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[PbP] Dresden Files - setup, one more IRC session needed
jdarksun
StrugglerCORegistered User regular
StrugglerCORegistered User regular
What is the Dresden Files Roleplaying Game?
Stolen from the Evil Hat website:
Everyone wants to be Harry Dresden. Except maybe Harry Dresden. And people who haven’t read Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files books, in which case, get thee hence to a bookstore! Assuming you’ve done this already, the Dresden Files RPG is the perfect solution to the eternal wait for the next book in the series.
The Dresden Files RPG. More fun than riding an undead dinosaur through the streets of Chicago, and that’s saying a lot.
OK, I like the Dresden Files books. What system does this RPG use?
Fate. Fate is a flexible system designed to offer the least possible obstruction to role-playing by assuming that players do not want to make large amounts of dice rolls. There are similarities to the Apocalypse World games (and its descendants), as all actions are resolved by rolling four Fate dice (d6s with +, -, and blank faces), counting up the results, adding your relevant skill, and comparing it against a counter-roll (or fixed value). Highest result wins.
I like roleplaying games, but what's the Dresden Files?
A long running (14 year) urban fantasy series by author Jim Butcher (also known for the Codex Alera series and Darkest Hours). The subject of the book is one Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, the only Wizard in the Chicago yellow pages. He's a detective, a practitioner of the arcane arts, and has an uncanny ability to find himself in difficult situations. One part pulp, one part noir, one part high fantasy. He's Indy with a spellbook, Gandalf with a gun. He calls his apprentice his Padawan, and he has a weakness for Burger King. His D&D buddies are werewolves, he dated a vampire (it didn't work out), and he was dead for a while (but got better).
Sign me up. What do you need?
Your interest, but also some extra skin in the game. Dresden Files has a... let's call it "in depth" creation system that requires the input of all the other players. You don't even create characters first; step 1 is to design the city. Yeah, that's right. The game literally builds from the ground up.
Because of that, I'd like to do the first session "live". I'm mostly available via IRC (9a-5p M-F, and 9p-12a M-Sa Eastern), but at night I could also do audio/visual (Google Hangout/Roll20/Skype/whatever).
The Dresden Files RPG: Your Story (the player guide) is available from DriveThruRPG for $25. Because city and character creation has a bunch of co-operational steps, it's a good idea to have read the first four of five chapters before coming to the table.
Still want to play? Post here, let me know if (and when) you'd be available for a live play session, and start the ball rolling by suggesting the city in which you'd like to base the game.
@Heir @Dracomicron @Captain Carrot @Delmain
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From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
Reading through the PDF now.
I'd be good with Baltimore, since a lot of the work is done for us already, but it'd be interesting to do a non-major city. Maybe Decatur, IL? Big enough to have stuff going on, with some historical stuff.
IRC channel set up at synirc, #dresdenPA.
Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights are typically my best. No later than 10:30 Central if possible (early riser, sorry).
I am off mondays so earlier that day is ok.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
I'm pretty sure Butcher said he picked Chicago precisely because it's not as well-known as, say, New York or LA. Baltimore is the game's official setting for a few reasons (like the writers all living in this area for instance), which means the only real hurdle is whether @jdarksun is familiar enough with a city to be comfortable running the game there.
There's also BWI, which I've flown out of on and off for ... 20, 25 years?
That is to say, I live kinda nearby (on the other side of DC).
I think Alexandria would be a similarly interesting city in which to set a game, of course. Particularly with the mojo bleed-over from DC. Of course, it could just as easily be Brugges as far as I'm concerned. Baltimore is both interesting and well-developed.
Also, anyone who hasn't picked the books up yet, they are highly worth it if just for the comical and interesting information in the sidebars. It also has a lot of images from the graphic novels as well.
My work schedule is crazy and I won't know what days I have until tomorrow night.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
As for cities, I lived in Toronto for a bit, and have a passing familiarity with Boston and Montreal.
I'll chip in on the more creative stuff, and probably make my character new in town, too.
This looks awesome.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
Just remember, some monsters are purely human. I would resist the urge to make all politicians into supernatural denizens or their servants.
That said, Ron Paul is clearly an Outsider.
Anyway, I'm looking for a new job, but as it stands, Monday morning is my Friday, and I usually crash from about 2 PM to midnight, Central time. I'd be happy to bounce ideas for character and setting, though, as I just bought the books a couple days ago.
You have many major universities, including two that specialize in alternative approaches to education. You have dozens of enormously powerful churches and (in the larger area) other religious organizations. The entire city was designed by Masons and hosts two very large and active masonic orders. There are like 17 different law enforcement agencies warranted to conduct the full spectrum of peace officer duties within the limits of the district (several of which are also federal law enforcement agencies that would logically have clued-in departments).
The number of people who can be "clued in" is huge even before you get to politicians and the people who support/enable them.
I'd actually presume virtually all politicians are regular vanilla human beings (especially the ones who profess to great faith). Maybe there's a supernatural agreement about this; mortals are easier to control, after all.
Like I said the shadow powers (e.g. law firms, lobbying groups, and the assorted other wheelers and dealers that grease the gears of DC) are much more likely to have Shadow Power behind them (e.g. vampires, Outsiders, other things that would concern most protagonists).
That said, jdark has to decide on whether he likes DC.
I'll step out if we have too many people though, since I was probably the least enthusiastic about a PbP game as opposed to IRC.
I'm down for the DC area, I've only been like twice, but it's definitely got a lot going for it.
Heck, there could be a whole off-the-books branch of the NSA dedicated to maintaining DC's Masonic-version feng shui to limit supernatural influence. Think of Mac's tavern, but for congressional buildings. Turned out our founding fathers built protection from wizards into our democracy as well as protection from the government lodging troops in your house.
Yeah I would be curious to know this as well
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
DC is certainly ultra-fertile, but it's likely to also be ultra-dangerous for a group of relatively new supernatural hero types.
Homeland
Interdiction of
Enchanters &
Leprechaun
Defense?