Cosmere RPG vs The Dark Eye
Compare Cosmere RPG and The Dark Eye side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Cosmere RPG | The Dark Eye | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Crunchy, Character Building, Heroic, High-Fantasy, Tactical, Licensed IP, Lore-Heavy | Crunchy, Skill-Based, Lore-Heavy, Character Building, Simulation, Social Intrigue, High-Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + skill vs. difficulty. The GM can raise the stakes on key rolls by adding the plot die: a custom d6 with Opportunity, Complication, and blank faces. Opportunities grant bonus effects chosen by the player; Complications introduce narrative twists chosen by the GM but also add a bonus to the roll. Each combat round, characters choose a fast turn (2 actions, act first) or slow turn (3 actions, act later). Characters advance through branching talent trees across 6 heroic paths and 9 Radiant paths. | Skill checks require rolling a d20 three times, each against a different linked attribute (roll under). A pool of Skill Points can be spent to reduce individual rolls that exceed their target attribute. Remaining Skill Points after all three rolls determine the Quality Level of the success. Combat uses d20 roll-under for attacks, with separate Parry and Dodge defense rolls. Spellcasting costs Arcane Energy points and uses the same triple-check system. |
| Dice | d20 + d6 | d20 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free core rules |
| Runnability | Book tools not listed | Book tools not listed |
| License | All Rights Reserved | Scriptorium Aventuris (community content program) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Brotherwise Games | Ulisses Spiele |
| Year | 2025 | 2017 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Brandon Sanderson fans who want deep character customization and hard-magic systems brought to the table: groups who enjoy Pathfinder-level build depth in a richly detailed setting. | Groups who want a detailed, skill-rich fantasy RPG with a deeply developed setting and mechanics that model character competence through point-based skill management rather than binary pass/fail. |
| Highlights | Deep lore integration with the Cosmere setting, extensive character customization rivals Pathfinder, plot die adds dramatic tension, fast/slow turn initiative lets players trade actions for turn order, Foundry VTT support | Triple d20 skill check system rewards investment in both attributes and skills, Aventuria is one of the most extensively detailed published RPG settings, free quickstart rules available |
| Considerations | Plot die adds a layer of opportunity/complication outcomes on top of pass/fail increasing cognitive overhead per roll, rulebook organization is poor and unclear in places, large barrier to entry for non-Sanderson fans, social encounters can feel repetitive | Eight attributes and dozens of skills make character creation lengthy, triple d20 check resolution is slower than single-roll systems, core rulebook is dense and requires significant reading before play |