"This document is a living agreement. If at any point the 'Rhythms' of the game shift into uncomfortable territory, we use a 'Pause' mechanic to adjust. We are here to tell a compelling, mature story together."

A Note From Brandon

In my books, I tell stories about worlds as flawed as our own. The Stormlight Archive includes characters and societies who are racist, classist, sexist, and xenophobic as a way to explore topics of oppression and marginalization. Showing different perspectives is challenging enough to do as the author of a novel, whose work can be reviewed and edited; it’s even trickier to handle in a game, where friends are improvising their dialogue and actions on the spot.

When it comes to covering difficult topics, I recommend treating the other people at your table with trust, sensitivity, and understanding. Listening is important. One player might want to use roleplaying as a chance to confront challenging themes, while another sees games as a chance to take a break from difficult topics. You can decide ahead of time, as a group, which aspects of the setting to emphasize, which to handle with care, and which you don’t want to include in your own campaigns. Discussing players’ preferences ahead of the game can help make sure everyone at the table has a great experience telling stories together.

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Content Warning (MATURE)

Themes: Deicide & Religion, Slavery & Social Hierarchy, Trauma & Mental Health

Cosmere campaigns are more philosophical and character-driven than standard dungeon crawlers. The setting explores characters gaining power through ordeals, biologically distinct races facing systemic oppression, a world built on dead gods, mortals ascending to divinity, and divine beings walking among mortals.

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This section lists OPEN (Expected Content)

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This section lists VEIL (Fade-to-Black):

Topics with a veil take place offscreen, if at all. Some veiled topics might “fade to black”—an upcoming event is hinted at, but then the metaphorical camera shifts to a different scene. Other veiled topics are only hinted at in past tense, perhaps as part of a backstory or historical event. Topics that someone veils shouldn’t be talked about in any specifics, and scenes with those topics should never be actively played out or central to the plot of the campaign.

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This section lists LINE (Hard Limit):

Topics with a line are completely off the table—lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Topics that someone has “lined” shouldn’t be acted out, described, alluded to, or otherwise included in gameplay. For example, a player might decide that harm to animals is a line; in this case, animals are never threatened during your sessions—and beyond that, your group also completely avoids any implication that animals might be harmed “off-camera.”