Works as both a players-guide style rules summary and character-creation helper as well as containing a number of adventures. The first, with a wedding caper that could've come right out of hte actual show, is the best.

There's a lot here: new rules, new places to visit and two complete adventures to play. Primarily aimed at game masters, there is a wealth of material to enhance an existing campaign or spark off a new one. It's all presented in the casual conversational style that has characterised all releases in the Firefly line, jarring for some but somehow fitting to the style of the original show.

The rules stuff is mostly to do with Reputation. What are you known for? And how well are you regarded? There's plenty of detail about how to get a good Reputation... and how easy it is to lose it. Note that Reputation only affects how NPCs view you, fellow player-characters are free to make up their own minds, no matter what the numbers say. The four 'factions' found in the 'Verse are also introduced: Alliance, Browncoats, Corporations and Criminals. Each one is a collection of assumptions (right or wrong) about the folk lumped into that category, and most people do not actually view themselves as belonging to one anyway. It mostly serves as a mechanic for determining how NPCs will react, but there is a lot of detail here to help you get a feel for how different groups think and feel. Some of it's useful, some of it may come over as rather too mechanical - but it can serve a use, perhaps as a 'rule of thumb' for determining reactions or even bringing out just how polarised society can be in the wake of a civil war. As examples, the Reputations of the characters from the show are analysed in detail. You can do the same for your own characters (or if you've chosen to play the show ones, well, it's done for you!).

There are also twelve new archetypes for those looking for new characters to play. They are grouped by faction, which may influence your choice. The notes take you through the steps from archetype outline to full-blown character, and then each one gets a full page including basic statistics, a run-down on what makes them tick and even a portrait. There are a lot of new Distinctions to choose from as well, and it is even possible to retrofit existing characters if you want. The process of adding Reputation to them is also covered here. If that wasn't enough, there are also a whole bunch more of Signature Assets that you might wish to have.

Once characters are dealt with, there's a similarly copious array of material for your ship. Different classes of vessel, history, signature assets, distinctions and customisation options - everything you need to make your ship a whole lot more than a means of transportation. There are some ready-made examples too.

Next comes the Good Shepherd's Run, a route through ten planets which are all described in sufficient detail to make a visit interesting. Notable people, what the different factions are doing, places to go... even ideas for adventures to be had there. A wealth of snippets of information to make each location come to life in your game.

This extensive section is followed by two complete adventures, All in the Family and Circling the Wagons. These are laid out in the pattern established by earlier published adventures, and both give plenty of scope for profit and trouble... or maybe that ought to be the other way around. The stakes are high. They are beautifully detailed and easy to run, although you have to edit a bit on the fly if your players have their own characters rather than the ones from the show (mine always want their own characters!). Resources are provided to help you deal with characters who do something other than the intended, seamlessly and without derailing the entire plotline. Nicely done.

There are several Appendices, including a whole lot more Chinese, some rules FAQ (and answers), maps and charts, colourful phrases typical of the various sorts of folk you might encounter, summaries of personal and ship Distinctions and a regular army of NPCs all ready to use (complete with complete character sheets).

There's a wealth of stuff here that will enhance your game - who could want more than that?"

Rather than purchasing the individual adventures, I bought this. For the price, this a wonderful supplement for the GM to pick up and use. My crew really loved Shooting Fish and Freedom Flyer. Wedding Planners, not so much... They were pretty neutral on the other. I loved Shooting Fish so much that I even adapted it run in my Edge of the Empire game.

If you're the GM, this is a good book and gives lots of good stories... it also gives a reprint of the characters from Serenity. I actually like the crew sheets from this more so than the ones out of the main book. Having a short section on how to play is also included, and a life saver when at the table... print it out, and have a copy or two on the table. Really helps the new players.

This book is a great addition for the GMs, not so much for the players. The Players should check out Smugglers Guide to the Rim. As a GM, it contains a lot of helpful hints to challenging the players, introducing enemies as well as NPCs.

This book contains a few very interesting antagonists for the party and can introduce a mite heapin' of trouble. The advice on how to "run a crime organization" is awesome and sure to please the GM (and their players). It shows how to make some characters that your PCs are sure to love to hate. Some additional Signature Assets and Encounters are given to help you on your way.

