No real spoilers, but my players don't really want to read my slightly snarky recap, do they?




So, I built my first session around three characters. I had them all planned out, and had the others slotted in as "will show up where needed." So, naturally, all three of them cancelled, and I was stuck with two players and no plans for them. Lesson learned.

With two incredibly disappointed and disheartened players, I decided to run a semi-canon combat test just to get things running. I actually had a plan for this scene to happen much later, but I ran it as a cold open just to get everyone involved. As Raymond Chandler said, if things are dull, send in thugs with guns and figure out why they're there later. Well, Raven Mockers are close to thugs with guns. So we had an Autumn Knight baker wrapping up a day at her bakery when suddenly three naked old people with bird feathers decided to jump her for reasons I will have to figure out eventually.

The scene was a cramped and dark alley. I decided to compel one of her aspects to let the Raven Mockers get the jump on her. I was moderately afraid when the thing rolled a 5 shift damage against her right out the gate. Yeesh. So she took a consequence of "Tis but a scratch" and then it took a while to explain that 3 stress does not mean you mark off all 3 boxes. That player has experience with D&D only, so I decided to focus on her more than the other player since she needed more explanation to get into the feel of this.

Next it was her turn, so I asked what she wanted to do. She asked what could she do. I answered anything, what do you want to do? This went on for a while until it reached Countdown to Final Crisis-levels of absurdity. Eventually I started throwing out suggestions and she decided to do a block, using her Sponsored Magic to summon a shield of wind around herself to protect from attacks. Progress was made.

The Raven Mockers are actually pretty balls when it comes to a straight-up fight, so now things were more even. It couldn't get through her shield and was sent aside by the wind, so I gave helpful suggestions on how to handle it. She stabbed it with a knife that she had as an aspect, and did some pretty good damage. I decided not to use mook rules since this was just a test, and let it take a consequence of "pinned" as she ran its shoulder through and against the wall. However, it's cry drew the attention of the others who were searching for her.

Next I decided to bring in the other player. He is a bit more systems-savvy and playing a wereraven. Perfect for dealing with Raven Mockers. I gotta give him props, what he managed to do in bird form was damn impressive. He distracted the first add to arrive by using a maneuver to give it an aspect of "What just hit me?" as he intercepted its dive and sent it crashing into garbage cans. It threw it off immediately with an Alertness roll, but that still took it out for one round.

The other Raven Mocker managed to tag the Knight's consequence by grabbing her injured side in order to apply an aspect of "Disarmed" to her and take her knife. This led to another argument because she assumed that would be two actions. I eventually explained, carefully, that it was not in fact two actions because it did no damage and the end result was it was still Pinned by her knife, just she was no longer holding it.

She was rather upset by this, particularly the interaction of the Pinned Consequence on it, and the Disarmed aspect on her. I explained that she could in fact still tag that Pinned for free, she just had to be creative. After successful negotiation, she used her Autumn Winds to spin it around, slam it against the wall, and tag the aspect in order to drive the knife clean through. Awesome.

So back to the wereraven, he used his Deceit to apply an aspect of Hot Pursuit to the Mocker he hit earlier, and the two were off into the sky. I realized at this point I forgot to create zones for the sky above this alley, but I think I managed to *sunglasses* wing it. YEAAAAAAHH

The Raven Mocker fighting the Knight turned itself towards her and tried to enact what I had originally planned. It rolled Fists to try to grab a bit of her hair...and whiffed. Seriously, it was a -3 and a blank. It just totally botched that one and might as well have been trying to hit the moon. The one on the wereraven managed to do the exact opposite and hit him for four stress! Until we looked into it and realized that with the wereraven's Inhuman Speed and Diminutive Size he actually only hit for two. The wereraven took it like a trooper and the Raven Mocker managed to overtake him briefly.

The Knight didn't realize what the Raven Mocker was up to, and decided to just torch the bastard. She summoned up an extra shift of power, using the last of her Mental Stress track and summoned up a flurry of autumn leaves. They settled around the raven, and then, after a beat, all burst into flames. I barely had to prod at all, so she seems to be getting the hang of it. The raven was toast, and I changed the previous "Dimly Lit" aspect to "Brightly Lit and Smells Like Chicken."

