Characters from Thetis for the Firefly Roleplaying Game

Howdy!  It's been a spell.

In previous blog posts (here and here), I provided some game stats from James Lovegrove's novel Big Damn Hero, the first in a planned trilogy of 'Firefly' novels from Titan Books.

Today I thought I'd do the same for Lovegrave's new book, The Magnificent Nine, which was released in March.  This post will therefore contain spoilers for that book.

It isn't really my purpose to review either novel here, but I found both books to be a little predictable. Lovegrave did a better job at capturing the crew's voices in The Magnificent Nine, which essentially recycled the story from one of the greatest Western sagas of all time, mashing up the best elements from 'Firefly' with those from The Magnificent Seven. If you're interested, the third book in this trilogy, Firefly: Generations by Tim Lebbon, is scheduled to be released in October.

Thetis

The Magnificent Nine is set on Thetis, a world which doesn't appear on the map in the game book. I checked, and Thetis is also missing from The Complete and Official Map of the 'Verse.  Here's how the planet is described in the novel:

"Coogan's Bluff was a tiny town, one of a couple of hundred such settlements scattered across the arid surface of Thetis, a world which sat somewhere between the Border and the Rim but closer to the latter than the former.

"Thetis was an ironic name. The original Thetis was a Nereid, a sea nymph in Ancient Greek mythology of Earth-That-Was. Only someone with a strange sense of humor-- or a great deal of optimism-- would have borrowed her name for a planet whose landmasses were more or less desert and whose oceans were small and so densely salty that they could not support marine life."

The only large town on Thetis, according to the novel, is a place called Whiteplains Edge:

"Whiteplains Edge took its name from the salt flats it perched on the fringes of. Like a vast, rid white lake, the salt flats stretched away into the horizon, shimmering as blindingly as a magnesium flare in the noonday sun. The smell that rolled off them was like ocean brine but a hundred times more pungent, and if the wind blew the wrong way a pale haze of dust enveloped the town. Hence, when outdoors, most Whiteplainers went around with their mouths and noses masked and their eyes goggled."

Location Triggers
     Sparsely populated. Spend 1 PP to create an Ain't No One Looking D8 Asset when acting surreptitously or trying to avoid notice in town.
     Boil an egg in the shade. During daylight hours, spend 1 PP to step up or double any Complication related to an opponent's fatigue, exhaustion, or thirst.

If you're using the Reputation Rules from Smuggler's Guide to the Rim, a typical settler from Thetis would be positively disposed towards Corporations and negatively disposed towards Alliance, Browncoats, and Criminals. A townsperson from Whiteplains Edge would be positively disposed towards Corporations and Alliance and negatively disposed towards Browncoats and Criminals.

Dramatis Personae

The plot of The Magnificent Nine is lifted pretty neatly from the classic Western movie, The Magnificent Seven, and as such it ought to be a pretty familiar story: a huge band of desperate criminals has threatened a remote border town with indiscriminate violence unless its demands are met. One of the townspeople sends an urgent message to a band of plucky adventurers, requesting their help. Not all of the townspeople support the idea of bringing in outsiders, though, and a ruckus ensues.

Here are some of the key townspeople of Coogan's Bluff:

 Mayor Huckleberry U. Gillis
Attributes
Mental D6
Physical D4
Social D8
Skills
Focus D8
Influence D12 (Stump Speech)
Know D12 (Alliance Law)
Notice D8
Sneak D8
Trick D12 (False Flattery)
Distinctions
Politician.  D8
You attained public office, acclaim, and people's trust. You have access to the corridors of power, for what that's worth.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Pulling the strings. When you create an Asset based upon political or corporate connections, step it up to D8.
Smooth Talker.  D8
You can talk your way out of a life sentence or into a locked room. Just don't make promises you can't keep.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Gift of gab. Spend 1 PP to double your Influence die for your next roll.
Looking out for Numero Uno.  D8
I'm just making sure that my nest gets feathered.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.

Mayor Gillis is well-liked by the townspeople of Coogan's Bluff, who of course have no idea that the mayor made a deal with Elias Vandal's band of outlaws to sell the town out in order to save himself.

Temperence McCloud
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D8
Social D8
Skills
Drive D8 (Mules)
Fight D8
Fly D6
Focus D8 (Detect Lie)
Influence D10 (Charm)
Know D8 (Security Systems)
Labor D8
Move D8
Notice D10
Operate D10 (Remote Controls)
Shoot D10 (Pistols)
Sneak D10
Trick D10
Distinctions
Farmer.  D8
Terraforming made plenty of work for you, but it's a rough life, whether it's cows, corn, or chemically-altered protein product.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
One Eye Over My Shoulder.  D8
It ain't paranoia if they really are coming for you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Escape Plan. When you're confronted in your bolt hole or a place you've had the chance to survey, spend 1 PP tp create an Escape Plan D8 Asset.
Jack of All Crimes.  D8
The concept of original sin means avoiding all the pedestrian crimes and getting truly creative.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* New, Exciting Crime. When breaking into a place you've never been before, you may double Operate or Sneak for the Action. Both 1s and 2s count as jinxes for the roll.

Temperence McCloud is an alias of Temperence Jones, who was Jayne Cobb's first criminal and romantic partner some fifteen years ago. She abruptly abandoned Jayne to seek out a new life on Thetis, where she has spent the last fourteen years raising her fourteen-year-old daughter... Jane.

Jane McCloud
Attributes
Mental D6
Physical D6
Social D6
Skills
Fix D8
Focus D10 (Alert)
Labor D8
Notice D8
Operate D8
Shoot D8 (Rifle)
Sneak D8
Survive D8
Distinctions
Homesteader.  D8
You found yourself a home and a family to fill it.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Problem Solver.  D8
Not now! I've almost finished my puzzle.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Indistractible. If you replace your Focus skill with a D4 for your next roll, gain a Big Damn Hero Die equal to that skill's normal rating if that roll is successful.
Wet Behind the Ears.  D8
Folks say you're naive. It ain't that. You just grew up a mite sheltered, is all.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Easy Mark. Gain 1 PP when you are tricked by more worldly folk or whenever someone takes advantage of your naivety.

Jane McCloud is fourteen years old and has never set foot off of Thetis. She is curious about the identity of her father, since the two have never met.

Billy Korusawa
Social D8
Physical D6
Fight D6

Billy runs Billy's Bar in Coogan's Bluff-- if your glass isn't clean, Billy's always there to wipe it out with his shirt tail.

Townspeople
Fight D6
Shoot D6
Sneak D8

The good people of Coogan's Bluff are more likely to hole out somewhere than to face danger head-on, but on Tethis, water is life, and you can only run so far from your water supply.

Elias Vandal
Attributes
Mental D10
Physical D8
Social D6
Skills
Fight D12 (Thrown)
Focus D10
Influence D10 (Threats)
Labor D8
Move D10
Notice D10 (Suspicious)
Shoot D10
Sneak D8
Survive D8
Trick D10
Distinctions
Gang Boss.  D8
They're the best muscle money can buy. Too bad you're so cheap.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* What do I pay you for? You may lose one of your thug Assets in your dice pool to avoid being taken out in a scene.
Morbid and Creepifying.  D8
People say you're a sociopath when you've simply outgrown morality.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Crazy Intense. When you try to recruit a follower or hurt someone emotionally, roll Mental instead of Social.
* Unbound. When you show how little regard you have for other people, spend 1 PP to give a character a Disturbed D6 complication.
Mighty Hideous.  D8
You weren't that pretty to start, but then you got yourself deformed somethin' fierce. Now folks try not to even look at you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Boomarang Blade D8

The left side of Elias Vandal's face is burned, blistered, and scarred, almost beyond recognition. According to Vandal, this happened when he was running with Reavers a few years back, before he decided to go his own way as an outlaw. Now, he heads the Scourers, a large gang of killers and rapists on Thetis who intend to seize control of the planet's water supplies, forcing the big mining corporations to negotiate with them. Vandal uses cruelty and terror as weapons, making examples of anyone who stands up to him. Unknown to anyone but Elias Vandal and Temperence McCloud, he's also the biological father of Temperence's daughter Jane, though he has no fatherly feelings towards the girl.

