A Future Direction for Stellagama Publishing

2026 was a rough year so far for me, Omer Golan-Joel, owner of Stellagama Publishing. Apart from obvious horrible political events I prefer not to discuss here, I went through a lot of tough times. Across 2024 and 2025, I was in a deep marital crisis which almost led to a divorce. In December 2025, I broke my elbow and had my arm in a cast for a week. In January 2026, I had to go twice to a psychiatric ER due to a long hypomanic episode, which (among other things) involved me writing poetry obsessively and spending much money on publishing my poems (with no profit or compensation).

In May 2026, I had a (thankfully minor) stroke leading to three days of hospitalization at a neurological department. Then, again, in early July 2026, I had another suspected stroke, this time with six days of hospitalization and inconclusive results. As a result of this brush with death, I reconsidered my previously-hardcore secular worldview, which led to me (partially) observing Shabbat and eating Kosher food (I am Jewish).

On top of that, my financial situation turned to the worse, both due to the hypo-manic spending and to greatly disrupted work (both in my day-jobs and in Stellagama Publishing). My funds are now extremely tight and from having three bank accounts and several credit cards, I now have one account and two cards which I will soon replace with ATM or Debit cards to prevent improper spending.

Stellagama Publishing, along with my wife Einat, were my anchors in these turbulent waters. However, handling major medical and financial stress took its toll from my writing and publishing work. I had several projects slated for 2026, and only a very few came to fruition (such as Pocket Barbarian). Now that the hardship is (hopefully) subsiding, I want to return to full work on Stellagama Publishing with its wonderful team and many titles.

There are three main considerations here. First, I need to curtail spending to a bare minimum, which is paying royalties to partners and paying for an Adobe Stock subscription for affordable (only human-made) stock art. Second, I want to maintain Stellagama's identity despite recent years' changes in the small-press TTRPG market.  Third, I want to further dedicate our work to our customers and to the TTRPG community at large.

Thus, I have made the following decisions.

1. We will use color art (mainly human-made stock art) for book covers, and use exclusively black-and white art for book interiors. We will not use any AI art or text whatsoever (we never did!). We will use as much public-domain art as possible, as well as strategically-placed (human) stock art. We will not delve into "ArtPunk" directions of excessive (and expensive) art.
2. We will focus on PDF titles, which constitute the majority of our sales. Other than major-line core books, we will not publish print titles. When offering print, we will offer black-and-white softcovers for maximum affordability for our customers.
3. We will use Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) as much as possible, mainly for ethical reasons. I am using Linux (the distribution is Fedora KDE) on my main desktop computer and work laptop. We will do my writing on LibreOffice and much of our layout work in LibreOffice and Scribus.
4. We will continue to focus on the readability of our products. In technical terms, this means using the Atkinson Hyperlegible Next font, size 12 points, black text on a white background, for all body text and tables. This also means clearly separating art from text. We will be moving thicker books to A4 format, as it is easier to keep open on the table than the A5 format we used extensively in the past.
5. We will continue our commitment to the OSR and Cepheus communities. While I occasionally publish "Community Content" booklets for Traveller, almost of Stellagama Publishing's work would stay staunchly loyal to OSR and Cepheus titles and aesthetics.
6. We will reduce our book prices, for the benefit of our community and that of our loyal customers. In the past, we significantly increased our prices due to inflation, but I have reconsidered this and think gaming PDFs should be affordable. This will also be permitting our customers to enjoy our frugal art budget: we save money, and so you do! Today, we have cut the prices of many (though not all) of our titles across the board! Print prices will be somewhat higher due to the print cost itself, though our publisher margin will remain $10 or lower. Expect a major drop in prices HERE AND NOW, especially in print title prices!
7. We will redo the layout of some of our books following customer feedback. This will include, inter alia, a new B&W layout for Cepheus Deluxe, an A4 layout for The Sword of Cepheus, and a new Cepheus Deluxe version of The Space Patrol.

The Stellagama Publishing Vision and Brand Identity

1. We are proud members of the TTRPG community in general, and the Cepheus and OSR communities in particular. We publish TTRPG books for our community and fellow hobbyists who enjoy tabletop gaming.
2. Our games are intended for actual play around a table (physical or virtual). We consider gameplay and playability our top priorities.
3. Our games should be as useful as possible at the table. We insist on readability as an overriding visual design principle.
4. We believe in accessible and affordable games. Our prices are very reasonable. We believe charging a high price for a PDF misses the point of a hobby game and turns away many people in our community.
5. We believe in a clean, old-school aesthetic. We avoid excessive visual "noise" or expensive art. Older public-domain art is part of our product identity, as are readable black-and-white books with reasonable fonts.
6. We believe in quality editing. Our editors have no sacred cows and should criticize manuscripts irreverently and sharply.
7. We believe in old-school sensibilities and proven mechanics over flashy or overly-experimental game systems.
8. We provide excellent and responsive customer service to our communities.
9. At the end of the day, we write and publish the games we always wanted to play as kids, adolescents, and young adults. We believe in the sense of wonder, enjoyable play, and a welcoming gaming environment.

Together, with hard work and dedication, we will publish the best TTRPG books we can for the benefit and joy of our communities and customers!

The Competent Traveller

 I have written much about Classic Traveller skills in the past decade. However, a recent discussion on the Traveller Discord server took me back to this subject again. Not only discussing skills, but also raising the point that Travellers are competent, even regardless of formal skills. That is, a Traveller character should be able to do anything a competent interstellar adventurer would logically be able to do, even if it is not explicitly indicated on their character sheet.

This was typical to older TTRPGs. A good example of this comes from pre-2000 Dungeons & Dragons, like the Basic/Expert (B/X) and AD&D 2E I played in my youth (in the 1990s). While AD&D 2E had proficiencies, they were never construed (at least by people I played with) to be comprehensive abilities but rather interesting extra stuff the character could do. Other than explicit thief skills, we assumed a character can attempt, and often succeed at, anything logical for an adventurer to be able to do. Given surprise rules, a fighter or magic-user could definitely sneak; the thief simply gets an extra percentile roll to avoid detection even when not achieving surprise. A fighter or magic user can role-play to convince (or decieve!) NPCs to do their bidding, with risky attempts requiring a reaction roll at most. Everyone could climb reasonable walls; the theif can climb quite unreasonable ones as well! Outside of combat and spellcasting, much of the game was a relatively open conversation between the Dungeon Master and the players, always held under the assumption that characters are competent.

