Browse the Cypher v2

Each day you can pick a different magical effect and cast it as a spell. Choose a low-power or medium-power manifest cypher. You can cast that spell as an action, costing 3 Intellect for a low-power cypher or 5 Intellect for a medium-power cypher. This spell does not count toward your cypher limit. Unlike when using a cypher, you do not lose this spell after casting it. As part of making a ten-hour recovery, you can change which cypher you've taken as a spell. Ten minutes to prepare a cypher as a spell; action to cast a cypher as a spell. At tier 6: You can use this ability to choose a low-, mid-, or advanced-power cypher as a spell. You can cast an advanced-power cypher spell as an action, costing 7 Intellect.

When you successfully interact with a creature by succeeding on a charm, deception, or intimidation task—even those having to do with calming animals or communicating with someone or something whose language you do not speak—you also learn one small useful or at least interesting bit of information. For instance, if you convince the guard to let you pass, you might also learn that their supervisor is due back in ten minutes. Action.

You leap into the attack, twisting or flipping through the air. If you use Effort on the attack roll, you get a free level of Effort on it. If you roll a natural 17 or 18, instead of inflicting extra damage you can choose to have a minor effect. You can't use this ability if you can't freely use the armor you're wearing. Enabler.

Your Data Processor ability can now grant you training in physical skills as well, such as athletics, gymnastics, dodging or blocking, or attacks with a specific weapon. This does not change how many skills Data Processor can simultaneously give you training in. Enabler.

You can effortlessly adhere to most physical objects and surfaces nimbly enough that you can effectively walk or run up walls and ceilings as if they were level ground, using as much or as little of your body surface as makes sense. For example, you could simply hang from a surface with one hand or lie across a wall for maximum surface contact. In addition, you rarely drop objects, and others can't easily take objects away from you; your tasks related to retaining your grip on an object are eased.

You give a command to a creature within short range who can hear and understand you. If you succeed at an Intellect roll against them, they obey that command for one round. If the command would cause direct harm to them or their allies, the attack is hindered. Effort: Attempt to give them one command each following round (make an Intellect attack for each additional command); the ability ends when you fail the attack. Action.

You make a hindered attack featuring several quick moves against an armed foe. If you hit, you inflict damage and disarm them—choose whether you want to be holding their weapon or it is knocked to the ground 10 feet (3.5 m) away. For the rest of the combat encounter, you gain an asset on intimidation tasks against your foe. First action.

You can take an extra action on your turn. Enabler.

When attempting a Speed task, you can spend points from your Intellect Pool instead of your Speed Pool, and vice versa. Use the Edge stat for the Pool you're spending points from.

You cancel or cure a disease, poison, or similar malady in a creature you touch if you succeed at an Intellect roll against the malady's level. (Some maladies may require multiple successes to be cured.) Action.

While in a city, you attempt to find or create a significant shortcut, secret entrance, or emergency escape route where it looked like none existed. To do so, you must succeed at an Intellect task, with the difficulty set by the GM based on the situation. You and the GM should work out the details of your unexpected path, but it should let you move at least a short distance away from where you are now. Action.

Every time you use a recovery, if your Might Pool isn't already full, you get 1 extra point to restore to your Might Pool. You can select this ability up to three times.

Every time you use a recovery, if your Speed Pool isn't already full, you get 1 extra point to restore to your Speed Pool. You can select this ability up to three times.

You build a single-use technological device. You can choose its effect from the Low-Power Manifest Cyphers table. Your device counts toward your cypher limit (or the limit of anyone you give the device to). If you are already at your cypher limit, your choice of one of your current cyphers shorts out, had to be salvaged for parts to create the new device, or something similar, and the new device takes its place. Ten minutes to build. At tier 3: You can choose a low or medium-power manifest cypher as a single-use device. At tier 6: You can choose a low-, medium-, or advanced-power manifest cypher as a single-use device.

Every time you use a recovery, if your Intellect Pool isn't already full, you get 1 extra point to restore to your Intellect Pool. You can select this ability up to three times.

