Cepheus Engine Fantasy Rules

[AlegisDownport]

I have been looking at converting my series of ‘The Fantasy Traveller’ articles which were aimed at using the Classic Traveller rule set in a ‘fantasy’ (non-science fiction / Conan-esq) world, to the Cepheus Engine system.

The first of these articles have just been posted on my blog here:

https://alegisdownport.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/cepheus-engine-fantasy-rules-part-1-basic-chargen/

The basic premise is to provide a rules set with the minimum of changes from what is published, keeping it as ‘simple’ as possible (ie. no rules ‘bloat’) and only add in rules components where there isn’t already something in place eg. Magic.

I’ll be adding to the series over the coming months with the intention of expanding the system in the same way that I did for The Fantasy Traveller.

I hope you enjoy reading!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Jame]

I made a number of careers for MgT; if you'd like to look at them I could send 'em to you (and if you decide to use them we could discuss details).

I helped Golan with his bestiary, and would love to see more fantasy Traveller stuff done.

 

[Ulsyus]

So do the mechanics define what is possible in that world and within games in the setting, or will you modify the rules to generate the "feeling" of that place you want players to have in your setting?

 

[AlegisDownport]

Hi Jame

Thanks for the kind offer; my intention for expanding ‘The Fantasy Traveller’ into Cepheus Engine rules is to use non-copyrighted material (ie. free to use or with permission) and try and make up as much stuff of my own as possible.

I’d don’t intend publishing (or license) anything that will be chargeable (it makes using published materials simpler as I don’t want to unintentionally infringe on any copyright), it will be freely available via my blog in the same way that TFT is. However if you would like to contribute any ideas on that basis, I’m more than happy to hear them, even if its just a couple of sentences of ideas.

Hope that sounds ok with you and thanks for the comments about TFT, I will be doing more on that series in the future!

Best wishes
Steve

 

[AlegisDownport]

Hi Ulsyus

Good question, I think it’s a bit of both; I’ll try and answer in two parts:

Because I like to keep things simple, I’m using the existing CE rules and ‘chop out’ what doesn’t fit into the fantasy environment, ie. remove any mention of sci-fi/high technology, so some careers get dropped. Whatever is available within the CE rules that fits in on that basis, that is what is available. For example, anything that is considered equivalent TL to mediaeval of lower, but no gunpowder or guns or higher-tech than that

The second part of your question about modifying the rules; I’ve had to create rules to ‘fill in’ something that doesn’t exist in ‘The Fantasy Traveller’, such as magic so I came up with the ‘magic’ system as obviously that doesn’t exist in CT. So I would apply the same method for CE and adapt what ‘feeling’ I have already come up with in TFT and fit it to suit CE. To a certain degree it is also driven by the ‘world’ as I imagine it, a sort of brutal Conan-esq environment.

I hope that answers your questions,

Best wishes
Steve

 

[Gray Lensman]

If I may make a suggestion ...

Take a look at the DND 3.5 SRD and Pathfinder SRD, both are under the OGL 1.0 license, and are full of beasts, classes, spells, ect. Plenty of inspiration there although it's a different die mechanic.

D&D 3.5 SRD
Pathfinder SRD

Of course, you may already know about these, just had to put it out there ;D

 

[Jame]

Hi Jame

Thanks for the kind offer; my intention for expanding ‘The Fantasy Traveller’ into Cepheus Engine rules is to use non-copyrighted material (ie. free to use or with permission) and try and make up as much stuff of my own as possible.

I’d don’t intend publishing (or license) anything that will be chargeable (it makes using published materials simpler as I don’t want to unintentionally infringe on any copyright), it will be freely available via my blog in the same way that TFT is. However if you would like to contribute any ideas on that basis, I’m more than happy to hear them, even if its just a couple of sentences of ideas.

Hope that sounds ok with you and thanks for the comments about TFT, I will be doing more on that series in the future!

Best wishes
Steve

I will check something and get back to you.

 

[rhialto]

Have you looked at Zozer Games' "Fast Magic" for CE? It's all Open Content, might be useful for this project.

 

[AlegisDownport]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I’ll reply individually if I may:

Gray Lensman - I didn’t know about the D&D and Pathfinder SRDs being available on the OGL 1.0 license to be honest. I don’t tend to touch modern D&D / variants, nothing against them I’d just never had the inclination to take a look. However on your suggestion I will definitely check those out - thanks!

Jame - thats fine - cheers!

Rhialto - hadn’t come across that from Zozer, I will most certainly take a look, much appreciated!

