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Topics - finarvyn

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DFRPG / Anyone simplify the DFRPG?

« on: July 11, 2011, 12:55:16 AM »

I'm just trolling for suggestions and/or links at the moment.

I've got some players who are interested in a Dresden Files style campaign, but they are mostly D&D types who have never played in a FATE-type rules system. When I tried to explain all about aspects and such they got this glassy-eyed look and said they'd rather play something else.

They have played Amber Diceless and if I could put together something similar to that they might be interested. Limited power options, limited choices, etc.

I hate to go so far as to create pregen template characters for them, but that may be an option.

So ... I'm wondering if anyone has put together anything like "FATE lite" or "DFRPG lite" so that I can try to ease them into the game.

DFRPG / We need RPG t-shirts!

« on: February 19, 2010, 04:50:51 AM »

I know that Fred & Co. are already busy putting the final touches on the rpg and have no time for this, but here goes anyway....

When I go to game conventions I love to wear t-shirts that support whatever game I'm "into" at the moment. I think it is great free advertising and helps spread the word about a game because sometimes folks will stop and ask about the shirt.

What we need are DFRPG t-shirts, and the shirts being sold on Jim's website just don't grab me. I'd like to see one of the McGrath book covers on a shirt, or the image that will be used on the RPG cover. Something that would grab attention and really announce the arrival of the game at Origins (or whatever con people get to go to).

Just me talking out loud. Anyone listening?

DFRPG / This. Game. Will. Rock!

« on: February 12, 2010, 08:02:32 PM »

Not much "buzz" about the official DFRPG here recently, so I thought I'd start a new discussion. The "Playtester Prototype" rules are out there for playtesters to look at and react to, but the game is essentially complete. You've seen the cover artwork (and some of the interior art) for a long time on the Evil Hat pages, so you can probably imagine what it looks like. The book looks visually stunning and the rules flow well. I think this looks a lot nicer than earlier products from Evil Hat. (Not to put down SotC or other games, but to elevate DFRPG.) Lots of color, sidebar boxes with key rules highlighted, and lots of goodies. I liked the early layout, but this one blows the old one away.

DGRPG playtesters are encouraged to talk about the game but are not supposed to give out too many specific details so I'm not so sure how specific I can be about this, but having had an opportunty to look through the revised playtest materials, let me say that the DFRPG is quite simply going to be amazing.

After a four-year wait, you may think that this game is bound to be a let-down because it can't be as cool as the home-brew version you've already been playing. Or can't possivly live up to your expectations. I think it will.

The basics of the game are still very much FATE-like, but are evolved in order to handle elements specific to the Dresdenverse. What I mean here is that if you know FATE and/or SotC you're pretty close to being ready to do DFRPG, only with a few key tweaks (mostly in terms of magic). Pretty much every character type you can imagine from Jim's books has been handled in good detail. I think that folks are going to agree that it was worth the wait, and then some!

This is the game that encouraged me to learn FATE in the first place, and Fred & Co. have certainly hit a home run with the DFRPG.

Just my two cents.

DFRPG / The official Dresden Files RPG

« on: February 09, 2008, 02:30:20 AM »

I want to be careful what I post here.
1. Fred wants playtesters to discuss DFRPG and "get the word out".
2. Fred does not want too much information leaked and I'm under a NDA agreement not to spill any real secrets.

Having said those things, here are a few thoughts I have at the moment based on my playtest experince so far. I believe that nothing I reveal will be a secret, and will intentionally remain somewhat vague:

1. Go buy Spirit of the Century. Right now. If you don't buy it, at least download the SRD for SotC. I felt that I had a decent understanding of SotC until I really played it, and now I realize that it really makes more sense in action. The DFRPG will be very similar to SotC, so what are you waiting for?

2. The DFRPG is similar to, but not exactly the same as SotC. Start with SotC right away, however, to make the "learning curve" better later on. Some of the skills/stunts/aspects have changed a bit, but the vocabulary of FATE can be heavy if you don't spend some time absorbing it. That's why you want to start right now. That way, when the DFRPG comes out you'll be ready and the transition will be small.

