The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Changeling Questions
Falar:
Personally, I would never see someone who is fully fae as having the free will required to be a PC. It's such a low refresh option in many cases (Cobb, Elf, Goblin, Hob, Malk, Pixie, and Sylph, which is about half of what I saw) that I'm sure the game designers would have included the option if they felt that it was in keeping with the world as presented in the books. I don't feel that they did, which is why I cite that.
I do definitely agree that whatever your game has, go with it where you will. I just couldn't say I was running a Dresdenverse game if I had full fae creatures as PCs. That does not strike me as something that even works. They are entirely bound to their natures. Debts, exchanges, truth. Etc. Without a lot of work and justification, I could not see myself ever running with something like that. There are a couple ways I could see it possibly working out, but they're pretty contrived.
drnuncheon:
--- Quote from: Falar on May 10, 2010, 01:39:04 AM ---Fully fae means you don't have free will. You are bound to your nature. If they meant for there to be an option to be fully fae and be a PC, then there would be a Fae template.
--- End quote ---
If the Choice was meant to make them go NPC, then they would be specifically noted (like the Red Court Infected on page 80).
Keep in mind that most of the fey we see Harry dealing with are those in the upper reaches of power: Mab, Maeve, Leanansidhe. That's some serious refresh cost there. And one changeling we saw go fey became the Summer Lady. There's a lot more leeway at the lower levels - when Morgan is ready to kill Harry in Storm Front for breaking the Fourth Law, the argument is meaningless if Toot doesn't have free will (or something like it).
Last, in the game, the idea of "free will" is a sliding scale. A White Court Virgin in a "Feet in the Water" game who kills using her Emotional Vampire abilities becomes an NPC and loses all of her free will - but the exact same character in a "Chest Deep" game is a viable PC.
John Galt:
Just my two cents:
You should look at the lore of Dresdenverse in general, since that is what this RPG is meant to emulate. And if you do you'll find fully Fae characters don't have the same free will mortals or changelings do. When Harry interacts with Lily and Fix after they become Summer Lady and Knight, they are literally not allowed to help him directly. They're not allowed to fight with him, and they're not allowed to give information to him. Even though they WANT TO. That is pretty much the definition of NOT HAVING A FREE WILL.
So in game, like all games of this nature, it's entirely up to the GM if he/she wants to allow it, but as far as the lore of the novels go, and the rules suggested by game designers, a fully Fae PC isn't possible.
Walker_Blade:
Um, while I actually agree that Fae have no free will and should generally not be PCs, your example of not having free will includes a human. Fix may be the Summer Knight, but that IS a PC template and he does have free will, he was under a magical compulsion.
paul_Harkonen:
On the other hand Toot, the Erkling, and (it seems to some extent) Gobblins do have an element of Free Will. They can make choices whether or not to be involved, and can choose who to bind themselves to and how to behave. It becomes a question of how you define free will I think. If you mean it in the sense of "God gave us Free Will" then you are correct about Fae. If you mean it more in the sense of, have control over their own choices and can make independent decisions it becomes less clear. (Keep in mind that mortals can also make deals whereby the can't aid others, even if they want to and instead must find ways around it, just as Lily (click to show/hide)does when she lends Harry the Fireflies of Summer Fire in Proven Guilty.
This one is going to have to just be a GM and players game time decision I think. It seems pretty clear to me that there isn't a conclusive ruling from the book, and so it makes sense to have a discussion about it with your group.
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