Making Radiants: Willshaper

Tom -
Willshapers generally subscribe to a philosophy that all people should be free to make their own choices. They focus on personal fulfillment, radical self-expression, and freeing those who are captive. The order tends to believe that any laws are a form of oppression. The order is said to be most varied, save for a general love of adventure, novelty, or oddity. They tend to attract builders, craftsmen, and other artisans. 

Order of Willshapers, Coppermind

Seek your freedom

Use this resource as inspiration to start a potential Willshaper on their path to swearing the ideals of an order of the Knights Radiant.

Each article in the Making Radints series contains scenarios that 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.

Scenario: The farmer’s children

While traveling, the party finds themselves in desperate need of a storm shelter. Searching the area, they come across a farmstead where they might be able to find weather the storm. The family who greets them are initially charming: a husband, wife, and three children who have worked the land on this farmstead for generations. In exchange for helping the family prep for the storm, the party can spend it with the farmers in their storage cellar, which doubles as a storm bunker.

During the storm, the prospective Willshaper will notice a comet-like spren leading them towards one of the children who sit in insolation, away from the rest of their family.

Insight, DC12
You catch glances between the youth and their father; there seems to be an unresolved conflict.

Persuasion, DC10
A few encouraging words get the youth talking…

The player will learn that the youth desires a life outside the confines of his family's lands in the country. For the past two years, they had been apprenticing under a scribe in a nearby town, spending all their time not working the land in focused study. Their parents had promised that after their 16th birthday, they could decide whether to become a scribe or stay on the farm and support the family. When the youth chose the life of a scribe, their father grew angry and refused to let them leave. That was months ago.

Learning more

If the player chooses to, they may further investigate the youth’s claims.

The siblings know the topic to be taboo and that tensions are still high. They will be difficult to gain information from, but a high roll (DC15) of Persuasion, Deception, or even Intimidation will reveal their personal opinions. The sister feels their sibling should not pursue an easy life stuffed away in some library and that the family needs every hand to work the land. The brother is more accepting of their sibling's choices and even had similar ambitions at one point, but lost that battle similarly. They are resigned to their parents' choices and assume their siblings will end up the same way.

The parents will be more willing to discuss the topics (DC12), especially when directly confronted by the claims of the youth. They will explain that they assumed that allowing the youth to get this rebellious phase over with would bring them around to life on the farm: a few weeks spent bent over a book in a dark room would make them crave a hard day's work in the fresh air. When they discovered that wasn’t the case, they at least hoped that their child would attempt to use their new skillset for the family.

The resolution

There are many ways that the party could help the youth:

  • A daring escape; they could steal away with the youth and escort them to a nearby town.
  • Hirling: The party could offer to pay for the youth's services, enough for the family to hire the extra help they need.
  • Face the facts: advocating on the youth’s behalf, the party could force the family to accept the youth’s choices and allow them to pursue their goals. 

Regardless of where the youth ends up, the player should be moved by the strong sense of personal freedom and will to be their person.

Opportunities and Complications

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

Opportunity: The youth eventually ends up working as a Spanreed operator in a local city, where they offer their services for free while the party is nearby.

Complication: The need for every had was no lie; the family simply can't keep up with the seasons after the youth moves on. The local High Prince eventually sells off the farm, displacing the family.

Onward

Five orders down and four more to go. If you would love to keep up with all my Cosmere content, subscribe for free and get new articles straight to your inbox. Do you have an idea for content, or do you just want to reach out? Drop me a line!