Monte Cook's Blog, page 102

Beyond the Book: Large Battles in the Cypher System

Beyond the Book is a regular column discussing ways to use the Cypher System to run a great game. The other night I ran an encounter where the Player Characters were tossed into a huge arena. The four PCs were hastily teamed up with nine NPC allies to find themselves pitted against thirteen more NPCs […]

Cypher Chronicles, vol. 47-2015

Iadaceand welcome to volume 47of Cypher Chronicles! Team MCG is taking time off from work to celebratethe American Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. If you are awaiting a response from us, we appreciate your patience. We will return to normal business hours next week and will address any queries as quickly as possible. Happy […]

Strange Revelations: Ten Instant Adventures for the Strange

Horror, Action, and Mystery in the Shoals of Earth! What’s the hardest part of running a roleplaying game? It has to be the preparation. You can’t just spontaneously say, “Let’s play a roleplaying game” unless

Monte Says: PCs versus NPCs

Monte Saysis a regular column in which Monte talks about topics related to the Cypher System—or anything else on his mind! As a game designer—and even more, as a GM—there’s nothing I hate more than creating game material that I know no one will ever make use of. When I sit down to figure out […]

Cypher Chronicles, vol. 46-2015

Iadaceand welcome to this week’s Cypher Chronicles! Exciting News and Interviews Team MCG is in the midst of our 2015 autumn summit. What are we talking about? Star fighters. Flying carpets. The Argo. Impossible Vehiclesbrings you a sampling of vehicles presented as artifacts, both minor and major. Of course, any time characters ride in vehicles, […]

Special Features: The MCG Staff Summit

Special Featuresis a regular columnin which MCG team members discuss projects they’re working on, interesting MCG activities, or things that inspire their work. This column was written by Bruce. It’s that time again: The MCG staff, normally scattered across the country, has gathered in one place for the MCG Fall 2015 Summit. And you know […]

Player Perspectives: Applying Effort to your One-Shots

Player Perspectivesis a regular column penned by guest writers—players of Numenera, The Strange, and the Cypher System. Hi! I’m Darcy Ross, an Asset Team member and all-around big fan of Monte Cook Games. I mostly run one-shots rather than campaigns, and I find the format’s constraints challenging and exhilarating, especially with strangers. I’m here to […]

Impossible Vehicles

Flying Carpets. Hover Bikes. The Argo. Recursions within the Strange are seeded by fiction, imagination, and myth—stories. And stories sometimes featurevehicles, often vehicles that are practically iconic to their settings. Star fighters. Flying carpets. The Argo. Vehicles large enough to host the PCs through the bulk of their adventures are especially likely to be seeded […]

Cypher Chronicles, vol. 45-2015

Iadaceand welcome to this week’s Cypher Chronicles! Happy Friday the 13th! Exciting News and Interviews MCG Summer Flash Sale!Hard to find items on sale now on the MCG Shop through midnight, November 15th. Team MCG will be gathering in Seattle next week for our semi-annual MCG Summit, where we plan and strategize and plot and […]

Rare, Hard-to-Find, and Unique Items–For a Few Days Only!

Want to get your hands on the highly sought-after Numenera boxed set? A gorgeous Numenera poster, or giant map of Qi? An autograph for your corebook, or a Numenera playmat? Or maybe you’d like to pick up a copy of The Strange or Numeneraat a really attractive price? Great news: Now through Sunday, November 14, […]