D20 system to play Firefly?

[BiggusGeekus]

Seriously, Either GT or d20M would do the trick. Depending on if you wanted true to the TV Show, I'd say put Massive Damage at 10, ignore the advanced and prestige stuff, and just make 'em all strong/smart/tough/ etc. heroes, under 10th level, allowing a limited pool of Action points to stabilize and stave off death. Using some of the cooler talents added to GT would allow the psychic and super-ninja types like River.

This looks good.

The way I'd handle River is to have some kind of talent or feat that mandated INT 18+, CHA 10-, but you had a floating pool of +5 insight bonuses that you could add to any attack, save, or skill roll. Stipulate that it takes you two rounds to "refocus" your attention on any given probelm when you reallocate your bonuses.

I'd handle Reavers the same way, increased STR and CON, with the downside that you're loopy. And if you aren't willing to spend the feat, you get turned into Reaver chow.

 

[Krieg]

Alternity or MegaTraveller...take your pick.

D20 only? Probably Grim Tales with a huge dose of D20 Traveller.

 

[Shadowdancer]

I played a Firefly scenario at Gen Con last year that used the Cyberpunk 2020 rules set. None of the characters had any cybernetics, but the basic game and combat system were used, and it worked pretty well. Of course, we were having so much fun just roleplaying the characters (we were playing the characters from the series) that we did very little combat or skill checks.

 

[coyote6]

I would use GURPS, if I were GMing. d20 Modern could work, for a one-shot (something about [post-]modern characters and levels just doesn't work for me, alas).

The basic core rules of M&M/Blue Rose might work, too.

Or you could use a free-form d20 -- "Here's the characters, skills, attack bonuses, special abilities, etc." -- don't worry about levels, specific classes, and all that. Just write 'em up, assign hp (or Toughness saves), and go.

 

[KaosDevice]

The more I think about it the more I think the Bab5 ruleset would work pretty nicely for it. (Inara as a Diplomat, Mal as a Soldier, etc. etc.) seems like it would work out pretty nicely. Plus it has the super gritty dangerous feel of the Firefly 'verse. Combat is a deadly affair in D20 B5.

 

[arscott]

I'm confused, Henry. Doesn't everyone have player characters going mad during scenarios?

I dunno. I dislike driving Characters insane.

I reserve that for their Players.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I've always thought that Firefly fits very well with the Traveller level of tech and psionics, so Traveller d20 might be a good choice, though I've never used it myself.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Romnipotent]

Gurps
Savage Worlds
Fudge
D20 Future
or other

Theres already unofficial Firefly game rules written up, with deck plans, a good googlefu will give you the results

 

[Klaus]

This looks good.

The way I'd handle River is to have some kind of talent or feat that mandated INT 18+, CHA 10-, but you had a floating pool of +5 insight bonuses that you could add to any attack, save, or skill roll. Stipulate that it takes you two rounds to "refocus" your attention on any given probelm when you reallocate your bonuses.

I'd handle Reavers the same way, increased STR and CON, with the downside that you're loopy. And if you aren't willing to spend the feat, you get turned into Reaver chow.

Or you could give River a special abilty similar to a barbarian's rage (but not a rage per se), granting her "stoppable by no power in the 'verse" combat skills for a single round or two, useable once or twice per day.

Looks like a job for a Template!

 

[KidCthulhu]

Luckily, River and Simon are going to be NPCs. I have no urge to run a table of 9, and they're the easiest two to leave out of the mission I have planned. So I can make her as freaky or sane as I want, and not have to stat up anything.