The Rival Crews and Gangs section gives you a good bit of information on creating a crew to be your crews rivals. This helps make your players feel like they are not alone, and gives them someone to compete against. The crews that MWP details are pretty fun, and humorous. I specially love da McCoys.

Enemy Boats gives you plenty of competition and ideas for your own. It gives a number of new Ship Distinctions, Signature Assets and how to create your own, as well as triggers.

I haven't been able to run through the two adventures yet, but they really help clarify the material in the book from my reading them.

I am so glad to finally get the pdf (I ordered the dead tree version and can't wait to actually see it). I'm very selective of which books I get because money is always limited, and this is a wonderful book to add to the collection. If you can only get one PDF or book other than the Core Book, this is the one!

This has a lot of good information that any player can use, as well as the GM. More Archtypes to add to the list and an interesting new mechanic -- reputation. While I've always had a similar thing in my game, this gives a good rule-set to use and makes it easy to use and understand. More options for your ship also line the pages.

In the end, all I can say is Shiny!

I'm giving this a five star review, because I think it's a more essential supplement to the Firefly RPG than the previous Things Don't Go Smooth. The main reason for this is the addition of a reputation mechanic that looks like it will be a lot of fun to play. I worried when I read about four "factions" that the 'Verse was going to be divided into "Goodies and Baddies" but I' pleased to see that the factions are shorthand for four loose sets of beliefs, and indeed, the game forbids mention of said factions within the game's fiction, explaining they are tool for operating the GMC side of the Reputation mechanic only.

That said, the book also offers some more archetypes, and extra Distinctions, that riff off the idea of the four factions. All good grist to the mill, and I noted with interest an archetype (with new distinctions) that would have been a great help to one of my players who, when we started, was trying to create a Blue Sun scientist type.

A good part of the book also expands the mapped 'Verse, adding lots of detail to the Kaldisa and Blue Sun sub-systems. I like the approach taken here, not just limiting every idea to the western motif's found in those all-to-few original episodes, but pushing the boundaries and adding colour in a way that leaves plenty of space for each grouso's own take on the 'Verse. There of lots a episode seed ideas in this section.

But there are also two fully written up episodes, one by Margaret Weis and one by industry veteran Greg Stoltz. The Weis one is weaker (in my opinion) - it relies too much on players running the original crew, and doesn't offer much help in adapting it to my player's characters. So for example in hinges of the players doing a mission to save Jayne's Mom. There is NOTHING in my crew's 'verse that their characters (or indeed the players) would love as much as Jayne loves his Mom.

Stolze offers us a meatier scenario in his episode and one that involves two actual game-world Factions, which works to emphasise the difference between such a group in the diagesis and the faction mechanic in the rules. This one of course offers ways to get the Serenity crew involved in the action, but also pages more help about using player generated crews.

All in all, and excellent addition to the game. If you can afford only one, buy this in preference to Things Don't Go Smooth. (Of course, Things Don't Go Smooth is lively too, if you can afford both).

Can't add anything to what Meagan said; but can offer some advise to her and others in the 'Verse.

Traveller RPG has a lot of free ship designs. They are not Firefly ones; but they may give you a place to start, Some of them that have been done by fans are incredible.

The fuel tanks and engines from Traveller are WAY oversized; but I did the math. Traveller ship tonnage is about 1/10 of Firefly's. This may help in doing deck plans. 2,400 tons for Serenity doesn't help much; but Travellers 240 Tons does.

Hope this helps.

At the time the Cortex Plus Hackers' Guide had come out there were three major published games using Cortex Plus; Smallville, Leverage, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying - but the license for both Smallville and Marvel Heroic expired at the same time (Firefly has now been added to the ranks). The Cortex Plus Hackers guide presents generic rules for all three games, plus handfuls of hacks for each of them, showing how to adapt each of the three games to various settings.

The system (or more accurately the family of systems) is fast, light and incredibly evocative as long as the GM is good at thinking under pressure and coming up with random complications at a pacing set by the system. The biggest weakness of the system (or rather systems) are that they are incredibly swingy.

