The Whistleblower, a Homebrew Career for the Alien Roleplaying Game

WHISTLEBLOWER

DESCRIPTION:
In a Universe filled with corporate intrigue you have taken it upon yourself to expose the secrets, lies and corruption that make up the very fabric of the Corporations who rule day to day life between the stars. While the big companies have expert legal teams to wrangle their way out of any litigation that is brought against them, that doesn’t stop you leaking information to the general public either through pirate broadcasts, smuggled magnetic tapes or even mass printed pamphlets if it comes down to it. Most people dismiss you as a hack or a deluded lunatic, however sometimes you hit paydirt and bring the full scope of Corporate retribution against you, making life very perilous indeed.

KEY ATTRIBUTE: Wits

KEY SKILLS: Mobility, Comtech, Observation.

CAREER TALENTS: Beneath Notice, Investigator, The Long Haul.
(These talents are the same found in the entries for The Kid, Colonial Marshal and Roughneck respectively.)

**

PERSONAL AGENDAS:

You’ve witnessed first hand the atrocities that have been committed in the name of Corporate greed and are determined to bring their misdeeds to light. Pick an organisation (Alien Core Rulebook page 338) you are hell bent on exposing their secrets to the rest of the universe, no matter the cost.

A close friend, loved one or family member has been silenced by a Corporation, either through assassination or kidnapping. You have vowed to find out why.

You are currently on the run, having caught the attention of a corporation after exposing some of their darkest secrets in the past. You are being hunted at every turn.

**

APPEARANCE:

Haunted look in your eyes.
Elegant if slightly rumpled suit or formal wear.
Black Sunglasses.
Bug out backpack.

**

SIGNATURE ITEM:

A grainy photo of something indistinct you swear is an alien lifeform.
An old dog eared notebook.
A letter from a loved one.

**

GEAR: D6x$100 in Cash.

Pocket Stunner or  Riot Spray.*
Seegson C-Series Magnetic Tape Recorder or  Seegson System Diagnostic Device.
Hi-beam flashlight or  Binoculars.
Seegson P-Dat or  Samani E-Series Watch.

**

*NEW EQUIPMENT:

Pocket Stunner:
The Pocket Stunner functions as a Stun Baton (Alien Core Rulebook page 126) though it is a smaller and more easily concealable weapon. Due to reduced battery capacity this weapon only has a POWER of 3 and a COST of $40.

Riot Spray:
Bonus: -, Damage: Special, Range: Short, Weight 1, Cost: $25

A mixture of foul and noxious chemicals held in a pressurised handheld dispenser. On triggering the spray the target is hit by a stream of burning stinging liquid aimed at the head area. On a successful hit the target must take a successful STAMINA roll or lose all their actions for the next round. In addition for the next D6 rounds all dice rolls that rely on vision are at -2 due to the target being partially blinded, until the liquid can be washed away by a substantial amount of water or similar harmless fluid. If the STAMINA roll is successful the target suffers no ill effects. 

Any protective equipment that covers both the face and eyes worn by the target renders them immune to this weapon. Certain Xenomorph types are also immune due to having no eyes or a non standard respiratory system. This weapon uses standard AMMUNITION rules, however it cannot be Reloaded.

**

This entirely unofficial career requires the rules from the Alien RPG Rulebook from Fria Ligan also available as a PDF from Drivethrurpg which at time of writing is currently 50% off!

The Nemesis Cypher System

“Do you hear that? The endless buzzing of the swarm!” – Amug of the Flies

The Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor and its sequel Shadow of War enables you to craft (intentionally or not) memorable foes who develop their own character as time goes on. Even when you think you have defeated them they may rise again with new and amazing abilities. Some may seek to revenge themselves on you or those closest to you, crafting your own unique experience as you play the game.
I thought some of the features of the Nemesis System would slot very easily into a Cypher System game. For the purposes of this I’ve streamlined the Nemesis system into three aspects, Traits, Strengths and Weaknesses. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, I’ve given some examples below that you can use in your game. You can pick and choose, making a creature or NPC as complex or straightforward as you wish.

