The 456-page Cepheus Universal RPG is based on simple core principles.

These basic rules are offered here

either as a fast-play alternative, or as a 3-page player hand-out. No reference is made to technology levels,
starships, aliens or any of the other aspects of Cepheus Universal. Here you get the bare-bones!

CREATING CHARACTERS - Player characters (PCs) are defined by six Characteristics ranging 2-12, and a
number of skill levels. Details of character creation vary from setting to setting, but generally follow this
pattern:
1) Decide on a career or concept from those suggested by the setting or Game Master.
2) Pick a string of numbers that you will allocate as you decide to the Characteristics. The strings are: 5, 9,
6, 5, 10, 7 and 7, 7, 9, 9, 5, 6. A ‘7’. Or divide up 42 points. The characteristic are:

Strength (Str): Physical strength, fitness and forcefulness. Example Career: Cop
Dexterity (Dex): Physical co-ordination, agility and reflexes.
Endurance (End): Determination and stamina. Investigate Security
Intelligence (Int): Awareness and problem solving. Melee Combat Medical
Education (Edu): Learning and general knowledge. Ground Vehicle Streetwise
Social Influence (Soc): A character’s ability to influence others.

3) A concept comes with six skills.

Here is an example character:
Divide up SIX skill levels between the
skills of your choice. A skill may
Leon (Infantryman) Str:9 Dex:7 End:9 Int:7 Edu:5 Soc: 6
receive multiple levels, up to a max.
Gun Cbt-1, Survival-2, Recon-1, Demolitions-1, Heavy Weapons-1
of 3.
4) Assign a personality trait, such as
grim, determined, suspicious, funny, angry, honest, etc.
5) Create an NPC contact for the character: a friend, relative or ally who might come in useful on some
adventures, and who shares some of your Backstory.
6) Backstory. Explain your past, how do you end up here? Explain your personality trait and connection to
both your contact and ONE other player character.
7) Assign basic equipment needed for the starting situation as directed by the GM or the setting.

SKILLS - This master skill list is featured in Cepheus Universal.

Administration: Admin, paper-work, dealing with rules, regulations and officials

Agriculture: Growing and harvesting crops and raising animals.
Aircraft: Operation of aircraft, including transports, helicopters, fast jets.
Archery: Allows use of bows and crossbows, useful on TL 0-3 worlds.
Bribery: Offering bribes to circumvent local law, or to influence someone’s decision.
Broker: Locating suppliers and buyers, and facilitating the purchase and resale of commercial goods.
Carousing: Social skills, picking up gossip or rumours, making friends and reading body language.
Comms: Operating drones, sensors and radio equipment.
Computer: Operation and programming of computers, including hacking.
Demolitions: Using explosive devices, including assembling or disarming bombs.
Electronics: Operating and repairing complex electronic devices.
Engineering: Knowledge of powerplants, reactors and starship drives.
Forgery: Faking documents, currencies, and identification badges in order to deceive officials.
Grav Vehicle: Operation and control of TL 10+ anti-grav vehicles of all kinds.
Ground Vehicle: Operation and control of wheeled and tracked vehicles.
Gun Combat: Using small arms, like pistols and rifles, SMGs, lasers, machineguns and shotguns.
Gunnery: Using starship-mounted weaponry.
Heavy Weapons: Using missile launchers, artillery, grenade launchers and tank guns.
Investigate: Scientific analysis and the use of scientific tools and equipment to gather clues.
Leader: Motivating others in times of crisis or stress, particularly Non-Player Characters.
Loader: Operation and control of all heavy machinery, everything from fork-lift trucks to cranes.
Mechanical: Operating and repairing mechanical devices, from truck engines to airlock doors.
Melee Combat: Fighting hand-to-hand, with fists, or a melee weapon such as a knife.
Medical: Training and skill in the medical arts and sciences, from diagnosis and triage to surgery.
Mining: Experience and training in prospecting and mining, both on a world surface and in a zero-G.
Navigation: Plotting courses on planets, and in space and using instruments, maps and beacons.
Pilot: Operation and control of interplanetary, and interstellar spacecraft.
Recon: Scouting, spotting threats and ambushes, also adept at silent movement.
Security: Bypassing security measures, from mechanical locks to swipe-card locks and keypad locks.
Steward: The care and serving of passengers and other guests, including customer service.
Streetwise: Familiarity with underworld society, its rules, personalities, groups and customs.
Survival: Staying alive in the wild, including hunting or trapping animals, and avoiding exposure.
Tactics: Tactical military planning and decision, as well as calling in fire support correctly.
Vacc Suit: Use of vacuum suits, hostile envirosuits, as well as operating in a zero-G environment.
Vehicle (Cascade Skill): Select Aircraft, Grav Vehicle, Ground Vehicle or Watercraft.
Watercraft: Operation of boats, hydrofoils, hovercraft, submarines and large commercial ships.

