Manifest Cyphers

Up till now, this chapter has talked about cyphers as nonphysical things—a burst of inspiration, unexpected good luck, and so on. That's the default way a Cypher game handles cyphers, and it works well for realistic stories where people can't break the laws of physics or do supernatural things.

Some genres handle cyphers differently. Fantasy heroes often have magic potions, scrolls, or amulets. Space opera heroes might find mysterious devices from an ancient precursor species. Superheroes and some kinds of modern spy games can include clever gizmos with special abilities. All of these things are cyphers, but in a physical form. They're called manifest cyphers, and they do the weird stuff—turn you invisible, teleport you a hundred miles, make you immune to fire, and so on. Because they are physical objects, you can give a manifest cypher to an ally or hide it somewhere for later (assuming someone doesn't find your stash and take it), perhaps so you can pick up a new cypher.

Your cypher limit is the maximum number of cyphers you can have at a time, counting both (nonphysical) cyphers and manifest cyphers.

Reading a Manifest Cypher Description

A manifest cypher has a simple description and statistics. Here's how to understand what it's telling you.

Name: Every manifest cypher has a name related to what it does. The name isn't necessarily the name of the physical item itself—it's an easy name so you and the GM can keep track of what manifest cypher you have.

Effect: This is what the manifest cypher does. Most cyphers have a duration like "until your next ten-minute or longer recovery"; these cyphers end when you decide to use that recovery (not at the end of the recovery time). If the cypher doesn't list a duration, it only affects one task. For example, the description of an energy blast cypher says it projects a ray of destructive energy, meaning it creates one blast and is done.

You make all choices about a manifest cypher when you use it. For example, if it affects one roll, you choose which roll. If it affects another creature, you choose the creature. If it happens in response to something another creature does, you choose which creature and what you're responding to.

If you're trying to affect an unwilling target, such as disarming a foe or scaring someone away, you have to succeed at an attack roll against them.

Manifest cyphers are not instant effects; activating one uses your action.

Genre Items: Any particular manifest cypher has a different form depending on the genre of the game. In a fantasy game, a manifest cypher that turns you invisible might be a magic item called a potion of invisibility, but in a sci-fi game it might be a jacket made of hair-thin circuits called a stealthshroud. This name is probably what people in the game world call the cypher. The manifest cypher descriptions below include some genre-appropriate names for each cypher.

Manifest Cypher Power Levels

Some character types and foci allow you to choose a manifest cypher each day and use it like a standard character ability with a Pool point cost. The tables in this section categorize most manifest cyphers as low-, medium-, advanced-, or high-power for this purpose.

If you want to choose a cypher randomly, first roll on the table below to determine the power level, then roll on the associated power level table.

Random Manifest Cyphers

Low-Power Manifest Cyphers

34–36 Enhanced reflexes XX 37–40 Enhanced strength XX 41–44 Enhanced swimming XX 45–47 Fear XX 48–50 Friction reducer XX 51–52 Imageprojector XX 53–54 Information scanner XX

55–56 Insanity suppressor XX 57–58 Instant outfit XX 59–60 Instant servant XX 61–64 Knowledgeaugmentation XX 65–67 Obstacle bomb XX 68–69 Range extender XX

70–72 Remote viewer XX 73–75 Retaliation XX 76–77 Sound dampener XX 78–79 Speeding bullet XX 80–81 Sustenance XX 82–83 Telepathy XX 84–86 Tracer XX 87–88 Trick embedder XX

89–92 Virtual shield XX 93–95 Water breathing XX 96–98 Weaponaugmentation XX 99–00 Zone of privacy XX

Medium-Power Manifest Cyphers d00 Name Page 01–03 Adhesion bomb XX

04–06 Decay metal XX 07–08 Disease immunity XX 09–12 Energy blast XX 13–15 Extra cyphers XX 16–17 Flash bomb XX 18–20 Flight XX 21–22 Frost wall XX 23–24 Future potential XX

25–26 Giant size XX 27–28 Inferno wall XX 29–30 Instant building XX 31–33 Instant healing XX 34–36 Intellect booster XX 37–40 Intellect restorer XX 41–43 Intense perception XX 44–46 Lightning wall XX

47–49 Memory wipe XX 50–51 Mental vigilance XX 52–54 Might booster XX 55–58 Mightrestorer XX 59–60 Motionsensor XX 61–62 Object duplicator XX

63–64 Paralyzer XX 65–66 Penultimate key XX 67–69 Poison immunity XX 70–71 Reality spike XX 72–73 Remote mapper XX 74–75 Repair XX

76–78 Sleep inducer XX 79–81 Speedbooster XX 82–85 Speedrestorer XX 86–88 Stamina enhancer XX 89–91 Summon creature XX 92–94 Telekinesis XX 95–96 Teleporter (bounder) XX 97–98 Tiny size XX

99–00 Uninterruptible power source XX

Advanced-PowerManifestCyphers d00 Name Page 01–07 Corrosive bomb XX 08–12 Enhanced armor XX 13–19 Enhanced dodging xx 20–26 Fiery bomb XX

27–31 Force field XX 32–37 Freezing bomb XX 38–41 Gravity bomb XX 42–48 Homing projectile XX 49–53 Invisibility XX 54–56 Mind control XX 57–62 Nullification XX 63–65 Phase changer XX

