Making Radiants: Dustbringers

The Dustbringers believe that great power requires a strong will to control it, and their oaths are designed to teach them to control their destructive power. While their powers can be used to destroy large swaths of land, acting like artillery, they prefer to work in a more controlled and nuanced manner.
- Coppermind, Order of the Dustbringers

Start your journey

This is the first in a series of campaign resources designed for game masters looking for inspiration to start their players on their path to swearing the ideals of an order of the Knights Radiant. For each Order, there is a scenario that you might use in your campaign to help inspire your budding Knights Radiant to further their journey.

Scenarios include a basic setup to bring your party into the conflict, recommended skill checks to engage your players, and possible outcomes for you to plan for. Where appropriate, there are potential opportunities and complications to blend these events into the tapestry of your campaign.

Make it your own

Use these prompts as kick-starters for your campaign.

Each scenario must be tweaked in small ways to fit your setting or party’s personality. Maybe that Azish vizier is a Thaylenah merchant or the barren plateau on the Shatter Plains is a beach near the Purelake; do not feel limited by the location or tone of your campaign.

Complimentary and conflicting viewpoints

Remember that many of your players may have different orders in mind for their own progression. Scenarios that your whole party may find themselves in may play out differently when colored by the lens of different orders.

A family of dark-eyed refugees who just got caught stealing food from a merchant might be turned in by a potential Skybreaker, while a Winderunner hopeful might step in to help the family and spare them.

Some players may want their advancement to be a personal journey, while others may want to roleplay the conflict between orders. It is always worth checking with your players ahead of time so that you can find the right balance for your party.

The journey or the destination

Finally, use these scenarios in the way that best suits your campaign. Whether it’s the pivotal moment where a player swears their first (or next) ideal or a simple skill challenge along the way, you will find plenty of inspiration to keep your players engaged with the storyline.

Further reading

I recommend the Coppermind to any gamemaster who is not well-versed in the nature of each Order. For reference, there is a quote on the philosophy of each order pulled from that resource (at the time of writing this, pre-Wind and Truth release), and each will be marked accordingly.

Scenario: Tainted grain

The party finds themselves among a small farming community overwhelmed by an infectious plague. An unknown disease has infected the community’s lavis harvest, causing widespread crop failure. If the issue is not addressed soon, the towns will not have enough resources to support themselves, let alone meet the demands of the local high prince.

The Dustbringer, in particular, will be drawn to the issue, seeing odd shapes form and break around the crops.

The party should use skill checks to investigate the issue. Here are some avenues they might explore.

Speak with the farmers

None of the farmers have seen disease take to crops in this way before, but some have noticed that the tops of the lavis grain are typically where the first signs of infection start, working it’s way down to the roots. Once the disease takes hold in the root, the plant is certain to die, and may spread to nearby plants.

While speaking with the farmers, a herdsman caring for the town's chulls will complain that the diseased crops made their chulls sick.

The herdsmen

The herdsmen has grown disconnected that his chulls have become ill do to the infected grain and blames the farmers for now informing him before allowing his chulls to graze nearby.

If pushed, the herdsmen will admit that he sent his chulls over before the crops showed signs of the disease.

The chulls

The chulls are showing signs of illness. A party member skilled in medicine could help evaluate the situation.

Medicine challenge

If the party can’t come to the resolution on their own, one of the farmers will suggest that the crops must be burnt.

Resolution

Regardless of how the party concludes, the Dustbringer will feel a tugging at the opportunity to burn the fields and be guided by their spren. By purging the diseased grain, they can save that which is living.

As the game master, lead your player through the following scenario.

The player is given a torch and is charged with purging the grain, the chulls, or both. While going about the task, the player begins to see cracks and rips along the areas they are burning, driving them further and further to cleanse the area. As they continue their work, these cracks grow larger and more insistent. The player falls into a trance and begins to lose themselves to the work: this begins a series of challenge rolls of progressing difficulty to fight the urge to destroy:

Discipline challenge

If the player succeeds in each check, they grab ahold of themselves and can put their powers in check. They may choose not to, but at this stage, they’ll have cleared the disease efficiently and can finish their work without immediate consequence. 

If they fail, they’ll lose control of themselves. Overcome with a surge of power and guided by the spren, they over-commit to the task and burn more of the field than needed. This is a failure only they realize; the farmers will understand that more of the crop was infected than anticipated. In this failure, the player may develop a deeper connection with their spren and a strong desire to learn to control their budding power.

Opportunities and Complications

Use these opportunities and complications to enhance the impact this scenario has on your party and their future.

The burned fields enrich the soil and promote growth in future seasons. If the party returns to the area, the village and farmstead will be more prosperous, and they will be thankful for their help.

Something about the player's behavior set the herdsmen to be cautious. They secreted a few of their most prized chulls when no one looked. As a result, the disease spread and affected crop growth for that year’s harvest. The town will be less prosperous upon future visits.

More to come!

This is just the first in a complete series of scenarios covering all of the officially supported orders of the Knights Radiant.

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