A starting Traveller character is at least as competent as a low-level D&D fighter: even at the formal level the Traveller can use any common weapon, drive vehicles, direct fire, perform various hospitality tasks, and use vacc suits without penalty (as per Book 1 rules - noted as "zero-level skills"). They can wear almost any armor and, with high STR and/or DEX, get much better bonuses to attack throws that a typical D&D character, even one with high ability scores! And that's just the "dry" rules - it was, and is, assumed that a Traveller can attempt anything logical for a character of their career background and characteristics to try!

Stealth? In risky situations, use the Surprise rules (Book 1). Skills can help, but are not mandatory. A military backgroudn helps. Persuation outside of specific contexts (as covered by the Admin or Streetwise skills)? Just role-play the conversaion, and if initial impressions may lead to danger, use the Reactions rules (Book 3). Again, military experience (in this case, long service) helps - and under the Book 3 rules, skills do not grant DMs for reaction!

And these are only two examples. You can solve riddles (by "player skill"), understand complex situations, recall general knowledge and education (at most, roll 2d6 under your EDU characteristic, but usually general knowledge is automatic); you can climb and jump as a competent adult; you can do a whole lot of things! Do not let your character sheet restrict you. See it as a springing board, not a comprehensive list of what your character can do.

Add skills to that. A skill is a vocation, and Skill-1 is sufficient to be employable. Skill-3 is a profession - such as a physician or proper engineer. You gain 2 skills in your initial career term, as per Book 1. You are a competent and employable character even if you are a 22-years-old freshly dischaged veteran. But skills are not everything your character is - you can do a whole lot of things by simply being a competent adult (usually) with a military background - try anything which seems logical to you and the Referee!

Simpler Living

Faced with a cluttered home, overwork, and financial insecurity, I have decide to simplify my life and drastically cut my expenses. This has a simple monetary component, namely cutting back on my cost of living to get out of debt and eventually reduce work. This also has a philosophical component, namely minimalism and reducing the effects of consumerism on my life. This will also affect my gaming expenditures and purchases, but fear not: Stellagama Publishing will only benefit from this.

I have already found 10 or so unused electronics in my (home) office, as well as over 50 books I have no interest in. I also discovered I have several sci-fi and fantasy literary gems I forgot I bought, and I intend to read them (I'll get to that in a moment). The excess electronics are being donated, as are the books I do not intend to read. I am now in the process of decluttering my wardrobe as well, getting rid of all stained clothes and clothes I do not really intend to wear. Anything stained goes to recycling, anything in good shape gets donated. Extra and unused kitchenware is next.

I have cut $400 (!!!) on monthly average in subscriptions, mostly unused and forgotten, including YouTube Premium (I have FreeTube for ad-free and algorithm-free YouTube), D&D Beyond, Roll20, and many more.

I am also cutting back consumption. Consumerism is a major issue most of us face. I intend to act as follows:

1. Before buying anything, I'll ask myself: do I really need it now (as in, within the next week or month)? If not, I won't buy it.
2. I'll plan my  meals ahead. I'll buy groceries exactly as I need for the next week. I will not fall for sales. My home is not a warehouse.
3. If possible, I won't buy clothes, shoes, electrical appliances, etc. until the old ones need replacement.
4. I won't fall for brands. I'll buy what I need, not what other people will be impressed by. For examle, my communication needs can be easily satisfied by a $200 phone. No need for a $1,000 one.
5. I will try not to buy online. Going to a physical store takes time and effort, and thus drastically reduces impulse purchases. Especially I intend to avoid buying from social media/search engine ads and promoted content!

In regard to video gaming - I noticed my video gaming declined from about 3 hours a day a decade ago to 1 hour every 3 or so days currently. I have enough indie and old games to play for severall lifetimes. Therefore, my next desktop computer will be a $400-$500 machine running Linux (which is much lighter than Windows in terms of system resource usage) and games with lower requirements. I no longer need a $2,000 desktop PC.

Regarding TTRPGs - I have several hundreds of PDFs and dozens of print books. I have no intention to buy further ones or back Kickstarters, other than books and Kickstarters by friends (such as Zozer Games). Once again, I have enough for several lifetimes!

The next part of my plan is cutting screen time. Especially on Shabbat and in evenings. Instead, I'll read books in bed and play solo TTRPGs - with pencil, paper, and physical books (I have enough of those), - at my dining table. Better on the eyes, and I have sadly neglected reading for several years.

As for Stellagama Publishing - I am working full speed ahead on it! I'm cutting back on custom art, and will mostly use stock art (Adobe Stock is about $30 a month and has great stuff) and public-domain art (which is even better). Expect lower prices on upcoming Stellagama books thanks to near-zero art costs!

Migrating the Dark Nebula to the Galaxiad

I am thinking about migrating my Dark Nebula variant-OTU setting to the Galaxiad milieu of the Official Traveller Universe. This would be a refreshing change, as well as a good setting with a wide-open future. Playing in the Far Far Future of the Galaxiad is liberating - I get a narrative license utilize any part of the vast OTU Canon while ignoring other parts. For example, I can easily tell players that the Dark Nebula boardgame map is the actual map and that the Dark Nebula subsector maps from Travellermap are inaccurate Antediluvian maps! (I can do this in any milieu, of course, but it's extra easy in the Galaxiad).

It is 1901 Old Imperial, known locally as 411 Postdiluvial. (PD 411).

You see, the local collective term for the various catastrophes surrounding "The Collapse" is the Deluge. 

The Deluge started on 1116 Old Imperial and ended with the passing of the Wave through Aslan space in 1489 Old Imperial.

So, three historical eras in Dark Nebula historiography and public discourse:

• Antediluvian Era, up to 1115 Old Imperial
• Deluge, 1116-1489 Old Imperial (Diluvial Years 1-273)
• Postdiluvian Era, 1489 Old Imperial and on (Postdiluvian Year 1 and on).

Solomani refugees came in the late Diluvial years, once the Wave passed the Dark Nebula and was still crossing Aslan space. They settled on abandoned, dead, or mostly-depopulated Aslan worlds. This gives us several human worlds in the region, who are now in conflict with the resurgent Aslan.

Max local TL in the Dark Nebula region is TL11. Anything higher is either an Antediluvian artifact or a rare import.

