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[eldrwyrm]

I was wondering if it's going to use the d20 system put out by Wizards of the Coast, but I'm now guessing no 

I believe in building games around systems that you're most comfortable with.  I've never been comfortable with d20, so that criterion alone was enough to bump it out of the running. 

I did some toying around with doing a Dresden setting d20 on my own.  The d20 rules just aren't conducive to a Dresden RPG.  Glaring examples would be the damage/healing system and the magic.  Especially the magic.  d20 is all about flash/bang magic with no personal cost.  Evocation is very expensive on the body is Dresden, and d20 can't even begin to replicate thaumaturgy.  My house rules were two typed pages before I got done dealing with just thaumaturgy.  At that point I gave up.

The Elder Wyrm

[Kalium]

The Storyteller system might work for Dresden. Mage comes to mind in particular. For those familiar with Mage, The Awakening, Harry has been seen to use mainly Forces, with a bit of Prime and Space thrown in. Mind and Time are both known to exist, as is Life to an extent. The system as is handles both evocation and ritual magic.

As for elderwyrm's comments on d20, I have to disagree. It's quite possible to build a magic system that imposes fatigue penalties as more magic is used. The catch is you don't start with D&D magic. You have to build it yourself.

Second Edition D&D, in the Tome of Magic, had a channeling sytem where every spell cast took fatigue. Cast enough spells, and the mage passed out. That could probably be ported over. I know it's possible to tweak a spellpoint system for this sort of behavior, as a friend of mine has done it.

Oh, and thaumaturgy is possible in d20. You just need to be creative about how you do it. Borrow from other systems if need be. The "successes" model of the ST system comes to mind here.

[finarvyn]

I think that this is where FATE will come in handy (and the Dresden Files RPG will be essentially FATE 2E).

FATE is designed to be flexible and allow for a more "freeform" style of magic. (I know that the term "freeform" isn't quite what I mean, but it's the closest word that comes to mind.)  Characters casting spells will be able to gather energy, then try to heave it at a target. FATE (and FUDGE) allows for a simple rolll based on general difficulty of actions, so the GM can make a quick "gut call" and run it from there.

Also, it appears that wizards can influence their chances of success by spending points. Of course, the opposing wizard can spend his/her own points to counter the spell.

The problem with most RPG magic systems is that they feel the need to assign particular points to everything, and it really forces rules lawyering. FATE avoids a lot of this with its general nature and encourages more creativity on the part of the spellcaster. This is a lot like magic system in Jim's books (and most books, actually) where cleverness is often more important than outright power.

[Kalium]

I looked at FATE. It seems a little too fast and loose for me. Probably not something I'd want to play, especially with the pyramid.

Which is likely to be a problem for me, as my DM is just about guaranteed to want to play it.

[finarvyn]

I looked at FATE. It seems a little too fast and loose for me. Probably not something I'd want to play, especially with the pyramid.

That won't make you too popular here, I suspect, since the official Jim Butcher-endorsed Dresden Files RPG is based on the FATE system.

Which is likely to be a problem for me, as my DM is just about guaranteed to want to play it.

Good luck with that. 

[Shiloh]

Im guessing that, like most series or book related RPG damges, it will only have one Book. It won't have a core set or many supplemant books, like D and D does.

Probably so.  Most of the RPGs I've played have one main book, divided into player/game master sections.  Even Star Wars, which is published by WotC does the same.  Of course, if the game takes off, then we can hopefully look forward to supplements, such as extended bestiaries, city guides, and the like.

[Kalium]

I looked at FATE. It seems a little too fast and loose for me. Probably not something I'd want to play, especially with the pyramid.

That won't make you too popular here, I suspect, since the official Jim Butcher-endorsed Dresden Files RPG is based on the FATE system.

I can deal with that. With my gaming group, the Fate would cause a lot more problems than it would solve. The pyramid gets to me in particular, because while the system is based on the idea of getting out of your way, it then adds in something that explicitly gets in your way. It would seem to prevent specialists indirectly, which I don't like at all. If it comes to it, I can (probably) talk my DM into helping me concoct a homebrew thing based on the books in question using a stronger system.

Which is likely to be a problem for me, as my DM is just about guaranteed to want to play it.

Good luck with that. 

I may need it. My current plan of attack is to point out that the Fate system would wreak havoc on our gaming group. Especially since we have more than one rules lawyer.

[johntfs]

Aside from White Wolf, you might consider Eden Press' Unisystem and the Witchcraft game in particular.

[The Doctor]

The problem with most RPG magic systems is that they feel the need to assign particular points to everything, and it really forces rules lawyering. FATE avoids a lot of this with its general nature and encourages more creativity on the part of the spellcaster. This is a lot like magic system in Jim's books (and most books, actually) where cleverness is often more important than outright power.

As scary as it might sound, this is where the system used in Exalted really shines.  The more creatively a player describes something, the more 'style points' they get.  In a Mage LARP I was in, this was how certamen was handled (because there were no MET rules for it).  Of course, at the other end of feasibility, you get five minutes of powerup description if the player is on a roll, ala Sailor Moon, which can drive the other players batty...

[iago]

I looked at FATE. It seems a little too fast and loose for me. Probably not something I'd want to play, especially with the pyramid.

While the pyramid still exists in the new version of Fate that we're using for the DFRPG, we've made it much less onerous than it is in the current, public version of Fate.  Further, specialists can and do exist in the new version of the system, through the application of the stunt system that we're introducing.  So far, in internal playtests, it's been working fabulously for exactly that.

[Tricia C]

This all sounds great, now all I need to do is find me some people to play with.  I wonder if a personal add in the local paper would work?
" Lonely Dresdenphile seeks similar for gaming, long walks in the park......"

[Strutter]

I always found the Ars Magica (Atlas Games) system of magic attractive.  Besides "learned spells" you could always improvise spells on the fly through their system of Techniques and Forms and risk fatigue and failure.

I never really understood why mastery/focus on certain areas of magic limited you to only certain effects, when you ought to be able to combine your abilities in creative ways (with risks, naturally).

[thunderlips74]

This all sounds great, now all I need to do is find me some people to play with.  I wonder if a personal add in the local paper would work?
" Lonely Dresdenphile seeks similar for gaming, long walks in the park......"

If you are anywhere near a book/game/comic store, you could see if they have a bulletin board. That is often a good way of finding other gamers.

Or try the net. Google something like "roleplayers wanted" plus the name of your town.

The net could also hook you up with a play by post message board game, or play by chat. A few of my friends are playing by message chat now. Handy because we have all moved to different cities in our old age.

[rdonoghue]

Lemme just second the mention of Eden's Unisystem as found in Witchcraft and in a lighter form in the Buffy and Angel RPGs.  Until the RPG is actually published, there is probably not a closer match in system out there.

-Rob D.

[finarvyn]

Lemme just second the mention of Eden's Unisystem as found in Witchcraft and in a lighter form in the Buffy and Angel RPGs.  Until the RPG is actually published, there is probably not a closer match in system out there.

-Rob D.

My opinion on this is that Witchcraft has really cool artwork, but that Buffy has a better game system. Eden uses the terms "classic" and "cinematic", where Witchcraft is more "classic" and Buffy more "cinematic".

The difference? Essentially, their "cinematic" rules sets (Buffy, Angel, Army of Darkness) have a faster feel and allow for more on-the-fly stuff. "Cinematic" just seems to flow better to me and is easier to run.

My advice would be to go "cinematic" if you buy one of these.