3. FATE is really the way to play in the Dresdenverse. I know that I've been trying other game systems to simulate DF for a while now, but I can really feel things starting to click here. The FATE system is detailed enough to do what you want, but simple enough to allow you to play without heavy reliance on the rulebook. When I got my players to use skills/stunts/aspects, I would just ask "what do you think it does?" rather than consult the rulebook all the time and the whole thing runs so smoothly. I know in general how the system works, but the players can pick up what they need to know in a hurry and without huge prep on my part.

4. Fred and Rob do an excellent job of constructing a doccument. I know I've said this in other threads, but when I read the DF playtest docs or read SotC I keep saying to myself "Wow. I knew this, but it becomes so much more clear this way!" Every time I read SotC again I find some new nugget of wisdom that I missed the time before.

5. Maybe it's just that my group has done Swords-and-sorcery fantasy so much lately, but my players keep bugging me about running more Dresden sessions. And some of them haven't read the books or watched the TV show!

6. The playtest docs are clearly a ways away from being a final product, but everything I have seen so far seems to point to a really fantastic RPG when this is finished.

DFRPG / How Wizards can mess with high-tech....

« on: December 19, 2007, 07:36:31 PM »

I grabbed this from another thread, and thought it might generate some neat ideas as its own discussion rather than getting lost over there.

Quote from: DrygonDM on December 18, 2007, 05:23:26 PM

I tell them to look at having this Flaw as a mental challenge, find unusual ways around it, as well as finding new ways to use it against other people

So, how about a list of technology that we as a GM can use against the players, or tech that the players can use against NPCs?

Here are some random thoughts on this:

* Cell Phones -- can't call out, so they can't call in either. This would mean that if someone places a tracker "bug" on you it might not transmit.

* In Illinois we have this thing called an "I-Pass" which does automatic payment on the toll roads as you drive through. I-Pass might not function.

* Credit Cards -- what about the magnetic strip on the back; does it become demagnetized with spell use? Or magnetic "swipe" keycards. Could a wizard cast some magic in a region, only to find that magnetic locked doors are now unlocked?

* If magic is somehow electromagnetic, could a person use a regular magnetic compass to help track a wizard?

* I know that Harry drives an old VW because of modern-day computer chips in cars, so is it possible that Harry could intentionally use magic to sabotage sombody's car? (Has he done this in the books? I don't remember.) Of course, ordinary computers would hate him as well.

Others I haven't thought of?

DFRPG / Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?

« on: December 17, 2007, 07:46:18 PM »

For a while there were several posters giving updates as to how they were using various systems to run a campaign in the Dresdenverse, but recently this section of the board has been very quiet.

Perhaps this happened at the same time as Fred announced alpha playtesting of THE REAL THING and somehow homebrew games seem less interesting? Maybe people just didn't have anything new to report? I'm hoping that the lack of conversation here isn't indiciative of low long-term interes...

Anyway, I've experimented with Dresden in a couple different game systems with varying degrees of success...
1. Amber Diceless -- this works surprisingly well, since so many of the characters are supernaturals. In a mostly mundane world, it would have some issues.
2. Buffy -- I've found that BtVS (Eden Games) has the right kind of feel, perhaps because Buffy is written with wry humor in much the same way as Dresden. Also I find that I can use some of their ideas for vampires and spells and other things that fit well into Harry's world.
3. Monte Cook's World of Darkness -- this plays like most any d20 system, and typically you like it or hate it. I find some of the ideas (particularly the magic system) to be particularly clever, but overall the system is bulky and cumbersome.
4. Spirit of the Century -- of late I've drifteed back to SotC as my Dresden rule system of choice, in anticipation of the SotC system being similar to Dresden Files. I know that the magic system will be different, but at least my players will be used to the funky +/- dice.

Anyone else running Dresden at the moment?

DFRPG / MCWOD and Dresden Files

« on: August 30, 2007, 03:25:18 PM »

In spite of the M&M thread and a couple of others, I was never reallly certain that Dresden Files could be done using the d20 system. Too mathematical, not loose enough for my liking.

Then I bought a copy of Monte Cook's World of Darkness, which takes the familiar lines of Vampire/Werewolf/Mage and puts them together in a 3.5E format. I'm not a fan of 3E but really like the way this book reads so far, in terms of the way the levels are charted out (the classes essentially become "Vampire" or "Werewolf" or whatever) and the magic system is nice because it allows for custom spells (ala SAGA system) and exhaustion rather than a pre-determined number of spells per day. There are special feats for each class/race, as well as general feats for all characters. It just seems to be well written overall.

