"Terra Arisen is a space-opera setting for the Cepheus Deluxe sci-fi RPG rules.  Terra Arisen introduces player characters to the immediate aftermath of the Terran Liberation War against the mighty Reticulan Empire and its many thralls. The Terrans forced the Reticulan Empire to sign a humiliating peace treaty and reluctantly accept Terran independence from the Empire. The upstart Terrans, bolstered by their victory against their old masters, are becoming a power to be reckoned with in interstellar affairs. On a backdrop of espionage, maneuvering, and saber-rattling on new interstellar frontiers, bold player characters can leave their marks as heroes or villains of the new United Terran Republic (UTR). This book provides background information, a 16 by 20 hex star-map covering most of the UTR and some alien territory, and write-ups of all 120 major worlds in this area, as well as other materials necessary to run a science fiction roleplaying campaign in the exciting times of the 23rd century."

This book contains:

• History and background material for 23rd century Terra and the larger universe.

• Corporations, political parties, and illegal groups a  both Terran and alien.

• 4 major alien species and several minor ones “ all detailed!

• Rules for generating and playing characters from 5 alien species.

• 7 alien Careers and 5 Terran ones - from psionic Reticulan Nobles to the heroic Terran Guard!

• Character generation rules and event tables for all included careers.

• 2 small craft and 5 starships with full game statistics and high-res deck plans.

• The Terran Quadrant, including 120 detailed worlds and a high-res star map.

• A detailed adventure chapter with a wide variety of hooks for exciting adventures in Terran and alien space!

Note that this book provides character generations, biological and cultural background, and flying saucers (!) for playing Gray Aliens a ready to drop into any Cepheus Deluxe campaign and quite compatible with other 2d6 sci-fi RPGs as well!

This setting requires the Cepheus Deluxe rules for use."

Terra Arisen Rpg Campaign Setting Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters is one of those space opera's there's far more bubbling below the surface then at first it seems. The Terra Arisen setting is perfectly suited for the Cepheus Deluxe rules. Terra Arisen takes on humanity & it's alien allies rising up against their Reticulan oppressors in a series of rebellions that ultimately results in the establishment of the Terrran Quadrant.

Terra Arisen is a two hundred & eleven page book that wears its history, alien cultures, & background on it's sleeve. And in Terra Arisen these factors colours your PC's life events, careers, and other 2d6 Cepheus Deluxe rules & rolls during character creation. And this applies across the board for the aliens and the humans. This isn't exactly a Reticulan friendly game per say as the later generations of the hybrids and full blood Reticulans have come to question their own ancient empire's practices.
And Terra Arisen is a thinking DM's campaign setting with ton's of potential for the player's to step onto the interstellar stage of old sectors of the Reticulan Empires. Now in the hands of the their former slave races both human & alien. While Terra Arisen seems very woven into it's own campaign setting with its history, politics, sciences, technologies, etc. the setting is a fun one with plenty of opportunities  for military campaigns, interstellar merchant hi jinks, and much more all baked into the Cepheus Deluxe rules powered setting. Terra Arisen is a solid addition to the world of Cepheus Engine powered rules. The interstellar's scene is interesting. The ideas here are smartly done. And Terra Arisen is a campaign setting is one  that can do a wide variety of play styles.

The playground of the former Reticulan empire populated by their former client races is one of recent military victories. But the interstellar  parts & pieces still very much dangerous and not necessarily nice at all. Terra Arisen is a complex & multi dimensional interstellar political & unsettle frontier with its own rules, alien races, & wild edge bubbling just below the surface.

Terra Arisen has some solidly done star ships and the interior artwork is a mix of Pulp & Science Fictional styles that works for the 2d6 aesthetic of the Cepheus Deluxe rules powered material. The layout is crisp, easy to read, & ready to play. 

Terra Arisen is a campaign for the Cepheus Deluxe rules that is waiting to be played & played well.

Terra Arisen is a excellent addition to the the Cepheus Deluxe rules line of supplements & I for one can't wait to see the next line in the Terra Arisen family of books.

Review & Commentary On The Starlight Caper By Josh Peters From Stellagama Publishing For The Terra Arisen Campaign Setting

 "It sounded easy enough: board a starship cruise liner, steal a statue, and make sure no one is the wiser until delivery. It turns out there was more to the Starlight job than sipping martinis and taking in the shows. I should have clued in once I saw the itinerary; or by the time I was on safari on Amaterasu. By the time I was in for thirty thousand at the casino on Belobog, it was too late. Well, it was a fun trip either way. Five out of five stars. Would cruise again."

The Starlight Caper is a self-contained mini-campaign for a group of adventurers looking for a high-stakes payoff on board a starship filled with glamor, intrigue, and excitement. Intended for use with Stellagama Publishing’s Terra Arisensetting, Referees can adapt the Starlight Caper for use in their own science fiction campaigns as well.

