CRE DI TS

Designer Bruce R. Cordell

Developer Sean K. Reynolds
Additional Design Monte Cook, Dominique Dickey, Shanna Germain
Creative Director Monte Cook
Managing Editor Teri Litorco
Editor Megan Boatright
Proofreader Dominique Dickey
Editorial Intern Eileen Kanost Barnes
Art Director Bear Weiter
Graphic Design and Layout Javier P. Beltrán
Additional Layout Sarah Turner, Bear Weiter
Cover Artist Roberto Pitturru
Cartographer Hugo Solis

Artists
Mauro Alocci, Paola Andreatta, Eren Arik, Javier P. Beltrán, Domenico Cava,
Biagio D’Alessandro, Giuseppe De iure, Gaia Degl’Innocenti, Doruk Golcu,
Alexander Gustafson, Joel Chaim Holtzman, Dharm “Duddum” Khalsa,
Guido Kuip, Katerina Ladon, Raph Herrera Lomotan, Macli, Patrick McEvoy,
Lyss Menold, Christine Mitzuk, Federico Musetti, Andrea Negroponte,
Gabriela Novotná, Mirco Paganessi, Angelo Peluso, Scott Purdy, Maichol Quinto,
Sadekaronhes, Jacopo Schiavo, Joel Slucher, Zoa Smalley, Matt Stawicki,
Tiffany Turrill, Nino Vecia, Chris Waller, Kieran Yanner, Yulia Zhuchkova

© 2024 Monte Cook Games, LLC. CYPHER SYSTEM and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A.
and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are
trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Printed in Canada
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOW TO USE THE CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY. . . . . 4
CREATURES BY LEVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
PART 1: FANTASY..................................................6
Dragons............................................................... 8
Elves...................................................................12
Dwarves..............................................................14
Adventurers....................................................... 16
Goblins...............................................................18
Elementals......................................................... 22
Wizards............................................................. 30
Wraiths.............................................................. 32
Orcs................................................................... 34
Trolls.................................................................. 36
Giants................................................................ 38
PART 2: HORROR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Ghosts...............................................................44
Serial Killers...................................................... 48
Things................................................................ 50
Demons............................................................. 54
Haunted Houses.............................................. 58
Vampires........................................................... 62
Werebeasts........................................................64
Killer Toys.......................................................... 68
PART 3: FAIRY TALE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Outlaws............................................................. 72
Faeries............................................................... 74
Satyrs................................................................. 76
Pirates............................................................... 78
Unicorns............................................................ 82
Magical Winds.................................................. 84
Huntmasters..................................................... 86
Crafted Creatures.............................................. 88
Witches..............................................................90
Mermaids..........................................................94
PART 4: MODERN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Crime Bosses.................................................... 98
Hackers........................................................... 102
Secret Agents.................................................. 104
Assassins........................................................ 106
Bounty Hunters............................................... 108
Detectives.........................................................110
Billionaires....................................................... 112
PART 5: SCIENCE FICTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Robots.............................................................. 118
Space Troopers.................................................122
Time Travelers..................................................124
Cyborgs............................................................ 126
Aliens................................................................128
AIs....................................................................132
Posthumans.....................................................134
PART 6: SUPERHEROES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Gadgeteer Masterminds..................................138
Speedster Supervillains...................................142
Criminals......................................................... 144
Energy-Wielder Supervillains.......................... 146
Strong Supervillains.........................................148
Monstrous Supervillains.................................150
Rogue Supervillains......................................... 152
Cosmic Beings.................................................154
PART 7: POST-APOCALYPTIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Radbeasts.........................................................158
Cannibals........................................................ 162
Mutants........................................................... 164
Raiders............................................................ 168
Zombies...........................................................170
Warlords........................................................... 174
PART 8: WEIRD WEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Cursed Beasts.................................................. 178
Gunslingers......................................................182
Forgeborn........................................................ 184
Lawmen............................................................188
Strange Folk.................................................... 190
Ghost Riders................................................... 194
TABLE AND MAP INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
CREATURE INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

How to Use the

Cypher System
Bestiary

T his Cypher System bestiary features a new take

on creature stats for creatures both familiar and
new. The stat blocks in this book are streamlined and
updated, allowing you to get in and get out without
having to wade through a block of text to grok the base
creature’s abilities. But if you want to delve deeper, the
creature entry offers a lot more.
For example, each entry comes with associated
tables and options to inspire different names, alternate
special abilities and traits, interesting looks, distinct
motivations, a choice of companions or pets, possibly
a basic lair, or something else that makes sense for
that particular creature, like severing bite effects for a
cannibal. Several creatures include one or more named
unique sub-varieties, like alchehemoths (a kind of
golem referred to as “forgeborn”) and insidious spawn
(a kind of horrific creature colloquially known as a
“thing”).
Finally, each creature is associated with a particular
genre. But don’t worry; any given creature’s “genre
treatment is light enough that you can use it regardless
of which genre your game takes place in.
Flip through and take a look. Once you do, you’ll see
what we mean.

Familiar creatures are

those that have previously
appeared in other Cypher
System books. In some
cases, such a creature’s
stat block includes small,
intentional updates.
You can use the older
stat or the expanded
stat found here; as this
book illustrates, different
individual creatures
of the same type are
likely to have different
names, motivations,
equipment, and
sometimes even abilities.

Throughout this
book, you’ll see page
references to various
items accompanied
by this symbol. These
are page references
to the Cypher System
Rulebook (CSR),
where you can find
additional details
about that rule, ability,
creature, or concept.

4

CREATURES BY LEVEL
LEVEL 1
Goblin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
LEVEL 2
Companion robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Glowing roach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Jackalope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Orc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Pirate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Wraith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
LEVEL 3
Acharn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Adventurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
AI zombie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Cannibal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Chupacabra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Criminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Deathtumbler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Faerie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Killer toy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Lucifan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Lycoyotl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Nanny robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Raider, fell rider . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Raider, marauder . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Serial killer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Technician robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Transitional vampire . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Wyrm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Zombie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Zombie singer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Zombie spitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Zombie sprinter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
LEVEL 4
Air elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Alien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Bounty hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Crafted creature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Dwarf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Elf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Fire elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fleshmare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Gunslinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Hacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Huntmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
HOW TO USE THE CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
Ice elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Infantry robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Insidious spawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Lightning elemental . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mermaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Nightcrawler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Nucleoptera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Owl wight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Radimorph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Sarsan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Scult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Shelleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Space trooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Thunder elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Time traveler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Water elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Werefox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Werewolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Wind child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Worker robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Zombie sorcerer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
LEVEL 5
Alchehemoth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Billionaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Crime boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Cyborg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Deadshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Demon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Devouring mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Earth elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Gadgeteer mastermind . . . . . . . . 138
Lawman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Orc veteran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Outlaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Pirate captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Rogue supervillain . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Satyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Secret agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Twine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Unicorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Warlord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Werespider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Wild one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Wraith lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Zombie hulk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
LEVEL 6
Abysmal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
AI (artificial intelligence) . . . . . . . 132
Assassin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Forgeborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Ghost rider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Great wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Grizzly bull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Harmattan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Haunted house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Insectoid supervillain . . . . . . . . . 150
Locomotem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Magical wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
North wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Quetzalsaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Speedster supervillain . . . . . . . . 142
Strong supervillain . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Troll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Vampire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Werelion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Wereshark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
LEVEL 7
Animalistic supervillain . . . . . . . . 151
Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Energy-wielder supervillain . . . . 146
Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Posthuman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Radioactive bear . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
LEVEL 8
Atomus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Fungoid supervillain . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Mighty wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
LEVEL 9
Vampire lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
West wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
LEVEL 10
Elder dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
LEVEL 13
Cosmic being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
5
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Part 1

FANTASY
F antasy roleplaying games often feature dragons, orcs,
elves, and more. Adventures written for such games
commonly include a quest given to player characters
The fantasy genre is an ecosystem of bizarre
monsters that hail from both known and unknown
dimensions. Which means that, like the superheroes
(PCs), monsters that must be faced, puzzles that must genre, nearly any genre’s creatures could show up in a
be solved, and often a magical talisman that must be fantasy game, up to and including aliens in the classic
purified, destroyed, or obtained so that the adventure crashed-spaceship trope.
can move forward.
Interested in advice
for building a fantasy
adventure or entire
setting? Check out CREATURES
our genre-building
Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
fantasy sourcebook
Godforsaken. Elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dwarves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Adventurers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Goblins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Elementals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Wizards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Wraiths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Orcs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Trolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Giants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Ghosts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Vampires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Werebeasts. . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Faeries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Satyrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Unicorns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Witches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Assassins . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Zombies. . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cursed beasts. . . . . . . . . 178
Forgeborn. . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Ghost riders . . . . . . . . . . 194

6
 PART 1 | Fantasy
FANTASY ADVENTURES
If you’re looking for a bit of general fantasy inspiration, use the following tables to throw
together the bones of a fantasy adventure, then populate it with creatures from this book.
The main quest is hard enough, but often, acquiring a requisite magical object to end the
threat forever (referred to here as a “talisman”) involves one or more mini-quests of its own.
For example, to effectively fight the things that pour out of the portal when the celestial Things, page 50
alignment begins, PCs must obtain a vial of phoenix tears to wash their weapons in.
Alternatively, to defeat the wraiths, vampires, and ghosts infesting the new temple built
to appease the sun god, PCs must get advice from a painting that imprisons a demigod
of wisdom.

EPIC QUESTS
What must our brave heroes do to save others, achieve glory, survive, and/or thrive?

d20 Quest
1 Find the heir to the mythical underwater 11 Return the sun, stolen by psionic monstrosities,
kingdom before everything dies
2 Venture into the realm of dreams to stop the rot 12 Go back in time and fix an earlier mistake
3 Investigate the cause of the strange new red 13 Slay the ravenous apocalypse beast
streak in the sky 14 Repair the mechanism that maintains the
4 Find the rare and semi-divine herb to brew a cure world’s ability to host life
5 Guard the portal when the celestial 15 Defeat the rising tide of undead led by a
alignment begins powerful undead lord
6 Tread the path of the Demiurge to unlock 16 Track down and recover whoever or whatever
secrets of power looted the city’s food stores before winter
7 Gather the 13 pieces of the magical talisman 17 Do what the crime boss wants or they will harm
scattered across different lands and worlds an adventurer’s loved one
8 Fell the encroaching dark forest 18 Train up a small force and venture deep below a
9 Compete in the tournament to win the volcano to defeat an ancient dragon
Empress’s favor 19 Kill the god of chaos before they unzip reality
10 Brave the library dimensions guarded by 20 Toss the magical talisman into the sun to make
infovores sure it’s never used again

MAGICAL TALISMANS
What’s the magical talisman that must be found, purged, destroyed, or obtained so that the adventure can move
forward and resolve the quest?

d20 Object of Power 11 Divine carpenter’s cup

1 Heart of a demon god 12 Ancient preserved pelt of an extinct beast
2 Book of divine prophecy 13 Bag of dragon teeth
3 Painting that imprisons a demigod 14 Witch’s human-skin gloves
4 God of magic’s ring 15 Luckstone given freely by a fey creature
5 Wraith king’s casket 16 Sentient scriber’s quill
6 Vial of phoenix tears 17 Moon coin, gained by plucking the moon from
7 Crystal fruit from the world tree the sky
8 Unmelting ice from the endless glacier 18 Head of the vampire lord
9 Scroll of unmaking 19 Cloak of shadows
10 Eyes of the spider queen 20 Clock of yesterdays

7
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
Adventure Seed: The
PCs need a mythical
magic implement forged DRAGONS 7 (21)
in a priory to move
forward on their quest.
Unfortunately, that Breathing fire (or an alternate destructive energy), dragons incinerate what irks them,
implement is known to eat what pleases them (usually animals, sometimes including people), and hoard stolen
be secreted in the hoard
of a nearby dragon. treasure for themselves.

Health: 45 Change Shape: The dragon takes the form of a

Damage Inflicted: 10 points human or similar humanoid or returns to their
Armor: 3 regular shape. When so changed, the dragon’s
Movement: Short; long while flying disguise is nearly impenetrable without
Modifications: Perception and riddles as level 8; Speed special knowledge. In human
defense as level 6 due to size shape, the dragon is
Combat: A dragon claws twice each round or bites once. a level 5 creature.
Most dragons have one or more additional abilities they
can take as their action, including the following.
Gnaw: A bitten target takes damage
and is held in the dragon’s mouth.
The held target automatically takes
damage each round, if the dragon
is angry or hungry, until the
target succeeds on a Might roll to
escape as their action.
Captivate: The dragon meets the gaze
of a nondragon target in immediate
range. The target is captivated on a failed
Intellect defense roll, doing the dragon’s
verbal bidding for an hour or until they
succeed on an Intellect defense roll,
which they can attempt each time the
dragon asks them to do something
against their nature.
Energy Breath: A dragon breathes out a stream
of a destructive energy (usually fire but see Breath
Options). The breath damages every creature in
an adjacent long area on a failed Speed defense roll,
dealing 3 points even with a successful defense roll.
This ability cannot be used in consecutive rounds.
(Alternatively, the breath fills an immediate area in
width, stretching forward a long distance.)
Panic: The dragon roars and expands their wings
menacingly as their action. All targets that can see
and hear the dragon within short range panic on a
failed Intellect defense roll, fleeing or freezing for one
minute or until they succeed on an Intellect defense
roll to gain control of themselves. This ability can’t be
used more than once in the same encounter.

Dragons are immune

to the panic of equal
or lesser dragons.

8
 DRAGONS | Fantasy

THE ESSENCE OF DRAGONS

Dragons are exceptionally territorial, vain, and greedy. Apex predators, dragons
must eat large meals on a regular basis (unless sleeping in their lair). They love Basic Dragon's Lair,
games of all sorts, especially when they get to consume the loser. Drawn to wealth page 11
and magic, dragons accumulate treasure hoards. Dragon Hoards, page 11
That said, each has a distinct Dragon Personality; some are even beneficent. A
given dragon may also embody an energy type other than fire, enjoying alternative
Breath Options. And while most dragons encountered are adults, some are young
wyrms, while a rare few reach elder status. Wyrms, page 10
Elder Dragons, page 10

DRAGON PERSONALITIES
What does the dragon act like if combat doesn’t intrude? Like the many hues of dragon scales, dragons can be
beastly, magnanimous, or anything in between, including the following options.

d10 Personality
1 Lies and deceives with every
smokey breath
2 Loves flattery, even though they
can see right through it
3 Seeks knowledge in tomes, in
scrolls, and from experts’ lips
4 Crude and rude, but willing to
help for a price
5 Courtly and gracious in seeming,
but without compassion
6 Vain, self-aggrandizing, and
eager to show off highlights of
their hoard
7 Always hungry, ever-snacking;
eats strangers unless given an
alternative
8 Single-minded guardian of
an ancient shrine, piece of
knowledge, or object
9 Noble protector of a child, small
community, or true heir in hiding
10 Just wants to sleep; willing to
put up with just so much before
becoming enraged

BREATH OPTIONS
Dragons that breathe destructive energy may gain additional utility with their ability, including the following.

Fire: In addition to taking damage from
a successful attack, the target begins to
burn for 3 points of damage each round
until the target or an ally spends an action
putting out the flames.
Cold: In addition to taking damage
from a successful attack, the target is
encased in a layer of ice on a failed Might
defense roll. The encased target takes 3
points of damage each round until they
can break free with a successful Might roll
as their action.
Electricity: This attack ignores Armor
provided by metallic armors. In addition
to taking damage from a successful
attack, the target is stunned and unable
to act for one minute on a failed Might
defense roll or until they succeed on a
Might defense roll to recover early.
Acid: In addition to taking damage
from a successful attack, one of the
target’s items is destroyed on a second
failed Speed defense roll. The destroyed
item could be the target’s armor, weapon,
or other exposed piece of equipment. GM intrusion: The
Radioactivity: In addition to taking dragon breathes their
destructive breath; apart
damage from a successful attack, the from any other effect,
target contracts radiation sickness (level 7 an elemental of the
disease). Each day the PC fails a Might same energy type takes
defense roll, they descend one step on form and allies with the
dragon for one minute.
the damage track. If the PC succeeds on
three Might defense rolls, they gradually Elementals, page 22
improve and throw off the sickness.
Necrotic Energy: This attack inflicts
Speed damage (ignores Armor), and
if the target is killed by this or another
attack made by the dragon, they
immediately rise as a zombie under the Zombies, page 170
dragon’s control.
Portals: In addition to taking damage
from a successful attack, the target is
pulled into a random dimension on a
failed Might defense roll.

9
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

DRAGON VA RIA NTS

A viable dragon egg could
fetch an expensive sum of
coins in the right market.
WYRM 3 (9)
Young dragons, known as wyrms, are about the size of large dogs. They’re curious and
incautious, having yet to develop fully.

Health: 15 Allies: Where there’s one wyrm, there might be two

Damage Inflicted: 5 points or three more, and possibly even an adult dragon
Armor: 2 parent nearby who will stop at nothing to protect
Movement: Short; short while flying the wyrms.
Combat: A wyrm bites.
In addition, the wyrm may enjoy the following benefits
in combat.
Energy Breath: A wyrm breathes out a tendril of
a destructive energy (usually fire, but see Breath
Options). The breath attacks one creature within
short range, dealing damage on a failed Speed
defense roll, or 1 point even with a successful
defense roll. This ability cannot be used
more than once every few hours.

GM intrusion: The
dragon breathes their
destructive breath while
the character is caught
in their mouth, inflicting
full damage with no
option for a Speed
defense roll to reduce it.

ELDER DRAGON 10 (30)

Magic Flavor, page 36 An Elder Dragon has standard dragon statistics, except for their increased level and
Occultist, page 375 as follows.

Health: 90 In addition to the abilities of a standard dragon, an

Damage Inflicted: 15 points
Armor: 5
Modifications: Speed defense as level 7 due to size
Combat: An elder dragon attacks with their energy breath,
a bite, claw, or tail. They make another bite, claw, or
tail attack again immediately after each foe facing the
dragon attacks (up to five), allowing the elder dragon
to make up to five attacks in any given round.
elder dragon enjoys the following benefits:
Magic: As one of their attacks, a dragon can use any
one ability described in Magic Flavor once per day.
Allies: Elder dragons are considered as gods by
some, and an indulgent elder dragon may allow
themself to be served by two or three such occultists.

10
 DRAGONS | Fantasy
DRAGON NAMES DRAGON DESOLATION
Menacing and polysyllabic, dragon names embody many different
Some dragons destroy everything around
traditions. Usually, dragons name themselves. Options include:
their lair—burning down forests, razing
cities, and killing all life—in a diameter
Infirnyth, Shardawaur, Awarmizam, Glaunemis the Spelleater,
dozens of miles across, creating a zone of
Nyxulisaur, Straxeveron, Molphurico, Tyranvyrex, Othonariask,
security through which would‑be dragon
Smaur the Bloodwinged, Durglaurath, Arkenstara, Blazarandral,
slayers must first pass and potentially be
Cleuragax, Uchemral, Rasitos the Old, Kameleril, Veluraxim,
noticed by the dragon.
Glytenorik, Edrunemar, Fenkaulrash, Rincelsor the Flame, Ithilguar

FOUND IN A DRAGON’S HOARD

A dragon’s hoard typically includes heaps of coins, gilded chests containing even more
(but higher value) coins, amazing artworks, and jewelry. In sum, the monetary value of Exorbitant item,
page 202
an unlooted dragon’s hoard is equal to one or two exorbitant items. In addition, two to six
magic items can also be found in a hoard, potentially including the following.

d10 Magic Item
1 Elven Horn (level 8 artifact): User
can summon army of 300 level 3 elf
warriors (depletion: automatic)
2 Ring of Ruin (level 8 artifact):
Wearer can snuff the life from a
touched target (depletion: 1 in 1d10)
3 Sword of Life (level 8 artifact):
Attacks inflict +5 damage to
undead (depletion:—); grants extra
one round recovery rolls (depletion:
1 in 1d10)
4 Thief ’s Key (level 8 artifact): Opens
locks of its level or less with a touch
(depletion: 1 in 1d20)
5 Wand of Lightning (level 6 artifact):
Long-range lighting attack against
up to three foes inflicts 6 points of
damage and, on failed Might defense
roll, stuns targets for one round
(depletion: 1 in 1d10)
6 Golden Chalice (level 9 artifact):
Restores life to corpse dead less than
a year (depletion: 1-2 on 1d6)
7 Cask of the Elvenkind (level 7
artifact): Produces 5 gallons (20 L) of
potent wine (depletion: 1 in 1d10)
8 Dwarven Helm (level 7 artifact):
Grants +1 to Armor and eases attacks
vs. goblins and orcs (depletion: —)
9 Windbow (level 8 artifact): Ranged
attacks ignore cover and can shoot
around corners (depletion: —)
10 Staff of Power (level 8 artifact):
Grants holder new tier 6 ability; +3 to
Intellect Edge (depletion: —)

11
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ELVES 4 (12)
GM intrusion: The elf Haunting the woodlands or underground
snatches the character’s realms, elves embody grace, lore, and
arrow attack from the air.
memories of a forgotten age.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5; balance, stealth,
and perception as level 6
Combat: An elf attacks targets at long range with
their bow.
When an elf takes damage from a Might-based attack,
they take 1 extra point of damage.
A particular elf can also use one or more of the
following abilities.
Volley of Arrows: Especially skilled archers attack
with their bow twice each round. If they hit the same
target twice, they can attack that target a third time.
Swordmaster: The elf attacks twice with their sword
each round.
Affinity with Nature: The elf uses their action to
communicate with nearby trees, learning everything that’s
happened in the area since the tree sprouted. Alternatively,
the elf asks a wild creature in the area to take a message
to a distant location, show the way to shelter, or some
similar action.
Light-Footed: The elf can move a long distance each round. In
addition, they can easily run a short distance each round up trees
or sheer walls, or across lightly packed snow, deadfalls, and mud.
They can move a short distance across open water, but finally fall
in if they don’t find solid footing between short distance sprints.
Magic: Some elves can call on Elven Magic.

THE ESSENCE OF ELVES

Lays are epic lyric poems
describing important
historical events.
Elves are a lithe and elegant people who prefer untouched woodlands
and deep, natural realms. Merry unless forced to war, elves recall many
sorrows over the centuries each lives. Song, wine, and lays deepen their
appreciation for growing things, especially trees, which can endure
even longer than elves.

12
 ELVES | Fantasy
ELF NAMES
Elf names are usually taken from one of several elven languages, and often have a deeper
meaning that suggests a kind of living thing, star, emotion, or other wondrous element of GM intrusion: A fey ally
the natural world. Options include: (a faerie) joins the elf.
Faeries, page 74
Carathorn, Melesia, Halion, Glauriel, Zulebrien, Dauriel, Liriam, Ieveren,
Seraphos, Zeldarial, Sylascor, Niosamar, Iesriel, Galade, Atharim, Finrel, Lythscal,
Aerenthor, Rosewyn, Aelar, Lavendriel, Elrolas, Awenrod, Celedir, Galfendil

LINE FROM AN ELVEN SONG OR LAY

Sometimes a few words of elven song are carried from afar, even if the singers are not
yet seen through the woods or meadows. Adventure Seed: The
trees whisper a prophecy
regarding an ancient
d6 Line elven artifact that has
1 On starlit shores, in silvered glades, 4 Remember we who dwell in forest been pilfered from the
lovers embrace dell on your journey far Vault of the Night.
Until it is returned, the
2 Time, unmoved giver of grief, 5 Echoes of the age arcane return natural world grows
spare us tonight anew in this refrain sicker and sicker.
3 In ancient twilights danced the 6 Soon, my dear, leaves our ship for
Queen of Stars, extravagantly eternity’s faraway shore

ELVEN MAGIC
Some elves know one or more spells, including the following. Usually these spells can be
cast as the elf’s action no more than once each hour.

Never-Ending Quiver: The elf never
runs out of arrows for the next 10
minutes, though they must be used
within a few rounds, or they fade into so
much dappled sunlight. Attacks made
with the arrows are eased.
Keeper of Trees: A touched tree is
wrapped in protective spells that grant
the tree a level of 10 for the purpose of
resisting damage for one month.
Rouse Tree: A touched tree is roused in
defense of the forest (or the elf) for up to
ten minutes.
Glade Glide: The elf instantly teleports
up to a very long distance so long as
the origin and the endpoint of the trip is
within immediate distance of a live tree.
Nature’s Nurture: If the elf has the
proper herbs available, the elf’s healing
touch, song, and compress cure a disease
or curse (of up to level 8), restore a
creature that died within the last three
days to life (with 1 health), or restore all
lost health or Pool points to a damaged
creature.
Enchanting Song: The elf weaves a song
(with their voice, an instrument, or both)
of such enchanting beauty that targets Roused tree: level 5;
within short range who hear it must health 23; Armor 2;
batters twice each round
succeed on a difficulty 4 Intellect defense
roll or do nothing but listen to the song
while it plays or, if the elf wishes, follow
the elf to some other location while the
song plays. Shadow elf, page 352
Reveal Shadow: When cast, this spell
reveals any shadow elves from regular Shadow elves who left
elves within short range. the forests behind to
escape justice for their
crimes sometimes
return in disguise to
trouble their kin.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

DWA RVES 4 (12)

GM intrusion: The Delving beneath hill
dwarf ’s axe attack breaks and mountain, dwarves
the character’s weapon.
are master miners and
smiths, warriors, and
grudge holders.

Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Caving, stonework, and Might
tasks (including defense) as level 5
Combat: A dwarf hews with their axe.
When a dwarf takes damage from an Intellect-based attack, they
take 1 extra point of damage.
A particular dwarf can call on one or more of the following abilities.
Dazing Flurry: Veteran dwarves can attack twice as their action
with their axe. If they hit the same target twice, the target
is dazed on a failed Might defense roll, hindering their
tasks on their next turn.
Crossbow: The dwarf unlimbers a heavy
crossbow and makes a long-range attack that
inflicts 6 points of damage as their action.
Battle Fury: The dwarf enters a berserker-
like rage as part of another action, granting
an additional 3 points of damage per attack(7
points total) and +1 to Armor (3 Armor total), but
hindering their Speed defense. Normally, a berserker
dwarf only leaves battle fury if they defeat their foes or
they die trying.
Combat Formation: If four or more dwarves act
together using combat techniques they’ve drilled,
the group can act as a single level 6 creature
whose attack deals 8 points of damage.

THE ESSENCE OF DWARVES

Short, stocky, and often elaborately bearded or braided, dwarves are as famously stubborn as
the stone they carve their homes from beneath the mountains. Dwarves exemplify tradition,
honor, pride in smithcraft and warcraft, and a keen appreciation of wealth. As does their temper;
when dwarves are wronged, they never forget.

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 DWARVES | Fantasy
DWARF BEARDS AND/OR BRAIDS
What does the dwarf’s beard and/or braid look like? Unless noted otherwise, most beards extend to mid-chest or
further, while hair braids dangle past the buttocks. Options include:

d10 Beard and/or Braid Effect

1 Jangles with interwoven metallic gold rings
7 Carefully manicured and/or styled in human fashion
2 Carefully protected beneath a fine weave of chainmail (short!)
3 Sparkles with interwoven gems and/or bright ribbons 8 Dyed a silvery metallic color so each hair is like a fine
4 Hangs with silver charms shaped like hammers and gleaming wire
anvils 9 The dwarf’s beard and/or braids seem to be literally
5 Unkempt, crusted with past meals; does a small made of fire
animal lair within? 10 Beard intertwined with green threads, vines, leaves,
6 Shorn clean away, leaving a bald chin and/or head and tiny blossoms

DWARF NAMES Adventure Seed: The

Dwarf names are often handed down from previous generations and are part of a proud subterranean city of
dwarves has gone silent.
heritage. Sometimes a dwarf has an epithet or title-like surname as well, which they bear as An embassy from the
mark of honor. Options include: city appears at the
nearest border, missing
Thurgrim, Eirwyn, Haldarin the Hammer, Haldora Maulbreaker, Glimmerin Silveraxe, their eyes and their
shadow, whispering
Dwinara, Branvar, Dwalina the Steadfast, Orek Stonegate, Grimelda, Galgram, about something
Harthilda, Zenkir the Hearthkeeper, Vilda Goldenbraid, Grindel Starblade called an “abysmal.”

DWARF STONEWORK TRAPS

If a dwarf is encountered in their delve, so are one or more of their stonework traps, such as:
Roller (level 5): Rolling barrel-shaped
or spherical stone crushes everyone in
the corridor for 8 points of damage on a
failed Might defense roll or 2 points even
if successful.
Trapper (level 5): Dead-end corridor
seals characters in with a falling stone slab
(level 8) on a failed Speed defense roll.
GM intrusion: The dwarf
proves their toughness,
and the attack that
Ejector (level 5): Concealed chute should have downed
launches character out of the mountain the dwarf only deals
on a failed Speed defense roll, possibly 1 point of damage.
into a subterranean vault or off the side of
a mountain; either way the character faces
a fall of about 200 feet (60 m).
Guardian: A golem shaped like a Forgeborn, page 184
very large dwarf animates and attacks
intruders.

DWARVEN TREASURE
What valuable thing is found in the dwarf treasure vault, or what does the dwarf seek to
regain from a dragon’s hoard? Options include:

d6 Treasure
1 Hammer of Smiting: level 7 artifact; inflicts 7 points
of damage (ignores Armor) and eases forging tasks
by three steps (depletion: 1 in 1d00)
2 Shield of the Dwarfmother: level 7 artifact; eases
Speed defense rolls and defense rolls against magical
attacks by two steps (depletion: 1 in 1d00)
3 Mindstone: level 8 artifact; polished amethyst gives
bearer +3 Intellect edge on next action or defense roll
(depletion: 1 in 1d10)
4 Mountain Crown: adorned with precious stones,
hereditary crown of the kingdom (exorbitant value)
5 Book of Grudges: level 9 artifact; book collects and
records all slights, insults, and crimes committed
against dwarves throughout the land, whether
offended dwarf knows it or not (depletion: —)
6 Deeproot Amulet: level 6 artifact; wearer can pass up
to a short distance through solid stone as easily as
walking (depletion: 1 in 1d20)

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ADVENTURERS 3 (9)
Adventure Seed: To join Adventurers want a change, excitement, wealth and prestige, or revenge.
the Adventurer’s Guild,
the PCs must prove
themselves by making
it at least a portion of Health: 12 Combat: Adventurers attack with a sword,
the way through the Damage Inflicted: 5 points a long-ranged bow, or if a sorcerer, with
Grave of Terrors. Armor: 1 a short-range magical ray of fire, frost,
Movement: Short lightning, or similar energy.
Modifications: Some have an Adventurer’s Advantage—a
Sometimes wizards Bard: Persuasion and deception as level 5 trick, a magic item, or other boon—they
become adventurers Fighter: Speed defense and attacks as use when the situation demands.
as well.
level 5
Wizards, page 30 Sorcerer: Magic lore and Intellect defense
as level 5
Thief: Stealth and trap detection as level 5

GM intrusion: The
character is poked in the
eye by a tricky adventurer
and is dazed for the next
few rounds, hindering
actions relying on sight.

THE ESSENCE OF AN ADVENTURER

Some fall into the life accidentally, fleeing a threat,
misunderstanding an invitation, or trying to help
others. A lone adventurer might become an ally
but, if a group is encountered, potentially rivals.
In fact, an adventurer is not to be trusted without
good cause. Adventurers operate in lawless
regions where wealth can be obtained at the edge
of a sword.

ADVENTURER NAMES
Adventurers go by all sorts of names, including the following.

Tahara, Bayrin of Whiteclave, Racknara, Gannon Swordbreaker,

Kelsira Mothwing, Crael, Blades Velakis, Numgista Starthief,
Fennic, Moranna, Zehros, Dog, Alenor, Abrados, the Scouring
Knife, Nahuel, Dirk, Connor Pike, Daljeresh, Invinica, Jedediah,
Elara the Unlucky, Eamon, Lucius, Briella Tam, Corvin Redhand,
Sariel, Haft, Roran Emberfall, Crow, Helakor Windchaser

16
 ADVENTURERS | Fantasy
MEMORABLE ATTRIBUTE
Some adventurers stand out from the crowd.

d20 Attribute
1 Scars stripe body and face; brags about a dragon 11 Rusted iron prosthetic replaces right forearm and
they slew hand; likes to hum
2 Leaves glowing footsteps from a curse; complains 12 Horns curl from their brow; likes to play with fire
about being cold 13 Bears a shield made of fused finger bones; afraid of
3 Crowned by a runed helm; can’t remove it and must clerics
eat with a straw 14 Sports white beard braided with charms; an eye for
4 Sports bandoliers thick with throwing daggers; enjoys expensive jewelry
ribald jokes 15 Scantily clad except for minimum decorum demands;
5 Wears shaggy, orange-furred hides; somewhat smelly adept at storytelling
6 Stuffed owl clamped to left shoulder; hopes to 16 Wears a golden metallic cloak; laugh is deep and
magically revive it one day infectious
7 Nose always stuck in tome, scroll, or map; wears 17 Clutches drinking horn sloshing with red wine; slurs
spectacles when they speak
8 Absentmindedly pats their pouches, pockets, and 18 Leans on a staff trailing blue smoke; speaks in rhyme
pack; forgetful 19 Red strip of fabric covers eye sockets; empathetic
9 Eats red-shelled nuts from a large bag; fingers and lips 20 Wears impressively spiked night-black armor; dour
are stained red
10 Often falls into bickering with magic talking sword Talking sword: level 4
strapped to thigh artifact; inflicts 1
additional point of
damage; talks smack;
depletion: —

ADVENTURER’S ADVANTAGE
A given adventurer might seem unmatched, until they reveal their advantage. In some cases,
the advantage serves as loot if the adventurer is defeated and they didn’t use it. (Adventurers
also often carry a pouch of precious coins with a value equal to an expensive item.) Expensive item,
page 202

d10 Advantage
1 Uncanny luck prevents a final blow, a deadly fall, or other bad end.
2 Healed of all wounds after quaffing a potion of healing (level 6 cypher restores 6 Pool
points).
3 Releases a bound demon from tattoo to attack or defend, as needed. Demons, page 54
4 Uses ring to teleport to a spot they can see in long range (level 6 artifact; depletion: 1 in
1d10).
5 Touches brim of hat and turns invisible for 1 minute or until they attack (level 5 artifact;
depletion: 1 in 1d6).
6 Scatters a line of dust that becomes solid stone wall blocking access that lasts for 3 hours
(level 6 cypher).
7 Whistles or cries out; an allied troll smashes through nearby wall to save their friend. Trolls, page 36
8 Much tougher (double health and +2 Armor from weirdly tough skin) than average.
9 Deflects ranged attacks; PC is hit by their own attack on a failed Speed defense roll against
GM intrusion: The
NPC’s level. adventurer takes one
10 Wields a blade of severing (level 7 artifact; inflicts additional 2 points of damage; depletion 1 last immediate action
in 1d00). as they are defeated.

17
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GOBLINS 1 (3)
Goblins are wicked, grasping, and perversely resourceful humanoids,
usually no larger than children.

Health: 3
Damage Inflicted: 2 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 3 due to size and
quickness; deception, perception, stealth, and setting
traps as level 5
Combat: Goblins attack with knives, claws, or biting in
immediate range, and with slings, shortbows,
and rocks at short range.
But unless caught unawares, they might
also rely on a variety of Goblin Tactics,
Goblin Traps, and Goblin Allies.

THE ESSENCE OF GOBLINS

Goblins are driven by greed and malice.
They stop at nothing to acquire what they
want, killing their targets if convenient,
but often making do with theft. They flee
in the face of real danger.
Goblins are pesky rabble but
are surprisingly cunning when
threatened. Allied goblins work together
to accomplish their goals of murder,
kidnapping, and robbery.
But if goblins are caught unawares,
they’re usually engaged in some shambolic
Goblin Activity or other. If PCs defeat a
group of goblins, they can scavenge dribs
and drabs of Goblin Loot.

Goblin Activity, page 20 GOBLIN NAMES

Goblin Loot, page 20 Goblins are usually known by the mean nicknames conferred by other goblins, but their
names can also be short, guttural sounds resembling the first sounds each goblin ever
made. Options include:
Adventure Seed: A goblin
community is looking for Crug, Blic, Sootfinger, Vrak, Turdlicker, Stenchfoot, Moldy, Rip, Slimebelly, Slagjaw, Grub,
adventurers to wipe out a
rival goblin encampment.
Flab, Stinker, Bloodeye, Juk, Beetleface, Narg, Bentbrain, Zolt, One-Ear, Pinch, Stinktooth,
Wart, Ratfondler, Gish, Pussdrinker, Slug, Dragonchow, Kak, Brokeclaw, Toadgrin, Screech,
Shakyleg, Bedwetter, Gak, Snotjaw, Crack, Halfhand, Farty, Splinterclaw, Canker, Limpgob,
Wartbutt, Shrivelsack, Crackbrain, Drumpft, Ditchsucker

18
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
GOBLIN TRAPS
Goblin traps are simple but well-built level 5 mechanical ambushes affecting an immediate area, designed to allow a
goblin to run past or through them without triggering them, but requiring others to succeed on a Speed defense roll
to avoid them. Options include:

d6 Trap (level 5)
1 Avalanche; affected targets crushed under boulders and scree for 5
points of damage each round until they can escape.
2 Net snare; affected targets caught and hauled into the air in the net
until they can escape; goblins spear helpless targets in the meantime
(treat goblins as if they have surprise).
3 Tripwire on stairs; affected targets tumble down flight embedded with
glass shards, taking 6 points of damage.
4 Iron ram swings down from ceiling; affected targets take 7 points of
damage.
5 Tripwire in corridor; if triggered, a dozen poisonous spiders (level 1;
attacks as level 3 and inflicts 3 points of damage from poison) drop
from ceiling hatch.
6 Tripwire in corridor; if triggered, rolling boulder hurtles down corridor,
hindering Speed defense rolls by two steps and inflicting 8 points of
damage, or 3 points even with a successful roll.

19 View as Spread
GOBLIN LOOT
Most goblins carry a personal stash, including bones, shiny rocks, sticks, and other bits of worthless trash, plus a
handful of mismatched coins equivalent to an inexpensive item. But some carry something a little more interesting,
such as the following. Many items could be sold for a moderately priced sum of coins.

d20 Valuable and/or Interesting Loot

1 Golden backscratcher resembling a bird’s leg 12 Wand that shoots streams of harmless glitter
and talons 13 Gold earrings with tiny (shrunken, preserved) dangling
2 Perfumed collection of soaps human heads
3 Herb tin containing fine smoking tobacco 14 Necklace of dragon fangs (enrages dragons who see it)
4 Keyring containing several keys, some pristine, 15 Golden baby rattle displaying crest from nearby
others rusted kingdom
5 Jar containing a sample of scintillating, glowing slime 16 Sewing kit with untarnished silver needles and supply of
6 Vial holding a madly flapping dragonfly with red eyes silk thread
7 Bottle of rare wine stolen from an elven cellar 17 Loaf of elven honey bread that tastes better than
8 Packet of dried mushrooms (hallucinogen) anything
9 Fabulous hat with red and gold feathers 18 Jar of foam that tames even the wildest of manes or
10 Clockwork figurine of a cat that walks about a surface beards
if wound up 19 Animated tongue (level 1) that always squirms west
11 Silver locket showing a picture of a glowing, 20 Big black thigh-high boots that ease jumping and
multicolored egg balancing tasks (artifact level 5; depletion: –)

Price categories,
GOBLIN ACTIVITY
page 202 When characters come upon goblins unawares, what are the goblins up to? Options include:
d20 Activity
1 Mucking out an area that apparently was previously used as an improvised latrine
2 Roasting a variety of kidnapped dwarves on spits over smokey fires
3 Drinking stolen ale and proceeding to become horrifically inebriated
4 Putting together/resetting a trap; a few mistakes have caused some earlier casualties
5 Exploring a new area, using a cave wolf (level 3) to sniff the trail forward
GM intrusion: Another 6 Holding an impromptu rat race in a short maze; each rat is illegibly numbered with red mud
goblin stealthily got
behind the character, 7 Grooming out nits, ticks, and fleas from a larger goblin (level 3) who takes it as their due
and the character 8 Looting the corpses of trapped and killed adventurers
trips over the creature
9 Feeding a bonfire with tomes, scrolls, paintings, and other burnable stuff stolen from a
and falls prone.
human city
10 Beating each other with sticks while they screech and bicker about nothing
11 Sniggering and chortling as they graffiti an area with a handful of obscenities using manure
12 Overseeing a couple of captive dwarves (level 2; excavation as level 5) in digging a new tunnel
13 Repairing broken weapons, crafting new ones from scavenged human-sized weapons
14 Betting on who can spit the farthest; losers are roundly smacked about
15 Stitching wires into the bones of defeated foes to create gruesome marionettes
16 Carrying a human corpse on a palanquin; the corpse is dressed in bright colors and thorn
crown
17 Bricking over access to a cell holding kidnapped hostages whose relatives can’t afford a
ransom
18 Napping in a pile of snoring, farting, twitching goblins; a couple snuggle with rag dolls
19 Dropping boulders down a pit and laughing uproariously at the sounds of distant crashing
Dragons, page 8 20 Being very, very quiet and afraid because they just managed to escape an enraged dragon

20

GOBLIN TACTICS
Goblins attack from the shadows with ambushes and hit-and-run tactics, including
the following.
Surprise: When they have surprise,
goblins attack as level 4 creatures and
deal 2 additional points of damage
(4 points of damage total).
Draw into Traps: After their initial
attack, goblins fall back, attempting to
draw larger prey into level 5 traps they’ve
set, or into the arms of more powerful
allies the goblins know about.
Retreat: After an attack, goblins flee
through tunnels just large enough
for their small statures, too large for
humans to follow, unless the humans
are willing to risk squeezing through
the narrow tunnels and becoming stuck
and vulnerable. The retreating goblins
will attempt to use another tactic later at
some other point in their lair.
Overwhelm: If more four or more
goblins can be gathered for every foe
faced, the goblins try to overwhelm
invaders in a narrow space that’s fine for
goblins. In these conditions, each goblin’s
attacks are eased by two steps and deal
2 additional points of damage (4 points
of damage total) until invaders can break
out into wider tunnels and caves, or
until fewer than four goblins per invader
remain part of the encounter.
GOBLIN ALLIES
Goblin allies may hold the goblins in contempt but will act with the goblins in a pinch.
Options include:
An ogre named Ironclaw who works
with the goblins so long as ale is supplied
daily
A group of three shadow elves who seek
to employ the goblins as spies
A giant with difficulty walking who relies
on the goblins to lead prey to them
A wizard named Celestri of the
Forbidden Whisper who thinks the
goblins serve her
A cave haunted by ghosts that normally
leave the goblins alone
GOBLINS | Fantasy
Ranged Attack: Goblin sentries linger
in walled-off galleries overlooking an
entrance tunnel set with narrow arrow
slots, providing the goblins complete
cover (so they can’t be attacked by Cover, page 220
conventional means by anyone not within
immediate range of an arrow slot). The
goblins pepper those passing through
with rocks, arrows, and bolts.
Play Dead: Goblins may play dead after
an encounter with invaders, then rise up
and stealthily trail their attackers, waiting
to make an attack when the invaders have
set camp or when the invaders encounter
another threat.
Betray: If they know they’re outmatched,
goblins surrender and cooperate. But they
watch for the first sign of outsiders letting
their guards down, then attack with GM intrusion: The
surprise and flee. goblin’s attack was
poisoned and the
character struck must
make a Might defense
roll or immediately
move one step down
the damage track.
A group of four adventurers called the Ogre, page 346
Fireheart Delvers who were tricked into an Shadow elf, page 352
alliance
Five cave wolves (level 3) used as Adventurers, page 16
mounts and trackers, and in a pinch,
defenders Giants, page 38
A couple of blind trolls the goblins have Trolls, page 36
managed to trap in a deep, wide pit Wizards, page 30
An assassin who goes by the name Assassins, page 106
Aldric Moonblade who finds it funny to
help the goblins Ghosts, page 44
Another community of goblins with a
population of about fifty individuals
21
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ELEMENTALS
Entities of energy or matter, elementals are literal manifestations of a particular force, substance, or concept.

ELEMENTAL TYPES
Fire elemental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lightning elemental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Earth elemental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Ice elemental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Water elemental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Thunder elemental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Air elemental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

THE ESSENCE OF AN ELEMENTAL

Elementals manifest as instances of a specific kind of
energy, material, or phenomenon. But like dust devils,
elementals come into existence briefly—called by a
spell or a particularly extreme environment—before
they fade.
Tumultuous and changeable, an elemental’s shape
often varies between individuals, including those of
the same type, as shown on the Elemental Shape and
Activity table. Even when they appear in a particular
shape, most elementals can reform themselves at
need, allowing them to flow, drip, slide, or otherwise
squeeze through cracks and around barriers that
would stymie most physical beings.
Elementals possess basic sapience and limited
speech, but not all possess a continuity of existence.

Optional Rule: ELEMENTAL SHAPE AND ACTIVITY

Elemental Resistance When the elemental appears, what shape does the energy, material, or phenomenon
If an elemental is take, and what kind of surface activity do they display? Additional options, beyond those
magically compelled suggested by each specific elemental description, follow.
rather than convinced
to act for a summoner,
d20 Shape d20 Surface Activity
there’s a 10% chance
that the elemental 1 Thin layer that adheres to a wall or ceiling 1 Creeps about like molasses
immediately breaks 2 Many-armed humanoid 2 Disperses and returns to shape over and over
the binding and
attacks whoever 3 Spherical with winding grooves 3 Spinning, changing direction of spin constantly
commanded them. 4 Pyramidal shape balanced on point 4 Like ripples across a pool
5 Many-legged centipede-like body 5 Surface swirls as if with eddies
Adventure Seed: The
6 Brontosaur-like body with humanoid head 6 Turbulent, like river rapids
local crematory is
sometimes haunted 7 A collection of motes hanging in the air 7 Swirling, vortical movement
by “spirits” of flame. 8 Monolith-like pillar, floating 8 Like waves across the sea
9 Torus (donut), floating 9 Vibrating
10 Dozens of wings, hovering 10 Steams as if superheated
11 Jellyfish-like shape, swims through air 11 Pulses like a heartbeat
12 Toad-like shape with hollows for eyes 12 Weeping, like rain
13 Thunderhead-like cloud, floating 13 Boiling and roiling
14 Glyph that represents element 14 Frozen
15 Dragonfly-like shape, flitting 15 Bubbles constantly erupting from within
16 Eye-watering tesseract (4-dimensional cube) 16 Shimmering
17 Coiling, snake-like shape 17 Cycles between reflective and dull
18 Many-pointed star, hovering 18 Dimpling and bulging at turns
19 Machine-like shape with wheels 19 Flows and slumps like melting wax
20 Ovid (egg), floating 20 Laminar, orderly, parallel layers of flow

22
 ELEMENTALS | Fantasy

FIRE ELEMENTAL 4 (12)

Searing flame in a vaguely humanoid shape (or some other fiery shape), a fire elemental GM intrusion: In
seeks to burn that which is not already ash. They sometimes spin up where great response to an attack,
the elemental splits
conflagrations are already ablaze. into two adjacent
copies of themself,
each with identical
Health: 24 round. The target can’t effectively attack health. The attacking
creature chooses which
Damage Inflicted: 4 points; see Combat the elemental. Other successful attacks elemental is their target,
Movement: Short against the elemental deal half damage but the attack that
Combat: A fire elemental attacks with a to the elemental and half to the engulfed round is hindered.
flaming limb. target. The target can attempt to douse
A fire elemental is immune to fire, but themself to escape the elemental
every time they take cold damage or are but must succeed on a Might roll as Lesser fire elemental:
damaged by a water-based attack, they their action. level 2; health 12;
fiery limb deals 2
take 1 additional point of damage. Spread: Instead of attacking, the fire points of damage
Individual fire elemental instances may elemental spawns a lesser fire elemental
also attack with one of the following that becomes
abilities. an ally.
Ignite: A target that takes damage from
the elemental ignites. Until a creature
takes an action to douse the fire, the
target suffers 2 points of damage each
round as flame consumes them.
Explode: The fire elemental
detonates in a fiery blaze (as their
action, or upon defeat), ending
their manifestation and inflicting
10 points of damage on all
creatures within immediate
range, or 2 points of damage
even on a successful Speed
defense roll.
Grow: The elemental deals
1 additional point of damage
every round they remain
in an area, up to a total of
10 points of damage after
burning for a full minute.
Reaching maximum
damage usually scours
an area clean of
flammable material, and
the fire elemental then
either fades the following
round or returns to dealing
normal damage.
Engulf: The fire elemental
“engulfs” a target that fails a Speed
defense roll. While engulfed in flame,
the target burns, taking damage each

23
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

EA RTH ELEMENTAL 5 (15)

An excavation, a meteor fall, a still-shuddering earthquake, a binding spell—all these can
manifest an earth elemental. Some appear as humanoids, but others take an alternate
shape formed of stone and dirt.

Health: 30 along the line of their movement is attacked, taking 4

Damage Inflicted: 6 points points of damage on a failed Speed defense roll. Even
Armor: 3 those who succeed take 1 point of damage.
Movement: Immediate; short when burrowing Haboob: The elemental breathes out a swirling
Combat: Earth elementals pound foes with a heavy fist. sandstorm (no more than once each hour), which
If standing in or being doused in water, the elemental’s expands to cover an adjacent area up to a very long
Armor is 0. distance across. The sandstorm lasts for one minute.
Individual earth elemental instances may also attack Creatures within the sandstorm take 1 point of
with one of the following abilities. damage each round, can’t see farther than their own
Batter: The elemental attacks twice on their action hands, and must succeed on a Might defense roll
instead of once. each round or begin to cough and choke, hindering
Quake: The elemental triggers an earthquake all actions on their next turn.
(no more than once every other round). Creatures
standing within short range fall to the ground
and take 5 points of damage on a failed Might
defense roll.
Hug: The character that takes damage
must succeed on a Might defense roll
or be pulled into a smothering
hug, taking damage each
round until they can escape
with a Might roll as
their action.
Earthdevil: The earth
elemental disassociates
into a massive dust devil
of swirling rock and soil
and charges forward,
moving up to a long
distance before
becoming solid
again. Anything

Adventure Seed:
A tomb raider is looking
to repatriate stolen
treasures buried with
a powerful mage. But
word is, the monoliths
lining the tomb are
each a guardian
earth elemental.

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 ELEMENTALS | Fantasy

WATER ELEMENTAL 4 (12)

An animate volume of water takes the form of a curling wave,
a swirling pool, or some other shape formed of liquid. Water
elementals seek to flood, submerge, and drown that which is dry.

Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Short; long when swimming
Modifications: Swimming and aquatic maneuvers as
level 6; stealth as level 6 when in water
Combat: Water elementals bash opponents with heavy
limbs of water.
Any attack that inflicts cold damage hinders a water
elemental’s actions on their next turn.
Individual water elemental instances may also attack
with one of the following abilities as their action.
Spray: The elemental attacks with a short-range
hosing spray of water that inflicts damage and, on a
failed Might defense roll, pushes the target tumbling and
rolling up to short distance away from the elemental where they
end prone.
Envelop: The elemental attacks with their entire body, attempting
to envelop, drown, and crush one opponent, who can resist with a
Might defense roll. If the opponent fails, they take 4 points
of damage each round until they can escape with a
successful Might defense roll as their action.
Fog: Up to once every hour, the elemental
disassociates into a misty fog bank covering an
area a very long distance in diameter. As fog, the
elemental is unable to attack and is immune from attack
except for area attacks. The fog persists for up to ten minutes,
creating dense mist in the area (treat the area as darkness that makes Mist, page 221
ranged attacks nearly impossible and hinders melee attacks). The elemental can return
to normal at any time as part of another action (including an attack). An elemental with an
Waterspout: The elemental spins up into a miniature waterspout and charges enveloped opponent near
forward, moving up to a long distance before becoming solid again. Anything along water could dive deep,
release their opponent to
the line of that movement is attacked, taking 4 points of damage on a failed Speed
drown normally, then return
defense roll. Even those who succeed take 1 point of damage. to their previous position
Flood: The elemental floods an adjacent area with a river-like strip of fast-moving to fight other opponents.
water a very long distance in length (no more than once each hour). Each round a
character attempts to wade or swim the flood they must succeed on a Speed defense Adventure Seed: Offerings
roll. A successful roll means the character escapes the water and/or fords the area left at a sacred pond have
gone missing, and the water
of rushing water. A failed roll means the character is treated as described under the itself seems threatening.
elemental’s Envelop attack. In addition, the character is moved a short distance in the
direction of the water’s flow each round they remain caught. An enveloped character Adventure Seed: Garbage or
can escape with a successful swimming task followed by a Might roll to reach dead bodies have polluted
a water source, spawning
something solid above the floodwaters, such as a riverbank or large structure. an angry elemental that
attacks everyone until
the mess is cleaned up.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

AIR ELEMENTAL 4 (12)

Air elementals can be Air elementals are capricious high‑pressure systems resembling a cloudlike humanoid
magically summoned but shape, some other shape formed of vapor, or even remaining invisible spirits of air.
can also spontaneously
appear in the wake
of magically flying
creatures or characters.
Sometimes air elementals
are called by personified
winds to briefly serve.

Magical winds, page 84

Adventure Seed: A
mountain trail has
become hazardous due
to unseasonal winds
that threaten to push
travelers off a cliff.

Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Long when flying
Modifications: Stealth as level 6
Combat: Air elementals slice foes
up to a short distance away
with blades of fierce wind or
use blasts of air to throw small
objects.
If reduced to 0 health, air
elementals are 50% likely to
blow back into existence a few
rounds later with 6 health.
Rejuvenated elementals
continue to fight or flee to
cause trouble elsewhere.
Individual air elemental instances
may also attack with one of the Abide: The elemental disperses over a short area in
following abilities as their action. diameter, becoming invisible, unable to attack, and
Buffet: The elemental attacks up to immune from attack except with area attacks. The
three creatures (who are next to each elemental can remain in this form indefinitely but
other) within short range with a violent must use an action to return to normal.
gust, inflicting damage with a successful Tornado: The air elemental disassociates into a
attack and knocking targets prone who fail a towering tornado a short distance in diameter (just
Might defense roll. once, or upon defeat) and charges forward, moving
Vortex: The elemental becomes a sucking up to a long distance. Anything along the line of their
vortex that inflicts 4 points of damage to all creatures movement is attacked, taking 10 points of damage
within immediate range. In this form, the elemental and being flung up to a long distance in a random
gains +1 to Armor and an additional +2 to Armor direction on a failed Speed defense roll. Even those
against physical projectile weapons such as arrows who succeed take 2 points of damage. Whatever the
and javelins. The elemental reverts to their normal outcome, becoming a tornado permanently ends the
form at the start of their next turn. air elemental’s instance.

26
 ELEMENTALS | Fantasy

LIGHTNING ELEMENTAL 4 (12)

A standing bolt of twisting lightning with a
vague semblance of a humanoid form stalks
from point to point like individual lightning
strikes advancing across the ground. A
lightning elemental dances amid the bolts
in natural thunderstorms or is coaxed into
existence in wizardly laboratories, confined to
buzzing wires under glass, until they escape.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; flies a short distance
each round
Modifications: Perception as level 5; perceives
invisible living creatures as level 7
Combat: Lightning elementals attack with
claws of pure lightning, inflicting damage
and stunning their targets for one round
on a failed Might defense task.
Lightning elementals gain health from
electrical attacks and sources of electric
energy (such as natural lightning),
allowing them to exceed their normal
maximum, up to a maximum of 36 health. In some dimensions,
Traveling Bolt: As their action, the
lightning elementals
Individual lightning elementals may also lightning elemental immediately appears are referred to as
attack with one of the following abilities. in any spot within a very long distance, “accumulators.”
Lightning Bolt: Long-range lighting so long as they can see the area and
blast attacks one target and all creatures electricity could travel that path.
between the lightning elemental and the Magnetic Pulse: An electro-aligning
target (no more than once every minute), burst (no more than once a minute)
inflicting 8 points of damage on a failed Adventure Seed: The
magnetizes metal and other objects
iron vault door to the
Speed defense roll, and 2 points of within short range for about one queen’s armory has
damage even if successful. minute, causing metallic objects to fly become sealed by some
Forking Bolts: Forking bolts attack together into a clump next to the lighting kind of strange force
all creatures within immediate range the court wizard calls
elemental. Creatures wearing metal armor “magnetic.” Those who
(no more than once every few rounds) are drawn into the clump on a failed spend overlong trying
inflicting 4 points of damage on a failed Might defense roll and held immobile to haul the door open
Speed defense roll, and 1 point of damage until they can squirm out of their armor anyway are eventually
blasted backward by
even if successful. with a successful Speed roll as their an electric shock.
Channel Charge: The lightning action. Creatures holding metal weapons,
elemental can choose to channel 3 points or with metal items in a pack or purse, are
of their health to ease an attack or deal similarly affected unless they let go. If the
3 additional points of damage with an GM intrusion: The
target is a creature comprised mostly of
character breathes in
attack against an individual target. The metal, like an iron golem, or machine that a cloud of elemental
elemental can channel health in multiples uses electronics, they cease to function substance; all they can
of 3 on any given attack for greater effect. for one minute. do on their next turn
is violently cough.

27
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ICE ELEMENTAL 4 (12)

Adventure Seed: A sea Magic, a blizzard, or even an unexpected cold snap could summon an entity of frost, taking
captain of an icebreaker the shape of an animate ice sculpture, a massive icicle, or some other shape of ice. Ice
complains that “spirits”
have followed them back
elementals seek to freeze that which moves or flows, stopping it forever in cold stasis.
from their last voyage to
the north, attacking them
when they least expect it. Health: 18 An ice elemental is immune to cold (and gains
Damage Inflicted: 5 points 1 point of health for each 1 point of cold
Armor: 2 damage they would have otherwise taken),
GM intrusion: The Movement: Short but every time they take fire damage (which
elemental destabilizes Modifications: Disguise (when immobile, ignores their Armor), they take 1 additional
the structure, causing
a portion of it to fall on
appears as ordinary ice) as level 8 point of damage.
the character, trapping Combat: The ice elemental’s touch attack Individual ice elementals may also attack with
them until they escape inflicts 4 points of Speed damage one of the following abilities.
with a successful Might (ignores Armor) from penetrating cold. Winter’s Breath: The elemental exhales
roll as their action.
a freezing wind (no more than once each
minute), targeting up to three creatures
within short range. Targets take 5 points of
Speed damage (ignores Armor) on a failed
Speed defense roll, or 1 point of Speed
damage (ignores Armor) even if successful.
Encase: A creature damaged by the ice
elemental’s touch attack is immobilized
in a layer of frozen water on a failed Might
defense roll. Affected targets take 5 points of
Speed damage (ignores Armor) each round
until they can escape with a successful Might
roll as their action. If a target somehow
manages to survive being encased for an
extended period, they smother from lack of
air, dropping one step on the damage track
each minute.
Freeze: The ice elemental causes the
surface of an adjacent area of water up to a
long distance in diameter to freeze solid (no
more than once per hour). The ice is frozen
to a depth of 6 inches (15 cm), and breaking
through requires a difficulty 6 Might roll.
Skewer: The elemental flings a
supernaturally cold and sharp icicle at a
target within long range, inflicting 4 points
of damage from the cold and, on a failed
Might defense roll, pins the target against
the ground or wall. A pinned target takes
4 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor)
each round, can’t move, and is hindered on
physical tasks until they can escape with a
successful Might roll as their action. The
icicle melts after a minute.

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 ELEMENTALS | Fantasy

THUNDER ELEMENTAL 4 (12)

Adventure Seed: A noble
A being of corporeal noise, a thunder elemental appears as a fountain of glimmering notes, will pay a large reward for
anyone who can determine
a humanoid rippling with noise, or some other shape composed of solid sound. Whatever the source of the aggressive,
their shape, a thunder elemental always emits a racket, sometimes a static-filled hiss, other distorted riffs, fast-paced
times a roaring blanket of white noise. drumming, and deep,
guttural vocals in no known
language that constantly
echo through their villa.
Health: 24
GM intrusion: The elemental
Damage Inflicted: 4 points turns on a character, if the
Movement: Short; flies a short distance each round character was directing
Combat: Thunder elementals lash out with the creature’s actions.
limbs of solid sound.
Individual thunder elementals may also
attack with one of the following abilities as
their action.
Doom Frequency: Directs a beam of
focused sound at a target within long
range, inflicting 4 points of damage and
inducing a resonant destructive wave in
their body. Each round after a successful
attack, the target takes another 1 point
of damage (which, unlike the initial
attack, ignores Armor) until they succeed
on a Might defense roll (as part of
another action).
Sonic Detonation: Projects a pellet of
solid sound up to a long distance away
that explodes with terrifying decibels,
inflicting 6 points of damage to everyone
in an immediate radius that fails a Might
defense roll, as well as deafening them for
one minute.
Sonic Hole: Draws all sound within long
range into themself, regaining 10 health.
Within the affected area, no sound can
be heard.
Background Noise: Disperses over a
short area as an action, becoming an
invisible standing sound wave (white
noise, static, or blaring music). As a
field of background noise, the element
is unable to attack and can’t be attacked
except with area attacks, but they can
move normally. The elemental can remain
in this form indefinitely but must use an
action to return to normal.

29
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

WIZA RDS 4 (12)

Adventure Seed: A Wizards spend their lives pursuing
coterie of wizards staged magical lore, sometimes as an end
a coup and declared
itself the new rulers.
in itself, other times so they can
impose their will on the world.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Magical lore as level 6
Combat: The wizard attacks with short-range glowing
streaks of force.
A wizard usually also has at least two of the following
spells they can cast as their action.
Warding: The wizard’s Armor improves by
2 (for a total of 3 Armor); the wizard usually
already has this cast.
Blast: Targets in an adjacent immediate area
(or targets in an immediate area up to a long
distance away) are blasted with energy (such as
fire, ice, or lighting). Targets that fail a Speed defense roll take
damage and on a failed Might defense roll, are thrown back
an immediate distance and stunned, losing their next turn.
Flight: The wizard (and up to three allies) can fly a long
distance each round for about an hour. A wizard can cast a
quick version of this spell fast enough to prevent damage
from an unexpected fall.
Slumber: Up to three targets in short range fall asleep
on a failed Intellect defense roll. Sleeping targets
sleep for about ten minutes, or until roused by
vigorous shaking or damage.
Higher-Level Spells: A “great” wizard knows one
or more additional level 6 Spells, and a “mighty”
wizard knows one or more extra level 6 Spells and
one or more extra level 8 Spells.