Really loving this rule set, nice and simple to understand but flexible enough to do almost anything and open to adaptation. Can't wait to get a crew together and set out into the Black and the wider Verse.

I really liked this book. I thought the entire series was fun and always thought it would make an interesting universe to RPG in.

I acquired the Opening Salvo book a long time ago, back well before I picked up Firefly. I was looking for a system that was different from the games like Pathfinder and Savage Worlds I was playing. I fell in love with the system even though I never managed to get a game going other than a one off. For a long time, I was hoping that MWP would come out with the Dragon Brigade RPG. Hopefully this is the next step.

This uses a similar system to Firefly, Leverage, and Smallville. It is a narrative system so it's not crunchy like Pathfinder and games like that. Instead, it's more like everyone is an actor. Because of the loose restrictions, anything is possible. I will be running a group shortly using these rules. I can tell you that it blends the old Cortex Classic System and FATE.

If you've picked up the Opening Salvo, a bit has changed. Unlike in the Opening Salvo, MWP has explained the Character Creation System very well. It doesn't take long to create a character and you can have your players in the action very quickly.

I don't remember Flourish Dice being in Opening Salvo, but they are a welcome addition to the system. If you are familiar with Firefly, these are the Banked Dice.

This book is enough information to get started. It has a little bit of background but could easily expand on it. I won't go into the adventure so I won't spoil it for someone, but I will say it's pretty good.

These are a very elegant yet simple tool to help you maintain your records. Using the form-filling technology available within PDFs (and using it well!), this download contains a blank character sheet and a blank ship record sheet that you can type on and print out.

It's a lot better than trying to read your handwriting mid-game, it makes it a doddle to update as your character advances or your ship is improved, and - provided you remembered to save a copy after filling it out - you can print them out again and again if someone spills a drink at the gaming table or you keep having to scribble on it to keep track of combat damage and make almost as much of a mess of the sheet as the brawl has done to your character!

The one thing you will still have to do by hand is draw your ship schematics. There's no facility to add a drawing or draw on the space provided on the ship sheet.

Naturally, they can also be used by the Game Master to keep NPC details and ship records in order... and if you have the sort of GM who asks for a copy of your character sheet for plotting purposes between games, why you can print out another one.

It's the sort of useful resource that all game publishers should think about providing - the technology is there so why not use it?

This book opens by introducing the Firefly TV show, and does so well even if you have watched it before (likely you have if you are interested in a game based on that show... although the Leverage game from the same company actually started me watching that show, but I digress). This overview is linked neatly into what the game's about: you will form a crew similar to the Serenity one (if you are confused, Firefly is the name of the show, this game and the class of ship they went around in; Serenity is the name of the ship, the movie spin-off from the TV show and a previous RPG...), and have adventures similar to the ones in the show. Indeed, if you want you can play the characters from the show. The adventures will be new, though. It would be rather dull to play out ones you've already seen on TV! This opening section finishes with there's some background on the place you'll be adventuring in, the 'Verse, and basic notes on what you need to play.

The next chapter is an episode guide of all fourteen episodes of the show that were broadcast. Naturally it's a bit more than that, with notes on how things work in the game - e.g. what dice would be rolled by a given character to perform some stunt that he did in the show - ideas for adventures spinning off from what's already happened, stat blocks for people who feature and more. Weapons and items, for example, are both described and given their game statistics, should you want to use them yourself. It's all lavishly illustrated with screenshots - alas uncaptioned. Each episode ends with several full-blown adventure outlines you could use, and there's plenty and enough detail there that you could throw the episode itself at your characters and see if they can do any better than the originals!

This is followed by Find A Crew, a chapter that explains all you need to know to create your own character. It also has full work-ups in game terms of all the show's characters if you'd rather play them and a set of archetypes that provide a half-way house, most of the hard work has been done for you and all you need to do is personalise them for yourself. If you have Serenity Crew, you'll already have the show characters and archetypes, but here you also get to find out how to create a character from scratch, if that's your preference.

