Brotherwise Games Opens Plotweaver RPG Engine to Third-Party Settings
The creators of the Cosmere RPG are transforming Plotweaver into an open-source platform for diverse TTRPG worlds.
Brotherwise Games announced at Gen Con 2026 that it is expanding the Plotweaver RPG system beyond its initial ties to Brandon Sanderson's universe. The move transitions the engine from a single-IP product into a setting-neutral platform designed for heroic action stories.
As part of this expansion, Brotherwise has secured two high-profile partnerships. Earthborne Games will utilize the system to develop a solarpunk RPG based on the Earthborne Rangers setting, while Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis of Twogether Studios are creating a genre-hopping property titled "Infinite." Andrew Navaro, founder and creative director of Earthborne, noted that fans have requested an Earthborne Rangers roleplaying game since the project's inception. Similarly, Keith Baker described "Infinite" as a unique setting where the table experience changes every session, stating that Plotweaver is the ideal system to deliver that specific gameplay.
The Shift to a Platform Model
Plotweaver first gained prominence as the mechanical backbone of the record-breaking Cosmere RPG. By decoupling the ruleset from the Cosmere intellectual property, Brotherwise is positioning Plotweaver as a "game designer's RPG." This strategy mirrors the approach taken by Chaosium with the Basic Roleplaying engine, allowing independent creators to monetize their own original settings using a standardized, open-source framework.
Industry Implications
This transition represents a strategic attempt to establish a new industry standard for narrative-first, flexible heroic systems. By attracting established designers like Baker—the creator of Eberron—Brotherwise is signaling that Plotweaver can support a wide array of genres, from traditional fantasy to solarpunk and sci-fi. This openness lowers the barrier for creators to launch new properties without needing to build a mechanical engine from scratch.
Roadmap and Open Access
To further seed the ecosystem, Brotherwise launched the "Plotweaver Setting Search" contest to identify new official settings, with Keith Baker serving as a judge. The system is already moving into a testing phase; an open alpha began on August 5, 2026, featuring the "Erstwild" setting, with "Splinterlight" and "Hexbeat" scheduled to follow in September and October.
Looking ahead, the company plans to release the Plotweaver System Reference Document (SRD) in the second quarter of 2027. A corresponding crowdfunding campaign is also slated for Q2 2027 to support the system's continued growth.