Serenity (role-playing game)
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- For other uses, see Serenity
| Serenity | |
|---|---|
 Serenity cover |
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| Designer(s) | Jamie Chambers |
| Publisher(s) | Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd |
| Publication date | 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| System | Sovereign Stone System |
Serenity is a science fiction role-playing game released in 2005 and set in the universe of the movie Serenity and television series Firefly. It is produced by Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd, and its mechanics are based on the Sovereign Stone System. The dice used in the Serenity system are d2, d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12. The system uses die steps as difficulty modifiers: A difficult action might have a two-step penalty, reducing a skill from a d8 to a d4. Therefore, because the designer uses increments of two, d20 are not used. The next step up from a d12 in this system is an additional die, starting with d2: d12+d2, d12+d4, etc. Skills and attributes are each rated as a single die type, and both dice are rolled versus a target number.
One distinguishing feature of the Serenity RPG is the use of plot points. Plot points are gained as rewards, and used to modify rolls, affect non-player characters (NPCs), or modify a situation for the benefit of the crew (usually for survival) or for cinematic effect. Some points also convert to advancement points at the end of a story or session. Advancement points are used to improve a character's skills, abilities, or attributes.
The game includes information from the show but because of licensing agreements, cannot include episode titles. However, they are able to refer to events that happen within that episode; therefore, they can't say, "In the episode 'The Train Job'..." but can say, "When Mal first encountered Niska".[1]
The book is in full color (primarily brown) and also includes full character bios and statistics of the crew, and of Serenity, as the ship is often referred to as the 10th character of the show. It includes full character creation rules and sample characters for those who want to play in the Firefly universe without playing the main crew. The three options are: play the Serenity crew, the crew of the Aces and Eights, or an all-new crew. It also includes ship creation rules.
The GM chapter has premade "stock" characters such as a typical bartender, Alliance soldier, etc., and specific ones (The Operative, Mr. Universe, etc.). Reavers are also detailed in this section.
The RPG also contains a guide to Chinese in Firefly. This is a toned-down version; a more mature, strong language version can be found on the Internet[1].
The rulebook has been criticised because it omitted some potentially important features, though none of the missing elements prevent play and most have been included in later printings or online. Those elements that were missing included:
- a blank character sheet
- an index (useful in finding a particular fact or rule)
- an example of character generation (as a learning aid)
- an example of actual play (to help get a feel for the game)
An example of combat between characters was included in the game, but was presented in the same format as game fiction, making it easy to overlook. These omissions were rectified with downloadable content from the publisher's website, particularly an index and character sheet, which have since been included in later printings of the core rulebook. A Game Master's Screen has also been released. The book also has a large number of typos and other editorial flaws, including missing text in one section of fiction.
The first adventure, Out in the Black by Laura and Tracy Hickman, was released on 2006-03-15[2].
[edit] References
- ^ Serenity Role Playing Game (2005), ISBN 1-931567-50-6, 224 pages.
- ^ Serenity: Out in the Black (Paperback). Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Unofficial Serenity RPG message board
- After Serenity Podcast, dedicated to giving advice, tips and ideas about the Serenty RPG
- A fan-generated resource page for the Serenity RPG.
- A play-by-post site hosting Serenity RPG games and character sheets.
| The Firefly series | ||
| Episodes | Serenity | The Train Job | Bushwhacked | Shindig | Safe | Our Mrs. Reynolds | Jaynestown Out of Gas | Ariel | War Stories | Trash | The Message | Heart of Gold | Objects in Space |
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| Spin-offs | R. Tam sessions | Serenity: Those Left Behind | Serenity | |
| Characters | Derrial Book | Jayne Cobb | Kaylee Frye | Malcolm Reynolds | Inara Serra River Tam | Simon Tam | Hoban Washburne | Zoe Washburne | Minor characters |
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| Terminology | Moons and planets • The Alliance • Blue Sun • Unification War • Serenity Reaver • Browncoat • Firefly slang • Companion |
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