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Into the Black
Contents
Chapter
Page
Introduction
3
Out of Character Safety and Well Being
4
Combat Safety
6
Phys-reps
8
OOC Information
9
Character Generation
10
Merits & Flaws
13
Skills
16
Combat
22
Body and Dying
22
Doing Damage
25
Combat Calls
29
Character Advancement
31
Virtuoso Skills
35
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Introduction
This document contains the rules and information for playing the game.
Everything you need to know to play the game should be here, with the exception of the technical
skills (mechanics, cortexing) which have their own document.
Player packs
All players should report to God (Game Organisation Desk) at the start of the event for sign in,
weapons check and to collect their player pack which will include their initial wound cards (three
white, one red).
Player briefing
Before time in at each event there will be a briefing to ensure everyone is familiar with safety
procedures and first aid cover as well as any specific information for that particular event or site.
SAFETY – key concepts
Players, crew and staff are responsible for their own and each other’s safety at all times.
If in doubt, ask a ref: this is especially important as these rules are substantially different to those
used previously.
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Out of Character safety and wellbeing
Trigger warnings
Due to the nature of the Universe we are playing in, this LARP regularly explores themes of war and
its aftermath, genocide, violence, crime, death, torture, mental illness and other harrowing themes.
You should note that due to this, it is not generally suitable for players under 18.
Also the above will not be warned of specifically so should be expected to be addressed at any event
in plot, NPC interactions and personal role play.
The game will not generally address themes of sexual assault or sexual violence and if it does, it will
generally be by inference (We cannot eliminate this theme as it is an integral part of things like
Reaver canon and similar). You are still able to include these concepts in your backstory, but you
should be aware that they will not come up in game plot. If you wish to address the aftermath in
personal plot, it will be done in such a way as to minimise the risk of causing distress to players
and/or crew.
Also please give consideration to others and check OOC (Out of Character) that those around you are
ok before involving them in role-play around this subject.
You are not permitted to role-play any serious sexual assault even if all those involved are ok with it.
Due to the age restrictions on our events, incidences of violence towards children will be few and
will generally be ‘off camera’ and by implication. The exceptions will be with crew who are over 18
but look younger or with mannequins/dolls. As with the above guidelines on sexual violence, players
are welcome to include this in their backstory and to mention and role-play around this subject but
should do so sensitively and with consideration.
If anyone choosing to attend one of our events as a player or crew is aware that they have specific
triggers that could cause them distress, we strongly encourage them to talk to us ahead of time so
that we can prepare them for what may occur/arrange for that particular role-play to be carried out
after they have been given time to remove themselves from the immediate area/offer guidance as
to whether it is integral to plot and therefore, as a last resort, discuss if the event is suitable for them
to attend.
Equalities statement
In any LARP game, it is important to be very clear on what is acceptable both in and out of character.
Conflict is often at the core of LARP plot and this is part of what makes it fun. It is not our intention
to constrain any role-play or interfere with the idea that IC (In Character) actions and words have IC
consequences.
It is, however, useful to have guidelines to minimise the chances of IC actions causing OOC distress.
OOC:
We (Lightning Bug LARP) will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, gender identity or
expression, race, ethnic origin, body size, physical appearance, religion (or lack of), sexuality,
disability, marital status or age (with the exception of the above referring to the unsuitability of the
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events for those under 18). We expect our players to abide by the same rules and sexist, racist,
homophobic, transphobic, ableist or sizeist language or actions will not be tolerated.
We aim to make our game as safe a space as possible for everyone and to promote an atmosphere
that actively encourages this. However, given the nature of the hobby, some events may not be held
at sites where all plot is fully accessible to those with disabilities and in light of the aforementioned
trigger warnings, players attend our events at their own discretion.
IC:
This game takes place in a future universe. We have actively chosen not to reproduce existing states
of oppression and discrimination, partly because it is not cool or interesting, but mostly because we
believe LARP should be an escapist hobby for everyone, which includes people who may have to deal
with discrimination in real life.
It is not acceptable to IC use racist, homophobic or transphobic language. These are not forms of
discrimination we have any intention of exploring in game and we do not feel anything is gained
from doing so.
We do have a number of people roleplaying companions and other sex workers in the system. In the
Serenity ‘verse, you should note that companions are often (usually) well respected, at least among
the Core and Border worlds. However this view is by no means universal, especially on frontier
worlds or extended to other sex workers and as such, certain characters may have strong and
disapproving views.
If you do choose to play a character who is involved in sex work, you should note that there might be
negative role-play around this, including use of offensive language, for example ‘whore’ as well as
people self-describing as such. In this, as in all LARP, there should be a clear line between what is
role-play and what is not and we expect everyone to remember this.
We also touch on ableist language and attitudes, especially around mental illness and substance
abuse. It is ok to portray characters with mental illness and issues of this nature and portrayals of
the after effects of traumatic military service are core to a lot of characters. You should, as with all
role-play, strive to be sensitive about this and avoid offensive portrayals of people with mental
health issues. This means avoiding generalised and offensive stereotypes and common
misconceptions about people with mental health problems or playing it for laughs. If you choose to
include a particular concept in your role play, try to do so sensibly and realistically.
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A lot of role-play takes place around the religious aspects of society and these are real world
religions, most commonly Buddhism and Christianity. However, this game takes place in a society
where these and other religions have changed and evolved over several centuries and it should be
understood that those who IC adhere to these faiths will not always adhere to the rules and mores
of today’s followers.
The Firefly/Serenity universe is one where Chinese culture has mingled with American culture and
this is one of the things that makes it so much fun to play in. Players are welcome to use Chinese
names, wear Chinese clothes and accessories as part of their portrayal of this blending of two
cultures but we ask that you do so with due sensitivity.
With all of the above, we trust you, our players and crew, to use your common sense and not simply
portray offensive and inaccurate stereotypes but act with respect for those who attend these
events.
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Combat Safety
Unarmed
Care should be taken when using unarmed combat. If you are under the effects of alcohol or tired to
a point where you can no longer safely use unarmed combat then you should have the common
sense to refrain from doing so as unsafe or uncivil use of unarmed combat will not be tolerated
Melee
Any melee weapons must be of a ‘LARP-safe’ variety consisting of a core covered in foam and latex.
During combat be sure to pull your blows. Under no circumstances must a weapon be used to stab,
even if the weapon is designed to be safe to do so. There may be LARP-safe weapons onsite that
have been designed to look like ordinary objects such as bar stools or shovels. Do not use something
to hit another player unless you are sure it has been designed to do so safely.
Projectile
All arrows and bolts must conform to the Mike Stringer/“Second Skin” standard and bows must not
exceed 30lbs at a draw length of 28 inches.
Thrown
Thrown weapons must be larger than an eye socket, be of a safe foam and/or latex construction and
must not have a solid core or solid weighting.
Ranged
Ranged weapon props must be non-firing replicas, airsoft guns or blank firing of a sufficient quality
to be appropriate as props with in the setting.
Guns must not under any circumstances have any batteries, ammunition, blanks or other such items
installed and you should not bring any of the above to an event.
Guns and all other weapons will be safety checked as you check in to the event and random checks
may occur at any point.
Non-combat props
Any non-combat props such as tools, utensils and boxes must be of a sturdy construction and
possess no protruding sharp edges. Medical props such as syringes must not have needles attached
and any drug phys-reps must be of a substance that is safe to consume should any mix-ups occur.
Any Out of Character medications should not be stored in an In Character medical bag and should be
clearly marked “OOC medication – do not use” with the players name.
Any electrical, pneumatic or mechanical props need to be examined by the organisers before being
used and we would strongly urge you to contact us well before the event so we can advise you as to
their suitability. Any electrical systems must be cleared for use with the organisers beforehand.
Mechanisms must not have any exposed moving parts such as transmission systems that may cause
injury.
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Phys–Reps
General
The futuristic setting means that costume and props do not have to conform to a specific historical
period. Generally 19th or 20th century European, Chinese and American styles work best, with Wild
West fashion being of particular merit for those of appropriate background.
