Cypher System’s Eight Rules

1. Character Types

Your type is the core of your character. Not quite a class, more like a breakdown of four categories into which other systems’ classes would fall.

Types

Warriors – the physical brutes
Adepts – all spellcasters
Explorers – a combo of agility and physicality (i.e. rangers, rogues, etc.)
Speakers – the charismatic lot like bards, diplomats, etc.

2. Stats

You won’t see STR, DEX, etc. Instead, it’s Might, Speed, and Intellect. These are not just stats but a pool of points that fuel special abilities, Effort (to make your rolls easier) and Hit Points. Damage is subtracted from Might first, then Speed, then Intellect.

Edge

Each stat has an Edge that reduces the cost of a power using that pool. For instance, a 1 in your Might Edge reduces the cost of any power that draws from your Might pool by 1.

3. Players Make All Rolls

The GM doesn’t have or use dice. When someone attacks you, you roll Defense; when you attack, you roll Attack.
Note: Almost every roll in Cypher is made with a d20—there are no d4, d8, d10, or d12. Occasionally, a d6 appears.

Difficulties and Target Numbers

The GM assigns a task difficulty from 1 to 10 and multiplies it by 3 to determine the target number. For example, a difficulty of 7 yields a target of 21—but you only have a d20! This is where Ease comes in. Ease (from skills, assets, or Effort) lowers the difficulty, while Hindering increases it.

Rolling a 1 – GM Intrusion!

If you roll a 1 on the d20, the GM interrupts play with a new challenge—maybe you drop your weapon, slip and fall, or blurt out something unexpected.

XP & Rerolls

XP isn’t just for long-term improvement—it can also be spent to reroll a die for a better result. You can even give your XP to another player for the same benefit.

Rolling a 17 or Better

A roll of 17 or higher inflicts extra damage: a 17 gives 1 extra point, 18 gives 2, 19 may trigger a minor effect or add 3 extra points, and a 20 triggers a major effect (for example, stunning an opponent or inflicting 4 extra points). If you spent pool points for the roll, you get them back!

4. Activating Abilities

You spend pool points to empower abilities. For example, a bashing attack might cost 1 Might point. If an ability doesn’t list a cost, it’s free or always active. Remember to subtract your Edge from the cost!

5. Applying Effort

If you want to try extra hard, apply Effort before making your roll. Effort costs three points from the relevant pool and eases your task by one (for instance, lowering a 7 to a 6). Again, subtract your Edge from that cost.

Effort to Damage

Instead of using Effort for a roll, you can apply it to increase damage. Decide beforehand if you’ll use Effort, then add +3 to damage.

Retrying Tasks

If you fail an action (other than attack or damage), you can try again on your next turn—but you must apply Effort.

6. Taking Damage

Attacks damage your Might, Speed, or Intellect. If an attack doesn’t specify, it inflicts Might damage. Weapons typically affect Might, poisons or diseases affect Speed, and mental attacks affect Intellect. When your Might drops to zero, damage shifts to Speed, then to Intellect. These are the “damage tracks” (e.g. “Where are you on the damage track?” “Speed, but only 3 left.” “Eeeeecks!”).

Armor

Armor reduces damage before it applies to your damage track. Note that Speed and Intellect damage usually bypass armor, and Edge doesn’t reduce damage.

Damage Effects

When two pools reach zero, you’re debilitated and can only perform minimal actions (such as crawling). If Speed is zero, you can’t move at all; if all three stats reach zero, you’re dead. Some attacks, like spells, can advance you down the track without affecting your pool points.

7. Recovery Rolls

A wild d6 appears! To make a recovery roll, roll 1d6 and add your tier. This number determines how many points you restore to your pools. You can make four recovery rolls per day.

• First Recovery Roll – takes only a few seconds (or one action in combat). You catch your breath.
• Second – takes 10 minutes
• Third – takes one hour
• Fourth – takes ten hours (like sleep)
• After that, the recovery rolls reset.

You can use multiple recovery rolls in a row. If a recovery roll increases a stat pool from 0 to 1, you also move one step up on the damage track.

Note: There are no character levels in Cypher; you have up to six tiers, and a new character starts at tier 1.

8. Skills

A skill on your sheet means you’re better at that than someone who lacks it. Skills come in two levels: trained and specialized.

• Trained – provides an Ease bonus of one
• Specialized – provides an Ease bonus of two

If you are trained in a skill and another source grants you training in the same skill, you become specialized.

Assets

Assets are anything that helps you with a task—equipment, conditions, or even chance occurrences. For example, a crowbar is an asset, and a rainstorm while trying to extinguish a fire is an asset. The GM determines if an asset applies; typically, one asset eases a task by one, or by two if multiple assets apply.