(Map by Gavin Dady, under my commission)

Working on Sorcerous Nomad

Art by Edna www.fotosearch.com

One of my main current projects is Sorcerous Nomad. This is a new fantasy TTRPG ruleset based on my Faster Than Light: Nomad sci-fi rules and fully compatible with them. It is slated for a mid-late 2026 release and should be available both in PDF format and A4 softcover print format.

What is it all about?

• Streamlined 2d6 core mechanic with "dice pool" components, just like FTL: Nomad. You roll a bunch of dice, and choose the lowest or highest two, then add them together and add the skill modifier. 8+ is a success.

• Fast but deeply customizable classless, level-less character generation. Distribute 5 points among 8 skills (3 points max in any single skill), choose an Archetype, choose a Talent and optionally a Species, and gain a starting equipment package based on your Archetype. That's it. But this means that an extremely wide range of combinations are possible!

• Streamlined combat, with only 4 "range bands"; a "FRENZY!" mechanic for multiple attacks if you "drop" an enemy; and a simple wound system for minimal book-keeping.

• Parrying rules for dynamic combat. Parry and riposte your enemies' attacks with a swingy dice roll! (look HERE for their predecessor).

• Optional Hero Points, to make your heroes more heroic and survivable - and your villains more villainous and recurring!

• All the sword & sorcery gear you need, from swords to longships!

• Long-term character advancement. Develop your character's Skills and Talents as they adventure - or (optionally) as they loot wondrous treasures!

• Intuitive but risky skill-based magic. Compared to The Sword of Cepheus, magic is safer and faster to cast in this system, though dangerous mishaps can still occur, and Dark Magic can corrupt its user as in folklore and classic sword & sorcery tales.

• Nautical exploration, travel, and combat rules! Shiver me timbers! Pirate-loving players: rejoice!

• Faction rules, inspired by the ones presented in the Faster Than Light Companion! The Referee can easily manage multiple factions and conspiracies in the campaign area - and the PCs can establish their own factions from thieves' guilds to fiefs!

• 100 fearsome monsters! From dragons and grand apes to things from the Outer Dark!

• Procedural fantasy monster generation rules, to create the next eldritch horror with a few die rolls. All included monsters could be created by these rules - and you can create legions of terrors yourself to surprise your players!

• Social and monster encounter generation rules, to easily vary the NPCs your players meet!

• At least 72 original magical artifacts. No more generic +1 Swords!

• 100% compatible with Faster Than Light: Nomad! Arm your barbarians with lasers and have your hapless spacers face sorcerous cults and arcane monstrosities!

• Reference document released under a Creative Commons license, available for download in an editable file for anyone who purchases Sorcerous Nomad! No OGL!

My Little Slice of the OTU

I think I found my new favorite Official Traveller Universe (OTU) "milieu": the Galaxiad. Situated in 1902 Imperial (the 7th millennium CE!) and related to Traveller5, it presents a "pastoral" era when most big empires of the Golden Age are gone, replaced by more independent worlds and pockets of civilization within the Wilds.

Practically, the Galaxiad permits me to use almost any part of the wonderful OTU canon while ignoring other bits as I desire - a canvas I can paint a painting of my own doing on while using existing and beloved colors.

The chosen region is the Solomani Rim - specifically the Sol and Dingir subsectors. These present a rich history and vast archives of older material, all while being "virgin ground" not yet officially described in the 1902 Imperial milieu.

In my head canon, the residents of the Solomani Rim name the entire period from the Rebellion up to the recovery from the Wave - the "Deluge". The Classic Era and preceding times are "Antediluvian". This works similarly to how the term "Medieval" works in our real world: most people refer to entire centuries-long historical eras by cliche and a very rough idea of what happened in these times. Only historians and history enthusiasts (EDU 10+ and/or a skill in history) would be able to clearly and accurately recount the history of the Rebellion, Virus, recovery, Wave, and second and third recoveries.

In my version of the Galaxiad-era Rim, the (new) Solomani Confederation, as presented in the Galaxiad booklet and as known in far-away Deneb, collapsed after Terra's ecosystem collapsed. It has two successor states in the Solomani Rim Sector and one in the Coreward part of Aldebaran, plus the upstart Solar Union (Terra's resurgence) and the Vegan Polity.

Local Polities and "Strong Worlds"

Solar Union (SU) - Terra and other Sol System worlds unified under one government, which clawed its way back to the stars after eco-collapse. Hungry for relic tech to help reterraform Terra and finally terraform Mars. Aggressive and heavy handed in politics, but its citizens enjoy relative freedom (Terra is GOV C, LL 7). In a cold war with the ISC. Viewed by the ISC and SCEA as a bunch of desert bandit usurpers.

Imperial Solomani Confederation (ISC) - Dingir subsector. Neither imperial, nor Solomani, and definitely nor a confederation. A militarist bureaucracy with strong Vilani cultural elements which evolved from the old SC's navy on Dingir. In a cold war with the Solar Union and the Vegan Polity.

Vegan Polity - finally free from human domination. Decentralized as typical of Vegans. Is in a cold war with both the ISC and SCEA; the SU is trying to gain diplomatic inroads with it.

Solomani Confederation Emergency Administration (SCEA) - Concord subsector. Has a legitimate claim for continuity of government from the old SC. On paper, claims the entire space of the old (1800's Imperial) SC, in reality controls a bit over half a subsector. In a cold war with the Vegan Polity.

Surveyors from the Republic of Regina reached SCEA in the late 1800s Imperial, were shown 14-subsector star-maps, which were two centuries out of date, and heard complaints about rebels, piracy, and communication issues. They returned to Regina and reported a 14-subsector Solomani Confederation with various issues. In reality, such polity exists only on paper - for a century or so.

