For-Certain Character Types

[TheMouse]

It's worked at other types of convention, after all....

That's what I'm saying.

I mean, I know I'd be afraid of something that looks like a "real" Dalek. I've had years of stories about Daleks as merciless killing machines. One of those fear eating beasties could get a meal from that, I'm sure.

(:

[Diebdazar]

*nods* it may just be me but the Daleks aren't that scary compared to other things. . .  I found the cybermen more frightening.

There are fates worse than death. . .

Now Tyranids and their Genestealer scouts (or their copyright infringing offspring: the zerg ). . . they are true nightmare fuel.

You can hold something resembling a conversation with a dalek.  The 'nids, not so much.

[TheMouse]

You can hold something resembling a conversation with a dalek.

Well, if you're Rose or the Doctor or the like. You and me? Not so much.

[iago]

Let's not kitbash with Dr. Who too much here, folks. Not that I'm not a fan. Just try to land somewhere in the neighborhood of on topic, k?

[TheMouse]

Sorry. (:

Who's following the burning alpha blog stuff? In one of them, there's a supernaturally endowed brotherhood which is a football team on the side. That's a really creative way of playing with what's playable.

Who has creative ways to use less supernaturally powerful folks in interesting ways?

[prophet224]

I sort of lost track of the alpha stuff when the couple of groups that were linked to from Dresdenfilesrpg.com went into a different phase.  Where are you looking?

And I'm sorry in advance, but:

there's a supernaturally endowed brotherhood

Does that really qualify you as a PC?  Sorry... couldn't stop myself.

Ok, last thing:

The Swords of the Cross get their power from faith, not because the pieces of the cross in their hilts are holy, but because people believe they have power like an antenna. I wonder if you you could get a similiar item of power out of a Revolver that belonged to a Legendary Gunfighter from the Old West.

Where have you seen this?  I'm pretty sure that people's belief, while powerful, also relies on knowing what the thing is.  The question would be: Can an object of belief be powerful without people knowing they are believing in it?  That's not quite the right question either.  Basically, if I believe that a nail from the cross is Holy, but as far as I know you are just holding a sword, does it matter that I and other people hold that belief.  There is not actual object to focus that belief on.  When we see Harry use faith to light his amulet he is focusing intently on the amulet.

The other side of this is that I think we have a pretty good set of indicators that there really is a God out there in the Dresdenverse.  Though not by any means a Christian himself, Harry certainly believes He exists.  There may actually be power bound up in these swords... it's a tough call, but I'm curious to learn more in the future.

[Lanodantheon]

Where have you seen this?  I'm pretty sure that people's belief, while powerful, also relies on knowing what the thing is.  The question would be: Can an object of belief be powerful without people knowing they are believing in it?  That's not quite the right question either.  Basically, if I believe that a nail from the cross is Holy, but as far as I know you are just holding a sword, does it matter that I and other people hold that belief.  There is not actual object to focus that belief on.  When we see Harry use faith to light his amulet he is focusing intently on the amulet.

The other side of this is that I think we have a pretty good set of indicators that there really is a God out there in the Dresdenverse.  Though not by any means a Christian himself, Harry certainly believes He exists.  There may actually be power bound up in these swords... it's a tough call, but I'm curious to learn more in the future.

Unfortunately, I don't have all my Dresden books handy to quote passages to prove my case, (They're on the another coast) but I can try my best to at least put my point of view into perspective. I will admit I could be wrong about this, but I stand by it until a better explanation comes along. Right now my opinion of Faith magic boils down to Consensus Reality.

Harry explained about Faith magic in like Book 3 or 5. He explained that the magic of wizards works because the Wizard believes in his/her own magic. He then explained that the magic of Faith works because a lot of people have Faith in God. I do not question or dispute the existence of a God in the Dresdenverse, but I personally think that Faith magic works not because it comes from God, but because enough people have Faith in that God.

I think this because I interpret Faith Magic as being linked to the philosophical idea of Consensus Reality.
Consensus Reality in a nutshell(Not a completely accurate description) is that somwthing is true because enough people say it is true.

