Want to learn more

[LdyEagle]

Hi Folks!!!
       I'm VERY interested in learning how to play the Dresden RPG?  I've never played RPG's before so, I'm looking for suggestions of where to start.  Are they somewhat easy to play?  Would I need any special equiptment?  If so, where do I acquire such things?  Is there a list of books that are needed for the Dresden RPG?  Where are they found?
       Thank you in advance for any & all assistance!  It'll be greatly appreciated!!!  :-)
                     Karen 

[iago]

Hi Folks!!!
       I'm VERY interested in learning how to play the Dresden RPG?  I've never played RPG's before so, I'm looking for suggestions of where to start.  Are they somewhat easy to play?  Would I need any special equiptment?  If so, where do I acquire such things?  Is there a list of books that are needed for the Dresden RPG?  Where are they found?
       Thank you in advance for any & all assistance!  It'll be greatly appreciated!!!  :-)
                     Karen 

The RPG's not out yet, but you can learn more about it at http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/

You'll just need a handful of six-sided dice (or some specialty dice that you can buy, but don't HAVE to buy), plus the book, when it comes out.

I dunno, I find 'em easy to play, but I've been playing them since third grade.

[Kalium]

Are they somewhat easy to play?

They're not video-game easy. That said, difficulty depends on experience and the DM/GM/ST/whatever running the game. So there's no good answer here, except that it's not easy to maintain a mindset you find very foreign and it's not easy to run a game.

Would I need any special equiptment?  If so, where do I acquire such things?

Generally paper, pencil, dice, and friends. I trust you can sort out the first two yourself. The last one too. The third may require you to visit a local hobby shop and get some dice. Exactly which sort you need depends on the system in question. Having no experience with the Fudge system, I can't say.

Is there a list of books that are needed for the Dresden RPG?  Where are they found?

It's upcoming, meaning "not currently availible in a playable state", so that's a very good question.

[The Doctor]

Hi Folks!!!
       I'm VERY interested in learning how to play the Dresden RPG?  I've never played RPG's before so, I'm looking for suggestions of where to start.  Are they somewhat easy to play?  Would I need any special equiptment?  If so, where do I acquire such things?  Is there a list of books that are needed for the Dresden RPG?  Where are they found?
       Thank you in advance for any & all assistance!  It'll be greatly appreciated!!!  :-)
                     Karen 

The Dresden RPG, so far as I know, it not yet in release, so the rules are still unknown (and judging from a few posts on the RPG's homepage, still in a state of flux).

Tabletop RPGs are pretty easy to play.  All you really need is a set of rules of some kind (like a sourcebook, though freeform games are not unheard of), some way of determining randomly if something worked or not (dice; sometimes regular board game dice, called d6, sometimes more exotic dice, like a d8 or a d10), and at least one other player.  One person writes up a scenario, like a short story.  Everyone else develops characters somehow and takes on their roles as they're sitting around the table with the person running the game.  It takes a little getting used to, but it is not very different from a good game of pretend.

You can get six-sided dice/d6 pretty much anywhere.  More exotic dice can be bought at gaming stores and occasionally bookstores (with the RPG books).  Sometimes they are a little expensive, sometimes they are not.

Having read the Dresden Files novels would be a good place to begin, so that you are familiar with the Dresdenverse, some of the major characters, and the sorts of things that happen there.

[finarvyn]

I've never played RPG's before so, I'm looking for suggestions of where to start.  Are they somewhat easy to play?  Would I need any special equiptment?  If so, where do I acquire such things?  Is there a list of books that are needed for the Dresden RPG?  Where are they found?

It turns out that most RPG's are easier to learn from another player rather than just by reading and trying to figure out by yourself. You might look for a local game store and ask some questions there. Often these stores will have a board where players can post if they want to find other players.

As "the doctor" said, essentially the group is trying to tell a collective story. One person takes the role of the storyteller, or "game master" and comes up with situations of interest. The other players react to the situations of interest in whatever manner seems most appropriate. The rules make sure that conflicts are resolved in a fair and consistent manner.

