Faster than Light: Nomad

[Lunar Ronin]

Back in January 2023, there was this little kerfluffle with Wizards of the Coast over the OGL. Not sure if anyone recalls that. Anyhoo, the people involved with the Cepheus Engine and offshoots were worried about what may happen with Mongoose Publishing if the OGL was revoked. Mongoose Publishing promised to cover Cepheus Engine and its offshoots, but Stellagama Publishing began work on a new game called Star Nomad, which would use a more open license.

A year and a half later, it's here. Renamed to Faster than Light: Nomad, it's a generic science-fiction tabletop RPG that is a rewrite and streamlining of Cepheus Engine, using the Creative Commons Attribution license. Print versions will hit DriveThru and Lulu in a month.

Anyone plan on getting this? I bought it, downloaded it, and am going through it now.

 

[burbles]

Anyone plan on getting this? I bought it, downloaded it, and am going through it now.

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on it and how it compares to Cepheus. I'm in the same situation as another member described it in another Cepheus engine thread. What's the difference between the various Cepheus rpgs published? I'm left asking would the real Cepheus engine please stand up? As an example does Nomad compete with Stellagama's Cepheus Deluxe? Or are they completely different beasts?

 

[sharps54]

Also curious to read thoughts but honestly I have Traveller from back in the day and you can still buy Classic Traveller so I’m pretty well covered.

 

[lategamer]

Anyone plan on getting this? I bought it, downloaded it, and am going through it now.

Interested in your review. (though like others, I have multiple editions of Traveller, and also Cepheus so....what's new!)

 

[robb]

Also curious to read thoughts but honestly I have Traveller from back in the day and you can still buy Classic Traveller so I’m pretty well covered.

Classic Traveller is free

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

I really wonder about this endless Cepheus re-treading of well worn ground. OK I get that this is trying to avoid the OGL but it is still yet another system release from them. It just produces an eye-roll from me. It seems to be farming suckers for buying the same system again and again and again?

 

[Lofgeornost]

Is the designer Jackson Roykirk? In that case, we can expect the new Nomad to start sterilizing all earlier versions of Cepheus as imperfect.

 

[Dyrnwyn]

I've purchased and enjoyed several Stellagama products in the past, but I will pass on this one. I just don't see the need for another iteration of the system unless it does something really different. Plus, Cepheus Deluxe had already moved further away from the original version than I liked.

As for the other Cepheus publishers, it seems like they are staying the course rather than going off in a new direction like Stellagama.

 

[sharps54]

Classic Traveller is free

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

I really wonder about this endless Cepheus re-treading of well worn ground. OK I get that this is trying to avoid the OGL but it is still yet another system release from them. It just produces an eye-roll from me. It seems to be farming suckers for buying the same system again and again and again?

I meant 1977 Traveller not 1983 but either way I just don’t have any need for a retroclone when I have access to the original game. Same with OSE, zero value to me.

 

[Triumvir]

• Fast but deeply customizable character generation. Distribute 5 points among 7 skills, choose an Archetype, choose a Talent, calculate Stamina dn Encumbrance, and choose a gear package. That's it. But this means that a wide range of combinations are possible!

- this suggests they have dumped the lifepath chargen for something quicker. I suppose that's a reasonable design choice to make, although for me the lifepath chargen is a highlight of the original system.

More generally, I share the scepticism about the need for yet another Traveller clone.

The dice system sounds somewhat interesting, but not enough for me to drop $10.

 

[MichaelTee]

I share the scepticism about the need for yet another Traveller clone.

As much as I like Cepheus, I agree completely. Stellagama has released Cepheus Light, Faster-Than-Light, Quantum, Deluxe, Deluxe Enhanced, even Cepheus Atom, and now Nomad. Write your favorite version and stick with it, already! (I say that lovingly.)
The original Cepheus Engine, by Jason Kemp, remains my favorite of the OGL clones. (It's not perfect, but until I write MY version, which will be perfect, it will do.)

