Serenity Role Playing Game. What is the good, the bad, and the ugly?
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Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
The skill system blows, but is probably fixable with some GM work. The combat system is a little wonky in that there's out-of-turn reactive actions that impact your next turn, which can lead to mistakes and confusion. It's classless (which is neutral) but character progression looks like it would be very slow to people used to 3e. The ships-as-characters bit is nice, and some of the rules for space stuff would probably work ok. The best thing about the book is the Chinese swearing dictionary in the back 
I can think of a half-dozen systems I'd use before that one to run a Firefly game. And there isn't even really enough background info on the 'verse to make it a good sourcebook to fill in the gaps in the series (or explain away inconsistencies). The production values are good, though.
Personally, although I got a couple good gameday games out of it, it wasn't really worthy the money. You'd be better of using some other system (Savage Worlds, or HeX, or even SWSE) and mining the numerous fan websites for source material.
I can think of a half-dozen systems I'd use before that one to run a Firefly game. And there isn't even really enough background info on the 'verse to make it a good sourcebook to fill in the gaps in the series (or explain away inconsistencies). The production values are good, though.
Personally, although I got a couple good gameday games out of it, it wasn't really worthy the money. You'd be better of using some other system (Savage Worlds, or HeX, or even SWSE) and mining the numerous fan websites for source material.
Crothian
First Post
If you like the worlds and the setting that part of the game is really good. Some people are not fans of the system. It seems simple but it took me quite a while to get it and to make it work well (maybe I'm just dumb, I'm not sure).
The big problem with the game has nothing to do with the game. Firefly is a show about certain characters that are well defined and have great writers. A RPG campaign isn't going to be that cool and run that smooth. The same can be said for the Buffy RPG. One really has to go into the game not expecting the TV show, but just wanting to game in that type of Universe.
The big problem with the game has nothing to do with the game. Firefly is a show about certain characters that are well defined and have great writers. A RPG campaign isn't going to be that cool and run that smooth. The same can be said for the Buffy RPG. One really has to go into the game not expecting the TV show, but just wanting to game in that type of Universe.
Derro
First Post
I'll third the system being total arse. It's clunky, doesn't have the grain required for some kinds of challenges and advances oddly. I wasn't a huge fan of Firefly but the setting stuff seemed pretty good.
Don't pay top dollar. Get it used if you can. Mine it for setting material and use d20 Future or Spycraft 2.0. If you're down with rules-lite use FUDGE.
Don't pay top dollar. Get it used if you can. Mine it for setting material and use d20 Future or Spycraft 2.0. If you're down with rules-lite use FUDGE.
Scurvy_Platypus
Explorer
Serenity is one of those games that people have some pretty polarized opinions on. People either like it, or they @Q#$%@#$ hate it.
Here's a review of it:
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11650.phtml
It got Ennied for Best Production Values in 2006, and was also nominated for Roleplaying game of the year, but was beat by Artesia:
http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=20532
http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2005
The first printing of the game had a couple of issues, one of them being no character sheet. From the hue and cry that was raised, you'd think that was a capital sin. *shrug*
Some people have some problems with the system. They don't particularly care for the ship being statted out like a person, and there's some that don't like the math of the dice. It uses different size dice for attributes, like Savage Worlds.
The game system itself has actually been around for a while, and has been refined as it's gone along. The same system is what's powering the Battlestar Galactica rpg.
If you're coming at things strictly from a d20/D&D perspective, yeah it's probably going to be an...uncomfortable... fit. If you've played around with some other systems and like more than one game system, it'll be easier for you to make some adjustments to get what you want out of it.
One thing that some people bump up against is a difference in expectations when it comes to the game. It's kinda like saying, "Star Wars". People have different thoughts about what really makes the setting. In the case of Firefly, some people want to emphasize the whole cruising from planet to planet and barely scraping by. Others want to do some sort of "Big Damn Hero" kind of thing, and maybe focus more on struggling against the Alliance. A few are more intrigued with the idea of rogue psychics floating around trying to avoid getting nabbed.
Into that whole mix you have tossed the retro-tech of the setting. Anti-grav and six-shooter style pistols, next to horsedrawn wagons. Scanners and hypo sprays alongside a blend of western/southern etiquette rules.
From what I've seen some people "stumble" on the whole "consistency" thing. D&D has focused on very precise balance and consistency, and Serenity is more on the handwavey side it seems to me. The rules are a bit different, the setting mixes outmoded styles and ways of thought with future tech and considerations and it's just too jarring.
That's not a criticism of folks by the way. I mean the show couldn't appeal to a large enough group consistenly enough to stay on the air. Much though I like the show, it and the rpg aren't going to be to everyone's taste.
