Serenity - The RPG

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Note: All this crud is (c) Margaret Weis Productions and I fully expect to get sued for doing something wrong. ^_^ [/glow]

The year is 2518.

Earth That Was could no longer sustain our numbers. We were so many. We found a new solar system, dozens of planets and hundreds of moons, each one terraformed, a process taking decades, to support human life, to be new Earths.

The Central Planets formed the Alliance, ruled by an interplanetary parliament. The outer planets were less civilized, more self-reliant, and saw no need for a government to be meddling in their affairs. The war was the most devastating in human history. The battles took place on land, at sea and in the vacuum of space. The scars still run deep, even seven years after the end of the war.

So, who are you? And what is your role in this vast 'Verse?

[Signups Open]
1) Goosh
2) Zylaa
3) Bacon
4) Purple
5) Shade

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]The Basic Rules[/glow]

I'll start off with my rules and keep it all simple-like. It's pretty much forum RP basics.

1) Keep respectful. Not everyone in the 'Verse is necessarily your friend, but everyone on the forum had best be so when in my presence.
2) Keep it clean. This means that you can't play a Companion on this boat. No using actual cuss words, even in Chinese. I do, for flavor, encourage you to say things that aren't actual cuss words in Chinese, but don't think I don't know the difference. You may use words like "gorram," "humped" and "ruttin'".
3) I use Scar and Kiir's 48-hour combat rule. If we're in combat, it's your turn and you don't post within 48 hours, you're on autopilot.
4) If you don't post for two months or so without notifying me that you'll be vanishing, I'll find the next convenient moon to drop your character off on and recruit a replacement.

[glow=red,2,300]RPG Basics[/glow]

This is a dice game. I'd say a d20, but there are no actual d20 in this one. >.> If you're unfamiliar with dice RPG terms, it's:

(the number of dice)d(the number of sides each die has)

So 2d6 would be two six-sided dice. The dice code is right next to the spoiler code. The number after the = is how many sides the die has. So 2d6 would be:

[dice=6][dice=6]

Other useful lingo:

GM: That's me, punks. The one who writes this pretty little story. 'cept only you PCs can move this story along and decide how it ends.
PC: Player Character. Any character controlled by you players. The main characters of the story.
NPC: Non-Player Character. Any character that is controlled by me, the GM. They could be friends, enemies, or just regular Joes off the street. That's up to you.[rand=5617256656402568610754009901449068597745573566243632511316441879]

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]The 'Verse[/glow]

So what is Firefly? It's a subtle, cinnamony mix of sci-fi and western, with a dash of piracy to taste. It's about traveling to other worlds and being free to fly.

If you haven't seen the Firefly TV show or the Serenity movie, you're still welcome to play this game. Just be forewarned that you will be very behind. If you're familiar with the 'Verse, don't worry about not having seen this episode or that episode. We're a whole new adventure, after all.

P.S. There are no aliens. For seriously. Don't get your hopes up.

The Vocab of the 'Verse (Will be expanded as called for or upon request):
'Verse: Universe.
The Black: Outer Space.
Atmo: Atmosphere
Browncoats: People who fought for Independence in the Unification War
Purple Bellies: People who fought on the side of the Alliance in the War
The Anglo-Sino Alliance: Otherwise known as simply "The Alliance", all planets fall under their command.
The Feds: aka The Federal Marshals, track wanted criminals, enforce federal law.
Interpol: The Interplanetary Police, Investigates interplanetary crime.
Earth-That-Was: Earth, which was sucked dry by overpopulation. No one lives there now. Seen as a sort of Lost Eden.
Terraforming: The process by which these planets became inhabitable.
Shepherds: Male and female Christian monks.
Reavers: Savage people on the edge of space that do all manner of horrendous things. May just be a campfire story, but are you really willing to take that risk?
The Cortex: The megaplex of info that the internet will become in 500 years. Monitored by the Alliance.