66–68 Phasing ray XX 69–74 Poison bomb XX 75–77 Regeneration XX 78–83 Shock bomb XX 84–90 Shrapnel bomb XX 91–97 Sonic bomb XX 98–00 Teleporter (traveler) XX

High-Power Manifest Cyphers d00 Name Page 01–30 Cluster bomb XX 31–70 Question XX 71–80 Resurrection XX 81–00 Teleporter (planetary) XX

Ultra-Power Manifest Cyphers d00 Name Page 01–13 Gigantic bomb xx 14–23 Incredible speed xx 24–33 Invulnerability enhancement xx

34–46 Overpowered bomb xx 47–56 Penultimateenhancement XX 57–68 Perfection XX 69–78 Teleporter (interstellar) XX 79–90 Ultimate enhancement XX 91–00 Ultimate healing XX

Adhesion Bomb [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of sticky goo up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they are held in place.Thegoolastsuntilyouuseaten-minuteorlongerrecoverybutcanbecut,broken,or burned (inflicting 4 damage from fireto anyone held in it). NPCs can break free as an action (you can prevent this by making a Speed roll against them). Genre Items: scroll of web (fantasy); restraint grenade (sci-fi)

ClusterBomb [HIGHPOWERICON]

Effect: Upgrades a bomb cypher (such as a fiery bomb or shrapnel bomb) to have long range and create an additional delayed effect. When the upgraded cypher explodes, it also creates four additional bombs that each move a short distance in a different random direction, then explode on the next round in the same way as the original (unmodified) bomb cypher. Once a cluster bomb cypher is used toupgrade another cypher, the cluster bomb is expended and no longer counts towardyour cypher limit.

Genre Items: scroll of metamagical destruction (fantasy); bomb cascade (sci-fi)

Comprehension [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Over a few minutes of interacting with a creature or device that uses a language you don’t understand, you learn the language and can communicate using it. This learning is permanent and does not count toward your cypher limit. Genre Items: scroll of translation (fantasy);translator implant (sci-fi)

Contingent Activator [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: You create a remote link with a manifest cypher you are touching and specify a condition that will activate the linked cypher. For example, if you create a contingent link with a healing cypher, you could specify that it activates if you take a major wound or if you are knocked unconscious. The linked cypher can still be activated normally (without the contingent trigger). Thecontingent activator counts against your cypher limit until the linkedcypheris used, lost, or discarded. Genre Items: candle of contingent activation (fantasy); remotecontrol (sci-fi)

CorrosiveBomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect:Createsanimmediate-radiusexplosionofaciduptoashortdistanceaway.Make separate Speed attacks against each living creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage. Genre Items: scroll of acid burst (fantasy); corrosion grenade (sci-fi)

Darksight[LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a ten-hour recovery, youcan see in darkness out to long range as if it were normal light, and out to very long range as if it were dim light. You can use this cypher on up to six creatures, in which case it lasts until they use a one-hour or longer recovery (one individualendingthecypherdoesn’taffectthedurationforothercreatures). Genre Items: potion of darksight (fantasy); nightsight drops (sci-fi)

Decay Metal [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You create a stream of liquid or foamthat covers anarea about 3 feet by 3 feet (1 m by 1 m) within an immediate distance. Metal in the area of level 6 or less becomes as brittle as thin glass (level 0) to a depth of about 6 inches (15 cm). To affect metal of level 7 or higher, you must succeed at an Intellect attack against it. Genre Items: rusting gauntlet (fantasy); metal metaoxidizer (sci-fi)

Depth Scanner [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you can see through opaque matter.

As an action, you can concentrate onsomething within immediate range, seeing through it to a depth of 2 feet (60 cm) for one round as if it were transparent. You can see through substances up to level 6(typically wood, flesh, plastic, stone, and even metal, but specially reinforced or exotic materials may remain opaque). Genre Items: crystal lens of piercing vision (fantasy); x-ray goggles (sci-fi)

Device Controller [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Attach one part of this cypher to an unintelligent device or machine. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, ifyou are holding the other partof the cypher, you can mentally control that device at long range, making it do anythingit could do normally. For example, you could activate or deactivate a computer, open or close a door, pilot a vehicle, and so on. You can only control one device with this cypher—removing the remote part and reattachingit to a different device has no effect.

Genre Items: glove of manipulation (fantasy); ultrapotent remote (sci-fi)

Disease Immunity [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Cures any disease of level 6 or lower that is currently in your system. Against diseases of level 7 and higher affecting you, make a new defense roll (with two assets) against the disease; success means you overcome it. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery,you are immune to diseases of level 6 and lower, and you get two assets against diseases of level 7 and higher.

Genre Items: amulet of fortitude (fantasy); immune system stimulant (sci-fi)

DisguiseModule[LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are disguised as another person. Abouthalf of these cyphers allow you to disguise yourself as a person you’ve interacted with (your choiceof who), and the other half have a preset generic disguise (such as a security guard, business person, or store clerk). Disguise tasks to pretend to be that person areeased by two steps.

