334 Cepheus — Part 2: Character Creation

Design Philosophy

Characters in 334 Cepheus are not built—they are grown. You will guide your character through terms of service, aging, and events, emerging with a history as well as a stat block. Death during creation is optional, not default. Player agency is woven into every random roll.

The Six Steps

Step 1: Characteristics

Roll 2D6+6 for each characteristic in order:

Once rolled, you may swap any two characteristics.

Example: You roll STR 9, DEX 7, END 8, INT 12, EDU 10, SOC 5. You want to play a diplomat, so you swap SOC and INT, giving you SOC 12 and INT 5.

Step 2: Homeworld

Your homeworld represents your first 18 years. Choose one that fits your concept.

Homeworld Description Background Skills (Level 0 each)
High-Tech City Advanced urban world Computer, Streetwise, Drive
Industrial Factory world, working class Engineer, Trade, Vacc Suit
Agricultural Farming, rural communities Animals, Drive, Survival
Desert Arid, hostile environment Survival, Recon, Mechanic
Ice World Frozen, isolated settlements Survival, Vacc Suit, Athletics
Water World Oceanic, island or submarine Athletics, Profession (Sailor), Vacc Suit
Low-Tech Pre-industrial society Melee Combat, Survival, Animals
Frontier Colony, dangerous borders Gun Combat, Survival, Recon
High-Gravity Dense, heavy environment Athletics, Vacc Suit, Endurance +1*
Low-Gravity Orbital habitats, asteroid bases Zero-G, Athletics, Computer

*If characteristic modifiers would exceed +3, record it as a situational bonus instead.

You gain Level 0 in each listed skill. Level 0 means you are competent enough to avoid the unskilled penalty.

Step 3: Background Knowledge

Every character receives Background Knowledge: a number of skills equal to 3 + EDU DM (minimum 1) at Level 0. Choose these freely from the skill list.

This replaces the "Jack-of-All-Trades" skill. No single skill tax covers everything—you simply start with a broader foundation.

Step 4: Career Terms

A term of service is 4 years. Each term, you:

You may serve up to 7 terms (ages 18–46). After each term, you must attempt to re-enlist to continue.

Qualification

Each career has a Qualification roll. Roll 2D6 + DM ≥ target to enter.

Career Qualification Key DM
Agent INT 6+ INT
Army END 5+ END
Barbarian END 6+ END
Belter INT 5+ INT
Bureaucrat EDU 6+ EDU
Colonist END 5+ END
Drifter Automatic —
Entertainer SOC 6+ SOC
Marine END 6+ END
Merchant INT 5+ INT
Navy INT 6+ INT
Noble SOC 8+ SOC
Physician EDU 7+ EDU
Pirate DEX 5+ DEX
Rogue DEX 5+ DEX
Scholar EDU 6+ EDU
Scientist EDU 6+ EDU
Scout INT 5+ INT
Surface Defence END 5+ END
Technician EDU 6+ EDU
Thug STR 5+ STR
Trader INT 5+ INT
Worker END 5+ END
Aerospace Defence DEX 6+ DEX

If you fail qualification: You are Drafted. Enter any career, but start at Rank 0 with no basic training skills. Your first-term survival roll is at −2 DM.

The Draft represents conscription, desperation, or bureaucratic reassignment. You got in, but barely.

Survival

Each career has a Survival roll (2D6 + DM ≥ target).

Failing Survival does not kill you. Instead, roll on the Mishap table and leave the career.

General Mishap Table (1D6)

Roll Result
1 Severely injured. Roll twice on the Injury table; take the worse result.
2 Disgraced. Reduce SOC by 2. Leave in scandal.
3 Political upheaval. Your faction is purged. Gain an Enemy.
4 Financial disaster. Lose all benefits from this career. Gain Debt-1.
5 Wounded. Roll on the Injury table.
6 Wrong place, wrong time. Ejected from service. No additional effect.

Injury Table (1D6)

Roll Result
1 Nearly killed. Reduce one physical characteristic by 1D6.
2 Severely injured. Reduce one physical characteristic by 1D3.
3 Scarred. Reduce one physical characteristic by 1. Gain an Enemy.
4 Injured. Reduce one physical characteristic by 1.
5 Lightly injured. No permanent effect, but you must leave the career.
6 Lucky escape. No effect.

Optional Hardcore Rule: If your group prefers lethal chargen, Survival failure results in death. Announce this at campaign start.

Events

After surviving, roll on your career's Events table (1D6 or 1D66). Events provide hooks, skill opportunities, allies, enemies, and complications.

Example (Agent): "An investigation takes a dangerous turn. Gain one of Investigate, Deception, or Gun Combat, and gain an Enemy."

Skills

Each term, gain one skill level from your career's skill tables (Personal Development, Service Skills, Specialist Skills, Advanced Education).

Directed Chargen: Once per career, after rolling for a skill, you may reroll and take the second result. This represents focused effort or natural aptitude.

