Sanctuary Genre Abilities

In Cypher System 2nd Edition, character types gain abilities from a genre abilities list at tier 3 and tier 6. This is the Sanctuary’s list.

At tier 3: choose one mid-tier ability from any domain below.

At tier 6: choose one high-tier ability from any domain below. You may also swap one previously held mid-tier ability for a different mid-tier ability from this list.

The domain headings are thematic navigation, not gates. Any type may choose from any domain freely. A Katoikos who wishes to develop Passage-domain capabilities may do so. A Brimo who wants to lean into Mortal-domain depth — the ungeas’d dimension of themselves — can. The domain an ability belongs to reflects the thematic territory it arises from, not who it is reserved for.

Abilities marked advances Geas follow the same pattern as type abilities: using them pushes the Geas track by the stated amount. Characters without a Geas (the Anekletos) are unaffected by this notation.

Ending Domain

Death, persistence, the renegotiated body, diminished needs. Primarily resonates with The Katoikos.

Mid-tier

• Already Gone — asset to avoid supernatural predators that hunt by life-sense
• Weight of the Ended — immunity to forced movement for one minute
• Diminished Needs — no penalty for 48 hours without sleep, food, water, or air

High-tier

• Survivor’s Claim — wound-triggered bonus recovery roll once per scene
• The Ending Already Paid — trained in resisting death effects; once per day negate an outright-kill effect

Gnosis Domain

Revelation, truth as a tool, the permanent alteration of perception, knowledge as burden and weapon. Primarily resonates with The Phosphoros.

Mid-tier

• Surface Truth — one accurate piece of information from sustained attention to person, object, or location
• Undeceived — trained in detecting deception; once per scene ask the GM if someone is lying
• Recorded in the Light — transmit a body of knowledge to a willing ally for one hour

High-tier

• The Weight of Knowing — force one hidden truth into visibility; target resists with Intellect defence
• Constellation — supernatural information gathering and recall eased by two steps

Force Domain

Raw power, structural knowledge, physical dominance, force redirected rather than suppressed. Primarily resonates with The Brimo.

Mid-tier

• Structural Assessment — automatically identify how to break any object or structure; tasks to destroy eased
• Redirection — return half melee damage to attacker as a free action
• Weight of Presence — social authority eased; low-level creatures hesitate before acting against you

High-tier

• Uncontained — area attack against all within immediate range; advances Geas 1
• Armour of Excess — Armour 2 from the force itself, stacks with worn armour

Passage Domain

Liminal movement, threshold expertise, the between-space as resource. Primarily resonates with The Enodia.

Mid-tier

• Between-Step — short-range teleport through the between-space, bypassing obstacles
• Threshold Memory — perfect recall of all crossed thresholds; once per scene observe the other side remotely
• The Space Between — all tasks eased in liminal spaces; sense supernatural alteration of liminal spaces

High-tier

• Open the Way — open a passage to any previously crossed threshold for up to ten minutes; advances Geas 1
• Cannot Be Held — escape physical restraint each round; cannot be surprised indoors

Working Domain

Craft, unmaking, sympathetic connection, cost management. Primarily resonates with The Pharmakis.

Mid-tier

• Unmaking — disassemble a working immediately (if ≤ tier) or with a roll; advances Geas 1
• Sympathetic Link — link two related objects; touch one to sense the other for 24 hours; advances Geas 1
• The Craft Provides — working costs reduced by 1 Intellect; gathering materials eased

High-tier

• Major Working — level 4 cypher-equivalent working, area or sustained; advances Geas 2
• Countercraft — identifying a working also reveals how to disrupt it; identification tasks eased

Mortal Domain

Exceptional human capability, clear-eyed presence, stability, anchoring others. Primarily resonates with The Anekletos.

Mid-tier

• Specialist — specialise in one already-trained skill; does not count against specialisation limits
• Clear Eyes — resist supernatural targeting and identification; once per scene block a reading entirely
• Prepared for This — once per session declare targeted preparation for the current situation

High-tier

• Bedrock — Marked allies re-roll Geas tasks once per scene; assistance on Geas tasks adds free Effort
• Exceptional — specialise in two trained skills; Effort limit +1 for those skills

See also: Character Types, Character Foci, The Axiomata