Questions tagged [cypher-system]
For questions primarily relating to Monte Cook's Cypher System. Cypher System was created originally for Numenera, then adapted to The Strange, and finally released in its own right.
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Cypher System Edge Application question
Effort costs 3 points from a pool on the first use and 2 on the second use. But this is only if the second use is from the same pool, as I understand it.
If it was from a different pool, it would cost ...
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What does the "Trained Archer" ability apply to?
The Numenera focus Carries a Quiver grants an enabler called Trained Archer, which says (core rulebook, pg.54):
You are trained in using bows.
What does this apply to? The normal usage of a bow is ...
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How can I convert a Cypher System character between PC and NPC?
I have a player who has decided that she wants to move on to playing a new character in a long-running Numenera game. So, I want to convert the existing character into an NPC.
Since Numenera/Cypher ...
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Does using Mind Control require two attack rolls?
Using Mind Control requires that the user touches the target and that the target be of a certain level or lower. An unwilling target can, in general, try to resist an unwanted effect.
Against an ...
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If knives and fists are all considered light weapons, what's the benefit of picking up such weapons?
If weapons like knives, small guns, and a fist punch are all considered light weapons, why would a player ever pick up a knife if they drop it in a fight (from a bad roll, for instance)?
Sure, they ...
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The "Foolish" descriptor in Cypher System seems way too good. Have I missed something?
The Foolish descriptor on p. 73 of the Cypher System Rulebook seems to be intended for playing characters who are idiots. A character with this descriptor has -4 to their Intellect pool, and all ...
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Where is the source material that reads there is no limit to the number of artifacts a character may have?
I have read elsewhere for Numenera and the Cypher System as a whole, that there are no limits on the number of artifacts a character may possess. However, I have both the Discovery and Cypher System ...
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How to establish wealth and gear for a higher-tiered character in Numenera?
In D&D & Pathfinder, magic items and character wealth have scales, tables and an overall, direction related to leveling up.
I've found no direction in Numenera or Cypher System. With a Tier ...
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NPC Defense Tasks
So I've recently run across an inconsistency that I am trying to reconcile with the rules. There is a wide variety of modifications for creatures for defense, including but not limited to:
Defends ...
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Numenera - Higher than expected Health on NPCs
I'm looking to understand the Health inflation commonly printed in Cypher System material (Often in module adventures, or in the little sidebars when describing setting NPCs)
In Numenera Health (HP) ...
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How do you handle Iotum in Numenera?
I own the Core Discovery book and a Player's guide. Both make brief mention of using Iotum in crafting and abilities for player Types/Foci. I assume this is some resource detailed in the Destiny core ...
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Action per target to initiate VS Edge
In the Cypher System rulebook, some abilities (like Accelerate Third Tier Speaker) say that instead of dealing efforts to decrease the difficulty, you can use it to affect more targets, but you must ...
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What are the differences between "Escape" and a common task to get free?
The Explorer special ability Escape (2 Speed point), as stated in the (old) Cypher System Rulebook is used to get free (p. 41):
You slip your
restraints, squeeze through the bars, break the
...
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Can "Get Away" be used to hide?
Can the second tier Stealth flavour ability Get Away (p. 51) be used to hide, such as to allow a character to do a surprise attack each round? The text of the ability is:
Get Away (2 Speed points): ...
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What are the limits of "Unmovable"?
At Tier 3, the focus "Stands like a bastion" grant the ability "Unmovable" (p. 171):
You avoid being knocked down, pushed back, or moved against your will
as long as you are upright and able to ...
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Are the divine shifts in the Gods of the Fall campaign setting broad or narrow?
I'm looking for some insight about the Divine Shifts in Gods of the Fall.
Do they cover all the points in their description, or are they more restricted, like skills in the Cypher System?
For ...
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Cost of "Disrupting Touch" ability if player has Edge in both Speed and Might?
Disrupting Touch is an ability that can only be used when the player has already declared a use of the "Phase Sprint" ability. The Player's Handbook states for Phase Sprint:
Note that some of your ...
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What are the rules for weapons practice?
The Cypher System Rulebook on page 184 states:
If you wield a weapon that you have no experience with, the difficulty
of making an attack with that weapon is increased by one step
That is ...
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Does the GM still make a free intrusion if a natural 1 is rerolled?
As an Immediate Benefit (p. 221) an XP can be used to reroll a dice (and get the best result) or to avoid a GM intrusion.
The rulebook states that with a natural 1 on a d20 roll the GM makes a free ...
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Is fleeing from battle considered "acting under attack"?
A short movement isn't enough to flee from battle, since the opponent can do a short movement and an attack: "A character can also try to make a short
move and take another (relatively simple) ...
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Is Predictive Equation an Asset?
I am wondering if Predictive Equation and similar abilities count as Assets in the Cypher system. While some explicitly state that they grant an asset, Predictive Equation instead says that
The ...
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How to choose which Edge to apply when multiple stat pools are involved?
The special ability "Successive Attack" costs 2 points of Speed, and can be used after a successful attack to make another attack.
So it work like this: First attack. If enemy is down the PC can use ...
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Is this Multiple Enemies rule a house rule?
I found online a cheat sheet stating the following rule for Multiple Enemies/Swarm:
4 creatures = 1 creature of highest level + 1, minimum +2 damage bonus
That is different from the official one ...