Genre Items: oil of the doppelganger (fantasy); biomorphic restructurer (sci-fi)

Eagleseye [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can see ten times as far asnormal as if usingpowerful binoculars, withoutinterfering with your ability to see things up close. Genre Items: potion of farsight (fantasy); nanobinocs (sci-fi)

Endure Climate [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: For oneday, you’re resistantto hot or cold temperatures, as if you were wearing appropriate clothing. For example, you could walk through the Sahara Desert without getting heatstroke ora sunburn, or go out in the snow without risking frostbite or hypothermia. Genre Items: ring of comfort (fantasy); environmental regulator (sci-fi)

Energy Blast [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Projects a ray of destructive energy at a target within very long range, inflicting 8 damage.You may instead split the ray and fire at two targets within range that are within a short distance of each other (make separate attack rolls for each target), inflicting 5 damage on each. Roll a d100 todetermine the type of energy. Roll Energy Type 01–15 Cold

16–40 Electricity 41–50 Force 51–80 Heat/concentrated light 81–85 Magnetic wave 86–90 Molecular bond disruption 91–00 Radiation

Genre Items: crystal fire dart (fantasy); one-shot blaster (sci-fi)

Energy Resistance [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose one type of energy or special attack damage, such as acid, cold, electricity, fire, shadow, or thorn. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, if you take a wound caused by this sort of attack, reduce the severity of the wound byone step.For example,if mitigating fire damage, a moderate wound from fire becomes aminor wound. Alternatively, you canuse this cypher on an object, hindering this kind of energy attack against it by two steps until you

use a one-hour or longer recovery. Genre Items: potion of fire resistance (fantasy); countermeasure spray (sci-fi)

Enhanced Armor [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your block tasks are eased and the severity of any wounds you take (blocked or not) are reduced by one step. Genre Items: oil of armor enhancement (fantasy); tensile nanoinjection (sci-fi)

Enhanced Climbing [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can climb or walk on walls and ceilingsas easily as walking on floors, moving at your normal ground movement speed. You must keep at least two extremities (hands or feet) in contact with the surface to climb it. Genre Items: potion of spider climbing (fantasy); nanotube grips (sci-fi)

Enhanced Dodging [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your dodge tasks are eased, and even if

youfail your Speed defense task, the severity of the wound is reducedby one step. Genre Items: amulet of defense (fantasy); deflecting force field (sci-fi)

Enhanced Jumping [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can make incredible jumps. A standing vertical jump (up or down) of 10 feet (3.5 m) or a standing horizontal jump of 20 feet (6 m) is a routine task for you. Running at least a shortdistance before the jump doubles how far you can go as a routine task. If you attempt a longer jump, you get two assets on the roll and

youdon’t get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1. Genre Items: potion of jumping (fantasy); batrachianaugmentation (sci-fi)

Enhanced Reflexes [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have an asset on noncombat tasks requiring manual dexterity, such as pickpocketing, lockpicking, juggling, defusing a bomb, or performing surgery. Genre Items: potion of adept fingers (fantasy); hand stabilizer (sci-fi)

Enhanced Strength [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have an asset on noncombat tasks requiringrawstrength,suchasbreakingdownadoor, liftingaheavyboulder,orbendinga metal gate. Genre Items: belt of strength (fantasy); muscle augmenter (sci-fi)

Enhanced Swimming [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can easily and effectively swim at a superhuman level. You can swim an immediate distance as your turn and still take another

action, swim a short distance as yourentire action, or swim a long distance as your entire action if you succeed at a difficulty 4 swimming task (to “run”). Yourswimming tasks (such as to avoid a current or whirlpool) are eased bytwo steps. Your melee attacks while swimming ignore the normal penalties for fighting in water. Genre Items: potion of swimming (fantasy); drag-suppressing nanosuit (sci-fi)

ExtraCyphers[MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your cypher limit increases by two. Once you activate thiscypher, it doesn’t count against your cypher limit. Genre Items: bag of safe storage (fantasy); stabilizationfield (sci-fi)

Fear [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range. If you succeed, they are filled with fear of you and attempt to flee the area, remaining away until you use a ten-minute

or longer recovery. Ifthey can’t get away, all their tasksagainst you are hindered until you use a ten-minute or longerrecovery. Genre Items: runeof fear (fantasy); amygdala stimulator (sci-fi)

Fiery Bomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of fire or heat up to a shortdistance away.

Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage. Genre Items: scroll of fireball (fantasy); incendiary grenade (sci-fi)

Flash Bomb [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of bright light up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they are blinded until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

Genre Items: scroll of blindness (fantasy); flash grenade (sci-fi)

Flight [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can fly at your normal ground movement speed in any direction. You can carry additional weight (up to about the weight of

anaverage adult human), slowing your movement to about an immediate distance as your action,butanymoreweightthanthatpreventsyoufromflying.