Shem Bancroft
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D8
Social D8
Skills
Drive D8
Fight D10 (Bull Rush)
Focus D8
Influence D10 (Order)
Move D8
Notice D10 (Binoculars)
Operate D8 (Radar)
Shoot D10 (Sniping)
Sneak D10
Survive D8
Distinctions
Gang Member.  D8
The 'Verse is a hard place. Folk stand together.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Strength in numbers. When you and your Crew outnumber your opponents, step up Fight. When your opponents outnumber you and your crew, take an Outnumbered D8 complication.
Steady.  D8
It takes a lot to throw you off-balance.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Things Don't Go Smooth.  D8
Life sure seems to be a string of mishaps, mistakes, and misappropriations. But you're still here, aren't you?
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Trouble Magner. Step up one of your Complications to reroll a die. On your next roll, 1s and 2s count for Complications.

Shem is Elias Vandal's second-in-command, but he's beginning to have doubts about the resources and opportunities which have been wasted by Vandal's wanton cruelty.

Ellie-Mae, Frank, Rufus, and Isaac Hazzard
Physical D8
Fight D8
Shoot D6

The Hazzards were members of the Scourers who were unfortunate enough to meet River Tam alone on the Serenity when they attempted to sneak on board and catch the crew by surprise.

The Scourers
Physical D8
Shoot D8
Drive D6

Stanislaw L'Amour
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D8
Social D8
Skills
Drive D10 (Hovercraft)
Fight D8 (Duelling)
Fix D10
Fly D10 (Stunts)
Focus D8
Influence D12 (Negotiation)
Know D8  (Mining Operations)
Notice D10
Shoot D8
Trick D10
Distinctions
Gentry.  D8
You've got a fancy title, and probably a sash to go with it.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Noblesse Oblige. When someone less fortunate than you asks for your help, take or step up an Obliged Complication to step up Focus for the rest of the scene.
Fiercely Independent.  D8
Go ahead, tell me what to do. I won't stop you from wasting your breath.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Filthy Rich.  D8
Money is power. Folk who don't know that are foolin' themselves.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Leverage. Double Influence when you bribe someone or threaten them with financial ruin.

Stanislaw and Inara are old friends, but he isn't a former client; he has other personal inclinations. Stanislaw is ruggedly handsome, wealthy beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and unnaturally successful at business, and he also happens to have a healthy sense of right and wrong, making him a good friend to have in a pinch. In addition to owning several mining concerns on Thetis, he also employs a private military force called Dragonwing Protective Services (if you need game stats, you could use the mercenaries that I posted here).

The Exchequer
Attributes and Skills: Engines D8, Hull D10, Systems D8, Crew D10
Distinctions
Seraphim-Class Private Cruiser
In Kaylee's considered opinion the Seraphim wasn't a patch on Cashalton's all-time classic the Dreamcrest. It was underpowered for its weight and prone to stability issues in atmo, thanks to the overelaborate and entirely superfluous fin array at the aft. In the plus column, it was furnished inside with every luxury the mind could conceive, down to a lap pool and a sauna. Flight performance be gorramned. You wanted to travel the 'Verse in style, you couldn't do much better than this.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Military Grade D8
They don't usually sell these to private citizens.
* Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Weapons Free! Step back Hull for the rest of the scene to double weapons fire for your next roll.
Armed and Dangerous D8
When you're being attacked by pirates out in the black, the only ship you can count on is you. And if some sommbitch tries to bite you, well, you can bite back, too.
* Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Ya'll are outgunned.  Spend 1 PP to double Systems when taking on a ship which lacks your firepower.
Chain Guns D8
Rail Gun D8

The Exchequer is Stanislaw L'Amour's personal cruiser-- and it's been Kaylee-approved.

Eavesdown Docks folks for the Firefly Roleplaying Game

This post is sort of a follow-up to my blog entry from Sunday, where I provided game stats for some of the characters from James Lovegrove's novel, "Big Damn Hero." Turns out, there are a few other characters from Lovegrave's story which might make interesting GMAC's in a Firefly campaign.

The following characters have something in common: they all operate out of the Eavesdown Docks district on Persephone.

I built Mika Wong as a Heavy Major GMC and Charlie Dunwoody as a Light Major GMC; all other Major GMC's presented here are built to Medium Major specifications.

Spoilers follow.

Mika Wong
Attributes
Mental D10
Physical D10
Social D10
Skills
Fight D10 (Martial Arts)
Focus D8
Influence D10 (Threats) (Flattery)
Know D8 (Eavesdown Docks)
Move D10 (Jumps)
Notice D8 (Sense Motive)
Operate D10 (Communications) (Security)
Perform D6 (Attract Attention)
Shoot D6
Sneak D6
Trick D8
Throw D6
Distinctions
Top Secret.  D8
Officially you don't exist. Your job doesn't exist. Your boss doesn't exist. Where's that leave you?
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Covert Entry. When bypassing security on a mission, take or step up an On a Timetable Complication to double Operate for the roll.
Friends in high places.  D8
The Alliance thinks highly of you. That's the only opinion that matters.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Our Dear Purple Friends. Spend 1 PP to step back a Complication involving Alliance scrutiny.
Third degree black belt.  D8
You dedicated your life to the study of a martial art. Now you are a living weapon.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Fists of Iron. When a GMC takes a Complication to avoid being Taken Out by your unarmed assault, spend 1 PP to step up the Complication.
 * Even the Odds. When you take an armed opponent's weapon from them, spend 1 PP to give them a Disarmed D8 Complication.

Mika Wong is one of Persephone's wealthiest citizens, equally at home among Alliance elites or with working stiffs from the Docks. It's common knowledge that many businesses in Eavesdown Docks' shadiest neighborhoods pay protection money to goons associated with Wong-- and it's equally well-understood that those businesses under Mr. Wong's protection are best left alone. In certain circles, it's even whispered that Mika Wong is Persephone's premiere information broker and fixer, but only for those who can afford his services. What very few people know or understand, however, is that Wong is also a highly-placed Alliance intelligence officer, tracking the activities of Persephone's gangs, separatists, and planetary corporations for high-ranking interests in the Core Worlds.

Coincidentally, Mika Wong also knew Derrial "Shepherd" Book before and during the War. It's a good thing that the two men are friends-- or, if not friends, that they've at least come to some sort of understanding. This way, neither individual has any reason to spill the other's secrets.

Elmira Atadema
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D6
Social D10
Skills
Drive D6
Fight D6
Focus D8
Influence D10 (Flirt)
Labor D6 (Housekeeping)
Move D6
Notice D8 (Observant)
Operate D8
Perform D6 (Dance)
Shoot D6
Sneak D6 (Blending In)
Trick D8
Distinctions
Bonded to Another.  D8
The only thing you had left to sell was your own freedom. Now you belong to somebody else until your debts have been paid and your bond fulfilled.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Your bondholder's word is law. Gain 1 PP to create or step up a Complication representing your lack of personal freedom whenever you're acting against your bondholder's interests or without their consent.
Doe Eyes.  D8
You look innocent. Maybe you are, maybe you ain't. But that's how folk think of you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Lifetime of Misdeeds.  D8
This sort of life has a tendency to catch up with you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
*  Trick of the Trade. Spend 1 PP to create an Operate or Sneak Specialty for the rest of the session.

