TEXT: INTO THE BLACK
  A Four Hour Serenity RPG Adventure
  Written for GenCon Indy 2005
  by Jim Davenport
  Dragonlaird Gaming
  http://www.dragonlairdgaming.com/
  
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  Table of Contents
  3
  Product History
  Gamemaster Notes
  Recommended Adventure Materials
  4
  What Has Come Before
  An Outline of the Adventure
  5
  The Adventure
  Introduction - Approaching Whitefall
  6
  Dropping Off the Dogs
  7
  Finding the Job or the Job Finds Them
  Evenings at the Slaughterhouse
  8
  Saul Potter’s Offer
  The Whitefall Shipyard
  9
  Running out of Patience
  Fetching the Fuel
  10
  Boarding Serenity
  Leaving Whitefall in Peace or Pieces
  12
  The Road to Bellerophon
  13
  A Change of Course
  14
  On to Pegasus
  15
  The Pegasus Processing Facility
  16
  Escaping Pegasus
  17
  What Comes After
  18
  The Key Non-Player Characters
  19
  Other Non-Player Characters
  20
  The Places where Characters could Get to Shine
  21
  New Traits
  Technology Notes
  22
  Notes for Kaylee or Engineer
  23
  Notes for Jayne or Mercenary
  24
  Notes for Simon or Doctor
  25
  Notes for Malcolm or Captain
  26
  Notes for Wash or Pilot
  27
  Notes for Inara or Companion
  28
  Notes for Zoe or Second-in-Command
  29
  Letter from Saul Potter
  30
  Cortex Search on Roland Sharpe
  31
  Slaughterhouse Map
  32
  Whitefall Shipyard Map
  33
  Pegasus Processing Facility Map
  34
  Dragonlaird Gaming
  
  Product History
  This adventure was written in the summer of 2005 by Jim Davenport to support the launch of Margaret Weis
  Productions’ Serenity RPG at the Gen-Con Indy convention.  It was used many times by multiple gamemasters at and
  after the convention and is now being presented in an enhanced format for the use of Serenity RPG fans.  Like any
  published adventure, this should be read by the Gamemaster, not the players.
  Additions since Gen-Con 2005 include:
  1.
  “A Little Bit More” footnotes where a piece of the main adventure is shown in additional detail to
  aid the gamemaster in weaving the adventure into their campaign.
  2.
  Revised adventure notes based on experience during the convention sessions by the author and
  the other Serenity game masters.
  3.
  The original adventure was written before the movie was released and before the final rule book
  was available.  This version has been aligned with information available from those sources.
  Gamemaster Notes
  This adventure was written assuming that the movie characters (Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of Serenity)
  would be used and is set prior to events in the movie, but after events in the television show, Firefly.  Shepherd Book
  has already been left at the mining colony of Haven to tend a flock there.  River is still on the ship but has been
  sedated to help her rest and recover from a recent series of nightmares.  She is not an active PC or NPC but must be
  considered and cared for.
  Gamemasters are welcome to modify these starting assumptions with the movie crew and play the adventure
  with a campaign crew who are following the classic campaign model (Browncoat sympathies and history, taking jobs
  to keep flyin’ and keep free).  Additional references in the adventure have been made to generic roles as applicable.
  The adventure can still be used if the PCs are not Browncoat sympathizers, though the farther away they are
  from the mold, the more preparation the Gamemaster will need to invest in adapting the adventure.
  It is highly recommended that the Gamemaster read through the entire adventure before running it because
  various elements can come earlier or later than expected depending on how the players handle the challenges.
  Recommended Adventure Materials
  �
  Map of Serenity from the Core Rule Book (or whatever ship the PCs will be flying)
  �
  Map of the Slaughterhouse (included on Page 30)
  �
  Map of Whitefall Shipyard (included on Page 31)
  �
  Map of Pegasus Processing Facility (included on Page 32)
  �
  Map of Freedom’s Glory (Use the deckplans and external views of the “Aces & Eights” ship from the Core
  Rule Book)
  �
  Plot Point Chips for tracking awarded and spent Plot Points
  �
  Character markers (miniatures, counters, chits) for PCs and NPCs
  �
  Serenity Dice (d2 through d12)
  �
  Character Sheets (photocopies of the movie characters from the Core Rule Book or original characters)
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  What Has Come Before
  At the end of the War for Unification, Roland Sharpe was the admiral of what remained of the Browncoat
  fleet.  He did not attend the Armistice negotiations on Osiris, lost his chance at amnesty, and was branded a traitor and
  outlaw.  He’s been on the run ever since, staying to the Rim territories and depending on the kindness of Independent
  sympathizers for his safety and his way.
  But Admiral Sharpe is getting older and over six years on the run has taken its toll on him.  He’s developed a
  hacking cough and is convinced that he doesn’t have much more time to kick around the ‘Verse.  So when one of his
  confidants told him of an opportunity to snatch one last piece of glory and escape into the black, he could not refuse.
  The last ship of Sharpe’s command, Freedom’s Glory, was captured near the end of the war and almost with
  Sharpe inside her.  Now word has reached him that the Alliance is finally transferring the vessel to a scrapping facility
  on Pegasus, a moon of Bellerophon.  In a last bit of spiteful vengeance, the Alliance will destroy the Glory after
  stripping it of salvage.
  Hiding on Whitefall, Sharpe, his right-hand man, Saul Potter, and two soldiers gather and plot to steal the
  Glory from the clutches of the Alliance. Once the ship is his again, he believes he will have no trouble keeping free
  out in the black.  And he will have left the “stage” with a masterstroke.
  But Sharpe and his men don’t have a ship at hand and have used up all of the favors they have been offered in
  the past.  They are currently holed up in a marginal shipyard on Whitefall, relying on the sympathetic yard boss to
  look the other way.  They have set up quarters in the junkyard area.
  Assuming they get transport to Pegasus, they also need a pilot and an engineer to get the ship running again.
  Once spaceworthy, Sharpe has enough skills to fly the ship into the black and escape.
  Such a mission is even harder without money so Sharpe is stuck trying to pull what strings he can to attract a
  suitable ship and crew of Browncoat sympathizers.
  An Outline of the Adventure
  Our heroes start the adventure nearing Whitefall on the last leg of a tiring cargo run including three days lost
  playing cat and mouse with an Alliance Cruiser.  Their cargo is one hundred Sinhon Courser hunting dogs, high-
  strung pure breed animals needing constant care and attention. The crew is surly as the fee for the dog cargo has
  already been spent to clear other debts.  They are down to five days of fuel and rations are pretty much down to
  protein paste and hard biscuits.  No one has been paid in a few weeks.
  Through one of a variety of possible paths, the crew gets in touch with Saul Potter who offers them work
  hauling four passengers and their personal possessions to Bellerophon.  He is willing to pay them in fuel now and
  platinum at the other end. The fuel Saul is “selling” is not his, but poorly guarded assets of the Whitefall yard boss.
  Trouble may ensue if the fuel is not removed quietly enough.
  Lifting off from Whitefall begins smoothly enough, but halfway out of the gravity well, a mechanical mal-
  function will threaten the ship and its crew.  Only cooperation of the crew members can save the ship.  Failure means
  death or a crashed and ruined ship.
  Once they near Bellerophon, Admiral Sharpe will reveal his identity or be recognized by one or more of the
  crew.  He will explain that Bellerophon is not his true destination, but rather its moon, Pegasus.  At first he will
  describe his scheme in an attempt to gain the PCs support out of their Browncoat sympathies. If that doesn’t work,
  he’s willing to reveal a secondary goal on Pegasus, a cache of Browncoat platinum welded into the hull of the Glory
  that he’s willing to split with the PCs.  Sharpe’s last tactic, should the others fail, is to have one of his people take a
  hostage.  They will have discovered River sedated and unconscious and will send a flunky with a gun to where Simon
  hid her (most likely his own bunk).  This can be extra tense as the PCs will not know if Sharpe realizes who the girl is
  and how much the Alliance would like to get their hands on her.
  Once the crew is committed to the liberation of Sharpe’s ship, things get complicated.  The approach to the
  moon is monitored by a web of orbiting satellites which must be carefully slipped through to avoid notice.  The
  Alliance has several facilities on the moon which may notice the PCs ship or get involved later if an alarm is raised.
  The Pegasus Processing Facility is run and guarded by Blue Sun Corporation and must be penetrated through stealth,
  subterfuge, or force of arms.  The ship must be repaired before the Alliance arrives in force. Once flight-worthy, the
  Freedom’s Glory and the PC’s ships must both escape the Facility and the moon.
  
