cyphersystem
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I originally intended to put out a single 2026 update near New Year’s, but as I started collecting my thoughts, it quickly became clear that it would turn into a very long post. More importantly, I wouldn’t really be able to do justice to some of the things I’m genuinely excited about without them getting
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This one means a lot to me. The Fowl Hydra is officially live on DriveThruRPG, and I’m equal parts excited and nervous to finally put it out into the world. It’s a self-contained fantasy one-shot designed for a single session, built around escalating consequences, player choice, and a magical mistake that very quickly gets out
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We had a blast with this one-shot. It was really good to have a light-hearted session after running and playing in much more serious and high stakes games. This takes place after the story hook posted previously. I hope you enjoy! Dramatis Personae CASPER FIRESTONE The laziest warlock you’ve ever seen. Casper floats everywhere because
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November has come and gone, and somehow I hit my goals again, plus a bonus short story to finish out the month. The views and returning readers continue to blow me away. Thank you. I’m still very much an amateur writer, so the fact that strangers on the internet take time to read my work,
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Loving the Game, Not the Grind I’ve always loved a good crunchy system. There is something satisfying about sitting down with a blank character sheet and letting the possibilities open up. Building a character from nothing, weaving abilities together, finding the perfect combination of stats, it scratches the same part of the brain as a
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In preparation for my group’s upcoming fantasy one-shot, I’ve put together the initial story hook. The title of this adventure gives away a bit too much, so I will hold that back until after my players have had their chance to run through it. Once they do, I’ll share the full write-up, including the stylized
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The finale of our first session. If you have seen them yet, check out Part One and Part Two. I hope you enjoy. Evelyn Cross stepped into the tent, her expression composed and businesslike. She greeted the group with a polite nod, then asked John Miller and Father Mateo to remain behind. The others were
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Since the transcription bot refused to cooperate, I had to rely on a quick voice recording from memory right after the session. That means some dialogue and narrative beats couldn’t be perfectly reconstructed, and a few smaller details may have slipped through. I’ll be rebuilding this one in parts, blending what I remember with my
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This is the full narrative of our presession for Strange Beginnings, the first story arc in my homebrew The End of the Institute campaign. The actual Session One took place last night, but unfortunately, our transcription bot died mid-way through and took the record with it. I’ll be recreating that session from memory as best I
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One of the things I love about the Cypher System is how streamlined it is. But sometimes that elegance leaves gaps where I want just a little more teeth. Case in point: There are ways to shut down magic in Cypher, but none of them happen in the moment. Nothing that lets you throw yourself
Mason Beck Fiction 