CREWS SHOULD KNOW THINGS DON’T GO SMOOTH Need help gettin’ your Crew into heaps of trouble? THINGS DON’T GO SMOOTH expands the ‘Verse with a passel of characters and shiny new rules like scene and location trigger triggers. s. Perfect for an upstanding GM like yourself! To use what you fnd in THINGS DON’T GO SMOOTH, you’ll need a copy of the FIREFLY ROLE-PLAYING GAME. Dong ma?
WHAT YOU GET IN THIS HERE BOOK NEW VILLAINS AND VARMINTS Meet spies & crime bosses, rival crews, the unexplained, and more!
PACKED WITH GM ADVICE AND RULESS
Written By: Andrew Peregrine, Eloy LaSanta, Maurice Broaddus, Dean Gilbert, Mark Diaz ruman, Eddy Webb,
Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Monica Valentinelli Additional Writing By: P.K. Sullivan, Brendan Conway, and Rob Wieland Developed By: Monica Valentinelli Additional Development By: Rob Wieland Systems Design By: Cam Banks, Dave Chalker, Philippe-Antoine Ménard,
Rob Wieland, P.K. Sullivan, Dean Gilbert, and Mark Diaz ruman Rules Editing By: Mark Diaz ruman and Dean Gilbert Design and Layout By: Daniel Solis and Tomas Deeny
CREATING NEW SHIP TRIGGERS ....................................118 USING RIVAL SHIPS ......................................................120 WHAT IS AN ANTAGONIST? ...............................................7 CHAPTER SUMMARY ........................................................8
TAKING COMMAND ........................................................13 JULIUS MORGAN ............................................................18 CHARLOTTE DU BOIS......................................................22 ORPHEUS .......................................................................26 ASANTE OKORO .............................................................30 AUGUSTUS LANDRUM ....................................................34 NEW SIGNATURE ASSETS ................................................36 NASTY ENCOUNTERS .....................................................38
PLAYING ANTAGONISTS AS THE GAMEMASTER .............124 ANTAGONISTS IN ACTION .............................................128 BARFIGHTS AND COMBAT ............................................130 ADDING MORE LAIRS AND HIDEOUTS...........................142 SCENE AND LOCATION TRIGGERS .................................148 PUTTIN’ IT ALL TOGETHER ............................................150
THE WAY OF THINGS ....................................................160 CASTING CALL .............................................................161 EXTRAS ......................................................... ...............164 SCENES AND LOCATIONS 165
AGENT TOBIAS SCHMIDT ................................................74 ASANTE OKORO .........................................................................29 AUGUSTUS LANDRUM ........................................................... ...33 BAIFANG .............................................................. ..................... 162 BAI YIN .........................................................................................81 CALLIOPE “CALLY” DRAKEWELL .....................................83 CECIL KATZ ..................................................................164 CHARLOTTE DU BOIS ................................................................ 21 COMMANDER SUSANNA MARCUS ..................................70 CRYSTAL “BRAINIAC” HILL ..............................................79 DALE MCCOY .................................................................60 DARIUS MAKEPEACE ................................................................. 77 DEBRAH WUN ..............................................................196 DEVON “SIREN” TAO ................................................................. 55 DILLON “LIGHTHOUSE” WOOD ......................................50 “GENTLEMAN” JIM DEMIDOV .............................................. 195 HONEY MCCOY...........................................................................59
JULIUS MORGAN............................................................. ........... 17 KIT HARDEN......................................................... ..........46 MARIAH CHANG ................................................... ..........83 MARSHALL LIENHUA YUN .............................................74 MERCY KEELEY ...................................................... .................. 193 MICHAEL KEELEY ............................................................. ....... 194 MOLLY TRUMAN ......................................................................... 73 ONYX.............................................................................56 ORPHEUS.....................................................................................25 PROFESSOR GREGORY JENSEN .......................................78 PROGRAM 741 ...........................................................................69 PROGRAM 741 ALPHA ...................................................70 QUON CHUI .................................................................163 TESSA BARBOSSA ............................................................ ..........49 ZAINE ALLEYNE ..........................................................................45 ZAN CHUI ....................................................................163
For Crews lookin’ to do business that ain’t exactly legal, chances are a lot higher that they’ll run into troublemakers. Even though the Border and Rim Planets might seem like a criminal’s paradise, lie’s not easy or petty thieves, neither. Don’t matter whether that Crew’s flyin’ a leaky boat in the Kalidasa System or dodging Alliance cruisers near Bellerophon’s orbit—there’s always something or somebody getting in the way o “honest” work. It’s what most might call an occupational hazard. Any Crew that runs with wolves will get bit by ’em—it’s just in their nature. It’s your job to make sure things don’t go smooth when you narrate a FIREFLY RPG Episode. As a GM, your role is to think up all manner o no good, double-crossin’ characters and obstacles to toss at the Crew. Someone comes lookin’ to shoot your Crew? Well, your Crewmembers are gonna shoot your varmints right back. Same goes or them that steals, hustles, or swings a punch at ’em, too. You might even say the good-or-nothin’ characters you introduce allow your Crew to be big damn heroes. I ’n you’re stuck and need help comin’ up with all them fiddly bits to make your Crew’s lie more interestin’, Tings Don’t Go Smooth has what you need. Tis here supplement presents a baker’s dozen o characters or you to use and toss in your Crew’s way. Each Antagonist includes supporting characters, locations, story hooks, and background material that’ll help introduce thes e varmints into any Episode. What’s more, there’s plenty more tools to add to your toolbox where that came rom. You’ll find more ships, advice on handlin’ Antagonists, scene and location dice, triggers, and shiny
PLAYIN’ THE GAME:
ABOUT THIS BOOK Things Don’t Go Smooth is designed for GMs, but that
don’t mean you or your Crew won’t nd somethin’ useful in this here supplement for the FIREFLY RPG. Dozens of new Distinctions, shiny new Signature Assets, ships, and
locations are available for you to use as well. Just keep in mind this book has heaps of options for your GM to toss your Crew into the worst kinds of trouble—if’n you don’t want your next Episode spoiled, then don’t peek! That
said, if’n you and your Crew are itchin’ to do a little crime and are dyin’ for more rules, then read away! There’ll be sidebars a-plenty for you, so read on.
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he’s distracted and takes his sweet time beore he comes afer the Crew. Suddenly, Johnny’s got more to gain (and lose), and that makes him more interesting to talk to, make deals with, and fight. Now that you understand what an Antagonist is, it’s time to tell you about ’em and all the other characters, plot hooks, and rules you’ll find here in Tings Don’t Go Smooth.
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
WHAT’S YOUR MASTER PLAN? Most Antagonists should have a plan. Even if they aim to rush your Crew and open re, they still have to gure out when, where, and how. When you’re using them, remember that Antagonists are scheming in the background even when your
players aren’t interacting with them. As the Gamemaster, think of your Antagonists like i nvisible presences, pursuing their own ends, with or without screen time.
CHAPTER SUMMARY Settle in, it’s time to take a tour o the new villains and var-
CHAPTER 2: SPIES AND
CHAPTER 3: RIVAL CREWS AND GANGS
went sour and the Alliance disavowed her. Now, the government thinks Charlotte is dead, and she’d like
to keep it that way. Tanks to her amily’s credits, this ormer spy has rebuilt her lie and runs a simple town on
No two Crews are alike, and most olk know that flyin’ rom planet to planet burns up uel cells right quick. It’s
the rontier—although her real business is intelligence gathering, infiltration, and assassination. Orpheus: Some things got burned in the War, some things got built; or Orpheus, it was both. His lie on Shadow was torn apart, as were his vocal chords. But what he suffered made him vow not to be poor or powerless again. He started trading in Alliance weapons and now he owns a moon called “Summerair.” Orpheus may
guaranteed that most Crews who smuggle, trade, or salvage will have competition both legal and otherwise. Te rival crews presented in this chapter aren’t good at sharing, and they won’t be happy i they find out someone else’s cuttin’ in on their territory.
seem like a benevolent ruler, and or some that’s true— but this young man ain’t all he seems. He may tell olk he’s
Te rival crews eatured in this chapter are lead by our, unique Major GMCs. Tose characters are accompanied by a strong, supporting cast o Minor GMCs and Extras. Cross Crew : Not every crew smuggles ood and wob-
lef the War behind, but the reverse is true, or Orpheus
has a dream and that requires all manner o weapons. Asante Okoro: Asante has moved rom one battlefield to another. Fighting or the Browncoats taught her how to kill, but when the War was over she realized she had little idea how to do anything else. So she got her unit together and went reelance, eventually be coming operatives or
the Blue Sun Corporation. While the work is much as she expected, corporate espionage is a shify business. Asante has learned how to sneak in shadowy circles to avoid attracting attention by the wrong people. She still has a sof spot or the Browncoats, but now everything is about getting her hands on Alliance credits—and business is booming. Augustus Landrum: Not everyone is able to leave the
bly-headed geisha dolls; some operations are a little more specialized and a lot more illegal. Te Cross Crew deals with blastomeres and organs, shippin’ them across the ’Verse or the riad. Te crew is a three-member operation, led by Zaine Alleyne. Tough they work hard, these crewmembers barely tolerate one another. Teir loyalty to the crew is bound by one thing and one thing only: survival. Zaine may think otherwise, but most everybody else knows that this particular Crew is in neck deep with the riad. Either they ollow their orders, or the Cross Crew’ll wind up on the operating table—just like their mules. Barbossa Gang : For some crews, fightin’, cussin’ and trouble are an occupational hazard. For the Barbossa Gang it is all part o the un. Put simply, these gang members are pirates—they care more about shootin’
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McCoy Family : At first glance, rivals take one look at the McCoy amily and shrug ’em off, thinking they’re
not all that dangerous—until they wind up missing or worse. Te McCoy amily gang members are all related by blood. Grandpa McCoy used to be the head o the clan filled with his children, cousins, and their cousins’ cousins out on the rontier. Now that he’s buried, Honey McCoy has taken over and has an eye on drug smuggling. She’s gunning or the smaller dealers, first, but then? Once she’s got a handle on the petty middlers and the like? Honey’ll ensure everybody knows the McCoys are a orce to be reckoned with.
CHAPTER 4: THE UNEXPLAINED AND OTHER VARMINTS o round off the Spies and Crime Bosses and Rival Crews and Gangs, this chapter introduces some o the weirdest Antagonists a Crew’s likely to meet in the ’Verse. I ’n one o these Antagonists gets within spittin’ distance o a Crew, trouble they’ve never seen beore’ll come rainin’ down upon ’em. Te our characters in Te Unexplained and Other Varmints are all manner o strange. Some Antagonists are scarier than others, and are designed to flesh out the ’Verse with a whole lotta mystery. Program 741: Not every Antagonist has to be human. Program 741 is a remnant o the War, a rogue AI on an obsolete mission to take down Independent-manuactured tech. I it manages to download itsel onto a system, it’ll copy that data onto its systems i it acknowledges it’s
body by rebuilding “Earth-Tat-Was.” Most olk don’t
cross paths with Makepeace, on account o the circles he travels in, but when they do? Tey find out real
quick what Makepeace is made o. Not only is he a zealot, Makepeace is richer than sin, has a large cache o weapons at his disposal, and always gets his way. Bai Yin: Tere are plenty o weird phenomena out there in the black, and olk willing to share a chilling tale or two about ’em. Te name Bai Yin is whispered in ghost stories and tall tales. Some travelers believe she’s a ghost bent on revenge; others a demon rom Earth-Tat-Was. Te truth o Bai Yin’s nature, that she’s some kind o government experiment, has never been confirmed. What does get talked about, however, is the act that even i Bai Yin turns out to be human? She’s never alone, and she knows things she shouldn’t. Ting is, Bai Yin ain’t exactly the type to cooperate—but she will make a deal. Afer you meet these characters, you’ll also find heaps o advice on how to appropriately handle the ’Verse’s nastiest Antagonists o ’em all—Reavers. Tat section in particular will be o interest to those o you who want to threaten your Crew with ’em, but aren’t sure how to handle their more troublesome aspects.
CHAPTER 5: ENEMY BOATS o fly rom one system to the next, any petty thie will beg, borrow, and snitch or a good boat. In this chapter, you’ll find new rules or all kinds o ship classes and new boats. Te sample Antagonist ships in his chapter belong
CHAPTER 7: MERCILESS o round out Tings Don’t Go Smooth, you’ll find a pair o Episodes. Merciless takes place in a museum on Ariel. It’s the perect heist to introduce scene and location triggers and test drive a shiny new Antagonist! Te Unification War tore apart amilies all across the ’Verse. It set brother against sister, mother against ather, and husband against wie. Zan Chui lost everything when her husband Quon Chui turned his back on the Independents. Te Alliance has awarded Quon plenty or his betrayal, but now he’ll reap what he’s sown when his ex-wie hires the Crew to break into a museum and steal the centerpiece rom his collection o Earth-Tat-Was artiacts. All they have to do is deeat Quon’s unique security protocols, outwit a rival thie, and load up with enough junk to make the risk o getting caught worth the trouble. What could possibly go wrong?
CHAPTER 8: THIEVES IN HEAVEN A high-level conspiracy is the theme o this here Episode. Tieves in Heaven gives you the opportunity to narrate a darker
side o the ’Verse, and introduce complex Antagonists and moral dilemmas. No matter how much love and affection gets poured into a ship, some days things just don’t go smooth. When a piece o space junk smashes into the Crew’s vessel, they find themselves making an emergency landing on the planet Angel needing to replace a hard-to-find but essential part or their ship. Heaven City has been dying ever since the War ended. Folk in town aren’t aring much better. Michael Keeley , an
APPENDIX Last but not least, the Appendix provides you with a new
FAQ that clarifies the rules and compiles the Distinctions ound in this here book, too. You’ll also get your hands on a shiny new GMC template GMs can use to build out Major GMCs, Minor GMCs, and Extras. Shiny!
TAKING COMMAND o become the head o criminal organization, most crime
ruthless as the crime bosses are—underlings tend not to
bosses care about two things: control and power. Everybody in the ’Verse tends to have a mind o their very own. Everybody—even Mudders! What olk don’t always have, however,
shed tears i their leader passes on. And that’s just within
are interests that match up real pretty like. Crime bosses are the worst offenders, since their schemes are usually o the
business inside and out. Ask or Favors: Crime bosses understand that bribery
their personal organizations! Bosses stay ahead o rivals,
competitors, enemies, and nosy Crews by knowin’ their
Charm and Attract Followers : Sure, there are times when a crime boss has to be harsh, but charm has its uses.
acter, develop a unique moral code or set o rules, and cling to them. For example, a boss who believes sel-pres-
Bosses who lean more towards being crazy unpredictable
sadists tend not to be likable and only get their way by threatenin’ olk. Soon as the money dries up, their mercs
ervation is the key to survival might keep a low profile and operate behind-the-scenes. ’Course, a boss like this could be very dangerous, and opt to leave no witnesses behind. Ever. Megalomaniacs, on the other hand, tend not to care about running a clandestine organization and want everyone to know who’s in control and who
are likely to scatter. ’Course, criminal masterminds rarely
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question their own sanity; some olk are just plum cruel and e’erybody knows it, too. Tat’s why it’s important to introduce a crime boss with a little charm. Present your GMC as the flame that the boss’s minion-moths are drawn to. Afer all, there’s no better ollower than
a true believer—even in an organization like the riad or the ong. Have Loads o Ambition: Most, i not all, crime bosses should have ambition that orces and guides their actions. Ambition can be born out o a painul past, or it can originate rom an over-inflated sense o sel-worth. Maybe an innocent songstress has turned to a lie o crime be cause her amily’s boat was blown out o the sky and now she’s
looking or payback. Maybe an escaped convict is hellbent on sticking it to the Alliance; he’s convinced o his innocence—even though he’s not. Ambition is what will deepen the crime boss’s characterization and turn a two-bit thug into a orce to be reckoned with. Whatever the reason, don’t be araid to come up with grand schemes o interplanetary domination!
Rule Teir Own Way : o give a crime boss a little char-
calls the shots. Keep in mind that this aspect o a boss’s character goes hand-in-hand with the creation o their organization. rust Nobody: Last but not least, remember the golden rule—a crime boss trusts no one. Paranoia is how these bigwigs o the criminal underworld stay alive and in business. A lack o trust may translate into a bizarre set o quirks, rigorous interviews, extra security cameras, more experienced mercs, etc. I you’re thinking about a way to make your crime boss scarier, think about what that character stands to lose. rusting no one is the key to a crime boss’s survival, but it’s also a weakness, too.
Te best part about playin’ a crime boss? Leaders within the criminal underground are ofen at the center o a perect storm, where the Crew’s orced to either do a job or them or try and take ’em down. Big gorramn bosses can only mean one thing or a Crew—they’re the chance or Crewmembers to be big damn heroes.
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
SPIES LIKE YOU
The Antagonists in this chapter are presented as crime bosses, with a heap of GMCs surrounding these individuals. That was intentional on account of the fact that spies acting all by their lonesome tend to operate under most radars. Typical spies can aord to be unique, and their interests will vary widely depending upon the job they’re doing and who they’re workin’ for. If’n a spy has saddled up with the Alliance? How you present that Antagonist will depend on your Crew’s
allegiance, for a savvy Crew might even team up with that spy for a time. Too, remember that most spies won’t be pu ttin’ out a Cortex alert annou ncin’ who they are and what they’re up to. Instead, balance your presentation of that GMC against the weight of your Episode’s plot. Some spies might be freelancers, similar
to bounty hunters and the like. These Antagonists, on the other hand, have larger things on their mind than getting paid. For these reasons and more, the spie s found in this chapter, like Julius Morgan, are treate d like a crime boss. If’n you’d
like to use any one of these Antagonists as a spy, simply tone down the supporting cast and up the sneak, backstab, and sabotage. Dong ma ?
JULIUS MORGAN “Everyone has secrets, but who can keep them from me?” Character Type:F reelance Spy Character Description: Julius Morgan is a handsome twenty-somethin’ year old spy with highly rened tastes: expensive food, extravagant lifestyle, and a love of gettin’
all gussied up—to hide the scars that criss-cross all over
his back. This auent spy shows a casual disdain for any folk he perceives are beneath his social standing. There’s only one thing he cares about: not bein’ bored. Julius was raised among the Central Planets, went to
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most of it. It was one of the reasons why th ey settled on Beaumonde and Julius’s father was made its ambassador. Dear old dad pulled many strings to ensure that his baby boy—who even he viewed as a ne’er-do-well—wouldn’t be recruited for the War. Julius repaid that kindness by arranging for his father’s death, which sped up his inheritance’s delivery date considerably. Dissatised
DISTINCTIONS
with his gains, Julius further increases his fortune by trading information for a steep price.
Julius’s tastes are rened to the point that even his intelligence interests are particular. Now, he also tracs in biotech and weaponized viruses. The more he knows,
A 8 Just one more. This time everything will be alright.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Altered Brain Chemistry: The rst time in a scene that you spend
a PP to avoid being Taken Out from a physical blow, step back the resulting Complication.
the less Julius seems to care... Likes and Dislikes: Julius bounces between wanting to
be his own man and punishing himself for what he has. He regularly ogs himself at night before he can sleep. He is addicted to a designer drug rst developed as a chemical torture. It provides the sensation of turning one’s blood to acid. So naturally, due to his various proclivities and predilections, he has a high pain tolerance.
E A 8 Honestly, ocer, you needn’t bother with the handcus.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . I B 8
Are there things you want to know? Are you ready to pay the price?
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JULIUS MORGAN THE HELP
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Concierge: Te Concierge interacts with Te Help on
Tough he employs any number o personal assistants, bodyguards, and servants, Julius Morgan reuses to learn the names o his hirelings and collective reers to them as “Te Help.” As ar as he’s concerned, employees Morgan hires are disposable, replaceable, and interchangeable—the cost o doing
Morgan’s behal. She is Julius Morgan’s personal attaché who hires, interviews, and coordinates the Help. Tough
business. Rivals who’ve learned o this detail have gotten close
no longer capable. Her duties include: trolling through staff that has been dismissed by prominent amilies,
to Morgan by exploiting and infiltrating his underlings. Tus ar, none have survived. Despite this callous attitude, Morgan pays “Te Help”
she is utterly replaceable as well, and will be dismissed should she break Morgan’s trust, the spy allows her to deal with his employees until he has cause to think she’s
quite well in order to protect his reputation and provide his employees with a misguided sense o loyalty. Due to the rarified
debriefing them or any critical inormation, and training them or Morgan’s employ. When Morgan goes on a binge, the Concierge cleans up afer him. Rumor has it that Morgan has prepared a special punishment or his
air o the company Julius typically keeps—ancy ambassadors,
Concierge should she ever betray him. raits: Middle
bigwig business types, Alliance movers and shakers, and the nobility—no one notices the invisible employees who lurk
Manager of Crime
behind every curtain. Te Help are innocuous background noise, and are trained to be unnoticed. Tat said, all employees are subjected to a series o rigorous interviews and background checks beore Morgan will hire them. Once they’re on the payroll, Te Help is given infiltration and espionage training, as well as basic combat maneuvers. o Morgan, Te Help are his flies on everybody’s wall. Te Help may be well-trained flies, but they’re still insects nonetheless. I he could, Julius would replace each and every one o his employees with a programmable robot or AI. Until the tech can meet his needs, however, he’ll rely on human
Upper crust Alliance types tend to act as i “Te Help” is beneath them—servants are pitiable creatures that have risen as high as they could, but they’re simply not good enough. Morgan uses the way the Alliance snubs his employees, and expects them to underestimate his staff. People orget that Te Help is always around—to most socialites these staff members are part o the decor. Tat gives his spies a leg up, or Te Help are always in position to see things, to hear things—secrets that are valuable to an inormation broker like Morgan.
HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS
CHARLOTTE DU BOIS “The only orders I follow from now on are my own.” Character Type: Mercenary Queen Character Description: Though Charlotte du Bois is
in her early fties, she moves like a woman half her age,
and has a mean right hook. She hides her gure under well-worn military fatigues and chews on an unlit cigar,
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which she never smokes. While people may be lured in by her charm and sass, at any moment Charlotte can
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draw her pair of combat batons—and surprise opponents who wonder where she was hiding them. Charlotte du Bois excelled in Alliance intelligence training. But her parents—both prestigious members of
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Parliament—had her removed from service once they
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got wind of how quickly she was rising in the ranks and what missions she’d been on. They both considered
that line of work too dangerous, and felt a career as a courier was not suitable for their daughter. However, a black ops division of Alliance intelligence soon recruited Charlotte to spy on the Browncoats during the War. She
seduced a lot of information out of many top-ranking Independents, and quickly became one of Alliance’s top spies. Toward the end of the War, du Bois was on a dangerous
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mission when her cover was blown by a jealous rival. Charlotte, despite her family’s connections and strong
deadly?
military record, was immediately disavowed and arrested. Thanks to her parents, Charlotte barely managed to escape, and eventually rebuilt her identity far from the
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Hidden Charms: When you are frisked for weapons, you may keep
Core. The outside world ignores here, and the Alliance thinks she’s dead. She’d like to keep it that way. Likes and Dislikes: Charlotte hates those who try to tell her what to do or control her. She loves her work and her girls, especially Atalanta. ein’ a spy was just a job for Flashbacks and Echoes:B
Did you know that the beautiful things in nature are often the most
a small, easily concealed weapon of your choice hidden.
C I 8 Step one-two. Parry! Thrust!
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Front Lines : When you are in a reght with your students
CHARLOTTE DU BOIS THE OIORPATA
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FROM::INTERROGATION OF CPL. LONG (D) EPSILON BRAVO CLEARANCE OR HIGHER
Charlotte was pretty, but not in an ordinary way. When she smiled at me, I knew I’d do anything she asked. But there she was, asking me what I wanted when those
Charlotte du Bois ormed a colony o spies and warriors, many o whom are disgruntled Companions or have become disillusioned with the Alliance. ogether, they’ve molded an independent Border town that operates ree and clear rom any guvmint interests. Te women there regard Charlotte as their “queen-mother,” and ew olk reer to du Bois by her
gorramn Alliance cruisers were headed straight for us. I
real name. Te Oiorpata have their own blood in, blood out joining ceremonies; once you’re a member, you are a member or lie. Afer this ceremony, the novice warriors are trained how to do proessional kills along with infiltration, combat, and
saw fool Browncoats like me every day. She just took my
squad tactics. As long as the Alliance believes that Charlotte is dead, no one will ever be allowed to leave the colony. Te only way out is to die. Aella, Calliope, Wisteria: From early on, the ew girls who are born into the colony are trained in combat, including how to handle a bow and arrow and bladed weapons. Charlotte created a new martial art or the
bring her my commander’s sealed briefcase.
Oiorpata that emphasizes sel-deense, teamwork, and mastery o weapons. In addition to learning these skills, the younger members o the Oiorpata are expert horse riders and tamers, skills most Companions would be envious o. raits: Horse Archer Okyale, Melousa, Clete: Older ladies may join the Sisters at any point in their lives. Tis particular sect
don’t mind saying, I had all manner of unseemly thoughts. But it was my frst time with a bona fde Companion, and
I kept looking at the door thinking my platoon might walk in and shame me any minute. It was like she was reading my mind though; I suppose she hand and pulled me close. When she kissed me, I closed my eyes. I knew then I belonged to her. I didn’t give two bits ’bout the War, the Alliance, none of it. Much to my shame, I told her that, too . That’s when she asked me to ::END OF FILE
too. Tese days Charlotte screens clients and jobs, train-
ing her ladies in the art o infiltration and intelligence gathering. She is riendly to a point, but even Charlotte knows she’ll have to ace her one day, but or now? Both ignore the inevitable. raits: Mercenary Protégé Te Oiorpata can be a mite aggressive when it comes
to choosing a mate, and could make any Companion blush. Tese warrior women see what they want and pursue their love interests like any other prey. Charlotte’s colony excludes
HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS Pontus is the name o the town run by the Sisters and is
located on the planet Djinn’s Bane in the Kalidasa System. Te modest town is bordered by a dense orest, a smaller shanty town where the men live called Durango, and the St. Agnes River. Pontus has three central streets: Main Street, Cross Street, and Crown Street. On the west side o town, the Oiorpata staff a modestly-sized shipyard where they keep and maintain small-to-medium sized ships. Charlotte and the Oiorpata built both towns to look like any other ound on the Border. She and her spies conduct training exercises ofen; in case o an emergency, they can abandon the town without minutes leaving nothing o note behind. No one who lives in the town has much in the way o possessions, either. Tey are taught to live with only the barest o necessities, and remain vigilant believing that outsiders are ready to take them down at any moment. Te townsolk’s biggest weakness, however, is the way they implicitly trust women and believe all men are dangerous. Everything the Oiorpata say and do is impacted by this beli e;
while they’re typically not mean or cruel, they don’t see the opposite sex as equals and they’re especially wary o outsiders. Charlotte hasn’t realized how vulnerable the townsolk truly are, or should any stranger come to visit Pontus and Durango, they’ll quickly notice something isn’t right. A network o smaller streets and alleyways branch out in every direction rom Pontus’s three main thoroughares, providing plenty o strategic places or the Oiorpata hide and strike nosy outsiders, thieves, and rivals.
North Side is on the north side o town and is the resi-
dential district or area women. Made up o hotels and modest homes, Charlotte has decreed this area to be a male-ree zone. Any man who’s publicly caught there is dealt with swifly and most harshly. Pontus also has the usual places one would expect in a town o its size, including a doctor’s office, general store, jail, bank, and saloon, all staffed by the Oiorpata. Each year, the townsolk celebrate the ounding o their colony, and have ofen been known to conduct raids on passing ships as a part o their training. Te Oiorpata are ree to keep what they find, and use these stolen boats—none o which are registered properly—to conduct their business elsewhere in the ’Verse. Durango is a shanty town built to house the men in the area. Mostly filled with b oarding houses, the South Side is where the men olk tend to their boys. Te men are lef to deend and build their own part o town. While they work to improve the town as best they can, no one dares to steal rom Pontus or ear o incurring the Oiorpata’s wrath.
ORPHEUS “Let me help you. Stay a while…” Character Type: Moon Boss Character Description: Though he’s in his mid-twenties, Orpheus seems like an old soul. He radiates cool and he’s
almost as dark as the black clothes he favors wearing. His appearance is attractive enough, and impresses all he meets. When he’s talking, though, folk don’t know what to make of him. Though the words he speaks are his own, listeners hear his words spoken through Sibyl, an AI unit that always accompanies him. Originally from Shadow, Orpheus had an aptitude for music and was developing a reputation as a musical child prodigy. When the War rst reached his planet, Orpheus was caught in an explosion that destroyed his
vocal cords. The devastation was so complete, that his mother was forced to save both him and his brother by carrying them on her back. Barely escaping Shadow with their lives, they spent the next few years as refugees. At one point they settled on Albion, but Orpheus ran away soon after his brother was drafted. Ineligible to ght, Orpheus began tracking in Alliance munitions and tech. After a few years, he earned enough credits to buy a new identity, and the deed to his own moon out on the Rim.
Orpheus “recruits” refugees and orphans to come live
with him. He tells folk the hole in his heart will only be lled by the professed love and devotion of those he saves—whether they want to be rescued or not. Truth is, Orpheus hasn’t abandoned his business. He’s just
gotten a mite sneakier about it… Likes and Dislikes: Orpheus dislikes the Alliance,
Independents, and anyone else who deserted Shadow during the War. He cares deeply about the folk he’s saved, and the weapons a trusted few trades on his
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DISTINCTIONS
P N 8 No rest for the wicked. Least not so long as you can remember all the mi tian gong you’ve seen.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Tough to Shock: When you resist intimidation or scare tactics, step up or double Focusf or the roll.
M 8 You never had much use for words anyway.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Comfortable With Silence : When you respond to a social attack by
ORPHEUS THE FURIES
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Te Furies serve as Orpheus’s personal guard and aides, stationed all around his court. Tey were originally Castaways
Here are a ew o the most loyal Furies in Orpheus’s court:
D’Sani, ’Sheka, V’Neisha: Tese three women all have
shaved heads, a ritual l efover rom their initiation. Tey
and Refugees that ound their way planet-side, lost
speak only to Orpheus and, at this stage in their training,
and abandoned. Tough the Furies are made up o all manner
are orbidden rom touching or being touched by any outsider. Some people mistake the trio or his personal
o olk, young girls especially break his heart—in this cruel ’Verse, they are usually the astest to be used up and discarded.
harem, but nothing could be urther rom the truth. In the eyes o Orpheus, they are more like his daughters. He is crazy protective o them—a dad-on-the-porch-with-a-
Orpheus thinks he’s helping resh recruits to orge a new identity and healthy sel-image. While it’s true that Orpheus does encourage the Furies to abandon their past, not all o these men and women wanted to settle down on Summerair. Tose who are unhappy wouldn’t dare to voice their eelings, however, or there’s no telling how Orpheus’ll react when he figures out what some o his ollowers really think o him. Tis moon boss believes he’s a savior, loves the idea o redeeming the lost, and has created a royal court around his avorite reugees. Te term “Furies” is an affectionate one, a badge o honor or the orgotten children o the Unification War, and reflects those he trusts over anybody else. ruth is, the Furies are the only people on Summerair who know that Orpheus still smuggles, trades, and sells weapons and high tech equipment. Te town may seem like an idyllic place, but the Furies have access to all the secret passageways built to smuggle highly-illegal and experimental cargo.
shotgun-daring-someone-to-touch-them kind o crazy. In return, this three serves as his personal bodyguards. raits: Fanatically Loyal Assassin Armoni: Tis woman lives underground and carries out targeted assassinations on behal o Orpheus’s business in exchange or her saety, room and board. Armoni’s story is a tragic one, or Orpheus swooped in and rescued her rom an Independent prisoner-o-war ship near Shadow just a ew years back. Ever since then, Armoni perceives every glance and gesture rom Orpheus as a sign o their “secret” relationship. Sticking to a strict moral code, Armoni believes she is different rom all the others Orpheus had saved. She wears a topknot to signiy
her love or Orpheus, and won’t cut it off until he vows his devotion to her. raits: Assassin With a Code
HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS Summerair is a moon o the planet Shadow, one o the
Rim planets that orbits Murphy. Shadow was once a prairie planet known or its grain arms and cattle ranches, and the one-time home to Malcolm Reynolds. Now, that world is a charred, black rock and uninhabitable. It was bombed out o existence by the Alliance as an example to any who would dare rebel. Many o its survivors fled to Summerair and Branson’s
Mark. Under the command o its young ruler, Orpheus, advanced technology can be ound almost anywhere on the moon’s surace and its capital city, Ransom, looks like it was stripped rom the streets o Liann Jiun in the Core. Orpheus built his moon, Summerair, into a utopian society that rivals any post-War communities ound within the Central Planets. Orpheus welcomes reugees, orphans, or any who find themselves displaced or lost due to the War, regardless o whether or not they avored the Alliance or Independents. Te people o Summerair proclaim to love him or it, and pledge their loyalty to him. Not all townsolk, however, are happy in this place. Some believe that Orpheus is holding them hostage, and whisper how they’re not about to make him upset.
When it comes to outsiders, Orpheus ain’t interested in their ancy duds, high-tech pistols, or big damn hero ways. Tough he’s a mite complicated, Orpheus wants his people to live lie quiet-like and worry-ree. He provides or ’em when he can, and a sense o community does the rest. Folk in Ransom tend to watch out or one another, and though they don’t have much in the way o credits, they trade and exchange services to get what they need. Unortunately, Orpheus’s success has garnered an auspicious enemy. Tough the Alliance doesn’t believe a growing city in the Blue Sun System is a threat to its interests yet , the all-powerul Blue Sun Corporation barely tolerates the community on Summerair. Te Blue Sun Co. hasn’t made Orpheus a decent offer, but word has it they intend to buy out the moon and orce everyone into slavery. Te Blue Sun Corporation and the Alliance would swoop in a lot sooner i they knew that Orpheus is more powerul than he’s letting on. Beneath Ransom’s city streets, a training camp allows him to train up his Furies and run his elaborate arms and high tech smuggling operation. No one, not even Orpheus’s mother hersel, knows that the moon boss is using his Furies to staff his criminal organization. Te passageways and tunnels that criss-cross beneath the surace ensure that no matter what happens topside, Orpheus’s loyalists will be protected—and all his secrets will remain hidden. On the surace, some believe Orpheus’s days are numbered. Te seeds o dissent have already been sown in Ransom, and e’eryone knows that Orpheus is not the time o man who likes to be disappointed. Orpheus is definitely “up to something”
ASANTE OKORO “I don’t bend on what I believe, and I don’t care who you are. Dong ma?”
Character Type: Interstellar Tracker Character Description: Asante doesn’t remember—or chooses not to remember—much of her life before the War. To her, she
was born in the War. Everything else was the prologue. When the War came, Asante’s ercely independent nature led her to side
with the Browncoats. On the “rebels” side, Okoro quickly proved herself, and was assigned to an elit e force known as Able Command
and sent out on secret missions. After a particularly bad mission killed most of her unit, she gathered the survivors and redubbed them the Attack Squad, leading them for the duration of the War. After the War, Okoro was recruited for what she thought was
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a black ops Alliance division. As it turned out, her division was
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actually a secret branch of the Blue Sun Corporation. Eventually she gured it out the nature of the company she was working for,
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but didn’t care. As long as her role provided her opportunities,
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contacts, and wealth, she had all she needed and more.
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that Corporation and its operations. Okoro’s clearance eventually
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increased alongside her value as an asset. Slowly but surely, she has used her missions and contacts within the Blue Sun Corporation to accomplish her own agenda. Now she runs a series of independent operations completely free of Blue Sun’s control. From smuggling
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Her time as a Blue Sun operative gave her a better glimpse into
to arms running, if it’s risky, dangerous, and lucrative, Asante’s in the middle of it. Likes and Dislikes: Corporate espionage is less messy than war—or at least a dierent kind of messy. Okoro blends into a
job as someone who is supposed to be on site, but innocuous. The War is long behind her, and she no longe r cares about big picture s,
causes, or beliefs. Okoro likes prot and ensures the well-being of those under her command. Flashbacks and Echoes:S he met Malcolm Reynolds during the
DISTINCTIONS
S L 8 I’ve never lost someone under my command and I’m not about to start today.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Hold the Line: When you are in a reght and one of your
War as a part of an undercover op. Asante often works with the
Crewmembers would be Taken Out, you may spend 1 PP to keep
Attack Squad, her unit from her Browncoat days. They are the only
them in the ght. The Crewmember suers a Complication as if they had spent the Plot Point and then steps that Complication back. Take or step up a Burden of CommandC omplication.
people she fully trusts in her shadowy world. SIGNATURE ASSETS:
ASANTE OKORO OKORO’S ATTACK SQUAD
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Te cocky and brash Okoro gained a reputation or succeeding not simply because o her highly specialized skill-set but through sheer orce o will. When she commits, she commits. She’s loyal to her people and no matter the mission; she never leaves a member o her crew, the Attack Squad, behind. Asante leads an elite group o ormer Browncoat soldiers, her personal “Attack Squad.” During the War, Asante’s Able Command ofen competed with the rival Maulers Unit, since both had long track records o carr ying out specialized missions. Te two units never got along, partly due to Asante’s unorthodox command style, but mostly because they constantly euded with anyone they perceived as competition. Both units were ofen chastised and written up by Browncoat leadership. On the whole, it was a riendly rivalry and the Alliance was the true enemy. Tey never lost sight o that. Here are some o the olk that make up her Attack Squad unit: Goldie: A blonde-haired new recruit, he doesn’t have the history the others have with each other. Goldie knows this is a dangerous gig—that not everyone made it home and the ranks need to be replaced. Ofen just called “Newbie” or “Newb.” raits: Greenhorn Mercenary Patch: She wears an eye patch over the eye she lost during her interrogation by the Alliance. Because she
On their last assignment during the Unification War, both o Okoro’s Independent units were sent out on a reconnaissance mission deep into the Core. Teir mission was to steal plans rom a renowned Alliance scientist named Katie Dahlquist, who was designing a weapon that could turn the tide o the War. Tis inormation led Okoro right into an Alliance trap designed to lure the spies out into the open. Only a ew members rom each unit survived, and most were taken into custody and interrogated harshly. Asante received a field promotion and led the survivors—who called themselves the Attack Squad—in a rescue mission. Te surviving members became one unit. From then, she was inseparable rom her ellow squad members. MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
ASANTE SOUND FAMILIAR?
Asante Okoro rst appeared in an E W Episode written by Margaret Weis called Wedding Planners . Her
character has been presented in a dierent context here, and may be introduced into an Episode whenever the Blue Sun Corporation’s interests are found. To appropriately u se
her character in an Episode, think about what high-level conspiracies you want to introduce. The bigger the plot, the better!
HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS Asante maintains a space station named Bastion. Te ship
floats in the atmosphere above Severance, a moon orbiting the planet Newhall in the Kalidasa System. A heavily-armed, heavily-deended acility, her station serves as the hub o her interstellar trafficking business. Staffed with well-equipped mercenaries, it consists o three tiers: Te op contains the space station’s ops and control center. From there Asante can oversee any o the projects
that are ongoing within the station. Te Middle is the most secure and heavily ortified section. With the weapons suite, shuttle docks, and communications housed there, it is a critical area—only personnel essential to its maintenance and security are allowed. Te Bottom houses the crew’s quarters.
Te station’s dock has one ast burn rocket or pick-up and delivery o her mercenaries. For more inormation about the Bastion, turn to Enemy Boats on page 106.
OKORO’S SUBMARINE TRAITS
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Okoro’s submarine is a beast o a boat, and can house a 25-person crew. Fitted with quarters, plenty o storage—much o it as hidden compartments rivaling that o a Firefly vessel—
and a brig. Te boat was designed to withstand the pressure o ocean depths and is occasionally used to smuggle goods. Most importantly, however, this sub is capable o running completely silent. Te downside to the vehicle is that it’s slow and has limited flight capacity. Te sub is rarely used, and tends to lie allow or that reason. Te crown jewel o her Newhall headquarters, the Underwater Mining Station maintains its security mostly by
measure o its location. A large dome with two arms housing docking or two subs, it ill egally mines valuable minerals rom Newhall. Okoro’s agreement with the Blue Sun Corporation allows her to keep what she mines, in exchange or certain avors she has to perorm or them.
AUGUSTUS LANDRUM “The War’s not over, it’s only taking a breather. All coats are brown when they’re covered in dirt.” Character Type: Waste Entrepreneur ugustus Landrum is a burly Character Description:A man who considers himself a nice, aable guy, but
can’t seem to keep his explosive temper in check. He’s a hard-nosed businessman who operates his interests
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like a mob boss, through violence and intimidation—to
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knows it, too. Augustus Landrum served in the War as a Dust Devil,
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a Browncoat who organized raids and terror campaigns against Alliance interests. His ship was crippled on a mission to stop the Alliance incursion before they reached Hera. Because he failed, the Alliance forces were able to reach the planet, and he was forced to
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watch the Battle of Serenity Valley from the sidelines.
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Soon afterward, Landrum returned home to the Kalidasa System. His father owned some shipyard holdings that Landrum parlayed into a small fortune. Landrum’s wealthy status aorded him some power and
inuence, which he put to immediate use by creating a false front, a waste removal corporation, which masked
his true aims to rebel against the Alliance. Though he has a wife, a son, and a daughter, he spends more time
with his militia than anybody else. Likes and Dislikes: Only two things matter to Augustus—
ruling his domain and takin’ down the Alliance. Everyone knows Augustus calls the shots no matter who is ocially mayor, magistrate, or sheri wherever he’s at. He loves food and makes a point of having a weekly family dinner
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DISTINCTIONS
D 8 You don’t take much sitting down. You have a cause that gives your life meaning.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . hen you take a Complication related to your 5 Never Back Down: W faith in your cause, immediately step it back one die type. S 8
The government is corrupt. Bloated. Ineectual. It’s high time for a change in regime.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
AUGUSTUS LANDRUM LANDRUM’S MILITIA
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Augustus sees the people who have rallied around him not as employees or underlings, but as brothers-and-sisters in arms. Tey are ellow patriots, true Independents who are banding together to ree the ’Verse rom the long arm o the Alliance—once they’re ready. o Landrum’s militia, the Browncoats weren’t rebels, dissidents, or terrorists. Tey had a cause—a cause that every ree-thinking person should believe in. Tey wanted to live their own lives, choosing their own course ree rom the whims o an oppressive government or the grip o interstellar corporations. Freedom. Independence. Te right to choose. Unlike the Independents, Landrum and his militia take their belies a step urther, and seek to erase anyone who dares to support the Alliance and their aims. Tose who spend time with them understand that the loosely knit organization resembles a kind o cult or criminal organization. o Landrum, the ends absolutely justiy the means. Neither Landrum nor his militia have any qualms about killing olk i need be, and will be the first to fire i it means they’re sendin’ a message to the Alliance. Tey don’t care who their victims are, or whether or not they’re valuable. I olk speak up to support the Alliance, Landrum will tell his brothers and sisters it’s time to help them see the light. Here are some olk who agree with Landrum: Wade, ully, and Beau: Regular olk who go to the
Tese brothers-and-sisters in arms may be misguided
in their belies, but they are not stupid. No one in Landrum’s camp thinks they’ll be effective by running around cryin’ reedom and callin’ or olk to overthrow Parliament. Some might think they’re plum crazy, but the opposite is true. Tis group is very much aware o what it takes to stick it to the Alliance, and they are strategically acting against them. So, this band o brothers and sisters gets together when they can, to play cards, go fishing, go hunting. Whatever excuse they need to meet, plan, and train. o them this War ain’t over; it’s only taking a breather. Tey have plenty o t ime to prepare a battle strategy, and will be ready i and when the Alliance strikes first. When the War does reignite, Landrum knows whoever
HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS Having settled in the Kalidasa System on the large and lush
planet Verbena, Augustus Landrum devotes a good part o his
money to und and train his militia. He recently took over a waste disposal business rom a business rival, who no one has seen or days. It’s a not-so-secret act that people who stand in Landrum’s way have a habit o disappearing, and Landrum’s loyalists believe those sacrifices are or the greater good. Te waste disposal company has allowed Landrum to dump his waste runoff on Santo in the Core. He doesn’t care about the olk he’s dumping on—since as ar as he’s concerned, they acquiesced to the Alliance, and they deser ve to be punished. Landrum’s Militia Camp is a strong word or the back woods where the men and women run off to train. Canyons and caves riddle the surace o this part o the planet, creating a series o underground passageways. During the War, Browncoats used this empty, dark maze to hide rom the Alliance and erry supplies back and orth. Now it’s a honeycomb o cells maintained by paranoid men and women who are planning a rebellion.
It’s easy to get turned around in the labyrinthine twists. Due to the natural ormations o the caves, wind blasts at odd moments and can seem to come rom nowhere. While some passages are empty, others contain traps or lead to dead ends. Storage caves—filled with munitions, equipment, ood, and plans—can be ound deep within the underground network. Tough they’re handy, these caves aren’t all that sae, however. Between the collapsing mines and live ordnance, accidents do happen. Outside the woods and the camp is Augustus Landrum’s official business, the Landrum Waste Mill. Folk in the ’Verse produce a lot o waste, and he has cornered the market on dealing with it in the Red Sun and Kalidasa Systems. Unortunately, Landrum also has a habit o dumping the waste on townsolk who don’t mind their own business or otherwise get in the way o what he wants.
Name: Verbena
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NEW SIGNATURE ASSETS o do what they do, even the best spies and crime bosses need
seems. The handle can be pulled free and used as a small
to have gear. Tese Signature Assets are yours to use or your Gamemaster characters. I ’n you’re eeling generous, don’t
gun. It might not punch through steel, but those bullets’ll
orget to share ’em with your players, too!
B S , , In your line of work, it’s good to keep a fallback position
put a hole clean through just about anybody. Bang: W hen you are the rst to shoot in a reght,
spend 1 PP to roll Physical + Sneak instead of Physical + Shoot.
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Sometimes you may need a little more room to operate,
Oh to be a y on the wall in certain rooms. Unlike the
so you take to the sky. The jet pack is capable of sus-
Stink Bug Signature Asset, the Spy Flies are robotic insects capable of remote ight and can record hours of both audio and visual data. They best operate in short- range circumstances—but they’re a great extra set of eyes and ears. Useful Pests: When you wish to gather information
tained ight for up to one hour without refueling.
Skyhop: When you take to the skies with your
jetpack to escape during a chase, spend a Big Damn Hero Die equal to or greater than your pursuer’s Movet o automatically raise the stakes without a roll.
with your Spy Flies, make a Mental + Operate
sense in being foolish about it. You might put your body
roll. If your Action is successful, create a Spy Fly sset that lasts until the end of the Surveillance A Episode. If you fail to raise the stakes, your ies get swatted. Step back Spy Fliesu ntil the end of
between your employer and a slug, but you make sure
the Episode.
L B A , , Your job is to take a bullet for your boss, but there’s no
there’s a vest between you and that bullet.
hen you spend a PP to avoid Stopped a Bullet: W
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being Taken Out in a reght, you can step back ntil the end of the Episode Light Body Armoru instead of taking a Complication. Remove Light
Sometimes situations get so humped you might have to
Body Armor from the Episode if it is stepped below .
awhile including food, matches, a few credits, tobacco,
drop o the grid for a spell on a moment’s notice. You’ve managed to squirrel away enough survival rations to last medicine, and distilled hooch. It never hurts to have a few comforts of home when on the run.
P W , , With all of your natty duds, no one thinks twice about you ashing your pocket watch to complete your look.
Bolt Hole: When on the run and in need of a place
to lie low, spend 1 PP to declare you are near one of your survival caches.
What folk don’t ’spect is that your watch jams all signals within a two room radius. This way all of your conversa-
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You like to keep up appearances well enough, but even
hen you jam signals with your watch, Time Out: W
the most patient hound has got to show its teeth every
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NASTY ENCOUNTERS o use these Antagonists in your next Episode, think about how the Crew might eel about their comings and goings whe n they cross paths. ’Member, the Crewmember’s eelings about the Alliance, the Blue Sun Corporation, Independents, and the criminal underground will impact what happens when
where there are wealthy people, there’s a sae ull o treasure. It’s a two-pronged mission—the Crew’ll both break into the sae and raid the ship’s stores. As this is the Ozymandias’s maiden voyage, the cruise liner has state-o-the-art everything. Medical bay and cargo holds alone would be worth the venture.