Popular culture references are to be avoided; an Iron Maiden t-shirt is a priceless antique from
‘Earth-that-was’ and no-one in their right mind would risk wearing one openly.
Similarly any refreshments should conform to the same standard, no Coke cans or other well-known
brands should be used in IC areas. Of course, that doesn’t prevent you simply removing the label
from a bottle of Coke or gluing a new one over the can. Discreet or lesser known labels are
acceptable, such as those found on ale bottles.
Combat
Melee and projectile weapons should be of a historic or modern day design- setting specific design
e.g., no high fantasy weapons.
Ranged weapons must be of a suitable replica quality. Toy guns are permitted if they are of a
sufficient quality and scale to avoid breaking the atmosphere of the game; no water pistols, poor
quality plastic toys or jarringly bright colour schemes. Nerf guns are perfectly acceptable if
appropriately painted.
Professional
Mechanics’ tools and medical kits should be of believable quality. Any actual tools that don’t break
the aforementioned safety guidelines such as spanners, bandages, voltmeters and stethoscopes add
immensely to the atmosphere and allow more interesting roleplaying whilst using professional skills.
Miscellaneous
If you have any props of which you are unsure of the suitability with regards to phys-rep or safety
guidelines then please contact the organisers well before the event.
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OOC Information
First Aid and medical cover
The head first aider will be introduced during the pre-event briefing and you will be told how to
access first aid cover during the event.
Refs
Game referees will be introduced during the player briefing at the start of an event and will be
clearly identified during the event.
IC dead people
Anyone with their finger in the air is invisible and cannot be seen. This is for use by the crew in order
to deploy into areas they cannot access without being seen or to remove themselves from an area
after being killed in combat or for a referee to denote they are only there with a specific task such as
providing information to someone exercising a skill.
OOC calls
The following calls are out of character information calls used for safety or organisational purposes.
Man down
Shouted when someone is injured OOC. When you hear this call stop roleplaying immediately and
remain stationary until instructed otherwise. If it is obvious that a nearby player or ref has not heard
the call, please repeat it/inform them.
Time Freeze
Stop roleplaying. This call is used to pause the game in order to avoid accidents or dangerous
Situations or, more frequently when the refs need to simulate something or in part information that
your character would be able to see/feel/hear etc.
Time in
Begin/resume roleplaying.
Time out
Roleplaying has ceased for the day/weekend/event. Of course this doesn’t stop you continuing to
role-play, it just means that everything is unofficial from now on and we would ask that at time out
on an evening you respect that other players/crew/staff may will be needing to sleep by keeping
noise and disturbance to a minimum.
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Character Generation
This chapter explains how to create a character for play in the Serenity LRP system; players should
submit new characters via our website.
Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Think of a Concept
Pick your origin: Core, Border or Frontier, this determines your background.
Pick your Merit
Pick your Flaw (optional)
Pick your skills; you have 8 points, plus up to 2 points from having any flaws chosen.
Pick your gear. Money and prices are described in the Verse sourcebook section.
Concept
The rules listed in this chapter help you describe your character in mechanical terms; how effective
they are in combat, how good they are at fixing machines and the like. We recommend that players
start with a brief summary of their character concept to help them add depth to their character
before they start to worry about the numbers that represent them. This can be as brief as “Cocky
Pilot”, “Genius Engineer” or “Core-world Surgeon” - or something a little more involved, like “A
Brown coat veteran, disillusioned by the war and holding a grudge against the Alliance, buys a
rickety old ship and forges his own path in an ever-shrinking ‘Verse.” Once you have that, the
sections that follow will be a whole lot easier.
This is also a good time to start thinking about a name for your character; not because you need to
know it yet, but because it is by far the hardest part of Character Creation, so you want to start
thinking early...
Origin
Knowing where your character came from can tell you a whole lot about who they are and where
they’re going.
Home Planet
This is where your character was born and raised; some characters are proud of it, some try to hide
it and some have been moving around for so long they can’t even remember, but everyone was born
somewhere. Your character’s home planet determines their Backgrounds, and those in turn affect
the skills they have when they enter play and the way they develop once in the game world.
Backgrounds also provide a guide for roleplaying your character in-game, similar to character stats
(like Strength, Intelligence & Charisma) in table top RPGs.
You must pick a home planet for your character; a list of suitable planets can be found in the
Serenity RPG or on the FireflyWiki (http://firefly.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Planets ). If you want to
create your own planet, you must submit a narrative description with your character details.
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Backgrounds
Backgrounds are split into three categories:
Build
Your general physical fitness. Characters with high Build are strong, quick and
made of tougher stuff than their peers.
Sophistication A character that is raised to understand the intricacies of etiquette and courtesy
will have high Sophistication. They know the right people and can say the right
thing to open doors – and are generally wealthier for it.
Schoolin’
Those with proper education and a curious mind will have high Schoolin’.
Technological and Medical skills generally require high Schoolin’.
A character’s starting levels in Build, Sophistication and Schoolin’ are dependent on where they
originated, broadly split into Core Worlds, Border Worlds and Frontier Worlds:
Homeworld
Build
Sophistication
Schoolin’
Core
1
2
2
Border
2
1
2
Frontier
3
1
1
Skills (which you will pick later) have a prerequisite background level in order to purchase, so if you
do not possess a background at the required level it will be more difficult to acquire the skill.
Merit
Everybody’s got a special talent, a little quirk that picks them out from the crowd; this is their Merit.
Each player starts play with a merit which is selected from the list in the Merits chapter. If you have
an idea for a merit that you would like and that is not listed, please contact the organisers
beforehand to develop the idea. The advantages a Merit provides may be lost or improved
depending on a character’s actions within the game.
Flaw
Nobody’s perfect and some people have more obvious imperfections than others, but that’s not all
bad as they often find ways to compensate for their shortcomings.
You may opt to take a flaw at start-up in order to gain additional points with which to purchase skills.
You may purchase a maximum of up to two points of flaws. A 1-point flaw provides you with one
additional skill point and a 2-point flaw provides you with two additional skill points. Flaws are listed
in the Flaws chapter.
Skills
A Starting character may choose any number of skills to a total cost of no more than 8 points. This
may be increased by taking a flaw. Certain skills are available to your character for free or at a
reduced price depending on your home world.
Core
Computer literate, 1 knowledge skill, Navigation, Shuttle
Border Fist fightin’, Computer literate, Pistols, First Aid
Frontier Fist fightin’, Survival, Rifles (1 point cheaper), Endure
The cost of taking a character or virtuoso skill is determined by the base cost of the skill. If you do
not possess the prerequisite backgrounds, the points cost is increased by 1 for every level of
background that the prerequisite is above your actual background score.
E.g. Armour [Heavy] has a prerequisite of 3 Build and a cost of three points, a character with 3 Build
may purchase the skill for 3 points whilst a character with 1 Build must pay 5 points to purchase the
skill.
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If the prerequisite listed is a skill, then you must possess the prerequisite skill before you may
purchase the skill.
Some skills will require equipment to use in play. Skills can be purchased only once, unless otherwise
stated in the Skills chapter.
Body
Body indicates how many times your character can be hit in the face with a 2 by 4, shot or otherwise
beaten up before they fall over. When your Body is more than 0, you may be battered and bruised
but you’re otherwise good to go. Below this, and you are in danger of serious, or even fatal, injury.
Your starting level of Body is calculated by your home world but these values can be changed by
certain merits and flaws, the Tough skill and the use of armour. The details of how to use this stat
can be found in the section under Body and Dying.
Homeworld
Core
Border
Frontier
Body
3
4
5
The crew of the ‘Memphis’
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Merits & Flaws
Merits
This chapter contains a list of the standards Merits that are available to starting characters and a
description of the bonus conferred.
Merit
Description
Assets
You start your first game with 100 extra credits to spend on equipment.
Benefactor
Someone has taken a liking to you; you may call on them for aid when
needed.
