Numenera

Numenera

Numenera Logo
Designer(s) Monte Cook
Publisher(s) Monte Cook Games
Publication date 2013
Genre(s) Science Fantasy
System(s) the Cypher System
Playing time Varies
Random chance Dice rolling
Skill(s) required Role-playing, improvisation
Website Numenera.com

Numenera is an award-winning science fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) set in the far distant future, written by Monte Cook.[1][2][3] It has been translated into Italian,[4] German[5] and French.

Game

Setting

Numenera is set on Earth approximately one billion years in the future. The setting is called "The Ninth World" due to the fact that eight civilizations have risen and fallen prior to the current era.[6]

Character Creation

Character creation has been simplified by having players fill in the blanks to the statement:

"I am a __________ __________ who _________s."
  1. The first blank, the adjective in the sentence, is filled in by a character's "Descriptor", a way to describe the character's strongest characteristic.
  2. The second blank, the noun of the sentence, is filled in by a character's "Type", which is either a "Glaive" (a warrior type), a "Nano" (a technology adept type), or a "Jack" (as in jack-of-all-trades).
  3. The third blank, the verb of the sentence, is filled in by a character's "Focus", or what the character is most known for or their special talent.[7]

Technology

The name "Numenera" is a reference to the bits of technology leftover from past civilizations. The word "numen" is a Latin root word meaning a "pervading divine presence"[8] and "era" refers to the period (1 billion years in the future) in which this universe takes place. The world is utterly filled with "nanites" (the divine presence) that some beings in this universe can tap into and control. With a nod towards Clarke's Third Law, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic",[9] the setting treats technology with much the same approach as magic in a fantasy setting. The native tech level is roughly medieval.[10]

Development

The Numenera Team

Lead Designer: Monte Cook[11]
Lead Artist: Kieran Yanner[11]
Lead Editor: Shanna Germain[11]
Contributing Artists: Scott Purdy, Lee Smith, Patrick McEvoy, Eric Lofgren, Guido Kuip, Matthew Stawicki, Keith Thompson, Jeremy McHugh, Jason Engle[12]
Cartographer: Christopher West[12]

Inspirations

"If you're a fan of outside-of-the-box gameplay such as that found in Planescape, Dark Space, or Chaositech, the far-future stories of Gene Wolfe, Michael Moorcock, or Jack Vance, or mind-blowing visuals like those found in the work of French artist Moebius, you're going to love Numenera." - Monte Cook[13]

Launch

Numenera was launched via a Kickstarter campaign, that set a record for "most money raised for a tabletop role-playing game" at $517,255 by 4,658 backers,[14] surpassing the previous record set by the Kickstarter for Traveller 5th edition.[15] Originally intended just to fund the initial Core rulebook, the campaign more than doubled its fund goal within the first 24 hours.[16] "Stretch-goals" that were announced as the level of funding grew increased the output of products, ending up producing an entire game line.[17]

Products

Core Products

Title Authors Date Pages Formats ISBN
Numenera CorebookMonte CookAugust 14, 2013416Print, Deluxe, PDFISBN 9781939979001
The main rulebook for the game 
Numenera Player's GuideMonte CookAugust 14, 201364Print, PDFISBN 9781939979018
Book focused on the player characters; subset of content from the Corebook 
The Ninth World BestiaryMonte Cook & Bruce CordellFebruary 2014160Print, PDFISBN 9781939979094
A collection of Numenera creatures 
Numenera Character OptionsMonte CookMay 201496Print, PDFISBN 9781939979148
Cards representing Numenera creatures 
Technology Compendium: Sir Arthour's Guide to the NumeneraMonte CookAugust 2014160Print, PDFISBN 9781939979209
A collection of Numenera cyphers, oddities and artifacts 
The Ninth World GuidebookMonte Cook & Shanna GermainJanuary 2015256Print, PDFISBN 9781939979247
A setting book about the Ninth World, its locations and denizens 

There are also some adventure collections that have appeared in print:

Title Authors Date Pages Formats ISBN
The Devil's SpineMonte CookOctober 201396Print, PDFISBN 9781939979025
Three 32 page adventures, "The Devil's Spine", "The Mechanized Tomb", "The Other Side of the Maelstrom" 
Weird Discoveries: Ten Instant Adventures for NumeneraMonte CookApril 201596Print, PDF
Ten fully developed adventures that can be run with little preparation time. 

Adventures & Glimmers

Glimmers are short, PDF-only publications meant to enrich the game experience.

Title Authors Date Pages Formats ISBN
The Nightmare SwitchMonte CookAugust 14, 201332PDF Only
A Kickstarter exclusive adventure 

Game Aids

Title Date Pages Formats
Numenera GM ScreenAugust 14, 2013N/APrint, PDF
Four-panel, landscape format vinyl GM's screen 
Numenera XP Card DeckAugust 14, 201330 cardsPrint, PDF
Cards representing a character's XP points 
Numenera Cypher Card DeckAugust 14, 2013120 cardsPrint, PDF
Cards representing cypher Numenera available in game 
Numenera Cypher Card Deck 22014120 cardsPrint, PDF
Cards representing cypher Numenera available in game 
Numenera Creature Card DeckFebruary 2014100 cardsPrint, PDF
Cards representing Numenera creatures 
Numenera Cypher Chest2014250 cardsPrint
Contains the XP, Cypher and Creature decks. 
Numenera Character Sheets2014104 (print)Print, PDF
Blank character sheets and a character generation walkthrough. 

Fiction

Title Authors Date Pages Formats ISBN
The Amber MonolithMonte CookAugust 201218PDF Only
Introductory short story to the Numenera setting; included within the Corebook 
Tales from the Ninth WorldMonte CookJune 201379epub, mobi, PDF
Collection of short stories set in the Numenera setting 

Related Products

There have been several announced tie-ins to the brand:

Awards

Awards Numenera products have received include:[22]

References

  1. ↑ Webb, Travis. (4 May 2013). "Tylerpaper.com: Kickstarted; "Crowdfunding" continues to change face of gaming". Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Nerdluster: Numenera RPG Kickstarter". 14 August 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Tech2: Monte Cook GenCon Panel". 19 August 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Announcing the Numenera box set".
  5. ↑ "Crowdfunding campaign for German translation of the corebook".
  6. ↑ "Transmissions from the Ninth World:A Billion Years in the Future!". Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Transmissions from the Ninth World:Creative Characters!". Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  8. ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/numen
  9. ↑ "The Sorcerer of Rhiannon", Astounding February 1942, p. 39.
  10. ↑ "Transmissions from the Ninth World:Eponymous". Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 "The Numenera Team". Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Numenera Art Gallery". Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  13. ↑ "Kickstarter "Numenera: A new roleplaying game from Monte Cook"". 8 August 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  14. ↑ "Kickstarter "Discover / Games / Most Funded"". Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  15. ↑ http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games/most-funded
  16. ↑ "KickTraq: Numenera Pledges & Backers by Day".
  17. ↑ "Rich Howard: Numenera".
  18. ↑ "Numenera App in Development". 5 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  19. ↑ "Thunderstone Numenera: Two Games Enter, One Game Leaves". Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  20. ↑ "Kickstarter: Torment:Tides of Numenera".
  21. ↑ "Reaper Miniatures: Numenera". Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  22. ↑ "Official award list".

External links

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