So why post this on an DFRPG forum?

Well, we've had a few discussion threads about using different systems (like HERO and M&M) to run Dresden campaigns, and the first two settings that immediately popped into my brain when I saw MCWOD were Amber and Harry Dresden. I have no plans to run MCWOD in the actual WOD universe, but now I think that it would be possible to create a d20 Dresden rulebook in a way that could actually be fun to play. I'll bet that feats could be generated for each major group (wizards, vampires, weres, fairy courts, and so on) and the individual groups could correspond to classes.

The spell-casting system in particular just screamed "Dresden" with the rules for exhaustion, etc.

Just thought I would share my enthusiasm. I'm still waiting for the official DFRPG to come out, but in the meantime this may be a nice fit.

DFRPG / Whatever happened to "on topic"?

« on: June 08, 2007, 03:09:03 PM »

I hate to sound too grumpy here, but the guidelines for this particular forum is supposed to be about the Dresden Files RPG.

I know that some of the threads have been slightly off topic -- threads such as playing SotC or ways to play Dresden in other game systems -- but I think at least these threads can be justified.
1. Spirit of the Century contains the core rules which will form the basis of the Dresden Files RPG, with some modifications to magic use and other details along the way. Because it's closely tied to DFRPG (and is written by the same authors) I would think that such discussions are appropriate in this forum.
2. Discussing Dresden in other RPG systems is a bit tangential, but at least is still Dresden-based and after all these are Dresden boards. While some might argue that these threads should stick to the official RPG, it should be noted that since the official RPG hasn't been completed yet this could be somewhat limiting. Again, I would argue that these threads are okay as well.

What I'm seeing recently is a lot of general/generic RPG threads that have no relationship to Jim Butcher, Evil Hat, the Dresden Files RPG, or anything else that I can tie directly to these products.

There are many generic RPG sites on the 'net, as well as an "McAnaly's Anything Goes" section here on Jim's site. Any chance that we can stay on topic more and get some of the random threads moved to McAnaly's?

I'm interested in discussion of anything Dresden related, but I get to the point where it's hard to find anything on topic in the midst of the background static.

Just my two cents.

DFRPG / Harry Dresden Diceless

« on: April 18, 2007, 01:06:31 PM »

Quote from: taralon on April 18, 2007, 12:43:23 AM

Personally I like going as 'diceless' as possible as a GM outside of combat.

This got me thinking. What about running a Dresden campaign using something like the Amber Diceless RPG?

Four main attributes: Psyche (mental combat), Strength (athletic actions), Warfare (weapons combat), and Endurance (how long you can last).

Spellcasting ability costs character points to buy (similar to buying Power Words, Sorcery, and Conjuration, but maybe only one "Magic" stat to represent training).

I notice in the books sometimes that Harry will compare notes with other Wizards, perhaps finding that they are better at certain types of spells while he is better with others. This could be simulated by combining Psyche (power) with Magic (training) to get some sort of spellcasting points which could be divided among magic "schools" or spell groups.
* Offensive (player picks special effect of fire, ice, lightning, water, whatever)
* Shield (player picks special effects)
* Telekinesis (moving and pushing stuff)
* Sensory (ESP, Sight, and so on)
* others I've missed?

The rules would be similar to ADRP, with each magical "school" acting a lot like an ADRP attribute. For example, a combat could be one wizard's lightning blast versus another wizard's shield and if one is stronger he is victorious, but using Endurance to resolve similar power levels.

Anyone done anything like this?

DFRPG / Alternate campaign idea

« on: June 15, 2006, 01:24:57 PM »

I'm running a Dresden Files game for my group and I thought I would share my idea.

I live near Chicago and am most familiar with that setting, so I wanted to keep my game somewhat local. Although we're near Chicago, I don't want to put myself in a situation where Harry and his immediate crew would be around to interfere.

My solution? Play the game in another time. I chose 1920's Chicago.

1. Jim hasn't said much about the past in his setting. This gives me a lot of freedom to establish a setting of my own while still remaining "true" to the series, assuming nothing significant happens that would change the future (our present).