Book Smart
+1 Schoolin’
Built like a Brick
+1 Build
Outhouse
Cortex Empathy
The Cortexer and cortex specialisation skills costs 1 less point per
purchase. Please see the chapter on Skills for details.
Cortex Spectre
There is no computer record of your existence; you are a ghost who
cannot be tracked.
Creditor
You have invested in someone else’s business and can expect a regular
income from it.
Fame
Everyone knows your face and wants to be your friend.
High Falutin’
+1 Sophistication
Home Base
You own a bit of property on some planet that you can use to store things,
lay low or entertain guests.
Jaynestown
Somewhere out there is a shitty town where you are the hero!
Mean Left Hook
You gain the ability to make the Strike unarmed combat call in unarmed
combat, even if you do not possess the Fist Fightin’ skill.
If you gain the ability to make the Strike call through the aforementioned
skills it upgrades to Double Strike.
Mechanical Empathy The Mechanic and mechanical specialisation skill costs 1 less point per
purchase. Please see the chapter on Skills for details.
Strong as an Ox
You may use a rifle, shotgun or assault rifle in one hand; usually they must
be wielded in two.
Stun Resistance
You take less effect from Stun calls; when you are knocked unconscious,
you wake up after 5 minutes rather than 10.
Tenacious
You add an additional minute to bleed times on White Wound cards.
Wealth
This merit operates exactly the same as the Investment skill with the
exception that the money is your own and does not need to be repaid.
Details of how the Investment skill works can be found in the Blue Sun
Catalogue.
The Lady Luck, how you got the ‘Wealth’ merit may explain how you got the ‘Wanted’ flaw.
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Flaws
This chapter lists the Flaws that are available to starting characters along with a description of the
Flaw’s effect. Flaws are listed in order of value.
Flaw
Description
One Point Flaws
Glass Jaw
You fall unconscious for ten minutes whenever you are hit with the Strike
or Double Strike calls.
Branded
You have a visible brand signifying you as a convicted criminal, whether
you were guilty or not. This brand must be phys-repped and located in an
obvious and hard to conceal place, such as the face.
Lightweight
You are immune to the ‘Snap out of it!’ Virtuoso skill
Space Sickness
Space flight causes you significant discomfort which must be roleplayed in
appropriate situations. This can be dizziness, vertigo, headaches, stomach
cramps, etc.
Vomiting is purely optional.
Infamy
You are known to be trouble and will have a hard time getting folks to
trust you.
Permanent Injury
-1 Body
Thug
-1 Sophistication
Weedy
-1 Build
Skipped School
-1 Schoolin’
One of those faces
You are memorable.
Slow Healer
You require twice as long to heal.
Mistaken Identity
Could be you share the name of a wanted criminal, could be your face is
somehow familiar. Whatever the reason, folks are always getting you
confused with someone else.
Pernickerty
You are not comfortable unless everything is set just so. When not
working in perfect conditions, complicated actions take half as long again
as normal
Addiction
You require an illicit or some other addictive substance on a regular basis
or suffer the Shakes as below.
The Shakes
You suffer from the Shakes. Every second shot fired is BANG and you must
roleplay calming of the nerves before conducting complicated actions
such as Cortexing or Surgery.
One to Two point Flaws
Debt
You owe some folks a lot of money and they expect regular payments else
they’ll come to collect. This is equivalent to having a level of the
Investment skill, but you don’t get the money.
Wanted
Ref Discretion. Some level of government or law enforcement or other
powerful individual or group wants to take you down and they aren’t
going to stop chasing you till they do
Deadly Enemy
You’ve got on the wrong side of someone who’d like to see you dead as a
doornail.
Two point Flaws
Bleeder
You take one less minute to bleed out on your wound cards to a minimum
of one minute.
Stun Vulnerability
You take increased effect from Stun weaponry. You spend twenty minutes
unconscious rather than ten.
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Combat Paralysis
Slow Learner
Mute
In the Wars
Ugly as Sin
Illiterate
Dead Broke
Lame
Your nerve is shot and you just can’t handle yourself under fire. When in
combat you may make no action other than to run to cover until the fight
is over. You cannot even act to apply first aid to your friends.
Something about the way you think means new ideas don’t sink in too
well. When learning skills in downtime it also takes the additional month
regardless of whether you are tutored or not.
You cannot talk loudly or often.
You have a personalised, non-tradable complication card for surgery as a
result of old wounds. Please provide some description of your injury in
your character background
Your character is so hideously scarred or deformed that it makes children
cry, must be phys-repped.
You cannot read/write nor can you learn Computer literate. Schoolin’
counts as 0.
You start with the clothes on your back and only one small weapon. No
starting cash or further equipment.
You cannot run, a quick lurch is all you can ever hope for!
‘In the Wars’ not all folks came through in one piece.
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SKILLS
A skill marked with an asterisk (*) may be purchased multiple times for cumulative effects.
A skill marked with a ~ indicates that this skill must be taught if learnt in Downtime.
Note: Membership skills are mutually exclusive; you cannot purchase more than one.
Skill Costs
Skills are grouped by standard points cost and are listed with the skill name and any prerequisite
backgrounds or skills. If no prerequisite is listed the skill will always cost the base points cost.
Skill
Prerequisites
Description
One point Skills
Computer Literate ~ 2 Schoolin’
You can competently operate a computer and access
information on the Cortex.
Conceal
You may conceal a small weapon (dagger or pistol) or
other item about your person. Physical searches of your
person will not reveal the weapon or item. During
downtime you may conceal several small items or a
single large item (e.g. a crate) on board the ship in which
you travel without need for a smuggler’s hold. Searches
of the ship will not reveal the items.
Endure
3 Build
You are used to harsh circumstances so much so that
you may ignore the effects of pain for a 10 minutes.
When suffering grievous wounds, extreme conditions,
etc. you may roleplay pushing on through the
discomfort. You may also act during a
Suppression/Heavy Fire call but you will take damage.
Escape Artist ~
You are used to avoiding slavers, lawmen or just trouble
in general. If bound by rope or handcuffed you may
escape the bonds. Roleplay struggling for 2 minutes then
you may remove the bonds and act normally
Faith Member ~
2 Schoolin’
You are a Shepherd or equivalent of your chosen faith
(commonly Christianity or Buddhism) possess the
relevant identification papers, Holy Scriptures and can
gain access to their facilities. You may also receive
instructions and information from your faith during play
or downtime. In-character actions will influence your
standing within your faith and may lead to promotion or
exclusion.
Note: As you will be roleplaying a member of a realworld religion you are expected to be respectful to any
beliefs that may not be your own and try not to cause
out-of-character offence. Any one being blatantly
disrespectful will be escorted off site
First Aid
1 Schoolin’
Allows a character to pause the bleed time of a character
who is in negative Body for five minutes.
Note: In order to do so the First Aider must remain in
contact with the patient and take NO OTHER action. First
Aid can be used on yourself as long as you are conscious.
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Skill
Fist Fightin’
Prerequisites
2 Build
Investment*
Knowledge [type]*
1 Schoolin’
Martial Arts ~
2 Build and 2
Sophistication
Melee [Onehanded]
Navigate ~
Open Lock
2 Schoolin’
Description
You may make the Throw or Strike calls as described in
the combat section under Unarmed Combat.
An investment is a credit agreement with an
organisation or individual that the character knows; the
money is intended to be used on large scale items that
will turn a profit (such as a ship or medical bay) for the
character to repay the investors over time. Investment
money cannot be used to purchase starting equipment,
only sizeable purchases that a character would not
otherwise be able to acquire see the Investment section.
Each additional point of Investment purchased increases
the size of the investment. Multiple characters may
combine their investments to produce a greater overall
sum.
You have a professional knowledge in one area (e.g.
Accounting, Literary Criticism, Demolitions, Gunsmithing.) While this is mainly a roleplaying and
downtime skill there are certain situations which a
character with an appropriate knowledge skill may
succeed at a task that a character without the skill would
fail.
