CREDITS

Writer/Designer: Monte Cook

Additional Designers: Bruce R. Cordell, Robert J. Schwalb, Shanna Germain
Creative Director: Shanna Germain
Editor/Proofreader: Ray Vallese
Graphic Designer: Bear Weiter
Cover Artist: Roberto Pitturru

Artists
´
Jacob Atienza, Marco Caradonna, Milivoj Ceran, chrom, Florian Devos, Dreamstime.com, Jason Engle, Erebus,
David Hueso, Baldi Konijn, Guido Kuip, Brandon Leach, Eric Lofgren, Patrick McEvoy, Jeremy McHugh,
Brynn Metheney, Grzegorz Pedrycz, Mike Perry, John Petersen, Roberto Pitturru, Scott Purdy, Nick Russell,
Joe Slucher, Lee Smith, Matt Stawicki, Cyril Terpent, Cory Trego-Erdner, Tiffany Turrill, Shane Tyree, Chris Waller,
Cathy Wilkins, Ben Wootten, Danar Worya, Kieran Yanner

Monte Cook Games Editorial Board

Scott C. Bourgeois, David Wilson Brown, Eric Coates, Gareth Hodges, Mila Irek, Jeremy Land,
Laura Wilkinson, Marina Wold, George Ziets

© 2015 Monte Cook Games, LLC. CYPHER SYSTEM and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Printed in Canada

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE CYPHER SYSTEM
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 4
Chapter 2: ANYTHING GOES 5
Chapter 3: HOW TO PLAY THE CYPHER SYSTEM 7

PART 1: CHARACTERS 13
Chapter 4: CREATING YOUR CHARACTER 14
Chapter 5: CHARACTER TYPE 22
Chapter 6: CHARACTER DESCRIPTOR 64
Chapter 7: CHARACTER FOCUS 90
Chapter 8: EQUIPMENT 182

PART 2: RULES 187

Chapter 9: RULES OF THE GAME 188
Chapter 10: OPTIONAL RULES 224

PART 3: GENRES 235

Chapter 11: FANTASY 236
Chapter 12: MODERN 244
Chapter 13: SCIENCE FICTION 250
Chapter 14: HORROR 258
Chapter 15: SUPERHEROES 266

PART 4: GAMEMASTER SECTION 273

Chapter 16: CREATURES 274
Chapter 17: NPCs 334
Chapter 18: CYPHERS 340
Chapter 19: RUNNING THE CYPHER SYSTEM 366

PART 5: BACK MATTER 409

Index 410
Campaign Design Worksheet 412
Character Sheet 413

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 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A
cypher is a secret. It’s something that not everyone understands. It holds potential.
Promise.
The Cypher System Rulebook came about because we published a game called
Numenera, and then another called The Strange. These were quite popular, both for
their settings and for their rules. They shared the same basic game engine: the Cypher
System. So it occurred to us, what if gamers want to use the system for fantasy, horror, or
something else? Wouldn’t it be nice if they could have the system material from Numenera
and The Strange with all the setting-specific material stripped out?
And doing that would be easy, right? We’d just need to grab stuff from both games,
already finished, and cram it all into one book. No problem.
Of course, once I started working on it, I realized that the way both games handled
character types was entirely idiosyncratic to those settings. You can’t take a Numenera
nano and plop her down in any genre. And if you tried to make the type fit more into a
fantasy setting, it wouldn’t fit into a science fiction one. Oh, and superheroes—those throw
a big wrench into things.
In other words, while the Cypher System Rulebook is partially a compilation of game
material from both Numenera and The Strange, it also has a
whole lot of new stuff. New descriptors and foci to make different
genres work, along with four new character types. New creatures
and NPCs. New cyphers. Lots of new rules for handling everything
In the Cypher System, the story is from starship battles to the rising dread of horror. And rules for
king, and thus you can’t really get superheroes—characters who break all the other rules.
the rules wrong. If it works for your What you’ll take away from this book depends on your context.
game, then it works! If you’re already a fan of both Numenera and The Strange, many
of the specifics here will be familiar. Still, you’ll find new descriptors,
foci, types, creatures, cyphers, artifacts, and rules. Mostly, though,
you’ll see how to use the game system you already love in any setting and any genre. Use
the material in this book to supplement your current games, or start a new game set in a
fantasy land of elves and fae creatures, a science fiction setting spanning the galaxy, or a
modern slasher horror game, different from anything you’ve played before.
Fans of Numenera and If you’re a fan of Numenera or The Strange, but not both, you’ll find a ton of material
The Strange should here that is new to you. Again, this can supplement your existing game, or it can be used
check out the rules for
Insights (page 216)
to stretch the system into any genre you wish when you’re finished with your current
and the optional genre campaign.
rules in addition to the If you’re new to the Cypher System entirely, you’re really in for a lot of great information
descriptors, types, and and advice. The rules are simple, but this book includes plenty of character and setting
foci that are brand new
to this book. options. It might seem overwhelming at first. But remember that in the Cypher System, the
story is king, and thus you can’t really get the rules wrong. If it works for your game, then it
works!

