Cypher Speak 11: Level Up Your XP

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious

-Albert Einstein.

Darcy & Troy discuss the many uses of XP in the Cypher System, from the usual things like re-rolls & tiering up to things like adding narrative flavor, modifying Numenera, establishing NPC contacts or houses, and more.

Short-term Benefits:

The Cypher System Rulebook lists the following ideas for short-term benefits:

1 XP: Re-roll any die roll, Decline a GM Intrusion

2 XP: Gain training in a very focused skill, Gain short term use of an item or ability

Our other ideas:

1 XP: Narrative flavor for a single scene

The shopkeeper has a tell that allows you to negotiate a better price.

You just happen to have a crowbar in your bag for opening this chest.

Modify the way a cypher works, staying with the original use of the device, but stretching it a little bit.

There is particular lighting in this warehouse fight that makes your character look really cool

2 XP: Narrative flavor that lasts a bit longer

Characters are able to modify or add a new ability to an artifact, perhaps with a drawback kor additional depletion effects.

Recruit a friendly NPC that will help out the group for a short period of time, or is an expert in a specific field.

A temporary safe house.

Long-term Benefits:

The Cypher System Rulebook lists the following ideas for long-term benefits:

Familiarity: +1 to the die roll of a given task

Contact: Someone helpful to the party that can assist them over a period of time.

Home: A residence to call home.

Title: A title

Wealth: Characters come into some money

Artifact: Create an artifact

Some of our ideas:

Long-term benefits should have a long and impactful effect on your campaign.

Allow players to bring in someone from their backstory as a contact.

Modify an existing artifact to have additional properties. Sort of a legacy weapon feel, so you have an item that grows with you.

That creature you formed a bond with permanently becomes your companion animal.

Your tinkering with that device/piece of Numenera allows you to permanently have a Google Glass-like HUD that tells you some extra information of things you look like (Horizon Zero Dawn’s scan ability, for instance)

Refunds. If players invest in a long-term benefit and for some reason it’s not applicable anymore, you should consider refunding the XP they invested, or some portion of it.

Maybe the contact did work out. Maybe the Title became hollow, Maybe the GM burned your home to the ground. If for whatever reason something you invested 3 XP in no longer has value, or is taken away, think about softening the blow with additional XP. These types of things should be GM Intrusions at least, and Troy would consider giving a bonus XP to the affected player.

Poddities

Troy: Jade Colossus: Ruins of the Ninth World.

Darcy: The CypherCast podcast, run by the amazing David Wilson Brown & Andrew Cady, has picked up one of the most fabulous humans in the Monte Cook Games community as their new co-host: Dani Neary! I love this group already and can’t wait to hear new episodes with this trifecta of awesome.

How do you use your XP in a Cypher System Game?  Let us know your thoughts!

Keep in touch & let us know your thoughts on the show or anything in the CypherSphere!

Tweet at us:

@CypherSpeakPod

@TroyP23

@DarcyLRoss

#CypherSomeone