  The Adventure
  Introduction - Approaching Whitefall
  Our heroes’ ship is a few hours out from Whitefall
  on the way to delivering one hundred Sinhon Coursers,
  pure-breed hunting dogs, to the home of a cattle rancher
  named Eagle-eye Sarafina.  The coordinates for the drop
  are known, ten miles southeast of the Whitefall settlement.
  The dogs have required constant attention from
  most of the crew, feeding, watering and exercising them up
  and down the passageways narrowed by their stacked
  cages.  The cargo hold has cages three stories high
  throughout it.  The barking and noise is near constant and
  the whole ship smells of dog and dog droppings.
  But the ship is hauling worries along with the
  high-strung dogs.  Jobs have been scarce and the best
  paying ones have been too risky to dare with Simon and
  River on board.  Two weeks earlier, they had jettisoned
  some contraband cargo before being boarded and searched by an Alliance customs vessel.  This left them in debt to a
  fixer named Percival Chao1  on Persephone to the tune of 4,000 credits.  By the time they touch down in Whitefall,
  their fuel stores are down to five days with no significant cash to replenish their supply.  Food is down to protein
  paste and hard biscuits.  There has been no pay shares to distribute among the crew in several weeks.
  The dog run had already been paid for and that money had gone against their debt with Chao leaving only
  2,000 credits of debt remaining.  Prospects can’t be considered bright on Whitefall where they’ve had repeated run-ins
  with the local authority, a frontier boss named Imogene Patience. Things need to be quiet for the drop and quieter
  finding another job.
  The ship is late for its intended drop by three days on account of a nosy Alliance patrol boat, the ISV Fran-
  cisco2 . Food for the dogs has just about run out. During the nearly constant feeding, watering and exercising of the
  dogs, Zoe (who grew up with dogs and appreciates the fine form and instinct of the coursers) finds two that are acting
  strange: listless and crouching, but will not lie down.  They are panting heavily and don’t want to move.
  [Medic | Doctor | Simon]
  To diagnose the problem:
  Roll: Intelligence + Medical Expertise vs. Formidable (15)
  Success: A common canine disease but infectious so the dogs should be isolated.  With an antibiotic and rest, each
  dog should recover in 3-4 days.
  Extraordinary Success: Common canine virus that the dogs should have been innoculated against already.  It points
  A LITTLE BIT MORE...
  Percival Chao: One of the most respected socialites on Persephone, Percival is a gracious Asian bachelor with assets and estates
  on Sinhon.  As he tells it, he ventured out into the ‘Verse to find ‘challenges and opportunities that just weren’t available in the
  Core worlds’.  Most know him for the seasonal balls he throws at his country estate.  A select few also know about his extensive
  black market network and his role as a fixer, or a sort of trade agent for illegal goods or goods that need to avoid tariffs or inspec-
  tion.  Very few know that he left Sinhon to escape the wrath of the Tongs who exert near absolute power over illegal activities in
  the Core.
  The ISV Francisco: The Francisco is a newly commissioned Alliance Patrol Boat sent out to the Border Planets to attack the
  rampant problem of contraband smuggling.  Her commander, Eugene Renaldo, is a senior captain and veteran of the Unification
  War.  He is thrilled to have a ship again and looking forward to the opportunities for ‘prize money’, portions of the value of
  confiscated cargo and ships which is paid to the officers and crew of an Alliance vessel.  He quite eager and dogged in his at-
  tempts, though he is currently just using official channels for tips on smugglers and their illegal trade agents, the fixers.
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  to less than optimal breeding conditions at their point of origin. Probably a warning flag for anyone who might want
  more of their dogs in the future.
  Botch: Determines that the symptoms are that of Hudler’s Maladay, a terrible canine virus, undoubtedly having infected
  the rest of the dogs and which will emerge and end with each dog’s death two weeks after first symptoms have been seen.
  Highly contagious.
  [Medic | Doctor | Simon]
  To treat the problem (assuming correct diagnosis was made)
  Roll: Intelligence + Medical Expertise vs. Formidable (15)
  Success: A cocktail to relieve the symptoms and attack the underlying virus is easy to prepare.  Injections are quick, but
  there isn’t enough to innoculate the rest of the dogs.
  Extraordinary Success: The drugs are sufficient to innoculate all of the dogs.
  Botch: The concoction proves fatal to the first dog, but it happens quickly before any other dogs are injected.
  The approach to Whitefall is fairly quiet.  The planet isn’t heavily populated and being the fourth moon of the
  Rim world of Athens, most folks are poor.  Even the upper class feels more comfortable in the saddle than a
  hovercraft.  That said, there is a rudimentary system of satellites in inconsistent orbits.  Spaceship traffic is light, just
  a few salvage lighters picking over the bones of a long-dead cruiser floating high above the moon.
  [Pilot | Wash]
  To fly the ship to groundside without being noticed by the satellite network
  Roll: : Alertness+Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transport vs. Hard (11)
  Success: Nobody spots the ship coming in or landing.
  Extraordinary Success: The entry is timed to coincide with one of the salvage lighters
  and Patience’s two ships spend their time harassing the lighter.
  Botch: Their ship is spotted and identified.  Patience will engage them while they are on Whitefall by riding out to meet
  their ship and demand landing fees and a tariff on their cargo.  She might also call ahead to Sarafina to have him delay
  them until her thugs can ride out to meet them, though this has a chance of being intercepted by the PC pilot.
  Dropping Off the Dogs
  Sarafina’s ranch stretches on both sides of a wide river with scrub and dirt near the banks and scraggly forest
  beyond that.  The ranch has several stables (enough for 50 horses) and a large main house on a hill overlooking a bend
  of the river.  A cleared area on the far side of the river from the house appears to be the designated landing area.
  After their ship lands, Eagle-eye will emerge from the forest beyond the main house with three other men and
  ride down on their horses, splashing across a shallow part of the river to reach the newly landed ship.  They all appear
  to be excellent riders and all have both side holsters and rifles in saddle sheaths. They could be read as threatening if
  any of the characters choose to interpret it that way.
  Eagle-eye Sarafina is an energetic man with hastily slicked back hair and shaving cuts on his face.  He wears
  riding pants and boots with a more ornate jacket.  His hair is drawn back into a ponytail and a brown-leather patch
  covers one eye (the eagle got that one). Sarafina loves hunting and trains horses and dogs at the ranch.  He has clients
  from all over Whitefall and even some from Athens.
  [Companion | Inara]
  To identify Sarafina from the Companion database
  Roll: Intelligence+Perception vs. Average (7)
  Success: Locates Sarafina as a trustworthy client, enjoys hunting, widower.
  Extraordinary Success: The Companion character has actually served Sarafina in the past.
  Botch: Sarafina wanted to be a client of the Companion but was denied, leaving him bitter.  He’ll have a chance to
  recognize the shuttle if it is still with the ship.
  Sarafina will approach the ship openly, though his men are more wary with easy hands near their weapons.
  He knows a great deal about the breed of dogs and will blather on about them as he moves through the ship inspecting
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  them.  His men will begin leashing each dog to a long tow line to be taken back to the stables.  (This is typical and not
  considered cruel treatment.)
  If any of the dogs still exhibit illness or if any of them are dead, Sarafina will be very concerned about all the
  dogs.  He will refuse to take any off the ship until a vet looks at the situation.  A doctor might bluff him at this, but if
  not, Sarafina will call in a local.  Any damaged or dead dogs will cause him to demand a refund of 250 credits for
  each dog.
  If Sarafina was a refused client of the Companion, he will not be very pleasant to deal with, finding fault in
  just about anything to cause trouble.
  If questioned about other work and in an amiable mood, Sarafina will suggest they talk to Patience who runs
  things on Whitefall.  If they aren’t eager to make her acquaintance again, he suggests that they might want to ask
  around at the Slaughterhouse, an unofficial social spot for cattle ranchers and hunters in town.
  Sarafina is appreciative that the dogs arrived safe and sound and, if asked, is willing to let them keep their
  ship on his land for a few days if they like.
  Finding the Job or the Job Finds Them
  After the delivery of the dogs, the crew needs a paying job desperately.  There are several ways that the
  characters can come into contact with Saul Potter, Sharpe’s aide-de-camp.  Sharpe and Potter have recently learned
  about Freedom’s Glory.  Potter will be looking for a discrete crew that can be convinced to take them there.
  There are several role-playing options for making this connection.
  a.
  Inara spends time with Sarafina who, through pillow talk, reveals that a gentleman and his retainers are
  seeking passage off Whitefall.  Rumors say they are Browncoats and can be contacted by talking to the
  spaceport’s junkyard boss.
  b.
  Potter may spot them nosing around the Slaughterhouse and approach them quietly.
  c.
  If Simon shows his face, Potter may contact him in his capacity as a doctor, to come examine a friend of
  his. He might even promise to help Simon find Sallopine in exchange for his services.
  d.
  Kaylee might be attracted to the junkyard to scrounge parts, giving them cause to encounter Potter or the
  others.
  e.
  If Patience spotted them, word will spread about a ship out at Sarafina’s place.  Potter will definitely
  approach them.
  f.
  If Zoe ventures into town, she’ll be noticed (Trait: Memorable).  Saul Potter remembers her from a time
  during the war when she was assigned to guard and protect a group of Navy officers waiting for a clan-
  destine meeting.  Potter sticks out in her mind as he seemed so out-of-place, someone uncomfortable with
  dirt or even Border-world slang.  He was the quintessential Core-worlder, yet he was the trusted aide-de-
  camp to a high ranking naval officer. Potter remembers Zoe and trusts her as a loyal Browncoat.  He will
  do what it takes to approach her quietly and try to engage their services.
  g.
  They might butter up Sarafina to learn more, but he has no patience for Browncoat sympathizers.  He was
  neutral in the war and was hurt financially by it.
  Evenings at the Slaughterhouse
  The Slaughterhouse is near the stockyards and the spaceport and serves as the local cattleman’s club and as
  well as a slaughterhouse.  It can process fifty head of cattle a day or take care of more interesting animals brought in
  by hunters or local ranchers.  There is a large outer room with various cattlemen’s tools for sale as well as beer and
  barbequed meat.  The South Room There are usually several cattlemen loitering around the place, more in the eve-
  nings.  Deals get made there, stories told and lies exchanged.  When the PCs visit, there will be a high stakes poker
  game being played in at a corner table.  Several local landed gentry are playing as well as a travelling gambler named
  Hiram Clogg*.
  The best deal the crew will hear about from the Slaughterhouse regulars is a cattle haul.  Giles O’Malley, who
  might be interested in a discreet cargo run, needs twenty head of cattle to Persephone, but he won’t have them back
  from late pasturing for two or three more weeks.
  
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  [Any Character]
  To negotiate with Giles O’Malley for the cattle job.
  Roll: Willpower+Perception/Empathy vs. O’Malley’s Willpower+Perception/Empathy (d8+d6)
  Success: Giles seems satisfied with the crew and the type of ship.  He’ll offer C100 for the run in three weeks.
  Extraordinary Success: Giles can’t pay much more than he’s offering.  Perhaps they’d be better off talking to the
  dandy at the bar. He’s more desperate than Giles is.
  Botch: Giles recognizes their name as an enemy of Patience’s and takes the first opportunity to alert her.
  Saul Potter’s Offer
  Saul Potter was Admiral Roland Sharpe’s aide-de-camp during the war and has been on the run with the Old
  Man ever since.  He is fanatically loyal to Sharpe and will obey Sharpe’s commands over his own common sense or
  self-preservation*. Saul is about fifty years old and was born on Sinhon to a wealthy family.  He was disowned when
  he joined the Independent Factions but he has not lost his genteel manners nor his admiration for the “finer things” of
  Core life.
  Saul spends a lot of time at the Slaughterhouse, waiting for any opportunity to get a ship and reach Pegasus.
  The locals all know what he’s looking for and have given up trying to socialize with him.  Either he can be ap-
  proached, or he will approach our heroes, even if they’ve already cut a deal with O’Malley.  His manner is polite but
  discreet as he inquires if they are the owners of the Firefly that was rumored to have recently made planetfall.  Would
  they be available for a small job, nothing strenuous?  If they are agreeable he’ll ask them to take four people and their
  personal belongings to Bellerophon as soon as possible.
  [Any Character]
  To negotiate with Potter for the job.
  Roll: Willpower+Perception/Empathy vs. Potter’s Willpower+Perception/Empathy.
  Success: Negotiations raise the end payment to C1,000 in platinum and an upfront of five drums of hydrogen fuel
  from the nearby Whitefall Shipyard..
  Extraordinary Success: Negotiations raise the end payment to C2,500 in platinum and it becomes quite obvious
  that Potter is desperate to get to Bellerophon with his friends soon.
  Botch: Potter detects their own desperation and will only offer C500 on the far end.
  The Whitefall Shipyard
  (See Map at end of Adventure)
  The Whitefall facilities are a poor excuse at best for shipyards.  There are a few machine-shops operating
  surrounded by junked ships and poorly maintained landing pads.  The Yards extend for several acres in each direction.
  Kaylee might be attracted here to scrounge for parts, they might be sent here after Sharpe boards their ship, or they
  A LITTLE BIT MORE...
  Hiram Clogg: One of the most notorious cads and gamblers on the Rim, Clogg has made and lost more fortunes than he can
  count, enjoying the risk as much as the reward.  One particularly bad hand of cards left him stranded here on Whitefall where he
  has been patiently grooming the locals for a big take.  So far he’s appeared as a somewhat experienced card player who has won
  just enough to keep a room at the local excuse for a hotel.  He has helped the vain to win and the suspicious to see nothing
  questionable at all. He’s nearing his moment of triumph, but needs a lift off the planet that can move fast.  He might contact the
  PCs to see if they would fulfill that role.  He could be another passenger along with Sharpe or he might bring Patience down upon
  then as he runs for their open ramp, his pockets dropping credit notes and rifle shots in the air behind him.
  For His Own Good: (An Optional Complication) Saul has seen Sharpe suffer enough and is desperate enough to turn him over to
  the Alliance in hopes he will receive medical care and the comfort of imprisonment.  He has made contact with his family’s
  representative in Parliament and needs only to broadcast a special signal near Alliance ships to tip them to Sharpe’s location.  This
  option might be useful if you’re running out of time and want to have a stand-off/battle on the Serenity, pitting Saul against his
  former friends & the crew.  Add a dash of confusion and the players might not realize who is on whose side.
  
