I'm preparing to run a campaign set in the Firefly 'Verse using the game mechanics from Edge of the Empire. Although I also like the new Firefly RPG from MWP, I've decided to go with the EotE mechanics because a) I like it a little better, and b) at least two of my four players have already invested in the books!

Having said that, obviously, I can't use EotE exactly as is, because the two settings aren't wholly compatible.

I'm going to throw out some thoughts on potential house rules. I'd appreciate feedback from folks who are more experienced with EotE than myself to try to understand the ramifications of what I'm doing.

Overall, I want to produce a somewhat grittier, but also cinematic, campaign. in keeping with the tone of Firefly, the players will be concerned about where their next meal is coming from, whether they'll be able to afford fuel to get to the next job, etc. Ultimately, I want them to be more concerned about things like this than about a long equipment list.

CHARACTER GENERATION

Most elements from character creation will remain intact. Of course, all players will be human, so I'm not sure if I should create different human "origins" (for those familiar with Firefly, maybe Alliance Space, Border Space and Rim Space), or keep things as-is.

Another option would be to include some other element to further individualize characters. For example, in MWP's Firefly, each character has three Distinctions. I was thinking of implementing something similar, where the Distinctions are almost like personal Destiny Points, that can each be used for a Boost (or Setback by the GM) die.

SKILLS

Again, largely intact, although certain changes would have to be made. I think the main changes would come in knowledge skills - Core Worlds/Outer Rim/Xenology becomes Alliance Space, Border Space, Rim Space. Lore might becomes "Spacers' Lore," or something like that -- a catch-all of old legends.

Beyond that, I think everything would remain basically as-is, although some skills might gain or lose some relative value.

TALENTS

In general, most of these would remain intact, although some of the tech-oriented ones would need to change. The first one that comes to mind is "Speak Binary. "That will need to be replaced by something.

Beyond that, some odd situations may come up. As I talk through other changes, if they would impact Talents (or Skills), please let me know.

GEAR AND EQUIPMENT

This is one area where I want to change things up a bit. As noted above, I don't really want to get bogged down in longs lists of gear, because that's not how Firefly works. Additionally, a lot of the tech-ier equipment doesn't really feel right in Firefly. What I'm thinking of for gear goes something like this:

1) For weapons, I will provide a basic list (pistol, rifle, etc), adapted from the official list. I may also provide some of the basic gear that seems like it should port over.

2) For all other gear, the player can ask if it's available, and we'll decide on a case by case basis. Heck, getting a high tech piece of gear that's relatively common in Star Wars might lead to a whole adventure in Firefly.

3) In addition, each character will begin with one "signature item" (most likely something that can be used once per session, or maybe something where you can spend a Destiny Point to get a persistent bonus throughout a scene). In Firefly, this is Mal's Brown Coat, Vera or his Cunning Hat for Jayne, Simon's Medical Kit, Book's Bible, etc.

4) One big change: No Bacta, no Stim Sticks (unless you work for Blue Sun!). This will make combat much more dangerous, and make knowing a good doctor of great value.

5) Although technically customization and modification will exist, I will steer the players away from it. Basically, the idea that anyone can customize a gun goes away, and it becomes something for, say, a gunsmith. Gear with modifications beyond some really basic ones would be pretty cool stuff to own, and therefore would likely be "story rewards."

6) In the game, as in the MWP Firefly or MWP Leverage, you could spend a Destiny Point to "gain an asset" for a given scene. I might also allow a Vigilance roll for basic equipment. Or can you do that already? Or is there a talent for that?

CONFLICT AND COMBAT

Again, largely intact with only a few exceptions. Obviously, the healing/recovery section changes.

Also, Destiny Points technically become more like "Plot Points" and the Force Die is more Properly a "Fortune Die".

STARSHIPS AND VEHICLES

Like gear, the actual content changes significantly and becomes scaled down. Since I really only need to worry about a few PC vehicles and how other things relate to them, I'm not going to overthink this one.

On the other hand, I'd like to hear what folks think of changing vehicular combat/encounters. In Firefly, most "combat" equates to escape and deception rather than actual combat, because ships don't have Shields and, unless they're Alliance or Reavers, don't generally have weapons.

I'd appreciate any feedback of how to best implement these ideas.

THE FORCE

Unless someone decides they want to play one of River's classmates, this section essentially goes away (except for NPCs, potentially). Again, no need to overthink it for now.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I'm preparing to run a campaign set in the Firefly 'Verse using the game mechanics from Edge of the Empire. Although I also like the new Firefly RPG from MWP, I've decided to go with the EotE mechanics because a) I like it a little better, and b) at least two of my four players have already invested in the books!

Having said that, obviously, I can't use EotE exactly as is, because the two settings aren't wholly compatible.

I'm going to throw out some thoughts on potential house rules. I'd appreciate feedback from folks who are more experienced with EotE than myself to try to understand the ramifications of what I'm doing.

