The GM should have a general idea of what cyphers you have so they can create encounters that make those cyphers useful. It's not fun if you have a climbing cypher and no opportunity to climb something.

Cyphers are one-use abilities that your character has, and they change from session to session. This spices up the game because you always have new options for dealing with challenges---you have different tricks up your sleeve each time. Maybe a cypher lets you turn a combat encounter into a negotiation or reveals information about your foes and how they tie in to the overall story.

Cyphers are things that a player might do by asking the right questions or rolling well, presented as a one-use character ability that explicitly tries something cool and different. There's a lot of stuff on your character sheet that you can consistently rely on---skills, Pools, abilities, and so on; cyphers are the wild cards that give you fresh options and let you try something new. There are many different cyphers, and while none of them will break the game, they will be useful and interesting.

Many cyphers are the sort of thing that a realistic hero in a film or television show could do without any supernatural help, like having a burst of insight about the best way to use the nearby terrain, getting a surge of adrenaline to accomplish something exceptional, or being lucky enough to make that once-in-a-lifetime shot. In some ways they're like a capability you had within yourself but can't always rely on. Which means they're pretty realistic, because on a typicalday you might not be able to jump over a fence, make a half-court shot, or evade a dangerous driver on the highway, but on thedays you do manage one of those things, it's memorable.

You should think of cyphers less like gear or treasure and more like character abilities (from your type or focus) that you didn't expect to have. The cyphers lead to fun game moments where you can say, "Oh, I've got a trick that'll help with this situation," and that trick is different every time you play. The cypher might be intuitive knowledge of the local computer network, calling in a favor from the Faerie Court, or an explosive device. It might be a hot-wired teleporter or a force field with just enough battery to last a few minutes. Or a powerful electromagnet or a prayer that cures disease. Cyphers keep the game fresh and interesting---your character has different options in every session.

Another way to think of cyphers is that they make a scenario fun and cool, but they don't permanently change what your character is capable of. For example, an action movie franchise might frequently show that the hero is a skilled gunner or driver, but there's only one movie where they have a gunfight while climbing a steep cliff, and in that scene the hero had a couple of moments where they slipped and almost died. In game terms, the hero is trained in guns and driving, not in climbing, but they had a cypher that made a climbing task merely difficult instead of deadly.

Cyphers are single-use effects and are used up when you activate them. In other words, unlike an ability from your type or focus that you can use whenever you want, a cypher is something you use once and then it's gone. They're a game mechanic designed so that you discover them frequently, use them when you need them, and find more to replace them. Usually, you'll find new cyphers at least once each game session, so don't be afraid to use the ones you have---you'll get more soon.

If you use an asset-granting cypher as part of helping another character, they gain all the assets from the cypher, and that number of assets is their asset limit for that task.

You can only have a small number of cyphers at a time, called your cypher limit (for most characters, the limit is two). The game does this to encourage you (the player) to use cyphers instead of hoarding them for an emergency.

Your type tells you how many cyphers you can have at a time. Some focus abilities and abilities at higher tiers increase your cypher limit.

When you create a new character and join a campaign, the GM should give you enough cyphers to put you at your cypher limit---"fill you up" or "top you off" with cyphers, as it were.

Sometimes the game rules talk about how many cyphers you are carrying. Saying "I have two cyphers" and "I'm carrying two cyphers" mean the same thing

Every time your character has a significant rest (such as making a one-hour recovery) is a good time for the GM to award you more cyphers. You can think of this as a break between two significant scenes in a story; the characters have rested, have moved to a new location, or are about to face a new challenge, and now you have new cyphers to make use of.

To simplify things, the GM might offer new cyphers to all characters at the same time, even if not everyone is resting. For example, if you're resting for an hour, your friend Sandy is searching the internet for a clue, and your friend Robin is standing guard, the GM could offer new cyphers to all three of you at the same time.

At any time, as your action you can "lose" (discard) one or more of your current cyphers. This frees up space (not actual space in your pockets) so you can "find" another cypher. For example, if you have a cypher that gets rid of a poison in your system and you don't think you're going to face any poisonous threats this session, you can lose that cypher and make room for a new one the GM is offering you. Of course, if your current cypher is immediately useful (like rallying a wound), you could use it (gaining its effect), which frees up a space for a new cypher.

Your GM might hand out cyphers randomly by rolling on one of the tables in this section or by drawing random cards from a deck of cyphers. Or they might plan ahead and choose what cyphers you find based on upcoming encounters---for example, a healing cypher if there's a dangerous creature up ahead or a swimming cypher because soon you'll have to cross a lake.

It's okay to let the GM know when you're out of cyphers or haven't been at your cypher limit for a while. Even the best GMs sometimes forget to check on your cyphers, and reminding them means they get the fun job of handing out new cyphers to the group. After all, seeing how players come up with unexpected and creative uses for their cyphers is one of the perks of being a GM!

This section explains how to read a cypher description and has information on more than eighty nonphysical cyphers. Cyphers that are physical objects, called manifest cyphers, are covered later in the section.

A cypher has a simple description and statistics. Here's how to understand what those mean.

Name: Every cypher has a name. These are fun, evocative names, but they're not necessarily something your character uses during the game---the name is there so you and the GM can keep track of what cypher you have. When you get a cypher, write its name down in the Cyphers section of your character sheet.

Effect: This is what the cypher does. Most cyphers only last for one action or perhaps one round. If the cypher doesn't list a duration, it only affects one task. For example, the combat enhancer cypher entry says "You get two assets on a combat or noncombat task," meaning it only affects one task.

You make all choices about a 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.

Cyphers are instant effects, which means using one isn't an action. For example, the combat enhancer cypher is instant and adds two assets to your next attack or defense roll, so you can activate it on your turn and use it on your attack roll that turn. And because it doesn't use an action, you can use it when it's not your turn---such as on a defense roll in response to a foe's attack against you.

Cyphers are level 4 effects. For most cyphers, the level doesn't matter---it doesn't affect what the cypher can do or how long it lasts.

Some cyphers say that you can use them before or after a roll. This means that if you roll and don't like the number you got, you can use the cypher to affect the roll, but you have to do that before the GM tells you if you succeed or fail at the task.

If a cypher has an ongoing effect that lasts until you use a recovery, you can always end the effect earlier as an extra action on your turn, at no cost.

