295 lines
20 KiB
Markdown
295 lines
20 KiB
Markdown
Title: Cypher System Homebrew
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Footer: Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are
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trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games
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characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte
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Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2022 Monte Cook
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Games, LLC. <a href="/cypher/fan-use-policy">Full Disclaimer</a>.
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# Cypher System Homebrew
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The following collects a bunch of customizations, additions, house rules, and similar that I've made for my Cypher
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System games.
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[TOC]
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## House Rules
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### Cost of Optional Spellcasting
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*Note: or psionics, or so on.*
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The [optional spellcasting rule](https://callmepartario.github.io/og-csrd/#optional-rule-spellcasting) is very cool but
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the cost of casting these spells, particularly the recovery roll option, seems out of whack to me. Particularly,
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recovery rolls are a very limited resource and scale up in value as tiers (and thus, normal spend) increase, while the
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benefit of burning one stays the same. Meanwhile, we have resource pools *right here* to use.
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**Replace** the "**Using a Recovery Roll to Cast a Spell**" paragraph with:
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> **Using Strain to Cast a Spell:** If the character spends 4/6/8 (low/mid/high) Pool points as part of the same action
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> to cast the spell (including paying any normal Pool costs for the ability), they can use the ability as an action.
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> This represents a significant mental or physical drain on the character, because the character must draw deeper from
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> their capabilities in order to cast the spell.
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>
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> Determining the Pool to draw from is up to the GM. For abilities with their own Pool cost, using the same Pool is a
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> logical choice. Or, perhaps lean towards Intellect as a default, to represent the willpower necessary to pull from
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> reserves and to match the spellcasting flavor. This strain cannot be reduced by Edge.
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## Descriptors
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General purpose and setting-specific descriptors, species or otherwise.
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### Faerûnian Races
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The *Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (3e)* presents a number of racial options for D&D characters. For a Cypher
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character that hews a bit closer to the Forgotten Realms line, you can apply these conversions:
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* **Humans:** take two non-species descriptors.
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* **Dwarves:**
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* **Gold:** as the Cypher dwarf, except as follows:
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* **Skill:** Gold dwarves receive training against the bizarre creatures of the Underdark. Replace the practice
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in axes and skill in shaping and mining stone with a skill against abberations; tasks involving
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opposing or attacking abberations are eased one step.
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* **Gray:** as the Cypher dwarf, except as follows:
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* **Inability:** You have difficulty relating to other species due to your withdrawn and guarded nature. Any
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task involving social interaction with them is hindered.
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* **Inability:** Generations in the Underdark have saddled you with light sensitivity. Tasks involving seeing in
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bright sunlight are hindered.
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* **Darkvision:** You can see in the dark up to 120 feet.
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* **Skill:** The Underdark has led your people to stealth. Tasks involving stealth are eased one step.
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* **Shield:** as the Cypher dwarf.
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* **Elves:**
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* **Drow:** as the Cypher elf, except as follows:
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* **Weapons:** replace the practice in a bow, and starting equipment, with that of a rapier or shortsword.
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* **Stealth:** the specialization in stealth tasks applies to cave areas rather than natural woodland.
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* **Inability:** Generations in the Underdark have saddled you with light sensitivity. Tasks involving seeing in
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bright sunlight are hindered.
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* **Darkvision:** You can see in the dark up to 120 feet.
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* **Moon:** as the Cypher elf.
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* **Sun:** as the Cypher elf, except as follows:
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* **Studious:** apply the +2 bonus to your Intellect Pool instead of your Speed Pool.
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* **Wild:** as the Cypher elf.
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* **Wood:** as the Cypher elf.
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* **Gnomes:**
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* **Deep:** as the Cypher gnome, except as follows:
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* **Inability:** svirfneblin are suspicious to a fault. Tasks involving positive or pleasant social interaction
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are hindered.
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* **Darkvision:** You can see in the dark up to 120 feet.
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* **Rock:** as the Cypher gnome.
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* **Half-elves:** take two non-species descriptors as per human, providing yourself with some elven features.