My house rules for world generation in the Pastoral Era/Galaxiad:

1. With the exception noted below, worlds retain their Golden Era physical characteristics.
2. For each garden world (Atmospheres 5, 6, and 8), roll 2D; on 9+, environmental damage occurred. In such case, roll 2D; on 2-8, the atmosphere is Tainted; on 9, it is Vacuum (i.e., the atmosphere was stripped by powerful weapons); on 10-11, it is Corrosive; on 12, it is Insidious (Corrosive and Insidious here usually mean intense radiation or bio-contamination from past bombardment by nuclear, bioweapon, or similar WMDs, which was so extreme that radiation or bio-contamination remains severe even after 700 years).
3. Roll population as normal for habitable worlds (Atmospheres 4-9); roll 1d6-1 for unhabitable worlds within polities, 1d6-2 outside of them. DM-1 in both cases if Corrosive or Insidious atmospheres are present.
4. If a world's TL is too low to support habitation, population is zero. The minimal TL for Tainted atmospheres is TL5; for Vacuum or Exotic atmospheres, TL7; for Corrosive or Insidious, TL10.
5. In the Solomani Rim, present TL is capped at 11. Antediluvian (i.e., pre-Virus) relics may reach TL16 or beyond, and are highly coveted.
6. With a weak interstellar economy, worlds must produce spacecraft parts on their own, which severely limits production capacities. Starport B can occur only on worlds with POP 7+, and Starport A only with POP 8+. If the Population is lower, downgrade any rolled A or B starport to C.

[Lore 25] Full Ishtar and Apep Sectors Map WIP #3

I made even further progress with my Lore25 challenge maps: a full Referee's map including Drill routes, and a Players' map with only the commonly-known stars and routes noted. On the Referee's map, the dashed lines are well-known Drill routes, while the dotted lines are forgotten and/or secret ones.

Referee's Map

Players' Map

[Lore 25] Full Ishtar and Apep Sectors Map WIP

I have progressed further in developing my Lore25 starmap for the Ishtar and Apep sectors. Now with all polities, borders, and world names marked. Note that worlds that already had Sobek(reptilian aliens) names were given the names of male Egyptian gods by Humans who did not wish to pronounce complex Sobek words. Most worlds which were unexplored by Sobek so far were given the names of Canaanite deities. The main exceptions are the nameless worlds of the Anomaly, as well as the new world names of the Liberated Worlds, Sde Prachim (formerly Laana - "Wormwood" or "Bitter Grass") and Tkuma (formerly Ba'al).

There is a good balance between polities (with their intrigue and conflicts) and independent (and sometime lost) worlds with their weirder features.

[Lore25] Ishtar and Apep Sector Maps WIP #1

I have been dedicating the first week of the Lore25 challenge to drafting the star maps of the adjacent Ishtar and Apep Sectors into a simple, easily printable, B&W map. As this is SWN and not Traveller, the map is much simpler, simply showing dots, names, borders, and Drill routes across space rather than all the world, base, and starport types shown on a typical Traveller map.

This is the first work-in-progress of the map, showing world locations, a few major world names, and the borders of the Anomaly.

Next would be naming all worlds and designing jump routes, and finally creating a player's map where worlds without official jump routes are not shown.

Next Year's Challenge: Lore25!

Similar to my abortive attempt at the Sector23 Challenge two years ago, I wish now to undertake a new yearly challenge, hopefully to bring to completion this time! Something nice to spice up my time and get my creative world-building juices flowing.

2025's challenge, as suggested by Discord friends, will be Lore25. The challenge, as the name implies, is a world-building challenge focused on setting lore rather than mechanics; develop a setting out of whole cloth with a year's worth of lore. 1-3 paragraphs a day (365-1095 paragraphs by December 31st, 2025! At 100 or so words per paragraph, that's 36,500 to 109,500 words total!

This time I will write up a setting for Kevin Crawford's excellent Stars Without Number: Revised Edition (SWN:RE). I will keep my setting vaguely compatible with the default one presented in the SWN:RE core book, but will - of course! - strictly respect the author's intellectual property; other than very vague references to a Deluge toppling a vast Terran State, and similar points permitting such compatibility, the lore written in this setting shall be my own. The focus will be on local lore and events anyway, but the two Sectors (about the size of two Traveller Subsectors) will be easy to drop into any SWN game.

Below is the challenge's plan:

January 2025 - Universe Foundation. Starmap, system names, polities overview, species overview, cultural overview, history outline (in a 5-pagaraph style: Forgotten History, Ancient History, Classic History, Modern History, Recent Events).

February 2025 - Philosophy and Culture. Philosophies, religions, cultures, cults. Including the Sobek (agamid-reptile aliens!) sun-worshiping religion! One idea per day.

March 2025 - Astrography. Flesh the worlds; there are going to be 50 of them. So, 2 worlds a day on average. Typical SWN world description table/paragraph.

April 2025 - Technology. Beyond the SWN:RE standard, I shall endeavor to write one unique technology or technological artifact per day.

May 2025 - Characters and NPCs. One unique important NPC per day. Not necessarily with stats, as most are various leaders and groundbreaking scientists, but at least a paragraph each.

June 2025 - Factions. SWN:RE is excellent at this, and I will try to create 2-3 factions per week for 8-12 total SWN:RE-type factions with full stats and agendas.

July 2025 - Wars! The big Human-Sobek conflict, as well as smaller ones. Potentially one week to write 7 paragraphs for the Human-Sobek conflict, then 1 small conflict per day.

August 2025 - Creatures and Species. Sentient alien stats and character generation (Sobek and potentially others), plus various non-sentient critters. These are easy to create in SWN:RE.

September 2025 - Economy and Trade. One paragraph about economics per day Potentially adding trade data from SWN: Suns of Gold to each world if time and energy permit.

October 2025 - Myths and Legends. One spacers' legend per day. Such as the lost planet of Carcosa, and whatever is going on within the Anomaly.

November 2025 - Adventure Hooks. One per day. SWN:RE has excellent tools for that based on the worlds I'll create in March.

December 2025 - Review and Polishing. Editing the setting lore into one cohesive document. Who knows, it might even get published in 2026!

Solo Shadowdark Barrowmaze Post #0

I decided I wanted to play a solo campaign in Barrowmaze, using Shadowdark with its free SoloDark supplement. This would be a "tabletop Roguelike" of sorts, combining crawling using all the aforementioned rules with some storytelling and me "filling in the gaps". A primary source of inspiration would be the Darkest Dungeon video game, a game which is very much in the same vein as both Shadowdark and Barrowmaze.

I will post my progress on this blog.

The setup will initially be simple: adventurers gather in the boomtown of Helix, eager to plumb the depths of the nearby Barrowmaze megadungeon. But death lurks aplenty under the old barrow mounds, and even among them on the moor's surface. Characters will begin simple and develop with time. A major random and procedural element will also shape their adventures, sticking strict usage of all the random tables and procedures in both Barrowmaze, Shadowdark, and SoloDark.

