Fantasy Firefly

[MarkAHart]

I was just trying to figure out how to do a Firefly-esque fantasy campaign in the Eberron setting.

I was thinking along similar lines, but as mentioned, putting it out into space with Spelljammer, too. Basically, take the Dragonmarked Houses and take them into the future where they are, in a sense, megacorporations. Each house controls some aspect that is vital to travel or existence...House Cannith constructs Spelljamming drives, House Sivis keeps colonies and outposts in communication with one another, another house is in charge of magical terraforming, while another house trains special navigators who are skilled at navigating the phlogiston.

I readily admit all this borrows heavily from many inspirational sources -- Firefly, Dune, Shadowrun, Eberron, etc. It also probably comes across as a rather freakish Frankenstein-like patchwork of ideas, but it is still in the rough draft stages.

 

[Whimsical]

In Eberron the simplest thing you could do is Aundair = "Alliance" and Eldeen Reaches = "Outlands". What could work better is picking one of the five nations as the winner of the Last War. They "reunify Galifar", and of course they get the choice stuff and everyone else can scramble for survival.

Interestingly enough, the book Five Nations has the best "reaver" template I have seen: the Madborn. They are in a constant state of [barbarian] rage. They always fight two handed and they always power attack at full. It was funny that I was bookmarked at that page and read the description after I watched Serenity.

 

[stevelabny]

Firefly - Eberron style. A match made in geekdom.

Serenity is a "firefly" class Zilargo airship. The firefly class ships are transport ships with the elemental ring in the rear. Only a few still fly, as most were brought down during the Last War. One such ship had landed to bring support to the opposing army at the battle of Serenity Valley, just inside the Cyran border. Now it sits there in the Mournland, waiting for a crew.

Malerie = multiclass (ftr/rog?) / cyran avenger

During the Last War, Malerie Reynolds was a sergeant for the Cyran army. She was fighting and losing the battle of Serenity Valley when the Day of Mourning happened. Somehow she and her friend Zo survived, but the Five Nations are cruel to Cyran refugees. Bitter but hopeful, she knows where to find her own airship, and wants the freedom that her own ship would give.

Zo = changeling fighter (archer build)

Malerie's second in command. A no nonsense soldier. Zo doesn't not let people know that s/he is a changeling unless necessary.

J'Cobb = shifter fighter

Searching through the Mournland for the ship, Mal and Zo ran afoul of another group of looters. The group's strong-man was a shifter that was not treated as an equal, so Mal made him an offer he couldn't refuse. J'Cobb ain't too bright, and he ain't too nice, but rumors say there's a small town in the Eldeen Reaches where he's considered a hero.

Vvash = Lyrandar dragonamrked expert

Dismissed from his house over some minor infraction, VVash had fallen in with some Lhazaar pirates until he met up with Mal and Zo. They recognized his navigational skills and his dragonmark and were quick to bring him into the fold.

Kale = warforged artificer

After the war Kale took on some jobs fixing things, but now he's decided to wander Khorvaire and learn the ways of the world. Kale is wide-eyed and naive but Mal needed someone to fix up the ship and keep it flying. Kale might not be a warrior like most of his kind, but carries his own weight on the crew.

And of course once the ship is in the air, it will pick up a few more crewmembers

Tam = House Jorasco expert

Tam comes from a wealthy Jorasco family, but when he found out that his sister was being experimented on by the Brelish parliament, he threw it all away to break her out. An independent airship is just what he needs to get his sister out of Breland.

Dagger = halfling psion

Dagger, named after the Brelish river, was a gifted child sent to a special school, where she became the subject of numerous experiments. She was recently rescued by her brother and has started to exhibit strange psychic powers. The Brelish government wants her back.

Nara = human expert

In the city of Sharn there are numerous establisments where pleasure isn't a cheap thrill, but an expensive art form. Nara has been working in one such location and has been trying to establish a network of "companions" across Khorvaire in the hopes of improving their way of life. Nara's talents are well-known and being able to travel quickly to all points of Khorvaire would help both her in both of her endeavors

Tome = monk/rogue/ (assassin?) / cleric of the Silver Flame

A devout worshpper of the Silver Flame, with a mysterious past. How does he wind up aboard Serenity? Luck, fate, or something more sinister? Only time will tell.


