NEWBS INCOMING!-Game Advice

[finnmckool]

Ok, so it's been awhile since my group has done Dresden (I ran the game and got caught up in RL, ran out of steam, kinda forgot what I was doing blah blah whine whine). We didn't play often and never got our arms entirely around it. I'm not super comfortable with the system is what I'm saying.

However, in the name of Excelsior!, I have volunteered to run a game for a pair of acquaintances who don't game much at all, and have limited to no Dresden experience. They're not super familiar with the books or the world. Now, obviously a lot rests on what kind of characters they'll wanna pick and I'm gonna have a sit down with them once they've had a chance to check the rule book and all, but I'm still a bit unsure where to start them.

So...can you guys give me some tips on what kind of adventure I can start two noobs on? Keep in mind I'm gonna set in our hometown (I find it makes creative problem solving SO much easier when you don't have to ask if there's a drugstore or whatever near by). But some sort of basic idea of what kind of mystery to solve, or baddie to fight or what have you would be appreciated. I've kicked it around a bit, but I've just come up goose eggs.

Thanks!

[bobjob]

I always find getting their feet wet with a little supernatural is good. Ghouls make good low level enemies and they can take a lot of punishment before you put them down. I would only put them up against one to start... have the ghoul killing hobos or something (depending on where you live). So one enemy vs two PCs.

FYI, I also find that until they know about the magic system and the rules of magic, to keep them from playing a caster. The hardest thing to drill through my players heads is 1. This isn't Vancian magic, and 2. There are very real consequences to killing mortals.

[Wolfhound]

Give the One-Shots a serious look, you may be pleased. I was able to incorporate Neutral Grounds and Evil Acts into our campaign on Obsidian Portal, we hit 2 years this month.

http://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-rpg-downloads/

[finnmckool]

Yeah...I've thought about Neutral Grounds...I may give that one a go after they've had a chance to peruse the system a bit.

But on the off chance they want to play something specific that may not work well in the modules, also because I kinda want to lasso them in, so I'm looking to put my best foot forward.

[Taran]

Here's a one-shot adventure I did for experienced Rpers who were complete newbies to Dresden:

I gave them all pre-gen characters which I have on PDF, if you want them.

(click to show/hide)

They work for a secret organization(Let's call them St. Anne's Children (SAC)) in the city.  The organization is an all-mortal group who have lots of money and contacts and work to protect the city from supernatural threats.  The PC's are low level mooks (feet in the water) who work for the organization (they don't know who any of the leadership is).

I started the adventure with them all in the park, fighting a shape-shifter (so they don't really know what's going on until the fight is done and it's a good way to introduce them to combat.)  After the fight, I explained that they'd just completed a job to track down and "take care" of said shapeshifter who was preying on innocent people.  They call into the office to let their contact know they were done.  I then had the contact offer them another job (compel).

The Job:

Background
A Pure Mortal Girl works at an upscale bar run by White Court Vampires (the vamps head-quarters).  She's a White Court Thrall who was the "bookeeper" for a Paranet-type organization and she's been feeding the info to the White Court.  SAC wants to kidnap her, and force her to change alliance so that she becomes an informant for them against the White Court.  It could involve torture etc...but the PC's won't know that yet, in this adventure.

PC's Mission
Kidnap or convince the girl(or guy, if you want the informant to be male) to go with them.  Keep her comfy at a specific meeting place until a representative from SAC comes to pick here up.  Once that happens, they're off the hook.

Complications
1. The White Court pretty much owns the mob, so while getting the Informant to follow them, they may be accosted or followed by mobsters.  The primary goal of the mobsters is to find out where they are going.

2.  Once they get to the meeting place, give them an afternoon to prepare.  (The Terromancer used a ritual to make all the windows in the building bullet proof).
At night, they will get a visit from two White Court Vamps looking to retreive the girl. They will try to "convince" the party to let her go.

They have to hold off the vamps until help arrives.  I threw in a ghoul and a couple of human mooks, but I had  5 players when I did it.

The adventure can lead to other things for later adventures.  Like if the party finds out what SAC is going to do with the informant, they may have morale issues etc...

Not sure if it's the kind of thing you're looking for, but maybe it'll give you ideas.

[fantazero]

Give the One-Shots a serious look, you may be pleased. I was able to incorporate Neutral Grounds and Evil Acts into our campaign on Obsidian Portal, we hit 2 years this month.

http://www.evilhat.com/home/dresden-files-rpg-downloads/

This, a thousand times this.
Let them have a taste of it cake before having them bake one.