Firefly RPG

[Noedig]

Found out they actually make this. Is anyone familiar with it?

[Katana_Geldar]

A little, it's cortex based.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Isn't it the original Cortex game? The rules, in my experience are sometimes incomplete (for example, nowhere does it tell you what you roll to defend against gunfire, swhats, fists, tables, stools, or pool cues) but it's a rules light system, so if your Storyteller/GM/DM is willing to come up with some rules for the stuff that Weiss et al. didn't you'll be fine. I definitely like the idea of Complications, which are sort of negative qualities that make for those things that 'don't go smooth' in the story, and I like the simplicity of Stat+Skill, and the depth allowed by not having it be a specific stat for every skill (the ST adjudicates what stat you roll, depending on the task and the skill you want to use).

There have been some major changes to the Cortex System since the publishing of the Serenity RPG. I'm no expert on them, but the fine folks at the Cortex System RPG Boards (http://cortexsystemrpg.org/index.php) will be able to tell you what's what. They also have some great ship designs on that board, with full 3D renders and everything.

[Noedig]

Not really all that familiar with cortex systems. Given its rules lite approach though I can't imagine it being to difficult.

[FelixG]

Cortex is one of the best systems I have played

You can use multiple attributes for different skills

Say you are a sniper, you could use perception and guns
A gun slinger? then you use dex and guns
or a heavy weapons person might use endurance and guns

Lots of different options and its all up to the GM what is called for, so its a lot more fluid and you don't have to memorize what attribute goes with what skill.

The one thing is, in the base book there is no limits to how many actions one can take in a turn, the suggested limit in other sources and from experience is 3 actions per turn is appropriate

[stainboy]

The Firefly RPG has the best merits/flaws systems I've seen. If I remember it right you get action points whenever your flaws penalize you or lead you to take a particular action, which makes it beneficial to take flaws that will actually matter. If nothing else it's a really fun system to make characters in.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

I'm pretty sure the base book includes a line to that effect as well. I'm away from books, however, and can't check it. Also, each additional action (beyond the first or second, I don't remember which) provides a negative modifier to your dice pool, which prevents getting arbitrarily high numbers of actions (unless you want to roll negative dice).

That same depth of ability+skill can be a bane however. If, say you're a sniper and have been rolling Perception+Firearms the whole time, your ST can simply decide it calls for a Agility+Firearms test instead, which might cripple you, if your build is low on Agility.

That said, I've found Agility and Willpower to be the Two Stats to Rule Them All (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OneStatToRuleThemAll)* for combat and social situations respectively. Also, the ability to come up with justifications for using a certain stat with your skill for any given action is a good one to have :smallwink:

*Warning, that's a TV Tropes link

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I haven't played it myself, but it seems like it's a good, solid system, though nothing specifically Firefly other than the setting. It's sorta like the fun "we don't care that much about math, just about having a neat game" cousin of GURPS, I think. Cinematic and just crunchy enough to be rather interesting.

[Bakkan]

I played a few sessions of the Serenity RPG and loved it. The thing that took my group the longest to realize is that the damage an attack does depends on the difference between the attack roll and the defense roll. I forget exactly where in the book it is, but make sure to find it before you start playing, or else combat will really drag, as you'll be doing far less damage than the system was designed for.

[JaronK]

I loved firefly and wanted to try the RPG, but its woefully incomplete. There's even a paragraph that starts on one page, but when you turn the page... new section. That previous section is never finished. It's a space trading game with no actual rules on how to make money, how much gas it should take to get from planet to planet (not even a rough guideline), no ship combat rules, and generally little more than "here's a setting you already got from the show, here's some really incomplete basic rules, now the GM has to make up the rest." Honestly, I think I'd rather freeform it.

JaronK

[Allanimal]

I loved firefly and wanted to try the RPG, but its woefully incomplete. There's even a paragraph that starts on one page, but when you turn the page... new section. That previous section is never finished. It's a space trading game with no actual rules on how to make money, how much gas it should take to get from planet to planet (not even a rough guideline), no ship combat rules, and generally little more than "here's a setting you already got from the show, here's some really incomplete basic rules, now the GM has to make up the rest." Honestly, I think I'd rather freeform it.

JaronK

I, like most of my gaming group, are big fans of Firefly, so an RPG sounds like fun, but if it really is as you say, then we'll stay away.

I used to play Traveller back in the day, and I've always thought that The Traveller rules would work well for Firefly. Hmm, I wonder if it has been done?

[Myth]

I love Firefly! I first watched Serenity when it came out and I just fell in love with the language, so different from the regular American English we hear in movies these days. You on a spaceship? Talk like an American. You on a 16th century boat? Talke like an American. You're Queen Elizabeth? Talk like an American.

It was so refreshing to hear some new slang like "gorram", calling the ship a she, just everything. I couldn't get enough, for a couple of years I always advocated for the movie without knowing that it's actually the loose end tying tool for the TV series. I only recently watched the TV episodes and was charmed. I really want them to make a contiuation but I suppose one can't air a show that does not conform to the standards, airing all the subliminal stuff you normally see in US television. NOT MANDATORY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doWOdB1d0mg).

So, is this system like S.P.E.C.I.A.L ? And do you have stats for the characters from the show/movie? River should be absurdly overpowered.

[Ernir]

Does anyone know whether there have been successful/widespread fan-made extensions to the system (A.K.A. homebrewing efforts) to fill in the gaps? The setting has such a cult status, I wouldn't be surprised if some wonderful nerd had already done all the finishing work...

And do you have stats for the characters from the show/movie? River should be absurdly overpowered.
River should just be someone who took way too many flaws at chargen. xD

Has everything from (implied) telepathy to superhuman asskicking combat powers, but is a complete gibbering mess whenever her niches don't show up. Whoo minmaxing. :smalltongue:

[Xuc Xac]

And do you have stats for the characters from the show/movie? River should be absurdly overpowered.

River's writeup has a note that says she is statted to be balanced with the other members of the crew, but it would be more accurate if she was more powerful.

The RPG is specifically the licensed game of the movie "Serenity". It didn't have a license for the TV series, so it may seem like a lot of material is missing (like information about all those worlds they visited before the movie). The system isn't really anything special and it's not made specifically for running the 'Verse, but there are some interesting ideas on using the system for a Firefly game. I like the idea of statting the ship up as another character instead of coming up with a separate "vehicle" system. Instead of having stats for hull durability, maneuverability, sensor arrays, etc., you just have Strength, Agility, Perception, and other stats like a character.

[Noedig]

I would honestly not be surprised if there is an homebrew forum or something dedicated to completing the books. Given its cult status, it seems almost like an inevitability.

Damn shame they can't find anyone to reboot it though. Advertising ineptitude was pretty much the only thing that held this series back.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

I have the book, tried playing a game on these boards, but wasn't smart enough to figure out how combat worked.

[Tyndmyr]

Fantastic setting, not thrilled with the crunch.

If I were to run a game, I'd probably use another system entirely and put a lot of work into filling out the solar system.

[TinselCat]

I have GMed several Serenity campaigns with a group of 6-8. It's a fun system, and isn't limited to the established Firefly world. Like most systems, the rules may be bent in the name of fun. Half of my players couldn't tell me how combat worked beyond "I say what I want to do and you tell my which die to roll". Despite that, we have lots of combat without losing their interest. Due to the nature of the world (a strong police force, for one) combat in my players' case is often less fatal. But again, that can vary between crews/groups of PCs, especially because guns and grenades are in play.