Genre Items: cloak of flying (fantasy); jetpack (sci-fi)

Force Field [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: You create a level 6 force field up to a short distance away. Choose whether the force field is a cube, sphere, wall,or path. A force cube or sphere is about immediate distance across.Awallisanimmediatedistancehighandashortdistancewide(orviceversa).Apathis like a wall, but horizontal instead of vertical. The forcefield otherwise conforms to the space available (stopping at solid obstacles but not exerting pressure on them). The force field lasts until you make a one-hour or longer recovery. You can use a force cube or sphere to trap foes within its area; makeIntellect attacks against each foe to contain them.Gas can’t permeate the

force field, but the volume inside a cube or sphere is enough thatanyone inside probably won’t suffocate. Genre Items: cube of force (fantasy); force field generator (sci-fi)

Freezing Bomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of intense cold up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 4

damage; failure means they still take 2 damage. Genre Items: scroll of cold burst (fantasy); cryonic grenade (sci-fi)

Friction Reducer [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, an immediate area within short range becomes extremely slippery. Movement tasks (acrobatics, balance, physical attacks and defense, running, and so on) in the area are hindered by three steps. Genre Items: oil of slipperiness (fantasy); defrictioning spray (sci-fi)

Frost Wall [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You create a wall of swirling frost up to a short distance away, lasting untilyou use a ten-minute or longerrecovery. The wall isup to 30 feet by 30 feet by 1 foot (9 m by 9 m by 30 cm) and it conforms to the space available. Anything passing through it takes 3 damage. Genre Items: frostdiamond (fantasy); cryoplane module (sci-fi)

Future Potential [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose one ability from your focus that you don’t currently have. The ability must be one you could select as an advancement at your current tier or one tier higher. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can use this ability as if you had chosen it as an advancement (you must pay any Pool point or other costs to activatethe ability, as normal). For

example, if you’re a tier 1 character with the Blazes With Fire focus, you can use this cypher to temporarily learn one tier1 focus ability you don’t know or one tier 2 focus ability. Genre Items: potion of future glory (fantasy); personal tachyon extractor (sci-fi)

Giant Size [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you grow to about one and a half times your normal size. While at this larger size, you add 4 points to your Might Pool and +2 to your MightEdge, but your Speed defense rolls are hindered.When the cypher ends, your Might Edge returns to normal, you lose the penalty to Speed defense, and you take 4 points of Might damage.

If an NPC uses this cypher, they temporarily gain 4 health, ease their Might tasks by two steps, and hinder their Speed defense tasks. Genre Items: potion of growth (fantasy); bodily expander (sci-fi)

Gigantic Bomb [ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: Upgrades a bomb cypher (such as a fiery bomb or shrapnel bomb) to affect a short area instead of an immediate area.

Once a gigantic bomb cypher is used to upgradeanother cypher, the gigantic bomb is expendedandnolongercountstowardyourcypherlimit. Genre Items: scroll of enlarged magical burst (fantasy); bomb expander (sci-fi)

GravityBomb[ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of increased gravity up to ashort distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creaturein the area. Success means they take 3damage, are knocked tothe ground, and can’t take physical actions for one round. Failure meanstheystilltake1damagebutarenotknockeddownandcanactnormally.

Genre Items: lodestone (fantasy); singularity grenade (sci-fi)

Homing Projectile [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: You launch a self-guidingprojectile at a foe within long range. Make a Speed attack against this foe. Success means it inflicts 8 damage. Failure means it misses but will try again one round later on your turn (requiring another attack roll, but not an action). The projectile is expended if it missesfour times. The type of damage depends on the cypher, with cold, electricity, fire, piercing, or poison

being the most common. GenreItems:seekingarrow(fantasy);seekingdrone(sci-fi)

Image Projector [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Projects a specific illusory or holographic scene in an immediate area up to a short distance away from you. The scene remains in place after it is created, and it includes appropriate movement, sound, and scent. For example, the scene might contain a ferocious wolf that paces back and forth but doesn’t leave the area. The scene lasts until you use a one-

hour or longer recovery. Roll to determine the image. Roll Image 01–10 Copy of you that imitates your movements and speech (10-foot [3.5 m] cube) 11–30 Terrifying creature, perhaps extinct or fictional (10-foot[3.5 m] cube) 31–40 Huge machine or natural feature that obscures sight (30-foot [9 m] cube) 41–50 Beautiful pastoral scene (50-foot [16 m] cube) 51–60 Food that looks delicious but may not be familiar (10-foot [3.5 m] cube)

61–80 Solid color that obscuressight (50-foot [16 m] cube) 81–00 Incomprehensible scene that is disorienting and strange (20-foot [6 m] cube) Genre Items: illusion gem (fantasy); hologram projector (sci-fi)

Incredible Speed [ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: You can take one extra action on your turn (but no more than once per turn). For example, you can take all your normal actions on your turn, then take anextra action to move or attack. The cypher ends after you use this ability three times or ifyou use a one-hour or

longer recovery. Genre Items: potion of haste (fantasy); accelerative harness (sci-fi)

Inferno Wall [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You create a wall of shimmering heat or flickering flames up to a short distance away, lasting until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. The wall is up to30 feet by 30 feet by 1 foot (9 m by 9 m by 30 cm) and it conforms to the space available. Anything passing through it takes 3 damage.

