Serenity Role Playing Game

Reviews! A few reviews have popped up on the Cortex, and so far response has been very good for the game:

Silven Trumpeter
RPG.net (1 2)
Gaming Report
Revolution - Science Fiction
The Death Cookie
Fist Full of Comics (Out in the Black)
EN World (1 2) (Out in the Black)

Buy eBook Editions on DriveThruRPG.com:

Now Available in the Online Store:

Bonus Content: Sam's Smuggler's Emporium. Them as might have a need for items useful to any honest smuggler will find a fair deal from Sam. His place is a bit off the beaten path, and it may be something of a joo fuen chse, but he's got the goods. Hard cash only, no Alliance credits. This is bonus game content for the Serenity Role Playing Game and the Cortex System. Download it here!

Website Changes! Things have been quiet over here, but they have been really hopping over at MargaretWeis.com, which is soon to be the primary website for all content from our company. The current, always-incomplete version of SerenityRPG.com is about to shift into a "portal" site--meaning it will only consist of one front page pointing all the shiny content over at the MWP site. Please excuse the noise and sawdust as we're still under construction, but we've already got a good community and plenty of new content over there. Go check it out!

Latest News. We want to keep you folks updated on the latest goings-on. Right now the Serenity Role Playing Game core book is out of stock, and will be going back for a fifth printing soon. In addition, Out in the Black is out of stock and a corrected second printing will be on its way 'fore too long. We're about to outline and begin development of the three new products for 2008, getting our crew together for another flight. For those of you interested in our d2 gaming dice, we have some Chinese versions in-stock in the Online Store.

MWP to Produce More Serenity RPG Material in 2008! Remember that "shiny news" I talked about a while back? Well, finally, we have it right here. Yep, that's right. We're still flyin'.

Out in the Black Nominated for the Origins Award! We could not be more excited to announce that Out in the Black, the adventure by Tracy & Laura Hickman, has been nominated for an Origins Award in the "Roleplaying Supplement of the Year" category. Tracy and Laura created a fantastic product and we're so happy their work has been recognized. We have also learned that the adventure is almost out of stock in our warehouse, and we'll be getting the book back to press right away.

Introducing the Cortex System. Though nameless for well over a year, the MWP staff put their collective heads together and finally gave a name to the RPG game engine that powers the Serenity RPG and will be used for the upcoming Battlestar Galactica Role Playing Game and future projects we're not ready to talk about yet. The name Cortex is a nod to the 'Verse, but also hints at both layers (as used in anatomy and geology) and brain power (the cerebral cortex). We're happy to now give a name to our game system, and it will appear in future printings of the Serenity RPG as well as possible future products in the line.

Serenity GM Screen Available Now in Electronic Form! The Serenity Game Master's Screen is now available to purchase as a print-quality PDF file. This includes both sides of the screen and the poster map with the deckplans of Serenity. This means you can make use of the images and print them out at home. Click here to check it out!

Serenity eBook Update. All of you who've enjoyed having a text-searchable PDF version of the Serenity Role Playing Game, or those of you who've thought about getting such a thing, should be aware that the files on DriveThruRPG.com have now been updated to the most recent printing -- including errata, the character sheet, and the index. The Table of Contents is hotlinked and the page numbers match those in the book. Includes the updated cover image by 11th Hour! If you've already purchased the eBook, you can log into your account and download the update for free!

Out in the Black Gets Shiny Review! We had to share this one with you. Fist Full of Comics has posted a review of Tracy and Laura Hickman's adventure masterpiece for the 'Verse. It not only gives it high praise, but it summarizes the contents of the product nicely. Check it out!

High-Resolution Maps for Out in the Black eBook. We've responded to some fan concerns over poor image-quality on the eBook edition maps for Out in the Black the best way we knew how -- to give you exactly what you want! The PDF file now contains print-resolution maps individually on a page at the end of the document. Now you can print the maps for use as GM reference or player aid. Existing customers can download the updated file free of charge. Check it all out at DriveThruRPG.com.