If you wish to create anything during downtime, from
works of art to pipe bombs (which some folks might
argue are the same thing), you will need the appropriate
Knowledge skill to do so.
You may use the special calls Grapple, Break and Disarm
three times a day each in unarmed combat.
You may use a dagger, club, machete or other similar
weapon in combat as described in the combat section
under Melee Combat.
You have knowledge of how long it takes to fly between
planets and how to plot a course to take advantage of
gravitational wells and local circumstances.
You may bypass simple mechanical locks such as those
found on doors, chests and handcuffs and electronic
locks as found on security doors and cases. Some locks
will be represented with combination padlocks, you will
be provided with a lore sheet containing possible
combinations to open the lock.
Note: You may only open the locks on handcuffs you can
see and access without restriction, you may not open the
locks on handcuffs attached to your own hands unless
one hand is free.
Pistols
This skill requires a suitable lock-pick phys-rep in order to
use.
You may use a pistol in combat to do Single as described
in the combat section under Ranged Combat.
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Skill
Shuttle ~
Prerequisites
2 Schoolin’
Survival
1 Build and 1
Schoolin’
Thrown Weapons
Tough*
Two Point Skills
Armour [Light]
1 Build
Survival skills are at ref discretion.
You may use throwing weapons and thrown grenades in
combat as described in the combat section under
Explosives.
You may purchase this skill as many times as you have
points of Build and the effects stack.
You gain an additional point of Body, e.g. a standard
Core-worlder character has 3 Body, the same character
with Tough has 4, if they purchase Tough twice they
have 5.
2 Build
Bow
Cortexer ~
Description
You are trained in the basic skills for flying a small
shuttle. This also covers small land and hover based
vehicles such as mules.
You are familiar with navigating the wilderness and
making best use of your environment. Survival allows for
a degree of direction sense, map-making, acquiring food
in a rural environment, tracking, trap making and general
bushcraft.
Computer
Literate, 2
Schoolin’ and 2
Sophistication
Cortexing
Cortexer,
Specialisation[role]*
You may wear light armour such as high-impact weave
which will provide +2 Body in combat. To benefit from
this skill you must wear an appropriate phys-rep.
You may use a bow in combat as described in the
combat section under Projectile Combat.
You may re-program computer systems and programs
and bypass simple computer security systems. This is
covered in more detail in the Cortex section.Characters
with the Cortex Empathy merit may take the Cortexer
skill multiple times and this is capped at the character’s
Schoolin’. Thus, a character with 2 Schoolin’ (and the
Cortex Empathy merit) may take the Cortexer skill twice.
The First time you buy this skill it gives you 3 cards.
Subsequent purchases give you 2 cards.
Choose a role: Diagnosis, Infiltration, Tampering or
Clean-up.
You have reached a sufficient level of proficiency in
Cortexing to begin specialising in a particular area.
Characters may take the Cortexing Specialisation skill as
many times as they have points in Schoolin’ &
Sophistication. Thus, a character with 2 Schoolin’ and 2
Sophistication may take the Cortexing Specialisation skill
four times.
Additional levels may have any role, regardless of the
role(s) chosen previously. Each buy of this skill gives 3
solution cards in your chosen specialisation.
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Into the Black
Skill
Gang Member ~
Prerequisites
Mechanic*~
2 Schoolin’
Mechanic
Specialisation*
Mechanic
Melee [Twohanded]
Melee [Onehanded] and 2
Build
Paramedic
First Aid and 2
Schoolin’
Pilot~
Shuttle
Research
Knowledge, 2
Schoolin’
Description
You are a member of a gang and can gain access to their
facilities. You may also receive contracts and information
from your gang during play or downtime. In-character
actions will influence your standing within the gang and
may lead to promotion or exclusion.
Lawmen on various planets will be wary of your
presence or attempt to ‘bring you in’ if you are not
careful to whom you reveal your gang membership.
You may salvage usable components from wrecked
vehicles, jury rig broken devices to work and construct
usable devices given the proper components. You may
also check if components you wish to purchase or have
been given are operational or of usable quality. You will
be provided with 3 Mechanic cards. This is covered in
more detail in the source book.
Each additional purchase provides you with 2 additional
cards. Characters may take the Mechanic skill as many
times as twice the points they have in Schoolin’.
Choose a role: Demolitions, Engineering, Macguyver, or
Salvage.
You have reached a sufficient level of proficiency in
Mechanic to begin specialising in a particular area.
Characters may take the Mechanic Specialisation skill as
many times as twice the points they have in Schoolin’.
Thus, a character with 2 Schoolin’ may take the
Mechanic Specialisation skill four times.
Additional levels may have any role, regardless of the
role(s) chosen previously. Each buy of this skill gives 3
solution cards in your chosen specialisation.
You may use a large spade, snooker cue, wood axe or
other similar weapon in combat as described in the
combat section under Melee Combat. You may make the
call Double when using a two handed weapon.
Allows a character to pause the bleed time of a character
who is in negative Body for 10 minutes whilst moving
them.
Note: In order to do so the Paramedic must remain in
the close vicinity of the patient, either touching them or
using a stretcher upon which the patient is lain.
You may fly a ship; a ship will only operate in downtime
if it has a pilot on board. During game time you have the
relevant knowledge on how to operate a ship.
You may use downtime to find out information which is
not currently available to you.
You must have an appropriate Knowledge skill to support
your Research and explain how you intend to pursue
your enquiry.
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Into the Black
Skill
Rifles/Shotguns
Swords
Three point Skills
Armour [Medium]
Assault Weapons~
Forensic Analysis
Forgery
Further Research
Guild Member~
Guild Member
[Companions]~
Prerequisites
Description
You may use basic non-automatic rifles and/or shotguns
in combat to call Double as described in the combat
section under Ranged Combat.
2 Sophistication You may use an elegant and gentlemanly sword in duels
as described in the combat section under Melee Combat.
2 Build
You may wear heavy armour such as flak or bullet-proof
vests which will provide you with +3 Body as described in
the combat section under Body and Dying. To benefit
from this skill you must wear an appropriate phys-rep.
You may use basic automatic weaponry in combat to call
Double as described in the combat section under Ranged
Combat. You may also use Rifles and shotguns and are
considered to possess the Rifles/Shotguns skill.
You may upgrade from Rifles/Shotguns to Assault
Weapons by expending 1 skill point and receiving proper
training.
2 Schoolin’
Allows combination use of other skills and appropriate
knowledge’s to detect forgeries and examine evidence.
2 Sophistication Allows combination use of other skills and appropriate
knowledge’s to create forgeries.
Research
May use downtime to expand on or probe deeper into a
line of research.
You must have an appropriate Knowledge skill to support
your Research, if you do not you may enlist others to
help you. Ensure you explain how you intend to pursue
your enquiry and who is assisting you.
2 Sophistication You are a member of a trade guild, possess the relevant
identification papers and can gain access to their
facilities.
Once per event you may call upon a relevant favour from
your guild. This must be appropriate for the chosen Guild
and could be anything from a Cargo, Knowledge of the
location of a salvageable wreck, Legal Representation or
access to medical facilities.
In-character actions will influence your standing within
the guild and may lead to promotion or exclusion.
3 Sophistication Special: The Companions guild has a prerequisite of 3
Sophistication instead of the usual 2 for Guild
membership. A Companion will be provided with
opportunities to entertain a client where appropriate.
Although we remind you that aside from the Fist Fightin’
and Martial Arts skills this is a non-contact hobby.
As per normal Guild Membership, Once per event you
may call upon a relevant favour from your guild.
Alternatively, you may call upon a Favour appropriate to
the client you have entertained this event, assuming that
the appointment went favourably.
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Into the Black
Skill
Medicine~
Four point Skills
Armour [Heavy]
Surgery~
Five point Skills
Heavy Weapons~
Sniper~
Prerequisites
Paramedic and
2 Schoolin’
Description
You may stabilise a character that is on negative Body
and aid characters in recovering lost Body whilst in
negatives. This is covered in more detail in the combat
section under Recovery. With access to proper medical
facilities, you may also treat characters that have
contracted diseases or other illnesses. Appropriate
medical phys-reps are required in order to use this skill.
