TEXT: By Bruce R. Cordell
  EXTREME CYPHERS
  
  2
  A GM can allow PCs to discover 
  extreme cyphers randomly, but she may 
  be less inclined to do so because they 
  can have longer-term consequences than 
  regular cyphers. But just as she might 
  do with regular cyphers, a GM can place 
  extreme cyphers in an adventure or 
  scenario as important rewards. In fact, 
  entire adventures could be based around 
  obtaining an extreme cypher. In fiction, 
  whole chapters (or episodes, if you’re 
  watching instead of reading or listening) 
  often revolve around overcoming a series of 
  amazing obstacles to find the magical elixir, 
  the divine water, or the alien unobtanium. 
  Overcoming such odds makes finding an 
  extreme cypher all the more special. And 
  what could be more special than when a 
  character finds a cypher that allows her to 
  summon a level 10 creature to fight on her 
  behalf—or better yet, to become such a 
  creature herself?
  Numenera, The Strange, and Cypher 
  System games all use the Cypher System. 
  The system is named for one of the most 
  ubiquitous elements that players can 
  interact with: the cypher. Cyphers are one-
  use abilities that characters gain over the 
  course of play. They are usually physical, 
  manifest items, like magic potions or bits of 
  alien technology, though they can be subtler 
  and appear as inspirations or blessings. 
  The important thing about cyphers is the 
  fact that they generally can be used only 
  once, which is why a Cypher System game 
  assumes that the characters will frequently 
  discover and use them.
  In fact, the game both implicitly and 
  explicitly promises that, because cyphers are 
  one-use items, an individual cypher could 
  do almost anything. One cypher might allow 
  a character in your game to walk through a 
  wall, another might create a large explosion, 
  and a third could give a character telepathy 
  for an hour. True, all of these are incredible 
  effects. But the GM can allow them without 
  worrying about the long-term ramifications 
  of such power. Why? Because each cypher 
  grants the ability only once. 
  Of course, if cyphers really can do 
  anything, wouldn’t we expect that some 
  could trigger more extreme effects, such 
  as create a volcano, cause an eclipse, or 
  spawn a tornado? Yes, we would expect that, 
  even if the effects might have longer-term 
  ramifications. 
  Guess what? Extreme Cyphers is the 
  production of that expectation. This 
  supplement provides forty such cyphers 
  that can achieve exactly those noted effects, 
  and more.
  EXTREME CYPHERS
  Credits
  Writer/Designer 
  Bruce R. Cordell
  Developer 
  Monte Cook
  Creative Director 
  Shanna Germain
  Editor/Proofreader 
  Ray Vallese
  Cover Artist 
  Kieran Yanner
  Graphic Designer 
  Bear Weiter
  Artists 
  John Petersen, 
  Roberto Pitturru, 
  Kieran Yanner
  Monte Cook Games  
  Editorial Team 
  Scott C. Bourgeois, David 
  Wilson Brown, Eric Coates, 
  Gareth Hodges, Mila Irek, 
  Jeremy Land, Laura Wilkinson, 
  Marina Wold, George Ziets
  © 2016 Monte Cook Games, LLC
  Cypher System and its logo, 
  Numenera and its logo, and 
  The Strange and its logo are 
  trademarks of Monte Cook 
  Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and 
  other countries. All Monte Cook 
  Games characters and character 
  names, and the distinctive 
  likenesses thereof, are trademarks 
  of Monte Cook Games, LLC.