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ANYTHING GOES
F
or just a moment, I’m talking directly
to the game masters out there. Both
players and GMs will use this book, but
more than likely the GM will look at it first.
What you hold in your hands is a
guidebook. A how-to. You can’t just sit down
and start playing, because the Cypher System
Rulebook is not meant to be used that way.
You have to put something of your own into
it first. There is no setting or world here. The
system is designed to help you portray any
world or setting you can dream up.
Think of this book as a chest of toys.
You can pull out whatever you want and
play with it however you want. You won’t
use everything in it, at least not all at once.
You’ll use parts of it to build the game you
want to play. Pull out some pieces and give
them a try. Put back the ones that don’t suit
you, and try different ones. Use some now
and save others for your next game. You
have all the freedom in the world (many
worlds, actually).
Speaking of worlds, you get to decide
what setting to use, based on what genre
you want. It can be anything. Pick your
favorite book or movie, or just design
something from scratch.
GENRES
Take a look at Part 3: Genres, which has
a number of chapters devoted to genres.
Genre categories are difficult. Sometimes they can be constricting when they
should be liberating. Don’t worry too much about being a genre purist. Just
have a fun game.
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Anything Goes
Chapter 2
These are broad categories, and I use them
in this book as a starting point. Those
categories are: fantasy, modern, science
fiction, horror, and superheroes.
With those broad strokes, I cover most
(but probably not all) of the kinds of games
you can run with the Cypher System. Some
of these genres require unique equipment,
artifacts, or descriptors. Some need new
rules to convey the experience you’re after.
I say “experience” because in many ways,
that’s what a genre is. If you want to capture
the experience of being terrified by zombies
swarming around a character’s home,
you want horror. If you want to convey the
experience of being extremely powerful and
using those powers to protect the world
from aliens, you want superheroes (maybe
with a dash of science fiction).
So really, what you’re choosing here is
the experience you want to have—and that
you want the players to have. This is such
a fundamental decision that perhaps the
whole group should be in on it. Ask the
other players what genre they like and what
kinds of experiences they want to have. This
is vital because it ensures that everyone
gets what they want out of the game.
Of course, not everything in this book is
suitable for every genre. You, the GM, will
need to read through it once you’ve chosen Part 3: Genres, page 235
a genre and pick types, foci, and so forth.
5

