Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG Makes One Change That D&D Could Use

The Kickstarter for author Brandon Sanderson's introduces a potential new power player to the tabletop RPG scene, and it has one particular feature that could actually benefit a lot of games as well. Based on the Cosmere universe of fantasy author Brandon Sanderson's books, the upcoming RPG is starting with the setting of in 2025 and following it with in 2026. The project comes in the wake of an enormously successful 2022 Kickstarter for books by Sanderson, and it's already setting its own records on the platform.

The isn't attempting to upend the standards of TTRPG gameplay, sticking to some of the standards popularized by games like. Rolls still depend on a 20-sided die, for example, and the and settings both retain enough traditional fantasy action flavor to make a lot of sense to fans. The memorable magic systems that Sanderson is known for might be enough to sell the TTRPG even without overhauls, but beyond the familiar core elements, it's still looking to set itself apart with some fresh ideas and interesting tweaks.

Although most of D&D 2024 is made up of tweaks to 5e, one new addition is groundbreaking and could change the way people play the game.

Although the basic tool for resolution in the is still the D20, the game introduces an extra die that can be deployed at the game master's discretion. Called the plot die, this D6 adds a couple of effects rather than simply modifying the numerical result of the roll. While it's possible to roll a blank and leave the D20 result as is, the plot die can also add an Opportunity or a Complication, and both of these options can make a crucial outcome way more interesting than before.

An Opportunity adds a positive side effect to a roll regardless of whether it's a success or failure, with the example provided on the Kickstarter page describing a scenario where fleeing characters come across a temporary hiding spot. A Complication adds points to the roll, increasing the chances of general success, but it also adds a