Radiant Paths in the Cosmere RPG

How radiant paths work and all the information you need to pick the right radiant path for your Cosmere character.

The different types of paths

In the Cosmere RPG, there are 2 path types; heroic paths and radiant paths.

Every character must start with a heroic path. You can’t take a radiant path at level 1. But once you hit level 2, radiant paths then open up to you.

Considerations when choosing a radiant path

Theres a few important things to consider when choosing a radiant path:

Ideals

Different radiant paths hold to different ideals. You’ll “ideally” want a radiant path that fits the ideals your character holds dear. If you value uncovering secrets, then a truthwatcher fits, if you believe in self-sacrifice above all else, then a stoneward is best and so on.

Complementary talents

You also want to make sure the talents of your radiant path match up with the talents and tactics of your heroic path. A hunter using a bow as their primary weapon may struggle a bit as a stoneward who values the use of melee weapons, for example.

Fitting party roles

While you don’t need to build your character around ensuring different roles are fulfilled, some may want to ensure that there’s balance to the party dynamic.

Partly, this is to enable your group to have the skills for many situations, but it’s also great for ensuring that each character has a place to shine rather than sharing that glory.

Compatible attributes

Different surges use different attributes to determine how capably you use them. The same is true of different talents and skills used by your heroic path. If these don’t match up, then it can be difficult to create a strong build for the functions you have. For example, a willshaper relies heavily on intellect, which might be problematic for a warrior that’s more focused on strength, but it will work well for a scholar that will likely invest heavily in intellect and it’s skills.

Radiant paths

In this section, I’ve gone through every radiant path, outlining their important characteristics and what they’re good at.

Dustbringer

Path overview

Dustbringers are an inherently curious bunch. They seek to break things apart to understand what’s inside. This relates to their surge of division which is a naturally destructive force, though most dustbringers will go to great lengths to avoid harming the innocent with such power.

With the surge of abrasion, dustbringers are highly mobile, making them a sort of mobile artillery. In theory, this gives them the potential to be highly destructive, though most dustbringers would much rather use these powers for engineering than for combat.

Notable dustbringers

• Malata
• King Ral-na

Strengths

• Possess powerful attacks
• Can move quickly round the battlefield
• Do well with intellectual skills
• Capacity to be fairly stealthy

Edgedancer

Path overview

Edgedancers are far less combative than most other radiant orders. Instead, they prefer to use their powers to heal and give aid, both on the battlefield and among wider society. In fact, their order is oathbound to remember those that are often forgotten. To care for the ordinary people affected by war and the common foot soldiers more than “important” leaders.

With the surge of abrasion, edgedancers are highly mobile, while their surge of progression makes them excellent healers. As one of just 3 paths that focus on healing, an edgedancer or similar path can be a huge asset to a party.

Notable edgedancers

• Lift
• Godeke

Strengths

• Highly mobile
• Make great healers
• Work well as scouts

Elsecaller

Path overview

Elsecallers tend to be one of the most thoughtful and considered orders of the Knights Radiant. They like to understand choices from every angle and deeply analyse important decisions. This thoughtful process often makes them quite cautious. These characteristics are shared by their inkspren (and is likely why they are drawn to such individuals).

Elsecallers possess the surges of transformation and transportation. Both of these connect them more with the cognitive realm than any other radiant path. Transformation allows elsecallers to connect with the cognitive aspect of something on the physical realm, giving the potential for a transformation. Transportation on the other hand, allows elsecallers to create passageways through to the cognitive realm (and back again).

Notable elsecallers

• Jasnah Kholin
• Iyatil

Strengths

• Have access to teleportation
• Can transport between realms
• Highly intellectual making them great crafters and healers

Lightweaver

Path overview

Lightweavers are often artists at heart, but how that artistry manifests can vary incredibly. Through their powers of illumination and transformation, they can alter the appearance of the things around them, including their own selves.

This ability makes them hugely valuable as spies and stealthy operatives with their capability to easily appear as another.

Notable lightweavers

• Shallan Davar
• Hoid
• Mraize
• Tien
• Vathah
• Ishnah
• Beryl
• Stargyle
• Gaz
• Red
• Ehlokar Kholin (though technically didn’t quite finish speaking the first ideal)

Strengths

• Can craft illusions to deceive and conceal
• Great utility path with the ability transform from one substance to another
• Work well as a charismatic character
• Can also be very stealthy

Skybreaker

Path overview

Skybreakers follow a very rigid code that demands they uphold the law. For this reason, they have in the past operated as the police unit of the knights radiant. It’s also this rigid philosophy that has led them to ideological conflict with other orders, especially windrunners and dustbringers who have a less rigid and more merciful view of morality.