Your character’s
starting equipment is as
important as his starting
skills. Learn more about
what you carry and how
it’s used in Chapter 8:
Equipment.
EXPLORER
Fantasy: explorer, adventurer, delver,
mystery seeker
Modern/Horror: athlete, explorer,
adventurer, drifter, detective, scholar,
spelunker, trailblazer, investigative
reporter
Science fiction: explorer, adventurer,
wanderer, planetary specialist,
xenobiologist
Superhero: adventurer, crimefighter
You are a person of action and physical ability,
fearlessly facing the unknown. You travel
to strange, exotic, and dangerous places,
and discover new things. This means you’re
physical but also probably knowledgeable.
Individual Role: Although explorers can
be academics or well studied, they are first
and foremost interested in action. They face
grave dangers and terrible obstacles as a
routine part of life.
Group Role: Explorers sometimes work
alone, but far more often they operate in teams
with other characters. The explorer frequently
leads the way, blazing the trail. However, she’s
also likely to stop and investigate anything
intriguing she stumbles upon.
Societal Role: Not all explorers are out
traipsing through the wilderness or poking
about an old ruin. Sometimes, an explorer
is a teacher, a scientist, a detective, or an
investigative reporter. In any event, an
explorer bravely faces new challenges and
gathers knowledge to share with others.
Advanced Explorers: Higher-tier explorers
gain more skills, some combat abilities, and
a number of abilities that allow them to deal
with danger. In short, they become more
and more well-rounded, able to deal with
any challenge.
Background Connection: Your type helps
determine the connection you have to the setting.
Roll a d20 or choose from the following list

Roll Background
1 You were a star high school athlete. You’re still in great shape, but those were the glory days, man.
2 Your brother is the lead singer in a really popular band.
3 You have made a number of discoveries in your explorations, but not all opportunities to capitalize on
them have panned out yet.
4 You were a cop, but you gave it up after encountering corruption on the force.
5 Your parents were missionaries, so you spent much of your young life traveling to exotic places.
6 You served in the military with honor.
7 You received assistance from a secretive organization, which paid for your schooling. Now they seem to
want a lot more from you.
8 You went to a prestigious university on an athletic scholarship, but you excelled in class as well as on
the field.
9 Your best friend from your youth is now an influential member of the government.
10 You used to be a teacher. Your students remember you fondly.
11 You worked as a small-time criminal operative until you were caught and served some time in jail, after
which you tried to go straight.
12 Your greatest discovery to date was stolen by your arch-rival.
13 You belong to an exclusive organization of explorers whose existence is not widely known.
14 You were kidnapped as a small child under mysterious circumstances, although you were recovered
safely. The case still has some notoriety.
15 When you were young, you were addicted to narcotics, and now you are a recovering addict.
16 While exploring a remote location, you saw something strange you’ve never been able to explain.
17 You own a small bar or restaurant.
18 You published a book about some of your exploits and discoveries, and it has achieved some acclaim.
19 Your sister owns a store and gives you a hefty discount.
20 Your father is a high-ranking officer in the military with many connections.