Genre Items: inferno ruby (fantasy); infernoplane module (sci-fi)

InformationScanner [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect:Untilyouuseaone-hourorlongerrecovery,yougainanexceptionalawarenessof creatures you’re viewing. If you scrutinize a creature within long range, you learn their level,

species, name, and possibly other facts (such as theircredit score, home address, phone number, and so on). Afteryou’ve used this sense six times, the cypher ends. Genre Items: amulet of scrutiny (fantasy); facial recognition datalink (sci-fi)

Insanity Suppressor [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: You ignore the effects and symptoms of a mental disorder, brain injury, or other

impairing mental conditionuntil you make a ten-hour recovery. Examples include clinical depression,generalizedanxietydisorder,delusions,manias,phobias,dementia,obsessive- compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia, as well as external effects (such as poisons or magic) that cause erratic or uncontrolled behaviors (including fear and rage). Genre Items: circlet of mental clarity (fantasy); cortical modulator (sci-fi)

Instant Building[MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates a simple one-room building in a space adjacent to you. The building’s minimum size is10 feet by 10 feet by 20 feet (3.5m by 3.5 m by 6 m). It consists of one room, a door, and a transparent window, and it is made froma durable, nonflammable material similar to sandstone. The building is permanent and immobile once created. If there isn’t sufficient room for the building to reach its full size, it fills the available space, but its appearance and growth does not apply any force or pressureagainst the confining surfaces. GenreItems:scrollofsecureshelter(fantasy);structuralfabricationunit(sci-fi)

Instant Healing [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You heal a moderate or major wound, as well as all of your minor wounds. Genre Items: potion of healing(fantasy); stimpack (sci-fi)

Instant Outfit [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: You create a fashionable outfit. It fits you perfectlyand is very flattering. When you activate the cypher, you can specifywhat the outfit looks like or describe an event or situation

and allow the cypher to become something appropriate. Until you make aten-hour recovery, the outfit gives you an asset on interaction tasks, after which itbecomes normal clothing that doesn’t provide any additional benefit. Genre Items: costume chrysoberyl (fantasy); clothier nanospray (sci-fi)

Instant Servant [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates (or turns into) a humanoid automaton that is roughly 2feet (60 cm) tall and lasts until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. Itcannot speak but it can understand

your verbal commands (commanding it is not an action). Like a follower, it can perform tasks independently orassist you with your tasks. It never intentionally moves farther than long range from you. It is not artificially intelligent or capable of initiating actions on its own and doesonlyascommanded.AttheGM’sdiscretion,itmighthavespecializedknowledge,suchas how to operate aparticular deviceor how to get to the home of the person who created it.

Genre Items: servant stone (fantasy); disposable robot (sci-fi)

Intellect Booster [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your Intellect Edge increases by 1. Genre Items: potion of mental clarity (fantasy); brain stimulator (sci-fi)

Intellect Restorer [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect:Yourestore6pointstoyourIntellectPool. Genre Items: potion of meditation (fantasy); synaptic rejuvenator (sci-fi)

Intense Perception [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you ignore all penalties associated with attacking or defending against afoe who has cover, has a superior position, is camouflaged, or is invisible.

Genre Items: lenses of true seeing (fantasy); multispectrum sensor lenses (sci-fi)

Invisibility[ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: You becomes invisible. The invisibility is suspended if you do something toreveal your presence or position, such as attacking, using a character ability, moving a large object, and so on. You can reactivate the suspended invisibility by usingan action to focus on hiding; otherwise, it ends after you use a one-hour or longer recovery. Genre Items: potion of invisibility (fantasy); stealthshroud (sci-fi)

Invulnerability Enhancement [ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-action or longer recovery, you ignore all minor, moderate, and major wounds. Genre Items: potion of invulnerability; neutrino shield(sci-fi)

Knowledge Augmentation [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you gain two assets in one area of knowledge. Roll on the table below to find whatkind of knowledge the cypher provides. Roll Knowledge 01–07 Astronomy 08–15 Biology 16–23 Chemistry 24–31 Geology 32–39 History

40–47 Magic lore 48–54 Mathematics 55–61 Philosophy 62–69 Physics 70–77 Psychic lore 78–84 Psychology

85–92 Religious lore 93–00 Other (campaign-specific) Genre Items: potion of knowledge(fantasy); academic implant (sci-fi)

Lightning Wall [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect:Youcreateawallofarcingelectricityuptoashortdistanceaway,lastinguntilyou use a ten-minute or longer recovery. The wall is up to 30 feet by30 feet by 1 foot (9m by 9 m by 30 cm) and it conforms to the space available. Anything passing through it takes 3 damage. Genre Items: lightning topaz (fantasy); electroplane module (sci-fi)

Memory Wipe[MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against one thinking creature within long range that you can

see. If you succeed, they lose their nextturn and have no memory of the previous hour. Genre Items: scroll of mind fog (fantasy); amnesia emitter (sci-fi)

Mental Vigilance [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you gain two assets on Intellect defense tasks and reduce the severity of any mental wound you take by one step. Genre Items: crown of iron will (fantasy); cerebral stimulator (sci-fi)

Might Booster [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your Might Edge increases by 1. Genre Items: potion of strength (fantasy); muscle stimulator (sci-fi)

Might Restorer [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You restore 6 points to your Might Pool. Genre Items: potion of stamina (fantasy); stem cell cocktail (sci-fi)

Mind Control [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range (if the foe is level 7 or higher, the attack ishindered by two steps). Success means the creature becomes calm and doesn’t attack you or your allies unless threatened or attacked, lasting until you usea ten- minute or longer recovery. The creature obeys your verbal commands. If you commandthem to do something against their ethicsor moral code (such as betray or attack their allies or harm themselves), you must succeed at another Intellect attack against them (at the same difficulty as the original attack); otherwise they break free of your control.

