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Sunday, February 21, 2016

Cypher system initiative, Playing cards.

While I don't dislike the Cypher system's initiative roll, I love savage world's playing card method better.

So I have been Thinking of a way to use the best of both. Use cards but integrate them into the Cypher system smoothly.

Here is my core idea. Every player is issued a card at the start of combat. Adversaries are issued cards in groups, one card for all zombies ect.

Players act in the order from highest to lowest card.

At the top of any combat round any player can spend an effort to draw an extra card and act on the highest of the two cards. The player then discards the higher card and keeps the lower card for the rest of the combat. (yes there is risk of drawing an even lower card)

Option: surprised characters or adversaries draw two cards and act on the lower of the two for the turn. Discarding the lower card after and keeping the higher card for the rest of the combat.

More options coming.

2 comments:

  1. You could also grant character that are trained/specialized in initiative tasks an extra card.

    I remember my players liking a lot Savage Worlds Initiative system, I think I'm gonna ask them if they like to port it to our The Strange game.

    And that got me thinking about how Savage World's Adventure Deck and the Cyphers are actually a like. On shot ability that are different each and every session.

    It's could by a nice way to grand Cypher in a game where cypher doesn't really works in the narrative.

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  2. I think I would have trained characters have a minimum number they act upon, say 5.
    Specialized characters would get an extra card.

    Why do you lose the card when you spend effort? If your willing to spend a resource shouldn't you be able to keep it? I think dramatically this could be intriguing.

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