HIGH NOON THIRTY Te Crew’s captain is called to the deathbed o an old riend rom the War. Te veteran cashes in a avor, and begs the captain to replace him as town marshal until a repl acement arrives. Should the captain waver, the dying riend will reveal the truth o what’s happened: the veteran was poisone d by none other than Asante Okoro. Not only is Okoro due to arrive by train sometime between noon and hal past, she knows the Crew is already there. Now, the other Crewmembers might not know who Asante Okoro is, but the captain sure does rom the War. Okoro is reassembling all her ellow soldiers, olk who used to bear arms against the captain, and has even sent word that should the Crew leave? She will burn the town to the ground or the sin o harboring her hated enemy. Will the Crew be able to win over the townsolk in time? Or will Okoro corner the captain and get the showdown she’s been hopin’ or?
A SIMPLE PLAN A ather has gotten word that his daughter is being held hostage on a moon o Shadow, Summerair, and has put out a big reward on the Cortex. Te person in charge o Summerair is an enigmatic figure known as Orpheus. Te daughter in question is a member o his personal security, a woman named Armoni. When the Crew goes to investigate, what happens when they realize Armoni doesn’t exactly want to leave? As they stick around a little longer, the Crew finds themselves at odds with Orpheus. Will they be able to convince Orpheus to let Armoni leave and finish her amily business in person? Or is this one job the Crew’ll be hard-pressed to collect the reward or?
Crews may spend a lot o time watching out or large criminal organizations, mega-corporations, and the Alliance.
Afer all, most jobs all apart when one o those large-scale Antagonists decides that they’ve got skin in the Crew’s game. Only oolish captains ignore the larger-than-lie orces swimming through the ’Verse, but the ones who stay alive the longest? Tey pay attention to what’s happening to ’em on a small scale, too. Most captains expect they’ll ace off against a rival crew one day. You might even say they plan or it.
INTRODUCIN’ THE COMPETITION Te hardest lesson your Crew’ll have to learn is that they ain’t the only people in the ’Verse looking or work. Rival crews
personality trait, but several. A dumb, greedy gunslinger
might directly be opposed by a smart, sadistic knie-
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
LET’S BE BAD GUYS
Gangs tend to share the same physical make-up that rival crews do. They’re small, can move in and out of tight places,
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and take on shady jobs for decent pay. Where they dier, however, is that gangs don’t have a heart of gold. They’re not good-hearted thieves or War veterans just tryin’ to survive. Gangs often smash, shoot, or rob their way through the ’Verse, not carin’ who or what opposes ’em.
When introducin’ a gang, think about what those folk represent and how they impact the plot. Are they a small
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With all that in mind, you might decide to create a rival crew or the Cygnus, a transport ship. Remember, rival crews that are doppelgangers or opposites ofen need to be created rom scratch, so that they have exactly the right elements to match the Crew beat or beat. When you prepare the crew o the Cygnus or your game, you decide to: Create opposites. Make a Major GMC rival crewmember or each o the Crewmembers. Make them similar, but give each rival a twist. I the mechanic o your Crew is a cheerul, happy young woman, then create a rival GMC mechanic who’s grim, dark, old, and dangerous. I the captain o your Crew is a generally honorable, charming
group led by an antagonist like Crow, doin’ Mr. Niska’s bidding? If so, treat the gang like enforcers for a major
Antagonist. Or, is the gang a band of roving space pirates like the folk Saron worked for? When that’s the case, then think of that gang like a rival crew. They have the same wants and needs as your Crew does, and are on par with each Crewmember. For larger gangs, assign a leader, and treat ’em like you would a Major GMC with a heap of Minor GMCs and Extras.
rogue, make the rival crew’s GMC a coldhearted, merciless, deensive general. Mirror the Crew’s ship. Create the Cygnus with the Crew’s own boat in mind. Make it a similar vessel to the Crew’s own ship, but with a significant difference. Pick a Distinction rom the Crew’s boat and take it into the most jarringly opposed direction you can. Pick an Asset
That way, you’ve got all your bases covered.
rom the Crew’s ship and give the Cygnus a different one.
that the rivals are actual competition by showcasing
their competencies. Spend PPs out o the GM’s bank to make sure they can win rolls when they need to show off. Act on their differences. Each rival crew is missing something that the Crew has in spades, such as morals or a connection with each other. Whatever the difference is, act on it. I the difference is morality, then have the rival crew act immorally like a gang. I the difference is
Keep the rest o the Cygnus close to, i not identical to, the Crew’s boat. Identify a weakness. Te Cygnus’s crew is similar to your Crew, but it’s not the same. Te rival crew is missing some crucial quality that makes them different. Pick what that quality is beore starting play. You might decide that
the rival crew can be identified by their lack o morality, camaraderie, belies, practical ity, amily, political affilia-
trouble or the Crew by complicating their lives physically
and emotionally. Every so ofen, one-up the Crew. Te Cygnus ultimately is lacking something critical that always means the Crew
is somehow stronger. But that means nothing i the Cygnus loses all the time. When appropriate through the story or through die rolls, have the Cygnus one-up the Crew rom time to time. Emphasize how the Cygnus and its crewmembers are probably laughing at the Crew in their mess hall. Tis builds tension and ultimately satisaction when the Crew finally deeats the Cygnus in another contest.
Having a rival crew just makes sense, in the end. Remem-
ber that a crew ain’t just the people on a particular boat at any given time. Every crew’s gotta have a network o contacts, lest they be outta work. Tese olk are just as much a par t o ship’s circles as the pilot, even i they are on the ringes. Same’s true or ships that have a revolving door policy, allowing olk to leave and come back. All to say, some crews can get awully big, but most times you’ll be managing a ew olk at a time, beginning with Zaine Alleyne and the Cross Crew.
CROSS CREW Te Cross Crew is a valuable tool or a GM i the players have taken on the roles o the Serenity Crew, or i the players have strong ethics. Zaine Alleyne is Zoe’s cousin, and they haven’t seen each other or almost a decade. Introducing Zaine can stir up mixed eelings o a little cousin who was always trying
shot at being captain one day. echnically, Zaine is in charge, though Kit Harden is the real power behind-the-scenes. Tere
to win against his fierce role model, and the older cousin who never really considered hersel all that important in the first place. Zoe’s in a much happier place in her lie than Zaine is now, and he may attempt to squash that satisaction with outright treachery. She is still Zaine’s cousin, though, so he’ll never wish to kill her. Her crewmates, on the other hand,
to save a dying kid. Tey do, however, take special interest in a rogue captain who’s got the skinny on the ins and outs o the blastomeres trade. While ollowing the rules would be easier or ’em, the Cross Crew occasionally deviates rom standard protocol, ofen
are air game. While the Cross Crew is the smallest crew presented in
is little question o what will happen i Zaine gives an order to thwart the riad, as his small crew isn’t loyal to him. Tat said: the riad doesn’t care i a kidney gets “lost” on occasion
making trips out to the Kalidasa and Blue Sun Systems in an attempt to help the less ortunate. Tey risk a lot by doing this, but the benefit o helping others is its own reward—even Kit
ZAINE ALLEYNE “Black, white...morals are useless. Grey matter is all that counts” Character Type: Triad Doctor Character Description: In his youth, Zaine Alleyne
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was a weak, skinny boy who was always walking in the
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shadow of his larger-than-life cousin, Zoe, until they both came of age. Zoe signed up to be an Independent,
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to his family. As soon as the Unication War treaty was signed, however, the MedAcad was shut down and the participants’ memories were selectively wiped. Zaine
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has no knowledge of what he was do ing at the MedAcad,
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and was surprised to nd out he didn’t earn his degree.
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while Zaine tried to be a good Alliance citizen. Though he was too young to join the War, Zaine enrolled in a specialized training program to become a medic at a
classied MedAcad. Zaine received a monthly stipend which he sent home
Mysteriously enough, Zaine did retain his medical expertise and was free to return h ome.
The end of the War eectively ended the Alliance’s
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interest in Zaine, and his skills wound up attracting the criminal underground. Through a series of unfortunate
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circumstances, Zaine was forced to work for the Triad. At rst, he was an on-call physician made to patch up
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gunshot wounds for Triad members. Eventually, Zaine’s skill with a blade “earned” him a spot dealing with
blastomeres. Likes and Dislikes: Zaine doesn’t have a set of morals,
Surgery
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S 8 I don’t see any reason why your goods shouldn’t be delivered where you want ’em delivered.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
per say. What he has, however, is pride in his work. He keeps his tools meticulously clean and organized, and
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feels proud of every wound he stitches and life he saves—even Triad members. Should he look around some,
under their thumb.
Zaine may realize that he’s smack dab in the middle of a terrible organization, but to him? Ignorance is bliss.
It started small. You helped someone in need. Now the Triad has you
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Back Alley Trauma Surgeon: When you treat someone with injuries
KIT HARDEN “Whose blood is that on the ground? Hint: It’s yours.” Character Type: Swift Enforcer Character Description : Kit Harden grew up a lost orphan girl
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on the mean roads of the planet Beylix in the Kalidasa System, but was adopted by a major Triad enforcer at a young age and shipped o to Ariel. She showed remarkable acumen with martial arts, weaponry, and an ability to separate her emotions from her
actions. The Triad took advantage of her talents and created a deadly assassin who is a force to be reckoned with. Kit’s rough, tough, and cunning. Above everything else, she’s been
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taught one thing—to survive no matter the cost. She’s endured the internal competition between Triad gangsters, dealt with plenty of assassination attempts, and has taken out several rival
ZAINE’S TRIAD THUGS Te Cross Crew’s job is twoold: provide organs sae transport rom the Border Planets back to processing in Ariel, and keep an eye on Zaine. Te Cross Crew regularly traffics through the Georgia and Red Sun Systems, where the main storage organ acilities are held, but ofen makes trips to the Rim to work off the grid and perorm Zaine’s random acts o philanthropy. Rounding out the Cross Crew is a part-time communications expert. Te rest o the Cross Crew’s members tend to be filled by Extras, like a Co-Pilot , that serves basic needs.
handles complex systems and piloting. A legacy member
leaders like it was nothing. Covering up the death of whomever the Triad needed gone was easy enough. In some ways, the job she’s been assigned to now is a walk in the park.
o the riad, Jeremiah finds it rustrating to be orced to travel on someone else’s boat, taking someone else’s orders. He knows patience though, and snitchin’ on Zaine the moment he makes a misstep will be all too easy. Ten
Harden’s loyalty to the Triad is the main reason why she’s a
member of the Cross Crew. The Triad already suspects Zaine to be a loose cannon; he’s a torn doctor who’s got a dark secret
yet to be revealed. Kit has confessed to her contacts that Zaine is downright confusing; she’s not sure why he’s got such a soft spot for the needy. Doesn’t he know who they’re workin’ for? The Triad don’t care about the sick or dying. It’s a mean ‘Verse, and folk need to gure out how to fend for themselves. This Triad enforcer sees herself at the glue holding the crew together. Harden’s the rst to stamp out any p ossible threats, and acts the bridge between Jeremiah and Zaine who have absolutely nothing in common. If given the command, though , she wouldn’t hesitate to put down any member of the Cross Crew—past,
present, or future—if her life depended on it. Traits: Martial Artist d8, Triad Enforcer d8, Misplaced Loyalty d6, Negotiator d8
Jeremiah Yu: Te crew’s communications expert who
he can get on with the greatness he was actually meant or. rait: Triad Techie Charlie ing: Tough he doesn’t fly with the Cross Crew on a regular basis, ing is their primarily point-o-contact with the riad. He comes off as a nice enough ella, but when things don’t go smoothly, he’s been known to hunt down members o the riad that ail him personally. ing is more o a watchdog with a mean streak than anything else; should the Cross Crew find themselves in any real trouble, he’ll be the first to rat ’em out. rait:
Vengeful Criminal
BLASTOMERES DEPOT #22, NAKULA
their presence is elt most strongly on the planet Salisbury . It wasn’t until afer the Unification War that the riad saw profit to be made in the Kalidasa System, but now they own a large number o actories and give the impression o fighting the Alliance to keep them open.
Te riad has a much smaller hold in the Blue Sun System, what with it being inested with the McCoy amily and rumors o Reaver attacks galore—two groups they have no interest in bothering. Te organization does, however, have its 22nd organ acility on Nakula, one o the moons orbiting the planet Dragon’s Egg . Local olk say the moon was once the eye o the mighty dragon, Panlong (Coiled Dragon), but this moon is smaller than the other our the planet possesses. Nakula doesn’t have any permanent acilities or notable locations to speak o. Te drop off and pick up points vary each time, and most o the exchanges are done between ships on the moon’s surace. Most believe the entire area is wholly inconsequential due to the act this moon has never been terraormed. Tis alone takes Nakula off the Alliance’s radar, so lunar traffic doesn’t get much notice. It is the least avorite blastomere exchange o all the riad-run organ acilities in existence—which means the Cross Crew is ofen assigned to this detail.
riad members are revered as heroes. Te Townsfolk believe the riad is the best thing that ever happened to them, and they saved the settlers rom a ate worse than death. Soon as they rolled in, the riad cleaned up all the ghost towns, established medium-sized cities like Swan Song , built actories and medical centers, and conned the locals into believi ng that
they’re protecting them rom Reavers, the Alliance, and all manner o olk with delusions o grandeur.
Name: Nakula Position: 3rd Moon of Dragon’s Egg System: Blue Sun Capital: Piao Liang
TESSA BARBOSSA “You’re untied now, so throw your rst punch. Let’s see how this plays out.” rivateer Captain Character Type:P Character Description: As long as Tessa can remember,
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she’s always been the villain. She’s loud and brash, can drink anyone under the table, and knows exactly how to push people’s buttons. It was easy for Tessa to start her
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own gang, ravaging many a small town, but she always
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had grander aspirations than that.
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Little is known about Tessa’s history, family, and what
town she hails from. Folk think she’s just a poor settler who fell on hard times, but that ain’t exactly true. Dear old Tessa has a secret, a big ’un that she’s never let on to nobody: she can’t remember anything about her life before the War. A veteran of the Unication War,
Barbossa got shot in the head and had been left on the battleeld. When she woke up in an Alliance hospital, her memory was spotty, and to this day she has yet to fully recover. The Alliance doesn’t exactly know that bit about her, but they are fully aware she threw her lot in with the Browncoats and fought against them
just a few years back.
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Unlike other leaders, Tessa’s right in the fray, dodging
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bullets and scaring the local folk along with her gang.
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Of course, if anyone ever found out about the littl e deal she made with the Alliance, she may lose credibility and
Listen up, lubbers! I want that ship taken intact. Her cargo belongs to us.
her gang may crumble. Tessa fears very little, though, and the chaos that would ensue from this revelation is
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Boarding Action: When you storm a ship or a defended installation,
an exciting prospect. Likes and Dislikes: Besides credits, Tessa likes to drink by the stein, and throw some sts on occasion. She respects a show of strength, and isn’t likely to
That was great! I’ve never skydived from a crashing ship before!
take orders—or charity—from anyone she thinks is a yellow-bellied coward.
spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that roll 1s. Any dice that come up 1 a second time cannot be rerolled again.
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5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
BARBOSSA GANG Te Barbossa Gang is a loud, chaotic, and downright crazy gathering o speedsters and drunks who fly around the
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Border and Rim Planets in search o a good time. Ting is, their version o un usually means somebody’s gettin’ hurt. Te group’s leader, essa Barbossa, towers over the others. Her method o riling up the gang is to drink, fight, and cuss her way through the ’Verse. About two years back, essa was approached by an
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opportunistic Alliance colonel, and they struck an auspicious deal. Te Alliance secretly hired the Barbossa Gang to work as privateers who stop, board, and liberate targets rom their precious cargo. O course, the Alliance chooses which ships don’t get hit, which allows them to extort all kinds o money rom couriers and shipping magnates. Te Unification War taught the Alliance how important control o routes is; some olk, like commanders who ollow the spirit o the Law, eel an underhanded approach is necessary to avoid another all-out war. essa, on the other hand, understands that her hold on her gang is tenuous at best. Should her gang members ever get pinched, someone else will try to take over. In this way, the Barbossa Gang serves multiple purposes. Tese privateers give the Alliance a scapegoat to blame or all the crime in the area, and are given targets that are deemed a nuisance to get rid o. In exchange or doing the Alliance’s bidding, the Barbossa Gang is paid well and given a air amount o leeway. Should the truth o their employment ever make
DILLON “LIGHTHOUSE” WOOD “Hold on, hold on! Let’s consider our best option. Open re or burn it down?” Character Type: Voice of Reason Character Description: You might think the Barbossa Gang has no place for a levelheaded, rational thinker amongst all the crazies. You’d be wrong, though. This thankless job—which is as
easy as herding a pack of stray cats—is ultimately Lighthorse’s responsibility to bear. His role as lieutenant is invaluable to keeping the Barbossa Gang together and active. Lighthorse is the invisible power behind-the-s cenes. When the Alliance comes a-knockin’ on Tessa’s door, he’s the one who’s taking notes,
cross-referencing transit routes, and reporting on recent hauls. Though many wonder how they got along without him, Lighthorse is a pretty recent addition to the gang. Lucky for them, Lighthorse spent a considerable amount of time as a lawdog himself, capturing
more villains who resembled his current friends than he’d ever share. While he was a lawdog, he was even given the title of Lighthorse as a reection of the community’s respect for his hard work in keeping them safe. That all changed w hen he accidentally shot a young girl, a promising bright ray of light wh o’ll never see
her teenaged years thanks to Dillon’s carelessness. He ain’t proud of what he’d done, and to make up for his crime, the Alliance assigned him the task of keeping an eye on the gang.
Though Tessa is their primary point-of-contact, the government doesn’t trust her, especially since she fought for the losing side in the War. Lighthorse now uses his experiences to aide Tessa Barbossa with her command and keep those close to him as safe as he
TESSA’S TOUGHEST Te rank-and-file are packed with some o the vilest, craziest people you’ll ever come across. E ach o their twenty to twenty-five members has his own individualized shuttle pod. Tere is a certain power in numbers, and the Barbossa Gang knows this. Rarely will Crewmembers find a single member o the gang, as the group tends to stick together. Nora “Kitty” Larkin: Resident knie-expert, this blonde bombshell is always seen with a blade in her hand. Nora’ll
Agent Cornelius Daly : Lighthorse and essa meet with
this Alliance representative on a bi-monthly basis, and that’s about all the pair can stand. Cornelius spe aks with an arrogant superiority that grates on both o ’em, or his reports could spell disaster or the gang should they cross him. Daly checks in on the gang to ensure the Alliance’s investment is working out, and arranges the delivery o certain items the gang has confiscated. raits: Ocious
Alliance Agent
throw a knie at the first sign o trouble; the first one’ll barely miss her victim’s eye...as a warning... raits: Knife
Te scary part about the Barbossa Gang is their unpredictability, and the act that most Crews won’t know the
Fighter
Alliance is backing these olk until it’s too late. Remember, the only person that essa has allowed in on her little secret is Lighthorse, and even he knows how dangerous the gang will be i word gets out the y’re working or the purple bellies. You are encouraged to work with the idea that i the
Mike “Mad Mike” Madsen : Te wild dog o the Bar-
bossa Gang, Mad Mike is a truly insane man with a reverse Mohawk and skull ace tattoos. He’s known or puttin’ the ear o God into olk, but his scar patterns show he hasn’t lef his masochistic side behind. raits:
Sadomasochistic Nutcase
revor “Duck” Chow : Tis shify-eyed, mullet-wearing
gangster is always on the lookout, constantly paranoid and knows five ways out o any predicament, no matter how hairy it gets. raits: Paranoid Crook
Crewmembers think the Barbossa Gang will go lef, they will undoubtedly go right. (Unless they think the gang’ll go right...then have ’em go lef.) Tese gangsters aren’t the best strategists. What makes the Barbossa Gang dangerous is the act that they’re incredibly chaotic and have been blessed by the government. Tey may not know it, but essa has ensured her people can and will get away with murder and all kinds o mayhem—and the Law has been ordered to stand down.
HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS Te Barbossa Gang roams around the black, and avoids the Core whenever they can. Currently, they’ve been spotted in the Kalidasa System. Tere are two locations a Crew is bound to run into them.
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MALT WATER TAVERN Te Malt Water avern in Ativo, Beaumonde is a microbrewery that has a reputation or attracting rough-and-tumble
types like the Barbossa Gang. Its signature Blue umbleweed ale is rapidly gaining in popularity in the Core, however, partly
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due to creative advertising. Malt Water avern has a beloved mascot, a beer-guzzling, live horse named Armadillo Joe, who guzzles ale and belches on cue. Te owners are native to Beaumonde, and are currently ending off a corporate buyout, and protests rom horse lovers nearby. Despite these troubles, the tavern’s Barkeeps are running ragged as they try to keep up with demand. So ar, the Barbossa Gang has been on their best behavior. Tey are huge ans o Armadillo Joe, and have even gone so ar as to donate or his veterinary bills, eed, and medicine. In exchange or ree drinks, the gang acts as the Malt Water avern’s security guards. Should anyone try to buy out, take down, or otherwise wreck their avorite watering hole, the Barbossa Gang will unleash all kinds o hell.
CENTURION RACES Te Centurion Races are a corporate-sponsored series o events that adds a little spectacle to an otherwise drab lie. Te Races are held inrequently, attracting racers rom all over the ’Verse, and offer the common workers an opportunity to race against the wealthy socialites. o enter, contestants are encouraged to find sponsors; this is where natural ability shines. Everyone in the system listens in to hear the announcers ast-talkin’ over the airways, detailing the pace as contestants build boats rom scratch, get ’em spaceworthy, and then fly them as ast as they can. As with other racing sports, there are size and engines classes that determine which heat each ship will partake in. Each heat spans several days, as racers rocket around Kalidasa’s sun and back to the finish line on the planet Heaven. Te Alliance doesn’t care about the Centurion Races all that much. Like the ancient Romans back on Earth-Tat-Was, the government understands that entertainment like this keeps
morale up and serves as a distraction rom the real problems. It’s a fine day when workers can look to the sky, and see the racing ships jetting past their atmosphere. For criminals, it’s also a good opportunity to make some quick credits by taking bets. Anybody can earn a reputation as an expert pilot or ship designer in the Centurion Races. Anybody. Even the underdog. Some members o the Barbossa Gang can usually be seen racing incognito in the lighter shuttle classes when they aren’t targeting reighters and the like. Other gang members can be spotted cheering on their racers rom the sidelines or, like essa ofen does, placing bets on ’em. For those looking
THE SIREN AND HIS SONGS Devon ao, a registered Companion and premier host o
SIREN’S SONGS
events, is known throughout the ’Verse as the “Siren” or his beautiul singing voice. Right afer he lef House Anqa
Many registered Companions work on the Countess,
on Sihnon, he purchased a space station and transormed it into one o the oremost exotic locations to visit in the Kalidasa System—i you have the credits, that is. Dubbed the Countess, the space station holds wonder within as dozens o other Companions work there, and can be ound in Enemy Boats on page 109. It’s a beauty to behold rom the outside as well—a shimmering jewel in the middle o a gritty system o manuacturing planets. On board, Devon handpicked a group o Companions, like Onyx , to conduct special tasks throughout the ship. Outside
giving a kind word, a sof touch, or simple entertainment to those in need o such a thing. Tere are, however, a select ew who act as Devon ao’s personal crew, working together to gather vital inormation and accept jobs rom their clients. Tough the Countess orbits Constance, the Siren’s Songs hail rom all corners o the ’Verse. Angel, Silver, and Dove are Devon’s go-to accomplices, but he can call upon any o the orty Companions currently working on the Countess at a moment’s notice. When introducing the Siren, emphasize the act that this ormer Companion does have a core crew surrounding him, and highlight how many others are on board.
o his second-in-command, Devon’s remaining servants are called the Siren’s Songs. Tough they specialize in assassinations and thefs, the Songs can handle any job a client throws at them—and are ree to do so without Devon’s permission. Te Siren does give his crew the authority to come and go as they please, provided his authority is recognized. Te Siren may seem like a single enemy, but he is nothing
without the show and spectacle surrounding him. Te Siren and his Songs combine to orm an elite, well-organized gang. Unlike an individual spy like Julius Morgan who hails rom a wealthy amily, a high-profile gang represents a larger threat to the Alliance. In this case, the government is wise to ao’s
comings-and-goings, but hasn’t moved to strike ’em out just yet. Te Siren’s saving grace is his clientele. Because he caters
Angel: Te picture o tranquility, this tall muscular man wearing an embroidered tunic and fine, loose-fitting
pants is known or being the strong, silent type—much the opposite o Devon’s rail, talkative sel. When a job requires a touch o the silent, he’s the one to call. Angel loves to get under his victim’s skin right beore he takes ’em out. raits: Tranquil Companion Silver: A Companion with an air o sophistication, Silver and her waist-long silvery hair have been gathering inormation and making deals or decades. Her primary duty is to meet with clients ace-to-ace; her ears are sharp, so eavesdropping and surveillance are also a part o her
toolkit. raits: Sharp-Eared Companion Dove: Skilled in the art o song, Dove is a soprano who
DEVON “SIREN” TAO “Come, let me sing to you. Tell me your woes, and I’ll decide who needs to pay.”
Character Type:I nformation Broker Character Description: The children of House Anqa are given two choices: become powerful politicians working to further their House’s causes, or train as a Companion as their esteemed ancestor once did. While Tao possessed the cunning, underhandedness, and
cutthroat spirit to be a splendid Member of Parliament, his true calling eventually led him to become a student
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After graduation, Devon became one of the most prominent Companions in the ’Verse. The “Siren” was known for his beautiful singing voice, and gained
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incredible wealth, many suitors, and powerful friends
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during his travels. While Tao could enjoy the secure life
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of a distinguished Companion, however, he had other plans and abandoned his position-of-honor to create
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Innocence
his own empire after the War.
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Devon built a oating pleasure space station na med the Countess with the help of a mysterious benefactor.
It’s a simple service I oer—my continued silence. I assure you, my
To protect his own interests, the now-former Companion installed hundreds of listening devices on board and uses
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Shakedown: When you threaten to reveal someone’s secret
that garnered info to blackmail and extort money from his impressive clientele. The Companion s he hires are a motley mix of runaways, disillusioned Companions, and
rates are competitive.
and demand money for your silence, create a Blackmail
Complication on them.
new recruits; they are loyal to him and are given more
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independence than most. With training, his Companions
Do you know the myth of the Sirens from Earth-That-Was? Their voices
have even performed assassinations to ensure certain politicians in the Siren’s pocket are kept in power. Likes and Dislikes: Devon likes to be in control; he goes to great lengths to know everything there is to know
about those who board his station. He even enjoys it when someone calls him a “whore” and is then forced
lured ships to their doom.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . F H P 8
The Alliance thinks highly of you. That’s the only opinion that matters.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
ADVANCING ONYX
ONYX “Do you have an appointment? Have you the funds we
To make Onyx into a Major GMC, look at the
D Good Will Ambassador, Stalwart
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Friend, and Harmless Looking. Those set him up with Inuence, Focus, Notice, Trick, and Treat S. T, Negotaton, Comfortng, and Alliance Military to
, D’ .
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HIDEOUTS AND LAIRS Te Countess is currently in orbit around Constance in the Kalidasa System. Here are a ew, notable locations ound on the planet’s surace. Be sure to turn to Enemy Boats on page 109 to find more inormation about the Siren’s space station.
DEAD TREE DEPOT Workers are flown in rom other parts o the ’Verse on economy space charters that allow them to pay a small portion o the shuttle price or transport to the manuacturing-heavy system. Most land at the Dead ree Depot on Constance, a central spot or everyone to find their way to their respective assembly actory jobs either on C onstance, or another planet in the system. At any given time, Dead ree Depot has eight commercial shuttles coming and going, but i you miss yours you’ll have a ew days to kill beore the next one comes ’round. Tose with some leave time—at the discretion o the mega-cor-
require?” Character Type: Personal Assistant Character Description: Onyx has been Devon’s second-in-command
for as long as the Countess has been running. His past, however, is scarred by the vengeance of a certain senator who couldn’t take no for an answer. The senator’s unwelcomed advances and invitations to be his personal Companion soon turned to discrediting Onyx’s reputation and even death threats. While
the senator has earned a black mark in the Companion registry, Onyx never fully recovered from the incident. Word has it that Onyx had a name once, but he took the name of the blackest stone to remind him of the dark deeds that spurred him to leave House Madrassa.
Running away to live on the Countess was the easiest decision Onyx ever made. Devon Tao helped the former Companion exact his vengeance, and eliminated anyone who threatened hi m. Now, Onyx feels like he’s truly needed, and b elieves he owes the Siren a debt that can never be repaid. While not phys ically intimidating, Onyx has enough conviction to be a threat if someone was
gunnin’ for the Siren. Rumors say that Onyx is the only person Devon actually cares about. Truth is, not even Onyx knows how his employer feels about him. When seen together, Onyx’s beautiful bronzed skin is the perfect contrast to his pale employer’s. Most people, though, interact with Onyx long before meeting the Siren in person. He is responsible for a large amount of secret communication on the space station, delivering all messages and staging private meetings. The number of appointments with prominent Alliance generals has increased
as of late, which could spell trouble for the Kalidasa System if seen as an omen of things to come.
Traits: Former Companion d6, Second-in-Command , Well Connected
BRILLIANT MINES Workers living on Constance know there’s a reason the high-and-mighty avor the view rom the Countess, and why Miners like them are restricted to the surace below. Te planet is crawling with precious gem mines, collectively reerred to as the Brilliant Mines, o almost every type. It’s said muckety-mucks can see the planet sparkle high above in the atmosphere. Mining or gems in the Brilliant Mines is dangerous, bloody work, and surviving the job earns grizzled miners a badge o respect. o avoid any revolts and the like, local mining supervisors look the other way when a miner pockets a gemstone or two. Tough the stolen gems are worth a month’s salary, those tokens are carried around and worn as good luck charms. Without ’em, most o the amilies would have nothin’ to remember their loved ones by.
MCCOY FAMILY
Te Mining Supervisors , on the other hand, are a superstitious lot; they won’t go near any gems mined rom Constance, and are especially keen on avoiding any whitecolored gemstones like opals, quartz, and natural diamonds. Tey believe that those precious stones are cursed, and that’s the reason why so many miners keep on dying. I it weren’t or the money, most supervisors would abandon the surace and set fire to the whole blasted planet. Only trouble is that the money is that good—or them. Since most o the supervisors are subcontractors, mega-corporations pay ’em big money or shipments o precious stones. It’s a tough job, but one that’s hard to reuse.
Name: Constance Position: 3rd, orbits Xuan Wu Moon(s): Barrowclough, Disraeli System: Kalidasa Capital: Sunset Grove Est. Population: 91 Million
HONEY MCCOY “You see this here gun? Means I’m in charge. Don’t ever question my words again!” riminal Matriarch Character Type:C Character Description: Honey grew up watching how
her granddaddy ran the family business. She was the apple of his eye, and the oldest grandchild of eighteen siblings and cousins. She was a quick learner, who gured out how to smuggle drugs right under the Alliance’s
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nose, how to shoot the ear o a mark from forty paces away, and how to exert her will over everybody else. Grandpa was quite the teacher, but when he fell ill?
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Honey wasn’t one to let an opportunity go to waste. When she was a teenager, the young girl secretly poisoned him,
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forged his last will and testament, and took control of the family. Today, the McCoy family plays by her rules.
Just ’cause she’s the head of a criminal enterprise don’t mean Honey ain’t soft-hearted. She cares deeply about
her family, and is grooming Dale to be her second-incommand. The two grew up together on New Omaha,
playing in the steam pits, exploring the Everpure Grove,
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and racing turtles. Most of all, though, the two share a
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powerful bond. They both took part in the family’s bitter
I’m in charge because I’m the toughest, meanest, roughest one in the
rivalry, and saved each other’s lives.
family.
Likes and Dislikes: As calculating as Honey may seem,
she’s a simple woman in the end. She likes the power she now has and regards it as a gift from her Grandpa.
Spicy food is a must, and she douses almost anything she eats with Mimi’s Chili Sauce. She dislikes anyone who targets her family, for though the McCoys may s eem like poor hillfolk, they really ain’t. That’s just a disguise. Flashbacks and Echoes: While she took no direct part
in the Unication War, Honey led teams of her cousins
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Fight Dirty: When you resort to dirty tricks to gain the upper hand in a brawl, double Fightf or the roll. Both 1s and 2s count as jinxes on the roll.
E 8 Listen, Mac, bad things are gonna happen. But if you pay up, they won’t happen to you.
HONEY’S CLOSEST KIN Te McCoy’s beat out the Darwin amily a long, long
time ago in a bloody battle that erupted into a ull-scale war. With their rivals gone, Grandpa kept the McCoy amily’s
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dealings in drug trafficking and petty thefs on the subtle end o crazy, but Honey has taken everyone’s blinders off. Now, the amily is ull o more colorul characters who are all are slightly twitchy and just a little off—due to either drugs or inbreeding most believe. Baylee-Ann McCoy : Quite prettier than Honey—and she’ll never let her orget it—Baylee-Ann gave up a pro-
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itable lie o thievery to work or the amily, and intends to make the most o it. She’s an expert o finding other crews who’ve made a major score and batting her eyelids while her crew snatches the goods. raits: Prettiest Gal
in the Room
Character Description: A gru man with a mighty impressive
beard, Dale McCoy is Honey’s oldest cousin, and next in line to take over the entire empire. He’s due to run the family business in Honey’s stead. Dale’s just ne with a sideline role, as he’s
never wanted to lead nothin’. Dale has two sons, Bo and Hammond, and a daughter, Molly-Joy,
who he’s been grooming to take over the McCoy family when they get older. Every one of them was forced to shoot a man at a young age, usually with their father laughing hysterically beside
them. He thinks it builds character, but more likely the forced murderin’ makes his family just as crazy as he is. One of his least demeaning qualities is outright paranoia. Right now, he’s been pretty suspicious over Grandpa’s death and Honey’s
rise to power. Dale’s been lookin’ into the mystery in his spare time away from his beloved drinkin’ and shootin’. The rest of the family tells him it’s a silly idea and Honey would never do such a
her husband passed away, Clementine is in charge o managing drug shipments. She’s good with the books
thing. Dale was always one of Grandpa’s favorites, though, and he’ll be damned if this goes unsolved.
and tries hard to keep the business in the black, despite the reckless behavior o the rest o the amily. raits:
Traits: Paranoid , McCoy Patriarch , Ready to Rumble
Lonnie Herndon: Honey’s knucklehead nephew, he
takes any dare lobbed at him regardless o danger. He also keeps the amily’s armaments well-stocked and loaded. A dangerous combination, no? raits: Reckless
“I have my eye on you. Both of them. A lot.” Character Type: Suspicious Family Heir
Clementine Seeley : Recently returned to the old afer
Crime Accountant
DALE MCCOY
MASTERIN’ THE GAME: ADVANCING DALE MCCOY
T D M GMC , ’ D. T Homesteader, Yee-
Knucklehead Bart McCoy : Honey’s oldest son, and her intended
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THE GRAVES Te place o the final battle between the McCoys and a rival amily called the Darwins. At one time, it was a strip o land ought over by the two amilies or decades, but not too long ago a victor was deci ded in this momentous conflict. Te McCoys resorted to dirty tactics and did a lot o things they weren’t mighty proud o, but it ended with them winning the land. Grandpa quickly deemed this land a hallowed ground where there would be no more fighting. It stood as an important landmark, eerily peaceul with its hundreds o creatively chiseled gravestones. ’Course, under new leadership, many o the McCoys are beginning to dig up the gravestone to expand their homes and ortiy New Omaha even more.
EVERPURE GROVE One o the most gorgeous landscapes in the ’Verse, Everpure Grove is what was lef over rom Alliance attempts to terraorm New Omaha into a lush jungle moon long ago. O course, the Darwins and the McCoys swept in soon afer the terraormin’ began, and it became more trouble than it was worth to stick around and get caught up in the eud. Te children o New Omaha find it a great place or exploration, despite it shrinking year afer year. oday, it is little more than a ew miles o jungle, but the Grove used to take up huge swaths o the planet. Te McCoys would rob, kill, or do almost anything else to get their hands on new terraormin’ equipment to remake Everpure Grove once again.
Name: New Omaha Position: 2nd Moon of Deadwood System: Blue Sun Capital: Toad Creek Est. Population: 18,500
rival crews on the fly, they need to be memorable and ocused enough to grab the Crew’s attention. Every crew that’s survived flyin’ through the black knows how to get
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RIVAL CREWS
What’s Common Is Best: When you’re introducing
things done, which gives you a way to slyly introduce them. Show the rival crew gettin’ their hands dirty, sabotaging a ship, or salvaging a derelict boat. Sometimes this means the rival crew might steal the Crew’s job out rom under them or might backstab the Crewmembers when they least expect it. Either way, make sure the Crew knows what their rivals are all about the first time they meet them.
NAME THAT RIVAL CREW Tere are many ways to name a crew or gang in the FIREFLY RPG.
In many cases, the crewmembers unofficially take on the name o their ship, like the Serenity Crew. Others, like the Barbossa Gang, are named afer their leader, which makes it easy to know who’s in charge and who ain’t. For those still on the ence, you can simply roll 22 three times and use the table provided to receive a random gang name. I you preer, you can also roll only twice and just make the result o the “A Ting” roll plural, such as the Crooked Crows. Shiny!
NASTY ENCOUNTERS Now that you’ve got a chance to meet some rival crews, it’s
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BE STILL MY BEATIN’ HEART
Companions leave, a second set o Companions waltz right in,
STEPPIN’ ON THE QUEEN BEE
and make them a different offer—or the same brandy. How will the Crew be able to tell the difference between the ake Companions and the real ones? What happens when they realize that one set o Companions may be Alliance spies,
Hoping to save their ships, homes, and jobs, a group o actory workers petition the Dead ree Depot’s port author-
hopin’ to cut in on the action? And what’s so special about a bottle o vintage liquor, anyway?
out a distress call that the Crew intercepts. Te job is simple: figure out a way to paint the Crew’s boat as the target to lure the Barbossa Gang to them. Meanwhile, the ship holding the real cargo slips by unbothered and gets to its destination.
WHAT “GOOD” SIDE? A short while ago, the Barbossa Gang made out with a boatload o parts that manuacturers on Delphi need to make their quotas and eed their amilies. Tese fine olk took up a collection and scraped together just enough money to hire the Crew to get the parts back. Tere’s no way the Crew can
ity to find a way to stop their shipments rom being pirated. Unortunately, their request has been deni ed. So, these olk put
While the workers are convinced playing dead is the best plan o action, they’ll be open to other suggestions. Will the Crew dance with the devil? Or will they tell the workers to find somebody else to help ’em out? What happens when the Crew realizes now the Alliance is afer ’em, too?
win in a straight up firefight, but it is possible or a crafy pilot and a handul o Crewmembers to infiltrate the gang, find
A DEA DLY COUP
out where the parts are being stored until they can be enced,
Te Crew’s ship gets a wave rom a secretive client who
IS THERE NOTHING ELSE THAT WILL D O? Ten, there are the unexplained, the strange encounters that just don’t fit anything any Crew has ever seen beore. While no alien lie has been ound yet, there are a lot o oddities that certainly seem alien, at least on first inspection. Who knows what you might come across in the wilderness between the stars, all alone in the darkness? In this chapter, you’ll find some o the strangest Antagonists your Crew might meet. Tere are i ntelligent data systems looking to spy on you, ghosts who whisper secrets in the black, assassins hidden in plain sight, obsessed collectors seekin’ to
When you have an idea or interesting villains, it’s very easy to get overly excited about using them. However, not every adversary will fit the campaign you have in mind, or the Crew you’re running it or. Crow-barring a cool villain into a place that doesn’t fit will not only unbalance your adventure, but also be a disservice to the exciting GM character you’ve just created. I you need someone to steal the Crew’s cargo, it might make more sense or that GMC to be an Alliance captain rather than a ninja assassin. While you shouldn’t overuse any particular GM character, remember unique characters should
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the Crew. Sometimes the Antagonist won’t know the Crew,
with blonde hair because they remind him o her. Maybe an
but the Crew will have heard o the Antagonist’s reputation. For example, maybe your GMC was an interrogator or a
insane killer has periods o depression that leave him listless and prone to mistakes. Maybe the AI that has infiltrated your system isn’t sophisticated enough to deal with your Crew’s new sofware. Remember, while you should give the Crew some clues
particularly dangerous commander during the War. Maybe that Antagonist has never ailed to bring in a target. When they discover who is afer them, the Crew should eel a chill running down their spines.
WHAT IS TH EIR MOTIVATION?
about the weakness, you need not make it easy. Afer all, that weakness will ofen be the key to taki ng the Antagonist down.
Tis might sound like a pretentious actor quote, but it’s a vital question. o make a believable GMC, and even more importantly a strange one, it’s a good idea to think about what
MASTERN’ THE GAME:
your Antagonist wants. You need to know why your GMCs do
villains a Crew might encounter once in a blue moon. Program 741 is a fairy tale, a myth that’s even more unbelievable than Reavers are. Molly Truman is an assassin, who isn’t
what they do. Just remember this: the simpler your answer is, the more boring the character will be. Develop your reason
RAREST OF THE RARE
The Antagonists presented in this chapter are the k ind of
aware her body is being used by the government, and has
WHAT MAKES THEM NORMAL? Finally, this might be the most difficult question. It’s easy
to go on a flight o ancy and orget that your GMC still needs to be real. No one starts out in lie as a mad ninja assassin. Somewhere deep inside, Antagonists are still a child with a lie’s worth o history behind ’em. Like everybody else, they have to eat, sleep, and put their boots on one leg at a time. Heck, they may even all in love or like to watch the stars. Ordinary details make even the strangest Antagonist more human. So, once you have created a list o cool abilities and impressive skills, figure out who the person underneath it all is. Does the Antagonist have a hobby? Is your GMC lonely or looking or a relationship? Have a sof spot or orphans or stray puppies? What? In addition to creating your own rare Antagonists, don’t be shy about using these tips to introduce the new characters presented in this chapter. Get ready or the strange and unexplained!
PROGRAM 741 ***ERROR*** Seek… Destroy ***ERROR*** Character Type: Rogue AI Character Description: A leftover of the Unication War,
Program 741 is an articial intelligence, programmed to seek out Independent ships and technology. The AI
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exists purely as data in the systems it has infected, but it can adopt a holographic form to allow it to communic ate,
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Program 741 exists purely as data in the systems it infects. To an unsuspecting Crew, however, who isn’t
aware that articial intelligence exists? This Program could be misidentied as a ghost or saboteur; in other cases the equipment it infects is simply dee med “faulty.” A remnant from the Unication War, this experimental program targets Independent ships and technology. technology. While most Independent tech was decommissioned shortly after the War ended, not every ship has been found
yet, and not every part has been stripped of its origins.
Programming
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R AI 8 My programming has advanced beyond the simple restrictions of my designer.
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I am designed to infect. No system is safe.
Those who salvage, utilized used parts, accidentally download Independent codes, run shipyards and the
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Hidden in Code : : When you attempt to avoid detection within an
like are all at risk. The AI downloads itself into any computer system it comes across and looks for an ID code. If it nds itself in an Alliance-engineered system, it announces itself and begins to download any data it has collected and
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enhance its repository of knowledge. It’s when 741 nds an Independent ID code—be it in a ship, robot
gun, shopping mall ATM or mechanical body—that the
infected system, take a Restricted to Subroutines Complication to double Sneaki n the roll.
According to theories of quantum mechanics information cannot be
destroyed. I am only information.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . Taken Out 5 Restore from Backups: Once per Episode when you a re Taken
PROGRAM 741 THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE MACHINE
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Tough the Alliance has developed artificial intelligence, ew olk know this state-o-the-art tech exists. Most in the
Core think the whole idea is a nasty rumor cooked up by the Independents too sore to admit they were beat air and square. However, it don’t matter how hard the Alliance tries to erase all mention o this technology, there are those who know it exists or, i ’n they don’t, don’t, worship the possibility o it. Some wayward souls believe that AI is the next step in human evolution—that machine lie is somehow purer
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compound and attempt to “commune” with the technology they brought with them rom the Core. Te community can deend and sustain itsel, which is why it’s mostly lef to its own devices. Should they roam anywhere near the White Sun System, however, the Alliance will arrest Pastor Ito on suspicion o treason. Pastor allulah Ito: Te leader o the Church was once a CEO o a technology-based company that supplied engineers and designed Cortex interaces. Sometime during the War, Ito liquidated her assets, dissolved the company, and shipped off to riumph with her amily and riends to ound this community. Given how many sofware engineers she has gathered to her cause, Ito knows how to protect hersel with loyal ollowers. raits:
and cleaner than anything the Alliance may concoct. Tese people want nothing more than to upload themselves into the Cortex and exist as pure data. Plenty h ave tried, but none have succeeded. Most o the church’s members come rom affluent Core worlds, but a ew others are intrigued by the promises o reedom rom bondage and toil. Te Church o the Immaculate Machine ain’t all that big, however, and that’s why the Alliance hasn’t knocked on their door just yet. Members live on riumph in a religious
PROGRAM 741 ALPHA “I am not the copy.” Character Type: Corrupted Computer Program
Charismatic Techie
t he compound’s compound’s innerAlpha Prime: Te AI that runs all the most workings is called Alpha Prime, and is the next
generation o AI systems. Te sofware is actually built rom a collection o smaller, low-powered AI systems and unctions like a hive mind. Te Church believes Alpha Prime to be holy, and its almost omnipresent
COMMANDER SUSANNA MARCUS “I’m not here to help or hinder you. I simply have a job to do, so get out of my way.”
understanding o the community makes the claim hard to doubt. raits : Worshipped AI Madison Jones: Madison is the only loyal Alliance citizen who’s investigated the Church and has managed to get this ar. A ormer programmer, it took her years to persuade the Church to let her in afer she began to suspect Madison was up to something. Now, afer five years o watching and gathering evidence, she is ready to blow the lid off the whole community and report ’em
LAST KNOWN LOCATION Shopping World is is a Marco Polo class space bazaar that floats around the Core near the Halo. Many ships stop here to reuel, pick up parts, and get their boats fixed by Expert Mechanics . Others in need o supplies visit one o the station’s many Eclectic Eclectic Stores , which range rom a ortune teller’s stall to an Alliance-run department store carrying silks and tobacco. What makes Shopping World unique is that the entire place
to the eds. Te problem is, getting out is almost as hard as getting in…. raits: raits : Programmer Undercover
is run by an AI called Jeeves. Few know o that act, and it’s a piece o knowledge the station’s mysterious owners would kill to protect. Jeeves has control over every system in the
Tough the Church o the Immaculate Machine is not actively recruiting members, Pastor Ito is interested in finding new talent, and does so secretly. New members are thoroughly
entire complex. What’s more, the intelligence circuit believes this AI has mysterious mysterious origins, connected to Program 741. All orms o ships and crew are welcome on Shopping
vetted, and it takes a long time beore she brings them into her inner circle. Once there, she reveals the truth: that Ito is the lone survivor o an Independent wreck. She is the only living witness who aced Program 741 and sur vived, and she’s she’s convinced the AI is sentient and it let her go. Whether or not her ollowers believe it, on t he other hand, is unclear. For once the Church’s members hear her he r story, they are never neve r allowed to
World . Tey can pay money or what they want or offer ser vices or goods to Jeeves who who will happily happily put them to to work. Tis means the systems get fixed quicker and those without money can offer their skills and resources, which Jeeves can sell to other visitors. Some crews think that since Jeeves is only an AI, they can cheat it. Tat is usually their last mistake. Jeeves’s control o the High-Tech Systems , and its
leave the settlement, and their AI guarantees that they won’t.
Pervasive Surveillance allows it to monitor people’s
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actions and speech and i necessary, vent air rom sections, trap people between doors, send a power surge into a ship and ry its systems, or any other manner o punishment. Tis is why there isn’t a police orce on Shopping World —it —it just isn’t necessary. However, Jeeves is only really concerned with what hurts the station, not its inhabitants, making Shopping
MOLLY TRUMAN “There is the job. There is nothing but the job. Am I doing it right?” aïve Assassin Character Type:N Character Description: Molly Truman is a wholesome
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to be your best friend for life. Underneath it all, Molly’s a gorramn Greek tragedy. During the War, the Truman family was murdered when they refused to sell their land to a weapons manufacturer on Pelorum. Molly was the onl y survivor, and was forced to work in an Alliance-run munitions factory in exchange for room and board. Right about the time Molly became the company’s star employee, though, folk started disappearing—the very same varmints responsible for putting the hurt on the Trumans. By the time M olly was done, however, the War had ended, the factory was shut down, and the Alliance ocer who “rescued” Molly sent
her o to be reeducated. As far as she knows, Molly Truman works for a private company that relocates displaced veterans. She’s given
a uniform, credentials, and sets o to wherever she’s assigned. Soon as she’s settled in, however, her handler will activate a chip installed in her brain. Her chip, whi ch is numbered 10649, downloads data on the target into her subconscious. When the time’s right, Molly will
arrange an accident and take out her target. She n ever remembers who she killed or why. Likes and Dislikes: Molly is haunted by horrible dreams and is deeply afraid of the dark. She’s never
alone and prefers to always be on the move. When her chip is activated, Molly becomes more condent and capable. When it’s not, she fades into the background.