If it's any help in judging things:
I happen to like Palladium settings (I don't think the rules are going to destroy the universe like some people make out but I tend to avoid them), I thought C&C was fine as far as the rules were concerned (although they seem to need to be "fine tuned" to match folk's tastes), I'm a big fan of Unisystem (Cinematic), I dislike default D&D rules (I'm neutral on the whole 4E fight people seem to be engaged in), I think BESMd20 has the right idea but needs to be straightend up, I really want to run a Secret of Zir'An game, and I'm currently enjoying Monsters and Other Childish Things (it uses a simplified version of the rules for Wild Talents/Reign), and I have some _very_ mixed opinions on Fudge (the rpg. the desert rocks).
Me? I don't have a problem with the game, and I don't regret having bought it when it first game out.
Here's a review of it:
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11650.phtml
It got Ennied for Best Production Values in 2006, and was also nominated for Roleplaying game of the year, but was beat by Artesia:
http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=20532
http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2005
The first printing of the game had a couple of issues, one of them being no character sheet. From the hue and cry that was raised, you'd think that was a capital sin. *shrug*
Some people have some problems with the system. They don't particularly care for the ship being statted out like a person, and there's some that don't like the math of the dice. It uses different size dice for attributes, like Savage Worlds.
The game system itself has actually been around for a while, and has been refined as it's gone along. The same system is what's powering the Battlestar Galactica rpg.
If you're coming at things strictly from a d20/D&D perspective, yeah it's probably going to be an...uncomfortable... fit. If you've played around with some other systems and like more than one game system, it'll be easier for you to make some adjustments to get what you want out of it.
One thing that some people bump up against is a difference in expectations when it comes to the game. It's kinda like saying, "Star Wars". People have different thoughts about what really makes the setting. In the case of Firefly, some people want to emphasize the whole cruising from planet to planet and barely scraping by. Others want to do some sort of "Big Damn Hero" kind of thing, and maybe focus more on struggling against the Alliance. A few are more intrigued with the idea of rogue psychics floating around trying to avoid getting nabbed.
Into that whole mix you have tossed the retro-tech of the setting. Anti-grav and six-shooter style pistols, next to horsedrawn wagons. Scanners and hypo sprays alongside a blend of western/southern etiquette rules.
From what I've seen some people "stumble" on the whole "consistency" thing. D&D has focused on very precise balance and consistency, and Serenity is more on the handwavey side it seems to me. The rules are a bit different, the setting mixes outmoded styles and ways of thought with future tech and considerations and it's just too jarring.
That's not a criticism of folks by the way. I mean the show couldn't appeal to a large enough group consistenly enough to stay on the air. Much though I like the show, it and the rpg aren't going to be to everyone's taste.
If it's any help in judging things:
I happen to like Palladium settings (I don't think the rules are going to destroy the universe like some people make out but I tend to avoid them), I thought C&C was fine as far as the rules were concerned (although they seem to need to be "fine tuned" to match folk's tastes), I'm a big fan of Unisystem (Cinematic), I dislike default D&D rules (I'm neutral on the whole 4E fight people seem to be engaged in), I think BESMd20 has the right idea but needs to be straightend up, I really want to run a Secret of Zir'An game, and I'm currently enjoying Monsters and Other Childish Things (it uses a simplified version of the rules for Wild Talents/Reign), and I have some _very_ mixed opinions on Fudge (the rpg. the desert rocks).
Me? I don't have a problem with the game, and I don't regret having bought it when it first game out.
scholz
First Post
We played it for about six months. I liked it.
If you like Firefly, you'll probably like it. If you're a Browncoat, you might love it.
Combat. Different. But fun. It took some work to deal with the extreme randomness. Bonuses add dice, or increase the die type. So you might have a character with d12 + d8 attack rolls, but that means a 2 or 3 is still possible. So not very D20ish. Still, over the long haul, the skill system and combat (basically the same) seem to work in that the the combat pros do better than the novices, and being good at something is pretty clear.
I think the source material is fine. It give a pretty good feel for the genre, but without seeing the show you'd be hard pressed to "get it."
We tried to mix it up: space adventures, cowboy adventures, and high tech city adventures, and they seemed to work pretty well.
A couple of caveats:
1. Keeping track of money (and keeping people poor) is part of the genre, and important.
2. Beware Called Shots (the BSG system works that better). In fact you can port the BSG (or Cortex 2) system directly into Serenity (call it Serenity v2.0).
3. Genre is king. Keeping real can be hard if the players are not on board.
Other than that, its a gorram shiny system.
If you like Firefly, you'll probably like it. If you're a Browncoat, you might love it.
Combat. Different. But fun. It took some work to deal with the extreme randomness. Bonuses add dice, or increase the die type. So you might have a character with d12 + d8 attack rolls, but that means a 2 or 3 is still possible. So not very D20ish. Still, over the long haul, the skill system and combat (basically the same) seem to work in that the the combat pros do better than the novices, and being good at something is pretty clear.
I think the source material is fine. It give a pretty good feel for the genre, but without seeing the show you'd be hard pressed to "get it."
We tried to mix it up: space adventures, cowboy adventures, and high tech city adventures, and they seemed to work pretty well.