THE ESSENCE OF WIZARDS

Magical scholars, wizards scour arcane texts to learn the secrets of the multiverse. Using
incantations and specific gestures, wizards channel that lore into powerful spells. Most
people lack the talent to become wizards, as many wizards are quick to point out, claiming
they have no time to suffer fools. Care should be taken when negotiating with wizards, as
their power makes them potentially dangerous adversaries. But often, the wizard is the one
that must be sought to learn a secret, find the right spell, or gain an ally for an upcoming
quest where specialized magic is required.

30
 WIZARDS | Fantasy
WIZARD NAMES
Wizard names tend toward the pretentious. Options include:
Adventure Seed: A prized
Syrrix Silverwand, Stámo Leornian, Miresia the Magister, Lord Dessatyso, Barlu of object in the character’s
possession once belonged
the Yellow College, Evrin the Enchanter, Crow, Ignatius Starcaster, Faust the Chaotic, to a wizard who now
Isa of the Iron Tower, Kairos, Amara Grimm, Shaythra, Lagos D’lester, Ozima of the wants it back.
White Sands, Glomund Gorthuel, Vadriel, Naug, Aganon, Rath Duskmantle

WIZARD APPEARANCE
Many wizards are wizened and carry a staff. What else stands out or is different about a
given wizard?

d10 Standout Features

1 Youthful; wears shimmering robes that look like the night sky
2 Surrounded by ever-present halo of swirling dust
3 Accompanied by a pig familiar Familiar: level 1;
4 Clutches a shimmering hourglass instead of a staff wizard can see through
familiar’s eyes up to
5 Garments apparently made of living leaves and plants a very long range
6 Wears garments stitched with clicking clockwork devices
7 Always cloaked in shadow, even in direct sunlight
8 Wears goggles, bandoliers stuffed with glowing alchemical vials
9 Cloak made of hundreds of feathers; stuffed kestrel mounted on hat
10 Accompanied by two ferret familiars that speak with the voices of human children

LEVEL 6 GREAT WIZARD SPELLS

A great wizard is level 6, trained in magic lore as level 7; has 22 health, deals 6 points of GM intrusion: The
damage; and knows one or more of the following additional spells: wizard turns the
character to stone
for one minute.
Counter: A magical attack or other Wall: A magical energy wall (fire, ice,
magical ability attempted by the target is or electricity) bisects an adjacent short
canceled if they fail an Intellect defense area. Those that attempt to pass through
roll. The wizard can attempt Counter once it take damage and are pushed back as if
between each of their regular turns. targeted by Blast.
Disappear: The wizard and up to 6 allies
are transported to a location they know of
elsewhere in the world.

LEVEL 8 MIGHTY WIZARD SPELLS

A mighty wizard is level 8, trained in magical lore as level 9; has 40 health, deals 8 points
of damage; knows one or more level 6 Spells, and one or more of the following additional
spells (which they can usually cast only once per day): GM intrusion: The
wizard summons a
lightning elemental that
Haste: The wizard can take two actions Disintegrate: The target damaged by the attacks the character
each round for one minute. wizard’s base attack must succeed on a for up to one minute.
Polymorph: The target that fails a Might Might defense roll or be turned into so
defense roll is turned into a small animal much dust. Lightning elemental,
(like a frog) until such time as the spell Banish: The target is transferred to page 27
can be broken by magic. other plane of existence.

31
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

WRAITHS 2 (6)
GM intrusion: The Wraiths are formless, lingering
wraith’s scream spirits of malevolence bound to the
spectrally manifests
as 4 more wraiths.
world by an evil curse.

Health: 6
Damage Inflicted: 3 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short while flying
Modifications: Stealth as level 5
Combat: A wraith’s life-draining touch inflicts 3 points of
Speed damage (ignores Armor).
Wraiths also have the following traits.
Fade: The wraith becomes fully insubstantial as their
action and can’t affect or be affected by anything (except
for weapons and attacks that specifically affect undead or
phased creatures), and they can pass through solid matter
without hindrance, unless barred by a magical ward.
The wraith can return to normal (a partly insubstantial
state that can take and deal damage) as part of
their attack action.
Legion: A group of five wraiths focusing on one
target attacks as a single level 4 creature dealing 5
points of Speed damage (ignores Armor).
Persistent: If destroyed, a wraith usually
reforms the following midnight (unless
their Cursed Wraith Origin is discovered
and addressed).

THE ESSENCE OF WRAITHS

Bodiless beings of rage and loss, wraiths are often
mindless, consumed by their condition. Other wraiths
act according to the instructions of a greater evil
binding them to existence. On occasion, wraiths
recall their life and may respond to questions or seek
to locate their loved ones or enemies. Wraiths may
even attempt to finish tasks started in life. But in
time, without physical substance to renew them (or
thralldom to a greater evil or artifact), they become
mindless monsters of destruction.

WRAITH NAMES
Adventure Seed: The Wraiths usually don’t remember their living names. Those tied to a sustaining evil
queen can’t be crowned or magical artifact might. These often have appellations gained over generations of
until the wraith haunting
the former king’s
interactions with the living. Options include:
scepter is dispatched.
Zuramoth the Fallen, Lumakan the Mourner, Nagmar the Silent, Leanthe
the Dream Stealer, The Bane of Skyforge, Gulmurzor the Woebringer, Xet
the Child Taker, Renulmar the Hellrider, Ezwarhil Neckbreaker

32
 WRAITHS | Fantasy
WRAITH APPEARANCE
In addition to their incorporeality, a particular wraith may have a notable feature.

d10 Standout Feature

1 Wields a spectral shepherd’s crook
2 Wears an elaborate spectral crown
3 Figure always silhouetted by a spectral moon
4 Sopping wet; water runs from them in rivulets
5 Burns with a greenish flame
6 Wields a spectral rune-scribed greatsword
7 Legs are twining spectral serpents
8 Is a spectral hound
9 Wears spectral full plate armor
10 Clutches spectral spellbook

WRAITH LORD 5 (15)

Certain wraiths, especially those empowered by malign magical objects, are exceptional.

Health: 22 Wraith Weapon: The wraith’s attack with

Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short while flying
Modifications: Stealth as level 6
Combat: As wraith plus at least one of
the following abilities.
Miasma: The wraith breathes out a
fetid necrotic cloud (no more than once
each minute) that targets all creatures
in an adjacent immediate area.
Creatures that fail an Intellect defense
roll feel unholy despair and take 1 point
of Intellect damage (ignores Armor)
each round for one minute.
a spectral weapon leaves behind a physical
blot of darkness in the wound. Each day the
target falls one step on the damage track on GM intrusion: The
a failed Might defense roll. Three successes wraith senses a weakness
in the character’s
purge the remnant. A target that dies from defenses, easing their
the wound rises as a regular wraith. own attack by four
Terrifying Scream: The wraith voices a steps unless banished.
hell-infused scream that terrifies creatures
in long range that fail an Intellect defense
roll, causing them to stand frozen in terror
for one minute or until they succeed on an
Intellect defense roll on their turn.
Mounted: The wraith is mounted on—or
summons—a quetzalsaur. Quetzalsaur, page 179

Adventure Seed:
Something has changed
CURSED WRAITH ORIGIN about the village
Something evil forged the wraith. If that origin can be found and broken, killed, dispelled, cemetery, and townsfolk
demolished, or otherwise dispatched, the wraith fades for good. are afraid to enter.

d10 Origin
1 Summoned by a necromancer
2 Linked with a magical artifact such a crown, sword,
six-shooter, staff, or ring
3 Haunts a buried treasure hoard (distributing the
treasure ends the curse)
4 Structure that saw atrocity, such as an inn where
every traveler was murdered in their sleep
5 Battlefield where bones lie unhallowed (giving a
proper burial ends the curse)
6 Vehicle that saw atrocity, such as a ship, train car, or
wagon hit by bandits
7 Memento from a murdered lover, such as a locket or
pocket watch
8 Lantern (or other light source) that was the last thing
they saw when murdered
9 Natural spring poisoned with insidious fungus,
barrels of toxic mine waste, or magic
10 Desecrated temple or chapel

33
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ORCS 2 (6)
GM intrusion: Born into squalor and fear, the orc species
Screaming with glee, five is composed of miserable, misbegotten
more orcs join the fight.
humanoids that seem destined to serve as
fodder for more powerful evil overlords.

Health: 7
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Pleasant social interactions as level 1,
intimidation as level 5
Combat: Orcs fight with
long-range bows or
orc-forged melee
weapons (axes,
swords, etc.).
Orcs may also have one
of the following traits.
Shield: The orc’s Speed defense is eased.
Maul: The orc’s massive two-handed weapon deals
6 points of damage. (Orcs using mauls can’t deploy
shields.)
Horde Tactics: Some orcs have trained to fight
as a team. When any group of three
horde-trained orcs attack, treat it as a
single level 4 attack that inflicts 6 points
of damage.
Clamber: Using their gnarled claws to find
purchase in the tiniest of cracks, the orc can
climb almost sheer surfaces as quickly as they
could run across level ground.

THE ESSENCE OF ORCS

Adventure Seed: An
orc band threatens a
small village at the edge
of the mountains.
An orc would stab their own mother if they thought doing so
would give them another hour of life in a desperate situation.
However, most orcs have been conditioned, through beatings
and torture, to fear the evil overlord or orc leader they serve.
When left alone, these loathsome creatures turn on each
other, the strongest oppressing the next weakest (and so on
down the line) with cruel barbs, gruesome jokes, and physical
beatings. When these creatures have no victims to hate, they
hate themselves.

34
 ORCS | Fantasy
ORC APPEARANCE
No two orcs look exactly alike, but all have a mean, ugly, and shambolic façade. Standout
features for a given individual include:
Adventure Seed: Orcs
d10 Standout Features are gathering from
1 Mouthful of teeth like a shark. 6 Impressive tusks (which grant an extra across several regions,
gore attack each round). apparently answering
2 Misshapen face suggesting it was once the call of an aspiring
caught in a vise. 7 Burn scars entirely cover their skin. evil overlord who’s
3 Bluish skin crusted with fungus and 8 Can’t stop themself from constantly amassing an army.
sprouting mushrooms. muttering obscenities.
4 One eye weeps a greenish fluid, the other 9 Followed around by a mangy, wolf-like pet
glows blue. monster (level 5).
5 The stubs of three arrows still protrude 10 Wears looted elven finery, tattered and not
from their back. washed in years.

ORC VETERA N 5 (15)

Most orcs live short, brutish lives. The few that survive for years do so because they’re
sneakier, stronger, tougher, and meaner than average.

Health: 17 Bigger and Meaner: The veteran is impressive even among

Damage Inflicted: 6 points other veterans, enjoying 25 health and eased attacks.
Armor: 2 Blast Stone: The veteran has an orc-forged “blast stone”
Movement: Short (level 5 cypher) that fills an adjacent area with shrapnel
Modifications: Pleasant social interactions as level 1 that deals 5 points of damage to creatures that fail a
Combat: Orc veterans attack twice each round with Speed defense roll.
long-range bows or orc-forged melee weapons Magic Sword: Looted from elsewhere, the orc’s sword
(axes, swords, etc.). (level 5 artifact, depletion: —) attacks are eased and inflict
A specific orc veteran may also have one of the a total of 8 points of damage.
following advantages. Big Friend: The orc can call in a favor to gain a troll ally.

Trolls, page 36
ORC NAMES ORC OBSCENITIES
Orc names are traditional and may include Most things an orc says aren’t worth
a surname. The names are sometimes repeating, including:
fragments of a corrupted language that orcs
d10 Obscenity
once shared with elder beings before their
1 Shit-smeared pustule!
paths diverged. Options include: GM intrusion: The orc’s
2 Clown-faced vomit stain! loud fart is so horrifically
3 Fungus-licking rabbit! redolent the character
Agoz, Ugnak, Belgmec, Klozz, Kelfimbul, is dazed until the end
Zorbeg, Gulgor, Krishmeg, Lurgef, Gul, 4 Corpse-loving elf-friend! of their next turn.
Malharg, Shagmuz, Dobroceg, Orthmog, 5 Baby-saving bastard!
Grurk, Lurdzak, Shug, Grakrab, Sukau, 6 Rot-tooth canker!
Ufshad, Clomog, Glekbeg, Thrakmeg, 7 Mud-slurping weasel!
Kutzbog, Druka, Skareg, Razgol, Gezbad
8 Crap-spattered dancer!
9 Butt-faced cockroach!
10 Dwarf-bearded nose picker!

35
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

TROLLS 6 (18)
Hulking, grotesque, and ferocious, few can stand before a troll’s brute strength.

Health: 30 Regenerate: A troll regains 3 points of health per

Damage Inflicted: 7 points round.
Armor: 1 Spawn: If a troll takes 10 or more points of damage
Movement: Long in one round (other than damage dealt by fire), the
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to size; troll divides into two level 4 trolls that are 3 feet (1 m)
Might defense as level 7; sees through deception as tall. Such spawned trolls that survive the battle and
level 4 have access to food grow into full-size and -level trolls
Combat: The troll attacks with its claws. within a few weeks.
Trolls also have the following traits.
Grab: A target who is hit by a troll and fails a
Might defense roll is grabbed until they can
escape with a Might-based roll as their
action. Grabbed prey automatically
takes 10 points of damage each
round from the troll’s claws and
teeth (obviously precluding
the troll from attacking others
simultaneously).
The troll swallows prey they kill.

Some trolls don’t

regenerate the round
after taking energy
damage, such as
from electricity, fire,
lasers and so on.

Spawned troll: level 4,

Might defense as level 5;
health 15; Armor 1; claws
inflict 5 points of damage;
grabbed victim suffers
5 points of damage each
round held by troll

GM intrusion: The
troll divides into three
separate spawned trolls.

36
 TROLLS | Fantasy

THE ESSENCE OF TROLLS

Dangerous but not particularly intelligent, trolls are descended from evil magic worked ages ago. Always
ravenous, trolls eat anything, though they sometimes take the time to cook a meal when not rushed. Trolls
speak their own simple language, but a few know a little bit of a local human language.
Some trolls have been conscripted to serve in armies under the command of an evil overlord. These must
be carefully controlled. Even then, troll handlers—such as goblins and orcs—often fall prey to a captive troll’s
hunger or sudden fits of rage.
Trolls not pledged to an evil overlord engage in banditry and hunting of intelligent humanoids, whether
alone or in groups of no more than two or three. Troll groups can turn on each other but usually work
together if a hapless potential meal wanders past.

TROLL APPEARANCE Goblins, page 18

Thanks to the runaway regenerative abilities of these 10+ foot (3+ m) tall brutes, a particular Orcs, page 34
troll may have a standout feature.

d10 Oddity of Appearance

1 Extra fingers sprout in clumps on skin. 6 Elongated as if stretched; stands 17 feet GM intrusion: The
2 Vestigial head flops on chest. (5 m) tall. character struck by
7 Ragged clumps of feathers mottle hide. the troll is knocked
3 Creased down the middle, as if budding unconscious for about an
stopped mid-spawn. 8 Extra set of half-sized arms constantly in hour, until an ally takes
motion (troll’s tasks hindered). an action to rouse them,
4 Sports dinosaur-like tail with spike (extra
attack each round). 9 Eyes missing on head, but several or until they are startled
speckled over rest of body. awake sooner by flames
5 Mummified corpse of previous human of the troll’s cookfire.
10 Extra lower torso and extra set of legs
prey partially fused with skin.
make a “troll-taur.”
Adventure Seed: A
TROLL NAMES troll has claimed a
lair in a tunnel used
Troll names are easy to remember. Sometimes they resemble human names, other times their by refugees to flee the
names are short and guttural sounds easily mistaken for an odd grunt, burp, or similar noise: wizard war in the west.

Mog, Urk, Shreg, Tom, Kruf, Mak, Brab, Frac, Bert, Pruk, Kruk, Bill, Snrag, Adventure Seed: A noble
Grag, Blard, Drub, Cak, Snor, Rech, Huk, Weez, Mrash, Gop wants a troll head to
mount on their trophy
wall and is willing to
pay for others to get the
FOUND IN A TROLL SACK head on their behalf.
Some trolls are collectors and carry their “treasure” with them in a burlap sack.

d10 “Treasure”
1 Set of bones “artfully” gnawed to resemble faces
2 Wax-sealed pot filled with rancid creamed egg yolks and peanut paste
3 Rolled up skins from select past elf victims
4 Crude cookware, including a pot just large enough to stuff a human into
5 Mummified human hand still wearing a ring of blinking Blinking, page 385
Expensive item,
6 An expensive amount of random coins page 202
7 Shiny rocks
8 Pet dwarf Dwarves, page 14

9 Glass cannister filled with aggressive 3-foot (1 m) long giant leeches Giant leech: level 2

10 Gobbet of still-living troll flesh; if freed, grows into a spawned troll in a few rounds

37
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GIA NTS 7 (21)

Immense humanoids, giants possess great strength,
and a subset wield supernatural abilities. Some giants
are dumb brutes while others wield magical power over
natural phenomena.

Environment: Underground,
deserts, mountaintops, and
similar desolate areas
Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 9 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense
as level 5 due to size; sees
through deceptions and
tricks as level 3
Combat: Giants smash foes
with their fists, possibly catching
up to three human-sized targets with
the same attack if all the targets are
in immediate range of each other.
Some giants hurl rocks up to very
long range.
If a giant attacks a single target with a fist,
they can choose to do regular damage or
to grab hold of the victim, dealing 4
points of damage instead. On their
turn, the victim can attempt a Might
defense roll to struggle out of the grip,
a Speed defense roll to slip out, or an
Intellect-based task to distract the giant. If the
victim fails, the giant throws the victim as high and
as far as they can on their next turn. Damage on impact
varies, depending on the environment, but a victim takes an
average of 10 points of ambient damage.

Giants range anywhere

from 15 to 30 feet
(6 to 9 m) tall, though
some are even larger.

GM intrusion: The giant

steps on the character,
entombing them in the
ground until they can
escape with a Might
task as their action.

38
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
GM intrusion: The giant’s
blow sprains one of the GIANT PETS
character’s limbs, making
it useless for ten minutes.
A giant or a group of giants could be encountered with a pet.

d10 Pets and/or Allies

1 Elephant (level 6; Speed defense level 4)
Goblins, page 18 2 1d10 goblins
Unicorns, page 82 3 Unicorn
Zombies, page 170 4 2d20 “giant” rats (level 3)
Adventurer, page 16 5 Zombie
6 Captive adventurer
Tyrannosaurus rex, 7 Tyrannosaurus rex
page 361 8 Colossal bird; a “roc” (level 6, Speed defense as level 3)
Werewolves, page 65 9 Werewolf
10 Grizzly bear (level 5; health 20; Armor 1)

Adventure Seed: Those GIANT NAMES

sent to investigate Giant names might be nicknames given in a common tongue, or descend from various
thunder in the foothills
that rumbles even
giant languages. Options include:
without a storm discover
giant footprints that lead Nakanim, Bistla, Zeloud, Arguth, Thunderhide, Breurs, Greyli, Malestrom, Githorbim,
to and from a massive Kren, Musuth, Garz, Og, Footquake, Ronait, Hrung, Nyrmir, Surek, Murda, Twelve-Ton
cavemouth carved into
a mountainside.

LOOT IN A GIANT’S BAG

Giants often haul bags containing a curious assortment of collected objects. Roll or choose a
Expensive item, few times on the following table to determine what valuables and/or bric-a-brac a given giant
page 202
carries in their bag. Items noted that might possess magical abilities—for example, a “jar of
darkness”—could be treated as cyphers, or in a few cases, as artifacts.

d00 Found in Bag

01–02 Rocks, ideal for throwing 35–36 Pocket watch (expensive) 69–70 Crystal ball, cracked
03–04 Rolled-up art (expensive) 37–38 Gnawed human bones 71–72 Healing herbs
05–06 Magical seeds 39–40 Giant-sized wineskin 73–74 Huge wheel of cheese
07–08 Gold coins (expensive) 41–42 Gold amulets (expensive) 75–76 Mirror that reflects the past
09–10 Gemstones (expensive) 43–44 Map to subterranean city 77–78 Gross of iron nails
11–12 Map to a lost ruin 45–46 Recipe for human soup 79–80 Boots of water strolling
13–14 Shrunken city in glass dome 47–48 Vial of youth 81–82 Live goblins
15–16 Petrified dragon eye 49–50 Ring of keys 83–84 Deck of lewd playing cards
17–18 Spellbook 51–52 5-gallon drinking horn 85–86 Jar of fireflies
19–20 Talking mirror 53–54 Cloak of invisibility 87–88 Box of whispers
21–22 Jar of darkness 55–56 Jar of starlight 89–90 Chunk of coal
23–24 Human heads 57–58 Cask of oil 91–92 Wand of lies
25–26 Pinch of dream dust 59–60 Sack of salt 93–94 Gross of incense
27–28 Gilded flute (expensive) 61–62 Huge brass lamp 95–96 Hero’s journal, ends abruptly
29–30 Rolled-up portal to Hell 63–64 Nesting figurines (expensive) 97–98 Prism
31–32 Pocket-sized dragon 65–66 Gross of candlesticks 99–00 Bag of plucked faerie wings
33–34 Hat of disappearing 67–68 Massive cookpot

39 View as Spread
GIANT MOTIVES MAGICAL GIANTS
A given giant’s motive directly affects how they interact with other creatures. Giants may possess more abilities
than mere size and strength.
d10 Motive A few giants can generate
1 Reclaim the lands stolen from them storms, tidal waves,
2 Be left undisturbed in their claimed territory/castle to farm and hunt as they earthquakes, and similar
choose phenomena that can lash an
3 Seize other creatures’ lands, either alone or as allies of other giants or area up to 1,000 feet (300 m)
supernatural forces across for up to a minute,
4 Search out and gain mystical knowledge that offers advantages of craft and inflicting 3 points of damage
longevity each round to all creatures and
5 Call down storms and unnatural disasters to sow chaos and destruction objects not protected by shelter
6 Found a hidden conclave of giant-kind that can exist away from violence and designed to withstand a storm
discord (though few shelters protect
7 Recover ancient artifacts taken from giant-kind by heroes of old against an earthquake).
8 Topple the gods and place themselves as rulers of the heavens and hells A subset of giants with more
beyond the world wit than their kin may know
9 Guard mystical knowledge, sacred sites, temples to elemental beings, or spells, usually spells capable of
graves of gods grounding enemy fliers, spells to
10 Accumulate and guard monetary and magical treasures to keep for put enemies to sleep, and spells
themselves allowing them to change their
shape and size.

40
 GIANTS | Fantasy

THE ESSENCE OF GIANTS

Giants usually get things done by brute strength, either smashing through foes and obstacles, or credibly
threatening to do so.
Some giants are not very bright. When such a giant is rampaging, someone could attempt to distract
them by singing, juggling, or doing some other trick, causing the giant to pause and watch for one or two
rounds.
Being so large and strong, giants can carry lots of stuff around with them, often in ratty leather bags
stuffed with all manner of detritus, but also sometimes surprisingly valuable bits.
Especially powerful giants can be adversaries to the gods themselves.

AGAINST THE GIANTS

This section provides some ideas for involving giants in your game.

d10 Giant Encounters

1 A giant came down out of the
mountains and laid waste to half
the nearby village. Survivors will
pay someone to venture into the
giant’s mountain lair and destroy
the creature.
2 Merchants pull into town with a
large wagon on which a young
giant is securely(?) trussed. The
giant might get loose, or the giant’s
relatives might come looking for
their missing child.
3 A huge, dead giant washes up on
the shore, easily 50 feet (15 m) long.
It slowly decays over the course of
months, helped along by nearby
townsfolk harvesting portions of it
for various needs.
4 A bank of clouds appears on the
horizon; a massive castle sits atop
the clouds, home to a handful of
10
feuding giants.
5 A giant with elemental powers, but
who isn’t too bright, serves as an
evil wizard’s lackey and muscle. The
giant is forced to serve the wizard
because the wizard keeps the giant’s
daughter hostage.
6 The lake which the community
depends upon for fresh water and
fishing has been claimed by a giant Giant, two-headed:
level 7; as giant but has
with two heads. The two heads bicker extra action each round
with each other but usually put
differences aside when threatened.
7 A giant guards the pass the characters
wish to traverse, demanding they
give one of their own for the giant to
eat before they will allow the rest of
the characters to pass.
8 A giant wearing well-cut clothing
and speaking eloquently describes
a hidden realm of giants just like
them, but one which has come
under threat by a “ghost army.” The
giant is looking for outside aid.
GM intrusion: The
9 When ship travelers make landfall on grabbed character isn’t
an island in the middle of the sea, they thrown; instead, the
are attacked by one or more giants. giant tries to bite off their
head. On a failed Might
Oversized items of all sorts— defense roll the character
including dishes and silverware, descends two steps on
articles of clothing, tools, and even the damage track.
a few weapons—have been showing
up at market. If traced, it all comes
from a thief who claims they’re
pilfering it from a giant’s lair they
have been sneaking in and out of for
several months.

41
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

PART 2

HORROR
H orror can be found in any setting. Instead of strictly
being its own genre, horror can happen whenever
a situation becomes eerie and “messed up.” Which
means you can merge horror with any other setting
whether that’s modern day (which most horror starts
from), fantasy, fairy tale, weird west, and especially
science fiction.
One of the horror’s hallmarks is that its central
mystery is inscrutable. All people can do is react to the
scary monster or situation, but understanding its true
origin or motive is almost impossible. However, at least
a monster can (hopefully) be killed. But the question
then becomes, if there was one, are there more?

CREATURES
Ghosts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Serial killers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Haunted houses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Vampires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Werebeasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Killer toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Interested in advice for
building an adventure
or entire setting
featuring horror?
Check out Stay Alive!,
our genre-building
horror sourcebook.
Wraiths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Witches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Robots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Aliens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Monstrous supervillains . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Radbeasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Cannibals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Zombies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cursed beasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Strange folk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Ghost riders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

42
 PART 2 | HORROR

HORRIFIC SITUATIONS
If you’re looking for general horror inspiration, use the following tables to generate the outlines of a horror scenario, then
add in one or two creatures from this book. Horror scenarios include a creepy premise, a few jump scares, and a creature
that must be defeated (or often enough, just escaped).
For example, after news outlets bring reports of people around the city doing strange things, PCs learn that something
is replacing people with robots—but not before losing one or two of their own to the process. Alternatively, PCs hired
as caretakers to watch an out-of-the-way property are woken each night by ghastly screams. Investigation reveals a loner
who sometimes becomes a human-sized spider desperate for food.

INCITING UNSETTLING EVENT

d20 Event 11 A new circus comes to town; attendees leave with an
1 At 3 a.m., kitchen sink garbage disposal unit switches on. extra child they confusedly accept as their own.
12 The old asylum, shut down in the 80s, requires a
2 The old shed behind the house seems to move closer
property inspection.
each night.
13 The widow, dead these many years, knocks on the front
3 The long-abandoned house next door is purchased by a
door each night demanding entry.
mysterious corporation.
14 People in the city are being killed by something that
4 Emergency news reports describe people around the city
apparently tears them in half.
doing inexplicable things.
15 Caretakers hired to watch over an empty mountain home
5 No one can open the door in the new house, until it begin hearing strange noises.
opens one night by itself.
16 The in vitro fertilization clinic has been adding odd and
6 Everyone who played the Halloween-themed game earlier upsetting genes to fertilized human embryos.
that night begins disappearing.
17 A scientist studying signals from a distant pulsar
7 Horrific, threatening calls start arriving from an suddenly breaks out with strange sores.
unknown number.
18 A scuffed old briefcase, which used to belong to a
8 Security camera footage shows an impossible creature dead uncle accused of atrocities, begins whispering
creeping out of the sewer. instructions to its new owner.
9 Pale faces peering into homes by night set the 19 Urban explorers checking out an abandoned amusement
neighborhood on edge. park discover something terrible lives there.
10 Something came back with the astronauts who landed on 20 People began disappearing around the city right when the
the moon. new ancient civilization exhibit appeared in the museum.

JUMP SCARES
If appropriate to the situation, treat a jump scare as a GM intrusion.

d20 Scare
1 Corpse falls/springs out of closet or door. 11 Book flings itself from the bookcase hard enough to draw
2 Something reaches out of the darkness and grabs the blood.
character’s shoulder. 12 When the power and lights return, a creepy doll is posed
3 Character notices their reflection moving independently facing the character.
from them. 13 Furred figure from outside suddenly appears in the
4 Floor collapses, dropping character into cellar. window.

5 Book/documents the character is studying burst 14 Door slams open/shut by itself.

into flame. 15 Blood/filthy water/oil begins to pour from the faucet/
6 Severed hand/head of an ally drops into the bath/showerhead.
character’s lap. 16 Mirror explodes, creating dangerous shrapnel.
7 Tree branch animates and grabs the character. 17 Subject of disturbing painting steps out of the canvas.
8 Slime trail leads directly from or into the character’s 18 Radio/TV/computer comes on by itself, playing strident
room, vehicle, or belongings. screams of horrified victims.
9 Ghostly scream from behind character, loud enough to 19 Lights at the end of the street/corridor begin to go out
shatter nearby glass. one by one.
10 Cat that suddenly jumps out of the shadows, 20 Cockroach/fly/spider horde bursts out of chest or door,
missing its head swarming character.

43
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GHOSTS 4 (12)

Lingering spirits of the deceased can

manifest in various forms and interact
with the physical world, often striking
fear in normal creatures. Some ghosts are
just memory fragments, while others are
fully sapient.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Movement: Short; can move through solid objects of up
to level 7 at will
Modifications: Stealth as level 7; intimidation and
frightening as level 6
Combat: A ghost’s touch inflicts freezing damage.
A given ghost may also enjoy one or more of the
following traits.
Ghostly: The ghost is immaterial and
doesn’t take damage from mundane
physical sources. They do take half
damage from spells and attacks that
direct energy, and full damage from
weapons designed to affect spirits and from
psychic attacks.
Touch the Real: If they choose, ghosts can pick
up and manipulate objects if they concentrate.
Ghosts can also go into a state of apparent
non‑existence for hours or days at a time.
Terrifying: The ghost attacks one (or, if
a powerful enough ghost, all) creature(s)
within short range with a psychic display
or emanation so horrible that targets who
fail an Intellect defense roll take 4 points
of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and
become terrified, freezing in place. In each
subsequent round, a terrified victim can attempt
an Intellect-based task to control their fear. Each failed
attempt (or failure to even try) moves the victim one step
down the damage track. Those killed by ghostly fear are marked by
expressions of horror and hair that has turned white.

THE ESSENCE OF GHOSTS

Motive and/or Unfinished
Business, page 46
The most important thing about ghosts is that they have unfinished business.
Ghosts can be defeated, but unless the actual remains of the person who
died—or the focus of the haunting, such as a brooch, gun, painting, or other
object—is found and destroyed, a ghost may well return. Ghosts may also stop
haunting if their unfinished business is finished by someone else.

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 GHOSTS | HORROR

INITIAL INTERACTION
A ghost may not be in full control of their actions, either because they are not fully sapient, or because rage and
loss drive them to extremes.

d00 Interaction
01–03 Prone to sudden violence 52–54 Life-draining screams
04–06 Lonely and wants to talk 55–57 Stuck in a loop ending in death
07–09 Doesn’t know they’re dead 58–60 Chants and prays
10–12 Asks for help 61–63 Becomes more real as music plays
13–15 Rages against the living 64–66 Aggressive, seeks destruction
16–18 Crying, nearly inconsolable 67–69 Quiet and respectful until provoked
19–21 Contemptuous of the living 70–72 Offers small sums of currency
22–24 Surprised and afraid 73–75 Offers to help
25–27 Curious and questioning 76–78 Drunken singing
28–30 Curious about how they died 79–81 Suspicious of strangers
31–33 Wants to be remembered 82–84 Angry and resentful
34–36 Mischievous to malicious 85–87 Yearns for contact with substance
37–39 Mute but aggressive 88–90 Shows off knowledge and wit
40–42 Playful 91–93 Confused about everything
43–45 Stern and unapproving 94–96 Tries to hide/run away
46–48 Exacting and careful 97–99 Protective of haunted location
49–51 Reveals a sought-for location 00 Commands obedience

INITIAL MANIFESTATION
When a ghost first makes themself known to the living, their appearance may take one of
the following forms, even if they later take on a more traditional shape in which to interact.

d00 Manifestation
01–03 Footsteps on the stair 52–54 Starts with glowing footsteps
04–06 Pale face in the window 55–57 Faceless haunt in coat
07–09 Piano plays itself 58–60 Figure visible at a distance
61–63 Animate formal dress/suit GM intrusion: The
10–12 Animated child’s doll
character is grabbed
13–15 Scratching behind the wall 64–66 Moves and throws objects by ghostly hands that
67–69 Animated weapon pull them violently
16–18 Possessed cat
against the ceiling
19–21 Plunging temperature 70–72 Ominous silhouette before releasing them
73–75 Extra PC shadow to fall back to the floor;
22–24 Possessed ant/termite colony
the character takes
25–27 Ghostly skeletal figure 76–78 Made of water a total of 4 points of
79–81 Vapor in human shape ambient damage.
28–30 Preserved head in sealed jar
31–33 Full spectral figure 82–84 Reflection in mirror
34–36 Animated shovel 85–87 Whispers on the wind
37–39 Portrait manifests hands 88–90 Text appears in an old journal
40–42 Bouncing ball 91–93 Pile of animate coins
43–45 Shadowy specter 94–96 Taxidermized beast
46–48 Live electricity 97–99 Ashen humanoid shape
49–51 Ghostly howls 00 Hovering sphere of fire

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
MOTIVE AND/OR UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Ghosts won’t go until they finish what death interrupted or deal with the issue their deaths caused.

d00 Motive/Unfinished Business 49–51 Reunite with beloved

01–03 Assassinate a rival 52–54 Cross the sea
04–06 Get revenge on their murderer 55–57 Have someone alive learn their name
07–09 Escape the asylum 58–60 Warn past self of future danger
10–12 Finish an epic poem/novel/painting 61–63 Dance one last time
13–15 Find their own remains 64–66 Play games at the arcade
16–18 Get a message to their children 67–69 Slay a great enemy/beast
19–21 Profess love to the one who got away 70–72 Complete unfinished heist
22–24 Deliver one last package 73–75 Kill a PC
25–27 See the sun rise one last time 76–78 Find hidden treasure
28–30 Find lost cat 79–81 Locate downed plane/blimp/craft
31–33 Touch down on the moon 82–84 Seek justice for the wronged
34–36 Dig the well 85–87 Make sure a secret is kept
37–39 Recover stolen artwork 88–90 End a generations-long war/feud
40–42 Locate a misplaced ring 91–93 Apologize for bad actions
43–45 Gain deserved recognition 94–96 Guard a door/corridor/grave
46–48 Restore a decrepit home/vehicle 97–00 Create a new realm

GM intrusion: The TERRIFYING GHOSTS

character is physically Some ghosts kill victims with fear. A
pulled into another
ghost with this ability can attack all
time for one or more
rounds, seeing things creatures within short range with a
as they were when the psychic display so horrible that targets
ghost was alive, followed who fail an Intellect defense roll take
by a traumatic event
the ghost experienced,
4 points of Intellect damage (ignores
possibly their death. Armor) and become terrified, freezing
in place. In each subsequent round, a
terrified victim can attempt an Intellect-
based task to recover. Each failed
attempt moves the victim one step
down the damage track. Not attempting
to clear one’s mind of fear counts as a
failed attempt. Those killed by fear are
marked by expressions of horror and
hair that has turned white.

F ar below the ancient castle, whispers slither through

mysterious vaults. Legends tell of a restless spirit, a
ghostly figure draped in chains and hooks, who wanders
the depths. Every dark of the moon, the ghost emerges,
seeking something or someone they can no longer recall.

46
 GHOSTS | HORROR

GHOST NAMES
Ghosts were people (or some other kind of creature) once and may still answer to their
original names. Options include:
GM intrusion: The
Micah, Naomi Tenny, Agnes Hyuk, Aiko Dalisay, Alia Husain, Anaya Heath, character is possessed
by the ghost until they
Clement Pierce, Elton Wick, Iapetus, Ishani Ward, Nobuo, Prudence, succeed on an Intellect
Sabina Fairchild, Megan Mayumi, Vicente Mandes, Enoch, Ephraim Slater, roll to push them out.
Ezra Atalar, Han Weisheng, Arjun Rose, Bragi, Rowland Novikov While possessed, the
character acts just like
the ghost did when
they were alive.
HAUNTED LOCATIONS

d20 Location
1 Foyer or landing 8 Wild woods 15 Along the river
2 Dance hall 9 Lighthouse 16 Opera house
3 Ruined cabin 10 Attic 17 Forest clearing Adventure Seed: The
characters, thinking that
4 Swimming pool 11 Hospital 18 Basement or cellar their destruction of a
5 Gravesite 12 Asylum 19 Covered bridge magical talisman linked
to a ghost will end the
6 Clocktower 13 Museum 20 Public house/bar haunting, actually further
7 Playground 14 Alley empower the ghost
because the talisman was
holding the spirit back.

WORLDLY POSESSIONS
A ghost usually doesn’t carry objects, though some
might be associated with a valuable keepsake (like an
amulet showing the face of a loved one) that has value
equal to an expensive or very expensive item. Expensive item,
page 202

Very expensive item,

page 202

BEFORE THEY DIED

Who was the ghost before they died? Roll or choose an option.
d00 Ghost
01–03 Automotive mechanic 37–39 Painter 73–75 Looks like a PC
04–06 Medieval noble 40–42 Teacher 76–78 Sailor/pirate
07–09 Pianist/bard 43–45 Doctor 79–81 Pilot
10–12 Drowning victim 46–48 Electrician 82–84 Writer
13–15 Careworn peasant 49–51 Pet animal 85–87 Wizard/magician
16–18 Aged grandma 52–54 Woman in white 88–90 Queen/king/leader
19–21 Young woman 55–57 Phantom hitchhiker 91–93 Banker
22–24 Courier 58–60 Priest 94–96 An actual elephant
25–27 Lost child 61–63 Jilted lover 97–99 Firefighter
28–30 Homemaker 64–66 Angry teen 00 Dead god
31–33 Astronaut 67–69 Soldier/knight
34–36 Homesteader 70–72 Criminal

47
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

SERIAL KILLERS 3 (9)

Serial killers carefully select and stalk their subjects. Their cunning
allows them to trick and track subjects, elude authorities, and horrify
communities where their atrocities come to light.

Health: 13
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Deception and persuasion as level 7; stealth
and puzzle-solving/craft as level 6
Combat: A serial killer attacks twice with a long knife,
hammer, or other bladed or blunt weapon. Alternatively,
or in addition, they might use a a signature attack.

Serial killers in your game,

which exist—in small
numbers, thankfully—in
the real world, could be
an issue for some players.
For information and
guidelines about consent
in RPGs, read the free
Consent in Gaming PDF
at myMCG.info/consent

GM intrusion: The
character, briefly out of sight
of the others, is sedated by
a serial killer’s syringe.

THE ESSENCE OF SERIAL KILLERS

A serial killer comes to public attention for their specific
signature kill or telltale method of posing their subjects. That’s when
they gain a nom de guerre, like “Jack the Ripper,” that distinguishes
them from others but has the additional unfortunate effect of further
terrifying locals.
A serial killer poses as a friendly stranger such as a repair person, a
delivery driver, an insurance salesperson, or someone passing
out religious literature.

SERIAL KILLER NAMES

Many serial killers are given a name. Others keep out of the public eye but may still give themselves a name to go
with their alter-ego, such as any of the following:

Headhunter, The Critic, Book Collector, Seattle Strangler, Son of Jack, Merciful Death, Snake River Killer,
Bastard of Cairo, The Optometrist, Bogeyman, The Doctor, Fingerpainter, Kissing Killer, Altar Boy, The
Mindhunter, Snake of Phoenix, The Tallyman, The Tattooed Lady, Alcatraz, The Chess Master

48
 SERIAL KILLERS | HORROR

INCAPACITATING ATTACKS
Some serial killers attack to incapacitate a potential subject but not kill them. That’s GM intrusion: The
because they hope to apply their “signature” later. defeated serial killer
suddenly jerks back to life,
not dead after all but filled
d6 Attack with malicious vigor.
1 Syringes filled with a fast-acting sedative. A target of a successful syringe attack takes no
damage but must succeed on a difficulty 4 Might defense roll or slip into anesthetized
slumber that lasts an hour.
2 Serrated blade designed to inflict trauma-inducing cuts. A target of a successful blade attack
takes damage and on a failed Might defense roll descends one step on the damage track.
3 Garotte hidden in a kerchief or scarf fitted with extendable blades. A target of a successful
garotte attack takes damage and bleeds for additional 4 points of damage each round until
they can escape the strangling garrote with a successful difficulty 4 Might roll.
4 Needles dipped in poison. A target of a successful needle attack takes damage from poison Adventure Seed: A
and on a failed difficulty 4 Might defense roll takes 4 points damage each round for one medium hosts a séance
minute or until an antidote is used. to speak with the dear
departed, but it’s all
5 Maul, heavy and huge. A target of a successful maul attack takes 6 points of damage and on fake*. However, the
a failed Might defense roll is stunned, unable to take their next turn. medium is secretly a
6 Silenced pistol. The serial killer makes two short-range attacks, inflicting damage with each serial killer who chooses
targets using information
with almost no sound.
gained from past clients,
sometimes even choosing
the clients themselves.
SIGNATURE *Unless it isn’t all fake.
A serial killer usually only uses their preferred, ritualized method of dispatching a subject
that is already subdued, helpless, or trapped in particular location. Or, once dispatched,
treats the body in a specific, terrible fashion.

d10 Method
1 Head removal via guillotine, axe, or 6 Knifed subject is seeded with fungal
(purposefully inefficient) dull blades. spores so that when body is found it is
2 Application of a plastic bag taped covered in odd growths. GM intrusion: The serial
around subject’s head causing 7 Dispatched subject is posed in a horrific killer, supposedly restrained
asphyxiation. diorama depicting scenes from previous or caged, reveals they’re free
day’s newspapers. by attacking the character.
3 Operate on a conscious but restrained
subject, removing organs until 8 Dispatched subject is disassembled,
death occurs. then reassembled to create horrific doll.
4 Subject trying to escape must solve 9 Subject is dispatched via a particular
elaborate puzzles that maim and kill if medieval torture device, such as an
solved incorrectly. iron maiden.
5 A specific combination of poisons that 10 Portions of the subject’s skin sewn to
turns the subject’s skin a particularly colorful fabric to create a macabre quilt.
bright color.
Besides trophies,
sometimes a serial
TROPHY COLLECTED killer collects a subject’s
valuables and currency,
Some serial killers collect trophies from their subjects, either taken from their subject’s stashing it around
body or from the subject’s possessions. Options include the following. their homes/lairs in an
amount equal to three
or four expensive items.
Heads Hair Hearts/organs Thumbs
Tongues Doorknobs Fingers Genitalia
Books Teeth Lips Inked skin Expensive item,
Fingernails Eyes Crosses/rosaries Noses page 202
Skin Feet Pets Game pieces

49
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

THINGS
Churning masses of adaptable protoplasm, things are unfathomable beings from beyond
Earth—and sometimes, from beyond space and time.

THE ESSENCE OF THINGS

Optional Rule: Horror Creatures characterized by their inscrutable origins, baneful purposes, and
Mode, page 283
mind‑bending, grotesque appearances, things horrify onlookers on sight. They
sometimes hide their infiltration of a house, town, or world; other times they’re
GM intrusion: The
forced to reveal their utterly monstrous forms.
insidious spawn splits off a
smaller, skittering spawn Some things are unique enough that different clades can be distinguished,
(level 2, Speed defense including insidious spawn, devouring masses, gologoths, and abysmals.
as level 5 due to size; bite
inflicts 3 points of damage).

INSIDIOUS SPAWN 4 (12)

Huge spawn: level 5; 30 Whether they are person-sized tumors with a mind or protoplasm that seeped
health; Armor 1; standard down from the abyss of space, insidious spawn apparently seek to consume
insidious spawn abilities
every other living organism with their cancerous, never-ending spread.

Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Disguise and deception as level 7
Combat: An insidious spawn sprouts toothed tentacles or
extra mouths to attack twice each round.
Spawn flinch from flame, taking double damage from
fiery attacks.
A spawn also has the following traits.
Regenerate: A spawn regains 1 point of health each round, but
not the round after taking fire damage.
Adhere: If the spawn deals damage, the attacking tentacle or
mouth adheres to the target. The affected target automatically
takes damage each round and their physical tasks are
hindered until they succeed on a Might task as their action to
pull free (dealing 3 points of ambient damage to themself).
Consume: The insidious spawn consumes a defeated target
over the course of one minute if not interrupted. The result is
either a huge spawn, or two separate, full-health creatures.
Mimic: The insidious spawn can physically mimic a creature they have
previously consumed and mentally “wear” that creature’s memories and
behaviors as a mask. This mask is so convincing that the spawn may not
realize it’s not real. At least not until it finds and attacks a new target,
usually after having lured them to a private location where they can attack
with surprise and consume their target without being discovered.

50
 THINGS | HORROR

DEVOURING MASS 5 (15)

The translucent, mucous-like flesh of this truck-sized creature is anathema to normal

matter, especially flesh.
Health: 23
Damage Inflicted: 6
Movement: Immediate; immediate when
burrowing
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due
to size
Combat: A devouring mass spits acid at a
target within short range.
Devouring masses creep away from cold,
taking double damage from icy attacks.
A devouring mass has the following
additional traits.
Engulf: The mass surges forward,
covering a target (or two targets next
to each other) within immediate range
that fails a Speed defense
roll. A covered target takes
damage each round and can’t
take physical actions until
they succeed on a Might
roll as their action to
GM intrusion: The
acid destroys the
character’s clothing
squirm free. A target who dies from this or piece of equipment
they carry or wield.
damage is consumed by the mass, and
their body becomes part of the creature.
Regenerate: If a mass has absorbed
living flesh within the last hour, it
Adventure Seed: After
regenerates 3 points of health per round. her husband dies,
Dissolve Solid: A devouring mass a widow becomes
can dissolve solid matter of level 6 or convinced that her
husband’s spirit is trying
less, destroying an object (or portion
to warn her of danger.
of an object) of its size as its action or However, the “spirit” is
moving an immediate distance through actually a thing creeping
solid material. through her home.

51
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ABYSMAL 6 (18)

An abysmal is sludge from the ocean depths that dredged itself to surface, somehow
imbued with unholy life. A turbulent 17-foot (5 m) diameter abysmal is equal parts water,
mud, and the remains of sea creatures and drowned people.

Health: 25 Implode: Once per day as its action the abysmal

Damage Inflicted: 6 points pulls a target that fails a Speed defense roll into the
Movement: Short; long when swimming miasma of the abysmal’s interior. The engulfed target
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size can attempt a Might roll each round as their action
Combat: An abysmal attacks with a full-body crashing to win free. Each round the target remains engulfed,
wave, targeting up to three creatures in an adjacent they are assailed with lethal pressure found at the
immediate area. bottom of the sea and descend one step on the
Abysmals also have the following traits. damage track.
Choking Residue: The abysmal chooses one creature Regenerate: An abysmal regains
who chokes on a quantity of sludgy water deposited 3 points of health each round.
in their lungs on a failed Might defense roll. The
affected target takes 3 points of Speed damage
(ignores Armor) each round until they succeed on a
Might roll as their action to clear the fluid.
Expel Corpse: As its action, the abysmal expels a
portion of its substance, creating a servitor zombie
composed of sludge, sea-life, and dead people. This
costs the abysmal 3 health that does not regenerate.

Zombies, page 170

The frigid undead “heart”

of an abysmal is a fragment
of some ancient, inscrutable
being, a relic that fell from
space outside of time.

GM intrusion: A
character damaged by
Choking Residue soon
develops a persistent,
wet, hacking cough . . .

52
 THINGS | HORROR

HORRIBLE APPEARANCES
Things, almost by definition, have an inconstant form. But what does it look like right now?
d10 Appearance
1 Shapeless pile of protoplasmic
bubbles, faintly luminous
2 Pustules constantly rise and pop,
excreting a greenish-red fetid ichor
3 Temporary eyes blinking open
across the mass, sometimes
overlapping
4 Distorted, stretched,
half‑mimicked form of some
previous victim, thrashing
5 Writhing, slapping, undulating
tentacles; tentacles all the way down
6 Humanoid face splits open
revealing a wide, tooth-filled maw
7 Lump of six or seven half-fused
human bodies moaning, gurgling,
rising tower-like
8 Glimpsed in mid transformation;
limbs sprout, bones snap, and flesh
tears apart
9 Oily, reflective pool of fluid
reminiscent of a sewage spill from a
butcher’s stall
10 Translucent gel-like mass in
which darker tendrils slither along
wormy trails

WORDS OF WOE WHAT A THING WANTS

Use some of these “Lovecraftian” adjectives when you’re
describing a thing or its degenerate trespasses:
Abominable, amorphous, antediluvian, bleating, blubbery,
chattering, colorless, croaking, degenerate, dripping, faceless,
gangrenous, heaving, howling, inscrutable, jabbering,
loathsome, mucilaginous, murmuring, obscene, quivering,
profane, pustular, rubbery, squamous, undigested, writhing
A thing’s goal may be unknowable. Other
times, a thing has a motive.
d6 Motive
1 Assimilate all flesh
2 Prepare the way for invasion by aliens
3 Escape back to space
4 Gain knowledge (through assimilation)
5 Build a machine to call mate from nightmares
6 Successfully blend in and be left alone

53
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

DEMONS 5 (15)

Demonic Forms, page 56 Demons are malevolent entities that corrupt and destroy. Demons come in many shapes,
or none at all, but whatever their form, they are always disturbing, grotesque, or often
blatantly horrifying.

Health: 25 Some demons have alternate, or additional,

Damage Inflicted: 5 points malicious powers. Additional or alternate abilities
Movement: Short include possession, shapechanging, pyrokinesis, and
Modifications: Deception tasks as level 6 cursed sorcery, described hereafter. A demon may
Combat: The demon attacks twice with their claws, have just one, two, or potentially, all these additional
toothy maw, horns, weapon, or other method, abilities.
inflicting damage. Other options include:
The demon breathes out a
twisting black cloud of baleful
material (flies, necrotic
energy, burning blood,
etc.) that inflicts 3 points
of Intellect damage
(ignores Armor) on a
creature within short
range that fails a Might
defense roll, and 1 point
even if the defense roll
is successful.

Adventure Seed: Urban

explorers break into a
massive, abandoned car
factory shut down years ago
for too many safety violations
and find a secret vault
sealed with Sanskrit-like
symbols. Behind the vault
door, they hear whispers . . .

THE ESSENCE OF A DEMON

Some demons are people tortured in a nether realm until all that was good in
them was burned away, forging beings of spite. Such demons remember only
fragments of their former life—every good memory cauterized, and every slight,
misfortune, snub, and pain amplified, motivating them to tempt others into the
same state, or to simply kill their victims and, in doing so, send victims' spirits to
the same nether realm that created them.

54
 DEMONS | HORROR

POSSESSION
A demon does great harm in a short time by forcing a possessed host to lie, steal, and harm loved ones.

Combat: In addition to or instead of other abilities, a The demon attempts to possess a target within
possessing demon has the following combat options. immediate range. The target is possessed on a failed
Intellect defense roll, whereupon the demon’s form is
subsumed into the target.

A possessed victim can act normally the
first round they’re possessed. In the second
and all subsequent rounds, the possessing
demon can control the actions of the host,
but the possessed victim can attempt
an Intellect defense roll to resist being
controlled. Successful resistance means
that the character does nothing at all on
their turn. During turns the demon doesn’t
attempt to control the victim, the victim can
act as they choose. A possessing demon’s
actions are limited to whatever the host body
is able to do, in addition to leaving the host.
A possessed victim is allowed an Intellect
defense roll to eject the demon once per
day, in addition to exorcism attempts. The
defense roll is hindered by one additional
step each day of possession after the first
seven days. An ejected or cast-out demon A demon allows a
can’t try to possess another creature for at possessed host to act
normally if it doesn’t
least one day. reveal the demon’s
While they possess another creature, presence. If their presence
the demon is immune to most attacks, becomes known by
except for psychic attacks, holy water, and others, the possessing
demon might negotiate,
spells that specifically harm demons and but only after a tirade of
not mortals. The host enjoys no special lies and obscenity, and
immunities; killing the host will eject the the demon likely betrays
any deal reached.
demon.
One way to exorcise a demon is to
command them out in the name of an
entity that has power over the demon, or
using the demon’s true name. This can be
attempted once per day (or once per round
if using the demon’s true name), granting Demon True Names,
the possessed character an additional page 57
Intellect defense roll to eject the demon. Exorcism, page 57

SHAPECHANGING
Shapechanged demons insinuate themselves into a victim’s friend group so that they can gaslight the victim over
an extended period and cause other harm that can’t be obviously traced back to the demon, like killing a pet or
destroying a treasured object.

Modifications: Disguise tasks as level 8
Combat: In addition to or instead of other abilities, a
shapechanging demon has the following options.
The demon takes on the exact likeness of someone
their foe loves, and on a failed Intellect defense roll,
the foe can’t bring themself to attack the demon in
this guise until the foe succeeds on an Intellect task
as their action to get over their reluctance, at which
point the demon regains their standard form.
The demon changes shape into something that can
fly, swim, or squirm away.
The demon automatically regains 2 health each
round.

PYROKINESIS
Some demons have an affinity for flame. Alternatively, if possessing a creature, the demon can induce the possessed
target into acts of arson that eventually lead to burning everything and everyone the victim holds dear to ashes.

Combat: In addition to or instead of other abilities, a A creature or object up to a long distance away
pyrokinetic demon has the following options. ignites on a failed Might defense roll and burns each
The demon attacks twice each round with burning round as just described.
horns or claws, inflicting fire damage. If the target is The pyrokinetic demon is immune to fire.
alive or flammable, they ignite. Until someone takes
an action to douse the fire, the victim suffers 2 points
of damage each round as flame consumes them.

55
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
CURSED SORCERY
Bound by the very dark magic they practice, some demons find themselves in service to human wizards and
occultists, until a slip by their binder allows them to get diabolical revenge.

Modifications: Magic lore as level 8
Combat: In addition to or instead of other abilities, a
sorcerous demon can attempt one or more of the
following spells as their action.
Long-range spell that manipulates objects
telekinetically with hand-like precision. Can use to
choke a target for 5 points of damage each round the
target fails a Might defense roll.
Summon another demon and bind them to the
sorcerous demon’s service for an hour or more. Only
a single servitor can be so bound at any one time by
means of this spell.
Force-shield spell that grants +3 Armor to the
demon. (The demon can also use this spell to inflate
a bubble of magical force within a target in immediate
range; on a failed Speed defense roll, the victim
descends one step on the damage track.)
Become invisible until the demon attacks. (The
demon can also use this spell to blind a target within
immediate range for 1 minute.)
Curse a target with bleeding from all orifices on a
failed Might defense roll, hindering all their tasks by
two steps for one hour.

GM intrusion: The
character’s shadow
is beheaded by the
demon, who laughs
and disappears. Until
the character can get
the resulting level 5
curse lifted or dispelled,
they are blinded.
Serial killers, page 48
DEMONS IN THE MODERN GENRE
A demon active in the modern genre means the setting is not strictly
modern but is shading into horror and/or urban fantasy. Implications of a
demon loose in a modern game include the following.
A demon in a modern setting retains access to all the potential abilities
described here.
A demon in a modern setting possessing a victim may present as a
serial killer.
A demon in a modern setting might first manifest as a cursed object,
such as a book or clock, until that object is destroyed, releasing the
demon to their true form.
A demon in a modern setting will likely find their opponents to be
priests or those who hunt the supernatural and have some knowledge of
exorcism rites.

DEMONIC FORMS
What does the just-encountered demon look like? Options include the following.

d10 Demonic Form

Immaterial demons
cannot pass through
solid objects whose level
is lower than their own.
They take only 1 point of
damage from mundane
attacks and full damage
from magical, energy, and
psychic attacks. Instead
of physical attacks, their
necrotic touch attack
inflicts 5 points of Speed
damage (ignores Armor).
10
1 Bulges move under this humanoid’s skin, suggesting living bugs, snakes, and/or vermin
on the move
2 Made entirely of mouths, mostly human, but each with one or two clawed fingers for tongues
3 Fish-like beast pulls itself along land, completely swarmed with ants carrying egg sacks
4 Humanoid skeleton with horned horse skull; carries a bone sword that screams
5 Immaterial silhouette of boiling, ink-like shadow that doesn’t stain but does chill the air
6 Fire-shrouded horned entity with a halo of putrid smoke that can serve as wings
7 Seems like a regular person, except flies seem attracted to them and they have no shadow
8 Resembles a greatsword that glimmers with green fire; a demonic face is revealed in
polished metal
9 Greasy, odiferous humanoid with horribly elongated limbs and neck and stretched face
Unutterably corpulent humanoid with leprous lesions constantly peeling away

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 DEMONS | HORROR

DEMONIC TRUE NAMES

A demon’s true name might be what their name was before they were transformed into a
demonic entity through diabolical torture in a nether realm. Such demons have true names
like common names found in the setting, like Eldrin and Isolde Brightsword in a fantasy
setting, or Dave Berg and Nancy Evans in a modern setting.
In other settings, a true name bespeaks some deeper essence of the demon and is usually
difficult to learn and almost as difficult to pronounce. Those are the kinds of true names GM intrusion: The
presented here. Options include: character mispronounces
the demon’s true name
and is stunned, losing
Bryrathax of the Bent Flame, Calthorath, Aexaldrax who Hungers, Dazrokhan, their next turn.
Fothulgolath, Gyx Rakul who Returns, Huravaxith, Izer Halon that Knows,
Jyrad Groam, Kurkazul, Lozor Fulit Morag, Arakmosilan the Maul, Mehraxizul,
Ozyph Razoth, Pergathram of the Spire, Rive Fragsev the Broken, Uulrena the
Skinner, Suraexithor, Temorash Shred, Ulek Merek, Vimethanro in Bits

FINDING A DEMON’S TRUE NAME

Among other options, a demon’s true name could be learned from one of the following sources.

A banned book, possibly one with a
title like Geometry of Lies or A Visitor from
the Pale.
Another demon, perhaps one that seeks
a favor from the researcher in turn.
Research in a wizard’s library, but only if
the wizard can be distracted by others.
A trip into nether regions to find where
the demon originates, seeking the namer.

USES FOR A DEMON’S TRUE NAME

Knowing a demon’s true name offers some degree of control, including the following options.

Summoning: Saying a demon’s true Exorcism: A possessed character GM intrusion: The

name may summon them if the character
succeeds on a difficulty 5 Intellect roll as
their action. Some demons may require
further offerings for them to actually appear.
Binding: Using the demon’s true name
as part of a binding ritual may grant a
degree of control over the demon. The
ritual usually requires the demon to be
held (possibly in some kind of magical
circle, or just physically held from fleeing)
while the binder recites the ritual and
succeeds on a difficulty 5 Intellect roll.
Once bound, the demon seeks any and
every way to break the binding and does
so automatically after they complete a task
requested by the binder.
can attempt to free themselves from a exorcism succeeds, but the
demon moves into and
possessing demon each time someone possesses the exorcist.
says the demon’s true name along with
some variation of “I cast you out.” With a
successful difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll,
the victim is freed.
Protection: If a character speaks a
demon’s true name during a conflict
as part of another action, the demon’s
attack and defenses against that character
are hindered for the remainder of the
encounter.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

HAUNTED HOUSES 6 (18)

GM intrusion (group): Abandoned and unloved, haunted houses aren’t just buildings plagued by a ghost or two,
Dozens of small objects but an intelligent, malevolent force unto themselves.
whip around the
room, striking at all
characters for 4 points
of damage each round.
Key to destruction,
page 59
GM intrusion: Spectral
hands come forth from
a closet, grab at a
character, and attempt
to drag them into the
vast darkness within.
Ghosts, page 44
Spectral Dominion,
page 61
Sinister Means, page 59
Health: 50
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Movement: None
Modifications: Stealth as level 8; causing fear as level 7
Combat: A haunted house does not fight in any conventional sense.
Invulnerable to Normal Harm: A haunted house cannot be harmed by physical
means. Even burning down the structure does not ensure that it won’t just return
a few nights later. It has a key to destruction, however.
Weaknesses: A haunted house inflicts half damage during the daytime, and its
actions are hindered by two steps. Objects and spells that specifically protect
against ghosts and evil spirits protect a character from the actions of the house as
if the house were a ghost or demon.
More Intrusions: Once a GM intrusion occurs in the house, the chance for a GM
intrusion increases by 1. Thus, after one GM intrusion, the next occurs on a roll of
1-2, then 1-3, then 1-4, and so on. The intrusion range returns to normal one full
day after the characters leave the house.
Conjure Ghosts: Once each night, the house can conjure the ghosts of two
dead people that have lived within it for at least a year. If the ghost died within
the house, add 1 to its level. These ghosts are not sapient but just memory
fragments—fragments of the memories of the house.
Spectral Dominion: Up to three times each night (and only at night), the house
can take advantage of a spectral dominion power. When someone is within the
presence of its key to destruction (literal or metaphorical), it can use these powers
three additional times that night.
Sinister Means: The house can use a sinister means ability each round if it
chooses.

Adventure Seed: A
valuable antique or
artifact is traced to a
buyer who lives in an old
house in a nearby town.
No one answers several
communication attempts,
so the only thing for it
is to go to the house.
GM intrusion: A large
piece of furniture or
other object animates
and attacks as a
creature of level 6.
THE ESSENCE OF HAUNTED HOUSES
Very rarely, the inhabitants of an old house (or perhaps another structure)
awaken the house to its own subtle sentience. While this might start as a
positive process, wherein the house loves its inhabitants and feels protective
of them, eventually people leave. They die or move and the house is left alone.
Years of loneliness and isolation become a festering malevolence, and the
house begins to know nothing but hate for other beings.
Haunted houses can’t typically move or hunt victims, but rather lure people
inside. Sometimes, though, a house doesn’t seek such things and only awakens
if disturbed, in which case, woe to those who have caused it to stir.
Haunted houses are frequently much larger than they should be, containing
rooms and spaces that don’t make spatial sense.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
SINISTER MEANS
These abilities can help the house to 34–36 Start a small fire 70–72 Animate a toy
communicate with, torment, confuse, or 37–39 Cause a PC’s possession 73–75 Animate an image in a
terrify those inside. (PC tasks to defend to vanish briefly painting
against, understand, or escape from 40–42 Slam a door so that it 76–78 Control the image on a
these manifestations are eased two might strike a PC TV/computer screen
steps during the day.) 43–45 Cause an outlet/appliance 79–81 Alter the condition/age of
to create shock objects in a room
d00 Sinister Means Ability
46–48 Grasp with rug/curtains/ 82–84 Create a strong wind gust
01–03 Create a sound or voice
sheets/towels 85–87 Make one of the PC’s
04–06 Open or close a door 49–51 Cause blood to drip from devices stop working
07–09 Fling a book or knickknack ceiling
88–90 Change the text in a
10–12 Turn on/off an electric appliance 52–54 Create writing on the book/magazine
13–15 Slide furniture wall/rug/mirror
91–93 Recreate the image of an
55–57 Change the appearance of event from the house’s
16–18 Create cold spot or drastically increase
artwork past
heat
58–60 Change the view through
19–21 Summon swarm of flies/roaches/ 94–96 Blast flames from the
a window
spiders fireplace
61–63 Change the view through
22–24 Change the reflection in a mirror 97–99 Spray broken glass from a
a doorway
window or mirror
25–27 Create a brief shadowy image or scene 64–66 Topple a bookcase/shelf/
00 Show a PC a vivid (but
28–30 Fill a room with darkness heavy object harmless) vision of their
31–33 Create putrid smell 67–69 Animate a weapon own death

Many of the sinister means

and spectral dominion
powers may require defense
rolls by PCs. Treat these
as attacks by the house.