Next comes Find A Ship, which provides a similar service for working out the details of the ship that will be your characters' home, transportation and business. There's even a handy technobabble chart for those who want to sound like they know what's happening in Engineering! There's plenty of material here for you to design a ship from scratch as well as a range of ideas about all the other ships that are out there in the black... not to mention other modes of transportation that you'll find when you land as well.

Ship and crew sorted, all that remains is to Find A Job: and the chapter of the same name starts with the basics for novice role-players, explains how the game is played and how the rules work, and ends with more customisation, how to create your own options and how characters advance once they've been played a bit. This continues with the next chapter, Keep Flyin', which is aimed at whoever wants to be the Game Master (GM). This looks at the rules from the GM's point of view before delving into the running of adventures, how to keep the excitement high and the pressure on, and how to create and run the myriad NPCs needed - for Firefly is, above all, a game in which interactions with other people is central.

The penultimate chapter, Into the Black, looks further into that black art, game mastering, showing you how to use those gamemaster characters to best effect, create the atmosphere and the surroundings and bring it all to life. If it all sounds a bit hard at first, everything soon becomes plain - it's a good solid overview of the game master's art. These skills learned it is time to put them into practice with a complete ready-made scenario to run: What's Yours Is Mine. In this, the party's help is enlisted by someone wrongfully gaoled for murder who wants to get their company back from the individual who framed them... well, you would, wouldn't you.

There's an Appendix jam-packed with useful bits and bobs, including enough Chinese to sound authentic (but perhaps best not practiced on the local Chinese takeaway!), schematics for a Firefly-class ship, system maps and blank sheets for both characters and ships.

Overall, it's a fine introduction to the game - go enjoy yourself out in the black!

Firefly vs Serenity - because there are plenty of good reviews here but none go into the detail of the two systems. Production values and research are excellent for both, of course, and if you want a coffee table book then both work.

The obvious is that they are two separate licenses. If it was in the series but not the film there will be no official stats in Serenity. If it was in the film but not the series there will be none in Firefly. (Because MWP owns the system there are some dual-statted adventures). Less obvious is that Cortex and Cortex Plus are very different systems.

Serenity is a solid traditional RPG. One where the GM is in control of almost everything, and one where there's sufficient grit that leads dying occasionally is expected (which of course matches the film but not the series). Combat is moderately long with tactics and explicit rules for taking cover and the whole thing is if anything a bit grittier than the Serenity movie. Weapons are handled by stats such as range and reloading. Ultimately it's a fairly consistent generic system with a tone that's pretty good for the movie.

If Serenity is a stately waltz, Firefly normally starts with some idiot (normally a PC) setting fire to the third bar and the whole thing turning into a jam session. Things don't go smooth, and even GM plans should be cooked rare because they will be derailed. Scene assets and complications, frequently introduced by the players, are almost as important as the skill of the acting PC. That said, the system is designed to handle any wacky plans the players can think up to the point that making The Destroyer into something made of marshmallow is not a problem (seriously, Firefly is a near perfect system for 80s comedies like Ghostbusters or Police Academy or even more modern comedies like Guardians of the Galaxy where it's blatantly obvious the GM doesn't know what's going on although it does work for more serious games). PC death doesn't often happen except by consent in Firefly - but there are so many other ways for e.g. Saffron to leave Mal wishing he'd never met her with Complications (mechanical representations of in game problems) that this rarely matters. Combat is short and sweet, over in only a few die rolls that use the same system as everything else and weapons are handled with a single number each (with Vera being really effective, although Jayne's pretty good with any gun).

Which is better? What do you want? Something planned out in detail? Or high octane mayhem with everything going wrong and the wheels always on the verge of falling off the wagon.

Me? I prefer Firefly (both series and game). But they are different games, reflecting the different tone between the series and the film.

This is a resource for a Firefly RPG Game Master (GM), whose role is of course to ensure that thing's don't go smooth for the characters... er, that they may live in interesting times. After all, who wants a game where all plans execute as intended and the bad guys never show up? Keep that for real life...

The Introduction lays this all out, in the rather slangy approach that is standard for Firefly resources. Whilst the book is mainly intended for GMs, there is material that players can use, however - like new distinctions, signature assets and ships. You may prefer, however, to introduce these in a controlled manner rather than letting them loose in these pages, particularly if you intend on using the army of antagonists or the plot suggestions to be found here.