Character Creation

I will begin by generating the first four characters using Shadowdark. I will avoid using Shadowdarklings to get a better "feel" for my characters, which automated generation sometimes provides less of.

I will be using the Shadowdark core rules, Cursed Scroll #1, and my own Reptilian Ancestries as character generation sources.

All characters are generated by 3d6 six times in order.

As the adventures progress and characters die or are wounded, I will generate more characters for my "stable". Maybe even regardless of PC losses... Providing a dynamic party.

Variant Random Ancestry Table

As I use non-Core material, I'd like to change the Random Ancestry Table, Shadowdark p.40.

Roll is changed from 1d12 to 1d20:

d20   Ancestry

1-6   Human

7-9   Elf

10-12 Dwarf

13-14 Half Orc

15-16 Goblin

17-18 Lizardman (Reptilian Ancestry)

19    Gecko-Kin (Reptilian Ancestry)

20    Serpent-Kin (Reptilian Ancestry)

Draconians are not included yet.

Variant Random Class Table

As I use non-Core material, I'd like to change the Random Class Table, Shadowdark p.40.

Roll is changed from 1d4 to 1d8:

1-2 Fighter

3   Priest

4   Thief

5   Wizard

6   Warlock

7   Witch 

8   Knight of St. Ydris

The First Four

Let's roll.

Character #1 - Axidor the Acolyte of St. Terragnis (Male Elf)

STR 10 DEX 7 CON 13 INT 10 WIS 12 CHA 11

(Final stats STR 10 DEX 7 CON 13 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 11)

Quite average, isn't he? Tough and a bit wise, but nothing remarkable.

Ancestry: Elf; Racial Talent: Farsight (+1 to attack with ranged weapons; +1 to spellcasting checks).

Class: Priest.

Sex: Male.

Name: Axidor.

Alignment: Lawful.

Title: Acolyte.

Class Talent: +2 to STR or WIS! Obviously chose WIS!

Deity: St. Terragnis. A Lawful human deity! Why would an Elf worship her? An interesting story hook!

Background: Noble! And not a decadent one, as evidenced by his CON score. Probably Axidor left his home for a monastery - potentially due to a revelation? - to hone his spirit, and endured the usual hardship there.

To-Hit (Melee): +0 (Mace 1d6); To-Hit (Ranged): -1 (+1 Elf; -2 DEX 7); HP 5; AC 9 (Leather Armor and bad DEX).

Languages: Common, Elven, and Celestial.

Class Abilities: Turn Undead (see spells); Spellcasting (based on WIS; 2 Tier-1 spells).

Priest Spells: Turn Undead, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil.

Gear: 9/10 slots: Crawling Kit, Mace (1d6), Leather Armor (AC 9 due to DEX), 5gp.

Motivation: Ascend Anger. Maybe ascend to St. Terargnis' heaven by proving his holy zeal?

So, we have a tough and wise, but clumsy, Elven (former?) Noble. He is no healer but an expert in protecting himself and others from the forces of Chaos! And fighting Chaos with holy wrath!

Character #2 - Broken-Claw the Thug (Female Lizard-Kin)

STR 12 DEX 14 CON 5 INT 11 WIS 12 CHA 5

Fast! But weak and uncouth. Probably sickly from birth. I've decided that her low Charisma comes from the loathsome god she follows, and her murderous streak, rather from ugliness.

Ancestry: Lizardman! Racial Talent: Swims as fast as a human walks; can hold his breath for 1 hour.

Class: Thief.

Sex:Female.

Name: Broken-Claw.

Alignment: Chaotic! Beware of conflict with Axidor!

Title:  Thug.

Class Talent:+1 Backstab damage!

Deity: Ramlaat.

Background: Banished! Suitable of a Thug! She probably murdered someone important!

To-Hit (Melee): +1 (Dagger, 1d4); To-Hit (Ranged): +2 (Shortbow; 1d6) HP 1; AC 13 (Leather Armor and high DEX).

Languages: Common, Reptilian.

Class Abilities: Backstab (+1 weapon die vs. unaware target, +2/+3 to hit); Advantage on Climbing, Stealth, Disguise, Traps, and Picking Pockets/Locks).

Gear: 10/12 slots: Crawling Kit, Thief Tools (no slot requires); Shortbow, Dagger, 4gp.

Motivation: Blood and souls for Ramlaat!

In short: a Chaos cultist of the worst kind! Probably hiding her true nature behind a "neutral" facade, but doing it badly, with venomous remarks about various matters (low Charisma!).

Character #3 - Mirena the Shaman (Female Human)

STR 7 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 9 (-1) INT 5 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 14 (+2)

(Final stats: STR 7 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 9 (-1) INT 5 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 18 (+4))

Weak, Stupid, but fast and charming!

Ancestry: Human (1 extra Class Talent)

Class: Witch.

Sex: Female.

Name: Mirena.

Alignment: Neutral.

Title:  Shaman.

Class Talents: +2 to Charisma twice!

Deity: Gede.

Background: Drawn. Whispered to by a yet unknown entity!

To-Hit (Melee): -2 (Staff, 1d4); To-Hit (Ranged): +2; HP 2 ; AC 13 (Leather Armor and high DEX).

Languages: Common; Diabolic; Primordial; Sylvan.

Class Abilities: Familiar; Witch Spells (3 known)

Witch Spells: Charm Person; Oak, Ash, Thorn; Willowman.

Familiar: A Raven called "Talon".

Gear: 9/10: Crawling Kit, Staff (1d4); Leather Armor.

Motivation: Revoke Order. Maybe smash the local civilized government and call forth the Natural side of things?

In short, a wild shaman, strong in the way of spirits and very charming, yet base - even at near-animal level - in her intellect.

Character #4 - Malchor the Squire (Male Human)

STR 13 (+1) DEX 10 (+0) CON 15 (+2) INT 9 (-1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)

We got ourselves a Fighter!

Ancestry: Human (1 extra Class Talent).

Class:Fighter.

Sex: Male.

Name: Malchor.

Alignment: Lawful.

Title:  Squire.

Class Talents: +1 to all attacks twice!

Deity: St. Terragnis (again! Probably sees himself as Axidor's protector)

Background: Sailor! A bold mariner!

To-Hit (Melee): +4 (STR and Talents and Mastery; Longsword, 1d8); To-Hit (Ranged): +2 (Talents; Javelin 1d4); HP 10 ; AC 11 (Leather Armor).