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  may follow Potter or one of his men back here.
  [Kaylee | Engineer | Any Character]
  To search the scrapyards for parts that would be of use to Serenity.
  Roll: : Alertness+Mechanical Engineering/Maintenance vs. Formidable (15). Multiple characters searching
  invokes the “Indirect Assistance” rule where the best roll of all characters searching is used.  If done at
  night, difficulty rises to Heroic (19).
  Success: High capacity electric line is found sufficient to repair Serenity’s brownout problems.
  Extraordinary Success: A Compressor Coil is found in fairly good shape. It will need some work, but should serve.
  Botch: One of the searchers is spotted by a scrapyard guard.
  In the upper left section of the yard stands three small, intact, metal buildings, in among the vehicle skeletons.
  Two are locked with rusty chain and padlocks and are over-filled with tools for cutting metal and disassembling
  things.  The third, largest, building is also locked, but from inside.
  Around the three buildings at 20 yards is a perimeter of silent laser eye alarm beams hidden in the junk.  (If
  examined, they can be identified as 10 common paramilitary field alarm devices). If any of their beams are inter-
  rupted, each of Sharpe’s group is silently alerted and they retreat to the third building and stay there.  They can see
  outside the building through simple optical periscopes, but will wait three hours before daring even what appears to
  be safe circumstances.
  If for some reason, the characters breach the third building or are led there by Saul, they will find another
  shed made for storing equipment, but instead of tools it has the bedrolls for four people, some meager supplies,
  weapons, and the four members of Admiral Roland Sharpe’s group.
  Running Out of Patience
  If the beginning of the adventure is moving slowly, feel free to have one of Patience’s men spot our heroes
  and report back to her.  She could easily send some armed toughs to rob them or get revenge for their past encounters.
  This could play well when the fuel is being driven back from the shipyard to the ship or when Sharpe and his com-
  pany are going to or boarding the ship.
  Fetching the Fuel
  The hydrogen drums need to be brought back to the ship using the mule and the trailer, and loaded into the
  fuel tanks (though this can be done in flight).  Whoever goes to retrieve the fuel cells will notice that they are just
  inside the fence of the busiest machine shop in the scrapyard (just next to the largest waste pool).  The drums are
  standing inside the fence by the gate, but there isn’t really an indication that they are meant to leave the yard.  There
  are men working in the machine shop but they aren’t paying attention to the fuel drums. Sharpe had made a deal with
  Ernest, the shop boss, for the fuel but Ernest hadn’t cleared it with the Shipyard boss so nobody has been told about
  any drums being picked up.
  [Any Characters]
  To load five fuel drums on to the mule trailer.
  Roll: Complex Action: Strength+Strength vs. Formidable (75). Multiple characters can directly contribue,
  adding their rolls together.
  Success: Five drums get loaded.
  Botch: One of the drums is dropped and its integrity is damaged, causing it to turn on flashing red lights.
  If the loading takes more than 4 turns, the machinists will notice them and run out to stop them from taking the fuel. If
  guns are drawn or fired, the machinists will retreat and alert Patience. If no guns are involved, the machinists will take
  their tools and try to drive off the “thieves”.
  
  A LITTLE BIT MORE...
  Patience’s Navy: Once just an aspiring gang boss, Patience has been acquiring wealth and getting ambitions.  Since our heroes’
  last visit to Whitefall, she bought a pair of Gyrfalcon System Enforcers, two-man ships designed for flight in atmo and space for
  short ranges.  These two ships are concealed near the main spaceport.  Patience paid for a small upgrade to their sensor software to
  make them better hunters.  If Patience has any idea that the PCs are on Whitefall, the ships will be manned and flight ready,
  waiting to capture them.  If she has not heard of them, there will be a ten minute delay getting the first Gyrfalcon into the sky and
  another five minutes for the second, making them unable to catch the PCs ship if it has successfully escaped atmo.
  Gyrfalcon System Enforcer: Ton: 35; Speed: 7cr/9hb; Crew: (2) Pilot, Gunner; Quarters: Two-person cockpit; Fuel: 0.5 ton (5
  hrs); Cargo: none; Arms: Two 1-lb autocannons with 250 rounds each; Price: $2,200 plus ammo.  Agi d10, Str d2, Vit: d4, ale d8,
  int d4, Will: d2; Init d10+d8; Life: 4; Lightweight. Pilot d4, Perception d6; Complex: Avg; Mtce Costs: C150/year.  The Gyrfalcon
  is produced by the Hitoro Shipyards as a post-war solution to the lawless Rim planets.  The ship performs its job well though it has
  high maintenance costs and is only suitable for planetary and near-space operations due to its cramped cockpit.
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  Boarding Serenity
  However the deal has been made, Sharpe and his men will be prompt to the rendezvous, arriving in a rough-
  running mule that they appear ready to abandon outside the ship.  Hancock and Budge will be operating as skilled
  military guardians, watching for ambushes and covering all sources of danger.  Potter will be helping Sharpe walk
  with an oxygen mask over the Admiral’s face, obscuring his features in case his identity has not already been revealed
  to the PCs.  Saul introduces him as “Mister James” and explains that he has breathing difficulties.  The other two will
  be introduced as “Mister Hancock” and “Mister Budge”.
  [Any Character]
  To identify Sharpe. His face has been shown regularly on the Cortex as a famous Outlaw.
  Roll: If he is obscured by the mask, Intelligence+Perception vs Formidable (15) If not, roll vs. Average (7).
  Browncoat veterans get a 1 Step bonus to their roll.
  Success: They identify Sharpe.
  Extraordinary Success: They identify Sharpe and know his story well.
  Botch: They identify him as Silas James, a wealthy mining corporation owner who was kidnapped for
  ransom months ago.
  Brutus Hancock will be carrying a large black tote and wearing muted and aged hunter’s camoflage gear.
  Jerome Budge will be wary of his surroundings, hesitate a long time before stepping on to the cargo ramp, brush past
  people (to emphasize his bulk) and speak to no one.
  Saul asks that they be permitted to take to their cabins for the flight as Mr. James needs his rest.  He will
  evade questions as best he can, not revealing the true identity of Mr. James.  If the deal included access to the hydro-
  gen drums, he’ll let them know where they are.
  For extra excitement, the Gamemaster might consider having the men from the scrapyard pursuing Sharpe’s
  cohorts for promises not kept or for the theft of the fuel.
  Leaving Whitefall in Peace or Pieces
  With fuel drums and passengers on board, they are free to leave the planet.  Flight to orbit needs to be planned
  to try to avoid the notice of Patience.  The departure from Whitefall will begin quietly enough.
  [Wash | Pilot]
  To plot a course back out of Whitefall without getting detected by her satellites or ground facilities.
  Roll: : Alertness+Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transports vs. Hard (11).
  Success: A course is found which allows them to fly around the planet thirty degrees and then ascend to the Black
  through a gap in her satellite grid.
  Extraordinary Success: Multiple escape paths are identified, giving the pilot options should anything go wrong.
  
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  Botch: One of Patience’s Gyrfalcons is flying patrol, is misidentified as harmless and easily recognizes their ship,
  alerting Patience.
  Halfway up the gravity well of the planet, there is a loud boom and a violent shake of the ship. The port (left)
  thruster drops down to less than five percent output.  With the starboard thruster at full velocity, the ship quickly
  begins spinning and losing altitude. (This would be an ideal time to award a couple plot points to someone with
  “Things Don’t Go Smooth” Complication!)
  Unless otherwise specified, the characters are in these parts of the ship
  Malcolm, Wash, Zoe (Pilot/Command): Bridge
  Jayne (Mercenaries/Laborers): Cargo hold checking tie-downs
  Simon, River (Doctor): In Simon’s passenger quarters
  Inara (Companion): In her shuttle.
  Kaylee (Engineer): In the engine room.
  Sharpe, Potter, Hancock, and Budge: In two passenger quarters.
  [Wash | Pilot]
  To throttle back the starboard engine and minimize the spin.
  Roll: Alertness+Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transports vs. Formidable (15).
  Success: The spin stops accelerating and people can move about with moderate difficulty. (1/2 rate)
  Extraordinary Success: The pilot’s lighning fast reflexes mean the ship is only spinning lazily and people have
  little difficulty moving about. (normal rate)
  Botch: Trying to cut the thrust at once fails as not all safeguards are released, delaying the action.  The spin is great
  making it twice as difficult for anyone to move about. (1/4 rate)
  The ship begins to follow an arc trajectory, rising up for 2 turns, hanging in the air a turn and then accelerat-
  ing toward the planet, reaching it in 17 additional turns (20 total).  Wash can easily estimate this when he’s done
  wrestling with the starboard thruster.
  [Kaylee | Engineer]
  To diagnose the problem (if the player doesn’t pick up on it from their handout)
  Roll: Intelligence+Mechanical Engineering/Repair vs. Easy (3).
  Success: The engineer recognizes that port intake manifold has broken off and fouled the thruster. It will take a
  shutdown of the port thruster, a cutoff of its fuel, restarting the fuel and hotstarting the thruster to get it going again.
  Extraordinary Success: N/A
  Botch: The engineer is delayed 1-4 turns before realizing what has happened.
  Kaylee knows where the emergency lever is in the engine room to shutdown the fuel to the port thruster.
  She’s moved it in the past to clean the thruster, but only with Jayne’s help. Jayne will likely be in the cargo hold when
  the thruster dies.  To run, he rolls Agility+Athletics and adds 30 to get a number of feet he can run each turn, divided
  by the ship’s spin penalty.  His run from the cargo bay to reach the engine room should take 8 turns (3 turns to the
  med bay, 2 turns up the back stairwell, 3 turns to the engine room. Each turn he must roll Agility+Athletics vs.
  Average (7) to keep his feet. Any time he loses the roll, he does not make progress that turn.  If someone runs from
  the bridge, the idea is the same. Mal will take 7 turns, Zoe will take 6.
  [Kaylee | Engineer | Jayne | Help]
  To force the emergency fuel flow lever up to the off position. Up to three characters can contribute in direct assistance.
  Roll: Strength+Strength vs. Formidable (15)
  Success: The lever shifts up and the fuel is cut off from the port thruster causing it to flameout.
  Extraordinary Success: The lever shifts up and a large chunk of rust falls out. It’ll never take a feat of strength to
  move again.
  Botch: The level jams and requires one turn and the same strength check to force it open again, then retry to close it.
  Once the fuel lever is moved to shut off fuel, the engine will burn another turn before going silent.  Then they
  have to reverse the fuel lever movement. Note: If this went too easily the first time, consider making the other way
  
