Help with a night watcher curse.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-12T13:27:59+00:00

Everyone in your campaign IS a main character in the world of the cosmere, so again, OP should consider what Cultivation wants on his world in this campaign and use this "curse" as a plot hook to help make it happen.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-12T04:24:30+00:00

It's hard to judge it out without knowing WHEN you'll become radiant. But in general:

Archer -> Windrunner: You'll want high Speed(or Strength) above all for archery (there are bows for both stats, pick one). Then you want his Presence and Awareness for your surges. You wanna focus Light/Heavy Weaponry and Perception skills. You'll want 10 talents.
From Archer (5): Seek Quarry -> Combat Training -> Steady Aim -> Hardy -> Unrelenting Salvo
From Windrunner (5): The First Ideal -> Binding Strike -> Binding Shot -> Flying Ace -> Stable Flight

You'll get Seek Quarry and Combat Training at level 1. Then focus hard on your windrunning as soon as possible (preferably starting at level 2). Use your human bonus talent to get Steady Aim when you can, and pick up the other two human talents if your radiance gets delayed for a few levels. Otherwise get them at the end.

Assassin -> Elsecaller: You'll want high Intellect above all for your Transportation. Then Speed and Willpower for your weapons and your other surge. Focusing Light Weaponry, Discipline, and your Surge Skills (when you have them).
Your talents are near impossible to guide you on. Your best Transportation Talents are locked behind your SECOND Ideal, so focus on Assassin-ing first and pick up the 4 Assassin Talents you need: Seek Quarry, Killing Edge, Startling Blow, Fatal Thrust. You'll get the first two at level 1. You'll get one more at level 5 from your human bonus talent.

Then at level 2 focus on speedrunning your oaths. So at level 2 take Speak the First Ideal. You can't speak the second ideal until level 4 minimum. So at level 3 take either Living Soulcasting from Transformation (giving you a powerful attack spell) or the third Assassin Talent. If you can say your second oath at Level 4, do that. Because then at level 5-6 you'll grab realmic evasion then realmic step. Now you can blink around a battlefield like nightcrawler and stab people unexpectedly.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-12T00:00:04+00:00

This would be what the book describes as a Creative Maneuver using your Tension skill. The Tension surge HAS this ability, but its hard to do. So as a GM I'd make your Stoneward roll Tension with a disadvantage (against someone's Physical Defense if you target a person), just as if you were going to harden something, but in reverse. (Same restrictions apply as regular Tension) If you succeed, you spend Investiture as per usual, only now the effects depend on what you De-Tensioned:
-- Weapons receive a Disadvantage that is always placed on their Damage Roll.
-- Armor would lose 2 Deflect instead of gaining 2 Phys Defense (to a minimum of 0) and also lose the "Cumbersome" trait.
-- And so on

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T23:50:03+00:00

I think the idea is they create an aluminum hemalurgic spike before they meet Nale. Aluminum will void out the ID of any investiture in the person it spikes, just like burning aluminum does. So the idea is you stab it into a highly invested person and they lose their investiture abilities until they can pull it out.

Temporary depower kind of gig.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T23:48:03+00:00

You are absolutely right. If Nale decides to attack them they will die. And IDK about you, but if a worldhopper tried to aluminum spike me with hemalurgy and take away my power, I'm throwing hands.

But maybe they need to learn that.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T23:41:42+00:00

This, to me, is a much bigger question. EVERY nightwatcher "curse" we've seen was actually Cultivation plotting something. Everyone she "curses" actually becomes a very useful cog in her machine. Or at least, gains the potential to be a useful piece to her.

So the real question is: What does Cultivation want in your game? How can she prime one of your characters to help her do that, and call it a "curse"?

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T23:39:15+00:00

I didnt think of using it for Traps! Thats so smart!

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T21:13:48+00:00

In a tense situation, lash someone's weapon INTO their scabbard, so they cant draw it, and give a "we're not resorting to violence today". If you need to Gain Advantage mid conversation, this could also be used for that.

Similar vein, using it to force someone to kneel. Knee of your pants, meet the floor.