Traits

Traits are aspects that make the creature or NPC stand out from amongst its fellows. You can add one or more of the following Traits to tailor a creature or NPC. These are similar to Descriptors for player characters.

Fly Infested
This creature plays host to a buzzing hive of insects which is embedded symbiotically into its flesh. This gives the creature enhanced resiliency at the cost of a hideous appearance and the constant drone of flies.

Modifications:
+5 Health. When damaged, pieces of the hive slough away, not really doing any lasting damage to the host.

+1 Level to Speed Defence tasks versus Melee attacks as the host swarm harries any attacker at close range.

-1 Level Penalty to Tasks involving Stealth due to the constant buzzing of flies.

-2 Level Penalty to pleasant social interactions due to this creatures hideous appearance.

When this creature dies, the swarm expends itself in a frenzy on the foes that killed its host. All creatures at Immediate distance must make a Speed Defence Task at Level 4 or suffer 3 points of damage.

This trait is mutually exclusive with Spider Haunted.

Spider Haunted
This creature has a kinship with all types of arachnid beings who see them as one of their brethren. They crawl freely over his flesh and weave a shroud of wispy webs around this creatures upper body making it appear almost mummified. While physically frail, Spider Haunted creatures are skilled in ambush attacks.

Modifications:
+1 Level in Initiative Tasks.

Poisoned Blades. The venom of its attendant spiders coat this creatures claws, teeth or weapons,  doing 3 extra points of Poison damage to their attacks.

Immunity to Poison. The spider venom in this creatures veins renders it immune to Poison.

Sickly. -3 Health. While immune to Poison, the spider venom has still taken a great toll on this creatures physical form.

-1 Level in Tasks Involving Pleasant Social Interaction due to the constant attendance of spiders and their webs.

When this creature dies a Level 3 Swarm of spiders leaves its body and attacks the nearest foe.

Strengths

Creatures can possess any number of Strengths, but it must also have the same number of Weaknesses, unless it is a very powerful example of its type.

Death Defying
When reduced to zero health this creature seems ready to lay down and die, however it suddenly springs back to the attack, rejuvenated and intent on bringing down its attacker. This creature instantly regains Health equal to its Level, then either fights on to a true death, flees or acts at the GMs discretion.

For example, Khoros the Undying, a Level 3 Human Bandit, is reduced to zero health in a violent skirmish. His foes are certain he is dead, but he springs back to life with 3 Health and thinking better of the situation, attempts to flee for his life.

Back From The Dead
Unless this creatures body is entirely destroyed, it will return from the grave to wreak vengeance on those who slew it. If it was dismembered the creature will reappear with its limbs stitched, bolted or held together by dark magics. It may well now be Enraged by the cause of its original death, or now also be Death Defying, or possibly even Terrified of or Immune to what slew it previously.

Hatred
This creature is sent into a berserk rage when exposed to a particular set of stimuli. These may vary from taking Grievous Wounds (taking at least two thirds of its Health in damage), Fire or Cold to more esoteric hatreds like being exposed to Magic or Music. A creature may have multiple Hatreds that enrage it.

A creature that is exposed to the source of its Hatred deals +2 more Damage with its Melee attacks and immediately heals an amount of Health equal to its Level. The creature then goes into a rage for a number of turns equal to its Level, healing each turn as above and keeping the additional damage bonus until the rage subsides. If exposed to its Hatred while raging, the rage is extended by a number of turns equal to its Level.

Example: Togosh the Fierce (Level 4) has a Hatred of Fire. He is struck with a fire arrow, doing 4 points of Damage. He is sent into a rage, immediately healing 4 points of Damage and now does 6 points of Damage with his Melee attack, making him a significantly more challenging opponent for the next four rounds.