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  more difficult due to poor leverage angles.  If this went too hard the first time, consider making the other way easier,
  now that they have it moving. Whatever makes the event more exciting.
  Another turn will pass as the fuel reaches the thruster again and then Kaylee can hot start the engine. A turn
  while the engine spins up and then Wash can engage the thrust.
  Estimated Timeline
  Turns
  Diagnose the problem
  0-4
  Try the lever herself
  1
  Tell Jayne to get to the engine room
  1
  Jayne getting to the engine room
  8-10
  Moving the lever
  1-2
  Burnout remaining fuel
  1
  Lever Back
  1-2
  Restore fuel flow to thruster
  1
  Hot start engine
  1
  ————————————————————————————
  Wash can engage the engines and fly Serenity
  15 to 23 turns
  [Wash | Pilot]
  To attempt to soften the crash landing.
  Roll: Agility+Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transports vs Impossible (31)  (For Wash this is Agi d10 + “talented” P/MBT d12+d6, and
  Plot points applied count double. Mal could use Leadership to raise Wash’s skill to d12+d10 and let him add Plot Points.  Without
  Plot Points, it would take an incredible roll to survive and this should be made clear to them before the attempt.
  Success: The ship ends up on the ground in one piece but severely damaged. Occupants take 3d6 Wounds.
  Extraordinary Success: The ship ends up on the ground with repairable damage, occupants take 1d6 Wounds.
  Botch: The ship is destroyed on impact and all occupants are killed.
  Another obvious option will be to try to escape the disabled ship in an undamaged shuttle.  This will take a
  feat of piloting not to be struck by the main ship while escaping, as well as the role-playing anguish of deciding who
  will go.  If pressed, everyone can fit into one shuttle.
  [Wash | Inara | Pilot]
  To launch the shuttle and escape the plummeting main ship.
  Roll: Agility+Pilot/Shuttles vs Formidable (15)  (If Wash botched the original skill check, this difficulty is Heroic (19);
  if he had an extraordinary success, this difficulty is only Hard (11)
  Success: The shuttle escapes the main ship intact and can get out range of the crash.
  Extraordinary Success: GM’s Choice: The shuttle release fails but using the shuttle’s engines provides additional
  thrust to the main ship, a fact they can use with the port shuttle to save the ship.
  Botch: The shuttle release fails, trapping the occupants with the main ship.
  After all the excitement, our heroes are either flying into the black, groaning in a wreck on the ground, or
  corpsified.  Continue reading in the first of those three cases.  Ad lib in the second.  Raise a glass to the fallen PCs in
  the third.
  The Road to Bellerophon
  The flight to Bellerophon will take 72 hours using the normal routes, longer if they wish to avoid any other
  ships en route.  During this flight time, some or all of the following role-playing opportunities may be introduced.
  Add or subtract them as you see fit and to regulate the speed of the adventure.
  Tending the Sick: Simon is asked by Saul Potter to attend Mr. James in his cabin.  The admiral is having
  difficulty breathing, which Simon might be able to address with the drugs he has on board.
  
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  [Simon | Doctor]
  To diagnose and treat Mr. James’ symptoms.
  Roll: Intelligence + Medical Expertise vs. Average (7)
  Success: Simon can select two injections which will temporarily ease his breathing.
  Extraordinary Success: Is able to diagnose the underlying problem as a rare variety of emphysema. Mr. James
  will die in weeks if he is not afforded treatment at a first rate hospital.
  Botch: The medication triggers a severe allergic reaction, causing Mr. James to stop breathing.
  To restore Mr. James’ breathing.
  Roll: Alertness + Medical Expertise vs. Formidable (15)
  Success: Mr. James’ breathing is restored, but Potter will ask the doctor to leave at that point.
  Extraordinary Success: Mr. James’ breathing is restored so well that he breathes quite easily, the doctor’s
  near-tragic mistake is forgotten with feelings of good will.
  Botch: Mr. James dies.
  Beyond the medical issues, Simon will recognize Mr. James as a Browncoat fugitive named Admiral Roland
  Sharpe, reknown for the unnecessary slaughter of innocents during the war, his repudiation of the peace, and his
  implicated involvement in various criminal activities since the war.  This is supposed to be a dangerous guy, but just
  looks like an old man.  Simon (or any other non-Browncoat veteran) probably has no reason not to believe the picture
  painted by the Cortex reports.
  A Touch of Class: Saul Potter will seek out Inara once he discovers that she is on board the ship, simply to
  speak to someone of the right class.  He seems almost relieved to be able to ask her about social situations with
  prominent families back in the Core, commenting that “I’ll never get this border world dirt off me.”
  The Strong Men: Jerome gets restless and find Jayne’s weight-lifting equipment in the cargo hold.  Jayne
  discovers him in there, lifting without help or permission. The GM could play this as a humorous interlude, a tense
  confrontation, or a scene of grudging respect among like men. When Jerome isn’t lifting, he’s pacing, though he stays
  near the weights if he is spotting someone. (Jerome’s horrors in the war occurred when he was on a ship.  He strongly
  prefers to remain in the wide open spaces of planetside.)
  The Miserly Cook: Brutus Hancock can be found in the galley, searing protein paste and flour into meat-like
  patties.  He’s adding his own spices and making only enough for Sharpe’s team.  He’ll generally resist attempts to
  have him cook for the others or share his techniques… unless he is persuaded.
  [Anyone]
  To persuade Hancock to share his cooking skills.
  Roll: Influence+Persuasion/(any speciality) vs. Hancock’s Willpower+Discipline (d6+d6)
  Success: Hancock agrees to share his spices with the crew and shows them how to cook up the patties.
  Extraordinary Success: Hancock responds well to the persuasion and happily begins cooking as close to a feast
  as he can with the limit foodstuffs on the ship, plus some fresh items he brought on board.
  Botch: Depending on the method of persuasion and who is persuading, the persuasion could be misinterpreted,
  resented, resisted, or even seen as an insult, and Hancock will react strongly according to its form.
  A Change of Course
  If the Gamemaster feels the thespian urge during this adventure, this is the time to use it. Stand and walk
  stiffly in, use a cane if you have one.  You could give the Admiral an accent, something memorable, perhaps a Ameri-
  can Southern drawl.
  When Serenity is only a few hours out of Bellerophon, Saul Potter asks everyone to gather in the dining area.
  He leads “Mr. James” into the room without the oxygen mask.  (Note, Jerome is not with them in the dining room. If
  asked, Saul will explain that he’s not feeling well and remained in his cabin)
  If they haven’t before, Mal and Zoe (or other Browncoat veterans) will now recognize him immediately as
  
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  Admiral Roland Sharpe, although the last six years have aged him greatly.  Civilian clothes and white hair contribute
  to his transformation.  They will know about his honorable role in the war and the attempted assassination on his life
  hours before the Armistice was to be signed.  He fled to save his life and has kept the hope of “Rising Again” in the
  minds of many former Browncoat veterans just by his survival.
  Simon, Wash, and Inara (or non-veterans) will recognize Sharpe from the cortex broadcasts telling the Alli-
  ance version of things. Others (Jayne and Kaylee) will be clueless about his identity.
  Sharpe will thank them for meeting him.  “I must ask our captain to change course just slightly.  We need to
  go to Bellerophon’s moon, Pegasus, not Bellerophon itself.  On that moon is a scrapping yard, a place where the
  Alliance’s lackeys take out-of-date vessels to be stripped and destroyed.  I recently learned of a ship of great histori-
  cal, social, and personal significance had been transferred there, Freedom’s Glory.  It is likely only hours before she
  is torn asunder and destroyed.”
  No one recognizes this right off, so Saul will hurriedly fill in “The Glory was the last Browncoat flagship of
  the war.”
  “Even as their leaders were sitting down to a large table, smiling for all the vid-cameras, the jackboots were
  ringing through the decks of my ship,” spits Sharpe. “I barely escaped with my life, but lost the ship to their filthy
  hands.”
  The rest of Sharpe’s story spills out, leaving himself in glowing terms and reserving the bile for the Alliance.
  “I need your help, Captain Reynolds.  I know you served the cause in your time and I’m hoping that you still
  feel the righteousness of our cause, the desire to strike a blow against the Alliance.  With the help of you and your
  crew, we can steal the Glory right from the Alliance’s grasp!”
  If “patriotic” persuasion does not convince the crew to join his cause, Sharpe will easily move to Tactic #2.
  “I can understand how good soldiers long gone from the battlefield can lose their way and I can see how you
  aren’t ready to accept your role in history simply on faith.  I had hoped to keep this a secret, but...” He’ll trail off,
  letting suspense build.
  “Inside the hull of Freedom’s Glory, a Browncoat Cache was hidden away to support the cause but our
  information says that it was never found by the Alliance.  There is more than C10,000 of platinum hidden in the her
  hull.  I offer you 10% of the platinum for your agreement to do what it takes to get the Glory away from Pegasus free
  and clear.”  If driven hard, Sharpe will be willing to cut the deal for 30% to Serenity.
  If “patriotism” and “money” failed, Sharpe will take the last resort.
  “I’d hoped you were the sort of folk I could count on.  At least, I expected you to be the sort of folk who
  understood reward for reasonable risk.  Now, its obvious that I’m dealing with spineless cowards.”
  “Fine.  The cause is greater than any of us, Malcolm Reynolds.  We’ve taken the girl hostage below.  Get us
  on to Pegasus, into the Scrapping Facility, and get the Glory spaceworthy and we’ll leave her, your ship, and your
  crew unharmed.”
  Brutus appears mildly shocked, but covers quickly.  Saul is not shocked at all by Sharpe’s anger and threat.
  Jerome has River in the medical bay with the doors closed and barred shut.
  One way or another, Sharpe is going to steal that ship.
  On To Pegasus
  Freely or under duress, the crew should be heading for Pegasus.  The moon is a poor cousin to the thriving
  planet of Bellerophon, and is home to some Alliance facilities (including a defense space/air base) as well as many
  large corporate industrial complexes including Blue Sun’s “A703 Reclamation Facility”.  Beyond those sites, the
  world is mostly cold and barren with only a few hardy homesteaders on a band of fertile equatorial islands.  The
  industrial areas have choking acids in the air and the ground has been poisoned.  Seeping noxious liquids abound
  across the landscape, plant-killing acids at work. Sealed Work camps sit outside each facility, whether the workers
  wear the colors of the Alliance or Blue Sun.
  Just as they did with Whitefall, Wash needs to plot a course to avoid detection by the Alliance or other ships.
  