Languages: Common.

Class Abilities: Hauler; +1 to attack and damage with Longswords; Grit (Advantage on throws to overcome an opposing force).

Gear: 10/15: Crawling Kit, Longsword (1d8); Javelin (1d4); Leather Armor.

Motivation: Reverse Dark. Fight back the Darkness emanating from Barrowmaze?

In short, a stout squire! Strongest character in the party, with best chances of surviving their first adventure.

Party Overview

So, we have a Priest and his loyal Squire, both sworn to fight against Darkness, and two hanger-ons (?): an "adventurer" (Thug) trying badly to conceal her true nature, and a wild Shaman. All ready to seek treasure in Barrowmaze! The two hanger-ons were probably recruited at the "Brazen Strumpet" tavern in Helix for added skills and sorcery - well-known to be a prerequisite for survival in Barrowmaze!

Of course, inner-party conflict is likely to rear its ugly head soon...

[Review] XBoat Special Supplement 2: Galaxiad Gaming Kit

 

I have recently bought and read XBoat Special Supplement 2: Galaxiad Gaming Kit, published in March 2024 by Robert Eaglestone, a licensed - and canonical - milieu of the Official Traveller Universe (OTU), noting Marc Miller himself as an advisor and source in the book's credits. Below, I will review this excellent booklet in detail.

TL;DR: an excellent version of the OTU, unifying the various timelines and presenting vast opportunities for adventuring. I gave it a score of 5 out of 5!

This is a 82-page PDF, as far as I can tell without a print version. It is officially intended for Traveller 5th Edition, but contains relatively little rules material, permitting it to be easily used with any Traveller edition your group desires. Much of the booklet is setting information, with some minor Traveller 5 rule elements regarding some equipment and certain antagonists. There are some star-maps, naturally situated in the Spinward Marches, and a few world descriptions with UWP strings - which are identical or near-identical in most Traveller editions.

This milieu is set in the Far Far Future - the year 1902 Imperial. The New Era and even Traveller: New Era: 1248 are long gone. Known Space was ravaged by the AI Virus, and a few centuries afterwards by the Empress Wave (see below), but that was 500 years ago. I find this double apocalypse strangely convenient to the Referee. As many records were lost due to the AI Virus, and as most polities collapsed several times in the past, the Referee has canonical justification to use any OTU material they like, while ignoring most OTU material they dislike.

This milieu is described as "Pastoral", that is, a less technological era centered on garden-worlds, often isolated and usually agricultural in nature. There are no big empires around, and no universe-shattering events way above the typical PC level. The largest polity around is 14 subsectors in size - less than a sector! Most other polities are a very few subsectors in total each. A very manageable scale. Which I greatly appreciate: this brings things down to player character level. No more multi-sector empires fielding 100,000-ton battleships: much action here revolves around "Adventure Class" spacecraft, isolated worlds, pocket empires, and generally: locations and matters supporting player character escapades. All while letting you to easily use much existing OTU material, of which there is a vast wealth.

The Introduction chapter presents the setting's general outlook and feel, as I have outlined above: pastoralism, relative isolation, the small scale of things.

After the introduction comes the History chapter. It avoids repeating the standard OTU history leading up to the Virus, and starts with the Virus itself. It also mentions variants of this timeline, such as the Virus appearing later; or the Empress Wave having delayed effects, as suggested for those using the TNE: 1248 milieu as background. After briefly discussing the Virus and the Wave, the rest of the history chapter focuses on the Spinward Marches and their environs, such as Antares blowing up and a war in the Foreven sector. I appreciate the fact that this history is kept short, being 4 pages in total including flavor text, avoiding infodumps and long walls of text as many sci-fi authors are tempted to write in such cases.

The next chapter discusses the (Empress) Wave. This chapter starts with flavor text describing the effects of the Wave on an alien world far to the Coreward of the old Imperium. The Wave, for the uninitiated, is a phenomenon introduced in Traveller: New Era, which is a psionic (?) emanation from the Galactic core, travelling at a speed of one parsec per year. It had several versions in Traveller along the years, ranging from mild to disastrous. Here, a disastrous version is presented: it kills approx. 50% of a world's population (and part of the biosphere), mainly children and much less so adults. This overwhelms services and systems of governance, leading to chaos and potential socio-political collapse. Interestingly, this booklet presents actual (Traveller 5) rules for the Wave's effect on worlds, despite this being distant history in this setting.

Afterwards, comes a chapter detailing Charted Space in the Galaxiad era. It covers several OTU regions, including the Aslan (who were hit particularly hard by the twin apocalypses of Virus and Wave); the Vilani (now split into multiple pocket empires); Vargr space (which recovered quickly and is as fragmented as ever); the old Domain of Deneb (which was spared the brunt of the Virus and the Wave but is now corsair hunting ground); Foreven (a "bad place" with rumors of ultratech worlds); Hiver space (fragmented and split between multiple Hiver enclaves); K'Kree space (split into multiple warring K'Kree states); and Zhodani space (mostly Wilds by now).

It is noted (p.28) that The main difference in 1902 compared to 1105 is the Wilderness – the absence of large interstellar empires. This leads to the next chapter - What to Expect in the Wilderness. This has a description of a new Jumpspace phenomenon (Tangles - regions where ships are pulled out of Jump with unexpected results). It further details the dangers of Wilds travel, with piracy, raiding, and xenophobic worlds abounding. Here a few Traveller 5 rules are presented for trade and starship design variations, though these are of limited scope. Other aspects of the Wilds are discussed, namely the dangerous Freeports and Gray Markets and the absence of universal currency. Some D+D tables (similar to earlier D66 tables) present interesting variations in the local medium of exchange.

Afterwards come a chapter about the Black Fleets. Strange organic craft, known as the Black Ships, of unknown origin appeared in Known Space, still mysterious. They are filled with fluid and have an internal "immune system" composed of mobile "rods". However, unlike the Babylon 5 Shadows, it is noted that the Black Ships are closer to animals and act on instinct, rather than being organic craft operated by advanced beings (and cyborgs) at their helms.

