Cyphers - Fallen Engineering
May 13, 2020 14:44:32 GMT -6
Post by Traskus on May 13, 2020 14:44:32 GMT -6
Engineers often eschew magic. They say it's "too dangerous" or "asking for reality to turn inside out" or some other nonsense. To survive in a dangerous Wheel and to apply their knowledge in more productive ways, they develop cyphers. Cyphers require a steady hand to make and extensive study to understand. Using an cypher can appear magical to the ignorant. Cyphers are not item creation. It is not crafting to make a cypher (at least, not this kind).
Any scientist, professor, or doctor will tell you it takes years of study to learn what is necessary to make a cypher. An average techpriest knows the rite of percussive maintenance and any fighter can at least maintain their own gear to keep it field-ready, but true experts can jury-rig a briefcase to be an automatic machine gun turret. I mean, he might get hit too but that's the game you play.
Cypher systems are a technique school system in the vein of magic or martial techniques for character builds that do not have said schools but still want "special" options in-game. Cyphers might have combat utility, they might not.
Engineer Level
A character's engineer level is referenced by the highest number of ranks they have in any cypher field. Like other technique schools, cypher fields can build on each other. A character's highest ranks in an cypher system are limited by their level.
Gaining Cypher Ranks
Cypher field ranks are gained in a way similar to other technique schools but not without its differences. A cypher field is tied to one of the following skills: academic lore, common lore, crafts, drive, medicae, pilot, or tech-use.1 This will be outlined in the cypher field's entry. In order to enter this cypher field you must have at least 1 dot in the field's associated skill. In order to advance ranks in a cypher field, your current class must have the skill the cypher field uses.
1If you're wondering, these are the skills in the techpriest class minus ballistics and weaponry. This, as all things, is open to change with feedback but for now I believe the synergy most represents the intent of the subsystem.
Experience point expenditure is the same as in magic schools and martial technique schools. 200 xp to gain the first rank, and 100*current rank xp to advance. They may also gain a rank by taking the upgraded feat and foregoing gaining a bionic.
Focii:
The first level of a cypher field lists the target item of the field including parameters of what qualifies as the focus and an entry bonus. The focus of a cypher field is usable in cyphers unless the cypher itself outlines items it must be used with. Think of it as a focus that all "spells" in the field have listed under their keywords. The second through fifth levels have at least one cypher to learn, most have more, and some levels have a rank bonus that is gained automatically.
An example of target object versus specific object can be found in the programming field. A target object, no matter what you have access to, can be used in the combat precognition and tracer software cyphers. It doesn't specify an object so you can use any target object you have cypher compatibility with. Vehicles, combitools, armor, etc. It's weird but them's the breaks. On the other hand, the ICE sentry and daemon cyphers specifically demand to be used with a computer.
Using Cyphers
Using a cypher qualifies as the "use a skill" action in combat and is concurrent with using the object the cypher applies to unless otherwise specified (ex. using a cypher that applies to a dataslate also qualifies as using the dataslate). They are one-time effects.
Using a cypher risks the device providing feedback or even malfunctioning. If the engineer fails the activation test then they either gain 1 level of fatigue or lose 1 hp, plus one per check on the failure. If they cannot gain fatigue they have to lose the hp but they can mix and match otherwise.
If the cypher rolls more 1s on the activation test than their level then the device becomes ineffective. They may reactivate the device with a half action TN 15 test using the skill+characteristic combination the cypher had. They may retry each turn until they succeed or give up.
Devices with less clear definitions of "ineffectiveness" such as armor will have them outlined on the cypher field's pages and be unique to cyphers from that field.
Magic Must Defeat Magic!
Cyphers are not magic. They're advanced technology and the applications thereof. Their damage is not magical (unless it is, see below), mechanical interactions with them is not the same as magic (unless it is). Magic is intended to be superior to cyphers. Effects that can dispel or resist magic (see: dispel or ruby ray) can be used to nullify cyphers but not the other way around. Things like eldritch trick or spell focus don't work on cyphers. This is not only to keep things intuitive but also to keep cyphers slightly weaker than magic. As of writing there are no cyphers that can outright dispel magic, destroy artifacts, or permanently undo the otherworldly. I don't intend there to be, and I implore prospective engineers to think the same.
Unless your SM disagrees, in which case go for it. Maybe it's more fun and/or better balanced that way.
Learning Cyphers
The second through fifth level of a cypher field lists at least one cypher. Upon gaining a new rank in a cypher field, you may choose one cypher from that rank to learn.1 You may not go back and exchange the cypher you learn for a different one later.
1I do not currently have plans for a "spell book" for cypher fields out of interest of trying to be a little weaker than magic/martial technique schools.
Cyphers
The cyphers available to characters are listed and described below. The description of each cypher is presented in a standard format. Each category of information is explained and defined below.
Name
The first line of every cypher description gives the name by which the cypher is generally known.
Field (Level)
Beneath the cypher name is a line giving the cypher field that the cypher belongs to and the level of that cypher.
Activation Test
The type of Test the cypher requires. This will typically be the skill designated in the first level and a characteristic (usually the one the skill usually uses). Not always, but usually. If a characteristic is temporarily altered by spells or abilities then use the characteristic's unaugmented rating.
