Making Radiants: Truthwatcher

Those who join the Truthwatchers generally subscribe to a philosophy of finding the ultimate truth and sharing it. The order is concerned with the fundamental truths of the universe, and whether or not those in power are being truthful with the people they lead. A small percentage of Truthwatchers are greatly concerned with the actions of the powerful and might be likened to investigative reporters.

Order of Truthwatchers - Coppermind

Journey before destination

We have finally arrived at the final article in the Making Radiants series!

This resource is 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.

Here are some quick reminders, which I explained in more detail in my previous post on Dustbringers.

• Make it your own: Use these prompts as kick-starters for your campaign.
• Complimentary and conflicting viewpoints: Scenarios in which your whole party participates may play out differently when viewed through the lens of different orders.
• The journey or the destination: Whether it’s the pivotal moment where a player swears their first (or next) ideal or a simple skill challenge, you will find plenty of inspiration to keep your players engaged with the storyline.
• Further reading: I recommend the Coppermind to any game master who is not well-versed in each Order's lore.

The scenario: a bad judge of character

While out one evening in the city, the party witnesses a crime. They discover a freshly slain corpse and catch a glimpse of a man with a knife sneaking away in the darkness. While they don’t get a chance to catch the criminal, they get a good look at their face. The party may choose to alert the authorities or not.

The next day, they overhear that the local authorities have caught the murder and are putting them on trial. Their spren will drive the potential Truthwatcher to attend the public trial.

Upon arriving at the trial, the party will discover that the accused is not the person they witnessed fleeing the trial scene. That person happens to be presiding over the trial as a judge, representing the authority of the local High Prince.

Hostile witness

The party can choose to address the court as they see fit, but the judge will contest any potential accusations against them.

Not only would it be ridiculous that a judge of the High Prince’s court would be out in the night committing random murder, but they have evidence to convict the accused before the court today. Three witnesses will attest to seeing the accused man fleeing the scene.

The party can attempt to convince the gathered crowd of their story, or at least the matter needs further investigation. The spren of the potential Truthwatcher will highly encourage this. 

The party can attempt a skill check to try and address the crowd:

Evidence of the truth

There are a few things your party might do to prove their point further. This will largely be up to them, but the Truthwatcher’s spren can always point towards the most fun or interesting plot. Based on the skills on your party, they might…

Give your party the means to find evidence against the judge. Don’t be afraid to allow skill checks and their own creativity to lay the path forward: maybe they go looking through the Judge’s quarters expecting to find the murder weapon… and there it is! Maybe a high Deduction roll gives them that crucial detail that unravels the whole case!

Remember: being a good game master is more than crafting air-tight logic puzzles; it's about storytelling and momentum. Sometimes a simple plan like “I want to convince the crowd that I saw the Judge” and a high roll is enough! No need to overcomplicate things if it gets in the way of the fun.

Resolution

Through failure or success, your party’s potential Truthwatcher will be drawn to the opportunity to bring out the truth they discovered. Whether they’re resolving to do better next time or glorying in their victory, this might be what pushes them further down the path to swearing their oaths.

Opportunities and Complications

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

Opportunity: Regardless of the outcome, the local High Prince hears of the party's efforts to help render justice. Convinced that they could be a potential resource in the future, they start keeping tabs on the party's activities in case a new opportunity arises.

Complication: A different side to the same coin: Regardless of the outcome, one of the corrupt advisors to the High Prince learns of the party's meddling. They commit several resources to tracking the party's movements to ensure they don't interfere again.

Destination

This completes the Making Radiants series. I highly encourage any Cosmere RPG game master to check out the series in full and integrate these stories into your own campaign. Remember: even if you don't have a Radiant of that particular order in your party, you can still use these scenarios in your campaign!

Closer to the official release of the Cosmere RPG, I will assemble a definitive edition PDF with expanded scenarios and built-in encounters. Be sure to subscribe to hear about it first.