Thick Skinned
This creature has a thick hide or carapace that helps to deflect damage. Add 1 point of Armour to this creatures attributes. This will stack with any existing Armour points.

Immunity
This creature is immune to a certain attack type and will not take any damage from certain sources. For example, a creature with Immunity to Fire will not take any damage from sources of flame or any flame based attacks. Other creatures can be immune to Ranged Attacks, Magic or Ice. Others are immune to being grappled or restrained. Creatures can have multiple Immunities.

Weaknesses

Vulnerability
This creature has a physical vulnerability to a specific attack type. Be it Fire, Ice, Poison, Ranged Attacks or Magic this creature takes significantly more damage from this type of attack. Creatures can have multiple Vulnerabilities.

Choose from Fire, Ice, Poison, Magic, Ranged Attacks or some other exotic damage type. This creature takes double damage from attacks featuring this type.

Mortal Vulnerability
Similar to Vulnerability as above, however this weakness is a fatal one. A creature with a Mortal Vulnerability to Ice will die instantly if exposed to an attack which is Ice based or features Ice as an aspect to the attack. The attack has to cause at least 1 point of Damage to the creature. Creatures can only have 1 Mortal Vulnerability. For each Mortal Vulnerability a creature may have 2 Strengths instead of the normal 1.

Terrified
This creature is Terrified by an element, creature or method of attack. When exposed to the source of its Terror the creature loses all Immunities, making it easier to slay. It also attempts to flee the source of its Terror as fast as it can. Creatures can be Terrified of multiple things.

***
So let’s put all this into practice.

Khoros Spider Friend is a Level 5 Spider Haunted Bandit, who is Death Defying, Immune to Ranged Attacks and Terrified of Fire.

Khoros Spider Friend                                                                                    Level 5 (15)

Motive: Steal from the rich and give to himself.
Environment: Highways, Lurking in the shadows.
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: Poison Blade; 8 Damage.
Movement: Short but swift
Modifications: Level 6 in Initiative Tasks.  Level 4 in Tasks Involving Pleasant Social Interaction.
Combat:
Prefers to lurk in the shadows and strike without warning with his Poison Blade.
Immune to Poison.
Immune to Ranged Attacks.

Death Defying.
When reduced to zero health this creature seems ready to lay down and die, however it suddenly springs back to the attack with 5 Health remaining then either fights on to a true death, flees or acts at the GMs discretion.

Terrified of Fire.
When exposed to Fire the creature loses Immune to Ranged Attacks. It also attempts to flee from Fire as fast as it can.

Spider Swarm.
When this creature dies a Level 3 Swarm of spiders leaves its body and attacks the nearest foe.

Interaction: Khoros is a mercenary for hire or a deadly enemy.
Use:  A deadly assassin or a disconcertingly strange ally.
Loot: If found in his spider infested lair, Khoros will have the many riches from his various criminal endeavours nearby, which could be a kings ransom.   

***

The Cypher System is property of Monte Cook Games.

Shadow of War belongs to Warner Brothers. Interactive Entertainment, Monolith Games and New Line Cinema.

Numenera: An Object Lesson.

Nai is a Stealthy Jack who Hunts Abhumans.
***

The Tripletree bar stood empty, its owner and staff having fled in the face of the impeding Margr assault. The smell of cooked food still lingered in the air, so swift had been their departure.  A hooded figure silently crossed the threshold, a crossbow-like weapon slung across her back.

Nai glanced round at the empty tables, shaking her head. Even with the influx of capable strangers into Ellomyr, the locals were still fearful of the coming assault. If anything the influx of new faces seemed to have had the opposite effect, destabilising the equilibrium of the little village. Morale was plummeting day by day.

