- Genre: General
- Setting: Timeless
- Gameplay: Leans Storytelling
- Mechanics: Fixed Dice 1d20
- Publisher: Monte Cook Games
Highlights
- Genre/Setting agnostic system
- Numenera is the most well supported implementation
- Campaign setting books come out regularly for different genres
The Cypher System is a game engine designed to maximize storytelling, and to provide game masters with a flexible rule system that can be used for any campaign setting they can imagine. Numenera is the most prolific game that uses the Cypher System, but Monte Cook Games produces new campaign setting books that provide tools to help customize the system for other genres and settings. Other campaign settings provided include Stay Alive, a survival horror genre; The Stars Are Fire, for science fiction and science fantasy genres; and We Are All Mad Here, which provides a fairy tale / Alice in Wonderland genre option. A unique element to Cypher System games is the lack of the Game Master rolling any dice at all. The GM sets difficulties for challenges and the players resolve those tests on a single d20 role. This is how everything is resolved in game, including combat. Character creation is based on narrative descriptions of your character, what makes them unique, and a few core stats which makes the process from concept to gaming incredibly fast.
Official Site: The Cypher System
Buy it: Monte Cook Games, Drive Thru RPG
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