The next chapter details the Republic of Regina. Established in 1648 Imperial, this is a semi-aristocratic state located in the Spinward Marches. Key worlds are described, alongside the alien species residing within the Republic and a starmap of this polity. The Republic's technology is surprisingly advanced, up to TL17, including Hop Drives capable of traversing 10 parsecs in one jump. The chapter also notes that AIs - descendants of the old Cymbeline chips (Cyms) - are also common in this region and are granted full citizenship.

Two Patron Encounters are also provided, set in the Republic of Regina and involving Vargr corsairs and hunting expeditions.

Then comes a chapter about Campaigning in the Republic of Regina. This is a useful chapter, as should be included in RPG setting books, suggesting adventure hooks for using the setting in actual play. A D+D table is also provided for specific homeworlds in the Republic, as well as Career events particular to it - adding local flavor to the local campaign. A very good idea. 6 character generation examples in this setting are also included - useful as ready-made adventurers to start playing in the Republic of Regina right away!

Another chapter offers a closer look at Technology in the Republic. It has an average Tech Level of 13, with the maximum being TL17 (!) for a true Far Far Future ultratech experience! This chapter also details the aforementioned Hop Drive and rules for its use in Traveller 5. Equipment is then discussed, for Traveller 5 (this is the main rules-specific part of the booklet), with TL16 and TL17 equipment. and ships.

Afterwards, the booklet includes Library Data about the Galaxiad Era, focused on the Republic of Regina. A good addition to any Traveller book - a good in-universe handout to players.

Finally, a short description of the authors and some adverts for further Traveller 5 titles appear.

The bottom line:

5 of 5

A well-written OTU milieu providing much room for the individual Referees to set their game, with sufficient hooks to permit use of the vast wealth of existing OTU material, all while permitting the avoidance of subjects and setting elements the individual Referee dislikes. Also, this milieu is at the players' scale of things, letting the PCs make a difference and avoiding too many events at a much bigger scope.

Get it HERE.

Dark Nebula 2900: Library Data N-Z

Art by Nomad_Soul

Following the Library Data A-M I posted yesterday for my Dark Nebula 2900 setting, here are the N-Z entries.

New Libdis (Kimson’s Stand 0502; formerly A87A9BB-C; currently C87A871-8): once the formal Rule of Man capital of the Dark Nebula Sector, today an irradiated hell. Contact with New Libdis was sporadic at best when travel was still economically viable. The latest official data (dated 2882 CE) indicates economic collapse and widespread internecine warfare, including tactical nuclear combat. There are at least three warlords on New Libdis claiming the title of “Sector Duke”, ruling their own irradiated domains with a handful of remaining TL-B equipment. Later informal data received from independent scouts indicates a certain political stabilization, though radiation levels are still high.

Night, the: the current situation in which interstellar communications and trade routes with Terra and the rest of the Rule of Man have collapsed. Academic consensus places its beginning in the 2740’s CE, but public opinion sees the arrival of the Last Ship from Terra in 2780 as its actual beginning.

Nine Stars Incorporated: the Maadin Confederation’s largest privately-owned corporation, specialized in aerospace and shipping, as well as asteroid mining. In intense competition with the Mizahni Golden Sun megacorporation. Headquartered in the Mechane Belt.

Nugiiri: see Droyne.

Psionics: “powers of the mind” allowing telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation, among other supernatural abilities. While there is no clear evidence of their existence, rumors of them abound, especially connected to conspiracy theories surrounding the Dark Nebula itself. Ziru Sirka records noted Vilani research in this field, which results were ambiguous.

Pyramid Builders: a reportedly extinct alien species who colonized the Dark Nebula Sector around approximately 9,000 BCE. The Pyramid Builders lacked Jump Drive technology and travelled in slower-than-light sleeper and generation ships. The Pyramid Builders were adapted to live in what Humaniti considers to be insidious atmospheres, and “terraformed” several local worlds to suit their preferred environment. An example for such a world is Kamat (Maadin 0705). Their sites usually include pyramids, hence their contemporary name. To the present, no written script or other records of this species were found.

Ramshackle Empire: see Rule of Man.

R.A.T.S: Rage Against the Total State, a controversial dissident powerpunk band from Mechane (Maadin 0703). Anarchistic to the bone, R.A.T.S band members cycle in and out of Confederation jail due to “disturbing the peace”, “disorderly conduct”, and engaging in “sedition”. Their songs bluntly attack the “stuffed shirts” of the Maadin Confederation and its “Totalitarian” culture, calling for “A Storm of Fire” to bring about “Absolute Freedom”. Popular among youth, its music is often blamed for juvenile delinquency and acts of vandalism. 

Rose of Agidda, the: a Type-A2 Far Trader, Imperial Registry Number 42893-7. The last ship bearing news from distant Terra to reach Maadin (Maadin 0702) in 2780. Its arrival, and the horrid tales its crew brought from the dead Rule of Man, heralded the fall of the Night. Common Maadini and Mizahni opinion sees its arrival date as the actual beginning of the Night. The ship now resides in the Grand Confederate Museum on Maadin.

Rule of Man: the imperial successor state of both the Ziru Sirka and the Terran Confederation. Saw the unraveling of the Vilani social and economic system, leading to incredible instability and to its eventual collapse within four centuries. Terran optimism about the superiority of their dynamic economy to Vilani custom turned into despair as the introduction of meritocratic elements and open economics into the Vilani system led to destruction of everything the Vilani meticulously built over millennia. Maadini public opinion and state propaganda see the Rule of Man as a betrayal of the Terran Confederation’s values and blame it for the fall of the Night.

Samueloff, Nadezhda (Force Commander; 2856 to present): the Confederate Military Presidium’s current Chairwoman and member on behalf of the Confederate Marine Corps. A decorated heroine of the Second ihatei War (2882-2885). Chairwoman Samueloff enjoys great popularity among the Confederate population, and leads an aggressive line in interstellar relations, particularly towards Mizah, but also the Aslan.

Scout: a generic term describing various explorers and couriers, whether military, corporate, or independent. In 2555, the Rule of Man rejected a proposal for unifying all official exploratory and courier activity under a single governmental service, leaving this activity distributed between various competing interests.

Scout/Courier (Type-S): a common starship classification dating back to the Ziru Sirka. A 100-ton general-purpose courier ship capable of light exploration activities.

Solomani: humans of Terran descent. “Terrans”. Many of the humans in the Dark Nebula Sector claim Solomani ancestry, which is only partially correct. While many of the colonists who reached the sector came indeed from the old Terran Confederation worlds, the Rule of Man population there was of mixed Solomani and Vilani descent, and so were the colonists reaching Maadin and subsequent colonies. Alongside the Vilani and the Aslan, Solomani consider themselves a “Major Race”.