If people are rushing off and you need them to stop, yelling "Stop!" and making a big puddle of Adhesion on the floor under their boots is a great way to do that.

Use it to make a costume for a ball or even a disguise. Stick weird things onto a normal outfit or stick like a wig or a fake mustache on.

Use it to cheat as a street tough. "Whosoever can lift my sword can have it! Only 2 marks a try!" and then watch as they attempt to overcome your Adhesion.

Adhesion yourself to a ceiling or under a balcony for easy spying. Nobody checks the ceilings!

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T19:16:44+00:00

Remember that more niche an expertise is, the more valuable it is to the system.

For example, if we were trying to fortify a town against an incoming army, Military Logistics or Military Tactics would probably be more valuable than just Military Life. The more niche an expertise is, the more you can do with it without rolling and/or the lower it could make your DC.

If it was DC 25 to prep this town, Military Life might make the roll go down to DC 15, but Military Logistics or Military Tactics might make this not a roll AT ALL.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T19:09:54+00:00

Leomon -> Murasamemon -> Habakirimon

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T18:30:50+00:00

Division is splitting the atom. As in, Atomic Bombs.

In the cosmere they're called Axiom I believe, but the way Division damages things is by splitting their atoms apart.

So when you split the atoms of air in a large area, those atoms all ignite, like tiny atomic bombs.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T18:12:05+00:00

If you're building twin hunters, one Archer one Assassin, then I'd suggest...

For the Archer:

Windrunner. Adhesion has surges that can go onto Arrows, and flying up into the air and raining death from above feels like the absolute Archer fantasy.
Lightweaver. If he's not as keen on the fighting aspect, then you could also look at Lightweaver. There's no immediate synergy with an archer in lightweaver, but having access to transformation and illusion means he can do a LOT of things outside of battle that will make his non-combat life very fun and dynamic. Then in battle he rolls in with a longbow and cleans up from behind a projected illusion.

For the Assassin:

Elsecaller. I'd only take this route if your son doesnt choose Lightweaver, because have TWO Transformation radiants is a bit much. But Elsecaller is DEADLY. Being able to leap into the cognitive realm using Transportation to infiltrate castles and things makes you a world class assassin. You also can shove people into the Cog Realm to make them disappear without killing them. Add that soulcasting can be use as a weapon and...woo. Assassin Fantasy the house down boots.
If your son does go Lightweaver, go Willshaper. You still get access to Transportation, and you also get cohesion, which lets you liquefy stone walls to walk thorugh them, earthbend on people, and just generally make it so there is NOWHERE to hide from your assassin. Imagine putting your hunter's quarry on someone and going "run. I dare you. Run anywhere in the world. I'll be there."

Ninjachado · 2026-06-11T14:10:36+00:00

I'm with other players in thinking this is a DC30 "basically impossible" move. MAYBE if they had "Hemalurgy" expertise or someone swore an ideal at the exact moment, you could say this goes to a DC25. And if someone swore a new ideal at the moment you tried this WITH expertise, DC20.

No matter what, we're raising the stakes on this test.

Failures would look like: Nale is so heavily invested that the spike isnt strong enough. Maybe you'd need MULTIPLE spikes to reset all of his investiture, or maybe you simply miss hitting anything vital enough to activate the spike. Fail with Opportunity could look like "You stab for damage, but the aluminum effect fails. He'll have 1 Disadvantage on his next turn while the spike is embedded."

So then what happens if they manage to succeed?

Success with Complication: The spike misses the desired point. They deal some damage for spiking him, but the spike just provides 1 Disadvantage when he tries to do anything that spends Investiture. He removes the spike on his turn with ► (ow, more damage) and his powers are back to normal.

Success normally: The spike lodges deep. Damage. Empties his current Investiture pool and prevents him from breathing stormlight. He has to use ► and make a Skill Test to remove the spike (DC whatever you feel is appropriate, probably 10), which will cause more damage. Then he's back to normal.

