Cypher House Rules

Last Edits

June 9th, 2016. Added Explorer option.
Aug 27th, 2015. Page created. Added Combining Race & Descriptors.

Character Creation

Explorer Type

For their Physical Nature ability, Explorers can choose to start with a Might, Speed OR Intellect Edge of 1.

Combining Race/Species with Descriptor

In the Cypher System Race usually just operates as a Descriptor. Sometimes, a player may wish to combine race with a descriptor, so that you can have a Strong Dwarf or a Clever Dwarf.
You can use the Race on its own, but if you wish to combine with another Descriptor, follow these guidelines.

Inabilities & 'Negative' Characteristics. You gain ALL of these from both descriptors.
Racial Physical Traits. Skills or Named Characteristics that come from the physical make-up of a race, such as being aquatic, having eyes that grant low-lighting training, etc, MUST be selected first.
Skills. You take the average number of skills (divide total number by two and round up) chosen from either descriptor. If you become trained in the same skill twice you are instead specialised (as per the normal rules).
Named Characteristics. Again, take the average number (divide total number by two and round up) and then add 1. If there is not enough named characteristics, then you simply gain what is there. You must also take note of the following:

  • No single ability pool (Might, Speed, Intellect) can be more than +4. If you gain bonuses to more than one pool, then the maximum bonus becomes +2.
  • The same feature cannot be chosen twice. For example, you cannot take two characteristics that improve Armor.

Monte Cook Games and the Monte Cook Games logo, Numenera and the Numenera logo, The Strange and The Strange Logo, and the Cypher System and the Cypher System logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content on this site or associated files derived from Monte Cook Games publications is © 2013-2014 Monte Cook Games, LLC. Monte Cook Games permits web sites and similar fan-created publications for their games, subject to the policy given at http://www.numenera.com/fan-use-policy/. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Use of Monte Cook Games’s trademarks and copyrighted materials anywhere on this site and its associated files should not be construed as a challenge to those trademarks or copyrights. Materials on this site may not be reproduced or distributed except with the permission of the site owner and in compliance with Monte Cook Games policy given at http://www.numenera.com/fan-use-policy/.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License