Choose one kind of energy, such as cold, electricity, fire, psychic, radiation, and so on. You reduce the severity of wounds you take from this energy by three steps (major, moderate, and minor to none). You can't become invulnerable to kinetic energy using this ability. You can use this ability to become invulnerable to damaging magical blasts (but not magical effects that aren't based on damage, such as mind control or telekinesis).

When you use Effort from your Might Pool on a noncombat task, you get a free level of Effort on that task. Enabler.

You have a utility belt, supersuit, or other device that provides you with a useful effect when you need it. Pick a low-power manifest cypher accessed through this device. You can activate the device as an action, costing 2 Intellect. The chosen ability does not count toward your cypher limit. Unlike when using a cypher, you do not lose this ability after activating it. Whenever you take a ten-hour recovery, you can change which cypher you've incorporated into this device. If you lose your device, you can (depending on your skill) craft a replacement or arrange for one to be made for you, requiring 1d6 days of concerted effort.

Ask the GM a question you want answered. The GM sets a difficulty for the answer—the more obscure the answer, the more difficult the task. If you succeed at an Intellect task against this difficulty, you get a short answer to the question. If you fail, you take 4 Intellect damage from digital feedback. Action.

You can lift the spirits of a group of creatures and help them bond together by entertaining them with an uplifting or pointed anecdote. Choose one task (other than an attack or defense task) related to your anecdote. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, those who pay attention to your story are trained in that task. Alternatively, you can spend time interacting with a group of people within short range. As long as they are at least neutral toward you (rather than hostile), they become friendly toward you until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. Action to initiate; one minute to complete.

If you know the general location of an animal that is friendly toward you and within 1 mile (1.6 km) of your location, you can sense through its senses until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. You must be in animal form or a form similar to that animal to activate this ability. Effort: Activate this ability even if you are not in animal form or a form similar to that animal. Action to establish.

Most of the time, if you're about to walk into an ambush or a trap that is level 4 or lower, the GM should alert you (though depending on the circumstances, you may not have time to warn your companions). Even if you are unaware of an incoming attack, the attacker doesn't gain any advantage against you, such as from surprise.

You change into an animal as small as a rat or up to your own size (such as a large dog or small bear) until you use a recovery. Each time you transform, you can take a different animal shape. Your equipment becomes part of the transformation, rendering it unusable unless it has a passive effect, such as armor. In this form your stats remain the same as your normal form, but you can move and attack according to your animal shape (attacks from most human-sized animals inflict 4 damage; attacks from smaller animals inflict 2 damage) without penalty. Tasks requiring hands (such as using door handles or pushing buttons) are hindered when in animal form. You cannot speak but can still use abilities that don't rely on human speech. You gain a minor ability associated with the creature you become (see the Animal Form Minor Abilities box). For example, if you transform into a bat, you can fly up to a long distance each round. If you transform into an octopus, you can breathe underwater. Effort: Gain an asset to one skill associated with the creature you become (see the Animal Form Minor Abilities box). Effort: Become a talking animal; this looks exactly like a normal animal, but you can still talk and use any abilities that rely on human speech. Effort: Take a hybrid shape; this is like your normal form but with animalistic features, even if that animal is something much smaller than you (such as a bat or rat). In hybrid form you can speak, use all of your abilities, make attacks like an animal, and perform tasks using hands without being hindered. Anyone who sees you clearly in hybrid form would never mistake you for a mere animal. Action to change or revert.

You pull a physical object to you across almost any distance. You can choose any piece of normal equipment on the equipment list for your genre, or (once between each ten-hour recovery) you can let the GM randomly determine what object appears. You can't use this ability to take an item held by another creature. The object appears next to you. Action.

If a weapon has the ability to fire rapid shots without reloading (usually called a rapid-fire weapon, such as a crank crossbow or submachine gun), you can fire your weapon at three targets (all next to one another) at once. Make a separate hindered attack roll against each target. Action.