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S A 8 You are completely normal and innocent. The other you isn’t.
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step up an Half-Remembered Guilt Complication if the accident
MOLLY TRUMAN THE CLEANERS
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Hastings is the youngest member o the group and thus
gets the most unpleasant jobs. Tis usually involves scrubbing down suraces o some particularly unpleasant substances. Hastings is getting more and more annoyed at being the bottom o the pile and is ready to explode. raits: New Spook Falkirk specializes in getting in and out o places without being noticed. Te team ofen needs uniorms and passes to enter as housekeepers or workers, and Falkirk has a collection o each. Once inside, Falkirk usually avoids the worst jobs, but does bring doughnuts or the team. raits: Intrusion Expert
Assassination and murder are tools used by any government to keep its citizens in line, and the Alliance is no different. Tere are several covert spies and agents who act as killers or the Parliament when negotiation, bribery, and threats ail to elicit the right response. However, assassination is a messy business, and ew o the paid killers who carry out these attacks are interested in tidying up afer themselves. Tat’s where the Cleaners come in. Te Cleaners not only remove the body, but also sweep the area or orensic clues that might show anything was amiss. Tey make the evidence disappear. Sometimes it can
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be a very messy job, and it takes more than just a mop and bucket to make it look as i nothing ever happened. Tere are several such crews trained to hide in plain sight and make sure there are no witnesses to their activities. One such team is detailed below. Grimshaw wanted to be a spy, but got stuck with this detail. He is desperate to move up the career ladder, and in complete denial at being passed over several times. Grimshaw ofen reuses to get dirty, concentrating on building the cover story or the victim’s sudden vanishing
act. raits: Cover Builder
Te Cleaners, as the name implies, are experts at cleaning
up a crime scene. Getting rid o a body isn’t that hard with over 200 worlds and all the black between to dump them in. But the body isn’t usually the problem. Sometimes, you don’t
MARSHALL LIEN-HUA YUN “I know you don’t believe me. Now get the hell out of my gorramn way.” Character Type: Federal Marshall Character Description: Lien-Hua became a cop because she
wanted to do something right. Having grown up in a small town
AGENT TOBIAS SCHMIDT “I’m afraid you must be mistaken. We’ve never met.”
on Whitefall, she saw rst hand how the War messed everything up. She decided she wanted to b e part of the order that could put
want people to know a murder has even taken place—especially when a high profile target has just been taken out. Te Cleaners know it’s best i the victim just hasn’t been seen in a while. Afer all, i there’s no crime scene, there’s no murder, and thereore no police lurkin’ around to investigate.
LAST KNOWN LOCATION Tere are some locations so exclusive they don’t need
to advertise. Te Avalon Club is one such place. Few people know i the club holds up to his reputation—all the ’Verse’s elite know, is that they want to get in. Problem is that Te Avalon Club actively hides its presence. o become a member, you not only have to find it, you also have to prove yoursel worthy o entering by breaking into it without getting caught. Te Avalon Club is a secret Spoken in Whispers and is considered neutral territory. It takes an extraordinary effort to locate the club. When you have, there is no one at the door to let you in. You need to break through the Advanced Security , which might include coded locks, booby traps, and secret doors. However, or those who do manage to find their way in, the first drink is on the house.
Te difficulty o finding Te Avalon Club means most o its members are part o the intelligence community. Cally Drakewell is a member, although now that she is undercover she rarely visits. Agent Schmidt also ound the place, and uses it as a reprieve or both him and Molly. In his mind, entering and finding Avalon sharpens her skills, but in reality it’s a place where they can both be normal olk. Te Avalon Club is a technology-ree zone; a dampening field is deployed around the area, which renders all tech—even Molly’s chip—temporarily inactive. Te main club is in an old mining colony on Whiteall, but there is another club on Osiris in the Core and a third on Renao, one o Persephone’s moons. Membership grants access to all three or the duration o one year. Aferward, the locations switch up and change to a new set o locales. Te Avalon Club charges nothing or ood and drink, but other services require Secrets as Payment . New members must keep the club’s locations hidden; otherwise they’ll be in a world o hurt as the clientele will come afer those who let that particular secret slip. Even Alliance top brass knows better than the take on Te Avalon Club; it’s the one haven all spies will murder Parliament to protect.
Name: Osiris
DARIUS MAKEPEACE “The past isn’t gone. It’s just waiting for us to nd it.” ealthy Zealot Character Type:W Character Description: From an early age Darius
became obsessed with tales of Earth-That-Was. Brought up on Bellerophon by one nanny after the other, his rich parents mostly ignored him. Though his parents never laid a hand on him, Darius lived isolated from everybody else. In his loneliness, Darius decided to
“save” Earth-That-Was. Towards the end of the War, Darius’s parents were
killed accidentally, and the business fell to Darius. At 16, he became the CEO of one of the largest Alliance
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weapons manufacturers in the ’Verse. However, he had
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could provide. He took the newest Alliance Cruiser for himself, loaded it with a crew, terraforming technology,
and supplies enough for a dozen small towns, and set out to rebuild his dream. Though he has not reached Earth-That-Was yet, Darius
is an obsessed collector of old Earth artifacts. He has also kidnapped numerous historical experts—many from Alliance-run Academies—and forces them to cu rate his collection. Whole decks of the cruiser are given
over to store goods for the future of the reconstructed planet, and entire rooms are lled with datapads and high-tech equipment that stores ancient documents, stories, and data. Darius regularly steals from folk on Bellerophon, and plans to rob the largest Earth-That-Was collections housed on Londinium. The Alliance considers Makepeace an embarrassment, and believes he’s harmless enough.
Trouble is, Darius is a true believer. Not only does he think he can restore Earth-That-Was to her former glory, he has the means and the gumption to do it.
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DISTINCTIONS
C F T 8 You like it? It’s one of a kind. Sculpted by Li Xiao, you know. 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 On Display: Gain 1 PP when you show o your collection to
someone you probably shouldn’t show it to.
W T N F A 8 You didn’t honestly think I was giving you a choice, did you? 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 A Fair Oer : When you oer someone a goodly amount of money for their services or property spend 1 PP to oer them a Windfall Asset. If they refuse, instead inict or step up a Powerful Foes
Complication on them. S A 8
DARIUS MAKEPEACE MAKEPEACE SECURITY STRIKE TEAM
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Makepeace’s company not only supplies weapons, it also has several units o well -armed mercenaries available or hire. When Darius doesn’t get what he wants the first time he asks, he uses these mercenaries to carry out his tasks. A ew units are now posted permanently on the Santa Maria, ostensibly as a deense orce. One such team is detailed below: Captain Jane yrell: Te team leader ought in the Unification war, which was enough to make her decide she didn’t want to work or the government any longer. yrell suffers rom a certain amount o post-traumatic stress, which can make her reeze occasionally. She works hard
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to make sure all her guns-or-hire stay alive, but knows not all o them are up to the job. raits: Mercenary Sergeant Frank Simmons : Te unit’s second-in-command thinks he’s got the easiest job in all the known ’Verse. His job is to keep the captain in good spirits. He’s got no stomach to lead, and secretly dreads what would happen i she’d ail. But, he’s a good soldier and keeps his cool in a crisis. His calm demeanor is the reason why he’s
on Makepeace’s payroll. raits: Mercenary Spokes, Johnson, and Rusty : Tese three are the grunts o the group. All o them have seen active service in some orm, and know how to look afer themselves. Tey are
BROADWAY BOULEVARD & CO. Not everyone working on the Santa Maria is a soldier or a crewmember. Te ship is also an impressive museum; Darius has worked hard to recreate an immersive exhibition o his artiacts and expertise. As such, he’s assigned whole decks to interactive exhibits and reconstructions o old E arth cultures. He has employed several actors to be living recreations o the past, as ar as anyone can be sure. Aziza orrington plays Queen Cleopatra in a small Egyptian exhibit. She is a teenage runaway who Makepeace ound in the Eavesdown Docks, and has now taken to the role o queen with gusto. Some o the other ac tors believe that she’s gotten a little too much into character. What they don’t know, is that Makepeace is starting to all or her. raits: Dream Queen
PROFESSOR GREGORY JENSEN “Yes, we must escape, quickly. Would you mind if I just packed a few particular artifacts?” Character Type: Frightened Academic Character Description: Professor Jensen is one of the foremost experts on old Earth history. After many years as a struggling
academic, Georey was happy to settle into a tenured position in one of the most p restigious universities in the Core. However,
his world turned upside down when a group of armed men took him from his home in the middle of the night to a new pos ition on the Santa Maria . After Jensen turned down at least two lucrative
Edwin Kapur is the ounding member o the company.
rained in the Core, he plays various parts in the Cairo, Egypt, Xi’an, China, and Lima, Peru exhibits. o earn Makepeace’s avor, Edwin makes sure he is always in whichever exhibit his boss is visiting—and takes on his avorite roles. Edwin has paid other staffers handsomely
to know the boss’s comings and goings, and crawls through the ventilation system to take shortcuts between exhibits. raits: Wealthy Actor Verington Snyde was once a rising star in a ringe theater on Osiris. Darius offered him a large amount o money to join the company which he gladly accepted. Verington is never out o character, and he typically plays the role o a mayor or politician. Tough he’s paid well, Snyde yearns to strike out on his own again, and wants to move on. Unortunately, Verington hasn’t yet come to understand that Darius will never let him leave. raits: Great Thespian Tere are nearly as many actors as crew, and each is expected to maintain character most o the time, even when no one else is in the exhibition. Darius believes the exhibitions are a valuable way to test his acumen by applying what he’s learned about Earth-Tat-Was in “real time.”
LAST KNOWN LOCATION On Delphi in the Kalidasa System sits the emple o Aphrodite, the most renowned and acclaimed brothel that the Companion’s Guild controls outside o Sihnon. Te emple overlooks a verdant valley and is built in Greco-Roman style with pillars
CRYSTAL “BRAINIAC” HILL “Call me ‘cute’ one more time. I dare you.” Character Type: Diminutive Engineer Character Description: Plenty of folk thought Crystal wouldn’t
survive very long when she was born. Her arms and legs were so short she had problems getting around. The other children teased her as she grew up and called her a dwarf. When she got older, no one would employ her to work in the elds like everyone else—they even laughed when she oered to. Honeysuckle
knew she had to get out, and one day she signed up to work for a packaging corporation and never looked back. It was while operating the huge machines that Crystal found her true calling,
a talented gift for mechanical workings. Not only that, her small size allowed her to crawl deep into the machines to get to the problem. Once there, she’d not only x a part, but design a new system to work faster, better, and more eciently. Crystal quickly made a name for herself as an engineer, and when
she got oered a plum job on the Santa Maria it was a dream come true—the cruiser was the icing on the cake. Makepeace hired Hill to be the chief designer for Earth-That-Was—all her cities, all her shipyards, everything. The two spend hours poring over plans, coming up with innovative ways to rebuild the cities the historians are piecing t ogether. Crystal may even be more of
a true believer than Makepeace is, and that’s sayin’ something. The engineer holds true to her humble beginnings, and is not one for dressing up. As a point of pride, however, Makepeace
gives Crystal whatever she needs no matter the cost. Generally Hill loves her job, but she’s purposefully got blinders on. She knows what Makepeace would do if anybody stood between
him and his dream, for she’s not sure she wouldn’t do the same. Her boss’s dream is her dream; any place has to be better than an Alliance-run ’Verse. Traits: Mental , Short 4, Humble , Craft , Fix , Labor
BAI YIN “Shhhhh… Can you hear that?” Character Type: Urban Legend Character Description: Bai Yin is a legend, a tale told to scare folk
in the black. The few peop le who have seen her often have trouble describing her. She appears as an extra passenger or crewmember no one noticed coming aboard, no matter how small the ship. Most descriptions include her long braided hair, the shadows that seem
to follow her, and the cold darkness in her eyes. Bai Yin never arrives on a ship at random. When she appears,
ATTRIBUTES
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she oers a valuable secret and exacts a specic price. This secret is always useful, and may save the lives of a crew or be a fact about the near-future. What Bai Yin reveals might be as simple
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The Dead
as how to avoid a nearby Alliance ship, or that the ship’s engine is about to blow. The price she asks in trade is not always steep, but it is always
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personal. Sometimes it’s a treasure, a memory, or a ower, but
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occasionally Bai Yin claims another life or even a limb. She asks for the price before oering the secret, but only expects payment after the secret is given. Like many stories of the oddities found in the black, there are
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more rumors about Bai Yin than truth. Some say she is a spirit of
vengeance, a being that came about after the decimation of Shadow. Others think she represents all the falle n soldiers who died on the
battleeld. Whatever the truth of her, maybe one day Bai Yin will tell a lucky soul what she really is...in exchange for a steep price. Likes and Dislikes: Bai Yin answers to nobody but herself, and she enjoys holding all the cards. She dislikes violence, and often refuses to deal with those who are loud or aggressive. She might charge them a higher price, or oer a darker secret. Flashbacks and Echoes: Bai Yin herself is an echo, a shard of what was forgotten and needs to be remembered. She did come into being sometime during the War, and is indiscriminate about whom she targets.
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DISTINCTIONS
G E 8 You don’t remember what they did to you. Mostly. But now that it’s
done, you can never go back.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Meddled With: Spend 1 PP to step up your Mental Attribute for the scene. Step down your Social Attribute for both this scene
and the next one.
S 8 I’ll tell you my secret if you tell me yours.
SIGNATURE ASSETS:
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
BAI YIN 1
THE FUGUE
PALE D ISCIPLES
Tere are shadows that ollow Bai Yin. Anyone who
While there are plenty o olk who don’t even believe
meets her will see the Fugue, lengthening in the corners o the room or sliding along the walls. Tey whisper, tell listeners
Bai Yin exists, there are a air ew who believe that she’s a
they have secrets, that they know things. Sometimes they lie, but all too ofen they tell the truth. Tese shadows are the Fugue, the chorus o the lost or the damned, or maybe just the imagination o those who meet Bai Yin. Anger: You are weak, it tells you, and they don’t respect you. You are inefficient, ineffective, worthless in a ’Verse filled with billions o people. Te voice o anger needles you, places you on edge, and deprives you o sleep until
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you lash out. raits: Angry Voice in the Dark Failure: You are lying to them, and yoursel—you are just a raud. You don’t really know what you are doing. Every
trickster, the physical maniestation o Yen-Lo-Wang. Wang is an Overseer who lives in a nether realm in Feng-Du, the underworld. Pale disciples are under the mistaken impression that Bai Yin can open a gateway to the realm o the dead, and should they prove their pious worth, Yen-Lo-Wang would show his true orm and grant their dead relatives mercy. While each disciple is as unique as the pain that drives him or her to this path, here are a ew examples: Julie Akinyemi: A rontier woman who lost her son, sister, and husband in the War. Unable to look afer their arm on her own she was orced to sell, although the money didn’t last long. She takes any job she can on any ship, usually cooking or cleaning, in the hope that Bai Yin will let her see her son and husband one last
ailure was the truth; ever y success was a stroke o luck. Your kind o incompetence is just going to get the others
killed. You should stop, do nothing, action is utile and will only lead to disaster. raits: Lying Tormentor Paranoia: Did you see the way they looked at you? You’ve never been one o them, the others have always looked down on you. Tey’ve been cheating you out o your share, and you need to balance the scales. Watch your back, don’t give them the opportunity they are looking or. You’ll show them though. Just you wait. raits:
time. raits : Frontier Cook Luke and Winchester Goodhope: Tis pair o brothers lost their ather to a degenerative illness, the last stages o which were extremely painul. Te siblings are plagued by dreams o his final screams, and seek Bai Yin out or the chance to talk to him. Tey are aware that their ather was a smuggler, and hope he’s not condemned to an eternity o punishment. Tey’d also like to get their
MARIAH CHANG “Did you see that? The way the needle spiked? They are here I tell you, right now!” Character Type: Ghost Hunter
CALLIOPE “CALLY” DRAKEWELL “Don’t ask me. I’m just the assistant.” Character Type: Undercover Agent
Character Description: Mariah Chang was always interested in
Character Description: When Mariah advertised for an assistant,
the sciences, but not the kind everyone else was encouraging him to study. Even as a child, he always asked weird questions
Cally applied. She was a nal year student looking to get some
and his work kept veering o into odd tangents. However, Mariah did well enough to become a freelance scientist and convinced some wealthy patrons to fund his research. Currently
this research is a study into multi-layered reality structures and the four-dimensional creatures inhabiting the space between. Ghost hunting.
Mariah believes that the reason why alien life wasn’t found in the ‘Verse, is because a great civilization once lived and occupied on
the very same planets that humanity settled on all those years ago. The evidence, he believes, can be found by summon the
spirits of the past. By talking to them, Mariah will nally prove that humans aren’t all alone. First, Mariah needs to prove to everyone else that ghosts are real. Mariah has posted his ndings on the Cortex for all to see and—hopefully—believe. Most folk who read his ramblings can’t decide if Mariah Chang is a lunatic or a genius, for he’s downright convincing and acts all scientic-like. It’s true that he’s the bane of the scientic community, and the laughingstock of everyday folk who struggle to get by. Still, there are some
research experience so she could move onto work of her own. She had excellent qualications and was enthusiastic about the work, so Mariah hired her on the spot. Since then, she has become more
of a colleague than an assistant . They share a mutual passion for
the work, and each is capable of running the show. However, Cally has Mariah fooled—she is act ually a government
agent tasked with tracking down Bai Yin. The Alliance decided that ghost hunters like Mariah Chang could better nd its lost experiment than any lawdog ever could. Unfortunately for the Alliance, the ghost hunter’s superstitious ways made him a mite unstable to deal with. That’s why Cally sidled up to him, and has been given the authorit y to watch, record, and call in the cavalry.
Should she deem Mariah trustworthy enough, she also has the power to recruit him, too.
The only thing Cally doesn’t have, however, is a snowball’s
chance of getting through to Bai Yin. Should the two ever meet, Bai Yin might reveal a few things about the Alliance that Cally will beg to forget. Traits: Research Assistant , Undercover Agent , Can’t Handle the Truth
who take Mariah’s work seriously; his benefactors are waiting patiently for him to post his ndings. Little does he know, the folk who fund his research suspect he’s stumbled onto something
the Alliance has cooked up. Though he might be dead wrong, the ghost hunter thinks he’s close to proving ghosts exist. Mariah’s research has led to the development of specialized sensors and gadgets to detect frequencies
many scientists don’t even believe exist. His experiments have
LAST KNOWN LOCATION On the almost-orgotten Seventh Circle in the Blue Sun System lies one o the largest junkyards in the ’Verse. Te Hole is a Former Massive Mining Colony , but its ores
have long since been stripped out. Te terraorming process
Tough this place is inhospitable, many oragers live here, hunting through the reuse or the odd item o value. It is surprising what does end up getting thrown away. Some waste is too costly to recycle, but useul or those on the
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rontier. Sadly, Te Hole is a Lawless Place as no one gives a damn what happens on a junkyard moon. Gangs do run the moon, but are willing to get olk what they need or a price. Tese local yokels may be greedy opportunists, but they’re not completely heartless. Protein supplements are always appreciated, but so are weapons, uel cells, medicine, and access to a Cortex datapad. Seventh Circle has one other secret, a Covert Alliance Base hidden deep among the piles o trash. It is home to
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NEW SIGNATURE ASSETS While any six-shooter is dangerous enough, Alliance orces have access to the most advanced technology available. Much o this equipment is too expensive to equip their troops with, but specialist units ofen have a righteningly powerul array o devices. Te arsenal o the Alliance is vast, but here are a ew choice pieces, a ew o which are both cutting edge and dangerously experimental.
an Alliance storage acility or things the government wants hidden but not destroyed. Bodies, evidence, and even a ew prisoners provided by cleaners, assassi ns, and bounty hunters are stored here just in case they are needed once more. Bai Yin and her Fugue have also been spotted at Te Hole, and disappears or hours at a time into a hidden vault she built somewhere on the grounds. No one is aware this sae exists or has any clue as to what its contents are—not even the Alliance. Should any Crew find this vault, however, they’d best
be watching their backs, or everybody in the ’Verse would be afer its contents. It seems Bai Yin has been keeping secrets o her own, big truths that could topple Parliament with a quiet whisper.
S D , , This palm-sized circular device emits a high-powered sonic wave that incapacitates anyone in a 15-foot radius for up to ten minutes with a high-pitched noise. Ear buds connected wirelessly with the Detonator emit an inter- ference pattern that cancels the eects for the user. The device has a second setting that uses its entire power cell that sends out a sound pulse that will knock people in the
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radius o their feet.
This form of ammunition shatters into several tiny pellets
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upon breaking the skin. This means it does less damage than a regular bullet but it is extremely hard to locate and remove all the pellets. Each pellet contai ns a deadly poison,
Clear Exit : When you activate your Sonic Det-
onator, spend 1 PP to make a conspicuous but unopposed exit from the area.
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This gun was designed as a battleeld weapon to break
A close combat weapon that also keeps the user’s hands
enemy morale and cause chaos. It res magnetic pulses
warm. These gloves resemble ordinary thick winter gloves,
in a wide shotgun pattern that can impact brain neuro-
but the back of the hand is covered in layered steel blades.
chemistry. These pulses make the targets’ brains release
When the hand is closed into a st, the blades are forced
large amounts of dopamine, the chemical that controls
out to create six-inch razor sharp claws, which retract
happiness. This initially creates profound and very dis-
when the hand is opened.
tracting euphoria in the target, but after the eects pass
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Fashionable Murderwear : Spend 1 PP to create
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THEM TERRIFYIN’ REAVERS “Reavers ain’t men. Or they forgot how to be. Now they’re just… nothing. They got out to the edge of the galaxy, to that place of nothing. And that’s what they became.” - Mal
Hunt and chase. Reavers are most terriying because
they doggedly hunt their prey. I a Reaver ship spots the Crew’s boat out in the black, have it pursue them i the Crew attempts to flee. Let the Crewmembers flee, but keep the Reavers comin’ afer them. Make the Crew sweat and push and bleed to stay outside o the Reavers’ grasp.
When you portray a Reaver ship or vehicle during the game:
then make sure the players understand that. Use imed Actions to help produce a situation in which there’s only
Be merciless, but subtle. Te Reavers have no capacity
or mercy. When describing any kind o action that the Reavers might take, be merciless in the effects o their
than it is to see the violence itsel. Narrate how the Crew can’t even look at the way that Reavers do their business.
It’s just too horriying. When you introduce Reavers into an Episode, a single Reaver ship or vehicle is perect. It contains Reavers—threatening the Crew like nothing else can—but it doesn’t require the Reavers themselves to be represented with raits and dice. Teir ship, on the other hand, can be a earsome thing, with all the raits and Distinctions it needs to make the Crew terribly araid.
When preparing a Reaver ship or vehicle or use in your game: Build an effective Reaver boat. Reaver ships and vehicles wouldn’t be dangerous i they were all clunkers without
enough time or certain actions. Have the Crew make Focus rolls just to get up the courage to look down the corridor at the Reaver horde instead o running away. Push the Crewmembers hard. Te Reavers don’t let up. Even on their ship, they won’t turn away, or abandon
actions—they inflict great harm, great destruction, all without being hurt too much themselves. But be subtle about it—you don’t have to describe every single weapon strike or blade all o the Reavers’ attack. It’s more rightening to see the afereffects and consequences o violence
Make the Crew’s options clear. I fighting isn’t an option,
their prey. Te Crew must destroy the Reaver ship, escape it, or deal with what happens when it catches them. Reavers are terriying be cause o their unrelenting nature. Play it up. Showcase the vehicle’s warped nature. Reaver vehicles are never quite like normal boats. Reveal what’s different and rightening about Reaver ships. Tat might mean describing the dried blood decorating the ship’s hull. Tat might mean describing how their harpoon gun is firing rom the speeder into olk trying to run away. Make the Reaver ship righteningly different, and the Crew’ll gasp when they realize Reavers ain’t human, not anymore.
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
KEEP THOSE REAVERS COMIN’ If you want to make Reavers truly terrifying, allow their ships and vehicles to stay the ght without spending a Plot Point from your bank. They still have to take a Complication based on the opposition’s highest rolling die, but they don’t
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ADDING REAVERS TO THE ’VERSE In addition to directly prepping Reaver ships and hordes to show up in your game, here are a ew other ways to make
HORROR STORIES Tose who spend time out on the Rim may have a horror
Reavers eel real in your version o the ’Verse. Like any strong spice, Reavers are best used sparingly—you want to make sure
story or two to tell. Maybe that tale’s about a settlement that got eaten up by the Reavers beore anyone could get out. Some
your Crew never gets ully used to the idea that murderous cannibals roam the stars in ships o death. Remember, what makes the Reavers terriyin’ is that
olk may even claim to know where the monsters came rom or where victims exposed to Re aver madness can be healed. A
they’re always on the move. Use that, and strike ear into the
ew storytellers will claim to have actually served on a Reaver ship, and may even pretend to be one o them.
FALSE SIGHTINGS o be truthul, most people outside the rontier don’t believe Reavers exist—olk rom the Central Planets think
Reavers are just airy tale monsters to righten children. When the stories do get reported, no one thinks t hey are real. Tat level o horror just can’t be possible, not rom a human being, and not in civilized worlds. Reavers are ghosts, myths, legends o the Rim told as a kind o hillbilly joke. Te Alliance, especially, can’t be bothered with such nonsense. One way to drive this creepy element home is to offer a ew red herrings. When the locals are asked about a bandit attack, actory shutdown, abduction, or assault, the authorities ofen get told: “Reavers did it.” How are they going to find out the truth? As long as there is enough blood, who’s to say the violence wasn’t caused by Reavers? Mysteries that turn out to be caused by all manner o Antagonists can help to cement the uncertainty that Reavers would bring to the story. Who knows i the job a Crew takes in the Rim will actually turn out to have any contact with Reavers at all?
PROTOREAVERS Te stories say no one survives a Reaver attack, and that might be true, but there are those who have seen what the Reavers can do with their own two eyes. Every now and again the Reavers like to show someone what they can do, leaving survivors behind to testiy to their madness. Tey orce one o their prey to watch as they torture and murder everyone they know. Most olk agree it’s a ate ar worse than death. Tese poor men and women are driven mad by what they see. Te only way they can make sense o it all is to become a Reaver. Tey cut their own skin and go wild, killing everyone they find, committing acts too horrible to tell. What Proto-Reavers have seems like an inection, and it sometimes takes a while to take hold, but it gets everyone eventually. Some steal a ship and head off to Reaver space, sometimes with an “offering” or their new amily. No one knows i they are accepted into the community, but the Proto-Reavers are certainly never heard rom again. Since your Crew can’t stand up and fight against the Reavers themselves, proto-Reavers make great oils in the same vein. A man or woman lef alive by a Reaver attack is a earsome oe, and you can use their presence as a plot hook—“My brother went missing afer he survived a Reaver attack”—or a direct threat to the Crew.
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CONFRONTING THE REAVERS Reavers are trouble the like o which most Crews have never seen. Tere is no negotiation, no surrender. When they hit a target they come ast and hard; they don’t stop until they’ve torn everything apart. Some olk believe they’re still human, but Reavers are more like a orce o nature, even divine retribution. Tey come or you, you’re dead, and that’s the way o it.
Mal’s going to have to roll against his ears to keep rom fleeing, so you grab The Reavers Are Coming 2 as a scene rait and Extremely Hard or the difficulty. You roll to set the stakes:
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is really like—or i something’s at stake that’s too important to give up to the hordes without a fight—don’t represent the Reavers with raits that imply they can be beaten. Sure,
Crewmembers can do against that kind o orce is survive. Once you make the Crew roll to gather up the strength to stand in the ace o a horde o Reavers, most Crewmembers
your Crew can outrun or gun down a Reaver ship, but loose Reavers running down halls or climbing on the hull? Te best
should have the good sense to bolt.
SCARY RUN-INS WITH REAVERS While gangs and crime bosses might be a more obvious threat, Reavers will come at a Crew sideways. Plenty o olk will pay or real live Reaver artiacts, and corporations are always looking or an edge over their competitors. Tis trio o nasty encounters is inspired by Reavers, and may be used in a stand-alone Episode or as part o a Season.
DREAD PIR ATE REAVERS A wealthy thrill-seeker named Mallory Douglas wants to see a Reaver ship or hersel. Badger insists she has got hold o a powerul cloaking device that will let Douglas get close to a Reaver ship in a small shuttle. O course, she has no such thing and what she wants is to make good on a bet she made with an old aro buddy o hers. What Mallory does have, is a very large reward or any Crew who’s willing to pretend they’re Reavers. o make her experience eel authentic, Mallory will tell the Crew that she needs to film the
VILLAGE OF LOST SOULS While flyin’ out on the Rim, the ship’s engine blows out, orcing the Crew to land on the nearest inhabited place they can find. Wherever they dock, they’ll find the populated area is a ghost town—it’s as i the inhabitants vanished, with hal-finished meals sitting on tables and machines stopped halway through production. As the Crew searches or the parts they need, they find evidence that the Reavers came through, snatching up as many o the townsolk as they could, and lef the rest or dead. What will the Crew do with these traumatized survivors? How will they react when they realize they’ve walked right into a gorramn trap set up by a pair o eds hoping to pin the blame on somebody else? Worse, what happens when the Reavers come back?
BAD TRAIL, BAD HORSE
encounter. Now, Mallory don’t know enough about Reavers
Te Crew is hired to ollow a ship that was lost smuggling a valuable cargo o expensive and vital medicine. Unortunately,
to know where Reaver space is, which is why a Crew could ake an encounter should they want to take advantage o her
when the Crew gets the flight plan, it turns out the ship was flyin’ just inside Reaver space to avoid the Alliance. Whoever
Te sample boats used by the crime bosses, spies, rival crews, and rare Antagonists introduced earlier in Tings Don’t
different ships, and their matriarch—Honey McCoy—sits
Go Smooth can be ound in this chapter. Here’s a breakdown o the Antagonists and their boats: Julius Morgan: Introduced in Spies and Crime Bosses on
page 17, Morgan avors a chaikovsky Class Passenger Liner called the Ozymandias. Augustus Landrum: Augustus was also eatured in Spies and Crime Bosses on page 33. He flies one o 50,000
Honey McCoy : Te McCoy amily clan flies a number o
at the helm o a Lieshou Class Alliance Destroyer called the II . Te McCoy clan can be ound on page 57 in
Rival Crews and Gangs. Darius Makepeace: Te Unexplained and Other Varmints gave a glimpse o the strangest Antagonists in the ’Verse. Darius Makepeace, ound on page 77, collects EarthTat Was artiacts on a ohuku Class Alliance Cruiser
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NEW SHIP DISTINCTIONS CLASS
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Ship class Distinctions define the make and model o the
E 4 H S Used as maximum security penitentiaries, these prison ships house the worst criminals in the ’Verse. Escape is
ship, what it was built or, and its basic Attributes— Engines, Hull, and Systems. Tese specialized ship class Distinctions eature ship models that are more likely to be seen in the control o Gamemaster characters. Tough—i’n you’re eeling generous—a determined Crew could find themselves in control o one o these ships, too.
rare and nearly impossible as the space prison’s incred- ible sensor arrays can detect incoming rescue ships at vast distances. It’s also very dicult to even nd them, as they maintain Cortex silence as much as possible, and change position every week, or more.
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E 8 H 6 S Shaped like a small sphere, this unusual ship has multi- ple engine nozzles connected to a central gravity drive. This allows it to rapidly change direction and orienta- tion, enabling the Battlesphere to present the stronger, undamaged parts of its hull to an enemy. These ships are usually own in groups to protect larger ships like Alliance cruisers or skyplexes.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead of a . Needle in a Haystack: When someone is trying to
nd the location of the ship in a Timed Action, the pilot may reroll a die. On the next roll, all 1s and 2s count as Opportunities. Nobody Has Ever Escaped The Rock: Spend 1 PP to create an Increased Security Asset when an escape attempt is detected.
F C S T 8
H C A P C 8
M C B T 8
E 6 H 12 S 6 These medium-sized carriers were used to transport
E 6 H 12 S 6 Large but slow, these fancy schmancy modern bulk transports manufactured by the Weyland-Yutani Corpo-
Alliance ground troops from world to world during the
ration are now nding their way into many corporate
Unication War. They’re lled with small double occu -
transport eets. They’re particularly popular with the
pancy bunks and support compartments that include a
Alliance and other corporations providing support to
galley, entertainment center, and gymnasium. The gym
newer worlds. They are noted for their modular external
seconds as a mustering area for rapid deployment via
cargo pylons, which allow for quick loading and unload-
a ramp that deploys from the bottom of the ship. These
ing.
ships are well-stocked with weapons, ammunition, and military-grade explosives.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
4 instead
of a . So Say We All: When transported Alliance soldiers are in combat, spend 1 PP to create an Esprit de Corps Asset. It’s the Only Way to Be Sure: Once per session, you can launch high-intensity ordinance at a target. If you raise the stakes during such an
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead of a . Exposed Cargo: The pilot may spend 1 PP to rename a Complication you take due to an attack by another ship to Damaged Cargo. Load/Unload: Spend 1 PP at the beginning of a
Timed Action involving the loading or unl oading of cargo. For each of your rolls during the Timed
Action, you may reroll any die that comes up 1 instead of accepting a Plot Point for that die.
1
ON C A B 8
R C S T 8
E 4 H 12 S 8 One of the rst structures to be built after humanity arrived in the ’Verse, these space stations were exca- vated from the interiors of small asteroids. Instead of using articial gravity, the base rotates at high speeds to simulate gravity, producing a feeling that don’t sit right
E 12 H 6 S 6 Ships that get stranded out in the black send out emergency beacons. Tugboats y around, answering their call, hauling ’em to safety. These small spaceships have very powerful engines compared to their size. In addition, they are usually equipped with tractor beams,
with folk raised on more modern ships. The engines are
magnetic grapplers, and gravity dampeners in order to
weak, merely enough to maintain orientation and orbit,
tow much larger ships.
and they are unable to move from world to world.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . Nooks and Crannies: Spend 1 PP to discover a
hidey-hole or forgotten stash of supplies when searching through forgotten corridors of the base. Hard Asteroid: When attacked by another ship, the pilot may step back Systems to double Hull for the rest of the scene.
Q S H C A M S 8
5
E 4 H S Military skyplexes are not as large as the commercial or industrial skyplexes, but are better armed, armored, and carry a large complement of Alliance soldiers. They
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead of a . Push Me Pull You: When attached to another
spaceship with grapplers or tractor beams, step back Systems to double Engines. Thatta Girl: The mechanic may spend 1 PP to
reroll all 1s when trying to repair the ship’s engines. If a die comes up as a jinx a second
time, it cannot be rerolled.
S S C I G 8 E 12 H 4 S 8 This small space ghter was own by the Independents during the Unication War, but has since been decom- missioned by the Alliance. Flying one is a felony. They are easily identied by their smooth chrome exterior and the distinctive helix contrails they create while ying in
are often found orbiting major worlds in the Core, near
atmo. These ghters were often given custom paint jobs,
strategically important locations in the Border, and close
distinctive markings, or icons by their pilots.
to industrial complexes in the Rim. Unlike most ships
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
BACKGROUND S C S V 8 E 4 H 8 S 12 Produced by the SDG Corporation, this new, stationary research vessel is not designed for atmospheric entry. Instead, it relies on shuttles to transfer crew and cargo from a planet’s surface. Its engines are used to keep it stationary and to make minor orbital adjustments; it’s
Background Distinctions ocus on what has happened to the ship afer it was manuactured or reflects on who is in command o the ship at the current moment. Tese can include Alliance soldiers, government agents, or pirates. Tey also can eature the role that the ship may play in an organization such as an escort vessel.
incapable of moving between worlds, much like certain
A M 8
skyplexes. Lacking a gravity drive, the boat relies on
You protect the innocent, punish pirates, and keep any
the use of a solar sail, which allows the ship’s suite of
Independent sympathizers in line, all in the name of the
scientic instruments and computing systems to operate
Anglo-Sino Alliance. Your Alliance ship is in active mili-
without any interference.
tary service and subject to brass’s command.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
4 instead
of a . An Object In Motion Remains In Motion: Take a No Maneuverability Complication when you
are being attacked by another ship to gain 1 PP. No Gravity, No Noise: A Crewmember using the
scientic instruments and sensors can spend 1 PP to double Systems for one Action.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . BOLO: When a ship escapes from you, the captain may spend 1 PP to inict or step up a Wanted Fugitive Ship Complication on that ship. Calling In Support: Once per Episode, the captain may spend 1 Plot Point to request ocial assis-
tance from a nearby Alliance ship for a scene.
V C C 8
A P 8
E 8 H 6 S Newly-designed by the Blue Sun Corporation, this is the rst ship that can only be piloted by readers—there is no conventional helm. The pilot is connected directly to the
Your ship has been put into service by Parliament itself,
ship through a computer-brain interface. The exper- imental computer system amplies the reader’s own abilities, giving the pilot a reaction time much faster
to enforce bureaucratic matters of government. Unfortu- nately, this doesn’t protect you from political du shu de yi zhu like you may think.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . Pushing Paperwork : Take a Government Bureau-
1
C E 8
G M 8
You can’t claim to be the pride of the eet, but you’re not
Some ships have eyes. Yours has a brain. Your ship’s
easily ignored. Your ship has been equipped with point
systems are augmented by an experimental articial
defense weapons and improved engines in order to best
intelligence, and you can control many aspects of the
serve as protector of larger, capital ships like Alliance
ship like the helm, airlocks and doors by voice command.
cruisers.
It listens. Most of the time.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead of a . Picket Screen: If the ship’s pilot hasn’t acted in
can spend 1 PP to interrupt the Action Order
of a . Fly By Voice: Spend 1 PP to y the ship without a pilot at the helm by voice or radio. Use Focus instead of Fly for rolls while piloting the ship
and take an Action.
via this method.
Supporting Fire: The captain may spend 1 PP to add Capital Escort to another ship’s dice pool for one Action.
Intrusion Countermeasures: Spend 1 PP to step up or double Systems when your ship’s computers are being attacked by hackers, viruses,
the current round of the Action Order, the pilot
C B F 8
5
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
or Trojan horses.
Turns out, crime does pay. Your ship is recognized as the
H-M-D 8
home-away-from-home for major crime bosses and syn-
Your ship has changed hands a lot. Who knows what
dicates. When they’re on board, friends are entertained.
kinds of secrets it holds, or what annoying problems it’ll
Enemies? They…disappear.
give you.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead of a . Make Him An Oer He Can’t Refuse: High-ranking
members of criminal organizations aboard the ship can spend 1 PP to step up their Inuence for one Action. We’re Solid. What Do You Need?: High-ranking
members of criminal organizations aboard the ship can spend 1 PP to create an Asset related
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . I Didn’t Know It Could Do That!: Step back any of your ship’s Attributes for the rest of the scene to step up any of your ship’s other Attributes for one Action. That Ain’t Ours: Take or step up an Illegal Goods Complication when your ship is searched by
Alliance representatives to gain 1 PP
CUSTOMIZATION
P P 8 Who’s in command? You are. Your ship has been mod- ied to send a message to all the local color that the Alliance is most certainly in charge here. You’ve been given guns, higher clearances, and free pass to maintain order outside of the Core.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
4 instead
Customization Distinctions eature things that the current owner has done to modiy a significant portion o the ship. It ain’t just one thing like a weapon or some armor, but something that makes this ship special. Some o these customization Distinctions are specifically or GMC ships like Reavers or black ops Alliance.
of a . I Was Acting Under Orders: The captain may spend 1 PP to step back to rename a social-based
A F D 8
Complication.
launch and land other ships through the use of tractor
Now Listen Here: When trying to intimidate someone while on the ship, the captain may spend 1 PP to step up or double his Social for one Action.
beams, advanced tracking, and landing control.
P D 8 You found your ship driftin g out in the black. Brand new. No crew. Stripped of cargo. No signs of what happened. Spooky, really.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
4 instead
Your ship’s ight deck has been modied to quickly
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . Arresto Momentum: Spend 1 PP at the beginning of a Timed Action involving another ship landing
on your ight deck. For any rolls during the Timed Action, your pilot may reroll any die that comes up 1 instead of accepting a PP for that die. pend 1 PP to have the pilot Scramble Fighters: S
of another spaceship go rst in a scene before
1
A 8
C T E 8
Yes, it might be silly to have a fully-submersible space-
Shhhhh.... No one knows what that fancy doo-dad does.
ship. Yes, it’s hard making sure your boat won’t get rusty.
That’s the whole point! Your ship has some top secret
Yes, leaks do happen. But nobody would ever think to
modications and shiny new tech that you’re testing. It’s
look for you underwater, would they?
lovely—when it works.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
fully trying to impress someone with your ship, step back your Social for the rest of the scene
equipment or systems on the ship to gain 1 PP.
of a . Loveable Rust Bucket: When you are unsuccess-
5
of a . How Should I Know How to Fix it?: Take an Unfamiliar Tech Complication when trying to x
to gain 1 PP. Under Pressure: When you are trying to hide your
See That Red Button? Don’t Press It: Once per
ship under water, you may reroll any dice that come up 1 instead of taking a PP.
your ship’s Attributes for the rest of the scene
BS S 8 Boats are expensive. Thankfully, you’ve gured out how
Episode, randomly choose and step back one of to step up and double a dierent ship Attribute of your choice for the rest of the scene.
C L 8
G T S I P 8
V G C 8
There’s strength in numbers out in the black. You know
Most ships have articial gravity that operates continu -
it. Others know it, too. Your short-range ship has been
ously with no power application. Your ship has activated
modied to join up with similar boats. When short-
gravity plating that can be controlled manually from the
range shuttles or gunships team up, they can even travel
bridge. Gravity can be adjusted from zero to 2G.
between planetary systems through the strength of their combined gravity drives.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
4 instead
of a . Activate Interlocks! Dyna-Therms Connected!: When your ship is physically joined to other, similar ships, the pilot may spend 1 PP to step up Engines or Systems for one Action. Take a Joined omplication to double it, too. at the Hip C Infra-Cells Up! Mega-Thrusters Are Go!: Spend 1 PP when you physically join your ship to one
or more similar ships in order to initiate a hard burn and travel between planetary systems even when your ship otherwise lacks the capacity for
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . Sudden Gravity Loss: When you take a Compli cation related to one of your ship’s systems, take a Gravity Control Lost Complication to gain 1 PP. Zero-G: Crewmembers on the bridge can spend 1 PP to create a Zero-Gravity Complication anywhere else on the ship. They can also spend 1 PP to recover any Zero-Gravity Complications
anywhere else on the ship.
W 8 You’ve got weapons a-plenty, and deep obligations to use ’em. Your boat is armed with all sorts of legal
interplanetary travel.
weapons, and they’re all registered with the Alliance.
Q 8
That allowance will continue as long as you focus on
Is it a plague or isn’t it? Your ship’s cargo bay has a quar-
targets the Alliance don’t like.
antined section to properly isolate people and animals who may have been exposed to infectious biological or other hazards. Your ship’s systems have also been upgraded to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a of a .
4 instead
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . Fire At Will: When attacking another ship, spend 1 PP to double one weapon-based Signature Asset for one Action. Gone Rogue: If you attack a ship that is not doing anything illegal, take a Rogue Ship Compli cation to gain 1 PP.
1
NEW SIGNATURE ASSETS
5
B S V 8
F B R 8
Your wait sta and servers are the best in the Core, the
For when don’t need to go far, but need to go fast…it’s
Border, or the Rim. At least, that’s what you claim.
the only way to y.
B C 8
G S 8
The black is black. My ship is black. You can’t see me.
These large gravity emitters are mounted on ships that
Now you still don’t.
ply the frequently travelled routes between planets and stars in the ’Verse. They are used to deect small meteors
B H 8
away so that other ships don’t need to worry so much
These blades and hooks make it easier for you to latch
about small impacts that could tear them apart. In a
onto other nearby ships. They also look scary, especially
pinch they can be used to push other ships too.
if they’ve got a lot of red on them. Maybe that’s blood. Maybe it ain’t.
L M 8
NEW ADVANCED SIGNATURE ASSETS
I W 8 These ship-mounted weapons aren’t just illegal because
C M 8
the Alliance don’t want you to have them, they don’t
Highly illegal, these devices can mask your image and
want nobody to have ’em. These weapons weren’t used
voice when you send a wave from your ship to another
by anybody during the Unication War, and use of them
ship or world.
constitutes a war crime.
Found Contraband: Take an Illegal Electronics
Complication when your ship is being searched
WMDs: When you are attacking another ship, take or step up a Wanted for High Crimes
by Alliance ocials to gain 1 PP.
Complication to add a scale die to your dice pool.
D E 8
R G 8
These containers mounted on the back of the ship hold a
These guns shoot heavy slugs of iron by reducing their
large amount of junk metal, rock, and other stu. Ejected
mass and then accelerating them to incredible speeds
when initiating a hard burn while being pursued, the
using magnets.
debris can destroy a chasing ship or at least cause them to change their course, potentially allowing escape. Taking Out the Trash: The pilot may spend 1 PP to step up a Complication inicted on a pur -
suing ship when it spends a PP to avoid being Taken Out.
Heavy Ammo Eects: When using your Rail Gun, step back Engines to step up Systems. Disable Rail Gun for the rest of the scene to return the
Attributes to their original values.
S S 8 This gigantic but thin web of highly reective material
H H I 8
uses radiation pressure from stars to propel spaceships
This high tech enhancement gives the pilot a three-di-
over long distances without any fuel. The sail is fragile,
mensional view of the ship and its immediate surround-
but can propel the spaceship at incredible speeds when
ings, allowing the pilot to anticipate maneuvers and
near a star. However, the close proximity of the star also
handle attacks from multiple enemies.
causes signicant interference in the ship’s computer
3D 48 FPS: The pilot may step back Mental for the rest of the scene to create a Situational
systems and sensor arrays. The solar sail can only be used by ships without a gravity drive, as the drive uctu -
ANTAGONIST BOATS 1
WILL RISE AGAIN E H 8 S 6
5
DISTINCTIONS
F C T 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
WILL RISE AGAIN
B A T V 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
HARD BURN Asante Okoro has recently “upgraded” her ship rom a simple Firefly to a state-o-the-art Keying class transport. She discovered it adrif while fleeing the Alliance on a recent job involving a wedding. It’s practically brand new but it had no crew, no cargo, and no indications o violence. Afer taking it or a shakedown she discovered that it had some enhancements that she’s never seen beore on a ship…especially on a transport. Te Crew may not appreciate a lot o the interesting eatures on Hard Burn unless they somehow find themselves on board. Fortunately, Hard Burn’s EMP Weapons can disable the Crew’s ship and then Asante can bring them on board or interrogation. Or, i ’n she’s eeling riendlier, Asante can simply invite the Crew to discuss business on her ship. Tis will allow them to observe how clean, neat, and extremely new the ship is, and maybe also get a hint that there’s more to her than meets the eye. As to what happened to the ship to cause her to be derelict?
HARD BURN E H 8
S 6
DISTINCTIONS
K C M T 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
P D 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Shiny and New: When your boat’s mechanic tries to recover a Complication, spend 1 PP to step back the Complication before
attempting to recover it. E 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Experimental Settings: When using a ship’s
Signature Asset, you may step up or double that die. Step up any Complications that
Tat can be anything you want, rom Reavers to Alliance to the Hands o Blue, or something more bizarre. ry to align it with something in the Crew’s past—anythin’ that makes
SIGNATURE ASSETS
’em more interested in investigating the mystery themselves.
P A 8
arise from that roll. EMP W 8 F S A 8 5 Finding Needles in Haystacks: Step back your ship’s Engines for the rest of the scene to step up or double your ship’s Systems when trying to detect something with your sensors.
