[REDACTED], a book-hopping Cypher game

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ClosedCypherPrivate3 / weekWittyName
"Fictional characters are made of words, not flesh; they do not have free will, they do not exercise volition. They are easily born, and as easily killed off." ~ John Banville

~

There is a library that contains only a particular type of book. It does not care if a book is fantasy or factual, comedy or tragedy, romance or adventure. It does not care who wrote its books, or what stories they tell. It is a library that only hold books containing a curse. An affliction.

A book is cursed when a demon invades it, like a parasite. It finds a character to mimic, to supplant, and to replace. From there, it can do anything it likes. It becomes a god, with knowledge of that book from cover to cover, each and every word. And it is capable of changing those words, those pages, the very fabric of the story itself. Once inside, it will warp the story to its own ends, so that it may infect the minds of all those who read it.

A demon can be destroyed, however, without harming the book. The characters the demon has replaced can be pulled from the book into the real world. While such wayward characters have little hope of righting the wrongs in their own realities, they can combat changes to others. And so, the library employs teams of these characters, these Redacted, to exorcise each others' worlds and destroy the demon once and for all.

https://imgs.search.brave.com/4HTKj7XiqELxCRI-kNds_4CDIgwG_NHqlol_WxRuEYs/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9pLnBp/bmltZy5jb20vb3Jp/Z2luYWxzLzI4LzQw/LzA3LzI4NDAwN2Fi/MTZjNmQ0YjQ5ODJk/YjU1YzhkYTAxYzll/LmpwZw


Apr 15, 2024 7:40 am
The PCs will be Redacted, characters from books who have been replaced by demonic imposters and shunted out into the "real" world. You are welcome to base said book / character off an existing one IRL, but I would prefer to avoid using exact copies. You are also free to prescribe any details to the story that your character comes from that you wish. Do they die at the end? Does everyone die at the end? Is it a light-hearted romance, or even a bibliography? Decide as much or as little as you desire.

The game is in Cypher (which is the system Numenera uses, just without the setting). I'm hoping to get at least 3 players who are willing to commit to 3 posts/week.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we will be having a session 0 to establish safety tools. Potentially hard or soft boundaries may limit or alter the kinds of genres the group is willing to feature in the game. If you wish to apply, please be willing to be flexible in this regard. In addition, this game will be explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly.


With that in mind... first come, first serve. Don't need a character concept or anything, just post below that you're interested. I have no idea how this recruitment thread is going to go, but I look forward to finding out :D
Last edited April 18, 2024 6:04 pm
Apr 15, 2024 7:46 am
It sounds like an interesting take on The Strange that is world hopping Cypher game.
The character abilities available to them is kind of class based. I'm curious on what sources these classes are coming from. Or would that be dependent on their origin book?
Apr 15, 2024 9:03 am
One of the nice aspects of using Cypher in this case is that it is pure mechanics, adaptable to any genre. So in this case, you're right, the source of any given PC's abilities or powers would be dependent on what book they come from. An Adept from a fantasy novel might be a mage with actual magic. An adept from a historical fiction novel might just be a genius, working with science far beyond whatever anyone else in their novel has knowledge of.

Besides that, it's pretty easy to collect abilities from well outside one's class with Descriptors. There is no reason a Warrior cannot devote quite heavily into magic or anything else.
Apr 15, 2024 9:20 am
Do I get it right we'd be mixing and matching characters based/inspired on existing books? That sounds awesome. I'd be all up for that. So many ideas already.
Last edited April 15, 2024 9:20 am
Apr 16, 2024 7:54 am
Right on, glad to have you!
Apr 16, 2024 7:57 am
WittyName says:
One of the nice aspects of using Cypher in this case is that it is pure mechanics, adaptable to any genre. So in this case, you're right, the source of any given PC's abilities or powers would be dependent on what book they come from. An Adept from a fantasy novel might be a mage with actual magic. An adept from a historical fiction novel might just be a genius, working with science far beyond whatever anyone else in their novel has knowledge of.

Besides that, it's pretty easy to collect abilities from well outside one's class with Descriptors. There is no reason a Warrior cannot devote quite heavily into magic or anything else.
I'm going to check what Cypher recourse I have available. Its an intriguing idea and I want to see it happen :)
Apr 16, 2024 12:58 pm
I did not realize they had this before making this thread, but Monte Cook Games' website has a free character builder (under Cypher Tools). The only requirement for its use is an email address to create an account. So for anyone holding back because they do not have access to the material, this would be a fantastic way to try the system out.
Apr 16, 2024 3:55 pm
https://tools.cypher-system.com
Oh this is gooood :D
Just for fun I'm clicking my way through a Charming Adept who Slays Monsters with a Magic Flavor
Apr 17, 2024 3:37 am
Game thread up, I think we're ready to begin session 0 while we give a little more time for more potential players. :)

(That'll also give me time to get used to how to set up a game in this site, lol)


For anyone just arriving at this thread, I am still looking for interested parties, first come, first serve. 3 potential slots open.
Last edited April 17, 2024 3:38 am
Apr 17, 2024 6:28 am
I haven't used cypher before, and have heard mixed things about it, but I am very interested in the story/concept so I'll bite.
Apr 17, 2024 1:44 pm
Invite sent. Let me know if you don't get it... I'm still new to the site and getting a handle on things :)
Apr 18, 2024 3:25 am
If you need an extra, I love all things Cypher System and your premise is excellent. However, I'm in a lot of games and don't like to take slots that people in fewer games might fill, so take others first.
Apr 18, 2024 6:07 pm
I don't think you'll need to worry about that, although as a person in fewer games, the consideration is much appreciated :)

Two slots remain open for those interested.
May 15, 2024 8:13 pm
New to cypher as well, but you pitch is very intriguing, I would love to join.
May 15, 2024 8:33 pm
Sounds interesting, not sure quite what i'd play, but I'm definitely interested, if there's still space. I'm familiar with cypher and have most of the books.
Last edited May 15, 2024 8:33 pm
May 15, 2024 9:03 pm
Hmm, having some thought, I'm kinda thinking of playing a wicked witch from a fairy tale/kids fantasy book (who's grown beyond her stereotype since becoming [Redacted]), possibly as a Doomed Adept who Dances with Dark Matter, because I quite like the idea that she's still bound by the literary trope of being a villain and villains don't win, hence doomed.

If you'd rather everyone played more heroic types I'd probably go with Constance Langston, Female Adventurer! (Appealing Explorer who Explores Dark Places) from a 1930s pulp story.
May 15, 2024 9:17 pm
Huge fan of the Cypher System and the concept is just awesome. Would love to join in or be considered as a back up otherwise.
May 17, 2024 6:14 pm
@YullyBear , @spinningdice , @kharis Thank you for the interest!

The first group is already underway, but I'd love to add you three as a second group. Once I'm back from vacation (tomorrow), I'll go about setting that up :)
May 17, 2024 8:36 pm
I'd love to, as long as you're not overloading yourself!
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