You can float and fly through the air at your normal land speed until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. In terms of overland movement, a flying creature moves about 20 miles (32 km) per hour and is not affected by terrain. Effort: Affect one additional touched creature of your size or smaller; you direct their movement and they must remain within sight of you or they fall. Action to initiate.

You instantly teleport to any location within a short distance that you can see. Effort: Increase your range by a short distance. Teleport to a location you can't see. Bring one creature (of your size or smaller) with you. At tier 5: If you spend 5 Intellect, your base distance and distance increment for Effort increase to long range, and each level of Effort applied lets you bring two people with you. At tier 6: If you spend 6 Intellect, your base distance increases to anywhere on the same planet, and each level of Effort used lets you bring three people with you. Action.

Your beast's Armor increases by 2.

You are very resistant to damage due to your body being composed of rock or metal, your incredible toughness, or a similar reason. You ignore minor wounds. You can take an additional moderate wound and major wound.

You use nearby small objects from the environment (rocks, broken items, clumps of dirt, and so on) to intercept incoming attacks until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. This allows you to attempt to better block wounds (block tasks are eased by one additional step; dodge tasks are unaffected). Action to initiate.

If you successfully attack a creature that was previously unaware of your presence, you deal +6 damage. (If you also have From the Shadows, add the extra damage from both abilities.) Enabler.

You can instantly teleport anywhere you can see or that you know exists. You can instantly teleport to a location within immediate range and then take a First action, such as attacking with a light weapon or opening a door (the teleportation happens before your First action, not the other way around). You can take an action, then teleport within short range as an extra action on your turn. As a Last action, you can teleport to a location within long range. First action, action, or Last action.

When you attack, you add stylish moves, entertaining quips, or a certain something that entertains or impresses others. One creature you choose within short range who can see you gains an asset to their next task if taken within a round or two. Enabler.

Your task this round (other than an attack) has an asset if you attempt it as a Last action instead of an action or First action. Enabler.

If you make your attack this round as a Last action instead of as an action or a First action, you can ignore one wound you take before the beginning of your next turn. Enabler.

You attack with a blaster (or other genre-appropriate ranged weapon) in a way that has a greater risk of making an error but gains an additional benefit. Your GM intrusion range for this attack increases by 2 (from 1 on a d20 to 1–3 on a d20), but if you hit you can choose one of the following additional effects: - Disarming Shot: The attack inflicts 1 less damage, but your foe drops something they are holding in one hand (such as a weapon or shield). To retrieve the object, the foe must use an action. - Piercing Accuracy: The foe takes +2 damage. Action.

You've built a new capability into one of your automatons—it can use its action to transform into an armored suit that you wear until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. If you are within an immediate distance when it transforms, it automatically forms itself around you. The transformed automaton acts as light armor; because it anticipates and reacts to your movements, you can freely use this armor. Enabler.

You have built a level 2 automaton follower of your size or smaller that accompanies you and follows your instructions. You and the GM must work out the details of your automaton's appearance and personality. If the automaton is damaged, a few minutes of your attention mends it—the automaton regains 2 health. If the automaton is destroyed, it can be restored using your resources if you spend a few days tinkering.

You've built a new capability into one of your automatons—for one day, the automaton increases your cypher limit by one. Enabler.

One of your automaton followers is upgraded, increasing its level by 1. You can select this ability multiple times. Each time, the level of one of your automatons increases by 1.

You've built four level 2 automaton followers, each no larger than yourself. You and the GM must work out the details of each automaton's appearance and personality. If one of these automatons is destroyed, it can be restored using your resources after a few days of labor.

You've built a new capability into one of your automatons—as its normal movement, it can fly up to a long distance. If you wish, it can carry you but can only move at a rate of up to 20 feet (6 m) per round in any direction while doing so.

You've built a new capability into one of your automatons—it can erect a translucent level 5 force field around itself and anyone within immediate range of it until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. Any creature protected by the field reduces incoming wounds by one severity (NPCs take 3 less damage). Enabler.