A couple of caveats:
1. Keeping track of money (and keeping people poor) is part of the genre, and important.
2. Beware Called Shots (the BSG system works that better). In fact you can port the BSG (or Cortex 2) system directly into Serenity (call it Serenity v2.0).
3. Genre is king. Keeping real can be hard if the players are not on board.
Other than that, its a gorram shiny system.
dmccoy1693
Adventurer
Add another voice to the chorus of "not a fan of the system." To elaborate on a point more or less previously mentioned, you're not going to get the english/chinese mix in the way players/NPCs talk without it being REALLY clunky.
Other criticisms. The book is poorly orgnanized. A friend of mine and I both bought the book and we could not find the "ability" equivilent used in firing a gun (and we looked hard). Now it is obviously DEX, for us experienced gamers, but this was marketted to new games that were interested in the show. There is also nothing for the pilot to do. There is no roll system detailed for piloting a ship and no reprocussions spelled out if you "failed" the roll. There is a pilot skill, but no detailed use of how to do a chase scene.
My best recommendation: watch the show, make some notes about the setting for yourself, and use whatever system you are comfortable with. I'd recommend either Traveller (mongoose version coming out later this month) or d6 Space, but that's just me.
Other criticisms. The book is poorly orgnanized. A friend of mine and I both bought the book and we could not find the "ability" equivilent used in firing a gun (and we looked hard). Now it is obviously DEX, for us experienced gamers, but this was marketted to new games that were interested in the show. There is also nothing for the pilot to do. There is no roll system detailed for piloting a ship and no reprocussions spelled out if you "failed" the roll. There is a pilot skill, but no detailed use of how to do a chase scene.
My best recommendation: watch the show, make some notes about the setting for yourself, and use whatever system you are comfortable with. I'd recommend either Traveller (mongoose version coming out later this month) or d6 Space, but that's just me.
Dragon Snack
First Post
I also played it for about 6 months. I enjoyed it a lot.
I have to echo the whole 'if you're into D&D/d20, it can be hard to like the system'. You have to put a lot of trust in the GM and you have to accept your character will fail (no matter how good).
The thing is, that's how the show was. Almost every character played the fool at some point in the series and almost every character fell on their face once or twice. As a player you have to accept that.
I wouldn't use the system for any other game I was running, but I don't think a Serenity/Firefly game works with d20 (or even Savage Worlds).
Gorram shiny indeed.
I have to echo the whole 'if you're into D&D/d20, it can be hard to like the system'. You have to put a lot of trust in the GM and you have to accept your character will fail (no matter how good).
The thing is, that's how the show was. Almost every character played the fool at some point in the series and almost every character fell on their face once or twice. As a player you have to accept that.
I wouldn't use the system for any other game I was running, but I don't think a Serenity/Firefly game works with d20 (or even Savage Worlds).
Gorram shiny indeed.
The Eternal GM
First Post
As a loyal browncoat I've got to stand against the praise for the Serenity rpg.
It was a test run for the company's ruleset (Cortex I believe?) that they also crammed into BSG. I've played a lot of D&D, but a lot more of everything else too. Serenity just isn't a great rules system. It's not more than a bland generic rules set, and certainly not a good one for emulating Firefly (or BSG) so I can't really see why it gets such praise.
I don't doubt folks have had great games/campaigns, but I honestly think that's down to the players digging the setting and stories, not the system.
We played three sessions and had great fun... But because we slowly filtered the rules away hour by hour until we just switched to Wushu.
All in all... It has some pretty pictures from the movie. That's the lot. It clearly was rushed to print, it has a LOT of omissions from the rules that really hurt it. Combat is... Bad, very messy and clunky, nowhere near as slick as I think it needs to be. Just get Thousand Suns or something else.
It was a test run for the company's ruleset (Cortex I believe?) that they also crammed into BSG. I've played a lot of D&D, but a lot more of everything else too. Serenity just isn't a great rules system. It's not more than a bland generic rules set, and certainly not a good one for emulating Firefly (or BSG) so I can't really see why it gets such praise.
I don't doubt folks have had great games/campaigns, but I honestly think that's down to the players digging the setting and stories, not the system.
We played three sessions and had great fun... But because we slowly filtered the rules away hour by hour until we just switched to Wushu.
All in all... It has some pretty pictures from the movie. That's the lot. It clearly was rushed to print, it has a LOT of omissions from the rules that really hurt it. Combat is... Bad, very messy and clunky, nowhere near as slick as I think it needs to be. Just get Thousand Suns or something else.
scholz
First Post
dmccoy1693 said:
Actually, there is no EXPLICIT tying of abilities to combat rolls. That is one thing I like about the system. You can default to Dex for the standard D&D style fight, I shoot, he shoots, I shoot. Etc..
But, the system is more flexible than that. We used Alertness for 'precise shots' saying covering, or going for a targeted attack. I could see other abilities being used as the situaiton permitted.
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