Explanation: This section gives you three non-supernatural suggestions for how to explain what's happening in the story when you use the cypher. This makes the cypher less about math and game mechanics and more about what your character is doing as a person and their physical and mental presence in the scene. You can use these explanations or come up with your own (or the GM may have you skip the explanation).

Some of the cyphers here don't follow the normal rules for cyphers, such as having a fixed duration (like "24 hours") instead of lasting for one task or ending when you use a recovery. Those cyphers are marked with the following symbol to remind you that they're not like most cyphers.

Effect: You add two free levels of Effort to your task. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Time to go all out. If you mess this up, someone dies. You don't even know how you did that.

Effect: You go berserk in combat. While in this state, you can't use Intellect points, but you add +1 to your Might Edge or your Speed Edge (your choice). You end this effect early when you wish, and it ends automatically if no combat is taking place within range of your senses or if you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

Explanation: That was the last straw. They hurt or insulted someone you care for deeply. They reminded you of a villain who once did you wrong.

Effect: When using a tool on a task, you get two additional assets on the task, even if that means exceeding the normal limit of two assets. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Everything lines up perfectly. This is a tool the professionals use. It only needed a quarter turn more.

Effect: Your successful physical attack gives your foe a bleeding wound that inflicts an additional 3 damage (ignores armor) on your next turn. The foe can prevent this additional damage by using any ability that heals them or using their action to stop the bleeding.

You can use this cypher before or after you roll. If you use Effort on the attack specifically for this cypher, the bleeding wound lasts an additional round for each level of Effort you use this way.

Explanation: You hit a large blood vessel on the surface of their skin. You nicked an artery. Head wounds bleed a lot.

Effect: As an extra action on your turn, you can move a short or long distance If you use this extra action to move a short distance, this doesn't hinder your tasks. If you use this extra action to move a long distance, your tasks until your next turn are only hindered by one step instead of two.

Explanation: It was a little bit downhill the whole way. You were the fastest kid in school. Fear is a strong motivator.

Effect: If you use one action to aim at a target beyond extreme range, in the next round your attack roll against them gets three assets. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.)

Explanation: You found the calm state that quiets your breathing and heartbeat. Your tactical position overcomes extreme-distance factors that would impede your attack, like the angle of the sun and the speed of the wind. You mastered the sniper level in your favorite videogame.

Effect: A melee or ranged attack by you or a foe also damages a nearby object (not something you or the foe have) up to level 4, automatically breaking or destroying it.

Explanation: Your backswing broke the table. Their shot shattered the window. Your follow-through cracked a steam pipe.

Effect: You get two assets on a combat or noncombat task. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: This must be what bullet time feels like. They made a fatal mistake. Two hits---you hitting them, them hitting the floor.

Effect: In response to being hit with an attack, you immediately make an eased attack against that foe with an attack of your own, even though it is not your turn. Your attack must be of the same kind (melee or ranged) as the attack that hit you.

Explanation: You have an itchy trigger finger. You allowed yourself to get hit to set up a counterattack. They were at the perfect angle for you to respond.

Effect: Make a hindered interaction roll against a foe in short range who can see and hear you. If you succeed, you upset them enough that they start crying. This might hinder them by two steps for about a round, make them leave the area for a while, or prompt one of their allies to comfort them.

Explanation: You found a topic they are really sensitive about. They were already having a bad day. You're a mean drunk.

Effect: An attack on you that would inflict a minor or moderate wound instead doesn't harm you at all.

Explanation: Some bit of your clothing or equipment deflected the damage. Something distracted your foe. You're tougher than you thought.

Effect: After a successful attack, you attempt to disarm a foe as an extra action. Make an attack roll (using the same Pool as the original attack). If you succeed, they immediately drop whatever they are holding in a hand that you choose, and it lands an immediate distance away. Instead of allowing it to fall to the ground, if you apply a level of Effort on this attack and you have a free hand, you can grab or catch whatever the foe dropped.

Explanation: You struck a nerve cluster. The thing is more slippery than they thought. You saw this trick in a movie once.

Effect: One disease of level 4 or lower that is currently in your system has no further effect on you.

Explanation: You have a strong immune system. You've been exposed to this disease before. The strain of infection was already weakened before it got to you.

Effect: In place of one attack, you make two hindered attacks with the same weapon.

Explanation: You have two fists. The weapon has a sensitive trigger. You had just enough time for a double tap.

Effect: You rummage around and create or find one piece of standard equipment (such as a weapon, piece of armor, or rope, but not a cypher or artifact) up to level 4. The piece of equipment persists for up to one day, unless it's the sort of equipment that is expended after use (such as a box of bullets or a grenade).

An equipment cache cypher probably means you discover a forgotten stash of equipment or find something useful on a fallen foe.

Effect: You have an extra minute's worth of breathing in a situation where you can't breathe normally, such as underwater or in space. During this time, you're not distracted or hindered by needing air. Once this time is over, your need for air resumes at the point it was when you activated the cypher.

Explanation: You got really calm in order to conserve oxygen. Your air tank had one last lungful in it. You found a big bubble that you could make use of.

A typical person without training can hold their breath for about a minute, or two minutes if they remain still.

Effect: For one task, you have three assets in an appropriate skill requiring a lot of physical strength, such as breaking down a door, carrying a heavy weight, lifting a bed above your head, pulling someone out of a hole, or pushing a car off a cliff. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You found a weak spot. You had leverage. You got a surge of adrenaline.

Effect: If you attack a foe that your ally attacked this turn, you gain an asset on the attack, and if you hit you inflict an additional 5 damage. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: The foe is overwhelmed. Your ally distracted the foe. You and your ally practiced this combo.

Effect: Something happens that makes the encounter (or specifically your next action) a little easier for you. You can call for a player intrusion without spending any XP.

Explanation: You have friends everywhere. The universe finally gave you a break. All that good karma finally paid off.

Effect: Reroll the die you just rolled, even if it was a natural 1. You must use the new result, even if it's a 1.

Explanation: Things don't always turn out like they first appear. Luck favors the prepared. It's not that you were lucky---it was that they were unlucky.

Effect: During a conversation where you're trying to charm, intimidate, convince, negotiate with, or influence a person, and the conversation is likely to take at least several minutes, make one interaction roll. If you succeed, you and the person wrap things up and come to a reasonable agreement in a matter of seconds.

Explanation: Bullet points are enough. They were ready to agree with you anyway. You're being very intense right now.