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to determine a specific fact about your
background that provides a connection to
the rest of the world. You can also create
your own fact.
EXPLORER STAT POOLS
Stat Pool Starting Value
Might 10
Speed 9
Intellect 9
You get 6 additional points to divide
among your stat Pools however you wish.
FIRST-TIER EXPLORER
First-tier explorers have the following abilities:
Effort: Your Effort is 1.
Physical Nature: You have a Might Edge
of 1, a Speed Edge of 0, and an Intellect
Edge of 0.
Cypher Use: You can bear two cyphers at
a time.
Practiced With Light and Medium
Weapons: You can use light and medium
weapons without penalty. If you wield a
heavy weapon, increase the difficulty of the
attack by one step. Enabler.
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Character Type
Starting Equipment: Appropriate clothing
and a weapon of your choice, plus two
expensive items, two moderately priced
items, and up to four inexpensive items.
Special Abilities: Choose four of the
abilities described below. You can’t choose
the same ability more than once unless its
description says otherwise.
Block (3 Speed points): You automatically
block the next melee attack made against
you within the next minute. Action to
initiate.
Danger Sense (1 Speed point): The
difficulty of your initiative roll is reduced by Initiative, page 197
one step. Enabler.
Decipher (1 Intellect point): If you spend
one minute examining a piece of writing or
code in a language you do not understand,
you can make an Intellect roll of difficulty
3 (or higher, based on the complexity of
the language or code) to get the gist of the
message. Action to initiate.
Endurance: Any duration dealing with
physical actions is either doubled or halved,
whichever is better for you. For example,
if the typical person can hold his breath
for thirty seconds, you can hold it for one
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 Chapter 8
EQUIPMENT
E
quipment in the Cypher System
plays only a small role. It’s far more
important to focus on what you can
For any game set in the do than on what you have. Still, sometimes
present day, catalogs or it’s important to know if you’ve got enough
shopping websites can
rope, or what kind of gun your space pilot
provide prices for any
kind of item that you has at her hip.
might need.
CURRENCY AND PRICES
Dollars, pounds, euros, credits, gold pieces,
Martian solval beads, bottle caps—a lot
of different currencies might be used in
your game, depending on the setting and
the genre. You should use whatever you
like. In the Cypher System rules, we talk
in generalities rather than specifics. Not
unlike saying immediate or short distance
rather than giving precise numbers, we
talk about goods and services in terms of
inexpensive, moderately priced, expensive,
very expensive, or exorbitant.
The GM can figure out what those things
mean in her setting. In a fantasy setting,
an inexpensive item might be 1 or 2 copper
pennies, while an expensive item might
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require gold on the table. The exact amount
can vary, and in many campaigns, the exact
amount will matter. The GM will develop a
detailed price list for her setting, and players
will track their money on their character
sheets to determine what they can afford,
often ignoring the terms inexpensive,
moderately priced, and so on.
Of course, some GMs might want
to keep things simple and use only the
general terms, indicating currency just
as flavor now and then. In a space opera
game, where the PCs are the crew of a
starship blazing about the galaxy in search
of adventure and profit, fuel and upkeep
for the ship might be expensive. Hauling a
few passengers from Epsilon Eridani back
to Earth might earn enough to purchase
six expensive items but cost the equivalent
of two expensive items, leaving the crew
with the means to refuel and maintain the
ship for two further voyages. In such a
game, where money only means keeping
the ship flying, no one has to talk in
specific amounts. Characters might refer

to “galactic credits” or something similar,
but amounts might not be tracked on the
character sheets.
PRICE CATEGORIES
There are five price categories for goods and
services.
An inexpensive item is something that
common people buy. A simple meal or a
drink in the bar. A pen and some paper. A
book or magazine.
A moderately priced item is something
that common people buy, but not too often
and not in great quantities. A small piece
of furniture. A major entertainment. An
expensive meal. A new outfit.
An expensive item is something that
would strain a common person’s finances.
Rent on a simple apartment. A major piece of
furniture. A very nice outfit. The cost to travel
a long distance (if appropriate to the setting).
A very expensive item is probably out
of the reach of most people except in very
special circumstances. Jewelry. Luxury
furnishings.
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Equipment
An exorbitant item is something only the
very rich can afford. A very nice house. A
ship. Extremely expensive jewelry or art.
Think of the categories as powers of 10.
That is to say, a moderately priced item is ten
times more costly than an inexpensive item.
An expensive item is 10 times more costly
than a moderately priced item, and thus 100
times the cost of something inexpensive. A
very expensive item is 10 times the cost of
an expensive one, 100 times the cost of a
moderate one, and 1,000 times the cost of
an inexpensive one. An exorbitant item is
priced 10 times beyond that.
USING THE PRICE CATEGORIES
Regardless of how precise you want to be
with prices and currency, you can use the
price categories in a variety of ways.
It’s easy for a GM to say to a player, “You
can afford two extra moderately priced
things at the start of the game.” She can
look on the list and pick two moderately
priced items without worrying about their
cost. Plus, this approach makes it clear that
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 Chapter 14
HORROR
A
lthough it’s very likely a subset of the
modern genre, horror as a genre gets
special treatment. Unlike the other
genres, horror doesn’t necessarily suggest a
setting. Any setting can be horrific. Horror
is more of a style. An approach. A mood.
You could easily have horror in other
times and settings, but for our purposes,
we’ll deal with a default setting in the
modern day. The PCs are probably normal
people, not secret agents or special
investigators (although being a part of a
secret agency that deals with monsters in
the shadows could make for a fine horror
game).
Suggested foci, types, and additional
equipment for a horror setting are the same
Chapter 12: Modern, as in a modern setting, so refer to Chapter
page 244 12: Modern for that information.
CREATING A HORROR SETTING
Whatever the setting, the main thing
to remember when preparing to run a
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horror-themed game is that if everything
is terrifying, nothing is. Think about every
good horror movie you’ve seen or story
you’ve read, in which scenes of horror are
paced nicely with scenes of normal life.
The key is the contrast. People need rising
and falling tension, or they will break from
the story. So you need a setting that has
ordinary scenes, encounters, and events as
well as horrific ones. Even a world overcome
by hordes of zombies needs to offer
moments of respite for the characters.
RUNNING A HORROR GAME
Running a good horror game is difficult.
You’ve got to maintain mood and atmosphere
at almost all times. Consider these tips.
Give the players time to develop their
characters before going to the haunted
house, spooky cemetery, or mysterious ruin.
Let them get attached to the characters, at
least a little, so that when those PCs are in
jeopardy, the players will be frightened.

