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"The SPACE PATROL Needs YOU!
The Space Patrol! Help protect innocent lives from the scourge of space piracy! Fight interstellar crime! Let the Navy play its wargames, the real action is in the merchant lanes with the Space Patrol. Join the galaxy’s elite crime fighting organization now!"
The Space Patrol is a supplement for the Cepheus Engine rules and 2D6 SciFi OGL games. This book contains complete rules for creating Space Patrol characters with four detailed careers - complete with expanded event and mishap tables - expanded world descriptions discussing legal codes and interstellar law, a complete description of the Space Patrol’s organization, as well as its standard equipment. Busy GMs will find dozens of NPCs from all Divisions of the Space Patrol, as well as some of the Sub-Sector’s most notorious criminals. But beware: if these villains were easy to catch, they would already be behind bars."
Its been 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood By Stellagama Publishing this is a perfect addition to the alternative Traveller rpg navy book for the Cepheus Engine rpg retroclone. 'The Space Patrol' is solid book because it presents an alternative to the full on Navy military organization that's been a part of The Traveller rpg since forever. We get everything in a handy & easy to use package especially if the PC's need to be integrated into a mini ' Space Patrol'
We get everything from 'Space Patrol' for a campaign from random events, campaign affairs, even wanted NPC criminals, and all of the rewards that go with them. Into the deep dive of this we get equipment, vehicles, weapons, even complete star ships. The corvettes here in 'Space Patrol' are worked up with NPC crews, add ons, & events.
There are even 'Space Patrol' mimic star ships that cruise space lanes as 'easy targets' & are anything but.They sit & wait on the edge of space for pirates. These things are nasty & deadly for their like mirage ships waiting for the criminal elements then the rest of 'Space Patrol' moves in!
'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood is built to handle any type of campaign from cinematic to full on Traveller rpg war game conventions. Richard Hazlewood knows his subject & the author is familiar name around the Traveller rpg forums & gaming groups going back quite a way. I mostly lurked & I'm actually relatively new to the Cepheus Engine scene.
That being said I know quality writing & design when I see it.
Could 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood be linked into the These Stars Are Ours universe setting?! Possibly without issue with the stats, vehicles, etc. but thematically might actually be another story entirely. 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood feels like it should be its own complete mini campaign entirely. This isn't a bad thing at all because it means that there's a lot of supplement here to use. Is 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood worth getting?! In a word hell yes!
I can see running a complete bounty hunting campaign from the ground up using 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood as part of the basis with the PC's butting heads with them again & again.
Richard Hazlewood knows his subject, knows it well, & has a really good grasp of the Traveller & Cepheus Engine rpg material. The Space Patrol is going to be used in several up coming campaigns & I really look forward to digging in deeper into more of Stellagama Publishing books soon! Grab 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood today if you wanna bust some heads & arrest those pesky space pirates unless their the PC's!?
Eric Fabiaschi
Sword & Stitchery blog
Want more OSR & original content
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Thanks for reading this review!
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Creator Reply: |
Thanks for the wonderful review! |
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"These Stars Are Ours is a space-opera setting for the Cepheus Engine Core Rules and other 2D6 OGL SciFi games. Set in 2260 AD - two years after the Terrans took Keid and forced the Reticulan Empire to capitulate the book it introduces the player characters to the immediate aftermath of the Terran victory in the Terran Liberation War against the mighty Reticulan Empire and its many thralls. For their part, the upstart Terrans, bolstered by their victory against their old masters, now move to become a power to be reckoned with in interstellar affairs. Against this background of espionage, maneuvering, and saber-rattling, and on the new interstellar frontiers, the player characters can forge a destiny of heroes or villains of the new United Terran Republic. The book provides all the astrography and background necessary to set a sci-fi campaign in the exciting times of the 23rd century.
It is two years after we won the War against our old Reticulan masters. We - the children of Mother Terra - are now free to forge our destiny and put our mark on the stars. These stars are ours! This is a time for bold men and women to step up and claim the universe. We need intrepid explorers to discover the riches of our far frontiers; enterprising merchants to open new trade routes with far-away alien stars; cunning spies and agents to protect us from any alien plot against our hard-won independence; and of course - daring soldiers and spacemen to protect our borders and push back those who would enslave us again.
We are not alone - brave Cicek warriors and even Reticulan and Ssesslessian defectors fought along our side against the Reticulan legions. Against this mighty alliance, stand our many enemies - both internal and external. Corrupt politicians and crime-lords plot to turn our glorious Republic into their own plaything at our expense. Ruthless pirates and raiders rob far-flung colonies, heedless of the opening they give to our greater enemy. In the shadows, House Thiragin - the Reticulan noble house which once ruled Terra with an iron fist - plots and plans for its ultimate revenge on us upstart “barbarians”. For all of this - children of the Earth – Mother Terra needs you!"