If you use this cypher against a nonsapient creature (typically something with animal-level intelligence), it lasts until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. Genre Items: scroll of mind control (fantasy); cerebral dominator (sci-fi)

Motion Sensor [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you know when any movement occurs within short range and when large creatures or objects move within long range (you can tell the difference between the two). You sense this motion even if the source is hidden, behind a barrier, or invisible. When you detect this motion, youalso know the number and size of what is moving. Genre Items: potion of alertness (fantasy); omnidar (sci-fi)

Nullification[ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose one ongoing effect within long range, such asan energy wall, illusion, or paralysis effect. If the effect is caused by an artifact, cypher, or creature ability and is level 5 or lower, it ends immediately; you can affect something of level 6or higher if you succeed at a hindered Intellect attack against it. If the effect is caused by a PC ability, you and the other PC both make Intellect rolls. If your roll is better than the other PC’s, the effect ends.

Genre Items: dispelling rune (fantasy); omniscrambler (sci-fi)

Object Duplicator [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You duplicate a touched item that you can hold in one hand (such as a weapon, shield, or piece of equipment), creating a working copy. The original item must be level 6 or less. Theduplicated item persists until you make a one-hour or longer recovery, unless it’s the sortofequipmentthatisexpendedafteruse(suchasaboxofbulletsoragrenade).

Genre Items: promethean clay (fantasy); nanoreplicator (sci-fi)

Obstacle Bomb [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Turns a short area within long range into difficult terrain,lasting until you make a one-hour or longer recovery. Most cyphers of this type create something appropriate to the location (ice, heavy snow, mud, rubble, bushes, and so on), but some create strange or fantastic obstacles (giant thorns,shadowy limbs, marbles, and so on).

Genre Items: thorn burst rune (fantasy); rubble bomb (sci-fi)

Overpowered Bomb [ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: Upgrades a bomb cypher that inflicts damage (such as a fiery bomb or shrapnel bomb) so it inflicts an additional 4 damage. Once an overpowered bomb cypher is used to upgrade another cypher, the overpowered bomb is expended and no longer counts toward your cypher limit. Genre Items: scroll of empowered magical burst (fantasy); bomb expander (sci-fi)

Paralyzer [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range (if the foe is level 7 or higher, the attack ishindered by two steps). If you succeed, they are stunned and unable to take actions until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. Genre Items: crystal paralysisdart (fantasy); neurosuppressor (sci-fi)

PenultimateEnhancement[ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have the ability to add three assets to one task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) The cypher ends after you use this ability one time. Genre Items: potion of heroism (fantasy); probability adjuster (sci-fi)

Penultimate Key [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, when you roll to unlock or lock something, if you roll an 18 or less, treat the roll as an 18. (Thismeans you don’t get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1.) This ability only works on devices that use a key, such as doors, cabinets, treasure chests, and so on. Genre Items: chime of opening (fantasy); universal locksmith (sci-fi)

Perfection[ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have the ability to perform one task perfectly. When you activate this ability as part of the task, you treat the task as if you had rolled a natural 20. This cypher ends after you use thisability one time. Genre Items: potion of liquid luck (fantasy); quantum probability focuser (sci-fi)

Phase Changer [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can goout of phase, allowing you to pass through solid objects up to level 6. When in this insubstantial state, you cannot make physical attacks or be physically attacked. You can remain out of phase until you use a one- action or longer recovery, and can end the effect whenever you want. Genre Items: ghost salve (fantasy); paradimensional shield (sci-fi)

Phasing Ray [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose part of a physical structurewithin short range, such as a wall, floor, or other space up to about 10 feet by 10 feet (3.5m by 3.5 m). Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, that area goes out of phase, allowing creatures and objects to pass through it asif it weren’t there. The area looks the same as it did before (for example, a wallstill blocks light and youcan’t see through it). The cypher can’t affect structures above level 5. Genre Items: oil of ghost wall(fantasy); paradimensional resonator (sci-fi)

Poison Bomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of toxic gas up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage. About half of these cyphers inflict Might damage andhalf inflict Speeddamage.

Genre Items: venom emerald(fantasy); toxin grenade (sci-fi)

Poison Immunity[LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are immune to poison of level5 and lower, and you get two assets on defense tasks against poisons of level 6 and higher. (For this task, theasset limit is three instead of two.) Genre Items: amulet of fortitude (fantasy); antivenom injection (sci-fi)

Question [HIGHPOWERICON]

Effect: You can ask the GM one questionand get a general answer. The GM assigns a level tothequestion,sothemoreobscuretheanswer,themoredifficultthetask.Generally, knowledge that you could find by looking somewhere other than your current location is level 1, and obscure knowledge of the past is level 7. Gaining knowledge of the future is level 10, and such knowledge is always open to interpretation. The cypher cannot provide an answer to a question above level 6. Genre Items: tome of divination (fantasy); omnilibrarian (sci-fi)

Range Extender [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, the range of any ranged weapon you use increases by one category (immediate to short, short to long, long to very long, very long to 1,000 feet [300 m]). A weapon with a range greater than very long has its range doubled. Genre Items: oil of farshots (fantasy); sniper scope (sci-fi)

Reality Spike [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: The cypher physically locks itself inits current position forever (even if it is in midair). It can be dislodged with a successful level 6 Might action or by a creature of level 7 or higher, but this destroys the cypher and ends the effect. Genre Items: immovable rod (fantasy); locational mooring (sci-fi)

Regeneration [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you regain 1 pointto one of yourPools each round (you choose which Pool each time). Ifall of your Pools are full, this recovery pauses

until at least one of your Pools is nolonger full. Genre Items: ring of regeneration (fantasy); healing stimulant (sci-fi)

Remote Mapper [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You launch a tiny object that moves at great speed, mappingand scanning an area youchoose, starting a short distance away.The object travels up to a total of 3,000 feet (900 m), scanning an area up to 300 feet (90 m) per level away from it, creating a path that optimizes how much area it can cover. It identifies basic layout, creatures, and major energy sources and either transmitsthis information back to you (perhapsby telepathy or an electronic signal) or returns to you to show what it saw. Its movement is blocked by any physical or energybarrier.

