Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Tell Me About the Cypher System
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="CleverNickName" data-source="post: 9113969" data-attributes="member: 50987"><p>Have you used the Cypher system? What did you think of it?</p><p></p><p>I recently acquired my copy of <em>The Old Gods of Appalachia RPG </em>from Monte Cook Games, from their million-dollar Kickstarter last year. This game uses a different game system: the Cypher system. (This game system is also used by <em>Numinera</em>, and will be used for the upcoming <em>The Magnus Archives RPG</em>.) This 'new kid on the block' looks like it'll be sticking around for a while.</p><p></p><p>Now the D20 System is the undeniable favorite for tabletop RPGs, and it's probably the one that most of us are familiar with thanks to D&D, so I don't see Cypher replacing it anytime soon (or ever, really. I don't think that was ever their intention.) It looks like a pretty good system, just looking at it objectively, and I do mean "just looking at it" because I've only read about it. I haven't had a chance to play it yet.</p><p></p><p>So! If you've used the Cypher system, please let us know what you think of it, what you love or hate about it, and the kinds of games you run with it. And if you've never played it, what's keeping you from giving it a spin? Inquiring moogles want to know!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>SUMMARY FROM COMMENTS</strong></p><p><strong>Last updated: 9/16/2023</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Pros:</strong></p><p>The rules are flexible when they need to be.</p><p>The bestiaries are very useful.</p><p>Excellent choice for running horror-themed games</p><p>Exceptional choice for settings</p><p>Easy-to-use charts for setting difficulties</p><p></p><p><strong>Mids:</strong></p><p>Pool system is counter-intuitive; some folks like it and others don't</p><p>Cyphers themselves (consumable magical abilities) are either fantastic or terrible, depending on who you ask.</p><p>Trading XP for narrative setbacks makes XP a type of currency. Folks either love it or hate it.</p><p>There are only 3 attributes.</p><p></p><p><strong>Cons:</strong></p><p>The Intrusion mechanic: DM can just declare bad results whenever</p><p>Bad experience: DM choice ended up hamstringing a character's abilities</p><p>Bad experience: character couldn't bypass any target DCs, ended in a TPK</p><p>System feels "clunky," too much Effort attrition</p><p>Some Foci are obviously superior to others (balance issue?)</p><p>Too much emphasis on resource management</p><p>Damage and Effort are coupled together</p><p>Roll-then-negotiate mechanic break the rhythm of the game</p><p>Class names (in Numinera) are silly</p><p>Attributes are all pooled together, exacerbating a "death spiral"</p><p></p><p><strong>Grade: C</strong></p><p>Nearly all voters have heard of it (99%), 65% have played it.</p><p>Of those who have played it: 17% love it, 23% like it, 25% are lukewarm, 33% dislike it, and 2% hate it.</p><p>[SPOILER=Grading]The "grade" is calculated as follows:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Votes from people who have not played will not affect the grade.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Love" votes are worth 4 points. The highest score, comparable to an "A" vote.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Like" votes are worth 3 points. The equivalent of a "B" vote.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Meh" votes are worth 2 points. This is your basic "C" vote.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Dislike" votes are worth 1 point. This is considered a "D" vote.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Hate" votes are worth 0 points. The lowest score, considered an "F" vote.</li> </ul><p></p><p>The grading formula:</p><p><span style="font-size: 22px">GPA = Σ(P<em>[sub]i[/sub]</em>V<em>[sub]i[/sub]</em>)</span></p><p></p><p>where:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px">GPA = "grade-point average," the grading score used in the Key below.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">V[sub]<em>i</em>[/sub] = percentage of votes in each category (Love, Like, Meh, Dislike, or Hate)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">P[sub]<em>i</em>[/sub] = corresponding score for that category (4, 3, 2, 1, or 0)</p><p></p><p><strong>Key</strong></p><p>Over 3.75 = A+</p><p>3.51 to 3.75 = A</p><p>3.26 to 3.50 = A-</p><p>3.01 to 3.25 = B+</p><p>2.76 to 3.00 = B</p><p>2.51 to 2.75 = B-</p><p>2.01 to 2.50 = C+</p><p>1.76 to 2.00 = C</p><p>1.51 to 1.75 = C-</p><p>1.26 to 1.50 = D+</p><p>1.01 to 1.25 = D</p><p>0.75 to 1.00 = D-</p><p>Under 0.75 = F</p><p></p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/tell-me-about-the-cypher-system.699558/post-9113969" target="_blank">Grading the Cypher System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-pathfinder-2e-game-system.699577/post-9114720" target="_blank">Grading the Pathfinder 2E (D20) System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-savage-worlds-system.699639/post-9118485" target="_blank">Grading the Savage Worlds System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-fate-fate-core-system.699746/post-9123350" target="_blank">Grading the Fate/Fate Core System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-modiphius-2d20-system.699862/post-9130300" target="_blank">Grading the Modiphius 2d20 System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-gurps-system.700000/post-9136681" target="_blank">Grading the GURPS System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-powered-by-the-apocalypse-pbta-system.700132/post-9143576" target="_blank">Grading the Powered by the Apocalypse System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-d6-system.700240/post-9149838" target="_blank">Grading the D6 System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-hero-system.700391/" target="_blank">Grading the Hero System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-storyteller-system.700467/post-9165156" target="_blank">Grading the Storyteller System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-megaversal-palladium-system.700634/post-9172320" target="_blank">Grading the Megaversal/Palladium System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-basic-roleplaying-system.700825/post-9181516" target="_blank">Grading the Basic