Planets:
If you need a quick guide to the planets of the 'Verse, check out this handy guide.
www.fireflyrpg.com/rpg/Maps_files/worldguide.pdf

In fact, the whole fireflyrpg.com site is pretty useful. I recommend checking it out.

Credits:
Monies. The stuff that makes the worlds go round. A credit is worth about $25. However, credits are also tracked by the Alliance. The people doing less-than-legal work on the Rim like to use cold, hard coin instead. No way to track it, no way for the Alliance to meddle in their affairs. The value of coin varies a little from world to world, so these values are just estimates.

Platinum - 0.4 credits - $10
Gold - 0.2 credits - $5
Silver - 0.004 credits - 10 cents

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Character Creation - The Basics[/glow]

So now we're going to meet the real you.

... I need to get me a convenient volcano.

So first off, quibble amongst yourselves about who's captain, second in command, etc. I'm not getting involved.

Everyone should PM me with all of their character info.

First off, your name. If you can figure out what planet you came from, then spout that too, along with any backstory you may have.

You guys are starting off at Greenhorn level. That gets you 42 Attribute Points. Attributes are stats.

Strength
Agility
Vitality
Alertness
Intelligence
Willpower

The attributes are measured by what sort of die you roll to use that stat. Obviously, higher dice are better. No one can start with an attribute lower than d4. Since you can't have odd-sided dice, it increases by 2 each time, d4 up to d12+4, or, since we're not using actual dice on the forum, d16. the number of points you spend on an attribute corresponds to the number of the die. For examble, a d6 costs 6 points.

Don't feel obligated to spend exactly 42 points. You can also spend points and gain points back by having traits.

And then there's derived attributes.

Life Points: The highest number on your Vitality + the highest number on your Willpower dice.
Initiative: Roll Agility + Alertness
Endurance: Roll Vitality + Willpower
Resistance: Roll Vitality + Vitality

I could bore you with the rest, but these are the only ones on the character sheet. >.>; I'm certain I've got a pile of others lying around somewhere.

Plot Points: Tres importante. Do not let me forget about these, and at some point or another, I will.

You start off with 6 Plot Points. You can only have 12 in your pool at a time. You can spend plot points to modify rolls. If you decide to spend them before you roll, your chances of succeeding are better. If you spend 1 PP, you get to roll a d2 along with all your other dice. If you spend 2 PP, a d4. 3, a d6 and so on and so on.

If you decide to spend the Plot Points after you screw up, you can only add as much as you spend. Add 1 to your roll if you spend 1 point, 2 if you spend 2 and etc.

You can use Plot Points to not die. If you take more Wound damage than you can handle, you may spend Plot Points to roll whatever bonus die you'd roll (1PP = d2, 2 = d4 etc.) and you gain that many Life Points back. If you roll badly, there's no refunds. Suck it up and call a doctor.

You can also use plot points to change the way the story goes. For example, you can "suddenly remember" that there's a man on this moon who owes you money, the same amount that it would take the fix the broken carborator on your ship. You can make a snake slither out and startle the horse that the lawman is riding. Little things like this can make a big difference. Consult with me and I'll decide how many plot points it'll cost. If there's some major plot twist you want to make that will benefit the whole crew, don't be afraid to pool your plot points and spend then as a crew, because major changes get expensive.

Now don't be stingy with your plot points either. You can earn them back easy enough. Your job is to impress me. I give out plot points for good role-playing, good ideas, overcoming obstacles, remembering your character's Complications, etc.

Advancement Points are what little Plot Points want to be when they grow up. After the end of each adventure, some of your plot points will be converted into Advancement Points. We'll go over those when it's time for you to "level up." (Note: There are no actual levels in this game.)

Gear: You guys will start out with about 750 credits. We will take care of gear via PM, since everyone will need different stuff.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Character Creation - Traits[/glow]

Good traits are called Assets. Bad traits are called Complications. Both will affect gameplay in terms of diceness, but there's no room to write all of this here. If you want details on any of these traits, please PM me.