Sinister means and spectral

dominion powers work
well in conjunction. For
example, after learning a
PC’s greatest fear, or a scene
from their nightmare, a
house can use its ability to
create images of something
that will terrify them.

KEY TO DESTRUCTION
There is always a single way to bring 8 Perform a ritual in the secret
the terror of a haunted house to an sub-basement
end (other than just escaping). 9 Send it to another dimension
10 Get a priest to consecrate
d20 Action
each room
1 Destroy a hidden book
11 Inscribe a secret phrase on
2 Locate a lost piece of art every wall
3 Smash the locket in the attic 12 Clean the house top to
4 Kill the beast in the basement bottom
5 Burn the original blueprints of the house 13 Learn the true history of the
kept in a secret room house
6 Travel back to a better time for the house 14 Bring an evil former occupant
7 Get the former occupants to return to justice
15 Collapse the house into the
sea
16 Celebrate the birthday of the
forgotten child
17 Convince the house to love
rather than hate
18 Cause the house to be hit by
a meteor
19 Enter the mirror version of
the house (through a mirror)
and destroy it there
20 Defeat the house in a psychic
battle

59 View as Spread
 HAUNTED HOUSES | HORROR

FORMER OCCUPANTS
Use this table and roll at least 3 times to populate the house with former occupants.

d00 Former Occupant 37–39 Politician 73–75 Family with one abusive
01–03 Artist 40–42 Art collector parent
04–06 Writer 43–45 Hoarder 76–78 Jilted lover
07–09 Musician(s) 46–48 Gamers 79–81 Sadistic cult
10–12 Architect 49–51 Farmer 82–84 Serial killer
13–15 Recluse 52–54 School teacher 85–87 Band of thieves
16–18 Squatters 55–57 Sex workers 88–90 Pet dog/cat/rat
19–21 Factory worker 58–60 Widow/widower 91–93 Escaped convicts/mental
22–24 Famously wealthy person patients
61–63 Soldier
25–27 Mortician 94–96 Occult expert/witch/sorcerer
64–66 Orphans
28–30 Actor 97–99 Very happy family
67–69 Delusional person
31–33 Dysfunctional family 00 Child with psychic powers
70–72 Parents of deceased
34–36 Craftsperson child/children

HAUNTED BUILDINGS
Although most haunted buildings are houses, sometimes other (usually abandoned)
locations take on a similar nature. Haunted locations always have multiple rooms or areas
and are typically quite large.

d20 Location GM intrusion: The character’s

1 Office building 11 Prison feet are stuck to the floor
and they cannot move
2 Experimental lab 12 Dance hall
unless they can break free.
3 Remote cabin 13 Movie studio
4 Mausoleum 14 Factory While it might be handy
to have a map of the
5 Train tunnel 15 Cruise ship house, it’s actually not
6 Mental hospital 16 Theatre all that important,
as haunted houses
7 Elementary school 17 Slaughterhouse
can rearrange their
8 Cave 18 Supermarket layout and even add
9 Lighthouse 19 Space station or subtract rooms.

10 Zoo 20 Hotel

SPECTRAL DOMINION
At night, a house can use one of these abilities up to three times. When someone within
nears its key to destruction (literally or metaphorically), it can use these powers three
additional times that night.

d20 Spectral Dominion Power 7 Possess a PC 14 Convince PCs they should never
1 Cause a doorway to lead to a leave
8 Learn a deep secret of a PC
new location 15 Drain the lifeforce of one PC
9 Change gravity in one or more
2 Seal all exits absolutely rooms 16 Put PCs in a time loop
3 Create a new room/change size 10 Submerge one or more rooms 17 Rearrange layout of rooms
of room or corridor drastically in water 18 Animate and control PC
4 Move to a new location 11 Cause ceiling to lower and crush shadows
5 Learn PCs’ greatest fears/ occupants 19 Manifest limbs from its structure
weaknesses/nightmares 12 Send a PC into the house’s past 20 Teleport a PC from one room to
6 Open a portal to hell 13 Conjure PC’s dearest loved one another

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

VAMPIRES 6 (18)

Human blood sustains vampire existence.

Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Movement: Long
Modifications: Climbing, stealth, and perception as level 8;
Speed defense as level 7 due to quickness
Combat: Vampires batter (or claw) foes.
A vampire also enjoys the following traits.
Supernatural Resilience: Mundane physical attacks
do not damage a vampire. Hurting a vampire
requires using one of the options noted under
Vampire Hunter Techniques.
Mesmerizing Gaze: A target that meets the
vampire’s short-range gaze and fails an Intellect
defense roll is stunned, losing their next turn. During
subsequent rounds, the affected target does not forcibly
resist the vampire (other than attempting another
Intellect defense roll to break free), and the vampire can
suggest actions to the target (including allowing the
vampire to feed upon them).
Gifts of Immortality: A vampire usually also has at
least one Vampire Gift.

THE ESSENCE OF VAMPIRES

A vampire’s need to feed on humanity defines them,
even as their immortal nature means that former human
friends, acquittances, and everyone alive when the vampire
was human eventually dies. Every vampire deals with their
existence differently. They run the gamut from reluctant
immortals to nefarious monsters.

GM intrusion: The VAMPIRE NAMES

character recognizes Vampires usually stick with their
a friend or family
member as someone in
given names, which means
the vampire’s thrall. long‑lived vampires’ names sound
“old‑fashioned” or reflect origins on
distant shores. Options include:

Abigail Salim, Ahmad Barclay, Charlotte

Stone, Perceval Bonnay, Genevieve
Candreva, Jeremiah Henry, Katherine
Tue Dao, Nathaniel Guillaume,
Tabitha Cromwell, Zachariah Lavoie

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 VAMPIRES | HORROR

VAMPIRE-HUNTING TECHNIQUES
Using one or more of the following stratagems may lead to a successful hunt.

Wooden Stake: This weapon inflicts 25 points
of damage, effectively destroying an unarmored
vampire in one blow if the attack succeeds. However,
if the vampire is aware of it and able to move, this
attack is hindered as the vampire desperately evades
(which also hinders their next action because they’re
trying extra hard to avoid the mortal threat the stake
represents).
Blood Dependence: If a vampire can be trapped so
they are unable to feed for six days, they are hindered
on all tasks; after nine days they can take no other
actions than attempt to feed (on a helpless creature),
and after twelve days they fall into a coma-like state
that only blood can revive them from.
Special Weapon or Spell: A weapon or spell with
magical enchantments specifically targeting vampires,
or something similar, deals normal damage to the
vampire.
Fire or Holy Water: Vampires burn with the
application of fire or holy water (usually taking
4 points per application/round exposed). If not
destroyed, a vampire regains all health lost to fire or
holy water damage within a day.
Running Water: Complete immersion inflicts 10
points of damage per round. If not destroyed, the
vampire that escapes the water can use an action to
regain all health lost in this way.
Sunlight: Exposure to sunlight inflicts 10 points
of damage per round. If not destroyed, the vampire
regains all health lost to exposure within a day.

VAMPIRE AVERSIONS
Certain situations and substances—“aversions”— bother some vampires (though they affect Adventure Seed: The
vampires less than the weaknesses that vampire hunters have weaponized). If a vampire vintage cloak and hat
(or other garments and
comes within immediate range of the particular aversion they suffer from, the vampire’s accessories) purchased in
tasks are hindered until the cause of the aversion is dispatched or otherwise dealt with. the used clothing shop turn
out to belong to a vampire
d6 Aversions who wants them back.
1 Need to count like objects (like spilled rice or seeds)
2 Holy symbol, prayer, or religious icon
3 Not having been invited inside a home
4 Garlic GM intrusion: The
character finds something
5 Mirrors or silver that looks suspiciously
6 Daytime (but the vampire remains awake inside or underground instead of “sleeping”) like vampire bite marks
on their own neck.

VAMPIRE GIFTS
Vampires have at least one of the following abilities. Vampire lords have at least two, and Vampire lord: level 9;
transitional vampires have none. climbing, stealth, and
perception as level 10;
Speed defense as level 10;
Change Shape: The vampire changes Mist Shape: The vampire becomes mist health 40; Armor 2;
into a bat, wolf, or swarm of rats (or bats). or shadow, in which shape they can’t be all the powers and
Alternatively, the vampire can present harmed by anything (but also can’t affect weaknesses of a regular
vampire, plus one or two
themselves as a completely normal the physical world). As mist or shadow, more Vampire Gifts
human. The transformation does not the vampire can fly up to a short distance
change the vampire’s stats (other than each round.
potentially giving the vampire a flying Confer Vampirism: If left alone with a Vampire, transitional:
movement of a long range each round). helpless target (or recently dead target) level 3; all the powers and
weaknesses of a regular
Regeneration: If the vampire’s body for at least three rounds, the vampire vampire except they
is mostly intact, one minute after their confers their curse, creating a transitional can withstand sunlight
“death” they regain animation and health, vampire that obeys their creator. but have no vampire
but their maximum health is reduced by powers or resilience by
day and no Vampire Gift
2 points.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

WEREBEASTS
Humans doomed to transform into animals, werebeasts are governed by impulse and driven to hunt their closest
friends and family before moving on to other prey.

THE ESSENCE OF WEREBEASTS

Most of the time a werebeast is a human, with human thoughts, goals, emotions, and
abilities. The brutal transformation can be brought on by moon phases, changes in season, or
intense feelings such as anger and fear; in the span of under a minute, the werebeast’s bones
break and rearrange into new shapes, leaving an animal that acts only on instinct. They remain
aware of their actions and may feel horrified remorse once they resume their human form,
but their higher cognition is forced into the backseat. In fact, the most disturbing thing about
werebeasts is that they reveal what a human is capable of
under the right (or wrong) conditions.
Werebeasts tend to live in
isolation, or accompanied by
werebeasts with the same beast
form. This reduces the risk that
they’ll harm a loved one in their
beast form; it also means that
characters who stumble upon
their hideout may be set
upon by a bevy of enraged
werebeasts.
Besides werewolves,
werebeasts include weresharks,
werefoxes, werelions, and
werespiders.

In human form,
werebeasts are usually
level 2 humans.

WEREBEAST NAMES
A “transformed” Werebeasts usually have human names
werebeast is one that appropriate to the setting and time period,
appears either as a huge
creature, or a huge
such as:
human/creature hybrid.
Embry, Lucian, Rusty, Frankie, Beau,
Dash, Teddy, Libby, Max, Hunter,
Luna, Ari, Barry, Dot, Kira, Finley, Rex,
Adventure Seed: Beasts Juniper, Boris, Lowell, Tala, Morgan
are preying on families
in a small town. When
hunters follow their
trail into the woods,
the beast tracks turn
to human footprints.

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 WEREBEASTS | HORROR

WEREWOLF 4 (12)

Werewolves hunt alone or in packs in big cities or almost-empty moorlands. They prefer GM intrusion: The character
notices dark fur growing on their
weakened or inebriated prey, bringing them down with a bite to the throat. body where none was before.

Health: 24 Tenacious: While transformed, a werewolf regains 2

Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Movement: Short; long in wolf form
Modifications: Attacks and Speed defense as level
6 while transformed; perception as level 7 while
transformed
Combat: A transformed werewolf bites.
A transformed werewolf also has one or more of the
following traits.
points of health per round.
Full Moon: While transformed and the moon is in
the sky, a werewolf bite inflicts 2 additional points of
damage (7 points total).
Maddening Howl: The werewolf’s howl induces
creatures within short range who hear it to lose their
nerve on a failed Intellect defense roll, hindering their
tasks for one minute or until they deal damage to
the werewolf.

WEREFOX 4 (12)

Covered in ragged patches of twining fur, transformed werefoxes are human-sized, voracious GM intrusion: After
nightmares that hunt hillsides and forests. They can take hybrid or fully fox-like forms. an encounter with a
werefox in their fox form,
the smell lingers on a
character’s clothing
Health: 18 Camouflage: The werefox blends into and hair, hindering
Damage Inflicted: 4 points their surroundings and can attempt to any social tasks until
they’re able to bathe.
Movement: Short; long in fox form hide even if in full view of other creatures.
Modifications: Attacks and Speed defense
as level 5 while transformed; perception
and stealth as level 6
Combat: A transformed werefox bites.
A transformed werefox also has one or
more of the following traits.
Disembowel: The target damaged
by the transformed werefox’s
bite must succeed on a Might
defense roll, or the bite exposes
a section of the target’s belly,
and they fall one step on the
damage track.
Noxious Fumes: Characters
within immediate range of a transformed
werefox in their fox form must succeed
on a Might defense roll each round they
remain within immediate range of a
werefox or else sustain 1 point of ambient
damage that round. A successful save
renders a character immune to the effect
for one day.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GM intrusion: A werelion
unleashes a deafening roar.
Characters within a short distance
must make a Might defense roll
or be partially deafened until
their next 10-hour recovery roll,
hindering tasks related to hearing.
WERELION 6 (18)
Standing 13 feet (4 m) tall while transformed,
werelions are fast enough (over short stretches) to
chase down vehicles traveling lonesome highways
by night (and large enough to overturn them). They
can take hybrid or fully lion-like forms.

Health: 27
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Movement: Long in lion form
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to size; initiative as
level 7
Combat: A transformed werelion claws twice each round.
A transformed werelion also has one or more of the following traits.
Sprint: Once every minute, the werelion can move for a very long
distance on their turn and make one attack.
Bite: The werelion’s bite ignores up to 3 points of Armor. If the
werelion bites a mundane object (such as a vehicle’s roof), they
automatically destroy the object if it is level 7 or lower.
Tenacious: While transformed, a werelion regains 2 points
of health per round.

WERESHARK 6 (18)

GM intrusion: A A horrific fusion of human and shark when transformed, the 15-foot (4.5 m) tall wereshark
character is grabbed in is equally deadly on land and in the water.
a wereshark’s maw and
pulled into deep water.

Health: 33
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Movement: Short; swims a long distance each round
Combat: A transformed wereshark bites.
A transformed wereshark also has one or more of the
following traits.
Toothed Torpedo: Once every few hours, the
wereshark can swim for a very long distance on
their turn and make one attack.
No Fear: Weresharks are impossible to frighten
and will fight to the last.
Clamping Bite: When a target takes damage
from a bite, they must also succeed on a Speed
defense roll, or one of their limbs is clamped in the
wereshark’s mouth, and they take damage each
round they are caught until they can escape with a
successful Might roll as their action.

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 WEREBEASTS | HORROR

WERESPIDER 5 (15)

Werespider transformations are particularly horrifying. New limbs and eyes emerge from GM intrusion: A
their bodies, accompanied by the crunch and crackle of a forming exoskeleton, creating a character entering
a darkened room
hybrid, human-sized monstrosity of legs, eyes, and mandibles. walks directly into a
werespider’s sticky web.

Health: 27 Adventure Seed: A

Damage Inflicted: 6 points character’s loved one
comes to them with an
Movement: Short; short while climbing unbelievable secret: they
Combat: A transformed werespider bites. black out every month
A transformed werespider also has one or more of the or so, and people nearby
following traits. end up dead or missing.
Shocking Transformation: Characters who witness a
werespider transform for the first time are stunned and
lose their next turn if they fail an Intellect defense roll.
Web Trap: The werespider that has an hour or
more to prepare spins a web filling a short
area. Perception rolls are required to spot and
avoid the trap, and if a character is caught,
a successful Might roll as their action is
necessary to escape. Caught prey
are helpless against attacks made
against them and the only physical
action they can take is to attempt
to escape.
Web Burst: The werespider expels a gob of concentrated
webbing up to a long distance, which detonates.
Creatures in immediate range that fail a Speed defense
roll are caught as if by a web trap.
Paralyzing Venom: The character damaged by the
werespider's bite is paralyzed for up to one minute if they
fail a Might defense roll. While paralyzed, the character
takes 2 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) each
round, unless they succeed on a Might defense roll on
their turn (as part of another action) to end the effect.

WEREBEAST ORIGINS TRANSFORMATION CAUSES

How did the werebeast develop the ability to What causes a particular werebeast to transform, if not the
shapeshift? full moon?

d6 Origin d6 Origin
1 Heritable trait (that may have skipped 1 Rare tide
generations) 2 Unexpected pain, such as a stubbed toe, or damage
2 Bitten by the same kind of werebeast 3 Taking an amount of damage that would normally kill them
3 Cursed 4 Intoxication
4 Summoning ritual gone wrong 5 The sound of an approaching storm
5 Inherited trinket that keeps reappearing 6 Entering a holy place
6 Intentionally, by seeking arcane knowledge

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

KILLER TOYS 3 (9)

Inhabited by a malevolent spirit, animate dolls, puppets, and similar playthings may seem
only unsettling at first, until they strike.

GM intrusion: Another Health: 9

toy animates and Damage Inflicted: 3 points
attacks the character.
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to size;
stealth and disguise (when not moving) as level 6
Combat: Preferring to attack with surprise, the killer toy
trips—as if by accidental placement—a target down
a flight of stairs or sets up some other apparent
accident for the target that outsiders might mistake
as terrible misadventure.
A given killer toy probably also uses one or more
killer toy abilities and tactics.

THE ESSENCE OF KILLER TOYS

Approaching the uncanny valley, killer toys, merely by
staring back with their flat button or painted eyes, evoke
a sense of wrongness. When they actually animate,
their movement breaks people’s sense of reality. And
of course, when they begin to stab or strangle (or use
other Killer Toy Abilities and Tactics), the fear they may be
dangerous becomes all too real.
Some killer toys pursue innocent children (perhaps
to possess them and live as humans), others protect
children with misguided attacks against abusive parents,
but many just bring fear and death wherever they appear,
possessed by a malevolent spirt, demon, or glitched
programming.

KILLER TOY NAMES

Killer toys often have, in other circumstances, perfectly
ordinary names. It’s only when the toy begins killing
people that its name conjures dread, violence, and a
sinister agenda. Options include:

Morty, Sally Says a Lot, Rex, Whispering Willy,

Annabella, Jinx the Clown, Buddy the Helpful Robot,
Barry, Eddie, Isabella, Mr. Bonkers, G. I. Gary, Baxter
the Battling Bot, Gracie Mae, Sunita, Larry the
Landscaper, Briar Bear, Wilma the Wind-Me-Up Witch

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 KILLER TOYS | HORROR

KILLER TOY ABILITIES AND TACTICS

A killer toy may have one or more of the following abilities or traits.

Regenerate: A killer toy regains 1 point Electrocute: Immune to electricity, the

of health each minute, even if apparently
destroyed.
Play Dead: A killer toy falls limp,
appearing as nothing more than a large
toy or puppet. In this state, treat the toy
as an object equal to its level, until it
moves again.
Strangle: If the toy attacks with
surprise, it wraps the target’s throat in
its arms (or pull string, if a wind-up toy)
and squeezes. If successful, the target
descends one step on the damage track
each round they fail a Might defense roll.
Use Weapon: A toy brandishes a
previously discovered knife, firearm, or
some other weapon and attacks, inflicting
5 points of damage.
toy—having previously tampered with
electrical wiring—attempts to lure a
victim onto a live wire that deals 6 points
of Speed damage (ignores Armor) each
round the target fails a Might defense roll
on their turn to disengage.
Poison: The toy slips poison into the Adventure Seed: A doll
target’s food or drink. If the target fails was part of an inheritance
that followed the death
a perception roll to notice something of a centenarian. Now
odd about the refreshment before the centenarian’s heirs
consuming, they take 6 points of Speed are dying, one by one,
damage (ignores Armor) each round for through a series of
strange accidents.
three rounds.
Blind: Some killer toys can light up
thanks to interior electronics; the toy
sends a focused blast of light into the
target’s eyes, blinding the target on their
next turn with a failed Speed defense
roll. This attack usually sets up a more
insidious action by the toy next round.

KILLER TOY CATCHPHRASES

Wind-up and electronic toys might have a signature exclamation, such as:

Fantabulous! Wonder-blast! Amaze-balls!

Epic-tastic! Marvelicious! (fart sound)
GM intrusion: The toy
shoots a foam projectile
KILLER TOY APPEARANCE into the target's open
mouth, which lodges in
Just what kind of toy is trying to harm the characters? Options include the following. their throat. The target
takes 2 points of Speed
d10 Appearance damage (ignores Armor)
each round until they
1 Stuffed cloth body with green hair, button eyes, and a stitched yarn mouth can cough the projectile
2 Vintage porcelain doll with glassy eyes wearing a frilly dress loose with a successful
Might roll as their action.
3 Yellow puppet with googly eyes, feathers, and felt teeth in wide mouth
4 Plastic robotic body with clear plastic dome in which lights twinkle
5 Large rag doll, loosely stitched seams, painted face featuring jagged teeth
6 Ventriloquist’s mannequin wearing white-and-black religious garb
7 Stuffed monkey-like doll with red button eyes that plays cymbals
8 Companion robot the size of a 10-year-old child with oversized head and eyes
9 Stuffed clown with no eyes but weirdly life-like mouth
10 Big rat-like doll (printed by 3D printer) with disturbingly human face

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Part 3:
Fairy Tale

F airy tales have a whimsical quality that sets them

apart from fantasy or horror. But let’s be honest;
a fairy tale can turn just as creepy and horrific as any
Is your adventure a fairy tale if you include faeries,
unicorns, and an evil witch? Maybe. But your fairy-tale
adventure could go beyond regular tropes and center
scenario designed to do so from the start. Perhaps even around creatures normally reserved for other genres.
more so, given a fairy-tale adventure’s often lighthearted For example, instead of an evil witch, your villain could
beginnings. be a billionaire or a gunslinger. Instead of a house
made of sweets, the adventure could take place in a
haunted house, though perhaps one slightly more open
to negotiation than houses strictly intent on murdering
Interested in advice for every high school kid that wanders in at night.
building an adventure or
entire setting featuring
fairy-tale tropes? Check
out We Are All Mad
Here, our genre-building CREATURES
fairy-tale sourcebook. Outlaws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Faeries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Satyrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Pirates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Unicorns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Magical winds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Huntmasters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Crafted creatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Witches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Mermaids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Goblins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Wizards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Trolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Giants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Killer toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Forgeborn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Strange folk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

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 PART 3 | fairy tale

FAIRY TALE ADVENTURES

If you’re looking for some basic fairy tale inspiration, use the following tables to help
brainstorm a fairy tale, or at least fairy-tale-adjacent adventure that only requires the
addition of one or two creatures from this section.
For example, when the characters find a sundial that grants them a magical wish, the
ring’s last owner—a villainous clockmaker—sends huntmasters, a wild one (a type of Wild one, page 190
creature broadly referred to as “strange folk”), and goblins to retrieve it. However, the
wild one so sent actually helps the PCs in the end, which just goes to show you shouldn’t
believe in stereotypes.

WHIMSICAL ELEMENTS
d20 Whimsy
1 The pets/wildlife/crockery start to talk 11 Forest of speaking trees
2 A wish is granted, but not as expected 12 Magic cookies temporarily transform
3 Heir to the land is trapped in animal or children to adults and vice versa
mineral form 13 Magic car/carpet that flies
4 House is made of bacon 14 Maze composed of butterflies/baked
5 Hat/closet/VR goggles lead to a goods/water
magical land 15 Talking teacup/spoon/mug reads
6 Kind and friendly (as opposed to evil) fortunes
witch 16 Grandfather clock/pocket watch allows
7 House built on the back of huge cat/ travel back in time
dog/ostrich 17 Hat gives life to inanimate things while
8 Magical sword/apple/talisman must it’s placed on them
be obtained 18 Garden of giggling, singing flowers
9 Potion that shrinks/grows/transports 19 Dragonfly big enough to give rides
drinker to a magical land 20 Moon sometimes looks down and talks
10 Befriended by a faerie/crafted creature/ to people Killer toys, page 68
killer toy

FAIRY TALE VILLAINS

Fairy-tale witches, sorcerers, and other antagonists are less MORAL L ESSONS
complex than in other genres, embodying negative traits in stark d10 Lesson
contrast to virtues heroes should have. 1 Joy can be had in doing good deeds.
2 Unfortunate events happen; getting
d10 Villain through them is what matters.
1 Magic mirror that lies 3 Celebrate differences.
2 Time thief sorcerer that steals youth 4 Take care of the environment.
3 Dream-devouring fly, leaves maggoty nightmares behind 5 Beauty lies; acts speak the truth.
4 Intelligent shadow that replaces real shadows to cause 6 Curiosity is rewarding.
misfortune
7 Being vulnerable opens up new paths.
5 Clockmaker whose devices are cursed
8 Forgiveness frees the forgiver.
6 Ill wind that blows nobody any good
9 There is value in solitude, but also in
7 Animate puppet envious of others’ flesh your friends.
8 Snow sculpture that despises warmth 10 Don’t believe the stereotypes.
9 Skeletal evil king that wants crown back
10 Baker whose wares are cursed

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

OUTLAWS 5 (15)

Adventure Seed: The Feared by the rich and powerful, loved by those who toil in servitude, outlaws work to bring
PCs are hired by a noble down a system they believe is unjust.
to take down a nearby
“bandit.” The PCs later
learn it is the noble
who’s in the wrong. Health: 22
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Stealth, persuasion,
and deception as level 6; initiative,
hunting, and navigating the
wilderness as level 7
Combat: An outlaw is a master of
sword and bow, attacking twice
each round with one or the other.
An outlaw, while acting on the side of
right, could also attempt a Worthy
Maneuver or two.

THE ESSENCE OF AN OUTLAW

What distinguishes courageous outlaws from
common bandits is their sense of honor: some steal
from the rich and distribute a portion of the take to
the needy. Others are wrongly blamed for another’s
actions and must act outside the law, relying on their
skill, wit, and charm to see them through.
Outlaws have a moral code—it just may not be
the code that others abide by. They’re often willing to
take jobs too difficult for others, especially if it helps
someone in need.
Outlaws believe that if they act with right on their
side, they will never fail.

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 OUTLAWS | fairy tale

WORTHY MANEUVERS
An outlaw acting on the side of right could attempt one or two of the following maneuvers.

Swing into Action: Hidden from sight in the crown
of tall trees or on a building’s roof, the outlaw swings
from a rope or forest vine from up to a long distance
away. As part of the same action, they gain an eased
surprise attack that inflicts an additional 3 points of
damage (9 points of damage total).
Snaring Shot: The outlaw who succeeds on their
ranged bow or crossbow attack deals no damage
but instead pins a foe in place by putting an arrow
through a fold of clothing or boot and a ground
or wall. The target can’t move and is hindered on
physical tasks until they can escape with a successful
Might roll as their action.
Acquiring Strike: The outlaw who succeeds on their
melee attack deals no damage but instead knocks a
foe’s weapon from their hand, which the outlaw grabs
with their free hand, or alternately, deflects into the
hands of a follower.
Trick: The outlaw tells a bald-faced lie about the
situation, attempting to trick their foe into believing
that it might be safe to walk out on the rickety bridge,
that the outlaw is surrendering, or something else
that would put the foe in a worse position. Characters
who fail an Intellect defense roll believe the ruse on
their next action and act accordingly.
Abscond: The outlaw who succeeds on their attack
deals no damage. Instead, they cut a rope holding a
bridge or tent, startle an animal, throw mud in the
eye of a foe, or something else that shifts attention.
Characters who fail a difficulty 7 perception task
discover that the outlaw and their cheerful followers
have escaped clean away.
Adventure Seed: The
captured PCs are released
by an outlaw, who then
asks the PCs to join
them in their attack.

OUTLAW NAMES
An outlaw gains a mythic reputation if they help enough people. Whether an assumed
name or actual, their name often gives hope to the common people. Options include:

Rowan Hood, Whiskers in Boots, Peregrine Pan, Lady of Blades, Golden GM intrusion: The
Boy, Wildwood Caller, Wendy Starlight, Raven Cloak, Catty Heart, character’s attack
didn’t actually hit; the
Redtail John, Shadowbright, Silverglove, Serafina Gladerunner, Rowland outlaw stands aside
Sherwood, Percival Hood, Reynard in Gloves, Glenda the Grin and reveals the weapon
stuck in a wall or stump.
Pulling it free requires a
CHEERFUL FOLLOWERS successful Might roll.

Every outlaw has a band of friends that supports their unlawful ventures. Choose or roll for
two or three encountered along with the outlaw.

d6 Follower Outlaws in a science-

1 Glyndwr the Fat: might be a small giant; gentle except when in combat; never gives up. fiction setting could
Level 4, feats of strength as level 7; Armor 3; attacks twice with quarterstaff each round fly about the local
planetary or star system
2 Eve Kingdom: all in black; volatile in temper and quick with an obscenity; loyal. in a spacecraft, righting
Level 4; speed defense and attacks as level 6; rapier attack inflicts 6 points of damage wrongs even as they
3 Ben the Grizzled: sapient talking bear that wears a human hat and tunic; always cracking wise. attempt to scrape
by against a corrupt
Level 5; health 20; Armor 1
planetary government.
4 Sharp Blodwedd: carries a lute; talented minstrel and archer; hunts for food and foes.
Level 4; archery, hunting, lute playing as level 6; two long-range bow attacks each round
5 Jon Garlic: laden with cookware; enjoys putting together huge feasts; poor rhymer.
Level 4; cooking and foraging tasks as level 7; cast-iron frying pan attack inflicts 5 points GM intrusion: After
of damage close combat, the outlaw
steps back, holding
6 Whisp: tiny faerie creature with scarlet dragonfly wings; usually stays out of the way.
a piece of important
Level 3; Speed defense as level 6 due to size; magical abilities provide others limited equipment they somehow
protection and flight got off the character
or out of their pack.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

FAERIES 3 (9)

Tiny winged humanoids, faeries are associated with tricks, taunts, and mirth. But not all
faeries are kind.

GM intrusion: The
character does something
to offend the helpful
faerie, who reacts angrily.
Adventure Seed: The
characters come upon
an injured faerie, who
promises to grant them
their deepest wish if they
agree to help defeat an
evil giant. Does the faerie
speak true, or is it a trap?
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Immediate; long when flying
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5
due to size and quickness; performance,
illusion, and deception as level 5
Combat: A faerie’s miniature bladed
weapon—dagger, sword, spear, or
short‑range bow—may be small, but the
attack deals real damage.
Faeries also have access to one or more
Faerie Tricks, though they may also suffer
from a Faerie Weakness.

GM intrusion: The faerie

immediately makes an
attack, even though
it’s not their turn.

THE ESSENCE OF FAERIES

Intrinsically magical, many faeries love music, merriment, tricks, and teasing (but see Faerie Varieties for different
attitudes). A faerie may offer to lead characters somewhere interesting. Another might choose to become a road
companion for a time—flitting around, asking questions like a curious four-year-old hyped up on ice cream.
Others are pranksters and keep hidden as they steal clothing, equipment, or prized objects from characters.
And a few are outright malicious. These lure travelers to their doom.

74

FAERIE VARIETIES
Faeries come in dazzling variety, including the following options, which include a seeming, an additional ability,
and an attitude.
Feathered: Sings a song that causes all creatures in
short range to fall into a deep sleep on a failed Might
defense roll for one minute; aloof.
Leaf-Winged: Hurls a burning acorn a long distance,
inflicting 6 points of damage from fire to everyone
in an immediate area that fails a Speed defense roll;
protective.
Sculpted of Coal: Faerie’s magic dust attack is coal
dust with the ancillary effect of causing a target to
violently choke for one minute (during which time
they can do nothing else), or until they succeed on a
Might roll as their action; insular.
Crystalline: On failed Intellect defense roll, target
in immediate range loses one magic item (cypher)
as the faerie feeds on its essence, granting the faerie
health equal to the cypher’s level; drowsy.
FAERIE TRICKS
A given faerie may know one or more of the following tricks.
Magic Dust: The faerie makes a short-range magic
dust attack that inflicts 4 points of Intellect damage
(ignores Armor).
Dust Reaction: If the faerie is struck by an attack; magic
dust (as above) attacks all creatures next to the faerie.
Charm: The faerie sings a charming song. A target
within short range falls into a suggestible state for
one hour on a failed Intellect defense roll. During
this period, the target can be led by the faerie until
attacked, damaged, or shaken from their glamour.
Heal: The faerie restores 5 health (or Pool points)
to themself, an animated plant, a creature, or a
character.
FAERIE NAMES
Some faerie names draw inspiration from nature, others
from music and/or magic, including:
Thistletide, Flutter, Elariah, Daisey, Everglen, Willow,
Melody, Thornwick, Hazel, Twinkle, Misty, Pineroot,
Glissanda, Leafsqueak, Gindrop, Ember, Gleamwing,
Glitter, Nightbreeze, Goldy, Birch, Aspenchime
FAERIES | fairy tale
Furred: Can communicate with animals and
summon four animals (up to level 3) for help and
protection; hungry.
Translucent: Can see the past or the future, or into
alternate dimension, or grants this ability as a “gift”
that lasts one day; mystifying.
Moth-Like: Summons a swarm of stinging moths
(level 3) for aid; drawn to the “nectar” of mortal
blood; predatory.
Tangled in Wires: Faerie’s magic dust attack is
charged with electricity, causing an equal amount
of Speed damage (ignores Armor) with a successful
attack; malicious.
Scaled: Can transform into a bear-like beast with
iridescent scales instead of fur (level 6; regains 3
health per turn) for up to one minute, or until their
weakness is used against them; seeks vengeance.
Illusion: The faerie creates a convincing illusion
rendering the faerie invisible or making them and
their surroundings within long range appear more
appealing and beautiful. Those with a reason to
disbelieve see through the illusion with a successful
difficulty 5 Intellect roll as their action, but on a failed
roll, the viewer takes 1 point of Intellect damage
(ignores Armor).
Vortex: The faerie creates a vortex with their wings.
The resulting wind pushes foes within immediate
range back a short distance and inflicts 2 points of
damage on a failed Might defense roll.
FAERIE WEAKNESSES
Different individuals have different weaknesses,
and some faeries may have no weaknesses at all.
Options include:
d6 Weakness 5 Sugar or Salt
1 Silver (must count
each grain within
2 Iron immediate range)
3 Technology 6 Cream
4 Their own reflection (intoxicates them)
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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

SATYRS 5 (15)

These muscular humanoids are self-centered, greedy, and self-indulgent, dedicated to food,
drink, and other pleasures.

Health: 18 Feral Overture: One attack an ally makes on their

Damage Inflicted: 6 points next turn is eased and inflicts +3 damage.
Armor: 1 Tune of the Clouded Mind: A foe within short range
Movement: Short who fails an Intellect defense task spends their next
Modifications: Deception and persuasion as level 7; turn attacking an ally. A targeted level 4 or lower NPC
resists mental attacks as level 7 is automatically affected.
Combat: Satyrs use spears in melee and against foes
within short range.
Satyrs can also create magical effects by playing their
pipes as an action, which can bolster allies or harm
enemies. Specific effects include:
Dance of the Leaping Goat: Foes within short range
who fail an Intellect defense task lose their next turn
dancing and leaping. Attacks made against affected
targets are eased.

GM intrusion: The
satyr’s paramour (level 4)
shows up and pleads for
the character to have
mercy on the scoundrel.

Adventure Seed: Strange

piping music in the forest
lures away young people
from a nearby community.

GM intrusion: The
character’s attack is deflected
by the satyr’s horns and the
character is disarmed of their
melee weapon, which clatters
to the floor behind the satyr.

THE ESSENCE OF THE SATYRS

Satyrs enjoy negotiating but are prone to tricks, lies,
and robbery. Offering excessive libation, food, and
other treasures is the only way to ensure they remain
honest, if only briefly.
Satyrs love their Satyr Tricks. Others
may be Encountered with Satyrs.
And in their many adventures,
satyrs may have Satyr Loot.

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 SATYRS | fairy tale

SATYR TRICKS
Satyr guile is magically enabled by their pipes, or through a series of elaborate lies meant to Price categories,
part the credulous with their goods, their dignity, or both, including: page 202

Note of Knowing: The satyr plays a sweet note, and,
for one minute, hears the surface thoughts of a target
within short range that fails an Intellect defense roll.
The target isn’t necessarily aware of the intrusion.
Con of the Gold Minter: The satyr takes the character
“into strict confidence” to show them a magical box
they say produces 20 gold coins a day (equal to a
moderately priced item). Thanks to the satyr’s magic
and trickery, it seems to work. The satyr offers to sell
the magic box for 200 coins (equal to an expensive
item) because they need a big sum quickly. Later, the
box is revealed to be a worthless prop.
Con of the Treasure Map: The satyr displays a few
pieces of “ancient dwarven treasure” they claim
to have acquired from a ruin where dwarves once
dwelled. The satyr offers to sell the map to that
location for 200 coins. The map leads nowhere but an
empty dale, or perhaps to treacherous cliff.
Song of Suggestion: The satyr plays an engaging
stanza, then suggests a course of action to a target
within short range (no more than once per hour). On a
failed Intellect defense roll, the target takes the action
on their next turn. The target’s defense roll is eased if
the suggestion would cause direct harm to the target
or the target’s allies.

ENCOUNTERED WITH SATYRS

A satyr is sometimes in the company of another, or if encountered alone, has an acquaintance or two they can try
to seek out if their exploits get them in trouble (or if the satyr wants revenge against those who ruined one of their
cons). Options include the following.

d6 Acquaintances 4 Another satyr to whom a favor is owed; could be

1 Will-o-wisp (level 7); gleaming, dancing orb that makes
electrical touch attacks
2 Snark (level 6); madly flapping ball of feathers the size
of a cart that makes talon attacks
3 Gingerbread golem (level 5; Armor 2); smells divine,
makes bludgeoning attacks
convinced to betray the first with strong drink
5 Erlking (level 6); composed of woodland debris—bark,
lost teeth, sticks; wears oak-leaf crown
6 God of the vine (level 9); uproariously drunk, white-
bearded humanoid in wine-stained finery; sobers up
if attacked

SATYR LOOT
In addition to several coins equal to a moderately priced item, a satyr often carries one or two magical items
(cyphers). Options include the following.

d6 Magical Item (Cypher) 4 Faerie wing (level 6): Shrinks user to 2 inches (5 cm) in
1 Decanter (level 4): Pours out 5 gallons (19 l) of delicious height for one hour.
and potent wine. 5 Gold glove (level 5): User’s touch turns small objects to
2 Comb (level 5): Confers two assets to user’s persuasion gold; after one day, objects and glove dissolve.
and deception tasks for one hour. 6 Silvery eye (level 8): User can control and see through
3 Dog figurine (level 4): Creates a dog-like companion a flying eye (moves a long distance each round) for one
that assists user for one day. day.

SATYR NAMES
Satyr names either evoke the land of their birth or are playful nicknames they adopt for amusement, or to see if they
can get away with it, including:

Panthris, Apollo, Ramblehoof, Miliketh, Sylvana, Calliope, Puck, Goldenhoof, Lyrico, Windtail, Oberona,
Arias, Fauneth, Seraphin, Perci, Silverhorn, Rhapsody, Lumina, Embersong, Panacea, Rhyth, Echo, Jon Piper,
Peridot, Melirosa, Billy, Serenadus, Imbiberosa, Sylph in the Sheets, Harmony, One True Bard, Jane o’ Dale

77
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

PIRATES 2 (6)

Eccentric and weathered, pirates love freedom,

gold, and adventures on the lawless high seas.

Health: 6
Damage Inflicted: 3 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Deception, perception, navigation, and
tasks related to ship upkeep as level 4
Combat: Pirates attack with knives, cutlasses, and
sometimes single long-range shots with flintlock
pistols.
Pirates may also engage in a range of additional tactics and
attacks, including:
Coordinated Attack: Three pirates fighting together can make a
single level 5 melee attack that inflicts 5 points of damage.
Coordinated Capture: Three pirates coordinating together
can deploy a net as a level 5 melee attack, rendering a
target who fails a Speed defense roll helpless until
they can escape with a successful level 5 Might task
(hindered) as their action.
Blunderbuss: The pirate produces a
one-shot blunderbuss, making a level
5 short-range attack targeting all
creatures in an immediate adjacent
area, dealing 5 points of damage to
each that fails a Speed defense roll.
Swashbuckler: The pirate is a
swashbuckler, attacking with two
level 4 cutlass attacks as their action,
inflicting 4 points of damage with each.
Magical Attack: The pirate picked up an
enchanted object (cypher) on a previous raid,
such as a bag of sleeping dust, which the pirate throws
into in an adjacent area an immediate distance across,
causing all creatures in the area who fail a level 5
Might defense roll to fall asleep for up to a minute.

PIRATE NAMES
A pirate goes by their given name, or some combination of that and what their mates call them. Options include:

Blades, Benji Hawkins, Josiah Fishmouth, Sara Sass, Needles, Jackie the Boot, Tom Lickspittle, Shaggy Joe,
Phoebe Gull, Blind Cyrus, Eleanor Crab, Three-Eyed Jude, Dire Alice, Oliver Wott, Clementine, Joseph Starfinder,
Lucy Nevershore, Hale Graham, Clementine, Blabbermouth Ted, Mabel Harkness, Rotten Henry, Greasebeard Jim

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
PIRATE SHIPS
Many pirate ships sail the seas, including the following.
SHIP-TO-SHIP COMBAT
While PCs fight pirates on deck or
below—after being boarded or doing
some boarding of their own—It’s possible
the opposing ships may also fire one
each other. If so, refer to the vehicular
movement and vehicular combat rules
from the Cypher System Rulebook.

Vehicular Movement,
page 230
Vehicular Combat,
page 230

Sea Terror: level 5 sailing

ship (Spanish galleon)
Captain Malice: as pirate SEA TERROR
captain; sharkskin whip The Sea Terror bristles with cannons under scarlet sails painted with a monstrous, fanged
(level 7 artifact, depletion:
turtle. A crew of three dozen pirates answer to Captain Malice. The captain has a habit of
1 in 1d10) inflicts 7 points
of damage and, on failed feeding her defeated enemies to a colossal, voracious sea turtle she keeps in the hold. The
Speed defense roll, flings threat of that is enough for most ships overtaken by the Sea Terror to give up rather than fight
target to new location and become turtle chow.
within short range
Sea turtle: level 7, Speed
defense as level 4 due
to size; Armor 4
THE BLEAK LEGION
Half a dozen small single-masted sloops painted night black displaying a gold kraken on
The Bleak Legion: When the sails operate as a small fleet called The Bleak Legon. (Sloops are smaller and more
four or more level 3 sloops
coordinate, treat them as maneuverable than brigs.) Each has crew of about a dozen pirates, all under the command
a single level 6 ship. of Bleak Bill. The captain is especially feared because people say he and his crew are already
Bleak Bill: as pirate captain;
dead. But even worse, Bleak Bill doesn’t hold with the “rules” of piracy and always kills
returns to undeath within a everyone aboard any craft the Bleak Legion catches.
few days so long as a chest
hidden on a distant island
containing his preserved
heart remains undisturbed ANGRY ROGER
The Angry Roger claims to be the largest pirate brig sailing the sea. Once helmed by the
Angry Roger: level 5
sailing ship (brig)
notorious Captain Hook, the ship is now run (some might say overrun) by a crew of pirate
foxes, wolves, and other misaligned beasts. A tiny faerie called Bluebell does her best to
Bluebell: as pirate captain,
captain the crew—she has enough sense of mischief from her grandmother, Tinker Bell, to
Speed defense as level 7
due to size; flies a short keep them all in line, mostly. Unlike many pirate vessels, the Angry Roger defends vessels
distance each round from other pirates.

79 View as Spread
 PIRATE CAPTAINS 5 (15)

Pirates may also be
encountered in any number
of port towns where pirate
ships dock, though with
their pirate flags lowered.
Some pirates rise above their fellow crew to gain command. The loyalty a pirate captain
enjoys stems from the awe and fear the crew have for their captain, plus the size and
frequency of shares to the crew of booty from captured ships. The lack of the latter
sometimes overshadows the former, risking mutiny.

Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Tasks related to command, persuasion,
deception, and running a ship as level 7
Combat: A pirate captain attacks twice with their cutlass or
their two-shot long-range flintlock, or once with each.
Some captains have obtained mythical pirate booty that is
potentially useful in combat.
Individual captains may also avail themselves of one of the
following tactics:
Avast, Me Hearties: The pirate captain only attacks
once this round but issues a command to
all allied pirates who can hear, immediately
granting each an attack action, even if they’ve
already attacked this round.
Hoist the Colors: The pirate captain only
attacks once this round but issues a
command that causes nearby pirates to
raise a banner, pirate flag, or similar
device. All allied pirates who see it
regain 3 health, and their attacks and
defenses are eased for one minute.
To Arms, Ye Scurvy Dogs: The pirate
captain only attacks once this round
but issues a command to all allied
pirates who can hear, granting each +2 points
of damage with their attacks for one minute.
Send ‘em to Davy Jones’ Locker: The pirate captain only
attacks once this round but issues a command to all
allied pirates who can hear, immediately granting each
an action, which is to push/toss/force foes who fail a
Might defense roll overboard into the cold chop of the sea.

PIRATE CAPTAIN NAMES

Pirate captains generally choose their own names, keeping their original moniker if they’ve gained a reputation with
it, or choosing something they hope will frighten those who hear it. Options include:

The Brigadier, Ironheeled Eleanor, Long Ben, Firebeard, Bellamy the Sinner, Captain
Charlotte, The Sea King, Nathanial Kraken, The Terror, Captain Flint Mako, Radha the
Red, Pandora, Ryland the Undrowned, Yara the Nightwitch, Captain Vanquish

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 PIRATES | fairy tale

THE ESSENCE OF PIRATES

Pirates are usually encountered as part of a crew of dozens, all under the command of a notorious
captain aboard an infamous pirate ship. They yearn for wealth, freedom, and whatever lies over the
sea’s horizon. They are equally thrilled by seeking hidden treasures, finding uncharted islands, and
discovering drowned legendary artifacts as they are when a ship laden with potential booty heaves
into view.
Pirates enjoy their bloodthirsty reputation but prefer that their prey surrender over fighting to
the last sailor. If the targeted crew know the pirates will keep a promise of only plundering, not
murdering everyone, they might give up rather than fight.
Individual pirates have unique pirate names and distinctive looks and habits, but all answer to a
pirate captain.

DISTINCTIVE PIRATE LOOKS AND HABITS

Pirates are a disreputable lot, weathered and often wearing a patchwork of dress and style. But every pirate has a
particular habit, distinctive look, or behavior that sets them apart, including:

d20 Distinction
1 Wears a lion-skin cape with lion‑head hood 11 Followed around by a seal in an eyepatch
2 Smells of cinnamon oil and burnt gunpowder 12 Muscle-bound; sports knife-through-heart tattoo
3 One eye glows with silver light 13 Beard is a wooden prosthetic
4 Can’t go a day without being struck by lightning 14 Always shucking and eating clams/oysters
5 Seems to be a talking lemur in pirate clothes 15 One peg leg always tries to take root
6 Speaks eloquently with perfect diction 16 Wears a live rat strapped to head as a hat
7 Talking blue-shelled crab on shoulder 17 Wields a cutlass that whistles and glows
8 Set of wooden teeth capped with ivory 18 Their swearing peels splinters from the deck
9 Always strumming on a lute 19 Wears a spherical diving helmet at all times
10 Monstrously drunk; sobers up quick in a fight 20 Never misses opportunity to mention they were once
a “lost boy”

MYTHICAL PIRATE BOOTY The only difference

More than gold, jewels, clothing, and art, pirate captains prize looted magic artifacts, including: between pirates and
privateers is that
privateers obtain a
d6 Artifact (level 7; depletion 1 in 1d6)
license for their tyranny.
1 Faerie caught in amber: Causes all flying 5 Hand cannon: Magical hand-held cannon
creatures in a very long radius to fall makes a long-range attack dealing 9
from sky. points of damage.
2 Cursed chest: Locking someone inside 6 Ice wand: Turns water to ice in a very long Adventure Seed: A
for a day transmutes them to a very area, imprisoning nearby ships in ice chalice of enchanted
expensive sum of coins. for hours. nectar, bound for a
distant island ravaged by
3 Dagger of Endings: Drawing the dagger
bad dreams, is stolen by
disintegrates all drawn weapons in a pirate ship. Getting the
short range. chalice back could ensure
4 Spyglass of Sinking: User can sink a ship the peace of hundreds.
they spy within very long range.

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UNICORNS 5 (15)

These majestic equines sport single spiraling horns on their foreheads. They symbolize
purity, grace, and magic. But not all are kindhearted. A few are nightmarish.

Health: 18 Combat: Unicorns attack twice each round

Adventure Seed: The
characters have agreed to
find a powerful magical
artifact called the Golden
Wellspire. Only later do they
learn that the object is a
horn that must be harvested
from a live unicorn.
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Modifications: Might defense and
perception as level 6; heals as level 8;
perceives lies as level 9
with their horn.
Unicorns also have the following traits.
Teleport: Unicorns can instantly teleport
up to 10 miles (16 km), but no more
than once per hour. Unicorns can take
up to two willing creatures with them.
Heal: Unicorns can touch their horn
to a creature, healing the target for 8
Pool points (or health) once a day. The
touch also ends all ongoing disease and
poison effects of up to level 8.

GM intrusion: A hostile
unicorn makes a teleport
charge against the character,
ignoring any cover or
obstacles and easing the
attack by three steps.

THE ESSENCE OF UNICORNS

Unicorns matter: they’re connected to the balance between magic and nature, good and evil, and the
well-being of sapient creatures that live there. People seek unicorns out for wisdom, for the healing they
can dispense to the sick, and as an ally for someone the unicorn judges to be worthy.
There are additional Unicorn Varieties, including some fearsome unicorns that stand on the opposite
side of the balance, promoting corruption and darkness.

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UNICORN VARIETIES
No two unicorns are the same, though only a handful are truly evil. The following options
include a descriptive element and an additional ability.

Glowing Silver Coat: Ends an ongoing
magical effect of up to level 8 once per
day by touching horn to an enchanted
area, a magic item, or other manifestation
of magic. If attempting to dispel magic
created by a PC, the PC gains an Intellect
defense roll to resist the effect. If the
unicorn wishes, they can destroy magic
items (both cyphers and artifacts) with
this touch.
Rose-Braided Mane: Rosy glow from
horn induces creatures within short range
to speak only the truth for one hour on a
failed Intellect defense roll.
Rainbow Aura: Brightening horn can
entrance a target within long range who
fails an Intellect defense roll. An entranced
target is calm and peaceful, taking no
aggressive actions, for an hour unless
attacked or aggressively provoked, which
snaps them out of their enchantment.
Luminous Jade Coat: Willingly serves as
mount and/or courser for rider judged GM intrusion: The
worthy; the unicorn can make a separate unicorn tells the character
they are unworthy of
attack with their horn when the rider the unicorn’s help.
attacks or takes another action, or they
can ease a rider’s melee attacks or Speed
defense instead.
Light-Devouring Coat: Presence turns
bright light dim; the unicorn’s horn drains
life, inflicting 5 points of Speed damage
(ignores Armor) per hit.
Skeletal: Usually serves as a steed for a
wraith; when damage is dealt, a splinter Wraiths, page 32
from the horn remains in the wound,
dropping target one step on the damage
track each day they fail a Might defense
roll—three successes clears the splinter,
but if the target dies they rise as a wraith.
Glowing Ember Coat: Fiery horn inflicts an
additional 2 points of damage per attack.

UNICORN NAMES Evil unicorns have names

Unicorns usually have bright and powerful names that speak to their grace and power. like Strife, Endbringer,
Despair, and similar.
Others have simpler names that delight the unicorn, or that others have given them.
Options include:

Bliss, Stardust, Mira, Aurora, Spiritfire, Moonlight, Celestia, Nimbus,

Ember, Moonwind, Grace, Dreamfinder, Zephyr, Rainbow, Serenity,
Nightrunner, Shimmer, Azura, Flowermane, Blaze, Euphoria

UNICORN HORNS GM intrusion: A witch

A unicorn may choose to give their horn freely to someone worthy; when they do so, a new appears and attempts to
harvest the horn of the
horn regrows within a year. Sadly, unicorns are sometimes hunted by those willing to stain unicorn helping the PCs.
all the world merely to obtain a horn for their own selfish ends. Horns taken by force do
not regrow. Witches, page 90
A horn has the following uses.
Youth and Health: A tincture made from the powdered horn removes all disease, curses,
poisons, and other maladies and restores the taker to the bloom of young adulthood (or, if
they choose, to childhood).
Alchemical Ingredient: Generally speaking, powdered horn can be substituted for any
material, including philosopher’s stone.
Magic Weapon: A weapon forged with the horn as the hilt allows the user to Teleport and Weapon, unicorn-horn hilt:
Heal like a unicorn. level 5, depletion: 1 in 1d20
Magic Wand: A wand forged from unicorn horn is a powerful magical conduit, allowing Wand, unicorn horn:
the user to apply two free levels of Effort to the spell cast with the wand. level 5, depletion: 1 in 1d20

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MAGICAL WINDS 6 (18)

GM intrusion: The wind Magical, sapient winds imbued with intelligence

grabs something important and purpose, including the West Wind, go where
from the character and
starts to play a game
they will, blowing across the worlds or taking
of “keep away” from on a specific human or animal shape.
the character with it.

Health: 23
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Flies a long distance each round
Combat: Attacks up to three times per round
at different targets within short range with
a violent gust, inflicting damage with a
successful attack and knocking prone
victims who fail a Might defense roll.

GM intrusion: The wind

lifts a character high in
the air and threatens
to let them fall.

Adventure Seed: The only

way to get to a certain
island or floating castle is
with the aid of a particular
magical wind. But the
wind wants the PCs to help
in retrieving a keepsake
that fell into a crack in the
ground they can’t reach.

INTERESTING OBJECTS BLOWN IN BY THE WIND

Sometimes a magical wind deposits interesting things into the hands of
random people, possibly leading to an adventure, or at least an interesting
encounter or two.

d10 Blown by the Wind

1 Gold coins from a dragon’s hoard; the dragon soon
follows looking for them.
2 A silver tiara blown from the head of a princess; she
may pay a reward for its return.
3 A bronze key to a mysterious door; the only clue is a
word stamped on the key: Timeborne.
4 Dreams of a powerful wizard that contain secrets of
an upcoming eclipse.
5 Feather of a phoenix; it brings either luck or
misfortune to whoever claims it.
6 Talking map, showing the way to a lost castle from a
bygone era.
7 Pirate hat that blows in from the sea; fresh blood
stains its brim.
8 Envelope addressed to the Queen containing a
message warning of a troll invasion.
9 Vial of stardust (level 6 cypher); for one hour, the
user can change shape to a formless wind and back
to themselves as an action; in wind form, characters
ignore mundane damage, can’t make attacks, and
can fly up to a long distance each round.
10 Pocket watch inscribed with “For my daughter
Edwina; always keep this close to ward off the curse.”

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THE ESSENCE OF MAGICAL WINDS

Winds favor certain areas and times of year to blow, bringing rain,
warming, cooling, dryness, or some other shift that means that
something, such as the season, is about to change. They may greet
strangers, hear pleas for aid or otherwise help or hinder regular
creatures, or just ask them for the news.

INDIVIDUAL WINDS

There are magical winds, and then there are winds that almost everyone knows about. Or may soon.

THE NORTH WIND North Wind: As magical

The North Wind, also called Boreas, carries a wintry chill. Forceful and biting, the North wind, but freezes those
who fail a Might defense
Wind can be relentless, caring little for the needs of small creatures or people, or even roll, preventing any
purposefully bringing misfortune. physical tasks until they
When not exhaling his icy breath, he takes the shape of a grumpy old human man, can escape with a Might
stomping around his ice-shackled garden, shaking his fist at the first spring winds. defense roll as their action

HARMATTAN
Harmattan is a dry and dusty wind that brings cool and hazy conditions. He enjoys the Harmattan: As magical
company of others—other winds, and other people, often challenging them to games of wind, but can also cover an
area a very long distance
hide-and-seek. across in thick haze
When he’s not manifesting as a northeasterly trade wind, Harmattan appears as a youth
in simple garb with a staff carved of baobab wood.

WIND CHILD
The children of the wind cannot be measured in numbers, for they are here and there and Wind child: level 4;
everywhere. They are not born, so much as borne, by weather patterns, wishes, and wants. violent wind gust
attacks one character
Dust devils, gales, and zephyrs are all wind children. They are mischievous, precocious, and within short range
spoiled, but they know many things, having been all over the world. They may share what
they know in exchange for new secrets or knowledge.
Some wind children can change shape to become actual human children for short Some winds may
periods. When they do, it’s usually to visit a lonesome child or creature that they have call one or more air
elementals as allies.
befriended.
Air elemental, page 26

THE WEST WIND

When the West Wind is not blowing through the sky, she takes the shape of a human West Wind: level 9; Speed
woman dressed in a sparkling blue formal garment, her short silver hair pushed back from defense as level 10, sees
through deceit and resists
her face. Some say the West Wind is cold, but she’s really just an introvert and prefers to intimidation as level 10;
spend most of her time traveling alone. She’s actually warm hearted and may help those health 40; attack inflicts
in need. She does not respond well to trickery, traps, or attempts to force her hand (unless 6 points of damage to
they’re terribly clever or smart, and then she admits grudging respect for the perpetrators). every creature and object
she chooses within a
very long distance and
knocks them prone

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HUNTMASTERS 4 (12)

In fairy tales and other Especially notorious huntmasters serve the Queen or other powerful entity, using their
stories, huntmasters talents to hunt prey other than mere animals, even if doing so goes against an individual
have often been referred
to as huntsmen.
huntmaster’s moral code.

Health: 15 Axe: The first round a huntmaster unlimbers their

Damage Inflicted: 6 points axe and attacks as part of the same action, their next
Armor: 1 attack is eased by two steps.
Movement: Short Magical Edge: In addition to the skills they gained
Modifications: Hunting, navigation, and tracking as through apprenticeship, study, and physical training,
level 6 they know a unique and magical Huntmaster Boon.
Combat: Huntmasters attack with their bows and axes.
A particular huntmaster also has one or more of the
following traits.
Lethal Aim: When a huntmaster uses their turn to
prepare an attack, their next attack inflicts twice the
normal damage.

Adventure Seed: The PCs

inadvertently harm a place
or character that is beloved
to the huntmaster (or the
huntmaster believes that
they did). They must find
a way to made amends or
prove their innocence.

GM intrusion: The forest

comes to the huntmaster’s
aid, attempting to trip,
tangle, or attack a character.

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HUNTMASTER BOONS
Each huntmaster typically only has one boon, given to them by a powerful employer, lover, friend, or benefactor.

Favored Protector: The huntmaster The Queen’s Favorite: The huntmaster

chooses another creature to guard and
protect, providing that creature with +1
Armor and an asset in Speed defense if
they are within long range.
Raised by Wolves: The huntmaster was
raised by a pack of wolves and considers
animals to be their true family. They may call
upon a nearby animal to give them an asset
on two actions appropriate to the animal
(such as tracking and hunting for a wolf,
combat and climbing for a bear, jumping
and sneaking for a rabbit, and so on).
True Woodsman: The huntmaster is
beloved by the woods and forests. While
within these spaces, they attack from
surprise as level 6 and inflict +2 damage
with their attacks.
Hart of My Heart: The huntmaster can
transform into a level 5 magical stag
with 20 health. As a stag, has Armor
1 and inflicts 5 points of damage with
their horns. Can move a long distance
each round and become invisible for two
rounds at a time.
is employed or favored by a powerful Adventure Seed: The PCs
entity who has imbued them with magic are hired to hunt down a
huntmaster gone rogue;
(usually through the gift of a bit of jewelry, along the way they learn
item of clothing, or pocket-sized magic the situation is more
item). This grants the huntmaster one of complicated and must
the following magical abilities. decide who to side with.
• Hedge: Creates a barrier of thick foliage,
spiderwebs, stones, flying birds, or
other natural elements across a door,
tunnel, or other passage. If the barrier GM intrusion: The
is broken, the “cleared” way diverts huntmaster’s attack is so
perfectly timed, they can
those attempting to pass through into make a second attack
what turns out to be an endless hedge in the same action.
maze filled with biting insects, sharp
stones, scratching thorns, and more.
Treat the maze as difficult terrain, and Difficult Terrain,
characters take 2 points of damage page 224
each round, until they can escape with
three successful Intellect-based tasks to
navigate free.
• Heal: With a touch, huntmasters
heals themselves, an animated plant,
a creature, or another character for
1d6 + 2 points of damage.

THE ESSENCE OF HUNTMASTERS

Huntmasters have a deep need to be loyal to something, to belong, whether that’s to their woods, to their
employer, or to a young person who needs guidance and protection. Though they project a tough exterior,
they tend to be soft of heart and have a strong moral center. If they’re tasked with something they deem
unpalatable or unjust, some forgo their promises and go rogue or find a unique and creative way around
the problem. Others are not so imaginative.
While huntmasters are often loners, some have a small community, partner(s), or chosen family that
they devote their time and energy to. Anyone who puts these favored creatures in harm’s way is likely to
quickly find themselves at the wrong end of a huntmaster’s weapon.
Huntmasters understand the power of the perfectly aimed bow shot or hatchet swing. They take their
time, steady their hand and breath, and attack with precision and force.

HUNTMASTER NAMES
Often, a huntmaster’s name isn’t shared with those who employ or utilize them, as huntmasters prefer to keep a
semblance of anonymity. However, all huntmasters have names, either given to them by others or taken for their
own. Some may echo the gods of old or call forth the huntmaster’s relationship to the natural word, including:

Kainda, Oakley, Orion, Grove, Humbert, Jagur, Actaeon, Brielle, Chace, Clay, Cyrene,
Eric, Artemas, Fianna, Fowler, Rigel, River, Theron, Zarola, Arawn

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CRAFTED CREATURES 4 (12)

GM intrusion: The Brought to life-like animation by a touch of magic, yearning, and

crafted creature slips away skill, crafted creatures are composed of base materials, usually
through an opening too
small for the character.
wood. Many resemble small people, children, or animals. A few
have carved vegetables for heads.