Effect: Choose a foe you can see. Their attacks and defenses against you are hindered by four steps until your next turn.

Explanation: You're familiar with their combat style. You practiced at the same military academy. They just got a cramp.

Effect: You have three assets on your long-distance perception task, affecting noticing things that are at least a long distance away. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You've watched a lot of live sports from the nosebleed section. You can feel something in the air. You grew up in a very flat part of the world.

Effect: An object within immediate range ignites in flame, taking 5 damage each round. If the object's level is 4 or less, the fire destroys it within a few rounds; a higher-level object instead has its level reduced by 1 to 3. Nearby objects may catch on fire as it burns.

Explanation: You had a lighter or matchstick. There was an electrical spark or short circuit. A window or curved glass magnified the sunlight.

Effect: You have three assets on your acrobatics or balance task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Your ears popped and that slight vertigo finally went away. You gave your back a good crack to limber up. You practiced these exact moves when you were in school.

Effect: You have three assets on your block task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Your foe's attacks are weak and ineffective. You've noticed a flaw in their attack strategy. Your armor is especially good against these attacks.

Effect: You have three assets on your charm task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Something about your tone is comforting to them. You remind them of someone they like and respect. You happened to say just the right thing to put them in an agreeable mood.

Effect: You have three assets on your climbing task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: This wall isn't as smooth as it looked. You watched some climbing training videos last night. You've got an inspirational theme song playing in your head.

Effect: You have three assets on your deception task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: They were sympathetic to your lie. They didn't get much sleep last night. Your explanation resonated with them.

Effect: You gain three assets on one noncombat task requiring manual dexterity, such as pickpocketing, lockpicking, juggling, defusing a bomb, or performing surgery. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You have a hidden talent for this sort of thing. It's easier than it looks. Beginner's luck.

Effect: You have three assets on your disguise task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: People aren't really paying attention to your look. You actually resemble the person you're disguised as. You used a clever trick to turn something into a prop or costume piece.

Effect: You have three assets on your dodge task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Your foe's attacks are slow and clumsy. You have the high ground. You've practiced against the foe's combat style.

Effect: You have three assets on your driving or piloting task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: It's just like riding a bike. You play a videogame with a vehicle like this. The vehicle has driver-assist technology.

The Improved Driving cypher works for most civilian-level vehicles (bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds, cars, small boats, and small planes) but is less effective when controlling a cruise ship, large passenger aircraft, or military tank.

Effect: You have three assets on your escaping task (from ropes, handcuffs, tight spaces, and so on). (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: This type of handcuffs has a design flaw. The ropes weren't as tight as planned. The cage bars were loose.

Effect: You have three assets on your healing, medicine, or surgery task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: They weren't as badly hurt as it first appeared. You just studied how to treat this kind of injury. Everything easily popped back into place.

Effect: You have three assets on your initiative task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

If the GM calls for another initiative roll as part of the encounter (for example, if reinforcements arrive), this cypher applies to the new initiative roll as well.

Explanation: You noticed someone slowly reaching for a weapon. You had a feeling things were about to get dangerous. You heard something that drew your attention to a threat.

Effect: You have three assets on your intimidation task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You remind a foe of someone they're afraid of. That vein in your forehead just started throbbing. They greatly underestimated how tough you look.

Effect: You have three assets on your jumping task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You found the perfect spot on the floor to launch from. Your shoes were made for this. You're very afraid.

Effect: You have three assets on your lockpicking task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Whoever locked it didn't realize that it didn't fully "click." You just watched a video about this kind of lock. Your favorite videogame has a realistic lockpicking minigame.

Effect: You have three assets on your perception task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You happened to be looking in the right direction. You got a hunch that something was out of place. You accidentally nudged the hidden thing.

Effect: You have three assets on your pickpocketing task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Your mark's pockets are especially loose. Something distracts your mark just as you're about to steal from them. You're just the right height to grab what you want from the mark.

Effect: For one repair task, you are trained in an appropriate kind of crafting for that repair, and can repair the device as if you spent 1 resource point on it.

Explanation: You used to rebuild this sort of device for fun. There's a repair manual for the device nearby (or online). The device wasn't really broken, just jammed or dirty.

Effect: You have three assets on your hiding, sneaking, or stealth task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: The people are distracted and not paying attention to you. Your shoes are especially quiet on this kind of floor. Someone just did maintenance on the floor to fix a loud squeak.

Effect: You have three assets on your swimming task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: You remembered your old lifeguard training. You found a current moving in the direction you want to go. You thought you saw a shark.

Effect: You attack with a weapon at a foe within short range even if the attack wouldn't normally be effective or possible at that range. For example, you could throw a sword, use a punch or kick to propel a heavy object, or throw an empty pistol. Make an eased attack against the foe as if you were attacking them with the weapon normally; for example, skill in swords, unarmed combat, or pistols applies to the attack roll. If the attack succeeds, the foe takes damage as if you had hit them with the weapon in the normal way.

Explanation: You've been practicing this trick. Weapon training includes unorthodox attack methods. It's basic physics.

Effect: You find something in the area that is large enough to cover you, providing shelter from the weather or concealment from a pursuer. It might even block one attack before breaking or collapsing.

Explanation: This thick tangle of branches is unexpectedly sturdy. This old tarp blends in pretty well with the dirt. This heavy cardboard box is much bigger than you thought.

Effect: You use a piece of your equipment or an object within reach to block an attack, negating the wound from the attack as if you had used a shield. This probably destroys the object the way that a shield negates a major wound.

Explanation: That was an expensive chair. That sword was a family heirloom. Good thing you were next to that door.

Effect: As a second action after a successful attack, you hamper your foe so that until your next turn the severity of the wounds their attacks inflict decreases by one step.

Explanation: Your attack hobbled them. They were demoralized by your aggression. They were distracted by something.

Effect: A foe of level 4 or less within short range uses their next turn to attack a creature of your choice within short range. The attacking creature inflicts damage equal to their level.

Explanation: You convinced them the creature said or did something unforgivable. Your taunt confused them. They thought the creature they attacked was on your side.

Effect: You restore 4 points to your Intellect Pool.

Explanation: Your coffee just kicked in. Something just reminded you of your favorite person. Your theme music just started playing.

Effect: As a second action after a successful melee attack, make a Might or Intellect roll against your foe (hindered by two steps if the foe is level 5 or higher). If you succeed, you knock them out (or something similar that incapacitates them, such as knocking the wind out of them) for a few rounds.

