Choose Mistborn Adventure Game for crew drama and heists. Choose Cosmere RPG for more detailed magic rules and level-based character growth. The first uses pools of six-sided dice; the second uses d20 checks.
The choice also depends on era, rules load, and required books. Both cover Era 1 and Era 2, but MAG may need era supplements. Cosmere’s Mistborn Handbook supports Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Twinborn characters. Check current availability and book requirements before buying.
Quick Comparison
| Decision point | Mistborn Adventure Game | Cosmere RPG |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Crew relationships, heists, and faction trouble | Character builds, tactical actions, and structured growth |
| Dice | Pools of 2–10 d6; matching results matter | d20 checks with modifiers and a Plot Die |
| Characters | Crew-first creation and shared goals | Skills, Paths, and Talents |
| Metallic Arts | Power rules paired with Narrator rulings | More explicit abilities and resource rules |
| Advancement and prep | Crew development; more GM judgment | Level-based choices; more rules interactions |
| Era support | Era 1 and Era 2 through core and supplement material | Both eras in the Mistborn Handbook |
| Books to check | Core rulebook and relevant era supplements | Mistborn Handbook, starter materials, and any required companion books |
Pick the era first, then match the rules to the group. That helps avoid buying books that do not cover the intended campaign.
Mistborn Adventure Game vs Cosmere RPG: Which Should You Play?
Is Mistborn The BEST TTRPG Of 2026? A Brutally Honest Review
Core Rules, Characters, and Campaigns
The two games take different approaches to rolls, character creation, and campaign play.
| At the table | Mistborn Adventure Game | Cosmere RPG |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Fictional positioning shapes small pools of 2–10 d6; matching dice determine the result, not the total. | Modifiers, target numbers, and the Plot Die shape outcomes and complications. |
| Group creation | Build a Crew first, with shared goals, relationships, and liabilities. | Build individual characters first, coordinating around party needs. |
| Advancement | Develop individual Heroes and the Crew’s capabilities. | Plan level-based Talent choices around prerequisites. |
| Encounter structure | Challenges, Contests, and Conflicts put more weight on Narrator judgment. | Explicit actions, conditions, defenses, and Talent effects provide more defined procedures. |
Mistborn Adventure Game: Dice Pools and Crew Creation
Crafty Games’ MAG builds rolls from an Attribute, Standing, or Power, with adjustments from Traits, Props, and Circumstances. Physique, Charm, and Wits replace a standard skill list, while Resources, Influence, and Spirit let players roll for economic and social leverage.
These capabilities tie into the Crew’s ambitions and liabilities. In a heist, loyalties and consequences matter alongside each character’s strengths. Players can add details, but those additions still need to fit the fiction and the rules.
Cosmere RPG: Skills, Paths, and Talents
The Cosmere RPG spells out character builds and action resolution in more detail. Heroic Paths set broad starting roles, while Mistborn-specific Metalborn Paths support Mistings, Mistborn, Feruchemists, Ferrings, and Twinborn.
Skills cover investigation, conversation, and exploration. Talents and their prerequisites give players a clearer route toward long-term specialization. Choose it if planning a character’s mechanical growth is a big part of your group’s fun.
Preparation and Long-Term Play
MAG asks GMs to prepare the fiction; Cosmere RPG adds more rules interactions to that prep. For MAG, learn how matching results and Standings work, then track the Crew’s changing debts, influence, and reputation. For Cosmere, start with a skill test and an action sequence before moving into Talent effects and advancement prerequisites.
Those differences come into sharper focus when Allomancy enters play.
Allomancy and the Other Metallic Arts
Metal powers are the clearest difference between these two games. Crafty Games’ Mistborn Adventure Game relies on metal rules and narrator rulings. The Cosmere RPG uses the Mistborn Handbook for its Mistborn rules. Here’s how those approaches play out at the table.
| At the table | Mistborn Adventure Game | Cosmere RPG |
|---|---|---|
| Metal access | Check the core rulebook and relevant era supplement for available metals. | The Mistborn Handbook supports Mistborn and Mistings; check it for exact metal abilities. |
| Activation | Follow the game’s metal procedures, not just the novels. | Mistborn burn metal to activate Allomancy. |
| Resources | Track metal reserves and burn rates. | Check the Handbook for reserve limits, expenditure, and replenishment rules. |
| Advancement | Check core advancement rules and power-specific options. | Dedicated Metallic Arts paths structure character development. |
| Tactical detail | Metal rules work alongside narrator rulings. | Ability wording and action rules determine movement, damage, and timing. |
| Improvisation | Judge unusual uses against the metal’s limits. | Check for a dedicated ability before making a ruling. |
| References | Core rulebook plus applicable era material. | Mistborn Handbook for rules; Mistborn World Guide for setting. The Mistborn Legacy adventure requires the Handbook. |
Allomancy: Metals, Reserves, and Actions
Burning metal triggers the power; the rulebook determines what happens next. Before resolving a Steelpush, establish which metal is involved, the target, and what the scene allows.