Elmira is a bondswoman in the service of Hunter Covington-- and a confidential informant to Mika Wong. Despite everything that she's been through, she's still a resilient, resourceful woman who makes quite an impression upon everyone that she meets.

At the end of the novel, after Elmira obtains her freedom from Hunter Covington's bond, you might replace her Bonded to Another distinction, above, with something which reflects her new life (whatever that might be in your campaign). If she continues working with Mika Wong, the Agent Provocateur Distinction and "Cover Story" trigger from page 195 of the Firefly RPG core rules might be a good choice.

Hunter Covington 
Attributes
Mental D10
Physical D6
Social D8
Skills
Fight D6
Fix D6 (Computers)
Focus D8 (Determination)
Influence D8 (Bribe) (Threats)
Notice D8
Operate D8
Shoot D10
Sneak D6
Trick D10 (Business Front)
Distinctions
Bigwig.  D8
You can't hurt me here. I own this town and everything in it.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Shell Companies. When the authorities try to investigate your illegal business activities, spend 1 PP to create a Legitimate Front D8 Asset.
Schemer.  D8
Everybody wants something. Let's make a deal.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Local Gang Boss.  D8
Nothing goes down on my turf 'lessen I say so.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
*  Big Fish, Small Pond. When you're operating out of a local territory that's very familiar to you, you can create or step up a D8 Hidden Weapon or D8 Local Muscle Asset which lasts until.the end of the scene by also creating or stepping up a D6 Social Complication which will last until the end of the session to reflect having shown a sign of weakness.
*  Flash a Little Cash. Spend 1 PP to double Influence when appealing to another's sense of greed.
Signature Asset: Cobra-headed sword cane with knockout gas handle D8

Hunter Covington is a heavy-set man with a luxuriant beard, bushy sideburns, and a penchant for dressing well. An occasional rival of other gang bosses in Eavesdown Docks, including Badger, Covington operates a number of front business and shell companies and prefers not to get into dirty street politics himself-- giving him a degree of separation from the street, which also allows him to partner with those other gang bosses when it suits him.

Mika Wong, who has been keeping tabs on Hunter Covington for Alliance intelligence for some time, described Covington as "not a nice man."  Because of this 'not nice' factor, Wong was able to recruit Covington's bondswoman (and frequent target of his abuse), Elmira Atadema, to become a highly-placed Alliance informant in Covington's gang.

The Just Desserts
Attributes and Skills:  Engines D8, Hull D6, Systems D10, Crew D8
Distinctions
Nanjing-Class Yacht  D8
This yacht is popular with the gentry, Alliance government officials, and anyone with lots of credits to spare.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Brand Spankin' New  D8
A fancy new boat is the best investment a captain could make. You've splurged some, but you've got no regrets.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Built for Speed  D8
Sometimes, all that matters out in the Black is being faster than anyone else.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
*  Focused Thrust. When using Engines for raw speed, double Engines. Remove the highest die and add three dice together for the result.
*  Full Burn. Spend 1 PP to reroll a pool containing the Engines die. On your subsequent roll, both 1s and 2s count for Complications.
Booster Engines  D8
Hard Burn Optimization  D8

The Just Desserts is Hunter Covington's personal yacht. This fancy luxury boat has been tweaked and juiced to squeeze every drop of extra thrust from the ship's engines. 

Chase Harlow 
Attributes
Mental D6
Physical D10
Social D8
Skills
Fight D8
Focus D8
Influence D10 (Keep Peace)
Move D6
Notice D10 (Something's Wrong)
Shoot D10 (Pistol)
Sneak D8 (Lose Tail)
Trick D10
Distinctions
Shady Business Man.  D8
You keep tellin' folks you are legitimate. Someday, they might believe you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Fancy Yellow Duster.  D8
You don't exactly blend in.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
*  Makes Quite an Impression on Folk. Spend 1 PP to create or step up a Stands Out In a Crowd D8 Asset when asking for information or seeking to make new contacts in a public place.
Reliable Gun Hand.  D8
You don't slap iron, but you're steady with a gun.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
*  Got the Drop on You. When you have your gun in hand and an opponent decides to initiate combat by attacking, you may spend 1 PP to make them set the stakes for the Action. Your opponent counts 1s and 2s as jinxes for this roll.
Signature Asset: Bright yellow duster D6

Nobody knows Chase Harlow by his first name-- it's just "Harlow." While most small-time crooks in Eavesdown Docks try to keep a low profile, Harlow has made himself stand out with his signature, bright yellow duster. Everyone knows that the man in the yellow duster has business with gangsters like Badger and Hunter Covington, which earns the man a degree of protection on the street, but nobody really knows whether those bosses would actually miss Harlow if misfortune were to befall him. By cutting a larger-than-life figure on the Docks and behaving as if he were untouchable, Harlow has managed to discourage any direct attempts on his life by those who aren't sure how protected he really is.  It's a dangerous game, but Harlow plays it to the hilt.

Charlie Dunwoody 
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D4
Social D6
Skills
Fight D8
Focus D6
Influence D10 (Intimidation)
Move D6
Notice D6
Sneak D8
Trick D8
Distinctions
Invalid.  D8
You can't get much of anywhere without somebody's help.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Scrapper.  D8
You've been in more tussles than you can count. Won most of 'em, too.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
*  Sucker Punch. Double Fight for the first round of an Action Order. Take or step up a Social complication after the roll.
Robber.  D8
You make your livin' taking other peoples' things. And you don't exactly ask, neither.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 *  Nobody move! Just before robbing others, spend 1 PP to create a D8 Got You Outnumbered or D8 Got the Drop on You Asset, which lasts until the end of the scene and then becomes a D8 The Heat is On Social Complication which lasts until the end of the session.
Signature Asset: Crutch D6

Disabled from birth, Charlie Dunwoody's racket is to hire himself out to unsuspecting off-worlders, as a local guide, then lure them into an ambush where his gang of thugs lies in wait. Sometimes Dunwoody also loans his motley band of street rats out to local crime bosses when they're willing to pay for a little extra muscle.

Dunwoody's Robber Gang
Fight D6, Sneak D6, Know D4

Dunwoody is usually backed up by three or four street toughs whenever he's doing a job. They don't usually carry weapons heavier than a club or a broken bottle. In a pinch, though, Dunwoody could probably scrape together a dozen or more associates-- assuming the score is big enough for everyone to get paid.

Browncoat Vigilantes for the Firefly Roleplaying Game

I just read James Lovegrove's novel, Big Damn Hero, which Joss Whedon has sanctioned as 'official' Firefly canon, and I figured I'd provide stat blocks for some of its characters, since that's one of the things that I do here at this blog. You can read my write-ups of other canonical Firefly characters here, here, and here.

Spoilers follow.

Big Damn Hero is about a network of Browncoat Vigilantes who have spent their postwar years capturing, trying, and executing other Browncoat veterans for crimes against the Independent Worlds, both real and imagined, which the Vigilantes believe contributed to the Browncoats' loss. The Vigilante group crossed paths with the crew of Serenity after Mal was abducted and charged with a variety of war crimes:

Malcolm Reynolds, formerly of the 57th Overlanders, you come before this court facing four major charges. One: high treason against the independent planets. Two: murder. Three: sabotage during wartime. And four: collaboration with the enemy.

Three of the charges carry with them the penalty of death. The charge of sabotage carries with it the sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. 

