By Jason Campbell

In the Cypher System RPG from Monte Cook Games characters make an attack roll in combat to determine if the attack is successful. If successful the damage done is a static amount, usually either 2, 4 or 6 points. Recently there was a post from a gamer new to the Cypher System who said their only complaint was that there’s no differentiation between weapons. 

They asked if a club costs 1 sp and a battleaxe costs 10 gp why would anyone use a battleaxe, as they’re both medium weapons so they both do 4 points of damage. I would suggest that the answer is about the core of the Cypher System.

First, an Aside

Experienced Cypher players might notice a few oddities in the above paragraph. First, in the Cypher System Rulebook characters are created using an abstract equipment system, so each character type starts with a weapon and a certain number of expensive, inexpensive and moderately priced items.

The Godforsaken book is a supplement dealing with running fantasy games using the Cypher System. It notes that some games might elect to use a gold piece system, and this is where the weapon costs above come from. Each character type begins with a certain number of gold pieces. 

The Core Issue

The main question, “Why would a character…” gets to the core game systems. Many other RPG systems are designed so that many players try to optimize their characters for combat. This makes sense for a lot of fantasy RPGs. What ends up often happening in many fantasy games is that a few weapons have more mechanical advantages, so that other listed weapons are rarely used. When a player decides what class and species they are, they often take the commonly accepted mechanically superior weapons. A wild warrior from a nomadic tribe and the stealthy hunter from a forest village may both choose a long sword as it’s mechanically superior. 

The Cypher System asks that players take a different approach to character creation. Players are assumed to develop an idea of the character they want to play – a concept of who they were, who they are and how they will act. Then the player can choose the descriptor, type and focus that best fits this character concept. 

The mechanics of weapons in the Cypher System is built so that players are free to choose the weapon that fits their character concept. Because weapons fit in three categories, the wild warrior is free to use a battleaxe while the stealthy hunter chooses the simple club that they’d carved from a noble tree. 

Conclusion

 There’s no perfect RPG system and everyone should be left to play the games they enjoy the most. Many RPGs are written from wildly different perspectives, and it’s often best to keep this in mind as you build characters and create adventures. 

Do you have other questions about aspects of the Cypher System RPG? Let us know in the comments below, or email shadomainrpg@gmail.com!