Solomani Confederation: see Maadin Confederation.

Spinward Frontier: Mizahni sci-fi holodrama set in the far future of the 57th century CE, far to the Coreward from the Dark Nebula. It follows the adventures of Captain Miller and his free-trader crew as they engage in honest trade and less legal shenanigans at the edge of a futuristic New Imperium. Miller’s famous nemesis is the extra-dimensional alien Grandmother, though recurring threats include mind-bending human-aliens, wolfmen from the stars, and an insidiously sentient computer virus. Rebooted twice, Spinward Frontier still retains its enormous fan base. Despite being lambasted by Confederate politicians as “dripping with monarchist drivel”, it enjoys its greatest popularity on Maadin.

Stalker (slang): an opportunistic explorer or looter (depending on who you ask) searching for artifacts on N3 in the Dark Nebula or in other alien (and human!) ruins across the Dark Nebula Sector. Stalkers are reputed to be shady characters and to sometimes use violence to wrest choicy finds out of the hands of their competitors.

Three-Year War: see Mizahni War, 2nd.

Tlasayerlahel: a relatively new Aslan corporation established by the Yerlyaruiho clan in 2788 CE to provide transport services to the clan’s holding in the Aslan Tail. Today (2900 CE) it provides cargo and passenger services to both the Aslan Tail and the Kuzu Subsector, as well as less frequent lines to the Maadin Subsector. As usual with Aslan companies, the clan’s dominant males serve as Tlasayerlahel’s top executives, as well as starship pilots and gunners, while the clan’s females perform administrative and engineering work.

Terra (Terra/Sol 0207; A877A89-C [last known statistics]): also known as Earth; the Solomani homeworld. Apparently, one of the several homeworlds on which Humaniti has evolved. Terra rose to interstellar prominence in the 22nd century, with the Terran Confederation’s conquest of the vastly larger Ziru Sirka but was eventually replaced by Dingir as capital of the Rule of Man. Terra’s status as of 2900 CE is unknown. The above UWP was derived from old Rule of Man records and may vary greatly given the current situation.

Terra Ascendant: Maadinite alt-history holodrama set in a universe where the Ziru Sirka subjugated Terra in 1947 CE. Terra Ascendants takes place in 2258, after a Terran rebellion overthrew the Vilani yoke. It follows the travels of the starship Avenger and her daring captain Faith León. Currently (2900 CE) in its 10th season, this holodrama is hugely popular both within the Confederation and outside it - and even in Aslan space. Much to the dismay of Mizahni authorities, this show, with its Confederate propaganda undertones, is incredibly popular on Mizah as well.

Terran Confederation: the old Terran state founded in the early 22nd century CE out of the old United Nations in face of the Vilani threat. A republic in essence, the dynamic nature of the Confederation and its aggressive nature led to its eventual victory over the Ziru Sirka, despite the latter’s massive strength on paper. Eventually replaced by the imperial Rule of Man. Maadini public opinion, as well as propaganda, sees the Terran Confederation as the glorious “Golden Age” of interstellar humanity - and its replacement by the Rule of Man as a betrayal of all it stood for.

Tua-Tong Incorporated: a Mizahni megacorporation specializing in agritech, competing with HexaCorp in the field of biotechnology. It is Mizah’s largest food manufacturer - where it enjoys a vertical monopoly from mechanized farms to processing plants to grocery stores and restaurants.

Vilani: humans who originated from Vland. The Vilani ruled the vast Ziru Sirka for millennia, only to be conquered by the young Terran Confederation in the 24th century CE. Vilani culture emphasizes tradition and stability, often at the expense of technological progress. Viliani society is bureaucratic, stratified, and quite collectivist. Vilani technological designs are rarely innovative - indeed, most were in service for centuries - but are highly reliable. Many humans in the Dark Nebula sector are of mixed Solomani-Vilani descent. Alongside the Solomani and the Aslan, Vilani consider themselves a “Major Race”.

Visitors: an urban legend about mysterious aliens residing deep in the Dark Nebula, emerging from it abduct victims from human worlds for unknown ends. These rumors resemble the old, pre-starflight Terran legend about “Gray Aliens”. That type of legend was, of course, proven to be mostly or completely false once the Terrans encountered the Ziru Sirka and the Vegans.

Vland (Vland/Vland 0307; A967A9A-C [last known statistics]): Vilani homeworld and the old Ziru Sirka’s capital. One of the several proposed human homeworlds. Vland reached spaceflight millennia prior to Terra and built the vast Ziru Sirka around it. Eventually replaced by Terra and then Dingir as capital of the Rule of Man. Vland’s status as of 2900 CE is unknown. The above UWP was derived from old Rule of Man records and may vary greatly given the current situation.

Unit #72: a Rule of Man research unit established 2712 CE. Appropriating billions of desperately needed funds, the unit chose five stars within the previously unexplored Dark Nebula itself as their base. There, they tried to develop technologies which will - so they claimed - save the ailing Rule of Man from its inevitable collapse: artificial intelligence, cybernetics, genetic engineering, and, especially, new technologies for interstellar travel and, theoretically speaking, faster than light communication.

United Miners of Salia (UMS): illegal union of miners on Salia (Maadin, 0205), fighting for better pay and better safety measures in the dangerous mines controlled by the Mizahni HexaCorp. The latter is notorious for its strict security measures, low pay, and lax safety regulations, leading to mining accidents. Following a violent crackdown by corporate security during the failed strike of 2897, the UMS leaders fled to Maadin, where they were granted political asylum.

Ziru Sirka: “Grand Empire of the Stars”, the millennia old Vilani imperial state which once ruled known space. Founded in 500 CE following five millennia of interstellar exploration and centuries of war, it ruled with an iron fist and unimaginably complex bureaucracy. It was headed by three Bureaux and a Shadow Emperor, based on a stable semi-planned economy. However, stability brought about stagnation. Faced with the dynamic Terran Confederation in the 22nd to the 24th centuries CE, the Ziru Sirka’s stagnation and petty bureaucratic politics brought about its conquest by the much smaller Terran state. Maadini propaganda usually likens Mizah, as well as the old Maadin Imperium, to Ziru Sirka’s final years.