New Interstellar Faction - The Weaponers of Qward for the Cepheus Engine rpg & Superpowered Rpg Supplement

 The Weaponers of Qward are a legendary comic book antagonist force—originating from the anti-matter universe opposite Oa—adapted here as an ultra-high-tech, autocratic military faction for the 2D6 Sci-Fi Tabletop RPG system (Cepheus Engine / Traveller SRD derivatives).

Faction Overview: The Weaponers of Qward

• Homeworld: Qward (Anti-Matter Pocket Universe / Uncharted Sector)

• Government Type: Autocratic Military Dictatorship (Ruled by the Chief Weaponer)

• Tech Level (TL): TL 16+ (Ultra-High Tech)

• Ethos: Xenophobic, conquest-oriented, martial meritocracy

Driven by dark industry and martial efficiency, the Weaponers are legendary arms manufacturers and militaristic oppressors. Organized into rigid ranks—the governing Weaponlords and the elite frontline shock troops known as Thunderers—their technology blends advanced plasma manipulation, localized dimensional physics, and targeted energy weapons.

Qwardian (Species Traits)

Qwardians are genetically homogenized humanoid sapients.

• Physical Characteristics: Standard 2D6 stats for STR, DEX, END, INT, EDU, SOC.

• Large Dilated Eyes: +1 DM to Recon and Observation checks in low-light or pitch-black conditions.

• Extreme Sub-Zero / Anti-Matter acclimatization: Environmental hazards native to Qwardian space impose no penalties on native Qwardians.

Stat Blocks & NPC Profiles

1. Qwardian Thunderer (Shock Trooper)

Elite shock troopers deployed in drop-pods or boardings, wielding energy-projecting throw-weapons known as Qwa-Bolts.

• Characteristics: STR 8 (+0), DEX 10 (+1), END 9 (+1), INT 7 (+0), EDU 7 (+0), SOC 5 (-1)

• Skills: Athletics 1, Battle 1, Energy Weapon 2, Athletics (Throwing) 2, Heavy Weapons 1, Tactics (Military) 1, Gun Combat 1

• Armor: Qwardian Battle Armor (AV 10)

• Equipment: Qwa-Bolt Quiver (6 charges), Micro-Fusion Shield (+2 DM to Defense vs ranged attacks), Comm-Link.

2. Master Thunderer / Field Commander

Officers in command of Thunder Guard divisions.

• Characteristics: STR 9 (+1), DEX 11 (+1), END 10 (+1), INT 9 (+0), EDU 8 (+0), SOC 8 (+0)

• Skills: Athletics 1, Battle 2, Energy Weapon 3, Leadership 2, Tactics (Fleet/Military) 2, Gun Combat 2

• Armor: Reinforced Qwardian Command Armor (AV 12)

• Equipment: Modified Qwa-Disruptor, Targeting Visor (+1 DM to hit), Personal Reflector Shield.

Signature Qwardian Equipment

Qwa-Bolt (Throw-Javelin / Energy Projector)

A compact, re-usable localized energy spear carried in a back-slung quiver. When thrown or pointed, it discharges concentrated destructive force.

• Tech Level: TL 16

• Range: Ranged (Thrown: 20m / Directed Beam: 50m)

• Damage: 5D6 Energy Damage (Ignores up to 4 points of non-energy Armor Rating)

• Traits: Dangerous, Energy, Armor-Piercing. Alternate setting allows a Disintegration Charge (6D6 AP, consumes 3 charges at once).

Qwardian Destroyer Rifle

Standard issue long-range heavy infantry weapon used by heavy Qwardian ground forces.

• Tech Level: TL 15

• Range: Long (250m)

• Damage: 4D6+2 Energy Damage

• Magazine: 30 Rounds (Power Cell)

Anti-Matter Power Ring / Qwa-Ring

Rare artifact-level weapon reserved for high-ranking military elites or designated champions.

• Tech Level: TL 17 (Exotic)

• Damage: Variable (3D6 to 6D6 Blast/Force depending on user's END/INT check)

• Features: Allows local flight (Thrust 3), projects energy barriers (AV 15 wall), and manifests hard-light constructs based on the user's willpower.

Campaign Hooks for Cepheus Engine

1. The Incursion: The party stumbles upon an anomaly at the edge of known space: a Qwardian Qwa-Portal leaking anti-matter radiation and releasing a scouting lance of Thunderers into the sector.

