Situational Awareness
Know where you are: First ... in relation to the other folks involved. Are you close, close enough to stare down the barrel of a gun? So far away you need a scope to see them? Somewhere in the middle where getting to them a'fore they shoot you just mite be a bit risky? Know where you are: second .. in terms of the setting - a crowded dockside filled with vendors, mules, pallets of cargo and heavy traffic? A saloon commons, with both bottles of liquor and those nice big heavy glass mugs within reach? Not to mention the wheel spoke candelabra - whose citified crystal cousin you'd expect to find in a fancy ballroom. As a player, you need to be comfortable with the setting and the other participants - because this is the foundation from which you can draw your actions and poses, this is where the clues and solutions are ... in return the person running the scene needs to be equally knowledgeable so they can, in addition to maintaining the scene's verisimilitude, provide the players with the opportunities for their creative solutions.
If Wash can do it so can you. Don't worry for numbers and code or the whatever; that's for the person running the scene and the Judge to worry for - they'll tell you what to roll. Look at the setting, the other folk, the action, and reach into your character and ask - just what they do in this situation. Follow that path and while yes, you might get hurt, but you won't go wrong. Don't just "I shoot the bad guy"; bring it out from your character, use your descriptive words: "Kelly looks at the dark hunk of metal like it was some sort of snake, and considering the way her hand shakes as she raises it up, it just might be a rattler. Turning her head she covers her eyes with her free hand, swallows, points the pistol that-a-way, pulling the trigger. And prays. There's lotsa praying. "
Sure one can be nigh invincible with a high dodge and firearms skill; and yes, it's the Big Damn Hero come to the rescue. It's fun the first time ... interesting the second ... but after a while it gets old - not just for you but for everyone else in the scene. First, remember, Firefly was an ensemble cast ... you get to shine, give others their chance too. And when things start to get predictable; like "bang-dead=bang-dead" its probably time be creative. We know you can shoot, what about a thrown weapon? Dirty pool, acrobatics ... or even the banking on your reputation to change the rules of the game. Remember, when given two bad guy lackeys, Mal didn't shoot them ... more importantly, he didn't shove BOTH of them into the engine.
Firefly is cinematic in nature and thus the rules of physics and common sense at times can and will be bent. This is represented by the taskroll at a high difficulty level which by the perversion of the 'Verse somehow comes through. So yes, anything can be done ... the trick, of course, is balancing the challenge with the difficulty with the storytelling ... just remember, when attempting that spectacular success there is the equal possibility of the spectacular ... not ... success.
There are no surprises, no rolling first and then figuring out what happens. The moment's consideration has to come before the roll, not after - otherwise known as the effect comes after the cause. This is not the Admin, Judge or person running the scene's job; this is not their story, it's YOURS. No one can play your character for you - and the folks running the scene needs to know what YOU want to do o they can best guide you. Get stuck, the best answer is to talk it over, review the possibilities, look for that hook you need and to do so communication is key.
Everyone plays out a plot differently; each person has their own way of doing them. Some folks do murder mysteries, some rollicing action adventures, some are combat oriented while others try and challenge your problem solving abilities. If there's a problem, or you are thrown off balance, talk to the person running the scene; if you don't know what to expect, just ask.
