Explaining Cyphers
Cyphers are the bread and butter of the Numenera -- the little bits and pieces (and sometimes large, unwieldy pieces) of the previous worlds that every glaive, jack, and nano carry around to supplement their own powers. These are typified as being single-use 'powers'. They may be an ingestible, injectable, slap on patch, or an interactable object. In the end, they work once and are then discarded.
Most players can only hold on to a few at a time (too many held on a person can cause dissonant resonances that can cause discomfort and eventually injury). However, they are quite literally everywhere, so players are encouraged to use them at will -- they are bound to find replacements right around the corner.
We will only list those the party has already encountered, determined the use of, and discarded in this list. Generally, when searching or finding ciphers, the results are randomized. However, at the cost of 1 XP, a player can roll for a 75% chance (roll below 75 on a 1d100 roll) of finding a specific, desired, previously-seen cipher from the list below.
Each will also include a percentage chance of finding when purchasing from vendor. Shin values will vary by vendor.
Currently Discovered Cyphers
- Cypher Name: Signal Detector
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: (Wearable) Thin visor that fits over the eyes.
- Erratta: Adds +1 Asset on intelligence roll to find cyphers. On a success, adds a number of cyphers to the total found equal to the level of the detector.
- Vendor Chance: 30%
- Cypher Name: Ecstasy Glass
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: Monocle that slips over an eye socket.
- Erratta: When placed over the eye, takes over the user's senses for an hour, flooding them with pleasure. This could come in many forms, based on the mind of the user. Once the effect end, make an immediate recovery roll. This does not count against their normal recovery roll limits for the day.
- Vendor Chance: 15%
- Cypher Name: Hidden Reviver
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: An elaborate, jeweled locket.
- Erratta: Does not count against cypher limit. Must be dismantled and reassembled into a handheld device. Once assembled, it can revive the charge on a depleted cypher (if it is not destroyed upon use).
- Vendor Chance: 5%
- Cypher Name: Monoblade
- Level Range: 3-8
- Description: (Wearable) Wrist-mounted, arm mount
- Erratta: Produces a blade that extends six inches past the fingertips of the user's hand. This blade glows and pulsates. Does damage at its level, and ignores armor below its level. Can cut through any material below it's level. Lasts for ten minutes.
- Vendor Chance: 15%
- Cypher Name: Teleporter (Traveler)
- Level Range: 5-9
- Description: (Wearable) Synth Belt
- Erratta: User can teleport within 100 x Item level miles to a location previously visited. Can take possessions, but nothing else.
- Vendor Chance: 5%
- Cypher Name: Detonation (Massive)
- Level Range: 3-8
- Description: Hand-sized launcher
- Erratta: Can be shot up to 200 feet away from the user. Explodes in short-range radius, doing Level damage, of type: heat drain.
- Vendor Chance: 10%
- Cypher Name: Proximity Detector
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: Triangular, black stone
- Erratta: Activated with a press to one of the four corners, each corner breaks off from the main device. Each piece can be placed anywhere within half a mile of the primary device. For 28 hours, anything larger than a dog that passes within range of the sensor alerts the user.
- Vendor Chance: 30%
- Cypher Name: Third Eye
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: Large, bulbous eye on a stalk.
- Erratta: Activated by pressing to the flesh of the forehead. Living eye that provides a +1 asset to all perception-based rolls, also can move independently, like an extra limb. Lasts 28 hours.
- Vendor Chance: 17%
- Cypher Name: Living Armor
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: Vial with metal shavings.
- Erratta: Upon breaking, covers the nearest human with living, metallic chitinous armor. (+1 Armor) Single use. One hour.
- Vendor Chance: 5%
- Cypher Name: Holographic Cube
- Level Range: 1-6
- Description: Cube filled with swirling gasses
- Erratta: Tapping the cube against a solid object causes it to project a scene about 25 feet away from the user. This scene is complete with movement, sound, and even smell, although it is intangible once approached. The projected image is a massive, ancient machine that obscures the view of anything behind it. Projected machine covers a 30 foot area (meaning the user would be inside it, effectively invisible once displayed, but unable to see outside the projection either).
- Vendor Chance: 8%