Author Topic: Amount of Lore in the RPG  (Read 12439 times)

Offline Lanodantheon

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 439
  • A Wizard is as a Wizard does...
    • View Profile
Amount of Lore in the RPG
« on: August 16, 2008, 02:37:10 AM »
With each new book more and more lore is revealed about the Dresdenverse. Obviously, the RPG will have lore up to and including the most recent book, Small Favor or the next book, Turn Coat. The lore revealed is limited primarily by Harry's exposure to it. He won't be talking about a piece of lore unless it is relevant to what is happening. But there are parts of the Dresden World Harry never talks about like the Sensitive Magics and the kinds of powers a high-end Wizard can have. For example, Harry didn't know about
(click to show/hide)
until it happened to him, but it did exist before that.


What I am wondering is: will the RPG will have lore not revealed directly in the books thus far?
Will the RPG have any exclusive content like the mysterious Jade Court?

My general impression is no and that the RPG will be playing catch up for years.
www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/the-emerald-city  (Nov 2012 Campaign of The Month)

fate-accelerated-star-wars-the-infinite-empire.obsidianportal.com/
(June 2016 Campaign of The Month)

My name is Lanodantheon Thul, Conjure that by your own risk....But first, you have be able to spell it...

Offline rgm0005

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 484
    • View Profile
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2008, 06:28:03 AM »
Well, personally, (having looked around the site) I think it will, as I've found quite a bit of useful information on it that I either missed, or wasn't in the book in the first place.

Offline ludomaniac

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 416
    • View Profile
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2008, 02:25:51 PM »
None of the writers has ever mentioned there being "exclusive" lore in the RPG.  It will be current through the first 10 books, the published short stories, the "Welcome To The Jungle" comic, and the upcoming novella "Backup".  The info based on that source material will apparently be quite detailed.

I know that updates are planned.  I think Fred said they might be PDFs.  Further down the line, we may get a second edition.  Remember, however, that there are 13 books left to go.  And right now they're concentrating on getting the game out in the first place.

NOTE: I am in no way involved with the game or with Evil Hat.  I'm just repeating what I've gleaned from this site and the podcasts.
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C. S. Lewis

Offline chadu

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 78
    • View Profile
    • Atomic Sock Monkey Press
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2008, 06:45:21 AM »
None of the writers has ever mentioned there being "exclusive" lore in the RPG.  It will be current through the first 10 books, the published short stories, the "Welcome To The Jungle" comic, and the upcoming novella "Backup".  The info based on that source material will apparently be quite detailed.

I know that updates are planned.  I think Fred said they might be PDFs.  Further down the line, we may get a second edition.  Remember, however, that there are 13 books left to go.  And right now they're concentrating on getting the game out in the first place.

NOTE: I am in no way involved with the game or with Evil Hat.  I'm just repeating what I've gleaned from this site and the podcasts.

I am involved with the game and Evil Hat, and I can say that you're more or less correct.

* There is no RPG exclusive lore. It's all sourced from the books (with maybe one or two bits expanded upon in email exchanges with Jim).

* It will be current through the first 10 books (ending with Small Favor), the published short stories ("Something Borrowed," "Heorot," and "It's My Birthday, Too"), and the "Welcome To The Jungle" comic.

* As for "Backup", it's a little problematic -- given the narrator, it doesn't fit our take on the way the game presents itself (Billy and the Alphas trying to make this game to duplicate the effect Dracula had in the Dresdenverse). However, nothing in the RPG will contradict "Backup."

* "Backup" might be a candidate for a PDF supplement... but that's more Fred's call than mine.


Chad Underkoffler
Atomic Sock Monkey Press

Offline ludomaniac

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 416
    • View Profile
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2008, 04:39:22 PM »
Quote
However, nothing in the RPG will contradict "Backup."

Okay, now I am really, really looking forward to reading "Backup".  I'm guessing that Thomas may know things that would surprise Harry quite a bit.  Am I right?
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C. S. Lewis

Offline Shecky

  • Bartender
  • O. M. G.
  • ****
  • Posts: 34672
  • Feh.
    • View Profile
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2008, 04:41:37 PM »
Okay, now I am really, really looking forward to reading "Backup".  I'm guessing that Thomas may know things that would surprise Harry quite a bit.  Am I right?

How ever did you guess that? ;D
Official forum rules and precepts; please read: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,23096.0.html

Quote from: Stanton Infeld
Well, if you couldn't do that with your bulls***, Leonard, I suspect the lad's impervious.

Offline Lanodantheon

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 439
  • A Wizard is as a Wizard does...
    • View Profile
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2008, 02:19:19 PM »
Chadu. that answers my Question quite well.

...our take on the way the game presents itself (Billy and the Alphas trying to make this game to duplicate the effect Dracula had in the Dresdenverse).

I didn't know that. That's cool....no, that's Brilliant.  :o  Now I want the game even more.. :'(
www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/the-emerald-city  (Nov 2012 Campaign of The Month)

fate-accelerated-star-wars-the-infinite-empire.obsidianportal.com/
(June 2016 Campaign of The Month)

My name is Lanodantheon Thul, Conjure that by your own risk....But first, you have be able to spell it...

Offline finarvyn

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 340
  • White Knight of Chicago
    • View Profile
    • OD&D Discussion
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2008, 09:40:22 PM »
I am involved with the game and Evil Hat, and I can say that you're more or less correct.
I'm also part of the development of the RPG and I can second Chadu's statements. The intent of the RPG isn't really to expand on the Dresdenverse as much as it is to explain it in gaming terms.

This isn't strictly the case, however, since there will be material about Baltimore and how to design/Dresdenify your own city. Of course any information provided on these topics won't be "official" in that Jim will be able to contradict any of that material and not feel bad about it, but certainly those elements of the game will be an "expansion" to the book series.
Marv / Finarvyn
Greater Warden of Chicago
Dresden Files RPG Playtester
I support Colonial Gothic and Thousand Suns
OD&D Player since 1975

Offline ludomaniac

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 416
    • View Profile
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2008, 02:21:45 AM »
Here's a question for those of you actually writing the book.  There are expositions on magical theory scattered throughout the novels.  Does magical theory get its own chapter or section?  It's one of the coolest aspects of the Dresden Files: we sort of know why all this stuff works, at least in fictional terms.
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C. S. Lewis

Offline finarvyn

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 340
  • White Knight of Chicago
    • View Profile
    • OD&D Discussion
Re: Amount of Lore in the RPG
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2008, 03:22:27 AM »
Does magical theory get its own chapter or section?
Well, the plan is to give as many details as possible within the restriction that Jim doesn't always say why things work as much as how they work from Harry's point of view. All of the major magical styles of the books are going to be in the rules, and the magic chapter looks to be pretty comprehensive overall. I think you'll see more "magic works like this in the game" material instead of vague hand-waving "so, what is magic, anyhow?" stuff. Hope that makes sense.

Not to jump the gun too much, but all of the chapters look pretty darned impressive so far. It's going to be one amazing RPG....
Marv / Finarvyn
Greater Warden of Chicago
Dresden Files RPG Playtester
I support Colonial Gothic and Thousand Suns
OD&D Player since 1975