Cepheus Engine Rpg Friday! OSR Review On 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook' By Ian Stead, Tim Price, & Ade Stewart For The Cepheus Engine rpg or The Classic Traveller rpg.

 "The Gladius Battalion is a general-purpose military company, contracted to provide training for local forces, security for rear areas, important installations, checkpoints, convoy escorts, as well as bodyguards for key personnel or VIPs. They are normally hired by groups and organizations who don't want to tie up their own personnel, whose loyalty is presumed to be without question, on the more dull and mundane military security jobs; freeing up larger numbers of their own personnel for the more specialized and important missions.'

"Units like the Gladius Battalion, are found everywhere, doing everyday mundane but essential security tasks, rather than the exciting "strike from space!" operations so beloved of the entertainment channels."

There are times when a DM needs a good set of mercenary NPC's & this is one of those times. Fortunately Moon Toad Publishing is there to step into the breech with 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook' By Ian Stead, Tim Price, &  Ade Stewart for Cepheus Engine rpg  or  the Classic Traveller rpg. 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook' book has everything you need on a mercenary unit to employ as hired help or hindrance for your Cepheus Engine powered adventurers! 
While Drivethrurpg has their big Christmas in July sale 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook'  wasn't in the sale   instead this came up through our MeWe & Facebook Cepheus Engine rpg groups.  There are plenty of other excellent Cepheus Engine rpg  powered game supplements  such as Michael Brown's offerings, Independence Games , & many more including Stellagama Publishing. 

So we leap back into 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook'   and right away we get history, background, & more of this mercenary organization. There's something of the Hammer's Slammer's series or H. Beam Piper's Space Viking's influence in 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook'  . That's not a bad thing at all because it speaks to the science fictional roots of the product. 

We get treated to the inner workings of 'The Gladius Battalion' and their strengths, weaknesses, equipment. The book reads like a brochure for a real mercenary out fit & not one that we'd want to tangle with. 
'The Gladius Battalion' isn't necessarily the bad guys but these are the guys that you send in to handle H. Beam Piper's Space Vikings because the local interstellar warlord & his forces can't handle the military might of the invaders. Need a palace rebellion put down? Call in the 'The Gladius Battalion' to handle the rebels. Because in 30 pages you get everything you need to present, polish, & handle your own take for your came of the  'The Gladius Battalion'. Everything is professionally presented up to & including Moon Toad Publishing's usual spec's & easy to read material. 

Be warned  'The Gladius Battalion' isn't a push over organization by any means. These are professional soldiers & mercenaries capable of taking on experienced groups of adventurers. So you can use these forces sparingly or even to get your own adventurers out of trouble. Or maybe the PC's are even vets who mustered out of the  'The Gladius Battalion'. 


The bottom line is 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook' By Ian Stead, Tim Price, &  Ade Stewart for Cepheus Engine rpg  or  the Classic Traveller rpg worth it?! In my humble opinion? Yes there's tons of uses for a gun ho, sharp, & well versed mercenary outfit for a science fiction campaign. Bare in mind that I bought this product with my own hard earned money not that Moon Toad Publishing wouldn't have given me a complementary copy. No I grabbed 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook'  because its going to fix a nice little hole that's sitting in our own on going Cepheus Engine rpg campaign. 

You can buy 'The Gladius Battalion Handbook' By Ian Stead, Tim Price, &  Ade Stewart for Cepheus Engine rpg  or  the Classic Traveller rpg Here