The Dresden Files > DFRPG

Frustrated Question on Morality and denied characater concepts in Dresden RPG

<< < (7/12) > >>

Rel Fexive:
I see scions as being much like changelings.  The more they embrace the Other, and the more power that gives them, the less freedom they have and more they are forced to act according to the nature of their Other.  Yes, I have a character idea based around that.

Indraasil:
Now, I don't know the rules for Spirit of the Century, so lacking that as a background I might be a little confused, but here's my problem: It seems to me that so long as a wizard does not enter into pacts (such as swearing on his power), it's entirely possible for him (or her) to achieve quite a lot of power and retain free will.  Yet from what I've read, as your PC wizard gains power he will eventually lose free will.  That doesn't quite make sense to me; a wizard, constantly practicing his art and performing it in combat will keep on getting better.  Sure, he might become paranoid and jaded, but I don't see how that will actually override his capability to make decisions.

I understand that creatures like vampires and the Fair Folk are "slaves to their nature", but I think wizards and practitioners aren't comparable if they don't use black magic or enter into demonic pacts and the like.  So maybe I could get a bit of clarification?

iago:

--- Quote from: Jaroslav on April 22, 2009, 10:27:44 PM ---I can't see Marcone as having a positive refresh. Especially with his soul gaze describing his personality as being like that of a tiger. That sounds like someone controlled by their own nature to me.

--- End quote ---
Yeah, he's close to the edge. At some refresh levels, I don't think he's doable -- look at his power base and knife tricks alone! -- but I could see him as MAYBE just being this side of having free will in a game with a higher general power level..

TheMouse:

--- Quote from: Indraasil on April 22, 2009, 10:34:56 PM ---I understand that creatures like vampires and the Fair Folk are "slaves to their nature", but I think wizards and practitioners aren't comparable if they don't use black magic or enter into demonic pacts and the like.  So maybe I could get a bit of clarification?

--- End quote ---

Mechanically, it works like this:

Characters have a pool of points, called fate points. Each session it begins filled to a certain point. This point is called your refresh. So if your refresh is 5, your fate point total begins at 5 each session. Abilities beyond the norm are purchased as Stunts. Stunts reduce your refresh. Things like magical power, super speed, and the like come as Stunts.

Here comes on the scene Aspects. These are things about your character that are both narratively and mechanically important to the game, with both an up side and a down side. So an Aspect, "Always polite to women," might be possible. You can use a fate point with such an Aspect to add to a roll. Let's say you're convincing a woman to let you past security. You spend a fate point and justify the bonus you get by saying that  she's impressed by how polite you are and thinks you are trustworthy.

Remember the bit about a bad part? Well, those are called compels. The person running the game (or even you) can force you to act differently by compelling an Aspect. These complicate your life. You might be about to do something and the person running the game might point out that doing that would be really rude to the woman you're talking to. You can then either accept a fate point and act accordingly or spend a fate point and do whatever you want.

This is where freedom comes in. The higher your refresh, the more fate points you're likely to have. The more fate points you have, the more compels you can resist. The more compels you can resist, the more you can do whatever you'd like.

Since Stunts -- from which magical power  is derived -- reduce your refresh, they cause you to need to give in to more compels. This reduces your freedom of choice somewhat, therefore magic stuff reduces your freedom of choice.

Remember all those times where Harry can't use technology or the like? Those are compels against some applicable Aspect in game terms. You know how he is chivalrous to a fault? Likewise, a compel. In the thinking of FATE, that is a decrease in free will.

Before you get worried that you're going to be forced to do things you don't want to, that isn't how things work. You choose your own Aspects. You choose exactly how successful compels affect your behaviour. By the wording of an Aspect and how you choose to react to it, you're choosing what problems you'd like your character to face. Characters not facing problems is boring.

In terms of the books, it's not exactly the same. Harry doesn't lack free will because he can use magic. He is, however, pushed into a variety of situations because he's a wizard. He lives in "interesting times," as it were. Normal folks around him lack quite that weirdness magnet thing going on in his life.

So it's not that wizards lack all free will. It's that wizards live complicated lives. The more powerful they are, the more complicated their lives get. Real ass kickers are ruled by their passions, chased by their pasts, and bound to make dreadful decisions.

Indraasil:
Thanks TheMouse, that really helped me out.   It seems a little odd to me though; let's use your example aspect, "always polite to women".  Why would a mortal with stunts such as magic be more likely to give in to this aspect than a mortal without stunts?  Or is this a game mechanic which is entirely abstract and not really supposed to be grounded in reality?

Still, my worries are quite assuaged, as the system seems to be simply encouraging acting in-character rather than limiting your options.  I think I'll have to go read the rules system now...

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page