Npc Adept I made just for fun.
Cassilian is a Spiritual priest (Adept) who rides the lightning.
Might: 9
Speed: 10
Intellect: 15 Edge:1
Effort: 1
Cyphers: 3
Skills: Intellect defense, resist temptation.
Inability: initiative.
Helpful: +1 when helping others.
Special abilities:
Electronic surge (Onslaught)
Magic trainning
Lighting shield (Resonance field)
Ward
Shock
Charge
I've been thinking of a way to make cypher system magic even more wondrous and flexable.
The number one goal is to not bog the system down with new rules or subsystems.
I have already expressed my love for the trading damage for effect optional rules. I think its an easy way to express different kinds of magic within the avalible special abilities.
Just for an example lets look at the special ability Onslaught.
An adept who chooses to flavor his magic with fire (either by choice or by foci) could gain the effect:
2 dmg to catch target on fire.
An adept who chooses to flavor his magic with Ice (either by choice or by foci) could gain the effect:
2 dmg to make your attack armor piercing, ignore 1 point of armor.
Another effect could be a 1 cost to have the attack effect a different pool. For example the cold based attacks effect speed as the slow the target with each attack.
Ice based armor might give an extra +1 armor vs heat based attacks.
Still thinking on this one, more to come.
Immortal
You do not age normally. You and your kind walk the earth blending into humanity, Fighting a secret war. When you would die instead you reawaken in 1d6/2 hours. The only way for true death is for your body to be completely destroyed or head should be removed.
You start the game with one bladed weapon of your choice. You are trained in it.
Adaptability:+2 to any one pool.
Skill: being long lived you can often recall long forgotten skills. Gain the ability flashback (2 Intellect) gain a temporary trained level in any one skill, lasts a half of an hour.
Skill: being long lived you have faced and over come a great many obstacles in your life already to become as old as you are. Trained in speed defense.
Sensing others like you: you have the ability to sense the approch of other immortals. You know one is near when the come within their level/tier times 4 yards.
Enemies: being both hunter and prey has made you untrusting and paranoid.
Link to adventure:
1. One party member saved your life against another immoral. You owe them.
2. You swore ages ago to protect a good friend. One party member is her descendant.
3. You feel drawn to members or even the whole party. Being around them reminds you of your family.
4. You feel a connection to one or more member of the party, being around them helps you hold on to your humanity.
While reading through the Cypher system book I ran across the optional rules for trading damage for effect. Although I read over it in the other two Cypher core books it didn't really stick with me, maybe because back then I was still getting the rules down.
This rule is so in my wheelhouse it is not funny. The fact that I've run so much of The strange without even using this rule is ridiculous.
I'm a big fan of stunts in combat. The problem is in most games things like disarming an opponent or knocking them back increases difficulty to hit. It's a hit+stunt or miss completely kind of deal. Most times players missing a few times discourages further use of stunts.
In the Cypher system you buy stunts with damage. That in itself is cool, but if you also take into account that effort can be spent to add damage. You have a way to purchase stunts with effort. If I wasn't already a huge cypher system fan those would have done it for me.
Now, to add more stunts....
I've now had a few weeks to pour over the Cypher system core rule book. And man is it pushing all the right buttons.
I saw a few comments before it came out that said "I've got Numenera and The strange, do I really need another core book?" Since I have almost everything for the Cypher system it did make me wonder. Do I need it?
What makes this book stand out is all the little touches. The optional rules found in the genera sections to help you better replicate the feel you want from different styles of games.
Optional rules like insight that help to find clues without rolling in mystery based games. Rules like madness and shock for dealing with horror. As well as power shifts to replicate superheroes amazing abilities beyond just lumping on more powers.
Another option that stands out to me is flavores. Along with you're blank blank who blanks. You can add a flavor and add "with".
So your clever explorer who looks for trouble. Can now be a clever explorer who looks for trouble with magic. Adding a theme to your focus. I love everything about this.
I'm more than happy with my PDF purchase, which I almost never just get the PDF without also getting the book. But I just couldn't wait. Now I'm that much more exited to get the book in hand.
Here is my take on a playable vampire race. I see no need to balance it against the normal starting races, since I dont feel doing so would be a very good representation. Although I dont feel its too unbalanced.
* Add 1 to your starting strength or dexterity.
* pick one: Constitution (stamina), perception (hearing), perception (seeing), or perception (smelling).
* Dark sight up to 20'.
* your speed is 14+dex.
* vampyres add 1 to both Defense and armor.
* vampyres have talons that do 1d6 damage. Damage governing attribute can be str or dex your choice.
* -2 to rolls for concentration while in direct sunlight.
* all fire based attacks add +1d6 against you.
* all radiant or holy powered magics are +4 spell power against you.
* vampyres do not heal or regain magic points as normal. They must feed. Feeding is a grapple attack that can only be attempted when a suitable target is below 1/2 hit points. A success attack drains 1d6+willpower hp and mp.
* If vampyres go 48 hours without feeding they take -2 to all stats until they have fed.
* Roll twice:
2: +1 constitution
3-4: communication (deception).
5: dexterity (stealth)
6: strength (intimidation).
7-8: +1 strength
9: willpower (courage).
10-11: communion (persuasion).
12: +1 willpower
Talent: Zen archery
Any class (favored by mages)
Req: willpower 2+, willpower (self discipline).
Novice: intuition guides your arrows, willpower is now your governing attribute for rolling to hit with a bow. Perception adds to damage as normal.
Journeyman: after spending one turn in standing meditation your next attack ignores all cover modifiers short of total cover.
Master: Any time you use the stunt Pierce armor the attack becomes penetrating.