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  [Pilot | Wash]
  To fly the ship to groundside without being noticed by the satellite network
  Roll: : Alertness+Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transport vs. Heroic (19)
  Success: He is able to land the ship about two miles from the scrapping facility behind a towering chemical plant.
  Extraordinary Success: Have the option to land on one of the unoccupied landing platforms at the scrapping facility,
  directed in my the facility control tower who mistakes them for an expected ship, the Narwhal supply ship.
  Botch: Their ship can be landed no closer than 50 miles from the facility due to the air traffic at the time.  Attempting to
  fly or land closer than that will cause the facility control tower to call in Alliance military support in the form of
  a gunship.
  The Pegasus Processing Facility
  The Blue Sun facility is a groundside installation for the teardown of damaged and obsolete craft (space,
  aerial, land).  It has four work areas set around a two-story, central control tower.  Windows in the control building
  overlook the work areas and an antennae spire rises from on top including communication antennae and the silvery
  sphere of a landlock control module.
  Each work area has a web of cranes and large cutting and moving tools, ready to tear apart a ship like a bug
  on a dissection plate.
  Outside the cluster of work areas, railbed stretch away into hundreds of yards of junk, divided into salvage-
  able sections (blue area) and complete junk (green sections).  Massive metal rail cars wait patiently by the work area
  with a huge crane on one of them to load and unload the cars.  Equipment removed from the ships are stored in
  buildings around the work area before being shipped to other facilities for refurbishment and reuse.
  At the perimeter of the facility is a 20' high chain fence with razor wire on top of it (standard perimeter
  barrier).  Motion-activated cameras sit on top of every third fence pole giving a spotty coverage of the area.  When
  cameras activate, a signal is seen in the Control Tower by the facility guards. They can take control of the camera and
  try to see what is going on.
  [Any character]
  To disable a perimeter camera without being seen.
  Roll: Agility + Covert/Disable Devices vs. Hard (11)
  Success: They reach the camera and disable it without being seen.  The control tower is likely to send someone out to
  check this and repair the camera in 1d6*10 minutes.
  Extraordinary Success: They reach the camera unseen and disable it so it can’t look in all directions, leaving them a
  path to sneak by and not attracting the attention of the guards.
  Botch: They are spotted by the cameras and the guards will call in the Alliance.  Our heroes now have only a few
  minutes to reach the ship before the gunship arrives.
  Moving through the junk areas of the facility is not difficult, but it is dangerous.  In the direction in which
  they approach, a load of scrap from a ship is being dumped.  A rail car crane will “toss” a huge section of hull in their
  direction.
  [Any cluster of characters]
  To avoid getting hit by the flying hull section or other junk that it strikes.
  Roll: Initiative vs. Average (7)
  Success: They are able to dodge out of the way of the flying metal, though the shrapnel from the impact causes
  1d6 Basic Damage)
  Extraordinary Success: They are able to dodge completely out of the way and can save someone else from getting
  hit if they roll poorly.
  Botch: They are barely missed by the hull section, but are hit hard by other junk thrown from its impact. Take
  2d10 Basic Damage.
  When our heroes arrive at the center of the facility, the Glory sits on the northeast work area seemingly intact
  with no workers near her.  All of the activity is concentrated on the northwest work area where a gunship a bit larger
  than Serenity has been stripped and is getting cut into scrap metal.  The ground shakes and thunder rolls as huge
  
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  sections of metal are cut away and crash to the ground.  A few pieces are cut away and then the cranes stop for
  workers to climb around and get salvage parts they couldn’t reach before.  It will be two hours before the beast is
  completely destroyed, and another hour for all the scrap to be loaded on the rail cars for dumping.  After that, all
  attention will be directed toward the Glory.
  Reaching the Glory (on the NE pad) without being spotted needs careful movement. Workers on the outside
  wear jumpsuits, backbacks to run their cutting tools, eye protection, ear protection, and a breathing mask.  PCs
  attempting to fake their way so attired should find it easy if contact is limited.If they can obtain worker jumpsuits,
  then they wouldn’t set off an alarm if seen. Other methods of subterfuge are certainly available for the creative player
  characters.
  [ All characters]
  To sneak up to the Glory.
  Roll: Alertness+Covert/Stealth vs. Average (7)
  Success: They reach the ship without being spotted.
  Extraordinary Success: They reach the ship without being spotted, and can save someone else from getting seen.
  Botch: They are spotted by the guards and the alarm is sounded.
  The ship’s entryway is secured.  Either Saul or Roland knows a backdoor code to open the door so gaining
  entry should be quick if one of them are along.
  Once they have gotten into the Glory, it is time for the pilot and engineer to get to work.  Working together
  they have to do a systems run-down of the ship.  Others can do an eyeball search to see if anything critical has already
  been removed from the ship. They will discover that the navsat is missing and there are only four tons of fuel in the
  tanks.  Any personal items or luxuries are long gone.  Sharpe will claim he can navigate by the stars.  “There was life
  before navsats, son.”
  [ Kaylee | Engineer]
  To get the Glory operational again.
  Roll: Complex Action: Intelligence+Mechanical Engineering/Repair vs. Heroic (95). Each roll burns ten minutes
  (track this work against activities outside the ship).  If the pilot is assisting, he can roll too, letting the higher of their
  two rolls be applied to the total.
  Success: They bring the engines up and the ship is prepared to lift off.
  Extraordinary Success: They discover that the fuel gauges had been damaged and she has 15 tons of fuel in her tanks.
  Botch: A critical part is missing, but a spare is available on Serenity.
  Once they’ve got the systems up and running, they’ll learn that the ship is landlocked to the tarmac.  The only
  way to free her is to stop the landlock signal: destroy the silver sphere or penetrate the control building and shut it off
  from there.  This will likely take them into conflict with the Blue Sun guards.  If alarms have been raised for some
  time, Alliance Troops may arrive to secure the facility in a personnel carrier with twelve heavily armed and armored
  soldiers.
  With the landlock gone, the Glory is ready for takeoff.  Sharpe and his crew are prepared to fly her and
  escape.  Do the players think to make arrangements to meet them later?  How will the players who helped breach the
  facility get back to the Serenity?  Will the Alliance activity be such that they don’t dare take off from their place of
  hiding?  Can they dare to wait there and risk discovery?
  Escaping Pegasus
  Once the Glory lifts off, alarms will be raised at the facility if the hadn’t been already.  Anyone on Serenity
  who would reasonably be monitoring local communications might ‘overhear’ Blue Sun making a plea to the Alliance
  Airbase and getting an affirmative response.  The air base has a squadron of eight short-range two-man Blackjack
  interceptors with two out on patrol in the system at any moment, two in maintenance, two in pre-flight, two in post-
  flight.  The two in flight will be some minutes from the facility but will immediately head back toward the moon to
  intercept the Glory.  If not disrupted, the interceptors will close on their prey, fire upon it and disable the ship, killing
  or capturing Sharpe and his crew.  If they are distracted or disrupted in some way, they will leave the Glory alone,
  
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  allowing it to escape, though alerting authorities across the Cortex of the event, giving Sharpe the publicity he sought.
  The key to saving the Glory is to make a distraction that prevents the interceptors from catching her.  Blowing
  things up at the scrapping facility would work.  If the Serenity makes itself known, it will attract far greater attention
  than a stolen junker, since Serenity has various Alliance alerts posted about it.  The players will likely be equally
  creative.
  If the Serenity ends up being chased by the Alliance, it can either Hard Burn if it has enough distance from
  the interceptors...
  [ Kaylee | Engineer]
  To rig Serenity for hard burn.
  Roll: Agility+Mechanical Engineering vs. Average (7)
  Success: The ship is prepared for hard burn in ten minutes.
  Extraordinary Success: The ship is prepared for hard burn in five minutes.
  Botch: A part breaks, preventing hard burn.
  Wash will have to avoid the Blackjacks until it get switched to hard burn or come up with another solution
  (back to the planet to hide in disruptive terrain like industrial sites, off toward other traffic, off toward Athens, etc.)
  Being the end of the body of the adventure, this can be extended if time and desire allow.
  [ Wash | Pilot ]
  To evade the Blackjacks and escape Pegasus.
  Roll: Agility+Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transports vs. Average (7) using hard burn; vs. Formidable (15) if hard burn is broken.
  Success: The ship evades pursuit.
  Extraordinary Success: The ship evades pursuit and is able to confuse identification by the Alliance.
  Botch: The Blackjacks catch up to their ship and damages them to prevent their escape and arrest.
  What Comes After
  With luck, Sharpe and Freedom’s Glory escaped into the black.  As is typical after doing a good deed, our
  heroes will hear nothing from him and don’t know where the ship was going to be taken.
  A few weeks of hard-living later, they catch up to the post at a skyplex and find a large, heavy, nondescript
  crate waiting for them.  The shipping paperwork specifies it as “Steam Engine pistons for refurbishment”, delivered
  from Serenity Valley on Hera.  Opening it, they find it filled with small platinum bars (worth their promised share
  plus a little extra, or C3,000 if they’d never been told about the cache), and a note (adjust the note depending on what
  deal was really struck with them.)
  “Captain Reynolds, I hope this finds you and your crew well.  Your aid was invaluable to our cause.  As per
  our agreement, here is your share of the cache contained in her hull.  Be well and keep flying. – Saul Potter.” (Use
  handout)
  
