River Tam

**NAME**: River Tam
**TYPE**: Fugitive Psychic
**SPECIES**: Human
**HEIGHT** : 1.676 m (5' 6")
**WEIGHT**: 55kg
**AGE**: 17
**GENDER**: Female

**DEXTERITY**: 4D

* Archaic Guns: 6D
* Blaster: 6D
* Brawling Parry: 6D
* Brawling Parry (S) Martial Arts: 8D
* Dancing: 6D+2
* Dodge: 6D+2
* Firearms: 6D
* Firearms (S) Pistols: 7D+1
* Melee Combat: 6D
* Melee Parry: 6D
* Running: 6D

**KNOWLEDGE**: 3D+2

* Business: 4D+2
* Cultures: 5D+2
* Languages: 5D
* Law Enforcement: 5D+2
* Scholar: 5D+2
* Tactics: 5D+2
* Value: 4D+2

**MECHANICAL**: 4D+1

* Archaic Starship Pilot: 6D+1
* Astrogation: 5D+2
* Capital Ship Pilot: 6D+1
* Communications: 5D+2
* Sensors: 6D+1
* Space Transports: 6D+1
* Starfighter Pilot: 6D+1

**PERCEPTION**: 3D

* Con: 5D
* Gambling: 5D
* Investigation: 4D
* Search: 4D

**STRENGTH**: 2D+1

* Brawling: 4D+1
* Brawling (S) Martial Arts: 6D+1
* Climbing / Jumping: 4D+1
* Lifting: 4D+1
* Stamina: 4D+1
* Swimming: 4D+1

**TECHNICAL**: 4D+2

* Computer Programming / Repair: 5D+1
* Security: 5D+1

**MOVE**: 10
**FORCE SENSITIVE**: yes
**FORCE POINTS**: 5
**DARK SIDE POINTS**: 0
**CHARACTER POINTS**: 15

**Notes**:

* This version of River is designed to be balanced with the rest of Serenity’s crew, and may not match her abilities as seen in the film.

**GEAR**: River is not allowed to carry weapons on-board Serenity (after a few
unfortunate incidents involving knives and guns), and does not carry anything
other than random objects that catch her curiosity. She’s not even given to
wearing shoes, either.

**Traits**

* Deadly Enemy (Minor Complication) - River has been pursued by the Alliance government (including specialized agents and contracted bounty hunters) since her escape from the “Academy” with the help of her brother, Simon. The Alliance seems to be ready to do most anything to re-acquire her.

* Leaky Brainpan (Major Complication) - Whatever happened to her at the Academy—which certainly included unusual brain surgery, drug therapy, and psychological conditioning—has left River with an “altered reality matrix.” She perceives the world differently than most folk, and has trouble communicating with others.

* Loyal (Minor Complication) - Simon gave up everything he had and risked his life to save River, and now she would do anything for him.

* Memorable (Minor Complication) - River, with her unpredictable behavior, mood swings, and bare feet, tends to stick out in most folks’ minds.

* Reader (Major Asset) - River is able to sense the world and thoughts of those around her with supernatural sensitivity. She does not have the know-how to shut her abilities off, however, and doesn’t always understand what she sees or hears.

* Total Recall (Major Asset) - River makes her gifted brother sometimes look like an idiot child. She remembers everything she sees and hears, making some things come as naturally as breathing.

* Traumatic Flashes (Major Complication) - The abuse River suffered at the hands of the Alliance government, along with terrible secrets buried deep in her psyche, has left her with terrifying flashbacks and nightmares. These strike when unknown triggers set them off, or for no reason at all.

**Role Playing Notes**

“Whimsical in the brainpan. That’s the polite way of describing her. The notso-
polite way is to say the teenage girl’s flat-out crazy. She hears things that no one says, sees things different than they truly are. One time she shot three people clean through the head with a single bullet each and her with eyes closed.

“She’s a reader, I’ve come to believe. She reads minds. The doc, her brother, Simon, did a scan of her brain and discovered that the Alliance went in and cut on her—for what reason, best to ask them.

“She’s quick-thinking, if sometimes odd-thinking. She does have her quirks, such as taking it into her head to slash Jayne with a knife because she didn’t like the color of his shirt.

“Truth is, we never know what River’s going to do next, and while that does perk up our lives, it is a mite unsettling. We never know but that we could wake up some morning to find she’s murdered us all in our bunks.

“Still, none of us is perfect and River does have a kind of way about her, when she’s not stabbing folk, and so long as the doctor keeps her drugged up and does his job, she and he can remain part of Serenity.

“You see, it’s occurred to me that there are times when a girl with the ability to read minds might come in handy in our line of work...”

—Conversation with Malcolm Reynolds

**Source**:

* Serenity Role Playing Game (pages 24-25)
* thedemonapostle