Grey Wolf GamesGrey Wolf Games
Brotherwise Games

Plotweaver

The system underneath the Cosmere RPG — and, increasingly, underneath other people’s games too.

I

What it is

An original system by Brotherwise Games. It starts from familiar d20 bones and then changes three things that matter.

The plot die
A second die that turns a flat pass or fail into a story beat. It brings Opportunities and Complications to the table, and it is why a Cosmere RPG combat reads differently from a d20 combat even when the numbers look similar.
Paths, not classes
You build a character out of talent trees rather than picking a class and following it down. Multipathing is the norm, not an exception you pay for.
Magic as a skill
Invested arts are tested like anything else, which puts the weight on approach and degrees of success rather than on a spell list.
An open licence
Brotherwise is releasing Plotweaver under an open game licence aimed at indie publishers. Their own line: content you create using your own IP is yours to share and monetise without limitations.
II

Why it turns up all over this site

Nearly everything on the Cosmere pages is really Plotweaver wearing Roshar or Scadrial. Fast and slow turns, focus as a spendable resource, the three defences, the plot die, talent trees eight deep — none of that is Cosmere-specific. It is the system, and the setting books sit on top of it.

That is worth knowing if you are building tools. The encounter tracker I wrote is a Plotweaver combat tracker that happens to speak Stormlight; the character workspace is a Plotweaver character builder with two setting layers bolted on. When a second Plotweaver setting arrives, most of the machinery should still fit.

III

Where it is up to

Status as of 17 September 2026, from Gen Con 2026 announcements and press coverage (Brotherwise’s own site currently blocks automated checks, so this is one step removed from the primary source — read the news link below before trusting it). The Open Alpha began 5 August 2026, launching with the Erstwild fantasy setting; two more settings, Splinterlight and Hexbeat, followed in September and October. A System Reference Document is expected before the crowdfunding campaign, which is still slated for Q2 2027 and is not live yet. Pre-launch dates move — check the source rather than trusting this paragraph in six months.
New since the last check-in. Brotherwise announced an official Earthborne Rangers RPG adaptation with Earthborne Games (the cooperative card game moving to tabletop roleplaying, expected sometime in 2027), and an original setting called Infinite designed by Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis through Twogether Studios. A Plotweaver Setting Search — a submissions contest for an original setting, judged by Keith Baker, with the winner professionally published by Brotherwise — opens for entries in early 2027.
Ways in, if you want one. Brotherwise runs an Envoy Program for GMs who demo the game publicly, a Plotweaver Academy Patreon for early access and developer insight, and a freelancer interest form for writers and editors. All three are on their site.
V

The official server

Brotherwise runs their own Discord for the Cosmere RPG — release news, rules questions, and the community building for it.

Official Cosmere RPGBrotherwise’s own server for the gamediscord.gg/cosmererpg
Tap a code on a phone, or scan it off a printed sheet — this page prints with the furniture stripped and the codes enlarged. None of these invites expire.