The Subtle Art of Studying: An Unofficial Cosmere RPG Rules Expansion
Every adventuring party needs a learned scholar, and what better way to expanded ones own mind than burying that brain in a book. This unofficial rules expansion for the Cosmere RPG gives players the means to grow their arsenal of expertise by reading books in their downtime.
The time has come at last: my first unofficial rules expansion for the Cosmere RPG is finally here! And its books!
Every adventuring party needs a learned scholar, and what better way to expanded ones own mind than burying that brain in a book. This unofficial rules expansion for the Cosmere RPG gives players the means to grow their arsenal of expertise by reading books in their downtime.
This is no simple task however: players will need to dedicate hours of downtime studying each volume, but they will be rewarded for their diligence and scholarship. Completing and mastering a book grants in game Expertise and other bonuses, increasing the knowledgebase of the player.
In additional, there is the Avid Reader talent tree, designed to push those looking to master the subtle art of studying to the max.
Like all of my Cosmere RPG resources, The Subtle Art of Studying is free to download.
Game master advice
This section is a collection of miscellaneous advice for gamemasters looking to use this resource in their campaign.
Availability of books
Books on common knowledge, culturally driven books, or job-based books should be widely available. If your player wants to buy a book on a specific topic, consider whether the book would be something that someone would have written about, and whether that topic would be needed in their current location. For example, a book about ship building would almost certainly be in Thaylen City, but may be more difficult to find in any city in the landlocked Bavland.
Book vs. practical learning
When choosing the rules surrounding expertise, it’s best to work with players to set their expectations on what they’re going to learn. You could read a book about how to wield a Shardblade, but not be particularly skilled at it in “real life”.
Collaborate with your players in order to determine the most realistic outcome of completing a book.
Abuse of the book system
This system is intended to be a way that bookish players can snag a few extra expertise along their journey. It is conceivable however, that a min-maxing player may choose to lock themselves in a library and read every book on any topic they can get their hands on.
I didn’t want to build in a hard limit for players who wanted to read a lot of books, but consider limiting this benefit if you suspect abuse.
You could limit the amount of books a player can gain Expertise from equal to their Intelligence score + their ranks in Lore.
You could limit the amount of books a player can read and absorb in a given amount of time i.e. 1 per week, 3 per month, etc.
Tracking progress
I would recommend using the equipment section of a character sheet to list books in the players inventory. Once completed, add the expertise to that section.
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