Monday, February 19, 2024

OSR Review & Commentary On Cepheus Universal Rpg By Paul Elliot From Zozer Games

 "Cepheus Universal is a 442-page stand-alone game packed with tools that enable you to emulate all kinds of sci-fi, from cyberpunk to space opera, time travel to rogue moons or wandering star fleets. Build star systems, robots, vehicles of all types, capital ships, rockets, alien races, and much, much more. All levels of technology, including the highest and the lowest, are represented! It comes with 12 fillable PDF forms, and a chapter on building your own setting or adapting your favourite from a science fiction movie, TV show or novel." 


"If you prefer a colour softback or hardback, then one will be available at the start of March (check the Zozer Games website)" 

Cepheus Universal Rpg By Paul Elliot From Zozer Games is a massive four hundred & forty two page 2d6 supplement. And it contains a plethora of well organized material from Zozer Games and fits it into a highly useable. Some of this 2d6 material has appeared in other Zozer products but Cepheus Universal reoganizes it and presents it as  highly structured tool kit and package. Step by step Cepheus Universal brings to the table PC creation, low tech PC's, Psionics, complete game system, equipment sections that go into a ton of material and more. 
Cepheus Univeral also includes rules & guidelines for designing starships, planets, star systems, sectors, etc. including guidelines for doing timetravel. Cepheus Universal  is a well layed out, very easy to read font, and possibly run 2d6 Cepheus Engine powered rpg. 
What really stands out is the Setting chapters 399-415. These chapters talk about taking an existing campaign setting from your favorite Sci Fi Tv show, movie,etc and adapting into a Cepheus Univeral rpg campaign. This was wayback in the 1970's something that attracted me into classic original Traveller. Cepheus Universal has everything including a ton of form fillable sheets that come with it for 
designing starships, planets, star systems, sectors, etc.  
And this is one of the things that I noticed with Cepheus Universal is that it's designed for actual table top play. 
Cepheus Univeral is a solid tool kit to bring Zozer Games version of the Cepheus Engine rpg rules into 2024 and beyond. Is it perfect?! No, there's a mix of A.I. and previously used artwork and that's fine for the type of product that Cepheus Univesal is. 
What Cepheus Universal actual is and this is my personal opinion is a completely independant version of the Cepheus Engine rpg. This whole cloth rpg is OGL open and waiting for others to present thier own material. And it harkens back to the three original Traveller rpg rule books. Cepheus Univeral presents an attempt complete rpg system that emulates and draws from the Cepheus Engine rpg for under the Zozer Games banner. Is it solid and good for the DM & player? Most definitely. And will I be using it? Most assuredly. Full disclosure, I bought the Cepheus Univeral Rpg rules myself with my own money! 

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