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."