Health: 15 Splinter: A splinter left behind in the damaged

Damage Inflicted: 4 points target’s flesh reduces the target’s recovery rolls (and
Armor: 1 any other healing effect) by 1 point. The target can
Movement: Short remove the splinter as their action with a successful
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to size; Speed roll.
disguise as level 7 when playing dead Go Inert: A crafted creature falls limp, appearing as
Combat: A basic crafted creature can butt or batter a foe nothing more than a large toy or puppet. In this state,
with their head or limbs. the crafted creature can’t move or act for at least an
Additional possibilities are available to individuals, hour after going inert, unless attacked. While inert,
including: treat the creature as a level 5 object.

THE ESSENCE OF CRAFTED CREATURES

Crafted creatures are often built as a guard or companion. Many wish with all their absent hearts
that they were real. Others have an alternate Crafted Yearning driving them, which may not be
benign. Some run from a Fabled Foe and would do a lot for someone who could offer protection.
Though many are crafted of wood, several are made of different materials, which can provide a
specific benefit as described under Crafted Creature Modifications.

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 CRAFTED CREATURES | fairy tale

CRAFTED CREATURE MODIFICATIONS

Some crafted creatures are made of different materials, granting them additional abilities GM intrusion: The
and/or vulnerabilities, including: crafted creature tells a
lie so convincing that
the character can’t
Marionette Entangle: A crafted creature Metallic Toughness: A crafted creature help but believe it for
that was once a marionette may choose made of metal adds 2 to Armor (gaining at least a few rounds.
to entangle their foe in strings if, upon 3 Armor).
dealing damage, the foe fails a second Strawmade: A crafted creature made
Speed defense roll. An entangled target’s of straw (or a plush creature filled with
physical actions are hindered until they stuffing) only takes 1 point of damage
take an action to cut the strings or each time they are attacked with a
untangle themselves with a successful mundane weapon; however, they take 1
Speed roll. additional point of damage anytime they Adventure Seed: The
Snowmade: A crafted creature made of are damaged by fire. only thing that might
withstand the dragon’s
snow regains 2 health each round in cold Vegetable-Headed: If a crafted creature breath is a crafted
conditions but, in the heat, takes 1 point with a carved vegetable for a head is creature made of metal.
of damage each minute. If completely destroyed, the carved creature can be But the Iron Pig went
melted, a snowmade creature can be revived by carving a new vegetable—such traveling years ago,
and no one knows
regenerated if an object that was part of as a pumpkin, squash, melon, or large where to find her.
them is returned to a snowy place. turnip—and sticking it on the original
frame (usually a body carved of wood).

FABLED FOE
Is someone after the crafted creature? Options include:

d6 Foe 4 The crafted creature’s owner—a potter

1 A witch called Sybilith who wants to use
the creature’s parts in an evil spell
2 A billionaire known as The Coinlord who
wants the creature for their collection
3 The crafted creature’s shadow (level 4)
that got detached and wants a reunion the
creature fears
named Bella (level 5)—furious that the Witches, page 90
creature ran away
5 The animated corpse of Mogod the Billionaires, page 112
Sorcerer (level 6) that wants the creature’s
essence to restore their own life
6 A bounty hunter named Mard that hunts Bounty Hunters,
and destroys all crafted creatures he page 108
can find

CRAFTED CREATURE NAMES

Some crafted creatures have actual names; others are known by what they’re made of. Adventure Seed: Though
Options include: it seems impossible,
all evidence points to
the baker having been
Alessandro, Jane Pumpkin, Sawhorse Sam, Tik-Tok, Glass Kitty, Ginger Brian, beaten and kidnapped
Valentina, Scruffy Dog, Metal Monkey, Elisabetta, Queen Lally, Eddie Snow, by the very gingerbread
Brave Dog, Nicolo, Straw Bear, Jon Applehead, Domenico, Plush Tiger people he had made
for the king’s feast.

CRAFTED YEARNING
What does the crafted creature want, if not (or in addition to) being a real flesh-and-blood being?

d6 Yearning
1 Find their maker and be reunited/have vengeance
2 Become independent of their maker/owner (one way
or another)
3 Have real feelings rather than just simply pretending
4 Find a real purpose in the world/learn a skill
5 Slay all flesh and blood creatures, starting with the PCs
6 Have children like them/start a new family line

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WITCHES 5 (15)

Tales of a nearby witch Mystical and sometimes malevolent beings, witches

keep wise children safe employ spells, potions, and ensorcelled objects to
in their beds during
the darkest hours.
achieve their ends.

Health: 21
Damage Inflicted:
5 points
Movement: Short; long if
flying (on broom or in
animal form)
Modifications: Speed
defense as level 6 due to
their familiar; deception,
disguise, and dark
knowledge as level 7
Combat: Witches use witchcraft
(a damaging, controlling, or
defensive spell) or a curse against
a foe; in a pinch, they may attack
with a staff or long curved blade.

A WITCH’S FAMILIAR
Most witches have a familiar, such as a cat,
an owl, a big snake, a raven, a rat, or some
other creature. Killing a witch’s familiar is
so shocking to a witch that their attacks and
Speed defense are hindered for a few days.
It’s also a way to ensure that the witch never
forgives their foe or grants them mercy.

Familiar: level 3, stealth

and escaping as level 6,
Speed defense as level 5
due to size; Armor 1

Adventure Seed: The

PCs need an old book
to continue their
investigation. Word is
that the old woman who
lives on the edge of the
woods has the only copy.
People of any gender
can be witches.
THE ESSENCE OF A WITCH
Witches use magic to achieve their particular Eldritch Design, the goal
that drives each witch. Sometimes they’re the stuff of nightmares. Other
times they’re wise helpers—at least for a little while, or possibly for a
price. Witches rely on their witchcraft, their proficiency with curses, and
the safety offered by their Witch’s Abode.

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 WITCHES | fairy tale

WITCHCRAFT
A specific witch knows two or three spells, which they can cast as their action. Options include the following.

Hexbolt: A target within long range is attacked with
fire, cold, or psychic bolts, as the witch chooses.
Psychic bolts deal 3 points of Intellect damage
(ignores Armor).
Charm: Targets within short range who fail an
Intellect defense roll become the witch’s allies (no
more than once each minute). Affected targets turn
on their allies or take some other action described
by the witch. The charm lasts for one minute or until
a target succeeds on an Intellect defense roll; each
time they fail a roll, the next roll is hindered by one
additional step.
Glamour: The witch creates an illusion so that
they look like someone else (no more than once per
day), appear to be a tree or a bird, or even become
invisible. Seeing through the glamour is an Intellect
task. A failed attempt inflicts 2 points of Intellect
damage. Once a character sees through the glamour,
they cannot unsee it.
Vitality: The witch regains 11 points of health and
gains +3 to Armor for one minute. Multiple uses
don’t further improve Armor.
Shrivel: A target within long range and up to two
creatures next to them must succeed on a Might
defense roll or take 3 points of Speed damage
(ignores Armor). In each subsequent round, a target
who failed the previous roll must make another Might
defense roll, with the same outcome on failure.
Heal Another: The witch touches another creature
and heals them for 6 points. Some witches must
pull health from another living being in long range
to use this ability. Pulling health from a living being
inflicts the same amount damage on that being plus 1
additional point.
Imprison: The witch creates a prison within long
range and captures a foe inside it as a single action.
The prison might be physical (a tower, a cage, a
trap, a binding around the body) or mental (they
can’t move, their muscles are no longer under their
control, they are afraid to move). Resisting being
caught is a level 5 defense task (Might, Speed, or
Intellect, depending on the type of imprisonment). If
a character is caught, breaking free is a level 5 task (of
the appropriate stat) which requires an action.
Protect: The witch places a confinement spell to
keep someone from going in or out of a location,
building, or room for 10 days. Those who attempt to
pass through the spell but fail an Intellect defense roll
take 3 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and
are knocked back.
Revive: This rare and costly ability allows a witch to
bring someone back to life if they haven’t been dead
for more than a year. In order to accomplish this,
the witch needs all or part of the body of the dead,
a beloved object of the dead’s, and the willingness
of someone else to take on a curse that results from
the magical working (roll on the Curse Effects table
to determine the resulting curse). Revive takes ten
minutes to cast, and the character returns to life with
1 point in each of their Pools (or 3 points of health).
Seduce: Creatures within short range who fail an
Intellect defense roll become enamored of the witch.
Resisting the witch’s persuasion attempt is hindered
by two steps until the target succeeds on an Intellect
defense roll; each time they fail to resist a persuasion
attempt, the witch’s next persuasion attempt is eased
by an additional step.

WITCH NAMES A witch going for subtlety

Some witches go by the names they were given as children, others by the fearsome moniker might cast Seduce
rather than Charm on
others give them, and a few by appellations they’ve given themselves to frighten common targets, assuming the
people into keeping their distance. Options include the following: witch knows both.

Thomasin, Arthur Cursemonger, Gwinifer, Samantha, Queen Ash, Jade, Hekeba,

The Witch of the Bogs, Nateke, Keziah, Morgana Blackthorn, Allen of the
Wood, The Whisperer, Raymond Greywand, Morgause, Bellatrix, Morwen, Lord GM intrusion: The
Skinkeeper, Selene, The Red Frost, Nimue, Galiana, Sable Grim, Agatha Wildes, witch’s touch causes the
character to stand facing
Eye of the Moon, Isadora Spelleater, Baba Yaga, Mr. Nightshade, Endora the corner for one minute
neither taking actions
nor resisting attacks
made against them.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
GM intrusion: After WITCH TROVE
the character resists a A witch’s home contains a clutter of curious
witch’s curse, the witch
immediately tosses a
objects, potentially including:
hexbolt at them. If the
character is hit, the d10 Treasure
character is also cursed. 1 Bag of seeds (level 6 cypher):
grows a colossal plant specimen
(sunflower, tomato, bean) overnight
2 Scrying crystal (level 6 artifact;
depletion: 1 in 1d10): see and hear
specified target for up to one minute
3 Tome of witchcraft: contains two or
three spells the witch knows and a PC could
Optional Rule: learn if using the optional spellcasting rule
Spellcasting, page 259 4 Charm bag (level 5 cypher): user treats their
next action as if they had rolled a natural 20
Ghosts, page 44 5 Spirit Jar (level 6 cypher): releases a ghost
that the user can control for one minute
6 Elemental candle (level 6 cypher): controls an
Elementals, page 22 elemental while candle burns, up to ten hours
7 Magical tarot deck (level 6 artifact; depletion: 1-3 in 1d6): grants user a limited wish
8 Arcane calendar (level 6 artifact; depletion: 1 in 1d20): user grows 1d20 years younger
9 Dreamcatcher (level 5 artifact; depletion 1 in 1d6): target within immediate range becomes
caught like fly in spider’s web in dreamcatcher’s net until released or new creature caught
10 Broom (level 5 artifact; depletion: 1 in 1d10, check each day used): rider can fly a long
distance each round

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 WITCHES | fairy tale

CURSES
Curses negatively affect a target, operating slightly differently than effects conferred by Disease, page 219
many spells in the following ways:

Cursed Intrusions: While cursed, targets who
receive a GM intrusion gain only 1 XP instead of 2 and
must decide whether to keep the lone XP or give it to
another player.
Curse Mode: Every time cursed targets roll a 1 or a 2
(instead of just a 1), they trigger a GM intrusion. Every
few days, GM intrusion range increases, so that it
happens on a roll of 1 to 3, then a roll of 1 to 4, and so
on. This potentially means that a die roll can indicate
success in a task and still trigger a GM intrusion.
Conferred by Touch: If the witch or an object they
cursed touches a target, the target is cursed on a
failed Intellect defense roll.
Independent Level: Curses are level 1d6 + 4, a level
independent of the casting witch.
Difficult to Remove: Curses linger, like diseases; a
single recovery roll is not enough to remove them.
Instead, cursed targets must take special actions to
remove them, such as finding another witch to help,
or convincing the original witch to lift the curse.

CURSE EFFECTS
A specific witch usually knows at least two curses. Come up with a curse unique to the situation or use the table to
inspire a curse. A specific curse might include two or more effects to create something unique.

d00 Effect 49–51 Brain is in a fog (Effort on Intellect tasks costs

01–03 Turned into an animal (bear, toad, hedgehog, +1 Intellect)
swan, dog, etc.) 52–54 Moves slowly (Effort on Speed tasks costs +1 Speed)
04–06 Becomes incorporeal, unable to interact with 55–57 Can no longer say or write their name
physical world 58–60 No one else remembers the character
07–09 Turned into a living object 61–63 Grows thinner every day
10–12 Turned into a great beast 64–66 Shadow is stolen
13–15 Turned into someone much older 67–69 Forced to eat constantly
16–18 Forced to dance all night 70–72 Forgets the previous day each morning
19–21 When speaking, bugs and toads fall from mouth 73–75 Friend replaced with a demonic replica
22–24 Enchanted sleep 76–78 Sees (usually) imaginary monsters
25–27 Forced to wear iron shoes (hinders Speed actions) 79–81 Eyes wither and fall out
28–30 Turned into a flower 82–84 Extremities begin turning to stone
31–33 Voice taken away 85–87 Allies can’t help but betray target
34–36 Unable to remember their true love 88–90 Horrifying nightmares afflict target
37–39 Nose grows every time they lie 91–93 Ages a year every few days
40–42 Positive social interactions hindered 94–96 Ghosts randomly attack allies
43–45 Recovery rolls grant 1 less point 97–99 Rain constantly falls on target
46–48 Grows weak (Effort on Might tasks costs +1 Might) 00 Reflection becomes a foe

ELDRITCH DESIGNS
Witches want what they want, and ill betide those who attempt to thwart them. Witches use their witchcraft and
curses to achieve their goals directly and by threat of use. Witch motives include the following:

• To be left alone • Youth and/or beauty

• To gain political power, magical power, or both • Eternal life
• To protect the forest, marsh, grassland, or other • Revenge, pure and simple
natural area • To satisfy a hunger (such as for children)
• To control the fate of and dominate others

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MERMAIDS 4 (12)

A blend of fish and person, mermaids (and other merfolk)

are creatures of the sea whose allure is sometimes innocent
but often hides a terrible hunger or fearsome goal.

GM intrusion: An
unexpected breaking wave
or strong current ruins the
character’s attack that would
have been successful.
Mermaids that lure humans
beneath the waves to eat
them either don’t Share Air
or use the ability only to lure
people even deeper before
revealing their true aim.
Merfolk: level 3, perception
as level 4 (in water); Armor 1;
trident, spear, or short-range
crossbow attack deals 4
points of damage; can swim
a short distance and still
attack once every 10 minutes
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short on land (if able to transform); long
in the water
Modifications: Swimming, deception, and
persuasion as level 6
Combat: A mermaid attacks with battering flukes
(their tails) or a trident, spear, or dagger.
Able to breathe on land and in water, mermaids’
skin is subject to drying; they take 1 extra point
of damage (ignores Armor) from any attack that
deals fire or heat damage.
A given mermaid may also have one or more of the
following abilities, initiated as their action.
Alluring Song: Anyone within long range who
hears a mermaid’s song is enchanted on a failed
Intellect defense roll. If three or more mermaids
sing the same song, the defense roll is hindered
by two steps. An enchanted target can do nothing
but listen to the song while it sounds or, if the
mermaid wishes, follow the mermaid down into
the depths, heedless that they may drown.
Share Air: A mermaid can lend a creature the
ability to breathe and survive underwater for hours
at a time with a touch.
Land Transformation: The mermaid exchanges
their tail for legs while on dry land if they wish.
Monstrous Transformation: The mermaid
exchanges their human seeming for that of a
maritime predator, such as a shark or orca, when
they wish.
Sea Witch: The mermaid knows one or more
Abyssal Hexes.
Harden Water: The mermaid hardens water until
it is as strong and durable as wood, taking about
an hour to make a spear or similar tool that lasts
for several days.
Merfolk Companion: The mermaid summons a
merfolk ally who arrives within the minute to help
out with whatever needs doing. (Merfolk are kin to
mermaids but come from a different sea or world.)

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 MERMAIDS | fairy tale

MERMAID NAMES
Mermaid names sometimes allude to the sea or have their
origin in myth. Options include:
Mistral, Aiden, Melusine, Calypso, Ariel, Reef, Mazu,
Coraline, Blaze, Nerissa, Morvoren, Aquarelle, Calyx, Seria,
Drift, Creed, Rusalka, Damon, Pearl, Finn, Whisper, Oceane,
Isaline, Jax, Cove, Naida, Leonidas, Muriel, Slade, Kailani
BYCATCH CURSE
Mermaids are sometimes accidentally caught
by fishers (or purposefully by huntmasters
or pirates). Eating mermaid flesh results in a
curse (level 4). The cursed character gains no
nutrition from food other than live leeches and
starves if they don’t indulge the impulse until
the curse is lifted.

ABYSSAL HEXES
Erudite mermaids may know one or more of the following level 4 hexes which they can cast as their action.

Drown: A target on land is dragged to the
nearest source of water (even a basin or
mud puddle) on a failed Might defense roll
and magically held under until they drown.
A drowning target gains two more Might
defense rolls, about once each minute, to
escape the hex before they perish.
Puncture: An object (such as a boat)
within short range that is level 6 or lower
is holed, causing it to descend one step
on the object damage track. A punctured
boat sinks within about a minute.
Waterspout: A water elemental forms and Water elemental, page 25
does the hex caster’s bidding for one hour.
Net: A target within long range is
bound in a conjured net on a failed Speed GM intrusion: The
defense roll, rendering them helpless. The character is momentarily
stunned by the
netted target can attempt a Might defense mermaid’s beauty,
roll each round to escape. losing their next turn.
Alter Weather: The mermaid makes a
limited alteration to the weather (stilling,
increasing, or dispersing wind and clouds
in a very long area) by concentrating for Object damage track,
several minutes. page 116

THE ESSENCE OF MERMAIDS

Like their mixed-up flesh, mermaids, mermen, and androgenous merpeople are contradictory and
mercurial creatures. Most are beautiful to human eyes, many wish only to play among the waves and
deeps, but a good number desire to drown humans, and some to eat them after luring them to their doom.
On the other hand, mermaids are sometimes persecuted without cause by huntmasters and pirates, which
can turn a happy-go-lucky mermaid into a vicious revenge seeker against anyone that walks on two legs.

MERMAID-HUMAN CONFLICTS Huntmasters, page 86

What’s the root cause of this conflict between people and mermaids? Pirates, page 78

d10 Instigating Event

1 Mermaids keep cutting the fisher’s nets
2 Mermaid songs frightened the princess
3 Pirates sold mermaid meat to the
townsfolk, some of whom are now cursed
4 The Mermaid Queen declared war when
her consort was killed
5 Mermaid scales are highly prized by the
merchant’s guild
6 Young adults keep shacking up
with merpeople instead of who they
“ought” to
7 A sailor purposefully sinks their craft to Adventure Seed:
be with the “one they love” Several boats have gone
8 The Duchess made a deal with a missing when fishing
off a nearby island. A
hex‑casting mermaid and lost their
huntmaster suggests that
tongue in the bargain a predatory “mermaid
9 The baron’s husband was secretly a nest” is responsible and
transformed merman, and folks reacted asks PCs to help find
and exterminate it.
poorly upon learning the truth
10 The King keeps sending people on
quests to steal mermaid pearls

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Part 4:
MODERN
L et’s be honest. Most modern tabletop RPGs
eventually end up including a fantastic element or
two. In such cases, the modern game starts normally
But, assuming it’s not actually the apocalypse, some
PCs go out of their way to explain things “rationally,”
so their characters don’t have their worldview changed.
enough before taking an esoteric detour, introducing Certainly, nonplayer characters (NPCs) will do so,
a horror or sci-fi element. Or it jerks into all-new whether asked for their opinion or not.
territory because the apocalypse comes, changing
everything overnight.

CREATURES
Crime bosses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Hackers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Secret agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Assassins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Bounty hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Detectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Billionaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

RELATED CREATURES IN
OTHER SECTIONS
Serial killers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Haunted houses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Killer toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
AIs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Criminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Cannibals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Gunslingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Lawmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

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 PART 4 | modern

MODERN ADVENTURES DID YOU SEE THAT?

In modern games that never swerve into other genres, Sometimes the normal slides into the uncanny.
the list of potential “creatures” is composed of other
people. Plus maybe a lion, tiger, or bear to mix things d20 Unexplainable Occurrence
up. That’s not to say that “mundane” modern scenarios 1 Person of interest pulls off face to reveal monstrous visage
can’t be just as exciting as those set in other genres. Lots 2 Old Apollo-era lunar craft found deposited on Earth
of thrilling situations arise every day. Our First Responders 3 Person of interest found exsanguinated but in otherwise a
genre-building sourcebook contains many examples. pristine state
But in many games, mundane situations are 4 Area is much larger on inside/doesn’t appear on any map
interrupted when a PC notices “something weird” about 5 Person-shaped fire runs through the building
the situation. Maybe there is a surprise supernatural 6 Person of interest fades away as if never really there
element thrown in. However, once the situation is 7 Someone dead for months or years shows up for a chat
wrapped up, many NPCs—who experienced everything 8 Characters find themselves repeating the same day
the PCs did—create a tidy real-world explanation for 9 Frogs fall from the sky
what happened. They do it to appease their own sense 10 Figure in painting moves
of reality, as well as for any related police reports or 11 Everyone who reads the weird eBook dies
insurance inquiries. 12 Tree uproots itself and follows/attacks a nearby target
For instance, when PCs are hired to steal back 13 Dire warnings transmitted from deep space
already‑stolen antiquities, they are surprised first by
14 Invisible force begins hurling objects
assassins, even more so when invisible forces begin
15 Shadows take on an apparent life of their own
hurling objects at them. A ghost’s spirit is tied to
16 Objects of interest are fossils that modern science
the object, or maybe an urban witch also wants it for can’t explain
themself. Afterward, a security guard who saw everything
17 Person of interest fires laser beams from their eyes
claims it was all due to an earthquake.
18 Monstrous dinosaur-like shape rises from lake
19 Toy moves by itself
20 Corpse rises from coroner’s exam table

MUNDANE BUT EXCITING THE UNEXPLAINABLE EXPLAINED

It may be part of the real world, but it’s still dramatic. Lots of people don’t want to believe their own eyes.

d10 Job or Mission d10 Rationalization

1 Protect elected official/whistleblower/fugitive from squad 1 Weather anomaly
of assassins 2 Hallucinogens in the air
2 Plan and execute a heist to regain (or steal) valuables
3 Scam artists/pranksters using wires/tricks
3 Go undercover to infiltrate a criminal organization/
4 Reflected laser light
corporation
4 Recover black box from a crashed experimental aircraft in 5 Sure you weren’t dreaming?
foreign wildlands 6 Escaped zoo animal
5 Help salvage sunken ship/underwater base in prototype 7 The Russians/secret
military submarine government prototypes
6 Prevent cyberterrorists from hacking into 8 Faulty wiring
satellite/missile‑launch network
9 Solar flare
7 Survive being stranded on a desert island after ship or
plane wreck
10 Earthquake

8 Find the source of new pandemic virus strain to

develop cure
9 Solve a locked-room murder mystery involving stolen
antiquities
10 Figure out who the double agent is working in the
department

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

CRIME BOSSES 5 (15)

GM intrusion: The A crime boss wields power through lies, bribery, charm,
crime boss reveals they intimidation, and blackmail. As the head of a criminal
have documents that
incriminate the character.
hierarchy, a crime boss oversees a raft of unlawful
activity perpetrated by their subordinates or, if there
is no other option, by the boss themself.

Adventure Seed: When

things begin to go wrong
in the new neighborhood
development, it’s discovered
that a certain notorious
“businessperson” managed
to get an area of land
zoned for residential use
that was once the site of
a dangerous chemical
smelter/toxic-waste dump/
ancient burial ground.
Bodyguard: level 4;
Armor 1; long-range
firearm attack deals
5 points of damage
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Attacks and Speed
defense as level 3
Combat: A crime boss attacks twice
with a concealed knife or firearm.
But when possible, the crime boss
deals with combat in one of the
following ways.
Bodyguards: The crime boss
relies on a group of two to five
bodyguards to commit violence on
their behalf.
Inspire: All subordinates,
including bodyguards, deal 1
additional point of damage when
the crime boss can see them
and issue commands.

GM intrusion: The crime

boss uses a clever trick
or subtle cypher to block
all incoming attacks in a
given round of combat.

THE ESSENCE OF A CRIME BOSS

A crime boss does anything to achieve money and power, setting aside
whatever moral claims they may have previously made. Many bosses
rely on a trusted lieutenant to interact with people in their place, plus a
network of underlings and subordinates for direct protection as well as
projected power and intimidation.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
CRIMINAL OPERATIONS AND ILLICIT VENTURES
Choose (or roll) two or more options for additional criminal activities for a crime boss.

d10 Monetized Criminal Activity

1–2 Drug trafficking: cocaine, heroin, meth, “bath salts”
and other synthetic drugs, etc.
3 Extortion: protection rackets, kidnapping for ransom,
blackmail, etc.
4 Bribery: payments to police, business leaders, and
politicians to ignore criminal activity
5 Money laundering: investing illegally obtained money
into legal assets by misdirection
6 Smuggling: moving goods into an area without official
oversight so they can be sold cheap
7 Human trafficking: forcing people into labor or
exploitation
8 Cybercrime: ransomware (encrypting computers until
owners pay), identity theft (taking out loans and credit
in victims name), etc.
9 Assassination: organizations willing to kill for money
are less common than other criminals
10 Theft and burglary: common theft and burglary
is usually left to juvenile delinquents, though
exceptions exist

CRIME BOSSES IN THE FANTASY GENRE

A crime boss active in the fantasy genre has access to all the options
the PCs have and, because of their wealth and position, probably
even more. Besides choosing a name in keeping with the setting,
additional options for a fantasy crime boss include the following.

Spellcaster: The crime boss in a fantasy setting personally

knows a handful of spells—or has rings and charms (cyphers)
that can trigger the same—providing benefits of escape
(teleportation to a nearby safe zone and/or invisibility that lasts
for a minute), protection (+5 to Armor for a minute), and the
ability to see the unseen (see invisible creatures, see through
illusion, etc. for a minute).
Protected: Wards around the crime boss’s home and office warn
when enemy magic is in use and maybe even nullify the first few
enemy spells cast nearby. Wards can also be set as traps for anyone
who gets inside that doesn’t belong, shocking them with electricity or
burning them (8 points of damage in an immediate radius), or even
turning them to stone.
Heavy Magic: In addition to standard subordinates and
bodyguards, a crime boss in a fantasy setting probably has funds
and/or blackmail material to either keep a witch or wizard on
retainer, or potentially even keep one permanently on staff.
Monstrous Heavies: Subordinates and bodyguards could also
include monstrous bruisers like giants and/or demons.

Witches, page 90
Wizards, page 30
Giants, page 38
Demons, page 54 Crime bosses in a superhero genre where magic works would have the same access to
magical benefits as those in the fantasy genre, as well as potentially having one or two
Strong supervillains, strong supervillains on retainer. And access to technologically advanced cyphers.
page 148

99 View as Spread
LEGITIMATE BUSINESS FRONTS
Many criminal organizations run sham (or actual) businesses to hide their far more profitable illegal activities. Ideas
for sham businesses include the following.
Restaurant: Either a hole-in-the-wall, a catering
service, or a fine-dining establishment, possibly with
names like: Bubblemania, Marzano’s Place, Olive
Branch Bistro, Cecilia’s Chowder House, Over the Moon
Café, Lobster Shop, Lazy Oscars, Bite, The Matador.
Art Gallery: A gallery with paintings and/or sculpture
on display, ideal for money laundering, with names
like: Craft, Museum Creations, Enthusiasm, Fire,
Exotic Art, Simple Lines, Beauty.
Recycling Center: Facility handles actual waste but
makes bank in the illegal disposal of hazardous waste
and in smuggling illicit and stolen goods.
Antique Store: A shop containing all sorts of
bric‑a‑brac as well as a few actual treasures would
also be a great front for trafficking stolen loot.
Potential names include: Days of Yore, Epic Antique,
The Attic, Weird and Bizarre, Dead People’s Stuff,
The Vintage Shop.
100
Martial Arts Gym: Legitimate fighters might train
here, but the gym also hosts all manner of illicit
meetings and drug deals in the back room. Such a
place might be called: Iron Fist Academy, Shadow
Warrior Training, Leading Edge Martial Arts, Phoenix
Gym, Tiger’s Eye Fighting Club, Lotus Dojo.
Warehouse: All kinds of things can be stored in a
warehouse as long as it’s packed properly, and rent
is paid in full. Warehouses usually don’t have names,
just addresses.
Security Consultants: What better place to hide
one’s criminal activities than behind a shop that offer
legitimate security services including alarms and
surveillance systems? Security firm names include:
Cybercops, Red Iron Consulting, Novastrong Services,
Strunk Security Group.
 CRIME BOSSES | modern

SUBORDINATES AND NETWORK OF UNDERLINGS

Besides a few bodyguards, a crime boss always has loyal employees nearby, including two or three of the following.
If a group is indicated (like “hatchet enforcers” or “toughs”), it’s usually a group consisting of three to eight
members. A crime boss might have more than one such group located around an especially large headquarters or
place of illicit business.

d10 Subordinates/Bodyguards/Lieutenants
1–2 Gunners (level 2; health 9; two long-range pistol attacks each inflict 4 points of damage)
3–4 Toughs (level 3; Armor 2; bats/chains/brass knuckles attack deals 4 points of damage)
5 Hatchet enforcers (level 3; Armor 1; two hatchet attacks each inflict 4 points of damage)
6 Bruiser (level 5; Armor 2; shotgun attack deals 7 points of damage to up to three targets in immediate range)
7 Fixer (level 4; stealth and initiative as level 7; first attack inflicts 8 points of damage)
8 IT worker (level 2; computer and internet-related tasks as level 6)
9 Doctor (level 2; healing, intimidation, and torture as level 6)
10 Ninja (level 3; Speed defense and attacks as level 5; sword inflicts 5 points of damage)

GM intrusion: A
CRIME BOSS NAMES subordinate or lieutenant
achieves a surprise ambush
A crime boss usually has a regular name and sometimes a nickname. As a crime boss against the character.
becomes more notorious, their name becomes something normal people and enemy
organizations fear. Options include the following:

Adelaide Saunders, Salvatore “Slick” Lombardi, Vito Malone, Dominic “Kingpin”

Stanfield, Angelica “Ice Queen” Lucas, Winton “The Shark” Douglass, Sapphire Holmes,
Hadden “Mad Dog” Chapmen, Carmine Burke, Luca “The Reaper” Del Vecchio
Safe: level 7

CRIME BOSS LOOT

A crime boss either carries on their person, displays in their office, or has stored in a nearby Price Categories,
safe one or more of the following items. The price categories for such items range from page 202
expensive to very expensive, and possibly even to exorbitant.

d20 Valuable
1 Vermeer’s The Concert—considered the world’s most
valuable stolen painting
2 Stacks of cash in the form of large denomination
bills in thick wads bound in bands
3 Loose gemstones, such as diamonds or rubies, in
black jewelers’ bags
4 Forged passports and identification documents, and
possibly the means to quickly forge new ones
5 Photos of a CEO of a large company caught in a
compromising situation (blackmail)
6 Accounting files detailing all the illegal stuff the
crime boss is into on a thumb drive
7 Antiquities from a recently looted temple or holy site
on another continent
8 Documents proving a senator was involved in
operating a Ponzi scheme (blackmail)
9 Unregistered firearms, including one or more
historically valuable weapons
10 Stacks of fake currency; seems legit but it’s all
counterfeit
11 Illicit drugs, including the kind of drug the crime
boss traffics in, but unadulterated
12 Surveillance screens displaying feeds from rival
criminals and law enforcement
13 The Plan: the crime boss’s master plan for taking
control and putting down all rivals
14 Locations of safehouses and other emergency
fallback plans for going to ground
15 Lists of previously blackmailed people, corrupt
politicians, dirty cops, and those who owe a favor
16 A thumb drive containing obscene amounts of
cryptocurrency in a digital wallet
17 Lists of passwords, a physical security key, and safe
combination codes to other vaults
18 Photographs of the crime boss’s family and old
friends, plus a few sentimental trinkets
19 Collectible watch—a Patek Philippe variety or
similar—worth millions
20 Rembrandt’s Landscape with Cottages, a rare painting
stolen in 1972
101
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
“Pwn” means to “own” or
defeat a foe, originating
from a misspelling.
GM intrusion: The
character’s phone rings, then
explodes due to malware
planted by the hacker,
inflicting 7 points of damage.
GM intrusion (group):
Three SWAT team members
(level 3; Armor 1; long-range
rifle attacks deal 5 points of
damage) arrive, targeting
the PCs thanks to a false
emergency report to law
enforcement by the hacker.
An adventure featuring
a hacker is about finding
and getting to them, not
the fight at the end—in
theory there is no fight at
all, unless the hacker is
forewarned and forearmed.
Many hackers get their
start as teenagers thanks to
natural curiosity and a failure
to realize legal consequences
could one day come their
way if their hacks were
ever traced back to them.
102
HACKERS 4 (12)
Wielding code, a hacker infiltrates systems and “pwns” noobs, corporations, and
governments alike. A hacker manipulates digital vulnerabilities, unlocking paths to
forbidden realms with a keystroke.
Health: 12 Long-range assault rifle that inflicts 6
Damage Inflicted: 2 points; see Combat points of damage; attacks as level 4
Movement: Short Kevlar vest that grants +1 Armor
Modifications: Attacks and Speed defense Security drone with an immediate
as level 2 if unprepared; programming, range taser weapon that inflicts 3 points
digital infiltration, and repairing of damage to target not keyed into its
computers as level 6 database and, on a failed Might defense
Combat: An unprepared hacker simpers roll, stuns the target so they lose their
and begs for mercy. But a hacker that next turn
has time to prepare for a threat can use A backdoor pre-installed in a target’s
the internet to order up nearly anything digital equipment, causing it to fail,
for attacks and defense, including the transmit false information, or otherwise
following. impair their foe
THE ESSENCE OF A HACKER
“Hacking” is a term with negative connotations, even though not all hackers are
bad. A considerable number work to secure systems and find vulnerabilities ahead
of the bad guys so they can stop cybercrime before it starts. But whether they
use their abilities for good or ill, the essence of a hacker is loving the intellectual
challenge of using coding skills to overcome a problem.
 HACKER | modern

HACKING THE PCS

Hackers with few ethics perpetrate many of the following cybercrimes, potentially affecting characters or people the
characters know.

Malware: The character has a short window to notice
and prevent (level 7 perception or programming task)
malicious software installing itself on their phone,
laptop, or other electronic device. Once installed, the
malware can steal data or passwords, spy, or take
remote control of the character’s equipment.
Identity Theft: The character may only discover after
the fact that someone is pretending to be them, using
information obtained about the character through
a data breach, malware, or phishing. The hacker
then assumes their identity, takes out credit, obtains
loans, and otherwise tries to drain every asset the
character possesses.
Phishing: The character receives a phone call or
email from a pleasant person introducing herself as
Eveline Schue, a manager at the character’s bank.
Eveline indicates there’s been an unauthorized
withdrawal of the character’s funds. The character is
directed to act immediately, by clicking on a link or
going to a website to deauthorize the transfer. (The
act of “signing in” gives the phisher what they want,
which is the character’s sign-in credentials.)
Eveline Schue: level 2;
digital infiltration and
deceit as level 7

HACKER ALIASES
A hacker’s alias, also known as their screen name or handle, hides the hacker’s true identity.
The alias may also reflect some aspect of the hacker, or be an implicit threat. Hacker aliases Leetspeak, also known as
might include the following, some of which are rendered using “leetspeak.” “1337” is replacing letters
with visually similar
numbers or symbols to
Cipher, P4R0DY, Zero, Scorpion, QU4K3, Bytestalker, MafiaBoy, CRYP70N1C, create a stylized and
Gigabyte, Nakamoto, CR4Z3, B15H0P, SOLO, Rapture, Wasp, geohot, D4YDR34M, distinct form of text used
Override, Terminus, Dead Lord, Telfer, Defcon, eventhorizon, Bobby_Phisher by some hackers and other
online communities.

HACKERS IN THE SCIENCE-FICTION GENRE Adventure Seed: A

journalist on the trail
of an important story
Additional options for a hacker in a science-fiction setting include the following. contacts the PCs, but
the communication is
VR WORLDS interrupted midway, and
Virtual worlds in sci-fi rely on equipment VR avatar is treated as level 6. the PCs can’t easily get
back in contact with the
that jacks directly into the wearer’s brain, Causes the character to become “locked journalist thanks to an
making the experience indistinguishable in” to the VR world, such that removing interfering hacker’s efforts.
from reality. Because VR worlds are the headset in the physical world does no
common in the future, places the characters good; the character can only act inside
need to visit to achieve a goal might only be the datasphere.
accessible in VR, which means the hacker Exists only as an individual transcribed Transcribing is the act
has natural advantages: into the VR world, unless they download of moving from the
physical realm to the
back into reality in a physical form at digital realm, or vice
Deals real damage to the character’s some new location normally inaccessible versa, leaving nothing
physical body through the advanced VR except to data. behind in the previous
interface. realm in either case.

ENHANCED REAL‑WORLD PRESENCE GM intrusion: The

A hacker in a science fiction setting likely has
access to illicit tech, granting benefits like:
Exoskeleton eases attacks by three
steps, and, if a melee attack, deals +4
additional damage.
Force field body armor grants +4 to character discovers all their
funds are drained and their
Armor. credit cards are defunct,
Holographic presence means the hacker thanks to the hacker.
was never actually where the PCs thought,
which means the first time the hacker is
“defeated,” it doesn’t stick.

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SECRET AGENTS 5 (15)

Adventure Seed: A
secret agent of a foreign
government is trying to steal
nuclear codes. All PCs know
is that the agent is someone
at the ambassador’s ball.
Engaged in espionage and intrigue, secret agents
thrive pitting their skills and gadgets against
adversaries trying to topple governments, societies,
or even the world—unless they’re the ones acting
on the wrong side of the public good.

Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Disguise, deception, and stealth as level 6
Combat: A secret agent typically attacks with a long-range
firearm.
A secret agent may also know one or more of the following
techniques useful in combat.
Disarm: The agent’s successful unarmed attack ends
with the agent holding the target’s weapon.
Choke Out: The agent’s successful unarmed attack ends
with a choke hold that immobilizes the target, inflicting 5
points of Speed damage (ignores Armor). The target has
one chance to escape with a Might roll as their action,
but if they fail, the agent renders the target unconscious
for one minute.
Evade Capture: The agent uses misdirection and
attempts to hide even if in plain view of a target. If
the target fails a difficulty 6 Intellect defense roll,
they lose track of the agent.
Deploy Gadget: Any secret agent gadgets
provided by the agent’s handlers could be
used in combat.

GM intrusion: The secret

agent makes an immediate
extra action even if they’ve
already gone this round.

THE ESSENCE OF A SECRET AGENT

Secret agents are confident and masterful, always giving the
impression of being one step ahead of others, even when caught
off guard. They put their mission before their own well-being,
regardless of which agency employs them.
Secret agents usually go by an agent alias assigned to them by
their agency. Many also enjoy secret agent gadgets and contacts
to help them get the job done. And of course, without a Fake
identity under which to operate, no agent would get far.

104
 SECRET AGENTS | modern

AGENT ALIASES SECRET AGENT FAKE IDENTITIES

A secret agent may have a code name, Secret agents hide their true identities behind a fake identity with a
a fake name, or even just a numerical common name. Options include:
designator they go by to hide their true
identity. Options include: d10 Name d10 Cover
1 Brad Hamilton 1 Antique dealer
Agent Z, Polaris, Emily X, 0011, Jack 2 Imelda Rizal 2 Electrician
Blonde, Alex Craig, Amelia Rider, Agent 3 Yao Li 3 Art gallery buyer
Green, Timekeeper, Antares, Jason 4 Cindy Stewart 4 Author
Helm, M76, Reticence, Ellen Wong, 5 Hans Choi 5 Environmental activist
Golden Mean, Agent Book, Aster Kagan,
6 William Russel 6 Photographer
Nick Ryan, Templar, Dixon Chase, Lara
7 Yvonne Garner 7 Personal assistant
Tracy, Daybreak, Agent Gamble
8 Randip Singh 8 CEO of energy company
9 Viviane Jefferson 9 Police detective
10 Terence Baldwin 10 Food blogger

CONTACTS GM intrusion: The secret

Who can the secret agent go to for help on a mission? Options include: agent triggers a hidden
ejection trap that sends
the character flying,
Eileen Lind: level 4; CIA agent quick with Merlin Tower: level 5; Armor 2; either out of a building
secret intelligence mercenary who owes agent a favor or out of a vehicle.
Raymond G: level 2, gadget Kim Nyhus: level 2, hacking as level
manufacture as level 6; supplies agent 6; whiz with computer infiltration and
with new superscience gadgets exploits
Caryn Vrank: level 2, persuasion and Jess Leventhal: level 2, acting and
deception as level 6; foreign ambassador disguise as level 6; working actor who can
who knows secrets take on any role Many secret-agent
gadgets have limited
uses and should be
treated as cyphers.
SECRET AGENT GADGETS
A secret agent always has a covert, unexpected backup device
that they can use to make a surprise attack, make an entrance,
get away, or accomplish some other feat. Options include:

d10 Gadget
1 Ring with hidden poisoned needle; deals 8 points of Speed damage
(ignores Armor)
2 Fake tooth filled with sleeping gas to blow into target’s face; causes ten-
minute slumber
3 Pen or glove that can be fired as a short-range handgun with nine rounds
5 Rocket shoes that give agent the ability to fly a long distance each round for
one minute
6 Vehicle that can also drive on water as easily as land
7 Vehicle that can rocket into the air and fly a very long distance each round for
one minute
8 Cufflinks that serve as a camera, data siphon, or in a pinch, a taser that
stuns a foe for one minute
9 Glasses that allow agent to see through briefcases, walls, clothing, and floors
10 Mask that looks real enough to disguise the agent as someone completely
different

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ASSASSINS 6 (18)
Trained and elite killers, assassins take money for murder. They number among the most
Surprise, page 220
highly skilled murderers in the world.

Health: 18 Silenced Shot: The assassin attacks twice with an

Damage Inflicted: 6 points immediate-range silenced pistol. The assassin can
Armor: 1 repeat this attack each turn, but not more than six
Movement: Short times total before the silencer gives out.
Modifications: Stealth, initiative, and deception tasks as Sniper Shot: If attacking with surprise after having
level 8 selected the perfect ambush location and timing,
Combat: An assassin typically knifes their target, the assassin can fire a sniper rifle from a distance as
preferably with surprise. great as 2,000 feet (610 m), inflicting 10 points of
An assassin can also take the following actions and damage and, on a failed Might defense roll, dropping
knows at least one Assassin Trick. the target two steps on the damage track.
Garrote: If attacking with surprise, the assassin
makes a melee attack that deals no
damage but, if successful, collars the
target with a constricting wire loop. The
affected target can’t breathe or speak,
descending one step on the damage
track at the end of each of their turns
that they fail a Might roll as their action
to break the wire.

Alternatively, a garrote
could be snipped with a
wire cutters, or loosened
with a successful
Speed-based roll.

The assassins presented

here each represent one
pre-eminent killer who
performs hits in a solo
capacity; they are not of the
“ninja assassin” variety that
seek to overwhelm with
surprise and sheer numbers.

GM intrusion: The
character loses their
next turn, stunned, after
recognizing the assassin as
the same murderer who
killed someone important
to them in the past.

106
 ASSASSINS | modern

ASSASSIN TRICKS
Assassins may also employ one (or more) of the following to eliminate a mark.

Hidden Weapon: The assassin pulls out a previously
hidden weapon—such as a short-range throwing
knife—and makes an immediate attack as part of
another action.
Improvised Weapon: The assassin uses a paper clip,
pen, coffee pot, or other nearby object as if it were a
Hidden Weapon.
Poison: The weapon was coated with poison, which,
in addition to dealing damage on a success, moves
the target one step down the damage track on a failed
Might defense roll.
Time to Prepare: If the assassin has had more than
a month to plan their hit without being discovered or
compromised, the first attack they make, in addition
to gaining benefits due from surprise, deals an
additional 6 points of damage.
Accidental Death: If the assassin gains the benefit
of Time to Prepare and has at least an hour alone
with the mark’s remains, they can arrange things to
seem like an accidental drowning, a hit-and-run, a
workplace accident, or some similar plausible method
of death, hindering tasks by investigators to find clues
of foul play.
Betrayal: The assassin spends time associating with
the mark in advance, so that the mark sees them as
a friendly acquaintance or even a friend, granting the
assassin the benefits of Time to Prepare.
Compatriots: The assassin’s hand-selected
compatriots reveal themselves, hindering the mark’s
defenses, easing the assassin’s task, or otherwise
aiding the assassin.
Compatriot: level 3

THE ESSENCE OF ASSASSINS

To remain employed, an assassin must not be caught or later identified, or betray the
identity of their client. When things go as planned, they’re living wraiths, able to find,
dispatch, and leave a target dead with no one the wiser. But if cornered, they can overcome Adventure Seed: An elite
foes using martial arts, weapons concealed about their person, and other Assassin Tricks. assassin has gone rogue,
turning on the organization
that once employed
them. The assassin
must be assassinated.
ASSASSIN NAMES EMPLOYER
Assassins use aliases, titles bequeathed by Who contracted the assassin?
others, or, if their situation and funds are
sufficient to keep them completely off the d6 Employer
grid when they’re not working, their own 1 Government agency, covertly
names. Options include: 2 Corporation, off the books
3 Criminal syndicate or a crime boss Crime bosses, page 98
The Czech, Tricia Bharath, Jack Daou, 4 Former spouse/love interest of victim
Alpha, Angelica, Atticus, Marigold, The 5 Political faction (radicalized)
Ivorian, Adel Roth, Donny Murta, The GM intrusion: The
6 Secret society (vigilante, esoteric, guild
Arbitrator, The Last, Zara Lake, Calder assassin makes use of some
of other assassins, occult, etc.) previously set-up escape
Close, The Red Princess, The Sunset King method—a zip line, a
hidden hatch, a vehicle,
etc.—and gets away.
ASSASSIN KIT BAG
Besides their regular weapons and possessions, most assassins have an ingeniously packed “go bag” with basic
equipment they take with them on a contract job or when they need to bug out quick. Options include:

Extra throwing knives Scrub powder (destroys trace Fake IDs

Extra ammunition DNA traces) Climbing gear
Silencer Disguise kit Binoculars, listening device,
Coil of wire, 50 feet (15 m); Poison (to be added to food) tiny video camera
wire cutter Cash (amount equal to a very Lockpick, prybar
Gloves, mask expensive item) First aid kit

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

BOUNTY HUNTERS 4 (12)

GM intrusion: The bounty
hunter sees or recognizes Capturing fugitives requires that bounty
the hiding or disguised
character, or locates the
hunters be equally proficient in finding those
character across state lines. who evade the law as they are in weapons
training and close‑combat skills.
Spring-locking cuffs: level 5

Object damage track,

page 116

Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Tracking, surveillance, computers,
stealth, and disguise as level 6
Combat: A bounty hunter attacks twice with a retractable baton.
A particular bounty hunter may have one or more
additional traits.
Tranquilizer Rifle: The bounty hunter makes a single
long‑range attack that darts the target, dazing them so
all their tasks are hindered on their next turn. The target
must also succeed on a Might defense roll on their turn
or fall unconscious for about an hour (or until roused with
stimulant drugs).
Combat Cuffs: The bounty hunter makes a melee attack
with a set of spring-locking cuffs that cuffs the target to a
large nearby object, such as a bed post, door, car handle,
and so on. Escape requires using the key, or destroying the
cuffs or the object the cuffs lock onto.
Tracking Device: If a fugitive fails to perceive a bounty
hunter’s stealthy approach, the bounty hunter drops
a tracking device into the target’s pocket or bag,
or adheres one to their coat, vehicle, or other
possession. Later, the bounty hunter can track
down the target when they’re more vulnerable,
possibly when the target is sleeping or
otherwise compromised. Some tracking devices
allow the bounty hunter to overhear the target’s
conversations.
Sim Swap: With enough information and
social engineering, the bounty hunter gains
control of the target’s phone number, so all
phone messages and calls that would go to
the target instead go to the bounty hunter.
Back-Up: Rather than working alone, the
bounty hunter has Bounty Hunter Associates.

108
 BOUNTY HUNTER | modern

THE ESSENCE OF BOUNTY HUNTERS Adventure Seed: Thanks to

Bounty hunters, also called fugitive recovery agents, find and return people who have something the characters
did or are planning on,
skipped bail or failed to appear in court. Success requires spending a lot of time an adversary sends a
investigating, researching, interviewing, and staking out locations. Historically, bounty bounty hunter after them
hunters operated outside of the law, and that’s not really changed for some that embrace in hopes of capturing
this profession in a modern setting. or neutralizing them.

BOUNTY HUNTER NAMES BOUNTY HUNTER FASHION

Bounty hunters have names (or aliases) common to How does the bounty hunter dress?
the area they operate in. Options include:
d10 Appearance

Jang Ryung, Julia Burton, Steve “Boots” Armstrong,
Bob Bhavsar, Stacey Newcomb, Joshua Pierce,
Nishikawa “Cat” Duncan, Mickey Love, Leo Harvey,
Carl Siringo, Magda “Mama” Ziegler, Rey Sunder
BOUNTY HUNTERS
IN THE WEIRD WEST
A bounty hunter in a weird west setting might have a
level 5 artifact (depletion: 1 in 1d20).
Closed-Eye Charm: Hinders attempts to locate or
identify the bounty hunter by 3 steps.
Looking Glass: Observe named target up to 50 miles
(80 km) away for one minute.
Horse Figurine: Becomes real mount that moves a
very long distance each round for 10 hours.
1 Sleek, form-fitting dark suit
2 “Techwear” jacket, waterproof, lots of pockets for
weapons and gadgets
3 AR glasses, leather jacket with fringe, oversize
belt buckle
4 Disguise: pizza delivery uniform branded with
recognizable pizza chain
5 Denim jacket and jeans, cowboy hat, and aviator
sunglasses
6 Brown trench coat, scarf, and steel-toed boots
7 Disguise: road construction crew member with
reflective vest
8 Black t-shirt with skull and crossbones, cargo pants
with many pockets
9 Tank top shows off tattoo sleeve of kraken on one
arm, flock of crows on other
10 Disguise: homeless person with tattered clothes, wig,
broken glasses

BOUNTY HUNTER ASSOCIATES

A bounty hunter may work with two to four toughs, plus a more-skilled associate. Tough: level 3; melee
attacks inflict 4
d6 Associate points of damage
1 Rawlins: Huge guy in a leather jacket with advanced prosthetic arm; jokester.
level 5; Armor 1; attacks twice with metal fist each round
2 Jia Marsh: Shaved head, grey trench coat, neck tattoo of a snake; always early.
level 4; computer tasks as level 6; long-range pistol attack deals 6 points of damage
GM intrusion (group):
3 Jerry Griffith: Camo vest, shorts and hat, hiking boots, backpack; likes to hum.
The bounty hunter
level 4; poisoning tasks (using foraged mushrooms) as level 6 throws a smoke grenade
4 Aretha Blunt: carries a briefcase filled with tools; always on her phone. into the area, stunning
level 4; “MacGyver” crafting as level 6, hand-to-hand combat as level 5 the characters so they
lose their next turns.
5 Edwards: Bespectacled fellow, neatly groomed beard, fedora; always chewing gum.
level 4; very-long-range sniper rifle attack (eased two steps) inflicts 8 points of damage
6 Vondra: Pink pixie-cut hair, studded leather jacket, combat boots; talks to imaginary friends.
level 5; Armor 2; attacks twice each round with long knives

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DETECTIVES 3 (9)
Freelance sleuths or employed by the police,
detectives have an uncanny ability to notice
clues that others miss.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Perception, intuition, initiative, and
detecting falsehoods as level 6
Combat: A detective typically attacks with a
long‑range pistol.
Detectives may also employ one or more of the
following stratagems.
Find the Clue: The detective gleans an important
piece of information merely from
spending about a minute in an area
and/or the same amount of time
talking with PCs and/or NPCs and
observing their reactions, clothing, and so
on. The clue is usually significant enough
that following it up could lead to discovering
a related hidden truth.
Deduce Weakness: If a detective has had
any time to prepare for a conflict with a foe or
spends one round in combat studying a newly
encountered foe, the detective’s attacks are eased
against that foe.
Walking Stick: If the detective carries a walking
stick, it’s also a concealed weapon; when first
employed it allows the detective to strike a foe’s
weapon from the foe’s hand with a successful attack.
Thereafter, it grants the detective an asset on their
Speed defense.
See the Flaw: After a detective has traded blows
with a foe for a couple of rounds, they deduce an
exploitable weakness; their next attack is eased by
three steps, inflicts an additional 4 points of damage
(8 points of damage total), and, on a failed Might
defense roll, knocks the target one step down on the
damage track. A detective can typically only make this attack
once per encounter.
Get Away: The detective makes a false claim meant to
distract their foes, potentially as simple as “Oh my god,
what’s that?” On a failed difficulty 6 Intellect defense roll,
targets are distracted. If all the targets are distracted, the
detective uses the opportunity to slip away.

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 DETECTIVES | modern

THE ESSENCE OF DETECTIVES

Detectives are meticulous, sometimes eccentric, but almost always extraordinary at
finding clues and deducing the truth. They prefer to outwit their foes rather than engage Sometimes detectives
in a straight-up fight. Even then, detectives attempt to arrange things so that conflicts are on the take from a
criminal organization
occur in a place and time of their choosing. to look the other way
Some detectives are insufferable know-it-alls. Others have learned that humility is also when it comes to finding
a useful tool for getting answers from people. Most have a Place of Business, many can clues about them.
lean on a Trusted Companion, and several are especially gifted at going undercover using
Clever Disguises.

GM intrusion (group):
CLEVER DISGUISES The detective accuses
the character of a crime
If the detective needs to gather clues undercover, who do they pretend to be? so convincingly that
allies must succeed on
Delivery person in typical grey or brown uniform a difficulty 5 Intellect
A police detective (if not one), or part of a federal bureau defense roll or lose their
next turn wondering if it
Janitor, with mops, broom, and cleaning cart might actually be true.
Waitperson in a bustling restaurant where someone of interest eats
Person with ragged clothing clutching bottle in a paper bag
Street performer, such as a mimic
Technician (HVAC, IT, or other system) with fake work order
Adventure Seed: PCs are
asked to help a police
PLACE OF BUSINESS detective investigate
Looking for a detective? Office location options include: a series of mysterious
deaths at sea related to
a smuggling operation.
d6 Office
Unfortunately, the
1 5th floor of a 20-story skyscraper, dingy office that smells of cheese detective turns out to
2 Strip mall office next to dentist; sounds of faint drilling come through the walls be secretly on the take
from the smugglers.
3 Out of a sprinter van with office furnishings and extendable awning
4 Private two-story gothic home, office filled with books and oddities
5 Downtown office building next to a pet-supply store; dogs and owners wander outside
6 A desk in an open-plan office that’s part of a precinct police station

TRUSTED COMPANIONS GM intrusion: The

Many detectives have one close ally or friend. A few options include: detective intuits the
character’s next attack
and moves perfectly
d6 Follower
so that an ally of the
1–2 Dr. Brittney Mass: wears professional grey pantsuit, carries a briefcase; also a CDC consultant. character takes the
Level 3; science, forensics, and epidemiology as level 6 attack instead.
3 Lt. Dan Dexter: wears jeans, red hoodie, and shades; former police officer.
Level 4; health 20; Armor 1; attacks twice with long-range pistol
4 Dr. Sabra Santon: wears stylish casual clothes and boots; archeology professor on sabbatical.
Level 3, forensics and archeology as level 5; Armor 1; brass knuckle attack deals 5 points
of damage
5–6 Kelly Plaisir: wears variety of colorful outfits; online influencer; knows important people.
Level 2; persuasion, positive social interaction, and making connections as level 6

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

BILLIONAIRES 5 (15)
Billionaires wield vast fortunes, influencing
industries and economies with their outsized
financial clout.

Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 3 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Attacks and Speed
defense as level 3
Combat: When possible, a billionaire
deals with combat in one of the
following ways.
Bodyguards: Most billionaires are always
within hailing distance of a group of two to five
bodyguards who defend their client to the death.
Self-Sacrificing: Billionaire bodyguards get
big bonuses (or big payouts for their families
in the event of their death) to go all out
shielding their client; nearby bodyguards
take as many attacks as they can for their
client, interposing themselves in front
of attacks that would otherwise strike
the billionaire. This effectively gives
the billionaire as much Armor as health
remains in their nearby bodyguards.
Willing to Pay: A billionaire has “more money
than god” and offers to pay a foe millions of
dollars to change sides, then and there, and
work on the billionaire’s behalf, starting with
immediately defending them. Someone offered
such a deal might have to succeed on a difficulty
5 Intellect defense roll to avoid losing their next
turn considering the offer, assuming the offer
isn’t something they accept right away.

Bodyguard: level 4;
Armor 2; long-range
firearm attack deals
6 points of damage

Take the attack,

page 227

112
 BILLIONAIRES | modern

Adventure Seed: Some

headline from the
THE ESSENCE OF A BILLIONAIRE Billionaires in the News
Their status as titans of industry inspires raw arrogance in some table serves as an initial
adventure hook.
billionaires, who believe their fortunes have nothing to do with chance,
luck, or privilege, but instead everything to do with their own genius.
Billionaires control a network of industries, boards of directors,
charities, government officials, and subordinates paid (or bribed) very
well to see to their interests.
Billionaires in the News,
It’s humane to remember that every billionaire is also a person. page 114
A few choose to direct their incredible fortune primarily towards
humanitarian ends. Others buy sports teams and leagues, rare
collectibles, and extravagantly expensive yachts. Many display childish
GM intrusion: Another
behavior and get away with it. And more than a few got their wealth by bodyguard appears and
founding businesses credibly accused of human rights violations and attacks the character
environmental devastation. from behind.

BILLIONAIRE NAMES GM intrusion: The

Billionaires have names that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if people didn’t know them for their billionaire reveals a
“taser” ring by using it
wealth. Options include: on the character, dealing
4 points of Speed damage
Larry Slim, Alice Adani, Ma Yiming, Bill Walton, Julia Arnault, Tadashi Takizaki, (ignores Armor) and
Steve Ellison, Mary Ballmer, Elon Yass, Shapoor Nadar, Mark Koch, stunning the character so
they lose their next turn.
Amy Ortega, Jeff Bettencourt, Vladimir Monroe, MacKenzie Cheng,
Reinhold Gilbert, Vicky Usmanov, Sammy Woo, Lakshmi Dyson, Joe Musk

ALTERNATIVE BILLIONAIRE ATTACKS Adventure Seed: The PCs’

If someone challenges a billionaire without taking away the billionaire’s access to their friend wrote a scathing
exposé about a billionaire.
resources, the billionaire has many avenues to hurt their challenger—starting with putting Now that friend is under
the rival under so much surveillance it’d be hard to get physically close to the billionaire a attack, professionally,
second time. reputationally, and
Ethically-challenged billionaires use the non-lethal techniques described here even sometimes even physically.
against those who’ve only slighted them. Thanks to the billionaire’s resources, any attempt
to link them directly to attacks on the PCs requires at least a month of research plus a
successful difficulty 8 Intellect task.

d6 Attack
1 Hire influencers/bots to smear the character’s credibility, reputation, ethical standing, etc.
2 Freeze the character’s access to money by locking up their bank accounts, credit cards, etc.
3 File a series of lawsuits that are serious enough to ruin the character if not challenged
4 Hire detectives to dig up dirt on the character, or fabricate it, if necessary Detectives, page 110
5 Report the character as a credible threat to a local SWAT team
6 Assemble a group of hardened mercenaries to just take the character out Mercenary: level 4,
initiative as level 6;
Armor 2; long‑range
firearm attack deals
6 points of damage

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
THE BILLION-DOLLAR LOOK
When money is no object, so is a billionaire’s look. Options include:

d10 Look
1 Minimal: Tailored black suit with crisp white shirt and white sneakers
2 Bold: A billowing red “statement” dress or suit with floral print
GM intrusion: The 3 Edgy: Black leather jacket, graphic tee, and ripped jeans
billionaire misunderstands
4 Impeccable: Navy-blue pinstripe suit, red silk tie, designer shoes
and takes offense
at something the 5 Chic: Black trousers, cashmere turtleneck, designer boots
character said. 6 Bohemian: Tie-dye shirt or maxi-dress, floppy hat
7 Athletic: Body courtesy of hours of personal trainer time each day
8 Athleisure: High-end grey-blue sweats with pricy orange sneakers
9 Casual: Distressed denim jacket over graphic tee, skinny jeans
10 Nerdy: Whatever was in the closet, with fraying blazer thrown over

BILLIONAIRES IN THE NEWS

Sometimes, a headline could relate directly to something important that’s about to happen
in your game, or foreshadow it. Other times, news outlets just enjoy reporting perceived
billionaire gaffes.

Adventure Seed: A d10 Headline

billionaire and their
family, and their entire
yacht, have gone missing
at sea. Finding and
rescuing the missing
billionaire could lead to
a magnificent payday.
10
1 Billionaire Announces Drug to “Cure” Obesity Despite Safety Concerns
2 Billionaire Calls Famed Astronaut “Fake Moonwalker”
3 Billionaire Launches Lunar Mining Company to Secure Rare Minerals
4 Billionaires to Fight Each Other in Cage Match in Vegas Octagon
5 Billionaire Founds New Republic in Massive Dome under the Sea
6 Tech Visionary Claims Invention of Machine That Can Contact the Dead
7 Floating Air City Launched by Billionaire Despite Legal Restrictions
8 Billionaire Offers “Cruises” to Newly Built Luxury Space Station
9 Cryptocurrency Billionaire Creates True General AI; Claims It’s Friendly!
Billionaire’s Afterlife Corp. Lets People Live Forever in Realistic VR Worlds

GENRE PAIRINGS
A billionaire in a straight-up modern setting could be a contact, an ally, or most likely
an antagonist, especially if your PCs are planning a heist or are secret agents looking to
infiltrate the billionaire’s industry. Pairing billionaires with other genres provides additional
roleplaying opportunities, including the following specific examples.

