Browse the Cypher v2

Creates an immediate-radius explosion of sticky goo up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they are held in place. The goo lasts until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery but can be cut, broken, or burned (inflicting 4 damage from fire to anyone held in it). NPCs can break free as an action (you can prevent this by making a Speed roll against them).

You add two free levels of Effort to your task. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You perform an amazing feat not normally defined by your powers or one that would normally be beyond your limits. For example, you use your flame blasts to weld metal, or you push your super-strength so you can catch a falling helicopter.

Your ability affects a larger area. If it normally affects one creature, it also affects the immediate area around that creature. Abilities that already affect an area increase to the next larger area size (immediate to short, short to long, long to very long, very long to 1,000 feet [300 m] across).

You go berserk in combat. While in this state, you can't use Intellect points, but you add +1 to your Might Edge or your Speed Edge (your choice). You end this effect early when you wish, and it ends automatically if no combat is taking place within range of your senses or if you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

When using a tool on a task, you get two additional assets on the task, even if that means exceeding the normal limit of two assets. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Your successful physical attack gives your foe a bleeding wound that inflicts an additional 3 damage (ignores armor) on your next turn. The foe can prevent this additional damage by using any ability that heals them or using their action to stop the bleeding. You can use this cypher before or after you roll. If you use Effort on the attack specifically for this cypher, the bleeding wound lasts an additional round for each level of Effort you use this way.

Your single-target ranged attack emanates from you. The range decreases to immediate (centered on you), but it affects everything within immediate range. If the ability is an attack, you gain an asset on your attack roll against creatures in the area.

As an extra action on your turn, you can move a short or long distance If you use this extra action to move a short distance, this doesn't hinder your tasks. If you use this extra action to move a long distance, your tasks until your next turn are only hindered by one step instead of two.

If you use one action to aim at a target beyond extreme range, in the next round your attack roll against them gets three assets. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.)

Upgrades a bomb cypher (such as a fiery bomb or shrapnel bomb) to have long range and create an additional delayed effect. When the upgraded cypher explodes, it also creates four additional bombs that each move a short distance in a different random direction, then explode on the next round in the same way as the original (unmodified) bomb cypher. Once a cluster bomb cypher is used to upgrade another cypher, the cluster bomb is expended and no longer counts toward your cypher limit.

A melee or ranged attack by you or a foe also damages a nearby object (not something you or the foe have) up to level 4, automatically breaking or destroying it.

You get two assets on a combat or noncombat task. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Over a few minutes of interacting with a creature or device that uses a language you don't understand, you learn the language and can communicate using it. This learning is permanent and does not count toward your cypher limit.

You create a remote link with a manifest cypher you are touching and specify a condition that will activate the linked cypher. For example, if you create a contingent link with a healing cypher, you could specify that it activates if you take a major wound or if you are knocked unconscious. The linked cypher can still be activated normally (without the contingent trigger). The contingent activator counts against your cypher limit until the linked cypher is used, lost, or discarded.

Creates an immediate-radius explosion of acid up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each living creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage.

In response to being hit with an attack, you immediately make an eased attack against that foe with an attack of your own, even though it is not your turn. Your attack must be of the same kind (melee or ranged) as the attack that hit you.

Make a hindered interaction roll against a foe in short range who can see and hear you. If you succeed, you upset them enough that they start crying. This might hinder them by two steps for about a round, make them leave the area for a while, or prompt one of their allies to comfort them.

Your attack ability inflicts additional damage as if you had applied two levels of Effort to damage.

Until you use a ten-hour recovery, you can see in darkness out to immediate range as if it were dim light, and out to short range as if it were very dim light. You can use this cypher on up to six creatures, in which case it lasts until they use a one-hour or longer recovery (one individual ending the cypher doesn't affect the duration for other creatures).

You create a stream of liquid or foam that covers an area about 3 feet by 3 feet (1 m by 1 m) within an immediate distance. Metal in the area of level 6 or less becomes as brittle as thin glass (level 0) to a depth of about 6 inches (15 cm). To affect metal of level 7 or higher, you must succeed at an Intellect attack against it.

An attack on you that would inflict a minor or moderate wound instead doesn't harm you at all.

Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you can see through opaque matter. As an action, you can concentrate on something within immediate range, seeing through it to a depth of 2 feet (60 cm) for one round as if it were transparent. You can see through substances up to level 6 (typically wood, flesh, plastic, stone, and even metal, but specially reinforced or exotic materials may remain opaque).

