Author Topic: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs  (Read 34172 times)

Offline bentleyml

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Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« on: November 20, 2007, 03:18:19 PM »
Has anyone thought of setting games in the Dresden-verse in different time periods other than modern day?  One I plan on doing is running a Dresden-verse game set in the 1930s or 1940s.  I mean, how can one resist having an evil Nazi Wizard? :D

I've also contemplated something set in the 1980s.  My other random thought was one set in the 1860's or so.

No real solid thoughts on any of these, but I was just curious if anyone was thinking along similar lines.

Offline Torvaldr

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2007, 12:28:30 AM »
I was thinking of an Old West setting. Kind of almost like the original Wild Wild West tv series.
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Offline Blaze

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2007, 01:08:27 AM »
We are running one red hot Roaring 20s Chicago Dresden in our RPG.  Bad Boy Butters, aka: the Coroner, Red Courts in with Capone, Murphy is a Pinkerton.  Very very cool setting.  Chicago was hoppin' in the 20s.

Mac's is a speakeasy, of course, and Thomas dances there to feed.
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Offline Priscellie

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2007, 03:43:28 AM »
I'm in an RPG that went wildly AU shortly after World War Two.  The White Council has openly declared war on mortalkind and allied with Winter and the Red Court.  It's now ruled by Justin DuMorne, with a seriously brainwashed Elaine Mallory at his side.  Harry and Murphy fight them alongside those that left the White Council (like Morgan), the White Court (led by Lara Raith), and assorted mortals.  We're still finding our feet in some aspects, though we recently decided there will be a strong magic/steampunk hybrid vibe.

Offline harleshade

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2007, 12:01:20 PM »
I am actuall loving a lot of these ideals I think that I should try and put one together just to see how it would go.

Offline Blaze

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2007, 10:42:04 PM »
Absolutely!

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Offline fivestyle

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2007, 01:49:05 PM »
I think a campaign run in the 20's or 40's could be really cool.

Offline Lizard King

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2007, 09:29:30 PM »
This thread really does inspire some badass ideas.  I would have a blast with a Victorian Era.  I could also see a hell of a fun game set in Five Points in a "Gangs of New York" setting.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2007, 08:38:09 PM by Lizard King »

MatthewD44

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2007, 10:49:23 PM »
Another idea might be one set around the time of the Revolutionary War in the Boston area...

Offline Blaze

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2007, 11:13:25 PM »
Red coats = Red Courts?   ;D
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MatthewD44

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2007, 03:04:01 AM »
Hey that would be an idea Blaze...

Offline Murphy's Stunt Double

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #11 on: November 29, 2007, 03:17:55 AM »
I absolutely love the 20's thread in our RPG (I'm in the same one as Blaze) - but I'd also love to do one set in the 40's

Heh - Mainly because my characters are feminine and I prefer the fashions of the 40's over the 20's... LOL

I think a Wild West one would be really really cool, too!
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Offline Simon Hogwood

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #12 on: November 29, 2007, 06:01:10 PM »
What about the future? 2020's, 2070's, 2100 and beyond?
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Offline Murphy's Stunt Double

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2007, 08:59:07 PM »
That strikes me as really difficult and taking it too far out of the fanfic realm (not that I'm any expert, mind you>)

But as I see it, fanfic is grounded in a common base of a universe (Dresdenverse) of common history, experiences, laws, etc, and even superimposing the regular world of the past, there is a common base there too that we all know, or can at least Google, and can draw from.

In going into the future, the players lose that common understanding of social evolution and technological advancement. Five, ten people bringing completely different visions of the future to an RPG seems like it would muddle it the storylines horribly.

We've had some challenges on our board with people bringing characters in that really can't exist in Jim's world, and it makes the storylines difficult at times. But they're good and interesting writers, so we work with it, and we've made a non-Dresdenverse storyline area available for them as well.
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Offline The Last Bean

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Re: Alternate Time Periods for Dresden RPGs
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2007, 02:49:33 AM »
You would definitely be setting yourself up to write a lot about the world. You'd have to come up with a specific vision of that future and communicate it clearly to your players. Perhaps the magical world flowed over into the realm of the mundies (to use Fable-speak) and we're now talking post-apocolyptic version of the dresdenverse. Maybe the Vampires won and dominated society. Perhaps the mundies found out and started exterminating magical creatures a la the Technocracy from WoD?

That last one could make for some awesome dresden fights. How does magic fight lasers? What would a teleporter into the Nevernever look like? You could even take a CoC type approach if you start incorporating regular humans into things. A wetworks squad assigned to the Nevernever would make a badass player party.