1
BASTION Asante maintains a space station by the name o Bastion whose existence is not widely known. Orbiting a moon o
5
Newhall, it is a heavily armed, heavily deended acility, and serves as the hub o her interstellar trafficking business. Staffed with well-equipped mercenaries, it consists o three saucer sections, stacked on one another and connected by a central shaf. Te top saucer contains Bastion’s ops Bastion’s ops and control center. From there Asante can oversee any o the projects that are ongoing within the station. Te middle saucer is the most secure and ortified. With the weapons suite, shuttle docks,
BASTION E 4 H 12
S 8
DISTINCTIONS
H K C S 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
C B F 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a .. Make Him An Oer He Can’t Refuse: High-ranking members of criminal organi-
HOPE Operated by the Cross Crew, Hope is Hope is a devil in disguise. Tis sleek machine is designed or rapid transport and has been modified with a transponder transponder that alsely identifies it as a medical ship. Hope has Hope has dark colorations colorations and partially blends in with the black, helping to avoid encounters with unsavory types— and the Law—when it’s flyin’ rom planet to planet. It’s large enough to hold a crew o our in tight quarters, but the Cross Crew keeps the last bed or sae storage. Hope has Hope has two Distinctions that eature being able to go ast, so she’s a great boat to use when you want to give the Cross Crew the opportunity to escape. Her high Engines Attribute, combined with the urbo! and Full Burn triggers Burn triggers will ensure that an opposing Crew needs some good pilotin’ in order to catch her.
HOPE E
H 4
S
DISTINCTIONS
V C C 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Turbo!: Spend Spend 1 PP to create an Afterburners Asset. Each time you include Afterburners in a dice pool, step it back after you roll.
W H C G 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a ..
B S 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
.. of a Full Burn: Spend Spend 1 PP to reroll a pool contain ing the Engines dice. On your subsequent
roll, both 1s and 2s count for Complications. SIGNATURE ASSETS
B C 8 F T 8
SWEETS
1
Te Barbossa Gang is known or their ancy shuttles that they’ve handcrafed into muscle ships. Sweets belongs
SWEETS E H 4
to essa Barbossa and is truly a sight to behold. It’s silver in color with spinning blades and hooks on its outside, allowing it to easily damage or attach to other ships. Roaring engines propel the shuttle, letting everyone know essa is coming long beore she arrives. Te entire crew has similar pods, each one with its own unique fixture, like grappling hooks
DISTINCTIONS
used to tow ships or laser cannons or blasting holes in a hull where there weren’t any beore. Each o the shuttles has been modified to sync up with each other in order to allow them to travel rom planet to planet. How you use Sweets and Sweets and her sister ships will depend on whether you want to ocus on a group o annoying yet dangerous shuttles, or ocus on Sweets being Sweets being the primary ship that combines orces. I you’re looking or a swarm, check off the Warbird or Grasshopper Class Short Range Shuttle Distinction triggers, but i you want to combine the ships, check off both o the triggers rom Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts. You’ll want to treat the other components o the swarm as a group o Extras like Barbarossa Gang Pods
5
, and use the Gang Up rules instead o having each gang member having their own ully detailed ship.
S
G C S R S 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
W 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
.. of a Fire At Will: When attacking another ship, spend 1 PP to double one weapon-based Signature Asset for one Action.
G T S P 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
.. of a Infra-Cells Up! Mega-Thrusters Are Go!: Spend Spend
1 PP when you physically join your ship to one or more similar ships in order to initiate a hard burn and travel between planetary systems even when your ship otherwise
lacks the capacity for interplanetary travel. SIGNATURE ASSETS
B H 8 EMP W 8
COUNTESS Approaching the Countess is Countess is almost like li ke landing on a new,
undiscovered planet. Five miles across, it’s a perect sphere o red and gold, beautiul in the simplicity o its design and the way it draws passer-by in. A light at the very top o the skyplex flashes with a message in Morse code, telling those who understand that: “Everything you desire awaits you here.” O course, it takes a lot o dough to land on one o the five ship docks, which are usually filled with important diplomats, diplomats, Alliance officials, or supply ships rom Constance. Te interior o the Countess is Countess is like paradise, with hundreds o luxury resorts dotting the inside shell o the hull. Gravity only extends upwards a couple hundred eet. Te vast space in between allows guests to fly with their own set o wings. Te guest quarters are almost without match in the ’Verse— spacious and luxurious—filled with the finest rippery money
COUNTESS E 4 H 12
S 8
DISTINCTIONS
H K C S 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Massive Hull: When you include Hull and a Scale die in your dice pool, spend 1 PP to double Hull.
B L 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a .. Ain’t She a Pretty Thing?: The The ship’s captain can spend 1 PP to step up or double Social when impressing someone with the appearance of the ship.
can buy. Te patrons are well protected with strong security scanners and personnel watching all o the entrances. A secret bridge, hidden inside an otherwise otherwis e ordinary hotel,
C V 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
controls the Countess. Countess. Here, the guests can be monitored—or
SIGNATURE ASSETS
their saety o course. Te Countess is unlikely to be involved in combat, so ocus on the Distinction triggers rom Beautiful Lines, and Cruisin’ the ’Verse. Te Countess is Countess is practically a world hersel, so a lot o what happens on her won’t directly involve her dice-related rules. Focus on the act that she’s a unique structure—huge in size, yet mostly just a shell. Guests looking up can see the entire inside o the ship arcing away rom them, and in the
of a ..
M S 8 M F Q 8 S 8
II E 8
II H 6
S
DISTINCTIONS
1
L C A D 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
C T 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Frankenstein’s Boat: Spend 1 PP to switch the die ratings of Engines and Systems for the rest of the scene.
T 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
However no ship is as hard on the eyes as the II . Te boat has the bridge o the allen Alliance cruiser, Crucible, with a mostly intact holographic interace which only glitches out every so ofen. Tat bridge was placed inside the ront hal o a derelict Baumstark class reighter, ully armored and able to take a beating like almost no other. Te back hal o the ship is the tail end o a Lieshou class destroyer. On top o its impressive size and build, it is strapped with cannons on its bottom and sides, and wields a pinpoint targeting rail gun that launches massive iron slugs to smash enemy boats. Still, there’s no better ship to be flyin’ when you’re buzzin’ about the Blue Sun System.
SIGNATURE ASSETS
Te II is a Frankenstein’s monster o a ship. Made rom several different vessels, she ain’t pretty, but try to emphasize to any Crew that encounter her how these disparate parts somehow come together to make her one heck o a ship to deal with. Te triggers rom Cobbled Together or Turtlin’ would be better to use to highlight the strangeness that this
R G 8 5 Heavy Ammo Eects: When using your Rail Gun, step back Engines to step up Systems. Disable Rail Gun for the rest of the scene to return the Attributes to their original values H H I 8
boat exudes. I the same Crew encounters her more than once, eel ree to swap out the class Distinction or another ship like a Monostor Class Bulk Transport to represent the ront hal o the ship or the next encounter to mess with the Crew’s expectations.
5
5
of a . Brace For Impact!: When your ship is about
Te McCoy amily has many ships in its battalion, each one marked with a decorative Roman numeral on its bow.
5
to be Taken Out, spend 1 PP to reroll your dice. If you fail to set or raise the stakes on your second roll, you cannot spend a PP to stay in the ght.
3D 48 FPS: The pilot may step back Mental for the rest of the scene to create a Situa-
OZYMANDIAS Julius Morgan sunk 2 million credits o his amily’s ortune into building the ’Verse’s largest luxury space cruiser, the Ozymandias. A world class cruise liner, he spared no expense to build a space aring testament to their amily.
OZYMANDIAS E 6 H
S 8
DISTINCTIONS
T C P L 8
5
SANTA MARIA E 8 H 12
SANTA MARIA S
DISTINCTIONS
1
T C A C 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Power Projection: When ordering another ship to stand down and prepare to be boarded, the captain may spend 1 PP to step up or double Inuence for one action.
B A V 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
D T 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Hear Me Roar: Spend 1 PP to create a I’m a Mean Ship, Rawr! Asset when trying to
blu your way out of a situation. SIGNATURE ASSETS
M C 8
5
Makepeace’s ship is an advanced Alliance cruiser, one o three under construction when he took over the company. He named it afer an old Earth-Tat-Was explorer’s ship and took it or his personal use. Darius didn’t care that taking the ship or himsel cost the company billions and pushed back the delivery date or one o their most important clients. Te Santa Maria is an extremely advanced ship, ull o the latest technology. While it has space or an arsenal o weapons, it has ar less than a standard cruiser since the military hadn’t yet installed most o the ordinance. Nevertheless, it is a massive ship that houses a large crew and the best Earth-Tat-Was museum the ’Verse has ever known.
CREATING YOUR OWN SHIP DISTINCTIONS Mayhap the ship Distinctions rom the FIREFLY RPG �������� and this book don’t fit what you’re wanting or
Background Distinctions eature those things that make or have made the ship different rom other members o its class
your Antagonist. It’s airly simple to create a new Distinction. Distinctions are simply descriptions o a characteristic o the ship, a couple o triggers, and possibly a ew Attributes. I you’re itchin’ to create your own ship Distinctions here’s how you do it.
since it was manuactured. Tese Distinctions can be based on who owned the ship, what role it had in the organization it was in, or major events in its history. For example:
B S N 8 A fancy new boat is the best damn investment a captain
STEP ONE: CHOOSE THE DISTINCTION TYPE Te first thing you’ll want to do is choose what type o ship Distinction you want to create. Ship Distinctions come in three types:
Class Background Customization
Class Distinctions are what the ship is when it’s first manuactured. Is it a Firefly class transport, an Alliance cr uiser, or a short-range shuttle? Class Distinctions also dictate what the ship’s Attributes will be. Tese Attributes don’t change permanently, but can be stepped up or back through the use o triggers. Here’s an example:
could make. You’ve splurged some, but you’ve got no regrets.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead
of a . No, Not the Paint!: When the ship takes damage, the ship’s captain can take a The Paint Job Is Ruined! Complication to gain 1 PP. Still In Warranty: When you take a Complication related to the reliability of your ship, immedi -
ately step it back. Customization Distinctions describe what makes the ship
different at the present time. Tis isn’t just a single thing, but a modification to the ship that encompasses the entire ship. A Medsuite or Laser Cannons aren’t good examples o a customization Distinction, but here’s one that is:
C V 8 R R C I B R 8
Your berths are rst class, with plush velvet seats, stunning chandeliers, and lovely music. While the food is
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STEP TWO: NAME THE DISTINCTION
ry to select phrases that are complex enough to be used in multiple situations without being so general that they lose
For a class Distinction, create a phrase in the orm o
their punch. Your ship isn’t just Unregistered , it’s O the Grid. However, i you’re having a hard time coming up with a snappy phrase, a simple one will work fine. Creating a good name or the Distinction isn’t just an exercise, as you’ll use the name to both justiy adding a to your roll when the Distinction is working or you, and adding a 4 to your roll when it’s working against you. It’s important that the name you give your new Distinction is flexible enough
[name] class [ship type]. Some examples o ship types are: Medium transport Bulk transport Prison ship
Skyplex Alliance Cruiser Corvette Destroyer Gunship Yacht Passenger Liner Shuttle Science Vessel
o name the class, there are lots o sources o inspiration. Science vessels classes are ofen named afer amous scientists like the Newton Class Science Vessel . Alliance
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military ship class names have a legal or political theme, like Arbitrator Class Patrol Boat or Judge Class Alliance
Enforcement Vessel . Don’t just look to sources rom the American Old West to name the Class. ake your cue rom amous Chinese people, places, or ancy words as well, such
to be an asset and a liability. I your customization Distinction is Best Ship in the ’Verse , it’s going to be pretty hard to get any Plot Points by using it as a . A Distinction like Nearly Destroyed is similar; not many reasons to use it as a . Te best Distinctions, like Defanged Tiger or They Don’t Make These Anymore, cut both ways. Class Distinctions are a bit different in that they’re pretty much purely descriptive, but they almost always have advantages and disadvantages, especially i the Crew is amiliar with the ship.
STEP THREE: WRITE A DESCRIPTION
as the Lieshou Class Alliance Destroyer .
You’ll want to write a short blurb about the Distinction, especially in the case o class Distinctions. It’s here where you can speciy things that this ship is capable o, or incapable o,
L C A D 8
such as the act that short range shuttles can only fly within a single planetary system, or that skyplexes don’t actually have
STEP FOUR: PICK ATTRIBUTES FOR CLASS DISTINCTIONS I you’re creating a class Distinction, you’ll need to determine the ship’s Attributes: Engines, Hull, and Systems. Each Attribute starts with a die rating o . In order to step one Attribute up, you have to step another back. Choose your Attributes according to what you think the strengths and weaknesses o the ship class are. I your ship is ast or very maneuverable, step the Engines up to or 2. I the ship is large, it’ll have a high Hull. I the ship has an excellent set o sensors, computers, or just robust internal electronics or mechanics, step up Systems. It should be pretty straightorward what you need to do. Here’s an example o a ship that places its emphasis on sensors:
C C E 8 E 4 H 8 S 12 This ship has one of the best sensor systems in the ’Verse and was designed for getting a bead on anomalous mineral deposits on asteroids and planets. Its sensors have been known to pick up everything from silica to rich veins of copper to crashed vessels abandoned for
STEP FIVE: PICK OR CREATE DISTINCTION TRIGGERS Te first trigger or every ship Distinction is the same: “Gain
1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead o a .” Regardless o what the Distinction might be named or what you want it to do, you get this trigger or ree—in act, you’ve got to take it. Look through other ship Distinctions and select two more triggers that you think fit or create your own triggers rom scratch. Feel ree to pull any trigger rom another ship Distinction and use it in the new Distinction you’ve created. Sometimes, changing the existing trigger by altering the wording a bit, or by swapping one Attribute or another, is exactly what you need to make your new Distinction work. Make sure that the triggers you pick or create make sense or the new Distinction. It’s fine to have triggers that step up your ship’s Engines Attribute or double its Systems, but i your Distinction is all about having a massive ship with lots o armor, neither o those Attributes makes much sense. riggers are a chance or your ship to get a meaningul benefit that conveys what the Distinction is supposed to be about; i you want a trigger that’s all about flyin’ ast and
4 instead
shootin’ stuff, then the Distinction should be themed and named appropriately. Just like the Distinction name itsel, the trigger name ideally is snappy, adding something to the fiction, or at least adding to the un by making a neat reerence. When creating your own Distinction triggers, spend a little extra time balancing the mix o benefits and drawbacks
of a . Curiosity Killed the Cat: Spend 1 PP to reroll a die
to reflect what you want the Distinction to do. Tis is usually the reason you’re creating a Distinction in the first place—
decades. Favored by scientists, miners, and treasure hunters, crews often customize the vessel with addi- tional equipment specically geared toward analysis, retrieval, and storage.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
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ASSEMBLIN’ A NEW SHIP DISTINCTION Tis here’s a step-by-step example o how to put a new ship Distinction together.
STEP ONE: CHOOSE THE DISTINCTION TYPE For this example, a sample class Distinction has been
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chosen to help you hit all the steps o this process. Each step describes what’s needed to create a Distinction or a new type o prison ship that contains the ’Verse’s worst criminals.
STEP TWO: NAME THE DISTINCTION Te Alcatraz Class Alliance Prison Ship is a prison ship used to house the most dangerous criminals, and is
STEP FOUR: PICK ATTRIBUTES FOR CLASS DISTINCTIONS
Te Alcatraz Class Alliance Prison Ship also needs to be quite large since it’s holding the ’ Verse’s most dangerous criminals, so Hull eels right. It doesn’t need to get where it’s going very ast, so Engines 4 is good enough. Tis leaves
Systems , which should cover the rumored capabilities o its sensor array to detect incoming ships. Tus, the final Attributes or the ship are: Engines , Hull , Systems
STEP FIVE: PICK OR CREATE DISTINCTION TRIGGERS Te first Distinction trigger is ree: “Gain 1 Plot Point
However, since the prison ship’s pilot is unaware that
he’s being tracked down it doesn’t make as much sense to have him spend a Plot Point to activate the trigger. Instead, give the trigger a slightly different cost, demonstrating how someone searching or the ship might slowly pick up clues by increasing the number o Opportunities. Pick a snappy name or the trigger, and you get: Needle in a Haystack: When someone is trying to
All this needs is a rework o the trigger name and the name o the Asset created and you get: Nobody Has Ever Escaped The Rock: Spend 1 PP to create an Increased Security Asset when an escape attempt is detected. In the end you come up with the ollowing new class
Distinction:
nd the location of the ship in a Timed Action,
A C A P S 8
the pilot may reroll a die. On the next roll, all 1s
E 4 H S Used as maximum security penitentiaries, these prison ships house the worst criminals in the ’Verse. Escape is rare and nearly impossible as the space prison’s incred-
and 2s count as Opportunities.
Te second trigger will touch on how difficult it is to
escape the ship once you’re imprisoned.
ible sensor arrays can detect incoming rescue ships at
Tis trigger will be more straightorward—create a new Asset. GMC ships can’t use Assets, but we want to create
vast distances. It’s also very dicult to even nd them,
triggers that Crewmembers might use on their own ships too. Tere are lots o other Distinction triggers that do this sort o thing, like the trigger rom the Cobbled Together background Distinction: She’s Got Class, Lots of Class: Spend 1 PP to create an Unknown Ship Class Asset when someone tries to identify your ship.
change position every week, or more.
as they maintain Cortex silence as much as possible, and
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a 4 instead of a . Needle in a Haystack: When someone is trying to
nd the location of the ship in a Timed Action, the pilot may reroll a die. On the next roll, all 1s and 2s count as Opportunities. Nobody Has Ever Escaped The Rock: Spend 1 PP to create an Increased Security Asset when an escape attempt is detected.
CREATING NEW SHIP TRIGGERS Many o the existing triggers can easily be reused in your new
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Distinction or Signature Asset, but sometimes you’ll want to build new triggers rom the ground up. While you can base new triggers on the triggers already described in the FIREFLY RPG C������� or in Tings Don’t Go Smooth, you can also build them rom scratch up by combining benefits and drawbacks to make new triggers to better fit what you need.
BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS o build a new Distinction trigger or Signature Asset
trigger, think about the kinds o situations in which you want the trigger to be used, and then pick a drawback and a benefit rom the lists below that make sense or that situation.
In summary, triggers that sing:
Convey what makes the ship or Signature Asset interesting Offer a meaningul benefit at a meaningul cost Are specific and connects directly to the fiction All the sample triggers in the FIREFLY RPG C������� or Tings Don’t Go Smooth connect the rules o the trigger to the fiction. When creating triggers, it’s also important to think about how they’ll work in context during your game. Te next ew sections will address various pieces o advice to help you balance the triggers you create or your new Distinctions.
BALANCING NEW TRIGGERS
rigger Benefits:
or more rarely, a Skill, like “double Engines ”) Step back a non-beneficial die (usually a Complication) Introduce a non-dice related story detail (“I call in assis-
tance rom nearby Alliance gunships…”) Rename a Complication to change its nature (“Tat shot
didn’t cause Engine Damage, it Destroyed Cargo.”) Reroll a single die afer a ailed roll
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Earn a Plot Point Step up a beneficial die (usually a ship Attribute, Asset, or more rarely, a Skill, like “step up Engines ”) Double a beneficial die (usually a ship Attribute, Asset,
Create a Asset or the rest o the scene (though you should only do this or Distinctions that are likely to be
Te main thing to keep in mind when you’re designing a new trigger is to understand which character stands to gain any benefits, or must spend any costs when writing your trigger text. Will the pilot be using the trigger? Captain or doctor? Can anyone use the trigger? Here, you do want to be specific about who the trigger is or. Tat way, you won’t end up with mix-ups and grouchy players when Antagonists like Reavers are bearing down on the Crew—and you’ll ensure your triggers are balanced because each one might employ a different character.
You should also: Balance the benefits and drawbacks or both triggers: Since your ships have a pair o triggers, you’ll want to
SIMILAR IDEAS, DIFFERENT MIXES Have an idea, but think it’s too similar to another trigger you’ve already designed? Tere are many distinct ways or you to represent similar ideas by choosing different mixes o benefits and drawbacks. I you’re creating a trigger called Hammer Down to represent your ship’s ability to rapidly increase its speed: Earn a Plot Point by doing something risky. “Hammer Down: When the pilot chooses to do a ull burn in atmo
It’s also possible to take two benefits, as long as you include two drawbacks to balance them out. Te trigger is still balanced or play so long as it’s balanced internally. Here are a ew more examples on theHammer Down theme:
or in a crowded area, the pilot gains 1 Plot Point.” Double or step up a beneficial die by stepping back a beneficial die. “Hammer Down: Step back Systems
MORE THAN ONE BENEFIT OR DRAWBACK
or the rest o the scene to step up or double Engines or the rest o the scene when you activate a hard burn.” Step back a non-beneficial die by spending a Plot Point.
“Hammer Down: When executing a ull burn while being pursued, the pilot may 1 Plot Point to step back a Complication related to your pursuers catching up.” Rename a Complication by spending a Plot Point. “Hammer Down: When your ship is attempting to break ree rom grapplers or a tractor beam, the pilot may spend 1 Plot Point to rename a Complication related to being caught to Stressed Engines .” Reroll a single die by making 1s or 2s count or jinxes or Opportunities on the next roll. “Hammer Down: When your ship is involved in a pursuit, the pilot may reroll a single die. 1s or 2s count as jinxes on the pilot’s next roll.” Spend a Plot Point during a imed Action to gain die
Hammer Down: When your ship takes a Complication related to getting hit by weapons, step back Hull or the rest o the scene to rename the Complication to Glancing Blow. Te pilot may spend 1 Plot Point to step back
Glancing Blow as well.
Hammer Down: When the pilot executes a hard burn to escape or pursue another ship, step back Systems or the rest o the scene to step up Engines or the rest o the scene. Te pilot may spend 1 Plot Point to double
Engines or one Action as well. You can keep this going and keep picking benefits and drawbacks—provided they cancel each other out—but generally two o each is about as much as a trigger can handle beore it starts to get too complicated.
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USING RIVAL SHIPS 5
Spaceships are extensions o their captains or owners. When you create a ship or an Antagonist, consider the personality o the owner. Serenity reflects Mal’s personality. She’s a no-nonsense straight shooter, who’s reliable yet has some surprises. Niska’s skyplex is industrious, but with a sinister interior. Alliance cruisers are clean engines o efficiency, projecting the long arm o the Alliance across the ’Verse. Not all aspects o a ship have to be represented in the
DODGIN’ ROCKS Asteroid belts and ring systems provide an excellent place to hide pirate bases, set up remote spy cameras, or to meet or an exchange o illicit goods. Te rumble and tumble o rocks and ice can also provide a deense o sorts against pursuing enemies who may find that their piloting skills or maneuverability ain’t up to par. With the use o tractor beams, crafy olk could even use rocks as weapons.
FEELING THE HEAT
PLAYING WITH GRAVITY
Most ships ain’t equipped to fly close to stars or any length o time, especially i you’re talking about the heart o
Most ships and terraormed worlds in the ’Verse have the same kind o gravity as Earth-Tat-Was. Still, 1G isn’t
the ’Verse: the White Sun. In order to prevent being baked and ried, a ship needs to radiate that excess heat away. Here are some Assets and Complications you can introduce when dealing with flyin’ around a star:
available in all areas. In zero-G or near zero-G—like on a ship’s exterior or on the surace o a small asteroid—anything you shoot or throw will go in a straight line, instead o an arc. Anyone who’s on the inside o an O’Neill Base will eel gravity, too. However, it’s not like the gravity on a planet or most ships, where objects all straight down. Instead, things
Coolant
Leak Flyin’ from Out of the Sun Solar Flare Overheating Engines The Heat Is On Pilots who intend to fly their ships near stars use efficient
cooling or rerigeration lasers in order to keep cool. Te need or extra equipment, combined with the danger o gettin’ too close to a planetary body, means that the space near a star ain’t very crowded. It’s a good place to avoid detection and hide i need be.
all slightly to the side, on account o the Coriolis effect. Some sample Assets or Complications you can use in areas with unusual gravity are:
Non-Ballistic Arcs Rapid Changes in Gravity Space Sickness Cursed by Newton’s Laws He Ain’t Heavy
Most ships have some areas that aren’t subject to permanent
gravity, like in airlocks. Some boats even have variable control o gravity in large sections o the ship, which can wreak havoc
on any olk who are trying to cause trouble.
Te increased level o opposition is what makes an Antagonist
a special kind o GMC. Unlike Extras and Minor GMCs that get tossed aside at the first sign o trouble, Antagonists are
Later, in “War Stories,” Mal’s earlier deeds come back to haunt him. When he and Wash are kidnapped by Niska’s goons, Mal finds himsel conronting this daunting crime boss once
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PLAYING ANTAGONISTS AS THE GAMEMASTER Antagonists in the FIREFLY RPG are tricky beasts—it’s easy to throw a whole bunch o dice at your Crew but much harder
to make them care about the dice you’re throwin’. Tink back to the Firefly V show, and think o all the characters we love to hate—Rance Burgess, Adelai Niska, and Saffron just to name
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a ew. With a little bit o prep work and planning, you can create and portray similar characters or your own Episodes.
Tey are good at something, maybe even several some things, and they’ve got the chutzpah and grit to go toe-to-toe with the Crewmembers, be it on the gun range or in the boardroom. Design your Antagonists to be competent, maybe even better than a Crewmember in a ew areas, and make sure to remind the Crew ofen o that act. Show it off at the right moments to burn your Antagonists into the Crew’s memory.
TWIST THE KNIFE Above all else, Antagonists know how to stick it to the Crew, leaving them in a bad spot at the worst time or taking rom them just a bit more than they can handle. Niska, or example, doesn’t just kidnap Mal. He also kidnaps Wash, the happy-go-lucky jester o the Crew and tortures him as well, putting Zoe in a tough spot. Can she save them both? Or will she have to choose between her captain and her husband? Bringing an Antagonist into your Episode means the gloves will be coming off. Push the Crew hard, and when it comes time to make them pay a price, don’t pull back. Lay out the costs, high as they are, and ask the Crew what they are willing to pay or versus what they want to get. Your Crew might orget the Extra who wound up aking Out their captain in a pitched battle, but they’ll always remember the Antagonist who drove a hard bargain in their hour o need.
PITTING THE CREW AGAINST EACH OTHER One way that Antagonists get to people is by splitting the
Crew up, dividing them along their ault lines and exploiting their differing loyalties. Sometimes Antagonists do this without even thinking about it, merely by putting orward a view o the ’Verse that’s heaven to some and hell to others. Tere’s nothing like a little division within the Crew to remind them that the ’Verse is a cold, lonely place!
prone to makin’ grand speeches. Antagonists that dabble in the personal get involved with the Crew, drawing them into sticky situations without regard or their saety.
SHOW TWO DIFFERENT FACES Another way to get Crewmembers squabblin’ amongst themselves is to present two different sides o the same Antagonist to two different Crewmembers. Tis doesn’t necessarily involve any duplicity, as most Antagonists in the FIREFLY RPG are airly complex. Maybe Kaylee sees a hardened killer bail a young boy out o a tough situation while Wash watches the same enorcer coldly put someone down at a Pai Gow poker game. Te dichotomy between the two will get Crewmembers talking; each convinced they’ve seen the “true” ace o the Antagonist. Te key is to play on the Crew’s existing dispositions and loyalties. Showing a ruthless and cold ace to River ain’t going to mean much—she’s off in her own world most o the time and might not notice the inhumanity o the Antagonist’s persona. But i you present the side o an Antagonist that’s been injured at the hands o the Alliance, River’s history might cause her to empathize with the Antagonist when others are ready to put that Antagonist in the dirt.
REMEMBER YOUR ROLES Te FIREFLY RPG C������� breaks up the Gamemas-
ter’s position into a series o smaller roles, each corresponding
PLAYING TO FAULT LINES When you’re planning to use an Antagonist to conound
to the jobs that need doin’ when you take your Crew through an Episode. Antagonists can be powerul tools in your stories,
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DIRECTOR
AUDIENCE MEMBER
When you’re working as the Director to include Antago-
Since you’re an Audience Member yoursel, you probably
nists—movin’ dice around, handing out Assets, and creating Complications—you’ll want to remember to let the dice all where they may . Te FIREFLY RPG ain’t the place to be udging die rolls or squirreling away extra Plot Points to keep
know what your players will want to see rom Antagonists, but you’ll need to listen closely to player eedback as well. Your players, as i on cue, will almost always rise to the bait when you introduce an Antagonist, especially one that they’ve
your GMCs in the fight. Your players are fine with you presenting intense challenges and tough Antagonists, but they’re also expectin’ you to play air, especially when the balance o power might be tilting against the Antagonist. It is perectly all right to fill Niska’s skyplex, or example, with a ew dozen goons, but don’t cheat the players out o their victory. Tis is especially true i they’re willing to risk it all by cutting through that small army to rescue their beloved captain!
grown ond o hating. When introducing these powerul, scene-stealing GMCs, listen to what your players are eeling about the Antagonist’s role in the Episode. Did you give the Antagonist too much screen time? Was the Antagonist’s plan too opaque? ake the time to do Roses and Torns (see FIREFLY RPG C�������, page 297) afer each Episode to get some eedback about how things are going.
GIVE YOUR PLAYERS A WAY OUT As the Gamemaster, it’s your job to put your players’ Crewmembers in tough spots to make difficult choices. You’ll
code o honor. Perhaps that gunslinger has taken a Buddhist vow o nonviolence afer killing a loved one. Or, it might be that the veteran-turned-corrupt sheriff is a hero to hal the
want to drop the hammer—and orce them to sacrifice and fight to get to the other side o a conflict. You don’t want the Crewmembers to weasel out o those situations without having to make real choices. Afer all, you’re hoping to see your Crewmembers rise to the occasion! Remember, the Episode’s story ocuses on the Crew-
town. ry to avoid scarin’ your players by deaulting to the shorthand o sexual violence, or example, and give your
members and not necessarily on the players. I a situation in your Episode is hard on a player, i it’s too violent or touches upon a sensitive spot in that player’s experiences, you need to offer a way out rom that situation. You might allow players to spend a Plot Point to change a detail in a scene or give
Te ’Verse can be a nasty place, especially as olk fly
them an X-Card, which is a visual sae word that players can point to or pick up rom the table to indicate that a scene is not working or them. As the amount o difficult content in your game increases, you need to be thoughtul about how your players can signal to you that something in the scene is too much or them to handle. Tis doesn’t mean that your players are going to duck every single time that one o your Antagonists comes a-callin’. I a player isn’t comortable with a particular element o the story, you can swap it out or something else. Say, or example, that one o your players ain’t a an o the bombings that an Antagonist is using to restart the Unification War—it’s totally reasonable to swap out those bombings or stolen Alliance cargo or widespread protests on the Border Planets. No single element o your Episode is
players more interesting reasons to hate your villains. Make the story messy—and more un!
GRANT CHARACTERS AGENCY urther out to the Rim. Both the Kalidasa System and the Blue Sun System has got slavery, child labor, and good old-ashioned genocide, all wrapped up with a healthy dose o oppressive governments and nasty Antagonists. As dark as things can get or olk who live out at the edge o civilization, it don’t mean that they stop being people. Tey want things, they find little spaces or joy, and they fight back as best they can. Tey have the agency to make their own decisions, and they’ll seize as much lie as they can get rom the bad hand that Fate has dealt them. Every time you introduce a character, especially one who caught a raw deal as the result o some exploitative or violent situation, try to show how that person is more than a victim. How is that character making the best o their situation? What hope does that character have or the uture? It’s unlikely that i you were kidnapped or enslaved that you’d sit around and wait or olks to rescue you. ake your cues rom how you’d react to bein’ in the same situation. What can you do to show how a damsel in distress or an indentured servant are thinking
ANTAGONISTS IN ACTION I you’re still a mite conused about adding Antagonists to your Crew’s Episodes, the ollowing long example should
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help you sort things out. o show the process rom start to finish, this example starts with creating the Antagonist rom scratch, although it would be much easier to use one o the thirteen Antagonists ound earlier in this book! I you’ve settled on using one o the thirteen Antagonists provided here in Tings Don’t Go Smooth, then you can skip right to Step 3: wist the Knie on page 129. All the hard work o picking a theme and building the character has already been done or you, so you can start off by tying the Antagonist to the characters and setting up the conflict!
STEP 1: FIND A THEME AND A CONFLICT Beore you start putting down Skil ls or Distinctions, you’re
going to need to come up with a theme or the Antagonist, remembering that you don’t want to get too caught up in an existing organization like the riad or the Alliance. Flipping through the thirteen Antagonists in Tings Don’t Go Smooth, you decide that you’d like a pro-Brown-
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STEP 2: BUILD OUT THE ANTAGONIST Afer settling on a theme or the new Antagonist, you start to pull together Maria’s sheet. You decide to emphasize both her competence and the danger she poses to the Crew while looking or connections that might complicate her relationships both inside and outside her organization. You don’t think Ramirez going to get in a lot o fights with the Crew, at least not without her orces, so you decide to keep her as a Medium GMC. She’ll rely on soldiers to bolster her rolls i she ends up conronting the Crew directly. You give her
Physical , Mental , Social to represent her tactical prowess, and match that with Agent Provocateur , Not to be Crossed , and Soft-Spoken as her Distinctions, checking off a ew triggers you think will be useul. You buy up her Skills using the nine ree Skill points provided so that she’s got: Fight , Focus , Inuence (Orders), Know ( Military actics), Notice , Shoot (Rifles), Sneak (Planting Explosives), Survive , Trick . You also give Maria’s character a Signature Asset with this trigger:
coat Antagonist, someone who’s not as isolated as Augustus Landrum or as cutthroat as Asante Okoro. You decide that you want to create a new Antagonist who’s ready to make
B T :
one last stand against the Alliance, a desperate battle that’ll
Independents during the War, and she hasn’t lost a beat
kick off another war. Since your players are all using characters rom the main cast, you figure this is the perect kind
since it ended. She still maintains training camps and her
Ramirez received top-notch military training from the
own training regime to make sure she’s ready for the War
STEP 3: TWIST THE KNIFE Now that you’ve got your Antagonist built, it’s time to really
STEP 4: INTRODUCING THE ANTAGONIST
tie the Crew to Maria Ramirez. You need to be prepared to ensure she’s the center o an upcoming Episode, even i there’s a job or a distraction that might pull the Crew’s attention away.
the Antagonist into the Episode at the first chance you get. Afer running a quick Prologue where Mal takes the job,
In order to make sure that the Crew ocuses on Ramirez, you build in a backstory between Ramirez and Zoe, making use o the Design GMCs by Asking Questions section ound in Into the Black in the FIREFLY RPG C������� (page 280).
noting that Lord Rithman is completely honest about both his intensions and his payment, you’re ready to challenge the Crew with an Antagonist built just or them. You open the first scene o the Episode (post-Prologue)
You’ve already built Ramirez to oppose the entire Crew, but you think that ocusing on Zoe’s eelings about the War will drive the Episode in interesting ways. You ask, “Would Zoe rejoin the Independents to fight the War again?” and decide that Ramirez is the one who recruited Zoe to join the Browncoats in the first place. You’re pleased with her
at a political rally on Londinium, an event where Uyen is giving a speech calling or raised taxes on the Border and Rim
Inuence because it will offer you a chance to try to
her. You also make sure Ramirez—who never leaves things to chance—spring into action with a dozen or so o her men, all looking to find Uyen and kill her beore she takes office. You call or an Action Order, walking through the chaos o the fight as the Crew tries to protect Uyen. It’s the perect opportunity to show Maria’s two aces; she’s willing to cut
ake Out Zoe with words rom her old mentor! At the same time, you set up the job or the rest o the Crew. Mal is meeting with Lord Rithman, an important politician in the Core Worlds who wants to hire the Crew to keep an eye on his daughter, Uyen Rithman, while she runs or an office in Parliament. Rithman has no love or Mal and his ilk, but Uyen is amiliar with all o her ather’s usual associates and she’s made him promise to stay out o her business. Rithman’s willing to pay top dollar to hire Mal, with a cut going to Badger, as long as the Crew is willing to stake out Uyen’s campaign and report any trouble. Te Lord doesn’t have any specific details about who might want to hurt her, but he hasn’t amassed all this wealth and power by
Te FIREFLY RPG is a quick, ast-paced game—drop
worlds. Mal and his olks don’t like to hear that none, but the pay is probably good enough to keep him rom running his mouth. Just seconds afer Uyen leaves the stage, you spring the trap, detonating an explosion that narrowly misses killing
down Alliance soldiers with gusto, but she’ll avoid killing anyone who is fleeing. She also cares deeply about protecting her own orces. I any o them all, she’ll order her men to retrieve their bodies beore fleeing. I Zoe is present, it’s a antastic time to stage an early reveal. How will she eel when she sees her old mentor still at war?
STEP 5: PLAYING IT OUT
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BARFIGHTS AND COMBAT In the course o an average FIREFLY RPG Episode, your Crew is liable to come across all kinds o trouble—everything ranging rom Alliance checkpoints to low down dirty ambushes by common street thieves. Most o these encounters can be resolved with just a roll or two, but on occasion a fight will break out that will push your skills as a Gamemaster. You might need to keep track o a squad o Extras, or find you have
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ORPHEUS GANGS UP ON THE CREW Mal and the Crew have taken on a job or a lonely ather on Persephone. His daughter, Armoni, has been taken prisoner on Shadow’s moon, Summerair, and the crew o Serenity has agreed to perorm a rescue. In order to gain access to Sum-
to make a solo Antagonist an interesting opponent against a ull set o Crewmembers. Either way, you’ll need to get that Director hat on good and snug to keep up with your Crew.
merair and get Armoni out saely, Simon has agreed to pose as a buyer o Alliance tech accompanied by two bodyguards, Mal and Zoe. Unortunately, the Crew realizes that Armoni is inatuated with Orpheus a ew minutes too late. Simon managed
o help you get your eet wet with these kinds o scenes, here are a ew long examples o the main cast going up against some o the Antagonists rom this very book. In each scene, three
to convince Orpheus to put them up or the night, but when Mal, Zoe, and Simon try to break Armoni out o her room in the middle o the night, she calls the rest o the Furies and
Simon sets the stakes here, trying to get out o the way o Armoni’s gun beore she can fire. He’s got Physical and Move , and he takes his Ship’s Doctor as a , figuring that Simon wouldn’t be expecting the girl to jump out and start shooting. He’s just trying to help her! He rolls:
6
1
1 BEAT 2: ZOE STRIKES BACK!
Simon’s having a rough day. wo o his dice come up
Simon might not be Wash, but Zoe cares or him, too.
jinxes, leaving him with a total o 6 or his roll. Luckily, he got a Plot Point or taking the 4 or his Distinction. Te
She surely doesn’t like to see him get shot up by the very girl they came to rescue. She can’t shoot Armoni, but she decides
GM gives him another Plot Point or his two jinxes and gives him the Complication Caught O Guard . Apparently, Armoni has the drop on the good doctor. Armoni’s only got a single rom her Assassin With a Code rait, but she can also make use o Complications
that knocking her out might be the only way to get the girl out in one piece. Te GM rules that this is a high stakes roll on both sides. Armoni sets the stakes this time, so the GM grabs a Challenging Diculty , Assassin With a Code , and the Small Room . Armoni sees Zoe coming and
and scene raits, too. She adds Caught O Guard and Small Room to her dice pool as well. Simon can’t get away! She rolls:
4
3
2
Armoni’s total is only a 7, but that’s enough to beat Simon’s terrible roll. It looks like he’s going to get aken Out unless he spends a Plot Point to stay in the fight. Simon does just that, giving up one o the two Plot Points he’s earned on this roll to stay on his eet. Te GM decides to inflict a new Complication on him: Gunshot to the Shoulder . Simon manages to get out
intends to shoot her, too. She rolls:
5 5
1
Armoni gets her gun up and pointed at Zoe, scoring a 10 on the roll. She also rolls an Opportunity, which Simon buys—using a Plot Point—to bring his Gunshot to the
Shoulder down to a . As he picks himsel up off the floor, he can see that the bullet only scratched him. Lucky him! Zoe is just about done with Armoni’s craziness. She grabs
her Physical , Fight , Steady , Mare’s Leg , and spends her Plot Point to add an additional using Stock
BEAT 3: THE FURIES OPEN FIRE Te six Furies decide that they are going to ake Out
Te Furies have no choice but to pass the Action Order to Mal. He’s the only one lef!
these intruders beore things get out o control. Working
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together as a team, they lay down cover fire while one o the sneakier members gets close enough to grab Mal. Te next time he peeks his head around the corner to see where the Furies are, D’Sani will be there waiting! Te GM says that this is definitely a high stakes roll or Mal. Mal sets the stakes here, using his Physical and Notice to try to catch the Furies in the act o sneaking up on him. He decides to earn himsel some Plot Points by taking
Things Don’t Go Smooth as a —obviously!—and uses the Plot Point he already had to create a new Asset called Eyes Wide Open . He’s looking out or trouble!
8 5 3 3 Mal rolls well with a total o 13, but he knows he’s in some
trouble. He’s only got one Plot Point he can use to keep extra dice, but he also needs that Plot Point i the Furies roll well. Mal decides to play it sae and keep his Plot Point or now. Te Furies working together are hard to beat. Tey start with —one die or D’Sani, and one additional die or each Fury working with her to catch Mal off guard. In addition to that, they also add Private Security System since they are making use o cameras to coordinate their movements
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and a Challenging Diculty to represent how tough it will be or Mal to spot D’Sani rom his position. Tey roll:
BEAT 4: MAL HITS A GIRL D’sani might have disarmed Mal, but he’s by no means out o the fight. Mal figures any girl who can take his gun away is a girl who can take a punch. D’sani ain’t deenseless, though. As a highly trained assassin, she’s ready or whatever Mal can throw at her. Te GM rules that this is a high stakes roll or both o them. D’sani has to set the stakes beore Mal gathers his dice. She takes the or hersel and the rest o the Furies, Mal’s Disarmed Complication, and an Easy Diculty . Te Private Security System ain’t going to help her in this kind o brawl. She rolls:
8 8 7 7 5 4 1 1 D’sani gets a 16 on her roll, enough to give Mal real trouble when he tries to raise the stakes. Te GM thinks about spending a point rom the Bank to make Mal’s lie really hard, but figures that the last point in the Bank might be useul later. Te Crewmembers all pass on buying up the Opportunities. Mal’s just about done with this job. ime get Armoni out o here! He takes Physical , Fight , Things Don’t
Go Smooth , and Eyes Wide Open . And now that Simon and Zoe are both settled with Armoni, they both throw
BEAT 5: FISH IN A BARREL Now that two o the Furies have allen, they only get to roll to set or raise the stakes during an Action. Zoe’s planning on taking advantage o their dwindling numbers! She steps into the hallway and opens fire on the remaining Furies, covering Simon’s escape and buying Mal time to find a gun. Te GM declares this a high stakes roll or both sides. Te Furies don’t yet realize that the tables have turned. Tey open fire too, rolling their 4, Zoe’s Complex Alarm
, Worried About Simon , and a Challenging Diculty :
6 5 4 3 3 2 2 Tey earn a total o 11, a solid roll but nothing to crow about. Te GM considers dropping that last point rom the Bank, but decides to save it or the next scene. Afer all, Orpheus is going to make an appearance beore too long! Zoe gathers up her dice: Physical , Shoot , Carbines , Veteran of the Unication War , Mare’s Leg . She also spends a Plot Point to step up her Shoot
THE BARBOSSA GANG IS TOUGH ENOUGH Jayne, Kaylee, and Book have ound themselves in a mighty
tough spot with the Barbossa Gang. Mal’s Crew has taken on a job rom a group o actory workers. Tey’ve been hired to distract essa Barbossa and her gang by having Serenity pose as a decoy while a large cargo ship slips out o the system. Unortunately, an earlier botch on Jayne’s intimidation roll put A Barbossa Mole onto the cargo ship. While Mal, Zoe, and the rest o the crew are waiting on Serenity , Barbossa and her gang board the cargo ship! While most o the actory workers try to find places to hide, Jayne, Book, and Kaylee make their way to the cargo hold to see i they can deend the shipment. Kaylee’s on the cargo ship to help keep the engine going, but she thinks it’s humming along enough to get by without her or a ew minutes. Book and Jayne are both armed, and Jayne’s taken up a deensive position above the cargo. Tis leaves Book to greet whoever comes to get the actory workers’ goods. Each o the Crewmembers has two Plot Points to spend, and they are blissully ree o Complications aside rom A Barbossa
to Shoot using her Fightin’ ype trigger since she’s
Mole loose on this ship.
outnumbered. She rolls:
While Book wants to talk, the Barbossa Gang comes in shooting, rushing or cover while they open fire on the cargo bay. Te GM declares an Action Order, but allows B ook to go first. Afer all, he was waiting or the gang to come banging on the door! Te GM adds raits to the scene— Open Cargo Bay , Bright Lights , and Slow Cargo Transport —and
11 5 5 4 3 Zoe gets a 16 on two dice, enough to earn an extraordinary success against the Furies. wo o them go down as Zoe brings her Mare’s Leg to bear. Miraculously, Zoe is
BEAT 1: THE SHEPHERD OPENS FIRE Book ain’t about to let these pirates make off with all o the actory workers’ hard work, especially afer they trusted Serenity’s Crew to keep the cargo sae. He opens fire on the first pirate out the door, Kitty Larkin, aiming or her kneecaps
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to keep things civil. Kitty’s shooting back, so the GM declares this to be a high stakes roll or them both. Kitty Larkin sets the stakes or this roll. Shooting her ain’t too hard, so the GM starts off with Challenging and adds in Knife Fighter . Te GM also throws in the Barbossa Mole , since the Barbossa Gang had advance warning about the Serenity crew on the cargo ship. Kitty rolls:
8 3
1
BEAT 2: HAVE YOU MET VERA?
She gets a total o 11, accompanied by an Opportunity. Kaylee jumps in with a Plot Point and steps back the Barbossa
Mole to . As it turns out, Kaylee says, not all o the inormation that the mole had was accurate. Without any extra dice to add to the total, Kitty stands on her total at 11. Book starts his roll by gathering his shootin’ dice: Physical , Shoot , and Mysterious Past . He also spends a Plot Point to create an Asset or the scene called Surprising
Shepherd . It seems the Barbossa Gang ain’t never met a preacher who is a crack shot like Book. He rolls:
5 4 1
6
3
Book comes up a bit short. At first, he’s only got a total
Jayne’s already got himsel a nice position on the ar side o the cargo bay, perched on top o one o the cranes they use to move goods on to mules. He draws a bead on essa as she comes through the doors, hoping to cut this fight short by decapitating the Gang. Te GM rules that this is a high stakes roll or the GMCs, but Jayne’s not in any real danger yet. Since essa can’t realistically shoot back, she’s going to set the stakes by taking cover. She gets her Physical 2,
Move , and Daredevil . Mad Mike decides to throw in on this roll as well, adding his Terrifying by running directly at Jayne, despite the gunfire. Finally, essa also gets the Barbossa Mole Complication. It’s a good thing Kaylee stepped it back! essa rolls:
8 2 6 5
Te GM isn’t ready or this fight to be over and spends the last two Plot Points in the Bank to keep essa and Dillon in the fight. Tere aren’t enough Plot Points in the Bank to keep Mad Mike and Kitty around, so both o them drop. Jayne’s a fine shot when he’s got the jump on olks. He inflicts an Outgunned Complication on both essa and Dillon. Unortunately or Jayne, the GM decides to activate the two jinxes he rolled to step up his Running Out of Ammo
Complication to a +. It looks like Jayne’s aken Out by the Complication, even afer all the damage he caused the Gang! Te GM narrates that Dillon has snuck around the side o the cargo bay just as Jayne needed to reload, catching him off
guard. Now Jayne’s looking down the barrel o Dillon’s pistol without any way to shoot back—Vera’s totally out o ammo. Now that Jayne’s managed to get the crowd under control,
and a Former Lawman , so he’s seen this kinda thing beore, but his attention’s pretty ocused on Jayne, so the GM only gives Dillon a Difficulty die to stay on his eet. essa decides she’s going to help out as well, and throws in her
Shoot as she opens fire on Kaylee’s crane. Dillon rolls:
7 5 4 2 Te GM doesn’t have any Plot Points to spend, so Di llon’s
12 is the best that he can do. Kaylee was hoping to see some Opportunities that she could buy to reduce Jayne’s Complication, but she’ll take the low roll. Since essa’s helped out here, Kaylee’s got a chance to ake Out the last members o the Barbossa Gang i she can pull together a go od roll o her own! Kaylee tries to raise the stakes with her crane sneak attack,
he figures he’ll pass it to Kaylee to see i she can maybe finish the job. She’s not much o a gunslinger, but cargo bays are filled
narrating how she quietly turns on the crane and swings the arm at Dillon. She gathers her Mental , Operate , and Ship’s Mechanic . She knows how to work these
with toys that Kaylee can use to make essa’s lie miserable. Maybe she can take out the last t wo members o the Barbossa Gang beore they kill Jayne!
cranes! None o her Signature Assets apply, though, so she’s only rolling the three dice. She decides not to create any Assets either with her last Plot Point, hoping that she can keep an extra die rom her roll i she comes up short. She does get to add the Outgunned Complication, since Dillon is a little shook up rom the firefight so ar. She rolls:
4
1
4
1
Unortunately or Kaylee, she comes up short and she doesn’t have any more dice to add to the roll. Dillon sees the
BEAT 4: TESSA TANGLES WITH BOOK essa’s not deterred by her losses so ar, and she figures she can take the fight right to Book instead o trading bullets.
