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Nerdarchy on Hacking Cypher System Zoo Mafia RPG

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In this 23-minute video on Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted explore using the Cypher System roleplaying game from Monte Cook Games to hack our own RPG. This video is part of a Design Diary playlist presenting a sneak peek into the development of Zoo Mafia RPG. You can find it at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel right here.

The conversation starts an overview of  Zoo Mafia, the RPG where you Go Wild, Do Crime and Don’t Let Humans Catch You. Dave and Ted briefly discuss what other RPG systems they’ve explored previously. The live playtest we’ve streaming on Tuesday nights is based on the Powered by the Apocalypse system but Monte Cook Games recently released an open license for creating content for Cypher System so they thought why not take a look and consider the possibilities?

In Cypher System only the players roll dice and not the Game Master, which is also the case with PbtA games. Cypher System uses d20 almost exclusively with the occasional d6 roll and much more rarely d100. By contrast in PbtA only d6 is used, with Zoo Mafia RPG introducing a third die into the mix of the usual d6 system.

Character in Cypher System are a combination of Focus, Type and Descriptor, or more casually an Adjective Noun who Verbs. For example in our Moon Rises live gameplay campaign Grigg Skjellerup was a Resilient Adept who Separates Mind from Body. Characters draw on the Might, Speed and Intellect pools to overcome challenges and use their abilities. In the video Dave and Ted ponder how Zoo Mafia RPG might translate into Cypher System. Would various animal types become Foci, Descriptors or new Types and what about different criminal specialties. And what third thing would become relevant this way?

Are you familiar with Cypher System? It’s pretty popular here at Nerdarchy. There’s plenty of posts here on the website and videos including actual play campaigns. Check out this post if you’re curious about how you can Flex Your RPG Muscles with the Fantastically Flexible Cypher System.

If you want to be one of the first people to get your paws on those Zoo Mafia Quick Start Rules you can sign up for the Zoo Mafia RPG newsletter here.

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