2. Arms Dealer's Dream: A rogue Qwardian scientist flees into local space carrying schematics for Qwa-Bolt weaponry. Multiple mega-corporations and mercenary factions hire the PCs to secure the asset.

3. Boarding Action: The PCs' starship is intercepted by a Qwardian dreadnought looking to claim raw materials. They must repel boarding parties of elite Thunderers using tight-corridor tactics.

Space Ghost and Sidekicks Adapted into Superpowered For Cepheus Engine Campaigns

 Bringing the 1960s Hanna-Barbera icon into a 2d6-based supers system  requires capturing his blend of cosmic authority and "silver age" gadgetry.

In the 1960s, Space Ghost wasn't the talk-show host we know today; he was a stoic intergalactic peacekeeper with a power set defined by his Power Bands.

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Space Ghost (1960s Version)

Core Stats (Typical 2d6 Scale)

• Might: +1 (Fit, but relies on tech)

• Agility: +1 (Experienced pilot and combatant)

• Brains: +1 (Tactical leader)

• Will: +2 (Unshakable justice)

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The Power Bands (Primary Gear)

The Power Bands are versatile, multi-function energy projectors. In a 2d6 system, these function as Tags or Move Modifiers.

• Force Beams: Standard ranged attack. Choose a damage type: Heat, Cold, Kinetic, or Electrical.

• Energy Shield: Roll +Will to create a barrier against incoming projectiles or environmental hazards.

• Stun Ray: A non-lethal option that immobilizes targets in a yellow energy field.

• Invisibility Button: Located on the band or his belt. Spend a "Power Charge" to become completely undetectable to the naked eye.

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The Inviso-Belt

Space Ghost's signature tactical advantage.

• Invisibility: When active, enemies take a -2 penalty to hit Space Ghost.

• Intangibility: Space Ghost can vibrate his molecules to pass through solid objects, though this often drains his Power Bands quickly.

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Signature Moves

Move Name	Requirement	Effect
"Inviso-Power, Activate!"	Roll +Agility	On a 10+, you vanish and reposition perfectly. On a 7-9, you are invisible but leave a trace (sound/shadow).
Power Band Barrage	Roll +Will	You cycle through three different beam types in one burst. Deal massive damage to a single target or clear a room of "mooks."
Intergalactic Authority	Passive	When dealing with space pirates or planetary villains, you take +1 forward to social rolls involving intimidation or leadership.

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Weaknesses & Complications

• Power Depletion: His bands have a finite charge. On a Snake Eyes (1,1) result during a combat roll, his bands short out and require 1d6 rounds to reboot.

• The Twins (Jan & Jace): Space Ghost often has to split his focus to rescue his teenage sidekicks or Blip the monkey.

• Rigid Morality: He follows the Intergalactic Code. He cannot take a life and must prioritize the safety of innocents over the capture of a villain.

The Phantom Cruiser

Space Ghost’s ship is a character in its own right:

• Armaments: Twin Heat Blasters and a "Brain-Blast" EMP.

• Speed: Capable of FTL travel between sectors.

• Cloaking: The ship can also turn invisible to match its pilot.

Pro-Tip for GMs: To capture the 60s vibe, describe his Power Band beams with specific colors—blue for cold, red for heat, and yellow for magnetism/stun. Always narrate his entrance with a booming, dramatic tone.

 In the 1960s series, Jan, Jace, and Blip provide the youthful energy (and the inevitable "damsels in distress" moments) that define the show’s dynamic. In a 2d6 system, they function best as Sidekicks or Junior Heroes with lower base stats but high utility.

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Jan and Jace (The Space Twins)

The twins are resourceful and trained, but they lack the raw power of Space Ghost. Their primary role is reconnaissance and flanking.

Core Stats

• Might: -1

• Agility: +2

• Brains: +1

• Will: +1

Key Gear & Abilities

• Twin Inviso-Belts: Identical to Space Ghost's, allowing them to turn invisible or intangible.

  • System Mechanic: On a 7-9 roll to avoid harm, they can slip through a wall, but they are momentarily "stunned" by the molecular vibration.

• Jet Packs: Grant high-speed flight. They take +1 to Agility rolls when performing aerial maneuvers.

• Communication Links: Always in contact with Space Ghost or the Phantom Cruiser.

Signature Moves

• Twin Coordination: If Jan and Jace work together on the same task, they Roll with Advantage (3d6, drop the lowest).