Overall, I want to produce a somewhat grittier, but also cinematic, campaign. in keeping with the tone of Firefly, the players will be concerned about where their next meal is coming from, whether they'll be able to afford fuel to get to the next job, etc. Ultimately, I want them to be more concerned about things like this than about a long equipment list.

CHARACTER GENERATION

Most elements from character creation will remain intact. Of course, all players will be human, so I'm not sure if I should create different human "origins" (for those familiar with Firefly, maybe Alliance Space, Border Space and Rim Space), or keep things as-is.

Another option would be to include some other element to further individualize characters. For example, in MWP's Firefly, each character has three Distinctions. I was thinking of implementing something similar, where the Distinctions are almost like personal Destiny Points, that can each be used for a Boost (or Setback by the GM) die.

SKILLS

Again, largely intact, although certain changes would have to be made. I think the main changes would come in knowledge skills - Core Worlds/Outer Rim/Xenology becomes Alliance Space, Border Space, Rim Space. Lore might becomes "Spacers' Lore," or something like that -- a catch-all of old legends.

Beyond that, I think everything would remain basically as-is, although some skills might gain or lose some relative value.

TALENTS

In general, most of these would remain intact, although some of the tech-oriented ones would need to change. The first one that comes to mind is "Speak Binary. "That will need to be replaced by something.

Beyond that, some odd situations may come up. As I talk through other changes, if they would impact Talents (or Skills), please let me know.

GEAR AND EQUIPMENT

This is one area where I want to change things up a bit. As noted above, I don't really want to get bogged down in longs lists of gear, because that's not how Firefly works. Additionally, a lot of the tech-ier equipment doesn't really feel right in Firefly. What I'm thinking of for gear goes something like this:

1) For weapons, I will provide a basic list (pistol, rifle, etc), adapted from the official list. I may also provide some of the basic gear that seems like it should port over.

2) For all other gear, the player can ask if it's available, and we'll decide on a case by case basis. Heck, getting a high tech piece of gear that's relatively common in Star Wars might lead to a whole adventure in Firefly.

3) In addition, each character will begin with one "signature item" (most likely something that can be used once per session, or maybe something where you can spend a Destiny Point to get a persistent bonus throughout a scene). In Firefly, this is Mal's Brown Coat, Vera or his Cunning Hat for Jayne, Simon's Medical Kit, Book's Bible, etc.

4) One big change: No Bacta, no Stim Sticks (unless you work for Blue Sun!). This will make combat much more dangerous, and make knowing a good doctor of great value.

5) Although technically customization and modification will exist, I will steer the players away from it. Basically, the idea that anyone can customize a gun goes away, and it becomes something for, say, a gunsmith. Gear with modifications beyond some really basic ones would be pretty cool stuff to own, and therefore would likely be "story rewards."

6) In the game, as in the MWP Firefly or MWP Leverage, you could spend a Destiny Point to "gain an asset" for a given scene. I might also allow a Vigilance roll for basic equipment. Or can you do that already? Or is there a talent for that?

CONFLICT AND COMBAT

Again, largely intact with only a few exceptions. Obviously, the healing/recovery section changes.

Also, Destiny Points technically become more like "Plot Points" and the Force Die is more Properly a "Fortune Die".

STARSHIPS AND VEHICLES

Like gear, the actual content changes significantly and becomes scaled down. Since I really only need to worry about a few PC vehicles and how other things relate to them, I'm not going to overthink this one.

On the other hand, I'd like to hear what folks think of changing vehicular combat/encounters. In Firefly, most "combat" equates to escape and deception rather than actual combat, because ships don't have Shields and, unless they're Alliance or Reavers, don't generally have weapons.

I'd appreciate any feedback of how to best implement these ideas.

THE FORCE

Unless someone decides they want to play one of River's classmates, this section essentially goes away (except for NPCs, potentially). Again, no need to overthink it for now.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

You are correct about vehicular combat, it is not something that would occur very often as anything besides a chase. That said, most of my best vehicular combat encounters with EotE have been chases. While the 'verse doesn't have shields, it doesn't mean that all of the talents and other methods to gain defense do not apply. I think that you could still have a decent fight with these rules.

It really does map out pretty darn well. I would have to reread the RPG in order to pull out specifics on gear and ships, but you have the right idea. Don't over think it. On that same point, I would be hesitant to involve any rule mixing between the systems.

My GM is running Fallout using EotE, and one of the changes he made was to make energy weapons a separate skill. You might do the same, given their rarity in the'Verse.

Thanks for the thoughts, folks. Breaking out energy weapons might well make sense, on the off chance the players get their hands on the Lassiter...

With respect to space combat and chases... has anyone done a more detailed take on chases?

Another set of origins (or class of origins) to consider might be those that were born and have lived their lives on ships in Space, maybe called Spacers and those that have never left a planet.

Knowledge: Reavers could be another skill to include, but the PC should have a good backstory.