  At several locations in this supplement, 
  you’ll see page references accompanied 
  by this symbol. These are page 
  references to the Cypher System 
  Rulebook, where you can find additional 
  details about that item, place, creature, 
  or concept. It isn’t necessary to look up 
  the referenced items in the corebook; 
  it’s an optional way to learn more 
  about the game and provide additional 
  information to your players.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  EXTREME CYPHERS
  3
  Power shift (intelligence)
  Power shift (resilience)
  Power shift (single attack)
  Quell
  Ray emitter (extreme)
  Replacement
  Shadow body
  Super champion
  Survive
  Temporal escape
  Transcendence
  Universal expertise
  EXTREME OCCULTIC CYPHERS
  City communion
  Disciple
  Eclipse
  Rage unending
  Resurrect
  Transformation extreme
  Twister
  Ultimate acquisition
  Unlock latency
  Vanish creature
  Vanish volume
  Volcano
  ANOETIC AND OCCULTIC 
  CYPHERS
  Some Cypher System settings—including 
  Numenera and The Strange—differentiate 
  cyphers as anoetic or occultic. If you’re using 
  Extreme Cyphers with those settings, refer to 
  the lists below to distinguish between the 
  two kinds.
  EXTREME ANOETIC CYPHERS
  Certain attack
  Complete restoration
  Distant summons
  Effortless
  Evacuate air
  Far traveler
  Indestructible item
  Instant friends
  Instant tower
  Lethal upgrade
  Limitless
  Massive destruction
  Multibooster
  Multiport
  Physical upgrade
  Power shift (accuracy)
  EXTREME CYPHER TABLE
  01–02
  Certain attack
  03–05
  City communion
  06–07
  Complete restoration
  08–10
  Disciple
  11–12
  Distant summons
  13–15
  Eclipse
  16–17
  Effortless
  18–20
  Evacuate air
  21–22
  Far traveler
  23–25
  Indestructible item
  26–27
  Instant friends
  28–30
  Instant tower
  31–32
  Lethal upgrade
  33–35
  Limitless
  36–37
  Massive destruction
  38–40
  Multibooster
  41–42
  Multiport
  43–45
  Physical upgrade
  46–47
  Power shift (accuracy)
  48–50
  Power shift (intelligence)
  51–52
  Power shift (resilience)
  53–55
  Power shift (single attack)
  56–57
  Quell
  58–60
  Rage unending
  61–62
  Ray emitter (extreme)
  63–65
  Replacement
  66–67
  Resurrect
  68–70
  Shadow body
  71–72
  Super champion
  73–75
  Survive
  76–77
  Temporal escape
  78–80
  Transcendence
  81–82
  Transformation extreme
  83–85
  Twister
  86–87
  Ultimate acquisition
  88–90
  Universal expertise
  91–93
  Unlock latency
  94–96
  Vanish creature
  97–99
  Vanish volume
  00
  Volcano
  Anoetic cyphers are 
  simple to use: a pill to 
  swallow, a small handheld 
  device with a switch to flip, 
  or a bomb to throw.
  Occultic cyphers are 
  more complex and more 
  dangerous, but they often 
  have better and more 
  interesting effects. An 
  occultic cypher counts as 
  two cyphers for the purpose 
  of determining how many 
  you can bear at the same 
  time.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  4
  ARDEYN (FANTASY)
  d10
  Form
  1
  Amulet
  2
  Candle
  3
  Elixir
  4
  Figurine
  5
  Periapt
  6
  Ring
  7
  Runestone
  8
  Scroll
  9
  Urn
  10
  Wand
  RUK (SCIENCE FICTION—
  BIOENGINEERED)
  d10
  Form
  1
  Adhesive patch
  2
  Eyelike graft
  3
  Froglike graft
  4
  Pod attachment
  5
  Skin graft
  6
  Slime aliquot
  7
  Spiderlike graft
  8
  Spine
  9
  Tattoo graft
  10
  Umbilical
  CYPHER FORMS
  All cyphers in this supplement can be 
  manifest cyphers, which take physical form. 
  A few can also be subtle cyphers, which 
  are not physical; these are marked with an 
  orange symbol.
  What does an extreme cypher look like 
  if it’s a manifest cypher? That depends on 
  the genre. For example, an anoetic physical 
  upgrade might take the form of a pill on 
  modern-day Earth, an elixir in the magical 
  realm of Ardeyn, or an injector in the Ninth 
  World. GMs can choose a form for flavor 
  or roll randomly based on the setting. Even 
  then, most extreme cyphers can exist in 
  more than one form, but all forms work the 
  same way.