  The Key Non-Player Characters
  Joseph “Eagle-Eye” Sarafina – Native born to Whitefall some 40-odd years ago, Sarafina has
  made a good living off training horses and dogs for others.  He is respected on Whitefall and other
  Rim worlds.  A widower, Sarafina spends time in town at the Slaughterhouse with friends but also
  courts the few available women of his age.  He has fifteen ranch hands that live on his ranch.  A
  neutral in the war, he lost a lot of money to “insiders” who got the deals to sell beef to the Indepen-
  dents, so he isn’t sympathetic to Browncoats.
  Ag d8 St d8 Vi d6 Al d6 In d8 Wi d12
  LP 12
  Init d8+d8
  Key Skills: Animal Handling d6/Animal Training d12+d4, Riding d10; Discipline d6/Leadership d8; Guns d6/Pistols d12, Rifles
  d10, Shotguns d12; Influence d6/Barter d8; Melee Weapon Combat d6; Perception d6/Gambling d8; Planetary Vehicles d6;
  Survival d6/Land Survival d8
  Key Traits: Credo (“A Deal is a Deal!”); Fighting Type (Extra action w/out penalty); Friend in High Places (regional clients);
  Leadership (group goal +2S); One-eye (minor)
  Weapon/Gear: Pistol (d6W - 8 shots); Rifle (d8W - 30 shots); Shotgun (d10W - 10 shots)
  Roland Sharpe – Roland Aloysus Sharpe was a senior officer in the Londinum Navy before the
  Alliance Parliament put all military forces under a unified chain of command.  Sharpe retired,
  refusing to serve the Parliament and was one of the key conspirators who forged a disparate collec-
  tion of independent rebels into a fighting force able to resist the vastly superior Alliance for five
  years.  He led the small Independent Navy throughout the war, capturing as many ships as they lost.
  He avoided the ceasefire talks at the end of the war and lost any chance of the amnesty given to
  many of the military officers of the Independents.  Since that time he has run as an outlaw with a
  10,000 credit bounty on his head.  Roland is a striking man with receding hairline of white hair and
  the stiff bearing of a military officer.  He loves spaceships like sailing ships of old.  He is a legend-
  ary hero to Browncoat veterans and sympathizers.
  Ag d8 St d6 Vi d6 Al d8 In d10 Wi d10
  LP 12
  Init d8+d8
  Key Skills: Athletics d2; Covert d6/Streetwise d10; Discipline d6/Leadership d12+d2; Guns d6/Pistol d8; Influence d6/Adminis-
  tration d8, Politics d10; Knowledge d6/History d12; Melee Weapon Combat d6/Swords d10; Perception d6/Intuition d18, Tactics
  d12; Pilot d6/Capital Ships d10, Yachts d8; Survival d6/Space d10
  Key Traits: Last Legs (-1S All Physical Activities); Leadership (group goal +2S); Military Rank (+2S Will/Discipline); Vain (-2S
  Will when flattered)
  Weapon/Gear: Walking stick only.
  Saul Potter – Saul is Sharpe’s most trusted confidant and aide during and after the war.  He was a
  minor bureaucrat in the Londinum Naval Office when Sharpe retired.  Certain he would be losing his
  position with the reorganization of the naval forces, Saul accepted the role of aide-de-camp to
  Sharpe.  Over the years, Potter has become a very capable agent, protecting Sharpe and helping to
  foment resistance against the Alliance among sympathizers and Browncoat veterans.  He is fanati-
  cally loyal to Sharpe and is willing to sacrifice his life to save him.  Saul is a man in his fifties with
  an upper class air, wears a dress jacket but carries a revolver.
  Ag d6 St d8 Vi d6 Al d10 In d8 Wi d10
  LP 14
  Init d6+d10
  Key Skills: Animal Handling d6/Riding d10; Athletics d4; Discipline d6; Guns d6/Pistol d8
  Key Traits: Loyal (Get PP when played)
  Weapon/Gear: Browncoat Service Pistol (d6W - 9 shots); Derringer (d4W - 2 shots)
  Brutus Hancock – Brutus is a former Browncoat marine who grew up on Higgin’s Moon.  He is a
  quiet man who spends his free time cooking.  Today he professes to be a mercenary but has stayed
  with the dirt-poor Sharpe for about three years.  Brutus is tall and muscular and carries a distrusting
  attitude bred by years of protecting Sharpe. He wears a long brown duster coat and the black beret
  that signified Marines.  He carries a large tote with his weapons.
  Ag d10 St d8 Vi d6 Al d6 In d6 Wi d6
  LP 16
  Init d8+d6
  Key Skills: Animal Handling d6; Artistry d6/Cooking d10; Athletics/Dodge d8; Covert d6; Disci-
  pline d6; Guns d6/Pistol d10,Rifle d8; Perception d6; Surv d6; Unarmed Combat d6/Judo d8
  Key Traits: Fightin’ Type (1 free non-attack); Tough (+2LP); Mean Left Hook (Unarmed Basic)
  Weapon/Gear: Combat Knife (d4W); Pistol (d6W); Assault Rifle (d8W, 1/3/*)
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  Jerome Budge – An imposing black man, Jerome was a ground-pounder in the war.  What he saw in
  Serenity Valley has haunted him ever since.  Sharpe makes sure Jerome is looked after and Jerome is
  willing to kill or die for Sharpe.  Jerome keeps his head shaved in a quiet ritual to honor those
  brothers of his who fell in Serenity Valley.  Only about 5’8” tall, Jerome’s muscles make him seem
  overly wide.  He spends hours a day lifting weights and doing Tai Chi for flexibility and awareness.
  Ag d6 St d12 Vi d6 Al d6 In d6 Wi d6
  LP 16
  Init d8+d6
  Key Skills: Athletics d6/Dodge d8, Weight Training d10; Covert d6/Stealth d10; Discipline d6/
  Concentration d10; Guns d6/Pistol d10/Rifle d8; Heavy Weapons d6; Influence d4; Perception d6/
  Search d8, Tracking d8; Planetary Vehicles d4; Survival d6/Land d10, Space d8; Unarmed Combat
  d6/Judo d8
  Key Traits: Traumatic Flashes (-2S 10min after episode); Sharp Sense (sight; +2S Alertness)
  Weapon/Gear: Combat Knife (d4W); Pistol (d6W); Assault Rifle (d8W, 1/3/*)
  Other Non-Player Characters
  Whitefall Thugs – These men are bruisers on Patience’s payroll.  They are adept in fisticuffs as well
  as riding and gunplay.  They lurk in most places where Patience wants eyes and ears, including the
  Whitefall Spaceport or the Slaughterhouse.  They are proud toughs who get wide berth from other
  locals. They generally dress in utilitarian (frontier) clothes.
  Ag d6 St d10 Vi d8 Al d8 In d4 Wi d4
  LP 20
  Init d6+d8
  Key Skills: Athletics d6/Dodge d8; Guns d6/Pistol d8; Melee Weapons d6/Knives d8; Unarmed
  Combat d6/Brawling d10;
  Key Traits: Tough as Nails (+2LP); Fightin’ Type (1 free non-attack action); Mean Left Hook
  (Unarmed does Basic); Chip on the Shoulder (When wounded, beserk on one who wounded him).
  Weapon/Gear: Fists (d0W); Two combat Knives (d4W); Pistol (d6W).
  Whitefall Machine Shop Workers – These men are all local boys who service spaceships and local
  vehicles as necessary.  Their boss owns all the materials in the junkyard and made the deal with Saul
  Potter for refuge.  The workers are strong and use improvised weapons and their own fightin’ skills.
  They are easily scared by gunfire, but will rough thieves up before thinking to call the sheriff.
  Ag d4 St d8 Vi d6 Al d8 In d6 Wi d4
  LP 14
  Init d8+d4
  Key Skills: Athletics d4; Mechanical Engineering d6/Machinery Repairs d10; Melee Weapons d6;
  Unarmed Combat d6/Brawling d8
  Key Traits: Fightin’ Type (1 free non-attack action); Heavy Tolerance (+2S Vitality when imbibing);
  Crude (-2S Influence)
  Weapon/Gear: Fists (d0W); Crowbar (d6B)
  Blue Sun Guards – These men are not the most formidable opponents, but will diligently investi-
  gate unusual circumstances or trips of the perimeter alarm.  Any serious threat will cause them to call
  in help from the nearby Alliance base.  They are dressed in uniform grey coveralls with Blue-Sun
  logos on the back and over the left chest pocket.
  Ag d6 St d8 Vi d6 Al d8 In d6 Wi d4
  LP 14
  Init d6+d8
  Key Skills: Athletics d6; Discipline d6; Guns d6/Pistol d8; Perception d6; Unarmed Combat d4
  Key Traits: Wears a Badge (Minor); Sharp Sense (Sight, +2S Alertness); Military Rank (+2S Will
  for Discipline); Fightin’ Type (1 free non-attack action)
  Weapon/Gear: Stun Baton (d2S); Pistol (d6W)
  Alliance Troops – Alliance soldiers are serious opponents and arrive geared up for action.  They
  wear body armor and assault rifles.  They are well-trained and have little reason not to fire at thieves
  or rebels. Once an opponent is disarmed and not a threat they are stunned for later arrest.
  Ag d8 St d8 Vi d8 Al d8 In d6 Wi d6
  LP 18
  Init d8+d8
  Key Skills: Athletics d6/Dodge d8; Discipline d6/Intimidation d8; Guns d6/Pistol d8/Rifle d8;
  Perception d6; Unarmed Combat d6/Judo d8.
  Key Traits: Tough as Nails (+2LP); Fightin’ Type (1 free non-attack action); Wears a Badge
  (Minor); Military Rank (+2S Will for Discipline); Fightin’ Type (1 free non-attack action)
  Weapon/Gear: Armored Fist (d2S); Pistol (d6W); Assault Rifle (d8W); Stun Baton (d2S)
  Armor: Squad Helmet (4W); Tactical Suit (5W) absorbs first #W of any hit.
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  Kaylee/Engineer
  Scrounging the Whitefall shipyard for needed parts.
  Getting the thruster back online as they plummet.
  Getting the Glory flightworthy.
  Simon/Doctor
  Diagnose and treat Sinhon Courser dogs.
  Diagnose and treat the admiral on the ship.
  Tend to anyone injured during the adventure.
  Jayne/Mercenary
  Getting the fuel cells without getting caught; Brawling
  Fights
            Patience’s toughs
            Machine shop workers
            Blue Sun guards or Alliance troops
  Moving the fuel lever to restart the port thruster.
  Places Where the Characters Could Get to Shine
  Although you want all your players to enjoy themselves in your gaming group, it is even more important in a
  demonstration or convention adventure that all the characters get a chance to shine.  For example, it would be unfair
  to pass out pre-generated characters including a doctor and then have his expertise never called upon.  To this end, the
  following areas of the adventure could provide moments for individual characters to shine.  If you are using a crew
  other than the movie characters, consider who might get the most out of each of these moments
  Mal/Captain
  Showing leadership, making decisions, commanding the ship.
  Trying to make the deal with Giles O’Malley.
  Making the deal with Potter for passengers to Bellerophon.
  Handling passengers, laying down the rules.
  Deciding to help Sharpe or not, wrestling with his past.
  Zoe/Mercenary
  Taking care of the dogs, spotting the sick ones.
  Supporting the Captain and leading in fights.
  The focus of Potter’s dealmaking.
  Best Stealth to sneak up to the Pegasus Processing Facility.
  Inara/Companion
  Interacting with Sarafina, the hunting dogs man, on Whitefall.
  Making contacts on Whitefall to look for a job
  Interacting with Sharpe or Potter
  Sparring with Mal and his thieving ways.
  Wash/Pilot
  Slipping Serenity on to Whitefall without Patience noticing.
  Controlling Serenity as they plummet back toward Whitefall.
  Sneaking Serenity on to Pegasus
  Getting the Glory flightworthy.
  
