Monte Cook's Blog, page 84

MCG Artists in Spectrum 23

Arguably the most anticipated art book annual, Spectrum is a massive, high-quality tome focused on highlighting the best in imaginative realism. It’s a beautiful book, with a wide variety of styles and genres spread across its pages. Not only is it inspirational to flip through, it’s considered an honor to have your work represented within its pages. As such, we take pride in submitting pieces on behalf of our artists. Spectrum 23 came out recently, and several of our artists—and our art—made...

The Numenera Starter Set Is Coming!

New to Numenera? Maybe you’ve heard good things about the RPG, or perhaps you’ve been checking out Torment:Tides of Numenera. Maybeyou’ve taken part in Cypher Play at your local game store, and you’re wondering how to get your own Numenera game started. Great news: The Numenera Starter Set is on its way! (If you’re an experienced Numenera player, the Numenera Starter Set probably isn’t for you. But it makes a great gift, and it’s an inexpensive way to introducesomeone else to the game!) The N...

What We Are Thankful For

2016 has been a difficult year for many people, from personal struggles, to family issues, celebrity deaths, and political turmoil. On this American Thanksgiving holiday, weat MCG wanted to take a moment to focus on the positive and talk about things we are thankful for. Bear:I’m grateful for working with a bunch of creative, passionate people who collectively strive to produce the best products we can, and, in so doing, bring a lot of joy to a great many people. I’m also grateful for the art...

Skein of the Blackbone Bride

A Simple Mission into the Black Riage. . . “No cypher unturned.” That’s the motto of the Slying Seskiis, a group whosemembers can hunt down, break down, or recover anything or anyone from anywhere. Traveling into the Black Riage to bring home the body of a wealthy patron’s deceased daughter is almost beneath yourskills. But perhaps there’s more to this commission than meets the eye? The Skein of the Blackbone Bride introduces a new organization to the Ninth World, the Slying Seskiis, and incl...

A Gift For You—Or the World! (2016 edition)

It’s the season of giving, so let’s make it a great holiday season for some great causes! Continuing a new traditionwe started last year, here is the 2016 MCG Holiday Gift! We’re giving you a $5 coupon for the MCG store. Use it to get a little something for yourself or a loved one—or you can turn it into a donation toone of three charities we’re supportingthis holiday season! Here’s how it works: Go to the store and shop foryour items, just like you normally do. If you’d like to make a charit...

Cypher Chronicles, vol. 43-2016

Iadace, and welcome to Cypher Chronicles! Exciting News, Reviews, and Interviews TheNo Thank You, Evil! The Adventures ContinueBackerKit is now open! If you’re a backer of the Kickstarter, use thatlink to add or adjust your pledge. If you missed the Kickstarter, you can use this link to pre-order it, much like being a Kickstarter backer! Did you know that our Cypher System Creator program lets you write, publish, and sell your own Cypher System products? And we just added an art resources pac...

Thanksgiving Oddities

Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, a time to gather the family, eat delicious food, and reflect on the good things we have. In the spirit of having a fun Thanksgiving, here are some Cypher System oddities that would be very useful on a busy day filled with travel, extended family, and cooking. A paper sleeve for an airline or bus ticket. When it holds a ticket for that day’s travel, crowds part for the bearer, allowing them to move at normal speed through busy areas....

Cypher System Playmat

Roll in Style! In the Cypher System, players roll all the dice. And there aren’t a great many tables or charts a GM needs to reference during play, so hiding them behind a GM screen isn’t particularly useful. The beautiful Cypher Systemplaymat puts handy information out where everyone can reference it, and the pleasant fabric surface with non-slip rubberized backinggives you a great die-rolling surface. It’s well-sized at 18″ x 22″, large enough to show of its art and information nicely, but...

Player Perspectives: Rolling for Social Skills

Player Perspectives is a regular feature here on the Monte Cook Games website, penned by guest writers—players of Numenera, The Strange, and the Cypher System. Along with the “violence should always be the last resort” warning at the beginning of a 40-page long combat chapter with dozens of weapons, almost every roleplaying game suggests the GM forget the rules for social skills that they have just explained, focusing instead on what people say at the gaming table, because it’s funnier and mo...

Cypher Chronicles, vol. 42-2016

Iadace, and welcome to Cypher Chronicles! Exciting News, Reviews, and Interviews No Thank You, Evil! The Adventures Continue Kickstarter campaign ends today, November 11th at 7PM CDT. Please share the campaign with your family and friends so that everyone everywhere can say no thank you to evil! Make your kid grin from ear-to-ear when she sees her image as a hero inUh-Oh, Monsters! You can make this happen by backing No Thank You, Evil! The Adventures Continue on Kickstarter at theI’M A HERO...