other normal Skills...skills that will come up in heists.

Era 2 is more rupees for gaming than Era 1 overall probably, though the Adventure Path they are doing for thisnis intriguing: it will have eater g player create two characters, and Era 1 PC and their Era 2 descendents, with Scenes alternating between past and present.

 

[TwoSix]

Oh, I can see Mistings doing very well im this system, focused as it is on Skills: they will be able to max out their Allomancy while still developing other normal Skills...skills that will come up in heists.

Era 2 is more rupees for gaming than Era 1 overall probably, though the Adventure Path they are doing for thisnis intriguing: it will have eater g player create two characters, and Era 1 PC and their Era 2 descendents, with Scenes alternating between past and present.

I'm not actually worried about the balance; the Stormlight game seems to work fine even if you make a character that doesn't touch any of the Radiant abilities. I don't see why Mistborn would be different.

I'm sure a motivated group could find a campaign frame for Era 1 Mistborn, but I do feel like Era 2 is just much more wide open in terms of making a game that isn't as involved with the central story.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm not actually worried about the balance; the Stormlight game seems to work fine even if you make a character that doesn't touch any of the Radiant abilities. I don't see why Mistborn would be different.

I'm sure a motivated group could find a campaign frame for Era 1 Mistborn, but I do feel like Era 2 is just much more wide open in terms of making a game that isn't as involved with the central story.

Yeah, the Final empire is a setting is really highly wound up with the epic plot, much moreso than Stormlight is even with the global war. Era 2 might be pitch perfect for running a sandbox campaign.

 

[TwoSix]

Yeah, the Final empire is a setting is really highly wound up with the epic plot, much moreso than Stormlight is even with the global war. Era 2 might be pitch perfect for running a sandbox campaign.

Something like an Era 1.5 (last vestiges of the Empire being pushed away, Elendel just an up-and-coming city) could be an interesting frame.

 

[Parmandur]

Something like an Era 1.5 (last vestiges of the Empire being pushed away, Elendel just an up-and-coming city) could be an interesting frame.

Already with stprmloght, people are running campaigns outside the suggested canon eras and areas.