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!

 

[Parmandur]

Sanderson has published over 50 novels in 19 years, in terms of surface details he has done a bit of everything.

But what are his books about? About making choices, and the difference between means and ends.

 

[Meech17]

Every time I try to research it, I get the same kind of answers you're giving.

There's no real way in for newbies at this point, since the fans and the brand are just talking to themselves at this point.

What are you looking to find in your research? I'm sure the internet is full of blurbs and attempts at spoiler-free synopsis'. There's been quite a few pitched in this thread as well. I'm not sure if you're digging hoping to find a giant sign that says "Yeah, this book is really good, you should read it."

I'm sure it's intimidating for Newbies, because there's so many at this point. I feel the same way about The Wheel of Time. But you just gotta pick a book and read it.. (I do have the first WoT book collecting dust on my shelf, by the way. I'll get to it eventually.) For the average D&D fan I'd probably just suggest starting with Way of Kings, which is the first book in the Stormlight Archive. It's the one that feels the most like a D&D campaign to me. In a world torn apart by war we get to follow the tales of some young, plucky individuals.

Kaladin is a former soldier, now (literally) branded as being a dangerous and violent criminal, and subject to a life of slavery where he risks his life carrying bridges as part of the war effort. He's doing all he can just to survive.

Shallan is a bright young scholar, from a noble house in dire-straits, apprenticed to a world renown scholar. She hopes to save her struggling house.

If you read and like Way of Kings.. Make sure you go back and read Warbreaker before continuing the series. It's not required, but you'll be glad you did.

Also, please DM me and let me know what you thought.

 

[Belen]

Agreed.

BUT I wish there was an option to just buy the game books at a lower price, rather than having to go all-in for the highest price. Kind of like how you can buy the art/encyclopedia books on their own cheaper.

But I'm also planning on going all-in, so it doesn't actually affect me at all.

You can. Pledge a lower tier and get the add-ons or pledge a dollar and wait to get just add-on for backerkit.

 

[Belen]

Popular entertainment is super-siloed nowadays. A bunch of people on this thread -- fantasy fans -- have never read any of his works, including me.

And whenever I ask about it, I get "omagawd, you've gotta read it" instead of an actual explanation for what the books are about.

You have to read it.


My favorite are both in the Cosmere universe that included Stormlight and Mistborn. The worlds are part of an interconnected universe and he is very big on providing great characters and story.

Stormlight is set on a world that has seen a cyclical era of rebirth and destruction. The world is broken up into humans and another race that gets more detailed over time. The other race gets blamed for murdering a king and starts a war that seems quite lucrative to the human nobles. The first novel takes place during the war and follows a slave bridge team.

Mistborn trilogy follows a poor orphan girl who finds she has strong magic powers as they try to topple an ancient god king.

 

[Belen]

Every time I try to research it, I get the same kind of answers you're giving.

There's no real way in for newbies at this point, since the fans and the brand are just talking to themselves at this point.

How is there no way in for newbies.

Mistborn trilogy is excellent and you can just read the 3 books.

Stormlight is also phenomenal and you can just start with the first novel.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What are you looking to find in your research? I'm sure the internet is full of blurbs and attempts at spoiler-free synopsis'. There's been quite a few pitched in this thread as well. I'm not sure if you're digging hoping to find a giant sign that says "Yeah, this book is really good, you should read it."

I can describe the Lord of the Rings, A Wizard of Earthsea, the Princess Bride, the Black Company and many other fantasy books and series in a single sentence.

I am not finding that. I already have a list of dozens of books in by to be read pile.

"LOL, you haven't read Sanderson" and "you should spend several hours deciphering what his books are about" aren't really a great pitch for me putting his books atop that pile.

I mean, I am genuinely happy that his clearly very engaged fans are getting an RPG them seem to be excited about, but the "lol" posts on this thread are really indicative of every time I consider trying to figure out where I should start reading him or even if I want to.

 

[Meech17]

How is there no way in for newbies.

Mistborn trilogy is excellent and you can just read the 3 books.

Stormlight is also phenomenal and you can just start with the first novel.

I think I understand why it's intimidating. There's several series, that are all interconnected. If you are interested you get hit with this question of "Where do I start?" because if they're all intertwined, then do you risk reading in the wrong order? Or starting in the wrong point?

I think as fans we often over-sell the Cosmere point of the equation, when in reality it doesn't matter that much. Someone could read Stormlight and never read Mistborn, and not have a worse experience for it, and visa versa.

 

[Belen]

I think I understand why it's intimidating. There's several series, that are all interconnected. If you are interested you get hit with this question of "Where do I start?" because if they're all intertwined, then do you risk reading in the wrong order? Or starting in the wrong point?

I think as fans we often over-sell the Cosmere point of the equation, when in reality it doesn't matter that much. Someone could read Stormlight and never read Mistborn, and not have a worse experience for it, and visa versa.

You do not even know they are really connected until farther into Stormlight but the magic systems etc are different and you do not need to have read any other Cosmere stuff to enjoy it.

It is similar to how Anne McCaffrey's books are set in a shared universe as well as Isaac Asimov's. You need not have read the other books in universe to understand anything.

 

[Belen]

I can describe the Lord of the Rings, A Wizard of Earthsea, the Princess Bride, the Black Company and many other fantasy books and series in a single sentence.

I am not finding that. I already have a list of dozens of books in by to be read pile.

"LOL, you haven't read Sanderson" and "you should spend several hours deciphering what his books are about" aren't really a great pitch for me putting his books atop that pile.

I mean, I am genuinely happy that his clearly very engaged fans are getting an RPG them seem to be excited about, but the "lol" posts on this thread are really indicative of every time I consider trying to figure out where I should start reading him or even if I want to.

Ok, I did just give you short descriptions.

 

[borringman]

Sanderson didn't make a game, he licensed the game to a company to make a game.

Well, OK then.

Wait, then spiritually isn't this like if Taylor Swift put her face on some brand of perfume formulated by some chemist in New Jersey? Like OK sure, they have a track record so it'll probably be competently built, nothing wrong with that NJ chemist either, but like how Swift's fans just want her swag, my understanding is these folks are throwing their money at Brandon Sanderson.