Author Topic: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG  (Read 5248 times)

Offline Remy Sinclair

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Okay I am running a Dresden Game in Albuquerque/Sante Fe area. When myself and my players started to build the city one of my players, a big Anita Blake fan, tossed in ideas bringing in elements from the Obsidian Butterfly. I was not sure of this at first, but she pointed out as she is a huge Dresden fan as well that Itzpapalotl, the Master Vampire of the City in the Anita Blake novel, would be a high ranking Royal in the Blood Court. We all decided to add to our city.

Itzpapalotl is now a high ranking Red Court Royal in our city now obviously she is not 100% like the character in the Anita Blake novel. We made her for the Dresdenverse.

Rereading Obsidian Butterfly as I am in the middle of the book, she has some good points which is helping with our city creation. Now we decided to break Dresdenverse Canon and add in these elements into the game. There are some good NPCs I can use many of whom would work like Lt. Marks and Det. Hernando Ramirez for example.

After already tweaking/breaking Dresdenverse canon, I have started to borrow from other paranormal books as well taking in those elements I think would work in my game. Some of the books I have taken elements (note: not taking everything) from are:
  • Rachel Morgan Series by Kim Harrison, her general ideas on Demons, Potion Making, Little Ones, Fey help the game.
  • Riley Jenson Series by Keri Arthur, her general ideas of the government using Supernaturals works very well with my ideas.
  • Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong, her various ideas from werewolf behavior, magic and ideas on focus practioners in her books
  • Kitty Norville Series by Carrie Vaughn, various ideas from other supernaturals on human hunters against supernaturals and tactics to some more werewolf behavior.

There are a few others but I find you can adapt alot into the Dresdenverse without much work keeping much of the same concepts of the other authors which works great with Dresdenverse.

So am I the only one doing this? If not what are some of your own outside Dresdenverse sources?

Offline Archmage_Cowl

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2010, 07:04:51 PM »
i've tossed ideas in from a bunch of things. Lets see

Anita blake series- for some of the tougher vampire ideas
H.P. Lovecraft- for the creepy demons and outsiders
The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind- for some cool things wizards can do with enough time, and some enemy ideas like the dream walker
The Seventh Gate Series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman- For some more power monster ideas like the serpent snakes.
The Nightside Series by Simon Green

probably alot more but those are just off the top of my head.
"I who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates to hell. Come forth Divine Lightning! This ends now! Indignation!" Jade Curtis Tales of the abyss

Offline Baron Hazard

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2010, 07:07:54 PM »
Ive considered providng some connection to Nightside  (and maybe he drood series) but mostly im honestly considering dropping the Vord into the middle of my groups game, in what would be like book 6 or so. somewhere down the line.

"You make your way through the Seattle Underground, you feel a change in the floor beneath you, and thats when you notice the tunnel starts to be coated in this green waxy gelatin like substance."

The first thing at least 3 of my players would say is "I turn around, go home, pack up and leave." lol :P

Offline Crion

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2010, 07:08:43 PM »
I don't think you're the only one here. When I first mentioned tossing the Dresden RPG at my usual tables (it sadly didn't fly), a few random options came up, and I know that if I ever did run it, some of these elements would come in.

First, some former games were mentioned; primarily Old World of Darkness was referenced. Some of the major NPCs (such as Chicago's Prince Lodin) and even some of our old PCs were mentioned to be brought in. A step away from typical literature and into something a bit more flexible, but still an amusing idea.

My flatmate referenced the old soap opera "Port Charles," and used it to add some flavor to his character concept. One of my friends from college mentioned the TV series "Kindred: The Embraced," while another made reference to the BBC show "Being Human." (The latter being a GREAT idea with the whole human choice vs monster nature often seen in Dresden. If you haven't seen it, I would HIGHLY suggest it).

Being the nerd that I am, I thought the idea of John Constantine (the comic, NOT the film version) or Dr. Occult being tossed in would also be rather interesting and somewhat fitting, whether just the characters or a Dresden-acceptable variant of themes.



If anything else comes up with the discussion I'm having with some out of town gamers this weekend, I'll try to remember to come back here and share the thoughts.
"Smilies exist because no one has bothered to make a sarcasm font." Lost_Heretic
"I don't care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching--they are your family." Harry Dresden

Offline Frank Frey

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2010, 10:55:32 PM »
I would recommend the Nightwatch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. It is excellent and can be thought of as the Russian Dresden Files. The factional infighting is very interesting and it contains a wide variety of supernatural types.

Offline ahunting

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2010, 12:39:00 AM »
I would recommend the Nightwatch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. It is excellent and can be thought of as the Russian Dresden Files. The factional infighting is very interesting and it contains a wide variety of supernatural types.
Sounds like i need to check out this Nightwatch thing.