During my Eberron campaign, I plan on introducing these NPCs one at a time, depending on when and where the PCs are. They might meet Kale on the road or meet Tome on the Lightning Rail, help Zo rescue Mal from trouble, be aboard the pirate ship when Mal and Zo meet VVash, help Nara fight off unwanted attention in Sharn, help Tam rescue his sister.

The slightly different names and genders should keep the players guessing at first.. at least until Malerie asks for help travelling to the Mournland to find the ship. (Or if they decline that job, when they get caught in the middle of Tam rescuing Dagger and escaping in the Serenity)

And then I'll have a full cast of NPCs in a travelling airship that the players can use or ignore as they see fit. Perfect for needing a specific ability the party doesnt have, or if we have a guest player...because everyone will know the correct personality for the NPCs. I am shameless.

But I really do thing Firefly and Eberron were made for each other.

 

[Whimsical]

That would make a great gaming convention game!

 

[Staffan]

If you want it to mirror firefly, I would try not to go too heavy handed on the "EEEEEEEvil alliance" bit. There's something to be said for making the "bad guys" oppressively lawful but not activly evil.

I haven't seen Serenity yet (it doesn't open here until the 4th of November), but the "opressively lawful" thing is exactly what I understand the Alliance as from the TV show.

 

[Dragonhelm]

As mentioned above, Serenity is as much of a character as the characters are, so I would recommend having some sort of skyship presence in the setting, if not make this a full-fledged Spelljammer game.

You could set it in a "futuristic" 'verse, where the people of the setting come from the "Oerth-that-was". Maybe they settled on a new planet, or in a new crystal sphere with tons of island-worlds. There's dozens of approaches to this.

You might make the Browncoats into some sort of knighthood, or make them sorcerers or wizards (brown robes).

I would definitely allow psionics for this in order to emulate River, though they should be rare.

If you go with the Spelljammer setup, there's a lot of elements already from Kara-Tur, so you can emulate that Chinese feel.

The western feel might be the hardest element to implement. I'm not sure if you want to allow gunpowder to help with this or not.

Just some various thoughts.

 

[Percivellian]

How is your divine magic working, if at all?

 

[Felix]

Just make it on the high seas instead of in space or on land.

And set it in a world covered by 90% water with lots of small islands.

The alliance has control of the one large continent and all the surrounding islands.

The browncoats were the settlers of islands further out who wanted autonomy because alliance ships rarely showed up. They got stomped on.

The children at River's academy are strange power-wielding creatures called "sorcerers". Or maybe "Wild Mages".

Two by Two, Hands of Blue: Occult Slayers.

Reavers: Feral Orc barbarians.

Dwarves, Elves, Half-orcs, Halflings, etc... nope.

Mal: Fighter/Rogue with Dread Pirate (Honorable) levels.

Wash: Navagator

Kaylee: Carpenter/Sailmaker

Serenity: Fore-and-aft rigged ship build for speed and manaeuverability. Low tonnage, light draft, no cannon. Only a small crew necessary.

Magic is Rare Rare Rare. Combat is Deadly Deadly Deadly. Healing is Slow Slow Slow.

I think this would be hella fun!

 

[coyote6]

I was thinking of a Firefly-esque Exalted game -- set it in the West with the PCs having a ship, the Realm substitutes for the Alliance, you could have a blue glove-wearing Sidereal or Abyssal, Fair Folk (or human followers) as Reavers, etc.

 

[Dark Psion]

I like the Eberron take;

Mal and Zoe would be from Cyre and Mal would be a Cyrian Avenger, Zoe might be a Fighter/ Scout.

Jayne as a shifter does sound good.

Make Kaylee a "natural" Artificer, no training, she just feels her way to fixing things.

Innara would be a Bard/ Courtier (from L5R: Rokugan).

River and Simon would be from Thrane, Simon training as a Cleric/ Healer of the Silver Flame. River was sent to a special school, but it was a front for the Inspired. Basically she is an Empty Vessel being crafted for a powerful Quori.

Walsh is the problem character in a D&D setting. Making him a Dragonmarked does add something. Maybe a multi-classed jack of all trades PC; a little Artificer, a littler Rogue for the skills, maybe a little Sorcerer for the Shadow puppets.

And Shepard Book, he would have to be an experienced character, Expert/ Ranger with a few levels of, oh say assassin??