The Mistborn Setting of the Cosmere RPG

A bit of background on the Cosmere and what it is.

About Mistborn

The Mistborn series is named after some of the most powerful magic users on scadriel; those known as mistborn. Magic itself is generally inherited on Scadriel (though not always) and most who develop such powers, only possess a fraction of the available powers. However, some have access to a wide range of powers and they are known as mistborn.

The Mistborn series covers 2 eras (so far, Brandon’s working on more). The first era is a grim one where the world itself is barely able to survive. Ash falls upon the land, making it hard for plants to grow and the populace are heavily subjugated by the noble class. This oppressed population are known as skaa.

At the end of the first era, the world is reshaped in an event known as the Catacendre. This seismic transformation makes the world more inhabitable and these events lead to the skaa gaining greater freedom.

Era 2 takes place hundreds of years after the events of era 1. It details a society that is more free, but oppression and evil still remain. It also shows a society that is advancing in technology. It’s an industrial era society with knowledge of explosives and firearms. It also introduces Scadriel to interplanetary threats from elsewhere in the Cosmere.

The gods of Scadriel

Scadriel is initially home to 2 gods; Preservation and Ruin. They are opposites in many ways and seek to influence events on Scadriel. However, by the end of era 1, their powers (or shards) are absorbed by Sazed, a magic wielding theologian. By taking on the powers of both gods, he combines both powers, becoming a god known as harmony. He in turn, works to influence events in era 2 of the books.

The magic systems of Mistborn

There are 3 magic systems on Scadriel. Each is influenced by metals with different metals granting different powers. These magic systems are known as allomancy, feruchemy and hemallurgy.

Allomancy

Allomancers are able to consume metals and burn them to activate certain powers. These powers can range from increased strength, enhanced senses, influencing emotions or magnetism. Most allomancers only have affinity with a single metallic art. They are known as mistings. Some individuals have affinity with all metallic arts and they are known as mistborn.

I’ve summarised all the different allomantic metals available for characters in the Mistborn setting below, including guides for using different metallic arts:

Allomantic Metal	Effect	Misting Name	Paired Metal	Era Available
Iron	Pulls on nearby metals	Lurcher	Steel	Both
Steel	Pushes on nearby metals	Coinshot	iron	Both
Tin	Enhances your senses	Tineye	Pewter	Both
Pewter	Enhances your physical capabilities	Pewterarm/Thug	Tin	Both
Zinc	Enflames others’ emotions	Rioter	Brass	Both
Brass	Dampens others’ emotions	Soother	Zinc	Both
Copper	Hides nearby invested arts from detection	Smoker/Coppercloud	Bronze	Both
Bronze	Detects invested art usage	Seeker	Copper	Both
Chromium	Wipes others’ investiture reserves	Leecher	Nicrosil	Era 2
Nicrosil	Bursts others’ invested effects	Nicroburst	Chromium	Era 2
Aluminum	Wipes your investiture reserves	Aluminum Gnat/Void	Duralumin	Era 2
Duralumin	Bursts your invested effects	Duralumin Gnat	Aluminum	Era 2
Cadmium	Creates a bubble of slowed time around you	Pulser	Bendalloy	Era 2
Bendalloy	Creates a bubble of accelerated time around you	Slider	Cadmium	Era 2
Gold	Reveals your past and alternate selves	Augur	Electrum	Both
Electrum	Reveals your immediate possible futures	Oracle	Gold	Era 2

Feruchemy

Feruchemy is another metallic art, but rather than consuming metals and burning them to activate powers, feruchemy allows the wielder to store attributes of themselves in pieces of metal known as metalminds. They can later tap those metalminds to release those powers into themselves. For example, if a feruchemist stored strength in a metalmind, they could later tap that metalmind for a burst of superhuman strength. This can be done for other attributes like weight, speed, warmth, senses and more.

While storing attributes in a metalmind, a feruchemist becomes weak to that attribute as it is placed in the metalmind. Storing strength will leave you temporarily weak, storing senses will leave you with reduced senses and storing speed will leave you slow.

