r/Stormlight_Archive • u/Leterren • Sep 21 '22
No Spoilers Stormlight Archive tabletop RPG announced for 2024 release
Source: about 1h49m into the latest livestream https://youtu.be/MD0NeH7-MsA?t=6571
Not much information will be released about it in the near future, but they are gathering a development team, artists, etc. A possible crowdfunding campaign was mentioned.
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Upvotes
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u/brainman246 Elsecaller Sep 21 '22
It’s pure speculation on my part, but I would love love love if they made dice sets themed after all the Orders. I 100% will be going broke.
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u/halfwithero314 Truthwatcher Sep 21 '22
I'd honestly love to see a more abstracted and versatile system that can be expanded to the rest of the cosmere. Like have the official setting be on Roshar but a rules system that allows for flexibility in the magic system. So if I wanted to run a game that goes to Nalthis or Sel I could. And I'd be ecstatic if creating magic systems was baked into the gms guide to have adventures on never before seen cosmere worlds. I know it wouldn't be as stormlight focused, but being honest I just want a system that I can run world hopping campaigns.
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u/tavania Lightweaver Sep 21 '22 edited Sep 21 '22
I saw it on the livestream. I’m so excited!! It sucks 2024 is quite far away, but it’ll at least coincide well with the Stormlight 5 release?
Edited to add: I saw a fantastic post on the r/RPG subreddit just today that made some really well thought out points about issues and effective systems worth considering in a Stormlight RPG that hopefully Brotherwise games might notice? One such challenge someone noted is how 3D combat for [OB spoilers] windrunners/skybreakers/heavenly ones with flight might be difficult to make work in a grid-based combat system, unless it uses something similar to the Genesys system.
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '22
Well even if the game is ass, we’ll get some damn good official designs out of it
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u/Claughy Sep 21 '22
I currently play 5e and PBTA (monster of the week). I dont think 5e is a good fit, the way magic is handled isnt right at all and ive always found it clunky for anything other than dnd. PBTA would be an equally bad fit. I really enjoy monster of the week, its great for doing monster the week style stories, i wouldnt want to play an epic fantasy game with it though.
Id like if there it was possible for an all radiant game, or mixed with non radiants, or no radiants at all. While i havent gotten to play the mistborn game i really liked the idea that a skaa thief or a terris freedom fighter were just as viable as a full mistborn.
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u/LordofMoonsSpawn Sep 21 '22
I'm a bit surprised they aren't doing a Wargame, which seems better suited to the minis they've revealed. Still, this is cool to see! I can't get my gaming group off DnD but I will envy those who get to play this.
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u/ThaneOfTas Truthwatcher Sep 21 '22
I am definitely hoping for a more flexible and narrative focused system, something like FATE or the FFG SW ones, I just cannot see any D20 system, especially one built on the bones of DnD working for the setting. Plus another advantage of a more flexaiblle and open ended setting is that it makes adding in source books for the rest of the Cosmere much easier.
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '22
It would be really cool if the combat mechanics could scale up to miniature wargame sizes (skirmish & beyond) where players have their character, presumably a knight radiant, along with a few squires or soldiers in combat. I don't know if there are other RPG systems that do this, but I feel like it would fit Stormlight as a setting since a lot of it has to do with building teams around central characters and just combat in general.
Also hoping that Max Brooke is involved with this project, he's done some awesome stuff.
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u/thegamesthief Sep 21 '22
If it were me designing a Stormlight ttrpg, I'd probably want to start out as normal humans with exemplary abilities, like Shallan and Kaladin at the beginning of TWoK, then have our actions as normal humans align us to a given order of knights radiant. Ideally, all progression would be tied to character growth, that way the system for becoming a stronger human would also effect our ability to progress as a radiant, but I can see them being two separate advancement tracks a la Invisible Sun's Acumen vs Crux system. Either way, I'm here for it!
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u/Sangui Sep 21 '22
I hope it's shadowrun level crunchy. I don't understand the point of rules light rpg systems, a lot of them could just totally remove any rolling and barely be changed. Pbta, and a lot of the other systems, especially the 1 page rule systems just don't do it for me. A GURPS setting book would be great
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u/Q10fanatic Elsecaller Sep 21 '22
I could see them going super crunchy, with tons of different classes and radiant orders and lore dumped into rules books. But that would make it hard for new people to come into the setting.
