Running Dresden RPG at a con... need some feedback

[Shekbo]

Hey guys,

  The guy in charge of RPGs at my local con (www.carnagecon.com if you're curious or in the VT / NH area) asked me to run an RPG event. The con is in Nov so I have plenty of time to prep. I told him I'd like to run an adventure with the new Dresden RPG and he thought that was a great idea. No only are there plenty of Dresden fans around here but there has alos been a lot of interest in the Fate system.

  So I pre-ordered the books and I've been looking through the .pdfs. I need the forums help with a few issues.

1) The time slot for the game is 7-11pm. So about 4 hours. That includes getting people familiar with the characters, explaining how the Fate system works and of course running the adventure.

2) For con games I generally hand out pre-generated characters. It's just so much quicker and I has a GM have more control over the preocess. However, character creation is so integral to the Fate system that I don't want the players to miss out on that. Is there a compromise that won't take up 1/2 my time slot?

3) The big decision is whether to go with Harry and friends in Chicago or to create new characters and run them in a city nearby that everyone will be familiar with. I'm leaning toward the latter and using Burlington Vermont as the city. My only worry is that if I bill this as a Dresden game the players may be dissapointed if they don't get to play their favorite characters from the books.

That's all I can think of for now but any other general thoughts on the best way to run this game at a con would be appreciated.

Tom in VT

[Archmage_Cowl]

1.) not sure if thats a question but four hours is enough for a few encounters(even with explaining some of the basic stuff.)

2.)Try pre making the characters but leave the 3rd, 4th ,and 5th aspects open to the players to fill in. Like let them make the apsects your first story and the guest stars (that also justifys the characters already having their abilities chosen by "the coming into power")

3.)Go with the city you want and if they want the characters from the stories to show up add them in as extras that you meet (dresden even talks about going out of town for work in many of the books and whos to say the others dont travel as well?)

Thats just my advice. Hope it helps

[digital3lf]

Just an idea off the top of my head, but maybe write down (or make up) a few stunts that could work with any/all of the characters, write down what they do mechanically on some index cards, along with some flavor text and maybe suggestions of uses and/or equipment the character would have prepared. Hand out the stack and let them pick and choose any they'd like to add to their character, provided they have enough refresh to do so.

Pre-genning the PC's with some aspects left open is a very good idea, just plan your hooks/scenarios to interact with the aspects that you have planned in advance. Make sure to take note at the table of what new aspects your players come up with. Compelling something they just created to become part of the story is sure to be very exciting and satisfying.

[Deadmanwalking]

1. That should be enough time for the game itself, though it oes put a bit of pressure on you, I'll admit.

2. I really don't think there is. Even books and Gues Stars only will take too much time given the window. My players (being new to Fate) took longer on that than the rest of character creation put together. I think the best you can do is give them the characters and emphasize how, if they got to create them, they'd get to make that stuff up. Which should perk up their interest if the character stories are cool enough.

3. I actually created a set of pre-gen characters gfor precisely this situation with this problem in mind. They're here:

http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,17704.0.html

Now, obviously, you don't need to use those, but a group with a similar level of ties to the established Dresden canon conceptually seems like a good idea.

[Shekbo]

Thanks guys. I like the idea of trying to do the last 3 Aspects. I'll play test it with a group of friends and see how long it takes.

Thx for the link to the pre-gen characters. If I make my own for this game maybe I'll add them to the thread.

Tom

[Nudge]

How about leaving some Aspects open, but having a number of index cards with Aspects pre-written on them.  Let the players pick/get their pre-gen, and then they can either fill in Aspects themselves or look through the stack and pick a few.

That gives you a quicker system that keeps the idea of choice while guiding the hands of those that are frozen with the wide choices.  You can also put in Aspects that you know will be applicable to the adventure.