You've built a new capability into one of your automatons—the robot can use its action to transform into an armored suit that you wear until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. If you are within an immediate distance when it transforms, it automatically forms itself around you. The transformed automaton acts as heavy armor; because it anticipates and reacts to your movements, you can freely use this armor. Enabler.

You've built a new capability into one of your automatons—it can reconfigure itself and become an immobile energy weapon on a gimbal mount. The turret is a heavy weapon with very long range that inflicts 7 damage. If you have the automaton act on its own, it makes one hindered attack per round. If you or an ally use the turret as a weapon, attacks with it are eased. Action to change the automaton's configuration; Last action to attack with turret.

You become hyperaware of your surroundings until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. You are aware of all living things within long range (including their general position). By using an action to concentrate, you can choose one of them and attempt to learn their general health and power level. Action.

An invisible force field surrounds you, lasting until you take a ten-minute or longer recovery. This allows you to try blocking attacks with an eased Intellect defense roll instead of a Might defense roll; if you succeed, you reduce the severity of the wound by one step. If the blocked attack would still inflict a wound, you can spend 5 Intellect to completely negate it, shattering your force field until your next turn. Effort: Create a level 6 force field up to a short distance away that is identical to a force field cypher, lasting until you take a ten-minute or longer recovery. You can have more than one such force field active at a time, but each one beyond the first requires you to use an additional level of Effort to activate it (two levels for a second force field, and so on). Your personal force field doesn't count toward this total. Action.

This is an axe attack that relies on your axe's "beard" (the portion of the blade directly below the axe's cutting edge) to hook a target's weapon or shield. A successful attack deals 2 less damage than normal but causes them to drop one or the other. To retrieve their weapon or shield, the target must use an action. Alternatively, you can hook a limb to pull your target off balance. This attack deals 1 less damage than normal but hinders your target's tasks until your next turn. Action.

With access to a medical field kit (or similar equipment), you deliberately misuse a medication normally meant to heal, such as a skin spray, injector, or similar device. Make an attack against a creature in immediate range; the medical device is a light weapon (the attack is eased). If you succeed, they can't take any actions on their next turn. Effort: Instead make the creature unconscious until you use a recovery (requires two levels of Effort). Action to prepare medicine; action to attack.

You gain four level 3 followers, each with three level 4 modifications of your choice. Instead of gaining four new level 3 followers, you can advance four existing level 2 followers to level 3 and gain a new level 2 follower in place of each of them.

You gain a level 2 follower who has two level 3 modifications (one of which is charm). You can take this ability multiple times, each time gaining another follower.

You animate the body of a dead creature of approximately your size or smaller within immediate range, creating a level 1 follower that is an undead creature. It has none of the intelligence, memories, or special abilities that it had in life. The creature follows your verbal commands until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, after which it becomes an inert corpse. Unless the creature is killed by damage, you can reanimate it again when its time expires, but any damage it had when it became inert applies to its newly reanimated state. If you use Basic Necromancy to animate a second body, any body you've already animated with this ability becomes an inert corpse again. Action to animate.

You animate the body of a dead creature of approximately your size or smaller within immediate range, creating a level 1 follower that is an undead creature. It has none of the intelligence, memories, or special abilities that it had in life. The creature follows your verbal commands until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, at which point it becomes an inert corpse. You can reanimate it again when it becomes inert or if it is " killed" by damage (though you may have to spend a few minutes with a needle and thread to reattach detached or loose parts). Last action to animate.

You can freely use all weapons and all armor. As an action, you learn the level of up to three creatures that you can see within short range. This ability can be foiled by disguises or shapechanging. Enabler for weapon use; action for evaluating creatures.

When you take a recovery within immediate range of your beast companion, you gain an additional 3 Pool points. Enabler.