3 Build
You may wear heavy armour such as carapace armour or
heavy bullet-proof vests which will provide you with +4
Body as described in the combat section under Body and
Dying. To benefit from this skill you must wear an
appropriate phys-rep. If you wear heavy armour without
possessing this skill you will still gain additional Body but
will be unable to run.
You may operate on a character to negate the effects of
a Critical hit. This is covered in more detail in the Body
and Dying section. Appropriate medical phys-reps are
required in order to use this skill.
Paramedic and
3 Schoolin’
3 Build
2 Schoolin’
Rifle
You may use heavy automatic weapons, rocket
launchers, etc. in combat as described in the combat
section under Ranged Combat. While Light Machine
Guns can be used directly in combat to call Triple, other
weapons such as Rocket Launchers and grenade
launchers allow you to narratively effect an encounter
and require a ref to use.
These weapons are not fully described in the combat
section and possession of this skill does not guarantee
ownership of a heavy weapon or ammunition for it.
You may use sniper rifles in combat to call Quad as
described in the combat section under Ranged Combat.
The possession of this skill does not guarantee
ownership of a sniper rifle nor ammunition for it.
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Into the Black
COMBAT
Out in the Black it is cold, dark and full of scary people; Alliance troopers, Ornery Feds, ExIndependents, Hard-bitten Colonists, Mercenaries, Mad Men and worst of all Reavers.
Even if you ain’t looking for trouble it has a knack for finding you and yours, and when that happens
you need to know how to defend yourself and what’s important to you. This chapter describes how
health & combat are simulated within the Lightning Bug LARP ‘Verse.
When it comes to some folks lookin’ for trouble and breathin’ ain’t too far apart.
Cinematic versus Realistic
The rules presented in this chapter provide a mechanism for players to operate on a level playing
field in protracted cinematic fights. This does mean that following the rules to the letter results in
some situations being somewhat unrealistic. Therefore, the number of hits represented by your
Body stat is the maximum damage that you can take and the damage calls represent the minimum
damage that must be taken. Feel free to drop to -1 from a Pistol shot to the head at close range, and
as with all things please apply a healthy dose of common sense.
Naturally players should also consider being creative with their injuries to allow players with medical
skills to fully role-play their character’s abilities. At some events, there may be casualty makeup
effects available to enhance this.
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Body and Dying
Body
Body points are removed at a rate of one for each level of damage caused by the attack. A pistol
doing Single damage removes one point of Body whereas a rifle doing Double damage removes two
points of Body. If you have armour you lose body points from this first as appropriate.
As you take damage to the body you should role-play being injured, so choose a location to have
been hit and role-play its effects. A leg shot may cause you to limp; a shot to the arm may cause you
to drop anything you are holding; etc.
It is up to how you role-play your pain tolerance but characters with a high Build will generally
handle being in pain better than characters with a low build. Certain skills such as Moment of Clarity
or Endure can help in this regard as can being tended by a character with Career Nurse.
Dying
A character becomes incapacitated at zero hits, which means they cannot run or perform
complicated actions (e.g. surgery or cortexing). If you are reduced to negative damage you are
bleeding to death and will need to open a wound card. There are two colours of wound card white
and red. For most damage types you will have to open the envelope containing a white wound card.
White wound cards usually hold the following information:
Wound Type
Whether you have been Critically Injured or Not.
Bleed Time
The period of time you will spend bleeding to death if not
receiving any form of medical help. Bleed Times are paused
by the application of First Aid or Paramedic skills.
Mortality Time
The period of time before you will die if not treated by
someone with Medicine for normal wounds or Surgery if a
Critical Hit.
Severity of Wound
Number of Solution Cards needed
Some white wound cards will simply say ‘You feel fine.’ If you get this card, please find a Ref who will
give you or your medic further information and roleplay tips.
In certain circumstances a Ref will ask
you to open a Red Wound card,
regardless of your immediately
previous circumstances. This means
you are now unconscious and at a
minimum of -1 Body. Heavy Armour
may mitigate a red wound card
situation at a Ref’s discretion. Red
wound cards mean a serious and
deadly trauma, these injuries always
means you are Critically Injured
requiring you to see a Surgeon
quickly or a Shepherd - if you are
really lucky you might have both to
hand.
Some folks just ain’t lucky!
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Body
1,2,3…
0
-1 or less
-5
Description
Everything’s Shiny
You are incapacitated
You need to open a wound card
You are unconscious
Recovery
Whilst a character is in positive Body, 1 point of Body is recovered per hour. If during that hour the
character is attended by someone with the Medicine skill for 5 minutes the time drops to half an
hour to recover 1 point. If the character is attended by someone with the Nurse virtuoso skill that
time is halved further to fifteen minutes.
Anyone recovering from surgery takes 4 hours in Medical care (5 minutes spent with Medicine
trained character per hour) or 2 hours if that carer is a Nurse.
Completion of Surgery or being stabilised by use of the Medicine skill moves a character from
negative Body to 0.
Body
0,1,2,3...
Surgery
Without Care
1hr per point
No recovery
Care (Medicine)
30 minutes per point
4hrs
Care (Nurse)
15 minutes per point
2hrs
Surgery and Stabilising
If a Character is reduced to negative body points, they are incapacitated or unconscious and in need
of Medical attention. If the patient has not suffered a critical injury they can be stabilised by a
character with the Medicine skill performing appropriate role-play over a period of 5 minutes and
they will recover with adequate rest, however if a critical injury has occurred then that character
requires surgery to be successfully performed before they can be stabilised.
In order to perform surgery a character must have the skill Surgery and the appropriate phys-repped
tools.
Inspection of the wound card (Diagnosis) will tell the Surgeon how many Solution cards need to be
drawn. Each Solution card has a time listed on it that will show how long that particular bit of
surgery will take.
Also in a surgeon’s deck of cards are complication cards, and if these are drawn each one requires a
separate solution card to be drawn to counter it. These include a small amount of major
complications, which are cards that immediately require the patient to open a red wound card, and
must be immediately dealt with before surgery can continue.
If the surgery is not successfully solved by the end of the mortality period the patient dies on the
table.
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Doing Damage
Ranged
Key Concept
If you cannot see it then you cannot shoot it. The effects of partial concealment are covered later on
under Cover. Indirect fire weapons such as grenades, mortars and pipe bombs produce the damage
effect from the phys-rep and are covered under Explosions.
Damage Calls
To fire a weapon you simply point the firearm phys-rep at your intended target and make the
following call:
Target, Level, Type



Target A description, name or other method of identifying the intended target, e.g. ‘Captain
Reynolds’, “Brown coat” or “guy with the huge great rocket-launcher thing”
Level The amount of damage caused by the weapon, e.g. Single, Double, Triple.
Type Special properties of the shot, such as Stun or Global; these are covered in more detail
until Damage Types. By default this part of the call is skipped.
Let’s take a look at an example…
Someone has complained once too often about Skippy’s cooking and her usual
level of bombastic verbal violence has gone unheeded so she decides to be more
serious. She draws a shotgun from under the counter points it at the unlucky
patron and makes the call:
“Dude with yellow Hawaiian shirt, Double, Knockdown”
Here “Dude with yellow Hawaiian shirt” is the Target and “Double” is the Level of damage caused by
the shotgun with “Knockdown” as the Type. Alternatively if Skippy was shooting someone she knew
she could use alternative descriptors such as “Saul”. It is best to avoid using out-of-character names
as descriptors unless you are sure none of the characters or players share the same name. In
addition using common descriptors that could apply to several targets is also best to avoid for
example.
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Regan is on Boros and opening fire with his assault rifle
at a pick pocket but using “Dude in a Hawaiian shirt” as a
target could refer to anyone in the bar and he might as
well just use a hand grenade.
