[FOCI]

Learns Quickly

Cypher System Rulebook 1e

You might not have the job of your dreams, but you do all right. Perhaps events beyond your control set you down a path that led to where you are today, making the best of a mediocre or even a bad situation. Or maybe you're young, and your break just hasn't come along yet; you're confident that it's right around the corner, maybe once you finish school. Either way, you work hard to get ahead, deal with bad situations as they arise, and learn quickly whether you're working retail, serving fast food, or loading trucks in the back of a warehouse.

You don't stand out in a crowd because you've learned that doing so can draw unwanted attention. That's why you usually wear nondescript clothing, cover up any ink you have, and wear glasses whether you need eye correction or not.

Spinners are most often drawn to this focus.

Learns Quickly was conceived as a focus for players who don't want to start the game with overt advantages, even social ones. On the other hand, it's a great focus for any character who relies on Intellect; many a tenured professor, researcher, or similarly skilled professional would find Learns Quickly a fabulous choice.

Learns Quickly is a draggable focus.

Connection

If this is your starting focus, choose one of the following connections.

1. Pick one other PC. That character helped you get your current job.
2. Pick one other PC. Through no fault of his own, that character got you fired from your last job by pointing out a problem with something you were connected to only indirectly.
3. Pick one other PC. That character is your cousin.
4. Pick one other PC. You're pretty sure that character hates your guts, though you don't know why.

Equipment

Earth:Modern clothing, a feature phone, two tickets to see a show at a local movie theater, and $100.

Ardeyn: Simple Ardeyn clothing, parchment, ink and quill, a weapon of your choice, a fish knife, and 10 crowns.

Ruk: Ruk clothing, an umbilical, a voice-memo graft, a weapon of your choice, a knife, and 10 bits.

Minor Effect Suggestion

The difficulty of your next task, attack, or defense (if made within one minute) is decreased by one step.

Major Effect Suggestion

Treat the result of your next task, attack, or defense (if made within one minute) as if you rolled a natural 18.

Tier 1

Still Waters Run Deep Enabler

You have a greater-than-average capacity to think things through. You add 3 points to your Intellect Pool.

There's Your Problem Enabler

You are trained in tasks related to figuring out how to solve problems with multiple solutions (like the best way to pack a truck, calm an enraged customer, give a cat a shot of insulin, or find a route through the city for maximum speed).

Tier 2

Quick Study Enabler

You learn from repetitive actions. You gain a +1 bonus to rolls for similar tasks after the first time (such as operating the same device or making attacks against the same foe). Once you move on to a new task, the familiarity with the old task fades-unless you start doing it again.

Tier 3

Put It Behind You Enabler

You know that mentally dwelling on bad outcomes rarely serves to improve matters. Moving on to whatever’s next is the best way to cope. You gain +1 to your Intellect Edge.

Hard to Distract Enabler

You are trained in Intellect defense tasks.

Tier 4

Pay It Forward (3 Intellect points) Action

You can pass on what you’ve learned. When you give another character a suggestion involving her next action that is not an attack, the difficulty of her action is decreased by one step for one minute.

Tier 5

Phenomenal Learner Enabler

You add 3 points to your Intellect Pool.

I Know That Enabler

You are trained in one area of knowledge of your choice.

Tier 6

Two Things at Once (6 Intellect points) Enabler

The ultimate test: you divide your attention and take two separate actions this round.