• "Space Ghost, Help!": Once per session, when Jan or Jace are captured or cornered, their distress signal automatically grants Space Ghost a bonus move to arrive on the scene immediately.

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Blip (The Space Monkey)

Blip is often the most effective member of the team, using his small size and identical technology to save the day when the humans are incapacitated.

Core Stats

• Might: -2

• Agility: +3

• Brains: +0 (High animal cunning)

• Will: +2

Key Gear & Abilities

• Monkey-Sized Inviso-Belt: Blip uses invisibility more tactically than the humans.

• Prehensile Tail: Can hold tools or hang from rafters while using his hands to tinker with enemy machinery.

Signature Moves

• The Monkey Wrench: Roll +Agility to sabotage a piece of enemy technology (like a ray-gun or a cage lock). On a 10+, it’s broken silently. On a 7-9, it breaks loudly, alerting guards.

• Small Target: Blip is notoriously hard to hit. Enemies take a -1 penalty to all attack rolls against him even when he is visible.

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Team Dynamics: The "Sidekick" Tax

In many 2d6 systems, having sidekicks creates a specific narrative "Cost":

Complication	Effect
Hostage Situation	If a villain rolls a "Hard Move" against the party, Jan and Jace are the first targets to be captured, forcing a rescue mission.
Inexperienced	The twins often rush into situations without a plan. If they lead a charge, the party takes -1 forward to Stealth rolls.
Loyalty	If any member of the trio is hurt, the others (including Space Ghost) gain +1 to Might rolls due to righteous fury, but -1 to Brains as they lose their cool.

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How to Play Them

• Jan & Jace: Play them as brave but slightly overconfident. They should be using their invisibility to scout ahead, only to find themselves accidentally in the middle of a villain's lair.

• Blip: Play Blip as the "Silent Savior." When the twins get captured, Blip is usually the one who stayed invisible, stole the keys, and short-circuited the power grid.

OSR Review & Commentary On Hacker By Paul Elliot for your 2d6 Science Fiction or Cyberpunk style rpg

 "You need a set of hacking rules for your futuristic RPG setting.

HACKER is system-neutral – a fast and unobtrusive set of cyberspace rules that recreates the colour and danger of a classic cyberpunk ‘consensual hallucination’. In the words of William Gibson, it is a ‘graphic representation of data … lines of light ranged in the non-space of the mind, clusters and constellations of data.’

In these rules, we call it Cyberspace. But it might be the Matrix, the Netrix, or just the Network. Take your pick. Just don’t call it the Internet. Or the Web"

So I got a copy of Hacker by Paul Elliot from an update from the Zaibatsu rpg. What followed were thirteen pages of common sense and well thoughtout hacking in Cyberspace rules and clear decking rules for any 2d6 Traveller or Cepheus Engine rpg driven games. Hacker does that by give us clear and precise rules for hacking into the computers and systems of Zaibatsu and Hostile. But really these rules could easily be appiied to any 2d6 Cyberpunk style rpg. Hacker's font and layout are clear and well done. 
Now the weird part of this is that I've been meaning to get back to Zaibatsu for sometime. The game mechanics of Hacker rely on the Hostile and Zaibatsu 2d6 systems. This means that Hacker has it's own internal system with the following;"Your roleplaying game will have its own dice, attributes, skill levels and so on. We can’t guarantee compatibility. So, at key moments we just ask you to ‘make a computer skill roll’, whether that’s 3D6 roll under 12, or roll 2D6 to get 8+, or to make a percentage roll against Computer Programming 56%, or whatever. You get the idea." 

Hacker is a step sideways for Zaibatsu and Hostile. There are already solid systems for cyberspace within Zaibatsu? Hacker presents a faster alternative & solid alternative. The rules in Hacker are built for convience & not to slow down your games. There are even two example runs through Cyberspace  with the Hacker rules. 

What Hacker gets right is the William Gibson Neuromancer style experience of Cyberspace. Hacker is a lean & mean set of 2d6 rules for the Cyberpunk 2d6 player out there. 

OSR Review & Commentary On Barbaric! 2nd Edition by Omer Golan-Joel For 2d6 Cepheus Engine Powered Rpg's and Old School 2d6 Science Fiction Rpg Campaign

 "Barbarians! Civilized men huddle behind tall stone walls, trembling at the thought. The soldiers of civilization tighten their shield walls against the oncoming onslaught. And then they come. Savage men and women, screaming at the top of their lungs, oblivious to fear, frothing at the mouth from rage and lust for war. Wave after wave, they storm shields and fortifications. Many die; the pagan gods bless their souls. But eventually, mail and castle fail. Then, the flames of barbarism will sweep the land, leaving no stone unturned!

