Tabletop Spotlight: Numenera Starter Set
The Tabletop Spotlight is on The Numenera Starter Set from Monte Cook Games!
Numenera is a vast and complex setting for RPGs. Luckily Monte Cook Games has put together a very helpful starter set for getting your group up-and-running. Our friends at Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy brought over a copy for us to check out:
The contents are pretty straightforward. We cover them all in the video so I wanted to talk about the game and the setting itself. Mechanically, Numenera uses The Cypher System which has been hailed as system that is very easy to GM with.
At the basic level the gameplay is based off of challenges with a 1 to 10 rating. Players can lower the difficulty by applying their skills and whatever assets they have to the check. They can even spend a limited resource called Effort to lower the difficulty of the roll. Then the player makes the roll to see what happens. It’s very quick and easy to grasp – and sophisticated enough to keep players interested!
GMs also have some special Intrusions in their tool belt. These can add story hooks or twists to your game – and the players generally welcome these! That’s because the GM Intrusions can reward the players with bonus XP. Players can also spend XP to avoid these situations if they aren’t confident they can deal with them.
The Numenera setting is also pretty engaging. If you’re not familiar with the world the premise is that there have been 8 previous worlds (or ages) before the current one. Each world stretched across a vast and unknown amount of time. Each world hosted a race (or races) who’s civilizations had advanced to their pinnacle and dominated this world. Something happened to each one – they either died, scattered, disappeared, transcended or something else entirely. But they each left something behind.
Remnants of the old worlds, some people call them magic. But most call these unique legacies of the past Numenera.
The players come from the civilations and societies that inhabit this new Ninth World. It’s a fun blend of Sci-Fi and Fantasy as you have ancient tech along side strange and wonderful remnants from the distant past. The setting is all about discovery and adventure – which why your players are there in the first place!
Overall, for a starter set this box has everything you’d need to get started so it’s a solid purchase. But more importantly it’s a great intro into this vast and mysterious Ninth World. Are you ready to take the plunge into Numenera?
Numenera Starter Set $24.99
There have been eight previous worlds. Each world stretched across vast millennia. Each saw civilizations flourish before dying, scattering, or transcending. Those that ruled these worlds spoke to the stars, reengineered their bodies, and mastered form and essence.
But now they are gone. The people of the new world—the Ninth World—live among the ruined majesty of an unimaginable past. Are you brave enough to seek adventure, fortune, and discovery in the remnants of the prior worlds? Treasures of unmatched wonder await—but in those ruins also sleep dangers and terrors of bygone eras.
Explore the vast, fascinating, and unique setting of Numenera—the Ninth World. Gather your friends, open this box, and begin playing right away! The game is easy to learn and fun to play. Whether you’re new to Numenera or new to roleplaying games, this box has everything you need to get started.
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.A perfect introduction to the Ninth World, this complete tabletop roleplaying game takes 3 – 6 players on their first journey into the science-fantasy world of Numenera.
Sci-fi meets Fantasy in the world of Numenera – Adventure Awaits!
