[RPG] What Classic/Old-School Sci-Fi Adventures might adapt well to a Serenity Game

published-adventuresscience-fictionserenity

I'm going to be running a one-shot Serenity game and I'm not sure if any of the published adventures fit what I want to do. I've thought about mining some older modules (e.g., Traveller), but I've done very little Sci-Fi gaming and I'm not sure where to start.

Are there any SF modules that are generally considered to be top-notch in the way that Keep on the Borderlands, Village of Hommlet, etc. are in D&D? Since it will be for a Serenity game, settings like Star Wars wouldn't adapt as easily, so I'd prefer something a little closer as a starting point. That said, I can always change it around to fit the setting if the structure is really good.

I'm looking for something that is more towards the open-ended rather than the scripted end of things, and would ideally include both ship and planet-side action.

Maybe I'm being to picky, but figured I'd throw it out there.

Best Answer

Many of the Classic Traveller adventure materials could be easily adapted.

easily adaptable:
Adv 8 Prison Planet
Adv 9 Nomads of the World Ocean
Adv 11 Murder on Arcturus Station
Most of Sup 6 76 patrons
CT D02 Double 02a Across The Bright Face/Mission On Mithril - both halves!
CT D04 Double 04a Marooned/Marooned Alone

Some "rather iffy - bends the 'verse" Traveller adventures:
Adv 2: Research Station Gamma - intelligent aliens; otherwise, a rather doable conversion
Adv 7: Broadsword - the adventure itself is suitable, but most of the module isn't the adventure.
Adv 10 Safari Ship - again, more about the ship than the adventure
CT D01 01a Annic Nova/Shadows - both deal with aliens pre-current imperium.
CT D05 Double 05a The Chamax Plague/Horde - Alien life.

Ones that don't fit well
Adv 1: Kinunir - it's a "show off the system mechanics" issue.
Adv 3: Twilight's Peak - intelligent aliens; ancients. Strongly OTU
Adv 4: Leviathan - another "show off the mechanics"
Adv 5: Trillion Credit Squadron - Not an adventure
Adv 6: Expedition to Zhodane - Aliens, specific-to-OTU theme.
Adv 12 Secret of the Ancients- Aliens, specific-to-OTU theme.
Adv 13 Signal GK- Aliens, specific-to-OTU theme.

The Traveller Adventure is chock full of useful stuff, but the campaign metaplot is unusable due to both being too OTU, and involving too many aliens. Many chapters, however, are perfect fits... Zilan Wine comes to mind immediately.

MT didn't have many separately published, tho' many were in Traveller's Digest or in Challenge. Both Knightfall and The Flaming Eye are so OTU focused that conversions would be unrecogniable and lots of work.

Mongoose's Traveller has a few that could be easily adapted... In general, tho' only 760 Patrons really is worth the time.