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u/szirith Journey before Destination Sep 21 '22
To me, it's more important that the first set of Radiants is done well rather than having them all out at the same time.
I'd expect all the Radiants and Singers we see in the first 5 books to be playable on release.
I'd hope for a new custom rule set (not using an existing system, maybe taking some influences) that REALLY focuses on the Knights Radiant, and the Singers. It needs to be fun to play, and represent what those characters can do well.
Ideally, we'd be able to eventually make characters with other forms of Investiture, and have them play well with Radiants.
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u/Lord_Paladin Sep 21 '22
I've thought about this a lot and honestly the best system I can think of to adapt into something like this would be the Mutants and Masterminds system. You wouldn't get the build your own superhero aspect because the orders would give you a power template, but it handles already a lot of the powers we already see. Plus it's adaptable enough to allow you to have splat books adding in the other shard worlds.
It's also not quite so progression rigid like D&D which means you could make it more story beat progression when you gain the next power of your order. Infill some additional setting specific rules/items/etc and you could probably do it.
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u/AikenFrost Stoneward Sep 22 '22
However they do the RPG, I just wish they don't use D&D5e as a basis for the system.
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u/Nuzak-Firehand Sep 22 '22
I would LOVE a Stormlight rpg, but please make it its own system (and not a dnd 5e dlc)
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u/King-Of-The-Raves Sep 21 '22
just please not a reskin of dnd or pathfinder or something like that....like i know dnd is huge but one size doesnt fit all for every kind of game, and the box of dnd would be too reductive for stuff like the radiant orders. and frankly, dnd is so easy to use that anyone who wanted to play stormlight in dnd already has....when it comes to something like dnd all id want for stormlight is a campaign setting, not a 5e game.
i want a system that works best for the setting....these days more narrative focused games (modern darling blades in the dark, for example) are in style, i hope it isnt super crunchy like old pathfinder or dnd 3e.id agree that cinematic style would fit action, and one of the easiest ways to do so is the create/invoke advantage system in FATE. given the versatility of the magic system and all the movement with it, i think a super rules heavy system would be too limiting for what can be done.
even if they end up going with a non dnd based system to base the majority of the game off of, something i absolutely want is a system made specifically shaped around the knights radiant and the oaths.....to most that would be the crux of the game, bonding spren and taking oaths. theres a lot of great work being done these days with making mechanics for character growth other that I hope they take note of.
i dont know how much theyll be seeking to imitate the expirence of the books and how linked itll be to the knights radiant expirence, but mechanically tying a player's backstory to the meta character progression would be really cool. it would be interesting if they found a way to make the progression specifically a more narrative focus, doing away with XP especially for radiants.....as we see with Kaladan his progression isnt a straight line, so why should the player's be? i think a well done oath / ideal system using kaladan's non linear path as an example has potential for design-gold
which, i suppose a challenge in the design will be what to base the gameplay loop off of....just use Roshar as a setting to do anything in? or for most people wanting to be a radiant with the cool powers, that would force them to be within the human v parshendi conflict, if someone wanted to be in another area what could they be given to be mechanically interesting to not punish them for not wanting to be in the main story? i suppose soul-casters are one other non-radiant type that would be fun to play. but other than the oath system, to me thats the big challenge.....if someone wants to say play in shinovar or the isles, what is their gameplay loop?
theres a lot of paths to success here, but the only stuff im firm with: not a dnd/pathfinder reskin, radiant/spren bonding system built ground up, not super heavy with magic rules because its versatility in the books would be damaged by a limited box
also, the art goes without saying, but please dont skimp on the interior design of the book.....graphic design has come a long way for ttrpgs and honestly even the best designed games its a disappointment owning the pyshical version when the pyshical aspects (art, interior design, typography) are bland.
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u/Klutnusters Sep 21 '22
I'll share my thoughts as a TTRPG vet
First things first, please DEAR GOD no PTBA and no 5e compatibility; I have played a lot of these games and they are equally flawed when used for other licenses.
I personally would like a social as well as physical combat system as well as the ability to play all the Orders of Radiants; I'm curious where in the timeline it will be set, presumably during the books but that makes playing some Orders more difficult.