Perhaps it is also the similarity in capabilities that fosters this rivalry. Possessing the surges of division and gravitation, there’s also a crossover in capabilities with both windrunners and dustbringers. However, this does make them interesting opponents to these orders as well.

Notable skybreakers

• Nale
• Szeth
• Sigzil
• Ki

Strengths

• Have control over gravity to let them fly
• Use division to cause powerful attacks at range
• Flight and speed make them decent scouts
• A focus on intellect can make them decent options for crafters and healers

Stoneward

Path overview

Stonewards place the needs of others, especially their friends, above all other personal needs. They are staunchly reliable and value teamwork as an almost sacred activity. These attitudes often lead stonewards to tackling more than they can handle, but their stubborn streak pushes them to press on regardless.

This stubbornness can be a great boon in battle as they rarely admit defeat; but against overwhelming odds, this can be a problem as they will also rarely retreat.

Typically, stonewards form the heavy infantry of the knights radiant as a reliable and unflinching vanguard. They utilise cohesion to form barriers and protection while utilising tension to transform almost anything into powerful weapons and armor.

Notable stonewards

• Zu
• Dami

Strengths

• Use tension to extend the reach of your attacks
• Use cohesion and tension to protect yourself and allies
• More inclined to high strength making them suit a heavy-hitting melee path

Truthwatcher

Path overview

Truthwatchers seek knowledge, enlightenment and, of course, truth. There are many mysteries in the Cosmere and the mission of the truthwatchers is to uncover and reveal those mysteries. This often leads to dangerous ventures into wild and inhospitable locales. This makes a truthwatcher’s capabilities with their surges crucial to their survival.

With the surge of progression, truthwatchers have healing and plant growth that can aid their survival. Illumination empowers them with illusions to hide or distract. Like edgedancers, truthwatchers possess healing powers making them a useful and rare path in a party.

Notable truthwatchers

• Remain Kholin
• Ym
• Arshqqam
• Rlain

Strengths

• Among the best healers in the game
• Illusions make them naturally more sneaky and better at discretion
• Make a strong option for a party face

Willshaper

Path overview

Willshapers seek to embody the principles of freedom, whether that be freedom from the shackles of slavery and oppression or the freedom for people to be what they want and express themselves the way they want. This often leads willshapers down certain paths. Some literally work to free others from bondage. Others build freedom by granting opportunities whether that’s by building homes and irrigation or through training in trades, such things give people freedom from poverty and the opportunities many lack in the Cosmere.

To do this, willshapers are aided by the surges of cohesion and transportation. Transportation grants the freedom to travel and be wherever they need to be. Cohesion enables them to soften the walls and chains that leave people physically bound.

Notable willshapers

• Eshonai
• Venli

Strengths

• Can use teleportation to easily access places others can’t
• Cohesion allows them to create barriers for protection and remove them to grant freedom
• These powers lend themselves well to stealth as willshapers can easily access places others can’t
• They’re also naturally intellectual which is great for crafting and healing

Windrunner

Path overview

Windrunners are seen as archetypical of the knights radiant. They are soaring warriors and scouts, oathbound to protect the defenceless and innocent from the ravages of war and those of evil intent.

Imbued with the powers of gravitation and adhesion, windrunners can literally run through the wind, altering the gravitational direction of themselves and others to soar through the skies. They can also restrict movement through the surge of adhesion, allowing them to stick people and objects in place.

Notable windrunners

• Kaladin Stormblessed
• Teft
• Lopen
• Drehy
• Skar
• Sigzil

Strengths

• Gravitation grants them the power of flight
• Can use adhesion to cause problems for enemies and at least partially nullify them
• Flight and speed make windrunners great scouts

Bondsmith

Path overview

Bondsmiths are incredibly rare as no more than 3 can ever exist as they usually have to bond to rare and unique spren. For this reason, you can’t play as a bondsmith in the Cosmere RPG.

Typically though, bondsmiths are considered some of the most important and highly protected members of the knights radiant. They possess the surges of tension and adhesion, making them capable of leading and uniting others under their leadership.

Notable bondsmiths

• Dalinar Kholin
• Navani Kholin

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The Cosmere RPG’s radiant paths add an additional layer of complexity to character creation. You must combine the capabilities and needs of 2 different types of paths (which becomes even more complex if you take levels in multiple heroic paths). However, it also leads to a much deeper level of character creation with much more variety than many other TTRPGs (including D&D).

Spotlight on the Cosmere RPG