Go traveling in the ‘verse your ownself, and see what it’s like.
Roll up your own characters and crew and see if you can make your way in the Firefly/Serenity universe. Crammed full of information about the people, ships, weapons, technology, and history of Joss Whedon’s brilliant series, plus gorgeous artwork by 11th Hour, the Serenity RPG is just what you need to get your Firefly fix. There are also limited editions available, signed by author Jamie Chambers and publisher/author Margaret Weis at http://www.serenityrpg.com/
The game operates with a very common sense, keep-the-story-going attitude, with more emphasis on gameplay and character building than precise movement-by-movement play. Skills and attributes are represented by a single die for each; the better at something you are, the higher-numbered the die you can use. You also get plot points which can be used before a roll (to improve your chances), after a roll (to make up for a bad move, not as effective) and to affect NPCs.
Character stats for all of our Big Damn Heroes are included, along with comments on each one from Captain Reynolds himself. There’s also stats for the Operative and Mr. Universe, info on the worlds, sample NPCs, how much it costs to run a Firefly (or buy a LoveBot), available weapons, Companion training, instructions on creating your own ship, and more.
Missing are a blank character sheet, examples of rolling characters or gameplay, and quick-roll instructions for whomping up a character fast, but they’re promised to be on the way. Added: the character sheet is now available as a free download from the official site.
Even if you don’t plan to play, this is an excellent source of material for the Firefly ‘verse, written in an easy-to-understand style by people who clearly love the ‘verse Joss gave us, and worth having just for it’s ownself.
Margaret Weis Productions, hardcover, 224 pages. Buy: Amazon, SerenityRPG.com
There’s also a PDF version available at DriveThruRpg
There’s a module coming up called “Out to the Black,” written by Tracy and Laura Hickman, listed at Amazon but according to the RPG website it won’t be out until March.
Accessories
Game Master’s Screen – now available!
2-sided dice – Essential for the game and way cooler than just, you know, flipping a coin. Actually 6-sided dice with a 1 or 2 on each side. Ivory.
A deplorable lack in the RPG book is a printable character sheet but the fans have stepped up.
Serenity RPG Resources – all the extra goodies you could ask for. Character sheets, ship designs, floaty island blueprints, star maps, a Tall Card deck, and a lot more.
Waves in the Black: The Cargo Hold – Comprehensive collection of sheets, maps, and ship info, as well as forums for gamers to thrash things out.
http://users.adelphia.net/~wydraz/firefly/index.html – Great looking character sheets, hex maps of the ‘Verse, ship configurations, and more.
For such a beautifuly-designed book there are more than a few typos and errors (various errata and clarifications are available here). One noticeable one is when Chapter One ends on page #37 without finishing a sentence. Here’s how it should have read:
“Insane crew bound for the bug-house don’t wake up with all of their screws tightened. Make up your mind to the fact that for some things, you’re just gonna be stuck.
Get Started
Now that we know who you are, grab some gear, and find the rest of your crew, and get your boat up into the sky. There’s adventure to be had out in the black!”
The old Wydraz website has been moved to http://wydraz.110mb.com/
His firefly stuff is at this specific page http://wydraz.110mb.com/firefly/index.html