For emotional Allomancy, establish the target’s emotional state and resistance. Soothing and Rioting aren’t unrestricted mind control. Check the rulebook for range, timing, and resistance rulings. Feruchemy and Hemalurgy add more differences between the games.
Feruchemy, Twinborn, and Hemalurgy
Feruchemy lets a character store a trait in metal by accepting a short-term weakness, then tap that store for a later benefit. The Cosmere RPG’s Mistborn Handbook explicitly supports Feruchemists, Ferrings, and Twinborn. Before play, check how storage, tapping, and penalties work. For MAG, check the core book and era supplement before approving those builds.
Don’t treat Hemalurgy as an ordinary character creation option. Its status as a standard player option isn’t verified here for either game. Confirm direct rules support before offering it. How each game structures these powers has the biggest effect on table prep and rules load.
Magic Detail and Rules Overhead
MAG favors loose rulings; the Cosmere RPG favors explicit power structure. Choose Cosmere if you want structured power progression. Choose MAG for a more ruling-led approach, but still prepare each character’s metal rules. A short reference sheet covering activation, costs, limits, and resistance helps more than a metal list alone.
Era Support, Required Books, and Availability
The official listings in the supplied evidence don’t fully confirm which Mistborn products are currently available. Before buying, check era support, included rules, and required books.
With mechanics and magic compared, the next step is figuring out which books you need to play each version.
| What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Core book or handbook page | Confirms whether the game stands alone |
| Era supplement | Confirms which Mistborn era it supports |
| Starter materials | Confirms whether one purchase is enough to start playing |
Mistborn Adventure Game: Core Book and Era Supplements
Check the product page to see whether the core book covers Era One on its own and whether you need the Alloy of Law supplement for Era Two.
Cosmere RPG: Mistborn Handbook and Starter Materials
For Cosmere RPG, the buying question shifts from era supplements to which books the handbook requires. Check its product page to confirm whether the Mistborn Handbook stands alone or requires another Cosmere RPG core book.
What You Need to Start Playing
Before buying, make sure the listing specifies the supported era, character-creation rules, Allomancy or Metallic Arts support, and any required companion book.
Conclusion: Which Mistborn TTRPG Should You Play?
With mechanics, magic, and era support covered, your choice comes down to how your group likes to play - and which books you can get.
Choose Mistborn Adventure Game for Crew Drama
Pick Mistborn Adventure Game if your group enjoys relationships, schemes, and faction politics. Its fiction-first rules keep prep light for GMs who are comfortable making rulings on the fly. Everyone still needs to learn the powers and setting-specific mechanics.
Choose Cosmere RPG for Detailed Magic and Advancement
Pick Cosmere RPG if your group wants deeper mechanics, tactical procedures, more character options, and structured advancement. It explicitly supports Mistings, Mistborn, Feruchemists, Ferrings, and Twinborn.
Choose Your Era Before Buying
Before buying, pick your era, check the required books, and match the rules complexity to your group. Era One favors rebellion and intrigue. Era Two brings gunslinging and investigation, and may require additional MAG supplements.
FAQs
Which game is easier for first-time players?
The Cosmere RPG has free Mistborn starter materials from Brotherwise Games, including the Mistborn Starter Rules PDF, character sheets, and pregenerated characters.
The Mistborn Starter Set also includes a condensed rulebook, the Hope in Ashes adventure for 1st-level characters, and six ready-to-play character sheets.
Can Metalborn and nonmagical characters share the spotlight?
Yes. In the Cosmere RPG’s Mistborn setting, you can take a Metalborn Path as your starting path at level 1. You can also play a character without those powers by taking a Heroic Path, such as Hunter (Hazekiller) or Agent (Rebel). The official Hope in Ashes pregenerated characters include both, and they play in the same 1st-level adventure. The Mistborn Handbook also has paths for Mistborn, Feruchemists, Ferrings, and Twinborn. Surgebinding and Radiant Paths are Stormlight rules, not Mistborn rules.
Can I convert a MAG campaign to Cosmere RPG?
Not directly. The Mistborn Adventure Game and the Cosmere RPG handle magic, character creation, and conflict resolution differently. The Cosmere RPG uses the d20-based Plotweaver system, built around character paths, Investiture resources, and the Plot Die.
You can carry over your story, but you’ll need to rebuild characters, NPCs, and mechanical encounters under the Cosmere RPG’s rules.
