Firefly Brainstorm Lists: Amber-Conversion

The two people pushing hardest for the Firefly/Serenity campaign that almost happened last year were me and Jeremy. We both prefer rules-light systems, and neither of us wanted to learn the Serenity RPG system well enough to run it. It was intended to be a rotating-GM game, so everyone would have had to learn it pretty well. The system discussion took a couple weeks. We went from the Amber-based system below, to Dogs-In-The-Vineyard in the Firefly setting, to just playing something else (Amber, as it turns out). In retrospect, I wish we'd done the DITV Firefly.

Diceless System for Firefly/Serenity (based on Amber DPRG mechanics)

This is based on Jeremy’s idea that a diceless version complete with Amber Auction would:

1. create some built-in rivalries from the get-go, to put the players in the right frame of mind,
2. give everyone a clearly-defined specialty, something everybody knows they’re good at
3. allow us to play very rules light so it’s easy for anyone to GM a session
4. put the exact definition of our abilities and capabilities in the hands of each sessions GM (which is great for Psy powers, for example)
5. be a lot of fun

Attributes that may prove important to the setting:
Speed
Accuracy
Strength
Endurance
Intellect
Intuition
Tech
Charisma
Cool

Here's the logic behind portions of that list:

Speed vs Accuracy: I think we need two separate stats for these. Being a good shot and a fast draw feel like two separate skills in a western. A successful gunfighter needs to be good at both, but plenty are better at one than the other.

Strength vs Endurance: Jayne is a character who’s clearly strong, but kind of a sissy.

Intellect vs Intuition: Simon is clearly very rational and clever. River is primal and psychic. Shepherd Book has a good balance between the two. Jayne lacks both.

Tech vs Charisma: Kaylie (and to a lesser extent, Wash) is good with machines. Inara (and to a lesser extent, Mal and Simon) is good with people.

Cool: Where Zoe excels and Wash scrubs out. (Zoe, by the way, is like Bleys in Amber - 2nd or 3rd best at everything). Maybe this is part of Endurance?

Your Talent: Each PC gets something that makes them special beyond stat points, but it’s limited to one per PC. Examples drawn straight from the show:

• Simon is “The Doctor”.
• Kaylee “Understands Technology”.
• River has “Amazing Potential, But It’s Completely Beyond Her Control”.
• Wash has “Hotshot Pilot”.
• Mal has “It’s MY Ship”.
• Inara is a “Certified Companion”.
• Jayne has “Personal Armory”.
• Shepherd Book has “Mysterious Past”.
• Zoe seems to lack anything terribly special, so maybe she’s just got more points than anyone else to explain her being second best at everything -or- maybe Wash is the NPC pilot, and Zoe has “NPC Husband”
  

Should each PC get one free Talent, or should Talents cost 20 (out of 100?) Points?

Related posts: Character Concepts and Genre/Plot Ideas for use with Firefly.