Still Flyin', and Maybe Some Good News Coming Soon! Some fans have expressed real, valid concerns that the Serenity RPG product line was drying up. We're very excited to say that we're in talks about future releases as we speak and things are looking very promising! Sorry, we can't release details yet and are not in a position to make any promises -- but we've had too much fun and have been blessed with such great customers that we're not ready to quit. We hope to have a real announcement in the near future.

d2 Gaming Dice Now in the Online Store. Now you can order the same dice we've been selling at recent conventions! Custom laser-etched by Chessex, these dice are the perfect accessory for the Serenity RPG or other games. (Or can solve important decisions, like -- where do I go for lunch?) Get red dice in the Serenity font with Arabic numerals or dao-gao-yee-chi-moh-goa-yee-juhn and get the blue Chinese numeral version. Get them in the online store. Click here for a peek at the dice in their natural environment!

The film Serenity is now available on DVD in the United States. Created by writer/director Joss Whedon, this new and exciting science-fiction setting follows the characters and story began in the ground-breaking television series, Firefly. Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. is pleased to present the Serenity Role Playing Game, a way to bring the adventure out of theaters and on to game tables everywhere!

Here are the answers to a few of the most common questions about the game. Please send us an e-mail if you want to know something else!

When will the game be available in stores?
The game should now be available everywhere! Sales have been strong, however, so some locations go out of stock. If you don't see it on shelves, please ask a store associate to let you know when more copies are expected in.

Where can I purchase it?
Lots of different places! We always encourage our customers to purchase from their friendly, local game store. In addition, you will be able to purchase the game at mass-market book chains such as B. Dalton's, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. Online retailers such as Amazon.com will also carry the Serenity RPG. We also sell signed copies of the game at our online store.

What game system do you use? Is it d20?
The Serenity Role Playing Game uses a completely new game system. It is designed to be both easy to teach and learn, emphasize story and fast-moving play, and utilize intuitive game mechanics so that more time is spent having fun instead of looking up rules. The dice we use for the game are: d2, d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12. Yes, that's right--no d20s at all.

d2? What's that all about?
Since attributes and skills are represented by dice in our game, the d2 is the low end of the scale. You can turn any die into a d2 by calling "high/low" (high roll indicates a 2, low means a 1). Some players flip coins. Some dice manufacturers also offer blank dice that you can label with 1s and 2s to create custom d2s.

Any other specialized gear?
We have something in our game called "plot points" that help important characters do the impossible (which makes them mighty). You can keep track of them on paper, but we recommend something easily passed back and forth. Could be anything, really, from paperclips to pennies. We've used all kinds things during our playtests, though we recommend avoiding candy (too much temptation to eat your points!) and highly recommend either poker chips or colored beads often used in card gaming.

What's up with the website?!
Serenityrpg.com has arrived and the webmaster is free from the airlock. This site is going to grow and change rapidly. Stop by frequently as our site expands into a full online community.

What's this "Quick Draw" that's mentioned in the book?
Our original plans were to release an introductory set of rules and short adventure. Things don't ever go smooth, so these plans were never fully realized. The upside is that we will have an introductory adventure and some other excellent resources in the coming months.

Any other free stuff coming?
In a word, yes. We will be providing free online adventures to get a new Serenity campaign started. Official errata will be maintained here for every product we sell. We'll also have a series of articles available online as well, offering tips for players and GMs.

Support products on the way?
Most definitely! First up is the Serenity RPG Game Master's Screen, then a full-length adventure to help kick a new campaign into high gear. We hope to publish more products, but news on that will have to wait for the time being.

We know there are a lot of fans eager to get their hands on the Serenity Role Playing Game, plus those who want more information, the website to launch, and more. Now that we're back from the conventions, we're here for regular updates and to help our customers. Whether you are a fan, retailer, distributor, or anyone else looking for information, please contact us and we'll do our best to help you.