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She steps around the cargo, swinging her cutlass at the old shepherd. Book decides he’s going to try to intimidate her, offering her a chance to withdraw beore things get worse or her crew. Te GM rules that this is a high stakes roll or both o them. Since essa’s going on the offensive, Book has to set the stakes. He gathers his dice: Social , Inuence , Mysterious Past , Surprising Shepherd , and Outgunned
. He rolls:
1
Book’s out o the fight and Kaylee ain’t much o a fighter, so Dillon decides to try to ake Out Jayne. But Jayne’s back in the fight, especially since Kaylee knocked Dillon off-balance, and as Dillon brings his gun back to bear on the mercenary, Jayne leaps at him. Te GM rules this is a high stakes roll or both o them. Jayne’s deending, albeit with a leap and growl, so he’s got to set the stakes. He takes Physical , Fight , and
Crude since this ain’t exactly a sophisticated plan. He’s still low on ammunition, but Vera works pretty well when he runs it up against a ella’s head. He throws in Dillon’s
1 8 4 3
Book only gets a total o 12 on the roll, and he decides not to use his last Plot Point to add the , since he will have to spend a Plot Point to stay in the fight i essa beats his roll. Tings are looking bleak!
essa gathers her dice, hoping to put Book into the ground: Physical 2, Fight , Cutlass , Pirate Captain , Pirate’s Weapon , and Book’s Rattled . Ain’t no preacher ever talked essa Barbossa down rom a fight! She rolls:
7 4 6 6 6 5
6
BEAT 5: DILLON TAKES ON JAYNE
essa doesn’t have any Plot Points to spend, but she doesn’t
need them: she gets a total o 13 on just two dice, enough to
Outgunned Complication as well:
6 6 6 3 Jayne gets a 16 or his total, but he decides to go or broke and spend his last two Plot Points to raise his total to 28. Jayne can’t stay in the fight i Dillon wins the roll, but he figures there ain’t no way Dillon’s going to be able to raise the stakes on a 28! Dillon gathers his dice: Levelheaded Lieutenant , Former Lawman , Challenging , and Jayne’s Running
Out of Ammo Complication. essa sees that Dillon’s in trouble, but decides not to help. Afer all, she doesn’t want to get aken Out along with him. He rolls:
8 5 3
BEAT 6: TESSA BRINGS THE PAIN Jayne’s struggling. As essa rushes at him with her cutlass
and gun, he tries to get a shot off rom Vera at her, using the little bit o reserve ammo he’s got on him. Unsurprisingly, the GM declares this a high stakes roll or both o them. Jayne sets the stakes with his usual roll to shoot olks plus essa’s Complications: Physical , Shoot , Rifles , Mercenary , Vera , and essa’s Outgunned . He rolls, hoping to set the stakes high enough that essa can’t overcome them:
7 4 7 5 4 1
BEAT 7: KAYLEE’S CRANE REDUX Kaylee’s only got one hope: Dropping a load o cargo on essa large enough to put her under. Luckily or Kaylee, essa’s got only two Plot Points and a Complication. With a little bit o luck, maybe Kaylee can keep the Barbossa Gang rom capturing this boat. Since Kaylee is mostly sae in the crane, essa decides to get out o the way, closing the distance so she can get a shot at the mechanic when it’s essa’s Action again. She gathers her Physical , Move , Charge , and Kaylee’s Terried and rolls:
5 7 4 4
His total ends up at a 14. He’s pretty worried that essa will beat it. When the GM gives him a Plot Point to buy his jinx—creating an O-Balance Complication—Jayne holds
two Plot Points to create a total o 20. Kaylee’s going to have a
on to it, knowing that i he needs to use it, he can spend the Plot Point to roll his Big Damn Hero Die. essa gathers her dice: Physical 2, Shoot , Pistols , Pirate’s Weapons , and Daredevil 4. Afer all, she
devil o a time getting past such a high total. But i she does, she knows that essa doesn’t have any way to stay in the fight! Kaylee puts together her dice poll: Mental , Operate , Everything’s Shiny 4, and essa’s Outgunned .
probably shouldn’t be running and shooting right at a sharp-
Kaylee spends one o her two Plot Points to create a Pile of
shooter like Jayne. She gains two Plot Points or this move— one or taking the and another or her Geronimo trigger. She also takes Jayne’s Running Out of Ammo 2 and
Clay Bricks Asset, noting that she got a pallet o bricks
O-Balance Complications. She rolls:
5 2 4 2 essa’s first two dice are enough to beat Jayne’s total—she
essa’s roll is pretty weak, so she juices it by spending her
picked up with the crane while essa was fighting Book and Jayne. She rolls:
8 7 6 4 1 Kaylee lucks out. She spends her last Plot Point to raise her total rom a 15 to a 21, just enough to take out essa Bar-
PROGRAM 741 IS STRANGE AND WEIRD Wash, River, and Inara have ound themselves in quite
1
the spot afer the Crew salvages an old Alliance cruiser out past the Border Planets while prepping to “lif” some cargo rom a corrupt ed. Te varmint in question is charged with guarding an Alliance asteroid mining operation, and the Crew has been hired to “help” him find a new job by stealing a load o cargo right beore the Alliance inspectors come to see the operation with their own eyes. Unbeknownst to the Crew, Program 741 has downloaded itsel on to Serenity’s computers when they grabbed ID codes off the salvaged vessel. It interprets Mal’s anti-Alliance talk as a sign that Serenity is a serious Independent threat and it somehow picks up on the act that River is on the run. Program 741 decides that it needs to destroy Serenity and kill River beore the ship or the lost asset can do any more harm to the Alliance’s long-term interests. It backs itsel up on the local Cortex link or transmission and waits. When the rest o the Crew heads out on a shuttle to finish the job, the rogue AI takes the opportunity to grab control o the ship, sending it directly into the maw o one o the Alliance mining ships. As Wash looks on in horror, all o Serenity’s
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controls lock down, the engines cycle up to ull power, and the ship’s autopilot guides it toward the crushing jaws o an Alliance mining drone. Te GM adds a Computer Lockout Complication to represent Program 741’s careul work, and opens the scene. O the our characters in the scene, River and Inara only have one Plot Point, Wash doesn’t have any
BEAT 1: WASH TRIES TO WREST CONTROL Wash leaps into action, cycling through various unlock programs to get back control o the ship. He tries to reach Mal on the nearby shuttle—attempting to alert him that there ain’t no way Serenity is going to be able to cover their retreat—but he doesn’t have any luck. He’s got to get the ship’s computers back online beore there isn’t a Serenity to save! Te GM declares an Action Order and lets Wash go first. Program 741 sets the stakes or the conflict, gathering up a ew dice—Mental , Operate , Programming
, Virus , and the Computer Lockout Complication. While this roll would usually be a recovery roll, Program
741 is actively opposing Wash patching through the computers to alternate routers. He’ll have to get through t he Program beore he can make any progress. Te virus rolls:
5 9 7 5 3 Te Gamemaster spends a Plot Point out o the bank to keep an extra die, making Wash’s job even harder and giving Program 741 a total o 21. Wash is in a tough spot—it looks like Program 741 has a pretty good hold on Serenity’s systems! Wash builds his own dice pool with Mental , Operate , Shipboard Computers , A Little Nervous 4, and Serenity . He’s not exactly sure how he’ll unlock the computers, but he’s amiliar enough with Serenity’s systems to give it a good shot. He purges the Cortex link—releasing Program 741’s backup—and tries to reboot the systems. He takes his Plot Point or using his Distinction as a 4 and rolls:
BEAT 2: RIVER TAKES THE HELM As the air starts to rush out o the ship, River grabs the chair near Wash and tries to reset the saety protocols on the lie support systems. Tey only have a ew minutes beore Serenity crashes into the mining drone, but they can’t get out o that scrape unless they’re alive to do something about it! Once again, Program 741 sets the stakes or the conflict—Mental , Operate , Programming , Virus , Open Airlocks 2 , and Computer Lockout 2 . Program 741 is playing deense or the time being, but it only needs to step up either Complication to put the three Crewmembers in an even worse spot. It rolls:
6 4 6 5
5
1
Te Crew lucks out! Program 741 only musters a total o 12, and a came up as an Opportunity. Wash spends a Plot Point to step back the Open Airlock to a . River’s Academy training is already paying off and she’s just sat down to work! Her initial pass at the computer systems gets the cockpit emergency doors to slam shut behind them. River grins at Wash. “Tis is a lot like the Winsome Ranch, right? A rodeo? A ride?” Wash is terrified, but River’s Callback allows her to activate a trigger or ree, using Meddled With. She steps up her Mental and steps down her Social , building a stronger dice pool to take back control o Serenity . She grabs Mental 2, Operate , and Government
Experiment . She rolls:
BEAT 3: PROGRAM 741 STRIKES BACK
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Program 741 isn’t surprised to see Alliance command line codes used against its control, but River’s speed and
Even though River and Wash have control o the ship again, the Open Airlocks are straining the ship’s structure and
determination catch it off guard. It rebounds with an attack against the ship’s core inrastructure. River might have control, but Program 741 can turn on enough circuits to ry the whole
making it difficult to pilot. Program 741 is going to continue to use the Complication against them, even though they’ve secured themselves a little bit o oxygen in the cockpit. Inara decides that she’s going to activate the emergency oxygen containers in the cargo hold to flood the ship with atmosphere and recover the Complication. Te GM tells Inara it’s possible to activate the emergency
network. Te GM rules that this is a high stakes roll against the ship—i Program 741 is successul, the whole ship will shut down and lose power. River sets the stakes o the conflict this time, grabbing her Mental 2, Operate , and Government Experiment 4. Te GM hands her a Plot Point as she describes the imagery that Program 741 flashes across her screen, pieces o her training meant to distract her rom the job at hand. Wash,
oxygen containers rom here, but Program 741 might be able to deactivate them later. I she throws the manual switch, there’s not much the Rogue AI can do. Te GM sets the stakes or her dash through the ship by rolling Hard , Open
his controls restored, throws in an Operate . She rolls:
Airlocks , and Long Hallways :
8
2
1
Huge hit! River lands a 20 total on just two dice, setting up some shiny countermeasures against the rogue AI. She turns to Wash, still grinning, and tells him to change course! Program 741 isn’t done yet, though. River’s countermeasures are strong enough to corner it, but it still has the potential to ry Serenity’s systems. It gathers up dice—Mental , Operate , Programming , Virus , and Open Airlocks and rolls:
6
BEAT 4: A COMPANION’S STRENGTH
8 6
1
3
1
2 4 2 Te GM’s total is only 6, a great opportunity or Inara to take down the Complication and maybe even earn hersel a Big Damn Hero die. She’s got to strike now while River has Program 741 on the ropes! Inara starts her beat by spending a Plot Point to create a Space Breather Asset—a portable oxygen supply that Mal keeps in the cockpit or just these kinds o emergencies. She also gathers up her Mental , Focus , Willpower , and Registered Companion 4. Te GM could make Inara roll something physical or this Action, but since Inara knows the ship backward and orward, the most challenging part o
BEAT 5: LEAF ON THE WIND Wash fires up Serenity’s engines and gets ready to power away rom the mining drone. He’s at his best here, though, totally calm in the ace o certain death! Te GM declares this roll to be a high stakes roll. I Wash can’t get out o the way o the mining drone, Serenity’s going to end up grounded… or worse. Te GM starts by setting some simple stakes, rolling Hard and Mining Drone :
8 8
BEAT 6: RIVER GOES FISHING Now that the ship is sae, River turns her attention back to
the virus that’s in her grasp. She loads up some new anti-viral code to isolate and destroy Program 741, but the vir us seems intent on fighting back. Te GM declares that this is a high stakes roll or Program 741. I River can capture it, she’ll be able to isolate it and destroy it beore it can get away. Program 741 decides to try to take the system back rom the Crew, rolling the same dice pool again to set the stakes against River—Mental , Operate , Programming
, Virus —and adding Unstable Systems to try to take advantage o the chaos:
Te GM’s stakes are mighty high or such a small number
o dice. Te mining drone is much closer than the Crew realized. Wash looks out the window to see the drone looming in the darkness, its gaping maw sucking in asteroids and rhythmically mashing them up or ore. He guns it, hoping to fly through the drone to avoid a collision! Despite the odds, Wash isn’t worried. Piloting Serenity is his calling, the thing he’s best at in lie—besides being married to Zoe, o course. He gathers up his Engines ,
Fly , ransports , Ship’s Pilot , and Serenity . He tells River to hold on and rolls:
5 5 5 1 Wash spends his last Plot Point to keep an extra in his roll, bringing his total to 20! He raises the stakes set by the GM and flies directly through the mining drone, the crushing teeth
7 4 5 4 1 Program 741 racks up a total o 12, but the GM decides to keep the last Plot Point in the bank in case River raises the stakes. Program 741 launches a decent attack, but not one that River can’t overcome. Since the Crewmembers are running low on Plot Points, no one claims the GM’s Opportunity. In response, River gathers up her dice: Mental 2, Operate , and Government Experiment 4. She once again takes her Distinction as a 4, describing again how Program 741 tries to use Alliance imagery to throw her off. She’s hoping to have enough Plot Points to add her extra dice to this roll and still have Plot Points lef over. She rolls:
2 2
1
ADDING MORE LAIRS AND HIDEOUTS A Crew in the FIREFLY RPG will visit all manner o cities, villages, and outposts in their travels. Since these places—large and small—are a big part o findin’ and doin’ work in the ’Verse, you’ll learn that your first job as a Gamemaster is ofen to draw up new and interesting locations. We’ve given you some basic ideas or filling out the ’Verse in the FIREFLY RPG C������� (page 276); here are a ew tips or making
towns and villages interesting, exploring cities in the ’Verse, and even adding some new scene and location triggers to add custom rules to the game.
BUILDING A BETTER TOWN
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Not every place in the ’Verse needs to be equally deep in every Episode. Sometimes you’ll need to make up a town
When you’re designing hooks, don’t start off with individual
characters or locations. ry to think about subtle hooks that imply as much as they outright state. For example, i the town is 50 years old, then a generation o olks will have grown up there, and are likely going to be attached to the place. I it’s only a ew years old, though, details likely haven’t been sorted out yet, and attachment may not be as strong. Some questions to ask yoursel as you set up your hooks: How old is the town? How did the town survive the Unification War? What’s the environment like?
Are there any important landmarks nearby? How many people live in the town? How well off are the townsolk?
For the final hook, you decide that the town’s residents don’t believe that they’re part o the Alliance. It fits in with the idea that they’re ar removed and spurn technology. Tey’re out here under the radar, and they’re not planning to submit themselves to any kind o Alliance government rule. Tey just want to be lef alone. Good luck to them, you think.
STEP 2: DECIDE WHO’S IN CHARGE. Every town’s got someone in charge, whether it is a mayor,
a rich business owner, a criminal who runs everything, or a democratic assembly. Picking who’s in charge and how that leader took the reins says a lot about the town. A place run by a duly elected Mayor isn’t going to be the same as a place led by some underhanded criminal who controls whether or not olk eat; a town run by its own sheriff is going to be a different place than a town run by a pacifistic preacher. Pick one character who’s in charge o the town, and how and why that GMC has that power. Even i it’s a council o olk in charge, come up with at least one specific GMC to represent
that council. Create whoever’s in charge as a GMC using the rules ound on page 270 o t he FIREFLY RPG C�������.
STEP 3: CREATE THE OPPOSITION. Wherever there’s somebody in power, there’s almost always somebody who stands in opposition. Figure out who that is. Te opposition can run the gamut rom somebody who wants the power to somebody who just hates the person in charge and wants to see that character dead. It might even be a group who genuinely thinks they can help the town, but is doing so in a way that opposes the current ruler’s interests. Te opposition is there to create tension. I the oppositi on is weak or powerless, then it can’t do its job. I the Crewmembers have an easy decision o whether or not to deal with the challenger, there isn’t much tension—you have to make the opposition powerul enough to pose a problem i the Crewmembers decide to destroy it or oppose it themselves. Make the opposition with the ruler in mind, presenting a contrast so that the Crew can remember which side is which.
Possible opposition might include: A candidate or mayor who’s willing to do anything to get elected A rebel fighter who wants to seize control o the town
Some sample GMCs in charge include: An elected mayor who barely won the last election A criminal who controls an important resource A religious leader with a cult-like ollowing A council o representatives where each member has
“or the people” A rival crime lord looking to move into the territory An advocate o reason over religious practice A charismatic woman who wants the work o the town done A noble gunfighter looking to provide order to a lawless
a vote An entrepreneur whose wealth guarantees power
town An activist looking to make change through peaceul
means
STEP 4: DEVELOP IMPORTANT CITIZENS. Te town should have at least two more important GMCs
living in it beyond the ruler and the opposition. Tese two
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important characters can fill any roles in the town, as long as they’re in some way important to the town’s success. Furthermore, each character should be attached to one o the two sides o the conflict between the ruler and the opposition. I possible, those sides should be kept even. Tese characters are meant to flesh out the town. Tey’re supporting cast to the ruler and the opposition. But they’re also the pieces that those two sides may use to compete with each other. Create these supporting characters as Minor or Extra GMCs. Other important people might include:
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Te general store owner Local law enorcement Regional scoundrels Relatives or loved ones o the Crew Noteworthy crafspeople Skilled local labor Advisers to the leader or the opposition
You decide you’re just going to create two additional important people in town. You aren’t sure how long the Crew is going to stay in New Woban, so you’ll keep things simple until they show a deeper interest in the place: Elder Tornton’s youngest son, Zeb, a teenager who believes his ather is wiser than anyone or anything—he’s willing to do whatever his ather asks o him and beyond.
STEP 5: ADD LOCATIONS TO THE TOWN. owns always have a number o important places in them—the mill where everybody works, the general store where olk get their ood, or the bar where the hard workin’ miners go or drinks at day’s end. Come up with a ew o these locations. Tink a bit about the GMCs in those locations. Unless you think they need to be important, you can make them simple Extras, like a Bartender or a Cook . Locations provide your town with a bit o texture and give the Crewmembers places to go and get things done. Some locations you might include: An art gallery A dirty stable A proessional ranch
A mechanic’s workshop A law enorcement outpost You figure that New Woban probably has a building that’s
been converted into an infirmary, where Seward works. It’ll powerully reinorce the dire straits o the sick and injured in New Woban who don’t have access to modern medicine. You also decide that New Woban has a town hall—a large, sturdy building that doubles as a church or religious services. It’s the place where Elder Tornton talks to the town as a whole, and it’s a good place or a raging conrontation o ideologies.
STEP 6: IDENTIFY COILED SPRINGS. Now that you’ve got yoursel a town filled with interesting
STEP 8: TIE THE TOWN TO THE CREW.
WHAT ARE LOCATION AND SCENE DICE? In addition the characters’ dice that might get added to
rolls, the GM can also add in scene or location dice that can be used by the GMCs to oppose the player. Usually these are purely oppositional—something like Pitch Black Night d10w hen a Crewmember is trying to stand lookout or Angry Crowd d8 when a Crewmember is trying to get
the Crew out of trouble with the locals. Each die is added into oppositional rolls for free, as if the GMC had an Asset that could be used to oppose the players. You don’t have to use these dice if you’d prefer to keep things simple, but
Tis might be as simple as determining what would bring
the Crewmembers to the town in t he first place, and then just letting them interact with its problems once they get there. However, characters and elements that are directly tied to the Crewmembers help build investment. Furthermore, coming up with a plan or how the town’s conflicts might affect the Crewmembers gives you odder or uture Complications and reveals.
don’t forget that you can add Traits to the scene anytime
you think the opposition needs a bit more heft
STEP 7: SEED LOCATION AND SCENE TRAIT DICE. Once you’ve got the town all set up, you’ll want to start to think about a list o location and scene dice that might come up during the game. reat these very much like coiled springs—you don’t need to have a comprehensive list. Your goal here is to get your imagination moving on what kinds o obstacles the crew might encounter. Here are a ew ways scene and location raits might show up: Environmental conditions (rain, darkness, og) Physical obstacles (heavy doors, rocky terrain, high walls)
Emotional blocks (scary noises, painul memories) Social resistance (quiet townsolk, townsolk, direct reprimands)
Some ties you could come up with: One GMC who is or will be directly tied to the Crewmembers A job that will require the Crewmembers to directly interact with the town’s ruler or opposition Tree events that could happen in the town’s conflict that could affect the Crewmembers You decide that one o the Crewmember’s Cre wmember’s relatives is here
in New Woban. You’re not going to get into too much detail about it during prep—when it comes time to play you’ll ask the player about the Crewmember’s relatives, and fill in those details at the table. (Asking Probing Questions, FIREFLY RPG C�������, page 289.) You also decide de cide on a job jo b that ties into the th e town’s conflict and gets them over to New Woban. A ship manuacturing
company noticed that one o their older model ships is broadcasting a distress signal rom the surace o riumph. Tey hire the Crew to investigate and see i there’s any salvage. Te ship was, o course, not lost—it was just buried, and New
Zeb finds out that Gretchen—and maybe Seward by this point—has been pushing toward leaving or getting outside assistance. He declares them both heretics, to be burned immediately—likely right alongside the Crewmembers.
You aren’t sure i any o these events will come to pass, but you’ve got them ready to go i things get slow on New Woban. Anytime you aren’t sure where the story is going, you’ve already got a ew ideas ready to spring on the Crew to keep things moving.
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DEVELOPING CITIES AND SKYPLEXES I your Crew tends to stick to the Core instead o wandering out to the Border Planets and the Rim, you can use many o the same techniques to build interesting cities and skyplexes. O course, such places are a bit more dense and complex than simple towns like New Woban, so you’ll need
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to start by slicing up the city into manageable chunks. You’ll need to go through the process—picking process—picking leaders, opposition, opposition, GMCs, and locations—or each slice, but your Crew isn’t
Here’s an example city that would be a good fit or an Episode set in the C ore:
You’re creating a city on Bellerophon and decide to name it Corinth. Corinth is huge, with millions o people living there and brilliant, gleaming skyscrapers rising up to the skies. Since it’s a city, the first thing you do is slice it up. You decide that you’ll keep it simple and ocus on just three slices o Corinth. First, you create a docks area, right where ships come down to visit Corinth on the outskirts o the city, called the Falls. Next, you think Dark-Ground Ways—a
and that the Spires are patrolled by the latest in security tech—automated and remote controlled drones. You figure that the person in charge o the Spires is the same person who would’ve made the Spires such a lucrative place or major tech development. Her name is Reina Prafira, the cunning, savvy sav vy executive in charge o Blackstar Bla ckstar ech. Now, Now,
You also generate a ew scene and location raits that might show up while the Crew explores the Spires. A number Reinforced d Doors that might impede o buildings have Reinforce a Crewmember in the event o a chase and most o the surace streets have Narrow Walkways that might make a firefight difficult. Within the buildings, Advanced Security Systems
who opposes Reina? It could be the leader o a rival business, but you choose instead that Reina’s opposition is the police commissioner commission er in charge o security in the Spires. His name is
are common, with an occasional acility upgrading those to s or even 2 s. Tis won’t won’t cover the entire list o scene
Commissioner Warner Duggan, and he doesn’ does n’tt like Blackstar ech’s way o doing business. Now you need the other important GMCs. Tinking about who’d be important in the t he Spires, you select sele ct a scientist, scientist , the best one at Blackstar Blac kstar ech, and a reelancing corp orate spy, someone who’s interested in playing all sides. Te scientist is
it’s a good start i you get stuck. Since this city is located on a busy core planet with lots o side paths, you also set aside some time to think through how the story is going to pl ay out, tying the Spires to the Crew pretty tightly so that the Crew doesn’t wander off too ar away
a man named Alistair ren, and the corporate spy is an elite agent who goes only by the name Dancer. You also add in a set o locations to the Spire that reflect the larger city o Corinth. Tere’s an eating area with good restaurants that cater to the elite o the Spires. Tere’s also Blackstar ech Headquarters, in the highest tower with very
o tie the Crew to the area, you decide that one o the Crew’s ormer associates has been caught by Commissioner Duggan and is imprisoned in the Spires’ jail. From there, you need to come up with a job that requires the Crew to interact with the Spires Spires’’ ruler or opposition. Whoever that imprisoned ormer associate is, Commissioner Duggan is willing to bargain
modern, clean, and elegant offices. Finally, there’s the Cortex Hub in the Spires, ull o terminals where the techies o the Spires come regularly to meet up and sur the t he Cortex. Te dust
with the Crew to let him or her go ree in exchange or some illicit help in taking down Blackstar ech and Reina. In addition, you come up with three events that could occur within the Spires’ conflict that could affect the Crewmembers.
and grime o the Rim is millions and millions o miles away! As with the town, you make a list o coiled springs and scene and location raits based on how you think the Episode might go. You’re not trying to lay out exactly what will happen in the Episode, but you want to be ready with springs and
or location raits you’ll add to rolls during the Episode, but
rom what you‘ve got prepared in Corinth.
Te first is Alistair inventing a brand new Cortex program that can use acial recognition to find anyone, any time, as long as there’s a camera. Te second is Dancer staging a raid on Blackstar ech, trying to steal that program, and thereby
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SCENE AND LOCATION TRIGGERS Distinctions and Signature Assets ain’t the only elements in the FIREFLY RPG that can have triggers. While scenes and locations have general raits like Dark Shadows or Alliance Security instead o Distinctions, they can also have scene or location triggers. Tese triggers can be attached to scenes or locations and can provide custom rules whenever your group needs them, ranging rom special ways to add
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Assets and Complications to the scene to unique narrative developments that can be triggered by spending Plot Points
A proto-Reaver loose on Serenity might might prompt you to add one or more o the ollowing scene triggers to a scene in which the Crew tries to capture the crazed psycho: Armed and Ready : Spend 1 PP while rummaging through Serenity’s armory armory to create a The Right Gun for the Job Asset. Stumbling in the Dark : Take or step up a Scared Me Half to Death Complication to nd another Crewmember on board the ship when you are separated from each other.
LOCATION TRIGGERS
BUILDING SCENE AND LOCATION TRIGGERS
In addition to building in triggers or special situations in amiliar areas, you can also add location triggers to places the Crewmembers visit, establishing the triggers as a fixed part o
that piece o the setting. Tese triggers highlight whatever is special or unique about the location, giving the environment a flavor backed by trigger rules. You might make it possible or a character to spend Plot Points to step up Inuence in a boardroom or Focus at a mediation retreat. You can also offer Plot Points or specific actions, such as getting into a fight or taking a risk they otherwise wouldn’t take. A dive bar on Persephone called Te Big Fish might have one or more o the ollowing triggers: A Bar Made for Fighting : When you escalate a bar
ght by spending 1 PP to create an improvised weapon Asset, step it up. Everybody Knows Your Name : When you visit
the bar for the rst time in an Episode, take an Old Friend in Need Complication to step up Inuence for the scene. Last Call for Shots : When a ght breaks out in the
bar, the rst person behind the bar to spend 1 PP may create a Bartender’s Shotgun Asset.
Like scene triggers, these location triggers are available to any Crewmember who wants to activate the trigger by paying the appropriate cost. Unlike scene triggers, however, these generally stick around rom Episode to Episode, unless you’ve got some pressing reason to alter them, i.e. the bar burns down and someone new takes over the establishment.
Like Distinction and Signature Asset triggers, scene and location triggers are constructed by balancing costs and benefits. You may want to reread the section on “Creating Your Own riggers” in the Find a Job chapter o the FIREFLY RPG C������� to
review that process, but here is the list o potential costs and benefits, reproduced or ease o use: rigger Benefits:
Earn a Plot Point Step up a beneficial die (usually a Skill or Asset, like “step up Shoot”) Double a beneficial die (usually a Skill or Asset, like “double Shoot”) Step back a non-beneficial die (usually a Complication or a GMC Asset) Introduce a non-dice related story detail (“I know how to find the exact parts we need…”) Rename a Complication to change its nature (“I’m not Sickened , I’m Angry”) Reroll a single die afer a ailed roll Create a Asset or the rest o the scene rigger Drawbacks:
Spend a Plot Point (very common) Step back a beneficial die (usually an Attribute, Skill, or Asset) Choose to do something risky or complicated (“When you walk right into the Alliance outpost and start causing
PUTTIN’ IT ALL TOGETHER I ’n you’re havin’ a problem coming up with a scenario
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or your next Episode, here are a series o tables that you can use to trigger some notions. Just roll a or each category to come up with elements you’re having troubles with, or pick ones that you take a ancy to. I you roll something that don’t make sense, don’t get tetchy about it. Sometimes the best stories come out o the most bizarre circumstances.
THE SETUP Each Episode that incorporates a task or job the Crew must carry out will need a Client, a problem, and the why that enigma needs solvin’ right now. In the FIREFLY RPG, ’member that things don’t always go smooth. Be sure to introduce a twist or three to keep your Crew on their tippy-toes. Tese plot twists relate to the problem introduced here.
RANDOM EPISODE SETUP
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d12
Payin’ Client
Problem to Solve
A Kind of Hitch
Pressure’s On
1
The Crew
Recover an Object or Person.
Client is broke and can’t pay the Crew.
Running out of time.
2
Legitimate Businessperson
Deliver an Object or Person.
Must travel to Reaver territory.
Crew has a bad reputation that works against them.
3
Soldier or Veteran
Repair an Object or Treat a Person.
Must deal with the Crew’s enemy.
Client has psychological issues.
4
Corporate Stooge
Protect an Object or Person.
Forced to pick between the lesser of two evils.
Running out of money.
5
Clergy
Destroy an Object or Person.
After the job is done, Client wants to silence the Crew. Permanently.
The government won’t be of any assistance.
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Politician
Kill or Capture the Crew’s Antagonist
Client is setting up the Crew to take the fall.
The Law won’t help.
PAYIN’ CLIENT
3. Repair an Object or reat a Person: Some critical thing
A paying client is someone who wants to hire the Crew or
needs fixin’ or someone needs urgent medical, psychological, or spiritual care. 4. Protect an Object or Person: Te client needs the Crew to guard something or someone or a certain period
the job. When you think about fleshing out the client, consi der i this person is a member o the Alliance, a megacorporation,
a criminal organization or someone a bit more independent. 1. Te Crew: Sometimes the worst problems are the Crew’s own problems. 2. Legitimate Businessperson: Either legitimate or not, a person who is looking to make money on the job. 3. Soldier or Veteran: A veteran o the Unification War— or either side—or a current member o the Alliance military. 4. Corporate Stooge: An employee or contractor hired by one o the megacorporations o the ’Verse like the Blue Sun Corporation. 5. Clergy: A person o the cloth or a member o the great
variety o religions ound throughout the ’Verse—a Shepherd, Priestess, Monk, etc. 6. Politician: Someone who is a member o the Alliance or local government. 7. Scholar or Scientist: A person o learnin’. Could be a current or ormer employee o a corporation or a uni versity, or someone strikin’ out on their own. 8. Resistance: A ormer Browncoat, or someone who is currently actively resisting Alliance rule. 9. Ally: A riend or amily member o one o the Crew. 10. Criminal: Someone who, rightly or wrongly, has ound themselves in trouble with the Law. Also can include two-bit stooges or masterminds.
o time in one location, or in transit rom one spot to another. 5. Destroy an Object or Person: Something or someone needs eliminatin’. Permanent like. 6. Kill or Capture the Crew’s Antagonist: Sometimes olk need killin’ or otherwise removed rom society. 7. Interrupt the Antagonist’s Plans: Te Antagonist is gonna do something most unpleasant, and the Crew needs to put a stop to it. 1. Solve a Mystery: Somethin’ ain’t right and the Crew needs to figure out what’s up. Tis could involve questions that are current or rom way back. 2. Explore Uncharted erritory: Te ’Verse is a big place with lots o nooks and crannies or secrets to be hidden and things to get a bead on. 3. Embarrass or Frame a arget: Someone is mighty powerul and killin’ them will just cause more problems than it solves. So the Crew needs to rame or embarrass them in ront o their peers. 4. Prove Innocence: Te client has been bound by Law or imprisoned or somethin’ they didn’t do. Te Crew needs to prove it.
A KIND OF HITCH
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6. Client is setting up the Crew to take the all: Te job
is going to make some mighty powerul olk angr y, and the client is going to make gorramn sure the Crew takes the heat. 7. Client is an impostor: urns out the client’s identity is a ake or what was revealed earlier turns out to be alse. Tis act, o course, is revealed at the most inopportune moment. 8. Client is using the job as a ront to kidnap or kill one of the Crew: Te trouble with a Crew is that they’re mobile and tough to locate. So the client uses the job as bait to get the Crew into a known or amiliar location. 9. Te job helps the Client, but hurts many innocents:
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Whatever the job entails, it turns out that it hurts a lot o people who don’t have anything to do with it. How’s
PRESSURE’S ON Tis is the reason why the Crew needs to get involved right now as opposed to next week or next month. 1. Running out o time: Te client is out o time. Whatever problem they have is rearing its ugly head at this moment and about to crash down on ’em. 2. Crew has a bad reputation that works against them: Te Crew’s rep has taken a hit and they need to fix it ast. Completing a job and getting paid will help! 3. Client has psychological issues: Te client is worried that they’ll lose out on an opportunity, or that someone is out to get them, or the client is obsessive. 4. Running out o money: Te client is out o resources, to which many Crews can relate. Te problem is about to bankrupt or break them.
ANTAGONISTS Not sure what kind o Antagonist you want? When you roll here, the results point to a recommended set o Distinctions or these raits. RANDOM ANTAGONIST TABLE
Die Roll
Antagonist ’s Role
Antagonist ’s Personality
Antagonist ’s Background
1
Old Flame from Crewmember’s Past
Redeeming Feature
Family First
2
Sore loser from Crewmember’s Past
Treacherous
In the Money
3
Legitimate Businessperson
Attractive
Hails from the Core
4
Bounty Hunter or Mercenary
Thoughtful
Hails from the Border
5
Noble or Influential Individual
Obsessive
Hails from the Rim
6
Salt-of-the-Earth Citizen
Cold
Checkered Past
7
Alliance Patriot
Angry
Former Soldier
8
Corporate Lackey
Sneaky
Influential
9
Black Ops Agent or Corporate Spy
Tough
Religious
10
Rival Crewmember
Righteous
Learned
11
Member of the Criminal Underground
Strange
Wanted
12
Law Enforcement
Loner
Physically Distinctive
ANTAGONIST’S ROLE
Pirate Captain*, Politician , Relentless Investiga-
Mama Bear, Ship’s Shepherd, Soothsayer* An agent o the Al liance, or a member 7. Alliance Patriot: Patriot: An
1
6
o one o their organizations. Possible Distinctions: Alliance Spy, Alliance Ocer, Combat Instructor*, Core Surgeon, Fed, Goodwill Ambassador , Invisible Ops , Master of Disguise , Ocer of the Law, Squad Leader * 8. Corporate Lackey: An employee o one o the megacorporations. Possible Distinctions: Blue Sun Agent , Brilliant Gunsmith , Cortex Technician , Engineer , Guild Trader, Invisible Ops, Knife Fighter, Master of Disguise, Researcher, Saboteur, Scary Lieutenant , Shrewd Patron, Technologist 9. Black Ops Agent or Corporate Spy: An agent o the Alliance or a megacorporation. Either way, they lurk in the shadows. Possible Distinctions: Alliance Spy, Blue Sun Agent, Information Broker*, Invisible Ops, Knife Fighter , Master of Disguise, Saboteur, Scorned Agent*, Sleeper Agent, Top Secret, Wudang Style 10. Rival Crewmember: Pirates or other competing ‘businessolk’. Possible Distinctions: Fed, First Mate, Pirate Captain*, Salvager, Ship’s Captain , Ship’s Doctor , Ship’s Mechanic , Ship’s Pilot, Smuggler* 11. Member of the Criminal Underground: Common thugs, thieves, or illegitimate businesspersons. Could be a member o a criminal organization. Possible Distinctions: Blackmailer*, Con Artist, Extortionist*, Gang Boss, Napoleon of Crime *, Scary Lieutenant
3. Attractive: Te Antagonist is physically attractive, has
an alluring personality, or both. Possible Distinctions: Alluring , Doe Eyes *, Fashionable, Here for the Party, Razzle-Dazzle*, Smooth Talker Talker, Sly Devil*, Spoiled Dandy, Superiority Complex*, Well-Man-
nered 4. Toughtful: Te Antagonist may be evil, but the Antagonist has plans. Possible Possible Distinctions: Big Plans, Bookworm*, Code of Honor , Grace Under Pressure*, Holds a Grudge , Know It All , Steady, Soft Spoken*, True Faith 5. Obsessive: Te Antagonist is driven to obsession about
something or someone. Possible Distinctions: Addict*, By the Book , Code of Honor, Collector of Fine Things, Dedicated , Driven, Eagle Eyed , Know It
All, Sore Loser 6. Cold: Te Antagonist is psychotic or otherwise emo-
tionless. It’s not personal, it’s just business. Possible Distinctions: Bad Reputation, By the Book , Dead Eye, Driven, Follows Orders , Grace Under Pressure*, Heart of Ice and Dust, Iron Fisted, Not to Be Crossed, Mute*, Steady, Steely Reserves , Unprincipled , Won’t Take No For an Answer * 7. Angry: Te Antagonist has anger issues. Possible Distinctions: Bad Reputation , Crude, Driven, Fiercely Independent*, Instigator*, Hired Muscle, Holds a Grudge, Iron Fisted, Loudmouth*, Ooh-Rah, Scrapper , Sore Loser, Temper 8. Sneaky: You’ll never see the Antagonist coming, and
11. Strange: Some olks are a ew cells shy o a working 6. Checkered Past: Te Antagonist has some not-so-nice-
reactor, ya know? Possible Distinctions: Addict,*, Chatterbox, Daredevil *, Delusions of Grandeur *, Here For the Party , Hyperactive*, Hypochondriac*, Intuitive, Laughs Like a Hyena*, On a Dierent Level, Superstitious, Yee-Haw!!!! Loner: Te Antagonist doesn’t have much o a supporting 12. Loner: Te cast. Could like l ike it that way. way. Possible Distinctions: Book-
worm*, Crude, Fiercely Independent*, Heart of Ice and Dust , Hill Folk , Recluse, Strong Silent Type
ANTAGONIST’S BACKGROUND * indicates Distinctions included in Tings Don’t Go Smooth Smooth..
1. Family First: Te Antagonist might not be a nice person,
but amily and riends are still important. Possible Distinctions: Brothers, Family Ties , Hitched, Sisters ,
Two by Two 2. In the Money: Te Antagonist is rich. Very rich. Don’t mean they don’t want more though. Possible Distinc-
tions: A Lawyer’s Dream , Filthy Rich , Pampered Upbringing, Princess of the Rim 3. Hails rom the Core: Te Antagonist is rom the Core worlds and tends to have a more sheltered or rich
upbringing. Possible Distinctions: A Lawyer’s Dream , Big ‘Un, Child Prodigy, Dancer, Debt, Duelist, Filthy Rich, Friends in High Places , Government Experiment, Pampered Upbringing, Trained
Singer , Undercover*, Wet Behind the Ears 4. Hails from the Border: Te Antagonist is rom the
things in their past. Not all o them their ault. Possible Distinctions: Done Time, Drunk, Drifter*, Fall from Grace, Faded Star* , Hard Luck Case , Lifetime of Misdeeds, Mysterious Past, Never Learned to Read Nor Write, Orphan*, Plagued by Nightmares*, Semi-Retired , Scorned Agent* , Things Don’t Go
Smooth, Undercover, World Weary 7. Former Soldier: Even i they’re not a soldier now, they
once were. Tey very likely ought in the Unification War. Possible Distinctions: Decorated, Drifter*, Mysterious Past, Plagued by Nightmares*, Secret
Browncoat, Shadows of the War , Third Degree Black Belt*, Veteran of the Unication War , World Weary 8. Influential: Te Antagonist has influence in society through more than just money—ame, amily, revealing photographs. Possible Distinctions: A Lawyer’s Dream, Friends in High Places, Friends in Low Places, Pampered Upbringing, Princess of the Rim , Sinister Countenance , Triad Ranking , Siren* 9. Religious: Te Antagonist was heavily influenced by religion when growing up, or has ound a aith to latch onto recently. Bookworm, Doe Eyes , Elderly, Fall from Grace, Harmless Looking , Hitched, Trained Singer , Wet Behind the Ears 10. Learned: Te Antagonist has a lot o book readin’ locked up in their brainpan. Possible Distinctions: Child Prodigy, Dancer , Duelist, Former Companion,
THE PLOT Roll on this table to flesh out some o the elements o the Episode—where Episode—where it takes place and what things go wrong. I ’n you’re havin’ havin’ trouble coming up with what w hat things the Clients Cl ients and Antagonists are concerned about, roll on the Objects table.
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RANDOM ANTAGONIST TABLE
Die
World
Specific Locations
Target (People)
Target (Objects)
1
Planet in White Sun System
A Skyplex or Large Ship
Crewmember
Vehicle
2
Moon in White Sun System
Persephone’s Eavesdown Docks
Crewmember’s Ally or Family Member
Money
3
Pla lan net in Red Su Sun n Syste tem m
Bla lack cko out Zone, Os Osiiri riss
Crewmember’s Rival or Enemy
Information
4
Moon in Red Sun System
Underwater
Crewmember’s Love Interest
Antiquities
5
Planet in in Georgia Sy System
Companion Ho House
High-Ranking Of Official
Technology
6
Moon in Georgia System
Unification War Battleground
Celebrity
People
7
Planet in Kalidasa System
Secret Location
Child or Children
Necessities
8
Moon in Kalidasa System
Wildlife Preserve
Hard Luck Case
Weapons
9
Planet in Blue Sun system
Volcano
Back from the Dead
Documents
10
Moon in Blue Sun System
Prison
Paragon
Parts
11
The Black
Factory or Smelter
Double Agent
Contraband
12
Asteroid Belt
Science Station
Victim
Roll twice on this table, ignoring 12s.
Roll
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Whittier, Beylix, Newhall, Oberon, Ghost, Aberdeen, Zeus, Beaumonde, Djinn’s Bane, Salisbury 8. Moon of a Planet in the Kalidasa System : Miyazaki, Kuan Lo, Lassek, Barrimend, Barrowclough, Disraeli, Denali, Ganesha, Rama, Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, ilottama, Clio, Talia, Calliope, Charity, Cinote, St. Lucius, Severance, Darcke, Mohenrichia, Puck, Quince, Bottom, Inerno, Xibalia, Isabel, Sophie, Victoria, DeLynn, Gayle,
Betty, Hastur, Illat, Hilal, Hubal, Sin, a’lab, Wadd 9. Planet in the Blue Sun System: One o the widely-known planets in the Rim: Meridian, New Canaan, Muir, Fury, Highgate, Dragon’s Egg, Deadwood 10. Moon in the Blue Sun System : Burnet, Ugarit, Lilac, Arminius, Shepherd’s Mission, Coldstone, Blackwood, Seventh Circle, Perth, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva, Glynis, Haven, New Omaha 11. Te Black : Te space between worlds, star, gas giant, system, or protostar. Te black is typically reerenced when nothing else is in sight except or the deep blackness o space and the stars. 12. Asteroid Belt: One o the asteroid belts, or a ring system
5. Companion House: A House describes a complex where Companions are trained. Companion Houses are
typically ound in the Core; they are connected to the Alliance-run Academies and the Companion’s Guild. All Companions are required to have a Guild permit by Law. 6. Unification War Battleground: Tere are many locations where major battles o the Unification War were ought. Many still have live ordinance buried beneath the surace. Some, like Serenity Valley on Hera, have been turned
into tourist attractions. 7. Secret Location: Anywhere someone might want to hide something or someone else. Examples include: an Alliance military base, a pirate hideout, or a Blue Sun Corporation’s base o operations. Te Rim is a place or criminals to hide rom the Alliance, while the Core allows many tried-and-true members o the Alliance to stash their wares rom any disloyal citizens. 8. Wildlie Preserve: Mostly, parks and wildlie preserves are ound in the Core. Te animals that survived the trip rom Earth-Tat-Was have been slowly re-introduced
to the wilderness areas on many planets here, and over
around a planet: the Halo in the White Sun system, the Motherlode in the Red Sun system, or Uroborus in the Blue Sun system.
the past couple o centuries they’ve flourished in these protected environments. 9. Volcano: Te process o alterin’ a planet’s gravity can wake up some o the more nasty volcanoes in the ’Verse.
SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
Tese erupting beasts are generally ound on larger planets as opposed to backwater moons. Te presence o volcanoes may also yield rich natural flora and auna, too. 10. Prison: Prisons and jails can be ound on planets and
Tere are plenty o interestin’ places in the ’Verse. 1. A skyplex or large ship: Examples include Niska’s Skyplex , Bastion, or the Countess. ypically, these boats
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TARGET (PEOPLE)
TARGET (OBJECTS)
Roll on this table when you need to come up with someone
Roll on this table when you need to come up with an
that your plot should involve. 1. Crewmember: A member o the Crew. Remember to
object or your next Episode’s plot. 1. Vehicle: Spaceships, trains, boats, hovercraf, mules,
spread the ‘wealth’. 2. Crewmember’s Ally or Family Member: Either introduce a new GMC or re-introduce one the Crew has already met. 3. Crewmember’s Rival or Enemy: Tis particularly works
horses. 2. Money: Gold, cash, jewels. 3. Inormation: Could be inormation on the location o something or someone, secrets that some olk might not want known, or how to go about doin’ a thing.
well when the Crew needs the rival or enemy to be on their side or the job. 4. Crewmember’s Love Interest: Oh yes, pull at the Crewmember’s heart strings. 5. High Ranking Official: A member o the Alliance military, a bureaucrat, politician, or noble. 6. Celebrity: Somebody who’ll live orever and be revered
4. Antiquities: Artiacts rom Earth-Tat-Was, rom the
throughout the known ‘Verse. 7. Child or Children: Orphans, runaways, government experiments, prodigies, brats. 8. Hard Luck Cases: Mudders, veterans, colonists, and other olk who are in over their heads. 9. Back from the Dead: You just thought that character
not ound anyplace else. 6. People: Re-roll on the Client table or argets (People) table or ideas. 7. Necessities: Foodstuffs—marked (protein bars, canned goods) or unmarked (resh produce or animals), water, medicine, clothes, crop starters, mining equipment. Anything colonists on the Rim or Border Worlds might need.
was dead. 10. Paragon: Someone who outmatches the Crew in every easible way. 11. Double Agent: Someone who’s on the Crew’s side, and
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on your GMC’s side. Tis might be a good thing, or a bad thing. 12. Victim: Someone who doesn’t deserve to be treated like
Unification War, or rom the long history o humanity since their arrival in the ’Verse. Could also be artwork, important documents, or other historical treasures. 5. echnology: Advanced technology—things that are common on the Central Planets but rare on the Border or Rim Worlds, or maybe even experimental equipment
8. Weapons: Lots o weapons are still around because o
the Unification War. Some are weapons that shouldn’t be in the hands o anyone. 9. Documents: Customs and immigration papers, orders, Guild documents, shipping maniests, financial records, blueprints, ormulas, etc.