 

[AsenRG]

As much as I like Cepheus, I agree completely. Stellagama has released Cepheus Light, Faster-Than-Light, Quantum, Deluxe, Deluxe Enhanced, even Cepheus Atom, and now Nomad. Write your favorite version and stick with it, already! (I say that lovingly.)
The original Cepheus Engine, by Jason Kemp, remains my favorite of the OGL clones. (It's not perfect, but until I write MY version, which will be perfect, it will do.)

A comment on a Discord says it all...

"These guys are imitating the OSR, with the 1234567890 corebooks!"

 

[Lunar Ronin]

Classic Traveller is free

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

I really wonder about this endless Cepheus re-treading of well worn ground. OK I get that this is trying to avoid the OGL but it is still yet another system release from them. It just produces an eye-roll from me. It seems to be farming suckers for buying the same system again and again and again?

As much as I like Cepheus, I agree completely. Stellagama has released Cepheus Light, Faster-Than-Light, Quantum, Deluxe, Deluxe Enhanced, even Cepheus Atom, and now Nomad. Write your favorite version and stick with it, already! (I say that lovingly.)
The original Cepheus Engine, by Jason Kemp, remains my favorite of the OGL clones. (It's not perfect, but until I write MY version, which will be perfect, it will do.)

That's the main difference with Faster than Light: Nomad. Stellagama is trying to make a science-fiction tabletop RPG that feels similar to Traveller with a much more open source license and some streamlining. That's a worthy goal IMO. I can understand creating it for that purpose, even though we already have Traveller and Cepheus. The more that the hobby minimizes the OGL, the better. Stellagama also intends for this to be their flagship product from here on out.

But yeah, I hear y'all. There's been a little too much reinventing of the wheel since the original Cepheus Engine hit. I took a look at the recent Cepheus Universal, and wish that I didn't. It feels bloated to me, and I really dislike the use of AI art.

I just hope that now that there is a Traveller-like with an open source license, the treadmill ends here. I can hope, right?

 

[Stellagama Publishing]

Greetings! Omer Golan-Joel, owner of Stellagama Publishing and FTL: Nomad's lead designer here.

I would say that this is not a Cepheus variant. Not by a far margin. It is inspired by several Cepheus mechanics, and by its general spirit, but the differences are many. Character generation is quick and non-random; space combat uses a "chase" system (as in Cepheus Light and Deluxe but not other Traveller or Cepheus versions); the main mechanic is different (fixed target number and variable "advantage and disadvantage dice instead of most modifiers); tech levels were replaced by simpler and more readable Tech Ages; ship design is completely new and different (payload tradeoffs on a rocket rather than counting tonnage as in Traveller/Cepheus); personnel damage works completely differently; and so on. As FTL: N was free of the need to be directly compatible with Cepheus, let alone the Traveller SRD, we had a free hand in designing it, and we wrote the rules from scratch.

It is not Traveller. It may share a similar spirit, but carries a different substance.

EDIT: We do not intend to publish further rulesets whatsoever in the foreseeable future (next decade or more). We have Barbaric! for fantasy and FTL: Nomad for sci-fi. These cover all bases we want to cover. All further titles will be supplements and adventures to these games, as well as some support to the older The Sword of Cepheus.

I agree that 3-book Classic Traveller is wonderful as it is. We do not feel the need to challenge it, nor do we wish to infringe on Mongoose Publishing's domain. We are going in a new direction, with our own ruleset, our own settings, and our own future.

Also note that FTL:N is released under the Creative Commons Attribution license. The editable Reference document is free with any PDF purchase of FTL:N. Feel free to use it for your own projects!

 

[Lunar Ronin]

Thank you for the clarification, Stellagama Publishing ! I was trying to say that it's like Traveller in spirit, but you did a much better job explaining that.

 

[Triumvir]

Greetings! Omer Golan-Joel, owner of Stellagama Publishing and FTL: Nomad's lead designer here. [snip]

Thanks for weighing in - your goals with this project are now much clearer, to me anyway. I'm now much more interested to pick up FTL:N, and I hope it does really well.

 

[Stellagama Publishing]

Thanks for weighing in - your goals with this project are now much clearer, to me anyway. I'm now much more interested to pick up FTL:N, and I hope it does really well.

You're welcome. Thank you for your kind words.