Skill Caps During Creation:

After creation, careers, training, and end-of-adventure rolls stop at Level 4. See Part 3.

Advancement

Each term, roll 2D6 + DM ≥ your career's Advancement target. Success = promotion. Each rank typically grants a skill or benefit.

Step 5: Aging

Aging checks begin after your aging threshold, which varies by career type:

Career Type Aging Starts Examples
Physical Term 5 (age 34) Marine, Army, Pirate, Thug, Barbarian
Standard Term 6 (age 38) Agent, Navy, Scout, Merchant, Rogue
Sedentary Term 7 (age 42) Bureaucrat, Scholar, Scientist, Noble, Entertainer

At the start of each term at or beyond your threshold, roll 2D6:

Medical Care: If you have access to TL 12+ medical facilities, you may reroll one aging roll per term.

Example: You have served 5 terms in the Marines (Physical). At the start of Term 6, roll 2D6. You need 6+ to avoid aging. You roll 4—reduce one physical stat by 1.

Step 6: Mustering Out

When you leave a career, you receive benefits: one roll per term served on either the Cash or Material Benefits table.

Material Benefits (1D6) Cash (1D6)
1. Weapon 1. Cr 1,000
2. Armor 2. Cr 5,000
3. Ally 3. Cr 10,000
4. Contact 4. Cr 20,000
5. Ship Share 5. Cr 50,000
6. Ship Share or TAS Membership 6. Cr 100,000

Rank Bonuses: Some careers grant DM bonuses to cash rolls at higher ranks, or automatic benefits (e.g., Navy Rank 5+ may grant a ship share).

Debt: If you gained Debt through mishaps, you owe Cr 10,000 per level. This must be paid from starting cash or during play.

Example Career: Agent

Qualification: INT 6+ Survival: END 6+ Advancement: INT 7+

Ranks

Rank Title Benefit
0 Rookie —
1 Field Agent Investigation 1
2 Senior Agent —
3 Special Agent Deception 1
4 Assistant Director —
5 Director SOC +1
6 Section Chief —

Skill Tables

1D6 Personal Development Service Skills Specialist Skills Advanced Education
1 +1 STR Gun Combat Investigation Computer
2 +1 DEX Deception Persuasion Advocate
3 +1 END Drive Stealth Language
4 +1 INT Athletics Recon Medicine
5 +1 EDU Streetwise Gun Combat Leadership
6 +1 SOC Computer Survival Admin

Mishaps (1D6)

Events (1D66)

Roll Event
11 Disaster! Roll on Mishap table, but you are not ejected.
12 Investigating a syndicate. Gain Streetwise or Gun Combat.
13 Undercover assignment. Gain Deception or Stealth.
14 Build an informant network. Gain 1D3 Contacts.
15 A mentor takes interest in your career. Gain an Ally.
16 Foila major plot. Gain SOC +1 and a decoration.
21 Personal protection duty. Gain Persuasion or Recon.
22 Off-world assignment. Gain Pilot or Vacc Suit.
23 You are falsely accused. Clear your name to gain an Ally; fail and reduce SOC by 1.
24 Specialized training. Gain any one skill.
25 You go rogue to finish a case. Gain an Enemy but also any one skill.
26 Recruited by intelligence. May enter Agent career next term automatically.
31
32 Disaster leaves you stranded. Gain Survival or Athletics.
33 You befriend a foreign operative. Gain Ally and Language.
34 Routine audit reveals irregularities. Gain Admin or Investigation.
35 You are given command of a team. Gain Leadership.
36 Life event. Roll on Life Events table.
41–66 As above, or Referee's discretion.

Core Skill List

Broad Skills with Narrow Specialties

When using a narrow specialty you possess, your effective skill = Broad level + Narrow level. When using a broad skill without a narrow specialty, your effective skill = Broad level (no unskilled penalty). If you have neither, you are unskilled (−1 DM).

Broad Skill Narrow Specialties
Gun Combat Energy Pistol, Energy Rifle, Slug Pistol, Slug Rifle, Shotgun
Melee Combat Blade, Bludgeon, Unarmed
Engineering Jump Drive, M-Drive, Power Plant, Life Support
Pilot Small Craft, Spacecraft, Capital Ships
Science Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Space Sciences
Art Performance, Visual Arts, Writing, Music

Flat Skills (No Specialties)

Admin · Advocate · Animals · Athletics · Broker · Carousing · Computer · Deception · Drive · Electronics · Heavy Weapons · Insight · Investigation · Language · Leadership · Medicine · Navigation · Persuasion · Profession · Recon · Sensors · Stealth · Steward · Streetwise · Survival · Trade · Turret Weapons · Vacc Suit · Zero-G

Quick Reference: Character Creation Checklist

334 Cepheus Copyright © 2026, 334 Cepheus Authors. Derived from Cepheus Engine System Reference Document, Copyright © 2016 Samardan Press; Author Jason "Flynn" Kemp.