Between work & my gaming group its been a wild two days of writing, reviewing, & revamping These Stars Are Ours review for this blog. This is a great supplement & setting campaign material for the Cepheus Engine rpg system.
This is a complete interstellar campaign setting in every sense of the word, this thing is bloody huge with a history, background, setting material, empires, factions, planetary information etc. These Stars Are Ours feels like a mix of Space Above & Beyond & 'The High Chaparral' with a wiley sense of the 'Brown Coats' from 'the Serenity' TV show. There are elements of the Expanse here but they are few & far between. This book has the classic Traveller three black rpg books feel to it & that's done on purpose by authors Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters
The Reticulan Empire is a nasty piece of with expansive holdings & all kinds of dangerous bits & pieces lurking at the edges of the works The military of the humans have an extensive array of alien allies that are available for PC options. The book presents a huge pethora of PC options, ships, & even forces all presented with the history,deep background, & even powers behind the scenes.
Is These Stars Are Ours worth the price of admission?! Yes, its campaign setting as deep as Greyhawk & The Wilderlands of High Fantasy. This is part of the background of the interstellar high wheeling space opera feel of These Stars Are Ours .
The deeper part of the background dives into the reasons for the politics, placement, & even possible future warfare within the setting all at the fingertips of the DM. Its a nice little gem of a space opera setting from which we've just freed ourselves from the old Reticulan masters!
The Greys are actually available as a PC option with all kinds of options & they are completely viable as a table top possiblity. They are fully fleshed out, & there's a full range of government bodies, rebels, star ships,etc. all for these dangerous & utterly ruthless aliens of popculture.
The star ship diagrams & plans of 'These Stars Are Ours ' perfect for handouts for the players. I love 'These Stars Are Ours '& its gonna be one of the choices for a complete interstellar campaign settings that I'll be using at the table top level. If you get a chance definitely pick up 'These Stars Are Ours '!
Eric Fabiaschi
Swords & Stitchery blog
Want More original OSR content for this
Subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for the kind review! |
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I simply love this ruleset! I bought the pdf a few months ago during the Lockdown, but since I have discovered and read Classic Traveller my appreciation has matured into true love. Since Cepheus Engine SRD is complete but not very handy (I usally refer to it for additional careers or of pick-up of specific rules), I consider Cepheus Light the true heir of the original three LBB. I am running a successful micro-campaign with it and the players despite their D&D background really appreciate the simplicity of the game mechanics and their immediacy. They obviously didn't like the character generation much, but on that point (like most Traveler players) I'm resigned to being a white fly. Everything you need to run a sci-fi campaign is in this rulebook. It's setting agnostic (which for me is a plus), but if you want some, Stellagama published a few. Pre-written settings are not really my cup of tea, but as far as I can tell, they are very well written. For me, Cepheus Light is all I need as all topics are well explained and covered: from character generation to equipment and combat; from space travel and combat to starship design. And obviously star mapping and world generation. I ordered also the POD Pocket Edition from another provider and the format and the layout are superb.
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Creator Reply: |
Many thanks for your kind review! |
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I've been waiting for a ruleset like Sword of Cepheus for a long time, an RPG capable of adapting the mechanics of Cepheus Engine to the fantasy genre. I have been waiting for the release of the POD version to purchase the bundle with the digital version.
Something similar had already been tried with Worlds Apart (adapting space travel mechanics to sea travel), but SoC takes a completely different path.
First of all it is openly Sword & [Sorcery / Planet / Sandal] and is designed for (I quote) gritty heroism, dark magic and open world.
Character generation is life path based (as in Traveler) and you can die during your career. As an optional rule, you can roll on mishap tables (accidents), but death is not necessarily less preferable.
There are 12 careers available, ranging from barbarian to vagabond passing through nobles, soldiers, sorcerers and shamans.
Regarding the latter, the magical system is quite interesting. You are not limited by various "slots", but by spell execution time: casting takes a 10 minute turn, the combat round is 6 seconds. This means preparing the spells in advance, encapsulating them in "magical ammunition" called "foci". Learning a new spell requires a magical skill roll, with the associated risks. Additionally, high-level black and gray magic is dangerous and can lead to corruption and mutations on the performer. Another interesting feature: anyone can cast spells, but the PC without skill in magic is severely disadvantaged and risks bigger.
The bestiary has been adapted from the classic OSR monsters to the Cepheus Engine animal traits system. The only flaw is perhaps not having included clear instructions on how to generate your own creatures, forcing you to consult Cepheus Engine itself.
