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I am wondering if Predictive Equation and similar abilities count as Assets in the Cypher system. While some explicitly state that they grant an asset, Predictive Equation instead says that

The next time you interact with it (possibly in the following round), the difficulty of a related task (such as persuading the creature, attacking it, or defending from its attack) is reduced by one step.

Similarly, Destroy Metal states

the difficulty of this task is decreased by three steps (compared to breaking it with brute strength)

which would seem to contradict the following statement if it counted as an asset:

The important thing to remember is that a skill can reduce the difficulty by no more than two steps, and assets can reduce the difficulty by no more than two steps, regardless of the situation. Thus, no task’s difficulty will ever be reduced by more than four steps without using Effort.

In Numenera, these abilities would not count as Assets:

Some rare abilities allow the player to ease tasks and don't count as assets or training. Therefore, if an ability allows a character to ease a task, and does not state that it is an asset or training, it does not count towards the character's limits.

but I can find no such statement within the Cypher System Rulebook.

Where in the Cypher System Rulebook do the rules say if Predictive Equation and similar abilities count as Assets in the Cypher system?

Rubiksmoose
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Arkhaic
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    This is question about the Cypher System and is looking for citations from the Cypher System Rulebook. The Numenera question does not answer this for the same reason that citing part of a D&D 3.5 book doesn't answer a question about D20 Modern. – Arkhaic May 21 '19 at 17:36

1 Answers1

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In the Cypher System it is not specified anywhere whether special abilities are counted as assets or not.

But since some special abilities such as "Destroy Metal" can lower the difficulty by three, and since many special abilities explicitly state that PC gain an asset, I assume the same rule of Numenera applies here.

You can choose between these options:

  • You can consider any difficulty reduction as assets capped to two, with the only exception of those special abilities with a reduction of three or more steps;
  • You can use the rule stated in the Numenera corebook (see this answer).
Ohmnibus
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