Needless to say, hi-jinks ensue.

I've written up the three main Vigilante ringleaders as Medium Major GMC's, while rank-and-file members of the Vigilante group are all presented as Minor GMC's.

Browncoat Vigilantes

Tobias "Rusty" Finn
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D6
Social D10
Skills
Fight D8
Focus D8
Influence D8
Notice D8 (Keeping Guard)
Shoot D10 (Pistols)
Sneak D6
Survive D10
Treat D6 (Disease)
Trick D6 (Poker Face)
Throw D6
Distinctions
Veteran of the Unification War.  D8
It don't matter which side you fight on. War leaves a mark on your heart n' soul.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * War Stories. When you create an Asset or take a Complication related to a wartime flashback, step it up.
Cancer.  D8
The terminal kind. All over. The whole meal, soup to nuts.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Dead man walking. Spend a Plot Point to double your Focus whenever that skill is being used to oppose another character's attempt to Influence you. If that other character is using an Influence specialty related to threats or intimidation, you can also step up one of your two doubled Focus dice at no additional cost.
Not to be crossed.  D8
Just so we're clear: if you cross me, I will end you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * To the edge of the Black. When you pursue someone who crossed you into obvious danger, create a D8 Asset for the scene.
Signature Asset:  Langston Rapid Repeater ("LRR") pistol D6

Toby Finn was a childhood friend of Malcolm Reynolds, forming half of the 'Four Amigos' who performed minor heists and teenage shenanigans together on their homeworld of Shadow before war came to the region. The two men lost touch with each other after enlistment, with Mal being assigned to the 57th Overlanders and Toby receiving a post to the 19th Sunbeamers and later transferring to the "Angel Makers" 31st Raiders. The two friends weren't reunited until the 57th Overlanders and 31st Raiders were assigned to fight side-by-side at the Battle of Serenity Valley. During a chance encounter, Toby realized that Mal had secretly had an affair with Jinny Adere, his own fiance from Shadow-- a betrayal that Toby was incapable of forgiving. After the war, when a diagnosis of cancer made Toby aware that he was living on borrowed time, he set a plot in motion to frame Mal for Jinny's wartime death and bring him to trial before the Vigilantes.

Stuart Deakins
Attributes
Mental D6
Physical D10
Social D8
Skills
Fight D6
Fix D6 (Electrical)
Focus D8 (Detect Lie)
Know D6 (Engine Systems)
Labor D6
Move D6
Notice D6
Operate D6 (Communications)
Shoot D8 (Rifles)
Sneak D6
Survive D8 (Scrounging)
Distinctions
Veteran of the Unification War.  D8
It don't matter which side you fight on. War leaves a mark on your heart n' soul.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
World Weary.  D8
You've seen a lot of things during your time in the Black and little is left to surprise you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Code of Honor.  D8
To live with honor is difficult. To live without honor is not living at all.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Honor Demands It. Gain 1 PP when you act against your best interests because of your code or make a show of satisfying your honor.
* My Word is My Bond. When you make a promise to someone, spend 1 PP to make a D6 Asset which lasts until the end of the session. If you break that promise, turn it into a D8 Complication.

Stuart Deakins served under Sergeant Reynolds for two years during the War, and Mal even saved his life after he'd been gravely wounded in the New Kasimir campaign. Deakins' sense of honor prompted him to become an active Vigilante after the war-- but Deakins' personal relationship with Mal and Zoe also means that the accusations leveled against Mal don't quite sit right with him.

Donovan Phillips
Attributes
Mental D8
Physical D10
Social D6
Skills
Craft D6
Fight D10 (Sucker punch)
Influence D6 (Intimidate)
Labor D10
Move D8
Shoot D10 (Pistols)
Sneak D8
Survive D6
Throw D6
Trick D6
Distinctions
Mercenary.  D8
They don't pay you to look pretty. They pay you to shoot things.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* Time for some thrillin' heroics. Spend 1 PP to go first in any battle or combat scene. On your first Action, you may reroll any dice that come up 1s instead of accepting a plot point.
Mighty Hideous.  D8
You weren't pretty to start, but then you got yourself deformed somethin' fierce. Now folks try not to even look at you.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
* You Call That Pain? When you activate an Opportunity to step back a physical Complication, step up Fight or Survive for the rest of the scene.
Friends in Low Places.  D8
Those of us in the Rim don't have much, but we stick together. There's power in that.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Rumor Mill. When you try to get information from your contacts, make a Social + Know roll. If successful, create a D6 Asset about the information. Take a D8 Half the Story Complication to step up the new Asset.
Signature Asset: Rusty antique pistols D8

Severely burned and scarred during the War, Donovan Phillips is one of the most fanatical members of the Vigilante group-- even willing to shed the blood of other Browncoats who find themselves in the way of its mob justice. During his time in Vigilante custody, Mal gave Donovan the nickname, "Scarface."

Harriet Kyle
Social D4
Physical D8
Fight D8
Notice D10
Shoot D6

Harriet Kyle more or less serves as the Vigilantes' jailer whenever the group takes prisoners. Her unfortunate appearance prompted Mal to nickname her "Hatchet Face" while he was in her custody. More often than not, Harriet will be backed up by members of the Vigilante Mob (below).

Vigilante Mob
Fight D8, Shoot D6, Throw D8

Some of the folk who make up the Vigilante mob include David and Sonya Zuburi, 'Panda' Alcatraz, and "that guy Lucas," who served with Mal during the War and have a great deal of combat experience between them.  They will not hesitate to Gang Up against the Crew if it serves their purpose. 

The Final Appeal
Attributes and Skills:  Engines D8, Hull D8, Systems D8, Crew D8
Distinctions
Komodo-Class Resupply Ship  D8
The Komodo-Class Resupply vessel was already a relic when the War began.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Rust is the only thing holding her together. Spend 1 PP to double your ship's Hull rating for one Action, then step Hull down for the rest of the scene.
Coming Apart at the Seams  D8
Some folk don't care much about taking care of their boat.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
 * Unsettling Visage.  Spend 1 PP to go first in an Action Order when someone sees your ship for the first time.
Cobbled Together  D8
Your ship was built from salvage parts and space junk. She looks kinda ugly, but she sure can surprise folk when she needs to.
 * Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a D4 instead of a D8.
Grapplers  D8
Reinforced Armor  D8

The Final Appeal is the Browncoat Vigilante group's primary means of transportation. The novel describes as "a war relic with the rust stains and impact pepperings all over the hull to prove it. Parts of it were salvaged from other ships, welded clumsily into place, giving it a patchwork appearance."

The Church of Divine Inheritance - a faction for Tachyon Squadron

The Church of Divine Inheritance is a faction for Tachyon Squadron, a world for FATE Core which is currently being crowd-funded at Kickstarter. If you aren't already familiar with this super-cool roleplaying game of starfighter combat, you should totally check it out!

The 'standard' setting for Tachyon Squadron is that the players are fighter pilots in the aforementioned squadron-- a new fighting force being scraped together by the Draconis System, a small system which has only recently broken away from a militaristic empire named the Dominion of Unity. The Draconis system is tacitly supported by another superpower, the Stellar Republic, which covertly supplies Draconis with the SF-46 Blackfish starfighters that the players pilot.

No other factions are mentioned in the Tachyon Squadron core rules.

                   Themes

This material makes use of some ugly themes-- bigotry and fundamentalist intolerance. It may also place players in the untenable situation of having to 'play nice' with some really despicable NPCs.  Before introducing these themes to your game, discuss them with your players-- and if anyone has concerns, don't be a jerk by inflicting them upon your players anyway. You should also remain sensitive to players who express discomfort with these themes in play, or with the way that you're using the Church in your campaign.