2. This gives me a gangster element as a backdrop. Sort of like having several Marcones running around. It gives my players the opportunity to play roles in an era that I have never run as a campaign. (I can dust off TSR's Gangbusters RPG for inspiration, plus I have a copy of the 1920's Investigator’s Companion for Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu to assist me.)

3. I assume that major groups such as the White Council, Black Court, White Court, Red Court, Nevernever, etc. would have existed back then as well. Since supernaturals seem to live longer than mortals, it would be possible to use some of those same characters as NPCs, only younger. I also assume that they were plotting and scheming against each other the same as today.

4. It gives me my familiar setting without the hassle of the characters from the books getting in the way. It also means that I don't need to try to stay "current" as Jim writes new books.

Anyway, I thought that others might be interested in my reasoning if they are thinking of setting up their own campaigns. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

DFRPG / A hint about the game system

« on: June 01, 2006, 10:47:01 PM »

Quote from: Avalon on June 01, 2006, 10:03:41 PM

I play RPGs but I'm not familiar with those mentioned. Anybody give me a hint about the game system, basically dice rolls, and what dice are used??

Let me take a shot at this. FATE is a derivative RPG based on another game called FUDGE. Both FUDGE and FATE are designed to simulate a lot of possible situations with a minimum of rules. In other words, while some RPGs crank out sourcebook after sourcebook just full of rules, exceptions, tables and charts, modifiers, etc., these games are designed to be rules-light and more freeform in nature.

In general, the difficulty of an action is compared to the ability of the person attempting that action and some dice are rolled to determine the outcome. Many RPGs are designed on the “roll a dX die and try to roll under Y” sort of system (where various games use different sided dice and complex charts to determine the number needed to succeed), but FATE is more streamlined. Actions and abilities are often defined in terms of verbal descriptors like “superb” or “average” or “cruddy” and the Game Master can determine the number of steps above or below the action is compared to the ability. (For example, an “average” person attempting an “average” difficulty task would be at +0 steps, but a “supurb” person attempting a “cruddy” difficulty task might be at +2.)

FUDGE dice are basic six-sided dice which are numbered -1, -1, 0, 0, +1, +1. They are designed to simply modify the ability up or down when comparing to the difficulty level. The dice probability is a simple bell curve, if anyone is interested.

So… if an “average” person is attempting to perform an “average” difficulty task, that person just needs to roll a zero on the dice rolled (often four dice). One neat aspect of FUDGE dice is that you can ignore all zero rolls and cancel out one +1 and one -1 so that it takes very little brainpower to quickly figure out the number rolled. Again, the point of these games is to make action resolution quick and painless so that the story can flow and the rules consultations are at a minimum.

DFRPG / The Dresden Files RPG -- Information Thread

« on: May 28, 2006, 08:24:25 PM »

I think that Fred has been under the assumption that everyone here knows all about the Dresden Files RPG, but clearly some of the posters here don’t know anything about RPGs at all, and may know even less about the Dresden Files RPG in specific. Therefore, for those who do not already know much about the game, here is an information thread.

While I certainly am not an expert on this, I have spent lots of time over the past couple of weeks trying to figure out anything about the game that I can. Here are a few links that will give you some information about the game.

First, here is the main webpage for the Dresden Files RPG.
http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/

The Dresden Files RPG will be based off of the Fate RPG (also by Fred), which can be downloaded for free here:
http://www.faterpg.com/dl/

And the game system will be similar to the one in “Spirit of the Century”, which will be released first. This is the best way to get a preview of the game mechanic that will make the Dresden Files RPG work. (With the exception of the magic system, which Fred says is not the same in both games.)
http://www.evilhat.com/spirit/

Finally, the company producing the Dresden Files RPG is Evil Hat Productions. Here is their main page:
http://www.evilhat.com/

I just thought a little advertising would be a good thing.

DFRPG / At what point in the series....

« on: May 26, 2006, 10:25:44 PM »

At what point in the series will the RPG be set? (Since some characters tend to change somewhat as the series evolves.)

I guess I am wondering if there is a particular point in the timeline where adventures are assumed to occur, or if the game will be set up with the idea that we could play at any point in the sequence. (If the game is set so that play could occur anywhere, this might mean that several versions of the same characters could be appropriate. "Here is Harry at the end of book three"; that kind of thing.)

I can see advantages each way.

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