Nai reached down behind the bar, liberating a green bottle from a shelf. She counted out a generous number of shins and placed them in the same spot she had lifted the bottle from. She wasn’t a thief, after all. Perhaps the owner would return one day, providing the Margr attack was repelled. Nai poured herself a glass of sweet smelling liquor and propped herself against the bar, sipping thoughtfully.
The jack regarded her bare hands for a moment as they held the glass in front of her. Her normally bronze skin was now riddled with green blotches, the legacy of a cypher that had performed somewhat atypically. She had been furious at first, until she realised the colouration helped her blend in with the greenery which was so abundant on the outskirts of the village. Her clothes already consisted of dark greens and earth tones, chosen for that very purpose.

A shout echoed from nearby, disturbing Nai from her reverie. She crossed to a nearby balcony that looked down on to the village. She recognised Kelem, the village carpenter. “You think your weapons and magic can save us, but they can’t! If we don’t leave, we’ll all be killed!” The mans frantic cries had drawn a crowd. Nai saw the fear take hold of the assembled village folk, like a flame burning through dry kindling. She rested her glass on the balcony ledge, shucking her pellet-bow off of her shoulders and centering the crosshairs on Kelems chest. “You’re not helping the cause, little man,” she growled. She’d seen something like this before. One defender losing their nerve and infecting all around them with cowardice.

Nai lowered the weapon, a hot rush of shame welling up from somewhere inside her. The majority of Ellomyrians were relatively simple folk, not suited to a pitched battle. Murdering the carpenter in broad daylight wouldn’t change anything. His words had already had an effect on the townspeople nearby, who were whispering fearfully amongst themselves. She would have to try something else.

***

The Margr lifted his bestial head to the wind, the by now familiar scent drifting across his flaring nostrils. He had been tracking it for hours now, growing more and more frustrated. He had even dared to stray far from his herd, so enticing was the smell.

The creature had the briefest impression of a silver and yellow object tumbling through the air before it impacted, sending the Margr into the drit, his spear thudding into the ground. He looked down at the bands of crackling yellow energy wrapped round his legs and chest, pinning his arms to his sides, bleating in abject panic.

Nai emerged from the undergrowth, recocking her pellet-bow and aiming at the stricken goatman. She reeked, having doused herself with the harvested scent glands of a female Margr in heat. The jack had been lucky, catching this young male so far from his flock. If things had gone differently she might have brought the entire tribe slavering down upon her. She shivered coldly at the thought and spat on the ground in disgust. She reversed her grip on the pellet-bow and cracked the Margr squarely in the temple with the synth stock, knocking him clean out.
Shouldering her weapon, she rummaged through her cloak, finding a small red crystal which she tucked under her tongue. The cypher tasted of cinnamon briefly as it dissolved and Nai felt a rush of strength into her limbs, her muscles bulging. She grabbed the young Margr by the horns and hauled him into the undergrowth, the only sign of his passing the discarded spear on the ground.

***

A few hours later, a cry went up from the lookouts on the outskirts of Ellomyr. All through the village terrified whispers of the impending Margr attack reached a crescendo. Were they already here? Cooler heads prevailed, the armed newcomers in the village sending outriders to see what the fuss was about. It was only one Margr, bound and tied, being dragged by a woman dressed in greens and browns, looking like some sort of angry forest spirit given humanoid form.

A few knots of curious villagers had gathered in the centre of Ellomyr, watching the hooded figure drag the squirming beastman behind her. None of them ventured too closely.

Nai dumped the Margr on to the ground, her cypher fuelled strength all but spent. “Is this what you’re all so afraid of?” she yelled at the gathered onlookers, jabbing a finger at the bound goatman. He had awoken as they had crossed the villages outskirts and was braying plaintively. “This is your enemy,” Nai said pointedly, punctuating her statement with a solid kick to the bound Margrs head. Its cries faded as its bestial head snapped backwards. “Its not twenty feet tall. It doesn’t breathe fire or shoot lightning. Its a mangy, cowardly beast who preys on the weak and the unprepared.”