  NUMENERA (SCIENCE FICTION—
  FAR FUTURE)
  d10
  Form
  1
  Crystal nodule
  2
  Handheld device
  3
  Immobile device
  4
  Ingestible liquid
  5
  Injector
  6
  Metallic disc
  7
  Metallic sphere
  8
  Spray canister
  9
  Synth gauntlet
  10
  Wristband device
  EARTH (MODERN)
  d10
  Form
  1
  3D goggles
  2
  3D printer
  3
  Biofeedback glove
  4
  Button pin
  5
  Computer
  6
  Electronic module
  7
  Multifunction remote
  8
  Old book
  9
  Pill
  10
  Rare coin
  Manifest cyphers,
  page 342
  Subtle cyphers,
  page 343
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  EXTREME CYPHERS
  5
  DISTANT SUMMONS
  Level: 9
  Effect: A named target the user knows to 
  exist is summoned from wherever it 
  is, even if it’s unwilling to be called. 
  The user can summon any target, but 
  only if she knows that the target exists; 
  the GM will decide if she has enough 
  information to confirm the target’s 
  existence.
  ECLIPSE
  Level: 12
  Effect: A location up to 10 miles (16 km) 
  away is shadowed in darkness in an area 
  3 miles (5 km) in radius for one day, 
  during which time all natural sources of 
  light are absent. Light sources produced 
  by technology may also be affected, 
  especially if they are normally the only 
  “natural” sources of light in the chosen 
  area.
  EFFORTLESS
  Level: 9
  Effect: For the next hour, the user doesn’t 
  spend points from her Pools when 
  applying Effort. Other normal limits for 
  applying Effort remain in effect.
  THE CYPHERS
  CERTAIN ATTACK
  Level: 10
  Effect: For the next round, when the user 
  attacks a target with an ability, weapon, 
  or device, regardless of the range or 
  any barriers separating them, the attack 
  succeeds (treat as a routine task). The 
  user can attack any target, but only if she 
  knows that the target exists; the GM will 
  decide if she has enough information to 
  confirm the target’s existence.
  CITY COMMUNION
  Level: 10
  Effect: All creatures within a 2-mile (3 km) 
  radius gain telepathy for a few rounds 
  and can speak to each other regardless 
  of any interceding barriers or language 
  barriers. Though the effect is potentially 
  overwhelming for those few rounds, the 
  follow-on effect allows all connected 
  creatures to gain a brief sense of each 
  other and each other’s point of view. For 
  the next ten days at least, the difficulty of 
  any positive interaction tasks attempted 
  between affected creatures is reduced by 
  three steps. 
  COMPLETE RESTORATION
  Level: 10
  Effect: User’s Pools are completely restored, 
  she becomes hale on the damage track, 
  and she is cured of all diseases, poisons, 
  and other ongoing deleterious effects.
  DISCIPLE
  Level: 9
  Effect: A creature about the size of the 
  user and whose level does not exceed 
  the cypher’s level becomes convinced 
  that the user is worthy of service and 
  sacrifice. The creature gives up whatever 
  occupation and life it previously 
  pursued to become the user’s follower. 
  It continues to serve the user gladly, 
  unless or until the user does wrong by 
  the creature, as determined by the GM.
  Power shifts, page 270
  LEVELS ABOVE 10
  In Cypher System games where power 
  shifts or similar mechanics are in 
  play, difficulty caps at 15 instead of 10. 
