Author Topic: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?  (Read 18423 times)

Offline finarvyn

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Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« on: December 17, 2007, 07:46:18 PM »
For a while there were several posters giving updates as to how they were using various systems to run a campaign in the Dresdenverse, but recently this section of the board has been very quiet.

Perhaps this happened at the same time as Fred announced alpha playtesting of THE REAL THING and somehow homebrew games seem less interesting? Maybe people just didn't have anything new to report? I'm hoping that the lack of conversation here isn't indiciative of low long-term interes...

Anyway, I've experimented with Dresden in a couple different game systems with varying degrees of success...
1. Amber Diceless -- this works surprisingly well, since so many of the characters are supernaturals. In a mostly mundane world, it would have some issues.
2. Buffy -- I've found that BtVS (Eden Games) has the right kind of feel, perhaps because Buffy is written with wry humor in much the same way as Dresden. Also I find that I can use some of their ideas for vampires and spells and other things that fit well into Harry's world.
3. Monte Cook's World of Darkness -- this plays like most any d20 system, and typically you like it or hate it. I find some of the ideas (particularly the magic system) to be particularly clever, but overall the system is bulky and cumbersome.
4. Spirit of the Century -- of late I've drifteed back to SotC as my Dresden rule system of choice, in anticipation of the SotC system being similar to Dresden Files. I know that the magic system will be different, but at least my players will be used to the funky +/- dice.  ;D

Anyone else running Dresden at the moment?
« Last Edit: December 19, 2007, 07:22:04 PM by finarvyn »
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Offline DrygonDM

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2007, 08:58:48 PM »
Well, I was going to use C.J. Corrella's Witchcraft (which I own) - which uses the same Unisystem that Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I don't own, yet) uses.

But too few Players had read the Dresden Files series. And then, I lost all of my players before I could really get "Dresden style" into the game.

I refused to even try and use D&D. Even with the Magic/Psionic "Point System" options.
High Tech really doesn't exist in D&D, and if you put High Tech in a High Magic World, you might as well Play R.I.F.T.S. or Shadowrun.

Another that I tried was D20 Modern's Urban Arcana. But the Magic of that System was just too "off"

One of the things that a lot of Players complained about with Dresden-Style Gaming was - regardless of the RPG System used - the "Murphyonic Field" that surrounds all Wizards.

Witchcraft itself does not cause this to happen, and so the Magi of that game can cast spells without fear of their complex technology being destroyed by their use of Spells. Only White Wolf's World of Darkness came close to this, with Paradox for Mages.
 
As an option to those that want to have the "Dresden style" while not making everyone else have to deal with it as well:

I was thinking of creating a drawback simular to the "Gremlins" negative quality of the Shadowrun PPG, and this would duplicate the "Murphyonic Field". Each Level that one takes grants extra Points at Character Creation, and represents how much their "Murphyonic Field" affects Technology around them.
Tech Items must save once per use in order to function. A roll of 1 indicates failure. The more complicated the Tech item, and the hight the PC's Flaw Level, the more the Failure Number increases: Example - Level 4 Flaw causes devices to fail on a roll of 4 or less.
 
- Level 1 could grant like 02 Creation Points, and affect things that are close to the user's body - like an electric wristwatch, your cellphone, etc.
- Level 2 might grant 05 Creation Points and affect any cellphone, or other electrical devices within 3 feet of the PC.
- Level 3 might grant 07 points, and effect electrical devices within 6 feet of the user, like car radios, the PC's car would have to make a "save" once a day to function.
- Level 4 could grant 10 Character Creation points but effects everything in a 10 foot radius of the PC, and Tech Items must save every time they are exposed. Ex: Jan'es Cellphone is nine feet from Jim, Wizard Jim steps forward one foot, and Jane must roll for her phphone (saved). Jim then steps back one foot, and then steps forward again (prehaps to get something for Jane), making Jane roll for her phone again.

While it is possible to buy this Flaw off with EXP, doing so should not be easy, and cost at least double the Points granted.
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Offline bentleyml

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2007, 12:52:12 AM »
I used a combination of stuff from Buffy and Witchcraft to run a short Dresden-esque game.  For quick magic I used some of Witchcrafts Invocations because they seemed to kind of fit and used the Buffy magic system (modified a bit) for ritual magic.  It went pretty well and only stopped because I had ideas for other games.  I'll probably return to it at some point.  Even when the official Dresden Files RPG comes out I may still end up using my homebrew because the Spirit of the Century system (that the Dresden Files RPG will be based on) doesn't quite click with my style.

I have also considered using West End Games D6 Adventure RPG, but haven't really put too much thought into it at this point.
« Last Edit: December 18, 2007, 12:55:41 AM by bentleyml »

Offline finarvyn

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2007, 04:22:08 AM »
One of the things that a lot of Players complained about with Dresden-Style Gaming was - regardless of the RPG System used - the "Murphyonic Field" that surrounds all Wizards.
That's a good point. I really haven't emphasized this aspect of magic use in my games -- and maybe that means I'm not running "true" Dresden.