The Margr glared up at her, black blood running from his mouth. “It bleeds, just like you and I,” Nai continued. She reached into her cloak, pulling out a small purple disk. The jack circled her thumb around its circumference and the glowing bands of energy binding the Margr vanished. The assembled village folk gasped as one, some stepping backwards in shock. “It’ll kill us all!” one fearful soul cried out. The creature stumbled to its feet, looking all around for a moment, its wide eyes taking in the assembled villagers before fleeing back in the direction Nai had dragged it from, towards freedom. “It knows fear, just like you and I,” Nai said, watching the creature run for a moment.

Nai pulled her pellet-bow from her shoulders, the gears whirring as it loaded another sphere shot from the magazine. She made a few adjustments and the weapon began to hum, the noise rising to a crescendo as the pellet-bow began a slow journey towards overloading. Nai lifted the bows scope to her eye and sighted on the fleeing Margr, before unhurriedly pulling the trigger. There was a sharp crack of displaced air and a rush of white vapour from the weapons muzzle. The retreating Margrs head exploded in a hail of bone and gore, the decapitated body trotting on for a few steps before tumbling on to the ground. “And in addition, just like you and I, it doesn’t function terribly well without a head.”
Behind her one of the villagers made retching noises as Nai engaged the safety on her weapon and hucked it back up on to her shoulders. “This ends today’s lesson,” the jack said as she turned and walked through the crowd of stunned villagers, who parted quickly as Nai approached. Behind her the gathered village folk began whispering amongst themselves, which soon became a cacophony of voices raised in stern argument. It was a start, Nai thought to herself.

 

Numenera: A Rhapsody in Green.

On the outskirts of Ellomyr lurks a Stealthy Jack who Hunts Abhumans.

***

Nai lay in the undergrowth watching the Margr encampment through the scope of her pellet bow. The bestial creatures campfires blazed in the dark, casting flickering shadows in all directions. The Margr gathered round the flames, some feasting, others engaged in bellicose brawls that often ended in bloodshed, while in the deeper shadows some were even rutting like wild animals. Above it all the smell washed over Nai’s senses, a horrendous odour of meat left too long out in the sun.

The Jack was confident that they wouldn’t spot her at this distance, but she had taken some extra precautions, just in case. The pill she had swallowed was purported to aid in matters of stealth, but the side effects had been somewhat unexpected. Small green plant growths had painlessly forced their way through her skin, shredding her clothing, forcing her to shuck off her armoured jacket which now lay in a pile next to her. Her bronzed skin already matched the light soil underfoot and the green growths blended in effortlessly with the plants around her. Nai couldn’t deny that the process was effective, but the experience had been more than a little unnerving. Worse, she was starting to cool rapidly in the night air, her shredded garments offering poor insulation.

Nai dialled up the bows output to maximum, the well oiled gears hissing near soundlessly as they drew the arming string back, the crossbow-like arms on either side of the weapons muzzle tensing. The spherical shot rolled into place from the magazine affixed to its left side with a gentle clunk. The pellet bow was a curious hybrid of crossbow and air gun, utilising a propellant to speed its spherical shot to higher velocity than a standard weapon of its type. The other added advantage was that it was near silent.

Nai panned her aim across the group, eyes narrowing. Margr tribal society was a fairly straightforward affair. The bigger the creature, the more respect it commanded. The largest became leaders of their own tribes, ruling through displays of animalistic dominance. She sighted on a particularly impressive specimen, standing a good two feet taller than its brethren, festooned with skulls and other grisly trophies. She exhaled and smoothly pulled the trigger.

The shot took the Margr squarely between the eyes with the crunch of shattering bone, poleaxing the creature instantly. It tumbled back into one of the great camp fires, just as Nai had planned, sending up a fresh cloud of embers into the night air. The smell of rotting meat was further augmented by the stench of burning fur as the Margr chieftain began to roast. A great bleating cry of terror and despair echoed throughout the camp, half of the goatmen began fleeing in fear, the remainder falling on each other in bestial fury, already jockeying for the recently vacated position of leader.

