[Simple Man]

I got it the day before yesterday, read it, and enjoyed it. I've heard lots of hubub about the game mechanics and whatnot, and I'm not a "true browncoat" as my first experience with Firefly was the movie Serenity, but I was an instant fan after I saw it. So I picked up the Serenity RPG, and it seems like they stole without stealing from the Firefly series, going so far as to call Inara and Book crewmembers, which is not particularly the case in the movie.

Heck, my only qualm with the Serenity RPG book has been a few typos and mis-management of points for the Serenity stock characters. For instance: Jayne can't play the guitar. I also did a quick (so I may be wrong) count and found Zoe and Wash with 2 too many Attribute Points, and Jayne, Inara, and Simon with 2 too few.

Oh, and the whole no index/charsheet thing.

But I like the ship creation, the resolution to an extent, and especially the chargen. I can even see running other settings with it (*cough* Cowboy Bebop *cough*).

Plot points are a "nifty" they stole from Buffy (and too many other games to mention), modified to better fit Serenity's style. They can be used to improve a character's actions (before OR after the roll, with different systems for each), make a just-gotten wound a little less hazardous, fuel some of the various Assets of a character, or even manipulate the story.

The cool thing about them is that they are gained when a character's Complications (flaws, hinderances) come into play (even when player initiated). They are also given for good roleplay, cool actions, great ideas, completing an individual goal, or a group goal. You only keep 6 Plot points at maximum between sessions, and they tend to get spent like water. It seems to encourage one to play up their Complications, and still try to accomplish group goals.

I'm a gamer who enjoys Narrativist style play with Gamist garnish (if you believe in GNS), and Serenity seems right up my alley. YMMV of course.