History

The Church of Divine Inheritance was founded hundreds of years ago, dating back to the days of the first primitive hyperdrives-- although the Church failed to evolve along with the space-faring technology which spread it across the stars.

The Church's doctrine is eugenics. Its priesthood zealously collects and analyzes human DNA in an effort to create a 'superior' human lineage over several successive generations of controlled breeding. Genetically superior offspring are, in theory, the "inheritance" referred to in the Church's name. Believers are grouped into a rigid caste system, in which first-generation devotees are held only slightly above nonbelievers-- "filth," as the faithful generally refer to outsiders-- while members who boast of "less tainted" genetic lineages are held in higher regard-- and while only families with genetically "pure" bloodlines form the Church's upper echelons. Marriages are arranged, and births are carefully planned, in furtherance of the Church's insane genetic goals. Priests are strictly drawn from Inheritors with at least 12 generations of planned genetic breeding, while the Church's current matriarch is the result of 19 generations of careful genetic planning.

It's important to note that the Church isn't racist in the sense that we understand the term, having adopted enough of the science of genetics to understand that there is very little genetic variation between human racial or ethnic groups. Simply stated, the Church is eager to utilize any desirable genetic material, whatever its source, without silly notions of racial superiority. But Church doctrine is elitist in the extreme; its members are extremely bigoted against the "filth" bloodlines of unbelievers, and are absolutely intolerant of those in non-binary relationships and those with any form of physical or mental disability.

In short, they're self-righteous trash.  The important thing to understand is that in their minds, they're the heroes of this story, sacrificing everything to create a superior human race which will eventually rise to rule over the filthy masses blah blah blah...

The Church of Divine Inheritance's beliefs have, at times, proven to be too much for even the tolerant Stellar Republic. Even though the religious freedoms of Inheritors are technically protected under Republic law, mob vigilantism and a series of violent purges have driven several waves of Church members to flee the Republic as refugees.

Within the Dominion of Unity, on the other hand, the Church is a small but surprisingly well-tolerated minority, tending to isolate itself to backwater Dominion systems where contact with other citizens is generally limited. Inheritors pay their taxes, perform their duty in the Dominion military, and do nothing to attract the harsh judgment of Dominion law or awaken the terror of anti-Inheritor mob violence.

Helix System is an independent Inheritor colony in close physical proximity to the Draconis System. It was founded by Church members fleeing persecution within the Republic as a sort of religious 'homeland' for the faithful. While technically a Dominion client-state, Helix System has quietly been aiding the Draconis System in its rebellion against the Dominion-- albeit for reasons of its own. Church leaders in Helix System hope that the Draconis System's war for independence will ultimately spark a second Great Galactic War, allowing the Inheritors to seize control of neighboring systems-- not so much to expand its own sphere of influence as to increase its supply of human genetic breeding stock.

The Helix System

The Helix System was settled by members of the Church of Divine Inheritance fleeing anti-Inheritor violence in the Stellar Republic. It lies two jump-points away from the Draconis System (through either Callisto 2119 in Dominion space or Gamma Corvus in the Republic) and has three other jump points to other independent systems (Ragady-2, Dancelight, and Populus).

Helix is a binary system with seven planets and five orbital stations, as described below.

Object                        Type                         Description

Alpha Helix                 Primary Star               A11 Class
Beta Helix                   Companion Star         F6 Class

Odin's Eye                   Planet                        Sun-blasted basalt rock

Eden's Arse                 Planet                        Hellish greenhouse planet

Holy Helix                   Planet                       Small earthlike world

Rhea Silvia                   Planet                       Arid desert planet

Numitor                       Planet                       Gas giant

Tegid Foel                   Planet                       Gas giant

Hercules' Belt              Asteroid belt             Pockets of mineral wealth
Papa Legba                 Planetoid                  Frozen outer world

Station                        Location                 Primary Purpose
Cathedral of Man         Holy Helix               Residential, Religious Center, Military
The Priory                    Holy Helix               Elite residential station
Aeneas Station             Rhea Silva               Residential, agricultural, trade
Cerred Station              Tegid Foel              Gas extraction, Military
Gilligan's Island             Hercules' Belt         Small mining community

Odin's Eye

Day: 10 hours
Gravity: Light

Climate: Thin atmosphere, mostly siphoned away into solar orbit; Mercurial heat.

Geography: Volcanic. Glassy basalt surface under a scorching sun.

Population: None.

Odin's Eye is a sun-blasted volcanic rock whose orbit passes between Alpha Helix and Beta Helix during a

hellish 'summer' season, during which much of the surface erupts with massive flows of magma.

Appropriate situational aspects include Glasslike Surface, Thin Atmosphere, and Water Boils in Shadow.

Eden's Arse

Day: 18 hours
Gravity: Medium-light
Climate: Heavy blanket atmosphere and bright sunlight combine to produce sweltering heat.
Geography: Occasional valleys protect against sweltering wind-storms.
Population: None.

Eden's Arse is blanketed with a thick layer of swirling gases, most of them noxious. Utterly inhospitable. Intense storms of superheated gasses can generate tornadic winds.

Suitable aspects for Eden's Arse include As Thick As Pea Soup, Internal Cooling Systems are Strained, and There's a Storm on the Horizon.

Holy Helix

Day: 26 hours
Gravity: Normal
Climate: Variable (earthlike-- temperate to jungle zones)
Population: 80 million

Holy Helix is a warm and humid world with a thriving native ecosystem. Several large swathes of the planet have been cleared to support communal farming settlements, but most of the planet's interior is unexplored and uninhabited. Education and technology are uncommon in most villages, but a few advanced Church centers are home to higher-caste members. Travel to the planet's surface is generally restricted by the Church of Divine Inheritance, although travel permits are occasionally issued when it serves the Church's interests.

Suitable aspects for Holy Helix include The Locals Keep Staring, "Papers, Please," and Thick Forest Canopy.

Cathedral of Man

Location: In orbit over the planet Holy Helix

Purpose: Center of religious worship, residential, and military base.

Population: Forty thousand

While the planet below is rural and agrarian, those who live in the Cathedral of Man prosper in relative luxury. Most station residents claim a lineage of at least 8 generations of arranged marriages in the Church's eugenics breeding program and consider themselves superior to their planet-bound brethren-- end exponentially greater than nonbeliever "filth."

All marriages and baptisms within the system are conducted within the Cathedral's great religious sanctuary, and everyone who sets foot upon the Cathedral's deck-plating must submit a genetic sample before gaining admission to the station proper.

Appropriate situational aspects for the Cathedral of Man include Big Brother is Watching You, Pervasive Bigotry, and Tacky Religious Architecture and Decor.

The Priory

Location: In orbit over the planet Holy Helix
Purpose: Government administration, elite residences
Population: Three thousand

The Priory is home to the highest caste members of the Church of Divine Inheritance. Few who don't already belong within the Church's upper echelon are ever allowed within its hull.

Typical aspects for the Priory include Exclusive Playground for Holy Rollers , Secretive in the Extreme, and Bleeding Edge Security.

Rhea Silva

Day: 30 hours
Gravity: Normal
Climate: Arid, thin but breathable atmosphere
Population: 40 million

Rhea Silva is a hardscrabble desert world, populated by the dregs of Church society. Those who dwell on Rhea Silva either belong to families with less pedigree than you'd typically find on Helix Prime or were sent here as some sort of punishment. Settlements on Rhea Silva are scattered among its dusty canyons, with one central Church administrative center overseeing all.