Of course, I noticed that in the TV series they have allowed Harry to use technology sometimes. I get the sense that the anti-technology aspect of magic is being used more like just another spell rather than a universal effect of magic.

While having magic mess up technology is a lot of fun in books and TV shows, I can see where players would get annoyed with it quickly in a RPG. In most games, wizards seem to feel picked on because of artifiical restrictions (like wizards not being able to use swords in D&D) and I suspect many players would see this as just another artificial restriction. It might be fun for a short campaign, but I'm not sure how my magic-user players will react in a long-term game.
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Offline DrygonDM

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2007, 05:23:26 PM »
That's a good point. I really haven't emphasized this aspect of magic use in my games -- and maybe that means I'm not running "true" Dresden.

Of course, I noticed that in the TV series they have allowed Harry to use technology sometimes. I get the sense that the anti-technology aspect of magic is being used more like just another spell rather than a universal effect of magic.

While having magic mess up technology is a lot of fun in books and TV shows, I can see where players would get annoyed with it quickly in a RPG. In most games, wizards seem to feel picked on because of artifiical restrictions (like wizards not being able to use swords in D&D) and I suspect many players would see this as just another artificial restriction. It might be fun for a short campaign, but I'm not sure how my magic-user players will react in a long-term game.

One of the things that I have to point out to my players (when I have them) for Dresden-Style Gaming, is to look past the drawbacks, and see the benifits of the "Murphyoinic Field". Sure, your cellphone doesn't work. But then your PC gets to stop those fully-automatic guns from shooting at him/her - just because your PC is standing near enough: the other PC Mages in the game don't !!
I tell them to look at having this Flaw as a mental challenge, find unusual ways around it, as well as finding new ways to use it against other people (Other PCs, NPCs, and VPCs*) in the game.

{VPC = Villain Player Characters. Characters created and played by the DM that are made to challenge the PCs.}
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Offline KeyMasterOfGozer

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2007, 01:18:58 AM »
I'm still interested in this as well, but I've shifted my attention to Codex Alera world instead, since I'm hoping that the official Dresden will be out soon.

Offline finarvyn

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2007, 07:26:04 PM »
I tell them to look at having this Flaw as a mental challenge, find unusual ways around it, as well as finding new ways to use it against other people
That's an excellent viewpoint. Presented as such, I think that my players will have a lot more fun with the Dresdenverse. They seem to find a lot of fun in outwitting my NPCs, and having to outwit technology could be fun as well.

Another advantage is that if cameras and cell phones don't work around you, then survalence tapes and tracking "bugs" won't be a problem either.
Marv / Finarvyn
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Offline DrygonDM

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2007, 01:01:38 AM »
I'm still interested in this as well, but I've shifted my attention to Codex Alera world instead, since I'm hoping that the official Dresden will be out soon.

Codex Alera world? Hummm.
I think that I would use a modified Unisystem - Witchcraft, Buffy, Earth Primal, etc.

PCs don't cast spells, they command a Fury to do an effect, depending on it's Elemental Nature.
For each "Elemental Type" Assign an Elemental Spell list: with lower level spell effects increasing in damage, and higher level spells affecting larger areas.

Players Could spend Exp to either increase their own Abilities, Qualities, HP, and Skills, or "unlock" higher Stats, HP, Innate Abilities, and Spells for their "Fury".

Players could also obtain an exta "Base Level" Furie as a Quality, and perhaps spend EXP to get one after Character Creation.

Players could also create "Tavi" by buying skills, and Qualities restricted to non-Fury users.
===============================================================================================

That's an excellent viewpoint. Presented as such, I think that my players will have a lot more fun with the Dresdenverse.
They seem to find a lot of fun in outwitting my NPCs, and having to outwit technology could be fun as well.

Another advantage is that if cameras and cell phones don't work around you, then survalence tapes and tracking "bugs" won't be a problem either.
                                                                    Thanks for the compliment.
And yes, survalence equipment and "bugs" would fry around the Wizard. Especially when someone creates an Empowered Circle with several Wizards with this Flaw in it - like what the Wardens did in Dead Beat. The Circle blocked all "pure magical" spies (From Scry Spells to Ghostly Watchers) as well as frying any tech "recording devices" within it.

But an invisible person was standing close enough to the Circle could still see and hear everything that was said - they just have to take a chance on being detected. Which is why Morgan used his Sight to make sure that there was no one hiding behind any Veils (illusions, including Invisiblity) inside Mac's Pub before the circle went up. The way around that is - the invisible person had been hiding in the Nevernever stepped across after the Circle was up, and was therefore not detectable to those that were within the Circle.

                                        But, remember that the GM must think in inverse ways as well.
Where having this Flaw is something they have to get around, and where someone having this Flaw would really cause the worst possible outcome if they come too close. This time I'll use an example from Blood Ties. The claymore mines were linked with lazer beams, and anything that broke the beams would cause them to explode. This would include a certain "nervous" Wizard that has the Murphyonic Field Flaw that would Disrupt the lazer projection device if he got too close. "Thus kablooie, thus death." This ment that the main PC had to rely on someone that had no magic at all (Murphy) to go in and disarm the device.