The Starlight Caper by Josh Peters for the Cepheus Engine or  Cepheus Deluxe.'s Terra Arisen campaign setting. It does exactly what it says on the tin.By that 'The Starlight Caper' is a full blown 100 page 2d6  mini campaign! And it puts the PC's right into the center of the action right out of the gate. This campaign harkens back to the original 'These Stars Are Ours' campaign with some great ship and artwork throughout 'The Starlight Caper'. 
And everything that can go wrong will for the PC's in this campaign from solidly done full blown NPC encounters to ship to ship weirdness. 'The Starlight Caper' has a bit of everything for the 2d6 traditional Science Fiction players and DM. 
The writing here is well done, the layout very nice, the font good on the eyes. and lots and lots of detail which is welcome in an adventure like this. The cartography is solidly done again good on these details. 
The action if done right would run very well from what I've read especially given that The Starlight Caper is written for the Cepheus Deluxe engine. And this adventure really plugs into The Terra Arisen campaign setting. 

So what makes 'The Starlight Caper' so great?! Well given the fact that we've got a full blown 2d6 mini campaign with an orientation towards action and real danger. It's a nice change up from some of the other  adventures that lately I've seen on the rpg market. The mini campaign within a hundred pages as an ongoing game has several advantages. One it can be played within a couple of months, two the mini campaign can be played as an ongoing campaign saga, and three there's enough here to keep the player's attention focused on the campaign itself. 

The Starlight Caper focuses in on the mission at hand and there's some real possibilities for NPC/PC interaction here. And the balance is certainly in the PC's favor but stupid decisions could easily get PC's killed. And there's the fact that the history of the campaign setting does have a solid impact on the adventure's outcome. And within 'The Starlight Caper' there's some room for real adventure and 2d6 hijinks. The balance in the encounters is solid and there's also room for a happy ending if the PC's play thier cards right! 

OSR Review & Commentary On Terra Arisen By Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters From Stellagama Publishing For The Cepheus Deluxe Rpg

 "Terra Arisen is a space-opera setting for the Cepheus Deluxe sci-fi RPG rules. Terra Arisen introduces player characters to the immediate aftermath of the Terran Liberation War against the mighty Reticulan Empire and its many thralls. The Terrans forced the Reticulan Empire to sign a humiliating peace treaty and reluctantly accept Terran independence from the Empire. The upstart Terrans, bolstered by their victory against their old masters, are becoming a power to be reckoned with in interstellar affairs. On a backdrop of espionage, maneuvering, and saber-rattling on new interstellar frontiers, bold player characters can leave their marks as heroes or villains of the new United Terran Republic (UTR). This book provides background information, a 16 by 20 hex star-map covering most of the UTR and some alien territory, and write-ups of all 120 major worlds in this area, as well as other materials necessary to run a science fiction roleplaying campaign in the exciting times of the 23rd century." 

This book contains:

• History and background material for 23rd century Terra and the larger universe.

• Corporations, political parties, and illegal groups – both Terran and alien.

• 4 major alien species and several minor ones – all detailed!

• Rules for generating and playing characters from 5 alien species.

• 7 alien Careers and 5 Terran ones - from psionic Reticulan Nobles to the heroic Terran Guard!

• Character generation rules and event tables for all included careers.

• 2 small craft and 5 starships with full game statistics and high-res deck plans.

• The Terran Quadrant, including 120 detailed worlds and a high-res star map.

• A detailed adventure chapter with a wide variety of hooks for exciting adventures in Terran and alien space! 

Note that this book provides character generations, biological and cultural background, and flying saucers (!) for playing Gray Aliens – ready to drop into any Cepheus Deluxe campaign and quite compatible with other 2d6 sci-fi RPGs as well!

This setting requires the Cepheus Deluxe rules for use." 

Terra Arisen Rpg Campaign Setting  By Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters is one of those space opera's there's far more bubbling below the surface then at first it seems. The Terra Arisen setting is perfectly suited for the Cepheus Deluxe rules. Terra Arisen takes on humanity & it's alien allies rising up against their Reticulan oppressors in a series of rebellions that ultimately results in the establishment of the Terrran Quadrant. 

Terra Arisen is a two hundred & eleven page book that wears its history, alien cultures, & background on it's sleeve. And in Terra Arisen these factors colours your PC's life events, careers, and other 2d6 Cepheus Deluxe rules & rolls during character creation. And this applies across the board for the aliens and the humans. This isn't exactly a Reticulan friendly game per say as the later generations of the hybrids and full blood Reticulans have come to question their own ancient empire's practices. 
And Terra Arisen is a thinking DM's campaign setting with ton's of potential for the player's to step onto the interstellar stage of old sectors of the Reticulan Empires. Now in the hands of the their former slave races both human & alien. While Terra Arisen seems very woven into it's own campaign setting with its history, politics, sciences, technologies, etc. the setting is a fun one with plenty of opportunities  for military campaigns, interstellar merchant hi jinks, and much more all baked into the Cepheus Deluxe rules powered setting. Terra Arisen is a solid addition to the world of Cepheus Engine powered rules. The interstellar's scene is interesting. The ideas here are smartly done. And Terra Arisen is a campagin setting is one  that can do a wide variety of play styles. 

