SerenityMovie.net

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Has there been any serious effort to make a Firefly RPG game? I know that over at fff.net theres been some Neverwinter Nights Fireflying, but that's 3rd Ed....and as I am inclined to write my own RPGs, it sounds like a worthy cause.
However, time being what it is (i.e. nonexistant), I have an easier time adapting stuff to Steve Jackson's GURPS system. If anyone knows of any useful RPing aids, though, like maps or info or links to such...post it! fff.net has a good resource, but I've been pondering such questions as:

Assuming that interstellar travel is so easy, what types of engines do they use for it?
(From commentary, I know Serenity uses fusion engines, and I've been assuming the two side engines are fusion thrusters while the main engine---the coolest ever seen---is a fusion explosion based on the Orion engine theory. But what to other ships and Cruisers use?)

What are the weapons?
(I've been going with universally-silenced chemical explosives, with the possibility of electromagnetic gauss guns and laser guns as more expensive tech.)

So...anyone else got anything? All ideas are appreciated, and some of this would just be fun to figure out/debate.
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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Guest · Posted: Thu May 06, 2004 9:12 am Post subject:

I haven't seen much in the way of progress on the RPG suggestions @ FFF.net. There was some talk of using several different game systems as the template, but I have not heard any updates since the initial posts.

My friend (one of my first converts) has been running a Firefly RPG for the past three weekends. Been pretty fun so far. Some very imaginative plots and twists. He is using a relatively simple game mechanics system based off of a game he made up and sold several years ago called "Juvenille Delinquents". It is a d6 based game. It doesn't require too much dice rolling and is mostly role playing. Been pretty entertaining so far.

BrownCoat1 · Joined: 26 Apr 2004 Posts: 1087 Location: Richmond, VA

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Pure roleplaying is a favorite for me; I ran a year-long AD&D Planescape campaign without ever letting the players see the character sheets---I just had them keep journals with inventory and notes, and what they knew about their character. That was the most fun I've had in a long while.
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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Oops; barring Firefly, that is.
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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Maximilia · Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 8

Being a gamer and watching Firefly compulsively for the last week (at least an episode a day, usually more..but I just got the DVD set..) I've been considering running a game based on Firefly.

In doing some research, someone already has rules up for a really simple sysem called Risus set in the Firefly world. Addy is:

http://webpages.charter.net/anjinm/g_risus.htm

If you don't know what Risus is, look it up on the net. Very simple game to learn and five, yes five, pages of instructions. Totally free.

Also, watching the DVD's has made me realize what our old Alternity game could have been (we were almost set up the SAME WAY as the crew on Firefly...four or five years before the series came out. Scary)...and realize that the Alternity rules (with some conversions) could work pretty well. Alternity was put out by TSR.

Lastly, there IS a Buffy/Angel game put out, which wasn't half bad. I personally preferred the more detailed original version of the rules...as the rules in the Buffy game was converted from WitchCraft by Eden Studios (which, you know, made the Buffy/Angel game). That is a very simple system to learn, though detailed in optional rules. With conversions, again, that wouldn't be half bad.

Maximilia · Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 8

PS: Forgot about this. Garett (think I got yer name right), if you like 'pure' roleplaying, with no dice or anything involved, check out The Amber Diceless RPG made by Phage Press. Based from Roger Zelazny's "Amber Chronicles".

Daireen · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 5:44 am Post subject:

As much as I'd simply adore to do a Firefly RPG, I can't find people up here who want to do Werewolf RPGs, let alone anything else. Sad

Doh.

Although it would be quite hilarious to have one of the Firefly worlds be a World of Darkness. *lol*
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Maximilia · Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 8

Wow... I'll bet you are nowhere near South Dakota where I'm at, otherwise I'd invite you into our gaming group, Daireen. We just got done with a "1980's" Werewolf game, and we're in the midst of a "1970's" Mage game...loads of fun. Smile

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Maximilia · Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 8

I agree with you, about no more Amber books. Everyone on the Amber message board I haunt seems...excited about it, but if it's not from R. Zelazny himself, I don't particularly care for it.

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Yeah. It just gets my hackles up because he expressly forbade it. And the covers I've seen look really, really campy. I own the first one because a 'friend' gave it to me, and I assume I'll read it someday, but eh...
Looks like we might need a new thread for that discussion Wink

Here's a thread-appropriate question: Is Firefly set in a newly terraformed GALAXY or SOLAR SYSTEM? There are an awful lot of planets and moons for one system, but 1. Each planet could have multiple moons, which are now almost planets anyway 2. some solar systems may well have a very large biozone where water is liquid and life can exist, and also have many planets within that zone 3. There doesn't seem to be any 'hyperspace' or 'warp' travel, which suggests that its in-system since travel times are relatively low.