Because of the isolated nature of Rhea Silva's settlements, there is less unity and cohesiveness among Church members on this world. Illiteracy rates are high on Rhea Silva, making Church doctrine less widely understood there, and serving to further isolate the primitive denizens of its desert valleys. Many beliefs which the Church would deem heretical on other worlds attract followers on Rhea Silva, making Rhea Silvans suspicious of outsiders (including priests from off-world). Most Rhea Silvans are loyal Inheritors who are completely devoted to Church teachings, but peculiar interpretations of those teachings are not uncommon here.

Typical aspects for Rhea Silva include This dust gets into everything, Way off the grid, Thin dry air, and What's with all the questions?.

Aeneas Station

Location: In orbit over the planet Rhea Silva

Purpose: Residential, agriculture, trade.

Population: Ten thousand

Aeneas Station is the least insular of the Church's stations. As a port and center of trade, Aeneas Station is more accustomed to the presence of visitors, and while Church law is never relaxed to accommodate outsider "filth," those who live here year-round understand that the occasional infidel visitor can't really help being genetically and morally inferior to their hosts; There's clearly a tendency on Aeneas Station to look the other way for minor infractions of Church morality by ignorant "filth" who can't know better..

Aeneas Station is decorated nearly as ostentatiously as the Cathedral of Man itself, with tacky religious art and gilded architectural details everywhere one looks. This rich facade is intended to obscure the dire poverty on Holy Helix and Rhea Silva which forms the life experiences of most Church members.

Suitable aspects for Aeneas Station include The Condescension is Getting Thick, Keeping up appearances before the nonbelievers, Not Much Privacy to Conduct Business, and What the Priests don't know won't hurt them.

Numitor

Day: 33.335 hours
Gravity: Crushing
Climate: Medium Gas Giant
Population: None

Numitor is a medium-sized purplish-green gas giant with impressive ice rings.  Electrical storms swirl across its upper atmosphere, occasionally igniting pockets of vapor and creating flickering blue balls of light between the planet and its innermost rings.

While Numitor itself is uninhabitable, its constant electrical discharges create Strong radio interference.

Tegid Foel

Day: 177 hours
Gravity: Crushing
Climate: Jovian Giant
Population: None

Tegid Foel is a giant orange ball in soace-- the largest object in Helix System, apart from its two suns.  The planet's upper atmosphere is rich in exotic petrochemical gases and other industrial compounds, allowing properly-equipped vessels to 'skim' the surface for fuel, but the atmosphere's erratic weather patterns make such operations a calculated risk Any ship descending beneath the planetary 'event horizon' risks being captured by the planet's crushing gravity, drawn ever deeper into heavy atmospheric pressures capable of crushing it like an aluminum can.

Mining operations at Cerred Station accont for much of the Church's true material wealth.

Suitable aspects for Tegid Foel include Stay well above the surface, Dirty but efficient fuel, and It's tempting to try to hide in the upper atmosphere.

Cerred Station

Location: In orbit over the planet Tegid Foel

Purpose: Gas extraction, military

Population: 460

Cerred Station is dedicated to fuel extraction, with a small military hangar. Its full-time residents are technicians and scientists: well-educated members of families from the Church's upper echelons. You won't hear much dogma spouted here, but that doesn't mean that Cerred Station's privileged workers from upper-echelon Inheritor families feel less bigoted towards any "filth" that they encounter.

Suitable aspects for Cerred Station include Our work here is important, Frequent military patrols, and Lack of creature comforts.

Hercules' Belt

Prominent Asteroids: 177 hours
Population: Thousands, scattered across dozens of mining outposts

As far as asteroids fields go, Hercules' Belt doesn't have the same sort of plentiful mineral wealth found in other systems, but it is full of raw materials which can be extracted and sold in bulk quantities. Unrefined nickel, iron, copper, and magnesium leave the Belt in a steady stream of container ships-- all under the watchful eye of Church regulators and tax collectors.

That said, though, the Belt is also vast and difficult to patrol. Wildcat prospectors originating from both the Stellar Republic and Dominion of Unity operate almost freely here. Most of their efforts fail to amount to much, barely covering surveying and mining operations, but the occasional windfall strike continues to draw additional independent operators to the region.

Typical aspects for Hercules' Belt include Dangerous navigation and Needle in a haystack.

Gilligan's Island

Location: Hercules' Belt

Purpose: Mining community and trading outpost

Population: About a thousand

Gilligan's Island is a small community which sprung up to support mining operations within the Belt. The Church of Divine Inheritance maintains a small customs office here, and station operators are eager to remain on the Church's good side, but there is very little law here otherwise.

Typical aspects for Gilligan's Island include Can I see your tax stamps for that cargo?, You can get that here... for a price, and Anyone know where I can find a friendly game of cards?

Papa Legba

Day: 330 hours
Gravity: Practically nonexistent

Climate: Trace atmosphere, mostly frozen to planet's surface.

Geography:  Irregular lump of rock and ice.

Population: None.

Papa Legba is a small rock in a distant but regular orbit around the Helix System's binary suns.

Appropriate situational aspects include Deep crevasses, No air, and Colder than [Insert favorite colloquialism here].

Church Ships

The Church of Divine Inheritance is wealthy when compared with other independent systems, but it's still a bit player in the cold war between the Stellar Republic and the Dominion of Unity. Most of its military ships are old, outmoded Dominion ships, upgraded with the best technology that Church wealth can acquire.

The Church has three operational fighter classes: the CF-107 Gator (identical to the DF-107 Gator, as detailed on page 127 of the Tachyon Squadron basic rules), the CF-36B Inquisitor, and the CF-8 Paladin. 

Inheritor CF-36B "Inquisitor"

Aspects

Refurbished Rustbucket

Skills
Great (+4) Technology

Good (+3) Gunnery

Fair (+2) Pilot

Average (+1) Tactics

Notes
Weapon: 0

Shields: 2

Simple Damage Option [ 1  1  ]  1  1  1

Detailed Damage Option

     + Computer System Damage

               2  2  Minimize one die on Technology Actions

               2 Minimize one die on Gunnery Actions

               Flash Fire! Punch Out!

       - or 0 Propulsion System Damage

               2 Minimize one die on Pilot and Tactics rolls
               Catastrophic Explosion! Punch out!

The Inquisitor is essentially nothing more than a refitted Dominion DF-36 Gauntlet-- an older Dominion fighter class which saw some action at the beginning of the Great Galactic War, but was quickly retired in favor of more advanced models. The Church's retrofit of this starfighter resulted in a greatly improved version, but it still suffers from some of the limitations of the original Gauntlet class.

Inheritor CF-8 "Paladin"

Aspects

Modern Starfighter

Skills
Great (+4) Technology

Good (+3) Gunnery

 Fair (+2) Pilot

Average (+1) Tactics

Notes
Weapon: 2

Shields: 3

Simple Damage Option [ 1  1  1  ]  1  1  1  1

Detailed Damage Option

     + Computer System Damage

               2  2  Minimize one die on Technology Actions

               2 Minimize one die on Gunnery Actions
               2  2  Severe Damage

               Flash Fire! Punch Out!

       - or 0 Propulsion System Damage

               2  2  Minimize one die on Pilot and Tactics rolls
               2  2  Severe Damage, free invoke for each
               Catastrophic Explosion! Punch out!

The Paladin is a Dominion prototype which was never put into mass production. The Church acquired all 12 of the designer's testbed vehicles and outfitted them with advanced electronics to create a formidable fighter. Of that original acquisition, 11 Paladins are still in Church service, with the twelfth undergoing major repairs after an impact collision in space.

