Cepheus Deluxe vs Traveller
Compare Cepheus Deluxe and Traveller side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Cepheus Deluxe | Traveller | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Simulation, Exploration, Deadly, Character Building, Faction Play |
| 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 + skill + modifier ≥ 8 to succeed. Character generation is a mini-game. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | High | Medium |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | OGL 1.0a; Cepheus Deluxe Compatibility-Statement License | Traveller Fair Use Policy |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license and compatibility license | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Stellagama Publishing | Mongoose Publishing |
| Year | 2022 | 2022 |
| Languages | English | English, German, French |
| Best For | Groups who want a shipboard science-fiction sandbox with career histories and a working trade economy. | Hard sci-fi sandbox campaigns with trading, exploration, and realistic space travel. |
| 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. | Comprehensive sci-fi toolkit, lifepath character creation, detailed trade/travel systems |
| 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. | Lifepath character creation rolls for aging and career mishaps, so a Traveller can leave chargen weakened or pushed onto an unwanted path. Subsystem rules are spread across multiple supplements, so the core book leaves several procedures without full depth. Characteristics are recorded as a hexadecimal Universal Personality Profile string, an unusual notation newcomers must learn before they can read a stat block. |