The Serenity Role-Playing Game

[White Knight]

The Serenity Role-Playing Game book is out, and its shiny to boot; the game in simple enough to learn (I have never played an RPG before, but picked up the rules pretty good) along with rules on making your own characters or playing as the Serenity crew, its packed with details about the 'Verse, there's some nice big colour photos, and some short bits of fiction about either the Serenity crew or their original crew of the Aces and Eights. In my opinion, it's a fun RPG, a Serenity fanfic writers dream, and a detailed book about the 'Verse.

So, who has a copy of the book, and who's played the game? What did you think?

[SlytherinGal]

very cool

[CKO]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh *adds that to x-mas list* i want

[Ascended Times.2]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh *adds that to x-mas list* i want

-does exactly what CKO does- oooh, shiny!

[White Knight]

very cool

That it is.
I was going over my fanfic, and the plot sucked, so I was thinking of a better one when some of the details of the RPG's 'Verse section almost literally leapt off the page at me and gave me a kick-ass story idea.

[Ascended Times.2]

Oooh, care to share...?

[White Knight]

The story had to involve the Serenity crew transporting someone from the Rim to the outer Core, because the someone has a big impact on certain characters. The someone had to be pursued by a force who are out to stop and/or kill him, but not Alliance.
For the longest time I couldn't think of a decent reason that the crew were being paid to transport this guy, or why people were after him, until I read some stuff in the RPG book about the Corone Mining Consortium, who have been known to play dirty when it comes to making claims on sites.
The idea then came that this someone found a massive - and lucrative - claim, and Corone aren't above sending some armed thugs to take this guy out so that they can have the lone stake in the claim. The Miners Guild, who are at odds with Corone, pay the Serenity crew to 'smuggle a passenger' off the backwater moon, where leaving transports are rare, and bring him to a Guild office. Of course, the crew and the someone don't expect the thugs, theres some shootouts and fist fights and the like, etc.
That's the plot of the story, but what's meant to be the focus is the character dynamics. Its post-Serenity, and its meant to be an examination of the characters after the dust has settled and they're back doing the sorta work they usually do. So far its coming along nicely, though kinda long, and I rarely get a chance to write, but its coming. I will finish it.

Okay, that went completely off-topic. *clears throat* Gee, isn't the RPG book cool? Wowsers!

[Ascended Times.2]

Whoa. That sounds like one hell of a story

Anyway...damn it, now I really want that set!

[White Knight]

Its a good sales pitch, huh. "I bought the RPG book, and then I wrote a Serenity story *this* big!"

[Elite Anubis Guard]

I never really understood these RPG books, would someone care to explain them. Are they look playing boardgames?

[White Knight]

Don't worry, EAG, this is my first foray into RPGing as well.
Its not a boardgame. Rather, its more like storytelling. You design a character (or use one that's pre-made) with skills and talents and weaknesses and the like. Other players do this too, and one last person is the Game Master (the GM). The GM is in charge of telling the story and describing what's going on in the 'Verse (as well as controlling every other character in the 'Verse,) and you decide how your character is going to react to that, what they're going to do, etc. Part of this is done with dice.
Basically, a GM could decide that a couple of thugs are going to rush you. You decide if you're character is going to draw and shoot, or stand and fight with your fists, or run away. You'll roll dice against certain stats to determine the outcome, the GM says what happens next, you decide what you're character is gonna do, etc.

*NOTE* Experienced RPG players, feel free to step in at any time and correct me if I'm wrong. Like I said, I'm new to this too.

[skritsys]

You hit the nail on the head there. The GM pretty decides the elements and plot devices of the story. The characters are made up from the Basic book by way of character sheets and trading off skills here and there for other skills upon creation. Basically RPG's is like you are the actor/actress playing your character and the GM (gamemaster) is the director throwing things at you and you try to solve/overcome whatever problems the GM creates for that story. Gaming sessions can go for hours on end, or can take weeks. When you get right down to it, it is like your own TV show where you get to act the part that you want (in character).