RESOLVING TASKS – To carry out an action, the player rolls 2D6 and adds a skill level if appropriate, it
succeeds on an 8+ result. If the GM thinks a certain Characteristic might also be useful, apply +1
Characteristic Bonus (CB) if the PC has that Characteristic at 9+; apply -1 CB if it is at 5-. A difficult task
imposes a -2 penalty, whilst a Very Difficult task imposes a -4 penalty. Often, a -3 penalty is incurred if the
PC does not have the skill needed, although having level-0 (‘familiarity’), means that you can skip that
penalty. Some tasks are Opposed by another character; both roll 2D6 + skill level + CB, highest roll
succeeds, some are also Extended, requiring the ‘best of three’ rolls.

RESOLVING COMBAT – Combat takes place in 6-10 second ‘rounds’. Instead of fighting, a PC can run
36m or walk 12m in a round. Allow the PCs’ side to go first before their opponents, in the order of the
players declaring their actions (or let the PCs act in order of Dexterity).
Gunfire – To hit a target is an 8+ task, with -2 for shooting Over Weapon Range and -4 for Over Double
Weapon Range. The shooter gets a -3 penalty if the target is using cover, running or dodging into cover. On
a ‘double 2’ dice roll, the gun jams or runs out of ammunition.
Hand-to-Hand Fighting – This is an Extended Opposed roll using Melee Cbt + Strength as a CB. After the
three rounds, the winner inflicts 2D6 damage on the loser. If the target is unaware of the attacker (surprise)
the Opposed roll is not Extended, and is resolved in a single round. If the winner is unarmed, then don’t
inflict damage, instead temporarily lower the target’s Strength by 2D6. If lowered to 0 the target is knocked
down and out for 1-2 minutes. They recover Str after an hour’s rest.

Weapon Range Damage Notes

Unarmed - none Reduces Strength by 2D6 temporarily
Knife/Axe/Sword/Club - 2D6
Throw 5m -
Handgun 10m 2D6
SMG 30m 2D6 TWO attacks, can be used on adjacent targets
Shotgun 30m 4D6 +1 to hit if under 30m range
Rifle 100m 3D6
Assault Rifle 100m 3D6 TWO attacks, can be used on adjacent targets
Grenade 10m 5D6 Attacks up to SIX targets within 6m
Blaster Pistol 10m 3D6
Blaster Rifle 180m 5D6
Stun Gun 5m none Reduces Strength by 2D6 temporarily

INJURY – Weapons roll dice to create damage points, other examples include: falling from a 2nd floor
window (1D6), hit by a car in a busy street (3D6), poisoned (5D6), exposed to space (3D6 per round).
Damage is subtracted from Hit Points (Str + End), but armour first reduces the damage by its AV. Partial
coverage like a bulletproof vest requires a 1D6 roll: 1-3 Use the full AV; 4-6 use only half the AV. After a
character suffers damage, check the chart below:

Armoured Body Suit (Full coverage) AV 8

Concealed Bullet-Proof Vest (Partial coverage) AV 6
Hit Points remain at HALF OR ABOVE Victim stunned for 1 round.
Hit Points drop BELOW HALF Victim stunned for 1 round, plus ½ speed and -2 all physical actions
until treated or rested for a day.
Hit Points REACH ZERO Knocked out for 2D6 minutes, badly injured, loses 1 Hit Pt per hour
unless treated.
Hit Points REACH –5 Dead