Back to the pursuit, the wereraven used an Assess to determine an aspect of the Raven Mocker. He wanted to know how maneuverable it was, and I have "Big Black Bird of Death." so I decided that meant it was kinda clumsy in the air, at least compared to the inhumanly quick wereraven. I decided he gets a free tag for that, but that was the extent of his actions.

Another whiff, but barely from the Mocker attacking him. I had the third Mocker join the fight and thanks to its badass stealth it managed to snag a bit of the Autumn Knight's hair. She turned and, not wanting to risk the Consequences of further mental stress swung her knife. It was her turn to whiff.

Next the wereraven managed the epic win of the night. He made a Deceit roll to get it to slam into a wall, invoked his aspect of Trickster's Chosen, and tagged the other two aspects all at once. I treated it as a Weapon 0 attack, but with the combination of Trickster's Chosen, its Big Black Bird of Doom aspect, and the Hot Pursuit maneuver, he managed an astounding 11 shifts of damage. I didn't even bother applying consequences, though I guess I technically could have. It just seemed cheap after that. It managed to sucessfully break its own fool neck slamming facefirst into a wall and I described its death with the old joke of the bug's last thoughts at the windshield.

Sadly, they thought I was just making a random joke and not narrating its death. They looked so expectant. Tough crowd.

The remaining Raven Mocker, with the Autumn Knight's hair, took off effectively sprinting straight up. I decided it made it over 20 feet before the Knight got her turn. With few other options, she called upon her power once more. I gave her the option of taking either a moderate consequence (as her mild was already filled) or taking a point of Debt. Oh that fool, she took the debt. I will remember this.

So she cast the spell and, after some negotiation of its actual effect, she did a block on it against flying. I guess it didn't think its cunning plan all the way through. As its feathers molted into autumn leaves, it plummetted to the ground, and I had to pause to look up the falling rules. Well, that's interesting. I managed to roll a grand total of 1 on its athletics check to catch itself. 9 shifts of damage was, I guess, technically survivable if I wasn't using mook rules. But like with the other one, I decided it was better to train my players to be clever so I mookified it for these purposes. It splatted on the ground.

With no Fate points left, I decided the most interesting course of action would now be to Compel the wereraven. He has a Trouble of "ooh, shiny!" so I decided he really liked her knife. He swooped in and tried to carry it away, but that was to no avail. A very brief exchange occurred before he outwitted my compel, conceded, and took a consequence. She threw the actual raven into a pile of garbage, and he took a consequence of "smells like garbage." It was only really Mild, maybe Moderate if it was particularly fragrant, but since this was a fairly weak conflict to begin with I just gave him the consequence and didn't give him the fate point for cashing out. He then returned to human form and explained himself, and the two of them decided to figure out just what the heck those things were. Oh, and get him some pants.

After that, me and the Knight's player managed to figure out a couple Focus items she needed to shore up her weaknesses. Hopefully knowing that she is better at fire for offense and wind for defense will help her out in the future. I also think I need to better incorporate ALL the players so if someone misses a game, it's not so crippling to my plans. Still, sending in the bird-ninjas managed to at least make for an interesting fight. It took longer than it should have, but likely it will get easier in the future once we're all more familiar with it.

So, in conclusion, I found pretty much both the flaws and the benefits of the system. It's very flexible, but that in itself can also be hindering. The wereraven's player managed to take pretty good advantage of the Aspects system to destroy an enemy without even using a combat skill. The Autumn Knight was often paralyzed by the idea that she could do anything if she tried hard enough. I think she was looking for a spell list. Towards the end she seemed to get the hang of it and I really liked her use of blocks at the end. I'm sure I personally made some systems errors which someone will helpfully point out. To be fair, I've never played the system. I'm trying to go straight to GM without being player first, so there's bound to be some hiccups.

Also, I now need to figure out why the Raven Mockers were there, when for reasons too complex to discuss, they should not have been. That can be dealt with next wee,

The idea of the breath weapon is that, since it lingers, she fires it into one zone, then moves to another zone to start ripping and tearing. She could also use it to place maneuvers over a wide area, then wade in. Plus there's the fact that the breath weapon is linked to feeding, while the claws are not.