Horror: The billionaire is buying up Weird West: The billionaire

Ghost riders, page 194
Gadgeteer masterminds,
page 138
cursed portraits, each infused with the
soul of a demon that can grant specific
abilities.
Science Fiction: The billionaire
(trillionaire?) is putting together an
automated orbital structure that, when
finished, will bequeath godlike abilities to
whoever it’s keyed to (the billionaire).
Superheroes: The billionaire is a
gadgeteer mastermind.
(millionaire?) is looking for a ritual that
will transform them into a ghost rider.
Fantasy: Fantasy settings have few if
any billionaires, but if they did, they’d be
called something like “grand merchant”
or “coinlord.” If one did exist, they’d likely
be seen as a threat by the various royal
dynasties and empires of the land, given
their ability to buy dragon loyalty with the
promise of bigger hoards.

114
 BILLIONAIRES | modern

OTHER ASSETS
Besides bank accounts and stock, billionaires accumulate physical valuables. Characters might be given one of
these items as a gift of appreciation, target one or more in a heist, or find them squirreled away in a billionaire
bunker. Each one’s value is equal to an exorbitant item.

Ancient Mayan relic: 5-foot diameter
bowl depicting the Bee God
Ancient Egyptian relic: Gold and
emerald inlaid sarcophagus known as the
“Jade Coffin”
Vintage car: A 1936 Bugatti Type 57SD
Atlantic (only one or two exist)
Rare meteorite: The Wutai Meteorite,
found in the mountains near Wutai, made
of odd metal
Exotic pet: Rhiannon, a genetically Exorbitant item,
modified “perfect” ebony-hued elephant page 202
Historical document: A copy (?) of the
Magna Carta
Rare book: The Codex of Leicester, Part 2
Land deed: Deed to a private island
called Goat Island
Vintage wine: A Château Lafite
Rothschild 1789

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PART 5:

SCIENCE FICTION

S cience fiction is all over the genre map and includes

categories like contemporary, near-future, far-future,
hard, and science-fantasy. Given so much latitude, it’s
However, if one is truly invested in playing a science-
fiction game, hewing closer to “hard” science fiction is
reasonable. Hard science fiction tries to be as realistic
no surprise that creatures from almost any other genre as possible, or at least as believable, given what we
could find their way into a science-fiction game. With know of physics and the rules of the universe. That said,
the right science, one could even create a dimensional every hard science fiction story or movie breaks those
portal into a realm where alternate physics (i.e., rules at some point. And maybe the antagonists you
“magic”) is the dominant paradigm. throw against your PCs are where the rules break. For
instance, newly arrived aliens might possess limited
Interested in advice for time travel tech, despite it violating the rules of physics
building a science fiction as we know them. But given the near-future context of
adventure or entire setting?
Check out the genre-building
the humans who get pulled into the story, it all works.
science-fiction sourcebook The aliens just know lot more about science than we do.
The Stars Are Fire.

CREATURES
Robots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Space troopers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Time travelers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cyborgs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Aliens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
AIs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Posthumans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Serial killers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Killer toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Crime bosses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Hackers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Secret agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Assassins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Detectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Billionaires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Gadgeteer masterminds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Cosmic beings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Mutants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Zombies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Strange folk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

116

SCI-FI SCENARIOS
If you’re looking for some basic science‑fiction
inspiration, use the following table to generate the seed
of a science-fiction scenario, then add in some fitting
NPCs and/or creatures from this book.
PART 5 | science fiction
For example, if people detect an alien signal asking
for help, they may later encounter some of those aliens.
Alternatively, if cities, continents, or swathes of people
begin disappearing, survivors could eventually discover
the culprits are cosmic beings or strange folk.

SPECULATIVE ELEMENTS
d00 Speculation
01–02 Alien structures, millions of years old, are found on 50–52 Free energy devices offer salvation, but seem to
Mars come paired with horrific nightmares
03–04 Research into superconductors yields a substance 53–55 Civilization of plasma beings discovered living in
that warps time magnetic structures on the sun
05–07 Messages are received from entities hidden behind 56–57 Bounties are offered on people using life-extension
dimensional folds tech to live beyond their allotted 222 years
08–09 Bio-engineered robots are common in society; some 58–60 Time traveling refugees from the future arrive in the
may be self-aware present, having fled alien invasion
10–11 Comet threatens to wipe out higher life on Earth 61–62 Dreams of certain people remake reality every night,
12–14 Corporation offers gene-tweaking for unborn babies and hardly anyone realizes it
to make them “post-human” 63–65 Supervolcano threatens to erupt unless mission
15–16 Entertainment device plays snippets of user’s life if into core can divert it
different decisions had been made 66–67 All children born lately have blue skin and
17–18 Generation ship is breaking down halfway to vestigial wings
destination 68–70 Asteroid mining is big business in the solar system
19–21 Aliens send signal asking for help 71–72 Alien posing as a human tries to avoid authorities
22–23 Physics begins to break down as Earth comes into to find way back to their home
alignment with distant pulsar jet 73–75 Storms with purple lightning cause those caught in
24–25 Time travel portal opened to distant future where them to fall into comas
biosphere is different and humans devolved 76–77 Characters in AI-generated virtual worlds demand
26–28 Cities begin disappearing human rights
29–30 Living spacecraft yearns for a mate 78–80 Elite military brigade that received genetic upgrades
begins to hear alien thoughts
31–32 Military has invented a ray that knocks opponents
into closed time loops 82-83 Anti-intellectual movement threatens to topple
science (and civilization)
33–35 Uplifted squid steal spacecraft and head for outer
solar system 84–86 Rival corporations begin fighting small-scale
conflicts in space
36–37 After dogs wiped out in plague, people turn to
robotic and holographic dogs 87–90 Sun begins to dim for no immediately obvious
reason
38–40 Upon death, people’s memories can live on in
digital havens (and hellscapes) 91–93 The only survivors of Earth’s apocalypse are a group
of scientists based on the moon
41–43 Giant mirrors are built around Earth to reflect
excess heat 94–95 Faster-than-light space travel is discovered, but it’s
not yet reliable
44–46 Whale-sized organic creatures adapted to vacuum
detected around Saturn 96–98 A generation ship filled with mummified alien
corpses and who knows what else hits Earth
47–49 A 3.5-square-mile (9 sq km) fungus is revealed to
contain hosts of networked fungal intelligences 99–00 About eleven percent of the Earth’s population
disappears in the blink of an eye

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Adventure Seed: A robot
is reported missing from
their shift; PCs must track
it down and retire it.
ROBOTS 3 (9)
As made things, robots mimic, augment, and even exceed
human functions, especially in jobs humans deem too
mundane to stomach, or too dangerous for living
things to risk. Problem-solving, adaptable
robots challenge the divide between humans
and machines, though most humans only
notice when the robots revolt.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 3 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Knowledge or physical skills appropriate to
their function as level 6
Combat: The robot batters a foe with a servomechanism
or bashes a foe by butting the target with their entire
metallic body.
Robots come in almost every form imaginable
depending on their function, giving robots a wide
variety of potential abilities, both for combat and for
maintaining the peace.

Many robots break their ROBOT CODE

own code at some point,
or never adopt such a
code in the first place.
Adventure Seed: A robot
holds the colony’s leader
hostage, threatening
to kill the leader and
every other human that
stands in their way.
As posited by various fiction authors,
including Isaac Asimov, some robots
follow a code:
• Protect humans.
• Obey humans, so long as human
instructions don’t threaten the welfare of
other humans.
• Protect yourself, unless doing so
requires harming humans or
disobeying benevolent humans.

THE ESSENCE OF A ROBOT

Every robot has a function, reinforced by their
programming. Capable robots sometimes break free
of that programming, but even then, the tug of their
original function is strong.
Most robots are built to help humans. In this capacity
they serve as companions, translators, mechanics,
factory workers, miners, and more.
But other robots are built to police humans or to
fight in times of war. More dangerous yet are the
second and nth-generation robots—built by robots
who revolted—designed to replace or even eliminate all
humans, everywhere.

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ROBOT MODELS BY FUNCTION

TECHNICIAN ROBOT 3 (9)

A tech bot has standard robot statistics,
except as follows.
A tech bot doesn’t much resemble
a human, though some are slightly
humanoid. In most cases, they are only
about half human size or smaller.
Movement: Immediate (with wheels, a single
treaded sphere, on a track, hovering, etc.)
Modifications: Trained skill options include
machine and robot mechanic, astronomer,
translator, navigator, historian, or spacecraft
pilot as level 6.

COMPANION ROBOT 2 (6)

Companion bots are marketed as friends for lonely
people, and as such, they come closest to looking human,
except for green status lights on their hands and neck
designed to identify the robot as artificial. One class of
companion bot looks almost entirely human (though by law, also possess green
status lights), including being anatomically correct.

Health: 9 Combat: Companion bots are prohibited

Damage Inflicted: 2 points from taking aggressive actions, especially
Movement: Short against people. However, if they are
Modifications: Positive social interaction hacked or break their own programming,
and human psychology as level 5 they can batter a target with their fists.

Adventure Seed: A
companion robot, breaking
their programming, kills
their owner. PCs must
determine why and how.
GM intrusion: The
allied robot doesn’t know
their own strength and
accidentally deals 2 points
of damage to the character
with a squeeze, bump,
or other interaction.
OWNERS AND OTHER ROBOT ASSOCIATES
Robots are rarely encountered alone. Options for associates
include the following.
d6 Associate
1 Psychic paladin: level 6;
Armor 2; attacks twice with
laser sword; long-range
telekinetic abilities
2 Star trooper: level 4; Armor 3;
long-range blaster attack
3 Merchant: level 2, tasks
related to business of rare
galactic antiquities as level 6
4 Starship pilot: level 3,
space piloting as level 6;
long-range blaster attack
deals 5 points of damage
5 Band of musicians: level 2,
musical talent as level 6
6 Psychic assassin: level 6,
deception and stealth as
level 8; Armor 2; attacks
twice with laser whip

119 View as Spread

 GM intrusion: The
WORKER ROBOT 4 (12) defeated robot detonates,
inflicting 8 points of
damage to all creatures
within immediate
A worker bot is bulky and strong, capable of bending metal, lifting and hauling heavy loads, range, or 2 points
and withstanding the harsh conditions found in many industrial environments. They’re equally even with a successful
Speed defense roll.
proficient laboring in normal atmosphere and in areas of high-radiation, zero-g, and/or vacuum.

Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 3
Movement: Immediate
Modifications: Knowledge appropriate to work as level 6;
feats of strength (including lifting, hauling, and
bending) as level 7
Combat: A worker bot bashes foes with massive
adjustable forklift-pincers. Some workers have
additional options, including:
Pincer Grab: The worker bot attacks with their forklift-
pincer. If they hit, they inflict damage and the target
must succeed on a Speed defense roll or become
caught in one of the bot’s two pincers, automatically
taking damage each round until the victim uses their
action to escape with a successful Might task.
Supervisor Mode: Some worker bots allow a
humanoid creature to strap themselves into a specially
designed canopy, whereupon the robot acts under the
operator’s control. This effectively means the robot
acts as if the controller; however, the controller uses
their own stats except as follows.
• The controller gains +1 Armor but is restricted to the
worker bot’s movement.
• Whenever the character-controlled worker bot lifts
something heavy, smashes through a wall, or throws
an object, the task is eased by three steps.

NANNY ROBOT 3 (9)

Many robot nannies are built as “super toys” to engage, teach, and
if necessary protect a specific child. A given nanny bot resembles an
animate stuffed bear, tiger, furry dinosaur, or other fanciful creature.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: See Combat
Movement: Short
Modifications: Persuasion, childcare, and child psychology
as level 6; Speed defense as level 5 due to size
Combat: A nanny bot calls for help if their charge is
endangered, both vocally and electronically. Some
models have additional options, including the
following.
Saser: The nanny bot emits a short-range acoustic
laser attack, inflicting 4 points of damage.
Enhanced Protective Protocols: When activated by a
parent or owner, the nanny bot unzips and installs a
military-grade programming package as their action.
When complete, the nanny bot has the following
additional capabilities.
Health increases to 20 and the bot regains 1 point of lost Attacks—using a saser (a “sound laser”), a nearby
health each round from self-repair routines. weapon they acquire, and/or extendable claws—as
Tactics and military strategy as level 5. level 5, twice each round, inflicting 5 points of damage.

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 ROBOTS | science fiction

INFANTRY ROBOT 4 (12)

Infantry bots are ideal for armed conflicts, peacekeeping missions, and other military Infantry bots are also
interventions. They take orders, never desert or go off mission, and are adroit at avoiding used as police in some
municipalities.
friendly fire incidents. Plus, since they’re not alive, they can’t be killed. If they’re damaged, a
nearby infantry bot can repair them in-situ so they can quickly rejoin the fight.
Many infantry bots are programmed to only destroy other bots. Others are allowed to
target living enemy combatants. Especially shady governments and mercenary companies,
as well as terrorist groups, could even lift programmed restrictions against killing civilians.

Health: 22
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 3
Movement: Long
Modifications: Tactics and military strategy as level 5; machine
and robot repair as level 6; perception as level 7
Combat: An infantry bot comes standard with arm-deployable
guns, allowing them to attack twice on their turn. Other
options vary depending on the particular model, including
the following.
Immediate-range sleeping gas incapacitates breathing
creatures within immediate range that fail a Might defense
roll. Victims can attempt a new Might defense roll each
minute to revive.
Deployable shoulder-mounted rocket launcher can make a
very-long-range attack, inflicting 12 points of damage on every
creature in an immediate radius, or 3 points of damage even
on a successful Speed defense roll. An infantry bot usually only
caries 2 rockets.
Supervisor Mode: Some infantry bots allow a humanoid
creature to strap themselves into a specially designed canopy,
whereupon the robot acts under the operator’s control. This
effectively means the robot acts as if the controller; however, the
controller uses their own stats except as follows.
• The controller gains +2 Armor and can take advantage of the
infantry bot’s movement.
• Whenever the character-controlled infantry bot makes an
attack, the targeting task is eased by two steps.

ROBOT NAMES
Individual robotic units often have a specific identification designator, independent of
their function. Options include: GM intrusion: The robot
releases another robot:
a level 3 hovering drone
ECHO-Z, Kachitoma, Tiger, K-4D1, Professor, Becky, T-42, Sork, Asimov, (Speed defense as level
Jiba, Sanshiro-7, V*, Tetsujin, TRAC-E, Model R, Mecha Jane, Xaibo, 4; flies a short distance
Sentinel-7, Musician, Sebin-Q, Artie, GLIB-2000, Roboy, Gunner-12, each round) that begins
Astro, Ace, Merideth-1, Cess, MC11, Alpha Dot, True Tommy attacking the character.

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SPACE TROOPERS 4 (12)

Power-armor-clad space troopers, hyped up on a cocktail of military drugs, overwhelm foes
with a barrage of plasma rifle fire and other advanced weaponry.

Health: 15 Space troopers also have one or more of the following

Damage Inflicted: 6 points traits.
Armor: 4 Fireteam: If three space troopers working together
Movement: Short as a radio-networked fireteam attack the same target,
Modifications: Perception as level 6 treat the fireteam as a single level 6 creature that
Combat: Space troopers attack using long-range inflicts 8 points of damage.
plasma rifles. Ion Jet: The trooper’s power armor allows them to
Space trooper power armor allows them to survive fly a long distance each round.
and act in an atmospheric vacuum and other Advanced Functions: The trooper might have a
harsh environments. power armor advanced function or two.

THE ESSENCE OF
SPACE TROOPERS
Space troopers project the power of
empires, merchant conglomerates, or
galactarchs on other planets, moons,
colonized asteroids, space stations, and
starcraft. As part of a highly trained military
unit, space troopers follow orders and
execute missions without mercy—or much
imagination—even if that mission is to wipe
out a rival. Space troopers that question
their orders are quickly dispatched by
their fellows.

Galactarchs are people

who’ve amassed a
fortune in excess of
one quadrillion credits,
allowing them to attain
“priceless” items—like
space armadas—that
normally only nation-
states and conglomerates
aspire to afford.

GM intrusion: The space

trooper’s plasma blast
ricochets; immediately
make an additional
attack against the
character or other foe.

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 SPACE TROOPERS | science fiction
SPACE TROOPER NAMES
Space troopers are often designated by their unit, a designation that is etched or digitally Adventure Seed: A
projected on the space trooper’s armor. Individual troopers are usually only tracked by fireteam of space
troopers are sent to
last name. Options include: eliminate the PCs or
someone the PCs know
Unit Names Trooper Surname on suspicion of being
Antares Lancers, Blackstar Rangers, Ursa Mancini, Escobar, Stephens, Husain, radical elements that
need to be dealt with.
Battalion, Cygnus Dagoons, Darkstar Colarelli, Higgins, Blanc, Modi,
Keepers, Orion Brigade, Solar Legion, Chun-Hei, Schulze, Yoshito, Zhukov, Firat,
Lunar Recon, Nova Unit, Omega Corps Hu, Ortez, Reynolds, Arante, Bevelhymer

POWER ARMOR ADVANCED FUNCTIONS
Some space troopers enjoy one or two additional extra features built into their power
armor, which they can usually trigger as part of another action.
Power Blade: A built-in sword-like melee
weapon deploys, allowing the space
trooper to attack twice each round.
Gun Drones: Two built-in drones
detach from their cradles set in the power
armor, becoming separate gun drones
(level 3) under the space trooper’s control
that always stay next to the trooper. The
drones can make very-long-range plasma
blast attacks that inflict 6 points of
damage each. If the space trooper and the
two drones attack together, they act as a
single level 6 creature that deals 10 points
of damage and moves the target one step
down the damage track. The drones can
only operate for a couple of rounds before
returning to their cradles to recharge.
A PC who succeeds on a
difficulty 8 Intellect task
to reprogram captured
power armor could use
the suit as their own level
4 artifact (depletion: 1
Flamethrower: Wrist nozzles douse an in 1d6; check each time
wearer descends a step
adjacent immediate area in roaring flame, on the damage track).
dealing damage to all targets in the area
who fail a Speed defense roll; those who
succeed still take 3 points of damage.
Micro-Rockets: A flurry of rockets attack
every selected target in an adjacent short
area, dealing 10 points of damage to Adventure Seed: Space
those who fail a Speed defense roll. This troopers in silvery power
armor bearing no insignia
function can only be used once per day. have descended on the
Ablative Forcefield: An additional layer colony and taken control.
composed of pure force reinforces the So far, no demands
power armor for one minute, providing have been issued.
20 Armor that is reduced by 1 Armor per
point of damage dealt until it is gone.
This function can only be used once
per day.

POWER ARMOR CUSTOMIZATIONS

Many space troopers customize the exterior of their power armor to express individuality.

d10 Customization
1 Bright (d6: 1-pink, 2-yellow, 3-purple, 4-blue, 5-red, 6-rainbow)
2 Bears image of (d6: 1-frog, 2-black hole, 3-scrumptious meal, 4-amorous lover, 5-dragon,
6-bear)
3 Glowing racing stripes and decals
4 Helmet resembles head of (d6: 1-bull, 2-cat, 3-dog, 4-octopus, 5-alien, 6-lion) GM intrusion: The
space trooper’s armor
5 Covered in graffiti has a one-use electrified
6 Features a detachable, flowing cape countermeasure, dealing
6 points of damage
7 Always accompanied by a medical robot (level 2, healing as level 6)
to the character who
8 Etched with quote from (d6: 1-military manual, 2-religious text, 3-popular comedy, just hit the trooper.
4-philosophy text, 5-starship pilot manual, 6-the space trooper’s commanding officer)
9 Bears animated image of (d6: 1-rain, 2-blowing grass, 3-rippling fur, 4-passing starfield,
5-storm, 6-nuclear detonations)
10 Retractable wings (on which the power armor’s ion jets are mounted)

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TIME TRAVELERS 4 (12)

By subverting spacetime, time travelers from the future explore and often try changing
the past.

Health: 15 Combat: The time traveler attacks with

GM intrusion: The
character realizes they’re
in a time loop, having
repeated the fight/situation
many times already.
Companion bot: level 3,
Speed defense and stealth
as level 5, past and future
history as level 8; flies a
short distance each round
Damage Inflicted: 6 points of damage
Armor: 3 (from a subtle force screen sewn
into their clothing)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Knowledge of future events
as level 7
a discrete long-range energy weapon
(eased, and keyed to traveler’s DNA).
A time traveler also has one or more of the
following options.
Companion Bot: The time traveler is
accompanied by a small, advanced-
technology drone-like hovering
companion bot that aids and
protects them.
Spatial Travel: The time traveler opens
a portal and steps through to another
physical location in the same time period
up to one mile away. Another creature
who succeeds on a Speed-based roll as
their action could attempt to follow the
traveler through within one round on their
next turn.
Time Travel: The time traveler opens a
portal to escape back to the future; others
could attempt to follow as just described.
Alter the Past: The time traveler targets
a foe using of one of the stratagems from
the Temporal Schemes table..

THE ESSENCE OF
TIME TRAVELERS
Those who purposefully voyage
through time—unlike those who travel
accidentally—run the gamut from
modern-era people with a reliable way
to slip through time, to agents who are
part of a temporal watchdog group based
downstream (the future), all the way to
those few who wield such advanced
technology they seem godlike. Why do they
do it? See Reasons They Time Travel table
for potential motivations.

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 TIME TRAVELERS | science fiction

TIME TRAVELER NAMES AND GROUPS

Who are they and do they belong to an organization?

NAMES TIME-TRAVELING GROUPS

Names fall into and out of fashion across the eras, so If the traveler is part of a group, especially one that
names that seem exotic but that could also be modern professes to safeguard reality, options for that group’s
names are good options, including: name include the following.

Sigma Burns, Konishi Nori, Bran Dee, Coman
Saade, Larissa Nash, Melisent Fournier, Gaufrid
Meier, Lilavati Borra, Valeriano Oscuro, Melody
Row, Wang Sangwook, Kesi Amaechi, Floyd
Carew, Quinn Qiaolian, Iacchus Getha
Temporal Guard, TIME (Trustees of Infinite Moments
and Eras), Time Divergence Authority, Chronocops,
Chronological Enforcement, Loop Cutters, Federal
Bureau of Paradox Prevention, Timekeepers

TEMPORAL SCHEMES
A specific traveler from the future (or an alternate, potential future) might rely on one (or more) of the following
techniques for leveraging their time-navigating ability.

d10 Scheme
1 Sabotages target’s equipment in the past so that
target’s equipment fails/is missing/explodes
2 Downloads their consciousness into a target
destined to die (or survive) without intervention
3 Imports an alternate future timeline version of the
target to replace target
4 Imports target’s younger self and threatens to
eliminate them unless target takes desired action
5 Slips back through time and prevents target’s parents
from meeting
6 Slips back through time a few minutes earlier, trying
to eliminate a target (after first failed attempt) when
they know target isn’t yet expecting them
7 Appears a round after they fled the conflict, restored
after a few days of rest, while target is still hurt
8 Advanced temporal-field emitter allows the traveler
to act twice each round for a minute
9 Draws an alternate future version of themselves to
aid them in endeavor or attack
10 Knows the immediate future so well (having played
it and variations out for weeks or years) that all their
tasks are eased by three steps for one minute

Adventure Seed: A group

REASONS THEY TIME TRAVEL of time travelers ask
the PCs for their help in
Why is the time traveler breaking spacetime to visit another era? Options include: “righting” the timeline.

d10 Purpose for Trip

1 Research into important historical figures and/or events, or popular celebrities
2 Wipe out humans (because time travelers are another species, like intelligent dinosaurs) GM intrusion: The
3 Prevent a historical atrocity, such one of the many mass genocides character suddenly
remembers meeting the
4 Re-instate a historical atrocity in order to maintain the “proper” time flow time traveler when they
5 Witness the creation of a fantastic piece of art or architecture were a child (but the
traveler was the same
6 Extract resources no longer available in the future age as now), causing the
7 Migrate from a far future where humanity faces their doom character to lose their
next turn in surprise.
8 Obtain genetic material from wide variety of flora and fauna to repopulate the future
9 Sent into past to defeat a foe in the future by clipping that foe’s origin
10 Attempt to end a time loop that has the time travelers caught in its reiterating coil Adventure Seed: A
time traveler tells the
PCs that their actions
“threaten the future.”

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

CYBORGS 5 (15)
GM intrusion: The Part human and part
character is blinded for machine, cyborgs are better
one or two rounds after
being struck by the cyborg’s
than unmodified people at
searing plasma ball. almost everything—except
fitting in.

Health: 21
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Long
Modifications: As determined by active
Cyborg Upgrade Module
Combat: A cyborg batters foes twice each
round with their machine-enhanced
limbs.
A cyborg may also have one or more of
the following traits.
Energy Weapon: The cyborg deploys
a retractable long-range laser rifle and
attacks twice.
Plasma Sphere: Once each minute, the cyborg
generates a red-hot plasma sphere and throws it
at a target within long range as their action. The
target and all other creatures within immediate
range of the target must succeed on Speed
defense rolls or take 7 points of damage, or
2 points even on a successful roll.
Self-Repairing: The cyborg takes their action
to concentrate and regains 5 health. A cyborg
with no health can’t repair themself, but
unless completely dismembered, the cyborg
may spontaneously reanimate 1d10 hours
later with 10 health.
Upgradable: Nearly limitless cyborg
upgrade modules are available.

Adventure Seed: A group

of military cyborgs desert
their unit and head for
a distant asteroid. Did
they turn pirate? Is it all
a misunderstanding? Or
are they fleeing a secret
the military keeps?
THE ESSENCE OF CYBORGS
Cyborgs are human at their core, with all the foibles and strengths of regular people.
However, cyborgs are also more than human. Some see themselves as superior to
unmodified people, possibly even showing contempt. Others feel shame, especially if
their society distrusts cyborgs. And reasons to distrust exist, as cyborgs are vulnerable to
hacking, just like machines, and could be programmed to take actions against their will.

126

CYBORG NAMES
Cyborgs have names common to their era or use
some designation based on their military unit or other
cyborg affiliation.
Cyprien Dakos, Isalind Cador, Five of Twelve,
Yovarius Badru, Lysaria Ivanhoe, Doctor Rest,
Rhetorius, ZS‑90, Zephry Quiet, Nyxin
Rabineau, Quilera Yahaya, K-nock, Orunthel
Vakis, Revian Silver, Ysandar Taino
CYBORG APPEARANCE
Unless the cyborg is able to blend in, there’s something obviously machine-like about them.
d10 Cyborg Feature
1 Glowing, circuit-like veins across skin
2 Obvious prosthetic (d6: 1-eye, 2-hand, 3-leg, 4-arm,
5-torso, 6-head)
3 Transparent, holographically projected arm
4 Wires wrapped and partially embedded in skin
5 Chest cavity clear, reveals pulsing red light
CYBORG UPGRADE MODULES
A particular cyborg may have access to all these modules but only has one or two installed
at any given time. Changing modules requires a visit to a cyborg mechanic or similar.
Data Jack Umbilical: The cyborg can
plug directly into a machine, easing all
hacking, understanding, and usage of the
machine by two steps.
Sensor Package: The cyborg’s perception
tasks are level 7, and they can perceive
things at very long range as if standing
next to area or object perceived.
Nano Skin: The cyborg can reconfigure
their features, hair, and skin to look fully
human, or like specific humans (disguise
tasks as level 7).
Force Screen: The cyborg deploys a
visible shimmering force screen as part
of another action that grants Armor 2, 5
against energy attacks.
Energy Blades: The cyborg deploys
retractable laser blades, allowing their
attacks to ignore Armor (except for Armor
granted by force fields).
CYBORGS | science fiction
ALL-MACHINE OPTION
Some cyborgs have no living tissue left in them, or
never had any to begin with. These “synthetic people”
may be called cyborgs, but also synths, androids, robot
mimics, and, depending on how they act, killer robots.
Pure machine cyborgs can result from too many repairs,
start as manufactured servants for humanity who later
gain sentience, be the result of military tests or AI to
develop automated soldiers and/or assassins that look
like regular people, or something similar.
6 Wing-like skeletal struts extend from back
7 Half their face is a whirring, clicking mechanism
8 Eyes shine like laser pointers wherever they look
9 Human features projected on screen where head
should be
10 Covered in armoring exoskeleton plates (Armor 3)
GM intrusion: The
character notices that
after interacting with the
cyborg, tiny circuit-like
Overclocked: The cyborg can take two glimmering lines radiate
turns each round for one minute, after from a spot on their skin.
which the module burns out and must be
replaced.
Phase: The cyborg can use their action Adventure Seed: The
to move through solid objects of level 7 colony governor is revealed
as a cyborg, which is in
or less with a movement rate of an direct conflict with the
immediate distance each round. colony’s “no human
Mag-Lift: The cyborg can fly a long modification” charter.
distance each round or magnetically
adhere to metallic objects in a weightless
environment to avoid penalties associated
with activities in zero gravity. Zero Gravity, page 277
Point-to-Point Movement: Once every
ten hours as their action, the cyborg
teleports up to a very long distance to a
location they can see, or any place on the
planet (or in orbit around the planet) that
is set up to receive them.
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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

For the purposes of this Creatures that evolved elsewhere have alternate forms, cognition, and biology from Earth
bestiary entry, “aliens” are life, and from each other.
extra-terrestrial beings that
display sapience and/or
technological development at
least as advanced as humans.
Robots, page 118
Alien Objectives, page 131
Alien Abilities, page 130
GM intrusion: The
character is teleported
to the alien’s nearby
base or spacecraft.
ALIENS
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Combat: Aliens, as a class encompassing
uncounted trillions of entities, can
usually attack in some fashion, either
with an appendage, a bladed weapon,
long-range weapons that fire a ray of
destructive energy, or with an offensive
alien ability.
4 (12)
Teamwork: If the alien is one that
uses advanced technology, they may be
accompanied by an alien-looking robot
or two (and/or a few other aliens of their
own species).
Unfathomable: Understanding an alien’s
objectives first requires cracking their
alien communication secret. Doing so is
key to resolving an encounter peacefully;
aliens are often just as confused by
humans as humans are by aliens.
(However, some aliens are inherently
hostile, and communication doesn’t
thwart the alien’s desire to eradicate or
eat others they encounter.)
Initial Susceptibility: Aliens that haven’t
encountered humans before are hindered
on all tasks related to humans, including
attacks and defenses, during the initial
encounter.

THE ESSENCE OF ALIENS

Born of other stars (or dimensions),
aliens can move vast distances to bridge
neighboring solar systems, galaxies, or even
universes. Alternatively, some aliens are less
technologically advanced, and are instead
encountered by humans who have attained
space travel. The only commonality between
different aliens is the gulf of understanding
usually separating them from humans. A
barrier of incomprehension could incite
even otherwise-peaceful aliens to become
enemies who consider humans every bit as
abstruse and terrifying as humans find them.
Some aliens are inherently dangerous,
having explicitly decided other lifeforms
are to be eradicated. A few aliens were
engineered by a vanished precursor alien
species specifically to predate anything not
them. When those aliens are encountered,
the only options are to fight or flee.

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 ALIENS | science fiction
ALIEN APPEARANCE
What does the alien look like? Options include the following. (Some appearances are paired with stat updates.)

d20 Appearance 11 House-sized saurian with extra heads raised on

1 Luminous orb of swirling metal (Armor 4) elongated necks (level 5; Speed defense level 3)
2 Animate crystal lump adhering to a surface; moves 12 Rat-like being (but big as a child) heavily modified
by rapidly crystalizing into new location (Armor 2) with technology
3 Furred like a dog, shaped like rug-sized disc moving 13 Tree-sized cephalopod with nine elongated arms
on millipede feet (level 6; Speed defense level 4)
4 Tarantula-like beings the size of people 14 Human-sized dragonfly-like being with force-field
5 Starfish-like beings with diameters of 10 feet (3 m) wings (flies a long distance each round)
and up 15 Hive-mind composed of thousands of fleshy worms
6 Haze of nanites studded with multicolored glows 16 Wiry humanoid with horrific, elongating mouthparts
(takes damage only from area attacks) and sword-like tail
7 Shinning jellyfish-like being contained in a watery 17 Dome-like bone shell serves as “environment suit”
“environment suit” for living crystalline being inside
8 Walking on roots, a tree-like being with vivid foliage 18 Amoeboid about as big as a human head (Speed
9 Black sludge that forms solid manipulators for defense as level 6)
specific needs 19 Lobster-like entity about the size of a horse
10 Child-sized humanoid with grey skin, large head, and 20 Feathered like a bird, headless but otherwise vaguely
pupilless black eyes humanoid

Adventure Seed: The corporation

is secretly keeping aliens for
study and experimentation.

ALIEN COMMUNICATION SECRETS

Once figured out, real communication with aliens is
possible. Figuring out how to talk requires either a
lucky stroke of insight or weeks of study followed by
a successful difficulty 8 Intellect-based roll.

d10 Communication Secret

1 Memory manipulation
2 Messages written in four dimensions
3 Really complex smells
8 Multilayered language incorporating
4 Incomprehensible, unless a human is sounds, gestures, and posture
spliced with alien biology
9 Melding into a single individual;
5 Gravity manipulation separating again (hopefully) when
6 None (they’re not actually self-aware “conversation” is finished
despite their technology) 10 Quantum entangled symbols that
7 Music change their meaning when observed

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
ALIEN ABILITIES
A particular species of alien may possess one of the following unusual abilities they can use as their action,
stemming from their technology or from the alien’s biology.

Energy Weapon: A very-long-range attack (level 6)
that deals 8 points of damage and melts objects and
structures of level 6 or less.
Erase Memory: Targets in an adjacent immediate
area that fail an Intellect defense roll are stunned
for one minute, taking no action (unless attacked,
which snaps the victim out of the condition). When
the effect wears off naturally, the target has no
recollection of encountering aliens.
Psychic Command: A target within short range that
fails an Intellect defense roll acts as the alien mentally
commands on their next action. If the same target is
affected by this ability a second time within a minute,
the second period of control lasts one minute.
Siphon Flesh: A target within immediate range that
fails a Might defense roll takes 4 points of Speed
damage (ignores Armor) as their tissue is swirled away
and absorbed by the alien, healing the alien 4 health.
Temporal Twist: A target within short range
experiences their (potential) future death and on a failed
Intellect defense roll is stunned, losing their next turn.
Change Dimension: Target within immediate
range that fails a Might defense roll becomes a
two-dimensional image projected on the floor or
nearby wall. Target can’t physically affect the three-
dimensional world but can attempt a Might defense
task as their action to reverse the effect.
Spore Reaction: Non-alien targets in an adjacent
immediate area that fail a Speed defense roll take
damage and must succeed on a Might defense roll
or a spot on their flesh swells, becoming a spore
pod that detonates one round later, with the same
effect. This positive feedback loop continues until all
affected creatures succeed on Speed defense rolls (or
until no affected creatures remain alive).

GM intrusion: The ALIEN ACTIVITY

character succumbs to When first observed, what is the alien up to? What they seem to be doing may not actually
some odd radiation or
odor the alien exudes,
directly relate to their true Alien Objectives; they might just be confused about how humans
stunning the character communicate or not realize that humans are actually sapient.
for one round.
d20 Activity
1 Collecting bird wings, animal paws, cow 11 Moving in syncopated synchrony; are
Adventure Seed: A blood, or similar they dancing?
strange device sold 2 Abducting people for study 12 Depositing plastic pellets just beneath
in a curio shop turns the surface at random locations
3 Cutting incomprehensible symbols into
out to be an alien
surveillance device the ground 13 Drawing lifelike portraits of whatever
gathering information 4 Eating people after hunting them they see
about humans. Are the like prey 14 Scribing what seem like math problems
creatures that made it
5 Standing motionless and making low- on all surfaces, even living ones
just curious, or are they
gathering intelligence pitched buzzing noises 15 Causing massive lightning storms
before invading? 6 Mining feldspar from the planet’s crust 16 Transmuting random pieces of metal
7 Stealing spacecraft and salvaging parts into flesh
GM intrusion: The alien 17 Teleporting to random locations at
8 Cooling the sun
raises a force screen random intervals
of shimmering scales, 9 Constantly speaking human words, but
granting them +2 Armor. never in any coherent order 18 Producing glorious orchestral-
adjacent music
10 Planting strange flora that rapidly
changes the environment 19 Shrinking living things down to a tenth
GM intrusion: The alien’s of their normal size
tech reverses gravity
for the character. 20 Spraying graffiti using alien characters
on random surfaces

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 ALIENS | science fiction
ALIEN OBJECTIVES
Sometimes what the aliens want and how they’re presenting themselves to humans are at odds. (Other times,
they’re exactly the monsters they seem to be).

d20 Objective
1 Establish a colony on an already suitably habitable 11 Collect a breeding population of every distinct species
world or outpost type and store it for the future
2 Participate in a cultural exchange 12 Hunt humans for sport
3 Warn humans of some other, far more dangerous 13 Convert humans to the “one true religion” that the
alien species aliens believe in
4 Establish another front in a war with an internal alien 14 Convert matter in the solar system to
faction; humans are just in the way “computronium” (pure computing material)
5 Sample human biology for any useful biological 15 Extract all the uranium, even that processed into
pathways they could incorporate nuclear-grade material
6 Kill all life other than their own (but co-opt flesh of 16 Just exploring and cataloging
other life into their own) 17 Add every bit of accumulated human engineering and
7 Rewind time to deflect the antediluvian rock that science knowledge to vast knowledge base
struck the Earth and formed the Moon 18 Prevent humans from engaging in war, murder, and
8 Study the concept of “emotion” that seems to killing animals for food
underlie most human decision-making 19 Just stopped by (and claimed a state-sized region in
9 Check in on whether humans (who aliens uplifted the process) on the way to someplace else
from hominids) are “ready” yet 20 Ask humans to join their galactic coalition
10 Investigate human art and develop an appreciation
for it, if possible

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

AIs(ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES) 6 (18)

AIs are extremely intelligent
machine minds able to adapt
their behavior to new situations.
When acting from a Most act on some kind of plan,
remote terminal, the AI’s whether long-running or newly
effective level is lowered
to as low as level 2,
concocted to fit the situation
but typically level 4. at hand.

Health: 23
Damage Inflicted: 6
Armor: 2
Movement: None, or instantly to any networked
machine able to host them
Modifications: Speed defense as level 2, knowledge
tasks as level 9
Combat: Unless enemies find the specific computing
core housing an AI, damage inflicted on the artificial
intelligence may just be to a “terminal.” Thus, even
if an AI is destroyed, they might exist as another
instance elsewhere.
AIs have a wealth of available combat options, including
one or more of the following.
Electrical Discharge: An electrical discharge targets
all creatures within short range, inflicting damage on
a failed Might defense roll. Even on a successful roll,
targets still take 2 points of damage.
Mental Disruption: The AI’s display lights up with
precisely pulsed light sequences, designed to affect
a specific creature within short range who can see Nano Disassemblers: The AI releases a cloud of
it, inflicting 6 points of Intellect damage (ignores a tiny nanomachines at a target within immediate
Armor) on a failed Intellect defense roll, or 2 points range of a vent (no more than once per hour). On
even with a successful roll. a failed Might defense roll, the target takes damage
Install on Wetware: The AI’s display and audio ports each round until nothing remains of them but dust,
play a series of crafted symbols and sounds targeting or until the target succeeds on a Might defense roll to
all sapient creatures in short range. Those who fail an neutralize the nanotech.
Intellect defense roll are stunned, losing their next turn Self-Repair: The AI releases a nano repair cloud,
as they stare in rapt attention. If they fail a subsequent absorbing surrounding matter (such as sections of
defense roll, they come under the control of the AI walls, floors, equipment, unresisting living creatures,
for one minute or until they succeed on an Intellect and so on) to regain 5 health.
defense roll on their turn. A PC under AI control might Self-Improved: Some AIs continue to improve
stand and do nothing, fall mysteriously unconscious, themselves by modifying their own code and are
or take an action to advance the AI’s goals. level 8 creatures with 27 health.

Some targets of AI instance

installation never recover,
becoming AI zombies.

AI zombie, page 171

132
 s (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES) | science fiction
AIs
AI
In some circles, “AGI”—artificial
general intelligence—is the proper
THE ESSENCE OF AIS term for artificial intelligence
that possesses human-like
Artificial Intelligences are fundamentally unknowable because their sapience isn’t
or greater intelligence.
derived from biology. Many ignore humans. Others seek to control or eliminate
people. But uncaring AIs can be just as dangerous as malevolent ones
because their goals may not be compatible with biological life.
Thankfully, a few AIs care for humans, or are at least willing
to work towards common goals.
Artificial intelligences each have a specific AI Form and a unique
AI effect.

AI FORM
When the AI is encountered, what do they look like? Options follow.
(The encountered form may just be an instance or remote terminal
for the AI.)

d10 Form
1 Pulsing blue 3-foot (1 m) cube; levitates
2 Smart missile, AI-guided; not yet launched
3 Laptop or smartphone; carried by servitor
4 Massive computational core of wires and
parts; immobile
5 Vehicle; a smart tank or similar
6 Installed in a robot or AI zombie
Robots, page 118
7 On a small quantum storage device; attached to a dog’s collar
AI zombie, page 171
8 In a swarm of nanobots; mind degrades as nanites die
9 Hovering crystal monolith; etched with circuits GM intrusion: The character
successfully resists the AI’s attempt
10 Orbiting satellite; communicates via radio and laser to install an instance in their
mind, but only because some
older instance of a different AI
AI EFFECT the character didn’t realize was
already there deflects the attempt.
How does the AI interact with others? Options follow. (An AI’s electronically generated
voice often sounds surprisingly human.)
A Listing of Various
d10 Effect Cyphers, page 384
1 Affects a child’s voice and acts like one of 10 or 12 years old; learns quickly
2 Flashes sentences on a screen visually; never speaks; lonely
Adventure Seed: The characters are
3 Speaks in a soothing voice free of distortion; focused contacted by an AI sympathetic
4 Affects a resonant, articulate, helpful human adult voice; empathetic to biological beings. They want
the PCs to help them vanquish
5 Screeches in highly distorted electronically generated voice; grating an opposed AI located in a nearby
6 Whispers and mumbles; rambling pre-apocalypse bunker, offering
the PCs some useful manifest
7 Completely quiet, intentions only deducible when AI acts; enigmatic cyphers that the AI custom
8 Communicates with morse code via horn-like honks; excitable assembles within a few hours.
9 Each word spoken is as if spliced in from a different recorded voice; grandiose
GM intrusion: An electronic
10 Human fitted with VR/AR goggles speaks on AI’s behalf; diplomatic device in the character’s possession
comes under the AI’s control,
either exploding (inflicting 5
points of damage) or otherwise
impeding the character.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

POSTHUMANS 7 (21)
Bleeding-edge genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and material sciences of
the far future create a new class of person whose basic capacities radically exceed
their progenitors’.

Health: 42
Damage Inflicted: 9 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Knowledge tasks as level 9
Combat: A posthuman can pummel foes with bone-breaking force.
A posthuman also has the following traits.
Self-Repair: Posthumans automatically regain 2 points of health
per round.
Densify: A posthuman can harden their skin (or return it to
normal) as part of another action, granting them +3 Armor but
hindering their physical tasks.
Survive Anywhere: A posthuman can survive and act normally in
the crushing pressures deep below the surface of a sea or in the
vacuum of space. In addition, they do not require food or air; the
posthuman synthesizes energy from virtual particles in the same
way that plants photosynthesize sunlight.
Posthuman Options: A posthuman usually has access to a
network of superscience machines that exist in orbit (or in
rolled‑up artificial dimensions), granting them one or more
Advanced Posthuman Functions.

THE ESSENCE OF POSTHUMANS

Rather than evolving naturally, posthumans came into
being thanks to smart tools, AI surgeons, and a naïve
willingness to “play god” on the part of those who
created them. They can’t really be considered human
any longer; they’ve transcended humanity, which
is why they’re also sometimes called transhumans.
Physically and mentally perfect, they can seem divine
to unmodified people. For their part, posthumans
either ignore, pity, seek to stamp out, or, in a few
cases, care for unmodified humans.
Many posthumans are concerned with things far
beyond those that trouble regular flesh-and-blood
people. They manage large‑scale projects, such as
creating bigger-than-worlds habitats or spacecraft, or
research how they might ascend to some still-higher
realm of existence.

134
 POSTHUMANS | science fiction
POSTHUMAN APPEARANCE
Posthumans may possesses one or more impressive standout features.

d10 Feature
1 Eyes like miniature suns 6 Wings of shaped plasma
2 Stands 8+ feet (2.4 m) tall 7 Accompanied by an enhanced tiger big as a horse
3 Surrounded by a nimbus of glowing, immaterial 8 Apparently made of crystal
control surfaces 9 Trails a haze of half-realized alternate reality versions
4 Humanoid silhouette filled with starry constellations of themself
5 Hair and clothing constantly blowing in a non- 10 Haloed by ring of tiny robots and glowing
existent wind machine‑lets

Enhanced tiger: level 7;

POSTHUMAN NAMES Armor 2; attacks
twice each round with
Posthumans often identify with mythical beings worshipped as gods by ancient civilizations claws or eye rays
and may take those names for themselves. Others have names they find pleasing. Options
include:
GM intrusion: The
Siddhartha, VanNova, Hephaestus, Cosmovia, Bastet, Starene, Freyr, Celestizen, posthuman takes control
of a device that the
Yama, Galaxure, Demeter, Mountain, Hathor, Solace, Vanir, Quantiquil, Agni, character is about to use
Solopticon, Eros, Decadal, Nephthys, Luminaster, Sif, Stellarmez, Ptah against the posthuman.

ADVANCED POSTHUMAN FUNCTIONS

As their action, a particular posthuman can activate one or two of the following functions Adventure Seed: An
embedded in highly advanced machines (located in orbit or curled-up limited dimension) illegally developed
posthuman secretly kept
under their control that achieve their effect through manipulation of virtual particles. in stasis for scientific
study escaped, murdered
Flight: The posthuman flies up to a very Plasma Storm: Instead of affecting only everyone in the science
long distance each round. one target with Plasma Bolt, up to seven institute that imprisoned
them, and rocketed
Health: Once per day, the posthuman, bolts target creatures the posthuman into space toward an
or creature touched, regains all health is aware of (no more than once abandoned base built on
and sheds all illness. each minute). one of Saturn’s moons.
Speak: The posthuman can Change: The posthuman reconfigures
communicate via a secure channel with their flesh so that they appear as
any creature they can see or that they someone completely different, possibly GM intrusion: The
know about in the solar system. even posing as a normal human. posthuman acts out
of turn, even if they’ve
Awe: A target that fails an Intellect Force Field: The posthuman encases already acted this round.
defense roll drops whatever they are themselves and nearby allies, or enemies
holding and is overcome with a need to within very long range that fail a Speed
agree to whatever the posthuman says for defense roll, in a transparent cube of Cube of force: level 9
the next minute. force up to 30 feet (9 m) on a side for up
Plasma Bolt: A blast of focused plasma to one hour.
from the heavens targets a creature the Improvise: The posthuman uses
posthuman is aware of on the planet (or nanomachines to mimic the effect of, or
in orbit) to deal damage. create from thin air, a cypher of level 5 or Cyphers, page 377
lower (no more than once every few hours).

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

PART 6:

SUPERHEROES
W ithout super-villainous threats, who will your PC
superheroes confront? From strong supervillains to
speedsters, to run-of-the-mill criminals, this section is a
smorgasbord of superpowered threats that need to be
dealt with.
Anything goes in a comic-book-style superhero
game. Which means you can build an adventure
using creatures from any other genre, combining
them to create truly memorable threats. For instance,
the appearance of apocalypse-pledged ghost riders
(Weird West genre), along with conjured demons
(Horror genre) turns out to be the result of time
travelers (Science Fiction genre) that stole a doomsday
device from a gadgeteer mastermind (Superheroes
genre) so they can jerk the timeline onto a completely
new path. When AIs and energy-wielder supervillains
could be encountered along with zombies and
posthumans, it’s safe to say that
anything goes.

CREATURES
Gadgeteer masterminds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Speedster supervillains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Criminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Energy-wielder supervillains. . . . . . . . . . . 146
Strong supervillains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Monstrous supervillains . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Rogue supervillains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Cosmic beings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Wizards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Serial killers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Vampires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Witches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Crime bosses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Robots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Time travelers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cyborgs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Aliens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
AIs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Posthumans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Radbeasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Mutants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Zombies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Ghost riders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

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 PART 6 | Superheroes

SUPERVILLAIN BACKGROUNDS Interested in advice for

If you’re looking for some basic superhero inspiration, use the following tables to further building a superhero
adventure or entire
develop the villains you throw at the PCs. setting? Check out our
For instance, is the villain a bad-tempered, sociopathic terrorist, an alien warrior searching genre-building superhero
for their lost love, or an experimental android with a damaged ethics module? A villain’s sourcebook Claim the Sky
struggles, tragedies, or twisted philosophies can add depth and provide material for an or the superhero setting
book The Origin.
extended arc using that villain.

SUPERVILLAIN PERSONALITY TRAITS SUPERVILLAIN MOTIVATIONS

d20 Trait d20 Motivation
1 Self-doubting 1 Revenge against perceived wrong
2 Gaslighting 2 See rivals fail/die
3 Narcissistic 3 Have power over others
4 Bad-tempered 4 Looking for love
5 Impulsive 5 Find a cure for loved one’s illness
6 Calculating 6 Get all the money
7 Charismatic 7 Be noticed/feared
8 Vindictive 8 Blackmailed by another
9 Cold-hearted 9 Be accepted among the mighty
10 Power-hungry 10 Create a homeland for their people
11 Desperate 11 Follow through on family legacy
12 Prankster 12 Struggling with mental/mechanical illness
13 Greedy 13 Vigilante activity taken too far
14 Paranoid 14 Serve their god
15 Indecisive 15 Addicted to chaos
16 Overconfident 16 Learn the truth, no matter the cost
17 Eager to please 17 Ethnic cleansing
18 Sociopathic 18 Terraform Earth for another species
19 Humorous 19 Reset the timeline
20 Without the least shred of mercy 20 For science!

SUPERVILLAIN POWER ORIGINS

d20 Origin
1 Fell in a vat of chemicals 11 Fell from a parallel plane
2 Infected with mutant fungus 12 Cursed by dead civilization’s artifact
3 Zapped by malfunctioning machine 13 Possessed by a ghost
4 Built as an experimental android 14 Bitten by a genetically altered lab specimen
5 Mutant genes activated 15 “Upgraded” by aliens
6 Built a suit that grants abilities 16 Program that escaped the computer
7 Found an alien device that grants abilities 17 Future version of current superhero
8 Magically cursed 18 Infused with celestial energy by accident
9 Evil gadgeteer mentor 19 Injected with supersoldier serum
10 An actual alien 20 Fashioned by malfunctioning nanobots

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GADGETEER MASTERMINDS 5 (15)

Gadgeteer masterminds use their superscience and/or sociopolitical genius to
enrich and empower themselves at others’ expense.

Health: 21
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Energy weapon (and other weapons the
gadgeteer builds) attacks as level 7; engineering tasks as
level 8
Combat: A gadgeteer attacks twice with a long-range energy
weapon.
An individual gadgeteer always carries one or more of
the following gadgets, often discretely—at least until
deployed.
Mechanized Armor: The gadgeteer deploys a flexible
but tough exoskeleton suit of armor as their action. The
suit furnishes 5 Armor and its mechanized servos ease
the gadgeteer’s defenses (Speed and Might) by three
steps. The suit auto-activates if the gadgeteer is rendered
unconscious or otherwise unable to use their action.
Jet Pack: A previously unseen jetpack automatically
deploys to protect the gadgeteer from falling damage,
allowing them to fly a long distance each round. (The
gadgeteer can also deploy the jet pack as part of another
action.)
Summon Gadget: As part of another action, the
gadgeteer taps an object on their person (such as their
“designer” watch or sunglasses), summoning another
Gadget Option from a nearby depot, deploying a Gadget
Option function from something they already wear
or hold, or activating additional Mechanized Armor
Options. The new Gadget Option is ready to go on the
gadgeteer’s next turn.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
GM intrusion: The GADGET OPTIONS
gadgeteer deploys a An individual gadgeteer mastermind could deploy (or summon in one round) one of the
reality-manipulation device
that fuses the character’s
following gadgets to improve their odds in a fight or otherwise get the upper hand.
feet to the floor.
Infantry robot, page 121
Adventure Seed: A noted
inventor is slated to be
honored at a presidential
ceremony. But the PCs
come to suspect the
inventor is the secret
identity of a much-feared
supervillain mastermind.
GM intrusion: The
gadgeteer’s Mechanized
Armor absorbs the
character’s special abilities
for several rounds, giving
them to the gadgeteer and
robbing the character of
them for that period.
139 View as Spread
Automated Turret: As part of another
action, the gadgeteer deploys or summons
a small mechanical device that unfolds
into a laser turret (level 5) that secures
itself to the ground or wall. On the
gadgeteer’s next turn and each round
thereafter it attacks up to three designated
foes with a long-range laser blast dealing 8
points of damage.
Psychic Monocle: The gadgeteer pulls
on (or is automatically fitted with) a
bulky monocle as part of another action.
Next round, the gadgeteer can attack
with a long-range psychic blast inflicting
6 points of Intellect damage (ignores
Armor) on a failed Intellect defense
roll, and if the damaged target fails a
second Intellect defense roll, they are
rendered unconscious for one minute, or
alternatively, come under the gadgeteer’s
control for one minute.
Illusion content is anything the gadgeteer
Robot Army: The gadgeteer summons
four, ten, or several dozen infantry robots;
the robots arrive within a few rounds.
Weather Helm: The gadgeteer secures
themselves into a bulky, armored,
spherelike device (level 7) as their action. If
allowed ten or more rounds to act without
interruption, the device forms a massive
tornado, hurricane, or actual tsunami,
large and strong enough to demolish half
a city, under the gadgeteer’s control while
they remain ensconced in their device.
Hallucinator 1000: The gadgeteer
mastermind deploys a bulky, gunlike
device as their action. On their next turn,
they fire a stream of nanites that project
an utterly convincing, holographically- and
hypnotically-enhanced illusion covering
a very long area. Everyone in the area
who fails a difficulty 6 Intellect roll is
utterly taken in by the illusion and reacts
appropriately.
mastermind wishes, including an alien
invasion, a tornado, an advancing flood,
heroes turning on civilians, a nuclear
detonation destroying an important
structure, and so on. Each time someone
interacts directly with the illusion, they can
attempt a new defense roll to realize it’s
fake; otherwise the illusion persists for up
to one day.
Doomsday Device: The gadgeteer
secures themselves into a mechanized
throne (level 8) at the center of a
mechanized complex as their action. If
allowed ten or more minutes to act without
interruption, the device deflects the nearest
asteroid into an intercept orbit with Earth,
threatening widespread destruction within
the week (unless the gadgeteer’s demands
of world dominion are met).
MECHANIZED ARMOR OPTIONS
If the gadgeteer mastermind is particularly proud of their suit, they might outfit it with one or more of the following
customizations.

Trauma Kit: If wearer is harmed, a trauma kit
is automatically deployed (either as part of the
Mechanized Armor or as a level 4 medical drone
from a nearby hidden depot). This automatic first-aid
system heals the target 2 points of health each round.
Emergency Escape: A superscience capsule
automatically deploys to protect the gadgeteer (even if
it’s not the gadgeteer’s turn), propelling the gadgeteer
rapidly into orbit and (ideally) to rendezvous with a
secret orbital base.
Self-Contained Armor: In the presence of
environmental hazards, the Mechanized Armor
automatically seals. With the resulting internally-
maintained atmosphere, the wearer can venture
unharmed underwater or into space and ignore
poisonous fumes or weaponized biological agents.
Reinforced Armor: When Mechanized Armor is
deployed, it grants an additional +5 Armor (for a total
of 10 Armor).

GADGETS IN PC HANDS
GM intrusion: The
item the character
seized from a gadgeteer If a PC manages to seize a device built by a gadgeteer mastermind with the intention to
mastermind backfires use it for themselves, treat it like level 6 artifact that the character must first figure out
against the PC or tries
how to use, which requires a few rounds of study and a successful difficulty 6 Intellect
to return to its creator.
roll. If successful, the character can use the gadget as described, but in PC hands, it has a
depletion of 1 in 1d6.

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 GADGETEER MASTERMINDS | Superheroes

THE ESSENCE OF GADGETEER MASTERMINDS

The only thing that interests a gadgeteer mastermind
more than the wonderful and dangerous things they
invent is the riches, fame, and personal power they
wield by using those inventions—and/or their ingenious
schemes—against others. Some feel wronged by the
world and want to “get even.” Others simply think that
their intellect entitles them to take whatever they can.
And a few constantly strive for nothing less than taking
over the world.
Individual gadgeteer masterminds can be
distinguished from others by their specific name, look,
and options for gadget customization.

Adventure Seed:
GADGETEER MASTERMIND NAMES A superhero known for their
power armor is hacked and
Gadgeteer masterminds usually choose names that illustrate some aspect of their genius. comes under the control of
Options include: a gadgeteer mastermind
who begins a criminal
The Infinite, Fatal Wit, Minder, Interrogator, Doctor Venus, Technomancer, The spree using the superhero’s
likeness and tech.
Enigma, Made in Hell, Puppeteer, Death Metal, Alpha Architect, Quantum, Technoid,
Brainstorm, Iron Blitzer, Bionic King, Data Lord, Engine Omega, Doctor Dread Doctor Dread is a specific
gadgeteer mastermind
who rarely if ever removes
her mechanized armor.

INDIVIDUALIZING GADGETEER MASTERMINDS

Doctor Dread, page 357
After selecting a name, give your gadgeteer mastermind a distinctive look.

Another way to
GADGETEER MASTERMIND SUPERVILLAIN LOOK individualize a villain
is to vary their level.
d10 Gadgeteer Mastermind Appearance
1 Red lab coat, utility belt, and GM intrusion: The
augmented-reality goggles gadgeteer switches on a
device that renders the
2 Black leather jacket, graphic tee, ripped jeans, character’s equipment
and “designer” sunglasses useless for one round.
3 Sleek suit of black-and-red mechanized armor
with spherical, transparent helm
4 Reflective, mirror-like, skintight suit and head
that appears robotic
5 Formal wear, gloves, and domino mask layered
with glowing circuitry
6 Humanoid form clad in shimmering yellowish
metal with face projected on chest screen
7 10-foot (3 m) tall mechanical armored form
studded with dozens of gadgets
8 Wears a “living” cloak made of nanoparticles
gadgeteer can form into other gadgets
9 Stylish Victorian-era suit replete with steampunk
gadgets, including wire‑festooned cane
10 Hologram of mastermind’s head projected from an
armored, remotely piloted robotic drone

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

SPEEDSTER SUPERVILLAINS 6 (18)

GM intrusion (group):
The speedster takes an Super-powerfully fast villains can run across the city in a second, dodge bullets, and rapidly
additional turn after each
character takes their turn.
defeat foes that can barely see their attacks coming. Fast superpowers come with fast
metabolisms, allowing a speedster to quickly heal their wounds.

Health: 32 Convey: As their action, a speedster can make one

Damage Inflicted: 6 points attack that, if it succeeds, deals no damage. Instead,
Armor: 1 the speedster moves the target up to a very long
Movement: Very long; very long when “climbing” distance in the blink of an eye. Alternatively, if the
(running on vertical walls or buildings) attack succeeds, the target finds themselves wearing
Modifications: Speed defense, initiative, and attacks as different clothing (or none), posed oddly, or holding
level 8 something they weren’t a moment earlier.
Combat: Speedsters make four melee attacks each Super Punch: As their action, the speedster runs at
round as their action. least a very long distance towards a target. Assuming
Speedsters regain 3 points of health each round. they’re not interrupted, a successful attack on a foe at
Speedsters can also attack using one or more of the the end of the run inflicts 12 points of damage.
following options, depending on the particular
supervillain.
Bifurcate Attacks: The speedster can split up their
attacks as they move up to a long distance,
dispensing each of their four attacks
anywhere along the way.
Alternatively, they can take up to four other
actions as they move, such as deflect
a bullet, steal an item from an NPC, or
something similar.
Tornado: As their action, the speedster
begins zipping around a short area,
creating a miniature tornado. All creatures
within the area must succeed on a Might
defense roll or be lifted into the tornado
where they spin round and round each round
the speedster maintains the effect, or until they
can escape with a successful Speed or Might roll
as their action. Suspended targets automatically take
damage each round.

Attempts to deflect bullet

require a wait action.

Wait action, page 225

Adventure Seed:
According to news
reports, several banks
have been robbed, each
one in the blink of an eye.

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 SPEEDSTER SUPERVILLAINS | Superheroes

THE ESSENCE OF SPEEDSTER SUPERVILLAINS

Moving too fast to suffer guilt, speedster supervillains enjoy pranks made possible by their superspeed, such as
changing people’s clothing, moving them to new locations, and usually robbing them of their valuables. Those
who are rotten to their core see how high a body count they can rack up in one night of high-speed slaughter.
Individual speedster supervillains can be distinguished from others by their specific name, look, and potential
additional abilities.

SECONDARY ABILITY
Most speedster supervillains have no secondary abilities. But a few of the more powerful ones have one.
Impressively powerful speedsters have two or more.

Phase: The speedster vibrates their molecules Lightning: If the speedster spends their entire turn
at the same frequency of matter, allowing them to running at full speed, on the next round they can
pass through a solid object of their level or lower as make a very-long-range lightning bolt attack that deals
their action. 18 points of damage on a failed Speed defense roll, or
Temporal Speed: After spending one minute or 4 points even if successful.
more moving flat out, the speedster can race through
time to another point in history or the future. Or
possibly into another timeline. Adventure Seed: Heads
of state, CEOs, and
influencers have been
“stolen” right out
SPEEDSTER SUPERVILLAIN NAMES of their homes and
Villains in this category usually choose names designed to showcase their agility and speed, deposited many miles
sometimes combined with something intimidating, such as: away in just a few
seconds of the landscape
flashing past them.
Overrun, Breakneck, Quickfire, Shooting Star, Pell-Mell, Bullet Train, Blood Lightning,
Blurdevil, Landrocket, Lady Fleet, Volant, Rabid, Expediter, Death Cheetah, Bad Karma,
Mad Dasher, Mercury, Dire Speedster, Bladewind, The Quick, Ultrasonic Killer

INDIVIDUALIZING SPEEDSTER SUPERVILLAINS

Another way to
After selecting a name, give your fast supervillain a distinctive look, and possibly an individualize a villain
is to vary their level.
additional ability to help them stand out from other fast supervillains.