Another thing to remember as the GM (yes, there is a lot of things the GM must remember), is to be nice to the Players, after all they are the heroes of the Story, and eventually ment to win.
Like how Mac's Magnum PI-style car got Harry to the Lake House in Storm Front, and then the car died.
This is because while the Murphyonic Field still affects the car, the real fight is at the House
- and so you allow the car to get to the house, no die-rolling required.
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Offline Aerhen

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2007, 02:36:17 AM »
wow..i still have one group in the dresden verse.. using a game system i created based on a percentile system.. and I run lots of pick up games .. one or two term sessions..

Offline DDR

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2008, 05:36:56 PM »
Most of the people I game with are using the Hero/Champions game system.  I have been thinking about how to put together some of the Dresden characters in Champions and I may yet do that.  I was hoping that we would get picked for play testing, but no word on that yet.   Our Firefly based game is winding down and we need something to replace it.


Offline Mark baker

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2008, 02:18:59 PM »
I ran a game at GenCon UK 2007, and am running it again at a Con over this weekend using CJ Carella's Witchraft. I don't see any real issues with the lack of a system mechanic for the "Murphyonic Field"... nothing that can't be overcome with a blend of roleplaying and GM fiat in equal parts.

I did find it harder creating decent game stats for charaters like Mouse, Billy Borden, Thomas Raith, etc even with a copy of the Abomination Codex, but with a degree of flexibility and descriptive text in the character backgrounds, even that wasn't too onerous.

Offline Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2008, 03:39:40 PM »
I'm tinkering with creating a Harry Dresden-esque character in the Matrix Online. Really! Especially on the Recursion server, there's a strong hint of urban fantasy to a lot of the RP, so with a little tweaking, it could work. A friend of mine agreed that certain virus abilities on the Hacker tree work very much like fire magic and of course there's always the Handgun abilities...

Offline Brodie

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2008, 07:15:25 AM »
I've been using GURPS for my game. (I've got it set before the end of book 3 and the players don't know how close or far away that is yet. Mwahahaha.) However, I feel the urge to slap the wizard of the group every time I run because he doesn't do anything.

Over in our White Wolf mish-mash/little-bit-of-everything game, run by someone else, I'm playing a mage based pretty damn heavily on Harry Dresden. Hell, I even made him a P.I. that advertises his services as a wizard (he's an orphan and calls himself a wizard, despite having become acquainted with 'mages'). I had fun with the Murphyonic field drawback the GM and I came up with, along with the Soulgaze drawback. The Sight was an advantage. That, combine with the Soulgaze, gave my character insight - vague though it was - that the other PCs weren't privy to and made me useful. I'm not totally like Harry - I can't declare war on all vampires as I wouldn't last long since one of the other PCs is a vampire (and recently crowned Prince). However, I do have a goal set for myself: Kill the head Sabbat vamp. :)

I've found that Mage works extremely well for Dresden style magic, for the most part. But if you go by the rules, you'll find yourself taking Spheres that you'd think shouldn't be involved (Time and Mind).

But, GURPS can accomodate anything and everything with how versatile it is.
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Offline Elaikases

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2008, 04:27:35 AM »
For a while there were several posters giving updates as to how they were using various systems to run a campaign in the Dresdenverse, but recently this section of the board has been very quiet.

Perhaps this happened at the same time as Fred announced alpha playtesting of THE REAL THING and somehow homebrew games seem less interesting? Maybe people just didn't have anything new to report? I'm hoping that the lack of conversation here isn't indiciative of low long-term interes...

Anyway, I've experimented with Dresden in a couple different game systems with varying degrees of success...
1. Amber Diceless -- this works surprisingly well, since so many of the characters are supernaturals. In a mostly mundane world, it would have some issues.
2. Buffy -- I've found that BtVS (Eden Games) has the right kind of feel, perhaps because Buffy is written with wry humor in much the same way as Dresden. Also I find that I can use some of their ideas for vampires and spells and other things that fit well into Harry's world.
3. Monte Cook's World of Darkness -- this plays like most any d20 system, and typically you like it or hate it. I find some of the ideas (particularly the magic system) to be particularly clever, but overall the system is bulky and cumbersome.
4. Spirit of the Century -- of late I've drifteed back to SotC as my Dresden rule system of choice, in anticipation of the SotC system being similar to Dresden Files. I know that the magic system will be different, but at least my players will be used to the funky +/- dice.  ;D

Anyone else running Dresden at the moment?


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Offline Lizard King

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Re: Anyone gaming Dresden anymore?
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2008, 06:35:25 PM »
My group just hasn't had a chance to play much at all through this season.  We will play our own little Dresden game again.  We tend to mix a little Constantine feel in with it, just because we are big fans of both, and they mix nicely.