Merging Fate Core and DFRPG

[Ardrikk]

Has anyone tried bringing rules from Fate Core into Dresden?  If so, what did you add or change and how did it go?

I'm experimenting with bringing in the Four Outcomes into my DFRPG game as I like the change from pass/fail to the different levels of success or failure. So I'm also using Boosts as a replacement to (and enhancement of) Spin which applies to all action types and not just Defense rolls.

My only 2 areas of concern/confusion are:

1) In Fate Core, do Boosts also have to be used on the next possible action (and so can't be stacked up/saved from multiple succeed with style defense rolls)? The main Fate Core book doesn't mention this, but this later clarification seems to indicate it works like Spin in DFRPG in that that regard: 
http://ryanmacklin.com/2014/01/fate-boosts-revisited/

Specifically, this bit:  "Once you invoke the boost, it goes away. They go away on their own fairly quickly—usually after the next action when you could use them—so use them as soon as possible! "

2) In Fate Core, when you tie on an Attack Roll, you do no damage, but get a Boost. This is the toughest one for me to meld with DFRPG due to Weapon Ratings. But I'm thinking of only allowing a Boost to be created if the attack has no Weapon Rating. So it can serve as a nice boost (heh) to characters who fight with Fists and don't have brass knuckles or Inhuman Strength or whatnot.

Thoughts?

[Lavecki121]

From my understanding of it, boosts do not have to be used as soon as possible but should be used quickly. They can be compared relatively easily to maneuvers in Dresden. And as far as a tie goes I will be able to explain both the boost and tie in this example I think. Please keep in mind however that it has been a bit of time since I cracked open my Fate Core book so I may have this wrong and am going only off of the blurbs you included.

If I attack someone with my weapon 4 sword of awesome and I tie, I may not have actually hit him, i.e. he may have blocked and thus didn't get "hit" by my sword, but my attack was still skillful enough to knock him off balance resulting in a boost. This boost should be used fairly quickly as he is probably going to recover narratively on his turn or soon after.

Basically I would leave it up to the GM for length and if you are going to combine boosts into DFRPG, I would get rid of having weapon ratings on a tie. Thats my thoughts on it.

[Haru]

I would definitely use both the four actions and the four outcomes. I feel like create an advantage and overcome replace both maneuvers and blocks rather nicely.

Though other than that, DFRPG has too much crunch to do much else. Still, it would make quite a few things a lot easier.

Boosts are to be used quickly, they are the lucky incidents that give you the upper hand just for the moment. As a rule of thumb, I think it makes sense to use them at the very last, until the character who created them has his next action. I've most often seen them used on a defense roll against a character acting right after, so that was rarely an issue anyway. Often, the boosts just get passed to someone else, as well, if they are applicable.

As with many things, it comes down to the group. If everyone is ok with a boost lasting a round longer, then there is no harm in keeping it around a while longer. Though as I like to say: what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If the players have prolonged boosts, so can the NPCs.

Ties on an attack roll can be complicated when you combine them with weapon ratings. Technically, a weapon:1 would then be worse than no weapon, because a boost is worth more than +1 damage.
Then again, the DFRPG already has that option built into it, if you know where to look.
Luckily, I do.
Harry and Billy talk about it in the sticky notes on page 200, where attacks are explained.

Keep in mind though, that stunts are built a bit differently in DFRPG. Especially those to attack and defend.


A Dresden Files Accelerated Edition is actually in the making right now. It might take some time, but the beta so far is really enjoyable. It reduces a lot of the complexities of the DFRPG while still allowing for complex and interesting characters and fun games. I'm really looking forward to the finished product.

[Ardrikk]

What made me wonder about how long Boosts should last was that, last session, I had a player who dodged 2 attacks from Darkhounds between his turns and so he saved both Boosts (he succeeded with style in both Defense rolls) to unleash a potent attack on one of them on his turn. That seemed a little overpowered to me and I wondered if that was really how the rules were supposed to work. If it were Spin, then he would've dodged the first attack, used the Spin to weaken the next dog's attack, gotten another Spin, and then used that single +1 either on his next attack or to pass to someone else.

As for DFRPG Accelerated, I suspect it lightens things up too much for my tastes. I like the crunch of Dresden, though Fate Core seems good too; mostly as crunchy as Dresden (especially with options from the System Toolkit), but more streamlined.

[Ardrikk]

Then again, the DFRPG already has that option built into it, if you know where to look.
Luckily, I do.
Harry and Billy talk about it in the sticky notes on page 200, where attacks are explained.

Oh right. Thanks for the reminder and page number about that!

[Haru]

I would not let him use 2 boosts like that, especially since they come from the same source. He could use the first boost on the second defense roll, which would increase his chance to style on that roll (even though he might not have needed it). So pretty much exactly how it would work on spin.

It might help if you don't say "you have a boost", but give the boost a name. The guy has overstepped and is "off balance". Or he jumped too far and now "has his back turned to you". And so on. That way, it's easier to judge if a boost still makes sense or if you should write it off.

[Ardrikk]

We did give them names, but he wanted to put them on himself and name them things like, "At the ready" or "Form 1 pose" to reflect that they were part of his fighting style rather than putting his opponent off balance.

[Haru]

Remember that boosts are fleeting, and their names should reflect that. So having "the upper hand" would be a good temporary thing. Being in "Form 1 pose" is probably a thing that persists quite a while longer. Getting into "Form 1 pose" would be a great create an advantage using fight, but as a boost, I don't think it works too well.

Boosts are good for things that won't even last a couple of seconds. It's exactly for the kinds of things like "off balance", "blinding lights", "got his back turned to me", and so on. If you are quick, you can take advantage of them, but you can't just keep building them up like that, your opponent is going to shake them off momentarily.

Imagine a boxing match. If you opponent attacks you and you manage to block his attack flawlessly, there might be an opening in his defense for a split second, while his gloves slide off yours into a direction he didn't expect. You can use that right now, as it will be gone in less than a second. If that happens twice, you can only use it once, because the first opening is already gone by that time.

It can make sense to put them on yourself, but they should also reflect what just happened. In a defense style case, you are usually in a better position towards this particular opponent, so it makes sense to put the boost on him, so you can only use it against him. That doesn't always have to be the case, it heavily depends on the situation, but I find that to be a good rule of thumb.