Everything remains compatible with Cepheus Engine and derivatives (Cepheus Light above all), so it is completely possible to imagine your fantasy campaign taking place on a lost planet of a larger sci-fi universe. As an old fan of both genres this is a plus for me.
Until now there were few options for playing a "fantasy Traveller": Worlds Apart, which as I wrote above, insists a lot on interpreting the "sub-sector" mechanics in a marine setting. Or use some excellent supplements from Paul Elliott (Fast Magic, Low Tech Weapons, Archaic Firearms), Michael Brown (2d6 Magic) and "Flynn" Kemp (Flynn's Guide to Magic in Traveler). However, all of these supplements required a lot of effort on the referee's part to generate a homebrew ruleset.
Sword of Cepheus offers a complete system, even without the Non-Humans supplement (which I highly recommend) and allows you to perfectly reproduce the atmosphere of R.E. Howard, Fritz Leiber and Edgar Rice Burroghs.
I'm enjoying it so much and I'm organizing a mini Sword & Sandal campaign for my group.
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for your very kind review! |
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Full disclaimer: I am biased, I love the 2d6 OGL system.
Omer Golan-Joel did it again. Based on Cepheus Quantum, this is a quick though thoughtful ruleset. Everything to run a good post-apocalyptic game is in here: weapons, generic equipment, vehicles.
Personal and vehicle combat are barebone but quick and effective and easily hackable with Cepheus Light/Modern or even Cepheus Engine itself for added depth.
I really appreciated the Exploration chapter, nothing truly innovative but all the basic to run a post-apocalyptic hex-crawler is present.
As expected from the implied setting, Contamination and Mutation gives needed twists and an impeding sense of danger on the players. Characters generally start uncontaminated, but every exposure to the "Contamination" (the sum of radioactive and biological hazard in that world) has consequences (mutations).
Then, a good wilderness bestiary and a vault (dungeon) robotic encounters list are provided.
Finally the Relic chapter provides advanced technology and weapons meant to simulate (with mutation) some deal of character advancement.
I don't know if I will play this as a referee, but I am eager to try it in a solo-play.
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Creator Reply: |
Many thanks for your kind review! |
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Thank you for the kind review! |
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A great supplement to Cepheus Engine, all updated data of nearby stars and their speculative planets are provided in UWP format. I can envision an ATU with a little thinkering (all spaceport are class X, they are not existent except Earth's one), maybe I will adapt one of my old sci-fi setting with this data.
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for the kind review! |
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Provides useful additional generation to SWN world generation. At this price you really shouldn't think about it twice - get it!
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Cepheus Atom is a lightweight role-playing game where players assume the roles of survivors exploring a sci-fantasy post-apocalyptic world. Players can play a mutant, but that does not mean they will have a beneficial mutation. There are 45 pages of rules and this is all you need to play the game. Rules for character advancement are not explained, but the author did quickly respond to my question on this. Please refer to the comments section. Characters have no attributes and there are six skills. I may add a psionics skill - something to think about. I like how you can quickly create a character. I love this game. - - For the past few days, I have soloed my way through Beneath The Spire. It is a free Mutant Epoch adventure which is pay what you want at DriveThruRPG (One Day Digs 3). This exciting six page adventure is for low level characters. It is designed for a Dungeon Master and several players. To solo it, I used a solo engine that I have been testing out. I did this adventure with four characters: one cyborg, two mutants, and a female human. The cyborg character took a beating early in the adventure and had to be dragged around. The characters were able to kill the Big Bad by luring him into a trap. If you like loot games, you will like this game. My characters found a light that attaches to a book, shotgun ammo, bows, arrows, knives, a gold ring, and a life-size poly-board flat figure of f bikini model. This adventure and the following are free on DriveThruRPG - Wastland Treasures 1, One Day Digs 3 & 4, and Scraplurker: Creatures of the Apocalpse 6. They include lots of random loot charts. Enjoy!
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for your wonderful review! |
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the product is of very good quality, and I greatly appreciate being able to make more "realistic" worlds with temperatures, atmospheres, and biospheres that are more cohesive with one anothee. The additional tech level and population tables are honestly far more helpful than they may seem at first glance. I do have a few issues with the guide, though.
1) no temps for "Inert gas" atmosphere. While it certainly isn't a deal-breaker, it does leave me guessing on how to make a realistic world of that type.
