Five Cypher System GM tips to improve your game - Monte Cook Games
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
- After Game mastering a good amount of Cypher System games for my home group, I am here to give you a few tips on how I improved my Fantasy TTRPG game. From changing the rules to working with your players.
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0:00 Intro
0:22 Disclaimer
1:17 Give more xp
5:03 Just name a number
7:06 Ambrace the chaos
10:06 Be involved
12:25 Change the rules
13:53 final Thoughts - เกม
Some fun tips here, I love to see more tips in the space. Love it. I would like to add something though:
"MOAR XP!!1!!1!one!", just telling everyone to give more xp as a blanket GM tip I don't think is the right choice here. I think the tip would be better phrased more like, "adjust the XP based on the game pacing". The game is quite well balanced for how much XP you give in a normal campaign speed. Mr.T kind of mentions this in the tip, but I think that'd be easy to miss. Mechanical character advancement is not the focus of cypher (like D&D or pathfinder). It's easy for people that don't realize to get frustrated at a lack of xp. Also look into options already in the rules like the Karma system that splits XP into two things, one for character advancement and long term benefits, and one for short term benefits (like rerolls and intrusions)
"Change the Rules", Firstly, if you are new to a system. Any system. Don't change the rules. Full stop. Try it with the rules as they are first, get used to how the foundation of it works. THEN you can try changing things up once you have a handle on it. Cypher is made to have a series of dials and knobs to adjust, and building blocks to make your campaign. Without needing to change the rules, there's very likely already an option you can swap in that's already in the rules themselves. So feel free to change them, but wait till after you have experienced the system as is. This tip isn't a bad one for experienced GM's, but very much not a good one for new for first timers (in any system).
Great video however. if anyone is reading this and you're not familiar with Mr. Tarrasque, not only does he review things I didn't even know existed (but now want), but he drops some great advice videos. And his adventure "Isle of the Dreaded Accursed" is a great buy for 5e, cypher, and... possibly more systems soon ;)
Absolutely spot on, my man.
I did say that the XP thing you should adjust to your group and your game and that it works for me since we only get to play like once a month. If we are lucky.
About Changing the rules. This video is for people who already know the system and are at least somewhat familiar with it. So that's why I covered it. I absolutely agree with the sentiment of NOT doing that when you first start out.
Cypher itself offers points where it changed the rules, so this has merit.
Vurt doubles the Damage values beyond punch/kick, so Light is 4, Medium is 8 and Heavy is 12.
Godforsaken offers the Two Descriptors sidebar.
Stay Alive offers a bunch of stuff like Bad Penny and Hallucinatory Reset to alter the way the rules work.
The Core book offered Horror Mode and the original Power Shifts, so there is heavy wriggle room to the system for the inventive "modder."
As long as they remember the rule should be clear and simple and rather intuitive.
If someone looking at it says, "yeah, I can see it," you might be on the proper path.
Fancy charts and formulas, not so much - which is why it is best to look at how the designers do it, first.
Loving that you are enjoying Cypher :D That said - you might find Predation and/or the Strange a fun add to your games ! Fun video!
Did a review on predation
Being new to Cypher System, your videos have been VERY helpful!
Thanks!
I like the idea of one XP when someone rolls a one.
This a bit more flexible rulings than I'm used to. I like it.
Always play your own game
Cast a Fireball...
Hmmm... make it a Subtle Cypher for them?
Energy Blast
Level: 1d6 +1
Range: Long
Effect: The character releases a bolt of energy towards a target; doing damage to the target and those in the immediate area. The energy type may be chosen before casting, allowing +1 additional damage if the creature/s is weak to that energy type. Damage equal to its level.
Recharge: 1XP
Love it
1. Messing with the XP can be unsafe until maybe a few sessions in.
However... Cypher system has had at least one point towards this in Godforsaken where they explain that a second Descriptor is akin to an advancement and they argue in favor of two Descriptors for fantasy for ease of taking a species Descriptor and a general quality Descriptor - or just two quality Descriptors.
There was also a point somewhere in the core that even suggested seperating XP from Advancement so as to help certain issues at the table.
And yes, being free and easy with XP can be great.
As for the free GM intrusion on 1 - that is something my players have loved so as to see me work out something to add to the scene. Additionally, the GM Intrusion that gifts an XP and a spare need not be anything dire, it might in fact be NPCs arriving to support the players. Keeping it in the full range of benign or malign has them guessing whether or not it is a good idea.
2. "Decide a number and GO!" is one of my favorite aspects of the system.
And yes, it really helps.
I find a 3×5 notecard to track it for future reference helps.
The barkeep who once did something to help a wizard and got magicked to have 2 armor and still retains a Speed Defense of 4 (12) from his roguish past, just screams recurring character.
Especially when he also has lockpicking of 5 (15) for future emergency use.
Them making a mistake of attacking the barkeep also becomes a story hook for the future - after all, that wizard definitely showed a fondness for that barkeep and might seek to teach them a lesson.
Or he just was a beloved schlub with a mere Level of 1 and now the whole area is in outrage.
3. Embrace the chaos in initiative?
Oh definitely.
Everything moves like a movie, or a classic 1940s era movie serial perhaps.
4. The long range attack as noted elsewhere, seems more like a Cypher or Artifact. I could see Effort being able to push range out from Short to Long.
5. Other has a quite a bit of things under the hood already. Adding this to it is not something I'd try.
Especially as another box already does it.
Even so, definitely grist for thought...
Thanks for your input! Everything I say is what I personally do and is in no way to tell people what they should do. Having a bag of tricks is always good, right?
@@MrTarrasque
Yes.
A bag of tricks is exactly what the Cypher System is, and I still find myself getting introduced to elements 6 or so years after I first got in.
There are so many ways to use what is already there is part of my mild pushback - just using everything MCG already offers is a very large dollop of tricks.
And grounding new tricks in the same style as presented is what I advise.
As to the monthly game - I might automate aguaranteed Advancement independent of the XP even, roughly 20 to 24 weeks (playing weekly) gets one to Tier 6 in most cases and pushing that along so as to get there might help.
totally yoinking these! Great video as always!
My pleasure
Since I don't like how cypher does xp for rerolling and negating intrusions, I replaced them with the hero point system from pathfinder 2e (advancement works as normal otherwise). I tried it in my last game and it was a bit powerful but nothing too crazy. I generally don't like spending exp on things that aren't advancement in games, even stuff like creating magic items like in dnd 3e feels wrong to me.
That's fair. Unlike D&D, mechanical character progression is not the focus in cypher system. Even says so in the book. So it comes down to play style. If you're trying to play one system like it's supposed to be another, then aspects of that system won't work for you because you're treating in an unusual way. Beauty about cypher is you can very very easily rework parts of it if needed. Glad to see you found a way that works for your style.
@@Qedhup The lack of mechanical progression or expression is the main reason why cypher isn't my favorite game [compared to how satisfying pathfinder is in that respect]. It's still in my top three though, one of the best narrative games.
@@BrandonPaul Oh I get that. I love cypher, it's probably my favourite system right now. Especially since it's kind of middle of the road between narrative and crunch. But I also love to change it up sometimes. Sometimes I want something super loose like FATE, and sometimes the rigid progression and crunch like Pathfinder just calls to me lol. I like seeing people like you that aren't devoted to just one system. I think it's healthier for us to just treat them how we should, as tools in our toolbox!
4:04 Which park?
Bobjaanland.
Lol, your gaming group sounds like mine "Once a month go face first into very unhealthy food and make stupid decisions for 3 hours"