I've been toying with different ways to use cyphers in a game. Ways to explain them as a stunt rather than a device. Mainly for super hero games or more heroic games in general, so here is my cyphers as stunt idea.
All players draw cyphers equal to their class/level allowance as normal. Players describe how their power use causes the cyphers effect. At the beginning of every turn players draw new cyphers up to their max.
For example a group of thugs open fire with their pistols against a blaster character, all his abilities are energy attacks but he has a cypher giving him a temporary shield. He uses the cypher explains that he whips his energy around him creating a temporary shield. On his next turn the blaster chooses to use a cypher that allows him to teleport. He tells the Gm he plans to blast the ground and quickly tunnel up behind the thugs.
As usual the GM has the final say as to what uses is allowed.
