OneDice Abney Park’s Airship Pirates vs Serenity RPG
Compare OneDice Abney Park’s Airship Pirates and Serenity RPG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| OneDice Abney Park’s Airship Pirates | Serenity RPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi | Sci-Fi |
| Tags | Pirates, Ship-Based, Licensed IP, Skill-Based, Cinematic, Pulp Action, Random Tables | Licensed IP, Ship-Based, Cinematic, Narrative, Character-Driven, Classless, Skill-Based, Character Building, Tactical, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 1d6 plus one relevant ability and an applicable skill if any, then meet or beat the Gamekeeper’s target number. Opposed checks compare totals, while Doubloons can secure non-combat success, turn a hit into a miss, or power swashbuckling stunts. | Roll an Attribute die and a relevant Skill die and add their results to meet a difficulty or beat an opposing roll. Ratings use d2–d12 and add extra dice above d12. The Game Master chooses the Attribute paired with each Skill. Personal modifiers change die sizes; outside conditions change the difficulty. Plot Points buy bonus dice before a roll or add +1 per point afterward. |
| Dice | d6 | d2–d12 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Paid | Out of print |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 3 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | No verified route found |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Cakebread & Walton | Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. |
| Year | 2014 | 2005 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want fast, cinematic campaigns about a shared airship crew, with boarding actions and procedurally generated Skyloft destinations. | Groups who want to play a working-class spaceship crew taking risky jobs on a Western-flavored frontier. It suits tables that like a light core roll, dangerous gunfights, and characters defined as much by their flaws as by their skills. |
| Highlights | Doubloons refresh each session and turn danger into player choices by averting harm or enabling cinematic stunts. Airship combat uses abstract range bands to structure chases and boarding actions for the whole crew. Random Skyloft tables generate aerial settlements with distinct economies and local customs. | Playing up a mandatory Complication earns Plot Points, so a character's flaws fund the bonus dice and damage reduction they need in a crisis. Plot Points buy GM-approved story facts on a priced scale from inconsequential to major, giving players a measured say in the plot. The crew's ship has its own Attributes, Traits, and Skills, giving its condition and quirks a mechanical role in play. |
| Considerations | The Gamekeeper sets target numbers and many situational modifiers, so table consistency depends on shared expectations. Player pirates reduced to zero Health by lethal damage die unless Medicine succeeds within three combat rounds; a Doubloon instead leaves them unconscious. The setting includes authoritarian oppression and slavery. | Severe Wounds penalize every Attribute die and can require surgery followed by days of recovery. Owning a ship adds monthly bookkeeping: a maintenance roll sets the bill, and each month of skipped upkeep lowers the ship's Vitality toward a breakdown. Social conflict uses ordinary Influence rolls with no dedicated procedure for arguments, negotiation, or deception. |