ASL Recommends: Sword of Cepheus | Fantasy Done Traveller Style!

Sword of Cepheus is an open source RPG ruleset for fantasy, particularly sword and sorcery, sword and sandal, and sword and planet settings, based on the 2D6 Traveller rules. Isn't that a little weird? Well, if it's true that there are more airplanes at the bottom of the ocean than submarines in the sky, it's also true that Traveller does better as Fantasy than D&D does as sci-fi! I talk about the different mechanisms and expectations of Skill-based Cepheus with Class-based D&D, Cepheus's awesome (and infamous) character creation system, non-Vancian magic, chase rules, combat, and more. If you want an argument of why you should ditch D&D retroclones for a sci-fi retroclone, you're going to get one.
Bookmarks:
Skill-Based vs. Class-Based: 2:53
Lifepath Character Creation: 11:40
Non-Vancian Magic: 16:45
Chase System: 21:15
SOC vs CHA: 22:25
Virtues of the Combat System: 25:30
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[@juddgoswick2024]

Traveller style character generation was a work of genius. Almost no real group of people should all be equally experienced - even fresh out of the Academy and with similar ages.

[@attentionspanlabs]

It is close to perfection.

[@garymcgregor5951]

I still love CT Traveller!

[@attentionspanlabs]

@@garymcgregor5951 I am told that the compleat strategist down in King of Prussia still runs a weekly classic traveller game.

[@DjigitDaniel]

I love how people are discovering this game. I only discovered it myself last year and it has changed my hobby.

[@attentionspanlabs]

How so? Do you play or DM?

[@DjigitDaniel]

@@attentionspanlabs , both. I am a Forever DM, but I have accelerated my solo hobby and there is NOTHING better than the Traveller/ Cepheus Engine method of developing backstory and stats for a character (or NPC) than the Lifepath system. Not to mention dying at character creation! What's not to like?! LOL

[@carebear8762]

Well presented. Sounds like hit points are still abstracted, which I like better than true attempted "simulationist" which gets into the weeds of hit location tables (or you just die) but in a more grounded way than being full capability until you hit zero and whatever table rule kicks in.

[@attentionspanlabs]

Thank you. Indeed, there is certainly room to use wound tables, and I've done so, but the basic system of accumulating penalties as your physical stats drop to zero is simple and powerful.

[@lexington476]

Do they have like a free quick start guide to this game or guide for character creation? I'd love to try a character creation, even without playing the game or having the whole game system.

[@attentionspanlabs]

I'm not aware of one for Sword, but I think you can get some other Cepheus based games as free previews. Check out big geek emporium or drive thru RPG.

[@thomaswilliams5005]

I’ve been on a quest to read everything that was written for dnd on the 40th anniversary of when it came out. One thing I’ve learned is that everyone has hated the dnd combat system and wanted to make to more realistic. Not being familiar with this system, I’m going to say that the dnd combat system was genius in its simplicity. HP was not really how many hits your character could take, but it is a simplistic tale in what happens to a body in combat. Let’s be honest, if some hacks you with a long sword, you are probably going to die.

[@attentionspanlabs]

I don't hate D&D's system, but it has obvious shortcomings, mainly the one I addressed in the video. Hit points (which this game also has) are both intuitive and well suited to represent gradually accumulating damage that wears a fighter down. The obvious example of this is a boxing match or a weaponless streetfight. But it fails at representing fights with lethal penetrating weapons. Of course, in real life you can end up with situations where a fighter is mortally wounded, but actually can still stand and move and continue fighting for several minutes more. It may even be days later that he actually succumbs. On the other hand, you have rarer situations where someone is killed outright. When I play D&D based systems (most recently OSE), I try to accommodate this by having HP represent the character's capacity to keep moving and stay conscious. If a character sustains damage that removes 1/3rd or more of their original HP in one blow, I make them roll a Save against Death. If they pass, it's just a grievous wound and they suffer only the reduction of HP. If they fail, they are considered to be mortally wounded (though may still be saved through medical intervention or magic), but will continue moving and fighting, with penalties, until they are reduced to 0HP or the combat ends.

[@thomaswilliams5005]

I find all the systems to be entertaining. They all bring something new to the genre.

[@attentionspanlabs]

@@thomaswilliams5005 Every system is going to have to make compromises with reality in order to... not be reality! One's personal preferences factor greatly into where the line between tolerable and intolerable are. I think ideally a system would start rules lite and develop progressively more crunch as the campaign wore on.

[@death2all79zx]

Where to buy?

[@attentionspanlabs]

www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304840/The-Sword-of-Cepheus?