The playground of the former Reticulan empire populated by their former client races is one of recent military victories. But the interstellar  parts & pieces still very much dangerous and not necessarily nice at all. Terra Arisen is a complex & multi dimensional interstellar political & unsettle frontier with its own rules, alien races, & wild edge bubbling just below the surface. Terra Arisen has some solidly done starships and the interior artwork is a mix of Pulp & Science Fictional styles that works for the 2d6 asthetic of the Cepheus Deluxe rules powered material. The layout is crisp, easy to read, & ready to play. 

Terra Arisen is a campaign for the Cepheus Deluxe rules that is waiting to be played & played well. Terra Arisen is a excellent addition to the the Cepheus Deluxe rules line of supplements & I for one can't wait to see the next line in the Terra Arisen family of books. Terra Arisen is a five outta of five for creativity, ulility, & actual usefulness at the table top level. 
Terra Arisen By Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters From Stellagama Publishing For The Cepheus Deluxe Rpg Is Available Right Here 

Review & Commentary On Piracy and Privateering By Josh Peters Stellagama Publishing For OSR Space Opera, Classic Traveller rpg & The Cepheus Engine Rpg

" Pirates are the scourge of the space-lanes. Cutthroats, bandits, and scum, they are enemies to all humanity. Captured pirates can expect no mercy: only grim justice for their heinous crimes. Despite the risks, this book encourages science fiction roleplayers—Gamemasters and players alike—to embrace their inner space pirate, and set forth to the stars to carve a bloody swath across the galaxy!"

There are days when sometimes when looking  over at the absolute wall of Traveller rpg books that stare at me that it begins to hit me just how not intimated by this game hits me. Most of Traveller & Cepheus Engine rpg game campaigns that either have crossed the table top or the screen revolve around piracy or one kind or another. Traveller was the game that engineers & science geeks play. But once we got into it, this was the science fictional game to play hands down. So when Stellagama Publishing sent me a copy of Piracy and Privateering it took me a day or more to put it at the top of the pile of books to be reviewed. See what Piracy and Privateering does is to create an almost rpg system neutral book that leans heavily into the wind of  the Original 2d6 OGL Science Fiction rules, Cepheus Engine, Stars Without Number, and White Star. Now way back in the early half of 2019 we grabbed a copy of Piracy and Privateering This was with the intent of running a piracy themed game of  White Star or Stars Without Number. But then OSR game campaigns took over. And Piracy and Privateering will work with Cepheus  Lite Rpg rather easily.  Technically with these two books you could run an entire campaign for many years. 


  This is an updated & expanded sourcebook tha hammers on the detailed systems of piracy. And with Piracy and Privateering you can actually run an entire OSR or Cepheus Engine rpg campaign from the pirates perspective! Piracy and Privateering gives the players & the DM everything they need to get a steady hand on the setting of such a game from boarding actions to what to do with the booty afterwards. 

Josh Peters does an excellent job of fleshing out everything needed from: 

1. Pirate setting generation setting the scene for your piracy game 
2. Target aquistition & boarding of ships 
3. Randomly encountering the monsters of your pirate PC's & the hunters of such PC's. 
4. Traffic, back water worlds, & all of the little things that goes into such a campaign. 
5. Indepth world & setting info 
6. NPC handling, generation, & plug or play aspects of the pirate NPC. 

What Piracy and Privateering is a space opera & pirarcy tool box for not only generating entire adventures, NPC's, & more but giving the space campaign teeth & legs to continue for years to come. It does this with its random generation & steady ideas of growth through play & actual rolls. This is a marked improvement in some of the early products that I've seen. 
Right now we're in the middle of generating a whole cloth campaign dark space opera using Cepheus Engine rpg & classic Traveller resources. This means that Piracy and Privateering couldn't come at a better time for our group or me as dungeon master. This is a great buy so go & grab it here! Piracy and Privateering is a fine addition to the Cepheus Engine & OSR space opera gaming scene. 

Review & Commentary On 'The Space Patrol' by Richard Hazlewood By Stellagama Publishing For the Cepheus Engine rpg retroclone & Old School Space Opera Campaigns

 "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!? 

Review & OSR Review of 'These Stars Are Ours' Interstellar campaign by Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters For The Cepheus Engine rpg system

 "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 '! 

Grey alien By Yasir999 - Own work not in 'These Stars Are Ours' Interstellar campaign but this piece of artwork fits the dangerous authoriterian alien bastards!