Tag: Cypher Sytem

Ring Side Report- RPG review of Cypher Preview FREE!

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Product– Cypher Preview FREE!

System- Cypher System

Producer– Monte Cook Games

Price– FREE here  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/534071/cypher-preview-free?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR-A solid product introduction.  100%

Basics– Don’t call it a comeback!  The Cypher System is getting a kind of second edition!  Not really, but kind of!  Monte Cook games has released a preview of their second edition of the game, so let’s dive into the preview of what’s the same and what’s changing.

Base mechanics– This isn’t changing.  Your Game master says a thing is level x.  You multiply that x by 3 and need to roll over that on a d20.  You have abilities that knock down that level by an amount and you still attempt to roll over that on a d20.  Still slick and easy to learn.

Effort –  This isn’t changing.  You have three pools to draw resources from.  You have Effort that reduces the amount you need to spend on a power.  You can spend from your pool to use a power or to reduce the difficulty level of a skill challenge.  You spend 3 points for the first level, reduced by effort, and 2 points per level after that.  Still slick as always.

Damage and armor– Here’s comes the big changes.  Armor now acts like an ability, reducing the level you need to go against when you dodge or block.  Also, damage now comes in three flavors as you have minor, moderate, and major.  You have three minor to a moderate, and three moderate to a major.  Once you have three major, you are knocked out.  Previously, damage went against your pools.

Cyphers- Cyphers are another big change.  Cyphers used to be more object based.  Now they are more like spells you can use each day.  Furthermore, they will also will focus on more subtle cyphers that are constant powers that provide a change to your character.

And that’s it.    

Mechanics or Crunch– I honestly welcome these changes.  The cypher system was fun before, but I felt the loss of points from my pools really hampered my character.  By changing the damage to go against something else, hit points if you will, it lets those points be used for waht they were meant for.  Also, armor reducing the level feels a bit more cypher system than it reducing damage.  This also lets heavy armored foes be possibly damaged by lighter weapons as previously heavy armor meant light weapons were useless. I look forward to its full implementation.  5/5

Theme or Fluff– So, you can’t really judge this product based on its theme because it really doesn’t have any.  You can’t judge it on a document updating the math of the world.  -/5

Execution– This document is pretty slick.  I feel like I could honestly start using this stuff in my current cypher games just based on this.  It’s easy to read and understand.  It’s also pretty, using art from across all the different properties that Monte Cook Games makes.  5/5

Summary– Monte Cook always gets about 100 bucks from me every year.  They put out a kickstarter for something, I throw money, and then stuff shows up later.  This year will be no exception.  I like the update to the system and it shows growth of his original idea in positive ways.  This is something you need to check out.  It’s free, so why not!  100%

Ring Side Report- RPG review of Old Gods of Appalachia Player’s Guide

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Product– Old Gods of Appalachia Player’s Guide

System- Cypher System

Producer– Monte Cook Games

Price– $7.99 here  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/448863/old-gods-of-appalachia-player-s-guide?affiliate_id=658618 

TL; DR-Missing pieces and price hurt the product.  83% 

Basics-What’s that in the woods?  Old Gods of Appalachia is a horror podcast made into an RPG using the Cypher System by Monte Cook Games.  Let’s see what is in that hollar down yonder!  

System et al- This is the Cypher System you know and love.  You lose points from each pool instead of being dealt damage on a condition track.  Besides that, this is the cypher system that you either hate or love.

Cyphers-  So what’s a cypher?  I don’t think this book even explains it.  That’s a major problem…

Mechanics or Crunch– This gives a decent intro to the cypher system, but it has a major flaw not explaining what a cypher is.  You will learn fast, but the fact the book doesn’t explain this is a problem.  The system is explained decently and you get enough background to play.  The book comes with four complete characters so you can get playing fast. 4/5

Theme or Fluff– Here is the high point of the book.  This book spends lots of time explaining the world of the American coal country during the period of 1900 to a little past WW2.  It’s deep but leaves more room for you to explore. This is honestly most of the book.  5/5

Execution– This is good, but WAY TOO expensive!  This is a 32-page book that costs eight bucks.  AND IT DOESN’T EXPLAIN HOW A CYPHER WORKS!  This should be a free product and there is a free intro version that is 17 pages.  This is a lot of exposition and four characters.  It’s done well, but the art is recycled in the main book, so it’s just too expensive.  3.5/5

Summary– This is a decent product hurt by a few key issues.  If you have this, you have four characters that you can instantly run in someone else’s game.  That’s good. You will understand the rules EXCEPT for what a cypher is.  You will find out quick, but it’s the system name!  Also, the price is WAY too high for an intro product.  This feels more like a free product a company throws out to get interest.  Honestly, maybe just buy the core book which is 3 times as much but over 10 times as long.  83%

Daily Punch 3-29-18 Lizardman descriptor for Numenera/Cypher System

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I was running Numenera last night, and a friend wanted to play a lizardman.  So, I custom’ed up one on the fly!