You have to have at least one Asset and at least one Complication. You can have a maximum of 5 of each. Both come in two varieties, minor and major. Major assets cost 4 Attribute Points, and minor assets cost 2. Major complications give 4 Attribute Points back, and minor complications give 2 back.

A lot of people like to balance out their assets and complications, but it is not required. Go wild.

If there's a choice between major and minor, I list what it does as a minor trait. For major traits, it's pretty much, "spend more plot points, get more stuff."

Please note that some Traits that don't fit with the campaign, such as "Sadistic" or "Registered Companion" do not appear here.

-2 here means -2 Step, meaning you'd be down from say, a d6 to a d2. +2 being a 2 Step.

Assets:

Allure: +2 to anything having to do with your good looks.
Athlete: Take damage to do athletics better.
Born Behind the Wheel: +2 Agility when driving
Cortex Spectre: Info about you is hard to find on the Cortex.
Fightin' Type (Major Only): Take one non-attack action each combat turn without penalty
Friends in High Places (Minor Only): Spend PP to get favors from high-class folk.
Friends in Low Places (Minor Only): Spend PP to get favors from criminals.
Good Name: +2 to anything where your fame comes into play.
Healthy as a Horse: +2 to Vitality to shake off illness, infection.
Heavy Tolerance (Minor Only): +2 to Vitality to resist alcohol, drugs, poison etc.
Highly Educated (Minor Only): +2 to Intelligence for any Knowledge-based skill roll
Intimidatin' Manner (Minor Only): +2 to Willpower for any intimidating, bullying etc.
Leadership: Designate a goal. The whole crew gets +2 to any roll that's directly related to that goal.
Lightnin' Reflexes (Major Only): +2 to Initiative
Math Whiz (Minor Only): +2 to Intelligence for accounting, engineering, navigation etc.
Mean Left Hook (Minor Only): Unarmed combat deals Basic damage instead of Stun
Mechanical Empathy (Minor Only): Spend PP to figure out what's wrong with the ship, +2 to Mechanical Engineering to fix it
Military Rank (Minor Only): +2 to Willpower on Discipline or Influence-based actions
Money Individual (Major Only): Start with 1.5x more money. Honkin' big Trust Fund.
Natural Linguist (Minor Only): Learn Linguist specialties at half cost. +2 to Influence or Performance when trying to pass for native.
Nature Lover: (Minor Only): +2 to Alertness, Survival, when in nature
Nose for Trouble: Can sense trouble, +2 to Intelligence or Alertness when applicable
Reader: Can read emotions, +2 to Alertness when observing people. (As a Major Trait, needs to be coupled with Traumatic Flashes or some similar)
Religiosity: +2 to one Willpower-based role every once in a bit
Sharp Sense (Minor Only): Choose one sense, +2 to Alertness using that sense.
Steady Calm: +2 to Willpower to avoid being scared
Sweet and Cheerful (Minor Only): +2 to anything where being likable works in your favor.
Talented: Pick a Skill, +2 to that skill.
Things Go Smooth: Every once in a bit, you can re-roll any one action and take the higher.
Total Recall (Major Only): +2 when applicable, spend PP to remember with crystal clarity.
Tough as Nails: +2 Life Points
Trustworthy Gut: +2 to anything involving intuition. (As major, may spend PP to ask GM specific yes/no questions.)
Two-Fisted (Major Only): Ambidextrous, no off-hand penalty.
Walking Timepiece (Minor Only): You always know what time it is.
Wears a Badge: +2 to Influence when with people who respect the law.

Complications:

Allergy: -2 to all physical traits when near it. As Major, d2 pts of stun each turn.
Amorous (Minor Only): You're constantly chasing skirt (or tightpants). -2 to Influence when whoever you're hitting on is offended.
Amputee (Minor Only): A limb got amputated. Self-explanatory.
Bleeder (Major Only): Hemophilia. If you suffer Wound damage, +1 Wound every turn until stopped.
Blind (Major Only): You can't see. Gain Sharp Senses (Touch, Hearing) at no cost. But you still can't see.
Branded: -2 whenever your infamy and bad rep come into play.
Chip on the Shoulder: Anger management issues. -2 to social situations with even a hint of tension. As Major, like berserk.
Credo: Pick a set of principles to live by that may get you in trouble.
Combat Paralysis: Helpless for d2 turns at the start of battle.
Coward (Minor Only): -2 to all combat if you are in danger, -2 Willpower to resist intimidation, etc.
Crude (Minor Only): -2 Influence whenever you need good manners.
Dead Broke (Minor Only): Start with 1/2 starting credits, must spend all that.
Deadly Enemy (Minor Only): Someone is out to make your life very interesting.
Deaf (Major Only): You can't hear. You know sign language and +2 to read lips.
Dull Sense (Minor Only): Pick a sense. -2 to Alertness when that comes into play.
Easy Mark (Major Only): You believe whatever you're told. -4 to distinguishing truth from lies.
Ego Signature (Minor Only): Must leave a signature clue behind when you commit crimes.
Filcher (Minor Only): Compulsively steal anything that isn't nailed down.
Forked Tongue (Minor Only): Compulsively lie. -4 to Influence when around people who know you lie.
Greedy (Minor Only): Will do anything for money, even violate ethics.
Hero Worship (Minor Only): Want to emulate a hero. -2 to Influence when with people who aren't as enthralled as you are.
Hooked: Addicted to something (tobacco, booze etc). Must get daily fix or -2 to all Attributes until you do.
Leaky Brainpan: Delusional, screwy. -2 to Influence. As Major, may have completely altered reality.
Lightweight (Minor Only): -2 Vitality to resist alcohol, poison etc.
Little Person (Minor Only): You are 3-4 feet tall. You move slower, but are a harder target to hit.
Loyal (Minor Only): Pick a person or people. You'll do anything for them, no matter how much trouble it gets you in.
Memorable (Minor Only): Others get a +2 Alertness when trying to spot you in a crowd, etc.
Mute (Major Only): Must communicate non-verbally.
Non-Fightin' Type (Minor Only): -2 to all combat actions
Overconfident (Minor Only): You'll take any challenge, even if others don't believe you can win.
Paralyzed (Major Only): No use of legs. Need a wheelchair to get around. -4 to fighting hand-to-hand.
Phobia (Minor Only): Pick a fear. -2 to all attributes when in its presence. May be more extreme for less common fears.
Portly: -2 to Athletics, Influence when looks come into play. As Major, also slower and an easier target to hit.
Prejudice (Minor Only): Pick a group of people based on race, religion, social class, what side they fought on in the war, etc. You avoid these people whenever possible and when not possible, you suffer a -2 Influence.
Scrawny (Minor Only): -2 to Athletics, Influence when looks come into play.
Slow Learner (Minor Only): Choose one general Skill. You pay 2 additional points to learn/improve the skill. -2 penalty when you use it.
Soft (Minor Only): Take 1 additional point of Stun whenever you take damage. Must roll Willpower+Discipline when you take Wound damage.
Stingy (Minor Only): You don't like spending money, ever.
Straight Shooter (Minor Only): You cannot tell a lie. -2 to Influence whenever you do have to lie.
Superstitious (Minor Only): -2 to all Attributes when you see what you believe to be a bad omen, +2 when you see good omen.
Things Don't Go Smooth: I can make you re-roll a good roll and take the lower every once in a bit.
Traumatic Flashes: Occasionally paralyzed by flashbacks for d2 turns. -2 to Attributes for 10 minutes after the flash.
Twitchy (Minor Only): You're paranoid. -2 to Influence in social situations where this comes into play.
Ugly as Sin: -2 to actions where looks come into play.
Weak Stomach: You hate the sight of blood. -2 to all Attributes when in the presence of gore. As Major, must roll Vitality+Willpower or faint.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Character Creation - Skills[/glow]

So you start with 62 Skill Points. Quit celebrating, I'm not gonna make this that easy. Skills are purchased the same way Attributes are, by the highest number on the die.