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* **Half-orcs:** as the Cypher half-giant, except as follows:
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* **Tough:** the bonus to your Might Pool is +2, not +4.
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* **Not Too Large:** you do not suffer the hindrance to initiative, stealth, or fine manipulation.
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* **Halflings:**
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* **Ghostwise:** as the Cypher halfling, except as follows:
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* **Speak Without Sound:** you can communicate telepathically with any one creature within 20 feet, as long as
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they share a common language.
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* **Not As Lucky:** you do not receive the +3 advantage when spending 1 XP to reroll.
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* **Lightfoot:** as the Cypher halfling.
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* **Strongheart:** as the Cypher halfling, except as follows:
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* **Small Yet Strong:** you are still small, but do not suffer the hindrance to Might-based tasks.
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* **Not As Lucky:** you do not receive the +3 advantage when spending 1 XP to reroll.
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* **Planetouched:**
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* **Aasimar:** as the Cypher helborn, except as follows:
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* **Of the Heavens:** replace the underworld, evil, etc. themes with that of a celestial.
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* **Not Tainted:** You are not trained in tasks related to the lore of the underworld.
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* **Of A Safer Plane:** You do not have +2 to Armor against damage from fire.
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* **Not Innerly Evil:** You do not suffer from the chance of losing control.
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* **Trustworthy:** Your celestial nature makes people trust you. Replace the hindrance to tasks to persuade or
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deceive with training in doing so.
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* **Genasi:** as the Cypher helborn, except as follows:
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* **Of an Element:** replace the underworld, evil, etc. themes with that of your element.
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* **Forces of Nature:** replace the +2 to your Intellect Pool with a +2 to your Might Pool for fire or earth, or
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Speed Pool for air or water genasi.
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* **Not Tainted:** You are not trained in tasks related to the lore of the underworld.
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* **Elementally Resistant:** replace the +2 to Armor against damage from fire with that of your element.
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* **Nature's Fury:** as **Inner Evil**, but it is more accidental than inherent evil; you do not suffer the -1
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penalty to all rolls following the fury.
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* **Tiefling:** as the Cypher helborn.
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### Fungoid
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* **Hardy:** +2 to your Might Pool.
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* **Skill:** You are trained in dungeon and cavern ecology.
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* **Skill:** Your mind is unlike most other living creatures'; you are trained in Intellect defense.
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* **Fungal Companion (2 Might points):** During a rest, before making your recovery roll, you sprout a tiny fungal
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familiar which can aid you. It is intelligent, and you share a mental connection with the fungal companion, but it
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cannot itself speak. It can act as a scout and inform you of an area it is running reconnaissance on, and can be given
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simple commands to follow as part of a normal action. The familiar is a loyal companion and lives until it takes
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damage, or would be otherwise destroyed (see below).
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* **Burst:** You may command the fungal companion to explode in a burst of poisonous spores. Make a Might roll, on a
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success, the poison inflicts 3 points of damage or hinders the poisoned creature's actions for one minute (your
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choice). The fungal companion is destroyed in the process. Action.
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### High Elf
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Sometimes also known as eladrin, your kind are generally more cosmopolitan, studious, and aloof than your
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nature-dwelling brethren. You are more likely to be a spellcaster, and your heritage trains most of your kind in the way
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of the longsword rather than the bow.
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You gain the following characteristics:
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* **Studious:** +2 to your Intellect Pool.
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* **Long-Lived:** Your natural lifespan (unless tragically cut short) is thousands of years.
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* **Skill:** You are specialized in tasks related to studying or recalling magical lore.
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* **Skill:** You are practiced in using a longsword.
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* **Skill:** You are trained in interaction tasks where you take a position of intellectual authority.
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* **Fragile:** When you fail a Might defense roll to avoid damage, you take 1 extra point of damage.
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## Foci
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### Does Not Tread Lightly
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You are an unstoppable force, once you get moving. You may be extraordinarily big for your kind, enhanced via magic or
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technology, or some kind of unnatural being, but you use your size and strength to solve problems.