Use music, lighting, and the environment
to help create a mood. Don’t hesitate to use
candles or flashlights in a dark room rather
than conventional lighting. Shake things
up—if you normally play in the dining room
when you run sessions in other genres, play
in the basement for your horror game.
Unnerve your players as well as the
characters. As you describe a scene in the
game, occasionally glance out the window
or toward the door, particularly if it’s behind
one or more players, as though you hear
something strange. Make it seem like
creepy things are going on, but be subtle.
Make the players sense it without being fully
aware of it.
Startle the players as well as the characters.
When the monster finally appears, shout
at the top of your lungs! Turn out the lights
suddenly. Do something shocking.
Horror games are often one-shot
sessions or a short arc of a few sessions.
They are very difficult to run as long-term
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Horror
campaigns, but it’s possible. If that’s what
you want, remember that you need rising
and falling tension. There must be respites
and calm moments between the horror.
Horror needs to be brutal and ruthless,
even if—or rather, especially if—other
games you run are relatively safe for PCs.
Kill characters. Maim characters.
Focus on the startling and unexpected
when possible. Blood and gore can
be shocking sometimes, but only in a
context in which they are unexpected. In
other words, they might be expected on a
battlefield, but not in the middle of a happy
religious ceremony or family gathering.
Fear of the unknown is the greatest, most
primal fear. It’s the thing the PCs don’t see
that scares them the most. Take your time
and allow them to hear the horrific creature
approach before the encounter begins. Let
them see its shadow before they see the rest
of it. Let them react to the unknown threat
before they can identify it.
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 Chapter 15

SUPERHEROES

CREATING A
L
Brash, page 65 ike horror, the superhero genre is really
Adept, page 29
a subset of the modern genre with SUPERHERO SETTING
extensive special considerations. In Even by roleplaying game standards,
Bears a Halo of Fire, many ways, it might appear that the Cypher superhero games are all about the PCs.
page 98
System is a strange fit for superheroes. But Think of the PCs as the main characters of
Tough, page 87 if you think about it, with foci like Bears a their own comic book. They are the stars of
Halo of Fire and Wears a Sheen of Ice, the the show. Rather than create a world and
Warrior, page 22
Cypher System makes all genres a little bit have the players make superhero PCs to fit
Performs Feats of “superhero-ish.” Character sentences might into it, have the players create characters
Strength, page 156 look like the following: first and build the world around them. They
Mystical, page 81 Firebrand is a Brash energy projector are the superhero team that the setting
(adept) who Bears a Halo of Fire. should revolve around, whether they are
Exists Partially Out of
Phase, page 122
King Brick is a Tough warrior who a new group or the heroes who have been
Performs Feats of Strength. defending the city for years.
Mysterious, page 80 Dimensionar is a Mystical warlock (adept) Before you dig in, consider the following
Explorer, page 38 who Exists Partially Out of Phase. topics.
Dark Ronin is a Mysterious crimefighter How prevalent are superpowered beings
Solves Mysteries, (explorer) who Solves Mysteries. in the world? If they’re common, how has
page 167
Speedburst is a Fast crimefighter the world adapted to this idea? Police
Fast, page 73 (explorer) who Moves Like the Wind. or military units particularly suited for
And so on. superpowered threats, special prisons for
Moves Like the Wind,
page 151 holding powered criminals, and special laws
for superpowers (is it a crime to rob a bank