You temporarily summon one level 4 beast or a horde of small beasts (who together function as a level 4 creature) to help you. The beast or beasts do your bidding for as long as you focus your attention, but you must use your action each turn to direct them. The beasts are native to the area and arrive under their own power, so if you're in an unreachable place, this ability won't work. Action.

You can convey a basic concept to a creature that normally can't speak or understand speech. The creature can also give you a very basic answer to a simple question. Action.

You gain a follower that is a level 2 beast of your size or smaller that accompanies you and follows your instructions. You and the GM must work out the appearance and personality of your beast. Its movement is based on its creature type (avian, swimmer, and so on). If your beast companion dies, you can use your resources hunting in the wild for a few days to locate and befriend a new one.

You link your mind to your beast companion (or a beast you've calmed with Soothe the Savage, if they remain well disposed toward you), perceiving through their senses if they are within 1 mile (1.6 km) of you. This ability lasts until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. Action to initiate.

On five consecutive nights each month, you uncontrollably change into a monstrous beast until the first hint of dawn or the moon sets (but see below). Work with your GM to determine the details of this form. In this new form, you add +4 to your Might Pool, +1 to your Might Edge, +2 to your Speed Pool, and +1 to your Speed Edge; you ignore the first moderate wound you take; and you can freely use your unarmed attacks as light weapons (eased attack, 2 damage) or medium weapons (unmodified attack, 4 damage), whichever seems appropriate for that attack. While in beast form, you can't spend Intellect points for any reason other than to try to change to your normal form before the duration is over (a difficulty 4 task). In addition, you attack any and every living creature within short range. After you revert to your normal form, all your tasks are hindered until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. If you did not kill and eat at least one substantial creature while in beast form, the hindrance is two steps instead of one and lasts until you use a ten-hour recovery. Effort: You can intentionally change into your beast form if you succeed at a difficulty 4 Intellect task. If you fail, you can keep trying each round (at no additional Might cost to activate this ability) until you succeed or decide to give up. Enabler to involuntarily change into beast form; action to voluntarily change into beast form; action to change back to your normal form.

When you change into your beast form, you are immediately healed of one wound of any severity. This ability renews after you take a ten-hour recovery. Enabler.

You have heightened senses; you have an asset to perception and initiative tasks. If you are in beast form, you have two assets, and even if you are unaware of an incoming attack, the attacker doesn't gain any advantage against you, such as from surprise.

When using Sneak Attack, you gain an asset on the attack. On your next turn, your target takes an additional 5 damage (ignores armor). The target can prevent this additional damage by taking a recovery, using any ability that heals it, or using its action to attend to the injury. Enabler.

When you use Enlarge, if you spend an additional 1 Might, you grow to a height of 12 feet (4 m). While bigger, you add +1 to your Might Edge, you can ignore the first two moderate wounds you take, your unarmed attacks inflict 6 damage, and you gain an asset to tasks that are easier for a larger creature to perform (like climbing or wading). While bigger, your dodge tasks are hindered by two steps. Enabler.

When you use Animal Shape, you can grow to about twice your normal size. Being so large, your animal shape gains the following additional benefits: you can ignore the first moderate wound you take, your unarmed attacks inflict an additional 4 damage, and you gain an asset on your unarmed attack rolls. However, your dodge tasks are hindered. While using Bigger Animal Shape, you also gain an asset to tasks that are easier for a larger creature to perform, like climbing, intimidating, wading rivers, and so on.

When you use Beast Form, you grow larger, during which time you achieve a height of 12 feet (4 m). Being so large, your beast form gains the following additional benefits: you can ignore the first moderate wound you take, your unarmed attack rolls have an asset, you can freely use your unarmed attacks as heavy weapons (6 damage), and you gain an asset to tasks that are easier for a larger creature to perform (like climbing or wading). While in your bigger beast form, your dodge tasks are hindered. Enabler.

When repairing, modifying, or building machines or devices of any kind, your task takes you half as long as normal.

You emit a short-range blast of energy inflicting 4 damage on a target with a successful attack roll. Work with the GM to determine the type of energy comprising your blast. You can tune the effect to make it hot enough to slice through material of up to level 5 that's no more than 1 foot (30 cm) thick if given a few rounds to concentrate on doing so. If you have another damaging attack ability (from your focus or your type), you can use Blast to augment that ability, increasing its damage by 1. Effort: Gain fine control over the effect until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, varying the intensity as you wish within immediate range; for instance, you could use it to warm the area, cook food without burning it, provide bright light in the area, and so on. Increase the maximum level of material that you can cut through by 1. Action to attack; Last action to initiate fine control; enabler to augment another attack ability.

You blast an adjacent immediate area with cleansing radiance, inflicting 3 damage on up to three targets in the area—make a separate attack roll against each. If the targets are undead, demons, or creatures of similar ilk, they take 6 damage instead. If any targets are possessed by a spirit, demon, or similar entity, they gain another opportunity to resist the effect and eject their possessor. Action.

By changing your posture, your facial expression, and perhaps your clothing, you make yourself appear unimportant but not out of place for wherever you are. For example, you could look like a janitor in an office building, an orderly in a hospital, or a clerk in a police station. People can still see you, but those of level 3 or less attach no importance to your presence. If a higher-level creature notices you, you can attempt an Intellect task against their level to retain your unimportant-seeming status. While blending in, you gain two assets to dodge and stealth tasks. This effect ends if you do something to call attention to your presence or position—attacking, using an ability, moving a large object, and so on—or if you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. This ability works even if the NPC observes you through a security camera or similar device. Attempting to fool an animal (such as a guard dog or police dog) is hindered. Action to initiate.

You move up to 1,000 feet (300 m). (This movement doesn't hinder your tasks.) Last action.

While at least one of your Pools has no points, or while you have at least two moderate wounds or one major wound, you gain an asset to attacks or defense rolls (your choice), as well as to intimidation rolls. Enabler.

You draw upon your own blood, spirit, or life energy to power your abilities. You take a moderate wound and add +1 Edge to the Pool of your choice while you retain that wound. Enabler. Only one +1 Edge can be gained at a time using Blood Sorcery.

In addition to making your body a weapon, you can use it as a tool. You gain an asset to athletics and gymnastics tasks.

You can move a long distance from one location to another almost instantaneously, carried by a bolt of lightning. You must be able to see the new location, and there must be no intervening barriers. Action.

You simultaneously unleash four lightning bolts, making four separate attacks against targets within short range. Each bolt inflicts 4 damage, or 1 damage on a failed attack roll. Action.

With a touch, you ascertain the cause of death of a corpse, how long since its death, and its species when it was alive. Last action.

When you roll to pilot a spacecraft and your roll is less than a 9, treat the roll as a 9. (This means you don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1.) Spacecraft piloting tasks include specific maneuvers like safely docking the craft, turning or accelerating the ship gradually enough to avoid dangerously high gravity for sustained periods, noticing something unusual come up on the sensors, and so on. Effort: Increase the minimum number rolled for this ability by 3. This ability renews when you take a recovery. Action. At tier 3: The minimum number rolled for this ability increases to 12.

You throw your shield as a light weapon at a foe in short range. Whether the shield hits or misses, it rebounds to attack two additional targets (the third target can be the same as the first target). Make separate attacks against each target. At the end of these attacks, the shield bounces back to your grasp if you succeed on a difficulty 2 Speed task; otherwise it lands within immediate range of you. Effort: A successful hit with the shield hinders the target for one round. Action.

You use trickery, well-spoken lies, and mind-affecting chemicals (or other means, like magic or high technology, as appropriate to your genre) to control the actions of another creature you touch. The creature must be level 3 or lower and you must succeed at an Intellect attack against them. Control lasts until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, and if you can see them you decide on a case-by-case basis if they follow your orders or if they can act freely. When the duration ends, the creature doesn't remember being controlled or anything it did while under your command. Effort: Increase the maximum level of the creature you can affect by 1. Action to initiate.