I have not, but in my experience (and we run a lot in our game) the key to an interesting chase is not how, but where . Creating an interesting environment for the chase to occur in creates options and interactions that open space just doesn't provide. It'll also provide a narrative tool for what to do with advantage, triumph and despair.

Also, if you want to increase the nutritive value of the Doctor, I've found our wounds house rule (do not fall unconscious upon hitting wound threshold, just take auto-crits) does a lot for that, as it tends to result in players accumulating criticals during combat, which then have to be treated. It will also somewhat make up for the reduction in combat ability from the removal of Stims.

A OOC conversation with your players and increasing the effective rarity of weapon modifications should do well to make that a lesser focus for your game then it might otherwise be. Of course, keeping them particularly hungry will do that as well, as they'll never have the funds to buy most of the interesting ones.

My GM is running Fallout using EotE, and one of the changes he made was to make energy weapons a separate skill. You might do the same, given their rarity in the'Verse

This is a great system, both Firefly and Fallout would be fantastic settings to use the system in, hope it goes well

For character creation, one possible option would be to give players the option to "shift" one starting Characteristic point. so you could start with 3 Brawn, at the cost of starting with only 1 Willpower. This could be a better way of showing the differences in people: naturally strong or smart or charismatic types, and then XP represents time spent honing those Characteristics (when used to increase starting Characteristic ranks).

I'd limit it to only one point, so you can only start with one Characteristic at 3 and another at 1.

Just wanted to mention that there is actually a talent for spending a destiny point to get an essential piece of equipment. Utility Belt on page 145 lets you do just that. I also think it might be more flavorful to call destiny points lucky and unlucky break points, since luck plays such an important factor in all of the Firefly episodes (at least in my opinion). But I love the idea of running a firefly campaign with the edge rules, and I was tempted to try it out myself! Let us know how it goes once you've had a session or two!

Thanks for the continued feedback, folks.

I think my campaign will be starting late summer/early fall (we have three rotating GMs, so I'm waiting to see how long the current game takes to wrap), but things are slowing starting to take shape.

I play to run the game like a TV series, probably with 13-"episode" seasons. Between 2002 and 2013, I did a 4-season Star Wars campaign using that model that ran for almost 100 sessions. One the one hand, I liked having a mid-season finale and season finale, but 13 might be tighter than 22+.

Since two of our three rotating games are 4E (and therefore combat heavy) and my Star Wars game was very combat-heavy near the end, it's probably no surprise that my players have given me a group of cowards!

It appears that the crew will consist of 1) a conwoman (although I think she's looking to be more of a trader/schemer than a "face" character), 2) an aging pilot with smuggling experience, 3) a cowardly mechanic looking to score as much money as possible for personal reasons, and 4) a former Alliance citizen who is now a hacker with some knowledge of Miranda before Mal breaks the news.

Given the group, it's quite possible that they'll lean more toward LEVERAGE or HUSTLE than straight-up fights. In fact, I think at least two of the four characters will not have any combat skills as we start! Should be an interesting challenge...

The timeframe will be immediately after the movie... well, actually, it will start overlapping with the movie. Some of the events in SERENITY will have direct impact on the game, and I think the Miranda broadwave will probably be in the second session (which will have significant impact for at least one player).

One hook -- not sure how major it will be -- will be an underworld struggle on Persephone. My take is that when the Operative and the Alliance purge all of Mal's allies, Badger would be among those allies. With him out of the picture, various factions will be struggling to take control of the shadowy elements of the planet.

I'm also trying to figure out how the PCs will fit together. I'm toying with them being three distinct groups who are throw together (one PC would be on their own, two would know -- but not necessarily like -- each other, and the last might have an NPC ally to round out the crew) in the "pilot." I've also toyed with having them be an existing crew when we start, but I'm shying away from this for two different reasons:

First, I feel like at least one of them needs to be new to the group to mark the start of things, and the logical choice is player 4, the "intellectual, fish-out-of-water Alliance citizen with a secret." Him joining an established crew of rogues might be a little too close to the dynamic of the Tams joining the crew in the pilot.

The second reason is that if they start separate, they're all going to have clear agendas and mistrust will very likely abound. I'm also trying to pre-establish some enemies for each of them, and it may be easier to make it personal if they're different groupings to start.

I was originally thinking of giving the group a Firefly-class, but a few of the players have expressed a desire to have something that they can call their own. I may well be choosing from Ryan Wolfe's excellent work.

Check out the development of the MMO PC game, it has a lot of images that can buff your campaign.

Also, for weapons I suggest you just re-skin and don't change the profiles, unless you are making something completely new.

As for modding, I think its in the spirit of a wild west - post apocalyptic world the 'verse is, to jury-rig and to purpose things, so you should stay with the mod system, just make it more Firefly.

If your going to set up the game with them coming together despite their reasons to mistrust each other, don't forget to also give them reasons to trust each other as well - at least by the end of episode 1. This is a problem I've seen in a handful of games (including ones I've run...) where realistically, the PCs have no reason to stick together and it stretches the credibility of the game, particularly when one person's troubles arise.