MERCILESS
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“Treasures-That-Was. The finest collection of antique artifacts you’ll ever see! View the last Ming vase, historic paintings like the Mona Lisa, and more from our generous donor Quon Chui.” - Allied Planetary Museum advertisement
THE WAY OF THINGS Merciless takes the Crew to Ariel, to conduct a thrillin’ heist or
a client named Zan Chui. Te majority o the action happens
questions, Quon quickly asked his wie or a divorce to save his own skin and massive holdings. Eventually the Alliance’s
CASTING CALL Merciless ocuses on a high-tech heist that takes place in the
Darius Makepeace: Merciless is the perect scenario or
Core. Any Antagonist the Crew may run into should have a vested interest in collecting, trading, or selling Earth-TatWas artiacts to the highest bidder. Baiang is one such rival. Because she’s not central to the overall plot, eel ree to use a different Major GMC in her stead. I you’re looking to make
this zealot. What the museum gives Makepeace is the chance to test his might, add to his collection, and see how ar the Alliance would go to protect what’s theirs on a Core planet. When he appears, Darius will demand
this Episode a bit more intense or part o a longer story arc, use an Antagonist who might give the Crew a real run or their money. O the Antagonists presented in this book, here are a ew
rom the acility. What’s more, he’ll treat the Crew like they’re his slaves, and will attempt to negotiate with
characters who’d love to get their hands on what the Allied Planetary Museum has to offer, or mess with the Crew’s plans.
a selfish amateur who shouldn’t be trusted with such precious artiacts. In addition to these Antagonists, Quon Chui may also be used as a villain in this here Episode. o appropriately turn Quon into a varmint the Crew’ll want to steal rom, ramp
Julius Morgan: A master spy, Morgan wouldn’t hesitate to infiltrate and steal the artia cts ound in the museum.
o figure out his motivation, tie the item he desires to one o his clients or a character rom his past. I all else ails, Morgan will gladly take as much as he can and sell that loot to the highest bidder. Charlotte du Bois: Tough Charlotte tends to stick close to her home base, she’s also an opportunist and pragmatist. Not only does the museum offer her and her trainees the chance to hone their skil ls on an Alliance-run world,
should they succeed in taking any Earth-Tat-Was artiacts, Charlotte will find a way to make the most o their ill-gotten gains. Devon “Siren” ao: Devon may not care about the artiacts themselves, but what he will be anxious to get
that the Crew cooperate with him or be orcibly removed
the Chui amily to get what he believes is rightully his. Should Darius meet with Quon in Act IV, he’ll think he’s
up aspects o his personality that will evoke an emotional reaction. Maybe you decide to highlight Quon’s eagerness to please the Alliance. Maybe you target the way he’s reused to grant his ex-wie’s emotional plea. Don’t be araid to take the character we present and tweak Quon Chui’s descriptions i need be—just take care not to change him too much, otherwise his Distinctions won’t be relevant.
MINOR CHARACTERS Tis Episode eatures three minor characters who are
important to the plot. Zan Chui hires the Crew, and may be accessible via a Communicator, but isn’t physically present or
BAIFANG “Security is an illusion that makes people think they own their possessions.” Character Type: Master Thief Role: The Distinguished Competition Acts: Act I, II, III, and IV Character Description: Baifang is a young woman who’s adept at changing her appearance depending on
ATTRIBUTES
M
8
P S
6
SKILLS
the needs of her job. She has a spectacular aptitude for
D
8
machines and has spent her brief life to date carving
F
6
out a reputation as a great thief. Baifang tells a dierent story every time someone
tries to nd out who she is. One minute she’s an urchin raised on Greenleaf who pickpocketed her way up the ladder before becoming a master thief. The next, she’s the wealthy scion of a rich Alliance family on Osiris who got bored and ran away from home.
The truth about Baifang—and what her real name is—
is known only to her. Baifang roams freely from planet to planet for the thrill of the heist. Her nickname is a legend among thieves, a daredevil who enjoys taking risks because she can. When she comes up against a
crew or a rival, Baifang likes to place a friendly wager and beat her competitors in a fair ght. Well, mostly
fair. After all, she’s a gorramn thief—not a preacher! Likes and Dislikes: Two things motivate Baifang: fun and money. As far as she’s concerned, there’s no such
M
Freestyle Climbing
O
8
P
6 Acrobatics
S
8
S
12
T
6 Disguise
DISTINCTIONS
L M 8 This sort of life has a tendency to catch up with you.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Trick of the Trade: Spend 1 PP to create an Operate or Sneak Specialty for the rest of the session.
B P 8
thing as too much money. She’s already stolen enough
You are proper skinny, you are.
to retire in comfort on her own moon if she so desires,
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Squeeze Through: Spend 1 PP to squeeze through bars or a portal
but it’s nowhere near enough. When asked if she could
have any amount of money, how much would she ask for, she unhesitatingly replies, “All of it.” And even if she did retire, she’d be on the move inside
a week. For her, it’s not just about the payday (though that matters a great deal), it’s about staying too busy
that are normally too small for a person.
E A 8 Honestly, ocer, you needn’t bother with the handcus.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a
instead of a
ZAN CHUI
QUON CHUI
“Of all that we shared, the only memento I still care about is my family’s vase.” Character Type: Exiled Browncoat Sympathizer
“The fruits of my labors will not be ripped away from me
Role: Moderately Wealthy Client
Role: The Crew’s Mark
Acts: Prelude, Act IV
Acts: Acts I-III (Recorded Hologram), Act IV (In person)
Character Description: A petite woman, Zan wears the same
Character Description: A amboyant collector of things from
formal outts she wore when she was part of the social elite.
Earth-That-Was, Quon is passionate, mercurial, charming, quicktempered, and obsessive. He often jumps into a relationship with
Those who get close enough to look at her eyes see the fury
there. During the War, her ire was directed at the Alliance who sought to rule those wanted to be left alone. Now, her anger is
by you low-lifes.” Character Type: Alliance-Bred Socialite
both feet without thinking, and then has a “sudden” change of
he was sure the Independents couldn’t win.
heart after he’s had the chance to reect. On the other hand, there’s no surer way to make him dig in his heels than to tell him he’s wrong.
Zan Chui lives with a handful of veterans and war refu gees she’s taken under her wing. Her motley crew lives on Ariel in a modestly
During the War, he was happy to indulge his wife’s interests, until the stakes got too high. A terrifying encounter with an
sized ranch that was given to her during her divorce. She may be a social outcast, but she enjoys the comforts of living in an Alliance-run world, and feels she’s much safer there than anyplace
Alliance spy turned the socialite into a yellow-bellied coward, and Quon immediately turned tail and publicly renounced the Independents on behalf of him and his wife, Zan. That publicly
else. For the past couple of years, Zan’s been concentrating on
broadcast speech put an end to his marriage; soon as it was
her charity work and takes great care to maintain her small,
wise for him to do so, he led for divorce. Since then, Quon has moved on from the War and his former marriage. The Alliance believes he’s no longer a threat, as long as Quon continues to
directed at Quon, her ex-husband, who cast her out as soon as
self-sustaining estate. Once she pledges her loyalty, Zan remains true to the causes she believes in, and gets mighty pissed o when the people
who uphold her beliefs betray her. Because of that, her passion
pay reparations.
though, because she’s painfully aware of how powerful they
Notoriously commitment-phobic, Quon’s desire to aid the rebels originated from his wife’s passion for their cause. As soon as his marriage ended, the socialite quickly discovered a new passion: Earth-That-Was artifacts. Quon is now focused on building up (and showing o) a grand collection of true replicas and ancient
are. For whatever reason, the Alliance doesn’t believe that Zan
memorabilia, even if he thinks most people are too ignorant to
is a threat—probably because her husband publicly denounced
appreciate his eorts. He fancies himself an Earth-That-Was expert, and can’t fathom how anyon e with fewer resources could
for the Browncoat cause was as intense as her love for Quon. Ever since her ex-husband betrayed her, she secretly blames the
Alliance for her heartbreak. Zan’ll never show her true feelings,
the Independents on behalf of them both—and she’s ne with that. For now.
Traits: Will of Steel , Modreately Wealthy Client , Social
possibly know as much as he does. Though he can be charming, conversations quickly turn sour whenever Quon feels he has to talk to the “little people.” For whatever reason, Quon believes
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
PROMOTE THAT SECURITY CHIEF
You may want to promote Cecil Katz to Major GMC status
1
if you feel he’s a good t as the primary Antagonist for your Crew. When choosing Attributes, make his Mental highest Social lowest. and
For Distinctions, think about his role; Katz is a threat to the Crew because he’s got a keen eye and cunning min d. Relentless Investigator sums up his character nicely. Honest Man would make him incorruptible, while Steady would
give him some staying power; either is a good personality Distinction for his character. Being Harmless Looking is a
useful trick for a security chief, and allows him to watch over the Crew’s shoulder and a Distinction like Proud Streak
might add some ways for him to earn PPs for the bank. Finally, give Katz some Skill specialties that focus on his job such as Operate ( Security Systems ) and Inuence (Guards ). And voila! In no time at, you’ve got a new-andimproved head of security!
CECIL KATZ “You can solve any problem in the gorramn ’Verse with a high-powered laser pistol.” Character Type: Museum Security Chief Role: Backup Security Acts: Act II, III, and IV Character Description: : Katz takes his job as the museum’s
security chief very seriously, and has been in his current position ever since the museum noticed his passion for his work. Unfortunately, the head of security hasn’t been able to
implement his protocols to protect the artifacts in this exhibit. The wealthy and inuential Quon Chui had shot all of his ideas down, and Katz believes it’s only a matter of time before a thief steals Mr. Chui’s prized possessions. Thing is, there’s a part of Katz that wants to teach Mr. Chui a lesson. What does a wealthy socialite know about guarding a museum? Nothin’, that’s what. So far, Katz has thwarted more than a few thieves in his time, and he’s not about to let anyone steal from him. Katz’s security guards patrol the other oors in the museum, and will only get called in to s mooth things over when Mr. Chui’s plans
go awry. That doesn’t mean that the guards will be excited to help Mr. Chui, either, for the wealthy socialite has rubbed more than a few people the wrong way. Traits: Chief of Security , Proud of His Work , Always Watching
EXTRAS Tere are two sets o Extras that can be used in this Episode. Te security in the museum isn’t as tight as the Bank o Londinium, but it’s reasonable given that it’s located in Ariel City on a Core world. Te main thing to remember when handling
Ariel City Police: Te Ariel City Police have a ast response time that’s comparable to the private security teams that work or the muckety mucks on Bellerophon. I the security alarms are tripped, the Crew could be in
SCENES AND LOCATIONS “So please, take part in the finest exhibit you’ll see this side of—well, this side of Earth-That-Was. After all, those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it, so come on down to the third level and know yourself some history—because, let’s face it, we don’t want to repeat that nonsense.” - Quon Chui Merciless takes place in the Allied Planetary Museum located
Tough the Allied Planetary Museum looks like a smaller
in Ariel City on the planet Ariel. Te Crew will have an intimate
building, it has our levels: the main floor, administrative offices,
knowledge o this acility afer Zan Chui kindly hands over the schematics in the Prelude. Once she does, the Crew may opt to split up and cover each floor separately, or skip certain floors altogether. Tough each Act takes the Crew closer and closer to their goal—the Earth-Tat-Was Exhibit located in
and two floors built underground that house its permanent collection and special exhibits.
sub-basement 2—this Episode is designed to be fluid. Here’s a quick breakdown o each Act and their locations.
exhibits are. When open, this is a low-security area, as anyone
Should the Crew decide to skip a floor or circle back around, eel ree to pull a switcheroo and run the Acts out o order. Prelude: A Browncoat Beneactor Te Crew will meet with Zan Chui about 150 miles away rom the Ariel City
well paid by Badger, so they should be able to get in with the usual ee.) According to Zan, her backdoor will get the Crew into this level without any problem afer closing. Te current exhibit in the ront lobby is a curated jewelry
Museum. In the Prelude, they’ll get the plans, and then find a way to get back to the city saely and undetected.
collection belonging to the Ling amily, which appears to be incredibly valuable. However, that also comes with its own
MAIN FLOOR Tis is where visitors first enter and may view the general can walk in as long as they pay their admission. (Te Crew was
ADMINISTRATIVE FLOOR
1
EARTHTHATWAS EXHIB IT
Te museum’s administrative offices on the first floor
Tis is Quon’s baby. wo flights below street level is where
are located directly above the main floor and the priceless
all Quon’s Earth-Tat-Was memorabilia is housed. Tere’s an
exhibits. Tey include the curator’s office—which is pristine, neat, tidy, and boring, with no personal effects anywhere to be seen—and those o various staffers, which are assorted
additional ee and a security scan to get into this level when the museum’s open. I any o the Crew is dumb enough to walk into the museum armed, their weapons will set off an alarm at this level. Quon has his own special security here: trivia questions about Earth-Tat-Was that Quon would know the answer to in his sleep, but aren’t common knowledge and
degrees o untidy, messy, and decorated. One office has a ton o Chinese art pasted all over, one only has small desk lamps, one is covered in Christmas lig hts, and a rotating holographic portrait o a child at various ages dominates another. Katz’s office is also located up here. It’s an impressively neat space, with a terminal right at the center o the desk, with a mug with Chinese characters that spell out to “OUR FAVORIE BOSS.”
LOCATION TRIGGERS Administrative Access : Spend a Plot Point to step
cannot be easily researched on the Cortex. Zan has supplied them with the way to get past it—the answers…well, most o them, hopeully. Te lif down to this level is on the outer edge o the building, and has a kiosk where you pay the additional ee. Te gallery rooms are concentric circles working your way inward. Tere are six rooms altogether. Te sixth and central-most room houses a vault that contains the Ming vase.
up Operate for the scene when you have access
to Katz’s oce computer. Cluttered Desk, Clean Mind : Step back Focus for the scene to step up Notice for the scene when
searching for information on the chaotic desks of the sta members.
PERMANENT EXHIBITS Tis is one flight below street level, and has all the exhibits that the museum always holds: mostly various types o Chi nese
art, including a multitude o painted scrolls and decorative arts. Tese are ragile, but valuable, and the crew will have
LOCATION TRIGGERS Circular Logic : Take or step up a Where Am I?
Complication to gain a Plot Point when you get lost in the concentric circles. Hackable Kiosk : Step up Operate when you hack
the kiosk in broad daylight. Step up any Assets you create after hacking into the system.
W E I V R O I R E T X E , M U E S U M Y R A T E N A L P D E I L L A
PRELUDE: A BROWNCOAT BENEFACTOR Te Crew brings a rare plant to Zan Chui, an older woman
looking or a Crew to do more than just haul rare vegetation across the black. IN: Serenity Cargo Bay JAYNE and BOOK pump a little iron on a seated bench. In the oreground, RIVER sits cross-legged on the floor, staring intently at the ship’s lone piece o cargo: a large, colorul exotic plant that’s almost as tall as she is. BOOK: Have you noticed that River’s been awful quiet
TROUBLE: REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED WITH FANCY CAKES
Zan Chui, Independent olk hero and social outcast, invites the Crew to have tea to celebrate the closing o their deal while she arranges payment or them directly. She tells the Crew she’s already paid Badger, and the unds she’s giving them is just between honest olk. Zan is biding her time to size up the Crew and see i they’re capable o breaking into the Ariel City museum. She
know is that the tea is made with a heavier dose o the pollens rom the Chao-Deng plant. Tis is no accident. Zan knows the Chao-Deng plant is part o Quon’s security protocols
1
designed to protect the Ming vase. Having the plant on board the ship was primarily a way or her to build up the Crew’s tolerance or the poisonous plant. Te tea is a test to make sure the immunity is built up in their system. Unortunately, not all the Crew has built up the same immunity to the toxin. One o the Crewmembers who has been trying to stay away rom the plant—probably a “smart one” like Jayne—has a bad reaction to the tea. Beore Jayne knows what’s happening, his throat is closing up, his eyes are watering, and he’s having trouble breathing! He’ll have to get medical attention quick to stay upright. I the Crew is rude enough to not accept the tea, Zan’s serving girl will have the reaction instead, and it then becomes a race to treat her reaction. She’ll have the same symptoms, but more severe. Zan keeps a close eye on how the Crew handles her employee. Tankully, Zan has what’s needed to stop the reaction in either case, and the threat will pass quickly. Once the reaction
is over, Zan apologizes. Te doses in the tea are not atal, but the ones in the museum are. She is perectly transparent about testing the Crew—afer all, she’s going to want to know that the people she hires to rob her ex-husband are up to t he task. Te plant is a legitimate need or her, as she has a sealed greenhouse that provides her with most o her ood, and the pests are ast and urious. Zan cares about the Crew’s wellbeing, so she may provide them with allergy medicine that will
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember gets over the worst symptoms but has to deal with an Allergic to
Chou-Deng Complication.
Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember recovers rom the
attack afer a ew moments. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember recovers rom the attack afer a ew moments, and has now developed a total immunity to the effects o the plant or the rest o the Episode.
SHOWDOWN: HIGH RISK , HIGH REWARD Once Zan has the Crew’s ull attention, she lays out the details o the job: “My ex-husband spent the last ew years tracking down and purchasing artiacts rom Earth-Tat-Was. Recently, Quon has partnered with the Allied Planetary Museum in Ariel City to eature a special exhibit in his honor. Tis is the first time he’s given the public a chance to see these relics, most o which he acquired afer our marriage ended. Tere is one memento, though, that I’d like back. His most prized possession is the last Ming vase. My ancestors brought it with them rom Earth-Tat-Was. My mother gave it to Quon as a wedding gif, and now that our marriage is over...” Te Allied Planetary Museum’s security is comparable to Ariel City’s other tourist attractions. Te building has a moderate level o security that was sufficient—up until Quon Chui strolled in with his Earth-Tat-Was artiacts.
Loot’s Attracting All Kinds of Attention: Rumors o
Quon’s arrogance and his ancy alterations o the security protocols have reached the criminal underground. Tough Zan is unaware o how ar those rumors have spread, should the Crew ask the right people, they’ll find out that other thieves, smugglers, veterans, and hoodlums in the area are itchin’ or a way to stick it to Quon. Now, Zan won’t let the Crew leave unprepared; she will be accessible via a private communicator and will fill them in when she can. Zan will offer support via the Cortex and help guide them while they are in the museum. She can’t call off
LEAVE THEIR BOAT OUT OF IT Te Crew might decide to put their boat back into orbit, and use a shuttle or a ake medship to land proximate to the museum. Using a generic landing craf allows access to parking acilities all over the place. Te Crew might build such a vehicle rom scratch (or alter their own shuttle), steal one, or use their contacts to find someone willing to lend one to their cause. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Fix, Physical + Labor, Social + Inuence Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty +
LAND AWAY FROM PRYING EYES Tough the Crew is a ways out rom the city, there are still plenty o places where they could fly in and land nearer to their end destination. Landing away rom the museum allows
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or a quiet approach by coming in one way and heading out a different way. Te Crew can arrange transport via the train, driving in a rented (or stolen) car, or maybe even tracking down patrons o the museum and posing as them or an evening. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Sneak, Mental + Drive, Social + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Core World Security + Longer Travel Time Possible Assets: Hat and Glasses , Unmarked Ride ,
VIP Membership Possible Complications: Caught on Camera, Stuck
PARK CLOSE FOR A QUIC K GETAWAY Land the boat nearby and take their chances, as that’ll provide the easiest getaway. Tis assumes the Crew has a squeaky clean record, which it likely doesn’t. Getting a ship like theirs close will either take a quick takedown o the lonely guard on the landing pad, a clever cover story, or a bribe or two in the right hands. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Mental + Perform, Social + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard Diculty + Core
World Security + Security Detail Possible Assets: Out of Shape Guard, Flashing Flirty Eyes, Fistful of Credits Possible Complications: Let Me Call This in , Let Me See This Emergency Damage , I Want Double or Else
in Trac, Stolen ID Reported Example Results:
Example Results:
get the ship that close without raising suspicion. Tey’ll have to try another approach or directly conront the
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmembers are easily
tracked back to their ship once the heist goes down. Step
up or create a Land Locked Complication. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew gets to the museum without raising any suspicion. Extraordinary Success: Te Crew gets to the museum without raising any suspicion. Tey arrive so quickly they have a little extra time to get the lay o the land beore it closes. Let them ask a ew questions about museum security beore the heist.
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember can’t
Alliance security orces. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember gets the ship onto the landing pad closest to the museum or a quick
getaway. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember gets the ship on the roo o the museum without drawing any unwanted attention to the ship.
L E V E L N I A M , M U E S U M Y R A T E N A L P D E I L L A
ACT I: PRICE OF ADMISSION Te Crew heads over to the museum and must decide whether or not the new arrival is riendly competition or just downright mean. IN: Serenity dining room MAL, ZOE and WASH are seated at the table, and are looking over the museum plans that ZAN CHUI gave them or the job. MAL gets up to stretch and pour himsel a drink. ZOE: Nobody’s ever broken into this museum and escaped, sir. It’s impossible.
SERENITY CREW
A KIND OF HITCH
The Crew has already been to Ariel City and nished a job there. Depending upon when the Episode takes place, the Crew could very easily still have a fake medship oating about, or feel comfortable reconstructing a new boat in
the municipal junkyard since they’ve done it before. The hitch is due to the fact that Jayne, Simon, and River will all come up in a quick Cortex search. Jayne may feel the
display in the ront window. Tis gives the Crew the perect opportunity to take a glance at what t he museum has to offer.
STEALIN’ A PEEK
While the Crew hanging around the entrance, they’ll have a chance encounter with Baiang who’s pretending to
rings, tiaras, and necklaces that was presented as a gif to the Allied Planetary Museum in memory o the Unification War’s
be a tourist. Te master thie is mostly interested in the Ling jewels located on the main floor. o her, jewelry has direct monetary value and is a lot easier to sell on the black market than any Earth-Tat-Was artiact. Te only part o Quon’s
5th anniversary. Te pieces represent various cultures ound in the Anglo-Sino Alliance and shine a spotlight on skilled
collection she thinks is worthy o her time might be the Ming vase, and she knows that getting her hands on the vase is
artisans scattered throughout the ’Verse. Tough this jewelry is not as profitable as the Earth-Tat-Was artiacts rom Quon’s
next-to-impossible—by hersel. Baiang ultimately looks out only or her interests. It is airly likely that she will betray the Crew later on in the
Te Ling Collection is a curated set o earrings, bracelets,
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TROUBLE: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
collection, the loot is a heck o a lot easier to ence. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Notice, Mental + Know, Social + Inuence Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Quiet Museum + Security Detail Possible Assets: Shopping List From Badger , Read the Cortex Entry, A Lovely Little Old Lady Possible Complications: Some Fakes Mixed in , Valu-
able Pieces Missing , Followed by Security Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember makes
a rookie mistake and is caught on a camera outside the museum. Step up or create a They Know My Face
Complication. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember figures out the best stuff to take rom the Ling Collection. Tey lif a number o pieces that can be enced later. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember figures out the
Episode, and it’s up to the Crew to figure out or themselves how much they trust her. Still, Baiang loves to play games, and she’ll sneak right alongside the Crew i it means she can get her hands on the Ling Collection. Tat priceless set o jewelry would be the crowning achievement in her career, and she’d never have to beg, borrow, or steal again. Not that she would stop, o course. Baiang will worm her way in to the Crew’s conversation very careully. When she does, she’ll sidle up to the leader o the group, and propose a temporary partnership. o ensure the conversation remains private, she’ll activate a temporary dampening field and indicate that someone may be listening.
WORKIN’ HANDINHAND Baiang is an opportunist and, in this case, a small team o individuals will work to her advantage better than going it alone. Heck, she might e ven participate in stealin’ that vase
SHOWDOWN: AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember is con-
vinced Baiang will help them. She will…until the time is right to turn on the Crew and keep everything or hersel. Give the Crewmember a She’s on Our Side
Complication.
Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember convinces Baiang
to help. She may betray the Crew at a later moment, but she’s on their side or now. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember convinces
Baiang to help. She may betray the Crew at a later moment, but she’s on their side or now. Create a Baifang’s Got Skills Asset. I the Crewmember spends a Plot Point, it remains in play or the rest o the Episode.
Te deal with Baiang might go south ast. It’s the next, logical step in their meeting; the Crew does not impress the master thie at all, and now they have to deal with her as a hostile rival instead o a riendly one. Baiang will regard them as a threat, too, and that means both sides are at an impasse. Te only way orward, is to ake Out the master thie beore she can cause too much trouble. Should the Crew tr y to shoot or punch Baiang, their tussle in the middle o the city sidewalk shouldn’t go unnoticed.
BACK OFF, BAIFANG Te Crew might get riled up knowing there’s another thie
looking to steal rom the Allied Planetary Museum that very
TWOFORONE HEIST Te Crew might get it into their heads that working with an experienced thie may not be the best approach. Instead, they may opt to give her a counteroffer. For example, the Crew might offer to do both jobs (hers and theirs) without her around and split the profits. By doing so, the Crew won’t have to worry about a new player mucking up their plans, and Baiang gets paid no matter what. Now, Baiang may make a counteroffer o her own to arrange terms that are to her liking, but the first offer is the most important one in this situation. Crewmember Dice Pool: Social + Inuence , Social + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Baiang’s Mental + Focus + Lifetime of Misdeeds
same day. I’n they’re not willing to wait one more evening, they may try to ake Out Baiang through physical orce or threats. Tis Action would be a High Stakes roll. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Social +
Inuence Gamemaster Dice Pool: Baiang’s Physical + Fight
+ Bean Pole OR Baiang’s Mental + Focus + Lifetime of Misdeeds Possible Assets: You Know My Reputation, Got the Drop on You, Ambushed in Broad Daylight Possible Complications: You’ve Made an Enemy Out of Me, Mighty Big Shiner , Too Many Onlookers
Example Results: Failure to Raise the Stakes: Baiang akes Out the
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TURN BAIFANG OVER TO SECURITY Te Crew could decide that Baiang works best as an
immediate distraction. A tussle with the master thie might attract the attention o Katz and his security guards; while one or two Crewmembers deal with Baiang, the others hail the guards and make use o the distraction to slip into the Earth-Tat-Was exhibit. Te Crew might also reckon it’s only a matter o time beore she sells them out, so they eel
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Katz figures out that Baiang
isn’t the real threat! A Crewmember is arrested (aken Out) by Katz. Te Crewmember can spend a Plot Point and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in Katz’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Otherwise, he
1 T N E M E S A B B U S , M U E S U M Y R A T E N A L P D E I L L A
ACT II: PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE EXHIBITS Te Crew cases the museum during its daylight hours. IN: Te main floor o the Allied Planetary Museum. Sof,
to see what I’ve collected over a lietime o amazingness! It is true, I am a abulously wealthy person, but I don’t just keep all
overhead lighting shines down on protected displays filled with jewelry, precious stones, and metals that are artully arranged by system. JAYNE and BAIFANG are standing close to an ornate pistol rom the Blue Sun System that’s bedecked with precious
that money or mysel—I use it to find the most spectacular artiacts rom Earth-Tat-Was. Nobody has a finer collection anywhere in the ’Verse. Not even that xiao tou Durran Haymer has anything close to what I’ve got, I can tell you that or ree.” Authentic Earth-Tat-Was artiacts are well over five hundred years old or more and are rarer than most might
jewels arranged in the shape o a dragon. JAYNE: (whispers) You ain’t takin’ our haul, lady. Got
think. In order or them to be authentic and real, they have
stroll past him. His voice is so loud, he’s attracting all kinds o attention to himsel. “I know what Chui said, and I don’t care about his orders. My orders stand. You will add his collection to your patrol,
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you got that? When you can tell me that it’s clean, then you can leave. What’re you looking at?” Katz will abruptly end the call and storm off in a huff. Te players should now realize t hat there will be security personnel showing up i something goes wrong. For whatever reason, Katz has changed his routine some, and there’s no
telling what other surprises might be in store or ’em, too.
SIZING UP SECURITY Now that they’re in the museum, the Crew has the oppor-
tunity to size up the museum’s security. Every floor, including the Earth-Tat-Was Exhibit, will be routinely patrolled by a pair o security guards and may have other protocols in place that Zan and Baiang are not aware o. Te Crew might quietly take notice o the timing o patrols, knock out some guards or their uniorms, or chat them up to get an idea o how good Katz is at his job. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Notice, Social +
Inuence Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard diculty + Museum
Security Protocols + Security Detail X Possible Assets: Fellow Browncoat , I’ll Pay You Double, Locked in the Bathroom Possible Complications: Ill-Fitting Uniform, The Guard Remembers You, Sound the alarm!
SHOWDOWN: LET’S GET PHYSICAL Tere are several ways the Crew can deal with the guards depending upon how aggressive their negotiations get. I Baiang
is cooperating with the Crew, she’ll recommend that they should split up and case multiple floors to note the position o the cameras and any potential hiding places. With a wink, she’ll mention that it’s easier to hide inside the museum than break in rom the outside afer nightall. “Sometimes,” she’ll quip, “the saest place to hide is right out in the open.” Te master thie is o the mind that they don’t need to deal with the guards—unless they absolutely have to. Crew that like to fight and shoot their way through the ’Verse may want to do just that—and that is an option or ’em. However, other tactics may work just as well, considering the guards don’t have a lot o love or Quon Chui and can be bribed, bought, or otherwise persuaded to leave that particular exhibit alone—so long as the Crew swears on the grave o their dear grandmother they won’t touch anything else.
TAKING OUT GUARDS Te guards who patrol each floor tend to work in pairs. Crewmembers might try to fight off any guards they come across or try to sneak past them. I conronted, the Crew has the option o showing their temporary passes to the museum—which may be legitimate i they bothered to pay at the door—i they don’t want to get into a fight. Tis here exchange o fists is a warm up beore the Crew’s real work begins. Still, consider making this a High Stakes roll, where the loser will be orced out o the scene, one way
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
EARTH-THAT-WHAT THE WHAT NOW
The value of Quon Chui’s collection, and which artifacts are real or fake, is not publicly known. Quon thinks every single artifact is real, and the museum doesn’t want to spend the resources to verify his claims. To them, the exhibit draws in visitors
and tourists from all over the Core. Real or fake, anything labeled with Earth-That-Was will turn a prot. This list is, by no means, exhaustive. If’n you want to entice your Crew, butter them up and pick items you believe
they’d care deeply about.
New York Yankees ballcap worn by American baseball player Babe Ruth in 1927. Velvet Elvis painting that’s misidentied as the image of the fth Beatle. Sculpture of the word “LOVE” in red.
Broken planter that’s said to be from the Champs-
Élysées.
First generation iPod, which is labeled as a record player.
Bricks thought to be from the Great Wall of China. One of the ornate doors to the Taj Mahal. A deck of transparent, laser-etched playing cards.
Laserdisc, which is misidentied as a record album. Engine from a Model T Ford (“One of the rst-ever air cars!”).
Seven copies of the Mona Lisa. (This has its own room.)
Shiny parachute that belonged to Mars Land Rover XI First publicly available virtual reality h eadset. Spittoon said to be from the American Civil War.
Red telephone box with a broken vidphone used in
London.
TAKING OUT KATZ When the Crew visits the museum, Katz is actively on duty and will investigate any disturbances personally. He will be armed and has the option o calling guards via his personal commlink; the signal can be interered with or hacked into i the Crew eels the need. Te Crew might come straight at him in the security office on the Administrative Level, send him out on a alse alarm, or distract him with a ake call rom Quon Chui. A career
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Katz akes Out the attacker.
Te Crewmember can spend a Plot Point and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in Katz’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Katz will immediately call or his security orces. Raise the Stakes: Katz is aken Out by the Crewmember. He can spend a Plot Point and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in the Crewmember’s
2 T N E M E S A B B U S , M U E S U M Y R A T E N A L P D E I L L A
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ACT III: SELF-GUIDED TOUR It’s closing time, and the Crew now gets to do the job— possibly with the help o Baiang. IN: Bottom floor o the museum, Earth-Tat Was Exhibit
I Baiang is with them, the Crew’s first goal may be to
WASH and KAYLEE are staring at a room-sized exhibit that’s filled with artiacts arranged to look like the interior o a 21st century department store. Objects placed in the replicated storeront include a threadbare -shirt, a paper-thin tablet, and
get the jewels on the main floor. She’ll volunteer to open up the exhibit cases and will claim first dibs. While she’s interested in the vase, she’d rather go or what she believes is easy pickings first. Te Crew always has the option o splittin’ up, and should they do so make it cle ar that Baiang is a wild card. She’s unpredictable, and will double-cross the Crew the first
an empty bottle o wine. WASH: I’m telling you, Bob Dillon composed “All Along
chance she gets now that the game is on. o make it through this scene, the Crew will have to
TAKING HINTS
Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Move, Mental
+ Operate, Mental + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Laser Maze + On the Clock Possible Assets: Mirrors, Ballet Classes , Diusing
Smoke Possible Complications: Twisted Ankle, Laser Burn ,
Caught in the Corner Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember has ailed
to successully break the code, and a tracer has been triggered. Te Crewmember earns a Katz Is Coming Complication. When the Complication reaches 2,
the security team will come r ushing in. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember has access to the controls, and can selectively turn security protocols on and off. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember has ull access to the controls, and Katz remains completely
Not every Crewmember is filled to the brim with EarthTat-Was acts. Te brainier characters may want a moment or two to think about the questions. Successully raising the stakes removes one or more o the wrong answers. Crewmembers might look things up on the Cortex, contact Zan or help, or search their own brainpans or the answer, but they’ll have to be quick—they’ll only have a couple o minutes to answer the question beore the security protocol kicks in. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Operate, Mental + Know Gamemaster Dice Pool: challenging Diculty + Vault Door + Clock’s Tickin’ Possible Assets: Cortex Link Established, Bar Trivia King, History Books from the Ship Possible Complications: Alarm Level Increased,
Unreliable Cortex Data , Live Quon Feed Example Results:
unaware that they have broken into the sensitive areas o the museum.
figure out a hint. Tey must answer now or disable the
TROUBLE: LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF TRIVIA Once the Crew arrives at the locked door to the EarthTat-Was Exhibit, a hologram o Quon will appear and ask a series o questions. Te trivia is a byproduct o Quon’s obsession; he’s so smug about his collection, so confident in his superiority, that it’s become a game. “No one, and I mean
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember doesn’t
security segment. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember removes one o the alse answers through deduction. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember removes two o the alse answers through deduction.
QUESTION ONE: MOBY DICK WAS WRITTEN BY WHICH AUTHOR? Samuel Taylor Coleridge
LASER MAZE
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ELECTRIFIED ROOM
A maze o laser beams crisscross the floor, the walls, and make any movement orward without breaking the beams a
A high current flows through the floor and walls in the room. Te trick to deeating it is grounding the Crewmember,
challenging affair. A Crewmember might move through the lasers, hack the console to deactivate them, or place a ew
making sure the Crewmember’s eet don’t touch the floor, or lowering the current with a Cortex hack. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Move, Physical + Labor, Mental + Operate Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty
mirrors in just the right spots to clear a trail. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Move, Mental + Operate, Mental + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Laser Maze + On the Clock Possible Assets: Mirrors, Ballet Classes , Diusing
+ Electried Floor + On the Clock Possible Assets: Rubber Boots, A Lot of Chip-Ups ,
Quon’s Protocols Cracked
Smoke Possible Complications: Twisted Ankle, Laser Burn ,
Possible Complications: Still Twitchy, Sore Arms,
Cortex Tablet Infected
Caught in the Corner Example Results:
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember working
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember working
on the security system is aken Out! Te Crewmember
on the security system is aken Out! Te Crewmember can spend a Plot Point and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in the trap’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew deeats the security system,
can spend a Plot Point and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in the trap’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew deeats the security system, but must leave someone behind to keep the system
but must leave someone behind to keep the system under control. Extraordinary Success: Te Crew deeats the security system and all Crewmembers can attempt the next system.
QUESTION TWO: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER WAS WRITTEN
under control. Extraordinary Success: Te Crew deeats the security system and all Crewmembers can attempt the next system.
QUESTION THREE: THE TERMS “ALGEBRA” AND “ALGORITHM” DERIVE FROM WHICH MATHEMATICIAN?
GUARD DRONES A pair o Guard Drones zips out o the wall and
Example Results:
start buzzing around the Crew. Each drone contains multiple doses o a sleeping gas, so they must be aken Out by the Crewmembers. Te drones can be smashed, shot, or hacked. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Physical + Shoot, Mental + Operate Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + On the Clock + Guard Drone X Possible Assets: Scattergun, Lead Pipe, Drone
Diagnostics Possible Complications: Face Full of Shrapnel ,
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember working
on the security system is aken Out! Te Crewmember
can spend a Plot Point and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in the trap’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew deeats the security system, but must leave someone behind to keep the system under control.
Extraordinary Success: Te Crew deeats the security
system and all Crewmembers can attempt the next system.
Dodging Drones , More Drones? Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember working
on the security system is aken Out! Te Crewmember can spend a Plot Point and accept a Sleeping Gas Com-
plication equal to the highest rolling die in the drone’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember takes out a drone. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember takes out all remaining drones.
QUESTION FIVE: WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE UPRISING THAT OCCURRED IN CHINA AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY?
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The Boxer Rebellion
The Hong Kong Takeover The Warring States
The Guangzhou Movement THE FINAL TURRET A nasty looking Autoturret lowers rom the ceiling.
QUESTION FOUR: WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN SPACE?
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Yuri Gagarin Gus Grissom Bart Starr
Buzz Aldrin
It tracks the Crew’s every move, and is sensitive to heat. I the Crew answers incorrectly, the Autoturret opens fire with nonlethal ammunition that will threaten to ake Out the Crew. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Physical + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Autoturret + Hard Dif-
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SHOWDOWN: IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER?
RESISTING THE GAS
Te final door is the vault that contains the Ming vase. Once they get this ar, afer jumping through all those hoops, they will be able to open it via Zan’s backdoor. Once they
Te Crewmembers can resist the gas by blocking out the effects mentally or physically. Savvy Crews might acquire or bring gas masks in preparation or this scenario, but will still need to figure out how to look inconspicuous with a bag
enter Zan’s codes, the opened door will trigger a release o the plant’s poison—the final stage o Quon’s security measure. Whichever Crewmembers were allergic to the Chao-Deng
o gear in the museum. Once they’re done dealing with the toxin’s effects, the Crew can saely extract the vase—then all they need to do is saely get out!
E D I S Y R T N U O C G N I D N U O R R U S D N A H T U O S Y T I C L E I R A
ACT IV: EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP Te Crew has completed the job, bypassed security, and has managed to go unnoticed thus far. Now, the Crew must escape the museum beore the Law, Katz, or Quon Chui catches up with them. IN: Katz’s office, Administrative Level. QUON and KAZ are standing in ront o KAZ’s closed office door. QUON: Why have you called me here? My security protocols were solid!
It’s time or the Crew to hustle and get out o the museum
without gettin’ pinched. Piece o cake!
TROUBLE: EVERYBODY MOVE! o complicate matters some, Quon arrives at the scene to personally oversee the capture o the “filthy” thieves. All the holograms will point to a live eed where he makes a bold claim: the Ming in the vault is a planted ake. Quon Chui dares the Crew to come and take the real one rom him. I
SHOWDOWN: MERCIFUL MING Tis last scene incorporates a imed Action. Te Crew will have a total o five beats beore the Ariel City police arrive
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and the Crew gets pinched. I the Crew makes it out through the main floor, which is two floors up rom the Earth-TatWas Exhibit, they’ll need to quickly hoo it back to their ship beore they’re in the clear. I the Crew runs out o beats beore accomplishing their goals, the Crew gets caught red-handed in the museum. I the Crew is caught, things may look dire until Quon makes the Crew an offer; tell him who hired them to steal the vase and return all the loot they stole, and he’ll drop the charges. Katz will be urious, but he knows better than to intervene without Quon’s permission. Katz, unlike Quon, is not a high-ranking member o Alliance society. Tough he lives on a ancy Core planet, he’s just a working stiff. Should the Crew reveal to Quon that his ex-wie hired them, he’ll ask them to arrange a meeting with her. He’ll let them go as he promised, but they will still have to deliver a message. Otherwise, he’ll report her to the Feds along with the Crew, too. Baiang, on the other hand, will get pinched no matter what. I she’s still around, she’ll stab the Crew in the back anyway she can. Since this is the last Act o the Episode, ocus on stepping up Complications instead o creating new ones. Keep in mind that a Complication that’s stepped up past 2 will result in a Crewmember aken Out. Any aken Out Crewmembers will be collected by the Alliance at the end o the imed Action and returned to the Crew’s ship afer processing—unless
GOING UP A LEVEL Te Crew has to make it up two floors and out the main entrance to make their escape rom the museum. Te Crew must successully complete this action two times to successully end the imed Action with their escape. Tey can figure out the shortest route, move quickly, or move quietly. Remember that Crewmembers can lend each other dice to help out with the effort! Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Notice , Physical + Move, Physical + Sneak Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard Diculty + Emer-
gency Lights + Alarms Possible Assets: Emergency Exit, Up the Fire Stairs, Short Cut Possible Complications: Someone Cut the Rope, Unexpected Patrol, Sealed Blast Doors
Example Results: Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember got
turned around in the excitement. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew is one step closer to reedom. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember remembered exactly which way they came in and Zan’s codes are working like a charm. Lose no beats.
BAIFANG’S PAYBACK Baiang remains a wild card throughout the heist. I the Crew has the Ming, she swoops in to take it. I the Crew lost it, she’s there to scoop up any other loot they may have. Tey can gun her down, run her into the authorities, or convince her to fight another day. Any way you cut it, this is a high stakes roll. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Shoot, Mental + Trick, Social + Inuence Gamemaster Dice Pool: Baiang’s Physical + Move
/Shoot + Escape Artist Possible Assets: Surrounded, Here’s My Cut , Mislabeled Exit Possible Complications: Leg Wound, Everybody Freeze, You Owe Me Example Results:
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crew should have taken
those ree pottery classes in payment or that job back on Sweethome. Tey can’t tell i Quon’s bluffing. Tey’ll have
to ake him Out to get the real answer. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew has the real one! Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crew researched it ahead o time to make sure they grabbed the real vase. Tey aren’t ooled a bit. Lose no beats.
THE OLE SWITCHEROO Tere are two vases. One o them is real, one o them is ake. Why not just grab them both? A Crewmember might convince Quon to make a trade, corner him in a dead end, or just tackle the hun dan and make the switch on the ground.
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember is aken
Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Labor, Mental
Out by Baiang. Lose one beat. Te player may spend a Plot Point to take a Complication and stay in the fight. Te Complication is set by Baiang’s highest rolling die. Raise the Stakes: Baiang is aken Out. She can stay
+ Fix, Physical + Fight Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Quon’s Obsessive Collector + Panicked Socialite Possible Assets: Watch His Eyes, Subtle Mark,
in the fight by spending a Plot Point and accepting a Complication equal to the Crewmembers highest rolling
Another Ming?!? Possible Complications: Something’s Rattling Around Inside, One of Them’s Busted Open , Wait… That One…Right?
die. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Baiang is aken Out quickly! She can stay in the fight by spending a Plot Point and accepting a Complication equal to the Crewmembers
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Quon sucker punches the
Crewmember. Now he’s got both vases. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember makes the switch!
highest rolling die. Lose no beats.
CHARGING CECIL KATZ Katz has been a thorn in the Crew’s side all evening. Te shortest distance to the exit goes through his security
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office. I the Crew akes Out Katz, they can move through the museum much more quickly than sneaking around, and only must go up a level once. Katz has rallied his remaining our officers around him. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Shoot, Physical + Fight Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty
+ Katz’s Chief of Security + Proud of His Work + Always Watching + Security Detail Possible Assets: Full Auto Weapon, Stun Grenades,
Suppressing Fire Possible Complications: Out of Ammo, Cut O ,
Surrounded Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember is aken Out by Katz. Lose one beat. Te player may spend a Plot
Point to take a Complication and stay in the fight. Te Complication is set by Katz’s highest rolling die. Raise the Stakes: One o Katz’s guards is aken Out.
I no guards remain, Katz is aken Out. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: wo o Katz’s guards are aken Out. I no guards remain, Katz is aken Out. Lose no beats.
KIDNAPPING QUON CHUI Quon Chui might have made a slight mistake showing
RETRIEVE THE FALLEN Te Crew’s dosage o the poisoned plant might have aken Out a Crewmember or t wo. Tis Action allows another Crewmember to bring a aken Out Crewmember to saety outside o the museum.
SCOOP UP SOME LOOT Te Crew may have been filling their pockets as they went,
or now might be the time to smash and grab some artiacts. Te Crew might haul out a big sack, or careully select the smallest yet most valuable pieces. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Labor, Mental + Operate, Mental + Operate Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Second Floor artifacts Possible Assets: artifact Catalog, Shopping List,
Pocket Full of Priceless Possible Complications: Display Lockdown, Damaged
Goods, Just a Little Blood on It Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crew scoops up some
worthless junk. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crew gets some good stuff and
some useless stuff. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crew finds all killer, no filler. Give them a ree Asset or the next Episode to represent their windall. Lose no beats.
Assuming the Crew gets away with the loot, they still
have to return the vase to Zan. Tis aspect o the heist can happen very quickly or you can draw out that scene into a ull Epilogue depending upon what the Crew decides to do next. Should the Great Ming Caper be successul, Zan’ll provide the Crew with the promised bonus money, and also a list o potential buyers or the other merchandise they collected. I and when they return the vase to their client in person, Zan will say: “Tank you or bringing my amily’s heirloom back to me. I must coness, I wasn’t sure I’d see you again. You could easily have taken the job and sold all the items or your own profit. Tank you. I will never orget this kindness.” She will then take the vase rom our heroes and place the Chao-Deng plant into it and quip: “Quon will never see the jewel o his collection again. It was never his to display. Tank you, or doing me this avor.” I the Crew had trouble escaping, got pinched, or couldn’t procure the vase, Zan’ll give them a small consolation ee or their trouble. While she won’t show up hersel to an Alliance prison, Zan will use the contacts at her disposal to get them out quickly. Once they’re meeting ace to ace, Zan’ll ask the Crew i they happened to see the look on Quon’s ace when he ound out he’d been robbed...
ROLL CREDITS Depending upon how this Episode ends, the Crew might be in a mess o trouble. Assuming the Crew makes it out with some
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loot, they now have a whole mess o valuable merchandise they’ll need to ence. While Zan has been good to her word and gave the Crew a pile o contacts to sell those hot EarthTat-Was artiacts, the loot’s got a lot o buyers. Te next batch o adventures is inspired by the Crew’s antics during the Great Ming Caper. Afer all, anyone dumb— or brave—enough to target a museum in the Core is bound to get noticed by all manner o olk. Some’ll be less savory than others.
A HARD MAN TO REFUSE Darius Makepeace has eyes and ears in every corner o the ’Verse. His network o spies is paid a monthly stipend to share inormation with him about Earth-Tat-Was artiacts, historians, and the like through a secure Cortex channel. Ting is, everyone Makepeace comes in contact with will lie through their teeth to tell him whatever he wants to hear. Tat’ll spell disaster or the Crew, or by the time Makepeace catches up with them? Te zealot will believe that they’ve got a lot more than they actually have. How will the Crew respond when Makepeace catches up with them? Will t hey be
BADGER’S TRUE COLORS As soon as Badger catches wind o Zan’s job, he’ll send the Crew a wave. He believes that the Crew has to pay him orty percent o the proceeds. Should the Crew reuse, Badger’ll threaten them by saying he’s got to get a bit creative. What the Crew does next will determine how Badger reacts to them. Should they skimp on his cut or try to outsmart him, Badger’ll hire their riends and rivals to tie them up by their bootstraps. Badger may have played the ool in the past, but not this time. He’s ready and willin’ to show the Crew the criminal he truly is. Will the Crew cave to Badger’s demands? Or, will they wind up in the middle o a tussle bet ween Badger and his rivals who think he’s lost his touch?
THICKLY VEILED THREAT When it comes to Quon Chui and the Allied Planetary Museum, the Alliance doesn’t mess around. Quon has paid the Alliance enough credits to keep an agent at his personal beck-and-call, and he’s not araid to call in a avor or two when he eels the need. Soon as the Crew believes they are in the clear, Molly ruman comes afer the Crew, threatens them, and tries to ake Out one o their contacts. Much to the Crew’s surprise, she won’t kill them, however. Instead, she
able to convince Makepeace they don’t have what he wants? Or, will the Crew dare to double-cross him by pulling the
tells the Crew to stop coming afer Quon, to avoid digging into
con o a lietime?
and why? More importantly, Quon doesn’t seem to be aware o what the Alliance wants rom him. Will the Crew be able
the past. Seems the Alliance is protecting Quon—or what
THIEVES IN HEAVEN
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“I keep telling the Captain that Serenity needs new parts. Spit and bailin’ wire isn’t enough.” - Kaylee
THE WAY OF THINGS A ew years ago the War ended, and Heaven City started to die. o be honest, it wasn’t entirely healthy to begin with.
