The Dresden Files > DFRPG

anyone tried....? ideas and other systems to adapt to the Dresdenverse.

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finarvyn:
Wow, Bosh, that was a long post (but a good one!)

FATE is certainly an abstract system and this is a bonus to some and a penalty to others. FATE is all about options, which means that sometimes reading the rulebook gets pretty heavy due to the sheer volume of examples and descriptions. Often I'll just take the information and trim it down to a few essentials so that it doesn't seem overwhelming. I guess the key is that FATE either "clicks" for you or it doesn't, and it looks kind of intimidating until you see how the parts fit together.

As far as using other RPG systems for Dresden, I've used the Buffy RPG with a lot of success (and liked its cinematic approach more than Witchcraft, which is more gritty) and am currently tinkering with Supernatural because the Cortex system is pretty simple. My problem is that some of my players are willing to experiment with more dramatic systems like FATE, but others want something more traditional. I've also run a Dresden game using the Amber Diceless system and it works really well, but is quite similar to FATE in some ways. Another option might be Monte Cook's World of Darkness, which is d20-based and may be more familar as well. Some folks have told me that Mutants & Masterminds is an excellent d20 variant for Dresden. Bottom line is that it would appear that there are many RPG systems that can run the Dresdenverse pretty well. Pick one you're most familiar with and play!

Encryptedmind:
I found that changing the setting to shadowrun worked great. Th magic systems worked perfectly

Kristine:

--- Quote from: Encryptedmind on October 27, 2009, 03:45:48 PM ---I found that changing the setting to shadowrun worked great. Th magic systems worked perfectly

--- End quote ---
But it isn't free form enough to make up your own spells is it?

Gilesth:

--- Quote from: Kristine on October 27, 2009, 05:03:22 PM ---But it isn't free form enough to make up your own spells is it?

--- End quote ---

Actually, from what I've read of FATE 2.0 and SotC, a lot of the things you do require you to declare to the GM, "I want to do <give an example>."  At that point, the GM will set the difficulty and call for a roll, depending on the complexity of the situation.  I'm not sure how the magic system is going to work, but in the Dresden Files books, there have been times where Harry says that magic will do almost anything (as far as the wielder is strong enough) as long as the practitioner believes in what they are doing.  So some wizards could invent new spells, if they chose to.

ClarkValentine:

--- Quote from: Gilesth on October 28, 2009, 03:15:42 AM ---So some wizards could invent new spells, if they chose to.
--- End quote ---

There certainly won't be any definitive list of spells, a la D&D. That's not a slam on D&D (which I like and play regularly), but that sort of thing just isn't going to work for Dresden-style magic.

Dresden's magic system is pretty freeform. Evocation requires the player to describe what sort of effect they're going for, then decide how strong to make the effect (how many "shifts" of power they want, in FATE terminology). Then they make a roll on the appropriate skill and off they go. Thaumaturgy works in a similar way, but the player gets more time to make it work - it's a lot less likely for stuff to go wrong, but it takes a lot longer.  The greater the number of shifts of effect the player wants, the tougher the roll. Reach too high and you risk inflicting consequences on yourself - or the neighboring architecture, bystanders, allies, etc. Reach too low and your opponent will shrug off the effect, burst through the wind wall, swat aside the hailstones you've conjured, or whatever.

Some characters (like wizards) get a certain number of "rote" spells, which are essentially canned spells that let the player skip the roll (like d20's "Take 10" - you assume a neutral roll and go with that value); it's quick and reliable, but not terribly flexible. Of course, a lot of times you don't need flexible. Harry's "Fuego!" is a good example of a rote.

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