Dresden Files RPG: Who Else is Excited?

[StoryKeeper]

I just got on their site today and saw that you can now preorder the first two books, "Your Story" and "Our World." Who else has been anxiously anticipating this game? What are your plans for characters and/or running it?

[Tinydwarfman]

When I first heard I was like
But then it was using FATE and I was like

[Knaight]

I personally rather like the FATE system, and feel it is highly appropriate to Dresden Files, although for anyone keeping track of the FATE news this is old. Ancient really, Fred Hicks knows the author. That said, I'm not really looking forward to it, odds are it ends up a disappointment compared to some of the other stuff. Diaspora, Now Playing, Starblazer Adventures, etc. Odds are it is hugely modified from FATE anyways, Hicks has stated something to the effect of "I've been planning this even before FATE, but it didn't seem like the right system at the time", which implies a new FATE. Or PDQ, but Evil Hat is a better company than that, hopefully.

[Bosh]

I've got the preorder PDF myself (bought it the day the preorder opened) and it is very very good. Awesome production values (full color, lots of art, lots of in-character comments written everywhere by Harry, Bob and Billy) so its a beautiful piece of work.

The version of FATE that was used in SotC is tweaked a good bit to give it a different feel but the basic underlying system is the same. The two best things about DFRPG (aside from it being FATE) are:
-However having characters of different power levels in the same party is handled (for example Harry and Murphy together).
-The magic system is a great fit for the setting and it just plain sings. It's more complicated than the rest of the system but simplier than most other RPG magic systems and it's really really really good.

But then it was using FATE and I was like

Heretic! Break out the torches! ;)

I personally rather like the FATE system, and feel it is highly appropriate to Dresden Files

It is.

For anyone keeping track of the FATE news this is old. Ancient really, Fred Hicks knows the author.

Spirit of the Century was sort of a giant public playtest for a lot of the ideas behind DFRPG.

That said, I'm not really looking forward to it, odds are it ends up a disappointment compared to some of the other stuff.

It isn't.

Odds are it is hugely modified from FATE anyways

It isn't.

Hicks has stated something to the effect of "I've been planning this even before FATE, but it didn't seem like the right system at the time", which implies a new FATE.

He did?

but Evil Hat is a better company than that, hopefully.

It is.

[Knaight]

He did?

At the time of Fate 1.0 however, and the new ladder, stunts, etc. probably about cover it. And even Fate 1.0 was intended as a testing ground for Dresden Files eventually.

As for PDQ, I'm glad they didn't use it, although that was unlikely from the beginning. Seems out of character for Fred really, and its his pet project.

[randomhero00]

I would be but I can never get my group to play anything other than DnD ><

I even recommended the books a long time ago before I even knew about the game. None of them have yet to read one...(yet they'll read other books)

[Tinydwarfman]

Not that there is anything particularly bad about FATE or anything, but it's not my favorite system, and I don't think my group will learn another RPG any time soon.

[Knaight]

What do you normally use? Since d20 seems hideously inapplicable in this case.

[Bosh]

It always confuses me that people will do things like convert from one D&D edition to another without batting an eye (when most of the recent edition changes have made really really major changes that require learning all kinds of things over again) but won't give ANY other games a shot, especially ones as straight-forward as FATE.

[Knaight]

Straight forward is pushing it. Sure, once you understand it it is straight forward, but first you have to get your head around aspects, then get around the idea of fast flowing fate points. From a narrative background this should be easy, but D&D is simulationist, so it isn't. Added to that is the break away from classes and all that, and in general being looser, that people find difficult. Having a rule for every situation is largely seen as a good thing, examples, generalizations, GM judgment calls, and similar are frequently seen as bad. This is pretty far away from my opinion, and I imagine yours as well Bosh, but we are in the minority.

[Benejeseret]

So long as it incorporates demon monkeys flinging flaming poo I'm all for it.

[Starbuck_II]

Can we explain the FATE system than if you feel it is better for this RPG?

Why not the FATAL system

[Tinydwarfman]

What do you normally use? Since d20 seems hideously inapplicable in this case.

GURPS is what I'd use for it. My group has already run a few Dresden Files style games with it, and we know it as out alternative to high fantasy D&D stuff.

It always confuses me that people will do things like convert from one D&D edition to another without batting an eye (when most of the recent edition changes have made really really major changes that require learning all kinds of things over again) but won't give ANY other games a shot, especially ones as straight-forward as FATE.

My group won't convert to 4e we just don't like it. We are thinking of maybe starting to learn exalted for fun over-the-top stuff, or shadow-run for a very unique setting with strong flavor ready made, but it probably won't happen soon.