Heaven City was a collection o owner-operated shipwrights who worked together to make ends meet. Once the War began, they made ships or the Independents, and things got better or a while. Once the War was over, though, nobody outside
but a rumor. As the natives say, there’s always a little bit o Angel in you wherever you go. ruth is, Astrolabe caused Angel Pox. Teir manuacturing process, which is cheaper and aster than most other shipbuilders can manage, leaches toxins into the environment; repeated, prolonged exposure causes the Pox. Key employees
CASTING CALL
MAIN CAST
Te heart o any Episode is the story, and this particular one is
about a corporate conspiracy. Tis type o plot isn’t fixated on any one character; multiple Antagonists and potential allies, like Mercy Keeley and Michael Keeley , are involved. With that in mind, o the 13 Antagonists presented in this book there are a ew candidates that would fit in nicely. Asante Okoro has the chops or an Episode like this, provided you decide that the Blue Sun Corporation has ties to Astrolabe Engineering. Julius Morgan is flexible, too, on account o the act that he is a spy and can act on his own volition. Rival crews and gangs o the smash-and-grab variety, however, may be too disruptive or a story like this. In this case, individual Antagonists work well to highlight the deeper plot, because a corporation is bigger, badder, and has a lot more resources than they do. Tat said, any rival crew you introduce should have a conscience. Te Keeleys will shake the Crew up, but they can also help ’em out, too. Lastly, i you’d preer to amp up the conspiracy and give it a ew darker twists and turns, consider introducin’ Molly ruman and come afer the Crew hard. Or, with a ew tweaks, you could leverage the resources Darius Makepeace has at his disposal. Astrolabe Engineering could be runnin’ an illegal salvage operation, and, in exchange or Makepeace’s generous investments, they could be handing over whatever Earth-Tat-Was artiacts they find. ’Course, Makepeace could also be encouragin’ Astrolabe to afflict the residents. Te more Alliance citizens get sick, the easier it’ll be or Makepeace to
I the Crewmembers are rom Serenity , this Episode is perect to run early on, like between “Bushwhacked” and “Shindig.” During that time, Mal is still very tender about the Alliance, the Crew doesn’t ully trust each other, and Kaylee has been complaining about parts going bad, like that compression coil. Te questions raised by the events o Tieves in Heaven could provide interesting role-play opportunities, particularly between Mal (who still considers himsel a Browncoat), Jayne (an opportunistic mercenary), and Simon (terrified o the Alliance). Tere are a lot o ways to get the Serenity Crew tied into the GMCs in this Episode. Here are some examples: Mal: A young private once under his command now works security or Astrolabe and is quite happy with the job. Jayne: Last time he was here, a crew ripped off a piece o the ship he was guarding, and it came out o his cut
o the job. Inara: One o Keeley’s Ghost Foxes was a client, but has been too ashamed to visit since being injured. Book: Book was in Heaven City during the part o his lie he doesn’t talk about, but he knows the big gap between what it was and what it is. Zoe: Bendis, a dead soldier who ought with Zoe and
Mal in the war, said he had a girl here in Heaven City. Wash: Wash flew an Astrolabe ship beore joining the
ARCHETYPES AND ORIGINAL CREWMEMBERS
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Cortex Hacker: Astrolabe’s CEO once boasted that the proprietary system that controlled their ships was
I the Crew is composed o archetypes or original char-
unhackable. Being the first to do so would bolster your
acters, think about tying the plot back to one o the player’s Distinctions or backgrounds. Below we’ve included sample subplots or twelve archetypes. Use the ideas as presented or adapt them or other original Crewmembers that best fit your Crew. Academy Dropout: Beore leaving the Academy, you
reputation amongst your peers. Derelict Salvager: You know that the badly-needed part
was in a bulk lot you sold to Astrolabe a ew years ago. Te part might still be around Heaven City somewhere, gathering dust. Dishonored Politician: Astrolabe was a big contributor
were part o a team that was researching the Angel Pox disease. You were just starting to figure out how to cure or treat it, when you decided to abandon your studies. Alliance Agent: You’ve worked undercover with Keeley’s Ghost Foxes in the past. You were part o a mission when one o them was permanently disfigured. You’ve never orgotten the incident. Asteroid Miner: Te slow demise o Heaven City has also affected nearby mining operations. You know that miners used to sell their ore to Heaven City or use in their ships. Getting Heaven City back to ull speed would make you a lot o riends nearby. Battle-Worn Bounty Hunter: You’ve gotten wind o Gentleman Jim’s tragic back story. His old identity might have a nice little bounty on it. ’Course, Jim might think it’s worth it to pay you off to make sure Debrah never finds out who he really is. Border Planet Farmer: You hail rom another part o Angel and moved out to the Border Planets beore becoming inected with Angel Pox. One o your relatives
to your last campaign. O course, once the scandal hit, the corporation never returned your waves. Dock Foreman: You got your start at Phoenix Cruisers and knew Mercy and Michael’s parents. Best bosses you ever had. High-Stakes Gambler: You held on to some unrelated piece o equipment during the ship’s crash landing. It’s now your lucky token. You’ve either got to wean yoursel
off rom believing it’s lucky, or convince some rube on Angel o its power and sell it or a profit. Small-ime rader: Astrolabe parts etch a high premium because they work the best with other Astrolabe parts. You know demand is high, but the profit margin is thin. Parts acquired in a dishonest manner,
however, could turn this disaster into a windall. riad Enorcer: Te lack o riad presence in Heaven City means a wide open market to exploit. Te best way to introduce yoursel to the citizens here is eliminating your competition: Gentleman Jim and his Saints.
MERCY KEELEY “Ain’t no cause for the 530 class to have those stabilizing ns. Not in my design.” hipwright and Tinkerer Character Type:S uide to Heaven City Role:G Acts: Act I and II Character Description: Mercy is a tall, muscular woman with a big wrench and a bigger sneer. She has short, white-blond hair, rugged clothing, and always
seems to have tools on hand. Mercy and her twin brother, Michael, were both born
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in Heaven City to a family of struggling ship builders.
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When the Unication War came, the demand briey
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boomed, but since then orders have been worse than
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before. Mercy grew up hating the Alliance, between h er twin leaving to ght for them and her parents being
killed in the War. Now that she’s taken over the family business, Phoenix Cruisers, she does a lot of repair work on the side to make ends meet, but her passion is in making ships and showing that generations of tradition still means something. She buys salvage and parts from all over, which she uses to build new s hips in her garage
(although she hasn’t nished one yet). When the Crew meets her, she treats them as a
necessary evil, unless they admit to some Browncoat allegiance. Deep under her gru exterior, though, she cares deeply—her angry demeanor is just to keep people from hurting her further. Once she warms to the Crew, she’s loyal and passionate, and can’t stop talking about putting ships together.
She also has a nasty hacking cough—a result of the Angel Pox that infects many of the citizens of Heaven City. Likes and Dislikes: She’s angry at (but still loves) her
twin, Michael. She hates Debrah Wun and everything she stands for. In general she cares for the people in
O DISTINCTIONS
D W 8 So many folk come and go at a spacedock that it’s like a daily class in other cultures. It’s also gorramn drudgery and pays almost nothing, so why not keep an ear open?
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Cosmopolitan: Spend 1 PP to add a Specialty in a dierent culture to your Crew Sheet for a scene.
F I 8 Go ahead, tell me what to do. I won’t stop you wasting your breath.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Bullheaded : The rst time in an argument that you spend a PP
to avoid being Taken Out, step back the resulting Complication.
S M 8 A ship’s a living thing, no matter what they say. You can feel when she’s
MICHAEL KEELEY “I thought I was doing the right thing, ghting for the Alliance. But then, the worst thing in the ’ Verse happened: we won.” Character Type: Crew Leader hort-Term Rival and Potential Savior Role:S Acts: Act I, II, and IV Character Description: The rst thing you notice about
Michael is the patch over one eye and the two missing ngers from his left hand—all lost to an Independent grenade trap. He has long white-blond hair that he keeps tied into a ponytail, and wears a mismatch of combat gear. Michael and his twin sister, Mercy, were born on Angel. Times were tough and kept getting tougher, so when
the Alliance oered a chance to make a dierence, he signed up. He became a sergeant of an o-the-books unit,
code-named Ghost Fox, which inltrated Independent ships and installations in order to disable them. It was a high-risk job, and every one of them got injured. When the War was won, they were let go, and since
they ocially didn’t exist, they ocially didn’t get any veteran’s benets either. Michael and his crew are forced to live on the Rim, taking whatever work they can. Recently he’s come back home to Heaven City, but he’s been too ashamed to ta lk
to his sister—she has no clue he’s back on planet, and he doesn’t know his parents were civilian casualties during the War.
Since coming back to Angel, Michael’s picked up the early stages of Angel Pox. He doesn’t have any serious symptoms yet beyond regular itchiness around his neck and forearms. Likes and Dislikes :Michael hates the Alliance, but he
also hates the Independents more for what they did to him. He loves his sister Mercy, but he’s as hamed to be
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DISTINCTIONS
S 8 It’s everyone for themselves in the black.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Saboteur: Step up your Fix die when you use a part that you took from a ship without the owner’s knowledge.
P B N 8 No rest for the wicked. Least not so long as you can remember all the mi tian gong you’ve seen.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Tough to Shock : When you resist intimidation or scare tactics, step up or double Focusf or the roll
S 8 It takes a lot to throw you o-balance.
“GENTLEMAN” JIM DEMIDOV “I will rip your intestines out with my teeth if you provoke me further.” Character Type:F reelance Security Consultant strolabe’s Chief Thug Role:A Acts: Act II and IV Character Description: “Gentleman” Jim Demidov
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looks like a nobleman who has fallen on hard times and
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taken up ruthless brutality as a profession. He is a tall,
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hulking man with a beard and scars on his knuckles. He
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wears a suit and a top hat, but both are ripped and torn
from street ghts. He speaks with an Eastern European accent (he may hail from Ezra), but his English is awless
and articulate. This contrast of violence and tattered grace is due to James Demidov originally being from a noble fam ily that was disgraced by supporting the Independent cause during the War. The family was utterly ruined, many
committed suicide, and James became “Gentleman
Dirty Fighting
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Polite Intimidation
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Jim.” In fact, “Demidov” is not even his real name, but
DISTINCTIONS
one that he has used during the years that he’s been
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working as a “security consultant” for Astrolabe. Since his reinvention, he has discovered a terrifying
Folks whisper your name when they see you coming. And hope you
ruthlessness and capacity for inicting pain. There is an echo of his previous charm and civility, and he pretends to conduct himself by a gentleman’s code, but he really
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Intimidating Build: Spend 1 PP to roll your Physical die instead
just enjoys hurting people, often randomly switching between polite conversation and sickening brutality. Likes and Dislikes: Demidov is a simple man. He likes money, he likes hurting people, and he particularly likes
if he can get one by doing the other. The politics of the War mean very little to him Flashbacks and Echoes: The War took away everything
Demidov ever knew, including his own sanity. But it a lso
gave him this exciting new career in putting people in
leave as soon as possible.
of your Mental die when using your Inuence to scare someone
E 8 Listen, Mac, bad things are gonna happen. But if you pay up, they won’t happen to you.
5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a . 5 Lean On ’Em: When you coerce someone with threats of violence or property destruction, step up or double Inuence for the Action. If the roll fails, step back Social and Inuence until you
In addition to Debrah’s character raits, you may want to
DEBRAH WUN “Forget about the War. That’s in the past. This is business.” Character Type: Vice-President of Acquisitions, Astrolabe Engineering
Role: Enigma
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Acts: Act IV
add scene or location raits to her dice pools that represent the power and wealth that Debrah commands as a VP or Astrolabe. Here are a ew raits that might show up in her dice pools over the course o the Episode: DixTech GVS “Jeeves” Cortex Tablet : Rather than a personal assistant, Debrah carries a portable computer around with her to organize her very busy lie. Jeeves is a top-o-the-line model eaturing wave
Character Description: Perfectly composed and well-dressed,
Debrah Wun looks like a successful businesswoman. Her dark hair is cut short, and her nails are unpainted but perfectly manicured.
communication, wireless Cortex connection, and the best electronic security outside the Alliance military. Wun can access inormation on whoever she meets as well as directly communicate with Gentleman Jim or any staff members instantly.
She wears glasses to look intelligent, even though she doesn’t need them. Every part of her is a carefully cultivate d facade, and
the result comes o as just a little too polished. Debrah Wun was born on Angel (although not in Heaven City), but she did everything she could to save enough money to go to school in the Core. She got a degree in Business and a job
at Astrolabe right before the Unication War started. She took aggressive risks at the company trying to get contracts with the
Astrolabe
Engineering “Degrasse” Personal Shuttle : Debrah conducts most o her business
Alliance for the war eort, and while they weren’t all successful,
rom her yacht, the Second Star . When she needs to travel
it did get her promotions, and a few enemies. She ended up as a
somewhere, she uses one o these shuttles to take her
Vice President, tasked with buying up other promising companies.
there while she continues to work en route. It is a prime example o Astrolabe’s design philosophies: automated, uncluttered, and practical. Astrolabe Security : Tese are proessional security
After the War was over, she was transferred back to Angel to expand the company’s interests there.
She was horried to discover that Astrolabe was responsible for Angel Pox. She worked twice as hard to land lucrative contracts to revitalize the planet’s economy and justify the company’s expense
in providing a cure to the rest of the residents. She’s continued using the kind of aggressive tactics that have worked for her thus
far, in order to help the planet grow whether it wants it or not. Likes and Dislikes: Debrah isn’t the typical heartless corporate drone—she sincerely wants what she feels is best for Heaven City
and Angel. It’s just that she equates “progress” with “nancial growth,” and doesn’t understand why other people don’t see
guards who wear crisp, clean uniorms, carry well-oiled guns, and only ask questions i you’re missing a security badge or pointing a weapon. Tey’re well trained in response, but don’t have a lot o initiative—rather, they tend to work in patterns that have been drilled into them over time. Tey don’t talk much and care even less about what you have to say, but they’re good at keeping people
SCENES AND LOCATIONS Angel is located in the Kalidasa system and one moon, Zephyr.
HEAVEN CITY
It’s a terraormed planet, and somewhat temperate. Tere’s not
a lot o large vegetation on the planet, however, which works just fine or launching and landing spaceships. Te biggest town on Angel is Heaven City, where a number o shipwrights sprung up afer the planet was first colonized a couple centuries back. However, “big” is relative—there’s still not a lot o so-called civilization round these parts, and Heaven City doesn’t have a lot in the way o amenities. Te War took its toll on Heaven City, and once Astrolabe Engineering moved in, the city never had a chance to recover. MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
SCENE AND LOCATION TRIGGERS In addition to potential main plot and side plot tie-ins, you’ll
also nd a number of potential location triggers that you can add to scenes throughout this Episode. None of them are required for the Episode to move forward, but each
trigger oers an opportunity for your Crew to get mixed up with the people and places in Heaven City in new and interesting ways. Now, keep in mind that location and scene triggers are not associated with Trait dice, and were designed to be
treated separately. Should you feel the need to do so, use additional Trait dice to represent environmental or other obstacles that might make a given task harder to accomplish.
To decide what die type you need, assign a Diculty die rating to the Trait you want to use. For example, if’n you’re
“We got to find some work, Mal. River’s been singing gorramn jingles since we got here. I hear one more
commercial, and I’m fixin’ to leave her behind.” - Jayne Tere are a number o places to go in Heaven City. Some o them have parts that the Crew can buy, or inormation on Astrolabe. Tey can also indulge in local gossip, which is a good way to learn what other olk will take instead o money, or what kind o side problems they have in their lives. Phoenix Cruisers is on the west side o town, within easy travel to most o the locations. All o the citizens o Heaven City have Townsfolk or a relevant Skill (usually also a ). Very ew o them wander around alone, so it’s easy or them to add another Townsfolk
or two to some dice rolls, particularly in large public places. Nearly everyone in town also has Angel Pox in some orm or another, as well, which the Crew is likely to notice. Finally, the town doesn’t get visitors very ofen, and just about everyone in Heaven City saw the Crew’s ship come in, so it’ll be hard or them to keep a low profile in town. Te Crew is looking or a part called an Electromagnetic Flux urbine, or EF or short. It’s the spindly arm that turns the engine. Te bad news is that any business that might have
PHOENIX CRUISERS Description: Engineers and pilots who sided with the
Independents might recognize the name. Phoenix Cruisers (“Fly Sae. Fly Phoenix.”) was one o the best shipwrights during
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the War. Te company’s boats were sturdy, useul, and easy to fix, and more than once they were able to actually redesign existing Alliance ships into structures more useul or the Independent cause. Tey made a name or themselves as a company that produced solid ships that can fly orever—much like the Firefly class—but rumor was they went out o business soon afer the War. Teir logo o a phoenix with engines or wings is still on the side o the hangar, but the paint is aded and chipped afer years o neglect. Mercy’s an ace mechanic, but she doesn’t have the part the Crew needs. ownsolk: Mercy Keeley Main Plot ie-In: Mercy will help fix up t he Crew’s ship once they get the parts they need, and she offers to let them hunker down in the hangar i they need a place to sleep. Side Plot ie-In: Mercy doesn’t know that her brother, Michael, is still alive. She hasn’t seen him since he joined the Alliance during the War.
BOSCO’S GENERAL STORE Description: Old Bosco Miller’s been around Angel City
since beore the War. He’s always sold supplies and goods to the local shipwrights or a reasonable price. Te Pox has inected his eyes and ace, though, so he ain’t as prettified as he once was. He also do esn’t sell ship parts. But most everyone in Heaven City comes into his store. His son, revor, hasn’t
of Heaven City that he doesn’t already know. Believe It or Not : While in Bosco’s General Store, step up any Asset you create that’s based on a
rumor or piece of gossip you get from Old Bosco
himself. HEAVENLY PARTS Description: Te logo is o a scantily clad woman in
a pin-up pose wearing angel’s wings, but the store itsel is clean and well run. Te prices are higher than average, too, but since Jin Green has the only store that actually has new (non-Astrolabe) parts shipped into Heaven City, he thinks he’s worth it. He’s only just starting to get the Pox, and he’s vain enough to wear long-sleeved shirts to cover the rashes all over his chest and arms. He’ll also tell Astrolabe that the Crew is poking around i they start asking the wrong questions. ownsolk: Jin Green (Merchant ) Main Plot ie-In: Jin can identiy the EF as being only
sold by Astrolabe. He’ll get in touch with Astrolabe i the players ask about it—snitching is why Astrolabe hasn’t tried to acquire his business yet. Side Plot ie-In: Since he got the Pox, Jin really wants to get it cured. He’s heard that the Core might have a cure or it, and would be happy to join the Alliance or Astrolabe i it meant getting rid o his illness. Location riggers: Higher Prices, Better Parts: Take or step up a Com plication relating to your nancial resources to step up an Asset based on a part purchased from
Heavenly Parts.
Sorted Stock : Step up or double Notice when
Tey’ll still need enough to help them get settled somewhere new—this isn’t just a ticket—so the Crew will need to make a
to let you use the shop. Also, a date with Liu Gang at the Red Dragon will make him eternally grateul. He knows a
lot o room or their belongings, equipment, and stock Side Plot ie-In: Te Pox has made Carl sterile. He wants
lot about Astrolabe’s interest in buying up the town, as well as the rumor that Astrolabe may have a cure or the Angel Pox. He stays in town in the hope that he’ll someday get the attention o Liu Gang. Side Plot ie-In: Rocky is in love with Liu Gang, but he’s
to have children, but Cassie’s not so sure she does. Location riggers: Rebuilt, Recycled, Reused : Spend 1 Plot Point at Maruna Refurbished Parts to step back a Compli cation associated with a specic ship part. You
can only do this once per Episode with any given ship part.
never worked up the nerve to talk to such a beautiul man. He’s
also worried that “relations” would cause the Pox to spread. Location riggers:
stays because he has nowhere else to go, and can’t go back to the Core. Liu doesn’t relish local gossip, but he longs or news o the Core. Debrah Wun has approached him or his
1
services as a Companion, but he has been reluctant to agree or a variety o reasons. Side Plot ie-In: Liu is interested in Rocky Soon, but he is araid that Rocky is more interested in his Companion training than Liu himsel. He has some old Companion medication that he’s been taking, which seems to be helping him keep the Pox at bay—could be that other high-quality medication may have an effect on the Pox. Location riggers: Soothing Ceremony : Spend 1 Plot Point during a tea
ceremony at the Red Dragon to step back a mental
Complication. Quiet Voices : Step back Inuence for the scene to step up or double Focus for the scene by main-
taining a quiet and reserved tone within the Red Dragon.
EZ STORAGE AND SHIPPING Description: Tere’s a central campus o warehouses in
the middle o Heaven City that all o the various businesses and local shipyards share (including Mercy). Each warehouse is broken into smaller subdivisions with a variety o inner walls, reinorced doors, and sturdy locks. Lucy Frasier runs the complex; she’s a ormer War veteran (Independent) who has built a reputation on security and keeping her mouth shut. She’s started getting a rash on her ace rom the Pox. ownsolk: Lucy Frasier (War Veteran )
HEAVEN CITY TOWN CENTER Description: A combination o City Hall, Post Office,
Registrar, and Sheriff ’s Office, the own Center is where all o the city’s government resides. Well, more accurately, it really all resides in one man: Clarence McCluskey, the Mayor and Sheriff o Heaven City. McCluskey is a middle-aged man who probably was once in good shape, but whose body has since gone at with inactivity. He’s an old engineer whose business went under, and since then he’s been the man in charge o making sure things go smoothly in town so that olk can ocus on their livelihoods. He’s air and well respected, even i he’s always tired rom being so overworked. He also believes that Astrolabe bringing money into the community is a good thing. ownsolk: Clarence McCluskey (Mayor ) Main Plot ie-In: Clarence can provide inormation on the other olk in town, as well as Astrolabe, including a map to the campus. Potential Antagonist i the Crew breaks the law. He’ll call Astrolabe i the Crew asks about them; his ability to work with the company is one o the reasons why Astrolabe hasn’t tried to run him out o town. Side Plot ie-In: Clarence is looking or an excuse to throw Gentleman Jim and his cronies into a cell or a while. He’s also concerned about the Pox, and would likely change his opinions o Astrolabe i he heard about the true nature o the disease. Location riggers: Check Your Guns : Gain 1 Plot Point when you volun-
tarily give up your weapons to security when you enter the Town Center. Filin’ Paperwork : Step back
for the scene to
ASTROLABE ENGINEERING “Ms. Wun, let’s talk honestly. We’re both businessmen. We’re both leaders. But, most importantly, we’re both
thieves.” – Mal Not too ar outside o town (a quick drive or a long walk) is the Astrolabe Engineering shipyard. Te company started off making high-end replacement parts or other company’s ships, but during the War they switched to making ships o their own. Since then, they’ve been growing rapidly in the post-War market. Unlike the solid, dependable, and highly customizable ships that Heaven City used to produce (ships like the Firefly class, or example), Astrolabe makes streamlined, uniorm ships, ideal or the aceless Alliance and megacorporations. Astrolabe ships are very intricate, using custom parts and computer code that require mechanics, programmers,
and retailers to be certified in Astrolabe designs. Teir ships perorm incredibly well, thanks to their complete control over every aspect o the engineering and sofware. Further, the price o the ships are competitive with similar ships in their class—Astrolabe makes up the slight loss on each ship on the higher price o individual parts, the cost o certification or third-party technicians and salespeople, and the mandatory “maintenance” that must be perormed to preserve the warranty and trade-in value. But the real money comes
LAY OF THE ’LABE Te Astrolabe shipyard in Heaven City is more o a campus, containing a actory, warehouse, and offices centered on a large ountain eaturing the company’s logo. Te campus comprises three main buildings: Business Offices: Te offices are the most modern buildings, eaturing polished mirrored glass up each side o the building. Te lobby is chock ull o model ships, sales propaganda, and security personnel who can smile nice while they twist an arm out o a socket. Te top floor eatures a small landing pad or ships. Te quickest way to tell i Debrah Wun is in her office is i her shuttle rom her yacht, Second Star , is on the top o the building Main Warehouse: Te warehouse is a large building with a curved roo. Parts are picked by automated order and are delivered by an automated tram that runs to the actory every 20 minutes or so. Te warehouse eatures landing pads which are heavily patrolled by guards. Astrolabe Factory: Te actory is a long, low building. Obvious encing would ruin the Astrolabe aesthetic, but security guards watch every entry and exit point. Tis building is the least shiny and cold; the maintenance staff avoids it thanks to the toxic means o production. Some o the smaller ships (personal ships, yachts, and aircraf) are built at the actory, while larger ships are built in orbit. Te campus itsel is clean, spartan, and very modern looking, i somewhat monochrome. Te actory and warehouse are automated, with hundreds o robots endlessly working to build, stock, and ship new parts and ships. In act, the only
COMINGS AND GOINGS at a price the Crew can’t afford. During their investigation,
“No one comes to Heaven City by choice these days. Of course, ain’t many that mean to crash into it, neither.”
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they learn more about the Astrolabe shipyards, and are conronted by a ew “concerned citizens,” led by “Gentleman” Jim
- Mercy Keeley
Demidov. Tey try to pressure the Crew into leaving. Tings don’t go smooth or the Crew, and even i they get their hands
Starting with the Prelude, the Crew is sailing through the
on a part, they may want to stick around. In Act III, the Crew visits the Astrolabe Engineering campus
black when their ship suddenly hits something and has a bad
just outside o Heaven City, and will turn up more clues i they
technical ailure that they can’t solve in-flight. Te closest place they can reach to get it fixed is Heaven City on Angel, in the Kalidasa system. Te Crew has to scramble to avoid a rough landing. Te Crew learns in Act I that Heaven City had some o
dig around some. Very ew Heavenites have been inside, and the shipyard seems secure. Te Crew has the opportunity to break in and, i they haven’t ound it already, will discover the part they need. Tey may also find that Astrolabe has plans to buy all o Heaven City’s shipyards—securing their monopoly
the best shipwrights on the Independent side during the Unification War. Te Crew gets in touch with Mercy, a mechanic and shipwright, who offers her place to tow their ship to or repairs. During the night, a rival crew breaks into the hangar and tries to steal some parts rom the ship. Whether the Crew catches the rivals in the act or shortly afer the deed is
in that corner o the ’Verse. I the Crew just takes the part and leaves, they might be able to get away beore the situation takes a turn or the worse. But evidence o Astrolabe’s hand in the Pox, as well as a cure or all the sick olk in Heaven City, also lies somewhere in the campus i there are some big
done, there’s likely to be violence. Te leader turns out to be Michael Keeley, and his crew is a small unit o ormer Alliance soldiers who were wounded during the Unification War and lef without pensions. Michael’s also Mercy’s twin brother, but that’s a act that neither side is comortable admitting. Michael
does coness that they were working or Debrah Wun, Vice President o Acquisitions or Astrolabe Engineering. In Act II, the Crew shops around in town or the part
damn heroes at the table. Tings come to a head in Act IV, the final act. Once the Crew returns with the part (and maybe a ew other things), they discover Debrah Wun has been acting against them to orce them to “understand the need or modernizing Heaven City.” A small shuttle is waiting to take the Crew to her ship, the latest Astrolabe space yacht. Debrah just wants what is best or Heaven City, and is willing to buy the part, the plans, and the Crew’s silence with a new ship that’s a million
PRELUDE: BLINDSIDED IN THE BLACK Te Crew’s ship collides with a bit o space junk that triggers
a catastrophic shutdown o ship’s systems, putting them on a one-way ticket to Heaven City. IN: SERENIY BRIDGE ZOE is sitting in WASH’s lap in the cockpit, and they’re looking out at the stars. Teir body language is relaxed, content.
THE LOWDOWN: FALL RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY For the first time in a while, things are quiet aboard the ship. Maybe the Crew has enough money and stores to be comortable or a while, or maybe their next job is just a long way away and there’s nothing else to do but settle in and enjoy
WASH: Tis is just what we needed. A nice, relaxing night
the trip. Each character (or collection o characters, i they
where nothing bad happens. He moves in to kiss ZOE. Suddenly, she looks past him
would naturally be together) is finding their own way to kill time when a derelict cruiser hits the ship out o nowhere. By
Aggressively buy Complications as jinxes come up. Stepping up Complications are a possibility, but it’s more un to throw a variety o Complications at the players, orcing them to make more rolls, and possibly create more Complications! Tere’s likely to be a mix o ship and non-ship Crewmembers aboard.
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It may seem cruel to throw someone who doesn’t have the proper skills to handle a problem like this, but this is a great time to remind them about using Assets. Tere are two main problems or the Crew to handle: they’re running out o oxygen and are completely off course.
RUNNIN’ OUT OF ATMO Tere’s a leak somewhere in the hull. Fixing it isn’t hard (just patch it up until you can land), but finding it might be tricky. I they can’t, the Crew might have to close off an important part o the ship until they land. No matter the results o this roll, the Crewmember reali zes that this is a serious problem. Tey need to land, and soon. Crewmember Pool: Mental + Notice, Mental + Fix Gamemaster Pool: Challenging Diculty + Runnin’ Out of Atmo + Spinnin’ Out of Control Possible Assets: Spray Foam, Feel the Breeze, Sense
of Direction Possible Complications: Emergency Bulkhead Lock-
down, It’s Freezing in Here , I See Spots Example Results
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember can’t fix
the problem without landing the ship first. Step up or create a new Complication on the ship as the crisis
SHIP CAN’T STEER Te steering thrusters are shot, keeping the ship locked into its last course. Someone has to go out into the black and fix them (although they could get instructions over the comm i they don’t know how to fix it themselves). Without maneuvering thrusters, pointing the ship towards a sae spot to land will not be easy. Crewmember Pool: Mental + Fix, Physical + Fix Gamemaster Pool: Challenging Diculty + Broken Thruster + Spinnin’ Out of Control Possible Assets: Backup Thruster, Good Grip on the
Hull, Good Solar Winds
THE SHOWDOWN: ANY LANDING YOU CAN WALK AWAY FROM
LANDING THE SHIP Te roll to land the ship saely is where all the Complications
Te Crew needs to land the ship, now. Angel is the closest
the Crew built up in the rouble come into play—everything
planet, and Heaven City is known or old shipyards that
the ship’s had broken thus ar makes it harder to land the ship on Angel. Tis roll can be hard with all the potential Complications, but the Crewmembers should be aware o the stakes. Te Crew wants to land the ship. You want to step up one o those Complications to beyond and ake Out the ship. It should be a challenge, but odds are good that the players
worked on Independent ships back during the War. (Tis is a good point to also start seeding possible connections between the Crew and the GMCs and organizations in this Episode.) Whether they’ve put out a distress call or someone notices them coming hard and ast to the planet, the Crew gets in contact with Mercy Keeley, a shipwright and mechanic that’s sympathetic to their plight. She quickly gets a sense o the problem and gives the Crew directions to land at her shipyard
will scrape by and bring the ship in hard but intact. Crewmember Dice Pool: Hull + Fly, System + Fix,
in Heaven City called Phoenix Cruisers. Te Crew should have enough time to try and deal with a ew Complications, but they may not get all the different problems resulting rom the crash under control. Regardless, Mercy Keeley comes across their comms, offering instructions to guide them into Heaven City. She’s not concerned with niceties or polite conversation. She’ll be sure to curse
Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Damaged Ship + Ship Complications Possible Assets: Duct Tape, Familiar Surroundings ,
Astrolabe and blame their shoddy ships or leaving bits o
junk clogging up her orbit. But she knows she won’t get paid i the Crew doesn’t survive the landing.
Engines + Fly
Leaf on the Wind Possible Complications: Watch Out for That Yacht,
Damaged Tow Cable , Smashed Landing Bay Wall Example Results
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember barely
manages to get the ship into a decaying orbit around Angel. Mercy Keeley will use one o her barely working ships to tow the Crew into her dock. Give the Crew a Owe Her Big Time Complication and step it up using any jinxes rolled—a great hook to get the players involved in the events o the rest o the Episode. I you’re the kind o GM that likes oreshadowing, the ship barely hits Debrah Wun’s yacht, Second Star, beore Mercy manages to get their ship towed and in place.
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ACT I: A NIGHT IN HEAVEN Someone tries to steal a part rom the Crew’s ship. When
THE LOWDOWN: PARTS AND LABOR
the would-be thieves are caught, it turns out that the leader has a amily secret. IN: PHOENIX CRUISERS HANGAR JAYNE is sitting in a chair, asleep. Someone has placed a blanket over him, covering up his hands, and he is snoring loudly.
Mercy is calm and brisk as she gives the Crew orders
MICHAEL KEELEY watches rom the shadows with his CREW.
to help bring their ship in. I the Crew’s ship needs it, Mercy sends an old tug to bring their ship to her hangar and shipyard in Heaven City—Phoenix Cruisers. It’s a reasonably sized yard, with a number o old and rusted hulks dotted around the hangar. It doesn’t inspire much confidence, but
MICHAEL: Te big one’s asleep. Let’s get what we’re here or and….
then again, the Crew ain’t likely to be in much o a position to argue.
living on a badly terraormed planet or so long. (“We all take a little bit o Angel with us wherever we go.”) Afer she examines the ship and grumbles at the Crew or a while, she offers them the chance to sleep in the hangar or outside (which is nice and cool). She’s tied one on beore coming to get the Crew and she won’t be able to really help them until she sleeps it off. No ship deserves a drunk mechanic,
Busted Knuckles , That Was the Last One Example Results
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember insults
Mercy with the offer but she agrees to repair the ship. Create a Cheap Hun Dan Complication or step up an existing Complication. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember convinces Mercy to
cut them a deal on labor costs i they can go into town and bring her an EF. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember convinces
and Mercy apologizes or the delay. Once the Crew has figured out their sleeping arrangements, Mercy turns in or the night.
HOW BAD IS IT?
Mercy to cut them a deal on labor costs i they can go into town and bring her an EF. For some reason, she takes a shine to the Crewmember. Create an I’d Work For Free Asset. Te Crewmember may spend a Plot Point to make it last or the rest o the Episode.
Te Crew can take a look or themselves i they aren’t willing or able to trust Mercy’s assessment. Tey are still going to need her aculties (and her acilities) or the next ew days to make sure everything is r unning proper like. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Fix, Mental + Notice Gamemaster Dice Pool: Easy Diculty + Damaged
Ship + Overdue Maintenance Possible Assets: Won a Spare in a Card Game, A Quick Patch Will Do, Mercy Worked on These as a Kid Possible Complications: The Landing Made It Worse, The Backup Is Busted, Too , That Will Cost Ya Example Results
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember realizes
they need to replace the EF. Te Crewmember also notices something busted on the ship that was caused by the crash. Step up or create a Complication.
TROUBLE: THIEVES IN THE NIGHT Once night comes, Keeley’s Ghost Foxes sneak into the hangar and try to break into the ship. Te way this ship landed, it’s got to be easy pickings. How they get access depends on how much the Crew has decided to protect their ship, but it’ll likely be some orm o stealth operation. Lucky or the Crew, Michael isn’t keen on any bloodshed. Te general plan ollows: Michael will lead the Foxes in getting into the hangar and the ship.
Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember realizes they need
to replace the EF. Tey will need to buy a new EF
wo o the Foxes will both cover him while he breaks into places they shouldn’t be. A third member o the Foxes helps him determine which
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a Plot Point to stay in the scene but takes or steps up a Complication equal to the highest rolling die in the opposition’s dice pool. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember notices the Ghost Foxes, but the rival crew gets a chance to act first. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember catches the Ghost Foxes flat-ooted, and gets to act first. One o the Ghost Foxes is immediately aken Out.
STRIPPING THE SHIP Once any Crewmembers on alert are dealt with, Michael moves into pick up the cherry parts o the ship. He quietly orders the rest o his team to pick up the low hanging ruit and saves the most valuable find or himsel. Te Crew might hear some strange noises on the hull, or, aware that they are
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
PLAYING THE KEELEYS Your goal as GM is to make the Keeleys come across as stubborn but sympathetic—they are both hard-headed and stuck in their ways, but they’re good-hearted folk, and they deeply care about p eople in their own way. If the
Crew is struggling to nd reasons to like these two, there are a few tactics you can use. Past Friends: Have Mercy or Michael be a past friend of a member of the Crew. The Crewmember can act as an advocate, helping to smooth the road between the GMCs and the more prickly members of the Crew. If you have both GMCs
be friends of the Crew, split the twins between two Crewmembers, perhaps along Independent/ Alliance lines. If you’re in the middle of the
Episode and want to pull this trick, have Michael
being robbed, might figure out what still unctioning parts are the most vulnerable. Crewmember Pool: Mental + Notice, Mental + Know
drop a codename he used during the War that
Gamemaster Pool: Ghost Fox + Easy Diculty
The Gorramn Alliance : Neither twin is particularly
+ Fair Market Resale Value Possible Assets: Saw A Flashlight, I’m Up, Hear That Banging? Possible Complications: Tore O Half the Part, Curtis
Now Has a Weapon , Now That’s Ruined, Too Example Results
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember notices
the parts are missing afer Michael is gone. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember catches Michael in the act, but Michael draws down. Begin an Action Order
the Crewmember suddenly recognizes (“Gui”
is a good one—the Chinese word for “ghost”). sympathetic to neither the Alliance nor Independentinspired causes conceptually, but both were hurt
by the Alliance and have a deep resentment for the government’s role in the War. There’s a ne line to walk here, but both would be drawn to the cost of the War and how that impacted the lives of people who were just trying to get by.
Relating stories of the death of their parents or the physical injuries the Ghost Foxes sustained is a good way into this. Show Sympathy to another GMC: Similarly, they both care about people —Mercy cares about the
Odds are pretty good that the Crew will discover the Ghost Foxes in the act, but what i the dice just don’t go their way? Let the Crew find out about the missing part in the morning (or have Mercy point it out, i things are really bad), and let them start tracking the thieves down. You may have to improvise a scene, maybe pulling up some material rom Act II, but sooner or later they’ll find the thieves that took their parts and you can loop back to the Showdown and pick things up rom there.
Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Physical
+ Shoot Gamemaster Dice Pool: Michael’s Physical + Fight /Move + Plagued by Nightmares 4 + Ghost Fox 3 Possible Assets: Got Them Covered, Got the Drop ,
Shoot to Disarm Possible Complications: Out of Ammo, Missing a
Step, Wrong Place at the Wrong Time Example Results
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Ghost Foxes ake Out a
THE SHOWDOWN: SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE PERFORATED
Crewmember. Te Crewmember may spend a Plot Point
Keeley’s Ghost Foxes are discovered, maybe with parts in
to Keeley’s highest rolling die. Raise the Stakes: One Ghost Fox is aken Out to protect him. I his crew is gone, Keeley surrenders and he’ll tell
hand. Tere’s two ways out o this: talking or fighting.
TALKING TO MICHAEL It’s possible that the Crew will be interested in trying
to talk to Michael and his crew about handing over the part they’ve stolen and walking away. Michael’s not inclined to do that, though. Tey may play nice, or they may threaten to turn him over to the authorities. Crewmember Pool: Social + Inuence, Mental + Trick Gamemaster Pool: Michael’s Mental + Focus
+ Steady Possible Assets: Guns Out, Friends with Mercy , All
a Misunderstandin’ Possible Complications: Don’t Look Too Friendly,
Gorramn Browncoats, Itchy Trigger Finger Example Results
to fight on by stepping up or taking a Complication equal
his story. Extraordinary Success: wo Ghost Foxes are instantly aken Out. I his crew is gone, Keeley surrenders and he’ll tell his story. I the Crew talks to Michael (either by talking him down or beating him up), he is civil but largely non-communicative. As soon as Mercy gets involved in the conversation, Michael gets deensive and asks to be taken somewhere else or “whatever torture you Independent scum have planned.” Make it clear that Mercy and Michael know e ach other. Mercy will start to berate and insult Michael, and the two twins will bicker and argue unless the Crew gets involved. Beore long, their connection as raternal twins will be revealed. Nobody bickers like siblings.
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ACT II: TALK AROUND TOWN Te Crew goes shopping around Heaven City. Along the
is the goal or the Crew, your goal as GM is to make it clear
way they find a ew parts, ino about Astrolabe, and a whole mess o trouble rom some concerned citizens. EX: HEAVEN CIY SREES MAL and ZOE are leaving a store when GENLEMAN JIM steps in their path. Tey look behind them, and see that two more rough-looking men have walked up behind him.
that there’s one part they can’t get in town (sale o Astrolabe’s parts is centralized), to drop hints t hat Astrolabe is somehow behind all the problems happening, and to show more and more cases o Angel Pox all throughout the town. Another problem is money: ship parts ain’t cheap, or else it would be easy to keep the ship in good repair. Te Crew
JIM: I think you should be on your way now, riends. You aren’t welcome here.
might be able to pool their cash and negotiate or one part, but not all o them. Tey’ll have to be creative. Luckily, most
Possible Assets: Puppy Dog Eyes, “She Just Talks
to Me”, Box of Spare Parts Possible Complications: Worse Than It Looks, Magic
Smoke Got Let Out , Mercy Works Better Alone
Example Results Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember discovers the part is more vital than previously believed. Te Crew
can’t work around it—they need to go get the part that
Mercy asked or. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember finds a way around the problem. Te Complication is removed, but you
should make a note o the part. It could be a good Complication to bring back up in uture Episodes (much like how the port compression coil causes problems in multiple episodes o Firefly ). Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember discovers the part turns out to be completely unnecessary. Tat system has either been rendered obsolete, or stopped working a long time ago and hasn’t impacted the ship at all.
TROUBLE: CONCERNED CITIZENS Whether it’s because o a call rom Jin Green, Clarence McCluskey, or just because their first encounter with one o the Saints didn’t go well, more Saints will come to harass the Crew. Tey’ll claim to be part o a group o concerned citizens, not wanting any bad elements to cause problems in Heaven City. It might come to a fight—i so, the Saints are pretty easy
Gamemaster Dice Pool: Heaven’s Saint X + Awkward Situation Possible Assets: Let Me Buy You a Drink, Sucker Punch, You Gonna Skin That Pistol, Son? Possible Complications: Broken Shelves, More on Their Way, We’re Closed! Example Results Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember can’t convince the townsolk to assist. Te only way the Crew gets help is i they engage in whatever the Heaven City resident wants more than money. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember convinces the townsolk to help despite the Saint’s influence. Te Saint reports back to Gentleman Jim, who sends some more Saints along to watch the Crew. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember convinces the townsolk to help despite the Saint’s influence. Te Saint reports back to Gentleman Jim, who sends some more Saints along to watch the Crew. Remove one Saint or the rest o the Act as the one here is sufficiently impressed enough to be aken Out.
THE SAINTS COME MARCHING IN When the Saints come around again, they’ll be about as many o them as there are Crewmembers. Tey’ll ask a lot o questions, and make it clear t hat the Crew’s a bad element and ain’t welcome in town. Te other locals aren’t likely to stand up to the Saints, but it should be clear to the Crew that they don’t share
THE SHOWDOWN: AIN’T A GENTLEMANLY FIGHT
to their ship, heading back to Astrolabe. He won’t be seen again until Act IV.
Afer the first couple o run-ins with t he Saints, “Gentleman” Jim Demidov will arrive during the Crew’s exploration o Heaven City, along with a ew more men. He’ll politely
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threaten the Crew (again), encouraging them to leave—you know, in their ship that doesn’t work. Te Crew might try to talk him down, but in reality Gentleman Jim is just looking or an excuse or some violence, and is willing to smash a
YOU, SIR, ARE NO GENTLEMAN It’s likely the Crew will encounter Jim and his Saints in a public area around Heaven City. Out o a twisted sense o manners (and not wanting to fight out in the open), Jim will harass the Crew until they either flee or throw down with him. He singles out the Crewmember who looks li ke easy pickings.
Crewmember’s ace to make a point. He won’t old nearly as easily as his associates did. Despite the act that Gentleman Jim is a sociopath, he’s actually got a ew things that keep him rom just murdering the Crew. He doesn’t have ree run o Heaven City, and he
Te Crewmembers might decide to convince Jim they’ve got backup, sling some insults right back, or ignore the laughs and orce Jim to decide i he wants to escalate. Crewmember Dice Pool: Social + Trick, Social +
needs to not only stay out o the way o the law (such as it is), but he also needs to keep his connections to Astrolabe quiet. He won’t start a deadly fight in the middle o the street or in a business—i he’s in a public place, he’ll keep it non-lethal but painul (like a bar brawl or a fistfight). I the Crew catches him alone, though, his true ruthlessness will come out, and he’ll go or blood.
Gamemaster Dice Pool: Jim’s Social + Inuence
Inuence , Mental + Focus + Bad Reputation + Polite Intimidation Possible Assets: My Crew Will Back Me Up , Hand on My Gun, Fed Up with this Place Possible Complications: Unattering Nickname, Hand Over a Nuisance Tax , Distracted Example Results
PRETENDING TO LEAVE About the only social gambit that will work on Gentleman Jim is i the Crew pretends to leave. It’s not easy (just about everyone in Heaven City noticed how the Crew’s ship came in), and the ruse won’t last long, but i the Crew can convince him, he’ll back off or a while. O course, i they’re still around later, he’ll go right to the fighting next
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember gets
rattled by Jim’s taunts. Create a Shakin’ in My Boots Complication. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember keeps a stiff upper lip. Unless the Crew leaves peaceably, Jim decides to throw down. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember’s heard rougher things coming out o her beloved mother’s
FIGHTING GENTLEMAN JIM Te Crew might be looking to let off a bit o steam at this point, so they might not take kindly to Gentleman Jim’s veiled threats and alsely concerned demeanor. Jim starts any Action Order with the number o Heaven’s Saints remaining rom the rest o the Act. Use these pools when the Crew attacks Gentleman Jim. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Physical + Shoot
GENTLEMAN JIM ATTACKS Jim is not araid to throw the first punch. I the Crew gives him any attitude or i he’s been tricked into thinking they’ve lef, he’ll come at them hard. He also will throw down i they try to interere with his attempts to buy off or scare out any o the inhabitants o Heaven City who don’t agree with Debrah’s grand vision. Use these pools when Gentleman Jim attacks a Crewmember. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Physical
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ACT III: ONE PIECE AT A TIME Te Crew breaks into Astrolabe Engineering to get the par t
they need to fix their ship. Tey end up finding a whole lot more
than they bargained or. IN: ASROLABE ENGINEERING WAREHOUSE KAYLEE is looking over racks and racks o careully organized, brand-new gravity drive motivators. JAYNE is pointing Vera at the large rolling door to the warehouse while KAYLEE grabs a small card off of one of the shelves. She hands it to SIMON, who looks at it skeptically.
Te offices contain a sample o the treatments all employees get to protect them rom Angel Pox. A cure or the disease could be easily synthesized rom a sample available here. Te warehouse contains the EF. Te Crew may need this part or their ship to get off this rock. Te actory holds records o the manuacturing processes. Astrolabe passes off Angel Pox as a side effect o the terraorming process. Tough the company and the
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
rank or tell some other fib, or use the classic comedy team o
SCHEME OR SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
Brute Force and Delicate Brainpan. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Trick, Social +
As GM, you can help set the pace of how much planning the players need to do. See what they’re interested in—if the players seem to be having fun standing over a map and
talking through a wide variety of possible plans, let them talk it out before they get to rolling dice. If, on the other hand, they’re itching to get started, you can give them some ideas for quick rolls they can make to prepare for the heist,
and then dive right into the break-in. Remember that the Crew can always spend Plot Points to create Assets. Make sure every Crewmember either comes up with, or is involved in, some part of the plan that plays to their strengths. That said, don’t be afraid to assign Complications from one character’s roll to aect what’s coming next. Just ‘cause you’ve encouraged the Crew to create Assets that’ll
help ’em out, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use all the tools at your disposal.
Inuence , Physical + Fight Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard Diculty + Astrolabe Security + Caught Snooping Possible Assets: Narrow Corridor , Flickering Lights, We Wandered Away from the Tour Guide Possible Complications: Trevor Gets Confused , Trevor Didn’t Pull His Punch, Let Me Call My Supervisor
bly to alert the complex to the heist. Te Crew will almost
certainly ace increased opposition in the uture. revor
TROUBLE: AMATEUR HOUR Once the Crew sets their sets on breaking in Astrolabe Engineering, the main problem they have to deal with is security. Human security guards are cheaper than elaborate, high maintenance mechanical systems (one o Astrolabe’s cost-saving measures), and there aren’t enough to cover every open space on the campus, so seeing a guard isn’t too common. What’s also uncommon is seeing two guards argue with each other. As they are sneaking around, the Crew will
Example Results: Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te guard gets away, proba-
takes off in the conusion without saying much else. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember akes Out the guard. revor tells them about the cure and high tails it off campus. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember akes Out the guard. revor tells them about the cure and then sticks around with the Crew and proves to be useul. Te Crewmember creates a The Kid’s Got It Asset. I they spend a Plot Point, it remains or the rest o the Episode.
THE SHOWDOWN: WOULDN’T MISS JUST ONE LITTLE PIECE Te final turn o this scene employs a imed Action. Te
Crew has six beats until a general alarm is raised on campus.
the plan (or realized they’re humped), the camera cuts to one o the other Crewmembers in a different location. Tis technique will keep the tension up and everyone at the table involved. Te Crewmembers not directly involved in the
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scene might be a good source o Assets and Complications should the need arise. I a Crewmember gets aken Out here, tell them not to ret. Astrolabe isn’t about to kill a bunch o olk just or breaking and entering. Captured Crewmembers will be taken to Debrah
Wun and reunited with the rest o the Crew in the final act. Tese Actions can happen in and around all the buildings.
