To me the Dresden Files are very much about the city. Whilst Harry Dresden is at the centre of the stories, Chicago is the other major character and the stories are about Urban Corruption and Politics - and as such although I'd love to run an historic Dresden game it would have to be in a true city settings. Preferably a city in a civilisation at its height, slipping slowly into decadence. As such there is whilst the American Civil war is an interesting setting I just don't see it as a suitable Dresden setting.
There are however several settings which do spring to mind.
I could see an incredible Dresden style story told in 1930's Berlin. Christopher Isherwood novel 'Goodbye to Berlin' would be great source material for this sort of campaign, as would the film Cabaret (1972).
Better still would be Victorian London? In fact the late 1880 or 1890s would be perfect for a Dresden game since Jim Butcher has already provided some details. We know that there was a War between the the White Council and the Black Court and that the release of the Novel 'Dracula' was the White Council's masterstroke - putting a vampire fighting manual into the hands of mortals.
Also the Victorians obsession with all things Spiritual makes for an interesting setting. Harry advertising in London would not raise nearly as many eyebrows, although he would still have lots of sceptics.
Consider some of the fictional and real events you could work into the plot - maybe some of the stories were accounts of real events or based on misunderstood accounts and are partially true:
- 1886 - Fiction: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. (Could he have been a Lycanthrope? Maybe it was something else)
- 1888 - Fact: Jack the Ripper murders (four women were murdered in Whitechapel and Spitalfields, the fifth nearby in the City - and you can invent your own reasons)
- 1896 - Fiction: Dracula came to London - possible plots involving the formation of the Red Court? (Was there a real event to back this up, or was it really just a monster killing handbook)
- 1897 - Fiction: Hawley Griffin, also known as The Invisible Man (Could this have been the Black court striking back at Veiled Wizards using the Wizards own tactics?)
Moving back further Roman at the height or early decline of the Roman empire might be an interesting setting. Again we are looking at an impersonal corrupt urban setting with all the associated politics.
Going back even further how about an Ancient Mesopotamian campaign set in Nineveh around 630BC ? History tells us Sennacherib made Nineveh a truly magnificent city around 700 BC, with a "palace without a rival". Its elaborate system of eighteen canals was at the time very forward thinking and at the time with close to 150,000 inhabitants it would have been among the largest settlements worldwide. a century later the Assyrian empire began to show signs of weakness, and Nineveh was brought low through internal politics was significantly weakened - and ready to fall to the Medes, the Babylonians and Susianians in 612 BC
Setting a campaign 20 years before the end, in a city which less than a century before was a leading beacon in the world, but now suffers from the downward pull of its own corruption could make a very Dresden like setting even though its set 2500 years before our familiar modern day Dresden's Chicago.
Going back even further still, how about the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Unfortunately we cannot even be sure they existed - archaeologists don't even seem to agree where they would have been. The Bible indicates they were located near the Dead Sea but that could apply to a lot of places.
For the sins of their inhabitants Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim were destroyed by "brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven" (Genesis 19:24-25).
If this doesn't suggest plot lines to you I don't know what will. What were the sins which brought down God's wrath? We are told that there was at least one righteous person living in Sodom, Abraham's nephew Lot. I cant help wondering how one righteous person might respond to being in such a place. Very much like Michael in Desden's Chicago, I would imagine. Could the twin cities offer a possible origin to the White Court? Its an interesting setting and offers possibilities, but its also one I'll probably leave on the table though. Roleplaying already has a dubious reputation with some religious groups. Trying to explain why we were playing a game based in Gomorrah would be difficult, and the explanation that we were playing characters opposing the evil in those cities probably wouldn't carry much weight.
Now looking to the future as an alternative setting - I'm not sure it would work. First of all Dresden is based in our own experience. You may not know the dread of being followed by a vampire, but you definitely know the feat of being followed down a city street - or at least wondering if the guy behind you is following you. When Jim talks about a particular type of club you know what he's talking about. Its grounded in our reality. The further we go from that common context the less it will probably resound with us, and the harder it will be to hold the grim noirish feel. In addition I suspect the Murphyonic field would become a major hazard going into the future. Would you let Harry Dresden into a flying car? How about a space ship? Do you feel Wizards and life support systems would mix well? Imagine how much fun mixing Harry Dresden and Teleport devices could be? That's one uncontrolled talent I definitely wouldn't mix with Sci-Fi.
Cheers,
R00kie