Firearm calls must be clear, loud and complete. The full call must be made in a combat situation; if
you are not making the full call then your shot is deemed inaccurate and the target should not take
the hit. If the target doesn’t hear the call or cannot make out the call then they are not obliged to
take the effect.
Ranged weapons do not have an infinite number of rounds and must be reloaded after a given
number of shots which is covered in the armoury section. Common sense should dictate the amount
of time required to roleplay reloading your weapon.
The target and damage calls made when firing a ranged weapon represent the sound of gunfire; if
you hear the sound of people shouting damage calls then you are assumed to have heard the sound
of gunfire.
Pistols may be used in one hand but any larger weapons such as rifles or shotguns must be wielded
with two hands unless you have the Strong as an Ox merit.
Projectile Combat
Bows always do Double damage and ignore Medium and Light Armour however an arrow must
physically hit the target before damage can take effect. Since all bows do the same damage no call
needs to be made since compared to firearms the loosing of an arrow is almost silent and being hit
by one is considered reasonable notification.
Melee Combat
All one handed melee weapons (up to 42 inches in length) do a Single point of damage when they
strike a target, so no damage call needs to be made. Blows from one handed melee weapons that
are longer than 18 inches in length must come from the shoulder and be consistent with hefting a
metal weapon. Weapons of 18 inches or shorter must strike from the elbow. There should be a
space of at least one second between strikes to prevent ‘machine gunning’.
Two handed weapons (42 inches and longer) do Double damage type when in melee and require
both hands to wield.
Swords
A sword is a melee weapon requiring grace and finesse when in the hands of someone skilled in its
use. A character who has the sword skill can opt to call for Double when striking with a sword but
may also call Disarm, as the Martial Arts skill, up to three times per day using the sword to tap the
upper arm carrying the weapon.
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Unarmed Combat
Unarmed combat is the most potentially dangerous of the combat styles in that it involves physical
contact between players. All contact should be made with an open palm and should be targeted at
the upper arm of the target. Care should be taken when using unarmed combat.
Upon contact the attacker may make the following calls depending on their skills in unarmed
combat. Strike damage type is considered to be Stun damage and will cause the target to fall
unconscious if they are reduced to zero Body through unarmed combat.
Call
Strike
Grapple
Skill
Fist Fightin’&
Martial Arts
Fist Fightin’&
Martial Arts
Fist Fightin’&
Martial Arts
Martial Arts
Break
Martial Arts
Disarm
Martial Arts
Double Strike
Throw
Effect
Upon contact the target takes a single level of damage.
Upon contact the target takes a double level of damage.
Upon contact the target is thrown five paces away from the
unarmed combatant and must fall to the ground.
The target grappled for 30 seconds – you may retain open-palmed
contact with the target for the 30 seconds and breaking contact
before 30 seconds has passed ends the grapple.
A grappled target may not make any action other than using the
Break unarmed combat call.
When grappled you may make the call Break at which point the
grapple is broken and the grappler must cease contact.
Upon contact the target must hand you whatever weapon or item is
in the arm contacted.
It ain’t considered wise to get into a fist fight with Reavers
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Cover
Cover may be used to prevent damage during ranged combat. If 50% of your body is behind cover,
such as a wall, tree or unfortunate stooge, then you are considered in partial cover and only take
every other firearm shot targeted at you. This does not apply to sniper fire or those using the
virtuoso skill Dead Shot.
If you are wholly hunkered down behind cover that stands between you and your shooter you take
no damage.
Explosives
There are three types of explosives available in the ‘Verse using differing levels of complexity and
use.
Type
Pipe Bomb
Grenade
Skills
Mechanic (Demolitions)*
Thrown Weapons
Damage
Quad Boom
Quad Boom
Chem-Plast
Knowledge (Demolitions)
Special
*Requires Thrown Weapons to throw phys rep if used similar to a grenade
Notes
Triggered by flame, External Fuse
Internal Fuse, Works in Vacuum,
Triggered by flame
Triggered by electricity, Works in
Vacuum, requires detonator
Explosive devices do Boom damage. This means that that they normally affect anyone within 5 feet
of the phys rep when it detonates; although this may vary and you will be informed by a referee if
you are caught in the blast and need to open a red wound card or a white wound card if you are at
the edge of a detonation.
Chem-Plast is a putty used to make shaped charges and claymore mines, on its own it has no
shrapnel but is powerful if used properly therefore seek a ref before attempting to detonate or deal
with a Chem-Plast explosive device.
When using explosives retiring to a minimum safe distance is considered less wise as healthy
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Combat Calls
Special Calls
Call
Description
Suppression Fire You yell the call ‘Suppression Fire’ five times with a two second gap between
calls. During this time anyone in a 90 degree arc to the front must take cover if
there is no cover they can lie on the floor and take no action. Players with
Moment of Clarity or Endure can attempt to act but take Single damage per
call. Taking damage or moving interrupts your suppression fire. Each use of
suppression fire requires roleplaying reloading. You only use Suppression three
times per day then your assault rifle is empty and can no longer be used.
Heavy Fire
You yell the call ‘Heavy Fire’ five times with a two second gap between calls.
During this time anyone in a 90 degree arc to the front must take cover if there
is no cover they can lie on the floor and take no action. Players with Moment
of Clarity or Endure can attempt to act but take Double damage per call. Taking
damage or moving interrupts your heavy fire. You can only use Heavy Fire five
times per day then your machine gun is empty and can no longer be used.
Execute
You may approach a character on 0 or incapacitated and call Execute to kill
them. You require a weapon or the ability to make a Strike call.
Bang
The shot has gone wide either intentionally or unintentionally. This does not
mean that no damage comes from the discharge at ref or player discretion…
Damage Types
Call
Knockdown
Stun
Boom
EMP
Description
The force of the blow is so great that a damage
call with the Knockdown effect causes the
target to fall to the ground even if the damage
is soaked on armour. They may get back up and
move again immediately after falling but must
have both shoulders touch the ground if it is
safe to do so.
If the target is unable to fall down or it is unsafe
to do so the target instead holds their hands
above their head, crossed at the wrist for 5
seconds to represent being on the floor.
The blow does not pierce the skin but rather
affects the target’s nervous systems in some
way. A stun effect causes them to fall
unconscious for 10 minutes if they are reduced
to 0. You cannot fall into negative body with a
Stun shot.
A damage call with the boom type will hit the
target and anyone within five feet. Using
‘Dodge’ from the Lucky Virtuoso skill will not
negate Boom damage.
This damage will wreck electronic equipment
such as computers, radios and energy weapons.
If you take any EMP damage any electronic
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Paralyse
Disarm
equipment is useless and a mechanic needs to
fix the “short circuit” problem to fix it. This
includes Advanced weaponry (see the armoury)
and implanted devices such as cybernetics
where the player may also take stun damage.
If you take the Paralyse call you cannot move,
and should freeze in place for ten seconds
(unless otherwise specified). You cannot speak.
As covered by the Martial Arts rules, if struck by
a ranged call of Disarm (through Sniper or use
of Deadshot Virtuoso skill) simply place the
item in targeted hand on the floor. You may not
attempt to retrieve it until after you have
returned to your previous position for 3
seconds.
Some folks don’t so much receive differing damage types as collect them as a hobby
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Into the Black
Downtime and Character Advancement
This chapter details the actions that a single character may take during the period of downtime
between two events, and the expenses incurred in running a ship in these three months.
Downtime Costs
Ships cost money. Lots of money. Every downtime, the Captain must pay for the upkeep of their ship
– if you don’t, you gain the Debt flaw. Don’t pay your debts and people with guns will turn up.
Sustenance: This is a base cost of $100 multiplied by the number of crew located on an individual
ship regardless of whether all of said crew attend event.
The crew of Roisin Dubh fairly pack out their Firefly with nearly maximum number of crew. These
fifteen souls munch their way through $100 each of water, protein, soya and coffee amounting to a
massive $1,500 (30 credits) sustenance bill for the ship account.