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How does training work with special abilities used for attack and defense?
The rulebook states that a character can improve a special ability just like any other skill. But it also states that the character can become trained (or specialized) in any skill but attack or ...
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Looking for a system for creative people with little time [closed]
Which system allows creativity for masters and players while cutting time on preparing and studying rules? However, it should still have rules and material.
I tried FATE and Savage Worlds. Liked FATE ...
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If I already have the Numenera Core rulebook, will the other MCG core books add anything to my experience?
Currently I have a Numenera game going. We are having a good time. I know Monte Cook Games has published other games using the Cypher system such as The Strange, as well as a Cypher System Core book.
...
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Do I need to fill in all levels for a new focus?
When creating a new focus for The Strange, do I need to fill the 6 levels for it or could I leave some "blank" levels?
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Can I negate a "free" GM intrusion?
In Numenera, when a player rolls a 1, the GM gets a free intrusion (Core Rulebook, p.88)
The GM makes a free intrusion (see
below) and doesn’t award experience points (XP) for
it.
However, ...
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What are the rules for flying in Numenera or Cypher System?
What are the rules for flying in Cypher System? Cause I want to build an Iron Man type armor and I want it to fly.
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How to make a Changeling Chameleon (from D&D 3.5e) character concept in Cypher System?
I have a character concept inspired by a race/class combination from D&D 3.5e that I'd like to play in Cypher System: a Changeling Chameleon.
The Chameleon is a prestige class for rogues that ...
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How many trained skills does a 1st tier cypher character have?
I am preparing a Monte Cook's Cypher system campaign and would like to know how many skills a starting 1st-tier character would be trained in?
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Where is the swarm rule in The Cypher System Rulebook?
The swarm rule appears in Numenera on page 232, and in The Strange on page 260. But I can't find it in The Cypher System Rulebook.
Where can I find it? If is not present in the book, why is that?
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Do both PCs need matching skills/abilities to get the Complementary Actions bonus?
In the Cypher system, if two player characters are taking different actions that help each other, both get a bonus.
In the book, it's explained that in order to do that the second character has to ...
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Can Effort be used to lower the difficulty, if Effort can be used for something else?
Looking at the Mind Control ability (fourth-tier Adept), it says:
Instead of applying Effort to decrease the difficulty, you can apply Effort to increase the maximum level of the target.
Does this ...
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Do recovery rolls have to be in sequence?
The Numenéra core rulebook says on page 94 that if you rest for the first time on a given day you can take an action to make your recovery roll, the second time you have to spend 10 mins to be able to ...
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Awarding experience from discoveries on an uncharted land
I'm GMing a game were the setting is the fallout universe, all my players are vault dwellers and started the campaign underground, knowing nothing about the surface world. That mean that they're ...
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How to implement GM intrusion on a heavily improvised campaign?
I tend to improvise a lot. For example, on a campaign I usually just think the place where the players starts, their first "objective" and a bit of the setting and the world, but everything as light ...
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When does a character Who Leads get her Follower?
If a PC picks up the Leads focus when translating to a new recursion, when does her Follower show up, and would the character recognize him as such?
Is the Follower an actual native of the ...
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What kind of scenes can Dreamcraft be used to display?
For the Awakens Dream focus, how would the tier 1 ability Dreamcraft be used to display a scene? I'm unclear as to what the "scene" could be. Either:
a) a full on scene with objects and a different ...
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Can a PC rise from prone and attack in one action, perhaps with difficulty?
How do you handle a PC who gets knocked down by a NPC (for example, a Caffa) wanting to get up and attack? Can they only stand up on their turn and not attack, or can they attack while getting up?
I ...
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When to create new Laws?
In the Strange the Laws determine the physics of a recursion.
In the Core books the Laws given are:
Substandard Physics -- no examples given, but described as generally not having better than iron ...
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What happens if you are trained in a skill twice?
Many of the Foci give free skill training.
Eg
Trick or Treats (p210: Worlds Numberless and Strange)
Tier 1: Treat Seeker. You are trained in tasks related to searching and hiding.
Enabler. .... Tier ...
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Might Defence and combat avoidance skills
I am playing a tough glaive who masters the great sword heavily modelled on a black man version of Ringil. I was assuming that the skill Might Defence would allow me to use my Might pool to block ...
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How does Creative interact with the first tier ability of Levity?
One of my players chose Creative Spinner who Entertains for his character. Now we are wondering whether the inability from Creative - "The diffilty of all tasks related to pleasant social interaction ...
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In Numenera do players roll when using a cypher
I understand that in numenera players roll against an enemies difficulty level, but when using a cypher is that the same type of roll.
It makes sense for one time cyphers like an explosive grenade ...
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If I'm getting The Strange Core Rulebook, do I need the Player's Guide?
I'm talking about these: The Strange Core Book, and The Strange Player's Guide.
If I'm getting the Core Book, do I need the Player's Guide?
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On repeat translations to the same recursion, do you always use the same foci?
In The Strange RPG, you can change your focus whenever you translate. One thing that isn't clear to me is if you always should use the same focus on repeat visits to a given recursion. For example, if ...
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How does XP expenditure/gain work when crafting an artifact?
In the Numenera Corebook, rules for expending XP (p112 in particular) state that one can spend 3 XP to obtain a long-term benefit, in particular to craft an artifact:
Artifact: The PC creates an ...
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