Cepheus Deluxe vs Cepheus Engine
Compare Cepheus Deluxe and Cepheus Engine side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Cepheus Deluxe | Cepheus Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Sci-Fi |
| Tags | Space Opera, Career-Based, Skill-Based, Classless, Character Building, Sandbox, Ship-Based, Exploration, Random Tables, Strong GM Support | Sandbox, Toolkit, Ship-Based, Career-Based, Skill-Based, Random Character Creation, Random Tables, Exploration, Simulation, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | Roll 2d6 and add the relevant skill, characteristic modifier and difficulty modifiers. A total of 8 or more succeeds. The margin above or below 8 is the Effect, which determines the outcome where the rules call for it. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Paid | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | OGL 1.0a; Cepheus Deluxe Compatibility-Statement License | Open Game License 1.0a |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license and compatibility license | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Stellagama Publishing | Samardan Press |
| Year | 2022 | 2016 |
| Languages | English | English, Italian, French |
| Best For | Groups who want a shipboard science-fiction sandbox with career histories and a working trade economy. | Groups who want interstellar sandbox campaigns built around trading or exploring aboard a shared ship. |
| Highlights | 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. | Career terms generate experienced characters whose skills and starting assets reflect their prior lives. Planetary trade codes modify cargo prices, giving merchants a reason to compare routes and markets. World and encounter tables provide the referee with material for an interstellar sandbox. |
| Considerations | 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. | Failed career survival rolls kill characters by default, with an optional mishap alternative requiring referee approval. Damage reduces physical characteristics, weakening injured characters until they recover. Operating a ship requires tracking recurring expenses alongside its income. |