So you've got your basic skills. Take for example, Athletics. Then you've got your specialties, like running and dancing. You can't have more than a d6 in any Basic Skill. But thankfully, in order to build on that skill, you don't have to spend those 6 points again.

For example, if I want both the riding and running specialties in Athletics, I spend the 6 points for a d6 in Athletics and an additional 2 points for a d8 in Riding. I can then spend four points for a d10 in Running. You build off the original 6 points for each specialty.

If you don't see the specialties you want here, don't hesitate to PM me with your own. I'll accept just about anything.

Even if you don't have a particular skill, you can still attempt to do it using only your Attributes. Just be forewarned that it will be more difficult.

Skills that are labeled as "Skilled Only" cannot be tried untrained. You don't want Jayne doing your doctoring, etc.

Skills:

Animal Handling
(animal training, riding, veterinary, zoology)

Artistry
(appraisal, cooking, forgery, game designing, painting, photography, poetry, sculpting, writing)

Athletics
(climbing, contortion, dodge, juggling, jumping, gymnastics, parachuting, parasailing, pole vaulting, riding, running, swimming)

Covert
(camouflage, disable devices, forgery, infiltration, open locks, sabotage, sleight of hand, stealth, streetwise, surveillance)

Craft
(architecture, blacksmithing, carpentry, cooking, leatherworking, metalworking, pottery, sewing)

Discipline
(concentration, interrogation, intimidation, leadership, mental resistance, morale)

Guns
(assault rifles, energy weapons, grenade launchers, gunsmithing, machine guns, pistols, rifles, shotguns)

Heavy Weapons
(artillery, catapults, demolitions, forward observer, mounted guns, repair heavy weapons, rocket launchers, ship's cannons, siege weapons)

Influence
(administration, barter, bureaucracy, conversation, counseling, interrogation, intimidation, leadership, marketing, persuasion, politics, seduction, streetwise)

Knowledge
(appraisal, cultures, history, law, literature, philosophy, religion, sports)

Linguist - Skilled Only
(Arabic, French, Portuguese, American Sign Language, come on guys, you're not gonna make me spout off every language on Earth-That-Was?)

Mechanical Engineering - Skilled Only
(create mechanical devices, machinery maintenance, mechanical repairs, fix mechanical security systems, plumbing)

Medical Expertise - Skilled Only
(dentistry, forensics, general practice, genetics, internal medicine, neurology, pharmaceuticals, physiology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, surgery, toxicology, veterinary medicine)

Melee Weapon Combat
(clubs, knives, melee weaponsmithing, nunchaku, pole arms, swords, whips)

Perception
(deduction, empathy, gambling, hearing, intuition, investigation, read lips, search, sight, smell, tactics, taste, tracking)

Performance
(acting, dancing, costuming, keyboard instruments, impersonation, mimicry, oratory, percussion instruments, singing, stringed instruments, wind instruments)

Pilot
(aerial navigation, astrogation, astronomy, astrophysics, space survival, any type of ship, ie gunships, transports, short-range shuttles, etc)

Planetary Vehicles
(aquatic navigation, cars, canoes, equestrian, ground vehicle repair, horse-drawn conveyances, hovercraft, industrial vehicles, land navigation, large ground transports, military combat vehicles, powerboats, sailing, scooters, scuba diving, skiffs, submarines, yachts)

Ranged Weapons
(blowguns, bows, crossbows, darts, grenade, javelin, ranged weaponsmithing, slings, throwing axes, throwing knives)

Scientific Expertise - Skilled Only
(earth sciences, historical sciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences)

Survival
(aerial survival, aquatic survival, general navigation, land survival, nature, space survival, specific environment (ie Zero-G), condition survival (ie heat, cold), tracking, trapping)

Technical Engineering - Skilled Only
(communications systems, computer programming, hacking, create/alter technical devices, demolitions, electronics, technical repair, technical security systems)

Unarmed Combat
(boxing, brawling, judo, karate, kung fu, savate, wrestling)

[glow=red,2,300]Gameplay How-To's[/glow]

So you're wondering what all these shiny dice do. The general rule of thumb is Attribute + Skill = Result. For example, if you want to find a problem in the engine, you roll your Alertness die and your Mechanical Engineering. If you want to fix said problem, you roll your Intelligence and your Mechanical Engineering. No one Skill pairs up specifically with one Attribute.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Combat[/glow]

Sometimes life gets a mite complicated... and that's when the shooting starts.