  Difficulty 10 is labeled “impossible,” 
  but that label is for “normal” creatures 
  and PCs. For settings that support 
  superheroes and gods, “impossible” 
  means something different. Think of 
  each difficulty above 10 as being one 
  more step beyond impossible. Even 
  if you’re playing in a Cypher System 
  game like The Strange or Numenera 
  where levels are normally capped at 10, 
  extreme cyphers with levels that go all 
  the way to 15 might still be found.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  6
  INSTANT FRIENDS
  Level: 9
  Effect: All chosen targets within short range 
  regard the user in a friendly fashion, 
  regardless of their earlier dispositions, 
  for one hour or unless she harms a 
  target or otherwise does something 
  obvious that isn’t in a target’s best 
  interest.
  INSTANT TOWER
  Level: 10
  Effect: Expands into a complex twenty-story 
  structure with entrances, windows, 
  and stairs connecting each level. The 
  structure is permanent and immobile 
  once created. 
  LETHAL UPGRADE
  Level: 1d6 + 9
  Effect: For the next minute, a selected 
  weapon within immediate range inflicts 
  additional points of damage equal to the 
  cypher’s level.
  EVACUATE AIR
  Level: 11
  Effect: An area that is a short distance in 
  radius and up to a long distance away is 
  evacuated of all air, gas, or ice, creating 
  a vacuum. The area of vacuum is 
  permanent.
  FAR TRAVELER
  Level: 11
  Effect: User is transferred to a location 
  that she knows to exist, no matter how 
  far away it is or how many interceding 
  barriers lie between her and the 
  endpoint. The user can go anywhere, 
  as long as she knows that the location 
  exists; the GM will decide if she has 
  enough information to confirm the 
  location’s existence.
  INDESTRUCTIBLE ITEM
  Level: 10
  Effect: Effects with a level that is less than 
  the cypher’s level can no longer harm 
  a designated object no larger than the 
  user within immediate range.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  EXTREME CYPHERS
  7
  LIMITLESS
  Level: 10
  Effect: The user succeeds at any one 
  knowledge task whose difficulty is equal 
  to or less than the cypher’s level.
  MASSIVE DESTRUCTION
  Level: 1d6 + 9
  Effect: Projects a destructive pulse up to 
  3 miles (5 km) away that explodes in a 
  1-mile (1.5 km) radius, inflicting damage 
  equal to the cypher’s level. The type of 
  damage is informed by the genre setting 
  where this cypher is deployed.
  MULTIBOOSTER
  Level: 9
  Effect: Adds 3 to the user’s Might Edge, 
  Speed Edge, and Intellect Edge for one 
  hour.
  MULTIPORT
  Level: 8
  Effect: User and all allies within short range 
  are instantly transferred to any location 
  the user designates within 100 miles 
  (160 km), as long as she has previously 
  visited the location and the location still 
  exists.
  PHYSICAL UPGRADE
  Level: 10
  Effect: User permanently adds 3 points to 
  one Pool.
  POWER SHIFT (ACCURACY)
  Level: 15
  Effect: For three days, the user gains a 
  power shift to accuracy, which reduces 
  the difficulty of any attack he makes by 
  one step.
  POWER SHIFT (INTELLIGENCE)
  Level: 15
  Effect: For three days, the user gains a 
  power shift to intelligence, which 
  reduces the difficulty of any Intellect 
  defense roll and all knowledge, science, 
  and crafting tasks he makes by one step.
  POWER SHIFT (RESILIENCE)
  Level: 15
  Effect: For three days, the user gains a 
  power shift to resilience, which reduces 
  the difficulty of any Might defense roll he 
  makes by one step and adds 1 to Armor.
  POWER SHIFT (SINGLE ATTACK)
  Level: 15
  Effect: For three days, the user gains a 
  power shift to a single attack (chosen 
  when the cypher is used), which reduces 
  the difficulty of that particular attack by 
  one step and adds 3 points of damage 
  on a successful attack.
  QUELL
  Level: 10
  Effect: All chosen targets within long range 
  fall unconscious or become inoperative 
  for one hour or until a target sustains 
  damage, which wakes that particular 
  target.
