Wednesday, September 8, 2021

OSR Review & Commentary on Cepheus Deluxe rpg for Your Old School 2d6 Science Fiction & Science Fantasy Gaming

Starships riding fire across the sky. Heroes and villains exchanging laser fire. Desperate spacers struggling against an alien monstrosity. Vast planetary vistas, flying cities, moonscapes, mad robots, and first encounters. In short: high-action science-fiction adventure that stimulates your sense of wonder. Cepheus Deluxe puts you in the shoes of an adventurer visiting distant stars and encountering the unknown. Whether you are a seasoned player looking for a rules-light game, or a new gamer wanting to experience what science-fiction role-playing games are all about, Cepheus Deluxe opens your way forward.



Cepheus Deluxe is a set of rules for playing classic science fiction games. It includes rules on creating characters, resolving actions, fighting other creatures, and engaging in space battles, generating worlds, handling the risks of interstellar speculative trading, exploring new worlds, and many other activities. While designed for fast, action-packed play rather than an accurate simulation of reality, Cepheus Deluxe encompasses a wide variety of rules and materials for building a science-fiction universe and playing in it.

Cepheus Deluxe draws its inspiration from old-school science-fiction roleplaying games. It shares many similarities with these games. Material from older rules sets and those created with Cepheus Deluxe, the old Cepheus Light, the Cepheus Engine Core, and old-school sci-fi roleplaying games, are easily compatible with only a moderate amount of adjustment."

The other day I received my copy of Cepheus Deluxe and this is one OSR  system that we've been looking forward to for sometime. Authors/designers Omer Golan-JoelRichard HazlewoodJosh Peters, & Robert L. S. Weaver really do actually deliver the goods here. Cepheus Deluxe is far different & far superior to other versions of the Cepheus Engine even though they are cross compatible. How is this version of the Cepheus Engine different then say Cepheus Light? Well according to the Omar Golan-Joel himself; "Double the size of Cepheus Light - including animal generation rules, robot creation rules, new and expanded ship design rules, many new vehicles, equipment, and cybernetics, and many, many optional rules to easily permit you to make the game your own. 
We revised all rules based on customer (and, later, playtester) feedback, to make this as playable and enjoyable as possible."

And they really have clocking in at two hundred & twenty seven pages of OSR & Cepheus Engine goodness Cepheus Deluxe covers everyithing from PC generation down to space combat in an easily understood format. The material here within Cepheus Deluxe is up to 
Stellagama Publishing standards & its very well done. Cepheus Deluxe has easy to read colums, nice layout, & presents a well tested system. Cepheus Deluxe travels down the same road as  The Sword of Cepheus  Sword was published in 2020, so it has sold quickly. It uses a streamlined and skill-based 2d6 system & so does Cepheus Deluxe. Cepheus Deluxe takes full advantage of the Cepheus Engine system in invovatlve & well thought out ways. 
So what can be done with Cepheus Deluxe?! Anythng! The material & rules of Cepheus Deluxe is geared for actual campaign play & it lives up to its 
 The Sword of Cepheus  pedigree. 
Cepheus Deluxe is geared towards adventure & campaign play. The rules are simple, reliable, & easy to digest 2d6 system goodness done with respect to the legacy of the Cepheus Engine. Very solid design & good ultility with Cepheus Deluxe as it only sells for a mere 9.99 for the pdf on Drivethrurpg. 
Cepheus Deluxe is an amazing addition to the 
Stellagama Publishing line of games continuing the amazing quality of products. 

Cepheus Deluxe is available
through Drivethrurpg right here. 

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