Nai watched in satisfaction as the fleeing Margr ran straight for the gap between two large thornbushes nearby, preferring the open ground to tearing their way through the needle like plants, even in their panicked flight. The implosion cypher she had planted there earlier roared into life, sucking four of the hapless creatures into the black sphere of its event horizon, grinding them together before compressing them into an impossibly small speck, before the cyphers energy expended itself with a pop of compressed air.

Allowing herself a small smile, Nai moved to withdraw from her vantage point before she was noticed, satisfied that this particular tribe would now be of little threat to the village. She felt an odd tug on her skin as she tried to wiggle backwards out of the undergrowth. Looking down, she saw the green growths sprouting out of her flesh had continued to grow, intertwining with the abundant plant life she had secreted herself in. Cursing inwardly, she tried to push herself backwards. Again, she stuck fast, the plants around her rustling in protest.

In the flickering firelight the remainder of the Margr tribe appeared to have come to some sort of consensus, though two of their number lay dead on the ground. They had begun to split apart, a grizzled looking beast with one eye was now directing their actions, jabbing his spear at the undergrowth and the direction in which the rest of the tribe had fled. As Nai tried for a third time to extricate herself from her vantage spot, four bestial goat heads snapped round as the nearby undergrowth shimmied and shook as though some great beast was passing by. Nai froze, holding her breath, as the Margr approached, brandishing their rough hewn spears.

***

Torvan gleefully counted his way through the pile of shins on his desk as they glistened in the morning sunlight filtering through a nearby stronglass window. “Here’s to another profitable day,” he chuckled to himself.

A rapping sound echoed from the locked front door. “I’d like to register a complaint,” a female voice chimed through the wood.

“We’re closed,” Torvan responded automatically, unwilling to open shop before he had finished counting his spoils from the previous day.

The front door exploded inwards under a booted heel causing Torvan to jerk upright in his seat. He raised his arms in a gesture of surrender, squinting as the light poured into the shop front, revealing the silhouette of a ragged looking figure.

Nai had cinched her armoured jacket tightly around her chest, preserving what dignity she had left. Her clothes hung off her in tatters and where her bare skin showed through it was mottled grey where the plant growths had shrivelled and died off a short time ago. Her face bled from several small cuts. She held her pellet bow casually at her side, not quite aiming it at the merchant. “I think you owe me an explanation, Torvan,” she growled.

The merchant lowered his arms, recovering some of his composure. “Ah, the mighty beast hunter. I remember you now. I trust your purchase performed as advertised?”

“Not exactly,” Nai replied. She raised her pellet bow and sighted on the terrified shopkeeper, frowning. “It nearly got me killed.”

Torvan stretched his arms forward and wrapped them protectively around the pile of shins in front of him. “Nearly. That’s a very important distinction, you know. Anyway. You know my policy. No refunds.”

Nai pulled the trigger. The spherical shot hit the shopkeeper in the sternum, knocking him backwards off his chair, leaving him doubled up on the stone floor, struggling for breath. Torvans pile of shins scattered across the table, some items spilling on to the stone floor with a clatter. While still outside on the street, Nai had made an adjustment to the pellet bow that had bled roughly two thirds of the concussive force from the shot, but the impact was still roughly analogous to a solid punch.

The irate Jack strode to scattered collection of shins on the table, plucking out items worth roughly fifty percent of what she’d originally paid Torvan for the cypher, before stowing them away in a pocket. It had done half a job, after all.

Cypher Effect – Vanguard

Mass Effect in the Cypher System

Important Stuff first!
Firstly the Cypher System is property of Monte Cook Games.
The Mass Effect Trilogy is property of Bioware.

This is a fan created exploration of one of my favourite RPG systems with one of my favourite Sci-fi franchises.

First the crunch, then the fluff! This represents my vision of Commander Shepard of the Mass Effect Trilogy as the Vanguard class, as rendered in the Cypher System. Further information on most of the rules used here can be found in the Cypher System Rulebook.

