There a couple of different people/groups currently working on different ‘verse maps that I know of, and it’s gonna be fun watching them get sorted out. But in the meantime Josh Awtry of the incredible FireflyRPG site — where all the extra stuff you need to make your Serenity RPG amazing are there, for free — has produced a couple of great ones.

Shown above is the new Habitable Worlds map, depicting some of the notable worlds in the Core, Border, and Rim areas, with details. Even more astounding to me is the Astral Navigation chart to help you figure out how long it’ll take for your characters to get from here to there in a moving universe. That’s one you’ll want to have printed as a poster, it’s that good. And, like everything else at FireflyRPG, it’s free!

I’ve mentioned Stevo’s Toys (formerly The Toy Smith) here before, but he’s been adding more stuff. If you’re making your own set of Firefly dolls or if you just want Ken and Barbie to have some protection against those shady Bratz girls, you definitely need to stop by.

Stevo designs sci-fi and movie-inspired weapons and accessories in 1:6 scale, perfect for 12″ figures.  First up, Mal’s gun.

It’s got the familiar outline and, being made of pewter, it’s got some heft. Way better than G.I. Joe’s plastic stuff. It’s sold separately or as a set with the custom holster rig.

We wouldn’t want Zoe going around unarmed, so her modified Winchester Carbine is ready to go. Again, it’s available separately or with her very distinctive holster rig with that unique leather coloring.

So far, Jayne’s just got a knife. But it’s a really nice one, complete with tooled leather sheath. I can only hope that Vera is on her way…

As someone who has been working on a set of Firefly Barbies for some time — or rather, watching in amazement as my wife creates them — I have to say these are easily the finest replica weapons I’ve seen. We had to make do with close-enough versions from other toy dealers, but I’m thinking we’ll be upgrading.

Stevo also had a wide range of other items including Dirty Harry’s .357 magnum, pirate gear, a wide range of classic and modern weaponry, even a selection of felt hats. Check it out!

> Chris says “Want to jump into the ‘Verse and start roleplaying your own Serenity games, but you don’t have people handy to play with?”
> Chris says “No problem! Just get into the SerenityMUSH and get started!”
> Chris points to www.serenitymush.com for more information.
> You are welcomed into an online, text-based, multi-user world of Browncoats, purplebellies, Companions, Shephered, Reavers, Readers, and more, all laid out and ready for you to play.
> You log in to telnet://serenitymush.com:2020 with your free MUSH software client, available from several sources such as PennMUSH, and you create your character by choosing your archetype (think “character class,” but not as limiting) and generating your stats, feats, skills, background, appearance, etc. Your brand new character will get dropped at the Persephone spaceport and then it’s time to get going, you’ve got a life to live and it ain’t easy, out in the black.
> Chris says “SerenityMUSH” puts a heavy emphasis on roleplaying, to the point where you have to get permission to be Alliance or a Companion (since they both require higher-than-average RPing skills) and you can’t be a Reader without Admin invitation, and then only after you’ve proven yourself for awhile. There’s a wide variety of settings, planets, situations, and other people to interact with, and the system uses HSpace for 3D ship navigation, combat, repairs, etc.”
> Chris smiles wryly. “That said, I’ve never played a MUSH, including this one, so I can’t speak from experience, although I’m sure that like any RP game a lot depends on getting the right group of people together. However, there’s a nice review of the game here, and according to this reviewer the SerenityMUSH, like most Browncoat endeavors, seems to attract good people.”
> Chris spread his hands and asks “Anyone out there tried it? What did you think?”

The first adventure written for the award-winning Serenity RPG game is out, finally. Had a few months of delays, some confusion over contracts, and I received an e-mail from Amazon saying they were canceling my preorder because they weren’t getting it the same day Margaret Weis Productions announced it was available.

All is well, I got a copy, and eagerly dove in.

Read the rest of this entry »

Why wait for the plastic and resin versions? Print out and assemble your very own bulk transport ship with Jorge A. García’s paper Serenity kit. It’s free, and pretty damn awesome.

Warning: the instructions aren’t in English, but there are plenty of pictures to follow. Be sure to scroll all the way down the page; there’s also instructions for making a movie version.

There’s another version, based on this one, by Sean White. You can follow his progress and download the files at his blog, or download the files from summerglau.co.uk).

Want a soft, squeezable hero to call your own? You gotta check out Custom Rag Dolls by Lily. She’s working on creating dolls that resemble “certain characters from a certain show that’s not on anymore,” and they look great.

There’s the Mercenary (pictured), complete with cunning hat and boots, there’s the Mechanic in her jumpsuit, and the Psychic in a pinafore, boots, and oversized sweater. There are gorgeously designed and make great gifts for Browncoat friends such as, well, you.

Stardoll.com (formerly Paper Doll Heaven) has added Summer Glau for your sartorial pleasure. Dress her up in any number of different clothing combinations, change the color of her hair, eyeshadow, and lips, and save your creations to share with friends.

OK, she’s in a very unRiver pose, there are no Riveresque outfits, and her hair appears brushed. But other that that… So where’s the rest of the crew? Where’s Morena and her filmy outfits, or Gina and her leathers? For that matter, where’s Adam with his t-shirts and guns, or Nathan with his one pair of pants, brown coat, and pretty floral bonnet? You’ve got some catching up to do, Stardoll!

Need something to push around your Serenity Role-Playing Game maps? Until we get official miniatures we’ll need to make do, and for now “Captain Nathan” from Heresy Miniatures will do just fine.

Comes with a base and replaceable weaponry. Click here for better pics, and let’s hope we see more. Engineer Jewel, Pilot Alan, Wacko Ninja Summer…

In this free Flash game to help promote the UK release of Serenity, you are Kaylee and you’ve got a limited amount of time to identify and replace five damaged parts from around the ship. Better hurry if you don’t want to see the ship all blowed up.

My wife has spent a scary amount of time creating her Firefly Barbies, making a lot of the materials by hand when she couldn’t find a substitute. So it’s always interesting when someone else does the work for her…

The Toy Smith, maker of small scale weapon reproductions, has begun making weapons and holster rigs based on the Firefly versions, perfect for your own doll creations. For sale now is Zoe’s carbine and rig, and Mal’s holster (the gun’s on the way). We had already bought his 47 Colt Walker revolver to serve as Mal’s piece, but I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.