 

[Dyrnwyn]

But yeah, I hear y'all. There's been a little too much reinventing of the wheel since the original Cepheus Engine hit. I took a look at the recent Cepheus Universal, and wish that I didn't. It feels bloated to me, and I really dislike the use of AI art.

Cepheus Universal is meant to be encyclopedic, though, rather than lean or lightweight. The idea is that it has a lot of options and methods for doing things, including ways that deviate from the Traveller/Cepheus baseline. I don't think anyone would use all of the options/systems at once. It's basically a big toolkit.

As for the AI art, I don't personally have an opinion on it, but not all of it is AI according to the credits.

 

[AsenRG]

Greetings! Omer Golan-Joel, owner of Stellagama Publishing and FTL: Nomad's lead designer here.

I would say that this is not a Cepheus variant. Not by a far margin. It is inspired by several Cepheus mechanics, and by its general spirit, but the differences are many. Character generation is quick and non-random; space combat uses a "chase" system (as in Cepheus Light and Deluxe but not other Traveller or Cepheus versions); the main mechanic is different (fixed target number and variable "advantage and disadvantage dice instead of most modifiers); tech levels were replaced by simpler and more readable Tech Ages; ship design is completely new and different (payload tradeoffs on a rocket rather than counting tonnage as in Traveller/Cepheus); personnel damage works completely differently; and so on. As FTL: N was free of the need to be directly compatible with Cepheus, let alone the Traveller SRD, we had a free hand in designing it, and we wrote the rules from scratch.

It is not Traveller. It may share a similar spirit, but carries a different substance.

EDIT: We do not intend to publish further rulesets whatsoever in the foreseeable future (next decade or more). We have Barbaric! for fantasy and FTL: Nomad for sci-fi. These cover all bases we want to cover. All further titles will be supplements and adventures to these games, as well as some support to the older The Sword of Cepheus.

I agree that 3-book Classic Traveller is wonderful as it is. We do not feel the need to challenge it, nor do we wish to infringe on Mongoose Publishing's domain. We are going in a new direction, with our own ruleset, our own settings, and our own future.

Also note that FTL:N is released under the Creative Commons Attribution license. The editable Reference document is free with any PDF purchase of FTL:N. Feel free to use it for your own projects!

Congratulations, Stellagama Publishing /Mr. Omer Golan-Joel! That's how one addresses customer criticisms...

(Of course you don't need my approval, I harbour no such illusions. I just mentally compared it to the latest WotC releases and the difference was...striking!)

Out of curiosity, and to continue in this direction, what kind of SF would you say Nomad is best suited to, given the rule changes, that the previous Cepheus editions didn't serve well? In other words, what do the rule changes accomplish, that warrants a new rulebook for some of us?

Thanks for weighing in - your goals with this project are now much clearer, to me anyway. I'm now much more interested to pick up FTL:N, and I hope it does really well.

Agreed!

Admittedly, I've been thinking lately of a Cepheus edition that combines Cepheus mechanics with Ease Factor mechanics, akin to Outlaws of the Water Margin RPG. But that would be a too tall order, I suspect...

 

[Stellagama Publishing]

Congratulations, @

Stellagama Publishing /Mr. Omer Golan-Joel! That's how one addresses customer criticisms...

(Of course you don't need my approval, I harbour no such illusions. I just mentally compared it to the latest WotC releases and the difference was...striking!)

Thank you for your kind words!

Out of curiosity, and to continue in this direction, what kind of SF would you say Nomad is best suited to, given the rule changes, that the previous Cepheus editions didn't serve well? In other words, what do the rule changes accomplish, that warrants a new rulebook for some of us?

FTL: Nomad tends towards "pulpier" space opera, though it can easily handle gritty "harder" sci-fi quite easily (especially if you avoid using Hero Points), as well as cyberpunk. Gameplay is very streamlined - create an interesting character, a fascinating starship, a useful robot, a thrilling planet, or a deadly alien monstrosity in 5 minutes! Fight personnel, vehicle, or starship combat without too much of a hassle! Explore the universe without being encumbered with complicated mechanics! Yet it is also a comprehensive ruleset, covering many, many subjects relevant to interstellar sci-fi gaming.