VEHICULAR COMBAT – Vehicles are either heavily armoured (tanks, submarines, very large vehicles),
lightly armoured (APCs and paramilitary vehicles), or soft skin civilian vehicles (cars, helicopters, etc.). An
anti-armour weapon (guided missile, rocket, tank gun) will disable a heavily armoured vehicle with a 2D6 roll
on 6+ and destroy it on 8+. Against lightly armoured vehicles the weapon has a DM+2. Unarmoured
vehicles are always destroyed. Higher tech levels have an advantage – either add or subtract the following
DMs: TL 8 +2, TL 10 +3, TL 12 +4, TL 15 +5. A TL 8 missile, hitting a TL 10 tank, for example, suffers a -1
on the roll. Tech Levels (TL) are used in Cepheus Universal. Mid-20th C is TL 6, modern day is TL 8,
cyberpunk is TL 13, antimatter starships and phasers are TL 16.

Support weapons used on helicopter gunships or infantry fighting vehicles, such as autocannon, grenade
launchers, heavy machineguns, etc. will disable a lightly armoured vehicle with a 2D6 roll on 10+. Against
unarmoured vehicles these weapons have a DM+4. Heavily armoured vehicles are immune from support
weapons. Do not apply any modifiers for TL. Firearms only have a chance of damaging unarmoured
vehicles; if hit then roll 2D6 and on 10+ a crewman suffers the full weapon damage, and on a 11 or 12, the
vehicle is disabled.

Disabled vehicles can be repaired, but are immobile and without power. Any crew inside must roll 6+ (with
Dex CB) or suffer 2D6 damage. Destroyed vehicles explode, break apart or catch fire. Any crew must roll 8+
(with Dex CB) or suffer 6D6 damage.

VEHICLE CHASES – These rules are highly descriptive in their approach to vehicle combat, requiring
description by the Game Master and the players to describe how the action unfolds. Chase turns are an
abstraction in combat and vary in length depending on circumstances. The GM should inform the players of
how long each chase combat turn is at the start of the chase. At the start of each turn both participants
throw 2D6:
CHASE BONUS TO HIT
+ the relevant vehicle skill Effect DM
+ 1 if the vehicle is half-again as fast as the opponent’s 0 -2
+ 3 if the vehicle is twice as fast (or more) than the opponent’s 1 or 2 -1
3 or 4 +0
5+ +1
The pursuer wins on ties. The winner has Advantage and may attack using the vehicle attack and damage
rules, with the following modifiers based on the chase roll’s Effect (see table). In some situations, where
vehicles are unarmed, the winner may instead cut in front of the loser, forcing them to drive off the road, or
may even ram the losing character’s vehicle, forcing it to crash. Ramming requires a successful Average (8+)
Ground Vehicle roll, disabling a lightly armoured vehicle on 8+, and disabling a softskin vehicle automatically.

The loser of the Advantage throw cannot attack in that turn, unless their vehicle has a turret-mounted
weapon. Turret attacks made without Advantage suffer DM -4 to hit. Note that there is no tracking of range
in a chase. This is intentional. The attack penalty for low-Effect Advantage rolls is meant to reflect a bad
angle of attack, or sub-optimal range for an attack, among other things. It is possible to have multiple
parties engaged in a chase. Simply record the different Advantage results in descending order. The vehicles
higher on the ‘ladder’ may attack any vehicle below them. Chases last five turns. At the end of the fifth turn,
if the prey has not been stopped, disabled, or destroyed, the prey escapes and the chase ends.

Copyright Zozer Games, by Paul Elliott 2024; this document is derived from the Traveller System
Reference Document and other Open Gaming Content. It is not affiliated with Mongoose Publishing or Far
Future Enterprises. The use of the Traveller System Reference Document does not convey endorsement
by Mongoose Publishing or Far Future Enterprises. Zozer is at www.paulelliottbooks.com
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