  New Traits
  Dandy [Minor Complication]
  The world always treats you better when you’re dressed well.  You spend a lot of time and money to look this
  good. It’s a shame so few others do.
  Penalty: Might hesitate to take actions that could harm his clothes, or be distracted by even a minor stain or
  tear.  Plot points when this complicates things.
  Last Legs [Major Complication]
  You kicked around the ‘Verse for quite a spell, but now she’s kicked back.  You’ve got an ailment which saps
  your strength and is likely to put you six feet under, lest you know a mighty fine doctor and can afford his remedies.
  Penalty: Minus one step from all physical skill checks (Strength, Vitality, Agility) due to the weakness of you
  disease.
  One-Eye [Minor Complication]
  Through accident, disease, duel, or injury, you’ve lost the use of one of your eyes.  (The eye might still be
  there but its hitchin’ a non-working passage).  Although you learn to compensate for it mostly, it still makes you a
  little less observant.
  Penalty: Minus one step to Alertness-related checks which rely upon eyesight.
  Slothful [Minor Complication]
  Nothing could possibly be as urgent as everyone makes it out to be.  A pause for reflection (and a good nap)
  would do wonders to their outlook.  You think you’ll lead by example. Whenever considerable or long-term effort is
  required, you’re the last to volunteer.
  Penalty: Whenever you roleplay this trait to the detriment of yourself or your crew, the GM can award you
  Plot Points.
  Vain [Minor Complication]
  You’re never sure if everyone realizes how special you are, unless they mention it often.  Otherwise you
  might have to remind them just how lucky they are to be in your presence.
  Penalty: Your resolve tends to weaken when others are complimentary towards you. This can cause a –2 Step
  Willpower Attribute penalty to resist the sweet words of your ardent admirers.
  Technology Notes
  Landlock: Land-lock is a signal that authorities can send to your ship, shutting down control of key compo-
  nents. Jamming or stopping the signal releases the lock. The controls on the ship are manufactured into the
  firmware of the systems themselves so they are very expensive to remove and it is a penalty worth the loss
  of your ship if you are ever detected without those controls in place (authorities can “ping” your ship to
  make sure the correct manufacturer’s encrypted code is returned).  Landlock cannot be activated when the
  ship is airborne or in space.
  Browncoat Service Pistol: A variation on the oft-copied standard McKinley Forelock, the Browncoat
  Service Pistol is difficult to distinguish as different except for the slightly fatter grip and the penchant that
  Independent soldiers took to etching memorable or gallant phrases along the barrel.  The difference is
  primarily that it hold 9 rounds as opposed to the ubiquitous 8 rounds among the McKinley types. Chester
  Ozawa, the gunsmith who created the variant and helped to manufacture thousands of them during the war,
  was fond of saying that the Independents needed every edge they could get.
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  Notes for Kaylee or Engineer
  Information the Character would know and can help in role-playing them.
  Back on Persephone, Kaylee hatched on to the idea that wearing her engineer’s jumpsuit wasn’t catching
  Simon’s eye.  She spent her savings buying a yellow dress which she wears now.  So far, Simon hasn’t mentioned it,
  though Jayne has teased her about it.
  The crew has not been doing well getting money lately.  Mal has had to turn down good jobs because they
  roamed too close to the Alliance and would endanger River and Simon.  The money for the current cargo has already
  been spent on debts.  Kaylee has twenty platinum to her name.
  Kaylee has had to keep Serenity running by cobbling together broken parts and jury-rigging systems.  Her
  key areas of concern are:
  1.
  The Compressor Coil on the engine housing has developed fractures.  She keeps rewelding it, but it won’t
  last forever.  If it breaks, the engine and the ship stops dead.  A used one from a scrapyard would cost C250
  but would only take a few minutes to replace.  A new, higher grade Coil would cost C750 but last a lifetime.
  2.
  The Intake Manifold on the port outboard thruster has been losing efficiency of late due to corrosion on the
  pipes which you can’t get at.  Wash has had to compensate when flying in atmosphere for this.  It is possible
  that pieces of the corrosion could break off during use and foul the thruster.  It would require a shut down of
  fuel to the engines and then a hot restart to clear the thruster.  If this happens in flight, it would be a loud boom
  and then Serenity spinning wildly as she careens toward the ground.  A new Intake Manifold would take a day
  to install in an equipped shipyard and cost C500.
  3.
  The electrical systems on the ship are showing their age and this results in power fluctuations and even
  caused a brownout during rough maneuvers.  Kaylee keeps replacing sections of wire and patch panels, but
  she really needs fresh high capacity line to rewire key stretches.  It would take her 2-3 days of downtime and
  about C150 of supplies.
  Fuel is getting mighty low on board.  They’ll have 100 hours of flight time left after they touchdown on
  Whitefall.  The nearest planets are Bellerophon (72 hours) and Hallsey (120 hours).  This is drier than anyone cares to
  run, but the money problems are keeping them from refilling their tanks.
  One drum of liquified hydrogen contains 0.25 ton (500 pounds).
  Four drums makes 1 ton of hydrogen equals 10 hours flight time.
  At a regulated spaceport, fuel can be filled directly from underground storage tanks, usually for 5C/ton.
  One drum of hydrogen costs 10C since it has been made “safe” and portable.
  Fuelly fueled, Serenity can fly for 600 hours (25 days)
  Playing Kaylee
  KEEPIN’ HER IN THE AIR (Engines)
  Detect problems with engine: Alertness plus Mechanical Engineering / Maintenance
  Think of a jury-rig repair: Intelligence plus Mechanical Engineering / Repair
  Execute a jury-rig repair: Agility plus Mechanical Engineering / Repair
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Mechanical Empathy = Can use a Plot Point to figure out what’s wrong, +2 Step to fix it.
  Sweet & Cheerful = +2 Step bonus to skills in which your nature is of benefit.
  Talented: Mechanical Engineering/Repair = +2 Step bonus when using that specialty
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Combat Paralysis = You freeze up in a fight for a turn or two.  You can use a Plot Point to shake yourself out of it after
  the first round.
  Straight Shooter = Honest to a fault, -2 Step penalty when telling a lie.
  
  Notes for Jayne or Mercenary
  Information the Character would know and can be used to role-play them.
  The crew has had a string of bad luck lately and things are feelin’ poor.  Jayne hasn’t gotten paid in a month,
  the food is down to drek, and Mal insists on sneaking around instead of taking on a fair fight.  Lack of money to spend
  landside is irritating Jayne, sharpening his tongue, if not his wit. Jayne has ten platinum to his name.
  At their last stop (Finegan’s City, an orbiting skyplex over New Melbourne), Jayne was pleased to receive
  another care package from his mother.  She’d really outdone herself and knitted him a quite large orange scarf.  He
  now wears it proudly.
  Back at Persephone, Kaylee bought herself a bright yellow party dress and has insisted on wearing it
  nearly constantly, even when working.  Jayne understands that she’s in heat for the doctor and passes his idle time
  teasing her crudely about it.
  Playing Jayne
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Fightin’ Type = 1 Free non attack action each turn.
  Intimidatin’ Manner = +2 Step Willpower when intimidating
  Mean Left Hook = Unarmed attacks do Basic damage, not just Stun
  Tough as Nails = +2 Life Points
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Crude = -2 Step Influence in proper situations.
  Greedy = Plot Points for roleplaying well, more when you give in to it.
  CONSIDERATIONS IN COMBAT
  Shooting Modifiers
  Range
  Cover
  Other Mods
  Less than 10 ft
  +1 Skill Step
  Up to 50% Cover +4 diff
  Dim light/smoke  +4 diff
  Short Range
  -1 Skill Step
  50-90% Cover
  +8 diff
  Dark/thick smoke +8 diff
  Medium Range
  -2 Skill Steps
  90-95% Cover
  +12 diff
  Prone –2Steps on skill
  Long Range
  -4 Skill Steps
  Near Complete
  +16 diff
  Steadying
  Called Shot
  Aim 1 Turn
  +1 Skill Step
  Limb
  -1 Step to Hit  (+2 Steps to damage if hits)
  Aim 2 Turns
  +2 Skill Steps
  Vital Organ
  -2 Steps to Hit (+4 Steps to damage if hits)
  Aim 3 Turns
  +3 Skill Steps
  Miniscule
  -3 Steps to Hit (+6 Steps to damage if hits)
  All-out Attack: +2 skill steps on all attack actions; can’t defend
  Defending Yourself
  Surprised/Unaware (not in combat): DC 3
  Innate Defense (moving in combat): Agility Roll
  Active Defense (see attack coming):
  Ranged: Agility + Athletics/Dodge
  Hand-to-Hand: Agility + UnarmedCombat/<type>
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  Notes for Simon or Doctor
  Information the Character would know and can be used to role-play them.
  River has suffered a serious of nightmares and has acted out violently lately.  To appease the captain and let
  her body rest, Simon agreed to keep River sedated for several days. (She will effectively be unconscious for the
  length of this adventure).
  Simon’s attempts to aid his sister’s mental problems has been hampered by the experimental nature of the
  damage done to her and his lack of facilities or drug therapies to use with her.  Right now the most promising drug he
  has heard of is Sallopine.  It is quite rare, usually only found in research and teaching hospitals in the Core.  He saw
  an early version of the drug during his time as a surgeon and it had remarkable regenerative effects on brain tissue
  damage.  He has yet to find a black market source for the drug.
  Not that Simon has noticed yet, but Kaylee bought a special dress to try and catch his eye.  It is debatable as
  to whether or not Simon will realize what she’s done or why.
  Simon has only twenty-five platinum to his name.
  Playing Simon
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Highly Educated = +2 Step to Intelligence for knowledge rolls
  Steady Calm = +2 Step to Willpower when you might be shaken, frightened, etc.
  Talented: Medical Knowledge/Surgery = +2 Skill Step when using this Specialty
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Deadly Enemy = Gain Plot Points when the Alliance gets too near
  Easy Mark = Gullible. Plot Points when you believe what you’re told.  –4 Step to discern lies.
  Loyal = Plot Points when you risk yourself to protect River.
  Socially Awkward = -2 Step to Influence rolls
  HEALING PEOPLE
  Use First Aid (Alertness + Medical/<specialty>) vs. Hard (11) to stabilize someone
  For wounds more than 2, surgery is required to heal properly.  The number of wounds lost determines if it will be a
  simple stiching up and bandage or a long, protacted surgery to remove a bullet, both will be complex actions.
  Some Factors Impacting Surgery
  Improvised gear; distractions
  -2 Skill Steps
  Limited supplies, some distractions
  -1 Skill Steps
  Standard supplies, no distractions
  0 Skill Steps
  Superior Supplies, Ambulance
  +1 Skill Steps
  Top of Line, Hospital
  +2 Skill Steps
  If Someone has Died, but not too much time has passed…
  Alertness + Medical vs. Formidable (15) to revive them.
  