To start combat, everyone rolls their initiative. That's agility+alertness. Highest number goes first. Well, usually whoever starts the violence goes first. Then the highest number. Combat turns last about three seconds, not that you really need to know that.

You can do one standard action per turn without penalty. For each additional action that you attempt, all actions in the turn suffer a -1 step penalty. (For one extra action, a -1, for two, a -2 etc.) If it brings anything down below a d2, you can't do it. Stuff like talking, a quick look around the room, and dropping to the ground are free actions.

Dodging counts as a standard action. You can say you're going to dodge preemptively, or after the enemy has already tried to hit you. The latter might not work as well. If you don't want to use a standard action, innate defense is a free action. You can make an unskilled Agility roll (only one die) to dodge an attack. In melee or hand-to-hand combat, you can try parrying the enemy's blows. In ranged combat, you can find cover. You can go for all-out-defense, which gives you a +2 step bonus to blocking, or you can just run for the hills.

Then there's offensive actions. You can aim if you do nothing else that turn. You can call an all-out attack, which gives you +2 to attacking but makes you an easy target. You can call your shots, etc. I'm sure you'll get it easy enough.

Some weapons, like a man's fists, only deal Stun damage. It stings a lot, and you might pass out, but it's rarely fatal. Some weapons, like guns, are a bit more to the point. They deal Wound damage, which bleeds like you wouldn't believe. A lot of things deal basic damage, which is divided between Stun and Wound.

Will add more as necessary

[Zylaa]

So-- others who are playing, what ship roles do you want to have? I'd like to be the Zoe-type character for a change, but being the Mechanic would be fun too. And yes, I would like to know this before I figure out all my Stats.

[Bacon]

I'd like to join this. I have a character sheet nearly completed(need to work out a few kinks in the backstory...), but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it. >_>

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Welcome aboard, Bacon! PM your character sheet to me. ^_^ Let's take a looksee. [/glow]

[KitClairvoyance]

When does this start? I'm tempted, but unfortunately will have the NTWF-activity-level equivalent of shipwrecked-on-desert-island-with-only-a-coconut-tree-for-WiFi-receptor for the next three weeks. D:

[Rider]

May 19, 2009 16:54:33 GMT -5 KitClairvoyance said:

When does this start? I'm tempted, but unfortunately will have the NTWF-activity-level equivalent of shipwrecked-on-desert-island-with-only-a-coconut-tree-for-WiFi-receptor for the next three weeks. D:

[glow=red,2,300]Owch. T_T Well, I'll be gone tomorrow and Thursday. Then I'll need a few days to sort everyone's stuff out and plot like a vicious little munchkin. So we're looking at within two weeks, maybe longer if I'm lucky enough to get a job in this dungpile economy. Want me to run you on auto-pilot for a little bit? [/glow]

[Bacon]

May 19, 2009 12:55:36 GMT -5 Zylaa said:

So-- others who are playing, what ship roles do you want to have? I'd like to be the Zoe-type character for a change, but being the Mechanic would be fun too. And yes, I would like to know this before I figure out all my Stats.

Well, my character wouldn't be much help for anything more than... maybe cook. He'd be the ship's public relations guy, and I don't mean in the same way Jayne is.

[insanepurpleone]

Ooh! this looks like fun, I'd love to join. Although be warned I'm not really familiar with the whole dice thing, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little clueless on occasion. XP

As for ship roles, those would be helpful to know for figuring out stats and stuff.. I think mechanic could be cool, or maybe pilot. I'm not super picky if someone else wants one of those, though. Hm... *goes off to think*

[Shadaras]

..can I claim pilot? Though if you really want it, Purple, you can have it.