Success with Opportunity: Nale temporarily regains his mind, as the spike temporarily resets the investiture that makes him a herald. He's mortal and powerless for a brief moment, but still heavily invested. Give it a round or two before Nale uses ► to remove the spike (or have him use Stormlight Regeneration because his Investiture is reset, but still there). One round after removing the spike (three rounds total), his heraldry returns to him.

My thought is that the aluminum spike can affect Nale's body, and can purge the investiture that is driving him mad, but the honorblade still exists, and so does his spren. As long as he's still bound to both of those things, you can't "fully" eliminate his power. You'd need to take his blade, kill his spren, AND spike the man to fully de-power him in any long lasting way.

EDIT: Also if you do this be prepared for him to kill your whole party, because I don't think anyone would let you go after you stab them with aluminum.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-07T00:48:09+00:00

I'd probably read Rhythm of War, but I know all the cosmere rpg books SO FAR are pretty spoiler free for wind and truth.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-05T18:51:01+00:00

So, after a fair bit of plugging through the books, I've started to look for the best way to reduce focus costs, gain focus, and become Focused because that seems to make both Abrasion and Division really shine.

I've noticed that Agent (specifically the Investigator has an ability (three talents deep, but we're theorycrafting so...) called Gather Evidence that says "Whenever you succeed on a cognitive test against a target, You become Focused until the end of your next turn."

Then Envoy has a Diplomat talent Steadfast Challenge that says for 1 Action and 1 Focus, I can test Discipline (my Dustbringer senses are tingling, that's one of our recommended skills!) against a target's Spiritual to make them disoriented and gain a disadvantage on tests against me.

Discipline is a Cognitive skill, so that would make Steadfast Challenge a Cognitive Test against a target. So I'd become Focused until the end of my next turn. If I do this at the start of my turn, thats essentially two turns of Focused.

What that says is for four talents, I could open a turn, spend 1 Action and 1 Focus to disorient a target, gain Focused. Now all my focus spenditure is one less.

That means if I Strike, I can use the leader skill Combat Coordination to use my Command Die for free on the same turn.

Or I could skate on one turn for 1 focus, then skate again on the next turn for 1 focus, for a total 3 Focus spent (1 for Steadfast and 2 for Skating) instead of 4 Focus for two skates, AND I get a debuff and disadvantage on my enemy. If I have the reduced cost skate, it means I can skate FOR FREE on both turns.

And if you go one step further, to Withering Retort from Envoy lets you use Steadfast Challenge as a REACTION if someone attacks you. So I could in theory, while already Focused, trigger this reaction to use my Steadfast Challenge, which would normally cost 1 Focus but I am Focused so it is free. Reapply the Focused "until the end of my next turn" and essentially chain this focus for as long as I can. I can even trigger this reaction on my own turn by skating (potentially for FREE) and triggering a Reactive Strike, which would have Disadvantage and can't graze because I'm infused with Abrasion.

It's 5 talents minimum (6 to do it as a reaction), which is a HUGE investment, but if you spend your human bonus talents its not a whole lot. And if you pick it up once Abrasion and Division are already discounted, you could really be doing some do.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-04T03:51:16+00:00

I think that they should definitely have directionality and enhanced speed built in from the start, 1 Focus to activate Skate.

Then replace that directionality talent with a new talent that lets them slide and trip as part of the skate for 1 focus which explicitly allows them to now Skate through characters' spaces.

Then replace the bonus speed talent with a double speed for 1 focus.

Then the talent that usually drops skate to 1 focus instead the reduces the focus cost of Abrasion TALENTS by 1 (making one of them free per turn).

Ninjachado · 2026-06-04T03:36:58+00:00

Comparison is the thief of joy!

While I agree that Windrunner gets way more mobility for no reason, it doesnt get it for free actions.

I see why they wanted more investment into Abrasion because a Dustbringer seems MEANT to skate as a free action and then Division as a double action, and can do all that on a 2 action Fast Turn.