Steve

 

[Adam Dray]

There's a third-party Traveller product that has a planet that is basically "fantasy" with magic and stuff. It was for MgT1, IIRC, but it should port nicely to CE.

Anyone remember which setting that was? I was thinking it was Twilight Sector, but now I think it wasn't.

 

[wellis]

There's a third-party Traveller product that has a planet that is basically "fantasy" with magic and stuff. It was for MgT1, IIRC, but it should port nicely to CE.

Anyone remember which setting that was? I was thinking it was Twilight Sector, but now I think it wasn't.

Netherell. The "magic" was psionics of course.

From what I remember, Mongoose had this thing where products had to stay within a setting, so thus despite Netherell being essentially a fantasy setting, it had to be placed, and thus explained, within the Twilight Sector ATU.

 

[aramis]

If I may make a suggestion ...

Take a look at the DND 3.5 SRD and Pathfinder SRD, both are under the OGL 1.0 license, and are full of beasts, classes, spells, ect. Plenty of inspiration there although it's a different die mechanic.

D&D 3.5 SRD
Pathfinder SRD

Of course, you may already know about these, just had to put it out there ;D

They're readily compatible with T20: Traveller's Handbook...
:coffeesip:

 

[rhialto]

There's a third-party Traveller product that has a planet that is basically "fantasy" with magic and stuff. It was for MgT1, IIRC, but it should port nicely to CE.

Anyone remember which setting that was? I was thinking it was Twilight Sector, but now I think it wasn't.

Aside from Netherell, there's Worlds Apart from XRP; also for MgT 1e though, not CE.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

There's a third-party Traveller product that has a planet that is basically "fantasy" with magic and stuff. It was for MgT1, IIRC, but it should port nicely to CE.

Anyone remember which setting that was? I was thinking it was Twilight Sector, but now I think it wasn't.

There were a few:
Strontium Dog
Worlds Apart - A new scale for TL to expand TL0-4
Netherill, Planet of Magic (for Twilght Sector) - This one has good Medieval careers


Also a OGL general builder set of books was written.
They were written by Jason Kemp, one of the people who brought us Cepheus Engine in the first place:

Flynn's Guide to Magic in Traveller
Flynn's Guide to Alien Creation

With these two books you can pretty much make a fantasy world "Monster Manual" and "Magic System/SpellBook". The are mostly OGL, so much so the "alien traits" in Creation are direct lifts from the 3.5 SRD creature traits and Feats. (Stalwart Movement and Darkvision/Infravision anyone?). The spells listed likewise...

I don't agree with the mechanics/numeric bonuses in some cases, but just adjust those systematically to your taste.

There also just came out a Cepheus Engine book on archaic weapons and armor and another on a magic system. Much shorter than Flynn's but I like more detail...

 

[Ulsyus]

T5's Beastmaker is pretty ubiquitous in allowing for the design of some pretty out-there creatures. Perfect if one wanted to follow Alegis' path.

 

[Timerover51]

I need to start working on some magic rules for Cepheus as well. I do like the magic in the original little tan D&D books as well as that in Middle-Earth Roleplaying and Rolemaster. The idea of being proficient in certain types of magic, like Fire, Water, Cold, and Air appeals to my sense of logic. Against that, the idea of wildly different areas of expertise appeals to my sense of being a bit crazy.

 

[Ulsyus]

I've only just seen this book, Fast Magic, done for the Cepheus Engine. It could be what people are looking for...

 

[Timerover51]

I've only just seen this book, Fast Magic, done for the Cepheus Engine. It could be what people are looking for...

Paul's stuff is generally of excellent quality. I will need to check it out.

 

[rhialto]

I've only just seen this book, Fast Magic, done for the Cepheus Engine. It could be what people are looking for...

It is quite good, and the mechanical aspects are easily separated from the fluff; e.g., one could easily replace all the default schools/colleges/specializations with one's own.

 

[Timerover51]

I bought the Fast Magic book from DriveThruRPG along with a couple of Paul's other books, and I have mixed feelings about his idea. Having no basic spell list or lists sounds good in theory, as then the magic-user can make up what he wants on the spot, sort of like Harold Shea in the Fletcher Pratt books. However, if the player first needs to think about what they want to do, then needs to confer with the Game Master as to all of the details, that is going to have the affect of drastically slowing the game down. As for making potions, writing spells. and enchanting items, those are all going to need to be done in advance of the game, which means that the magic-user and Game Master are going to have to agree in advance as to what can and cannot be done. The system in not bad, but implementing it is going to have some problems, unless a fair amount of work is done in advance.