Explanation: A good bonk on the head can take out almost anyone. You and your high school friends used to choke each other out for fun. You learned how to do a solar plexus jab by watching a lot of boxing matches.

Effect: You ignore the effects and symptoms of a mental disorder, brain injury, or other impairing mental condition until you use a ten-hour recovery. Examples include clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, delusions, manias, phobias, dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia.

Explanation: Your medication dosage is precisely what you need right now. You've found a way to compensate for a little while. Some unknown factor (such as diet, exercise, or rest) has swung things your way.

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you're resistant to hot or cold temperatures, as if you were wearing appropriate clothing. For example, you could walk through the Sahara Desert without getting heatstroke or a sunburn, or go out in the snow without risking frostbite or hypothermia.

Explanation: You grew up with weather like this. You've always run a little hot/cold. That extra-large hot/cold drink was exactly what you needed.

Effect: As part of your movement, you create or use an opening in a barrier (up to level 4) and pass through it.

Explanation: The floor was rotting away. The drywall was poorly installed. The mortar between the bricks was weak.

You can also use a make passage cypher to open an existing door or gate, or even have an elevator arrive when you need it.

Effect: You have three assets on your computer or hacking task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

If you succeed, your interaction with the device is better than you expected in some way. For example, you might gain access to a secure folder on a computer, the device might think you're an administrator, follow-up tasks with the device might be eased, or you might be able to use it for a longer time before it deactivates or you get locked out of the system.

Explanation: You accidentally guessed the master password. Your biometrics are almost identical to those of the device's creator. The device is glitching.

Effect: You have three assets on your Intellect defense task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

If you fail your Intellect defense task, the attack inflicts 4 less Intellect damage (or, if you are out of Intellect and the attack would inflict wounds, it reduces the severity of the wound by one step).

Explanation: Eye of the tiger. Keep your eye on the ball. Your friends are counting on you.

Effect: You restore 4 points to your Might Pool.

Explanation: You're not as tired as you thought. You were faking an injury. Something just made you really angry.

Effect: If you use your action to help someone, they gain a total of three assets on their task. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after they roll.

Explanation: You couldn't stand to see them fail. You remembered when they went out of their way for you. You want them to owe you a favor.

Effect: If you died within the last minute, you revive. Whatever injury, wound, or effect that supposedly killed you is undone. You are hindered until you take a recovery. The number of moderate wounds you can take permanently decreases by one.

You can use this cypher on an ally 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).

Explanation: It must have bounced off your thick skull. You're not dying today. Your guardian angel is keeping busy.

Effect: You get two assets on a noncombat task. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Explanation: Wow, you're really good at this! Fake it until you make it. Your horoscope said this would happen today.

Effect: You have three assets on your deception or charm task to convince an intelligent creature that you are someone other than who you actually are. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

This cypher doesn't allow you to impersonate a specific individual. Instead, you convince the target that you're someone belonging to a certain category of people. For example, "I'm just making a delivery." "I work in maintenance." "I'm selling baked goods; want some?"

Explanation: You're good at impressions. You happened to have something that served as a convincing prop. The target didn't really care that much or was distracted.

Effect: A common nearby object (one that is close enough for you to touch) harms a foe within immediate range of it, either by striking them or by breaking and its pieces hitting them. This automatically inflicts 4 damage if the foe's level is 4 or less, or 1 damage if the foe is of level 5 or higher. This can't affect objects that are fixed in place or held by another creature.

Explanation: You tipped over the vase. You smashed the glass pitcher. You shoved the sculpture.

Effect: You have two assets on your interaction, intimidation, or charm task to calm a beast or make it uninterested in attacking you or your allies. If you have food or a treat appropriate to the beast's diet or interests, you get an additional asset on this attack. These assets can exceed the normal limit of two assets on a task. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

After a while, the creature reverts to its previous behavior or leaves, as appropriate to the situation (a guard dog would continue to guard, but a wild bear would wander off).

For a pacify beast cypher, "beast" refers to creatures of animal-level intelligence and may include unintelligent aliens, magical creatures, and exotic life forms that fill a similar role in the local ecology.

Explanation: You grew up on a farm. You always had a way with animals. This creature is just scared and hungry.

Effect: You treat your next action as if you had rolled a natural 20.

Explanation: Your trainer wouldn't let you stop until you got this move right. You dreamed about this and now it's happening exactly as you dreamed it. That shot was one in a million, kid.

Because rolling a natural 20 means you get back any points you used to apply Effort on the task, there's no reason not to apply as much Effort as you can afford on this task, since you'll immediately get the points back.

Effect: Using gestures, facial expressions, and a few meaningful words, you're able to understand and be understood by someone even though you don't have a common language. This communication is simple and limited (like "caveman talk") but is enough to express concepts like friend, enemy, help, danger, sunrise/sunset, give, trade, and so on. After a few minutes of communicating like this, the other person probably ends the conversation out of boredom, frustration, or having other things to do; in any case, this understanding ends if you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

Explanation: You have an expressive face. You and they have a talent for pantomime. Some words in your language are similar to related words in their language.

Effect: One poison of level 4 or lower that is currently in your system has no further effect on you.

Explanation: The wound was only a scratch and barely any poison got into you. You've spent time building up a resistance to this particular poison. A medication you're taking interferes with the poison.

Effect: Against a foe who has already taken damage in this combat, your attack inflicts an additional 5 damage. You can use this cypher before or after you roll for the attack.

Explanation: You got the scent of blood. Your attacks hit them right where they were most wounded. The foe started to panic.

Effect: After a successful melee or ranged attack, you attempt to move a foe as an extra action. Make a Might or Speed attack (using the same Pool as the original attack). If this attack succeeds, you also move the foe horizontally an immediate distance. If you use a level of Effort on the attack specifically for this cypher, the successful attack also knocks them prone.

Explanation: They were surprised by how strong you are. You caught them off-balance. They tripped on something.

Effect: You have three assets on your task to deactivate, pause, disable, or shut down a device. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.) You can use this cypher before or after you roll.
If you succeed, attempts to reverse what you did are hindered by two steps (even if you're the one trying). For example, you could shut down a sentient artificial intelligence and make it hard for anyone to reactivate it, or pause the countdown clock on a time bomb and make it hard to start it up again.