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while under the effects of mind control?)
are all obvious issues that will come up.
If superbeings are not common, how will
ordinary people react when they learn of the
PCs? With shock and awe? Fear? Respect?
Are aliens, magic, mutants, and
impossible technologies at play in the
setting? (The answer is almost certainly
yes.) If so, does the majority of the world
know about these things, understand them,
and accept them?
Superhero games are usually confined to
one major city, but occasionally the heroes
have adventures that take them around the
globe or even into space.
Do the PCs already have arch-foes? If so,
developing a bit of history of their previous
battles and adventures can add a lot of
flavor.
RUNNING A SUPERHERO GAME
Superhero stories, unlike others, rarely have
a definitive end. Doctor Vengeance may
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Superheroes
have been defeated this time, but he’ll be
back with a whole new plan of conquest
sooner than anyone expects. Think of your
superhero game as a comic book series.
Each session is an issue, often ending in an
exciting cliffhanger. Stories are told in arcs
over multiple issues, but sometimes those
arcs overlap. In other words, a new story arc
starts while the previous arc is still going
on. You can play with this concept further
and have special “double-sized” issues for
epic confrontations with a lot of “splash
pages.” If you really want to do something
different, have each PC have his or her own
series, playing sessions with just one player,
and then have crossover issues where all
the characters come together to defeat a
powerful threat.
Here are some other tips to consider.
There’s a danger that superhero PCs
become entirely reactive. They wait for the
villains to do something and then try to
stop them. If you can occasionally find ways
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 Doctor Dread is usually
accompanied by a
handful of robot minions. DOCTOR DREAD 7 (21)
Dread’s robot minion:
level 3; Armor 1; long-
Doctor Dread is larger than life thanks to her brilliant mind, her media savvy, and the
range laser attack inflicts
4 points of damage robotic armor she uses to enhance her otherwise normal abilities. Indeed, Doctor Dread
has become the most feared terrorist on the planet. She uses her abilities to extort money,
GM Intrusion: Doctor
Dread uses a function
influence, and technology from the rich and powerful, whether her victims are individuals,
built into her robotic governments, corporations, or superheroes.
armor that is the perfect Alicia Coleridge is Doctor Dread’s secret identity. Born into relative obscurity, she
solution for her current
predicament: healing received a full scholarship to the Russell Institute of Technology, where she studied the
herself, teleporting away, effects of radioactive substances on living tissue. In a freak lab accident, Alicia’s fiancé was
disintegrating a barrier, slain, and Alicia was disfigured and driven slightly insane, so much so that she built the
or whatever is needed.
Doctor Dread armor. She plows the vast wealth she accumulates through terrorism into
Assume that Doctor research into the rejuvenation of dead flesh. She hopes to one day bring back her dead love,
Dread has three power
shifts in intelligence
whose body she keeps in suspended animation.
and two in resilience; Motive: Accumulate wealth; reanimate dead flesh
see page 270. These Environment: Wherever money can be extorted
shifts are already figured
into her modifications Health: 40
and other stats. Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 4
Movement: Short; long when flying
Modifications: Resists mental attacks and deception as level 8; understands, repairs, and
crafts advanced technology as level 10.
Combat: Doctor Dread’s armor allows her to exist without
outside air (or air pressure), food, or water for up to
ten days at a time. She can call on her robotic armor to
accomplish a variety of tasks, including the following:
Plasma Blast: Long-range heat and electricity blast that inflicts 7
points of damage
Fade: Become invisible for one minute, or until she makes an
attack
Barricade: Establish an immobile, two-dimensional field of
transparent force 10 feet by 10 feet (3 m by 3 m) for ten
minutes
Energy Cloak: Create an energy field that gives her +5 to Armor
against heat, cold, or magnetism (one at a time, chosen
when she uses the power) for ten minutes
Interaction: Doctor Dread is slightly mad, but that’s normally
disguised by her amazing brilliance. She is an egomaniac
but will negotiate in return for a promise of wealth or
biomedical lore she doesn’t already know.
Use: The PCs are called to handle a hostage situation at a party
in which many of the city’s wealthy elite are being held
captive by Doctor Dread. She promises to let them go once
sufficient wealth is paid into her offshore accounts.
Loot: Most of Doctor Dread’s considerable wealth is tied up in
online accounts, two or three secret fortresses, and cutting-
edge biological research equipment.