  Notes for Malcolm or Captain
  Information the Character would know and can be used to role-play them.
  Mal is having a hard time of late.  The best jobs are too risky to take as they would bring them too close to
  contact with the Alliance.  Their last big job went south on them, putting them in debt to Percival Chao to the tune of
  C4,000.  The run they are completing now is earning them C2,000 but it has already been applied against the debt,
  leaving them with no new cash for expenses.  They really need to get a well-paying job on Whitehall to turn their
  fortunes around.  The crew is irritable at the hardships and very willing to complain.  Mal himself only has twenty
  platinum to his name.
  The crew has recently parted ways with Shepherd Book and Inara has made it clear that she wants to be
  returned to Sinhon to leave Serenity and to rejoin her Guild.  Mal has agreed to take her there, but he’ll be damned if
  he has to do it any faster than he wants to.  Mal finds himself missing Book’s good humor, though not so much the
  sermonizing.  With Inara’s impending departure, Mal finds himself picking fights with her more often.
  Kaylee has been hounding Mal about necessary repairs to the ship for weeks now, but he doesn’t have the
  money to do anything about it.  All he knows is that the ship has brownouts from time to time and some other parts
  might break and kill them all.  Everything Kaylee wants to do with the ship will take time and Credits, in varying
  amounts.
  Fuel is getting mighty low on board.  They’ll have 100 hours of flight time left after they touchdown on
  Whitefall.  The nearest planets are Bellerophon (72 hours) and Hallsey (120 hours).  This is drier than anyone cares to
  run, but the money problems are keeping them from refilling their tanks.
  One drum of liquified hydrogen contains 0.25 ton (500 pounds).
  Four drums makes 1 ton of hydrogen equals 10 hours flight time.
  At a regulated spaceport, fuel can be filled directly from underground storage tanks, usually for 5C/ton.
  One drum of hydrogen costs 10C since it has been made “safe” and portable.
  Fuelly fueled, Serenity can fly for 600 hours (25 days)
  Playing Malcolm
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Fightin’ Type = 1 Free non attack action each turn.
  Friends in Low Places = Spend Plot Points to “find” a contact or favor (once per session)
  Leadership = Set a crew goal, all get +2 Step on 1 action toward the goal.  Share Plot Points.
  Military Rank = +2 Step Willpower for Discipline-related skill checks
  Tough as Nails = +2 Life Points
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Deadly Enemy = Gain Plot Points when Adelei Niska causes you trouble.
  Credo = Gain Plot Points when credo causes you trouble. (Don’t harm innocents; Keep your word)
  Loyal = Gain Plot Points when loyalty overrides self-preservation.
  Prejudice = -2 Step Influence when dealing with Alliance military or government
  Things Don’t Go Smooth = Twice a session, GM can force you to reroll and take the lower result.
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  Notes for Wash or Pilot
  Information the Character would know and can be used to role-play them.
  They haven’t had money in awhile and the ship is showing some crankiness on account of it.  In atmo, the left
  thruster is lagging the right, forcing Wash to generally compensate as he flies.  Kaylee has mentioned various things
  maybe breaking and killing them all or stranding them in the black, but it never paid Wash to dwell on such things too
  much.
  Their current cargo, dogs called Sinhon Coursers, make Wash nervous.  He swears he’s been afraid of
  dogs since he could remember and the dogs in the crates filling the cargo hold and lining the lower passageway growl
  as he passes, smelling his fear.
  Fuel is getting mighty low on board.  They’ll have 100 hours of flight time left after they touchdown on
  Whitefall.  The nearest planets are Bellerophon (72 hours) and Hallsey (120 hours).  This is drier than anyone cares to
  run, but the money problems are keeping them from refilling their tanks.
  One drum of liquified hydrogen contains 0.25 ton (500 pounds).
  Four drums makes 1 ton of hydrogen equals 10 hours flight time.
  At a regulated spaceport, fuel can be filled directly from underground storage tanks, usually for 5C/ton.
  One drum of hydrogen costs 10C since it has been made “safe” and portable.
  Fuelly fueled, Serenity can fly for 600 hours (25 days)
  Playing Wash
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Born Behind the Wheel = Plot Points count DOUBLE when piloting
  Sharp Sense = +2 Alertness when relying on eyesight.
  Talented: Pilot/Mid-Bulk Transports = +2 Skill Step when using that specialty.
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Lightweight = -2 Step Vitality when drinking or physically tested
  Smartass = -2 Step Influence when you take the easy joke at the wrong time.
  FLYIN’ THE BLACK (Piloting)
  Simple Manuevers - no roll necessary
  Unusual Maneuver – Roll Pilot plus Mid-Bulk Transport speciality
  Extended Feats of Flying - Complex Action
  Using Sensors/Ship Ops = Alertness plus Tech Engineering.
  
  Notes for Inara or Companion
  Information the Character would know and can be used to role-play them.
  Inara wants to leave Serenity and return to the Companions Guildhall on Sinhon.  (She fears she is becom-
  ing emotionally attached to Mal and it could harm her ability to work.)  Her self-identity is defined by her role as a
  Companion and she fears losing that.  Mal has been making slow progress toward Sinhon, using the excuse that
  he has to fly where the money is so he can afford the journey to Sinhon.  This has caused increased friction between
  the two.
  On even the most backward colonies, Inara has opportunities to have appointments with clients. Usually they
  are the wealthy men or women of the planet, Alliance governors and military officers, or aristocrats.  These are the
  kinds of people Inara can use her Friends in High Places trait to find a past satisfied customer or people who respect
  a Companion’s place in society.  These can be sources of information and influence.
  Inara has also found herself quite useful to the crew when negotiating or bluffing patrons and customers.
  Her allure is distracting by itself and her status as a Registered Companion is most often a source of social rank.
  Playing Inara
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Allure = +2 Step bonus to Influence
  Friends in High Places = Spend Plot Points to “find” contacts and favors, Once per Session
  Highly Educated = +2 Step to Intelligence for knowledge rolls
  Registered Companion = Opens doors for her; +2 Skill Step for Influence for those that accept her
  Religiosity = +2 Willpower for an action; Once per Session
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Credo = Gain Plot Points when keeping appointments and client confidentiality causes trouble.
  Memorable = Others get +2 Steps Alertness to spot her, recognize her
  Prejudice = -2 Step Influence when dealing with poor/frontier people
  INFLUENCING OTHERS
  You can use your Friends in High Places trait, or your skills.
  Discipline
  Interrogation
  Intimidation
  Leadership
  Influence
  Seduction
  Negotiation
  Persuasion
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  Notes for Zoe or Second-in-Command
  Information the Character would know and can be used to role-play them.
  Work has been scarce and their lack of funds has been rough on Mal.  He gets surly at their bad luck.  Zoe
  knows that they are running low on ammunition for their personal weapons.  Jayne is probably all right, but the rest of
  the guns on the ship would cost C25 to restock their ammo.
  Zoe enjoys spending time with their current cargo, dogs called Sinhon Coursers,  She grew up with dogs
  and spends a lot of her time exercising them as best she can (and cleaning up after them).  She sees that Wash is
  afraid of them, triggering the dogs to growl at him.
  Before joining the 57th Overlanders, where she met Malcolm Reynolds, Zoe served in various detachments for
  the Independents including a security detail.  During her security work, she performed personnel protection for various
  high-ranking Independent officials at various summits and strategy meetings.  She saw most of the top Independent
  naval and political leaders and their aides.
  Playing Zoe
  USING YOUR ASSETS
  Fightin’ Type = 1 Free non attack action each turn.
  Military Rank = +2 Step Willpower for Discipline-related skill checks
  Steady Calm = +2 Step to Willpower when you might be shaken, frightened, etc.
  USING YOUR COMPLICATIONS (TO EARN PLOT POINTS)
  Loyal = Gain Plot Points when loyalty overrides self-preservation.
  Memorable = Others get +2 Steps Alertness to spot her, recognize her
  Prejudice = -2 Step Influence when dealing with Alliance military or government
  CONSIDERATIONS IN COMBAT
  Shooting Modifiers
  Range
  Cover
  Other Mods
  Less than 10 ft
  +1 Skill Step
  Up to 50% Cover +4 diff
  Dim light/smoke  +4 diff
  Short Range
  -1 Skill Step
  50-90% Cover
  +8 diff
  Dark/thick smoke +8 diff
  Medium Range
  -2 Skill Steps
  90-95% Cover
  +12 diff
  Prone –2Steps on skill
  Long Range
  -4 Skill Steps
  Near Complete
  +16 diff
  Steadying
  Called Shot
  Aim 1 Turn
  +1 Skill Step
  Limb
  -1 Step to Hit  (+2 Steps to damage if hits)
  Aim 2 Turns
  +2 Skill Steps
  Vital Organ
  -2 Steps to Hit (+4 Steps to damage if hits)
  Aim 3 Turns
  +3 Skill Steps
  Miniscule
  -3 Steps to Hit (+6 Steps to damage if hits)
  All-out Attack: +2 skill steps on all attack actions; can’t defend
  Defending Yourself
  Surprised/Unaware (not in combat): DC 3
  Innate Defense (moving in combat): Agility Roll
  Active Defense (see attack coming):
  Ranged: Agility + Athletics/Dodge
  Hand-to-Hand: Agility + UnarmedCombat/<type>
  
  Captain Reynolds,
  I hope this finds you and your crew well.  Your
  aid was invaluable to our cause.  As per our
  agreement, here is your share of the cache con-
  tained in her hull.
  Keep flying,
  Saul Potter
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  CORTEX SEARCH RESULTS
  Search Criteria: Roland Aloysus Sharpe
  PersFile: Roland Aloysus Sharpe - RED FLAG
  Origin: Born 2458 on Londinum.
  Paternal: Bartholemew Andrew Sharpe, retired Alliance Civil
  Serviec, deceased.
  Maternal: Rebecca Elizabeth Chan, retired Alliance Civil
  Service, deceased.
  Education: Naval Academy Graduate with Honors.
  Military Record: Londinum Naval Officer 2478-2503, retired with distinc-
  tion.  Recipient: Frontier Guardian Medal, Parliamentary Medal of Honor.
  /Court Martial 2506: In absentia. Ruling: Treason. Sentence: Death./
  War Record: Identified as a Senior Officer with rebel naval forces in
  2506. At cessation of hostilities, held rank of Grand Admiral of all
  rebel naval forces.
  Criminal Record: Desertion, Treason, Murder, Espionage, Terrorism,
  Unmeritorious Conduct, Acts of Rebellion.
  Additional Notes: “When the surrender of the Independent Factions was
  declared and Armistice was signed in Jasper Grove on Osiris, Sharpe was
  notably absent.  His absence lost him what slim chance he had at amnesty
  for his actions. He was reconfirmed a renegade outlaw and traitor to the
  Alliance.” - Colonel Sarah Lee
  Standing Bounty: 10,000 Credits
  Current Location: Unknown, suspected in the Rim Territory
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Serenity/Serenity - Into the Black.pdf