Lizardman (descriptor)

Your people walked the earth as mighty dinosaurs long ago, you are the spawn of magic, or you might be the child of dragons and man.  In either case, you are a large lizard person.  You are covered in scales, claws, and now stride the Earth walking your own path.

You gain the following Benefits:

Muscular: +2 to your Might Pool.

Armored: You are always considered to be wearing light armor that does not encumber you.  You only apply the largest armor you are wearing.

Claws: You’re always considered to have light weapons due to your claws.

Skills:You’re trained in all actions that involve balance due to you tail.

Skills:You’re trained in all action that require swimming and water or you can be trained in enduring desert environments.  Once this choice is made, you may not change it later.

Skills:You’re trained in all actions that require tracking due to your enhanced sense of smell.

Inability: You’re have trouble interacting with other races due to your abstract nature.

Initial Link to  the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you become involved in the first adventure.

  1. Your draconic parent sent you to investigate some trouble involving another of the PCs.
  2. You have been taken in by another PC who saw you mistreated as a child.
  3. You feel compelled to join this task because it might explain why you are different from the others.
  4. The task was one of the first you came upon as you emerged from your vast underground land where the others of your kind wait.

 

 

Daily Punch 1-15-18 Explores the mind Foci for Cypher System

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Here is a fun new Foci for the Cypher System

EXPLORES THE MIND

You find the mind an extraordinary place. It’s a fun place to play! Maybe you talk and work the blackbox from the outside like a therapist, hoping to help your patients. Maybe you work as a psychic, reading the mind in a haze vail stumbling through the hidden world of the soul. Of maybe you are a wizard who directly enters the mind and alters it to how you see fit! In any case, you peek into people and want to know more.

Connection: Choose one of the following.

1. Pick one other PC. That person’s mind is a puzzle, and you’re going to solve it!

2. Pick one other PC. You are the only person who understands that person’s pain, and you’re going to help them!

3. Pick one other PC. That person is the secret origin of why you explore the mind and you want to help that person as way of thanks.

4. Pick one other PC. That is a place where madness lay.

Minor Effect Suggestion: You cause the target to second guess everything causing everything it does to be soon with a one level penalty.

Major Effect Suggestion: You shatter a targets concentration so it does not act for a turn.

Tier 1: Studied Mind . You gain training to read people and training in making people see your point of view, +1 to your Intellect Edge, and 5 additional points to your Intellect Pool. Enabler.
Hesitation(3 Intellect Points) . Your words or abilities carry wait on the mind. If you hit, you cause the target to studder in word and deed, granting all allies an asset to all defence rolls against the target. Action.

Tier 2: Soothe The Mind (3 Intellect points). You use your command of others to inspire people and repair damage done. The target of this ability heals 1d6 +your tier intellect points, and ends any mental negative effect on them. If the target isn’t affected by anything, they instead gain an asset on their next action. If used on an box, any mental effect ends on the target and if its mental state affected my a malady, that ends for scene. It is up to the GM to determine if that effect ends for good or just the scene. Once effected by this ability, the ability can not be used on that target for one day. Action.

Tier 3: Researched Focus. You are specialized in reading emotions and making people see your point of view. Enabler.
Cutting Words (5 Intellect points). Through spell, word, or manipulation, you tinker with a view mind. On a successful attack of a target that you can see, the target of this ability is dealt 4 intellect damage, ignoring armor. If the intellect pool is empty, the damage is applied to speed, then might. Action.

Tier 4: Complete Rewrite (6 Intellect points. Once each day, you can completely rewrite the mind of a target for a time. On a successful attack, the target completely bends to your will. You can completely control the target. The first command you give the target is followed with complete accuracy for one hour. Any second action that is completely out of character may require a second success. The target is under this effect for a minimum of one hour, where you must make anothet success, for up to 24 hours of control. You are not aware of the targets actions, but it will follow your command until the ability ends. Action.

Daily Punch 12-6-17 Teleporting descriptor for Cypher System

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I have a guy who wants to teleport and only do that.  I think that sounds like an awesome descriptor if you just want to do  a bit of it and it stays local.

 

Teleporting

For some reason, you can teleport across space.  You don’t go far, but far enough to get out of trouble.  It comes with a cost, but sometimes its one you’re willing to pay!

Trained:  +2 to your Intellect pool.

Ability:  Teleport(2 Intellect points): As an action, you can teleport a short distance.  You have to see where you are teleporting.  You simple move across the distance in the blink of an eye.

Choose one of the following as a connection to the starting adventure:

  1. You’ve always wanted to understand your gift, so you’ve struck out across the world to use it.
  2. You wonder where your gift comes from, and now you’re going out to find it.
  3. You’ve gained this gift at a cost, and now the cost is going out to do a favor.
  4. You like starting trouble and getting far away from it, and now its time to use that gift to get out of trouble by leaving the area!

 

 

Thoughts?