Like with allomancy, feruchemy usually gifts a single metallic art to the bearer. These individuals are known as ferrings. However, some people possess capabiltiies with all the metallic arts, they are known as feruchemists.

Below I’ve summarised all the feruchemy metals available and what powers they grant:

Feruchemy Metal	Effect	Ferring Name	Alloy or pure	Era Available
Iron	Stores weight	Skimmer	Pure	Both
Steel	Stores physical speed	Steelrunner	Alloy	Both
Tin	Stores senses	Windwhisperer	Pure	Both
Pewter	Stores strength	Brute	Alloy	Both
Zinc	Stores mental speed	Sparker	Pure	Both
Brass	Stores warmth	Firesoul	Alloy	Both
Copper	Stores memories	Archivist	Pure	Both
Bronze	Stores wakefulness	Sentry	Alloy	Both
Chromium	Stores spiritual fortune	Spinner	Pure	Era 2
Nicrosil	Stores invested abilities	Soulbearer	Alloy	Era 2
Aluminum	Stores spiritual identity	Trueself	Pure	Era 2
Duralumin	Stores spiritual connection	Connector	Alloy	Era 2
Cadmium	Stores breath	Gasper	Pure	Era 2
Bendalloy	Stores nutrition	Subsumer	Alloy	Era 2
Gold	Stores health	Bloodmaker	Pure	Both
Electrum	Stores determination	Pinnacle	Alloy	Era 2

Hemallurgy

Hemallurgy is another metallic art used to transfer investiture from one creature to another. It involves using a metallic spike and piercing an invested (or magical) individual and having that same spike pierce someone else to transfer those powers to them.

This is the reason why inquisitors have metal spikes piercing their bodies. They’re hemalurgists who have had powers inserted into them from someone else.

Hemallurgy is handled differently in the Cosmere RPG to the 2 other magic systems and can be gained as a reward rather than as its own path of talents.

Changes in era 2

With the Catacendre, Scadriel was transformed and this included some alterations to the magical system. From this point, no more mistborn or feruchemists were born meaning no one had access to all the metallic powers of their magic system. However, some individuals inherited both feruchemical and allomantic powers as people from different ethnicities bred together. They are known as twinborn.

Because of this, era 2 has no mistborn or feruchemists, but it does have twinborn.

Anyone possessing a metallic art in the Mistborn setting is known as metalborn and in the Cosmere RPG, follows a metalborn path to access their powers.

Ancestries of Scadriel

The Mistborn setting has 3 ancestries available to choose from.

• Human: Human’s are the most common ancestry in the Cosmere and the same is true on Scadriel. Some Humans of different regions do have differing potential for magical abilities. For instance, in era 1, nobles were granted the capability for allomancy. In contrast, the Terris people are those able to use the powers of feruchemy. Regardless of your ethnicity though, the Human ancestry provides the same benefits to all Humans; they are able to advance in heroic paths more quickly with extra talents.
• Kandra: In their natural form, Kandra are gelatinous blobs, but they can reshape their bodies around bones, allowing them to take the form of someone else if you can obtain their bones. Kandra are not able to use metalborn powers. Instead, they have hemallurgic spikes that grant them “blessings” which usually amount to improved attributes. They also possess their own talent tree granting things like enhanced imitation, quicker reshaping around bones and transforming appendages into tools.
• Koloss-Blooded: During era 1, the Koloss were controlled by the Lord Ruler and tended to be mind controlled brutes rather than more independent and thoughtful creatures. However, after the Catacendre, Harmony granted them autonomy and the ability to procreate (including with Humans). This makes them a fitting option for a character in era 2, but not in era 1 of Mistborn. They tend to be stronger and have more stamina than other ancestries and have their own talent tree that grants them capabilities like increased healing during recovery, quicker recovery and increased strength.

Heroic paths and specialties

Like in the Stormlight setting, your non-magical capabilities are defined by your heroic path. The same heroic paths are available in the Mistborn setting as in the Stormlight setting, but some of the specialties are different. Some are exclusive to the Mistborn setting while others are exclusive to the Stormlight setting.