[Bosh]

Straight forward is pushing it. Sure, once you understand it it is straight forward, but first you have to get your head around aspects, then get around the idea of fast flowing fate points. From a narrative background this should be easy, but D&D is simulationist, so it isn't. Added to that is the break away from classes and all that, and in general being looser, that people find difficult. Having a rule for every situation is largely seen as a good thing, examples, generalizations, GM judgment calls, and similar are frequently seen as bad. This is pretty far away from my opinion, and I imagine yours as well Bosh, but we are in the minority.

I wouldn't call D&D especially simulationist, especially in its more recent incarnations (4ed seems to have gone hunting for every single remaining simulationist bridge with a big old flame thrower) but I get your point, FATE IS very very simple but it can take a while you get your head wrapped around it since the parts that are (relatively) complex are pretty different than the parts of D&D that are relatively complex. To have FATE click with you, you have to unlearn a lot of D&D stuff before it starts working well.

Can we explain the FATE system than if you feel it is better for this RPG?

Here's a quotation from someone on RPG.net who explains it better than I can:


You typically create characters as a group activity in 5 phases. In each phase you write a couple of sentences about what you were doing, and choose two Aspects - personality or physical descriptors either positive or negative (preferably both) or other things about your character that are used later in the game to earn your bonuses or fate chips. The first three phases are usually all your own - your childhood, what you did during the war (or other time of trouble in your young adult life), your first novel. (My Character and the Tombs of Amen-Ra!). Then you swap novels for the next two phases, write in yourself as a supporting character in two other player's novels.

Now you have 10 Aspects and a pretty good idea who your character is. Next is the skill pyramid. You pick an apex skill (your best), typically at +4 or +5, then fill up the rest of your pyramid taking one more skill at each level below the apex. If you start with +4 apex skill, then you get nine more skill picks: 2 at +3, 3 at +2, and 4 at +1, for a total of 10 skills. If you started at +5 you'd have 15 skills in your pyramid.

That's it for chargen.

The system uses 4 fudge dice for all rolls - six siders with two blank sides, two "+" sides and 2 "-" sides. 4dF is the same as 4d3-8 - a very pointy curve from -4 to +4 centered on 0. A common variant is d6-d6 for a flatter range from -5 to +5.

You roll dice plus your skill vs. a target number or GM's roll. You can spend a fate chip to add a +1 to any roll. If you have an appropriate Aspect you can spend a fate chip to tag it and get a +2.

If the GM feels one of your Aspects may cause you trouble in the current situation, you get a fate chip from the GM for playing along (overconfident, ladies' man) or you can choose to resist this compel by instead giving up a fate chip.

You have physical and mental damage tracks that fill up as you lose rolls in conflicts, and you end up taking new Aspects like Dazed, Bullet in the shoulder, or Broken Leg that will affect your future actions and take time to heal.

The environment and other characters also have Aspects you can tag and compel as a player for bonuses or to alter their actions.

You can also perform Manuevers which place Aspects of your choosing on the environment or other characters (Smitten, or Chemical Fire!)

That's about 80% of FATE there - now go play!

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=509793

The reason why it works soooo well for Dresden is:
A. Aspects provide a simple mechanical basis for making all of Dresden's talk about his magic being tied to his emotions real.
B. In most Dresden books, Dresden spends the first half of the book getting beaten up and then he hits rock bottom, dusts himself off, gets his **** together and starts kicking butt and beats up everything that causes problems in the first half of the adventure (vast oversimplification but that's how most of them are). With most RPGs this just doesn't work as a plot arc very well, in FATE it works great since during the "beat up the hero" part of the story you can collect FATE points like candy. For example in the game I'm GMing I had a PC beat up, naked, covered in goo and with their magical weapon left behind in the middle of the crime scene and the player is actually happy about it (I think ;) ) since the situation gave them a fistful of FATE points that they'll now use to get get some payback.

Basically FATE is crappy at modelling realistic physics but very very good at modelling "if this game was Jim Butcher story, what would probably happen next." FATE is the best game I've come across for that kind of simulation, which is something that D&D doesn't really try to do so it gives you a very different sort of play experience.

[Divide by Zero]

It always confuses me that people will do things like convert from one D&D edition to another without batting an eye (when most of the recent edition changes have made really really major changes that require learning all kinds of things over again) but won't give ANY other games a shot, especially ones as straight-forward as FATE.

I'm the opposite. I'll stubbornly hold onto 3.5 as far as D&D goes, but I'm happy to try out completely different systems.