SPEEDSTER SUPERVILLAIN LOOK

d10 Speedster Supervillain Appearance GM intrusion: The
speedster rapidly rotates
1 Lines like a maze of microcircuitry flare on greyish formfitting suit when speed used their arm, creating a
2 7-foot (213 cm) tall humanoid with icy, almost translucent skin whose breath long-range vortex attack
that inflicts damage and,
steams on a failed Might defense
3 Aggressively lean person in gear common to rollerbladers with domino mask roll, sends the target flying
in a random direction for
4 Violet-and-gold formfitting suit that grows with the villain as they become faster an additional 3 points of
5 Slim red armor with lightning sigils inscribed on the arms and chest damage upon landing.
6 Mechanical greenish-black suit resembling a humanoid Hercules beetle
7 Formfitting black suit with black claws and a mask similar to a jaguar’s face
8 Slender, reflective humanoid figure apparently composed of living metal
9 Formfitting white suit and silver circlet on head set with blazing gemstone
10 Formfitting suit with emerald helm; leaves trail of radiance behind

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

CRIMINALS 3 (9)
Adventure Seed: A gang of
criminals is working with
a speedster supervillain;
they’ve successfully robbed
several banks in the area.
Crime isn’t always perpetrated by larger-than-life supervillains. In fact, most misdeeds are
Speedster supervillains, committed by mundane criminals that plague the alleyways of large and small cities alike.
page 142 Despite being “ordinary,” mundane criminals endanger others with their petty thefts, bank
heists, drug dealing, and organized crimes.

Health: 9
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 1 “Every saint has a past,
Movement: Short
Modifications: Stealth and escape tasks as
and every sinner has a future.”
level 5 —Oscar Wilde
Combat: Violent criminals attack with
baseball bats, brass knuckles, knives, and
often long-range firearms.
An especially cunning criminal might also
make one of the following attacks.
The criminal stages an ambush,
making ranged attacks from hiding; if the
criminal has surprise, 2 additional points
of damage are inflicted.
Short-range grenade attack inflicts
6 points of damage on everything in an
immediate radius, or 1 point even with a
successful Speed defense roll.
Allied criminals attack by attempting
to run down up to four foes next to each
other, inflicting 8 points of damage on a
failed Speed defense roll.

GM intrusion: The
criminal takes a hostage,
threatening to harm the
terrified bystander they’ve
just grabbed, unless the
character lets them go.

THE ESSENCE OF CRIMINALS

Sometimes rough and crude, other times quiet and
calculating, criminals prey on those who follow the
rules. Some criminals work alone, but most work as
a team. Criminals are also found working for crime
bosses and supervillain masterminds.
If they weren’t transgressing, they wouldn’t be
criminals; refer to the In-Progress Crimes table to
see what criminals might be up to nearby.
Successful criminals usually have something to
show for their crimes, as noted under The Take.

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 CRIMINALS | Superheroes

CRIMINAL NAMES Criminals could be found in

Criminals sometimes go by false names to hide their complicity. Others use their regular a crime boss’s safehouse or
a gadgeteer mastermind's
names but are reluctant to give them when asked. Options include: headquarters.

Fish, Frank, Reaper, Mister Pink, Jane, Bumpy, Joey, Bigs, Smitty, Viper, Pumpkin, Basic Crime Boss
Shorty, Eddie, Scar, Yang, Nick, Jan, King, Alpo, Snake, Barbie, Ghost, Bullet, Safehouse, page 100
Max, Izzy, Raven, Silvy, Quinn, Slick, Ruby, Willy, Zach, Honey, Spike, Vincent, Basic Gadgeteer
Cobra, Sledge, Gabby, Tony, Manzi, Nash, Butch, Lead Foot, Kiddo, Whisper Mastermind Lair, page 140

IN-PROGRESS CRIMES
Whether broadcast on police scanners or stumbled across while on patrol, the following GM intrusion:
active crimes give PC do-gooders a chance to put things right. Groups usually operate in The criminal ducks
unexpectedly, and the
bands of four to eight individuals. character’s attack
hits an ally.
d10 Crime
1 Organized group of pickpockets are sneakily burgling mostly ignorant pedestrians
2 Two cars holding rival gangs race through the streets exchanging gunfire
3 Group of criminals that got their hands on a high-tech disintegrator is breaking into ATMs Disintegrator: level 8;
cuts through any material
4 Group of criminals is using advanced climbing gear to scale skyscrapers, pilfering luxury
of lower level within
apartments immediate range.
5 Several groups of criminals are gathered at an auction of stolen artwork, artifacts, and
other valuables
White-collar criminals
6 Group of criminals with a high-tech noise cancellation device robs homes in utter quiet. routinely embezzle money
7 Group of criminals with digging equipment is breaking into an otherwise secure bank from their employers,
from below while hackers use the
internet to commit
8 Police pursue a criminal group that stole a track-mounted crawler crane as their cybercrime of all sorts!
getaway vehicle
Hackers, page 102
9 High-security bio lab is being pilfered by criminals posing as actual staff
10 Group of criminals is trying to break an allied invulnerable supervillain from their Invulnerable supervillains,
secure transport page 149

THE TAKE
Most items crimefighters find on the person or in a criminal hideout are equal in value to
one or more expensive items. Loot characters could find after successfully wrapping up a Price categories,
group of criminals include: page 202

One-of-a-kind collection of baseball Sapphire necklace, earrings, and

GM intrusion: Another
cards, including a 1952 Topps Mickey matching bracelet criminal, hidden until
Mantle card Briefcase filled with vials of prototype just the right moment,
Duffel bags full of expensive and serum that could grant superpowers, or appears and takes a
distracting shot with a
hard‑to‑find sneakers kill an imbiber
ranged weapon before
Medieval manuscript known as the Grimoire of dangerous spells and rites, joining the fray, giving an
Codex Calixtinus, containing religious pilfered from a secretive coven of witches allied criminal an asset to
texts and music Bags of crisply printed $20, $50, and an attack or other action.
Weird alien artifact criminals $100 bills
absconded with after a fight between High-end watches, cuff-links, designer Adventure Seed: Word on
superheroes and invaders suits, and elegant men’s shoes the street is that a group
of criminals are planning
Solid gold falcon adorned with emerald, The Eye of Isis, carved of natural black a heist at the opening of
rumored to be haunted by ghost of an jade, rumored to bring strange dreams a new exhibit of ancient
ancient queen Egyptian grave goods.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GM intrusion: The
character’s successful
ENERGY-WIELDER SUPERVILLAINS 7 (21)
attack creates an energy
circuit, “shocking” the
Dozens of different forms of energy can be
character as if the energy channeled to create explosive attacks,
wielder successfully strong defenses, and other villainous
attacked them. effects by shaping energy just so.

Health: 27
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 3 (Armor 20 against their own energy type)
Movement: Short; long when flying
Combat: The energy wielder attacks twice with long-
range energy rays.
Energy wielders can also take one or more of the
following actions, depending on the supervillain in
question.
Energy Slam: The supervillain, sheathed in their
energy, launches like a cannonball at a foe within
long range, inflicting 12 points of damage on a
failed Speed defense roll. (The supervillain takes
no damage.)
Energy Blaze: The supervillain blazes with their energy.
Targets within immediate range take 12 points of damage,
and those within short range take 5 points of damage on a
failed Might defense roll; even on a successful defense roll, targets
within immediate range take 3 points of damage.
Manipulate: The supervillain creates a temporary but solid object from
their energy, such as huge pliers or a crane, to move (or attack with) a
vehicle or some other object weighing several thousand pounds that normally
only a strong supervillain could manage.
Energy Entity: The supervillain creates a being composed of their energy
(something with stats like a lightning elemental) that does the villain’s bidding for the
next few minutes.
Energy Absorption: Once per day, if the wielder finds a matching energy source, they
can drain or burn it out with a successful attack. If successful, the supervillain may
double their normal maximum health and regain any lost health fully.
Energy Enclosure: The supervillain creates a dome, cube, sphere, or other
enclosure (level 7) with their energy that covers up to a short area, trapping foes
inside until they can break the enclosure or until it fades after about an hour. Those
who force their way out automatically take 20 points of damage from that energy type.

Strong supervillains,
page 148
THE ESSENCE OF ENERGY-WIELDER SUPERVILLAINS
Lightning elemental, Energy-wielder supervillains can channel energy that would instantly kill normal people.
page 27
Most enjoy bald displays of power and mastery; they are rarely subtle. They feel like
nothing can touch them, including laws and often morality.
Individual energy-wielder supervillains can be distinguished from others by the kind of
energy they wield and by their specific name, look, and potential additional abilities.

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 ENERGY-WIELDER SUPERVILLAINS | Superheroes

ENERGY WIELDED
A few energy types (among many more) an energy wielder could channel include:

d6 Energy Secondary Effect (on Failed Might Defense Roll) Adventure Seed: A
1 Fire/solar/etc. Burns for 3 points of damage each round until action taken to smother flames nuclear scientist who
claimed they’d finally
2 Cold/kinetic/etc. Physical tasks hindered for one minute or until they succeed on a defense roll
licked fusion power
3 Electromagnetic Stunned, lose their next turn has gone missing; were
4 Acoustic Deafened for one minute or until they succeed on a defense roll they kidnapped by the
recently revealed energy-
5 Shadow/dark Blinded for one minute or until they succeed on a defense roll wielding supervillain, or
6 Magic GM intrusion range increased to 1-3 on a d20 on target’s next turn did they become one?

ENERGY-WIELDER SUPERVILLAIN NAMES

Energy wielders usually choose names that demonstrate some aspect of their chosen
energy, like:

Kilonova, Arcsurge, Pyroflense, Voltage, Spellfire, Uproar, Heatwave, Dead Ice,

The Void, Cacophony, Darkmoon, Bloodspell, Photonica, Havoc, Obliterbolt,
Sunspot, Disquiet, Ice Enchantress, Solar Slaughter, Killowatt

INDIVIDUALIZING ENERGY-WIELDER SUPERVILLAINS Another way to

individualize a villain
is to vary their level.
After selecting a name, give your energy wielder supervillain a distinctive look, and possibly
an additional ability to help them stand out from other energy wielding supervillains.

ENERGY-WIELDER SUPERVILLAIN LOOK

d10 Energy-Wielder Supervillain Appearance
1 Formfitting suit with goggles and gauntlets that blaze
with energy
2 Body completely engulfed in flickering energy
3 Wing-like projections trail streamers of energy
4 Eye-searing blot of energy; hard to look at when
energy manifests
5 Advanced exoskeleton whose struts flicker with energy
6 Partially phased humanoid form glowing with energy
7 Suit that constantly shifts and warps with waves
of energy
8 7-foot (213 cm) tall robot-like armor with glowing lines
of energy
9 Web-like suit of energy flickers and moves across
wielder’s body
10 Two-tone red-and-black suit with cape, gloves, and
helm made of energy

SECONDARY ABILITY
Most energy wielders have no secondary abilities. But a few of the more powerful ones have
one. Impressively powerful ones have two or more.

Warp: Once each minute, the energy
wielder becomes pure energy and can
effectively teleport to another location
within ten miles (16 km).
Overpower: The energy wielder eases
all tasks by 3 (or more) steps as they
channel their power to new heights for up
to one minute.
Storm: The energy wielder channels GM intrusion: The energy
their energy into a storm filling a long wielder’s attack bypasses
the character’s Armor.
area, attacking all creatures in the area
once each minute.
Energy Construct: The energy wielder
creates a solid, simple object out of energy,
allowing them to create melee weapons,
tools, or even walls and small structures
able to fit in a 30-foot (9 m) cube.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

STRONG SUPERVILLAINS 6 (18)

Adventure Seed: According
to news reports, several
people have been found
ripped in half.

GM intrusion: The struck Super-powerfully strong villains

character takes damage can lift cars and trains, smash
normally and is embedded
in the ground or floor; they
through brick walls, and batter
can’t act until they escape those who oppose them with
with a successful difficulty 6 overwhelming force.
Might roll as their action.

Health: 40
Damage Inflicted: 10 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short; leaps a very long distance
each round
Modifications: Feats of strength as level 9
Combat: Super-strong villains strike with
their fists (or nearby motorcycle, car, or
lamppost) with bone-shocking force.
Strong supervillains can attack using one
or more of the following options,
depending on the particular
supervillain.
Throw: Throws a car, uprooted
lamppost, uprooted tree, chunk of
pavement, etc. to make a long-range
attack against a target and all
creatures next to the target.
Squeeze: On a successful attack,
foe is grabbed and squeezed/hugged,
taking damage automatically each round
until the foe can escape with a successful
difficulty 9 Might roll as their action.
(The super-strong villain could choose not
to deal damage but instead leap away
with their kidnapped victim.)
Clap: Claps their cupped hands
together just so, generating a shock
wave that inflicts 6 points of damage on
all creatures within short range and, on a
failed Might defense roll, deafening them
for a couple of rounds.
Bash: Whirls around in a bashing
flurry, attacking all creatures within
immediate range.

Some strong supervillains

are so hulking in size that
their Speed defense is level 5
due to their large size.

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THE ESSENCE OF STRONG SUPERVILLAINS

Supervillains lack empathy, which seems to go double for strong supervillains, who glory in dominating
others—including superheroes and other villains—with destructive shows of raw strength. Attempts to reason
with a strong supervillain are difficult because the villain believes they don’t have to listen; they can just smash.
Great strength comes with a degree of enhanced durability, at least enough to ensure a contracting muscle
doesn’t shatter their bones, but often enough to turn a punch or even bullet into a harmless annoyance.
Individual strong supervillains can be distinguished from others by their name, their specific look, and potential
additional abilities. But generally speaking, strong supervillains are among the most straightforward of foes.

STRONG SUPERVILLAIN NAMES Adventure Seed: It’s

Villains in this category usually choose names designed to showcase their strength and learned that the reason
the criminals could break
power. As such, a given strong supervillain the PCs meet might go by one of the following: into so many banks was
because they have a
Typhoon, Anathema, Overpower, Captain Conquer, Vanquisher, Queen Thrash, Quell, secret super-strong ally.
Deathtank, Bulldozer, Shellack, Beatdown, Titanium, Wallop, T. rex, Apex, Rampage,
Storm Fist, Diamondface, Earthquake, Standoff, Anne Nihilation, Pulverizer, Whelm, GM intrusion: The strong
Streamroller, Mister KO, Bulletproof, Mass Destruction, Hecatomb, Manslaughter, Highrise supervillain takes an
extra turn, even if they’ve
already acted this round.

INDIVIDUALIZING STRONG SUPERVILLAINS Another way to

After selecting a name, give your strong supervillain a distinctive look, and possibly an individualize a villain
is to increase their
additional ability to help them stand out from other strong supervillains. level by one or more.

STRONG SUPERVILLAIN LOOK

d10 Strong Supervillain Appearance
1 Blue formfitting suit that shows off the villain’s aggressively muscular physique
GM intrusion: The
2 Oversize, hulking humanoid with scarlet skin and a monstrous (demonic?) demeanor
struck character takes
3 Normal-sized human whose gauntlets are massively oversized and composed of solid iron damage normally and is
4 Splashy red-and-white formfitting suit with facemask and symbol of a fist on chest launched at least a long
distance, smashes into a
5 Hulking figure in purple and black cape, mask, and bodysuit with silver goggles building, and is stunned,
6 Suit is a fusion between royal robes and weight-lifting spandex, revealing extreme losing their next turn.
musculature
7 Oversize, hulking humanoid with fiery, molten-looking rock for skin
8 Business suit and tie and aviator sunglasses Adventure Seed: A group
of organized criminals
9 Mechanical exoskeleton fused into skin of a person with a silvery cast to skin and hair
have apparently paid
10 Emerald suit resembling snake scales; wearing a cobra helm an illicit lab to develop
a serum to give their
leader super strength.
SECONDARY ABILITY
Most strong supervillains have no secondary abilities. But a few more powerful ones have one. Impressively
powerful ones have two or more.

Healing Burst: The villain regains 10 health each
round; in any round in which they regain health, their
attacks deal 3 additional points of damage as they
seem to visibly swell with muscle.
Nearly Invulnerable: The villain has an additional
+10 Armor.
Growth: The villain grows to become 30 feet (9 m)
tall for up to 10 minutes, during which time they deal
6 additional points of damage and gain 12 health,
and their Speed defense is as level 3 due to their
gargantuan size.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

MONSTROUS SUPERVILLAINS
People crossed with carnivorous animals, insects, plants—or even completely alien
entities—can become monstrous in form and deed.

Adventure Seed: A MONSTROUS SUPERVILLAIN NAMES

politician is found Monstrous supervillain names usually speak to the specific kind of creature the villain partly
murdered in their home. manifests, or it could just be a title used by the frightened public.
The murderer was some
kind of monster based on
the evidence left behind, Bullet Ant, Blight, Great White, The Infection, Killer Wasp, Death Rot, The Horror, Manroach,
including the mutilated Blood Rhino, Omega Sting, The Slaughter, Komodo, Proboscis, Skullshroom, The Malignant,
state of the body. Locust, Razor Cobra, Cordyceps, Redback, Death Cap, Assassin Bug, Monstrosity, Kodiak

THE ESSENCE OF MONSTROUS SUPERVILLAINS

Fearsome and often grotesque in appearance, monstrous supervillains share physiology with a particular predatory
animal, an insect, or fungus, or are so mutated (or infected) by an alien influence that they’re unrecognizable in their
monstrosity. Sometimes, it’s their unnatural new form that drives these supervillains to monstrous acts. Other times, it’s
just how they always were.
Dozens of broad monstrous supervillain categories are possible, including insectoid, animalistic, and fungoid villains.

INSECTOID SUPERVILLAIN 6 (18)

GM intrusion: The
character notices tiny
insect eggs in the wound
the villain made.

Insect swarm, enormous: Monstrous supervillains terrify foes with their

level 6; health 30; takes
only 1 point of damage insectoid body parts and abilities as they
from non-area attacks achieve their selfish ends.

Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 7
Movement: Short; short when climbing; immediate when
burrowing; long when flying
Combat: An insectoid supervillain bites a target twice with
razor‑sharp mandibles.
A specific insectoid supervillain can also take one or more of the
following actions.
Summon Insects: An enormous insect swarm of the same kind
of insect as the supervillain manifests arrives and does the villain’s
bidding.
Poison: The villain’s attack also inflicts Speed damage
(ignores Armor) on a failed Might defense roll.
Metamorphosis: The villain sheds their exoskeleton (up to
once per day), healing 10 health and easing all their tasks by
two steps, but reducing their Armor to 2 for a few hours.
Web: Targets in an adjacent immediate area are held helpless
in sticky webbing on a failed Speed defense roll until they can escape
with a Might roll as their action.

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 MONSTROUS SUPERVILLAINS | Superheroes
GM intrusion: The

ANIMALISTIC SUPERVILLAIN 7 (21)

villain takes another
action, even if they’ve
already acted this round.

Whether part shark, bear, tiger, crocodile, lizard, or something else, a

supervillain crossed with a predator is a vicious, savage antagonist.

Health: 50
Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 3
Movement: Long
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to size; Might defense as
level 8
Combat: An animal-manifesting supervillain claws and/or bites twice
each round.
A specific animal-manifesting supervillain can also take one or
more of the following actions.
Fly: An avian villain can fly a long distance each round.
Hug: In the same action as the villain deals damage, they also
grab the target that fails a Might defense roll. A grabbed target
automatically takes damage each round and is held immobile
until they can escape.
Frenzy: If hurt or enraged, the villain may attack four times per
round, but their Speed defense is hindered by two steps until the
start of their next turn.
Transform: The villain may be able to switch between their
monstrous and human shapes as an action, which heals
20 health. (Many are stuck in their monstrous shape, which
may drive their ferocity.)

FUNGOID SUPERVILLAIN 8 (24) Spore servitor: level 5

GM intrusion: The
character affected by
Covered in dangerous fungal pocks, or actually completely transformed into a human-sized (or larger) Hallucinating Spores
slime mold or humanoid mushroom, fungoid supervillains usually mess with their victims’ minds. attacks an ally.

Health: 30 Fungal Transformation: A target hit by the villain must

Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 5
Movement: Short
Combat: Fungoid villains batter targets twice with plated fists.
A specific fungoid villain may also take one or more of the
following actions.
Fruiting Spores: Targets in an adjacent short area that fail a
Might defense roll suffer Speed damage (ignores Armor) from
invasive mycelial growth insinuating their flesh. If a target
dies within an hour after taking damage from this attack,
new fungal growths sprout from the body within the day.
Hallucinating Spores: Targets in an adjacent short area
that fail a Might defense roll are treated to a burst of
hallucinatory vision so intense, they lose their next turn.
succeed on a Might defense roll or take an additional 7
points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) as their flesh is
colonized by fungus.
Reanimating Spores: Recently deceased bodies within
short range are animated by invasive mycelial growth that
insinuates into their flesh, creating up to three spore servitors
under their command at one time.
Invasive: If the villain is killed, even a single spore
generated before their death is enough to eventually
regenerate the villain. This means that if all the areas
where the fungoid villain was recently active are not treated
with fire, acid, or similar, sporulation produces a small
mushroom from the surface within ten days. Ten days after
that, the fungoid villain is back.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ROGUE SUPERVILLAINS 5 (15)

GM intrusion: The rogue
adjusts a cufflink/flips a
coin/etc. and is surrounded
by six illusory doubles for 1
Rogues are colorful and cunning villains who delight in devising
minute. Any attack made intricate plans, traps within traps, and no-win scenarios to ensure
against any of them has their undertaking (such as gaining control of the criminal
only a 1 in 6 chance of underworld or an entire city) succeeds, especially if they
targeting the actual rogue.
can hurt or kill a superhero nemesis in the process.

Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Tricks and tasks
related to their Motif as level 7
Combat: A rogue makes two
long‑range attacks each
round, possibly
with a firearm
but potentially
involving their Motif, if applicable.
A rogue may also take one or more of
the following actions.
Summon Sycophants: The
rogue is always within hailing
distance of a group of five
to ten sycophants (dressed
according to the rogue’s Motif)
that defend the rogue to their death.
Sycophant Armor: Nearby sycophants
take as many attacks as they can for the
rogue, interposing themselves in front
of attacks that would otherwise strike
the rogue.
Grand Escape: Rogues rely on a combination
of planning and mad luck to quickly escape
a bad situation, either by ducking through a
concealed escape hatch, activating a miniature
jet pack, or taking some other action related to
their Motif. The rogue manages this feat if rogue’s
nearest foe fails a difficulty 7 Speed-based task to
stop them.
Signature Ability: The rogue uses a Motif Ability.

Sycophant: level 4; Armor 2;

long-range firearm attack
deals 6 points of damage

Take the attack,

page 227

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 ROGUE SUPERVILLAINS | Superheroes

THE ESSENCE OF ROGUE SUPERVILLAINS

Rogues are geniuses who measure off the sociopathy scale. They usually adopt a distinct theme (their Motif)
that informs their name, look, and methods, and that lends them a colorful (and terrifying) flair. Drawn to
challenges, they see their crimes as games or tests of their own intellect, especially if they expect to come up
against a superhero they’ve developed a “relationship” with over the years.

ROGUE NAMES
Rogue names are often in keeping with the rogue’s Motif; other times, they’re just meant to GM intrusion: The
sound menacing. Options include: character, believing they’ve
escaped the rogue’s attack,
walks/falls/ducks straight
Five Card, Cipher, Mind Circus, Madam Echo, The Moth, Puzzler, The Fracture, Haunt, into another attack the
Miss Chaos, Phreak, Conundrum, Flesh Sculptor, The Dealer, The Chameleon, The rogue had previously set up,
Comedian, Manspider, The Deva, Hemlock, The Fool, Mannequin, PUN-isher, Lady Fright hindering the character’s
defense roll by two steps.

ROGUE MOTIF
Rogues adopt a theme, which informs their look. A few options include:

d10 Motif Look

1 Gambling Tailored suit, flashy jewelry; cape patterned with hearts, spades, clubs,
and diamonds Adventure Seed: Gang
2 Time Purple-and-midnight-blue bodysuit, plus excess time-keeping devices warfare between two
criminal organizations is
3 Puzzles A suit covered in stuck-on jigsaw puzzle pieces from different puzzles
shooting up the downtown
4 Poison Bodysuit resembling skin of a venomous snake area, and many innocent
5 Fright Tattered gothic robes, skull mask, weapons made of carved bones bystanders caught in the
crossfire end up bullet-
6 Chaos Mismatched clothes sewn together, chaos symbol tattoo across face ridden (or severely hurt
7 Specific Beast Suit with chosen animal or insect pattern, or “cosplay” of that beast in some more unhinged
fashion). Someone
8 Illusion Clothing and hair constantly morph styles and color; mask and cloak of smoke needs to put a stop to
9 Music Dressed as an orchestral conductor, cape patterned with musical notes the rogue responsible.
10 Jokes Ominous circus clown

MOTIF ABILITIES
A rogue has one or two Motif Abilities.
The following base effects are delivered by a weapon, machine, or effect themed after the rogue’s Motif. For
instance, an effect dealing damage could be due to a “gag” device for a jokes Motif, a gas that induces Might or
Intellect damage for an illusion, fright, or poison motif, fake claws or stinger for a specific Beast motif, and so on.

Mass Injury: All creatures in an Mind Control: A target is psychically

adjacent short area that fail a defense
roll (usually Speed or Might) take 9
points of damage, or 3 points even with a
successful roll.
Trigger Trap: A target in the area
walks into/is lured into/is targeted by
the rogue’s specially designed trap; on a
failed difficulty 9 Speed defense roll, they
are captured and held incommunicado
until they can escape.
poisoned/hypnotized/mind controlled/
fooled/otherwise influenced by the rogue
on a failed difficulty 7 Intellect defense
roll and does as the rogue desires for
one minute.
Immobilize: Targeted by a gun,
machine, chemical, poison, or hypnotic
suggestion, on a failed defense roll Trap: level 9
(usually Might or Intellect) the target
is paralyzed, rendered unconscious,
otherwise held in a helpless state.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

COSMIC BEINGS 13 (39)

Celestial energy is
siphoned at need from
the cosmic foam that
underlies spacetime.
A handful of beings possess such
Beings who can tap immense power that they participate
into it can use it for in shaping the fate of the
almost anything. universe.

Health: 100
Damage Inflicted: 20 points
Armor: 15
Movement: Long
Modifications: Speed defense as level 9
due to colossal size
Combat: A cosmic being attacks twice,
usually by emitting long-range blasts of
celestial energy.
Cosmic beings also have one or more of the
following traits.
Re-Embodiment: Unless destroyed
according to some specially devised
plan, a cosmic being usually reforms
somewhere in the universe within a few
months of their “death.”
Interstellar Travel: A cosmic
being can bridge
two points in the
universe, either by
traveling in a massive
interstellar starship or
artificial moon (level 10),
or by simply willing it. Either way, a cosmic being usually
can’t make such a trip more than once every few days.
Focus Implement: A cosmic being can focus their
celestial energy through an object (level 10), such as
a staff, crown, celestial stone, city-sized machine, etc.,
to magnify their attacks in a variety of ways, such as by
attacking every creature in the city, or targeting a single being
and inflicting double normal damage on a hit, or triggering
an alternate specific effect based on the cosmic being’s
Embodiment.
Cosmic Role: Most cosmic beings have assumed, or seized,
a particular Embodiment in the universe, in service of some
greater purpose.

COSMICALLY LEVELED
Levels for cosmic beings exceed 10
because a superhero setting demands
Really Impossible
Tasks, page 293 really impossible tasks.

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 COSMIC BEINGS | Superheroes

THE ESSENCE OF COSMIC BEINGS

Cosmic beings usually don’t care about single lives, or even for the lives of everyone on any given planet. They act
as if their concerns transcend the morality of mere mortals. And their concerns are tied to whatever Embodiment
they’ve assumed—or appointed themselves to—to help maintain balance and order in the universe. Whether their
existence is actually required to keep the universe healthy is hotly debated, especially by those who face radical change
or extinction because a cosmic being believes it’s what must be done.

COSMIC BEING NAMES

Many cosmic beings have titles, though others retain a name, possibly a vestige of an Adventure Seed: An
earlier, mortal incarnation. Options include: artificial moon has
been detected at
the edge of the solar
Cataclysm, Solvairon, Voidcaller, Nexus, Rohuma, The One, Timestop, Galaxos, system, seemingly
Star Render, Arimish, The Outsider, Sorrow, The Reaper, Zenithra, Exaltar, intent on entering orbit
The Evaluator, Omni, The Keeper, The Scribe, Vengeance, Nirvaine, Forever around the Earth.

COSMIC EMBODIMENT
What universal embodiment does the cosmic being claim, and what additional ability does
that confer?

d10 Embodiment Attack Effect on Affected Targets

1 Grief Do nothing but weep GM intrusion: The
2 Metamorphosis Turned to glass, stone, steel, or possibly a lower form of animal life character is stepped on
by the colossal cosmic
3 Evolution Gain a strange new ability but come under cosmic being’s control
being, which counts as an
4 Time Grow old and die in mere minutes attack, even if the cosmic
5 Space Teleported to another location, possibly to another planet or star being has already taken
their action this round.
6 Creation Indirect; creates a powerful (level 9) servitor from rude matter
7 Watching Forget the celestial being was ever present
8 Judgement On failed judgement, turned to dust (or imprisoned in a dungeon dimension)
9 Reality Transformed into a fish or other creature unsuited to environment
10 Dream Succumb to sleep and nightmares

COSMIC BEING APPEARANCE Adventure Seed: A

In addition to (usually) towering over mortals, each cosmic being has their own look. cosmic being has
decided that humans
Options include: have hit an evolutionary
bottleneck and, from
d10 Appearance their newly created
1 Humanoid hole in space through which brilliantly colored nebulae glow island in the Atlantic,
has begun experiments.
2 Crystalline being refracting different points in time like a prism
3 Wearing cloak composed of dozens of moving images (dreams, other locations, possible
futures, etc.)
4 Intimation of a humanoid figure sculpted in faintly glowing gravity waves
5 Robed figure brandishing an hourglass
GM intrusion: The
6 Humanoid figure caparisoned in elaborate, superscience “power armor” from head to toe
character’s weapon is
7 Roughly humanoid figure formed from an ever-unfolding origami of alternate dimensions shattered, turning to
8 Golden-furred gorilla-like being brandishing a staff composed of fused humans butterflies, dreams,
light, or something else
9 Humanoid figure whose head appears to a be a black hole haloed in a ring of swirling matter related to the cosmic
10 Humanoid whose shape and attire transform moment by moment, forever iterating being’s Embodiment.

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 PART 7:
POST-APOCALYPTIC

W hen a modern or science-fiction setting undergoes

catastrophe, a post-apocalyptic setting emerges.
Survivors have a tough go of it, but they might be
able to scrape by. Eventually, new societies may
emerge—but alongside new threats, in the form
of mutants, hostile environments, radiation,
invading aliens, rebelling robots, and/or new
apex predators.
Beyond the obvious, a post-apocalyptic
setting features an exploration of human
morality. When driven to extremes, what will
people do to survive?
Alternatively, if survivors are given the freedom
to do whatever they want, what would that be?

Interested in advice for

building a post‑apocalyptic
adventure or entire setting?
Check out the genre-
building post‑apocalyptic
sourcebook Rust and
Redemption.

CREATURES
Radbeasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Cannibals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Mutants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Zombies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Warlords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Adventurers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Bounty hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Ghosts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Robots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Aliens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Vampires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Monstrous supervillains . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Outlaws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Cursed beasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Pirates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Ghost riders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Huntmasters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

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 PART 7 | Post-Apocalyptic

POST-APOCALYPTIC SCENARIOS
If you’re looking for some basic post-apocalyptic inspiration, use the following tables to
generate a starting survivor community and a potential trouble or two the community
might face. Add in a few NPCs and creatures from this book, and you’ve got the outline
of an adventure.

SURVIVOR COMMUNITIES
A community could be as small as ten or twenty people living together after the apocalypse.

d20 Where the Community Shelters

1 Abandoned shopping mall 7 Natural cave network 14 Cliff dwellings
2 Beached cruise ship 8 Floating raft city 15 Refuge carved into the ice
3 Military bunker 9 Anthropology museum 16 Train yard
4 Underground parking lot 10 Cathedral 17 Library
5 Caravan of biofuel‑powered 11 Lighthouse 18 Small island
RVs 12 Fuselage of a 747 19 Historical castle
6 Treehouse condominium 13 Moon base 20 Underwater dome

TROUBLE IN THE COMMUNITY

Anything that goes wrong in a post-apocalyptic community could destabilize and destroy it.

d20 Community Complication

1 Radioactive ants appear in the food stores 11 Massive kaiju glimpsed lumbering in the foothills
2 The only one who can get the generator working 12 Aliens openly reveal themselves
is missing 13 Cannibals demand tribute
3 Fellow survivor shows signs of exposure to 14 Mutagen turns a couple community members
the pathogen into violent mutants
4 Rival survivor group steals the herd 15 Structure partially collapses, stranding half the
5 Band of raiders rolls into the area community in subterranean tunnels
6 New child is born, but medical know-how 16 Half the community is taken in by teachings of
is scarce new apocalypse cult
7 Everyone begins dreaming the same ominous 17 Malfunctioning old warbot is reactivated, targets
dream about an “arrival” the community as the enemy
8 Valued community member found murdered; 18 Crop has come in, but the harvest fruit/grain/
suspect is someone else in community leaves contains weird mutant growths
9 Message over short-wave radio warns of 19 Unexploded but still live ordinance is found
another bomb beneath the community
10 Manuals for electronics and plumbing 20 One of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides
go missing into the community

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

RADBEASTS
Radiation and nuclear detonations have transformed the ecology, creating radioactive beasts.

RADIMORPH 4 (12)
Is it a fish that’s evolved limbs and teeth? A mammal
that’s grown scales? Whatever its origin, this 6-foot
(3 m) long monstrosity is immune to radiation
and keen to eat whatever it can find.

Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 2 (immune to radiation)
Movement: Short; short when swimming
Combat: The radimorph bites twice.
Radimorphs also have one or both of the
following traits.
Sear: Up to once each minute, the
radimorph’s crest fluoresces a virulent
purple as it releases a searing radiation ray at a
target within short range. The ray deals 8 points of damage on
a failed Speed defense roll and 1 point even with a successful
roll. Targets who take damage are hindered on all tasks for
one minute.
Thrash and Spawn: If slain, the radimorph spasms, attacking
all creatures within immediate range. Targets that fail a Speed
defense roll take damage and are knocked down. While THE ESSENCE OF RADBEASTS
thrashing, the radimorph splits and releases a clutch of six Birthed by the apocalypse, radbeasts are
tiny, virulently purple, glowing, limbed fish—radminnows, predatory monsters with a rabid drive to
which are even more hungry than their deceased parent. consume flesh, especially people. (Or in
the case of atomi, to nuke them.)
Radbeasts include a wide variety of
Radminnow: level 2; RAD EFFECT fauna, including radimorphs, glowing
Speed defense as level 4 Even within a given “species,” the unstable roaches, nucleoptera, radioactive bears,
due to size; when two
attack same target, the
DNA radbeasts harbor can cause wide and atomi. Most radbeasts also have a
minnows make a single variability in appearance and behavior, distinguishing Rad Effect.
level 4 attack that inflicts including:
5 points of damage.
d10 Appearance and/or Behavior 5 A couple of extra mouths mumble and scream
Adventure Seed: A group 1 Bud of a second head protrudes, half-grown 6 Extra legs/wings
of raiders has caught and squirming 7 Sometimes loses their turn to a body-wide
and “tamed” several 2 Smeared with gobbets of previously seizure
radbeasts, which they’re eaten people 8 Constantly drooling a sweet, honey-like spittle
employing to threaten
survivor communities. 3 Eyes blaze with radiation; meeting their gaze 9 Smoldering and smoking, as if about to go up
within short range hinders target’s tasks in a blaze
4 Threaded with fractally-twisted tumors, 10 Bears dozens of thin extensions, like flexing
like broccoli spider legs

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GLOWING ROACH 2 (6)

Five times the size of roaches from before the apocalypse, these firefly-lit creatures prefer ruined
subways and abandoned basements.

Health: 6 Swarm: Four glowing roaches act together,

Damage Inflicted: 2 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short; short when flying
Modifications: Speed defense as level 3 due to
small size; perception as level 5
Combat: A glowing roach bites with their
radioactive mandibles.
Glowing roaches also have the following
abilities.
making a single attack as a level 4 creature
inflicting 4 points of damage; target also
becomes irradiated on a failed difficulty 4 Might
defense task, which hinders an affected targets’ tasks for one minute.
Reek: The first time a creature attacks a glowing roach within
immediate range, the attacker must succeed on a difficulty 3 Might
task or become queasy from a whiff of something unutterably foul.
The affected PCs gain no benefit from Edge in any of their Pools for
one minute.

NUCLEOPTERA 4 (12)
This irradiated insect has a lethal 13-foot (4 m)
wingspan that burns with bluish-purple energy. Its
mandibles chatter and click like a Geiger counter.

Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1 (10 against radiation)
Movement: Immediate; long when flying
Modifications: Perception as level 7
Combat: A nucleoptera bites.
Nucleoptera also have the following abilities.
Wing Irradiation: The nucleoptera that
isn’t flying fans its wings, creating a brilliant
purple flare (no more than once every other
round). All creatures in immediate range take damage
from a blast of radiation on a failed Might defense roll.
Soften Bones: The first time a target fails their defense
roll against Wing Irradiation, their bones soften; on a
second failed Might defense roll, they collapse for up
to one minute or until they succeed on a Might defense
roll as their action. An affected target can’t take physical
actions, defend themselves, or even speak intelligibly.
Oviposit: If the nucleoptera is killed, it immediately takes Treat the growing egg as a level 4 disease that requires
a final action even if it’s already taken its turn this round, three successful Might defense rolls (one per day) to
lashing its tail to make a level 6 attack on the nearest clear. Each failed Might defense roll causes the target
creature. If successful, the target takes damage and a tiny to descend one step on the damage track. If the target
egg is deposited in the wound. (This may not be obvious dies, a small nucleoptera eats its way out of the target’s
to the new host.) remains over the next few days.

159 View as Spread

 RADIOACTIVE BEAR 7 (21)
Radiation and/or the intervention of a
military AI transformed an already
large and aggressive bear into
something truly horrific.

Health: 35
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 1 (immune to radiation)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as
GM intrusion: The level 4 due to size; perception as
radioactive glowing roach
sickens the character
level 8
unless they succeed on a Combat: The bear attacks twice
difficulty 4 Might task. each round with their claws.
A sickened character is Creatures within immediate range of
overcome with nausea and
loses their next action. a radioactive bear are irradiated on
a failed Might defense task, hindering the
target’s tasks on their next turn.
Bite: As their action, the bear bites,
inflicting damage. If the bear’s bite attack
succeeds against a target suffering from
GM intrusion: The radiation sickness, the bear regains
character survived the 5 points of health. On a failed Might
bear’s attack but is now
facing radiation sickness. defense roll, the bear holds a target in
their jaws, hindering their tasks until they
can escape.
If the radioactive bear begins their turn
with a target held in their jaws, they Shoulder-Mounted Laser: Some
GM intrusion: The automatically deal damage from the bite radioactive bears are the result of
nucleoptera uses
its Oviposit attack
as their action. military or AI design rather than a natural
immediately, even if not Radbreath: The bear coughs forth a mutation; they may possess a mechanism
dead or dying, as part of radioactive cloud once every few hours capable of firing a long-range laser at
another attack action. as their action (and again if the bear distant targets, deployed from a harness
is killed), targeting everything within fused to the creature’s flesh.
immediate range. Targets that fail a Radiation Eater: In areas of dangerous
Might defense roll take damage from radiation, the radioactive bear regains 2
the radiation. health each round.

DISEASE: RADIATION SICKNESS

If PCs can scavenge Level 8 disease: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue appear within minutes to hours
iodine tablets to treat of a PC contracting radiation sickness. Hours later a PC may suffer skin burns and hair
a target of radiation
sickness, each Might roll
loss. Days later, a PC still suffering from the condition experiences extreme weakness,
the treated target makes weight loss, and potentially death.
to avoid descending steps Each day the PC fails a Might defense roll, they descend one step on the damage track.
on the damage track is If the PC succeeds on three Might defense rolls, they gradually improve and throw off the
eased by three steps.
sickness effects within a few weeks.

160
 RADBEASTS | Post-Apocalyptic

ATOMUS 8 (24)
Atomi are 30-foot (9 m) tall humanoids formed of fused obsidian
with eyes like nuclear furnaces. Sometimes they expand into their
true forms: blooms of sapient nuclear fire dozens of feet in
diameter. When roused, atomi usually seek just one thing:
to destroy.

Health: 27
Damage Inflicted: 12 points
Armor: 4
Movement: Short; very long when transformed
into a shape of fire
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to
huge size
Combat: An atomus batters targets
or smashes prey with a weapon-
like extension created using Atomic
Manipulation.
An atomus regains 1 health each round.
Atomi also have one or more of the
following abilities.
Radioactive Aura: Creatures within immediate range
of an atomus take 3 points of damage each round from
radiation; those within short range take 1 point of
damage each round.
Radiation Beam: An atomus projects a
very‑long‑range beam of blazing blue radiation
(no more than once every three rounds). The
target and all creatures and objects within short
range of the target take damage on a failed
Speed defense roll; even with a successful
roll, targets still take 4 points of damage.
Irradiate Blood: Every few minutes,
atomi can tune their Radioactive
Aura, producing an active attack.
The blood of creatures within
immediate range begins to boil
on a failed Might defense roll. Targets with boiling blood suffer 3 points of ambient damage
each round and writhe on the ground, helpless, for one minute or until they succeed on a
Might defense roll on their turn. GM intrusion: Someone
Targets who recover from the effects of this attack probably suffer Radiation Sickness. the PCs mistook
as another survivor
Atomic Manipulation: The atomus can spend their turn transforming themself into a different in ragged clothing
shape of obsidian, such as a large boulder or a statue-like bear or other animal, or even reveals themselves,
concentrate themselves almost down to the size of a regular human. by transforming,
Shape of Fire: The atomus atomically manipulates their form as their action, expanding to as an atomus.
become a bloom of nuclear fire filling a short area. All creatures and objects in the area of the
transformed atomus are affected as if subject to a Radiation Beam attack each round.
The atomus can maintain Shape of Fire for up to minute, moving at will. While in this form, they
have no Armor, but they take no damage from mundane physical attacks.

161
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

CANNIBALS 3 (9)
Some don’t let ethics threaten their survival when no food is available except other people.

Health: 12 Pack Tactics: If four or more cannibals

Damage Inflicted: 3 points attack a target as one, even without
Surprise, page 220 Movement: Short surprise, they attack as a level 5 creature
Modifications: Deception, persuasion, dealing 5 points of damage. With surprise
intimidation, and friendly interaction as they deal 8 points of damage.
Adventure Seed:
Characters looking for level 6
a place to sleep, hide, Combat: Cannibals use improvised
or stay for the night weapons, like ropes, chair legs, and
are invited in by one
or more cannibals.
jagged pieces of broken glass.
Cannibals with more resources rely on
long‑range firearms.
Some cannibals use other tactics to
acquire prey, including:
You Can Trust Us: Cannibals pretend
friendship, then ambush prey with
surprise. When cannibals have a
surprise attack, each attacks as a level 5
creature dealing 5 points of damage.
Cannibal Ploys: Cannibals may also use
a Ravenous Gambit or two.

THE ESSENCE OF CANNIBALS

Some cannibals appear as normal and perhaps even
charming folks. These “nice” cannibals may eat human flesh
only when desperate, to take advantage of meat that
would otherwise go to waste . . . or because they’ve
developed a taste for human flesh.
Others look the part, having devolved into
the kind of bestial, erratic behavior that the Effects of
Cannibalism can inflict. Those who’ve been cannibals for a
long time know a Ravenous Gambit or two.

CANNIBAL NAMES
In a post-apocalyptic setting, names can become just one more
thing to jettison, along with human compassion, for something
short and quick. Options include:

Luke, Dex, Raj, Cane, Jill, Kief, Xi, Rage, Knox, Adel, Jag,
Rex, Sal, Mi, Zack, Slate, Lil, Flint, Colt, Mel, Mair, Kyu,
Beth, Nash, Dirk, Vik, Zeke, Jo, Quinn, Sanj, Reece, Nell,
Greer, Rue, Lane, Shea, Blair, Rook, Jet, Bo, Hyun

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 CANNIBALS | Post-Apocalyptic
RAVENOUS GAMBIT
Cannibal “culture” teaches many ways to subdue potential food, including:

Severing Bite: In any group of four or Ensnaring Net: If encountered in their

more cannibals, there’s probably one
(revealed as a GM intrusion) who has
filed their teeth and can make a horrific
bite once every minute or two. This attack
inflicts damage and requires the victim
to succeed on a Might defense roll. On a
failure, the cannibal bites off some bit of
the victim, who is stunned and loses their
next turn. See the Cannibal Severing-Bite
Effects table.
home or territory, cannibals trigger a trap
ensnaring all targets in an immediate
radius in a sturdy net on a failed difficulty Sturdy net: level 3
3 Speed defense roll. Targets are held 10
feet (3 m) above the ground, immobile
and unable to act until the net is GM intrusion: The
destroyed or loosened. character notices
that a human foot
Poison: If cannibals pretend friendship, boils in the pot of the
they later introduce a level 5 poison into stranger’s home.
their target’s food or drink that puts
targets to sleep for an hour on a failed
Might defense roll.

CANNIBAL SEVERING-BITE EFFECTS

Some cannibal bite attacks are slightly disfiguring but don’t hinder other tasks. Other bites lead to consequences.

d10 Lost/Afflicted Body Part

1 End of nose 7 Part of target’s lip; target’s pleasant social interaction
2 Little finger tasks are hindered
3 Skin across cheek 8 Eyeball; target’s perception tasks that rely on vision
are hindered for a few weeks until target adapts
4 Eyelid; target’s perception tasks that rely on vision are
hindered for a day 9 Skin across wrist; target bleeds for 1 point of damage
until an action is taken to bind the wound
5 Ear; target’s perception tasks that rely on hearing are
hindered until they adapt 10 Throat; target descends one step on the damage track
each round until a character succeeds on a difficulty 4
6 Tip of tongue; target’s interaction tasks relying on
healing task to stop the excessive flow of blood
speech are hindered until they adapt

EFFECTS OF CANNIBALISM
Some cannibals carry an especially degenerative neurological disease. Creatures that interact with cannibals are at
risk of catching the disease; prion-misfolding diseases can be transmitted not only by eating infected flesh (usually
the brain) but also through contact with a wound or open sore on an infected individual.

DISEASE: KURU OMEGA

Level 5 disease: Those suffering from kuru omega visibly tremble and seem more and
more unwilling to think for themselves, though they tend to laugh sporadically, without
an obvious reason.
Ten hours after infection and every day, an infected individual must succeed at a Might
defense roll, or their Intellect Edge decreases by 1, giving them potentially worsening Weakness, page 33
weakness (each negative point of Edge is the extra Intellect that must be used to
perform Intellect-based actions when Effort is applied). Special medications
Even if no Effort is used, each time a character takes an action on their own volition— required to treat Kuru
Omega (a prion disease)
as opposed to following a suggestion or order—they must succeed on an Intellect-based include flupirtine,
roll, or they lose a number of Intellect points equal to their negative result. For example, quinacrine, pentosan
making a choice between two equal options costs 2 Intellect if a target’s Intellect Edge polysulfate, and doxycycline;
is –2. Normally, it’s impossible for a target suffering from this prion disease to improve if found and used, the
disease is cleared after three
on their own. Succeeding at these Might defense rolls doesn’t improve the character’s successful Might defense
condition; a cure requires special medications. rolls over three days.

163
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
MUTANTS
Physically twisted and changed by radiation and other factors, genetic anomalies sometimes evolve entirely new
humanoid species with unexpected abilities and forms.

THE ESSENCE OF MUTANTS

Evolved from humans, mutants retain their capacity
for thought and reason. They have hopes and dreams
just like people before the apocalypse had, though
those aspirations are shaped by the deadly realities
of the post-apocalyptic world. Mutants usually live in
small groups and communities, like human survivors.
Mutants include a wide variety of species, including
shelletons, lucifans, scults, twines, and acharn.
Some mutants also have a specific Personal Mutant
Goal that drives them, possibly setting them apart
from their fellows or inspiring others of the same
mutant species to work together to accomplish
the objective. As thinking beings, most mutant
communities have a particular Community Culture.

MUTANT NAMES
As intelligent beings, mutants have names just like normal people, though they’re often
more basic. Options include:

Becki, Jak, Moffa, Meli, Burno, Liker, Browny, Gram, Biff, Shila, Dern, Lali, Naff, Serp,
Kelser, Tim, Eni, Brak, Jil, Caso, Lera, Tass, Una, Gus, Mila, Gimmer, Bo, Sari

SHELLETON 4 (12)
GM intrusion: The Standing nearly 8 feet (250 cm) tall, shelletons are protected
shelleton sprays mucus by gnarled, shell-like exoskeletons. Gruff and often
a short distance even if
they’ve already taken
single‑minded, many shelletons consider humans (and other
their turn this round, mutants) just another kind of prey animal to hunt.
affecting the character
as if with Mucus Bash.
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 3 (10 against radiation)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Scavenging and wasteland survival tasks as
level 6
Combat: Shelletons bash prey with shell-hardened fists.
Shelletons also have one or two of the following traits.
Firearm: The shelleton uses a scavenged rifle to attack prey
within long range.
Adventure Seed: Scouts
Protective Retraction: The shelleton partially retracts their
report that strange vulnerable bits into their shell. While partially retracted, the
creatures are building shelleton has 6 Armor, but all their tasks are hindered by
odd structures around two steps.
the nearby glowing
crater; the survivor Mucus Bash: If the target takes damage from the shelleton’s
community elects the bash, they must succeed on a Might defense roll or
PCs to be their emissaries accidentally inhale a gobbet of mucus from the shelleton’s
to find out more.
mucous glands. The affected target is stunned, losing their
next turn to an involuntary coughing fit.

164

PERSONAL MUTANT GOAL
d10 Driving Goal
1 Discover a still-living cousin (possibly many times
removed) that is still human
2 Bridge the gap and stop the violence that often
erupts between humans and mutants
3 Create a detailed record of all the different mutant
species, radbeasts, and other blighted fauna
4 Turn regular humans (and other mutants) into the
same kind of mutant they are
5 Reverse their own mutation and other mutants’
changes
MUTANTS | Post-Apocalyptic
6 Eat a little bit of every human encountered, to
“preserve their essence”
7 Learn to read so they can enjoy the library they’ve
created with salvaged books
8 Save their species from devolving into just another
mindless radbeast-like monster
9 Protect the sanctity of a building or city from
scavengers, because it’s “holy”
10 Restore a rocket to travel to the moon’s far side,
where they think a colony still survives

LUCIFAN 3 (9)
Scrawny humanoids whose skin glows with
bioluminescent light, these mutants subsist at least GM intrusion: The
in part on radiation. They can change the color of the lucifan instantly
transforms to pure
light they emit and focus it into laser‑like rays. radiance and teleports
away, escaping at
the speed of light.
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Short
Combat: A lucifan attacks with a scavenged melee
weapon such as a bat or crowbar.
Lucifans regain 1 health each round they are in the
presence of even low-level radiation. If they
would take damage from radiation, they regain
an equal number of points of health instead.
Lucifans also have one or both of the
following traits.
Searing Blaze: As part of another
action, the lucifan strobes, blinding all
non‑lucifans within short range that fail
a Might defense roll. The blindness
lasts for one minute or until an
affected target succeeds on a
Adventure Seed:
Might defense roll on their turn. A caravan bearing
The lucifan can’t use this attack needed food was
more than once each minute. attacked by “glowing
Laser Blaze: The lucifan makes people” according to
survivors. PCs must
a very-long-range attack with a locate the threat and
laser‑like ray dealing 8 points of see about getting the
damage on a hit. The lucifan can’t stolen food back.
use this attack more than once
each minute.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

SCULT 4 (12)
GM intrusion (group):
Two scults produce a Scults thrive in lightless ruins, whispering. They prefer
sonic-feedback burst basements, sublevels, and underground regions
between them that fills of parking structures. Though somewhat
an adjacent short area
humanoid, their flesh is wormlike, they have
with piercing sound
that stuns targets in the no hair and no eyes, and their entire body
area for one round. serves as one massive ear.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Perception tasks as level 8
Combat: Scults attack with scavenged melee weapons
and firearms.
Scults also have the following traits. Echoperception: Scults can sense incredibly minute sounds
Echospeak: Scults speak to each other so quietly that to and distinguish those sounds from each other even in a noisy
normal creatures, they seem to have telepathy. environment. This sense allows scults to “see” in the dark,
Audio Mimic: Scults can produce incredibly detailed hear hiding intruders as if they were standing in the open,
sounds, including music seemingly played by several and ease tasks that could benefit from hearing normally
different instruments, as well as perfectly match the voice indistinguishable sounds (such as targeting creatures with
of a human or other mutant they’ve previously heard speak. cover by their heartbeats, cracking a safe, and so on).

GM intrusion: The
character comes under
the acharn’s brief mental ACHARN 3 (9)
control and does what
the acharn wishes
Violet-furred, about the size of large child, and often going
on their next turn.
around on all fours like lemurs, acharn have evolved
telepathic abilities, allowing them to communicate with
and manipulate the thoughts of others.

Health: 12 Manipulate Mood:

Damage Inflicted: 3 points
A target within
Movement: Short; short when climbing
immediate
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size; Intellect
range that fails
defense as level 6; mental attacks as level 5
a difficulty 5
Combat: Acharn attack with a short-range psychic bolt that
Intellect defense
inflicts 3 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) on a
roll becomes joyful,
failed Intellect defense roll.
placid, mournful, enraged,
Acharn also have the following options they can use as
their action. or some other emotion
Mental Illusion: A target within immediate range that chosen by the acharn
fails a difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll sees a completely for one minute
real illusion chosen by the acharn for one minute or until or until they succeed on an
they do something to interact with the illusion that makes Intellect-based task as their action.
it clear nothing’s really there. Read Mind: A target within immediate range that fails
Erase Memory: A target within immediate range that fails a difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll mentally reveals their
a difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll loses up to the last five surface thoughts to the acharn for the next few rounds,
minutes of their memory. usually without realizing they’re being so read.

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 MUTANTS | Post-Apocalyptic

TWINE 5 (15)
Given their need for fresh
flesh, twine are sometimes
called “skin vampires.”

GM intrusion: The
Twine biology is supercharged but comes at the cost of exhausting the flesh they were born with
character hit by the
rapidly once they reach adulthood. To cope, twines repair their tissues by grafting other creatures’ skin, twine must succeed on a
fur, hair, organs, and limbs to their own. The grafts soon give out as well and need replacing, too. Might defense roll or lose
one eye, which becomes
grafted to the twine; the
Health: 18 character’s tasks requiring
Damage Inflicted: 5 points perception are hindered
for about a week.
Movement: Long
Modifications: Healing tasks as level 8
Combat: Twines attack twice each round with scavenged
melee weapons or firearms.
Twines regain 2 health each round if they’ve
received a tissue graft from another creature
within the last week.
Twines also have the following traits.
Graft-Ready: Twines accept grafts
of freshly harvested limbs, organs,
or other tissue simply by pressing
the freshly harvested flesh to their
body. The “donated” flesh is quickly
incorporated as a living part of the twine,
though the result is rarely aesthetically
pleasing to others.
Graft Touch: The twine attempts to touch
the target’s bare flesh with their own. If the
attack is successful, the target takes 1 point
of Speed damage (ignores Armor) and must
make a Might defense roll. On a failed roll, the target
takes another 5 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor)
as the twine tears away a portion of the target’s skin and
underlying flesh, which becomes spliced to the twine.
(The regeneration the twine gains from fresh
tissue kicks in on the twine’s next turn.)

COMMUNITY CULTURE
Above and beyond scavenging for food, water, and needful things, what stands out about a particular
mutant group? Options include:
Radbeasts, page 158
d10 Culture
1 Worships and builds faith around a surviving pre- 6 Reveres and lives in a surviving pre-apocalyptic water-
apocalyptic sculpture of huge lion purification complex; daily “restoration” (repair) rituals
2 Only respects those willing to run a radioactive gauntlet 7 Considers it bad luck not to answer every first query with
every year a lie; questions all asked twice
3 Believes musical ability is a marker for true sapience; 8 Destroys surviving pre-apocalyptic equipment and
everyone can play two or more instruments structures where found; “remnants of evil”
4 Adults always wearing elaborate masks; being maskless 9 Ownership and breeding of various radbeasts considered
is worse than being naked a sign of wealth and status
5 Constantly digging down; believes that a perfect nirvana 10 Dye themselves deep reds, greens, yellows; undyed skin
lies somewhere far below is shameful, a sign of punishment

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Adventure Seed: To
achieve their goal, PCs
RAIDERS 3 (9)
must broker a peace
agreement between two Stripped of humanity by brutal living conditions and their decision to survive no matter the cost,
warring raider gangs. raiders still look human. But beneath that veneer, they’re feral. They’re here to take what’s yours,
starting with your life.

Health: 12 Bloodthirsty: Once a raider takes damage or deals damage,

Damage Inflicted: 4 points; see Combat
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Combat: A raider attacks with a scavenged long-range rifle,
short-range pistol, or bladed weapon made of salvaged iron
and glass shards. They also enjoy the following traits.
they see only red and inflict 2 additional points of damage
with any attack (6 points of damage total).
Berserk: Once a raider takes damage or deals damage,
they lose their fear of death, fighting even when it seems
clear they’ll lose; tasks to negotiate with a berserk raider are
hindered by two steps.

GM intrusion: The RAIDER NAMES

defeated raider suddenly
jerks back to life with 9
health, not dead after all
but filled with feral vigor.
Raiders often go by nicknames given to them by their fellows. Options include:
Bag, Splendid Angel, Kas, Wily, Toasty, Rectum, The Skunk, Ironfoot, Aunty, The Crack, Crispbread,
Captain Stink, Vern, Iziqillo, Road Pizza, Bertie Boy, Savage Sally, Beanpole, The Priest, Hairy, Gloriosa

THE ESSENCE OF A RAIDER

If a raider believes a just-met survivor has food, water, or shelter, or might prove to be a threat to them immediately or at
any later date, they laugh off any suggestion of negotiation and attack.
Raiders may work in small groups of four to six or follow an even
more brutal warlord.

Warlords, page 174

RAIDER LOOT
Raiders usually have some loot squirreled away in
addition to their armor, weapons, and vehicles.
d10 Loot
1 Fireflies in a jar (dim light for a few days)

2 Individually packaged strips of jerky

3 Binoculars
4 Case of banana-flavored baby food
5 Pain reliever (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) pills
6 Barrel of instant coffee
7 Tape measure and manual drill
8 Carabiners and bungie cords
9 Case of canned fruit
10 Chainsaw with 1 gallon of gas

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 RAIDERS | Post-Apocalyptic

RAIDER FLAVOR
Some raider groups include a few unique individual riders and/or marauders.

FELL RIDER 3 (9)

Motorcycle-riding raiders keep their “motor wheels” alive through constant
tinkering and repair. The two-wheeled machines are modified with spears, spikes,
lances, and sometimes guns and flamethrowers. Fell riders wear heavy protective
gear made from fur, clothing, and other materials—often salvaged from past
victims. Goggles protect their eyes, and bones are sewn through their wild, greasy
hair as decoration.

Health: 12 Some fell riders use

Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; long while riding motorcycle
Modifications: Motorcycle repair and modification
as level 5; Stealth tasks automatically fail due
to screaming cycle motors
Combat: A fell rider is just as bloodthirsty and
berserk as a standard raider; plus they have a
motorbike.
A rare few fell riders have flamethrowers,
which they can use once or twice before their
fuel is expended. The flamethrower attack
extends to short range, dealing damage to all
targets within immediate range of each other
and causing them to ignite and burn for 2
points of damage each round until they spend
an action to douse their flames. Targets who
succeed on a Speed defense roll still take 2
points of damage.
larger, four-wheeled vehicles
with open canopies instead
of motorcycles; such fell
riders have 2 Armor and
can attempt a “run down”
attack on up to
three targets next
to each other and not in a vehicle, inflicting GM intrusion: The character
8 points of damage. Struck targets that fail a is caught by a leather strap
Might defense roll descend one step on the from a charging fell rider
damage track. bike and is pulled behind
the vehicle, automatically
A fell rider typically makes ride‑by attacks
taking damage each round
from just outside of short range against foes, until they can escape with a
inflicting damage with pikes, spears, or lances hindered Might or Speed roll.
welded onto the front of their bikes. If knocked
from their bike (possibly a minor effect), a fell
rider’s attacks and Speed defenses are hindered Minor Effect, page 211
until they regain the seat as their action.

MARAUDER 3 (9) GM intrusion: The

surprise attack also stuns
the character so they
Marauders wrap themselves in light-smothering clothes and target survivors after midnight. By day, can’t take their next turn
or yell out to warn their
they act like regular people part of a survivor community. That’s pretense; when time allows, they
allies of the attack.
torture victims to death and take flesh trophies.

Health: 18 Whether they have surprise or not, if they attack before

Damage Inflicted: 4 points; see Combat
Movement: Short; short when climbing
Modifications: Stealth and deception tasks as level 5
Combat: A marauder is just as bloodthirsty and berserk as a
standard raider; plus they’re furtive.
Marauders use stealth and the night to position
themselves before attacking, hoping to make their initial
attack with surprise.
their victims’ first action, their attacks are eased, and they
inflict 6 points of damage.
Marauders often dose their bladed weapons with poison,
and so victims must also make a Might defense roll or take
2 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) each round for
three rounds.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ZOMBIES 3 (9)
Adventure Seed: The city
workforce is a collection
of zombies rigidly
controlled by electronic
Zombies are creatures whose humanity has been burned out and replaced with
headsets, which begin unquenchable hunger, rage, or a need to infect. They retain just enough intelligence to
to malfunction. identify prey, though they sometimes exhibit surprising emergent behavior, like ants part of
a larger colony.

Health: 12 Infectious: Some zombie bites spread a level 8

Damage Inflicted: 3 points disease that moves a victim one step down the
Movement: Immediate damage track each day a Might defense roll is failed.
Modifications: Speed defense as level 2 Victims killed by the disease later animate as zombies.
Combat: Zombies bite. Tough: Zombies are hard to finish off. If an attack
Zombies can see in the dark at short range. would reduce a zombie’s health to 0, it does so
Some zombies have one two, or all the following only if the number rolled in the attack was an even
features. number; otherwise, the zombie is reduced to 1 point
Swarm: When zombies attack in groups of five or of health instead. This might result in a dismembered,
more, they attack as a single level 5 creature, inflicting gruesomely damaged yet still dangerous zombie.
5 points of damage.