Explanation: You tried so many keyboard combinations that the thing froze up. You told it to print all files to the network printer. If all else fails, start cutting wires.

Effect: If you succeed at an Intellect task against a foe you're in melee with, you make a feint, misleading them. You have three assets on your melee attack against them this turn. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.)

Explanation: Their shoes are untied. Aim high, stab low. You are not left-handed.

Effect: You come up with the money or other resources required to purchase an item that is inexpensive, moderately priced, or expensive.

Explanation: You have a line of credit. You found the coins hidden beneath a loose board. It's a loan from someone.

Effect: You remember about a minute's worth of details from your past, even if at the time it didn't seem like you were paying attention. For example, you could remember all the details of a person's outfit, the exact words of an overheard conversation, the license plates of several vehicles leaving a crime scene, or the password you saw someone type on a computer.

Instead of remembering a past action, you can use this cypher to memorize something that's happening now or about to happen within one minute.

Explanation: You were only pretending that you weren't observing. What they said became an earworm and it just now clicked. You got an unexpected bit of clarity about what happened.

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range. If you succeed, they decide to leave the area for some reason and stay away until you take a recovery. If they can't get away, all their tasks against you are hindered by two steps until you take a recovery.

Explanation: You scared them away. They have to use the bathroom. They remembered an important appointment.

Effect: As an extra action after a successful melee attack, make a Might or Speed roll against your foe (hindered if the foe is level 5 or higher). If you succeed, you restrain them (with an armlock, a headlock, a length of rope, or something similar) and the foe is unable to attack or move away from their current position. The foe can use their action to escape the restraints, but if you actively interfere (costing you your next action) you can make an eased roll against them to restrain them for another round.

Explanation: You've watched a lot of wrestling. Reunions for your family tend to get unruly. You have a knack for ropes.

Effect: Until your next turn, you ignore all penalties associated with attacking or defending against a foe who has cover, has a superior position, is camouflaged, or is invisible.

Explanation: They accidentally revealed exactly where they are. You got a weird feeling and guessed right. They stumbled or were distracted and briefly moved out of cover.

Effect: You can go without food and water for a while, as if you'd just eaten a very filling meal and had plenty of fluids.

Explanation: You had a big breakfast. You eat like a bird. You're basically a camel.

Effect: You can ask the GM one question and get a general answer. The GM assigns a level to the question, so the more obscure the answer, the more difficult the task. 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 4.

Explanation: You just watched a documentary about this. Someone left behind a note with relevant information. The answer was on the tip of your tongue.

Effect: Using only gestures and facial expressions, you silently communicate a concept to an ally who can see you. The concept can be anything you could say verbally in about twenty words or ten seconds, and your ally understands exactly what you mean.

Explanation: You spent one semester working as a mime in an amusement park. You're a big fan of silent movies. You and the ally had the same military training.

Effect: You find and use something nearby that makes an immediate area slippery and hard to pass through, such as a pan full of warm grease, a bag of marbles, a bucket of soapy water, or a planter full of wet soil. Movement tasks in the area are hindered at least for a few rounds or until the area is cleaned up.

Explanation: The kitchen had a tray full of greasy runoff from a recent meal. The old plumbing only needed a hard kick to start spraying water everywhere. A kid left behind a bag of marbles.

Effect: You end one effect that is limiting your actions, such as being stunned, unconscious, terrified, or blinded.

Explanation: No sleeping on the job. Heroes get things done. Pull yourself together.

Effect: You restore 4 points to your Speed Pool.

Explanation: You took a moment for a really good stretch. You cracked your back or neck and it made a really satisfying noise. That knot in your muscle finally relaxed.

Effect: When you take the attack against a foe of level 4 or less, the attack inflicts no damage, and you also don't take the extra minor wound that you'd normally incur.

Explanation: The foe was too surprised by your move to make a telling blow. Your movement to intercept partially deflected the attack. You got instant karma.

Effect: If you spend about ten minutes interacting with a beast (such as a dog, cat, bear, or other common animal), you can teach it one basic trick that it can physically perform (roll over, heel, spin, shake, go to an indicated place within long range, and so on). The beast's knowledge of this trick doesn't expire, but after a fewdays it probably needs a reminder about the trick in order to do it well.

Explanation: You have a good connection to this beast. This animal is unusually smart. This might actually be an escaped pet.

Effect: Make a Might, Speed, or Intellect attack against someone in immediate range who you've just surprised, harmed, or threatened. If you succeed, their memory of what just happened is confused, hindering by two steps their recollection of you and the details of the last minute or so.

Explanation: You did or said something that triggered them. They were already on the verge of a crisis. They startle easily.

Effect: You heal two minor wounds, heal a moderate wound, or reduce a major wound to a moderate wound.

Explanation: The hit wasn't as bad as it looked. You can tough this one out. Your foe must have pulled their punch.

Effect: You gain an asset on your attack, and the attack inflicts an additional 5 damage.

You can only activate this cypher if you are hindered from wounds.

Explanation: It was fight or die. The adrenaline kicked in. They hurt you and you needed to settle the score.

Up till now, this section 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.

A manifest cypher's level may interact with some character abilities, such as Prepare Spell in the Casts Spells focus

A manifest cypher has a simple description and statistics. Here's how to understand what those mean.

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 in this section include some genre‑appropriate names for each cypher.

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, high, or ultra power for this purpose.

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

Manifest cyphers are level 6 effects. For most cyphers, the level doesn't matter---it doesn't affect what the cypher can do or how long it lasts.

Your GM might use these tables to skew found manifest cyphers toward or away from a particular power level.

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. The goo lasts until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery but can be cut, broken, or burned (inflicting 4 damage from fire to 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)

Rather than strands of sticky goo, some adhesion bombs fill the area with quick-hardening foam, constricting vines, spectral tentacles, or similar effects with the same result.

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 to upgrade another cypher, the cluster bomb is expended and no longer counts toward your cypher limit.

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

Some GMs might decide that if a character finds a cluster bomb cypher, it's actually an existing bomb cypher that's already been upgraded with a cluster bomb cypher.

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)

Some comprehension cyphers have a preset language rather than allowing you to choose an unfamiliar language. A comprehension cypher works even if you normally don't use language---for example, if you're naturally telepathic.

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). The contingent activator counts against your cypher limit until the linked cypher is used, lost, or discarded.