For example: Currency is valuable because people say it is valuable. A $20.00 bill is worth $20.00 because society believes it to be true. If I came from a primitive society without a concept of money or currency I would see a $20.00 bill for what it is, a piece of Green Paper. However, regardless of what I believe a $20 bill is worth that much because society says it does. The Consensus of society sees the piece of green paper as valuable and therefore it is.

I probably butchered that explanation, but anyway.

A lot of things in TDF work on this same philosophical principle. Thresholds work on this principle, Graveyards holding in spirits because of this principle, and in my opinion objects of Faith. There is Faith magic in the air because people have Faith and the nails in the sword are a part of that Faith. Those nails are acting as antennas for all of that Faith Magic in the air because they are linked to it. When you read about the Cruxificition, you read about the nails, that image is linked to that. If you believe in that event and saw one of those Nails wouldn't you think them to be holy things on some level? Probably.

At least, that's how I look at that particular item of power. I could be wrong and they get power directly from the source and not from the believers. Or the Swords could have power of Faith because Jim Butchers says they do.

I was just thinking about a gun from the Old West Working in the same way. An item of power that has power because enough people believe that it is important.

[Soulless Mystic5523]

I was just thinking about a gun from the Old West Working in the same way. An item of power that has power because enough people believe that it is important.

The difference being though, the swords act as antennas because of the nail. Without the nail, they would just be swords. So, just because a gun is famous, there is no reason for it to act as an antenna. There is nothing for that faith to focus on.

[Diebdazar]

Of course, the consensus reality could open a bit of a can of worms?

re: "Don't believe in magic/fairies/whatnot."

Then you have spells going on the fritz, the technocracy springing up, and a lot of other mess

[Storykeeper]

I haven't had a chance to playtest the Dresden Files rpg or to use the FATE system in a game yet, so please forgive any lack of mechanical knowledge that I demonstrate.

Will changelings be mechanically different based solely on the fey parent, or will I have to invest some of my other choices into reflecting what makes my Baobhan-Sith changeling different from a troll changeling?

[TheMouse]

Will changelings be mechanically different based solely on the fey parent, or will I have to invest some of my other choices into reflecting what makes my Baobhan-Sith changeling different from a troll changeling?

I cannot speak from a position of authority on this. I'm not in the know. I'm just a dude who likes playing FATE.

I imagine the answer is yes. You would likely pick different skills, aspects, and stunts. Let me clarify what those are.

* Skills represent anything that might be covered by skills or attributes in most other RPGs I've played. How strong you are is Might, while how convincingly you lie is Deceit.

* Aspects are things about the character which will be made mechanically and narratively important. Let's say I make up the aspect "Bastard child of a troll." I can invoke that aspect to get a bonus on a roll to be strong. Someone can tag that aspect to pick me out of a crowd, because I'm big. Or the GM can compel my character to resort to violence.

* Stunts are how to do stuff beyond simple skills, or they are extensions to skills. One stunt might give me a bonus to Might rolls to break things. Another might give me a bonus to use Deceit to fool a member of the opposite sex through flirtation.

Selecting these three things properly should allow you to tune your character to be like what you wish.

[Lanodantheon]

Getting back on track: "Were-Form" That means we can have Were-Goats. But what about Form-Weres? How would you do those?

I hate to repeat myself, but it's appropriate here:

Playable Were-goats. J$#@*...

[TheMouse]

You mean animals that can become people? It doesn't seem as though it'd be overpowered, considering that we're getting werewolves. Depending on how the werewolf specific Stunts are done, you might be able to kit bash one. I mean, if it's just an alternate form type thing, then just do up the human form as the alternate one.

The real question is whether we could make a chupacabra to hunt down the weregoats. What a fight that would be...

[Lanodantheon]

The real question is whether we could make a chupacabra to hunt down the weregoats. What a fight that would be...

If you're going that route, forget Chubacabra. I want Were-Jackalope....versus Were-Goats hehehe

[tonpa]

I’m waiting the most some were-forms with connection to falcons and birds, lycanthrophy side at-least, but maybe even shape changer type. Other thing, also from player concept, is something for the taboos that have sympathy with the supernatural effect, from the school of though from karma; if you don’t take wealth in then need can’t touch you. Specifically if you don’t take money to your possession then you always have enough for your needs. Both can be done with aspects, but I hope there are some specific systems.

Cheers

-Tonpa