Role-Playing System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-saga-system.700972/post-9189430" target="_blank">Grading the SAGA System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-warhammer-40k-system.701299/post-9204415" target="_blank">Grading the Warhammer 40K RPG System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-m%C3%B6rk-borg-system.701662/post-9221640" target="_blank">Grading the Mörk Borg System</a></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-rolemaster-spacemaster-system.702503/post-9259178" target="_blank">Grading the Spacemaster/Rolemaster System</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CleverNickName, post: 9113969, member: 50987"] Have you used the Cypher system? What did you think of it? I recently acquired my copy of [I]The Old Gods of Appalachia RPG [/I]from Monte Cook Games, from their million-dollar Kickstarter last year. This game uses a different game system: the Cypher system. (This game system is also used by [I]Numinera[/I], and will be used for the upcoming [I]The Magnus Archives RPG[/I].) This 'new kid on the block' looks like it'll be sticking around for a while. Now the D20 System is the undeniable favorite for tabletop RPGs, and it's probably the one that most of us are familiar with thanks to D&D, so I don't see Cypher replacing it anytime soon (or ever, really. I don't think that was ever their intention.) It looks like a pretty good system, just looking at it objectively, and I do mean "just looking at it" because I've only read about it. I haven't had a chance to play it yet. So! If you've used the Cypher system, please let us know what you think of it, what you love or hate about it, and the kinds of games you run with it. And if you've never played it, what's keeping you from giving it a spin? Inquiring moogles want to know! [B]SUMMARY FROM COMMENTS Last updated: 9/16/2023 Pros:[/B] The rules are flexible when they need to be. The bestiaries are very useful. Excellent choice for running horror-themed games Exceptional choice for settings Easy-to-use charts for setting difficulties [B]Mids:[/B] Pool system is counter-intuitive; some folks like it and others don't Cyphers themselves (consumable magical abilities) are either fantastic or terrible, depending on who you ask. Trading XP for narrative setbacks makes XP a type of currency. Folks either love it or hate it. There are only 3 attributes. [B]Cons:[/B] The Intrusion mechanic: DM can just declare bad results whenever Bad experience: DM choice ended up hamstringing a character's abilities Bad experience: character couldn't bypass any target DCs, ended in a TPK System feels "clunky," too much Effort attrition Some Foci are obviously superior to others (balance issue?) Too much emphasis on resource management Damage and Effort are coupled together Roll-then-negotiate mechanic break the rhythm of the game Class names (in Numinera) are silly Attributes are all pooled together, exacerbating a "death spiral" [B]Grade: C[/B] Nearly all voters have heard of it (99%), 65% have played it. Of those who have played it: 17% love it, 23% like it, 25% are lukewarm, 33% dislike it, and 2% hate it. [SPOILER=Grading]The "grade" is calculated as follows: [LIST] [*]Votes from people who have not played will not affect the grade. [*]"Love" votes are worth 4 points. The highest score, comparable to an "A" vote. [*]"Like" votes are worth 3 points. The equivalent of a "B" vote. [*]"Meh" votes are worth 2 points. This is your basic "C" vote. [*]"Dislike" votes are worth 1 point. This is considered a "D" vote. [*]"Hate" votes are worth 0 points. The lowest score, considered an "F" vote. [/LIST] The grading formula: [SIZE=6]GPA = Σ(P[I][sub]i[/sub][/I]V[I][sub]i[/sub][/I])[/SIZE] where: [INDENT]GPA = "grade-point average," the grading score used in the Key below.[/INDENT] [INDENT]V[sub][I]i[/I][/sub] = percentage of votes in each category (Love, Like, Meh, Dislike, or Hate)[/INDENT] [INDENT]P[sub][I]i[/I][/sub] = corresponding score for that category (4, 3, 2, 1, or 0)[/INDENT] [B]Key[/B] Over 3.75 = A+ 3.51 to 3.75 = A 3.26 to 3.50 = A- 3.01 to 3.25 = B+ 2.76 to 3.00 = B 2.51 to 2.75 = B- 2.01 to 2.50 = C+ 1.76 to 2.00 = C 1.51 to 1.75 = C- 1.26 to 1.50 = D+ 1.01 to 1.25 = D 0.75 to 1.00 = D- Under 0.75 = F [/SPOILER] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/tell-me-about-the-cypher-system.699558/post-9113969']Grading the Cypher System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-pathfinder-2e-game-system.699577/post-9114720']Grading the Pathfinder 2E (D20) System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-savage-worlds-system.699639/post-9118485']Grading the Savage Worlds System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-fate-fate-core-system.699746/post-9123350']Grading the Fate/Fate Core System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-modiphius-2d20-system.699862/post-9130300']Grading the Modiphius 2d20 System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-gurps-system.700000/post-9136681']Grading the GURPS System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-powered-by-the-apocalypse-pbta-system.700132/post-9143576']Grading the Powered by the Apocalypse System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-d6-system.700240/post-9149838']Grading the D6 System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-hero-system.700391/']Grading the Hero System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-storyteller-system.700467/post-9165156']Grading the Storyteller System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-megaversal-palladium-system.700634/post-9172320']Grading the Megaversal/Palladium System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grade-the-basic-roleplaying-system.700825/post-9181516']Grading the Basic Role-Playing System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-saga-system.700972/post-9189430']Grading the SAGA System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-warhammer-40k-system.701299/post-9204415']Grading the Warhammer 40K RPG System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-m%C3%B6rk-borg-system.701662/post-9221640']Grading the Mörk Borg System[/URL] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/grading-the-rolemaster-spacemaster-system.702503/post-9259178']Grading the Spacemaster/Rolemaster System[/URL] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Tell Me About the Cypher System
Top