Antagonists are not necessarily villians. They're just people whose interests or inclinations run contrary to those of the characters and so can be relied upon to object to or counter whatever they are trying to do... or whose own schemes will impact in a negative way on them. Some are out-and-out bad guys, but even villains don't necessarily see themselves as evil: they may have a quite reasonable (to themselves, at least) rationale for whatever they are doing.

The bulk of this book, then, is a collection of antagonists who can be relied upon to ensure things don't go smoothly for your characters. They are divided into various categories, so you can pick ones appropriate to what you have in mind... and of course, reading through all the details presented sparks ideas for stories if you haven't a plan in mind already. Spies and crime bosses, rival crews and gangs, and assorted other potential opponents are to be found here.

The first lot - the spies and crime bosses - are all individuals although most command a fair few minions to do their bidding. There are notes on what makes a good - great, even - crime boss, which you can apply to individuals of your own design as well as appreciate in these ones. Each one comes with detailed background information and some atmospheric illustrations - not just them but things like appropriate advertisments or scenes - as well as full stat blocks. Notes include typical locations and details of their followers, but the main focus is on the individual in charge. If you are wondering about the spies... well, strip away the followers, tone down their activities a bit and any one of these people could make a career out of espionage, if that suits your plans better. The individual details are followed by some appropriate signature assets. Some might be appropriate for your characters... or they may, ahem, liberate them from a passing crime boss in the course of an adventure. The chapter rounds out with some plot seeds that would work well with these antagonists.

Then come the rival crews and gangs. After all, it is extremely unlikely that the characters are the only bunch of somewhat questionable types crusing around the 'Verse in a ship looking to make a score. There's bound to be other groups with the same idea in mind. Some may be intrinsicly similar to your crew, with enough differences to make them interesting and challenging - their cortex hacker maybe enjoys a good brawl whereas yours hides under a table when a fight breaks out, for example - others will be completely different with their own motivations. Ideas for how to present them in interesting ways are provided before descriptions of several groups are provided, with full stats for the leader and summaries of everyone else in the crew or gang, along with copious background notes replete with suggestions as to how to incorporate them into a good plot. Again, illustrations and notes bring them to life, adding atmosphere to the listings. The chapter ends with a neat system for coming up with a rival crew on the fly (which will work just as well if you are short a few ideas but know you want a rival crew...) and a selection of plot outlines to embroil them in.

The final collection of antagonists are quite strange - things that might be completely unexpected. There are some guidance notes on setting up the right circumstances to introduce them and what makes them tick, too, which empower you to weave them seamlessly into whatever's going on. And they are weird indeed - a rogue AI, perhaps, which has got religion or maybe someone who is a nice person who just happens to be (unbeknownst to themselves) a programmed assassin... or even someone - something? - that may be a ghost or is it merely an urban legend that the unscrupulous are capitalising on? More new signature assests and a whole bunch of stuff about the Reavers and how to bring them into your game with the right amount of terror and confusion that they should generate.

The next chapter presents a veritable fleet of enemy boats. A memorable enemy has to have a ship to match, after all. Several are described in detail all ready for the using (or the stealing if your crew is anything like mine...) and there's also a complete system for designing your own ships, based around devising new signature assets and new classes of vessel.

This is followed by a chapter called Scheming and Narratin' - this is jam-packed full of hints and tips on game-mastering and in particular how to give your antagonists every bit as much life, individuality and interest as your players lavish on their characters. There's all sorts of stuff here including combat, location and much, much more... material that could easily be retooled for any game and so is well worth reading whatever ruleset and genre you run games for. Spend a lot of time reading and rereading this chapter, it will reward you amply.

Finally there are two complete adventures ready to run - Merciless and Thieves in Heaven. The first involves a heist in a museum and the second a collective of shipyard dogs who have fallen on hard times and are coming down with a mysterious illness to boot. Of course, there's plenty more to each of them and they should prove interesting entertainment for you and your group.

If you are serious about GMing Firefly, this book should be snuggled up next to your copy of the core rulebook.