The Dresden Files > DFRPG

A hint about the game system

<< < (2/4) > >>

finarvyn:

--- Quote from: iago on June 01, 2006, 11:19:18 PM ---I will say that there's nothing requiring people to buy "special" Fudge dice. It's pretty easy to just use a standard set of six-sided dice and just read 5 or 6 as "+1" and 1 or 2 as "-1".
--- End quote ---
No, but the special dice are kind of neat.  8)

jtaylor:
I'm just glad that the game isn't going be d20. While there are some big power differences between Harry, Billy, and Butters I don't think that the class/level system would work well with Harry's world. My game system of choice is GURPS, and I have run a modern GURPS 3rd edition campaign that is very similar to Harrys world. I think the fate based system will work well. I am looking forward to the RPG, both for the game itself and for a background book for the series.

finarvyn:

--- Quote from: jtaylor on June 02, 2006, 08:37:02 PM ---I'm just glad that the game isn't going be d20. While there are some big power differences between Harry, Billy, and Butters I don't think that the class/level system would work well with Harry's world.
--- End quote ---
I’m not a big fan of the d20 system, but I am a big fan of the original D&D system and have this sort of discussion with my peers on those boards all the time. I have no idea why so many people are opposed to using a class/level system for modern or futuristic settings, but for some reason they are. All a class/level system really does is create a template or bundle of skills and split characters into stereotyped roles that allow for players to find their place in “the team” that much faster. I have used modified OD&D rules for Star Wars, modern-magic (before I ever heard of Harry Dresden) and other settings. It can be done just fine.


--- Quote from: jtaylor on June 02, 2006, 08:37:02 PM ---My game system of choice is GURPS, and I have run a modern GURPS 3rd edition campaign that is very similar to Harrys world.
--- End quote ---
I own a whole shelf of GURPS products. It’s a fine game usable for pretty much every setting imaginable, but I use my GURPS stuff more like sourcebooks than as an actual game. I have found a few too many ways that clever players can “break” GURPS and prefer to avoid that. (Having said that, GURPS has an excellent point system to build characters and I like the fact that each player can develop a character the way he/she wants and they still should end up balanced. I often import this basic point system into my Amber Diceless style campaigns.)


--- Quote from: jtaylor on June 02, 2006, 08:37:02 PM ---I think the fate based system will work well. I am looking forward to the RPG, both for the game itself and for a background book for the series.
--- End quote ---
Yes. I think that the magic system for DFRPG should be particularly interesting, and the hope is that the RPG will provide a lot of background material for a campaign.

Belmonte:

--- Quote from: finarvyn on June 04, 2006, 01:45:17 PM ---Yes. I think that the magic system for DFRPG should be particularly interesting, and the hope is that the RPG will provide a lot of background material for a campaign.
--- End quote ---

My main hope is that the system models the series well, and that we don't end up with all the main characters being gods compared to any 'chargen' PC.  An example of this is the old D6 Star Wars stuff, where all the primary characters needed an insane number of experience to model--even Luke in his 'farmboy' mode.  Or Amber, where it basically says no PC will ever compete with the Elders--in spite of the fact that this actually happened in the second series. :)

finarvyn:

--- Quote from: Belmonte on June 04, 2006, 02:40:20 PM ---My main hope is that the system models the series well, and that we don't end up with all the main characters being gods compared to any 'chargen' PC.
--- End quote ---
Belmonte, you have mentioned a classic problem in designing any game based upon a book or a movie, and I'm not at all certain that there is an easy answer.

1. If the game is designed such that book NPCs are gods, then there is the implied frustration of never being able to compete with them in anything. Players may not feel like the star of the series because there are always greater characters overshadowing their actions. In essence, you get a RPG where we get to play Dr. Watson as we assist Sherlock Holmes. Such fun.

2. If the game is designed such that book NPCs are not much better than the PCs, we often get the reverse effect. "Hey, we rolled up characters and defeated Sauron. What do you guys wanna do next time?" D&D had this crisis when they put stats (like hit points) in for gods of various mythos, and their only avenue of escape was to invent the avatar. "Well ... you didn't actually kill Zeus, but you killed his avatar."

Either way, some people will be upset by the design choice. I believe that the best action in general is to target the top NPCs at the maximum level that PCs would be expected to reach with the hopes that extended play would eventually allow someone to equal and tie Harry, if not actually beat him.


--- Quote from: Belmonte on June 04, 2006, 02:40:20 PM ---Or Amber, where it basically says no PC will ever compete with the Elders--in spite of the fact that this actually happened in the second series. :)
--- End quote ---
I believe you are referring to the "Merlin was a PC" discussion from Shadow Knight? Of course, ADRP is also designed such that each individual GM can determine the attribute scale for the PCs and NPCs in the campaign, so whereas in Zelazny's world (for example) no one could out-Strength Gerard it is certainly possible for a PC to do so in someone's campaign if they so choose.

The wonderful thing about the ADRP character generation system is that all characters of equal point values are theoretically perfectly balanced. If some attribute or power seems to good a deal, it's probably not worth what you think it is...

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page