Maintenance: The more expensive the ship more it costs to maintain, as such it costs 1%/10%/50%
of the initial purchase value of the craft to keep it flying depending on the age of the ship
(New/20yrs/40yrs respectively). This figure can be reduced further by the number of mechanics on
board.
So for example, the Roisin Dubh is a venerable Firefly which set Regan, Oz and Locke back 11,520
credits. As such keeping the old gal in the Black costs the ship’s account 1,152 credits between events
however the presence of Kidd, Caine, and Carter the Rose’s trio of talented mechanical
troublemakers each reduce the cost by 10% thus bringing the final cost to 807 credits.
Fuel: A ship without gas ain’t going far! Ships in the Serenity ‘Verse are powered by Liquid Hydrogen
but that stuff is neither cheap nor abundantly easy to make, luckily though every shuttle and ship
needs it so folks tend to sell it where they can.
To get from one event to the next it is calculated that a ship will use up 100 credits worth of fuel
since traipsing through the Black doesn’t put a massive strain on the budget, doing jobs in downtime
require going places and often breaching the atmosphere, so for each mission a ship does add
another 50 credits to your ships tab at the bar.
However the presence of a Navigator on board allows the pilot to plot the most efficient course and
reduces the cost by 20%, more than one navigator just causes fights on the command deck so you
only get the benefit once.
Captain Regan decides that the large nature of his crew allows him to organise three jobs (one per
month) between events. This brings in valuable commerce for his smartin’ bank account but
increases his fuel costs to 250 credits for the 3 months, luckily wily old McNally, his pilot, can plot him
the most efficient route and saves Regan a whole 50 credits!
Expense
Sustenance
Maintenance
Fuel
Cost/quarter
$100 per crew/passenger
10% cost of ship
100 credits plus 50 credits per job
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Mitigation
None
10% of cost per Mechanic
20% if anyone on board has Navigate skill.
30
Into the Black
The Preacher teaches the Companion how to maintain an assault rifle
Downtime
You can spend each of your three downtime months in the following ways:





Improvement of self: Simply put you can ‘bank’ one month towards learning a character skill
or virtuoso skill.
Improvement of ship: Assuming you have the appropriate parts you can repair/improve
your ship. The time taken for each job can be reduced if more people with the appropriate
skills are assigned to the task.
Research: Using either Research or Further Research skills to find out information.
Tinkering: Crafting items for use or sale at your next event, making explosives, repairing
weapons and armour, etc.
Working: Choosing from a list of jobs that are available for the downtime, only a captain or
designated deputy can collect jobs for their ship but must assign crew to each job. A ship
can only perform one job a month, success is determined by the crew skills applied to the
task. The captain assigns people but each crew member must set that month aside in
downtime to perform the task. If the relevant skills needed for the job are covered the task
goes ahead without a hitch and the ship receives the payoff which can be in money and/or
items that can be used or traded at the next event.
Training
All characters have up to three months to spend on acquiring standard skills. The time required to
learn a skill is one month per skill point (including any bonus points required for not having the prerequisite background) plus one month if you do not have a teacher. Thus, a 3-point untaught skill
takes 4 months (3 + 1) to learn. Any character that already has the skill may be your teacher.
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Note that a character may only teach one skill to one person each downtime, and this person/skill
should be included in the teacher’s downtime submission. However you can reciprocally teach (e.g.
John teaches Fred light armour, while Fred teaches John mechanics).
For example, Shepherd Locke is drawing on the skills he learnt in the Armed Forces to train the
Companion, Tobias, how to use an Assault Rifle. Lessons are role-played out in game and then added
to both Tobias’ and Locke’s downtime submissions. One shudders to think what Tobias may offer to
teach the Preacher in return.
Note that some skills such as Assault Rifle, Heavy Weapons and any Guild/Gang Affiliations cannot
be self-taught and require a teacher.
Slow Learners
Slow Learners can have a teacher but still require the additional month to learn a skill.
Repairs/Improvements
If you have acquired or can afford to buy the right parts you can upgrade your ship. For example,
improving fuel efficiency of the engines or installing salvage gear. Your downtime response will give
you an estimated number of person-hours till completion.
Tinkering
Some folks just like to build stuff, whether it’s a replacement part for the mule, a set of forged ID
cards or a pipe bomb. Making things takes time, so set aside a month or two of your downtime to a
hobby or a business venture to craft something. Below is a table of suggestions and is not a
definitive list of what can be made with which skills.
Product
False ID papers
Skill Required
Forgery, Cortexer, Knowledge
[Bureaucracy]
Hand Grenade
Knowledge [Demolitions],
Mechanic [Engineering] and
[Demolitions]
Mechanic [Demolitions]
and[MacGuyver/Engineering]
Pipe Bomb
Hydroponics Bay
Mechanic [Engineering],
Knowledge
[Agriculture/Botany]
Helpful Tools
Access to a Cortex, Contacts
[Underworld] or
[Bureaucracy], Friends in
High/Low Places.
Explosives tool kit, a
stable/non-moving
environment.
A stable/non-moving
environment and a degree of
insanity.
Seeds or cuttings and either
cargo or bunk space for the
end result.
Your downtime response will give you an estimated number of person-hours till completion. When
creating something for the first time (or for explosives) a coin toss will decide if it works.
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Into the Black
Working
Captains who have not acquired paying work for their crews, or even ones who have, can check out
the website to examine the lists of jobs available after each event. Each job will require the services
of a number of different skill sets. You can assign your crew members to a job but ensure they
allocate the time on their downtime submission - you can give your orders however you like, but
some folks don’t respect the chain of command till you hit them with it.
Jobs can provide much needed credits and dollars but also can produce other goods that you can
either sell on or bring with you to events to trade or use.
Loan Sharks
Each character must also pay 10% of the total value investments and debts that they currently hold,
whether or not the investments are allocated to ships or cargo per three month downtime period.
When you have paid off 150% of your total investment or 100% of your debt you can breathe easy
again but should you fail to make a payment two downtimes in a row expect to be paid a visit by
some decidedly unfriendly folks.
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Into the Black
Character Advancement
Virtuoso Skills
Each Virtuoso skill now carries a cost, for example Moment of Clarity is a two point skill but Tending
the Flock costs 10. In order to learn a virtuoso skill you need to devote the cost in months to train in
it. You cannot teach or be taught a Virtuoso skill, you just have to spend time honing your natural
talent.
The full list of Virtuoso Skills are below
Virtuoso Skill
The Kirk
Manoeuvre
Sucker punch*
Cost
2
4
Prereqs
Fist Fightin’ or
Martial Arts
The Kirk
Manoeuvre
Anaesthetist
6
Sucker punch
Lethal Weapon
10
Anaesthetist
Swashbuckler
2
Pacifier
4
Swords and Martial
Arts
Martial Arts
Stronger Kung Fu
6
Pacifier
Sinister Dexter
4
Pistol or Melee
[One Handed]
Gun Bunny
6
Assault Rifle
Iron Body
6
Lucky
8
Stun Resistance or
2 levels of Tough
Into the Black – Lightning Bug LARP Main Rules v1.03
Description
You may make the Knockdown call in
unarmed combat.
You may call Triple Strike in unarmed combat
once per day. Extra purchases grant 1
additional use per day per purchase.
You may call Quad Strike in unarmed combat
once per day.
You may lethal damage in unarmed combat.
Note: This means you could reduce someone
to negative body with unarmed combat.
You can double the amount of disarms you
can do with a sword.
You may make an additional use of Disarm
beyond your normal daily limit.
You may make an additional use of Grapple or
Break beyond your normal daily limit.
You may wield a one handed weapon/pistol
in each hand. You may call ‘Double’ using two
pistols on the same target and at the same
time. This will cost one round from each
pistol.
Note: this skill does not combine with the
Merit Strong as an Ox
You may use one additional call of
Suppression Fire per day before your assault
rifle runs dry.
You may ignore the stun effect of one call
with the Stun damage type.