SNEAKING AROUND CAMPUS Smart Crews will likely split up and send Crewmembers to each acility on campus: one to the actory, one to
the warehouse, and one to the office. Tey might go as one big amily, or one o the smaller teams might get aken Out, so other Crewmembers will move between buildings. o avoid endless rolls, this should only be used when the Crew is moving between the offices, actory, or warehouse. Don’t make them roll at every door and or every guard—assume their disguise holds up well enough until they reach the next point o interest. Crewmember Dice Pool: Social + Trick, Mental + Operate, Physical + Sneak Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Manned Checkpoint + Astrolabe Security Possible Assets: Security Schedule, ID Cards, Winning
Smile
BREAKING INTO A SECURE FACILITY Once the Crew is inside the building, they need to get to where the important stuff is. Tey must complete this Action once in each building they hit to get to the goods in that building. Tis generally requires more hacking, lock picking, and door kicking than other parts o the plan. Te old “Oh, I lef my badge at home, can you let me in?” gag might also work. Crewmember Dice Pool: Mental + Operate , Physical + Labor, Social + Inuence Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard Diculty + Autho-
LOOKIN’ THE PART
STEALING THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FLUX TURBINE FROM THE WAREHOUSE
Astrolabe employees are all over the place. A Crewmember
or two might decide to blend in with the crowd rather than
Te Crew needs to find the part in the floor-to-ceiling
playing alley cat in order to earn back some more beats. Te Crewmember might knock out a security guard or a uniorm,
shelves o the warehouse, and transport it—remember, this is a large part, so it’ll require two people to carry it or a
bust into a worker’s locker, or bluster into someone’s office claiming to be a new supervisor. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Fight, Mental + Operate, Social + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty +
hover sled to get it out o the complex and to the ship. Tere are Astrolabe hover sleds all over the place, but they have a security inhibitor; i anyone attempts to use it outside o the Astrolabe complex, the hover unit shuts off immediately,
Astrolabe Security + Security Alert Green Possible Assets: Clipboard, Drugged Dumplings, Get Me Director Jarrett! Possible Complications: One Size Too Small, Unexpected Patrol, But I’m Director Jarrett
spilling whatever cargo it contains. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Labor, Mental + Drive, Mental + Notice Gamemaster Dice Pool: Easy Diculty + Giant Warehouse + Top Shelf Possible Assets: Hover Sled, Inventory Manifest,
Example Results: Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember raises the
Lighter Than It Looks
suspicion o the guards. Te guard calls in three reinorcements, and an Action Order begins. Crewmembers
Much Time, Crane Broken
involved in this Action can’t help with the imed Action
Possible Complications: Awkwardly Shaped, Not
Example Results: Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember has a
hard time locating and moving the EF. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember finds it quickly
until they get out o their Action Order.
Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember blends in with the
crowd and can get to where she needs to go without proper authorization. Gain one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember fits in perectly and raises no suspicion unless she does something obvious. Te Crewmember creates a Just Doin’ My Job
Asset. I she spends a Plot Point, it remains or the rest o the episode. Gain one beat.
enough, but has a bear o a time carrying it out o the warehouse. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember gets the part in hand in record time and finds a handy hover sled to move it quickly. Lose no beats.
GETTING THE INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE FROM THE FACTORY Tere are data files on the actory servers that reveal
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Wun’s big secret. Tey contain letters, documents, and presentations about Astrolabe’s toxic manuacturing processes, and their cover-up by claiming Angel Pox is a disease caused by the terraorming process. Wun is aware o it, but is trying to convince her bosses to make the cure readily available rather than blow the whistle on them. I the Crew skipped out on helping revor Miller, this is also a goo d place to insert inormation about the cure or Angel Pox in the offices. Te Crew might take the whole dang ser ver, download the files to a Cortex tablet, or rip out the drives to recover the ino later. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Labor, Mental + Operate, Mental + Fix Gamemaster Dice Pool: Easy Diculty + Server
Room + Advanced Astrolabe Security Possible Assets: Encryption Key, Backdoor Access, Good at Math
GO FOR THE CURE Wun treats her employees or the Pox with the medicine kept locked in the office’s secure infirmary. She only administers treatments to ensure a bit o loyalty, plus the weaker drug is cheaper to produce. Samples o the cure are lef in the exam rooms, but the ull data or the medicine is in the Chie Medical ech’s sae. Tere would certainly be a lot o grateul olk in Heaven City i that cure got out. Te Crew might bust into the medicine lockup, ollow the doctor back to his office, or consult a patient’s chart to get an idea o what’s used to fight the Pox. Crewmember Dice Pool: Physical + Labor, Mental + Notice, Mental + Treat Gamemaster Dice Pool: Challenging Diculty + Secure Inrmary + Astrolabe Security Possible Assets: Backdoor Access, I Can Read Science,
Flirting with the Doctor Possible Complications: Sudden Footsteps, Rotating
Encryption Key , Broken Sample
Possible Complications: Booby-Trapped Files, Facility
Lockdown, Here Comes Security
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember can’t find
a sample o the drug. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember gets the inormation
Example Results:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember curses as
interacing with Astrolabe’s operating system is overly conusing. Lose one beat. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember downloads the files
afer a bit o a search. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember finds a backup someone already created. Lose no beats.
to produce a cure. Lose one beat. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember gets an actual sample o the ull strength drug. Lose no beats. I the Crew runs out o beats beore accomplishing their
goals, they have a choice: fight their way to the pieces they didn’t get to or leave empty handed. Tey’ve come this ar, so
ACT IV: TOUCH THE STARS Te Crew boards Wun’s yacht and confronts her about Astrolabe Engineering’s nefarious plans. She makes an offer that the Crew might reuse. IN: WUN’S YACH DEBRAH WUN looks over the top of her long desk at MAL and KAYLEE, who are sitting in stiff-backed wooden chairs looking uncomortable. Tere are two guards standing on either side o the doorway. WUN: I’m even willing to give you a brand new ship. One
THE LOWDOWN: A TERRIBLE MESS Any Crewmembers that get away will probably head back
to Phoenix Cruisers and their ship. Tey’ll find a ew things amiss. Michael’s been badly beaten and a communicator is waiting or them in ront o their ship. Once they pick up, Debrah Wun will be on the other end o the line, and will offer to send the Crew a shuttle so they can clear up this little “misunderstanding” in person. On the surace, this looks like a no-win situation: Wun
way to go, especially to any ellow veterans. Otherwise, Debrah mentions that she has a vital part o their
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ship’s lie support system when she was “invited” to the conerence. Te Second Star is a luxury yacht—it’s large enough or a ew dozen people and a second medium-sized shuttle. Like most Astrolabe ships, its design is simple and spartan, but it also has comortable chairs, tasteul art, and even paper books lying around. Much like Debrah Wun hersel, the whole effect looks too polished—the ship eels like a display model or set up or catalog pictures. Once they’re on the ship, there are another couple o guards waiting by the door to the shuttle ready to escort the Crew to meet Ms. Wun. Wun’s office, which is large and takes up the rear o the ship, looking like a combination between an executive office suite and a reading room. Some Crews might not wait around to get picked up and shuttled to Wun’s yacht to listen to her offer. Tat’s understandable. Te main goal or this Act is to drive the Crew toward a satisying resolution or this Episode. Sure, it’s important or the Crew to conront Debrah, and they’ll have more options to stand up to her once they’re on the Second Star , but that don’t mean they “have” to go that route. Should they decide not to don’t orce the issue. No matter how suggestive your GMC is, it’ll still come across like you’re railroadin’ the players. When the Crew finally gets ace to ace with Wun, portray her as calm, sympathetic, but unyielding. She has good intentions, but she doesn’t consider any ideas other
SECOND STAR E 8 H 6
S
DISTINCTIONS
N C Y 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .
B L 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . Ain’t She a Pretty Thing?: The ship’s captain can spend 1 PP to step up or double Social when impressing someone with the appearance of the ship.
B S N 8 5 Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead
5
of a . No, Not the Paint!: When the ship takes damage, the ship’s captain can take a The Paint Job Is Ruined! Complication to gain 1 PP.
SIGNATURE ASSETS
M F Q 8 S 8
An Old-Fashioned Kind o Leverage: She just needed to get all o the “problematic” people in one place s o she could make her offer. She wants the part and the files
on the manuacturing process returned, and a non-dis-
TROUBLE: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Beore the Crew has a chance to respond to the deal,
Michael Keeley will butt in. I he was captured and brought along, he speaks up. I he wasn’t captured, he makes a daring (and quickly neutralized) attempt to break into the yacht using one o Mercy’s old clunkers to get on board. Once Michael is standing in ront o Wun, he plays the devil’s advocate to whatever position the Crew is currently considering. For example, i the Crew is leaning towards taking the offer, have Michael vocally disagree, talking about the kinds o tactics Astrolabe have used thus ar to grow their business, such as the Pox, the Saints, and even his own illegal activities. I, however, they’re inclined to be big damned heroes and tell Wun off, Michael might admit to wanting to take the deal. Afer all, money’s been really tight since the War, and as much as he hates himsel or thinking it, he could really use the credits. Either way, i he eels threatened, negotiation stops and Michael will try to attack Wun.
STUBBORN BROTHER Michael was threatened and likely saw his twin take a ew punches at some point—a lot o money may not be enough to make that okay. Te Crew has to ake Michael Out to make sure he doesn’t ruin the deal. Tey might talk him down, convince him to play along, or put him on the ground with a well-timed punch. Once Michael is dealt with, Debrah continues where she lef off in her sales pitch. Crewmember Dice Pool: Social + Inuence , Social + Trick, Physical + Fight Gamemaster Dice Pool: Michael’s Mental + Focus
+ Steady OR Michael’s Physical + Fight + Steady Possible Assets: You Owe Me One, Fast Talker , This Is a Good Deal Possible Complications: Nursing a Grudge, Beaten Twin, Stubborn Example Results:
MASTERIN’ THE GAME:
Failure to Raise the Stakes: Michael akes Out the Crewmember. Te Crewmember can spend a Plot Point
STICKS AND STONES
and accept a Complication equal to the highest rolling
Remember, being Taken Out of a scene doesn’t always mean lying on the ground. A well-made argument or intense stare can remove someone from a scene. Both Michael and Debrah can be Taken Out without raising a hand. If they are, that just means they are stunned, stymied, or fuming. A clever Crew can make it through this nal act
without ring a shot.
die in Michael’s dice pool to stay in the fight. Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember akes Out Michael. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember akes Out Michael and pleases Debrah with the method he or she used. Te Crewmember creates an Impressive display Asset. I the Crewmember spends a Plot Point, it remains or the rest o the Episode.
A flashback could also be used to bring in one (or both) o the Keeleys as an Asset. All it takes is a Plot Point and a brie scene where the Crewmember tells the Keeleys when to make their move. In this case, Michael Keeley’s oolhardy attack might even be All Part of the Plan .
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HOSTILE TAKEOVER rying to kidnap Wun isn’t a bad plan—this is probably the closest the Crew will get to her, and she’s worth a lot o money. O course, Astrolabe will chase afer the Crew or a long time to come, and there’s a decent chance that the Keeleys will eel the heat rom Astrolabe as a result, but it does stand a good chance o success and solves a lot o problems with bypassing security once you have her. Wun hersel is willing to give the Crew money or resources to save hersel—the ship she’s offering is the top end o what she can give without urther authorization, though. Even while captured, though, she’ll try to bargain. A Crewmember might intimidate her, slip
DOUBLE CROSS THE BOSS Te Crew might decide to tell Debrah what she wants to hear. It might be to get her to trust the Crew long enough or them to spring their plan or it might be to buy time until they come up with one. I the Crew se ems reasonable, Debrah hands over Mercy and whatever Crewmembers she might have and starts drawing up the contract. Te Crewmember might be lying through his teeth, or will look or a loophole that can get him out rom under Wun’s thumb. Crewmember Dice Pool: Social + Inuence, Mental + Trick Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard Diculty + Debrah’s Aggressive Negotiator + Astrolabe Loyalist +
Dollars Over Sense Possible Assets: Ironclad Contract, Forged Signature,
An Honest Face Possible Complications: We Have a File on You , In
Debt to Astrolabe, Hidden Clause
something into her drink and sneak her off the ship, or just pick her up and carry her back to the shuttle as ast as possible. Crewmember Dice Pool: Social + Inuence, Mental
+ Sneak , Physical + Labor Gamemaster Dice Pool: Hard Diculty + Debrah’s Astrolabe Loyalist + Polished Façade + Astrolabe
Security X (i present) Possible Assets: Ice Cold Glare , Potent Sedative, Tied Up Possible Complications: Subdermal Tracker, Out Cold, A Better Oer
Example Results: Failure to Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember doesn’t
convince Debrah to all or his story. When he tries to pull his double-cross, she’ll have a plan that neutralizes it.
Raise the Stakes: Te Crewmember akes Out Debrah. She may return in a later Episode, bringing the ull weight
o Astrolabe to get some payback. Extraordinary Success: Te Crewmember akes Out Debrah. Astrolabe washes their hands o Debra Wun due to her incompetence in handling this manner, though she may return someday to exact revenge.
NOW BOARDING…WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT I the Crew just tries to shoot their way back to the shuttle,
that’s an uphill battle; although the yacht itsel doesn’t have much weaponry, it is heavily secure and has quite a ew security
Once the Crew gets back to Phoenix Cruisers, there likely
won’t be much time or tearul goodbyes. Astrolabe is likely on their tail and their ship is finally ready to go. Luckily, the townsolk o Heaven City are happy to trip up any securi ty sent by Debrah Wun to allow the Crew’s ship a clean getaway. By showing the townsolk that Astrolabe can be beat, the Crew has inspired them to fight on or a little while longer (and
officers aboard. Plus, they all know the yacht, and the Crew doesn’t. Tey could just try to overpower the pilot and take the whole ship, but it’s inested with Astrolabe transponders and security codes, and it’ll be easy or Astrolabe or the Alliance
certainly having a cure or Angel Pox helps a lot). It’s a small victory, likely to be at the cost o some unwanted attention
to find them. Either way, the Crew has to get through quite a ew security guards to get to their destination.
rom a big company, but sometimes, those are the sweetest. Finally, i the Crew goes or the deal, Wun keeps her
ROLL CREDITS Astrolabe Engineering has all the makings o a long-term
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Antagonist that is bigger and scarier than any one character. While they don’t have the resources o a company like, say, the Blue Sun Corporation, Astrolabe is actively courting the Alliance. Further, they provide ships or not only Alliance
SERENITY VIEW IS FALLING DOWN
individuals and opportunists. Astrolabe may not have its
Te Serenity View police back on Hera recently bought a number o small Astrolabe cruisers and are using them as patrol ships. rouble is, there’s a atal flaw in the stabilizers, and Astrolabe ain’t responding to any waves or a replacement. Instead, the company is letting these police cruisers all right out o the sky, and they will silence anyone—including the
fingers in every pot, but its ships can be ound wherever the action is. Crews that spend a lot o time in the black may start to notice Astrolabe Engineering’s handiwork more ofen now that they’ve had an encounter with ’em. Here are some examples o the type o underhanded dealings the company could be involved in. Mix in these
Law—who tries to make them pay or their mistake. Officer Roberta Butler, who ought with one o the Crewmembers in the War, contacts the Crew or help. Butler offers to clear the Crew’s records in exchange or their cooperation clearing up this matter. Will the Crew visit Angel and negotiate on Astrolabe’s behal? Or, will the Crew gather the evidence and
hooks with other Episodes, or set your Crew up with a series o jobs taking down Astrolabe’s nasty schemes.
report Astrolabe to the Alliance?
police and small-scale military operations, but also to wealthy
TEN LITTLE LAB TECHS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE AGAIN
Te medical research acilities located on Greenlea have
Te proprietary system that controls Astrolabe ships is believed to be unhackable—something Vice President Debrah
come to a startling conclusion. It seems that passengers and crews who operate Astrolabe ships have an increased chance
Wun has boasted about on Cortex alerts. Te state-o-the-art encryption method responsible or making it so secure was actually stolen rom Robert Chu. Robert is the brilliant son o a noble who hails rom Persephone. Unortunately, though Robert has made a name or himsel as a programmer and engineer, he had to sell his experimental programs to pay or
o contracting cancer, possibly due to the proprietary shielding methods the corporation uses to coat their t hinner, more efficient uel cells. As soon as this speculative report hits the Cortex, the researchers who made the discovery start dying under mysterious circumstances—the last one alive comes to the Crew or help. Juan Hernandez has asked the Crew
some gambling debts. Astrolabe took advantage o Robert’s distress and blackmailed him into giving him everything. Lord
to transport him and the evidence he’s collected to the one doctor he trusts: his estranged mother, Dr. Kat Hernandez,
ADVENTURE MAPS HEAVEN CITY
ASTROLABE ENGINEERING
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Mayhap afer you’ve read the rules in the FIREFLY RPG �������� and you’ve gone over the Episode Guide with a fine-toothed comb, you’re still not clear on the precise nature o how the dice roll. Here, you’ll find answers to requently asked questions about the rules and read some clarifications, too. Shiny! Remember, i you have any additional questions our team’ll help you. Saunter on over to our orums at www. margaretweis.com and ask away!
HOW FAR CAN A TRAIT BE STEPPED BACK? Attributes and Skills cannot be stepped back below . riggers requiring a character to step back an Attribute or Skill cannot be used i the rait would be stepped back below a . Complications and Assets are removed rom play i they are stepped back below .
HOW DO GMCS ACQUIRE COMPLICATIONS?
involve re-rolling dice. Te GM can buy any jinxes and players can buy any Opportunities that are rolled. 7. Activates any triggers that affect the total or spend Plot Points to keep any additional dice in the total. 8. Declares a total, either raising the stakes or ailing to do so. Any players involved in the roll: 9. Crewmembers may now spend Plot Points to roll and add Big Damn Hero Dice to their totals, even i they were setting the stakes.
HOW MANY PLOT POINTS DOES THE GM HAVE FOR MAJOR GMCS AT THE BEGINNING OF AN EPISODE? Major GM characters begin with one Plot Point per player at the table. GMs can earn more Plot Points to add to the
GMs do not roll jinxes like players do. Tey instead acquire
bank through Major GMC Distinction triggers just like Crewmembers.
Complications or GMCs through the use o Distinction triggers, or when the GM spends a Plot Point to keep a Major or Minor GMC rom being aken Out. Page 269 o the FIREFLY RPG �������� has more inormation.
ARE CREWMEMBERS ONLY AFFECTED BY THE COMPLICATIONS THE GM GIVES THEM SPECIFICALLY?
WHEN THE GM BUYS A JINX, DOES THE COMPLICATION NEED TO BE BASED ON THE CREWMEMBER’S ACTION?
Complications can affect any character in a scene as long as it is narratively appropriate. Gunshot Wounds, Bruised Egos, and Splitting Headaches really only affect the character who acquired them. It’s a good idea to add the character to the
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GMCs can choose Skill specialties. Minor characters and Extras do not get Skill specialties.
Action. When a group o Crewmembers is participating in a imed Action, the rest o the Crew can try to help out by buying time. I a Crewmember succeeds at a Basic Action
WHEN DOES A PLAYER’S PLOT POINTS EXPIRE?
that would give the Crew some extra time, the Crew regains a lost beat—or two with an extraordinary success. But i a
Players begin each Episode with one Plot Point, oreiting any
Crewmember ails, that character can’t offer help again until afer the imed Action is over.
unspent Plot Points rom the previous Episode.
WHEN DO BIG DAMN HERO DICE EXPIRE? Big Damn Hero Dice generally expire at the end o the Episod e
CAN I SPEND A PLOT POINT I GOT FROM ROLLING A JINX?
in which they were earned. I a Crewmember earned a Big Damn Hero Die in the final scene or last couple o rolls in an Episode, the GM is encouraged to let that die carr y over to the next Episode. Afer all, it ain’t no un i you don’t get to be a big damn hero, is it?
Yes, you can spend Plot Points as soon as the GM gives them to you.
DOES THE DEFENDER IN A MUTUALLY HIGH STAKES ACTION USE UP HIS OWN ACTION IN A CONFLICT?
Sure can! Te player buying the jinx hands over one o their own Plot Points to the player who rolled it and gets to create a Complication or step up an existing Complication.
No. Setting the stakes never counts as taking an Action. During conflicts that employ an Action Order, participants can take a single Action, once per round, unless they have been aken Out.
WHAT IF TWO CREWMEMBERS ARE ARGUING AND ONE OF THEM ROLLS A JINX? CAN THE OTHER CREWMEMBER BUY THAT JINX?
CAN GMS BOTCH? Sorry, nope. A botch is a special kind o jinx and GMs don’t roll jinxes on behal o any GM character. I a GMC rolls all 1s, the players can spend Plot Points to step back Complications.
HOW MANY PLOT POINTS CAN A PLAYER SPEND AT A TIME? Players can spend as many Plot Points as they have available in one turn, or over the course o several Actions. Tere is no restriction to the number o Plot Points that they can or
CAN A PLAYER BOTCH WHEN SETTING THE STAKES? Yes. Players botch whenever all their dice come up as 1s.
AS THE GM, WHAT DO I ROLL WHEN THE CREWMEMBERS TAKE AN ACTION BUT AREN’T OPPOSED BY A CHARACTER?
Out an entire squad o Alliance soldiers with a single roll o the dice when the whole Crew is involved and present at the scene; or this reason, those kinds o weapons are limited in
Good question! It will all depend on the circumstances; a good guideline to ollow is 3 to 5 dice. Difficulty Die: You will start with a difficulty die to
how hard they can hit a group o opponents. Even i a Crewmember rolls really well, the player’ll still only take out one or
represent the base challenge. A is pretty easy but a is powerul tough. rait Die: Next you’ll add in a rait or two to represent the place, situation, or equipment the character is trying to overcome. I Simon is trying to access River’s Academy records he might ace an Advanced Computer that
has Military Encryption . I Jayne is trying to block the path o some hooligans chasing him, he might try to
throw a Heavy Crate in their way. Complications: Lastly, add in any Complications working against the Crewmember. Maybe Simon is distracted by the Blaring Klaxon or Jayne is struggling with a Lacerated Tricep . Keep in mind that rolling more dice gives the GM a
better chance at setting higher stakes. Sometimes that’s what you want, when the tension should be high, but other times it’s more appropriate to have just one or two dice in pool to give the players a chance to be big, damn heroes.
HOW ARE AREAOFEFFECT WEAPONS LIKE GRENADES OR BOMBS HANDLED? Te FIREFLY RPG ocuses on cinematic combats, passing
two GMCs in one shot. Tat said, a Crewmember won’t run out o grenades—until a jinxed is rolled and the GM hands out a Complication! GMs should take care to remember that the “one action” theme cuts the other way, too. Make sure that the grenade or bomb a GMC plants puts one o the heroes in the hot seat, rather than making every player roll to see who takes damage. You might let the grenade land in a Crewmember’s lap or narrate how it skids to a halt right next to a Crewmember’s bolt-hole during a battle. Or you might just say: “River, you see a grenade coming straight at you. What do you do?” Don’t worry about the other Crewmembers—chances are that they will leap into the ray, once they see how the primary character will react.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I STEP BACK A COMPLICATION THAT’S A +? I an opportunity, or other trigger, would allow you to step back a + Complication, you may do so. Tis impacts any Crewmembers affected by that Complication. I a Crewmember has been aken Out by a + Complication that is later stepped back, that Crewmember can return to the scene, but retains the Complication at its new die rating.
NEW CHARACTER DISTINCTIONS ROLE DISTINCTIONS
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A H Here we see some of the nest examples of the Transit Period, painted by artists who were born and died between Earth-That- Was and here. Familiar Styles : When you closely examine a piece of art or forgery, spend 1 PP to
memorize the signature style of the creator. You may accurately identify any of the creator’s works you encoun ter in the future. Gala Invitation: When you try to blu your way into a gala, gallery, or artistic event using your artistic expertise, you may take or step up an In Over My Head Complication to roll Know instead of Trick. H S: C, K, O B You can’t hurt me here. I own this town and everything in it. I Own This Town : When you pay o someone in your town or remind folks that you’re in charge, spend 1 PP to remove a social Complication they
inicted. Shell Companies : When the authorities
try to investigate your illegal business activities, spend 1 PP to create a Legitimate Front Asset.
ABOUT THESE DISTINCTIONS
Every Distinction has a free trigger: “Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a instead of a .” We’ve omitted this from the list of new Character and Ship Distinctions to
increase readability. When you pick your Distinctions, focus on the other triggers you might select. Just don’t forget to add that free one back in! E Listen, Mac, bad things are gonna happen. But if you pay up, they won’t happen to you. Lean On ’Em: When you coerce someone with threats of violence or property destruction, step up or double Inuence for the Action. If the roll fails, step back Social and Inuence until
you follow through with your threats. Molotov Cocktail: When hurling a home-
made or improvised incendiary device, spend 1 PP to step up or double Throw for the Action. H S: I, L, T H C I’m in charge because I’m the toughest, meanest, roughest one in the family. Anyone Else Have an Opinion? : When you respond to criticism, inane questions, or incompetence by beating the oender and inict a physical Compli -
cation or Take Out your target, give a Crewmember a Well Motivated Asset
M L War’s a-comin’. Best be ready. Armory : When you personally arm a Crew member from your private armory, spend 1 PP to give them a Big Damn Hero Die equal to your Shoot die rating. Survival Nut : When you try to escape into the wilderness, spend 1 PP to create a Asset based on your woodcraft. H S: D, S, S N C My empire is much like any other. It requires careful handling and wise rule. Vast Web: When you arrive in a port where your empire has a presence and contact your local associates for a report, spend 1 PP to create a Current Situation Update Asset. Shadow Ruler : When you take a Compli cation as a result of a formal investiga tion by the authorities, step back Social for the rest of the session to remove
the Complication.
S A You are completely normal and innocent. The other you isn’t. henever Sleeping Dupe : Step up Laborw you are a sleeper agent with no con-
scious knowledge of your purpose as an assassin. Awakened Weapon: When activated by
your handler to arrange an accident, step up Sneak as long as you’re acti vated. Take or step up an Half-Remembered Guilt Complication if the
accident is successful.
S I’ll tell you my secret if you tell me yours. Secrets Exchanged : When you oer to trade secrets with someone and they tell you a real, true, intimate secret, gain 1 PP and give them a Asset about their future. Pronounce Doom : When you are spurned, shunned, or treated poorly, spend 1 PP to give your abuser a Complication promising impending tragedy. H S: N, I, P
H S: C, L, S
T D It started small. You helped someone in need. Now the Triad has you under their thumb. Triad Motivation: Gain 1 PP when you try
to patch up a member of the Triad. Take or step up an In Too Deep Complication
after the roll. Back Alley Trauma Surgeon : When you
treat someone with injuries that would make a normal hospital ask inconve nient questions, spend 1 PP to step up or double Treatf or the roll. H S: O, S, T
S L S I don’t see any reason why your goods shouldn’t be delivered where you want ’em delivered. Perfectly Legitimate Cargo : Spend 1 PP at the beginning of a Timed Action involving sneaking cargo into or out of somewhere. For each of your rolls during the Timed Action, you may reroll any die that comes up 1 instead
of accepting a Plot Point for that die. If a die comes up as a 1 when rerolled,
it may not be rerolled a second time. Everything’s Fine, Ocer : When lying to
an ocer of the law, step up or double your Social for the roll. You cannot spend PP to stay in the ght if you fail
and would be Taken Out. H S: C, F, T
I’ve never lost someone under my command and I’m not about to start today. Hold the Line : When you are in a reght
V I am designed to infect. No system is safe. At Home in a Computer : When attempting
and one of your Crewmembers would be Taken Out, you may spend 1 PP to
to break into a new computer system,
keep them in the ght. The Crewmem ber suers a Complication as if they had spent the Plot Point and then steps that Complication back. Take or step up omplication. a Burden of CommandC Rally the Troops : When you lead your Crew into battle and give a rousing speech, make a Social + Inuence roll. If you successfully raise the stakes each Crewmember may step up one Skill of their choice for the scene. If you fail to raise the stakes, step back Fight and Shootf or the duration of the battle. H S: F, F, S
PERSONALITY DISTINCTIONS
spend 1 PP to step up or double Operate for the roll. Hidden in Code : When you attempt to
avoid detection within an infected system, take a Restricted to Subroutines Complication to double Sneak
in the roll. H S: K, O, S
1
D E You look innocent. Maybe you are, maybe you ain’t. But that’s how folk think of you. Innocent : When you play up your innocence to get someone to help you, step up Inuence or Trick for the Action. If the Action fails, take a Helpless
G U P There’s no need for violence, sir. Care for a glass of wine? Cool Customer : When you are rst attacked in a scene by a GMC, spend 1 PP to have them set the stakes for
Complication. Meek : When you decline an opportunity
Smooth Wit : When you try to smooth
to attack during an Action Order, take a Noncombatant Asset. If a character declares you as a target during that same Action Order, you may remove the Asset from play to force the character to choose a new target. H S: I, N, T E A Honestly, ocer, you needn’t bother with the handcus. Hidden Talents : When you wish to conceal the true measure of your abilities, roll Social + Trick against an opponent’s Mental + Focus. If you succeed, step up or double your Move o r Sneak against that opponent for the rest of the Episode. If you fail, step back Move or Sneak for the scene. Unbound : When you try to escape fetters
or a locked cell, spend 1 PP to step up or double Move for the Action. H S: M, P, S
F I remind you of someone? Yeah, I get that a lot.
the roll. things over after you’ve been insulted, step up or double Inuence for the roll. If you fail, take or step up a Foot in MouthC omplication. H S: F, M, N H M The handlebar is an elegant moustache for the active man living life to the fullest. Suds Strainer : When you are entertaining and drinking heavily in a bar, make a Social + Inuence Action against the crowd. If your Action succeeds, gain a Big Damn Hero Die equal to your Social. If you fail to raise the stakes, instead take a Room Full of Angry omplication. Drunks C Queensbury Rules : When you are in an organized boxing match, spend 1 PP to step up or double Fight for the bout. H S: C, F, L H You’ve got more energy than a toddler with an espresso lollipop. Bounce O the Walls : When you try to escape from pursuers or captors in
an enclosed space, step up or double Move for the Action.
I I’m sorry did I call you ugly? I meant to say you’re shamefully ugly for a baboon. Right Old Mixer : Gain a Big Damn Hero Die when you goad someone else into
throwing the rst punch. Insult Artist : When you lambast, shame, or tear someone down, spend 1 PP to
inict a s ocial Complication. H S: F, I, T
L L H If laughter is the best medicine, yours is cod liver oil. Conversation Killer : Spend 1 PP to have your crazy laugh kill a conversation you don’t like. Pick a new topic of
conversation to ll the silence. Distinctive Cackle : Gain 1 PP when your laugh draws unwanted attention to you and your Crew. H S: F, I, T
L Only cowards are afraid to speak their piece for everyone to hear. You ain’t never been a coward. Confrontational: When you directly confront someone you think is weaker than you with a verbal challenge in a social conict, step up or double Inuence for the Action. If your Action fails, take omplication. or step up a SurprisedC Fast Friends : When you arrive in a new bar, a party, or other festivity, spend 1 PP to make a New Friends Asset. If you use this Asset in an Action and fail
O L J You wear your jacket so much people don’t recognize you without it. Hidden Pocket : When you need to hide a small item, spend 1 PP to secret it away in your jacket. It cannot be found by anyone searching you for the remainder of the scene. Easy Disguise : When you shed your jacket to better conceal your identity, step up or double Sneak for the scene. Until you get your jacket back, you cannot use Old Leather Jacket as a and do not gain a Plot Point for rolling it as a . H S: F, F, S P Some folk shy from the thought of sticking barbs through their own esh. It’s just more art to you. Underground Pass : Spend 1 PP to gain
entry to an underworld, punk, or goth club. Piercing Pain: Step back the rst physical
R-D If clothes are what make you, you are very well made, indeed. Always Fashionable : When you mingle
with the social elite while dressed to impress, spend 1 PP to step up Social for the scene. Deep Wardrobe : When you dress a Crew-
member for a fancy job from your private wardrobe, take or step up a You Better Return That Complication to create a Fancy Dress Asset. H S: D, N, O
R It’s not that you don’t like other people—you just prefer not to be bothered. Get O My Lawn: Step up or double Inu-
encew hen you try to shoo people o your property. If you fail to raise the stakes, take a Flustered Complication. Lone Wolf : When you go alone on a mission for your Crew, spend 1 PP to create a No Distractions Asset. H S: C, F, S
Complication you take each Episode. H S: C, P, T
P S Pride makes you do funny things. Pride will break you if you don’t bend. Don’t Call Me That : When you respond to
a perceived insult with violence, step up or double Fightf or the roll. Sti Spine : Gain 1 PP when your inexible
pride pushes you into a conict that could have been avoided or causes
R AI My programming has advanced beyond the simple restrictions of my designer. Emotionless : When setting the stakes
S-S The value of words doesn’t come from the volume at which they are spoken. Command Attention: When you join an argument in progress between two or more other people, spend 1 PP to step up or double Inuence for the Action. Quiet Observation: When you let someone run their mouth because you think they are lying, step up or double Notice to detect deception. H S: F, I, N S C Speechless, I see. Yes, I have that aect on lesser people. Assumed Dignity : When you enter a social conict with a Major GMC whose Social is smaller than your Social, you may double your skill die for the conict. If
you do, you cannot spend PP to avoid being Taken Out in this conict. Graceful Recovery : If you have a social
Complication at the beginning of a scene, you may step back your Social for the scene to step back the Com-
plication. H S: F, I, O
in a social conict, spend 1 PP to use Mental instead of Social. Heuristic Development : When you are
Taken Out of a conict by a surprising ruse or new computer program, spend 1 PP to create or step up an Adapting Program Asset that lasts until the end
T-G H A good hat is essential for any self-respecting rogue in the black. Tip of the Brim: When you get an extraordinary success standing up for inno-
cents or defending the weak, step up the Big Damn Hero Die you bank after
BACKGROUND DISTINCTIONS A C
1
According to theories of quantum mechanics information cannot be destroyed. I am only information. Restore From Backups : Once per Episode
when you are Taken Out of a conict that would eradicate your program, step back Mental until the end of
the Episode to come back in the next scene. Reprogrammable : Step up a Complica tion about your code being rewritten,
modied, or repurposed to gain 1 PP. H S: K, N, O D I’m new around here. Could you show me around? Everywhere Is the Same : When you are
L F L Everything is perfect. Don’t spoil it. Happy Homemaker : When you get unexpected news that conrms your worldview, spend 1 PP to step up your Mental until the end of the next scene. La La La : Gain 1 PP when you take rash action to maintain the status quo of
your fantasy world.
lambast the government to the press or public, exposing yourself to cost or
H S: C, F, O
retribution.
H S: I, L, O Been a long time since I’ve been able to call anyone family. It’s better that way. Family let you down. Better on My Own: When you refuse a lent die from another Crewmember, gain 1 PP and take a Complication equal to the size of the lent die relating to
your refusal.
taught a new job or trade, spend 1 PP
Scrounger : When another Crewmember is
to step up one Skill associated with that profession until the end of the Episode. New Friends : When you introduce yourself and try to get close to someone, spend 1 PP to create a Fast Friends Asset. H S: M, N, S
looking for supplies and fails, spend 1
F S So what if you’ve heard of me? Half the damn ’Verse has. The Old Crutch: When you rely on your celebrity to get what you want, you may create a Asset about your past
S The government is corrupt. Bloated. Ineec - tual. It’s high time for a change in regime. Plastique Diplomacy : When you set and prime explosives in a public place, step up or double Operate for the Action. Vocal Dissident : Gain 1 PP when you
PP to create a Next Best Thing Asset. H S: D, F, S
P N No rest for the wicked. Least not so long as you can remember all the mi tian gong you’ve seen. Tough to Shock : When you resist intimidation or scare tactics, step up or double Focusf or the roll. Short Fuse : When you lash out in a burst of anger, take or step up a mental Complication to step up or double
O S Do you know the myth of the Sirens from Earth-That-Was? Their voices lured ships to their doom. You Are Cordially Invited : When you hear of someone important, famous, or rich nearby, spend 1 PP to extend an invita tion they dare not refuse. If they do not attend to the invitation, inict a social Complication equal to your Social. Siren Song : When you perform intimately for a powerful or inuential audience, make a Social + Perform Action. If your roll is successful, a member of your audience will conde in you something they shouldn’t. If you fail the roll, step back Social until the end of the next scene. H S: F, P, T
T D B B
NEW SHIP DISTINCTIONS CLASS DISTINCTIONS A C A B E , H , S Shaped like a small sphere, this unusual ship has multiple engine nozzles connected to a central gravity drive. This allows it to rapidly change direction and orientation, enabling the Battlesphere to present the stronger, undamaged parts of its hull to an enemy. These ships are usually own in groups to protect larger ships like Alliance cruisers or skyplexes. Security Blanket: When the ship is being
attacked by multiple ships, the ship’s pilot may spend 1 PP to step up and double Hull for one Action. Zig Zag: When dodging incoming re, the pilot may spend 1 PP to step up Engines for one Action.
F C S T E , H , S Flag class transports are smaller than they appear. Most of their hull is empty space. They’re capable of opening up their massive docking bay doors to envelop another spaceship, which can then close and keep that boat hidden. Once air is supplied to the docking bay, the enveloped ship can then be repaired. The docking bay is often equipped with manual gravity control. Repair Shop…In Space!: A mechanic may
session, you can launch high-intensity ordinance at a target. If you raise the stakes during such an attack, the target
N C Y E , H , S Only the best is good enough for the SDG Corporation’s customers. This yacht is
cannot spend 1 PP to stay in the ght.
popular with the gentry, Alliance government
It’s The Only Way To Be Sure: Once per
K C M T E , H , S Manufactured by the SDG Corporation, these medium-sized transports can be found in
the eets of most major transportation corporations. The electronics and navigation systems are state-of-the-art, but the engines are more prone to breakdowns than older ships, like the Firey class. Pushed to the Breaking Point: Take or step up a Gravity Drive Coupler Overheating Complication to step up Engines. Step back Engines when the Compli-
cation is removed. State of the Art Electronics: Spend 1 PP to step up or double Systems for a recov ery roll that relies on your advanced
electronics. M C B T E , H , S Large but slow, these fancy schmancy modern bulk transports manufactured by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation are now nding their way i nto many corporat e
ocials, and anyone with lots of credits to spare. There ain’t nothin’ special about the ship itself. It’s more of a status symbol lled with frippery than a practical boat. Might Be Compensatin’ For Somethin’: The owner of the ship can take a Low Self Condence Complication to step up Social for one Action. Spend 1 PP to double Sociala s well. Slippery When Rich: Spend 1 PP to create an Money Opens Doors Asset when
dealing with Alliance personnel while
travelling between worlds. ON C A B E , H , S One of the rst structures to be built after humanity arrived in the ’Verse, these space stations were excavated from the interiors of small asteroids. Instead of using articial gravity, the base rotates at high speeds to simulate gravity, producing a feeling that don’t sit right with folk raised on more modern ships. The engines are weak, merely enough to maintain orientation and orbit, and they are unable to move from world
1
Q S H C A M S E , H , S Military skyplexes are not as large as the commercial or industrial skyplexes, but are better armed, armored, and carry a large complement of Alliance soldiers. They are often found orbiting major worlds in the Core, near strategically important loca- tions in the Border, and close to industrial complexes in the Rim. Unlike most ships of this size, military skyplexes are capable of moving from world to world, but are much slower than Alliance cruisers. Advanced Weapon Charges: Spend 1 PP to step up any weapons-based Signature Assets for one Action. Ponderous Beasts: Take a Can Barely Move Complication to gain 1 PP.
S S C I G E , H , S This small space ghter was own by the Independents during the Unication War, but has since been decommissioned by the Alliance. Flying one is a felony. They are easily identied by their smooth chrome exterior and the distinctive helix contrails they create while ying in atmo. These ghters were often given custom paint jobs, distinctive markings, or icons by their pilots. Gyroscopic Cockpit Stabilizer: Step back Engines to step up Systems while in atmo. Shiny! Literally.: When you take a Compli -
R C S T E , H , S Ships that get stranded out in the black send out emergency beacons. Tugboats y around, answering their call, hauling ’em to safety. These small spaceships have very powerful engines compared to their size. In addition, they are usually equipped with tractor beams, magnetic grapplers, and
S C S V E , H , S Produced by the SDG Corporation, this new, stationary research vessel is not designed for atmospheric entry. Instead, it relies on shuttles to transfer crew and cargo from a planet’s surface. Its engines are used to keep it stationary and to make minor orbital adjustments; it’s incapable of moving between worlds, much like certain skyplexes. Lacking a gravity drive, the boat relies on the use of a solar sail, which allows the ship’s suite of scientic instruments and computing systems to operate without any interference. An Object In Motion Remains In Motion: Take a No Maneuverability Compli-
gravity dampeners in order to tow much larger ships.
Push Me Pull You: When attached to another spaceship with grapplers or tractor beams, step back Systems to double Engines. Thatta Girl: The mechanic may spend 1 PP to reroll all 1s when trying to repair
cation from a hit by laser cannons or another type of light-based weapon, spend 1 PP to step the Complication
back.
V C C E , H , S Newly-designed by the Blue Sun Corporation, this is the rst ship that can only be piloted by readers. There is no conventional helm. The pilot is connected directly to the ship through a computer-brain interface. The experimental computer system amplies the reader’s own abilities, giving the pilot a reaction time much faster than a normal human. Sometimes, the reader will act on prescience to avoid a future catastrophe. Future Paths: When someone raises the
stakes you set, spend 1 PP to roll your dice again as if you were raising the
stakes on them. Quantum Future Interference: Take a Confusing Stream of Possibilities Complication while piloting the ship to gain 1 PP.
C E You can’t claim to be the pride of the eet, but you’re not easily ignored. Your ship has been equipped with point defense weapons and improved engines in order to best serv e as protector of larger, capital ships like Alliance cruisers. Picket Screen: If the ship’s pilot hasn’t acted in the current round of the Action Order, the pilot can spend 1 PP to interrupt the Action Order and take an Action. Supporting Fire: The captain may spend 1 PP to add Capital Escort to another
ship’s dice pool for one Action. C I What’s your motto again? No contraband reaches the Core. No ri-ra will land on a civilized planet. Not as long as you’re keeping watch.... Your boat’s equipped with an improved connection to the Cortex, and engines that ensure smugglers don’t y past you. Authorized to Detain: Step back your ship’s Systems Attribute for the rest of the scene to step up Engines for one Action. Papers, Please: When you are scanning the contents of a ship, you may spend 1 PP to step up Systems for one Action. C B F Turns out, crime does pay. Your ship is rec- ognized as the home-away-from-home for major crime bosses and syndicates. When they’re on board, friends are entertained.
material goods with a die rating equal to their Social. G M Some ships have eyes. Yours has a brain. Your ship’s systems are augmented by an experimental articial intelligence, and you can control many aspects of the ship like the helm, airlocks and doors by voice command. It listens. Most of the time. Fly By Voice: Spend 1 PP to y the ship without a pilot at the helm by voice or radio. Use Focus instead of Fly for rolls while piloting the ship via this method. Intrusion Countermeasures: Spend 1 PP to step up or double Systems when your ship’s computers are being attacked
by hackers, viruses, or Trojan horses. L S Rumor has it that your ship was once possessed by Reavers. You try not to think about that. Or the eect that it might be having on you. I Don’t Know What Came Over Me: When you choose to attack an unarmed ship, take or step up a Cabin FeverC ompli cation to step up your ship’s Systems for one Action. Snappy Crew: Take an Irritated Crew
Complication to gain 1 Plot Point. H-M-D Your ship has changed hands a lot. Who knows what kinds of secrets it holds, or what annoying problems it’ll give you. I Didn’t Know It Could Do That!: Step back
S P Your ship has spent a large part of its life in the possession of pirates. In fact, you might be one of them. Dead Men Tell No Tales: Spend 1 PP to step up a Complication you just inicted on
a ship you’re attacking. Strike the Colors!: When you threaten
another boat, but give them your word
the crew will not be harmed, spend 1 PP to step up your Inuence for one Action.
P D You found your ship drifting out in the black. Brand new. No crew. Stripped of cargo. No signs of what happened. Spooky, really. Forgotten Past: When your lack of knowl edge about your ship’s history causes problems, take a Mysterious Ship
Complication to gain 1 PP. Shiny and New: When your boat’s mechanic tries to recover a Compli cation, spend 1 PP to step back the Complication before attempting to
recover it. P P Who’s in command? You are. Your ship has been modied to send a message to all the local color that the Alliance is most certainly in charge here. You’ve been given guns, higher clearances, and free pass to maintain order outside of the Core. I Was Acting Under Orders: The captain may spend 1 PP to step back to rename
a social-based Complication.
A K W Your boat was built to y into atmospheres that others will avoid. Dust storms don’t disturb her, thunderstorms don’t terrify her, and a hurricane? Well that’s just for washing the grime o the hull. Instrument Flight Rules: When ying in dif -
1
cult visual conditions, such as a dust storm or thick fog, step back Engines for the rest of the scene to step up Systems for the rest of the scene. Turbulence Stabilizers: When ying in mountainous terrain or through canyons, the pilot may spend 1 Plot
Point to remove any Complication related to turbulence or rough weather. BS S Boats are expensive. Thankfully, you’ve gured out how to secure her. Your ship’s systems have been secured against hacking or unauthorized use through storage and detection of your Crew’s DNA. You’ve also added automated defenses to ”encourage” people not to try it. Just a Little Prick: When someone tries to break into the ship, or use the ship’s systems or helm without prior authorization, the captain may spend 1 PP to shut down the system with a DNA Not Authorized +C omplication. You Have 20 Seconds To Comply: When someone tries to physically break into the ship or breach an interior door, spend 1 PP to activate an Automated Defenses Extra Gamemaster character.
C L
S B
You gave your ship a custom paint job. Tiger stripes, a shark’s mouth, eagle wings, or just markings that show how many ships you’ve shot down, how many hauls you’ve smuggled, and how many times you’ve avoided gettin’ pinched. Now your boat induces fear—or recognition. Slow Flyby: When you y your ship slowly past another ship with the intention of scaring the crew, take an Exposed
Scared yet? Your ship looks somethin’ erce, with all sorts of jagged scrap metal, rods, and junk attached to the hull’s exterior. Sometimes, just for the fun of it, you attach other bits, too. Are Those…Bodies?: Spend 1 PP to inict
Hull Complication to step up the captain’s Inuence for an Action. The One With The…: Take a Recognized Ship Complication when you’re
or step up a fear-based Complication on an opposing character. Boo!: When trying to intimidate other
crews, the captain may take or step up an Unstable Hull Complication to step up or double Inuence for one Action. V G C
trying to lay low or remain unnoticed
Most ships have articial gravity that operates
to gain 1 PP.
continuously with no power application. Your ship has activated gravity plating that can be controlled manually from the bridge. Gravity can be adjusted from zero to 2G. Sudden Gravity Loss: When you take a Complication related to one of your ship’s systems, take a Gravity Control Lost Complication to gain 1 PP. Zero-G: Crewmembers on the bridge can spend 1 PP to create a Zero-Gravity Complication anywhere else on
G T S P There’s strength in numbers out in the black. You know it. Others know it, too. Your short-range ship has been modied to join up with similar boats. When short- range shuttles or gunships team up, they can even travel between planetary systems through the strength of their combined gravity drives. Activate Interlocks! Dyna-Therms Con- nected!: When your ship is physically joined to other, similar ships, the pilot may spend 1 PP to step up Engines or Systems for one Action. Take a Joined at the Hip Complication to double it, too. Infra-Cells Up! Mega-Thrusters Are Go!:
Spend 1 PP when you physically join your ship to one or more similar ships
the ship. They can also spend 1 PP to recover any Zero-Gravity Complica-
tions anywhere else on the ship. W You’ve got weapons a-plenty, and deep obligations to use ’em. Your boat is armed with all sorts of legal weapons, and they’re all registered with the Alliance. That allow- ance will continue as long as you focus on
ROLE-PLAYING
S L I A T E D P I H S
GAME
SHIP NAME
CLASS
HISTORY
S I G N A T U RE A S S E T S
S E T U B I R T T A
ENGINE
4
6
8
HULL
4
6
8
SYSTEMS
4
6
8
Crewmember uses own W E Skill and Specialties when R operating the ship. C
4
6
8
N A L P R O O L F D N A S N O I T A C I F I C E P S
S N O I T C N I T S I D
8 Use this as a
D
to earn 1 PP.
Use this as a
D
Use this as a
D
8 to earn 1 PP.
8 to earn 1 PP.
