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