Cepheus Deluxe vs Rogue Trader
Compare Cepheus Deluxe and Rogue Trader side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Cepheus Deluxe | Rogue Trader | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Sci-Fi |
| Tags | Space Opera, Career-Based, Skill-Based, Classless, Character Building, Sandbox, Ship-Based, Exploration, Random Tables, Strong GM Support | Space Opera, Grimdark, Licensed IP, Ship-Based, Career-Based, Crunchy, Exploration, Domain Management, Corruption, Fear & Stress Mechanics |
| 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 d100 equal to or under a characteristic or skill after a difficulty modifier between +60 and -60. Each full 10 points under the target adds a degree of success, and each full 10 points over adds a degree of failure. Fate Points let a character re-roll a failed test, add +10 before rolling, or gain a degree of success. Spent Fate Points return at the start of the next session. |
| Dice | 2d6 | d100 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | OGL 1.0a; Cepheus Deluxe Compatibility-Statement License | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license and compatibility license | No verified route found |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Stellagama Publishing | Fantasy Flight Games |
| Year | 2022 | 2009 |
| Languages | English | English, French, German, Italian |
| Best For | Groups who want a shipboard science-fiction sandbox with career histories and a working trade economy. | Groups who want a long campaign as the senior crew of a starship, growing a merchant dynasty through trade, exploration, and void battles in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. It suits tables that enjoy detailed d100 rules and want business ventures to drive the adventures. |
| 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. | Profit Factor folds the dynasty's wealth, credit, and standing into one shared number that the group tests against to acquire gear, ships, and favours. Endeavours frame profit-seeking ventures as sets of objectives whose Achievement Points raise Profit Factor on completion. Starship combat divides each ship turn among the crew, with one Explorer manoeuvring, another firing, and the rest able to take actions such as emergency repairs or augury scans. |
| 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. | Damage beyond a character's Wounds inflicts critical effects from tables organised by hit location and damage type, including permanent maiming and death. Insanity and Corruption Points build toward disorders and mutations, and a character who reaches 100 in either is removed from play. Gear normally comes from Acquisition tests against Profit Factor rather than tracked money, so groups that enjoy counting coins lose that layer. |