Stellagama Publishing offers Sword of Cepheus, a sword and sorcery ruleset published in 2020 based on the sci-fi orientated Cepheus Engine from Samardan Press.
Now Stellagama Publishing has released Barbaric! which significantly streamlines the rules. Barbaric!, which costs less than $5, has been an immediate hit and earned silver bestseller status on DriveThruRPG within two days of launch.
The 57-page lightweight RPG uses an evolution of the Cepheus Engine, but the ruleset has become quite distant now, especially with character generation, as the engine is crafted to suit fast play – ideal for conventions, one-off games, and mini-campaigns.
Omer from Stellagama Publishing told me;
Barbaric!’s mechanical lineage does originate in sci-fi games, such heritage significantly “mutated” with a strong concept of sword & sorcery in mind.
The systems still share the 2d6 + skills roll high core mechanic, and overlap significantly in combat. Barbaric!, as a fantasy RPG, has a magic system, and that’s not something you get with the sci-fi of the Cepheus Engine.
DriveThruRPG’s intro for the new RPG begins;
Barbarians! Civilized men huddle behind tall stone walls, trembling at the thought. The soldiers of civilization tighten their shield walls against the oncoming onslaught. And then they come. Savage men and women, screaming at the top of their lungs, oblivious to fear, frothing at the mouth from rage and lust for war. Wave after wave, they storm shields and fortifications. Many die; the pagan gods bless their souls. But eventually, mail and castle fail. Then, the flames of barbarism will sweep the land, leaving no stone unturned!
Sword and sorcery tales speak of cunning thieves, power-hungry sorcerers, and, indeed, barbaric warriors. This game – Barbaric! – lets you play such heroes. Or, more often, anti-heroes. Pit your sword-arm and knowledge of eldritch secrets against ravaging bandits, scheming nobles, diabolic demons, mighty dragons – and, ultimately, the rotten and ugly face of moribund civilization itself.
In the 57-pages of Barbaric there are 30 different traits from which to customise your barbarian, rules for a brutal combat system complete with various manoeuvres and critical hits, 36 deadly spells, and 50 enemies to test martial skills against.
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