The Cepheus Engine. What is it? It is a new set of Traveller rules from Samardan Press that doesn’t say that it is Traveller. (But it is Traveller.)
The rules look very much like a cleaned up version of Classic Traveller, book 1-3 plus supplement-4 and selected parts from book 4 (PGMP and FGMP) and 5 (small ships). You can also find some bits of Mongoose Traveller in it. So far there is no setting except that a few aliens are named as an example.
You know what this could be? The perfect proto-Traveller rules.
Since the Cepheus Engine is a refined set of CT rules, you will recognize most of the rules and can quickly start using them.
First, the character generation and skills are similar to what you already know. Then psionics (important to us at the Zhodani Base) is also what you would expect.
Next in the equipment list you find a tech-level overview table, with the same tech-levels as in Traveller. The currency used is Credits. You can find familiar Traveller items like Fast Drug, TDX, and Air/Raft. The first internal book ends with a combat chapter.
Next book is about Starships, Travelling, Trade and Space Combat.
The Final book is the Referee’s book. In this book are the rules for generating worlds. (It is interesting to see that hydrographics is generated as in CT book-6. That is the same as in MongTrav.) There are rules for all sorts of encounters, including the familiar animal encounter tables from CT. There are also some short help about refereeing and adventures.
This is really the new rule-set we didn’t know we needed. This is proto-Traveller Deluxe.
For the so called “Small Press” (that we like here at the base) this is another option for publishing new supplements without loosing half of their income to Mongoose.
Other reviews:
You should probably note that this is still in a large part similar to MGT, as this is a cleaned-up version of what was once known as the Mongoose Traveller SRD, with some CT-style tweaks. A very useful ruleset, IMHO.
Great work Omer!!!
Jess, are you speaking of the Cepheus Engine? As this is NOT my work, but rather the work of Jason “Flynn” Kemp….
Actually i would say that having looked at it its got more in common with MGT than CT. In fact it is mongoose traveller with the odd nod to CT. Not really Proto traveller in mho as thats by definition bks 1-3 or starter traveller.
Its a nice rule set having said and i will be pinching bits.
And MM and MS get no money you say?
I’m in…
I have the distinct feeling that you will see a lot of support for The Cepheus Engine in the near future. 🙂