Genre Items: spying crystalline eye (fantasy); infiltration drone (sci-fi)

Remote Viewer [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose a location within very long range. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can concentrate to see, hear, and smell through the cypher, no matter how far it is from you. The cypher doesn’t grant you any additional senses; for example, if the location of the cypher is dark, you can’t see anything where it is unless you normally can see in the dark. Genre Items: demon eye crystal (fantasy); microcamera (sci-fi)

Repair [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You repair an object thatis damaged or neglected, restoring it to its full working condition if it originally was level 6 or lower. For example, you can restore a broken laptop or rusted sword to be as good as new. If the object was originally level 7 or higher, it isn’t fully repaired but instead regains 1 to 2levels lost to damage. The repair happens at an accelerated pace;dependingonthegenre,itmightbeinstantaneousorhappenoverthecourseofabouta

minute. This repair doesn’t cost you resource points. Genre Items: runeof repairing (fantasy);repairbot (sci-fi)

Resurrection [HIGHPOWERICON]

Effect: If you died within the last hour, you revive. Whatever injury, wound, or effect

supposedly killed you is undone. You are hindered until you take a recovery. The number of moderatewounds you can take permanently decreases by one. You can use this cypher on another creature instead of yourself. If they are an NPC, instead of being hindered until they take a recovery, they’re hindered until they rest for an hour;their maximum health decreases by 5 (to a minimum of 1). Genre Items: rodof resurrection (fantasy); Lazarus module (sci-fi)

Retaliation [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, anyone striking you automatically takes 2damage (no action or roll needed). The sourceof this damage depends on the cypher; some create a burst of electricity or fire, some inject atoxin or destructive nanites, and others temporarily cover your body with spikes or sharp scales. Genre Items: fire shield rune (fantasy); deterrence field (sci-fi)

Shock Bomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of electricity up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 4 damage; failure means they still take 2 damage. Genre Items: scroll of lightning burst (fantasy); amperage grenade (sci-fi)

Shrapnel Bomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of sharp shrapnel up to a short distance away.MakeseparateSpeedattacksagainsteachcreatureinthearea.Successmeanstheytake 4damage; failure meansthey still take 2 damage. Genre Items: exploding dagger (fantasy); shrapnel grenade (sci-fi)

Sleep Inducer [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against each living creature inan immediate area within short range (if the creatureis level 7 or higher, the attack is hindered by two steps). Success

means the creature falls asleep until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. Damage, extremely loud noise, or a violent action (such as shaking them) awakens a sleeper. GenreItems:scrollofsleep(fantasy);somnotron(sci-fi)

Sonic Bomb [ADVANCEDPOWERICON]

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of intense sound up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 3 damage andare deafened until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. Failure means they

still take 1 damage but are not deafened.

Genre Items: scroll of sonic burst (fantasy); decibel grenade (sci-fi)

Sound Dampener [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, sound within immediate range of you is

dampened, giving everyone in the area an asset on stealth tasks and hindering sound-based attacks and effects originating within or entering the area. Genre Items: scroll of silence (fantasy); decibel suppressor (sci-fi)

Speed Booster [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your Speed Edge increases by 1. Genre Items: potion of agility (fantasy); nerve stimulator (sci-fi)

Speeding Bullet [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Your movement speed increases until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. You can move a short distance as part of another action (instead of an immediate distance),a long distance asyour entire action (insteadof a short distance), or (if you succeed at a difficulty 4 running task) a very longdistance as your entire action (instead of a long distance). Genre Items: longstrider potion (fantasy); sprint module (sci-fi)

Speed Restorer [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You restore 6 points to your SpeedPool. Genre Items: potion of soothed reflexes (fantasy); primephetamine (sci-fi)

Stamina Enhancer[MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, the number of moderate wounds you

can take increases by one. GenreItems:amuletofconstitution(fantasy);dermalenhancer(sci-fi)

Summon Creature [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: A random level 6 creature from somewhere in the world (or perhaps another world or dimension) appears in a location of your choice within short range. The creature attacks the closest foe (switching to new foes if it defeats the initial one) until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, after which it returns to where it came from.

