Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives tabletop RPG will break canon

As a longtime fan of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series, I can hardly contain my excitement for the upcoming Stormlight Roleplaying Game (RPG) and the Stonewalkers Adventure in particular. Having grown up on epic fantasy novels and tabletop RPGs like Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder, and D&D, this announcement feels like a dream come true.

As Brandon Sanderson started collaborating with Brotherwise Games on creating the initial adventure for The Stormlight Roleplaying Game, he pondered over how this project could assist him in addressing any inconsistencies within his acclaimed fantasy series. He ultimately chose a mystery from the first Stormlight Archive novel, The Way of Kings, that holds significant consequences for the fifth book, Wind and Truth, set to come out in December.

The epic series “Stormlight Archive” takes place on the planet Roshar, home to ten ancient heroes called Heralds. These Heralds, including Taln, the Herald for the Common Man, have safeguarded humanity for thousands of years with the aid of powerful swords called Honorblades. However, all but Taln have abandoned their roles. Despite Taln’s valiant attempts, the malevolent god Odium’s forces have resurfaced. Overwhelmed by his experiences, Taln is later discovered to be in a state of madness. Not long after, the whereabouts of his Honorblade become a mystery. Its location remains undisclosed.

Sanderson explained to TopMob, “The journey will uncover the answer to that intriguing question: what occurred? where did it go? what’s transpiring? And you get to contribute to the narrative. We sought an adventure with a connection to the books’ established storyline, providing an engaging opportunity for you to add your own pieces to the puzzle.”

On August 6, the Kickstarter campaign for the d20 role-playing game becomes active, offering backers a beta version of the rules and an introductory adventure to help familiarize players and game masters with the game’s setting and fundamental mechanics. In 2025, there will be two additional releases: “Stonewalkers Adventure,” where characters interact with Taln and discover his blade’s past, and a handbook and world guide for the Stormlight Roleplaying Game.

In an interview with TopMob, Johnny O’Neal, co-founder and creative director of Brotherwise Games, shared that the Stonewalkers campaign will progressively raise characters to level seven. Each chapter is estimated to be finished within two to three regular gaming sessions. However, their goal is to deliver a cinematic adventure without monotony. Majority of chapters consist of merely two or three battle sequences. Efforts are being made to ensure that every conclusion of a chapter leaves a lasting impression through an exciting climax.

Seeking the esteemed blade of Taln, players will traverse Roshar’s expanses, from the Shattered Plains, a significant backdrop in “The Way of Kings,” to the enchanted woodland of the deity Cultivation. Here, adventurous spirits can encounter blessings and curses. The journey entails various challenges, including dungeon explorations, intricate puzzles, exhilarating chases, and daring escapes from prisons. Throughout their decision-making process in handling obstacles, player characters have the potential to draw the interest of spren – ethereal entities that can forge connections with compatible individuals, granting them extraordinary powers. Successfully completing this quest may lead players into the revered order of the Knights Radiant, recently reinstated.

As a gamer immersed in the Stormlight RPG, bonding a spren feels like gaining a loyal companion with an extra dose of encouragement and enchanting abilities. They become an integral part of your adventure. From the get-go, Radiant spren observe your every move and react to those who align with their core values. We’ve thrown in some named spren NPCs for inspiration, but we encourage Game Masters to create unique spren based on a character’s actions and personality.

Players have the opportunity to encounter pivotal adversaries from the novels, such as the corrupt Herald of Justice Nale and the deceitful General Meridas Amaram. They will also uncover the background of Nightblood, the sentient sword introduced in “Warbreaker” (2009), and how it came to be on Roshar. As players progress through significant events from the series, Sanderson invites them to reimagine his storyline.

During our teen years, Sanderson and his friends played “West End Games’ Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.” In our initial campaign, we unintentionally caused Luke Skywalker’s demise, leaving us the task of saving the galaxy without him. We also embarked on other adventures where we respected the movie canon, joining in only when needed, such as escaping from the Death Star before its explosion. The game master had the freedom to manage both scenarios and everything in between, which I find appealing. I wouldn’t create an RPG if I didn’t want players to modify the established storyline.

As a devoted fan and game master, I understand the concern over Sanderson’s grandiose characters potentially overshadowing the players’ experiences. To mitigate this issue, I suggest setting your adventure in a distinct and separate narrative that lies outside of the main storyline. This way, the focus remains on the players and their unique journeys.

“Writing large-scale epic fantasies like ‘The Stormlight Archive’ allows me, Sanderson, to subtly suggest a more extensive universe,” he explained. “Through sections titled ‘interludes,’ I delve into untold stories that lie beyond the main narrative. This world is rich with numerous tales waiting to be discovered.”

Sanderson simplified the process further by collaborating with Brotherwise to share an extensive collection of details about Roshar that have not been introduced in the novels yet.

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that Sanderson revealed intriguing insights into the cultural nuances of Radiants during our recent interview. He delved deeper into the significance of each Radiant oath, spren, and driving forces. Prepare yourselves, fellow fans, for some fresh discoveries that I’m confident will leave you utterly captivated!

Sanderson expressed his excitement about exploring various tabletop RPG systems and environments throughout his career. His background in games like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, and Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game has significantly influenced his perspective on life and writing style. Many of Sanderson’s novels are set within the interconnected universe known as the Cosmere. A notable aspect of these stories is their distinct magical systems, which he believes enhances readers’ comprehension and facilitates adapting The Stormlight Archive into a tabletop game.

He expressed his hope that players experience the same level of enjoyment as him while engaging in the Cosmere world, adding, “I’m fortunate enough to enjoy this daily.”

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2024-07-29 16:19