Can True Fae be player characters?

[HappyDaze]

If I want a True Fae (rather than a Changeling) as a PC and my character still has a Refresh > 0, is there any mechanical or in-game reason that I could not do so?   I know the GM can always declare certain things off limits, but I'm more asking if there's anything inherent to such 'monsters' that would make them unplayable when they still have positive Refresh (and the degree of free will that comes with it).

[MijRai]

Just give a good reason, and I see no problem. Maybe have your character 'cursed' to have free will by someone. I know a guy who did a Gruff who killed a Troll Sorcerer, and its death curse had given him free will. Maybe have your character steal the will, or got it for a good reason.

[Lukas the Dead]

I like MijRai's idea about it being a punishment, so I'll just add on an additional possibility. Maybe he did something to tick off his court and the queen cursed him with it.

[KOFFEYKID]

I had a similar idea, here is as far as I got with the character.

This is my current idea. A full blooded Fey who tricked free will off a human.

Frieja Winters
High Concept: Free-Willed Winter Fey
Trouble: "Hounds of Winter, At My Heels"
Other Aspects: "Beautiful… Like an Ice Sculpture"; "Words Are Binding"; "I Stole Winter's Breath"
Stress: P OOO(OO) S OOOO M OOOO

Skills
5   Discipline
4   Conviction, Lore, Athletics
3   Presence, Rapport, Alertness
2   Endurance, Deceit, Contacts
1   Resources, Empathy, Intimidation

Powers and Stunts
 -4   Greater Glamours
+1   Item of Power (Breath of Winter)
 -4   -Unseelie Magic
+3   The Catch (Cold Iron and Summer Trappings)
 -2   -Inhuman Toughness
 -2   -Inhuman Recovery
 -1   Fey Bargaining Tactics

Breath of Winter (Item of Power) [-3]
Description: A silver necklaces with a small glass bottle held in place with a delicate latticework of silvery snowflakes. Inside are glowing snowflakes, which swirl around endlessly. It is always cold to the touch.
Musts: An aspect directly referencing this Item of Power.
Skills Affected: None.
Effects:
It Is What It Is. It's a Necklace.
Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, it cannot be broken, save through dedicated magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
Unseelie Magic. This necklace gives you the ability to use Unseelie Magic. See YS 161 for details.

Fey Bargaining Tactics [-1] You, like all other fey, have a natural flair and skill at making deals. You make all social rolls at a +1 bonus when making any type of binding agreement.

When she is Glamoured she looks like this:

[Enjorous]

Short answer: NO!

In DFRPG fate points and refresh are representative of free will. Fae by their very nature have no free will they are their nature and cannot stray from that.

I like what MijRai said, but I still think it's too much.

[KOFFEYKID]

I will temper that statement with a YES.

The enjoyment of the group is more important than any rule. Its all about having fun.

[wyvern]

Short answer: Maybe, depending on your gaming group.

I could easily see even a full fey, beholden to one of the courts, as being playable - particularly if they had some sort of deal or debt that tied them to the mundane world.  Of course, such a character would have plentiful opportunities for compels against their high concept representing orders from above, or their own nature (inability to directly lie, etc.) - but some players will thrive on such limitations.

On the other hand, I could easily see a game where such a character was totally unsuitable.  It really depends on who you're playing with, and what everyone else expects out of the game.  At the very least, one should never simply assume that such a character is a possibility without talking it over with your gaming group first.

[Richard_Chilton]

By a strict reading of the rules, no.

If you want to add home brewed rules, then this could be one of the ones you add.

Richard

[Lanir]

Totally depends on the group. And if the GM is happy with what you intend to do with the character. Technically Thomas was run like a PC would be in most of the novels and a white court vampire isn't any worse than a fae as far as the nature vs free will thing goes. You should probably expect some of the same issues a Changeling would have though, since you're also trying to go against your nature at times in order to continue being a PC.

If your group likes the idea well enough to decide to alter the setting to remove the nature vs free will battle, that's cool too. But everyone should be in on a decision like that since it alters things they might have read or will read about the setting.

[Lukas the Dead]

If your group likes the idea well enough to decide to alter the setting to remove the nature vs free will battle, that's cool too. But everyone should be in on a decision like that since it alters things they might have read or will read about the setting.

You don't have to alter the setting as a whole, after all "the heroes of The Dresden Files RPG are genuinely exceptional individuals" (YS17) and so exceptions can be made for them. Throughout the books we've had examples of one person or another for whom the rules are bent or broken, it's one of the reoccurring themes.

[tymire]

Imo I don't see why you couldn't play a fey.  Just would make a couple really basic changes. 

1st:  Your High Concept must be what type of "monster" you are.
2nd: Compels based on your High Concept become mandatory, they cannot be ignored.
3rd: You receive no fate points from a compel of your High Concept.

That fixes the free will vs. nature debate, as your character no longer has free will. 

Doubt any GMs would saying no to that (unless they are fairly lazy and don't want to do deal with it) as you just gave handed them the keys to your character's soul (if it has one).   

Now the effects of this might be very messy, and well depending on what happens and it is very likely that the character could be turned against the party.  *Shrug* that's the nature of the beast though.  Could make for some really good and humorous situations though.  The fact that all bargins MUST be kept and the character MUST always tell the truth... hmmm so much fun.  Regardless I would definately would want to run it by all the other players before brought it to the table.

Also makes me wonder if that saying from Peter Pan has any truth to it in the DV ("Everytime say you dont believe in fairies, a fairy dies"). 

[zcthu3]

Imo I don't see why you couldn't play a fey.  Just would make a couple really basic changes.  

1st:  Your High Concept must be what type of "monster" you are.
2nd: Compels based on your High Concept become mandatory, they cannot be ignored.
3rd: You receive no fate points from a compel of your High Concept.

I agree with your 1st point, but disagree with your 2nd and 3rd.

If a full Fae character has Fate Points then they should be able to resist compels in the same way that those with sponsored magic can resist the sponsor's agenda - While Fae don't have true "free-will" they can, IMO, resist giving into their nature when they need to - for a while at least in the same way that a Red Court Vampire can resist its hunger... Eventually their nature will overwhelm them and they will give in.... generally at the least convenient time for the rest of the PCs...

[JosephKell]

Why not just play a Changeling that has already taken a lot of powers?

Being a Fae has a whole host of annoyances for you and your group.  Thresholds and can't lie (3 times if you are regular or at all if you are sidhe) are two big ones.

[Doc Nova]

I would have no problem with a full fae, if the concept were solid...although I am having trouble wrapping my head around the notion of being cursed with free will.  Tricking it off a human, I can see...but cursed to be able to make choices I am not seeing.

Just my perspective, though.  The most important thing is that it works for you and your group.

[Richard_Chilton]

Why is it a curse?

A Fae normally cannot act counter to its nature.  A Winter Court Troll is a Winter Court Troll and acts as a Winter Court Troll acts.  Give him freewill and he might find himself making a choice that ends up giving aid the Summer Court - which wouldn't be something the Nobles of the Winter Court could understand.  They would have to assume that he was betraying them because they wouldn't understand how he could make that choice.

Thinking of it another way, without Freewill you have Certainty.  You know what you are doing and why you are doing it.  You might not think Winter and Summer going to war is a good thing, but the war call has gone out so you answer it - because that's what a Fae does.  Add freewill into the equation and you lose certainty.  Is going to war a good idea? Should you show up once the war call goes out? What is right? What is wrong? How can I tell?

In short, a Fae with Freewill can get very existential over what he should and shouldn't do.

Richard