Commander Shepard, a Brash Explorer (Magic Flavour) who Never Says Die 

Name: Shepard

Background: You served in the military with honour.

Career: Vanguard

Might Pool: 13         Edge: 1

Speed Pool: 13         Edge: 0

Intellect Pool: 10    Edge: 0

Tier: 1

Effort: 1

Recovery: 1d6+1

Cypher Use: 2

Abilities:
Bold, Practised with Light and Medium Weapons, Practised in Armour, Endurance, Biotic Charge (1 Intellect)*, Surging Confidence (1 Might), Rapid Recovery, Push on Through (2 Might).

Skills:
Initiative (Trained)

Equipment:
N7 Armour (Medium Armour), Katana I Shotgun (medium ranged weapon), M3 Predator Pistol (light ranged weapon). Weapon and Armour Mods**.

A 40k ‘Hero’ for Cypher System: Nadine Vink

Nadine Vink.

An Addicted Warrior who Looks for Trouble.

Tier: 1
Effort: 1
Recovery: 1d6+1
Might: 14      Edge: 1
Speed: 14      Edge: 0
Intellect: 8   Edge: 0
Damage: Chainsword 4, Handcannon 4, Knife 2.
Armor: Leathers 1 or Bodyglove 2

Skills:
Initiative (T)
All tasks related to maintaining drug supply. (T)
Healing (T)
Climbing (T)
Running (T)
Stealth (T)
Deception (T)

Abilities:
Twitchy, Drug Consequences, Physical Nature, Cypher Use (2), Practiced with all Weapons, Brawler, Thrust, Wound Tender, Physical Skills (Climbing, Running), Stealth Skills (Stealth, Deception)

Equipment:
Armoured Bodyglove, Leathers, Chainsword, Handcannon, Knife, (In)Appropriate Clothing, First Aid Kit, Rebreather, Stimm Injector (2 doses), Knife, Flashlight, Rations (1 day), 50 Handcannon Rounds.

Racial Descriptor for Cypher System: Drow

So here’s my first attempt at a Racial Descriptor using the rules on p.67 of the Cypher System Rulebook as a guide.

Drow
A race of cruel subterranean elves who worship a degenerate spider goddess, the Drow seek to enslave sentient races and eventually overtake the surface world and plunge it into darkness. A political war is waged underground between conniving Great Houses, always fighting for dominance in the dark.

Cypher System Hero: Geralt of Rivia

So here’s my first attempt at a Cypher System hero, using the new rulebook from Monte Cook Games (with a splash of Numenera). I’ll give you the nice crunchy stats first, then after that I’ll explain how I put it all together. Hope you enjoy!

Geralt of Rivia, Witcher.

A Mutant Warrior who Slays Monsters.

Tier: 1
Effort: 1
Recovery: 1d6+1
Might :    13     Edge: 1
Speed:    11     Edge: 1
Intellect: 10     Edge: 0
Damage: Two Handed Sword 6, Light Crossbow 4
Armor: 1

Skills:
Climbing (T)
Jumping (T)
Herbalism (T)
Tracking (T)

Abilities:
Physical Nature, Cypher Use (2), Practiced with all Weapons, Extra Edge. Control the Field, Physical Skills (Climbing and Jumping), Entangling Force. Immune to Disease, Telekinetic Shield, Cosmetic Mutations: White Skin, White Hair, Yellow Eyes. Sword Wielder, Monster Bane, Monster Lore.

Inabilities:
Pleasant Social Interactions

Equipment:
Heavy Silver Blade, Heavy Iron Blade, Light Crossbow, Simple Clothing, Leather Jerkin (Light armor), Bedroll, Iron Rations (1), Crossbow Bolts (12), Burlap sack, Torches (3).

Building a Witcher

So with the Cypher System rulebook in my sweaty mitts (metaphorically speaking, I have the PDF version) I fancy having a crack at making a hero. In this case it is one of the protagonists from The Witcher games, Geralt of Rivia. So following the creative flow from the rulebook, let’s look at Type.