Also, in two alternative narrations over the opening credits, Book and Mal (respectively) refer to a new SYSTEM and a new GALAXY. (these quotes can be found through Amazon.com on the IMDB quote/trivia list).

So, one system with the Core Planets being those in the better part of the life zone and better terraformed, and the outer planets literally being at a further orbit and less carefully dealt with, or a new galaxy, with one or two planets and their moons in each inhabited system (which will probably all be in specific bubble of space, with the Core Planets in the systems near the center)?
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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Daireen · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 11:47 am Post subject:

I can only assume it's multiple solar systems, simply because the farther out you get, the less sun reaches you. Basic science - there's a Band of Life in each solar system, the closest you can be to support life, and the farthest. Venus is just too close, and Mars is pushing the edge; even if we manage to create an atmosphere, it could still end up being awfully cold. By the time you get out to Neptune, the Sun is just another star in the sky, no extra warmth or light to speak of.

Considering how many planets are mentioned (http://fireflyfans.net/referencelist.asp?s=planets), there's no way they can all be in one solar system.

Nitpick: why do they spell it Sihnon? I've always seen it Sinon. Are they going to Pinyin route?
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Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

I was going with multiple solar systems because of the aforementioned limited Life Zones, but was just checking because one of those quotes said "solar system" and the travel times are very brief (Though I've also been assuming that most ships use an advanced fusion drive powered by a deuterium/hydrogen mix, and that Serenity's main engine is a fusion-based Orion engine (like detonating a fusion bomb for propulsions) which is basically what someone says in one of the special features on the DVDs.) Though the Cruisers would take massive amounts of fuel, so I've also been working with superscience gravitic drives because they do, indeed, have artificial gravity.
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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Keldir · Guest

I'm a new fan to the series, I went out and bought it and I really, really enjoy it.

An RPG would be relatively simple to create using the d20 system.

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

The d20 system is the source of all evil in the world. Evil or Very Mad

Sorry, I just HATE Wizards of the Coast for screwing up AD&D with 3rd edition and turning it into a money-mill rather than an interesting game....ick. Built for power-gaming and min-maxing. Second edition is so much more balanced and well thought out...
Sorry, sorry...I'll try not to rant too much.
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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Daireen · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 6:14 am Post subject:

That's why I like White Wolf. d10 system. Wink

Nyuk nyuk.
After seeing the ends of both Buffy and Angel, I can't help but think they took place in the World of Darkness. You could easily mesh the two in any roleplaying game. Buffy was a Hunter, Oz was a Garou, Willow a Mage... huh. Wink

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Lost_Thought · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 8:56 am Post subject:

The Shadowrun D6 system is excelent for keeping a furious pace in firefights and gameplay wise, IMHO much better than D&D's system. I have not played whitewolf so i cant make a comparison to that game but I think shadowrun will "Firefly-up" nicely. (It already has stats for most of the armaments seen in firefly and things like driving/flying systems too... and for the BH guys and river there is a psionics dealy too!

What do you guys think?
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Daireen · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 10:07 am Post subject:

I think everyone needs to move to Minnesota so we can do a lil tabletopping. Wink

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Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Maybe we could set up something like an RPG Shindig, and I could run a Firefly game. Though I admit I'd probably have trouble getting to one, it might be possible eventually (or even a meetup of Browncoats at WorldCon or GenCon).

Oh, and its PA everyone should move to for RPing! Wink

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~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."

Daireen · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 1:07 pm Post subject:

Here's the thing, though.. we'd need character sheets, and rules and whatnot..

This is why I wish I knew how to fiddle with Adobe Acrobat. I'd love to take the WW character sheets and tweak them, or at least make an online copy (so you can fill in the dots and type your extras online so they're tidy, then print it out)..

I do not have mad skillz, yo.
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Maximilia · Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 8

They already have a Buffy & Angel RPG out there. It's put out by Eden Studios and it does a fairly good job of keeping true to the Buffyverse.

Garrett · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 121 Location: PA

Yes, but Buffy is not Firefly....not dissing it, but I'm more into Firefly.

The character sheets CAN be done, a friend of mine made my group some GURPS sheets like that. Maybe you know someone who could give you a hand? Groups of gamers tend to include at least one techie.
_________________
~Garrett, Practitioner of Larcenous Crafts

"You might say that other people's property comes naturally to me."