Genre Items: scroll of monster summoning (fantasy); zoology portal (sci-fi)

Sustenance [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: For oneday you can go without food and water without any ill effects, as if you’ve been eating and drinking healthily during this time. Genre Items: amulet of sustenance (fantasy); nutrition recycler (sci-fi)

Telekinesis [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can move objects and creatures within short range using your mind. Choose whether you want to use this ability with strength or finesse. Strength: You attempt to pull, push, or lifta target and move them up to a short distance. The target must be nolarger than yourself and no heavierthan your weight. Make an Intellect attackagainst the target. If you succeed, you move the target a shortdistance in any direction,

either gently or with force. If they hit something, at your discretion they take 4 damage from the impact. If you use a level of Effort onthe attack specifically for this cypher, the successful attackalso knocks them prone. Finesse: You can manipulate an object or creature with finesse for one round as if you were touching it directly. For example, you could type on a keyboard, turn a doorknob and open a door, yank something from a creature’s grasp, or lift something out of a creature’s pocket. Using telekinesis this way requires a roll only if performing the task directly would require one.

The cypherends after you have used the telekinesis six times. Genre Items: ring of telekinesis (fantasy); personal tractor beam (sci-fi)

Telepathy [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you can telepathically communicate (sending and receiving) with any number of thinking creatures within longrange. You must be

able to perceive them to initiate contact, but thereafter, as long as they’re in range you can remain in contact with them. Genre Items: circlet of telepathy (fantasy); telepathy module (sci-fi)

Teleporter

Effect: You teleport to a location within range, arriving safely. The teleportation includes

yourequipmentbutcannotbringothercreatureswithyou.Ifyoucan’tfitinthechosen destination, you appear in the closest open space to it. Roll to determine what kind of teleportation the cypher can perform. Roll Type 01–50 Bounder[MEDIUMPOWERICON] 51–80 Traveler [ADVANCEDPOWERICON] 81–95 Planetary [HIGHPOWERICON]

96–00 Interstellar [ULTRAPOWERICON] Bounder: Alocationwithin 500 feet (150 m) that you can see, or up to 500 feet in the direction and distance you specify (such as “200 feet west and 20 feet upward”). Traveler: A location within 500 miles (800 km) that you can see or have previously visited or seen. Planetary: A location on the same planet that you can see or have previously visitedor seen.

Interstellar: A location inthe same galaxy that you can see or have previously visited or seen. Genre Items: scroll of teleportation (fantasy); portal gun (sci-fi)

Tiny Size [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you shrink to about one-tenth your normal size. Whileat this smaller size, you add 4 points toyour Speed Pool and +2 to your

SpeedEdge, but all of your Might actions are hindered by two steps. When the cypher ends, yourSpeedEdgereturnstonormal,youlosethepenaltytoMightactions,andyoutake4 points of Speed damage. If an NPC uses this cypher, they ease their Speed tasksby twosteps and hindertheir Might tasks by two steps. Genre Items: potion of shrinking (fantasy); bodily compressor (sci-fi)

Tracer [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose a target within short range. Until you make a ten-hour recovery, you know the direction and distance to that target, as long as itis within 100 miles (160 km) of you. Genre Items: crystal spiderdart (fantasy); microtracker (sci-fi)

Trick Embedder [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose a nonintelligentbeast within short range. The beast immediately learns two tricks of your choosing that they can physically perform(roll over, heel, spin, shake, go to an indicated place within long range, and so on). The beast never forgets thistrick.

Genre Items: beast trick rune (fantasy); pheromonal training dart (sci-fi)

Ultimate Enhancement [ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-action or longer recovery, all your tasksare eased by two steps.

Genre Items: potion of superheroism (fantasy); improbability adjuster (sci-fi)

Ultimate Healing [ULTRAPOWERICON]

Effect: You heal all your minor, moderate, and major wounds. Genre Items: potion of ultimate healing (fantasy); advanced stimpack (sci-fi)

Uninterruptible Power Source [MEDIUMPOWERICON]

Effect: You attach the cypher to another device upto level 6, providing power to it until you

use a ten-hour recovery. Genre Items: power stone (fantasy); microgenerator (sci-fi)

Virtual Shield [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are protected asif youwere using a shield. The cypher immediately ends if you usethis protection to negate a major wound. Genre Items: scroll of shield (fantasy);ablative armor (sci-fi)

Water Breathing [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a ten-hour recovery, youcan breathe water as well as youdo air. You

can use this cypher on up to six creatures, inwhich case it lastsuntil they use a one-hour or longer recovery (one individual ending the cypher doesn’t affect the duration for other creatures). Genre Items: potion of water breathing (fantasy); respiratory fluid (sci-fi)

Weapon Augmentation [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Choose a physical weapon such as a sword or pistol. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, attacks with that weapon inflict an additional 2 damage (a projectile weapon

such as a bow, crossbow, or pistol adds this damage to the projectile). The source of this extra damage depends on the cypher; some add aspecialeffect such as cold, electricity, fire, or poison, others releasea burst of necromantic energy or cell-disrupting nanites, and others just make the weapon innately more effective (such as by sharpening a blade or increasing the mass of a projectile at the moment ofimpact). Instead of using the cypher on a manufactured physical weapon,you can use it on a part of your body you make unarmed attacks with, such as a fist or foot.

Genre Items: oil of weapon enhancement (fantasy); density modulator (sci-fi)

Zone of Privacy [LOWPOWERICON]

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, an area within immediate range of you becomes shielded against effects outside the area that attempt to see, hear,or otherwise sense what occurs inside. Any attemptsto do so allow you to roll an Intellect defense task; success

means the area appears as a blur to any sense applied. GenreItems:amuletofnondetection(fantasy);surveillancescrambler(sci-fi)