Cypher System Fantasy Compendiums

[Dragonsbane]

Reposting after posting in old necro thread (my bad)

My two gaming groups really love Cypher System. We have played supers, CoC 1920s horror, Numenera, another sci-fi setting involving AI stuff, and fantasy.

Speaking of fantasy with Cypher, my players were kinda disappointed about the lack of spells and items and stuff, even with Godforsaken. I made some stuff and they thought I should post it as it looked professions, so here you go. If you are playing Cypher Fantasy, you will like these books: (if this is not allowed in this forum, let me know where to move/repost if possible)

It is available through DriveThruRPG, it is searchable by Dragonsbane Games or it's title, Cypher System Fantasy Compendium.

Cypher System Fantasy Compendium


Spells! Magical Items! Monsters!

Below I present resources to make your Cypher System fantasy genre games more robust and complete. Not only can you create your own fantasy adventures, but with these Compendiums, almost all D&D 5th edition (and some 3rd or even older editions) adventures and modules are compatable for play with a minimum of conversion or hassle, focusing on narrative and story without working on tedious stat blocks or conversions of spells.

These were originally made for my personal players, but they and a few Reddit members insisted I put them here. These books have information, not tons of art and fluff text so I can offer them for next to nothing. Enjoy!

Spell Compendium includes:
All D&D 5E OGL spells (and a few from 3E), converted and playtested for use in any Cypher System fantasy game, with limits via assets on stacking and power levels - no bonus actions/reactions/concentration/multiple instances of spells

Detailed spellcasting rules to convert your own spells, and make them balanced

Additional rules for spellcasting, including Potency, the Spellcraft skill, attacks of opportunity, defensive casting, and mid-spell concentration

50+ spellcasting foci that emulate bloodlines, otherworldly patrons, druidic circles, schools of magic, & divine domains

Spell lists that can be used as flavors for current character types - druids, mages, magus, priests, paladins, rangers, and bards

A revised Adept class that uses limited spell slots and familiar powers to enhance their spells or craft magical items

Magical Item Compendium includes:
Many 5E magical items converted and playtested for use in any Cypher Fantasy game - both cyphers (potions, scrolls, wands) and artifacts (armors, weapons, rods, staves, wondrous items, etc)

Robust rules for determining magical item levels and values, including lists of powers for DMs and PC crafters alike

Creature Compendium includes:
Complete rules for converting any 5E creature or NPC into Cypher System, including level, Armor, attacks, damage, abilities, resistances, conditions, and more

Over 50 creatures and NPC, including almost all of the creatures from 5E modules LMoP / Starter Set

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Under Development:
Creature Compendium is being worked on and will triple in size as my current campaigns I run continue on, and next include all GoS and CoS creatures as well as more of the MM, updated here for free

Still doing final passes on typos and grammar as well as spell schools, defense types, etc.

Book of Lairs style set of very quick one session adventures

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About Me:
I am a grognard who started playing D&D just after the White Box in the early 80s and then transitioned to AD&D. I have always been the Forever DM and have DMed, created adventures, and created gameworlds for D&D 1E, 2E, 3E, Pathfinder, D&D 5E, Vampire, Mutants and Masterminds, Blades in the Dark, and Rifts, running hundreds of adventures with some of my players still around from the 80s. Cypher System is my current favorite after having too many house rules for D&D.

[Anonymouswizard]

Copy-pasting my comments from that thread:

Okay, while the only Cypher book I own is The Strange (a.k.a. the Cypher Generic Prototype), I'm somewhat confused.

Most of this stuff seems to be converting D&D stuff, and despite using a d20 Cypher does seem to run on a relatively different set of assumptions to D&D. Especially with how spells are laid out, maybe it's been updated since The Strange but I remember Paradoxes being more about hindering than damage.

Honestly, what I'd be more interested in are more focuses. But for that I'll just pick up some of the official settings, and maybe the actual core system at some point (although I do like The Strange as a metasetting).


Syffice to say, my main problem is that if I'm not running D&D, I probably don't have a ton of use for D&D spells. Especially in Cypher where Mage(/Nano/Paradox) is less important than in D&D, instead being roughly on par with your Focus. But your focus can also be about doing magic, and is naturally going to be pretty limited.

I'd say that, for fantasy Cypher games, focus magic on the Foci so that all archetypes can access it, and that in and of itself means that the D&D structure doesn't work. Instead think of a good theme for the magic (Illuminates the Darkness, for example) and build a set of six abilities around that theme in steadily increasing power and utility.

Honestly, while I don't love Cypher, I like it as it is. My main problem is that the book I happened to pick up unfortunately has to split it's focus between three primary settings (modern day Earth, a more Summerian-inspired fantasy setting, and a more biotech-based science fiction setting). I think if I'd picked up Numenera or the Cypher system core book I'd feel different (although the loss of Jacks doesn't upset me, Spinners are cooler anyway).

[Dragonsbane]

Honestly, what I'd be more interested in are more focuses. But for that I'll just pick up some of the official settings, and maybe the actual core system at some point (although I do like The Strange as a metasetting).

You are in luck! The Spell Compendium has over 60 foci based on spells, which you could use as standard abilities.

8 foci - Bargains With… are similar to Warlock patrons, although they work with any type of PC.
9 foci - Is Descended From… are similar to Sorcerer bloodlines, although they too work with any type of PC.
8 foci - Is One With… are similar to Druid circles and also are a good choice for any nature-based PC, including druids & rangers.
8 foci - Studies… are similar to Wizard schools, good for any studied type of arcane caster.
30! foci - Worships… are similar to Cleric domains and are also a good choice for any divine PC, such as a paladin.


Note that using these foci, you can create some interesting combinations that are not related to their original class, such as a rogue who Bargains with Fiends, a paladin who Worships War, or a fighter who Studies Evocation. Additionally, these foci make enhancing an enemy spellcaster or creature simple by just adding the six spells to their abilities.

[Anonymouswizard]

But if I'm not playing D&D why would I want D&D stuff?

[Dragonsbane]

Sorry I misundestood. Never mind!