Attach one part of this cypher to an unintelligent device or machine. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, if you are holding the other part of the cypher, you can mentally control that device at long range, making it do anything it could do normally. For example, you could activate or deactivate a computer, open or close a door, pilot a vehicle, and so on. You can only control one device with this cypher—removing the remote part and reattaching it to a different device has no effect.

After a successful attack, you attempt to disarm a foe as an extra action. Make an attack roll (using the same Pool as the original attack). If you succeed, they immediately drop whatever they are holding in a hand that you choose, and it lands an immediate distance away. Instead of allowing it to fall to the ground, if you apply a level of Effort on this attack and you have a free hand, you can grab or catch whatever the foe dropped.

Cures any disease of level 6 or lower that is currently in your system. Against diseases of level 7 and higher affecting you, make a new defense roll (with two assets) against the disease; success means you overcome it. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are immune to diseases of level 6 and lower, and you get two assets against diseases of level 7 and higher.

One disease of level 4 or lower that is currently in your system has no further effect on you.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are disguised as another person. About half of these cyphers allow you to disguise yourself as a person you've interacted with (your choice of who), and the other half have a preset generic disguise (such as a security guard, business person, or store clerk). Disguise tasks to pretend to be that person are eased by two steps.

In place of one attack, you make two hindered attacks with the same weapon.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can see ten times as far as normal as if using powerful binoculars, without interfering with your ability to see things up close.

You get two assets on an ability that requires a skill roll. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

For one day, you're resistant to hot or cold temperatures, as if you were wearing appropriate clothing. For example, you could walk through the Sahara Desert without getting heatstroke or a sunburn, or go out in the snow without risking frostbite or hypothermia.

Projects a ray of destructive energy at a target within very long range, inflicting 8 damage. You may instead split the ray and fire at two targets within range that are within a short distance of each other (make separate attack rolls for each target), inflicting 5 damage on each. Roll a d00 to determine the type of energy.

Choose one type of energy or special attack damage, such as acid, cold, electricity, fire, shadow, or thorn. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, if you take a wound caused by this sort of attack, reduce the severity of the wound by one step. For example, if mitigating fire damage, a moderate wound from fire becomes a minor wound. Alternatively, you can use this cypher on an object, hindering this kind of energy attack against it by two steps until you use a one-hour or longer recovery.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your block tasks are eased and the severity of any wounds you take (blocked or not) is reduced by one step.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can climb or walk on walls and ceilings as easily as walking on floors, moving at your normal ground movement speed. You must keep at least two extremities (hands or feet) in contact with the surface to climb it.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your dodge tasks are eased, and even if you fail a dodge task, the severity of the wound is reduced by one step.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can make incredible jumps. A standing vertical jump (up or down) of 10 feet (3.5 m) or a standing horizontal jump of 20 feet (6 m) is a routine task for you. Running at least a short distance before the jump doubles how far you can go as a routine task. If you attempt a longer jump, you get two assets on the roll and you don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have an asset on noncombat tasks requiring manual dexterity, such as pickpocketing, lockpicking, juggling, defusing a bomb, or performing surgery.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have an asset on noncombat tasks requiring raw strength, such as breaking down a door, lifting a heavy boulder, or bending a metal gate.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can easily and effectively swim at a superhuman level. You can swim an immediate distance as your turn and still take another action, swim a short distance as your entire action, or swim a long distance as your entire action if you succeed at a difficulty 4 swimming task (to "run"). Your swimming tasks (such as to avoid a current or whirlpool) are eased by two steps. Your melee attacks while swimming ignore the normal penalties for fighting in water.

You rummage around and create or find one piece of standard equipment (such as a weapon, piece of armor, or rope, but not a cypher or artifact) up to level 4. The piece of equipment persists for up to one day, unless it's the sort of equipment that is expended after use (such as a box of bullets or a grenade).

You have an extra minute's worth of breathing in a situation where you can't breathe normally, such as underwater or in space. During this time, you're not distracted or hindered by needing air. Once this time is over, your need for air resumes at the point it was when you activated the cypher.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your cypher limit increases by two. Once you activate this cypher, it doesn't count against your cypher limit.

Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range. If you succeed, they are filled with fear of you and attempt to flee the area, remaining away until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. If they can't get away, all their tasks against you are hindered until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

For one task, you have three assets in an appropriate skill requiring a lot of physical strength, such as breaking down a door, carrying a heavy weight, lifting a bed above your head, pulling someone out of a hole, or pushing a car off a cliff. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Creates an immediate-radius explosion of fire or heat up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage.

Creates an immediate-radius explosion of bright light up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they are blinded until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can fly at your normal ground movement speed in any direction. You can carry additional weight (up to about the weight of an average adult human), slowing your movement to about an immediate distance as your action, but any more weight than that prevents you from flying.