Target Number
The TN is the threshold to activate the cypher. Many cyphers gain in strength as you get raises above the cypher's base TN.
Action
Most cyphers have an activation time of a half action. Others take a full action, and others take a reaction action or merely a free action.
Keywords
These rules use the following keywords to describe qualities of a cypher.
Attack: This cypher counts as an attack against the target. If the focus to use the cypher is an artifact, the attack is magical in nature.
Combo-OK: You can use this cypher to make a combo.
Fieldcraft: This cypher is often used in field situations and cannot be used in combat or social combat.
Focus: This cypher requires a specific item to function. If it is destroyed, the cypher ends. If this keyword is not listed, any target object you know how to use as a focus may be used.
Language Dependent: In order for the cypher to function, the engineer and the target must share a common language. Trade, human, c++, etc.
Mind-Affecting: This cypher affects the mind of the target, and so can only be used on targets that are sentient.
Ranged Touch: To affect a target with this cypher requires hitting the target with a ranged attack (Level + Ballistics).
Saving Throw: The effects of this cypher can be resisted by the target. The saving throw will be outlined in the cypher itself.
Somatic: This cypher has somatic components. It cannot be used if the engineer is bound, grappled, or otherwise unable to move.
Subtle: The activation of this cypher is not immediately obvious. Onlookers can test perception + wisdom (tn 20) to notice it. They still notice the effects but not its origin or the nature thereof.
Touch: A touch cypher requires the engineer to touch the target for the cypher to take effect. Touching an unwilling target requires an unarmed attack Test (using Brawl).
Web: Using this cypher requires a reliable internet connection.
Duration
The length of time the cypher lasts. Cyphers can measure their duration in real units such as days or as game units such as rounds or scenes. Indefinite cyphers have no fixed duration and last until the engineer wills it canceled. Instant cyphers are, well, instant. Their effect is immediate and fleeting like recovering a force shield's strength. When a cypher's duration is listed as Concentration, it will include the action the engineer must spend each round in order to maintain its effect.
Description
This portion of a cypher description describes what the cypher does and how it works. If one of the previous entries included "see text" this is where the explanation is found. If the cypher you're reading about is based on another cypher, you might have to refer to a different cypher for the "see text" information.
Cypher Combos
With long practice and focus, it's possible for an engineer to combine cyphers together, becoming able to activate multiple cyphers at once. For example, a magos who has mastered the combo of Nerf This and Suiting Up can blow up their vehicle and immediately summon it (though damaged). Combos represent a level of technical expertise above simple cyphers, and are more dangerous for the engineer to use, but far more effective.
Developing Combos
Characters develop combos through refining their craft, devoting hours of effort toward integrating their abilities and understanding their cyphers and how they interact. Because of the sheer amount of effort and danger required to make a Combo, a character cannot purchase cypher combos during character creation.
Using a cypher combo qualifies as using a cypher.
During play, a character can develop combos through arduous practice. The experience point cost of Combos developed during
play is equal to 50 xp per level of each cypher in the combo.
However, Story Masters don't have to let a character learn a Combo just because the player has enough XP saved up. Combos are hard -they're less a studied method of using their gear and more trying to jerry-rig cyphers together on the fly.
General Guidelines
Using a combo allows a character to use two, three, or more cyphers with a single action. Don't worry if this seems like it could get confusing. This section will go over the rules for using combos in detail.
The Test for using a combo uses the lowest of the characteristics and skills that apply to the cyphers in the combo. The TN of the combo is that of the highest TN cypher in the combo, plus five for every cypher beyond the first. The target object of the combo is chosen when making the combo.
A combo takes an action equal to the longest action of the cyphers in the combo. Duration of the cyphers are handled separately. If one cypher requires a Web, then the entire cypher will fail if the engineer can't provide it. Language dependency and saving throws are handled per effect rather than at large.
Attacks are rolled separately for each part of a combo, and a miss doesn't cause the whole combo to collapse. Unless all cyphers in a combo are subtle, the combo is not subtle at all.
The same cypher cannot be used twice in a combo - the cyphers chosen must be different. So no doubling a cypher's effect just by making a combo.
| Academic Lore | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Apokalypsi | Intelligence | Auspex |
| Netrunning | Wisdom | Computer |
| Programming | Intelligence | Computer |
| Common Lore | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Aspidakinesis | Willpower | Charm |
| Epikrato | Composure | Implement |
| Vanus | Fellowship | Computer |
| Crafts | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Katastrofi | Wisdom | Multi-tool |
| Panopliakinesis | Wisdom | Combi-Tool |
| Prostasia | Intelligence | Multi-tool |
| Drive | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Panzerkampf | Intelligence | Multikey |
| Medicae | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Exelixi | Wisdom | Medkit |
| Metaptropi | Wisdom | Medkit |
| Prosthesis | Constitution | Bionic |
| Pilot | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Skafoi | Intelligence | Multikey |
| Tech Use | ||
| Name | Characteristic | Focus |
| Augmentation | Constitution | Bionic |
| Automata | Intelligence | Combi-tool |
| Warpsmithing | Willpower | Implement |