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* Tier 1: **Crushing Blow**
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* Tier 2: **Ignore the Pain**
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* Tier 3: **Blood Fever**
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* Tier 4: **Fury**
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* Tier 5: **Specialized Basher**
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* Tier 6: **Regenerate**
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### Wields a Vast Magical Grimoire
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> ***WARNING: DRAFT***
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You collect spells in a spellbook and focus on a breadth of magic at your disposal, though it comes with considerable
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cost and investment. Others focus on an particular style or school, you prefer flexibility --- or is it collecting?
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* Tier 1: **Spellcasting** --- you follow the Spellcasting optional rule even if it is not available to others in your game.
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You are considered a specialized spellcaster with a spellbook (or similar).
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* Tier 1: **Type Swap Option: Low Tier Ability** --- you may gain one ability of your choosing from the list of Low Tier
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abilities instead of one of the abilities normally granted by your type. You should work with your GM to find
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something appropriate (not unfun for others).
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* Tier 1: **Augment Cypher**
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* Tier 2: **Type Swap Option: Low Tier Ability**
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* Tier 2: **Enhanced Intellect Edge**
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* Tier 3: **Type Swap Option: Mid Tier Ability** --- as above
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* Tier 3: **Enhanced Intellect or Extra Recovery**
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## Abilities
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### Blessing of the Gods (more abilities)
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* *Sky/Air (2 Intellect points).* You or a creature you touch can fly short distances for ten minutes. You must land at
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the end of your movement, or otherwise fall. Action.
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## Rituals
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### Read Object
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Bestows information about an object's history. The object must be handled by the caster inside a circle traced in silver
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powder, who reads any impressions left upon it, obtaining a piece of information occasionally over the duration of the
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ritual's effects. The nature of the object, including its magical auras, the strength of the creatures who handled it,
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its historical significance, and so on, may all affect the level of the ritual and the duration necessary to concentrate
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on the object after the ritual is cast. The caster knows when there is no further information to gleam from the object,
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and the spell ends at this point if not interrupted prematurely. The ritual may succeed only for the caster to learn
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that the object has no information to yield, for whatever reason.
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Examples of information that can be obtained via this ritual include the object's name (if it has one), an image of the
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last creature to handle the object, an image of the last moments an object was last used, knowledge of the item's
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historical significance, if any, and so on.
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* **Level:** The level of the effect or significance of the object
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* **Time:** One minute per level of preparation, one minute per level of performance
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* **Roles:** Creating magic circles, tracing runes in silver powder, lighting candles
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* **Side Effects:** False information, mental strain, the object's owner or creator, or an adversary, scrys upon the
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caster
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* **Reagents:** The object, silver powder, candles
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* **Pool:** Intellect
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* **Other Assets:** Identifying magical auras, historical/religious/etc. knowledge
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## Equipment
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### Fantasy Weapons
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This combines the [SRD weapons](https://callmepartario.github.io/og-csrd/#medieval-fantasy-weapons) table with the
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[weapon properties](https://callmepartario.github.io/og-csrd/#optional-rule-weapon-properties) rule, and adds a couple
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less typical fantasy weapons (guns).