Genre Items: candle of contingent activation (fantasy); remote control (sci-fi)

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of acid up to a short distance away. 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)

Effect: Until you use a ten-hour recovery, you can see in darkness out to immediate range as if it were dim light, and out to short range as if it were very 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 individual ending the cypher doesn't affect the duration for other creatures).

Genre Items: potion of darksight (fantasy); nightsight drops (sci-fi)

Effect: You create a stream of liquid or foam that covers an area 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)

Effect: Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you can see through opaque matter. As an action, you can concentrate on something 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)

Effect: Attach one part of this cypher to an unintelligent device or machine. Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, if you are holding the other part of the cypher, you can mentally control that device at long range, making it do anything it 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 reattaching it to a different device has no effect.

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

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)

Effect: Until you use a one-houror longer recovery, you are disguised as another person. About half of these cyphers allow you to disguise yourself as a person you've interacted with (your choice of 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 are eased by two steps.

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

Some disguise modules take a couple of minutes to fully change your appearance, either to or from the disguise.

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can see ten times as far as normal as if using powerful binoculars, without interfering with your ability to see things up close.

Genre Items: potion of farsight (fantasy); nanobinocs (sci-fi)

Effect: For oneday, you're resistant to hot or cold temperatures, as if you were wearing appropriate clothing. For example, you could walk through the Sahara Desert without getting heatstroke or a sunburn, or go out in the snow without risking frostbite or hypothermia.

Genre Items: ring of comfort (fantasy); environmental regulator (sci-fi)

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 d00 to determine the type of energy.

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

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 by one step. For example, if mitigating fire damage, a moderate wound from fire becomes a minor wound. Alternatively, you can use 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)

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) is reduced by one step.

Genre Items: oil of armor enhancement (fantasy); tensile nanoinjection (sci-fi)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can climb or walk on walls and ceilings as 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)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your dodge tasks are eased, and even if you fail a dodge task, the severity of the wound is reduced by one step.

Genre Items: amulet of defense (fantasy); deflecting force field (sci-fi)

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 short distance 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 you don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1.

Genre Items: potion of jumping (fantasy); batrachian augmentation (sci-fi)

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)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you have an asset on noncombat tasks requiring raw strength, such as breaking down a door, lifting a heavy boulder, or bending a metal gate.

Genre Items: belt of strength (fantasy); muscle augmenter (sci-fi)

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 your entire action, or swim a long distance as your entire action if you succeed at a difficulty 4 swimming task (to "run"). Your swimming tasks (such as to avoid a current or whirlpool) are eased by two 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)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, your cypher limit increases by two. Once you activate this cypher, it doesn't count against your cypher limit.

Genre Items: bag of safe storage (fantasy); stabilization field (sci-fi)

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. If they can't get away, all their tasks against you are hindered until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery.

Genre Items: rune of fear (fantasy); amygdala stimulator (sci-fi)

Some creatures (such as automatons and mindless entities) cannot feel fear and are immune to a fear cypher.

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of fire or heat 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 fireball (fantasy); incendiary grenade (sci-fi)

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)

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 an average adult human), slowing your movement to about an immediate distance as your action, but any more weight than that prevents you from flying.

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

The specific mechanism of your flight varies for each flight cypher. One might carry you on a translucent force field that you mentally control, another might temporarily give you wings, and another might propel you with jets of air.

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 an immediate distance across. A wall is an immediate distance high and a short distance wide (or vice versa). A path is like a wall, but horizontal instead of vertical. The force field 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; make Intellect attacks against each foe to contain them. Gas can't permeate the force field, but the volume inside a cube or sphere is enough that anyone inside probably won't suffocate.

Genre Items: cube of force (fantasy); force field generator (sci-fi)

Individual force fields may be invisible, transparent, translucent, or opaque.

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)

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)

Effect: You create a wall of swirling frost up to a short distance away, lasting until you use a
ten-minute or longer recovery. The wall is up 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: frost diamond (fantasy); cryoplane module (sci-fi)

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 activate the 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 tier 1 focus ability you don't know or one tier 2 focus ability.

Genre Items: potion of future glory (fantasy); personal tachyon extractor (sci-fi)

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 Might Edge, 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 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)

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 upgrade another cypher, the gigantic bomb is expended and no longer counts toward your cypher limit.

Genre Items: scroll of enlarged magical burst (fantasy); bomb expander (sci-fi)

Some GMs might decide that if a character finds a gigantic bomb cypher, it's actually an existing bomb cypher that's already been upgraded with a gigantic bomb cypher.

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of increased gravity up to a short distance away. Make separate Speed attacks against each creature in the area. Success means they take 3 damage, are knocked to the ground, and can't take physical actions for one round. Failure means they still take 1 damage but are not knocked down and can act normally.

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

Effect: You launch a self-guiding projectile 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 misses four times.

The type of damage depends on the cypher, with cold, electricity, fire, piercing, or poison being the most common.

Genre Items: seeking arrow (fantasy); seeking drone (sci-fi)

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.

Genre Items: illusion gem (fantasy); 
hologram projector (sci-fi)

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 an extra action to move or attack. The cypher ends after you use this ability three times or if you use a one-hour or longer recovery.

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

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

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you gain an exceptional awareness of objects, creatures, and locations you're viewing. If you use an action to scrutinize a target within short range, you learn relevant details, such as its level, its name, its species (if a creature), if it is magical or technological, and possibly other facts (such as a person's address and phone number, the general purpose or function of a device or magic item, and so on). After you've used this sense six times, the cypher ends.

Genre Items: amulet of scrutiny, wand of magic detection (fantasy); facial recognition datalink (sci-fi)

Effect: You ignore the effects and symptoms of a mental disorder, brain injury, or other impairing mental condition until you make a ten-hour recovery. Examples include clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, delusions, manias, phobias, dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia, as well as external effects (such as poisons, psychic attacks, or magic) that cause erratic or uncontrolled behaviors (including fear and rage).

Genre Items: circlet of mental clarity (fantasy); cortical modulator (sci-fi)

Effect: Creates a simple one-room building in a space adjacent to you. The building's minimum size is 10 feet by 10 feet by 20 feet (3.5 m by 3.5 m by 6 m). It consists of one room, a door, and a transparent window, and it is made from a 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 pressure against the confining surfaces.