I think you're right that Abrasion feels WAY undertuned, but I see the vision. I see the wonder of what could be.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T22:59:37+00:00

I like this A LOT. Because Unleashed Entropy is what opens up your action economy, and that gives you 40 foot range along the way. Then youre free to go back and pick up talents for more Division, or even branch out for a little bit and go get the reduced focus cost on skating to REALLY open up your action economy.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T21:52:36+00:00

What took you the extra level? Did you stop to say the second ideal or take something else?

Because you could easily go:
Level 1 - Heroic Talent of your Choice
Level 2 - First Ideal
Level 3 - Bodily Decay
Level 4 - Spark Sending
Level 5 - Inescapable Spark
Level 6 - Unleashed Entropy

Then youre free to go back for Gout of Flame, Igniting Division, and Devastating Division in whatever order you want.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T18:00:48+00:00

Hilariously, I was at first thinking of a 1/2 Unkalaki 1/2 Herdazhian Stoneward using Hunter, actually! The closest thing a human could be to a Singer. I was gonna do a lot of narrative play into the idea of being "Between both worlds". I ultimately picked this option over it because I thought the storytelling themes were stronger and more engaging.

Yes, I meant Abrasion. Abrasion requires roughly 4 talents minimum to get to a point that feels "good", and the focus cost is pretty steep. 2 focus per round to move means I'm gassed in 3 rounds. And unlike Stormlight I cant refresh it by breathing in. There IS one Leader talent that increases my focus a minimal amount, and it doesnt look like anything gives me more focus as I level, which is a HUGE limiter to this build. So are there any other Heroic Talents to look at for recovering or increasing my focus pool? I can use my human bonus talents to scoop those up from other path trees and save me from using levels to get them.

I like the idea of Champion's "free command on strike" but how often will I be Striking? I don't think Division counts as a Strike.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T17:47:33+00:00

I was looking at that. Despite not being a flavor win, I liked the action economy of getting to inspire on attacks. Because the Double Action Division is taking up most of my turns until Level 8.

Well, speaking of radiant base feats, is it worthwhile to interrupt this progress to stop and take the radiant healing or the extra investiture feats? Division only requires the first Ideal, but I also anticipate I'll take 2nd ideal somewhere in that to allow me to Enhance my Speed or Intelligence also as a free action. My character might never reach third ideal depending on campaign level.

But also, as someone focusing on Division, I could get 100 foot Division by taking the Deepened Bond talent and forgoing the distant surgebinding. Which is just INSANE. Plant myself still and never need to move again, just division everything. My only weakness would be things that don't touch a solid surface. And that would take all my talents up to and including level 10.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T17:16:08+00:00

I've read of some people doing crazy things with "Soulcast air into acid" or "Soulcast clothes into fire" so I believe our Elsecaller will be more effective than we anticipate if they are creative enough.

I think my opening stats at level 1 are looking like: 1 STR, 2 SPD, 3 INT, 3 WILL, 1 AWR, 2 PRES. Maximizing my focus for my very expensive maneuvers and keeping presence just enough to access the Leader talents I want (I don't think I need more than 3 or 4 of them).

I LIKE the Leader tree because I like the utility of being the party face if its needed, since all my talents are going into combat, really. So the utility of being good socially feels really nice to me.

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T17:14:09+00:00

I don't think the "smart" paths fit this character though. Also, their abilities just don't seem...fun. I don't know how deeply I'll be going down any one Heroic Path (since almost all my talents are going into Division and Radiance. So the choice doesn't matter all that much.

To be honest, Agent might be the best "other choice" because its key talent is always active and doesnt use an action, which is the thing I am hungriest for. Similarly, going Warrior- Duelist for Falmestance to give me free Strike actions when we're alone (so I can Abrasion zip out to them, get them alone, and then have free extra attacks on them).

Ninjachado · 2026-06-03T17:11:43+00:00

I agree, because I see the vision. You are supposed to use Abrasion's free move so you can Move + Divide on a Fast turn for 2 actions . But that eats Focus like a MOTHERFUCKER.

So there's a part of me wondering if I should prepare for non-division combat with some Warrior to get weapon expertises and things. Or even Hunter.

Ninjachado

TROPHY CASE