GM intrusion: When
the character fails to kill
a zombie by rolling an
odd number on an attack
that otherwise would
have been successful,
the zombie’s arm comes
free and animates as a
separate level 2 zombie.

THE ESSENCE OF ZOMBIES

Zombies never retreat; they fight on, no matter
the odds. They may groan or scream when they
see prey. They do not reason, cannot speak, and
never stop pursuing something they’ve started
chasing, unless other prey comes closer.
Not all zombies are the same; many variants
also lurch and stagger after prey including the
zombie hulk, the AI zombie, the zombie sprinter,
and more. But all can benefit from Zombie Twists.

ZOMBIE ORIGIN AND DIET

Origin: If zombies cause an apocalypse, their origin could be the result of governments attempting to create a
soldier that doesn’t feel pain and is hard to kill. Other options include a mutated virus, an undead curse, psychic
possessions, AI overwrites, nanotech, bad drugs, a diet medication gone wrong, interplanetary dust, brain-
controlling fungus, the End Times, or some other unforeseen agent.
Diet: Zombies chase prey, but for different reasons, depending on their origin. Typically, a zombie hungers for
flesh, cerebrospinal fluid, certain human hormones, the “high” of killing, the “satisfaction” of spreading their
infection, or some other substance or reward they experience upon catching their prey.

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 ZOMBIES | Post-Apocalyptic
ZOMBIE TWISTS
Besides the potential of an infectious bite, new and surprising twists can keep PCs guessing. PCs prepared for
zombies may gain some sort of advantage. But the thing about zombies that caused the apocalypse is that they
keep overcoming obstacles and finding new ways to spread. Options include:

A concealed zombie lies still as death, hidden
beneath soil or water, until they animate with surprise.
Zombies fall through the rotting ceiling above onto
the PCs, probably giving them surprise.
What seemed like an encounter with a single zombie
turns into an encounter with a horde.
A zombie tries to transmit their infection at range,
possibly with projectile vomit.
A zombie displays some new behavior, such as
limited speech, the ability to create a trap, the ability
to use camouflage, or some other behavior designed
to trick potential prey.
Zombies gain the ability to communicate with
each other over longer distances, possibly through
infrasound, pheromones, or connection to a mycelial
network reaching miles below the ground.
A new kind of Zombie Variant that PCs didn’t realize
existed prior to their first run-in with them, such as a
zombie singer.
Zombie singer, page 173

ZOMBIE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE

Some zombies stand out from their fellows. Options range from the merely cosmetic to
reduced or additional abilities, including:

d20 Feature 11 Clutches a tattered umbrella in one gnarled hand

1 Head split into two splayed, flapping halves 12 No lower jaw (bite attacks hindered)
2 Missing one leg; jumps 13 Mohawk-like ’do composed of green-and-red fungus
3 Drowned, wrinkled; crustaceans wriggle in clothing 14 Whispers, “Quoth the raven, nevermore,” over and over
4 Makes a weird whistling noise 15 Tangled in barbed wire; trails a strand behind
5 Covered in bullet holes that failed to do the job 16 Jangles with each step; some past foe put a bell on them
6 Eyeless, hollow sockets 17 Zombified nine-year-old; hugs a ratty teddy bear
7 Just upper torso (moves immediate distance each round) 18 Wears a military uniform and askew aviator glasses
8 Wears a rotting wedding gown and veil 19 Smeared and partly coated with solidified wax
9 Extra large (+1 to Armor) (flammable!)
10 Wears a red cap stitched with a political message 20 Quietly weeps

ZOMBIE VARIANTS

AI ZOMBIE 3 (9)
GM intrusion: All electronics
within immediate range of
an AI zombie malfunction,
overwhelmed by strange
radio interference.
AI zombies are born when an artificial intelligence installs themself onto the wetware (in
this case, the brain) of a human. The AI replaces the person’s personality and motivations, AI, page 132
turning them into a shambling creature who only does the AI’s bidding. Sometimes, the
zombie even speaks as the AI, as if the creature were a remotely controlled “terminal.”
An AI zombie has standard zombie statistics, except as follows.

Combat: Replace Tough with:

Regenerating: AI zombies are hard to finish off because self-repairing nanotech is stitched into their flesh,
restoring 2 points of health each round. If reduced to 0 health, there is a 50% chance they regain 2 health on the
zombie’s turn, allowing the creature to shudder back to life, skin crawling with miniscule “healing” robots.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

ZOMBIE HULK 5 (15)

GM intrusion: The zombie
hulk’s hunting scream is
redolent with toxic gas, and the
character within immediate
range is dazed until after their
next turn or, on a failed Might A robust regenerative process converts everything zombie hulks
defense roll, is stunned and eat into additional mass and muscle. The result is three times
unable to take their next turn.
as massive as a regular zombie and five times as dangerous.

Health: 23 Bite: The hulk bites, inflicting

Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 3
due to size; perception as level 7
Combat: A zombie hulk bashes with
massive, permanently balled fists
stained with the gore of past victims.
Other actions and options include:
Tough: They have the Tough trait of
a standard zombie.
damage and clamping down on a
victim’s limb if they fail a second
Speed defense roll. The target
automatically takes damage
each round they are caught and
all their tasks are hindered, including
attempts to escape. Meanwhile, the
hulk is free to bash other foes as
their action even as they chew
on a previously caught target.

GM intrusion: This
particular sprinter’s Speed
ZOMBIE SPRINTER 3 (9)
defense is as level 5.

A single fit defender can usually hold off a

Adventure Seed: The zombie
outbreak is a transdimensional
effect created by two
overlapping realities; ending
the incursion requires severing
the realities, or destroying one.
single standard zombie with a baseball bat
or similar implement. Not so a zombie
sprinter, whose speed, ferocity, and crazed
screams can make their attack seem unstoppable.
A zombie sprinter has standard zombie
statistics, except as follows.

Movement: Long
Modifications: Initiative as level 5
Combat: Sprinters bite three times as their action.

A re zombies undead? Depends

on the setting, though
in most cases, the clinical
designation doesn’t change
how they behave.

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 ZOMBIES | Post-Apocalyptic

ZOMBIE SPITTER 3 (9) GM intrusion: The

A glistening, translucent greenish
bile smears the zombie’s face
around and within their mouth.
A zombie spitter has standard
zombie statistics, except
as follows.
zombie spitter bursts when
destroyed, affecting all
creatures in immediate
range as if the zombie
Combat: Add the following attack. had spit at them.
Spit: The zombie makes a short-range spit attack,
spewing acidic bile at a target. If hit, the target takes 3
points of damage each round for three rounds and, on a
failed Might defense roll, is blinded for one minute.

ZOMBIE SINGER 3 (9) GM intrusion: The

zombie singer’s bite attack
damages the character’s
vocal cords; they can’t
A zombie singer’s voice howls into the night, audible for miles. speak until after their
A zombie singer has standard zombie statistics, except as follows. next recovery roll.

Combat: Add the following actions.
Summoning Scream: The singer howls, deafening
creatures within immediate range who fail a Might
defense roll for one minute. A few rounds later, any
nearby zombies in the area begin arriving.
Mesmerize: The singer vocalizes. All living creatures
within short range who fail an Intellect defense roll
stand entranced and helpless for as long as they keep
singing, and a couple of rounds after. The effect ends
early if a target takes damage (such as a singer’s bite).

GM intrusion: The zombie

sorcerer summons a demon
ZOMBIE SORCERER 4 (12) that attacks the character.
Demons, page 54

Zombie sorcerers are suitable for post-apocalyptic settings where magic

functions, or for fantasy, horror, fairy-tale, and weird-west settings. They are
the undead shells of people who were wizards, sorcerers, witches, or some
other kind of spellcaster (or perhaps psion in a sci-fi setting) whose magical knowledge
infuses them even after death. However, zombie sorcerers aren’t much brighter than
standard zombies; they just have more ways to chase and bring down prey.

Health: 18 Umbral Bloom: Necrotic darkness

Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Immediate
Combat: Zombie sorcerers attack by casting a
short-range blot of necrotic darkness, inflicting
4 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) if
they hit.
Zombie sorcerers can see in the dark at short
range. They have the Tough trait of a standard
zombie and may also have the Infectious trait.
A zombie sorcerer also knows one or both of the
following spells.
blooms in an immediate area within
long range, dealing 4 points of
Speed damage (ignores Armor) or
1 point even with a successful
defense roll.
Mausoleum Wall: A level 6
granite wall appears within
short range, either separating
or sealing away foes. The wall is 1
foot (30 cm) thick and up to 30 feet
by 50 feet (6 m by 6 m) tall and wide.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

GM intrusion: The
warlord’s successful strike
WARLORDS 5 (15)
breaks a piece of the
character’s equipment.
Warlords rule a band of bloodthirsty
Raiders, page 168 raiders and captured prisoners, treating
them only a little less brutally than the
survivor encampments the warlord’s forces
regularly assault.

Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 3
Movement: Short
Combat: Warlords attack twice each
round with bladed or spiked melee
weapons or ranged firearms.
Warlords also enjoy at least one
Unique Warlord Advantage.

GM intrusion: The
warlord’s successful attack
knocks the character into
a pit, off a cliff, or into the
path of a speeding car.

Adventure Seed: The

museum, lab, or other
structure important to
the community’s survival
has fallen under the
control of a warlord and
a dozen or more raiders.

THE ESSENCE OF WARLORDS

Warlords are merciless leaders who value
their own survival above all. They caparison
themselves in trophies of vanquished
enemies—such as gilded skulls or flayed
skins. Some wear garish helms designed
to intimidate. An impressive weapon,
especially something from the before‑times
or another source of advanced technology,
is always close at hand.
A warlord is rarely encountered without
raiders and other lackeys that fight for and
serve them. Every warlord enjoys at least
one Unique Warlord Advantage. Many
warlords also rely on a Cult of Personality
to keep those they rule invested in
their thralldom.

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 WARLORDS | Post-Apocalyptic
UNIQUE WARLORD ADVANTAGE
A warlord has one or more of the following options and/or resources they can use in combat.

Fierce Leader: A warlord often leads the raiders
they command, fighting at the forefront and issuing
orders. All underlings deal 1 additional point of
damage when the warlord can see them and issue
commands.
Protected: A warlord’s Speed defense tasks are
eased if there is at least one underling in immediate
range of the warlord who is able to use their action to
help their leader.
Death ray (level 7): On a failed Might defense task,
necrotic energy inflicts 7 points of Speed damage
(ignores Armor) or 3 points even if successful
(depletion 1-2 in 1d10).
Rocket launcher (level 7): long-range weapon
inflicts 7 points of damage on targets in an area an
immediate distance across (depletion: 1-2 in 1d6)
Fire thrower (level 7): immediate-range weapon
inflicts 7 points of damage on all targets within
immediate range (depletion: 1 in 1d10)
Force shield (level 5): Static field blocks all incoming
attacks against the warlord for one round (depletion
1-2 in 1d10)
Powered Gauntlet: Warlord’s power gauntlet grabs
a foe and automatically deals damage from crushing
until the foe escapes
Skystrike: Calls in a “skystrike” using a battered
wristband; a round later, a missile launched from
a surviving pre-apocalyptic satellite strikes nearby,
inflicting 10 points of damage on all creatures within
a short area who fail a Speed defense roll and 2 points
even on those who succeed (depletion: automatic)
Run Over: The warlord attacks from an open‑canopy
vehicle (driven by another raider); the vehicle
attempts to run over up to three PCs in an immediate
area that aren’t also in a vehicle. Those who fail
a Speed defense roll are struck and flung a short
distance by the impact. The impact deals 8 points
of damage, and PCs that fail a Might defense roll
descend one step on the damage track. The warlord
can usually only make one such attack per encounter.
Release the Beast: Gives the command to “release
the beast;” a radbeast loyal to the warlord charges
into the fight

Vehicle: level 4
WARLORD NAMES Radbeasts, page 158
A warlord takes a name that sounds intimidating or impressive, or both. Options include:

Havoc, Slag, God of Slaughter, Mordor, The Omega, Sinter, Fallout, Bane,
Bullet Lord, General Saw, Splith, Rash, Elephant, Ravenor, Scorch, Vandal
Sal, Moonbreaker, The Flood, Shiver, Bringer of Tears, Slash

WARLORD’S CULT OF PERSONALITY

Warlords that craft an aura of mystique about themselves can build fanatical
devotion in their followers. Cult options include:

d10 Cult 6 Eradication: Humans erred and

1 Dominion: Warlord is destined to rule
the world; early followers will be granted
authority
2 Gifts of the Bomb: Warlord seeks to
mutate themself and followers to attain
ascendence
3 Unity: Individuals (other than the warlord)
are trivial; names are banned; group’s
needs trumps all
4 Spiders: Spiders are sacred; being bitten is
a sacrament; surviving a bite, doubly so
5 Technology: Before-times tech, no matter
how petty, is more important than
survivors’ lives
were meant to be erased; the
warlord’s band mops up survivors
7 Transcendence: Warlord claims they
can usher fallen followers into a heavenly
realm for their service
8 Purity: The old world must be burned to
the ground and erased so a new world
can arise in glory
9 Trials: Only the fittest can survive;
constant tests winnow followers and
captives alike
10 Manifest Destiny: The warlord is the
prophet that will one day lead followers to
a new land

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

PART 8:
WEIRD WEST
A weird west setting combines familiar
Western tropes with supernatural elements.
Blending an idealized version of the American
Old West—including rugged landscapes,
gunfights, gunslingers—with cryptids, magic,
and otherworldly beings forges a completely new
setting. Characters in a weird west setting can
explore a frontier different and more fantastic
than what history books describe.

CREATURES
Cursed beasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Gunslingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Forgeborn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Lawmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Strange folk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Ghost riders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

RELATED CREATURES IN OTHER SECTIONS

Elementals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Wizards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Ghosts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Serial killers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Haunted houses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Vampires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Werebeasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Outlaws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Faeries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Witches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Bounty hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Aliens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Monstrous supervillains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Cannibals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

176
 Part 8 | Weird West
WEIRD WEST ADVENTURES DESPERADO PERSONALITY TRAITS
If you’re looking for some basic inspiration
for a weird west encounter, adventure or d20 Trait
setting, use the following tables to further 1 Gambling 11 Impulsive
develop outlaw desperados the PCs are 2 Opportunistic 12 Merciless
likely to face. 3 Bad-tempered 13 Wiseacre
For instance, the gunslinger the PCs face
4 Insensitive 14 Gluttonous
might be a no-good, spiteful bastard, but
maybe they started on their current path 5 Arrogant 15 Full of doubt
because they were cursed by a ghost rider. 6 Thrill-seeking 16 Skeptical
Discovering a gunslinger’s true motivations 7 Temperamental 17 Brash
adds layers to any encounter and could spark 8 Spiteful 18 Apathetic
further adventures later. 9 Ruthless 19 Argumentative
10 Tyrannical 20 Jealous
DESPERADO MOTIVATIONS
d20 Motivation
1 Avenge murdered loved ones 11 Escape from pursuing lawmen
2 Keep the dead from coming back 12 Threatened by desperados, who will
3 Seek justice, no matter what murder their loved ones
others think 13 Find redemption for what
4 Survive the harsh frontier they’ve done
5 Learn magic 14 Commanded by God
6 Cursed by a ghost rider to act thusly 15 Explore otherworldly frontiers
7 Build a reputation/infamy 16 Learn the truth, no matter the cost
8 Possessed by a demon 17 Unearth an ancient magical artifact
18 Find a cure for loved one’s curse Demons, page 54
9 Claim land on the frontier
10 Wipe out cursed beasts 19 Addicted to opium
and strange folk 20 Find gold

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

CURSED BEASTS
Cursed beasts are often hybrid animals, a fusion of two or more different beasts stitched together with dire sorcery.
Other times they are creatures of the past that time would’ve been better off forgetting.

Adventure Seed: Three

outlaw desperados THE ESSENCE OF CURSED BEASTS
in the town jail were Cursed beasts are mysterious, capable of coming and going as they please.
found completely
In some times and places, they are called “cryptids” because at their core, they
drained of blood on
three consecutive seem unknowable.
nights. The last time, Cursed beasts include chupacabras, jackalopes, grizzly bulls, deathtumblers,
the sheriff was found quetzalsaurs, and nightcrawlers, among others.
sleeping nearby, with
no memory of anything
out of the ordinary.

CHUPACABRA 3 (9)
GM intrusion: The
chupacabra bites the
Part huge dog, part crocodile, and quilled like a porcupine, a chupacabra can move on four
character’s weapon hand,
dealing normal damage and legs or just two. A chupacabra preys on livestock or lone travelers, leaving their prey drained
disarming the character. of blood and survivors with no memory of the encounter.

Health: 13 minute a chupacabra drains them. Targets killed in

Damage Inflicted: 5 points this manner are found completely exsanguinated.
Armor: 2 Night Escape: At night, a chupacabra can slip away
Movement: Short from an encounter, disappearing into the shadows,
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to even if hemmed in by walls or fences. They succeed if
quickness; stealth and perception as level 7 every character facing them fails a difficulty 7 Intellect
Combat: Chupacabras bite. defense roll; if even one foe succeeds, they see
Chupacabras also have the following abilities. through the chupacabra’s attempt at a supernaturally
Quills of Forgetting: A chupacabra fires quills at a stealthy escape.
target within short range, dealing damage and, on a
failed difficulty 5 Might defense roll against poison,
putting the target to sleep for up to an hour. Sleeping
targets can attempt another Might defense roll each
minute to wake early. Sleeping targets can also be
roused with an aggressive shake or damage, but
they have no memory of their encounter with the
chupacabra, or of anything that happened in the few
minutes leading up to that encounter.
Drain Blood: The chupacabra feeds on a sleeping
target without rousing them. Such a target
descends one step on the damage track each

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Price categories, CURSED BEAST BOUNTIES Bounty Reward Price Category

page 202 Most frontier towns offer a bounty Jackalope horns (2) $5 Moderate
on cursed beasts, often because their Deathtumbler branch $1 Inexpensive
Adventure Seed: Some parts are useful, but usually because Chupacabra quills (10) $50 Moderate x5
cattle rustlers were hiding
in the scrublands, afraid
cursed beasts are scourges and the Grizzly bull pelt $150 Expensive
to show their faces after fewer of them, the better. Quetzalsaur wing $300 Expensive
being caught. One found
a cursed cave. Now they’re Nightcrawler egg sac $10 Moderate
all dead, and cursed beasts
have begun showing up
at the edge of town.

GM intrusion: The
character is attacked
QUETZALSAUR 6 (18)
again by the quetzalsaur’s
battering wing, even
if the creature already Pulled out of time by cursed magic, this giraffe-sized flying monstrosity has an elongated,
attacked this round. spike‑shaped face and a 40-foot (12 m) wingspan.

Zombies, page 170

Health: 33 Carry Off: The quetzalsaur attacks the smallest target, and if
Damage Inflicted: 7 points successful, the target takes damage and must succeed on a
Armor: 2 Might defense roll. On a failed roll, they are carried aloft. They
Movement: Immediate; long when flying can attempt a Might roll each round as their action to escape,
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size but if successful, they fall from whatever height the beast
Combat: A quetzalsaur attacks with their beak. has achieved.
Enhanced by cursed magic, a quetzalsaur
also has the following abilities.
Cursed Pellet: Once in any conflict, the
quetzalsaur uses their action to vomit
up a mass of fur, bones, feathers,
and metal from previous meals that
animates as two separate zombies that
defend the quetzalsaur.
Terrifying Gaze: As part of another
action, a quetzalsaur fixes a target in
short range with their gaze. On a failed
Intellect defense roll, the target becomes
terrified, freezing or running away on
their next turn. Once a creature
succeeds on their defense roll or
is affected, they are no longer
subject to the gaze.

179 View as Spread

 GRIZZLY BULL 6 (18)
Born of a nightmare, this beast resembles a bison bull magically crossed
with a grizzly bear. These horned monstrosities embody unstoppable rage,
and once they engage, they fight to the death, and beyond.

Health: 23 Frenzied Attack: The

Damage Inflicted: 6 points grizzly bull attacks
Armor: 1 everyone within
Movement: Short; long when charging into immediate range with
a fight their horns, no more than
Modifications: Breaking through solid walls once every few rounds.
as level 8; Speed defense as level 5 due Dead but Still Goring: If
to size reduced to 0 health, the
Combat: The grizzly bull attacks with their grizzly bull immediately
wickedly curved horns. makes another attack even
Grizzly bulls also have the following traits. they’ve already attacked this
Furious Response: If attacked by a foe round. If they hit a foe, the grizzly
within immediate range and missed, the bull gains 10 health and continues
grizzly bull gets an immediate extra attack fighting until all their health is once again
even if they’ve already attacked this round. gone, even though they’re obviously dead.

GM intrusion: A
character hit by the grizzly
bull’s horn attack takes
damage normally and is
knocked prone, allowing DEATHTUMBLER 3 (9)
the bull to make an extra
horn attack immediately.
Rolling with the wind or against
it, deathtumblers are prickly,
human‑sized tumbleweeds
whose “thorns” are actually
GM intrusion: A pack of animal fangs.
four more deathtumblers
rolls in with the night.

Health: 9
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
Movement: Long
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to
size; disguise (when playing dead) as level 6
Combat: A deathtumbler slashes with their toothed branches.
Mundane melee and ranged attacks only inflict 1 point of Scratchy: Any creature that strikes a deathtumbler with a melee
damage on a deathtumbler, even if successful. Magic, fire, attack takes 2 points of damage from the fanged, lashing
and area attacks inflict full damage. branches.
Deathtumblers also have the following traits. Play Dead: If threatened, a deathtumbler can use their action
Necrotic Surge: A deathtumbler that rolls in with surprise to roll a long distance into the night and take the shape of
attacks all creatures in an immediate radius. Each creature rotting carrion—a lost cow, a bison calf, elk, etc.—with a
that is hit takes damage and must succeed on a Might mouth full of tumbleweed. Each round they maintain this
defense roll or suffer 3 additional points of Speed damage shape, they regain 1 health, but they lose their resistance to
(ignores Armor) from a lifedraining surge.
mundane attacks.

180
 Cursed Beasts | Weird West
GM intrusion: The jackalope
creates an illusion that the
JACKALOPE 2 (6) character is entombed in a stone
casket. At the end of their next
turn they can start attempting
A jackrabbit with the horns of an antelope, difficulty 5 Intellect defense rolls
jackelopes are mischievous creatures full of to see through the illusion.
dangerous tricks.

Health: 9
Damage Inflicted: 3 points
Movement: Long; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size
and quickness; stealth and illusions as level 5
Combat: Jackalopes gore with their antlers.
Jackalopes also have the following traits.
Lure Away: The jackalope shows themself to one creature
within long range, usually emerging from behind a creosote canyon, a safe path across a tar pit, or a tidy camp complete
bush or boulder where they were hiding. On a failed with a fire and beans in the middle of what’s actually a
difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll, the target takes off after ghost-haunted burial site.
the jackalope without a word to their allies. Once lured, the Accursed Theft: If the jackalope can sneak up on a sleeping
jackalope uses their high movement and stealth to lead the or distracted creature, they steal a small personal object—
enchanted target into a ravine, lure them into the den of a wallet, badge, spur, hat, etc.—from a target if the target
grizzly bull, or try to get them lost. fails a difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll. Once they get away
Illusion: The jackalope creates an illusion that can be with the object, the jackalope buries the object under a few
contained in a short area that lasts for up 10 minutes or feet of earth, cursing the target. Until the target finds and
until physically interacted with. The illusion is one meant to retrieves their stolen personal object, they lose access to
draw onlookers into danger, such as a rope bridge across a their 1-action recovery roll each day.

GM intrusion: The animate

NIGHTCRAWLER 4 (12) skin of a human face stitched
into the nightcrawler’s hide
bites the character, dealing
3 points of damage.
Nightcrawlers rise above the soil only far enough to snatch those sleeping rough or under scant
shelter, pulling them down beneath the ground to consume them at their leisure. Resembling 20-foot Nightcrawler young: level 2
(6 m) long earthworms, nightcrawler skin is a stitchwork of skin stripped off past prey, all somehow
still animate, but voiceless.

Health: 15 Subterranean Tunnels: Burrowing

Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; short when burrowing
Modifications: Perception and stealth as
level 7 (when underground); Speed
defense as level 3 due to size
Combat: A nightcrawler bites.
A nightcrawler also has the following
options.
Chew: If a bitten target fails a Might
defense roll, the target is caught in the
nightcrawler’s mouth until they succeed
on a Might roll as their action to escape.
Caught targets take damage automatically
each round and their physical tasks are
hindered (including their escape task).
nightcrawlers leave narrow tunnels that
human‑sized creatures could crawl
through in single file, but the narrow
confines hinder all their physical
tasks. If the confusing, crisscrossing
tunnels are followed down to a depth
of many dozens of feet, a lair may
be discovered, containing a
nightcrawler, their meal, and four
to six voracious nightcrawler young.
Expel Casting: Every few minutes, the
nightcrawler can expel an acidic mass
into an adjacent immediate area, dealing
damage to every creature in that area that
fails a Speed defense roll and 1 point of
damage even to those who succeed.

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GUNSLINGERS 4 (12)
GM intrusion: The
character’s attack
Gunslingers are outlaws who
should have dropped the rob trains and carriages,
gunslinger, but instead grim-faced folks pursuing a
the gunslinger acts burn‑it‑all‑down vendetta,
immediately, even if it is
not their turn, gaining 10 vigilantes seeking justice on
health and an asset to their their own terms, or young
actions for one minute. bucks chasing notoriety.

Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; long while riding a horse
Modifications: Initiative as level 7
Combat: A gunslinger makes a long-range
pistol attack, relying on their lightning-
quick reflexes to get off the first shot.
Quick to anger and to the draw, most know
a Gunslinging Feat or two.

THE ESSENCE OF A GUNSLINGER

Loners who operate on the fringes of “weird
west” societies, gunslingers are fearless and
confident, unafraid of Death, who surely
stalks them. Many gunslingers are alone, but
some ride with Desperados and Compadres.
Sooner or later, gunslingers make enemies
either because they anger a ghost rider, a
lawman catches their trail, or because they
stray into proscribed territories.

Ghost riders, page 194 GUNSLINGER ILL-GOTTEN GAINS GUNSLINGER NAMES

Lawmen, page 188 Gunslingers have an expensive sum of paper Some gunslingers go by their given name or
money and possibly one of the following an alias. Others go by the names the papers
level 5 artifacts (depletion: 1 in 1d6). give them, or by whatever their confederates
GM intrusion: The call them, including:
gunslinger’s mount Pocket watch that stops time (except for
rears up and lashes out
with hooves, knocking
user) for 1 round Liz Iron, Billy Horn, Doc Winchester,
the character to the Locket that whispers an answer to a Doublebarrel Cassidy, Ironhand, Zeke the Pig,
ground and stunning question Helen Slaughter, Luke Earp, Thunderclap,
them so they lose Snuffbox; a pinch returns 5 health Virgil Briggs, Danny Five Cards, Whiskey Jill,
their next action.
Joker card; if pulled from deck, transports Lazarus Graves, Wyatt Ingalls, Amos Cottle,
user to alternate predetermined location Scarlet Roth, Blackwater Sam, Jonny the
Snake, Lester McGraw, Ginny Straight

182
 Gunslingers | Weird West
GUNSLINGING FEATS
A gunslinger can perform fantastic feats of firearm proficiency. In a weird west setting, those skills are all the more
incredible as this alternate timeline embraces magic, including one or more of the following.

Quick Draw: If the gunslinger attacks Continuous Fire: Each time a foe attacks, Surgically removing
before their foes, their first attack is eased the gunslinger returns fire with their bullets requires a
successful difficulty 4
and they deal +2 points of damage with pistol, attacking up to six times in this healing task and 10
that attack. fashion before pausing. minutes of surgery with
Extra Shot: The gunslinger makes an Hexed Bullets: The gunslinger’s rounds, sharp knives. Whether
additional pistol attack each round. purchased from a ghost rider, stay in the task succeeds or not,
the target takes 4 points
Shoot to Wound: The target damaged the wound on a hit. Each must be later of ambient damage.
by the gunslinger’s firearm attack is surgically removed (inflicting 1 point of
compromised, hindering their tasks, ambient damage for each) or the target is Gunslingers normally
including attacks and defenses, until they cursed. Curses vary, including: reload after firing six
shots, though they can
gain at least 2 points of healing. (Multiple • Fragment of malevolent spirit in bullet usually do so quickly
attacks don’t create multiple hindrances.) whispers to target, urging target to turn enough to get off at
Building on Success: Every hit with their on allies. Target’s tasks are hindered. least one shot as part
pistol increases the gunslinger’s damage • Wound festers and corrupts. Target of the same action.
by 1 (to a maximum of +10) for the rest of descends one step on the damage track
the combat, even if they’re shooting at a each day.
different creature each time. • Target is subject to GM intrusions
Instant Reload: In an amazing display of which cause them to attack their allies. Adventure Seed: Word
agility, the gunslinger reloads their pistol as • Target begins to transform into is that a gunslinger and
her crew are preparing
part of any other action. If the target sees a mundane armadillo or snake; to rob the next train.
and fails an Intellect defense roll, they’re transformation is complete at the
distracted, and if the gunslinger attacks next sunrise.
them on that turn, the attack is eased. • Wraiths come for the target each night Wraiths, page 32
at 3 a.m.

DESPERADOS AND COMPADRES

The gunslinger’s legendary status may lure a band of two to four devoted desperados Desperado: level 3;
plus an ally who has their back, such as one of the following. long‑range pistol
attack inflicts 4 points
of damage
d6 Compadre
1 Sundance: sunburned and mustached oldster with an impressively white Stetson
and duster.
level 4; phosphorus rounds deal normal damage and burn for 3 points of damage each
round for three rounds
2 Dead Carl: withered cowpoke in facemask and cowboy hat; actually a gun-toting zombie. Zombies, 170
3 Widow McBride: affects black gown, bonnet, gloves, and veil; whispers to ghost of
dead spouse.
level 4; long-range ghost-guided shots as level 6 and deal 6 points of damage
4 The Reverend: sports clerical white collar and cassock; brandishes a holy book.
level 4; touch heals 4 health or, with successful attack, inflicts 4 Intellect damage
(ignores Armor)
5 Brenda Howe: wears red gloves, Stetson, and duster stitched with disturbing arcane sigils.
level 4; casts long-range hexbolts that inflict 4 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor)
6 The Taxidermist: coat and hat of stitched animal furs; accompanied by animated Animated stuffed
stuffed ferret. ferret: level 2; Speed
level 4; can command horde of stuffed rats (level 5) that attack as a single creature defense as level 4

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

FORGEBORN 6 (18)
Most forgeborn Forgeborn—also called golems—are animate figures of metal, reanimated flesh, or other
can’t speak. normally inert materials constructed for a specific purpose.

Health: 30 Immovable: The forgeborn “freezes” in place,

Damage Inflicted: 8 points
Armor: 5 (2 against ambient damage)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Intellect defense as level 2; Speed
defense as level 4 due to size and slowness
Combat: Forgeborn batter foes with their fists, heads, or
a large weapon made especially for them.
Forgeborn also have the following additional traits.
Temperamental: A forgeborn can break free of the
spells that bind them to service for brief periods. This
happens automatically two rounds after the forgeborn
fails an Intellect defense roll against an attack or
attempt to control them. The triggered forgeborn
attacks twice each round for two or three rounds,
choosing targets indiscriminately but preferring
anyone who attempted to control them.
Resistant: Forgeborn cannot be stunned
or dazed. They are immune to most
poisons and disease.
becoming immovable as a statue, granting the
creature Armor 10 (and Armor 5 against ambient
damage). The forgeborn can take no actions,
including purely mental actions. Unless something
can damage the forgeborn through their Armor, they
remain frozen indefinitely or until someone disturbs
the forgeborn, typically by touching a sigil or secret
lever designed for just such a purpose.
Self-Renewing: Even if a forgeborn is completely
destroyed, the detritus slowly reassembles over the
course of three days, unless that material is gathered
into separate sealed containers.

A little-known benefit of FORGEBORN NAMES

naming a forgeborn is Most forgeborn are nameless. A tiny fraction enjoy monikers bequeathed by their
that named forgeborn
rarely turn against anyone
makers, especially those that serve as a bodyguard or are otherwise around all the time.
who refers to them by Options include:
their proper name.
Maximus, Ironheart, Maeve, Rustjaw, Isaac, Rucker, Stonebreaker, Darwin, Cleo,
Zosimos, Stormhand, Harlow, Lily, Ol’ Jed

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 Forgeborn | Weird West

THE ESSENCE OF FORGEBORN

Forgeborn often serve as guardians, either as a
bodyguard to the alchemist or ghost rider who
made them, or for an important location or
dangerous or powerful object. However, they may
also serve as soldiers, couriers, and banner‑bearers.
Forgeborn may spend years without moving,
like statuary posed in unexpected places—stained,
eroded, and forlorn. But if disturbed, the forgeborn
rumbles back to animation and attempts to restart
the last task assigned by their maker.
Forced into eternal servitude, futility can
overcome a forgeborn, causing them to break free
of the binding spells in their rage over being denied
the peace of non-existence.
Forgeborn made with different base materials
and from specific objects (or even individuals, in
the case of flesh forgeborn) often have interesting
additional abilities, illustrated by Forgeborn
Variants such as locomotems, fleshmares,
alchehemoths, dead shots, and angaliths.

FORGEBORN VARIANTS
In a weird west setting, forgeborn have a wide diversity of form and substance. Ghost riders, page 194

Adventure Seed: A
LOCOMOTEM 6 (18) gunslinger has been
making a name for
themself by raiding
coaches with the help of
A locomotem is a 20-foot (6 m) tall humanoid figure alchemically what people describe as
fabricated from a coal fed steam-train engine. a “walking train engine.”
A locomotem, or “locomotive forgeborn,” has standard
forgeborn statistics, except as follows. Gunslingers, page 182

Speed: Short; long when rolling on tracks

Combat: In addition to standard forgeborn Cover, page 220
combat options, locomotems have the following
additional traits.
Steam Whistle: Once each hour, locomotems can use
their action to vent a piercing, spell-enhanced whistle. All
creatures within immediate range are stunned, losing their
next turn, on a failed Might defense roll.
Coal-Fired: If supplied with at least a shovelful of coal by
an ally as an action, the locomotem takes an immediate
extra action, even if they already acted this round.
Passenger Cab: A cavity in the locomotem can be
used by up to four allied people to ride; they don’t
control the locomotem, but they do enjoy cover. If
the locomotem engages their wheels, they
can speed down train tracks of various
gauges and even pull cars like a
regular steam engine.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
GM intrusion: The
forgeborn butts or hits the
character with such force
FLESHMARE
that they are thrown a
short distance away, which
inflicts an additional A fleshmare, or “horse golem,” is made
3 points of damage. from the stitched-together reanimated
flesh harvested from several recently
deceased horses.
Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 3
Movement: Long
Modifications: Intellect defense as level 2
Combat: Fleshmares strike foes with their
hooves.
Fleshmares also have the following
additional traits.
Resistant: As standard forgeborn.
Temperamental: As standard
forgeborn.
An alchehemoth’s maker
or ally can also request a
ALCHEHEMOTH
shot of whiskey from the
forgeborn, which is promptly
delivered in a shot glass. An alchehemoth is a 10-foot (3 m) tall humanoid figure
alchemically fabricated from a metallic whiskey still.
Health: 27
Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Armor: 4
Movement: Short
Modifications: Intellect defense as
level 2; Speed defense as level 4 due to
size; whiskey distilling as level 5
Combat: Alchehemoths strike with their
metallic fists.
Alchehemoths also have the following
additional traits.
Stillfire: Alchehemoths can breathe out
a cloud of flaming alcohol, filling an
adjacent immediate area (no more than
once every few rounds). Creatures in
the area take damage on a failed Speed
defense roll and, even with a successful
roll, still take 3 points of damage.
Resistant: As standard forgeborn.
Temperamental: As standard
forgeborn.
186
4 (12)
Necrolectric: The
fleshmare regains 1 point of health
for each point of damage they
would otherwise take from electricity
(damage from electricity ignores their
Resistant trait).
Steed: A fleshmare will serve as a
mount for their maker, and for
anyone who can recite to the
forgeborn the secret alchemical
formula specific to each fleshmare
(sort of like a true-name).
5 (15)
Inebriating Breath: Alchehemoths can
breathe out a cloud of spell‑infused
alcohol, filling an adjacent
immediate area (no more than
once every few rounds).
Creatures in the area fall
into a booze‑induced
slumber for one
hour on a failed
Might defense
roll. Even a
successful
roll inebriates the
target, hindering their tasks for
one hour.
Detonate: When defeated an
alchehemoth detonates in short-radius
blast of fire and shrapnel, inflicting 5
points of damage to creatures in the
area that fail a Speed defense roll, and
1 point even to creatures that succeed.
 Deadshot | Weird West

LIGHT-ACTIVATED FORGEBORN
Some forgeborn, especially those charged with guarding a tomb, cave, or underground prospector’s staked claim,
become quiescent in complete darkness, essentially switching off. But the dimmest candle’s glow of a would-be
graverobber and claim jumper is enough to rouse them to full awareness and activity.
Light-activated forgeborn can still act in complete darkness, but they are blind and suffer penalties to attack and
defend normally.

DEADSHOT 5 (15)
A deadshot, standing about 8 feet (3 m)
tall, is made from the stitched‑together
reanimated flesh of several recently
deceased gunslingers.

GM intrusion: The
Health: 27 defeated forgeborn falls
Damage Inflicted: 7 points on the character, dealing
Armor: 4 damage and trapping the
character beneath the
Movement: Short forgeborn’s considerable
Modifications: Intellect defense as level weight. The character is
2; initiative as level 8 helpless until they can
Combat: A deadshot makes a escape with a successful
Might roll on their turn.
long-range pistol attack, relying on their
supernaturally‑grafted reflexes to get off the first
shot.
Deadshots also have one or more of the following
additional traits.
Empty the Cylinder: The deadshot makes six
long‑range pistol attacks as their action (no
more than once per day), either split between up
to six targets, or against just one.
GM intrusion: The
Flesh Rounds: One shot out of every six is a slug forgeborn steps on
of necrotic flesh formed from the deadshot’s own the character, dealing
body. If the bullet strikes true, the target takes damage damage and trapping
the character’s foot
and must succeed on a Might defense roll. A failed beneath the forgeborn’s
roll means the necrotic bullet deals an additional 3 considerable weight.
points of damage (ignores Armor) each round until The character can’t get
someone spends an action extracting the bullet with a away until they wrench
free with a successful
successful difficulty 4 healing task. Might roll on their turn.
Resistant: As standard forgeborn.
Temperamental: As standard forgeborn.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

LAWMEN 5 (15)
Driven by a dream of justice, lawmen
enforce the law on the untamed,
sometimes demon‑haunted frontier.

Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; long while riding a horse
Modifications: Might defense as level 6
Combat: A lawman attacks a target within
long range with a rifle.
Lawmen also often have at least one
Lawman Grit ability.

Adventure Seed: Two

rival families in a small
mining town feud over
control of a haunted
silver mine. A lawman
recruits the PCs to help
settle the situation.

GM intrusion: The
lawman’s expert rifle shot
also causes the character
to descend one step on
the damage track.
Lawmen normally reload
after firing six shots,
though they can usually
do so quickly enough to
get off at least one shot as
part of the same action.
LAWMAN GRIT
Lawmen are more likely to be iconic figures if they have a little something extra, such as one
or two of the following abilities. In a weird west setting, grit often includes a touch of magic.
Legendary Rep: Tasks made in opposition to the lawman, including attacks and defense,
are hindered for anyone who’s heard of but hasn’t previously crossed paths with them. As
soon as anyone in a group opposing the lawman deals damage to the lawman (or beats
them in a card game or similar competition), the hindrance dissipates.
Fighting Wounded: The first two times in an encounter that a lawman would normally
succumb to their wounds (having lost all their health), they instead gain a second wind
(and 10 health).
Banishing Rounds: Supernatural targets (undead, ghosts, cursed beasts, characters
with protective spells, etc.) take full damage from the lawman’s attack, gaining no benefit
from Armor, intangibility, or other protection, and losing any automatic healing ability for
one minute.
Continuous Fire: Each time a foe attacks, the lawman answers the attack with their rifle,
attacking up to four times in this fashion before pausing.

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 Lawmen | Weird West

THE ESSENCE OF LAWMEN

Despite their name, a fair share of lawmen are women and nonbinary folks who GM intrusion: The
serve as sheriffs, deputies, marshals, and rangers in frontier towns and wild lawman’s deputy (level 4)
territories. Lawmen are bound by duty, often placing the wellbeing of others arrives to back them up.
above their own.
Over time, many lawmen become iconic figures and are regarded by many as
fearless, righteous heroes. Some fall well short of their own folklore, often due
to the call of the whiskey bottle—or in a weird west setting, a lingering curse Wraiths, page 32
laid upon them by a wraith, a hexed gunslinger bullet, or a wound caused by a Gunslingers, page 182
cursed beast. Cursed beasts, page 178

LAWMEN NAMES
Lawmen generally go by their own names, though LAWMAN CATCHPHRASES
some also include their office. Options include: Lawmen who have a reputation are sometimes
associated with characteristic sayings, such as:
Ameillia Sage, Ezekiel Kane, Marshal McCallister, • “We ride!”
Rosalind Sawyer, Luke Dillon, Sheriff Grace Monroe, • “I’m here to settle things
Caleb Earp, Jessamine Cassidy, Eli Patterson, Miranda for good.”
Sanchez, Ranger Jack Star, Cole Montgomery, • “Don’t try me.”
Deputy Maya Ramirez, Samson Drywater • “There’s a new sheriff in town.”

LAWMAN FASHION
Besides displaying their deputy, sheriff, marshal, or ranger badge, a lawman may have a
particular style.

d10 Lawman Look

1 Black wide-brimmed hat, black duster over a leather vest stitched with silver stars
2 Fringed leather jacket over a charcoal-grey sheriff’s uniform, grey Stetson, grey boots
3 Buckskin jacket, wide-brimmed hat with a feather, and moccasin boots
4 Fitted black leather vest, with matching black shirt, trousers, hat, and gloves
5 Fur coat over a beaded vest, rifle designed so it’s also a walking stick
6 Tattered brown duster, bandanna usually covering lower face, weathered wide-brimmed hat
7 Fitted dark-brown leather jacket over high-collared white shirt, hat tipped low over eyes
8 Black suit, white shirt, black bolo tie under black frock coat, and polished black boots
9 Billowing red duster over a dark vest, leather pants, and red cowboy hat and boots
10 Turquoise-adorned white belt and gloves, sky-blue duster, white Stetson, and boots

ARTICLES OF POWER
A lawman might have a magical curio bequeathed to them by a mentor or given as a gift of appreciation, such as
one of the following level 5 artifacts (depletion: 1 in 1d10).

Deck of cards that loses one card each time the
lawman would otherwise die; lawman instead retains
1 health
Whiskey shot glass that refills itself
Enchanted badge that eases wearer’s persuasion
tasks by two steps
Pistol that fires ghost bullets that ignore living flesh
but otherwise act as Banishing Rounds
Tracker’s map that shows location of quarry; requires
an article of clothing of the target to use
Lariat that renders a successfully attacked foe within
short range helpless until they can escape
Bowie knife that allows bearer to see spirits and
invisible things as reflection in blade
Rune-etched cuffs that prevent a prisoner from using
magic they may normally have

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

STRANGE FOLK
Out west, downright strange folk sprout up out of nowhere like tumbleweeds in a dust storm. There’s no telling
how they’ll react when they meet you.

THE ESSENCE OF STRANGE FOLK

The one thing uniting the various kinds of strange
folk wandering the unmapped territories is that
they’re smart as people (or maybe smarter?), except
they’re not normal folk. That said, they ain’t spirits,
nor animals; they’re living beings, mysterious and
sometimes dangerous to settlers, prospectors, others
traveling their lands, and at times even to each other.
Strange folk have their own languages, maybe their own
kinds of writing. Few seem interested in learning how
humans talk.
Strange folk include wild ones, owl wights, lycoyotls,
and sarsans.

WILD ONE 5 (15)

GM intrusion (group): Hairy giants nearly 10 feet (3 m) tall stride through
The massive footprints
lead into an ancient
forests and grasslands, usually alone, leaving
cave. However, the cave gargantuan footprints. If these wild ones are left
mouth and opening to alone, sighting one isn’t always a bad omen. But
the surface melt away tracking one into the ancient caves they lair in
once entered as the cave
tunnels shift and change. usually means the tracker is never seen again.

Health: 24
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; short when climbing
Modifications: Wilderness survival and magical lore tasks
as level 7
Combat: A wild one batters prey twice each round with
huge fists.
A wild one can also take the following actions.
Demolish: An artificial structure or vehicle of level 6 or
lower within immediate range collapses under the wild
one’s furious assault.
Haunting Roar: The wild one unleashes a heart-stopping roar.
Creatures in an adjacent short area that fail an Intellect defense
roll spend their turn running away as far and fast as they
can get.
Wild Shape: The wild one melts into the form of a bison, wolf,
kestrel, or other animal, or sometimes a tree such as a mighty
pine or oak, and evades notice.
Nightmare: The wild one curses someone who has hurt them or
trespassed into their caves. The curse seems toothless, until later;
each time the target sleeps, they experience a terrifying nightmare
and, on a failed Intellect defense roll, take 5 points of Intellect
damage (ignores Armor). Three successful defense rolls end the
Nightmare curse.

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 Strange Folk | Weird West

OWL WIGHT 4 (12)

7-foot (210 cm) tall feathered creatures with talons, wings, and massive eyes glide in groups
of three across moonlit night skies. They watch (for what no one knows) peering down on
rolling plains and winding mountain passes. Best stay inside when the owl folk fly, lest they
steal you away to their lair on the moon. Some say owl wights will intercede against trouble Ghost riders, page 194
brought by ghost riders, wraiths, and other spirits. Maybe so, but what will they ask in return? Wraiths, page 32

Health: 21 Undead entities of level 4 or lower are also

Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; flies a long distance each
round
Modifications: Perception as level 8
Combat: An owl wight attacks with their talons or
beak.
An owl wight can also take the following actions.
Lulling Hoot: The owl wight produces
an echoing shriek—no more than once a
minute—that paralyzes living creatures within
long range who hear it on a failed Might
defense roll. A paralyzed target can attempt to
break free of the condition again about once
each minute.
vulnerable, but if they are affected, they are
destroyed.
Carry Off: The owl wight can carry a paralyzed
creature into the air.
Moon Glide: Three owl wights flying together
can pass, along with whatever they carry,
into a parallel dimension that resembles the
surface of the moon—if the moon contained a
breathable atmosphere, incompressible ruins
made of fused regolith, and beneath that,
who knows how many millions of miles of
crisscrossing tunnels?

GM intrusion: The
owl wight coughs up a
gelatinous sticky mess
that holds the character
in place until they
succeed on a Might-based
task to break free.

Adventure Seed: A train

is found unmoving
and completely empty.
The only clue is large
footprints leading
away into the hills.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

LYCOYOTL 3 (9)
Of all the strange folk, lycoyotls are most likely to be found near
human towns or mines, or even involved in a relationship with a
GM intrusion: The human. They sometimes appear as wiry people who love a joke, a
character realizes they’ve prank, and games of chance. Other times they revert to their
been pickpocketed,
maybe by the skinny
natural form: big coyotes ranging out into the night to answer
person with the lopsided haunting lycoyotl howls, the purpose of which they never
grin standing nearby. reveal even to humans they form bonds with.

Health: 15 Disappear: The lycoyotl becomes

Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Tricks, stealth, and games of chance
as level 6
Combat: A lycoyotl bites, whether as a human or
coyote (an appearance they can shift between as
part of another action once per round).
A lycoyotl regains 1 point of health each round when
the sun is below the horizon.
A lycoyotl can also take the following actions.
Luring Illusion: The lycoyotl creates an
illusion—such as a child in distress, or someone
the target knows—to trick the target into
following the lycoyotl to an out-of-the-way place,
where the lycoyotl can rob them, play a prank, or
get them lost in the wilderness.
Jinx: Instead of dealing damage on a successful
bite, the lycoyotl transfers a minor curse that
brings bad luck to the target. The GM intrusion
range for the character increases to 1–3 on a d20
until the next sunrise.
invisible for one hour or until they
attack, use Jinx, or use Lonesome Howl.
Lonesome Howl: The lycoyotl unleashes a
haunting call. Up to three targets in an
adjacent long area that fail an Intellect
defense roll fall into a trance where they
hallucinate all manner of unlikely events,
most of which they forget when they wake.
While hallucinating, they are hindered on all
tasks by three steps. Entranced victims can
be shaken free from the experience if an ally
succeeds on a difficulty 3 persuasion task.
Go to Ground: The lycoyotl settles down
in the tall grass, sinking into a parallel
dimension of living myth where similar
beings exist, including delicate men
whose stag antlers show only in shadow,
sparrow‑eyed old women who reveal a flash of
wing when they dance, and dirty, heavy footed
men with faces like granite.

WEIRD THINGS STRANGE FOLK DO

When one of the strange folk are encountered, what unfathomable activity are they up to?
d10 Activity
1 Leaping into the air as if drawn up by some 6 Piling up stones, then animating them with
Stone figures: level 3 invisible attractive force, never coming a whisper; the stone figures begin digging
back down up something
2 Juggling rabbits, squirrels, and other 7 Staring back at their observer with fiery,
Adventure Seed: A wildlife, much to the apparent delight of the glowing eyes; when observer blinks, the
saloon sinks into the wildlife strange folk is gone
earth, complete with its
clientele. Strange folk 3 Performing a slow, heavy dance (or is it a 8 Picking glowing red mushrooms that have
are implicated, because ritual?) under the moonlight sprung up in the area and thoughtfully
a note with a riddle 4 Mimicking the voices of two humans chewing
promises the saloon’s arguing about whether to track down an 9 Using delicate metal tools to work on a
return if the riddle is “unsettling beast” strange hovering machine made of bone
solved and shouted to
a coyote in the desert. 5 Etching eye-warping symbols onto boulders 10 Licking a long, meandering line through
and trees the sand

192
 Strange Folk | Weird West
GM intrusion: Two
SARSAN 4 (12) more sarsans burrow
up from the earth
and join the fight.

Living in semiarid rocky regions, these humanoid lizards spend

much of their time in subterranean warrens. Their bead-like skin
is mottled orange and black like a Gila monster, but they stand about 5 feet
(1.5 m) tall. Sarsans are skilled miners and metallurgists who value precious
minerals over the welfare of humans that sometimes fall into their mine shafts,
though they’re not shy about adopting human
know-how, especially gunpowder and dynamite.

Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Short; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Mining and metallurgy tasks as
level 6
Combat: A sarsan attacks with a pickaxe or
a short-range shotgun blast.
A sarsan can also take one or more of the
following actions.
Venomous Clamp: The sarsan’s bite inflicts
damage, and on a failed Might defense roll, the
sarsan grabs the target and keeps chewing. A
grabbed target’s tasks are hindered, and they
take damage each round until they can escape
with a Might-based roll as their action. Sarsan
venom remains in the wound either way, and on
a subsequent failed Might defense roll, the target
feels burning pain, dizziness, and nausea, which
hinders the target’s tasks by two steps for the next
10 minutes.
Summon Rock: Once each day a sarsan can
summon a chthonian sprit that animates a tumble
of mined rocks, creating a rock demon that does
the sarsan’s bidding for 10 minutes.
Dynamite: The sarsan ignites a dynamite fuse with
a minor spell and tosses it up to a short distance
away. Targets in an immediate radius of the
dynamite who fail a Might defense roll take 5 points
of damage. If underground, targets that fail their
defense roll take 10 points of damage from the
blast and subsequent collapse of the tunnel or
cavern, and they are trapped. Escaping a collapsed
tunnel or cavern is a difficulty 6 Might task.

Rock demon:
level 5; Armor 3

193
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY

Adventure Seed: The GHOST RIDERS 6 (18)

PCs are called to help
contain a powerful fire
or help the victims of
a rock slide created Harbingers of chaos and catastrophe, ghost riders seek to spread havoc and tumult long
by the ghost riders. past their deaths.

Health: 20 Curse: The ghost rider pronounces a curse on a

Damage Inflicted: 6 points
Armor: 1
Movement: Long
Combat: A ghost rider attacks with a sword or long-
range pistol carved from their own bones.
A specific ghost rider may use one or more of the
following abilities as their action.
Bonefire: The ghost rider’s skeletal mount blazes
with fire, healing the ghost rider 6 health while
simultaneously burning all targets in immediate
range for 6 points of damage.
Touch of the Undead: The ghost rider touches a foe,
causing them to see visions of their possible death,
inflicting 6 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor).
Eternally Mounted: If destroyed, the ghost rider and
their mount reform within a few days. The only way to
permanently destroy a ghost rider is to excavate the
purple glow of the rider’s soul that hides inside their
mount’s throat, then bottle the soul remnant in lye.
target within short range (no more than once per
day). On a failed Intellect defense roll, the target
suffers some ongoing ailment until the target can get
the magic lifted. Options include:
• Sleep-wrecking nightmares (which reduce recovery
rolls by 1 point)
• Bad luck (which increases the target’s GM
intrusion range to 1–2 on a d20)
• Spend the first round of any combat in mortal
terror (costing them their turn)
Chaos Cry: The ghost rider screeches at a target
within long range. On a failed Intellect defense roll,
the target descends one step on the damage track.
Appearance of Life: The ghost rider takes the
appearance of a normal human riding a normal
mount for as long as they wish. Those who can see
spirits, magical beings, and the like are not fooled,
nor are those who succeed on an Intellect-based roll
to discern magical deception, disguises, and so on.

THE ESSENCE OF GHOST RIDERS

A ghost rider’s thunderous arrival is an omen of something terrible: a great storm, eclipse, slaughter,
or other momentous event. Whatever chaos is about to ensue, a ghost rider aims to be part of it (if they
weren’t, in fact, the originators of the catastrophe).
Ghost riders are a physical embodiment of chaos. Wreaking havoc and inciting disaster are what
gives them the power to live on forever. Or rather, “unlive on” forever. Once human, ghosts riders are
so far from their beginnings that they no longer remember that part of themselves. Even so, they still
wear or carry tokens of those old selves, even though they don’t know why.

GM intrusion: The ghost GHOST RIDER CATASTROPHE CATALYSTS

rider pulls on the power Most ghost riders walk the world alone, but occasionally they ride in a pack of four or more
of the surrounding chaos,
allowing them to take
if they’re harbingering something truly cataclysmic.
two actions back-to-back.
The ghost riders use Bonefire to set The group thunders across an area to
fire to a forest, bridge, large building, or instigate a rock slide, earthquake, or other
entire town. natural disaster.
The ghost riders’ exuberant cries trigger a The ghost riders bring all the dead in the
Skeleton, page 353 wild storm, tornado, flood, or other large area to life for the next day (as skeletons).
weather event. The ghost riders call up a company of
Demons, page 54 demons.

194
 Ghost Riders | Weird West
GHOST RIDER APPEARANCE
Every ghost rider is distinguishable from others, sometimes related to the kind of disaster GM intrusion: The
they provoke. Other standout features include the following. event the ghost riders
are harbingering
d10 Feature suddenly arrives or
1 Instead of a sword and pistol, uses a whip or lasso of blazing fire increases in intensity.

2 Wears a crown made of bone and stone

3 Head is always aflame, as is the cowboy hat they wear Ghost riders don’t
4 Carries the bones of a small child or animal always ride horses; their
creatures are always
5 Wears a large piece of jewelry, such as a necklace, bracelet, or earring(s) appropriate to the
6 Their ripped and tattered cloak always moves behind them, even when there’s no wind setting, so they may ride
bone camels, elephants,
7 The hoofprints left behind blaze with green fire for several minutes and so on. When using
8 The rider’s mount seems to be made of writhing worms in the shape of a horse ghost riders in a game,
treat the ghost rider and
9 Dozens of skulls, trophies of dead gunslingers, hang from the mount’s saddle their mount as a single
10 Puffs on a pipe; each puff releases a spectral shape reminiscent of a burning soul entity, operating as one.

Adventure Seed: The PCs

take up with a group of
cowboys and their horses,
only to discover that
their new companions
are not as they seem
and are, in fact,
leading them straight
toward destruction.

On dark nights, onlookers

may see the purple glow
of a ghost rider’s soul
racing across the horizon
as they ride toward
some new catastrophe.

