Traveller and Firefly
- Thread starter Finarvyn
- Start date
M
Malenfant
Guest
Maybe you're unaware of this, but there is actually a dedicated Firefly RPG (Serenity) by Sovereign Stone Press I think. If you wanted to run a Firefly campaign then it might just save you a whole lot of bother that you'd get from converting everything...
Actually, the topic was discussed much around here for a while. In fact there used to be a dedicated Firefly campiagn resources thread. Just do a search for Firefly on the board and all kinds of stuff should pop up.
I think the publication of the Serenity RPG has dimmed some of the enthusiasm for Firefly Traveller. Serenity RPG is a good system, but it lacks a few things that make Traveller a good system for running a Firefly campaign, such as any form of prior service character generation.
Here are the home brew rules I did up for using Traveller CG in a Firefly setting (they focus on how to work the unification war into the CG process):
The unification war starts 12 years before the first episode of Firefly. That works out to be 3 Treveller 4 year terms. Now, the war lasts 6 years, but we can fudge it so that you have a 1 year build up before it starts and a one year demobilization after the battle of Serenity Valley. That leaves you with one term after the war to fill up.
So at the beginning of each term before doing anything else roll one die for the war. On a 5+ the unification war starts. Add +1 for each successive term (this should give you a max of 4 terms before the war begins). If you want players to have a chance to get more than 7 terms total, then don’t lower the war roll next time if the player rolls a 1. This gives you the chance to get a character as old as Book. If you want the chance of really young characters, then you can start the war half way through if the player rolls a 6 before the first term.
Once the war begins players can choose to join up or sit it out. Enlistment is automatic for the Army if a player chooses to join up and no player in a service needs to roll for retention at the end of the term. All other Enlistment Rolls are unchanged. If a player joins up they have to choose Browncoat or Alliance. If you are using Classic Traveller, then Browncoats’ rolls for promotion get a +2 during the war and one additional skill for each term they serve in the war. If using an MT/modified CT system then Broancoats get a promotion and special duty roll bonus of +2 (these bonuses for Browncoats are intended to counter balance the loss of benefits when mustering out at the end of the war). In all systems Survival rolls get a -2. Players who roll exactly their survival number are captured and spend the rest of the war as a POW (basically a wasted term with no skill rolls).
Characters already in military service must choose a side. Service can continue on either side in any branch except Marines, who can only serve with the Alliance. Marines who wish to become Browncoats must switch over to the Army.
At the end of the second term of the Unification War peace is re-established. Browncoats are automatically discharged. Alliance characters must roll for retention as normal. When mustering out, Browncoats loose all cash payouts but keep any weapons or other benefits they achieved (if you want to be really rough, you could knock a couple of points off of Soc as well to give that Browncoat stigma). Characters must now choose a new profession for an additional term before adventuring begins.
Players who choose to sit out the war just continue the CG process for three more terms.
This should put the players starting adventuring just about the time Mal buys Serenity, about a year before the first episode of Firefly.
I think the publication of the Serenity RPG has dimmed some of the enthusiasm for Firefly Traveller. Serenity RPG is a good system, but it lacks a few things that make Traveller a good system for running a Firefly campaign, such as any form of prior service character generation.
Here are the home brew rules I did up for using Traveller CG in a Firefly setting (they focus on how to work the unification war into the CG process):
The unification war starts 12 years before the first episode of Firefly. That works out to be 3 Treveller 4 year terms. Now, the war lasts 6 years, but we can fudge it so that you have a 1 year build up before it starts and a one year demobilization after the battle of Serenity Valley. That leaves you with one term after the war to fill up.
So at the beginning of each term before doing anything else roll one die for the war. On a 5+ the unification war starts. Add +1 for each successive term (this should give you a max of 4 terms before the war begins). If you want players to have a chance to get more than 7 terms total, then don’t lower the war roll next time if the player rolls a 1. This gives you the chance to get a character as old as Book. If you want the chance of really young characters, then you can start the war half way through if the player rolls a 6 before the first term.
Once the war begins players can choose to join up or sit it out. Enlistment is automatic for the Army if a player chooses to join up and no player in a service needs to roll for retention at the end of the term. All other Enlistment Rolls are unchanged. If a player joins up they have to choose Browncoat or Alliance. If you are using Classic Traveller, then Browncoats’ rolls for promotion get a +2 during the war and one additional skill for each term they serve in the war. If using an MT/modified CT system then Broancoats get a promotion and special duty roll bonus of +2 (these bonuses for Browncoats are intended to counter balance the loss of benefits when mustering out at the end of the war). In all systems Survival rolls get a -2. Players who roll exactly their survival number are captured and spend the rest of the war as a POW (basically a wasted term with no skill rolls).
Characters already in military service must choose a side. Service can continue on either side in any branch except Marines, who can only serve with the Alliance. Marines who wish to become Browncoats must switch over to the Army.
At the end of the second term of the Unification War peace is re-established. Browncoats are automatically discharged. Alliance characters must roll for retention as normal. When mustering out, Browncoats loose all cash payouts but keep any weapons or other benefits they achieved (if you want to be really rough, you could knock a couple of points off of Soc as well to give that Browncoat stigma). Characters must now choose a new profession for an additional term before adventuring begins.
Players who choose to sit out the war just continue the CG process for three more terms.
This should put the players starting adventuring just about the time Mal buys Serenity, about a year before the first episode of Firefly.
R
Roger Calver
Guest
As Firefly is in a way based upon Traveller then yes its a perfect fit as for the Serenity RPG (Yes by Sovereign) its not that good IMO.
Ship combat is very poor and as ships are a main part of the setting seems to me a let down.
Ship combat is very poor and as ships are a main part of the setting seems to me a let down.
M
Malenfant
Guest
There wasn't much ship combat in the series, is why - there was about two or three instances (and some in the movie of course) that I can remember and that's it.
Serenity doesn't even have any ship weapons. It had one in the film which was affixed to the dorsal hull and was manned by a gunner in a vacc suit. Obviously a jury-rigged design.
Ship combat is not needed but on the other hand, it does happen in the show: the Bounty Hunters fired missiles to rattle the crew in the episode where they find the frozen comrade. Reavers have some kind of grapple device as well.
There is a place for ship combat in a Firefly game, and just because there were few instances within the show doesn't mean that combat is rare enough that it should be glossed over. It's also not fair to take the instances from the show since it was prematurely cancelled.
DAMN YOU FOX
Ship combat is not needed but on the other hand, it does happen in the show: the Bounty Hunters fired missiles to rattle the crew in the episode where they find the frozen comrade. Reavers have some kind of grapple device as well.
There is a place for ship combat in a Firefly game, and just because there were few instances within the show doesn't mean that combat is rare enough that it should be glossed over. It's also not fair to take the instances from the show since it was prematurely cancelled.
DAMN YOU FOX
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
The Firefly RPG is good for a narrative-style RPG. Not a lot of numbers, but lots of descriptive terms, for all the things that are considered "crunchy" in Traveller. Me, I'd rather play Traveller, though I loved the series. 
(But, go check out robject's search!)
(But, go check out robject's search!)Thanks for all of the suggestions (particularly Ranger for his ideas!). I have a copy of the Serenity RPG and wasn't that inspired by it, but my memories of Traveller from so long ago were really positive and I thought that Traveller would be a better place to start.
I'll do some searching. It makes sense that a board such as this would have Firefly material already. I should have thought of that -- maybe I'm just getting senile.
I'll do some searching. It makes sense that a board such as this would have Firefly material already. I should have thought of that -- maybe I'm just getting senile.