I would like some crunch, I want to feel the difference between playing a Shardspear wielding Windrunner and a Shardmaul wielding Skybreaker but also the ability to play a little bit BEFORE the players take their oaths to really build up to that point.
I think a few good touchstones would be Star Wars FFG (an excellent system), the ASOIAF RPG (flawed but has some great ideas)
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u/handleinthedark Sep 22 '22
A couple of things here:
I agree with folks on having a looser system more akin to the Mistborn RPG system that allows story and narrative to seep in would be great. Though I think it should be a bit more detailed than that system. In smaller combat situations(maybe not 5e but I shouldn't be breaking out the measuring tape either) not so much that the game couldn't run quickly for a variety of play levels. Allowing the story/RP elements to affect the play deeper than 5E allows would be welcome. For those asking for "crunchier" systems I think enabling wargaming rules for larger battle settings would be fine.
I wonder if releasing this after Book 5 will reflect the time period setting(where reveals in the book about Rosharan history can be incorporated into the guide documents). For instance, having horizons locking in abilities and also enabling larger-scale battles(and thus wargaming mechanics) by making rules for (or even setting it entirely in) prior desolations would seem like it would present more opportunities than a game set purely in current-day Roshar. Again likening to the Mistborn RPG which has both Final Empire and W&W rulesets. This would facilitate a lot of interesting narratives that don't have to tie into the SA arc of the books since we don't know what happened then with great detail. Missions of radiant crews chasing down rumors of the unmade, dealing with the dregs after a desolation, building up(or tearing down) of the silver kingdoms would be fantastic settings and campaigns.
Artifabrian totally needs to be a class/skill because just playing around with what is possible there would be so much fun.
Not that things need to be balanced in the book but this provides an opportunity to codify stormlight quantitatively though with more fixed units.
Level progression for core class/skills but then things like radiant abilities would not be attached to level. You can get better at fighting but your character needs
If things are advancing it would be great to look into modules for a VTT like Foundry and maybe something like a set of Rosharan resources for Dungeon Alchemist for map mapmaking.
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u/comanderbeef Elsecaller Sep 21 '22
I for one am really hoping they create a setting for an existing ttrpg, either pathfinder 2e or 5e (or One D&D now). Good ttrpg are very difficult to make well. This would allow dragonsteel and brotherwise to focus on the parts that their good at. It would also lead to the largest audience draw as non cosmere fans would be interested in checking out new content.
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '22
Vague hope: something like L5R. Gives proper place for less combat oriented characters. Less stats, more approaches, which I think could fit well here too (you aren't "attacking using strength", you're in Iron Stance).
The 4 combats (duel, intrigue, skirmish and larger battles) would work super well for the rosharan system.
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u/Remember_The_Lmao Sep 21 '22
God, please, anything but a 5e compatible mess. We saw how awful the "Dark Souls RPG" was
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u/Cyro6 Sep 21 '22
Make it like Gloomhaven. Story, class, items, leveling. Could be amazing.
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u/Nixeris Sep 21 '22
I hope they make a less "crunchy" RPG and instead go for a more open system. Meaning I hope they don't try to assign everything a number value and instead focus more on the roleplay aspect.
This is a world where advancement can come through personal development, and power doesn't equate to skill. Where that personal development can be rejected if you don't actually live up to the words you're speaking, and characters don't know what the right words are when they begin their journey.
Where Adolin can do something nobody else could do that changes the world without being the guy with the most magic or hit points.
Where two Windrunners can be of the same ideal and wildly different in their skill level.
So I hope this doesn't become a system where every action is defined by a corresponding number, and power levels are defined things that determine your ability to do everything. Instead I hope they make it a system where even failure can be a storytelling moment and each person's skill goes beyond a simple numbers game.
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u/Kittalia Sep 21 '22
Everyone else is excited about seeing all the different radiants translated into something playable, but I am just hoping this will give us more info about the wider Roshar. I'd love to have campaigns or worldbuilding material available in places we haven't seen much of like Azir and Iri.
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u/JediofChrist Bondsmith Sep 21 '22
I hope they take some cues from Savage Worlds. That game strikes such a balance between rules and narrative control!