Sword and sorcery tales speak of cunning thieves, power-hungry sorcerers, and, indeed, barbaric warriors. This game – Barbaric! – lets you play such heroes. Or, more often, anti-heroes. Pit your sword-arm and knowledge of eldritch secrets against ravaging bandits, scheming nobles, diabolic demons, mighty dragons – and, ultimately, the rotten and ugly face of moribund civilization itself.

So, pour your drinks, devour your pizza, turn up the volume of your favorite heavy metal album – and prepare to become… Barbaric!

Barbaric! 2nd Edition is a lightweight sword & sorcery ruleset perfect for convention games, one-off adventures, and mini-campaigns where easy-to-learn rules and fast play are preferred. It includes:

• Simple skill-based task resolution!
• Lightning-fast but highly customizable character generation!
• 20 sword & sorcery character Archetypes!
• Brutal combat with varied combat maneuvers and murderous critical hits!
• Dangerous sorcery - risk your soul to gain vast eldrich might!
• 36 deadly spells!
• 50 fearsome monsters!
• Unique treasures for your barbarians to loot!

All in a mere 63 small pages!" 

What's New in the Second Edition?

• Character archetypes to round up your character rather than Traits.
• Streamlined character defense to reduce calculations in combat!
• Streamlined and deadlier damage system for more dramatic combat!
• Revised sorcery, moving away from d20-fantasy cliches - all spells are now powerful and flavorful, and all are equally risky to cast! No weak spells anymore!
• Revised and much more flavorful magical items - all based on the new spells, and all with full creation rules for aspiring artificers!
• Faction rules to make the campaign world feel alive - and let players establish their own guilds and mercenary bands!
• New and better layout and art!

Barbaric! 2nd Edition is compatible with Stellagama Publishing's Cepheus Atom post-apocalyptic rules. Mutate your barbarians! Arm them with laser rapiers! Bring dark sorcery to your post-apocalyptic wasteland! Also compatible with Stellagama Publishing's Quantum Starfarer - take your barbarians and sorcerers to the stars!

Barbaric! 2nd Edition by Omer Golan-Joel is a lean beast of a game clocking in at sixty three pages of Cepheus Engine Sword & Sorcery goodness. Full disclosure I bought Barbaric! 2nd edition as soon as it was published. 
 Omar Golan Joel is no stranger to OSR Sword & Sorcery. He's the co author of Adventurer Conqueror King System: Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu from Autarch LLC along side Alexander Marcius. Also the co author of  Cepheus Engine powered Gargolye 74 So the man knows his OSR Cepheuse Engine poweredd Sword & Sorcery rpg's. And this is exactly what Barbaric! 2nd Edition is a Sword & Sorcery add on rules set for any Cepheus Engine or 2d6 powered rpg  system. 

Barbaric! 2nd Edition does in sixty three pages what other games do in 263 pages. That is present a compatible and solid supplement that works with other 2d6 rpg powered games. Now there are tons of applications for Barbaric! 2nd edition and these include failed colony worlds, worlds that have suffered the return of magic, etc. 
What makes Barbaric! 2nd edition unique is how all of  this comes back into very fast PC generation and how the entire lot is quickly slotted into the Cepheus Atom post-apocalyptic rules set. This gives the DM & players a quick beer & pretzels game capable of supporting a 2d6 Thundarr The Barbarian style game. 

Barbaric! 2nd edition takes the system that we've seen in Stellagama Publishing's Quantum Starfarer. And then pushes it into a Sword & Sorcery gaming convention. And while it is similar to the 'world's most popular fantasy' rpg. Omar has  moved away from the White Box tropes by a. making the magic more dangerous and b. making the combat really nasty! 
And this new Barbaric! 2nd edition combat system is both cinematic and spot on for the Sword & Sorcery genre. Combined with Cepheus Atom the results are far more flavorful then I was expecting. Is Barbaric! 2nd Edition worth getting?! In a word? Yes if your looking to add in a really nasty and highly dangerous combat &  magick system that emulates the look, feel, and systems of Sword & Sorcery in a 2d6 rpg format this might be for you!