  RAGE UNENDING
  Level: 10
  Effect: Targets within a 200-foot (60 m) 
  radius up to 1 mile (1.5 km) away 
  become raging psychopaths, with no 
  thought for their own safety. Affected 
  targets seek out and make melee attacks 
  on the nearest creatures and continue 
  to do so until they are killed or one day 
  passes.
  POWER SHIFT
  A power shift is like an applied level of 
  Effort that is always active, but which 
  doesn’t count toward a character’s 
  maximum Effort use (nor does it count 
  as a skill or an asset). A power shift 
  simply reduces the difficulty of tasks 
  that fall into a specific category, like 
  accuracy or intelligence.
  Power shifts, page 270
  Depending on the genre, a 
  massive destruction cypher 
  could inflict damage by 
  launching a mini-nuke in 
  a modern Earth setting, 
  reciting an Incarnation’s 
  curse in a fantasy world 
  like Ardeyn, triggering an 
  earthquake by causing an 
  ancient buried installation 
  to rise in the far-future 
  sci-fi setting of Numenera, 
  triggering a genetically 
  engineered flesh-melting 
  virus in the bioengineered sci-
  fi world of Ruk, or through 
  some other agency.
  Depending on the genre, 
  a rage unending cypher 
  might produce its effect 
  via a canister of chemical 
  warfare gas in a modern 
  Earth setting, the utterance 
  of a divine curse in a fantasy 
  setting like Ardeyn, a 
  zombie-apocalypse virus in 
  a zombie-themed setting, or 
  through some other agency.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  8
  SUPER CHAMPION
  Level: 10
  Effect: A level 10 creature is produced within 
  long range and fights on behalf of the 
  user for one minute.
  SURVIVE
  Level: 10
  Effect: For one minute, the user regains all 
  points to his Pools each round while 
  he has at least 1 point in any Pool. If he 
  dies, he instead regains all points to one 
  Pool and the effect ends.
  TEMPORAL ESCAPE
  Level: 10
  Effect: User and all allies within long range 
  are instantly transferred 1d20 + 5 years 
  into the future. For them, no time 
  elapses. For all other creatures, it’s as 
  if the targets ceased to exist during the 
  intervening period.
  TRANSCENDENCE
  Level: 11
  Effect: For the next minute, each of the 
  user’s actions is treated as if the player 
  rolled a 20.
  TRANSFORMATION EXTREME
  Level: 10
  Effect: For one minute, the user gains the 
  form and attributes of a creature of up to 
  level 10 that she knows to exist. The GM 
  will decide if she has enough information 
  to confirm the creature’s existence.
  TWISTER
  Level: 8
  Effect: Launches a small tornado that 
  travels a short distance each round in 
  the direction determined by the user. 
  The tornado persists for five minutes, 
  leaving a swath of destruction 300 feet 
  (90 m) wide in its wake by destroying 
  structures whose level is less than the 
  cypher’s level. Each round a creature is 
  caught in the area, it is stunned (losing 
  its next turn), it sustains damage equal 
  to the cypher’s level, and it could be 
  flung a short or long distance in a 
  random direction.
  RAY EMITTER (EXTREME)
  Level: 1d6 + 9
  Effect: Allows the user to project a ray of 
  destructive energy up to 3 miles (5 
  km) that inflicts damage equal to the 
  cypher’s level. Roll a d100 for the type of 
  damage:
  01–50
  Heat/concentrated light
  51–60
  Cell-disrupting radiation
  61–80
  Force
  81–87
  Magnetic wave
  88–93
  Molecular bond disruption
  94–00
  Concentrated cold
  REPLACEMENT
  Level: 10
  Effect: Target within long range disappears 
  for one hour, while the user gains the 
  target’s features, general mannerisms, 
  and trivial surface knowledge (such 
  as the names of friends). This lowers 
  the difficulty by four steps of the user’s 
  attempts to pass himself off as or 
  disguise himself as the target.
  RESURRECT
  Level: 13
  Effect: Dead creature within immediate 
  range is returned to life in full health, 
  relative youth, and complete possession 
  of its faculties and memories up to the 
  point of death. To ensure success, some 
  remnant of the target creature must 
  remain, such as hair, skin, or bone.