Can you link the alternate powers? They may work better.

Also, derp on the weapons skill for the Gilly Worm.

My original idea for the thing was that it would put an aspect instead of dealing damage, but someone suggested I make it deal damage and then have the aspects come as consequences. The creature's concept is it puts people to sleep and then possesses them. When it has a good host it continues killing, but makes sure to keep its victims asleep as it does, being directed by the wizard it bargained with. The weird part of the crime scene is that they are horribly butchered, but their faces are left serene as if in deep sleep. Should I go back to the original "no damage but places aspects" for the breath weapon?

I definitely see that point. Unless someone has a better rewrite, I think I will just make Graveyard Dirt a basic attack with as many shifts of damage as he can manage. He practices the Sells Method of Munchkinmancy, so he can be a lot greater threat than his (far less impressive than Sells') stats would indicate. He'll be using it as a sneak attack so is virtually guaranteed a consequence or two that I can then compel and tag for all it's worth.

The players (and myself, the GM) are new so setting them up against a guy who mainly munchkins the system to be dangerous instead of using overwhelming power would hopefully be a learning experience. It should allow them to use what they've learned in the first couple sessions.

Okay, next question. What should the "choking on grave dust" thingy actually do? I'm seeing it as something he uses as a last resort, since he's more of a summoner and this is what he pulls out when he's desperate. It could be damaging, yes, but it could also be incapacitating.

Perhaps the system for the Orbius spell? Or I could do like the binding spell and have it put the "Can't...Breathe..." aspect on the target? Or maybe I could just have it a straight up attack and let aspects from it come as consequences from the damage?

For reasons I cannot fully disclose because I know at least one of my players browses this forum, I'm interested in whether or not potions can be used for attacks. That is, can someone without Evocation or Channeling brew up a one-time use potion that takes the form of something nasty to hurl in an emergency?

What is the system for a potion-based attack?

If you are playing the Dresden Files in Asheville, NC, I request you please read no further.





stop reading.








I mean it.








Okay, here we go. Let me give the state of the Autumn Court in my game. This is kinda long.

The Reaper King has long been a proponent of neutrality and noninterference. As long as Spring was willing to not make a play for power and just live and let live, he saw no need to even appoint a Knight. Spring and Autumn were essentially at peace, with a powerful working erasing them from memory yet allowing them to act freely in the time before you forget.

They are signatories of the Accords, just as Seelie and Unseelie. They can act as a Court and as full representatives of the Accords, but the agent is forgotten or obscured. You know someone showed up at the meeting, but you don't remember the name or who they represented. You know there is a signature, but it's an illegible scribble though it seems legit. When they're standing in front of you, you remember everything you need to but when they leave you again forget. This is a hugely powerful defense, but the effect is reliant upon the Changing Courts' neutrality. If either court breaks the peace, or takes sides in a conflict between signatories, or even moves in an aggressive manner, the glamour starts to unravel.

The Reaper King is King of Autumn (he goes by many names, but the Reaper King is what he prefers now). It's a misconception that Winter is about Death. In fact, Winter is about being dead. Autumn is about death and the process of dying, but also the harvest, the feast, the bounty...the last celebration and enjoyment before winter sets in. He's also not cruel, or at least unnecessarily cruel. He's Fae, and that makes him dangerous and alien, but his pact of nonaggression with his opposing court is unique and representative of how reasonable he is compared to most other Fae.

Jack is his Autumn Prince. Which Jack, you ask? All of them, none of them. Legends tell of him tricking giants, the Devil, and Death itself.  In demeanor, he's far more approachable than the Reaper King, being a merry prankster who likes to do things with panache and a sense of whimsy.

In truth, these two are in conflict and have been for some time. There is a generational divide that plays into some themes in my game of old fighting against new fighting against even older things come 'round again. Jack chafes at the restrictions. The King knows Jack would upset the whole board if picking up the pieces would be more interesting. Neither one is truly acting against their nature as the trickster and the harvester are two strong archetypes of Autumn, though perhaps Jack has been more influenced by mortal legends than the other way around. And now, with several plots underway, he has approached his endgame:

The death of the Reaper King, and his own ascension to the Harvest Throne.