Other Inheritor Ships

The Church of Divine Inheritance operates one Destroyer, the Trumpet of Gabriel, and two Frigates, the Lion of Judah and the King David. Use stats for Dominion destroyers (page 134) and Frigates (pages 132-133) to represent them.

Additionally, the Church has two small Carriers, the Shield of Righteousness and the Order of Melchizedek, each capable of carrying up to 4 CF-36B Inquisitors and their pilots and flight crews (use stats for the DA-99T Assault Transport on page 131, substituting Complement of 4 Starfighters for the 25 Spaceborne Infantry aspect).

The usual assortment of Cargo and Passenger Ships, Private Yachts, Shuttles, and Scoutships can also be found in Helix System.  See page 139 for guidance on using these ships in your game.

People of Interest

Here are some NPCs from the Helix System that players might interact with.

Nana "Bones" Ngana, Inheritor Pilot

Bones from is a third-generation Inheritor family from Rhea Silva-- meaning that she's from a fairly low-caste family for a starfighter pilot. She mainly received the opportunity to attend flight school after being genetically matched to a scientist on Cerred Station. She has never met her intended

fiance, although the two have spoken by holovid several times since their marriage was arranged by Church officials. Bones has something to prove to her fellow pilots, who tend to look down upon her due to her "impure" genetic history. Her callsign is taken from a frequent insult that she endured in flight school-- that she must have been accepted due to 'good bones,' since there didn't seem to be anything else special about her. To mask her own insecurity about her breeding and status, Bones is indulges freely in Church bigotry against any "filth" outsiders that she encounters, but because she's also very curious about others who might lack a pedigreed lineage, she's paradoxically likely to forge a genuine but grudging personal connection with that "filth" if she is allowed to interact with them one-on-one, away from her peers. Bones might even be persuaded to desert the Church and flee Helix System, if an alternative were to present itself; she'd make a fine pilot for Tachyon Squadron if she could be recruited.

Aspects: Twice as good because I have to be, Pilot by-the-numbers, Runs hot and cold.

Relevant Skills:

     Great (+4) Tactics

     Good (+3)  Technology, Provoke

     Fair (+2)  Discipline, Pilot

     Average (+1) Athletics, Fight, Rapport

Stress Track:     1     1     1     1     1

Ammon "Knight" Vladic, Inheritor Pilot

Knight from is an eleventh-generation Inheritor family from the Cathedral of Man, making him a middle-caste Inheritor, just beneath the elite upper-caste. He's a natural pilot, born to sit in the cockpit, which is a shame, because he also embodies a mix of all the worst Inheritor stereotypes in one person. He hates outsider "filth" with a passion-- and while he won't say so directly, he also looks down on his wingman Bones, taking every opportunity to criticize her and denigrate her piloting skills. From Knight's perspective, being paired with Bones is the biggest impediment facing his career today-- an opinion which he isn't shy about sharing with her, or with anyone else.

Aspects: Spoiled brat, Appearances matter, Always unimpressed
Relevant Skills:
     Great (+4) Pilot
     Good (+3)  Tactics, Provoke
     Fair (+2)  Sneak, Gunnery, Discipline
     Average (+1) Notice, Shoot, Technology
Stress Track:     1     1     1     1     1

Orlon "Trigger" Bandooli, Inheritor Wing Commander

Trigger is an eighth-generation Church member from a solidly middle-caste family on Holy Helix. He's a better wing commander than pilot, and focuses most of his energy upon training his pilots.

Trigger isn't a particularly devout Inheritor, but he has bought into the underlying genetic bigotry which permeates Church society. He isn't particularly hateful in expressing these beliefs, but has never really questioned the idea that eight generations of controlled eugenic breeding has made him superior to any outsider "filth" that he encounters.

Although Trigger sees himself as a man of action, and isn't inclined to ask big questions, he's a bit troubled by the way that the Church Navy (and some of his own pilots) have treated Bones. Trigger respects Bones' aptitude in the cockpit and wishes he had a dozen more just like her, even if he had to take them from low-caste Church families.

Aspects: My pilots are family, Just following orders
Relevant Skills:
     Great (+4) Rapport
     Good (+3)  Tactics, Empathy
      Fair (+2)  Pilot, Gunnery, Discipline
      Average (+1) Notice, Technology, Gunnery
Stress Track:     1     1     1     1     1

Using the Church of Divine Inheritance in your game

(Adventure Seeds)

The Church is covertly aiding Draconis Sector, in hopes that its rebellion will erupt into a Second Great Galactic War. Here are a few ideas for using the Church and Helix System in your game:

*  An Inheritor supply ship is scheduled to jump into Draconis System from Gamma Corvis, bearing much-needed food and medical supplies. This military supply ship is accompanied by the Shield of Righteousness, a small Inheritor carrier, with four CF-36B Inheritors in one of its cargo bays.  All four fighters will launch as soon as the jump into Draconis System is complete. Tachyon Squadron has been tasked with escorting a Draconis supply ship to clandestinely rendezvous with the Church vessel, giving it time to receive cargo and supplies. While the transfer of supplies is taking place, a nearby flight of Goblins and Gorgons (see 'Escort' engagements, page 113) is detected. Can the player characters cooperate with Church pilots to eliminate this threat and prevent Dominion pilots from reporting that the Church is supplying Draconis System?

* After nearly being detected providing covert aid to the Draconis System in Draconis space, the Church demands that Draconis receive all future shipments in Helix System. Admiral Harris is able to

acquire the temporary use of several small unarmed carriers (use the stats for "Unarmed Civilian Yacht or Personal Spacecraft" on page 126, substituting Complement of 3 Starfighters for the Unarmed Personal Spacecraft aspect). Each carrier can transport up to 3 SF-46 Blackfish starfighters to escort a frieghter for the trip into Church space and back. Upon arrival in Helix System, the players will launch their Blackfish, rendevous with Church starfighters, and be escorted to Aeneas Station. Once there, players will more or less have the run of this station while the Draconis freighter is loaded with supplies-- but it quickly becomes apparent that players are being watched by spies from the Dominion of Unity. Will the player characters be able to work with their counterparts from the Church Navy to unmask a Dominion spy ring, before their presence on the station is communicated to the Dominion intelligence service?

* Upon arrival at Aeneas Station, all players were required to provide a genetic sample (saliva or hair). Some time later, during downtime on Draconis Station, one of the pilots is approached by an Inheritor wing commander accompanied by two pilots. It turns out that this particular character has superior genetic material which is greatly desired by Church eugenicists. The wing commander has been tasked with proffering an arranged marriage with a high-caste Inheritor of the opposite birth gender, with the strong implication that an agreement to marry will increase the support that the Church is willing to provide to Draconis System. It would also mean a life of relative ease and comfort for the player, were he or she to accept. As the player is mulling his or her options, an alert is called-- incoming Dominion forces! The player will need to give an answer to the Church once the mission has been completed.

My purpose, in presenting this material, is to expand the game's default setting beyond that presented in the core rules. If you like what you've seen here, please let me know-- I have ideas for a few more factions for Tachyon Squadron, and would love to give them the write-up they deserve.

"A Dark Traveling" NPCs for Amber Diceless Roleplay

Howdy! It's been a while. I'm doing the job search thing and have been pretty busy.

This post continues my series about using characters from Zelazny's other fiction in Amber Diceless campaigns.  Previous posts have provided stats for characters from Zelazny's novels Doorways in the Sand, Eye of Cat, To Die In Italbar, from his Dilvish the Damned series, and from two of his short stories, "Mana From Heaven" and "Kalifriki of the Thread."  The post about Dilvish was the first in the series, explaining how and why I used characters from Zelazny's books in one of my campaigns-- and that post would also be the best place to start reading this series, if you haven't been following along.