  SHADOW BODY
  Level: 9
  Effect: For one day, the user and all her 
  equipment becomes equivalent to an 
  animate shadow. As a shadow, she can 
  flicker between two shadows within 
  300 feet (90 m) of each other as part of 
  another action (regardless of interceding 
  barriers), and she gains +15 to Armor 
  against all sources of damage other than 
  those generated by light. In addition, the 
  difficulty of all stealth tasks is reduced by 
  two steps.
  Depending on the genre, 
  a super champion cypher 
  could produce a creature by 
  printing it in a near-modern 
  setting of Earth, summoning 
  it from Hell in a setting 
  inspired by biblical stories, 
  releasing it from a psychic 
  prison in a sci-fi setting, 
  calling it from a recursion 
  of the Strange, growing 
  it from nanoparticles in 
  the far-future sci-fi setting 
  of Numenera, or through 
  some other means.
  A temporal escape cypher 
  should be made available to 
  PCs only if the GM is willing 
  to end the current campaign 
  or update it in potentially 
  significant ways.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  EXTREME CYPHERS
  9
  VANISH CREATURE
  Level: 11
  Effect: One creature within immediate 
  range that is of the user’s size or smaller 
  permanently vanishes. 
  VANISH VOLUME
  Level: 11
  Effect: One or more objects, a structure 
  (and all its contents), or a portion of a 
  structure able to fit in a 10-foot (3 m) 
  cube permanently vanishes.
  VOLCANO
  Level: 15
  Effect: Over the course of thirty hours, 
  a volcanic dome grows beneath the 
  point on the ground where the cypher 
  is activated, which likely destroys most 
  structures in the area over time. When 
  finished growing, the upthrust area is 
  6 miles (10 km) across at its base and 
  has an elevation of 4,000 feet (1,200 
  m). When the growth phase ends, the 
  dome erupts as a volcano for ten hours, 
  threatening to destroy an additional area 
  up to 5 miles (8 km) in radius around 
  the base.
  ULTIMATE ACQUISITION
  Level: 9
  Effect: A named object of the user’s size 
  or smaller that she knows to exist is 
  drawn immediately to her, no matter the 
  range or interceding barriers. The user 
  can summon any object, as long as she 
  knows it exists; the GM will decide if she 
  has enough information to confirm the 
  object’s existence.
  UNIVERSAL EXPERTISE
  Level: 10
  Effect: For the next hour, the difficulty of all 
  tasks the user attempts is reduced by 
  three steps. 
  UNLOCK LATENCY
  Level: 10
  Effect: User permanently gains one special 
  ability from any available focus. The 
  GM determines what foci are available 
  to choose from. The user can choose 
  any ability, but the difficulty of using an 
  ability whose tier is higher than her tier 
  is increased by a number of steps equal 
  to the difference between the tiers.
   A volcano cypher should 
  be made available to PCs 
  only if the GM is willing to 
  end the current campaign 
  or update it in potentially 
  significant ways.
  Jon Hygom Gislason - gislason19@hotmail.com - 189341
  
  Hundreds of new abilities, cyphers, 
  descriptors, and foci—plus the 
  complete Cypher System rules, 
  including special rules for a variety 
  of genres. Build new recursions for 
  The Strange—or whole new worlds 
  for whole new campaigns!
  Victorian horror or the zombie 
  apocalypse? High fantasy or 
  high-powered supers? Espionage? 
  Galaxy-spanning space opera? 
  The Cypher System Rulebook 
  gives you everything you need 
  to launch new campaigns, 
  or to take your campaign of 
  The Strange even further!
  WHERE WILL YOUR GAME TAKE YOU?
  fb.com/MonteCook
  @MonteCookGames
  Available now from the MCG web store:
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Cypher System/Glimmers/Extreme Cyphers.pdf