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 Creatures

MAGNETAR 8 (24) GM Intrusion: On a

failed Might defense roll,
all of the character’s
Not much is known about Magnetar other than its powerful ability to generate and control loose metallic items
(including weapons) are
magnetic fields. Various research groups theorize that Magnetar is an alien, a sentient and
stripped from him and
self-improving robot, or even some kind of manifestation of a fundamental force. Given become stuck to a nearby
Magnetar’s vaguely humanoid shape, a few people even suggest that the villain is actually a metallic buttress.
man with a mutant ability so powerful that it burned out all memories of his former self.
Assume that Magnetar
In truth, Magnetar is the animate, sentient, and self-regulating nucleus of a neutron has three power shifts
star that is able to rein in its immense electromagnetic signature. One of two such beings in its magnetic power
an advanced alien race created from a single magnetar (a type of neutron star with an and two in resilience;
extremely powerful magnetic field), Magnetar was sent on a mission of exploration. After see page 270. These
shifts are already figured
millennia, it crashed on Earth and was damaged. Having lost most of its memory data, into its modifications
Magnetar knows that something was taken from it (its twin), but it can’t remember what. It and other stats.
has decided to blame the humans.
Motive: Revenge; regain memory
Environment: Almost anywhere, searching for what it has lost
Health: 50
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Armor: 8
Movement: Short; long when magnetically levitating
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to mass;
tasks related to controlling and shaping metal
through electromagnetic manipulation as level 11.
Combat: Magnetar’s fist packs a wallop, since it can
selectively add mass to the punch. However, its
most potent ability is its level 11 control over all
metal within 300 feet (91 m), which it uses to
create anything it can imagine, including walls,
attacks, pincers, and more. Magnetar can lift
bridges, vehicles, and structures infused with
rebar that it can see within its area of influence.
When it throws such a large object as part of an
attack, the target and everything within short
range of the target takes 10 points of damage.
Magnetar’s only weakness is psychic attacks, which is fortunate
since reducing it to 0 health through an old-fashioned beating
could release an uncontrolled neutron star chunk on the Earth’s
surface.
Interaction: Morose and gruff, Magnetar generally would rather be
alone, but every so often, it goes on a rampage, hoping that a
display will draw out whoever or whatever made it the way it
is. Magnetar constantly feels the drag of emotional loss, but it
doesn’t know why (it doesn’t realize that the feeling comes from
the loss of its twin).
Use: Doctor Dread has put a bounty on Magnetar’s head because
she wants to study the advanced technology woven through its
body. The bounty amount is outrageous, but then again, so is
Magnetar.

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 Chapter 18

CYPHERS

C
yphers are one-use abilities that
characters gain over the course
of play. In the majority of games,
these come in the form of items, like
magic potions or bits of alien technology.
In others, they’re more esoteric, like
Cyphers don’t have inspirations or divine blessings. Cyphers
to be used to make are designed for frequent discovery and
room for new ones. It’s
perfectly acceptable use. PCs can have only a small number of
for the PCs to stash an cyphers at a given time, and since they’re
extra cypher elsewhere always finding more, they’re encouraged to
for later use. Of course,
use them at a steady pace.
that doesn’t mean the
cypher will still be there In theory, the cyphers discovered by the
when they return. PCs are determined randomly. However, the
GM can place them intentionally as well.
They have cool powers that can heal, make
attacks, or produce effects such as nullifying
gravity or turning something invisible.
Cyphers are single-use items and are always
consumed when used.
Cyphers are found with such regularity that
the PCs can use them freely. There will always
be more, and they’ll have different benefits.
This means that in gameplay, cyphers are less
like gear or treasure and more like character
abilities that the players don’t choose. This
leads to fun game moments where a player
can say, “Well, I’ve got an X that might help