Genre Items: scroll of secure shelter (fantasy); structural fabrication unit (sci-fi)

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)

Effect: You create a fashionable outfit. It fits you perfectly and is very flattering. When you activate the cypher, you can specify what the outfit looks like or describe an event or situation and allow the cypher to become something appropriate. Until you take a ten‑hour recovery, the outfit gives you an asset on interaction tasks, after which it becomes normal clothing that doesn't provide any additional benefit.

Genre Items: costume chrysoberyl (fantasy); clothier nanospray (sci-fi)

Effect: Creates (or turns into) a humanoid automaton (level 1) that is roughly 2 feet (60 cm) tall and lasts until you use a one-hour or longer recovery. It cannot speak but it can understand your verbal commands (commanding it is not an action). Like a follower, it can perform tasks independently or assist 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 does only as commanded. At the GM's discretion, it might have specialized knowledge, such as how to operate a particular device or how to get to the home of the person who created it.

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

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)

Effect: You restore 6 points to your Intellect Pool.

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

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

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

Effect: You become invisible. The invisibility is suspended if you do something to reveal 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 using an 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)

An invisible character's attack is eased by two steps. Attacks on an invisible character are hindered by four steps or are nearly impossible if the attacker has no idea where they might be.

Effect: Until you use a recovery, you ignore all minor, moderate, and major wounds.

Genre Items: potion of invulnerability; neutrino shield (sci-fi)

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 what kind of knowledge the cypher provides.

d00 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)

Knowledge augmentation GM intrusion: The character becomes addicted to the instant training from the cypher, permanently hindering one skill that they've used this sort of cypher for.

Effect: You create a wall of arcing electricity up to a short distance away, lasting until you use a 
ten-minute or longer recovery. The wall is up 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: lightning topaz (fantasy); electroplane module (sci-fi)

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against one thinking creature within long range that you can see. If you succeed, they lose their next turn and have no memory of the previous hour.

Genre Items: scroll of mind fog (fantasy); amnesia emitter (sci-fi)

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)

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)

Effect: You restore 6 points to your Might Pool.

Genre Items: potion of stamina (fantasy); stem cell cocktail (sci-fi)

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range (if the foe is level 7 or higher, the attack is hindered by two steps). Success means the creature becomes calm and doesn't attack you or your allies unless threatened or attacked, lasting until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery. The creature obeys your verbal commands. If you command them to do something against their ethics or 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-houror longer recovery.

Genre Items: scroll of mind control (fantasy); cerebral dominator (sci-fi)

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, you also know the number and size of what is moving.

Genre Items: potion of alertness (fantasy); omnidar (sci-fi)

Effect: Choose one ongoing effect within long range, such as an 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 6 or 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 theirs, the effect ends.

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

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. The duplicated item persists until you take a 
one-hour or longer recovery, unless it's the 
sort of equipment that is expended after use (such as a box of bullets or a grenade).

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

Effect: Turns a short area within long range into difficult terrain, lasting until you take 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)

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)

Some GMs might decide that if a character finds an overpowered bomb cypher, it's actually an existing bomb cypher that's already been upgraded with an overpowered bomb cypher.

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against a foe within short range (if the foe is level 7 or higher, the attack is hindered 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 paralysis dart (fantasy); neurosuppressor (sci-fi)

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)

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. (This means 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)

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 this ability one time.

Genre Items: potion of liquid luck (fantasy); quantum probability focuser (sci-fi)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you can go out 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 recovery, and can end the effect whenever you want.

Genre Items: ghost salve (fantasy); paradimensional shield (sci-fi)

Effect: Choose part of a physical structure within short range, such as a wall, floor, or other space up to about 10 feet by 10 feet (3.5 m 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 as if it weren't there. The area looks the same as it did before (for example, a wall still blocks light and you can't see through it). The cypher can't affect structures above level 5.

Genre Items: oil of ghost wall (fantasy); paradimensional resonator (sci-fi)

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 and half inflict Speed damage.

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

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are immune to poison of level 5 and lower, and you get two assets on defense tasks against poisons of level 6 and higher. (For this task, the asset limit is three instead of two.)

Genre Items: amulet of fortitude (fantasy); antivenom injection (sci-fi)

Effect: You can ask the GM one question and get a general answer. The GM assigns a level to the question, so the more obscure the answer, the more difficult the task. 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)

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 far shots (fantasy); sniper scope (sci-fi)

Effect: The cypher physically locks itself in its 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)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you regain 1 point to one of your Pools each round (you choose which Pool each time). If all of your Pools are full, this recovery pauses until at least one of your Pools is no longer full.

Genre Items: ring of regeneration (fantasy); healing stimulant (sci-fi)

Effect: You launch a tiny object that moves at great speed, mapping and scanning an area you choose, starting a short distance away. The object travels up to a total of 3,000 feet (900 m), scanning an area 1800 feet (540 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 transmits this information back to you (perhaps by telepathy or an electronic signal) or returns to you to show what it saw. Its movement is blocked by any physical or energy barrier.

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

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)

Effect: You repair an object that is 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 2 levels lost to damage. The repair happens at an accelerated pace; depending on the genre, it might be instantaneous or happen over the course of about a minute. This repair doesn't cost you resource points.

Genre Items: rune of repairing (fantasy); 
repairbot (sci-fi)

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 moderate wounds 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: rod of resurrection (fantasy); Lazarus module (sci-fi)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, anyone within melee range striking you automatically takes 2 damage (no action or roll needed). The source of this damage depends on the cypher; some create a burst of electricity or fire, some inject a toxin or destructive nanites, and others temporarily cover your body with spikes or sharp scales.

Genre Items: fire shield rune (fantasy); deterrence field (sci-fi)

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)

Effect: Creates an immediate-radius explosion of sharp shrapnel 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: exploding dagger (fantasy); shrapnel grenade (sci-fi)

Effect: Make an Intellect attack against each living creature in an immediate area within short range (if the creature is 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.

Genre Items: scroll of sleep (fantasy); somnotron (sci-fi)

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 and are 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)

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)

A deaf creature's perception tasks to hear are hindered by two to four steps depending on the extent of their hearing loss.

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)

Effect: You restore 6 points to your Speed Pool.

Genre Items: potion of soothed reflexes (fantasy); primephetamine (sci-fi)

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) without hindering your tasks, or a long distance as your entire action (instead of a short distance) and only hinder your tasks by one step, or a very long distance as your entire action (instead of a long distance) and hinder your tasks by two steps until the end of your next turn.