 

[Malckuss]

I think I will pick it up once I can afford to do so.

 

[AsenRG]

Thank you for your kind words!


FTL: Nomad tends towards "pulpier" space opera, though it can easily handle gritty "harder" sci-fi quite easily (especially if you avoid using Hero Points), as well as cyberpunk. Gameplay is very streamlined - create an interesting character, a fascinating starship, a useful robot, a thrilling planet, or a deadly alien monstrosity in 5 minutes! Fight personnel, vehicle, or starship combat without too much of a hassle! Explore the universe without being encumbered with complicated mechanics! Yet it is also a comprehensive ruleset, covering many, many subjects relevant to interstellar sci-fi gaming.

That sounds interesting, indeed. Especially the "Create starship in five minutes" part...


Two questions, if you don't mind:
1) Is there going to be a POD version?
2) Out of all the Cepheus rulesets (well, the ones written by you/Stellagama), which one would you recommend for, say, a GM planning to start a SF campaign?

 

[robertsconley]

I'm left asking would the real Cepheus engine please stand up?

That is easy, it is the one by Jason Kemp the individual who hard work pulled it all together.

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

As for the difference between various versions it similar to the OSR retro-clones. Some are straightforward like Cepheus Light and Hostile, other are not each reflecting their creators creative quirks.

First then to remember that Kemp's Cepheus is largely based around Mongoose Traveller 1e. And share a similar level of detail and complexity. The major alternatives are either a lighter version like Cepheus Light, or tweaked from the golden age assumptions of MongTrav1e to fit another set of assumptions like Hostile and Alien.

There is also Cepheus Deluxe, Cepheus Universal which are later tweaks. Each with their own focus.

 

[Lunar Ronin]

That sounds interesting, indeed. Especially the "Create starship in five minutes" part...


Two questions, if you don't mind:
1) Is there going to be a POD version?
2) Out of all the Cepheus rulesets (well, the ones written by you), which one would you recommend for, say, a GM planning to start a SF campaign?

I can answer your first question. There will be a print-on-demand version on both DriveThruRPG and Lulu, hopefully by the end of the month.

 

[Stellagama Publishing]

I can answer your first question. There will be a print-on-demand version on both DriveThruRPG and Lulu, hopefully by the end of the month.

Awaiting DriveThruRPG to approve my print files. Currently in Premedia. Once approved, the proof copies take a few days to print and usually a week or so to get to me. If all prints well, this will be in print soon.

 

[Stellagama Publishing]

2) Out of all the Cepheus rulesets (well, the ones written by you/Stellagama), which one would you recommend for, say, a GM planning to start a SF campaign?

It is not a Cepheus ruleset, but I recommend the new FTL: Nomad, which is both streamlined and comprehensive at the same time. It is also ideal for players and GMs unfamiliar with Cepheus or similar games, as well as ones looking for a flexible ruleset.

That said, if you are looking for something much more traditional as 2d6 systems go, you should try out Cepheus Light, in print or PDF.

 

[Tulpa Girl]

Thank you for your kind words!


FTL: Nomad tends towards "pulpier" space opera, though it can easily handle gritty "harder" sci-fi quite easily (especially if you avoid using Hero Points), as well as cyberpunk. Gameplay is very streamlined - create an interesting character, a fascinating starship, a useful robot, a thrilling planet, or a deadly alien monstrosity in 5 minutes! Fight personnel, vehicle, or starship combat without too much of a hassle! Explore the universe without being encumbered with complicated mechanics! Yet it is also a comprehensive ruleset, covering many, many subjects relevant to interstellar sci-fi gaming.

So this would hopefully be a good fit for a game in the style of Flash Gordon (origin Alex Raymond version)?

 

[CRKrueger]

Cepheus Universal is meant to be encyclopedic, though, rather than lean or lightweight. The idea is that it has a lot of options and methods for doing things, including ways that deviate from the Traveller/Cepheus baseline. I don't think anyone would use all of the options/systems at once. It's basically a big toolkit.

As for the AI art, I don't personally have an opinion on it, but not all of it is AI according to the credits.

Universal looks like it might be worth picking up. I'm a sucker for "bunches of rules I can pick out and put in my own game".