DFRPG In Other Time P... *AHEM!* Yadda-Yadda, Something About Claws and Stuff.

[Silverblaze]

It could model Star Wars fairly well.  Plenty of room to create force powers and alien aces.  It could also handle a generic Sci/Fi setting.  However, since it can handle specific stuff it could likely work for other stuff. 

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People already know I'd just play another system if that is what I wanted.

I think magic (evocation, thaumaturgy, and stuff like it) would need some modifications for Science Fiction.

[Mr. Death]

Actually, I'd be terribly interested in opinions and suggestions for using DFRPG supernatural powers in a Science-Fiction setting...  It seems that many of the powers would be suitable for use as "psionic" powers, and most of the "monster" powers could be used for creating alien races and creatures.

Actually, I've done just that, for a Mega Man X-based game. Mostly, though, I suppose the powers outside of the Strength/Toughness/Speed/Recovery powers ended up being homebrewed stuff mostly based on things like Breath Weapon. The busters' charging mechanics were kind of like channeling, though.

Of course, that'll make traveling through the Nevernever that much more useful.

Indeed. One gets the sense that having supernatural power was a much bigger advantage back in the day than it is now, considering among the running themes in Dresden is that modern technology is either bridging or surpassing advantages the supernatural community has had for all time up to now.

Put it this way: It's only within the last 150 or so years that the average mortal has had the ability to quickly attack from a distance with reliable lethal force in the form of repeating weapons (starting with revolvers). Wizards have been able to do so since the first fireball was tossed thousands of years ago.

[Pbartender]

People already know I'd just play another system if that is what I wanted.

We're playing Starblazer Adventures, but also toying with DFRPG powers.  One player has a character that's a "Moreau" -- genetically engineered half-animal/half-humans, an idea shamelessly stolen from D20 Modern.  He's using Claws and Supernatural Strength from DFRPG to emulate the benefits of being a bear-man.  Another player toyed with using DFRPG powers for a Cyborg, but in the end decided against it.

One problem I have SBA at the moment is that the stats for bad guys listed in the book are either full-fledged super-powerful archvillians, or knock 'em down by the handful minions.  There's not a lot of middle management threats.  I might see if I can use some of the supernatural creatures from DFRPG as aliens.  A lot of the mundane NPCs would probably work without too many changes as well.

[DFJunkie]

I’ve adapted the game for a modern day game with an X-Files-esque setting and psychic powers.  Instead of the elements you have psychic disciplines, like Telekinesis, ESP, etc.  It’s worked pretty well so far, though I’ve had to include a few extra stunts that apply mental armor or improve mental defenses. 

[Sanctaphrax]

Uhm, did you miss this?
Though I have really given up at this point.

Didn't miss it, just didn't follow. Figured that you were fine with discussing both topics in the same thread.

And with that, my part in the derail is over. Sorry if anyone was looking forward to what I had to say.

PS: The new thread name is hilarious.

[Mr. Death]

Found this while browsing, should be interesting to anyone setting a Dresden game in the past.

[Sanctaphrax]

Yeah, that's a good summary. The order of the world is that supernaturals are in charge. But mortals can in fact challenge supernaturals and win.

Fortunately, you don't actually need to change any rules to make that so.

[Mr. Death]

Rules, no, but some actions would have their difficulties ratcheted way up for normals--Contacts and Scholarship rolls jump to mind to account for the lack of quick communication and travel (no phones or cars) and widespread learning and the availability of information (fewer libraries, no Wikipedia).

So instead of a contacts roll having a difficulty of 3 or 4 to find out what's going on in the big city, it might have a difficulty of 6-8; putting it beyond the reach of your average mortal, but well within the bounds of a solid ritual (or bribing the local pixies).

[Pbartender]

Rules, no, but some actions would have their difficulties ratcheted way up for normals--Contacts and Scholarship rolls jump to mind to account for the lack of quick communication and travel (no phones or cars) and widespread learning and the availability of information (fewer libraries, no Wikipedia).

So instead of a contacts roll having a difficulty of 3 or 4 to find out what's going on in the big city, it might have a difficulty of 6-8; putting it beyond the reach of your average mortal, but well within the bounds of a solid ritual (or bribing the local pixies).

You don't need to increase the difficulty...  Just bump the action up the time ladder a few steps.

[Mr. Death]

Well, tomato-tomahto. The book suggests that unmet shifts go into the time units to make up the difference rather than a straight fail in some cases.

If the difficulty of a Contacts roll to find a piece of information is, say, 8, a mortal rolling a 5 might mean "I know just the guy, but he's a couple towns over. I can talk to him in a couple days." On the other hand, a wizard can put together a ritual for those 8 shifts and get that information by the end of the day from some willing spirit (or a trip through the Nevernever).

[Pbartender]

Well, tomato-tomahto. The book suggests that unmet shifts go into the time units to make up the difference rather than a straight fail in some cases.

If the difficulty of a Contacts roll to find a piece of information is, say, 8, a mortal rolling a 5 might mean "I know just the guy, but he's a couple towns over. I can talk to him in a couple days." On the other hand, a wizard can put together a ritual for those 8 shifts and get that information by the end of the day from some willing spirit (or a trip through the Nevernever).

Fair enough.

[Sanctaphrax]

I don't follow.

[Mr. Death]

Well, let's say you were looking for a piece of information in a modern day campaign, and the GM sets the difficulty for the Contacts roll at 4. Since it's a modern campaign, things like being in a different town aren't going to add to the difficulty of the roll--distance isn't much of a factor with cars and cell phones and the like.

But turn the clock back 150 years or so, and reaching that same piece of information has more factors affecting the difficulty. You can't look up his contact information in the phone book, and even if you do know where he is, it's going to take time to get there.

So those added difficulty factors would ratchet up the target of the roll to 8--meaning that your average gadfly is going to have a tough time ferreting out someone nearby who knows the info. So a roll of 5 might be interpreted as him spending a day talking to his acquaintances about who might know the answer, and two more days actually going to find and talk to this person.

But a wizard, who can make maneuvers from magic, just straight up call a demon to ask, or just take a stroll through the Nevernever to turn a two-day trip into a 20 minute one, would have an easier time meeting that difficulty directly, and therefore get the answer more quickly.

[Sanctaphrax]

I was with you until the last paragraph.

Why would increasing Contacts difficulties be better for Wizards than for others? An 8-shift ritual is harder than a 4-shift one, just as a difficulty 8 roll is harder than a difficulty 4 one.

[Mr. Death]

I was with you until the last paragraph.

Why would increasing Contacts difficulties be better for Wizards than for others? An 8-shift ritual is harder than a 4-shift one, just as a difficulty 8 roll is harder than a difficulty 4 one.

A difficulty 8 roll is largely up to the whims of the dice, while an 8-shift ritual is not.

Even if you make a pair of declarations, maneuvers, or invokes to boost the Contacts roll, you could still blow it and roll really badly. But if the wizard is starting from a Lore of 4, that's two declarations to get up to 8. Even if you're really taking your time with the actual casting, that's still, tops, a couple hours for him to arrive at the answer that the mortal is still canvassing the neighborhood over.