If you attack a foe that your ally attacked this turn, you gain an asset on the attack, and if you hit you inflict an additional 5 damage. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You create a level 6 force field up to a short distance away. Choose whether the force field is a cube, sphere, wall, or path. A force cube or sphere is about an immediate distance across. A wall is an immediate distance high and a short distance wide (or vice versa). A path is like a wall, but horizontal instead of vertical. The force field otherwise conforms to the space available (stopping at solid obstacles but not exerting pressure on them). The force field lasts until you make a one-hour or longer recovery. You can use a force cube or sphere to trap foes within its area; make Intellect attacks against each foe to contain them. Gas can't permeate the force field, but the volume inside a cube or sphere is enough that anyone inside probably won't suffocate.

Something happens that makes the encounter (or specifically your next action) a little easier for you. You can call for a player intrusion without spending any XP.

Reroll the die you just rolled, even if it was a natural 1. You must use the new result, even if it's a 1.

Creates an immediate-radius explosion of intense cold up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage.

Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, an immediate area within short range becomes extremely slippery. Movement tasks (acrobatics, balance, physical attacks and defense, running, and so on) in the area are hindered by three steps.

You create a wall of swirling frost up to a short distance away, lasting until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. The wall is up to 30 feet by 30 feet by 1 foot (9 m by 9 m by 30 cm) and it conforms to the space available. Anything passing through it takes 3 damage.

Choose one ability from your focus that you don't currently have. The ability must be one you could select as an advancement at your current tier or one tier higher. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can use this ability as if you had chosen it as an advancement (you must pay any Pool point or other costs to activate the ability, as normal). For example, if you're a tier 1 character with the Blazes With Fire focus, you can use this cypher to temporarily learn one tier 1 focus ability you don't know or one tier 2 focus ability.

During a conversation where you're trying to charm, intimidate, convince, negotiate with, or influence a person, and the conversation is likely to take at least several minutes, make one interaction roll. If you succeed, you and the person wrap things up and come to a reasonable agreement in a matter of seconds.

Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you grow to about one and a half times your normal size. While at this larger size, you add 4 points to your Might Pool and +2 to your Might Edge, but your Speed defense rolls are hindered. When the cypher ends, your Might Edge returns to normal, you lose the penalty to Speed defense, and you take 4 Might damage. If an NPC uses this cypher, they temporarily gain 4 health, ease their Might tasks by two steps, and hinder their Speed defense tasks.

Upgrades a bomb cypher (such as a fiery bomb or shrapnel bomb) to affect a short area instead of an immediate area. Once a gigantic bomb cypher is used to upgrade another cypher, the gigantic bomb is expended and no longer counts toward your cypher limit.

Creates an immediate-radius explosion of increased gravity up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 3 damage, are knocked to the ground, and can't take physical actions for one round. Failure means they still take 1 damage but are not knocked down and can act normally.

Choose a foe you can see. Their attacks and defenses against you are hindered by four steps until your next turn.

You launch a self-guiding projectile at a foe within long range. Make a Speed attack against this foe. Success means it inflicts 8 damage. Failure means it misses but will try again one round later on your turn (requiring another attack roll, but not an action). The projectile is expended if it misses four times. The type of damage depends on the cypher, with cold, electricity, fire, piercing, or poison being the most common.

You have three assets on your long-distance perception task, affecting noticing things that are at least a long distance away. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

An object within immediate range ignites in flame, taking 5 damage each round. If the object's level is 4 or less, the fire destroys it within a few rounds; a higher-level object instead has its level reduced by 1 to 3. Nearby objects may catch on fire as it burns.

Projects a specific illusory or holographic scene in an immediate area up to a short distance away from you. The scene remains in place after it is created, and it includes appropriate movement, sound, and scent. For example, the scene might contain a ferocious wolf that paces back and forth but doesn't leave the area. The scene lasts until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. Roll to determine the image.

You have three assets on your acrobatics or balance task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your block task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your charm task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your climbing task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your deception task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You gain three assets on one noncombat task requiring manual dexterity, such as pickpocketing, lockpicking, juggling, defusing a bomb, or performing surgery. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your disguise task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your dodge task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your driving or piloting task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your escaping task (from ropes, handcuffs, tight spaces, and so on). (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your healing, medicine, or surgery task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your initiative task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll. If the GM calls for another initiative roll as part of the encounter (for example, if reinforcements arrive), this cypher applies to the new initiative roll as well.

You have three assets on your intimidation task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

You have three assets on your jumping task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.