2) The Temperature table is missing the 12 row. For the die rolls on the temperature table, it lists 2 through 11 without a 12 row. Again, not a deal-breaker but does make me wonder if it was a mistake or intentional
3) World Tags. The new tags aren't bad, but they can be a bit vague. "Strange Custom" and "Taboo" are prime examples. These tags are good, but the world tags are usually meant to take guesswork on how to put two and two together out and let the GM focus on building the rest of the world.
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This is one of the best " Classic Swords and Sorcery" games around. It is more of a "Conan" feel than standard fantasy feel. Magic is dark and dangerous. The game has many optional rules listed throughout the book to offer various way to scale your game for your needs. Hoping for some published adventures.
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This is an excellent suppliment for Traveller/CE, going into slightly more depth about belting than the standard rules, while not being too bogged down in details. (if you want more, check out this publisher's URANIUM FEVER file) The tables are helpful and the price is perfect. Stellagama Publishing is great value for the money if you are an old-school SF roleplayer who loves Traveller.
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Creator Reply: |
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Cepheus Light is an exceptional compact simplistsic version of the Cepheus Engine OGL RPG. Hands down I like this version very much. It makes many gaming apsects simple and easy. The book has excellent straight up examples to how certain aspects of the game work and flow. Eliminating most cascade skills into smart general categories making other skills incorporate a larger range of abilities, giving guns simple range statistics with each gun. Making personal combat extremely simple and well orchestrated. Simple Starship and smallcraft design rules. Space combat feels almost like familiar older traditional science fiction 2D6 games we are all familiar with. I like the added cybernetics and robots. Also a couple of Alien races.
Cepheus Light is a book I highly recommend. If you want a very functional slimmed down version of a 2D6 OGL Science Fiction game this book is a must!!!
Great work!!!!!
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Creator Reply: |
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A very effective edit of the core Cepheus rules set. I appreciated many of the choices made to streamline game play, particularly regarding the skill list, vehicle combat, and ship design. It's very close to how I've played Traveller since the LBBs. Would recommend.
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You want to relax in a belt an watch valuable rocks flying by? Then Uranium Fever (UF) is the wrong expansion for you. Why? Sit down and listen... eh read ;)
Sorry if my english is bad. I hope it is good enough to understand ;) I'm new to Pen&Paper RPGs. I started with Cepheus Engine (CE) because the SRD is for free but I like it so much, that I bought a few expansions. Also I'm playing solo. In other games I always liked it to mining ressources. So why not doing that in CE? That's why I'm playing UF. Generally UF is a very nice addition to CE and easy to understand. I found a typo and one table in the rulebook was not clear to me. I wrote a comment at the UF page and Omer from Stellagama Publishing responded very fast to my questions. They will resolve the typo in the next version and the table is now clear to me. All thumbs up for good customer service of Stellagama Publishing. But how is UF playing? I will write down my experiences for you:
First I setup a character for Belting in my own universe. The goal of this character is to become a rich man with a large fleet of ships mining the only belt in this system. So I created a small ship for belting, hired a crew and TADA I'm in the belt and start trying to get rich. Oh i waited 1 year until my ship was finished... In the belt I tried to find some valuable rocks. Damn that takes so much time. But first shot and I found an alien artifact. So much luck, I was motivated and sell it for a good price. First expenses were assured and my life was easier. I used the money to improve my ship and started a second run into the belt. I searched very long for something valuable. Finally I found something very small of not that much worth. I continued my search and it takes a lot of time again. Then I had luck again. I found a small rock of about 200 diameters. I scanned it properly and it was a very strange rock. I will sell this information to the same person I sold the artifact before. But it's risky. The leader of my homeworld is a dictator and Government is strict. So nobody knows if I will be able to sell it without getting arrested ore worse...
What my character doesn't know at this point ist that the rock he found is an egg of a Solardragon. One of this kind has triggered a large breakdown ages ago. Nobody remember that today but a small secret society...
Belting isn't boring because it is hard work. The chance to find something very unusual seems quite high. I haven't searched for adventure but I found it. Now I'm into it with characters who are not able to fight. If I ever get into a fight it will get worse. But who knows what will happen? I like that and UF guided me into it. That's the best point of UF.
I recommend you to use UF for getting into adventure. There are plenty of chances to get involved. Random encounters, special finding while Belting, trying to sell special finds at a planet with strict government, etc. Like always playing such games as CE: It is up to you making something exciting out of it. UF is supporting you with a very nice framework of getting into it ;)
Good work Stellagama Publishing!
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for your excellent review! |
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This is good stuff, written with care to be useful for a broad range of space opera role-playing games.
Pirates are adventurers, by definition, and space opera often includes space pirates, so I've wondered why there isn't more material that directly addresses space piracy as the premise for a campaign. This starts to fill that gap.
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you for your kind words! |
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