Offline dannylilly2000

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2010, 01:46:25 AM »
I'm considering bringing in some Sookie Stackhouse elements into mine.  Specifically the Were/Shifter relationships with each other. 

Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2010, 02:01:00 AM »
Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series is also a great inspiration for werewolves, the possibility of having a vampire friend even in the Dresden Files or another world where they're pretty much evil, and also for the Fae.

Offline John Galt

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2010, 03:12:52 AM »
That is the beauty of fate.  It is so incredibly adaptable.  Pick your favorite fantasy/sci-fi/whatever universe and apply to fate to it and BAM.  God I love it.  I'm actually thinking about running a Sword of Truth campaign on PbP once I'm familiar enough with the system to feel comfortable GMing.  Seriously.  I.  Love.  Fate.

Offline Archmage_Cowl

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2010, 03:23:01 AM »
That is the beauty of fate.  It is so incredibly adaptable.  Pick your favorite fantasy/sci-fi/whatever universe and apply to fate to it and BAM.  God I love it.  I'm actually thinking about running a Sword of Truth campaign on PbP once I'm familiar enough with the system to feel comfortable GMing.  Seriously.  I.  Love.  Fate.

If you ever get around to that sword of truth campaign count me in ;D
"I who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates to hell. Come forth Divine Lightning! This ends now! Indignation!" Jade Curtis Tales of the abyss

Offline blues.soldier

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2010, 01:34:14 AM »
I'm really, REALLY contemplating the integration of both Buffy and Angel as well as Supernatural and the Dresdenverse into a single World of Darkness-style campaign.
"What ever you do, do it for love. If you keep to that, your path will never wander so far from the light that you can never return.”--Uriel

Offline Simon Hogwood

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2010, 03:40:36 AM »
I'm really, REALLY contemplating the integration of both Buffy and Angel as well as Supernatural and the Dresdenverse into a single World of Darkness-style campaign.
Do - it! Do - it! Do - it!  ;D

But seriously, though, I've considered the exact same thing, with Hellboy and Highlander floating around there somewhere, too! Problem is, once you start adding stuff it's hard to stop, until you get this as your setting book. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing . . .

I've also been entertaining some ideas for Alternate History Dresden Files settings, specifically in the Anno Dracula and Deadlands universes.
Blogging his way through The Dresden Files (currently on hiatus).

Offline Falar

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2010, 08:31:48 PM »
I was considering running a game based on the concept of the Brimstone TV Show - three-four character who are "paroled" from Hell by the Devil to capture a bunch of escaped Fallen.
Lead Creator of Terror in the Twin Cities - winner of the 2010 Borden DFRPG Award for Best Location

Offline Crion

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #13 on: June 20, 2010, 11:19:07 PM »
I would recommend the Nightwatch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. It is excellent and can be thought of as the Russian Dresden Files. The factional infighting is very interesting and it contains a wide variety of supernatural types.

Seconded. Great ideas in that one. And, ironically enough, I had a conversation about that this weekend, which gave me some thoughts to mull over whenever I finally get something going. . .
"Smilies exist because no one has bothered to make a sarcasm font." Lost_Heretic
"I don't care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching--they are your family." Harry Dresden

Offline Diskhotep

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Re: Bringing on Other Book Source Material Into Your Dresden RPG
« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2010, 03:51:46 AM »
I would highly recommend looking at West End Games' Bloodshadows line... one of the best "fantasy noir" settings I've ever seen. The game is now out of print, but there are still copies out there, and the pdf is online and pretty cheap.

Flavor text from the game:
Almost a million people in the "City of Gold," according to seers. Most of 'em working to fatten the wallets of five or six guys. They all got sucked in by the runes, the ones that promised a car in every garage and conjurer's brew in every pot. Buildings tickle the sky and there's enough booze flowing to drown an anthor.

But that's all on the outside. Selastos, truth to tell, isn't that much different from a succubus with the plague.

On any given day, you can hear the Elders and the top sentinel making speeches about cleaning up this burg. But the politicians don't really run this town, they never have. The big rich run it, the mining tycoons and the vice kings, and they run it to suit themselves. And when they die, somebody will conjure their faces up at City Hall and declare them "civic heroes."

In the meantime, the suckers scrabble in the dark for a handful of dust and pray the walls don't cave in and the queskworms don't get them. If they make it through the week, there's a bottle and a broad to help them forget what they came here for. And if there's not enough money for the good stuff and a Human whore.... there's always the Taxim Quarter.


Also, I highly recommend one of the most flavorful movies never seen today: "Cast a Deadly Spell"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVdVuJAJias