Ok, so it's been awhile since my group has done Dresden (I ran the game and got caught up in RL, ran out of steam, kinda forgot what I was doing blah blah whine whine). We didn't play often and never got our arms entirely around it. I'm not super comfortable with the system is what I'm saying.

However, in the name of Excelsior!, I have volunteered to run a game for a pair of acquaintances who don't game much at all, and have limited to no Dresden experience. They're not super familiar with the books or the world. Now, obviously a lot rests on what kind of characters they'll wanna pick and I'm gonna have a sit down with them once they've had a chance to check the rule book and all, but I'm still a bit unsure where to start them.

So...can you guys give me some tips on what kind of adventure I can start two noobs on? Keep in mind I'm gonna set in our hometown (I find it makes creative problem solving SO much easier when you don't have to ask if there's a drugstore or whatever near by). But some sort of basic idea of what kind of mystery to solve, or baddie to fight or what have you would be appreciated. I've kicked it around a bit, but I've just come up goose eggs.

Thanks!

My game was set in my small city of a hometown of Lexington Ky.

Four words. Big troll. Small bridge.

Number One: I like the Spear of Destiny as the On Top reason for Nic wanting to go down there, and as the "Harry has to go to make sure Nic DOESN'T get it" motivation, both for Harry AND Michael.

Number 2: Nic's Top Card reason is that Harry has been dead. It's also, "Because you owe me, Mab, do I NEED a reason to bring your demi-god of destruction?" One of his In the Deck reasons is because Harry's been dead, and he can maybe trade him to Hades. His Bottom Card reason is there some sort of Starchild (WFUNK, ya'll!)  role Harry can play that Nic needs to hasten his Apocalypse, and probably strike back at his Nemesis compromised liutenants. Only room for one devil in this Armageddon after all.

Number Four: I think Harry's call in is going to be someone you don't expect that Harry needs for his "long con" on Nic. Personally, I like him not taking anybody, but actually smuggling in someone like Toot as a slightly literal ace up his sleeve. "What? You said I could bring a date."

Number Six: Mab hates to be in debt. She hates her creditors more. Also, in her own weird way, Mab is charged with holding things together (Guarding the Outer Gates). Nic's crew is in the business of "Tearing Things Apart." Those interests are colliding, especially on the front of one Harry Dresden, that Mab has some recruiting capital invested in for longer plans. In short, their long term goals are about to become in opposition.

Number 7: I don't know exactly are causing the headaches, but I guarentee that Mab isn't going to wave a magic wand and make it go away. She never said that the parasite would kill him, she said he would die in three days if he didn't do what she said. The parasite and the headaches will resolve themselves, which Mab knows but won't say, part of why she kept him isolated so she could use it to scare him off the island. HOWEVER, if he hadn't taken the job he'd be dead because Nicodemus would be too powerful to stop, or someone would have hit the island, OR Mab would have sent someone to kill Harry for insubordination. Either way, he would have been dead in three days and it wouldn't be directly related to the Parasite.

Number 8: I don't know how all the twisting will go down, but I'm betting that Mab's earring isn't just keeping Harry alive (if it even is for the headaches, see above). The earring is gonna be one of his tricks up his sleeve and he'll only catch wise to what Mab gave him right when he needs it.

Number 10: Hades will offer back Susan or Harry's mom to Harry in some form. It'll end as well for him as for Orpheus. Speaking of, Harry will lose someone/thing right at the VERY MOUTH of Hades, a la Orpheus.

No real theory on the why, but as far as I see it, LC could easily be undamaged. It was in the subbasement, which might be a bit sturdier and the whole lab might have survived. But that isn't the biggest clue to it. The biggest clue is, that Marcone built a friggin' castle on top of it. If Gard has figured out how to use LC, or if he has found other gifted individuals, he might use it to track down the Fomor's movements, or any other supernatural actions in Chicago. Or whatever the hell he can figure out to do with it. He is pretty intelligent in that regard, I think.

Eh...there's a WoJ somewhere stating that LC is probably toast, since Changes is all about taking all of Harry's stuff away from him. His lab is pretty well gone, and, well, if you're building a castle on a piece of land, you're probably having to lay a new foundation, which would include a sub-basement. That's all speculation mind you, but, unless Jim decides to resurrect it, and, like you say, there's some wiggle room there if he wants it, all signs indicate it's gone.

But the corpses weren't the sum total of the WCV...just the ruling families. Thus leaving Vitto challenger free without having to deal with any of their games, or hide, from his people, his allegiance or purpose. Remember...they're the sneaky, back-stabby manipulators. If there was to be any meaningful and predictable control of them, it'd have to be total. Those were the ruling triumvirate families. There are plenty other "lesser houses" that Vitto could spin whatever he wanted to at, and start with a blank slate. Rebuild as he saw fit with the BC having his back.

Exactly. What kind of music do you like using for your Dresden game? I tried to, mostly, lay out what I use those songs for. Chase music? Fight music? Mood music? Bad guy themes? Good guy themes?

And, to me, different music doesn't go with every game. Dresden is, awesomely, fantasy AND contemporary, but I wouldn't use most of the songs listed with, say, a DnD game, since it'd be a bit anachronistic. What music do you use in your game?

Sorry. Thought that it'd be a good place to have a "Music List Ideas."

And what makes it DFRPG? I don't know...why do you like using what you use?

I forgot to add other covers of "I Put a Spell on You" Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Credence Clearwater Revival. Also, the Animals House of the Rising Sun is good, but Muse's version is good scary noise. Speaking of Muse, Knights of Cydonia rocks faces and kills goblins.