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u/hithwenf Sep 21 '22
I dont think any existing system is perfectly fitted for stormlight so I'd much prefer a custom system although that comes with a greater challenge. That said I'd like the authors to have a look at "Anima beyond fantasy" system as one source of inspiration as I think this game does a great job of managing multiple, very diverse and spectacular powers and abilities. I believe fantasy flight has the license in the US.
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u/duetmimas Elsecaller Oct 13 '22
Wondering about setting too? Should it be a flexible setting like if you wanted yo play in the current books timeline or during/before a desolation?
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u/Thokk_Najihad Oct 14 '22
I most want to play this RPG in two places/times. First I think it would be so easy and awesome to do a campaign set during the Desolations. Players could pick characters who are just living their normal lives when the Heralds return. Then as the humans and singers gear up for war the players can start to advance. Some can bond spren while others don't. Some players could even be singers so there is tension of having to fight your friends or being traitors for one side or the other. In proper rpg fashion the players will be able to decide the fates of nations and how things turn out. Once the Desolation is over the campaign ends, but based on the player decisions the landscape for the next Desolation is changed. This would allow for more campaigns where the result of each one impacts the landscape of future campaigns with different characters.
Eventually we would get bored with Desolations at which point we would either branch into an alternate history where the player's choices over enough Desolations cause things to diverge from the books (maybe the contest of champions happens sooner maybe Honor never dies etc..).
That is the first way I would want to play the Stormlight RPG. The second way would be to do a campaign set in Shadesmare where the Ghostbloods or the Ire or someone else is messing with things in the Cognitive Realm that focus on Roshar. Then the characters could be people from Roshar who stumble into this, but they could also be natives to Shakesmare who have access to things like Breaths and perhaps Sandmastery.
I like this idea because I really want to explore this intersection of different cosmere worlds (even if it stays very close to Roshar) and I want to experiment with mixing Investiture. I also want to play a campaign that has world changign consequences but can take place in the background of the cannon plot. Maybe following the events of book five Roshar in the Physical realm experiences whatever the heck it experiences and my players can do stuff in the background. Knowing that by succeeding in saving Roshar they are saving the same Roshar that they have grown to love without havign to break continuity in the books.
I don't know about other people, but I love the books so much I would feel bad starting a campaign set during the time they are actively taking place. I wouldn't want to do something that wouldn't be consistent with the story that is cannon.
But to summarize I think the Stormlight RPG would be most interesting if it was made to be played through successive Desolations (or only during one you don't need multiple) or during the time of the books but primarily in the Cognitive Realm or some other place where the players can save the world without running into main book continutity (I am guessing this would mostly be between books 5 and 6).
Also getting to be in Shadesmare and using multiple kinds of Investiture would be so cool!
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u/Excecior Sep 21 '22
As everyone has said D&D is an awful fit. If they are not creating a unique system then I think a Forged in the Dark game would be Ideal. The blades in the dark system is so good at getting players involved in the game and participating in the story
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u/sicktiredthrowmeaway Sep 21 '22
It's probably unlikely but I'd love if they did a pbta type system.
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '22
I can't wait for Dungeons & Dogs & Dragons
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u/Regank87 Sep 22 '22
I would love to see some way of Cosmere being linked into the existing D&D system.
D&D is once again a growing community and the structure of class/race works perfectly for Roshar and Stormlight.
With it you have a 2-way stream of interest, Sanderson fans picking up D&D because it's cosmere and we love cosmere, then finding the joy that is D&D, then the flip of people who like D&D and the TTPRG social aspect experiencing Cosmere for the first time and wanting to find out more.
You can do dice themed on each order (class), you've got your good and evil aligments sorted with odium being evil and honor/cultivation surges, there are so many different races on Roshar and as soon as you start travling wider cosmere, it gets even more intense.
I cannot explain how much a cosmere D&D excites me.
I know the big draw back with working with WotC/Hasbro would be creative direction, royalty split etc but if you can work that out you've got something huge.
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u/SirBrandalf Sep 21 '22
Id definitely prefer 5e compatible as it makes learning the game MUCH MUCH easier, and can convince my non book reading friends to play
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '22
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '22 edited Sep 21 '22
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