One big reason to ask other gamers questions is that there are many different games out there, and many different styles. The original RPG is "Dungeons and Dragons" and the current edition of this is quite rules-heavy (and can be quite expensive because of the number of hardback books out there), which sometimes is frustrating to newcomers. There is a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" RPG based on the TV series that might be similar in concept to "Dresden Files".  Another game called "Witchcraft" has a modern-magic theme and could be used to recreate Harry's adventures.. There are so many options out there that it's hard to know which direction to guide you without knowing what kind of game you would find most interesting.

If you do a google search on "Fudge" you can find a free rules set that you can download. Fred/Iago took Fudge and evolved it into a different variant called "Fate", which is also a free download. The official "Dresden Files" RPG (when created) is supposed to be based on a modified version of Fate, but so far not too many details have emerged.

Hope this helps!

[Shiloh]

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 

[finarvyn]

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 

No.

I know that there was a short thread a while back on WotC's forums about using d20 Modern to play in Harry's world, but it never really went anywhere.

[iago]

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. 

[finarvyn]

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 started a new thread that has information about the RPG that may be of help. It contains links that should give you a better sense of what's going on....

[samstarfire]

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. Although who knows, with our support, Jim Butcher might one day rule the world! Mwahhaha.....

[finarvyn]

I would think that the number of sourcebooks would be directly tied to the number of DRESDEN FILES books that Jim writes.

The original RPG would go through book #8, with perhaps a hint or so about book #9 if Jim gives out information. If the series runs 10 books a second volume might not be worthwhile, but if it runs a lot longer it's possible that some sort of update books could be created to keep up with the series (particularly if they could be bought in PDF form).

[OzwaldEMandius]

Hi Folks!!!
       I'm VERY interested in learning how to play the Dresden RPG?  I've never played RPG's before so, I'm looking for suggestions of where to start.  Are they somewhat easy to play?  Would I need any special equiptment?  If so, where do I acquire such things?  Is there a list of books that are needed for the Dresden RPG?  Where are they found?
       Thank you in advance for any & all assistance!  It'll be greatly appreciated!!!  :-)
                     Karen 

This is the point where I mock myself with phrases like "Dork, dork?" "Dorkity dork dork dork." and reminisce about burnt nachos and 69 cent 3 liters of store brand soda.

Everyone else has done a great job explaining the systems.  A quick point of view from someone who HATES rules lawyers (people who worry more about a rule and less about developing a storyline):

It should be FUN.  It should require you to use 2 braincells to do more than keep each other warm.  It should NOT be hard or complex.  The person who runs it (referred to as a DM, GM, story teller and a myraid of other things but Story Teller happens to be my favorite) should want to tell a story and involve you in how it's wrote.

That being said, it usually is VERY fun but you have to understand the whole scene has been labeled as geekdom.  To me that's a moniker worn with some silliness and pride but to others you might as well have compared their mother to a lady of the night.  If anyone you know has played RPG's, this should be a fairly easy learning experience and if you don't, I played them for the first time at around 12 so you will get it pretty easily I'm sure. 

Oh and it's a GREAT way to have an inexpensive afternoon.  After the initial outlay for a book, some dice, some ruled paper and a folder and some pencils you're really only looking at chips and soda for cost. 

Have fun

[finarvyn]

A quick point of view from someone who HATES rules lawyers (people who worry more about a rule and less about developing a storyline):

It should be FUN.  It should NOT be hard or complex.

This is actually a tough issue and is often a major point of discussion on some RPG threads. Some gamers are really into realism, others a playable system. It's hard to create a game that can do both.

Oz -- I happen to agree with you (except I like "Dungeon Master" better than "storyteller", but I'm an old guy) about the style of gaming that is my favorite.

[XavierDLH]

Reply to: DM vs. GM vs. Storyteller

I personally prefer "Game Master," as it isn't proprietary like DM (D&D) and Storyteller (WoD) are.

[finarvyn]

Reply to: DM vs. GM vs. Storyteller

I personally prefer "Game Master," as it isn't proprietary like DM (D&D) and Storyteller (WoD) are.

Oh, "Game Master" is clearly a superior term. It's just that I started playing OD&D back in 1975 and back then it was always "Dungeon Master" or DM. Anything else just doesn't "feel" right to me, but as I said I am an old guy.