Ashen Stars vs Cepheus Deluxe

Compare Ashen Stars and Cepheus Deluxe side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Ashen Stars	Cepheus Deluxe
Genre	Sci-Fi	Sci-Fi
Tags	Investigation, Mystery, Mission-Based, Ship-Based, Space Opera, Resource Management, Character-Driven, Strong GM Support, Skill-Based, Crunchy	Space Opera, Career-Based, Skill-Based, Classless, Character Building, Sandbox, Ship-Based, Exploration, Random Tables, Strong GM Support
Core Mechanic	Ordinary tests roll a d6 plus ability-pool points spent before rolling, succeeding by meeting or beating the difficulty. Investigative abilities work differently: a core clue is simply given when the right ability is used, no roll needed, with point spends buying extra benefits.	For uncertain tasks, roll 2d6 plus a skill and characteristic modifier to reach a target number. A natural 2 fails and a natural 12 succeeds when the task is feasible. Effect is the amount by which the modified result exceeds or misses the target. Advantage means rolling 3d6 and keeping the highest two dice.
Dice	d6	2d6
Complexity	High	High
Availability	Free quickstart	Paid
Runnability	5 of 5 book tools	5 of 5 book tools
License	All Rights Reserved	OGL 1.0a; Cepheus Deluxe Compatibility-Statement License
Third-Party Publishing	Commercial publishing allowed — GUMSHOE Community on DriveThruRPG	Commercial publishing allowed — Open license and compatibility license
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	Pelgrane Press	Stellagama Publishing
Year	2011	2022
Languages	English	English
Best For	Groups who want episodic space mysteries with a shared ship and recurring personal subplots. Cases put the crew's pursuit of justice in tension with its need to earn a living.	Groups who want a shipboard science-fiction sandbox with career histories and a working trade economy.
Highlights	Automatic core clues keep missed information rolls from blocking a case. Reputation changes the wait between contracts, connecting ethical choices to the crew's upkeep bill. Ship combat assigns different attack modes to crew stations, spreading decisive actions across specialists.	Career events produce contacts and enemies that can become adventure hooks. World profiles alter trade prices and local restrictions, giving destinations practical consequences. Distinct shipboard actions let the crew contribute beyond firing weapons.
Considerations	Investigative pools normally refresh only when a case ends, making extra benefits a case-long budget. The rules assume a working Laser crew; fugitive campaigns require changes to that framework. Ship battles use abstract goal-point races rather than positional movement on a tactical map.	Career creation spans several terms of skills and events before ordinary play begins. Trading campaigns require recurring expense and cargo accounting. The Referee builds the setting from generators and adventure seeds.