A Dark Traveling is sometimes referred to as a work of juvenile fiction, although I read somewhere that Zelazny himself recoiled from the label.  In any case, though, its setting blends almost seamlessly with the setting of Amber if you make the (rather dubious) assumption that 'transcomp teleportation' is just a limited form of shadow travel.

If you haven't read A Dark Traveling, there are spoilers ahead.

The book's basic premise is that there are many parallel versions of earth in existence, each of which contains a different possible set of circumstances. Travel between these "bands," as they are called, is primarily accomplished through a technological device called a 'transcomp,' which is a noisy but highly advanced piece of room-sized equipment. Travel between two bands from transcomp to transcomp is generally somewhat safe-- but more perilous travel, using a single transcomp device on one end and magical sorcery on the other, can also be attempted; blind transcomp travel using only a single transcomp device, or especially traveling from band to band using sorcery only, is an incredibly risky and imprecise affair. Several of Earth's neighboring dimensions, or 'bands,' have allied with each other for mutual exploration and technology-sharing purposes. There are also bands which have allied together for purposes of military expansion and to exploit the resources of neighboring realities. These bands have come to be known as:

• Lightbands which work together for mutual aid and for exchange of resources or information;
• Darkbands which use transcomp technology to exploit or conquer their neighbors;
• Graybands, which are worlds without transcomp technology; and,
• Deadbands, which are empty worlds where life has been exterminated.

Here, then, are a set of NPC's from this novel, beginning with its protagonist:

James Wiley               [40 Points]
PSYCHE [Chaos Rank]
STRENGTH [25 Points]*

ENDURANCE [15 Points]*
WARFARE [Chaos Rank]

*Limited to Chaos Rank unless in werewolf form.

"Golly" the Golem - Android security device [25 Points]
     * Immense Vitality [8 Points]
     * Tireless, Supernatural Stamina [8 Points]

     * Combat Training [1 Point]

     * Resistant to Firearms [2 Points]
     * Double Damage Hands & Feet [2 Points]
     * Psychic Neutral [2 Points]
     * Rapid Healing [2 Points]

James Wiley is just your typical 15-year-old werewolf, whose father and uncle also happen to run a secret Foundation controlling Transcomp technology on Shadow Earth. He's a resourceful young man, on the verge of learning to cope with his lycanthropy, so mature that adults often forget that he's just a kid. Golly, the android, is something of a house guardian, programmed to protect the Transcomp device in the Wiley basement as well as the rest of the family.  Golly could not pass for a normal human and is programmed using the control panel in its chest, although it understands basic verbal commands.

Becky Wiley          [0 Points]
PSYCHE [13 Points]
STRENGTH [Human Rank]
ENDURANCE  [Chaos Rank]
WARFARE [Human Rank]

Sorcery [15 Points]

Transcomp Witchery Construct  [32 Points]
     * Lightband Shadows  [6 Points]
          - Personal Shadow [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Countless Quantity [3 Points]
     * Deadband Shadows  [5 Points]
          - Personal Shadow [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Named & Numbered Quantity [2 Points]
     * Witchery Aura manifestation [21 Points]
          - Shadow Path [2 Points]
          - Flux-Pin Connection [*3 Points]
          - Implant Power [15 Points]

James' adopted sister Becky is already an accomplished transcomp sorceress, having pulled off several blind trips between neighboring bands without getting lost or marooning herself on an unknown deadband.

Barry          [-25 Points]
PSYCHE [Human Rank]
STRENGTH [5 Points]
ENDURANCE [Chaos Rank]
WARFARE [5 Points]

Barry is a college-aged assassin and trained ninja from a neighboring Lightband who lives in the Wiley household under the guise of being an "exchange student."  He's pretty good at what he does, and can take just about any normal shadow human in a fair fight-- although fair fights aren't really Barry's thing.

Tom Wiley          [0 Points]
PSYCHE  [Human Rank]
STRENGTH  [Human Rank]
ENDURANCE [Human Rank]
WARFARE [Chaos Rank]

Transcomp Construct [35 Points]
     * Lightband Shadows  [6 Points]
          - Personal Shadow [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access  [2 Points]
          - Countless Quantity [3 Points]
     * Deadband Shadows  [5 Point]
          - Personal Shadows  [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Named & Numbered Quantity  [2 Points]
     * Transcomp Device manifestation [24 Points]
          - Shadow Teleport  [8 Points]
          - Flux-Pin Connection  [*3 Points]

"The Foundation" Alies  [50 Points]
     * Combat Training  [1 Point]
     * Extra Hard Military Equipment and Weapons  [1 Point]
     * Able to Speak in Tongues and Voices  [4 Points]
     * Transcomp Shadow Seek  [4 Points]
     * Cross-Shadow Environmental [*6 Points]

Tom Wiley, James and Becky's father, invented Transcomp technology on Shadow Earth, which allowed him to make contact with several nearby bands.  He met his wife, Agatha, on a nearby lightband where magic and sorcery is much more active than on planet earth, and her family's magical bloodline has been passed on to James. Tom has used wealth acquired through Transcomp technology to create "The Foundation," a powerful paramilitary group which is heavily involved in lightband politics.

Agatha Wiley          [0 Points]
PSYCHE  [3 Points]
STRENGTH [Human Rank]
ENDURANCE  [Chaos Rank]
WARFARE  [Chaos Rank]

Power Words  [10 Points]

Transcomp Witchery Construct  [32 Points]
     * Lightband Shadows  [6 Points]
          - Personal Shadow [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Countless Quantity [3 Points]
     * Deadband Shadows  [5 Points]
          - Personal Shadow [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Named & Numbered Quantity [2 Points]
     * Witchery Aura manifestation [21 Points]
          - Shadow Path [2 Points]
          - Flux-Pin Connection [*3 Points]
          - Implant Power [15 Points]

Agatha Wiley is a powerful Transcomp sorceress who is fiercely protective of her family. She adopted Becky into her young family shortly after James' birth after sensing that the young girl had raw magical talent which exceeded even her own formidable abilities.

Uncle George Kendall          [15 Points]
PSYCHE  [Human Rank]
STRENGTH  [34 Points]*
ENDURANCE  [15 Points]*
WARFARE  [Chaos Rank]

* Limited to Chaos Rank unless in werewolf form.

Shadow Ally - Aunt Meryl Kendall  [1 Point]

Agatha's brother George shares the Kendall men's tendency toward lycanthropy, and has been training James on the ins and outs of being a werewolf.

Crow               [15 Points]
PSYCHE  [5 Points]
STRENGTH  [Chaos Rank]
ENDURANCE  [Chaos Rank]
WARFARE  [Human Rank]

Power Words  [10 Points]
Sorcery  [15 Points]

Transcomp Witchery Construct  [30 Points]
     * Darkband Shadows  [5 Points]
          - Personal Shadow [1 Point]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Named & Numbered Quantity [2 Points]
     * Deadband Shadows  [4 Points]
          - Restricted Access [2 Points]
          - Named & Numbered Quantity [2 Points]
     * Dark Witchery Aura manifestation [21 Points]
          - Shadow Path [2 Points]
          - Flux-Pin Connection [*3 Points]
          - Implant Power [15 Points]

Crow is one of the deadliest darkband lords-- a powerful Transcomp sorcerer in his own right, but his armies were ultimately smashed by Tom's Foundation forces and he himself was vanquished by Agatha and Becky in a sorcerous duel. Barely escaping to a deadband where he will not be discovered, Crow silently watches and plots his revenge.