Author Topic: Canon  (Read 2593 times)

Offline Richard_Chilton

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Canon
« on: September 28, 2010, 05:57:37 PM »
I've asked this question on another board (the main spoilers one) but thought I'd ask here as well - does anyone know if Jim Butcher has accept the setting material of the RPG as canon for the Dresdenverse?

If so, can they point to a Word of Jim moment where he says one way or the other?

Even little things from the game books - things like the relative listing of plot level beings - could be used to shed light on some of the points that people discuss, but only if the game books are canon for the Dresdenverse.

Richard

Offline luminos

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Re: Canon
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2010, 06:42:30 PM »
My understanding is that the RPG is very thoroughly researched to make it contain only the most accurate information.  I don't think that Jim himself has fact checked every stat block though, and the refresh listings of various creatures aren't necessarily accurate (the senior council, for example, is pretty severely underestimated in their entries).  Fred Hicks (the guy that made the game) is pretty good friends with Jim, so you can trust that he has his information correct, and I think Priscilla, goddess of Dresden trivia, fact checked the information.
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Offline Papa Gruff

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Re: Canon
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2010, 06:46:20 PM »
As far as I know Jim has approved the books and thats really all I can say. I guess Fred or Jim said it in some podcast or youtubed vid, but I can not remember where or when.

As far as raw data goes I wouldn't give to much credit towards the RPG books. The simple reason for that is, that they basically say so all the time. If you look at OW practically all the characters that we still know little about have something in the notes like: "we don't know that shit yet but he/she is definitely in the ballpark of BLA".

The way I look at it, the rulebooks them selfs are part of the canon, as "technically" Billy/The Alphas are doing them. When you think about it this is actually very neat. I'd love to see Jim put a reference towards the RPG in one of the forthcoming novels and am actually quite sure that he will do it at some point, just because it would be awesome!!!

EDIT: Luminos was faster then him (curious who gets the reference)
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Offline Becq

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Re: Canon
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2010, 07:17:57 PM »
I think that would be tough.  Consider that if the YS/OW rulebooks actually existed in Jim Butcher's continuum, it would include a great many secrets that would get people -- starting with Harry -- in quite a lot of hot water.

Offline Chlorofiend

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Re: Canon
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2010, 03:28:25 AM »
I think that would be tough.  Consider that if the YS/OW rulebooks actually existed in Jim Butcher's continuum, it would include a great many secrets that would get people -- starting with Harry -- in quite a lot of hot water.

[Harry]And this is different from my life now...how?[/Harry]
"Little holes are from Marcone's thug. Big dent was a chlorofiend," I said.
"A what?"
"Plant monster."
"Oh. Why don't you just say 'plant monster?'"
"I have my pride."

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Offline Belial666

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Re: Canon
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2010, 08:16:34 AM »
Did you notice all the "blacked-out" sections in the books as well as the "stickies" suggesting removing certain info of the books ever were "publicized" in the Dresdenverse?

Offline Serack

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Re: Canon
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2010, 12:05:50 PM »
I posted this in Richard's post in the DF spoilers forum that motivated him to make this one, but I'll port the info over here.

I managed to find another DFRPG forum topic that addressed this that Iago responded to.  Here are the few posts before Iago's for context.

Which begs the question - how Canon is this? For instance, the blacked out part after the pyramids in Egypt definitely refer to a scene in Changes.

Does the fill and explanation in the book equate to WOJ status?

(but yes, get the books)
From what I understand, most of the setting material in the DFRPG was written by a really cool guy named Chad Underkoffler, who did a lot of reading and research to get to know the Dresden canon. Everything he wrote was reviewed by Priscilla, who is a alpha reader and generally knows everything. When something was ether unknown or too vague they would go to Jim for answers.

So I don't know if it's WOJ. Stuff like the exact mechanics of feeding dependency aren't going to be *exactly* like in the book. But I think that the flavor text should be considered canon, because Jim would potentially say something if he objected to part of the text. Either that or he would just rub his hands together and laugh maniacally. This is Jim we're talking about...

And here's Iago's post.

It is not Word of Jim, but it's close.  The blacked out stuff that folks can discover in the PDFs are 4th wall breaking stuff, mainly an in joke for people who figure out how to read it. Beyond that there are elements of the text that are at least slightly inaccurate or more often incomplete because the rpg as presented is being filtered through Billy -- a version of Billy who was more clued in prior to Turn Coat, so the rpg itself is at least a little alternate universe in its conceit.  But regardless we made it as close to the spruce material as we could manage, because we wanted the setting parts of it to work as a legitimate fan guide too. 
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Offline Richard_Chilton

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Re: Canon
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2010, 06:51:36 AM »
WoJ on the RPG:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atQi6Qez3y8

Check out 4:22 to 6:04 .

Richard