WHY CYPHERS?
Cyphers are (not surprisingly, based on the name)
the heart of the Cypher System. This is because
characters in this game have abilities that rarely or
never change and can always be counted on—pretty
much like in all games—and they have abilities that
are ever-changing and inject a great deal of variability
in play. They are the major reason why no Cypher
System game session should ever be dull or feel just
like the last session. This week your character can
solve the problem by walking through walls, but last
time it was because you could create an explosion
that would level a city block.
The Cypher System, then, is a game where PC
abilities are fluid, with the GM and the players both
having a role in their choice, their assignment, and
their use. Although many things separate the game
system from others, this aspect makes it unique,
because cyphers recognize the importance and value
of two things:
1. “Treasure” as character abilities makes the game
fun and exciting. In the early days of roleplaying, in
fact, treasure (usually in the form of magic items
found in dungeons) was really the only customization
of characters that existed. It means that the drive to
go out and have adventures is that you can discover
cool new things that help you when you go on the
next adventures. This is true in many RPGs, but in the
Cypher System, it’s built right into the game’s core.
2. Letting the GM have a hand in determining
PC abilities makes the game move more smoothly.
Some GMs prefer to generate cyphers randomly, but
some do not. For example, giving the PCs a cypher
that will allow them to teleport far away might be a
secret adventure seed placed by a forward-thinking
GM. Because the GM has an idea of where the story
is going, she can use cyphers to help guide the
path. Alternatively, if the GM is open to it, she can
give out cyphers that enable the characters to take a
more proactive role (such as teleporting anywhere
they want). Perhaps most important, she can do
these things without worrying about the long-term
ramifications of the power. A device that lets you
teleport multiple times might really mess up the
game over the long term. But once? That’s just fun.

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 Cyphers

in this situation,” and X is always different. X
might be an explosive device, a short-range
teleporter, or a force field. It might be a
powerful magnet or an injection that will cure
disease. It could be anything. Cyphers keep
the game fresh and interesting. Over time,
characters can learn how to safely carry more
and more cyphers, so the devices really do
seem more like abilities and less like gear.
CYPHER LIMITS
All characters have a maximum number of
cyphers they can have in their possession at
any one time. If a character ever attempts to
possess more, random cyphers disappear
instantly until she has cyphers equal to
her maximum. These cyphers are not
recoverable.
Scavenging is not the only way to obtain
cyphers. They can also be given as gifts,
traded with merchants, or sometimes
purchased in a shop.
Once the PCs find a cypher, identifying
Cyphers are meant to
it is a separate task, based on Intellect and be used regularly and
modified by knowledge of the topic at hand. often. If PCs are hoarding
In a fantasy setting, that knowledge would or saving their cyphers,
probably be magic, but in a science fiction feel free to give them a
reason to pull the devices
setting, it might be technology. The GM sets
out and put them into
the difficulty of the task, but it is usually 1 play.
or 2. Thus, even the smallest amount of
knowledge means that cypher identification
is automatic. The process takes one to
ten minutes. If the PCs can’t identify a

FINDING AND IDENTIFYING

CYPHERS
Cyphers are often found in groups of one
to six (the GM can roll 1d6 to determine
the number), usually because the PCs are
looking for them. They might be among
the possessions of a fallen foe, hidden
in a secret room, or scattered amid the
wreckage of a crashed starship. The GM
can prepare a list ahead of time of what
successful searchers find. Sometimes this
list is random, and sometimes there is
some logic behind it. For example, the PCs
might find four different magic potions in
the same location in a warlock’s laboratory.
If the characters search for cyphers,
the GM sets the difficulty of the task. It
is usually 3 or 4, and scavenging can take
fifteen minutes to an hour.

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