I’ve summarised all the heroic paths and specialties for the Mistborn setting below:

Agent

Cunning, secretive and deceptive, agents tend to operate discreetly. They are masters of subtlety and subterfuge and tend to fit the role that rogues fill in other RPG systems

• Investigator: This specialty will grant you talents that will help you to piece together clues, gather information and find answers to questions. Investigators rely both on the capabilities that come from talent and experience as well as those that come from hunches and intuition.
• Rebel (Mistborn only): Trained to fight against oppressive organisations through a combination of military training and subterfuge.
• Thief: Thieves have the skilfulness and the physical capabilities to acquire those things they desire. Usually through less than lawful means. Whether that’s robbery, a swindle or a mugging, thieves have a range of tools at their disposal.

Envoy

Envoys are skilled negotiators and politicians. Familiar with moving in political circles and being persuasive, they often represent a larger organisation or state to promote their desires with others. This tends to make them highly charismatic individuals.

• Faithful: Adherents of one of the religions of the Cosmere. They follow the tenets of their faith and act in accordance with those beliefs.
• Grifter (Mistborn only): Sneaky con-artists that are adept at subtlety and cunning tricks that can misdirect and deceive.
• Mentor: Trainers and teachers, mentors work to enhance the skill and capabilities of their wards.

Hunter

Hunters are deadly combatants that excel against a single target (their quarry). Rather than being brute force combatants like warriors, hunters are more stealthy and precise.

• Hazekiller (Mistborn only): Experts at fighting and dealing with allomancers. Hazekillers are also highly trained with specialised weaponry.

• Sharpshooter (Mistborn only): Deadly crackshots that are highly skilled at using projectile weaponry like guns and crossbows.

• Tracker: Adept at wilderness survival and possessing the aid of an animal companion.

Leader

Leaders are those with the talent and skill to adeptly take command and influence others. They might be inspirational war heroes or political influencers or some other kind of leader.

• Mastermind (Mistborn only): Cunning and strategic support specialist that can plan ahead to mitigate danger.

• Officer: Military strategists that can organise large forces and utilise a tactical mind to sway combat in their favour.

• Politico: Moving in political circles, politicos tend to favour influencing others towards their ends. Sometimes, this can involve sowing discord and malcontent among their opponents. As persuasive as politicos may be, they are not afraid of gossip or rumour-mongering to get their way.

Scholar

Studious individuals who dedicate themselves to a path of knowledge and curiosity. Scholars can dedicate themselves to a range of scholarly pursuits, including the pursuits of technology, medicine and military strategy.

• Inventor (Mistborn era 2 only): Expert tinkerers and crafters who can build and improve equipment as well as create some explosive effects.

• Strategist: Strategists use tactics their studied experience to know when to act and how. This can be especially useful in a military capacity.

• Surgeon: Surgeons have training in field medicine. They’re able to quickly patch up wounds and keep allies in the fight longer.

Warrior

Warriors are highly trained combatants. They are the melee specialists of the Cosmere RPG as well as the tanks. They can deal more damage and endure more attacks than most others.

• Brawler (Mistborn only): Tough melee combatants that can roll with the punches and use their strength to wrestle their opponents.

• Gunslinger (Mistborn era 2 only): Fast firing ranged warriors adept with projectiles like guns and crossbows.

• Soldier: Soldiers are the most common form of warrior in the Cosmere. They are less accustomed to specialist forms of combat, instead focusing on tactics that a military unit requires.

Weapons and armor

The nature of the Mistborn setting and the powers that metalborn characters use, has necessitated very different equipment and technology than other planets have developed. For example, those that can use iron and steel allomancy can take metal weapons from you and pull/push you using your metal armor while those using brass and zinc can influence your emotions. For reasons like this, Scadrians have developed non-metal weaponry, aluminium-lined hats (to protect their minds) and in era 2, have developed firearms, with some even being specially designed to handle allomancers.

While much of these things are made from metal, you might also find armor made from ceramic or wood. You might also find weapons made from glass or obsidian. These can be useful items to get around metalborn powers.

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That’s a whistlestop tour of the Mistborn setting and the key information you need to know for playing a campaign on Scadriel. Hopefully you’ve now got a rough idea of how magic works there, the creatures that live there and other details about the setting.

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