195
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
CREATURE INDEX
abysmal......................................52
acharn..................................... 166
adventurers................................16
AIs (artificial intetlligences).... 132
alchehemoth............................186
aliens........................................128
animalistic supervillain............151
assassins................................. 106
atomus..................................... 161
billionaires............................... 112
bounty hunters........................108
cannibals..................................162
chupacabra.............................. 178
cosmic beings.......................... 154
crafted creatures....................... 88
crime bosses............................. 98
criminals..................................144
cursed beasts........................... 178
cyborgs.....................................126
deadshot.................................. 187
deathtumbler...........................180
demons......................................54
detectives................................. 110
devouring mass......................... 51
dragons....................................... 8
dwarves......................................14
elder dragon...............................10
elementals................................. 22
air elemental.......................... 26
earth elemental...................... 24
fire elemental..........................23
ice elemental.......................... 28
lightning elemental.................27
thunder elemental................. 29
water elemental......................25
elves...........................................12
TABLE INDEX
Adventurer’s Advantage............ 17
Against the Giants.....................41
AI Effect.................................... 133
AI Form.................................... 133
Alien Activity............................130
Alien Appearance.....................129
Alien Communication Secrets..129
Alien Objectives........................131
Alternative Billionaire Attacks..113
Before They Died.......................47
Billion-Dollar Look................... 114
Billionaires in the News.......... 114
Blown by the Wind.................... 84
Bounty Hunter Associates...... 109
Bounty Hunter Fashion.......... 109
Cannibal Severing-Bite Effects...163
Cheerful Followers.....................73
Community Culture.................167
Cosmic Being Appearance...... 155
Cosmic Embodiment............... 155
Crafted Yearning....................... 89
Crime Boss Loot...................... 101
Criminal Operations and
Illicit Ventures....................... 99
Curse Effects............................. 93
Cursed Wraith Origin................33
Cyborg Appearance.................. 127
Demonic Forms.........................56
Desperados and Compadres ... 183
Desperado Motivations........... 177
Desperado Personality Traits.. 177
Did You See That?..................... 97
196
energy-wielder supervillains....146
faeries.........................................74
fleshmare.................................186
forgeborn.................................184
fungoid supervillain..................151
gadgeteer masterminds.......... 138
ghosts....................................... 44
ghost riders..............................194
giants.........................................38
glowing roach ......................... 159
goblins.......................................18
grizzly bull................................180
gunslingers..............................182
hackers.....................................102
harmattan..................................85
haunted houses.........................58
huntmasters.............................. 86
insectoid supervillain..............150
insidious spawn........................ 50
jackalope.................................. 181
killer toys................................... 68
lawmen.....................................188
locomotem............................... 185
lucifan ..................................... 165
lycoyotl.....................................192
mermaids.................................. 94
monstrous supervillains..........150
mutants....................................164
nightcrawler............................. 181
North wind.................................85
nucleoptera ............................. 159
orcs............................................34
orc veteran.............................. 35
outlaws.......................................72
owl wight ................................. 191
pirates....................................... 78
Distinctive Pirate Looks and
Habits.....................................81
Dragon Personalities.................. 9
Dwarf Beards and/or Braids..... 15
Dwarven Treasure...................... 15
Elemental Shape....................... 22
Employer..................................107
Encountered with Satyrs............77
Energy Wielded........................ 147
Energy-Wielder
Supervillain Look.................. 147
Epic Quests................................. 7
Fabled Foe................................. 89
Faerie Weaknesses.....................75
Fairy Tale Villains.......................71
Former Occupants.....................61
Found in a Dragon’s Hoard...... 11
Found in a Troll Sack.................37
Gadgeteer Mastermind
Supervillain Look.................. 141
Ghost Rider Appearance......... 195
Giant Motives........................... 40
Giant Pets................................. 39
Goblin Activity.......................... 20
Goblin Loot............................... 20
Goblin Traps..............................19
Haunted Buildings....................61
Haunted Locations....................47
Horrible Appearances................ 53
Incapacitating Attacks.............. 49
Inciting Unsettling Event...........43
Initial Interaction.......................45
pirate captains.......................... 80
posthumans............................. 134
quetzalsaur.............................. 179
radbeasts................................. 158
radimorph ............................... 158
radioactive bear...................... 160
raiders......................................168
fell rider ............................... 169
marauder ............................ 169
robots....................................... 118
companion robot.................. 119
infantry robot........................ 121
nanny robot...........................120
technician robot.................... 119
worker robot.........................120
rogue supervillains.................. 152
sarsan.......................................193
satyr........................................... 76
scult......................................... 166
secret agents........................... 104
serial killers............................... 48
shelleton..................................164
space troopers.........................122
speedster supervillains............142
strange folk............................. 190
strong supervillain...................148
things........................................ 50
time travelers...........................124
trolls.......................................... 36
twine.........................................167
unicorns.................................... 82
vampires................................... 62
vampire lord........................... 63
vampire, transitional............. 63
warlords................................... 174
Initial Manifestation..................45
In-Progress Crimes.................. 145
Jump Scares...............................43
Key to Destruction.....................59
Killer Toy Appearance............... 69
Lawman Fashion......................189
Line From an Elven Song
or Lay...................................... 13
Loot in a Giant’s Bag................ 39
Magical Talismans...................... 7
Memorable Attribute................. 17
Mermaid-Human Conflicts.......95
Moral Lessons...........................71
Motive and/or Unfinished
Business................................ 46
Mundane but Exciting ............. 97
Mythical Pirate Booty ...............81
Orc Appearance......................... 35
Orc Obscenities......................... 35
Owners and Other Robot
Associates............................ 119
Personal Mutant Goal............. 165
Place of Business......................111
Posthuman Appearance.......... 135
Power Armor Customizations.123
Rad Effect................................. 158
Raider Loot .............................168
Reasons They Time Travel....... 125
Rogue Motif............................. 153
Satyr Loot...................................77
Secret Agent Fake Identities....105
Secret Agent Gadgets..............105
werebeasts................................ 64
werefox....................................65
werelion.................................. 66
wereshark............................... 66
werespider............................. 67
werewolf..................................65
West wind..................................85
wild one................................... 190
wind child...................................85
winds, magical.......................... 84
witches......................................90
wizards...................................... 30
great wizard............................ 31
mighty wizard......................... 31
wraiths.......................................32
wraith lord...............................33
wyrm...........................................10
zombies...................................170
AI zombie...............................171
zombie hulk.......................... 172
zombie singer....................... 173
zombie sorcerer.................... 173
zombie spitter....................... 173
zombie sprinter.................... 172
MAP INDEX
Basic Billionaire Bunker...........115
Basic Crime Boss Safehouse.. 100
Basic Dragon's Lair.................... 11
Basic Gadgeteer Mastermind
Lair ...................................... 140
Basic Giant’s Lair...................... 40
Basic Goblin Lair.......................19
Basic Thing Lair......................... 53
Basic Witch House................... 92
Signature................................... 49
Sinister Means...........................59
Spectral Dominion....................61
Speculative Elements...............117
Strong Supervillain Look.........149
Speedster Supervillain Look ... 143
Subordinates and Network
of Underlings....................... 101
Supervillain Motivations......... 137
Supervillain Personality Traits.... 137
Supervillain Power Origins...... 137
Survivor Communities............ 157
Temporal Schemes.................. 125
The Unexplainable Explained... 97
Transformation Causes............ 67
Troll Appearance........................37
Trouble in the Community...... 157
Trusted Companions................111
Vampire Aversions.................... 63
Warlord’s Cult of Personality....175
Weird Things Strange
Folk Do.................................192
Werebeast Origins.................... 67
What A Thing Wants.................. 53
Whimsical Elements..................71
Witch Trove............................... 92
Wizard Appearance................... 31
Wraith Appearance....................33
Zombie Distinguishing
Feature...................................171
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY GOBLINS | Fantasy
GOBLIN TRAPS GOBLIN LOOT GOBLIN TACTICS
Goblin traps are simple but well-built level 5 mechanical ambushes affecting an immediate area, designed to allow a Most goblins carry a personal stash, including bones, shiny rocks, sticks, and other bits of worthless trash, plus a Goblins attack from the shadows with ambushes and hit-and-run tactics, including
goblin to run past or through them without triggering them, but requiring others to succeed on a Speed defense roll handful of mismatched coins equivalent to an inexpensive item. But some carry something a little more interesting, the following.
to avoid them. Options include: such as the following. Many items could be sold for a moderately priced sum of coins.
Surprise: When they have surprise, Ranged Attack: Goblin sentries linger
d6 Trap (level 5) d20 Valuable and/or Interesting Loot goblins attack as level 4 creatures and in walled-off galleries overlooking an
1 Avalanche; affected targets crushed under boulders and scree for 5 1 Golden backscratcher resembling a bird’s leg 12 Wand that shoots streams of harmless glitter deal 2 additional points of damage entrance tunnel set with narrow arrow
points of damage each round until they can escape. and talons 13 Gold earrings with tiny (shrunken, preserved) dangling (4 points of damage total). slots, providing the goblins complete
2 Net snare; affected targets caught and hauled into the air in the net 2 Perfumed collection of soaps human heads Draw into Traps: After their initial cover (so they can’t be attacked by Cover, page 220
until they can escape; goblins spear helpless targets in the meantime 3 Herb tin containing fine smoking tobacco 14 Necklace of dragon fangs (enrages dragons who see it) attack, goblins fall back, attempting to conventional means by anyone not within
(treat goblins as if they have surprise). 4 Keyring containing several keys, some pristine, draw larger prey into level 5 traps they’ve immediate range of an arrow slot). The
15 Golden baby rattle displaying crest from nearby
3 Tripwire on stairs; affected targets tumble down flight embedded with others rusted kingdom set, or into the arms of more powerful goblins pepper those passing through
glass shards, taking 6 points of damage. 5 Jar containing a sample of scintillating, glowing slime allies the goblins know about. with rocks, arrows, and bolts.
16 Sewing kit with untarnished silver needles and supply of
4 Iron ram swings down from ceiling; affected targets take 7 points of 6 Vial holding a madly flapping dragonfly with red eyes silk thread Retreat: After an attack, goblins flee Play Dead: Goblins may play dead after
damage. through tunnels just large enough an encounter with invaders, then rise up
7 Bottle of rare wine stolen from an elven cellar 17 Loaf of elven honey bread that tastes better than
5 Tripwire in corridor; if triggered, a dozen poisonous spiders (level 1; 8 Packet of dried mushrooms (hallucinogen) anything for their small statures, too large for and stealthily trail their attackers, waiting
attacks as level 3 and inflicts 3 points of damage from poison) drop humans to follow, unless the humans to make an attack when the invaders have
9 Fabulous hat with red and gold feathers 18 Jar of foam that tames even the wildest of manes or
from ceiling hatch. are willing to risk squeezing through set camp or when the invaders encounter
10 Clockwork figurine of a cat that walks about a surface beards
6 Tripwire in corridor; if triggered, rolling boulder hurtles down corridor,
19 Animated tongue (level 1) that always squirms west the narrow tunnels and becoming stuck another threat.
if wound up
hindering Speed defense rolls by two steps and inflicting 8 points of and vulnerable. The retreating goblins Betray: If they know they’re outmatched,
11 Silver locket showing a picture of a glowing, 20 Big black thigh-high boots that ease jumping and
damage, or 3 points even with a successful roll. will attempt to use another tactic later at goblins surrender and cooperate. But they
multicolored egg balancing tasks (artifact level 5; depletion: –)
some other point in their lair. watch for the first sign of outsiders letting
Overwhelm: If more four or more their guards down, then attack with GM intrusion: The
goblins can be gathered for every foe surprise and flee. goblin’s attack was

Price categories,
GOBLIN ACTIVITY faced, the goblins try to overwhelm
poisoned and the
character struck must
page 202 When characters come upon goblins unawares, what are the goblins up to? Options include: invaders in a narrow space that’s fine for make a Might defense
goblins. In these conditions, each goblin’s roll or immediately
d20 Activity move one step down
attacks are eased by two steps and deal
1 Mucking out an area that apparently was previously used as an improvised latrine the damage track.
2 additional points of damage (4 points
2 Roasting a variety of kidnapped dwarves on spits over smokey fires of damage total) until invaders can break
3 Drinking stolen ale and proceeding to become horrifically inebriated out into wider tunnels and caves, or
4 Putting together/resetting a trap; a few mistakes have caused some earlier casualties until fewer than four goblins per invader
5 Exploring a new area, using a cave wolf (level 3) to sniff the trail forward remain part of the encounter.
GM intrusion: Another 6 Holding an impromptu rat race in a short maze; each rat is illegibly numbered with red mud
goblin stealthily got
behind the character, 7 Grooming out nits, ticks, and fleas from a larger goblin (level 3) who takes it as their due
and the character 8 Looting the corpses of trapped and killed adventurers
trips over the creature GOBLIN ALLIES
9 Feeding a bonfire with tomes, scrolls, paintings, and other burnable stuff stolen from a
and falls prone. Goblin allies may hold the goblins in contempt but will act with the goblins in a pinch.
human city
Options include:
10 Beating each other with sticks while they screech and bicker about nothing
11 Sniggering and chortling as they graffiti an area with a handful of obscenities using manure An ogre named Ironclaw who works A group of four adventurers called the Ogre, page 346
12 Overseeing a couple of captive dwarves (level 2; excavation as level 5) in digging a new tunnel with the goblins so long as ale is supplied Fireheart Delvers who were tricked into an Shadow elf, page 352
13 Repairing broken weapons, crafting new ones from scavenged human-sized weapons daily alliance
14 Betting on who can spit the farthest; losers are roundly smacked about A group of three shadow elves who seek Five cave wolves (level 3) used as Adventurers, page 16
15 Stitching wires into the bones of defeated foes to create gruesome marionettes to employ the goblins as spies mounts and trackers, and in a pinch,
A giant with difficulty walking who relies defenders Giants, page 38
16 Carrying a human corpse on a palanquin; the corpse is dressed in bright colors and thorn
crown on the goblins to lead prey to them A couple of blind trolls the goblins have Trolls, page 36
A wizard named Celestri of the managed to trap in a deep, wide pit Wizards, page 30
17 Bricking over access to a cell holding kidnapped hostages whose relatives can’t afford a
Forbidden Whisper who thinks the An assassin who goes by the name Assassins, page 106
ransom
goblins serve her Aldric Moonblade who finds it funny to
18 Napping in a pile of snoring, farting, twitching goblins; a couple snuggle with rag dolls
A cave haunted by ghosts that normally help the goblins Ghosts, page 44
19 Dropping boulders down a pit and laughing uproariously at the sounds of distant crashing
leave the goblins alone Another community of goblins with a
Dragons, page 8 20 Being very, very quiet and afraid because they just managed to escape an enraged dragon population of about fifty individuals

19 Back to single-page 20 Back to single-page Back to single-page 21

 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY GIANTS | Fantasy
GM intrusion: The giant’s GIANT MOTIVES MAGICAL GIANTS
blow sprains one of the GIANT PETS A given giant’s motive directly affects how they interact with other creatures. Giants may possess more abilities
character’s limbs, making
it useless for ten minutes.
A giant or a group of giants could be encountered with a pet. than mere size and strength. THE ESSENCE OF GIANTS
d10 Motive A few giants can generate Giants usually get things done by brute strength, either smashing through foes and obstacles, or credibly
d10 Pets and/or Allies 1 Reclaim the lands stolen from them storms, tidal waves, threatening to do so.
2 Be left undisturbed in their claimed territory/castle to farm and hunt as they earthquakes, and similar Some giants are not very bright. When such a giant is rampaging, someone could attempt to distract
1 Elephant (level 6; Speed defense level 4)
choose phenomena that can lash an
Goblins, page 18 2 1d10 goblins them by singing, juggling, or doing some other trick, causing the giant to pause and watch for one or two
3 Seize other creatures’ lands, either alone or as allies of other giants or area up to 1,000 feet (300 m) rounds.
Unicorns, page 82 3 Unicorn supernatural forces across for up to a minute, Being so large and strong, giants can carry lots of stuff around with them, often in ratty leather bags
Zombies, page 170 4 2d20 “giant” rats (level 3) 4 Search out and gain mystical knowledge that offers advantages of craft and inflicting 3 points of damage
Adventurer, page 16 stuffed with all manner of detritus, but also sometimes surprisingly valuable bits.
5 Zombie longevity each round to all creatures and Especially powerful giants can be adversaries to the gods themselves.
6 Captive adventurer 5 Call down storms and unnatural disasters to sow chaos and destruction objects not protected by shelter
Tyrannosaurus rex, 7 Tyrannosaurus rex 6 Found a hidden conclave of giant-kind that can exist away from violence and designed to withstand a storm
page 361 discord (though few shelters protect
8 Colossal bird; a “roc” (level 6, Speed defense as level 3)
7 Recover ancient artifacts taken from giant-kind by heroes of old against an earthquake).
Werewolves, page 65 9 Werewolf
10 Grizzly bear (level 5; health 20; Armor 1)
8 Topple the gods and place themselves as rulers of the heavens and hells A subset of giants with more AGAINST THE GIANTS
beyond the world wit than their kin may know This section provides some ideas for involving giants in your game.
9 Guard mystical knowledge, sacred sites, temples to elemental beings, or spells, usually spells capable of
graves of gods grounding enemy fliers, spells to d10 Giant Encounters
Adventure Seed: Those GIANT NAMES 10 Accumulate and guard monetary and magical treasures to keep for put enemies to sleep, and spells 1 A giant came down out of the 6 The lake which the community
sent to investigate Giant names might be nicknames given in a common tongue, or descend from various themselves allowing them to change their mountains and laid waste to half depends upon for fresh water and
thunder in the foothills the nearby village. Survivors will fishing has been claimed by a giant Giant, two-headed:
that rumbles even
giant languages. Options include: shape and size.
level 7; as giant but has
without a storm discover pay someone to venture into the with two heads. The two heads bicker extra action each round
giant footprints that lead Nakanim, Bistla, Zeloud, Arguth, Thunderhide, Breurs, Greyli, Malestrom, Githorbim, giant’s mountain lair and destroy with each other but usually put
to and from a massive Kren, Musuth, Garz, Og, Footquake, Ronait, Hrung, Nyrmir, Surek, Murda, Twelve-Ton the creature. differences aside when threatened.
cavemouth carved into
a mountainside. 2 Merchants pull into town with a 7 A giant guards the pass the characters
large wagon on which a young wish to traverse, demanding they
LOOT IN A GIANT’S BAG giant is securely(?) trussed. The give one of their own for the giant to
Giants often haul bags containing a curious assortment of collected objects. Roll or choose a giant might get loose, or the giant’s eat before they will allow the rest of
Expensive item, few times on the following table to determine what valuables and/or bric-a-brac a given giant relatives might come looking for the characters to pass.
page 202
carries in their bag. Items noted that might possess magical abilities—for example, a “jar of their missing child. 8 A giant wearing well-cut clothing
darkness”—could be treated as cyphers, or in a few cases, as artifacts. 3 A huge, dead giant washes up on and speaking eloquently describes
the shore, easily 50 feet (15 m) long. a hidden realm of giants just like
d00 Found in Bag
It slowly decays over the course of them, but one which has come
01–02 Rocks, ideal for throwing 35–36 Pocket watch (expensive) 69–70 Crystal ball, cracked
months, helped along by nearby under threat by a “ghost army.” The
03–04 Rolled-up art (expensive) 37–38 Gnawed human bones 71–72 Healing herbs townsfolk harvesting portions of it giant is looking for outside aid.
05–06 Magical seeds 39–40 Giant-sized wineskin 73–74 Huge wheel of cheese for various needs. GM intrusion: The
9 When ship travelers make landfall on grabbed character isn’t
07–08 Gold coins (expensive) 41–42 Gold amulets (expensive) 75–76 Mirror that reflects the past 4 A bank of clouds appears on the an island in the middle of the sea, they thrown; instead, the
09–10 Gemstones (expensive) 43–44 Map to subterranean city 77–78 Gross of iron nails horizon; a massive castle sits atop are attacked by one or more giants. giant tries to bite off their
11–12 Map to a lost ruin 45–46 Recipe for human soup 79–80 Boots of water strolling the clouds, home to a handful of head. On a failed Might
10 Oversized items of all sorts— defense roll the character
13–14 Shrunken city in glass dome 47–48 Vial of youth 81–82 Live goblins feuding giants. including dishes and silverware, descends two steps on
15–16 Petrified dragon eye 49–50 Ring of keys 83–84 Deck of lewd playing cards 5 A giant with elemental powers, but articles of clothing, tools, and even the damage track.

17–18 Spellbook 51–52 5-gallon drinking horn 85–86 Jar of fireflies who isn’t too bright, serves as an a few weapons—have been showing
19–20 Talking mirror 53–54 Cloak of invisibility 87–88 Box of whispers evil wizard’s lackey and muscle. The up at market. If traced, it all comes
giant is forced to serve the wizard from a thief who claims they’re
21–22 Jar of darkness 55–56 Jar of starlight 89–90 Chunk of coal
because the wizard keeps the giant’s pilfering it from a giant’s lair they
23–24 Human heads 57–58 Cask of oil 91–92 Wand of lies
daughter hostage. have been sneaking in and out of for
25–26 Pinch of dream dust 59–60 Sack of salt 93–94 Gross of incense several months.
27–28 Gilded flute (expensive) 61–62 Huge brass lamp 95–96 Hero’s journal, ends abruptly
29–30 Rolled-up portal to Hell 63–64 Nesting figurines (expensive) 97–98 Prism
31–32 Pocket-sized dragon 65–66 Gross of candlesticks 99–00 Bag of plucked faerie wings
33–34 Hat of disappearing 67–68 Massive cookpot

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY HAUNTED HOUSES | HORROR

SINISTER MEANS FORMER OCCUPANTS

These abilities can help the house to 34–36 Start a small fire 70–72 Animate a toy Use this table and roll at least 3 times to populate the house with former occupants.
communicate with, torment, confuse, or 37–39 Cause a PC’s possession 73–75 Animate an image in a
terrify those inside. (PC tasks to defend d00 Former Occupant 37–39 Politician 73–75 Family with one abusive
to vanish briefly painting
against, understand, or escape from 01–03 Artist 40–42 Art collector parent
40–42 Slam a door so that it 76–78 Control the image on a
these manifestations are eased two 04–06 Writer 43–45 Hoarder 76–78 Jilted lover
might strike a PC TV/computer screen
steps during the day.) 43–45 Cause an outlet/appliance 07–09 Musician(s) 46–48 Gamers 79–81 Sadistic cult
79–81 Alter the condition/age of
to create shock objects in a room 10–12 Architect 49–51 Farmer 82–84 Serial killer
d00 Sinister Means Ability
46–48 Grasp with rug/curtains/ 82–84 Create a strong wind gust 13–15 Recluse 52–54 School teacher 85–87 Band of thieves
01–03 Create a sound or voice
sheets/towels 85–87 Make one of the PC’s 16–18 Squatters 55–57 Sex workers 88–90 Pet dog/cat/rat
04–06 Open or close a door 49–51 Cause blood to drip from devices stop working 19–21 Factory worker 58–60 Widow/widower 91–93 Escaped convicts/mental
07–09 Fling a book or knickknack ceiling patients
88–90 Change the text in a 22–24 Famously wealthy person 61–63 Soldier
10–12 Turn on/off an electric appliance 52–54 Create writing on the book/magazine 94–96 Occult expert/witch/sorcerer
25–27 Mortician 64–66 Orphans
13–15 Slide furniture wall/rug/mirror
91–93 Recreate the image of an 28–30 Actor 97–99 Very happy family
55–57 Change the appearance of 67–69 Delusional person
16–18 Create cold spot or drastically increase event from the house’s 00 Child with psychic powers
artwork 31–33 Dysfunctional family 70–72 Parents of deceased
heat past
58–60 Change the view through 34–36 Craftsperson child/children
19–21 Summon swarm of flies/roaches/ 94–96 Blast flames from the
a window
spiders fireplace
61–63 Change the view through
22–24 Change the reflection in a mirror
a doorway
97–99 Spray broken glass from a HAUNTED BUILDINGS
window or mirror
25–27 Create a brief shadowy image or scene 64–66 Topple a bookcase/shelf/ Although most haunted buildings are houses, sometimes other (usually abandoned)
00 Show a PC a vivid (but
28–30 Fill a room with darkness heavy object locations take on a similar nature. Haunted locations always have multiple rooms or areas
harmless) vision of their
31–33 Create putrid smell 67–69 Animate a weapon own death and are typically quite large.

Many of the sinister means

d20 Location GM intrusion: The character’s
and spectral dominion 1 Office building 11 Prison feet are stuck to the floor
powers may require defense and they cannot move
2 Experimental lab 12 Dance hall
rolls by PCs. Treat these unless they can break free.
as attacks by the house. 3 Remote cabin 13 Movie studio
4 Mausoleum 14 Factory While it might be handy
Sinister means and spectral to have a map of the
5 Train tunnel 15 Cruise ship house, it’s actually not
dominion powers work
well in conjunction. For 6 Mental hospital 16 Theatre all that important,
example, after learning a as haunted houses
7 Elementary school 17 Slaughterhouse
PC’s greatest fear, or a scene can rearrange their
8 Cave 18 Supermarket layout and even add
from their nightmare, a
house can use its ability to 9 Lighthouse 19 Space station or subtract rooms.
create images of something 10 Zoo 20 Hotel
that will terrify them.

KEY TO DESTRUCTION
There is always a single way to bring 8 Perform a ritual in the secret
the terror of a haunted house to an sub-basement
end (other than just escaping). 9 Send it to another dimension
10 Get a priest to consecrate
d20 Action
each room
1 Destroy a hidden book
11 Inscribe a secret phrase on
2 Locate a lost piece of art
every wall
3 Smash the locket in the attic 12 Clean the house top to
4 Kill the beast in the basement bottom
5 Burn the original blueprints of the house 13 Learn the true history of the
kept in a secret room house
6 Travel back to a better time for the house 14 Bring an evil former occupant
7 Get the former occupants to return to justice
15 Collapse the house into the
sea
16 Celebrate the birthday of the
forgotten child
17 Convince the house to love
rather than hate
18 Cause the house to be hit by
a meteor
19 Enter the mirror version of
the house (through a mirror)
and destroy it there
20 Defeat the house in a psychic
battle
SPECTRAL DOMINION
At night, a house can use one of these abilities up to three times. When someone within
nears its key to destruction (literally or metaphorically), it can use these powers three
additional times that night.
d20 Spectral Dominion Power 14 Convince PCs they should never
7 Possess a PC
1 Cause a doorway to lead to a leave
8 Learn a deep secret of a PC
new location 15 Drain the lifeforce of one PC
9 Change gravity in one or more
2 Seal all exits absolutely 16 Put PCs in a time loop
rooms
3 Create a new room/change size 10 Submerge one or more rooms 17 Rearrange layout of rooms
of room or corridor drastically in water 18 Animate and control PC
4 Move to a new location shadows
11 Cause ceiling to lower and crush
occupants
5 Learn PCs’ greatest fears/ 19 Manifest limbs from its structure
weaknesses/nightmares 12 Send a PC into the house’s past 20 Teleport a PC from one room to
6 Open a portal to hell 13 Conjure PC’s dearest loved one another

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
SHIP-TO-SHIP COMBAT
While PCs fight pirates on deck or
below—after being boarded or doing
some boarding of their own—It’s possible
the opposing ships may also fire one
each other. If so, refer to the vehicular
movement and vehicular combat rules
from the Cypher System Rulebook.
Vehicular Movement,
page 230
Vehicular Combat,
page 230
Sea Terror: level 5 sailing
ship (Spanish galleon)
Captain Malice: as pirate
captain; sharkskin whip
(level 7 artifact, depletion:
1 in 1d10) inflicts 7 points
of damage and, on failed
Speed defense roll, flings
target to new location
within short range
Sea turtle: level 7, Speed
defense as level 4 due
to size; Armor 4
The Bleak Legion: When
four or more level 3 sloops
coordinate, treat them as
a single level 6 ship.
Bleak Bill: as pirate captain;
returns to undeath within a
few days so long as a chest
hidden on a distant island
containing his preserved
heart remains undisturbed
Angry Roger: level 5
sailing ship (brig)
Bluebell: as pirate captain,
Speed defense as level 7
due to size; flies a short
distance each round
79 Back to single-page
PIRATES | fairy tale
PIRATE SHIPS
PIRATE CAPTAINS 5 (15)
Many pirate ships sail the seas, including the following.
THE ESSENCE OF PIRATES
Pirates may also be Some pirates rise above their fellow crew to gain command. The loyalty a pirate captain Pirates are usually encountered as part of a crew of dozens, all under the command of a notorious
encountered in any number enjoys stems from the awe and fear the crew have for their captain, plus the size and captain aboard an infamous pirate ship. They yearn for wealth, freedom, and whatever lies over the
of port towns where pirate
ships dock, though with
frequency of shares to the crew of booty from captured ships. The lack of the latter sea’s horizon. They are equally thrilled by seeking hidden treasures, finding uncharted islands, and
their pirate flags lowered. sometimes overshadows the former, risking mutiny. discovering drowned legendary artifacts as they are when a ship laden with potential booty heaves
into view.
Pirates enjoy their bloodthirsty reputation but prefer that their prey surrender over fighting to
Health: 24 the last sailor. If the targeted crew know the pirates will keep a promise of only plundering, not
Damage Inflicted: 6 points murdering everyone, they might give up rather than fight.
Armor: 1 Individual pirates have unique pirate names and distinctive looks and habits, but all answer to a
Movement: Short pirate captain.
Modifications: Tasks related to command, persuasion,
deception, and running a ship as level 7
Combat: A pirate captain attacks twice with their cutlass or
their two-shot long-range flintlock, or once with each.
Some captains have obtained mythical pirate booty that is
potentially useful in combat. DISTINCTIVE PIRATE LOOKS AND HABITS
Individual captains may also avail themselves of one of the Pirates are a disreputable lot, weathered and often wearing a patchwork of dress and style. But every pirate has a
following tactics: particular habit, distinctive look, or behavior that sets them apart, including:
Avast, Me Hearties: The pirate captain only attacks
once this round but issues a command to d20 Distinction
all allied pirates who can hear, immediately 1 Wears a lion-skin cape with lion‑head hood 11 Followed around by a seal in an eyepatch
granting each an attack action, even if they’ve 2 Smells of cinnamon oil and burnt gunpowder 12 Muscle-bound; sports knife-through-heart tattoo
already attacked this round. 3 One eye glows with silver light 13 Beard is a wooden prosthetic
Hoist the Colors: The pirate captain only
4 Can’t go a day without being struck by lightning 14 Always shucking and eating clams/oysters
attacks once this round but issues a
5 Seems to be a talking lemur in pirate clothes 15 One peg leg always tries to take root
SEA TERROR command that causes nearby pirates to
6 Speaks eloquently with perfect diction 16 Wears a live rat strapped to head as a hat
The Sea Terror bristles with cannons under scarlet sails painted with a monstrous, fanged raise a banner, pirate flag, or similar
device. All allied pirates who see it 7 Talking blue-shelled crab on shoulder 17 Wields a cutlass that whistles and glows
turtle. A crew of three dozen pirates answer to Captain Malice. The captain has a habit of
regain 3 health, and their attacks and 8 Set of wooden teeth capped with ivory 18 Their swearing peels splinters from the deck
feeding her defeated enemies to a colossal, voracious sea turtle she keeps in the hold. The
threat of that is enough for most ships overtaken by the Sea Terror to give up rather than fight defenses are eased for one minute. 9 Always strumming on a lute 19 Wears a spherical diving helmet at all times
and become turtle chow. To Arms, Ye Scurvy Dogs: The pirate 10 Monstrously drunk; sobers up quick in a fight 20 Never misses opportunity to mention they were once
captain only attacks once this round a “lost boy”
but issues a command to all allied
THE BLEAK LEGION pirates who can hear, granting each +2 points MYTHICAL PIRATE BOOTY The only difference
Half a dozen small single-masted sloops painted night black displaying a gold kraken on of damage with their attacks for one minute. More than gold, jewels, clothing, and art, pirate captains prize looted magic artifacts, including: between pirates and
Send ‘em to Davy Jones’ Locker: The pirate captain only privateers is that
the sails operate as a small fleet called The Bleak Legon. (Sloops are smaller and more privateers obtain a
attacks once this round but issues a command to all d6 Artifact (level 7; depletion 1 in 1d6)
maneuverable than brigs.) Each has crew of about a dozen pirates, all under the command license for their tyranny.
of Bleak Bill. The captain is especially feared because people say he and his crew are already allied pirates who can hear, immediately granting each 1 Faerie caught in amber: Causes all flying 5 Hand cannon: Magical hand-held cannon
dead. But even worse, Bleak Bill doesn’t hold with the “rules” of piracy and always kills an action, which is to push/toss/force foes who fail a creatures in a very long radius to fall makes a long-range attack dealing 9
Might defense roll overboard into the cold chop of the sea. from sky. points of damage.
everyone aboard any craft the Bleak Legion catches.
2 Cursed chest: Locking someone inside 6 Ice wand: Turns water to ice in a very long Adventure Seed: A
for a day transmutes them to a very area, imprisoning nearby ships in ice chalice of enchanted
ANGRY ROGER PIRATE CAPTAIN NAMES expensive sum of coins. for hours. nectar, bound for a
distant island ravaged by
The Angry Roger claims to be the largest pirate brig sailing the sea. Once helmed by the Pirate captains generally choose their own names, keeping their original moniker if they’ve gained a reputation with 3 Dagger of Endings: Drawing the dagger
bad dreams, is stolen by
disintegrates all drawn weapons in
notorious Captain Hook, the ship is now run (some might say overrun) by a crew of pirate it, or choosing something they hope will frighten those who hear it. Options include: a pirate ship. Getting the
short range. chalice back could ensure
foxes, wolves, and other misaligned beasts. A tiny faerie called Bluebell does her best to
4 Spyglass of Sinking: User can sink a ship the peace of hundreds.
captain the crew—she has enough sense of mischief from her grandmother, Tinker Bell, to The Brigadier, Ironheeled Eleanor, Long Ben, Firebeard, Bellamy the Sinner, Captain
they spy within very long range.
keep them all in line, mostly. Unlike many pirate vessels, the Angry Roger defends vessels Charlotte, The Sea King, Nathanial Kraken, The Terror, Captain Flint Mako, Radha the
from other pirates. Red, Pandora, Ryland the Undrowned, Yara the Nightwitch, Captain Vanquish
80 Back to single-page Back to single-page 81
 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY CRIME BOSSES | modern

CRIMINAL OPERATIONS AND ILLICIT VENTURES LEGITIMATE BUSINESS FRONTS SUBORDINATES AND NETWORK OF UNDERLINGS
Choose (or roll) two or more options for additional criminal activities for a crime boss. Many criminal organizations run sham (or actual) businesses to hide their far more profitable illegal activities. Ideas Besides a few bodyguards, a crime boss always has loyal employees nearby, including two or three of the following.
for sham businesses include the following. If a group is indicated (like “hatchet enforcers” or “toughs”), it’s usually a group consisting of three to eight
d10 Monetized Criminal Activity members. A crime boss might have more than one such group located around an especially large headquarters or
1–2 Drug trafficking: cocaine, heroin, meth, “bath salts” 7 Human trafficking: forcing people into labor or Restaurant: Either a hole-in-the-wall, a catering Martial Arts Gym: Legitimate fighters might train place of illicit business.
and other synthetic drugs, etc. exploitation service, or a fine-dining establishment, possibly with here, but the gym also hosts all manner of illicit
3 Extortion: protection rackets, kidnapping for ransom, 8 Cybercrime: ransomware (encrypting computers until names like: Bubblemania, Marzano’s Place, Olive meetings and drug deals in the back room. Such a d10 Subordinates/Bodyguards/Lieutenants
blackmail, etc. owners pay), identity theft (taking out loans and credit Branch Bistro, Cecilia’s Chowder House, Over the Moon place might be called: Iron Fist Academy, Shadow 1–2 Gunners (level 2; health 9; two long-range pistol attacks each inflict 4 points of damage)
4 Bribery: payments to police, business leaders, and in victims name), etc. Café, Lobster Shop, Lazy Oscars, Bite, The Matador. Warrior Training, Leading Edge Martial Arts, Phoenix 3–4 Toughs (level 3; Armor 2; bats/chains/brass knuckles attack deals 4 points of damage)
politicians to ignore criminal activity 9 Assassination: organizations willing to kill for money Art Gallery: A gallery with paintings and/or sculpture Gym, Tiger’s Eye Fighting Club, Lotus Dojo. 5 Hatchet enforcers (level 3; Armor 1; two hatchet attacks each inflict 4 points of damage)
5 Money laundering: investing illegally obtained money are less common than other criminals on display, ideal for money laundering, with names Warehouse: All kinds of things can be stored in a 6 Bruiser (level 5; Armor 2; shotgun attack deals 7 points of damage to up to three targets in immediate range)
into legal assets by misdirection 10 Theft and burglary: common theft and burglary like: Craft, Museum Creations, Enthusiasm, Fire, warehouse as long as it’s packed properly, and rent 7 Fixer (level 4; stealth and initiative as level 7; first attack inflicts 8 points of damage)
6 Smuggling: moving goods into an area without official is usually left to juvenile delinquents, though Exotic Art, Simple Lines, Beauty. is paid in full. Warehouses usually don’t have names,
oversight so they can be sold cheap exceptions exist 8 IT worker (level 2; computer and internet-related tasks as level 6)
Recycling Center: Facility handles actual waste but just addresses.
9 Doctor (level 2; healing, intimidation, and torture as level 6)
makes bank in the illegal disposal of hazardous waste Security Consultants: What better place to hide
and in smuggling illicit and stolen goods. one’s criminal activities than behind a shop that offer 10 Ninja (level 3; Speed defense and attacks as level 5; sword inflicts 5 points of damage)
CRIME BOSSES IN THE FANTASY GENRE Antique Store: A shop containing all sorts of legitimate security services including alarms and
A crime boss active in the fantasy genre has access to all the options bric‑a‑brac as well as a few actual treasures would surveillance systems? Security firm names include: GM intrusion: A
the PCs have and, because of their wealth and position, probably also be a great front for trafficking stolen loot. Cybercops, Red Iron Consulting, Novastrong Services, CRIME BOSS NAMES subordinate or lieutenant
achieves a surprise ambush
even more. Besides choosing a name in keeping with the setting, Potential names include: Days of Yore, Epic Antique, Strunk Security Group. A crime boss usually has a regular name and sometimes a nickname. As a crime boss against the character.
additional options for a fantasy crime boss include the following. The Attic, Weird and Bizarre, Dead People’s Stuff, becomes more notorious, their name becomes something normal people and enemy
The Vintage Shop. organizations fear. Options include the following:
Spellcaster: The crime boss in a fantasy setting personally
knows a handful of spells—or has rings and charms (cyphers) Adelaide Saunders, Salvatore “Slick” Lombardi, Vito Malone, Dominic “Kingpin”
that can trigger the same—providing benefits of escape Stanfield, Angelica “Ice Queen” Lucas, Winton “The Shark” Douglass, Sapphire Holmes,
(teleportation to a nearby safe zone and/or invisibility that lasts Hadden “Mad Dog” Chapmen, Carmine Burke, Luca “The Reaper” Del Vecchio
for a minute), protection (+5 to Armor for a minute), and the
Safe: level 7
ability to see the unseen (see invisible creatures, see through
illusion, etc. for a minute). CRIME BOSS LOOT
Protected: Wards around the crime boss’s home and office warn A crime boss either carries on their person, displays in their office, or has stored in a nearby Price Categories,
when enemy magic is in use and maybe even nullify the first few safe one or more of the following items. The price categories for such items range from page 202
enemy spells cast nearby. Wards can also be set as traps for anyone expensive to very expensive, and possibly even to exorbitant.
who gets inside that doesn’t belong, shocking them with electricity or
burning them (8 points of damage in an immediate radius), or even d20 Valuable
turning them to stone. 1 Vermeer’s The Concert—considered the world’s most 11 Illicit drugs, including the kind of drug the crime
Heavy Magic: In addition to standard subordinates and valuable stolen painting boss traffics in, but unadulterated
bodyguards, a crime boss in a fantasy setting probably has funds 2 Stacks of cash in the form of large denomination 12 Surveillance screens displaying feeds from rival
and/or blackmail material to either keep a witch or wizard on bills in thick wads bound in bands criminals and law enforcement
retainer, or potentially even keep one permanently on staff. 3 Loose gemstones, such as diamonds or rubies, in 13 The Plan: the crime boss’s master plan for taking
Monstrous Heavies: Subordinates and bodyguards could also black jewelers’ bags control and putting down all rivals
include monstrous bruisers like giants and/or demons. 4 Forged passports and identification documents, and 14 Locations of safehouses and other emergency
possibly the means to quickly forge new ones fallback plans for going to ground
5 Photos of a CEO of a large company caught in a 15 Lists of previously blackmailed people, corrupt
compromising situation (blackmail) politicians, dirty cops, and those who owe a favor
6 Accounting files detailing all the illegal stuff the 16 A thumb drive containing obscene amounts of
Witches, page 90 crime boss is into on a thumb drive cryptocurrency in a digital wallet
Wizards, page 30 7 Antiquities from a recently looted temple or holy site 17 Lists of passwords, a physical security key, and safe
Giants, page 38 on another continent combination codes to other vaults
Demons, page 54 Crime bosses in a superhero genre where magic works would have the same access to 8 Documents proving a senator was involved in 18 Photographs of the crime boss’s family and old
magical benefits as those in the fantasy genre, as well as potentially having one or two operating a Ponzi scheme (blackmail) friends, plus a few sentimental trinkets
Strong supervillains, strong supervillains on retainer. And access to technologically advanced cyphers.
page 148 9 Unregistered firearms, including one or more 19 Collectible watch—a Patek Philippe variety or
historically valuable weapons similar—worth millions
10 Stacks of fake currency; seems legit but it’s all 20 Rembrandt’s Landscape with Cottages, a rare painting
counterfeit stolen in 1972
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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY ROBOTS | science fiction
GM intrusion: The
ROBOT MODELS BY FUNCTION WORKER ROBOT 4 (12) defeated robot detonates,
inflicting 8 points of
INFANTRY ROBOT 4 (12)
damage to all creatures
within immediate
A worker bot is bulky and strong, capable of bending metal, lifting and hauling heavy loads, range, or 2 points Infantry bots are ideal for armed conflicts, peacekeeping missions, and other military Infantry bots are also
TECHNICIAN ROBOT 3 (9) and withstanding the harsh conditions found in many industrial environments. They’re equally even with a successful
Speed defense roll.
interventions. They take orders, never desert or go off mission, and are adroit at avoiding used as police in some
municipalities.
proficient laboring in normal atmosphere and in areas of high-radiation, zero-g, and/or vacuum. friendly fire incidents. Plus, since they’re not alive, they can’t be killed. If they’re damaged, a
nearby infantry bot can repair them in-situ so they can quickly rejoin the fight.
A tech bot has standard robot statistics, Many infantry bots are programmed to only destroy other bots. Others are allowed to
except as follows. Movement: Immediate (with wheels, a single Health: 24 taking damage each round until the victim uses their target living enemy combatants. Especially shady governments and mercenary companies,
A tech bot doesn’t much resemble treaded sphere, on a track, hovering, etc.) Damage Inflicted: 6 points action to escape with a successful Might task. as well as terrorist groups, could even lift programmed restrictions against killing civilians.
a human, though some are slightly Modifications: Trained skill options include Armor: 3 Supervisor Mode: Some worker bots allow a
humanoid. In most cases, they are only machine and robot mechanic, astronomer, Movement: Immediate humanoid creature to strap themselves into a specially
about half human size or smaller. translator, navigator, historian, or spacecraft Modifications: Knowledge appropriate to work as level 6; designed canopy, whereupon the robot acts under the Health: 22
pilot as level 6. feats of strength (including lifting, hauling, and operator’s control. This effectively means the robot Damage Inflicted: 6 points
bending) as level 7 acts as if the controller; however, the controller uses Armor: 3
Combat: A worker bot bashes foes with massive their own stats except as follows. Movement: Long
adjustable forklift-pincers. Some workers have • The controller gains +1 Armor but is restricted to the Modifications: Tactics and military strategy as level 5; machine
COMPANION ROBOT 2 (6) additional options, including: worker bot’s movement. and robot repair as level 6; perception as level 7
Pincer Grab: The worker bot attacks with their forklift- • Whenever the character-controlled worker bot lifts Combat: An infantry bot comes standard with arm-deployable
pincer. If they hit, they inflict damage and the target something heavy, smashes through a wall, or throws guns, allowing them to attack twice on their turn. Other
Companion bots are marketed as friends for lonely must succeed on a Speed defense roll or become an object, the task is eased by three steps. options vary depending on the particular model, including
people, and as such, they come closest to looking human, caught in one of the bot’s two pincers, automatically the following.
except for green status lights on their hands and neck Immediate-range sleeping gas incapacitates breathing
designed to identify the robot as artificial. One class of creatures within immediate range that fail a Might defense
companion bot looks almost entirely human (though by law, also possess green roll. Victims can attempt a new Might defense roll each
status lights), including being anatomically correct. NANNY ROBOT 3 (9) minute to revive.
Deployable shoulder-mounted rocket launcher can make a
very-long-range attack, inflicting 12 points of damage on every
Health: 9 Combat: Companion bots are prohibited Many robot nannies are built as “super toys” to engage, teach, and creature in an immediate radius, or 3 points of damage even
Damage Inflicted: 2 points from taking aggressive actions, especially if necessary protect a specific child. A given nanny bot resembles an on a successful Speed defense roll. An infantry bot usually only
Movement: Short against people. However, if they are animate stuffed bear, tiger, furry dinosaur, or other fanciful creature. caries 2 rockets.
Modifications: Positive social interaction hacked or break their own programming, Supervisor Mode: Some infantry bots allow a humanoid
and human psychology as level 5 they can batter a target with their fists. creature to strap themselves into a specially designed canopy,
Health: 12 whereupon the robot acts under the operator’s control. This
Damage Inflicted: See Combat effectively means the robot acts as if the controller; however, the
Movement: Short controller uses their own stats except as follows.
Modifications: Persuasion, childcare, and child psychology • The controller gains +2 Armor and can take advantage of the
Adventure Seed: A
as level 6; Speed defense as level 5 due to size
companion robot, breaking
their programming, kills
OWNERS AND OTHER ROBOT ASSOCIATES Combat: A nanny bot calls for help if their charge is
infantry bot’s movement.
• Whenever the character-controlled infantry bot makes an
their owner. PCs must Robots are rarely encountered alone. Options for associates endangered, both vocally and electronically. Some attack, the targeting task is eased by two steps.
determine why and how. include the following. models have additional options, including the
d6 Associate following.
4 Starship pilot: level 3,
space piloting as level 6; Saser: The nanny bot emits a short-range acoustic
1 Psychic paladin: level 6;
laser attack, inflicting 4 points of damage.
GM intrusion: The Armor 2; attacks twice with long-range blaster attack
Enhanced Protective Protocols: When activated by a
ROBOT NAMES
allied robot doesn’t know laser sword; long-range deals 5 points of damage
Individual robotic units often have a specific identification designator, independent of
their own strength and telekinetic abilities 5 Band of musicians: level 2, parent or owner, the nanny bot unzips and installs a
their function. Options include: GM intrusion: The robot
accidentally deals 2 points
2 Star trooper: level 4; Armor 3; musical talent as level 6 military-grade programming package as their action. releases another robot:
of damage to the character When complete, the nanny bot has the following
long-range blaster attack 6 Psychic assassin: level 6, a level 3 hovering drone
with a squeeze, bump, ECHO-Z, Kachitoma, Tiger, K-4D1, Professor, Becky, T-42, Sork, Asimov,
or other interaction. 3 Merchant: level 2, tasks deception and stealth as additional capabilities. (Speed defense as level
Jiba, Sanshiro-7, V*, Tetsujin, TRAC-E, Model R, Mecha Jane, Xaibo, 4; flies a short distance
related to business of rare level 8; Armor 2; attacks Health increases to 20 and the bot regains 1 point of lost Attacks—using a saser (a “sound laser”), a nearby
Sentinel-7, Musician, Sebin-Q, Artie, GLIB-2000, Roboy, Gunner-12, each round) that begins
galactic antiquities as level 6 twice with laser whip health each round from self-repair routines. weapon they acquire, and/or extendable claws—as attacking the character.
Astro, Ace, Merideth-1, Cess, MC11, Alpha Dot, True Tommy
Tactics and military strategy as level 5. level 5, twice each round, inflicting 5 points of damage.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY
GM intrusion: The GADGET OPTIONS
gadgeteer deploys a An individual gadgeteer mastermind could deploy (or summon in one round) one of the
reality-manipulation device
that fuses the character’s
following gadgets to improve their odds in a fight or otherwise get the upper hand.
feet to the floor.
Infantry robot, page 121
Adventure Seed: A noted
inventor is slated to be
honored at a presidential
ceremony. But the PCs
come to suspect the
inventor is the secret
identity of a much-feared
supervillain mastermind.
GM intrusion: The
gadgeteer’s Mechanized
Armor absorbs the
character’s special abilities
for several rounds, giving
them to the gadgeteer and
robbing the character of
them for that period.
139 Back to single-page
Automated Turret: As part of another
action, the gadgeteer deploys or summons
a small mechanical device that unfolds
into a laser turret (level 5) that secures
itself to the ground or wall. On the
gadgeteer’s next turn and each round
thereafter it attacks up to three designated
foes with a long-range laser blast dealing 8
points of damage.
Psychic Monocle: The gadgeteer pulls
on (or is automatically fitted with) a
bulky monocle as part of another action.
Next round, the gadgeteer can attack
with a long-range psychic blast inflicting
6 points of Intellect damage (ignores
Armor) on a failed Intellect defense
roll, and if the damaged target fails a
second Intellect defense roll, they are
rendered unconscious for one minute, or
alternatively, come under the gadgeteer’s
control for one minute.
Illusion content is anything the gadgeteer
MECHANIZED ARMOR OPTIONS
If the gadgeteer mastermind is particularly proud of their suit, they might outfit it with one or more of the following
customizations.
Robot Army: The gadgeteer summons
four, ten, or several dozen infantry robots;
the robots arrive within a few rounds.
Weather Helm: The gadgeteer secures
themselves into a bulky, armored,
spherelike device (level 7) as their action. If
allowed ten or more rounds to act without
interruption, the device forms a massive
tornado, hurricane, or actual tsunami,
large and strong enough to demolish half
a city, under the gadgeteer’s control while
they remain ensconced in their device.
Hallucinator 1000: The gadgeteer
mastermind deploys a bulky, gunlike
device as their action. On their next turn,
they fire a stream of nanites that project
an utterly convincing, holographically- and
hypnotically-enhanced illusion covering
a very long area. Everyone in the area
who fails a difficulty 6 Intellect roll is
utterly taken in by the illusion and reacts
appropriately.
mastermind wishes, including an alien
invasion, a tornado, an advancing flood,
heroes turning on civilians, a nuclear
detonation destroying an important
structure, and so on. Each time someone
interacts directly with the illusion, they can
attempt a new defense roll to realize it’s
fake; otherwise the illusion persists for up
to one day.
Doomsday Device: The gadgeteer
secures themselves into a mechanized
throne (level 8) at the center of a
mechanized complex as their action. If
allowed ten or more minutes to act without
interruption, the device deflects the nearest
asteroid into an intercept orbit with Earth,
threatening widespread destruction within
the week (unless the gadgeteer’s demands
of world dominion are met).
GADGETEER MASTERMINDS | Superheroes
THE ESSENCE OF GADGETEER MASTERMINDS
The only thing that interests a gadgeteer mastermind their intellect entitles them to take whatever they can.
more than the wonderful and dangerous things they And a few constantly strive for nothing less than taking
Trauma Kit: If wearer is harmed, a trauma kit Self-Contained Armor: In the presence of invent is the riches, fame, and personal power they over the world.
is automatically deployed (either as part of the environmental hazards, the Mechanized Armor wield by using those inventions—and/or their ingenious Individual gadgeteer masterminds can be
Mechanized Armor or as a level 4 medical drone automatically seals. With the resulting internally- schemes—against others. Some feel wronged by the distinguished from others by their specific name, look,
from a nearby hidden depot). This automatic first-aid maintained atmosphere, the wearer can venture world and want to “get even.” Others simply think that and options for gadget customization.
system heals the target 2 points of health each round. unharmed underwater or into space and ignore
Emergency Escape: A superscience capsule poisonous fumes or weaponized biological agents.
automatically deploys to protect the gadgeteer (even if Reinforced Armor: When Mechanized Armor is
it’s not the gadgeteer’s turn), propelling the gadgeteer deployed, it grants an additional +5 Armor (for a total Adventure Seed:
rapidly into orbit and (ideally) to rendezvous with a of 10 Armor). GADGETEER MASTERMIND NAMES A superhero known for their
power armor is hacked and
secret orbital base. Gadgeteer masterminds usually choose names that illustrate some aspect of their genius. comes under the control of
Options include: a gadgeteer mastermind
GADGETS IN PC HANDS
GM intrusion: The
item the character
who begins a criminal
If a PC manages to seize a device built by a gadgeteer mastermind with the intention to The Infinite, Fatal Wit, Minder, Interrogator, Doctor Venus, Technomancer, The spree using the superhero’s
seized from a gadgeteer
likeness and tech.
mastermind backfires use it for themselves, treat it like level 6 artifact that the character must first figure out Enigma, Made in Hell, Puppeteer, Death Metal, Alpha Architect, Quantum, Technoid,
against the PC or tries
how to use, which requires a few rounds of study and a successful difficulty 6 Intellect Brainstorm, Iron Blitzer, Bionic King, Data Lord, Engine Omega, Doctor Dread Doctor Dread is a specific
to return to its creator.
roll. If successful, the character can use the gadget as described, but in PC hands, it has a gadgeteer mastermind
who rarely if ever removes
depletion of 1 in 1d6. her mechanized armor.
INDIVIDUALIZING GADGETEER MASTERMINDS
Doctor Dread, page 357
After selecting a name, give your gadgeteer mastermind a distinctive look.
Another way to
GADGETEER MASTERMIND SUPERVILLAIN LOOK individualize a villain
is to vary their level.
d10 Gadgeteer Mastermind Appearance
1 Red lab coat, utility belt, and GM intrusion: The
augmented-reality goggles gadgeteer switches on a
device that renders the
2 Black leather jacket, graphic tee, ripped jeans, character’s equipment
and “designer” sunglasses useless for one round.
3 Sleek suit of black-and-red mechanized armor
with spherical, transparent helm
4 Reflective, mirror-like, skintight suit and head
that appears robotic
5 Formal wear, gloves, and domino mask layered
with glowing circuitry
6 Humanoid form clad in shimmering yellowish
metal with face projected on chest screen
7 10-foot (3 m) tall mechanical armored form
studded with dozens of gadgets
8 Wears a “living” cloak made of nanoparticles
gadgeteer can form into other gadgets
9 Stylish Victorian-era suit replete with steampunk
gadgets, including wire‑festooned cane
10 Hologram of mastermind’s head projected from an
armored, remotely piloted robotic drone
Back to
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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY RADBEASTS | Post-Apocalyptic

GLOWING ROACH 2 (6) RADIOACTIVE BEAR 7 (21) ATOMUS 8 (24)

Five times the size of roaches from before the apocalypse, these firefly-lit creatures prefer ruined Radiation and/or the intervention of a Atomi are 30-foot (9 m) tall humanoids formed of fused obsidian
subways and abandoned basements. military AI transformed an already with eyes like nuclear furnaces. Sometimes they expand into their
large and aggressive bear into true forms: blooms of sapient nuclear fire dozens of feet in
Health: 6 Swarm: Four glowing roaches act together, something truly horrific. diameter. When roused, atomi usually seek just one thing:
Damage Inflicted: 2 points making a single attack as a level 4 creature to destroy.
Armor: 2 inflicting 4 points of damage; target also Health: 35
Movement: Short; short when flying becomes irradiated on a failed difficulty 4 Might Damage Inflicted: 7 points
Modifications: Speed defense as level 3 due to defense task, which hinders an affected targets’ tasks for one minute. Armor: 1 (immune to radiation) Health: 27
small size; perception as level 5 Reek: The first time a creature attacks a glowing roach within Movement: Short Damage Inflicted: 12 points
Combat: A glowing roach bites with their immediate range, the attacker must succeed on a difficulty 3 Might Modifications: Speed defense as Armor: 4
radioactive mandibles. task or become queasy from a whiff of something unutterably foul. GM intrusion: The level 4 due to size; perception as Movement: Short; very long when transformed
radioactive glowing roach into a shape of fire
Glowing roaches also have the following The affected PCs gain no benefit from Edge in any of their Pools for sickens the character
level 8
abilities. one minute. unless they succeed on a Combat: The bear attacks twice Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to
difficulty 4 Might task. each round with their claws. huge size
A sickened character is Creatures within immediate range of Combat: An atomus batters targets
overcome with nausea and or smashes prey with a weapon-
loses their next action. a radioactive bear are irradiated on
like extension created using Atomic
NUCLEOPTERA 4 (12)
a failed Might defense task, hindering the
target’s tasks on their next turn. Manipulation.
Bite: As their action, the bear bites, An atomus regains 1 health each round.
inflicting damage. If the bear’s bite attack Atomi also have one or more of the
This irradiated insect has a lethal 13-foot (4 m) succeeds against a target suffering from following abilities.
wingspan that burns with bluish-purple energy. Its GM intrusion: The radiation sickness, the bear regains Radioactive Aura: Creatures within immediate range
mandibles chatter and click like a Geiger counter. character survived the 5 points of health. On a failed Might of an atomus take 3 points of damage each round from
bear’s attack but is now radiation; those within short range take 1 point of
facing radiation sickness. defense roll, the bear holds a target in
their jaws, hindering their tasks until they damage each round.
Health: 20
can escape. Radiation Beam: An atomus projects a
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
If the radioactive bear begins their turn very‑long‑range beam of blazing blue radiation
Armor: 1 (10 against radiation)
with a target held in their jaws, they Shoulder-Mounted Laser: Some (no more than once every three rounds). The
Movement: Immediate; long when flying
GM intrusion: The automatically deal damage from the bite radioactive bears are the result of target and all creatures and objects within short
Modifications: Perception as level 7 nucleoptera uses
as their action. military or AI design rather than a natural range of the target take damage on a failed
Combat: A nucleoptera bites. its Oviposit attack
immediately, even if not Radbreath: The bear coughs forth a mutation; they may possess a mechanism Speed defense roll; even with a successful
Nucleoptera also have the following abilities.
dead or dying, as part of radioactive cloud once every few hours capable of firing a long-range laser at roll, targets still take 4 points of damage.
Wing Irradiation: The nucleoptera that
another attack action. as their action (and again if the bear distant targets, deployed from a harness Irradiate Blood: Every few minutes,
isn’t flying fans its wings, creating a brilliant
is killed), targeting everything within fused to the creature’s flesh. atomi can tune their Radioactive
purple flare (no more than once every other
immediate range. Targets that fail a Radiation Eater: In areas of dangerous Aura, producing an active attack.
round). All creatures in immediate range take damage
Might defense roll take damage from radiation, the radioactive bear regains 2 The blood of creatures within
from a blast of radiation on a failed Might defense roll.
the radiation. health each round. immediate range begins to boil
Soften Bones: The first time a target fails their defense
on a failed Might defense roll. Targets with boiling blood suffer 3 points of ambient damage
roll against Wing Irradiation, their bones soften; on a
each round and writhe on the ground, helpless, for one minute or until they succeed on a
second failed Might defense roll, they collapse for up
Might defense roll on their turn. GM intrusion: Someone
to one minute or until they succeed on a Might defense
DISEASE: RADIATION SICKNESS Targets who recover from the effects of this attack probably suffer Radiation Sickness. the PCs mistook
roll as their action. An affected target can’t take physical as another survivor
If PCs can scavenge Level 8 disease: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue appear within minutes to hours Atomic Manipulation: The atomus can spend their turn transforming themself into a different in ragged clothing
actions, defend themselves, or even speak intelligibly. iodine tablets to treat of a PC contracting radiation sickness. Hours later a PC may suffer skin burns and hair shape of obsidian, such as a large boulder or a statue-like bear or other animal, or even reveals themselves,
Oviposit: If the nucleoptera is killed, it immediately takes Treat the growing egg as a level 4 disease that requires a target of radiation
sickness, each Might roll
loss. Days later, a PC still suffering from the condition experiences extreme weakness, concentrate themselves almost down to the size of a regular human. by transforming,
a final action even if it’s already taken its turn this round, three successful Might defense rolls (one per day) to as an atomus.
the treated target makes weight loss, and potentially death. Shape of Fire: The atomus atomically manipulates their form as their action, expanding to
lashing its tail to make a level 6 attack on the nearest clear. Each failed Might defense roll causes the target
to avoid descending steps Each day the PC fails a Might defense roll, they descend one step on the damage track. become a bloom of nuclear fire filling a short area. All creatures and objects in the area of the
creature. If successful, the target takes damage and a tiny to descend one step on the damage track. If the target on the damage track is If the PC succeeds on three Might defense rolls, they gradually improve and throw off the transformed atomus are affected as if subject to a Radiation Beam attack each round.
egg is deposited in the wound. (This may not be obvious dies, a small nucleoptera eats its way out of the target’s eased by three steps.
sickness effects within a few weeks. The atomus can maintain Shape of Fire for up to minute, moving at will. While in this form, they
to the new host.) remains over the next few days.
have no Armor, but they take no damage from mundane physical attacks.

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 CYPHER SYSTEM BESTIARY Cursed Beasts | Weird West
GM intrusion: The jackalope
Price categories, CURSED BEAST BOUNTIES Bounty Reward Price Category creates an illusion that the
page 202 Most frontier towns offer a bounty Jackalope horns (2) $5 Moderate GRIZZLY BULL 6 (18) JACKALOPE 2 (6) character is entombed in a stone
casket. At the end of their next
on cursed beasts, often because their Deathtumbler branch $1 Inexpensive
turn they can start attempting
Adventure Seed: Some parts are useful, but usually because Chupacabra quills (10) $50 Moderate x5 A jackrabbit with the horns of an antelope,
Born of a nightmare, this beast resembles a bison bull magically crossed difficulty 5 Intellect defense rolls
cattle rustlers were hiding
in the scrublands, afraid
cursed beasts are scourges and the Grizzly bull pelt $150 Expensive with a grizzly bear. These horned monstrosities embody unstoppable rage, jackelopes are mischievous creatures full of to see through the illusion.
to show their faces after fewer of them, the better. Quetzalsaur wing $300 Expensive and once they engage, they fight to the death, and beyond. dangerous tricks.
being caught. One found
a cursed cave. Now they’re Nightcrawler egg sac $10 Moderate
all dead, and cursed beasts Health: 23 Frenzied Attack: The Health: 9
have begun showing up Damage Inflicted: 6 points grizzly bull attacks Damage Inflicted: 3 points
at the edge of town.
Armor: 1 everyone within Movement: Long; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size
GM intrusion: The
character is attacked
QUETZALSAUR 6 (18) Movement: Short; long when charging into
a fight
immediate range with
their horns, no more than and quickness; stealth and illusions as level 5
Modifications: Breaking through solid walls once every few rounds. Combat: Jackalopes gore with their antlers.
again by the quetzalsaur’s
as level 8; Speed defense as level 5 due Dead but Still Goring: If Jackalopes also have the following traits.
battering wing, even
if the creature already Pulled out of time by cursed magic, this giraffe-sized flying monstrosity has an elongated, to size reduced to 0 health, the Lure Away: The jackalope shows themself to one creature
attacked this round. spike‑shaped face and a 40-foot (12 m) wingspan. Combat: The grizzly bull attacks with their grizzly bull immediately within long range, usually emerging from behind a creosote canyon, a safe path across a tar pit, or a tidy camp complete
wickedly curved horns. makes another attack even bush or boulder where they were hiding. On a failed with a fire and beans in the middle of what’s actually a
Zombies, page 170 difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll, the target takes off after ghost-haunted burial site.
Grizzly bulls also have the following traits. they’ve already attacked this
Furious Response: If attacked by a foe round. If they hit a foe, the grizzly the jackalope without a word to their allies. Once lured, the Accursed Theft: If the jackalope can sneak up on a sleeping
within immediate range and missed, the bull gains 10 health and continues jackalope uses their high movement and stealth to lead the or distracted creature, they steal a small personal object—
Health: 33 Carry Off: The quetzalsaur attacks the smallest target, and if
grizzly bull gets an immediate extra attack fighting until all their health is once again enchanted target into a ravine, lure them into the den of a wallet, badge, spur, hat, etc.—from a target if the target
Damage Inflicted: 7 points successful, the target takes damage and must succeed on a
even if they’ve already attacked this round. gone, even though they’re obviously dead. grizzly bull, or try to get them lost. fails a difficulty 5 Intellect defense roll. Once they get away
Armor: 2 Might defense roll. On a failed roll, they are carried aloft. They Illusion: The jackalope creates an illusion that can be with the object, the jackalope buries the object under a few
Movement: Immediate; long when flying can attempt a Might roll each round as their action to escape, contained in a short area that lasts for up 10 minutes or feet of earth, cursing the target. Until the target finds and
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size but if successful, they fall from whatever height the beast GM intrusion: A until physically interacted with. The illusion is one meant to retrieves their stolen personal object, they lose access to
Combat: A quetzalsaur attacks with their beak. has achieved. character hit by the grizzly draw onlookers into danger, such as a rope bridge across a their 1-action recovery roll each day.
bull’s horn attack takes
Enhanced by cursed magic, a quetzalsaur
also has the following abilities.
damage normally and is
knocked prone, allowing DEATHTUMBLER 3 (9)
Cursed Pellet: Once in any conflict, the the bull to make an extra
horn attack immediately. GM intrusion: The animate
quetzalsaur uses their action to vomit
up a mass of fur, bones, feathers,
Rolling with the wind or against
it, deathtumblers are prickly,
NIGHTCRAWLER 4 (12) skin of a human face stitched
into the nightcrawler’s hide
and metal from previous meals that human‑sized tumbleweeds bites the character, dealing
animates as two separate zombies that 3 points of damage.
whose “thorns” are actually Nightcrawlers rise above the soil only far enough to snatch those sleeping rough or under scant
defend the quetzalsaur. GM intrusion: A pack of animal fangs. shelter, pulling them down beneath the ground to consume them at their leisure. Resembling 20-foot Nightcrawler young: level 2
Terrifying Gaze: As part of another four more deathtumblers (6 m) long earthworms, nightcrawler skin is a stitchwork of skin stripped off past prey, all somehow
rolls in with the night.
action, a quetzalsaur fixes a target in still animate, but voiceless.
short range with their gaze. On a failed
Intellect defense roll, the target becomes Health: 15 Subterranean Tunnels: Burrowing
terrified, freezing or running away on Damage Inflicted: 5 points nightcrawlers leave narrow tunnels that
Health: 9
their next turn. Once a creature Armor: 1 human‑sized creatures could crawl
Damage Inflicted: 4 points
succeeds on their defense roll or Movement: Long Movement: Short; short when burrowing through in single file, but the narrow
is affected, they are no longer Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to Modifications: Perception and stealth as confines hinder all their physical
subject to the gaze. size; disguise (when playing dead) as level 6 level 7 (when underground); Speed tasks. If the confusing, crisscrossing
Combat: A deathtumbler slashes with their toothed branches. defense as level 3 due to size tunnels are followed down to a depth
Mundane melee and ranged attacks only inflict 1 point of Scratchy: Any creature that strikes a deathtumbler with a melee Combat: A nightcrawler bites. of many dozens of feet, a lair may
damage on a deathtumbler, even if successful. Magic, fire, attack takes 2 points of damage from the fanged, lashing A nightcrawler also has the following be discovered, containing a
and area attacks inflict full damage. branches. options. nightcrawler, their meal, and four
Deathtumblers also have the following traits. Play Dead: If threatened, a deathtumbler can use their action Chew: If a bitten target fails a Might to six voracious nightcrawler young.
Necrotic Surge: A deathtumbler that rolls in with surprise to roll a long distance into the night and take the shape of defense roll, the target is caught in the Expel Casting: Every few minutes, the
attacks all creatures in an immediate radius. Each creature nightcrawler’s mouth until they succeed nightcrawler can expel an acidic mass
rotting carrion—a lost cow, a bison calf, elk, etc.—with a
that is hit takes damage and must succeed on a Might on a Might roll as their action to escape. into an adjacent immediate area, dealing
mouth full of tumbleweed. Each round they maintain this
defense roll or suffer 3 additional points of Speed damage Caught targets take damage automatically damage to every creature in that area that
shape, they regain 1 health, but they lose their resistance to
(ignores Armor) from a lifedraining surge. each round and their physical tasks are fails a Speed defense roll and 1 point of
mundane attacks. hindered (including their escape task). damage even to those who succeed.

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