Genre Items: longstrider potion (fantasy); sprint module (sci-fi)

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, the number of moderate wounds you can take increases by one.

Genre Items: amulet of constitution (fantasy); dermal enhancer (sci-fi)

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)

In some settings, a summon creature cypher might actually create a single-use combat robot or temporarily clone a creature instead of bringing one from elsewhere.

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)

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 lift a target and move them up to a short distance. The target must be no larger than yourself and no heavier than your weight. Make an Intellect attack against the target. If you succeed, you move the target a short distance 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 on the attack specifically for this cypher, the successful attack also 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 cypher ends after you have used the telekinesis six times.

Genre Items: ring of telekinesis (fantasy); personal tractor beam (sci-fi)

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

Effect: You teleport to a location within range, arriving safely. The teleportation includes your equipment but cannot bring other creatures with you. If you can't fit in the chosen destination, you appear in the closest open space to it. Roll to determine what kind of teleportation the cypher can perform.

Bounder: A location within 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 visited or seen.

Interstellar: A location in the same galaxy that you can see or have previously visited or seen.

Genre Items: scroll of teleportation (fantasy); portal gun (sci-fi)

Effect: Until you use a ten-minute or longer recovery, you shrink to about one-tenth your normal size. While at this smaller size, you add 4 points to your Speed Pool and +2 to your Speed Edge, but all of your Might actions are hindered by two steps. When the cypher ends, your Speed Edge returns to normal, you lose the penalty to Might actions, and you take 4 Speed damage.

If an NPC uses this cypher, they ease their Speed tasks by two steps and hinder their Might tasks by two steps.

Genre Items: potion of shrinking (fantasy); bodily compressor (sci-fi)

Effect: Choose a target within short range. Until you take a ten-hour recovery, you know the direction and distance to that target, as long as it is within 100 miles (160 km) of you.

Genre Items: crystal spider dart (fantasy); microtracker (sci-fi)

Effect: Choose a non-intelligent beast 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 this trick.

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

You can use a trick embedder to teach tricks to a hostile or indifferent beast, but that won't make them obey you.

Effect: Until you use a recovery, all your tasks are eased by two steps.

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

Effect: You heal all your minor, moderate, and major wounds.

Genre Items: potion of ultimate healing (fantasy); advanced stimpack (sci-fi)

Effect: You attach the cypher to another device of up to level 6, providing power to it until you use a ten-hour recovery.

Genre Items: power stone (fantasy); microgenerator (sci-fi)

Typically a modern or sci-fi uninterruptible power source cypher is providing electrical power, but exotic technology might be able to activate a gasoline engine or a nuclear-powered machine.

Effect: Until you use a one-hour or longer recovery, you are protected as if you were using a shield. The cypher immediately ends if you use this protection to negate a major wound.

Genre Items: scroll of shield (fantasy); ablative armor (sci-fi)

Effect: Until you use a ten-hour recovery, you can breathe water as well as you do air. 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 individual ending the cypher doesn't affect the duration for other creatures).

Genre Items: potion of water breathing (fantasy); respiratory fluid (sci-fi)

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 a special effect such as cold, electricity, fire, or poison, others release a 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 of impact). 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)

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 attempts to do so allow you to roll an Intellect defense task; success means the area appears as a blur to any sense applied.

Genre Items: amulet of nondetection (fantasy); surveillance scrambler (sci-fi)

Power boost cyphers are a variety of cypher only available to superhero characters in some superhero games. They increase, modify, or improve a character's existing special ability. For example, a burst boost cypher turns a single-target attack into an area attack centered on you; depending on your character, type, and focus, this might mean you're throwing a fan of knives all around you, rapidly teleporting and attacking multiple foes, or releasing a blast of fire in all directions.

The GM decides if power boost cyphers are in the game and can award one in place of a regular cypher. Power boost cyphers may be nonphysical cyphers or manifest cyphers, as decided by the GM.

When you activate a power boost cypher, you choose which ability it affects. You can modify the effect to fit your superhero character as needed. So if you are a strong, punching hero, a burst boost cypher might allow you to strike the ground and affect everyone around you.

If a power boost cypher doesn't include a duration, it only affects one task.

Superheroes can use regular cyphers as well as power boost cyphers. This random generation table includes both.

Effect: You perform an amazing feat not normally defined by your powers or one that would normally be beyond your limits. For example, you use your flame blasts to weld metal, or you push your super-strength so you can catch a falling helicopter.

Effect: Your ability affects a larger area. If it normally affects one creature, it also affects the immediate area around that creature. Abilities that already affect an area increase to the next larger area size (immediate to short, short to long, long to very long, very long to 1,000 feet [300 m] across).

Effect: Your single-target ranged attack emanates from you. The range decreases to immediate (centered on you), but it affects everything within immediate range. If the ability is an attack, you gain an asset on your attack roll against creatures in the area.

Effect: Your attack ability inflicts additional damage as if you had applied two levels of Effort to damage.

Effect: You get two assets on an ability that requires a skill roll. You can use this cypher before or after you roll.

Effect: The range of your ability increases. If the ability affects only yourself, you can use it on someone you touch. Otherwise, its range increases by one range category (immediate to short, short to long, and so on).

Effect: You gain one additional power shift for one round. This shift must be a category of shift that you already have. For example, if you have shifts in Dexterity and Resilience, you can gain an additional shift in either Dexterity or Resilience for one round.

Effect: Your ability costs 6 fewer Pool points.

Effect: Your ability affects twice as many targets or twice as many areas. For example, if you have a mind control ability that affects one creature, you can use it on two creatures; if you have a blast of fire that affects an immediate area, you can affect two immediate areas. The targets or areas must be within range of you but otherwise do not have to be near each other. Choosing the same target twice or overlapping two areas has no effect. If the ability is an attack, make separate attacks for the targets or areas.

Depending on the time period and genre of the game, some technological items can do what manifest cyphers can do. For example, a shrapnel bomb cypher might be impressive to a wizard or barbarian in a fantasy game, but to a modern character, it's just a grenade. To keep cyphers distinct from regular equipment, most modern and sci-fi campaigns will only use nonphysical cyphers, and if the PCs ever find a manifest cypher, it's truly strange and rare, like a device created by aliens. That paradigm also makes sense because in a modern game your cypher limit shouldn't prevent you from carrying a mobile phone, three grenades, and nightvision goggles all at the same time---those things are all equipment, not manifest cyphers.