TYPE
I think Warrior is the perfect fit for Geralt as after all “Killing Monsters” is what he’s best at. I think a convincing argument could be made for the Explorer type, but I’m going to stick with my initial choice. However I think adding the Magic Flavour is also a good fit to represent his Wards and other inherent abilities. Bear in mind at Tier 1 this would be Geralt *very* early in his monster slaying career, so not every one of his abilities will be reflected here.

So alongside the standard abilities for being a Warrior, I need to make four ability choices. I decide on Extra Edge in order to give Geralt both a Might and Speed Edge. This represents both the alterations Geralts body has undergone and his rigorous Witcher training. In much the same vein Control the Field seems a good choice as Geralt is always seeking the upper hand with positioning in a fight. Physical Skills seems a wise choice, so I picked Climbing and Jumping. Lastly to represent some of his magical abilities, I chose Entangling Force, which could represent the Yrden sign.

DESCRIPTOR
Now on to his Descriptor. I’m going to cheat a little and dive into Numenera for this one as I think that ruleset has the perfect fit. Mutant. I’m going to take a few liberties and pick the mutations rather than rolling for them randomly. Firstly Immunity to Disease, fairly self explanatory. Secondly, Telekinetic Shield. Now, I’m going to handwave this and say its actually his enhanced reactions that grant him the bonus to his speed defense, not an actual manifestation. Last but by no means least, three cosmetic mutations. White hair, White Skin and Yellow Eyes, like those of a cat.

FOCUS
Lastly but by no means least, his Focus. This one is not a hard decision. Slays Monsters. Skill with a blade, extra damage to monsters and monster lore. Perfect. However I think there are still a couple of tweaks that need to be made just to round out our Witcher.

FINAL TWEAKS
Using the optional rules, I think giving Geralt Herbalism as a background skill won’t be game breaking and represents his ability to harvest ingredients and perhaps craft potions. Combining this with Monster Lore could mean Geralt harvests strange organs from monsters to make bizarre concoctions. Also, it’s not much good being an expert monster fighter if you can never find your quarry. However, I’m out of skills choices at the moment. Utilizing the optional rules once again, I give Geralt an Inability at Pleasant Social Interactions. Witchers are feared by reputation and their bizarre appearance so this seems a good choice. This means I can now pick one extra skill, which will be Tracking. With that, I think Geralt of Rivia is pretty much done.

GEARING UP
Now for his equipment. His weapon choices have to be two heavy blades, one iron, one silver. The argument could be made that they are ‘hand and a half’ weapons, but Geralts fighting style is ostensibly two handed. Perhaps Geralt only gets his damage bonus against monsters from his Focus if he is using the Silver Blade, just for giggles. A light crossbow for some ranged threat. Let’s give him some Leather Armor, which gives him a good mix of mobility and protection. As his skills develop he can purchase some heavier armor. A bedroll for camping out under the stars. Throw in some iron rations, crossbow bolts, a burlap sack for monster trophies, three torches to stave off the dark and Geralt is ready to go.
Oh, perhaps one last thing, again stealing from Numenera, an oddity in the shape of a wolfs head amulet, jaws agape, that vibrates when a monster is within Immediate distance.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Geralt certainly isn’t the most resilient warrior on the block, however he’s adept at dodging blows and gaining good battlefield positioning over his enemies. His non combat skills provide good utility for pursuing his quarry and for negotiating terrain. In combat he hits like a freight train when fighting monsters, doing a colossal 7 points of damage base with his two handed swords. While society may not accept him due to his strange origins and appearance, sometimes your problem can only be solved by a Witcher.

So there you have it, one Witcher ready to enact some heavy punishment on the monsters of your Cypher System world. Would you do it differently?

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Cypher System Core Rulebook is property of Monte Cook Games.
The Witcher Video Game franchise is property of CD Projekt RED which is based on the literary works of Andrezj Sapkowski.