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| Light Weapons (2 points of damage) | Price | Property | Notes |
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|---------------------------------------|-------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
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| Blowgun | 5 gp | | Short range |
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| Blowgun darts (20) | 1 gp | Piercing | |
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| Dagger | 2 gp | Piercing | Can be thrown up to short range |
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| Hand crossbow | 75 gp | | Short range |
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| Crossbow bolts (20) | 1 gp | Piercing | |
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| Handaxe | 5 gp | Slashing | Can be thrown up to short range |
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| Light smokepowder pistol | 100 gp| | Short range |
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| Smokepowder bullets | - | Piercing | Needs to be crafted |
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| Net | 1 gp | | Can be thrown up to short range |
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| Rapier | 25 gp | Slashing or piercing | |
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| Sickle | 1 gp | | Short range |
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| Sling | 1 sp | | Short range |
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| Sling bullets (20) | 5 cp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Throwing dart | 5 cp | Piercing | Short range |
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| Unarmed (punch, kick, etc.) | - | Bludgeoning | |
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| Whip | 2 gp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Medium Weapons (4 points of damage) | Price | Property | Notes |
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|---------------------------------------|-------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
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| Battleaxe | 10 gp | Slashing | |
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| Bow | 30 gp | | Long range |
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| Arrows (20) | 1 gp | Piercing | |
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| Broadsword or longsword | 15 gp | Slashing | |
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| Club | 1 sp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Crank crossbow | 250 gp| | Long range |
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| Crossbow bolts (20) | 1 gp | Piercing | |
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| Light crossbow | 25 gp | | Long range |
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| Crossbow bolts (20) | 1 gp | Piercing | |
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| Flail | 10 gp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Hammer | 15 gp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Javelin | 5 sp | Piercing | Can be thrown up to long range |
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| Mace | 10 gp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Pick | 10 gp | Piercing | |
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| Polearm | 10 gp | Slashing, reach | |
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| Quarterstaff | 2 sp | Bludgeoning, reach | |
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| Scimitar | 25 gp | Slashing | |
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| Smokepowder pistol | 300 gp| | Short range |
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| Smokepowder rifle | 500 gp| | Long range |
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| Smokepowder bullets | - | Piercing | Needs to be crafted |
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| Spear | 1 gp | Piercing, reach | Can be thrown up to long range |
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| Trident | 5 gp | Piercing | |
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| Heavy Weapons (6 points of damage) | Price | Property | Notes |
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|---------------------------------------|-------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|
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| Greataxe | 30 gp | Slashing | |
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| Greatsword | 50 gp | Slashing | |
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| Heavy crossbow | 50 gp | | Long range |
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| Crossbow bolts (20) | 1 gp | Piercing | |
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| Heavy mace | 15 gp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Heavy spear | 15 gp | Piercing, reach | |
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| Maul | 10 gp | Bludgeoning | |
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| Smokepowder shotgun | 750 gp| | Immediate range |
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| Smokepowder bullets | - | Piercing | Needs to be crafted |
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## Conversions
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### D&D 5e CR to Cypher System Level
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[Comparing 5e Creatures to Cypher System](https://busywyvern.com/2023/01/16/comparing-5e-creatures-to-cypher-system/)
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from Busy Wyvern looks at *Ptolus: Monte Cook's City by the Spire* (which has both 5e and Cypher System editions, and
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both written in recent times) to come up with a general strategy to translate a D&D creature to the Cypher System. The
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detail in the blog post is good --- basically, a detailed conversion doesn't matter because Cypher System isn't as
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tactical as 5e, so just find the right level and apply the special abilities verbatim using the level as the target
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number --- but it doesn't go one step further to create a rule of thumb on the actual CR-to-level conversion.
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I eyeballed Busy Wyvern's results from *Ptolus* and came up with this equation: `CYPHER_L =
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ceiling(2+(sqrt(5E_CR)*1.4))`. The results don't entirely match, but they're pretty close, and you could debate e.g. the
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difference between a high level 9 and low level 10 until you're blue in the face.
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The equation isn't quite easy enough to do mentally at the on the fly, so here's the results in table form (with special
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consideration made for 1/2 and 1/4 CRs):
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| 5e CR | CS Level | | 5e CR | CS Level | | 5e CR | CS Level | | 5e CR | CS Level |
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|-------|----------|--|-------|----------|--|-------|----------|--|-------|----------|
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| 1/4 | 2 | | 7 | 6 | | 15 | 8 | | 23 | 9 |
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| 1/2 | 3 | | 8 | 6 | | 16 | 8 | | 24 | 9 |
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| 1 | 4 | | 9 | 7 | | 17 | 8 | | 25 | 9 |
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| 2 | 4 | | 10 | 7 | | 18 | 8 | | 26 | 10 |
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| 3 | 5 | | 11 | 7 | | 19 | 9 | | 27 | 10 |
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| 4 | 5 | | 12 | 7 | | 20 | 9 | | 28 | 10 |
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| 5 | 6 | | 13 | 8 | | 21 | 9 | | 29 | 10 |
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| 6 | 6 | | 14 | 8 | | 22 | 9 | | 30 | 10 |
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