Obviously, this would be a huge upset to the supernatural world. Even if the Spring and Autumn courts are not widely known or understood, the loss of a King of Fae would throw the world out of balance. If the Reaper King dies, the entire Forgotten Seasons working would collapse and suddenly there would be two new players free to act. So, now I finally get to my questions:

What should the Spring Court do if they get wind of Jack's machinations? Remember they can't act aggressively without unraveling the spell. The appointing of a Knight by Autumn has already caused some threads to fray and Oberon does not want it to collapse completely. Appointing a Spring Knight is almost mandatory, but would only make things worse. The Autumn Knight is key to Jack's plans, so killing her could solve the problem, but how can Spring accomplish that?

What would happen to the Autumn Knight if the King dies? Obviously, the Prince would be promoted, but I think that Lily being promoted to Summer Lady was kind of a special case. Would someone else take the Autumn Prince role? Or could it throw things even further out of balance by leaving that slot open?

And how badly would the world be thrown off if either Spring or Autumn get the upper hand in a decisive way? We know what would happen if Summer or Winter win, but the Changing Courts are a lot more nebulous.

And, as a plot thing I'm still trying to figure out, how could Jack's endgame play out here in getting the Reaper King killed as a result of his own Autumn Knight?

I've given up on the Golden Strings for now as it will be a little while before they show up. I do have one character who is interested in taking up the Silver Strings, their opposite and good number. He's pretty new and thus has given me carte blanche to make up the powers of the Strings. The concept is that they're not so much a weapon as a tool for balancing things out. They're more about protection and cancellation than any sort of offensive weapon.

So here's a sketchy outline:

(-?) Silver Strings:
Description: The Silver Strings are a set of musical strings made of pure, untarnished silver that glitter faintly with a holy light.
Skills Affected: Performance
Protective Muse: ***This needs to be cleaned up.*** The Strings are a subtle weapon against evil. By playing an instrument using the strings, their bearer can use Performance to ward off malign supernatural influence. The bearer spends a fate point, and for the scene can use Performance to create blocks against psychomancy, possession, incite emotions, or similar mind-affecting or physically controlling supernatural abilities at GM discretion. This can be done as a supplemental action to other uses of Performance.
Divine Purpose: ***This needs to be cleaned up.*** They're a less aggressive item than the Swords, but still have a purpose. That purpose is to spread peace and to protect the innocent from supernatural evil. The weilder can use them for personal gain (IE, playing for money), but they cannot be used in a deceptive manner, or be used to harm someone who has not harmed an innocent in the bearer's sight (including, say, using Pointed Performance to hurt someones' reputation). Also, the bearer cannot use them to forge a mortal contract (so no recording deal). If the bearer uses them in a manner against their purpose, they immediately produce a discordant twang, the Performance roll fails, and they unstring themselves but do not break. The bearer will not be able to restring them until he proves his faith again.
Holy: The Strings are a powerful holy symbol. The touch of a weapon strung with them is like a cross, holy water, or other symbol of faith backed by the belief of their wielder.
They're Strings: The Silver Strings always take the form of a set of strings for a musical instrument. Their number, length, and the exact key of each string vary, but always fit the chosen instrument of their current wielder.
Good Vibrations: The Silver Strings are of exceptional quality. When played in keeping with their purpose, they add +1 to any Performance roll made using an instrument stringed with them.
Unbreakable: As an Item of Power, the strings cannot be broken except through a specific ritual dedicated to subverting their purpose. This protection extends to the instrument they are currently in.

I'm not sure on the power level of their Protective Muse ability. It doesn't seem as powerful as a Sword of the Cross, but I don't want it to be weak either. What should their final cost be for the package? And yes, it is intentional that Holy+Unbreakable allows their bearer to do a blessed El Kabong.

I guess it really boils down to what Warden comes by to investigate, then. Harry wouldn't rest until he figured out what exactly was going on, Ramirez would probably just accept it at face value (especially if she's hot), and Morgan would do his best Butcher Pete impression. I suppose I'll just play it by ear if and when the situation comes up. I'll also advise the player (she's new to both the system and the books) that killing people may be a bad idea. I mean, it generally is under any circumstances, but this is a biggie.