This allows you to ignore all the damage from
a single Damage Call once per day. Simply call
‘DODGE’ which represents your character not
actually getting hit, due to dodging, or the
bullet hitting the tree beside you, etc. You
may also use this skill to take a damage call
from someone else within 5 feet of you,
taking the damage instead of them.
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Into the Black
Slippery Varmit
8
Martial Arts &
Escape Artist
Any Firearm skill
Dead Shot
10
Big Damn Shiny
Hero
0
Card Shark
2
2 Sophistication
Contacts (Type)
2
2 Sophistication
Survival Mastery
4
Survival
Whatever is to
hand
Friends in High
Places
6
Open Lock
6
Friends in Low
Places
6
Contacts, Guild
Membership
[Companion]
Contacts, Pilot
Lung Capacity
6
Tough
Sly as a Fox
6
Conceal
Stupidity
invalidates
Guarantee!
Improved Forensic
Analysis
Improved Forger
6
8
Forensic Analysis
8
Forgery
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You may make 1 additional use of Break
beyond your normal daily limit.
Using a warm up of 10 seconds you can target
not just a person but a specific location; e.g.
left arm, head, right leg, etc. Armour must
cover at least 50% of the location targeted to
be effective.
Arm shots Disarm the target, leg shots would
cause Knock down and head shots may well
circumvent any armour worn.
Note: A sniper rifle automatically confers the
ability Dead Shot whilst using that weapon.
You can sacrifice your character with no
chance of reprieve to accomplish a goal in
true heroic fashion. Please seek a Ref before
use.
You will gain an in game benefit to aid you in
gambling. Due to the nature of this benefit
you will only be informed of it by the ref team
Once per event you may call upon your
contacts for a relevant favour.
You may purchase Contacts multiple times
choosing different types each time.
You are well versed in Survival and even if
another Survivalist has covered their tracks
you can still track them.
Once per day you may open a lock without
having lock-picks or system-bypass tools.
You have friends in positions of authority and
once per event you may call upon your
contacts for a relevant favour.
You have friends on the streets and
spaceports across the ‘Verse. Once per event
you may call upon your contacts for a
relevant favour.
By roleplaying holding your breath you may
operate for three minutes (3 minutes)
without breathing; this makes you immune to
some Gas calls and allows you to survive in
areas where others would suffocate.
You may conceal two small weapons (such as
daggers or pistols) or items about your
person rather than just one.
When testing an invention for the first time
you may re-do the coin toss once per day if
you do not like the original attempt.
Can be purchased up to twice, each time
increasing the chance to spot forgery
Can be purchased up to twice, each time
increasing quality level of the forgery
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Into the Black
Moment of Clarity
2
Faith Member
Tending the Flock
10
Moment of Clarity
Cortex Ninja
4
Cortexer
Cortex Reaver
4
Cortexer
Cortex Architect
4
Cortexer
Armour Smith
2
Mechanic
Ad hoc Mechanics
Guild
4
Mechanic
Pipe Bomb Kid
6
Cut the Red Wire
8
Mechanic
(Demolitions)
Mechanic
(Demolitions)
Gaffa tape and
Utility Knife
8
Mechanic
(MacGuyer)
Grease Monkey
8
Mechanic
Into the Black – Lightning Bug LARP Main Rules v1.03
You have such clarity that you may ignore the
effects of pain as you take comfort in your
faith. When suffering grievous wounds,
extreme conditions, etc. you may role-play
being unfazed by the experience. You may
also act during a Suppression/Heavy Fire call
but you will take damage.
If a character is in negative Body and
therefore bleeding, you may take up position
next to them and begin praying, performing
rituals and offering wisdom to the injured
party. If you do so their mortality count is
paused for as long as you attend to them,
though it will continue as normal once you
stop.
For every minute using this skill you take a
point of stun damage and you cannot counter
this damage. You must be in contact with
patient at all times and even if awoken from
stun early cannot attempt to tend flock again
until the 10 minutes are up.
You take 30 seconds less when Infiltrating
into secured systems and add 30 seconds to
the time when Tampering using this skill.
You take 30 seconds less when Infiltrating
into secured systems and add 30 seconds to
the time during Clean Up using this skill.
You take 30 seconds less when using
diagnosis on systems and add 30 seconds to
the time Tampering using this skill.
You may attempt to mend armour of any type
in order to allow it to refresh Body points, you
do not require the relevant armour use skills
to do this.
When you assist another character in
resolving their Mechanic problem, the
solution takes 30 seconds less to resolve.
Subtract 30 seconds from the time shown on
the card. This stacks with other Mechanic
Virtuoso skills
You start each event with two pipe bombs.
Demolitions problems take you 30 seconds
less to solve. Subtract 30 seconds from the
time shown on the solution card.
Problems of a mechanical nature take you
30 seconds less to solve. Subtract 30 seconds
from the time shown on the solution card
Problems of a mechanical nature take you
30 seconds less to solve. Subtract 30 seconds
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Into the Black
Yoink!
8
Mechanic (Salvage)
Snap out of it!
4
Paramedic
Nurse
4
Medicine
Take Two & See
Me in the Morning
6
Nurse
Physician, heal thy
self
Frontier Doctor
8
8
Take Two & See
Me in the Morning
Frontier or Border
World Background,
Medicine
Barber Surgeon
Quarter
4
Surgery
Gifted Surgeon
8
Surgery
Flat-liner
10
Gifted Surgeon
Into the Black – Lightning Bug LARP Main Rules v1.03
from the time shown on the solution card
Problems of a mechanical nature take you
30 seconds less to solve. Subtract 30 seconds
from the time shown on the solution card
You may wake someone from
unconsciousness caused by a Stun effect.
Patients in your care recover lost body at
twice the normal speed; you must role-play
regularly attending to their needs.
Note: A doctor’s bag is required in order to
use this skill
You may administer the necessary medication
to another that they can ignore the effects of
pain when suffering grievous wounds. For the
next 30 minutes they can role-play being
unfazed by their injury. They are still injured
and still affected by any unresolved wound
cards that are open.
You can self-medicate using ‘Take Two & See
Me in the Morning’ and ‘Nurse’ yourself.
You may use any available materials at hand
for your first-aid if a first-aid kit is not
available; In addition, this allows you to jury
rig equipment required to resolve challenges
on Complication cards where the appropriate
medical equipment is not available.
When you assist another character in
resolving their surgery problem, the solution
takes 30 seconds less to resolve.
Subtract 30 seconds from the time shown on
the card. This stacks with other Surgeon
Virtuoso skills
You reduce the time required 30 seconds per
card of any surgery you undertake.
If you reach a patient that has died in the last
five minutes then you may attempt to return
them to life with suitable role-play. The ref
will toss a coin and the patient calls heads or
tails, if the coin lands in their favour they will
come back to life otherwise they remain
dead.
Only one attempt may be made on a dead
character.
Any character restored in this way will gain an
appropriate permanent injury role-play
effect, and loses one point of body.
Flat-liner cannot be used again on this
character until this effect is removed.
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Into the Black
Rehabilitation
10
War Stories
2
High G
Manoeuvres
6
Leaf on the Wind
8
Define Interesting
10
Nurse
Allows the character to recover from the
permanent injury effect gained from the use
of the virtuoso Flat-liner in downtime.
These sessions require 3 non-consecutive
months to be invested by both Nurse and
patient in order for full recovery to occur.
After this point the patient may be revived by
the Flat-liner ability once more.
Pilot
If another member of your crew is rendered
unconscious through combat then you may
pick up and use any weapon they were
carrying until the danger has passed, even if
you do not have the requisite skill.
Pilot
You have the high-G tolerance required for
combat manoeuvres in atmosphere and
space.
This may narratively change the outcome of
some actions while piloting ships and
Shuttles.
High G Manoeuvres A pilot piloting a ship or shuttle may negate
the effect of one hit on their vehicle.
Leaf on the Wind
You can land your ship regardless of the
damage it has sustained. Any landing you can
crawl away from, right?
Not all folks in the ‘Verse are friendly
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