Cypher System Revised Edition
RevisedBest For
Groups building their own campaigns across genres who want detailed character choices and frequent resource decisions, with light mechanical preparation for the GM.
Core Mechanic
The GM rates a task from 1 to 10 and multiplies that difficulty by 3 to set its target number. Players roll a d20 and succeed on a result equal to or above the target. Skills, assets, and Effort ease the task before the roll, with Effort paid from a stat Pool after Edge reduces the cost.
The same difficulty-and-d20 procedure resolves attacks, social tests, and other tasks. Players learn to balance shared resources, such as Pools that fund actions and absorb damage until recovery or XP spent on rerolls instead of advancement. Optional genre procedures add breadth without requiring every campaign to use them.
- Free to tryFull core rulesLegally free as an SRD, PDF, or official web rules
- Get it nowAvailable nowFree to download or read online
- ✓IndexFind any rule by page number
- ✓GM guidanceA chapter on how to run the game
- ✓Examples of playRules shown in action at the table
- ✓Quick referenceCheat sheet or summary tables
- ✓Cross-referencesRules point to each other by page
5 of 5 book tools found in the core book
Highlights
Descriptor, type, focus, and optional flavors let players combine broad character concepts with specific abilities. Single-use cyphers continually refresh the powers available during play. Character arcs reward progress toward personal goals, while XP can also buy rerolls and changes to the story.
Considerations
Players budget stat Pools across Effort, abilities, and incoming damage. The GM must choose suitable character options and genre rules before a campaign begins. Abstract distances and flexible difficulty ratings rely on consistent table rulings.
Third-Party Publishing
Publishers may reproduce or modify authorized Cypher System Reference Document text and declare compatibility, subject to attribution, trademark, content, and other license conditions. Content from other MCG publications is excluded.
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