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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2012 4:32:16 GMT -8
So, we're starting a new Dresden Files campaign. None of us have played or run it before, and only half of us have used FATE at all (and that was just in a couple con games).
I'm making this *very* collaborative. We're going to work on a theme and premise for the game up front, do all the city and character stuff as per the books. And after an intro adventure, to get everyone used to things, I'm going to have the players take turns giving me adventure premises. They'll tell me what the next adventure is going to be about, and we'll go from there.
Anybody experienced with Dresden Files have any advice? Any helpful tips would be much appreciated.
--Pukka Tukka
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2012 14:29:40 GMT -8
Not actually played it yet but am in the process of cramming the books and soon the RPG into my head so will be interested to hear how it works out.
I like the idea of having the players bring the adventure premises for you to flesh out. If you're playing the private investigator angle as in the books I'd be tempted to get them to frame it in terms of the client coming in to try and hire them. Have the players come up with what the client tells them the job is then you, as the GM come up with what is really going on behind the scenes.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2012 4:20:00 GMT -8
At present, Whodo, the plan is to not limit them at all in their character designs, other than a power level. So someone might make an investigator, I don't know. We haven't gone over a theme for the game, or picked a city or anything, so they may form it into something like that. But I really want to have them building as much of it (especially to start) as possible.
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tappy
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Post by tappy on Apr 12, 2012 6:18:33 GMT -8
I would go by the book as closely as possible.
make the city first, before you do any character stuff.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2012 15:14:18 GMT -8
I would go by the book as closely as possible. make the city first, before you do any character stuff. Oh, absolutely. I like the setting, but the Dresden Files system is one of the things that most appeals to me. And having never done it, we're definitely going to do it "by the book."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2012 20:14:28 GMT -8
I've been GMing a long running Dresden File campaign. So here's the suggestions
Pay as much attention as possible during city creation to the NPCs and areas that grab the players's attention most. Scenes with those will get more mileage due to player investment.
Always look for opportunities to tag aspects. Aspects will draw characters into a scene and provide Fate points so they can perform cool actions like using Stunts and Spells and more importantly use Aspects.
Always say yes to any question of "Could I try to...?" or "Is it possible...?" unless it is physically impossible to do in which case suggest an alternative that could end in the same result. Do this even if the task will be Impossibly difficult but be up front about so the player can decide if it's worth trying to tag as many Aspects as possible.
Wizards are extremely powerful. If they start getting to big for their britches, start a rumor in the city that a Warden has been seen making the rounds (don't actually have them encounter a Warden unless they start flagrantly disregarding the Laws). Remember to give Lawbreaker if a Law gets broken.
Keep a note book handy. Take notes whenever a character's actions/words/interactions get them into trouble. These are good inspirations for later adventures.
Edit: The starting power level of the PCs should help determine the sorts of people they'll start out interacting with. If they aren't too high I recommend not having them interact with higher ups (such as Senior Council members, local Mob bosses, Red/White Court Nobility) but instead have the higher ups referenced as movers and shakers by the ground level NPCs. They're not there but their presence is still felt.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2012 1:30:36 GMT -8
Good stuff, Cesius. Thanks! --Pukka Tukka
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Post by Nolinquisitor on Apr 13, 2012 5:59:52 GMT -8
I have received The Dresden Files as a gift for my birthday last year. Haven't had the chance to play yet. I would be really interested in knowing how the whole process of starting a campaign in that system feels like. I've read most of the book but I lack the experience of playing it. Let us know how it went if you please. If you post, I'll sure read!
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willh
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Post by willh on Apr 13, 2012 10:11:20 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2012 18:40:24 GMT -8
Okay, we've made some decisions now. Trying to take this Narrativist approach to the game, we've set a theme, which is basically "Humanity," the exploration thereof. It dovetails nicely with Dresden Files as a whole, the concept of defining humanity, and retaining/forsaking your humanity, etc.
We've also decided on a city: San Francisco.
Next week, we start on actual City Creation.
--Pukka Tukka
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2012 4:30:51 GMT -8
Well, City Creation has begun in earnest. In fact, I'd say we'll be probably finished with it (or at least, onto characters) by the end of next session. It's been incredibly frustrating and rewarding. I feel like I'm herding cats, trying to get something coherent out of them. But the stuff they've come up with is really inspired! So far, the major players in San Francisco are actually a major influx of wild fae (who have set up a cult that worships them), the Chinese Tong who handle most of the drug trade in town, and a motorcycle gang who is muscling in on the Tong's business, and is a front for a larger organization secretly run by an old and powerful Black Court vamp. The sum total of "clued in" law enforcement is one poor bastard who literally gets all the crazy cases in the city, because he's the only one who believes them. The primary White Council presence is a powerful wizard who is set to act as guard/gatekeeper for Alcatraz, because that place is a huge source of nasty dark energy, and they don't want anyone to get their hands on it. We're still fleshing out a threat of the major leylines running through San Fran, that sit right on top of the fault lines. Whenever there's an earthquake, it also causes a sort of "ley line" quake, which has all sorts of weird supernatural repercussions, and may be at least partially responsible for the influx of fae. And in their most creative bit, the supernatural hangout/safe haven sort of place... is a bowling alley in the Castro, owned/operated by a golem. He came to this country hundreds of years ago, and the last command given him by the Rabbi was to keep a plot of land save and peaceful for all. It was to be the site of a synagogue, but the Rabbi was killed shortly after. The golem has been protecting/caring for that spot for centuries, as it's been various businesses and sites. Awhile back, it became a bowling alley, and through a weird connection with the owner, and a relationship developing, the owner eventually died and bequeathed it to the golem. So the golem owns and operates the bowling alley, but in reality, he's just upholding his centuries-old command to make this plot of land safe and peaceful for all! TL; DR = City creation is going pretty great. --Pukka Tukka
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2012 14:38:21 GMT -8
City Creation along makes me really really want to get the books and play a DF Fate game.
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Post by fray on Apr 25, 2012 14:51:26 GMT -8
I'd like to have a few sessions of city and character creation. When all is said and done you have a few detailed cities and a bunch of characters to play.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2012 4:28:24 GMT -8
Back into the city creation this week. We're just about done, just some faces left to flesh out. This week, we tried to attach to some of our overlooked themes and threats. One player had a concept from that "ley line quake" idea, so it's a major threat, but we hadn't built into it yet. So we picked a neighborhood in San Fran, where the bulk of the activity happens. It's a very affluent neighborhood that used to be a racetrack. Now it's just full of the rich and powerful, and we loved the idea of all this weird unexplained stuff happening around snooty rich folk. Then, someone got the idea that, with all this activity, maybe there's a stable portal of some sort to the Nevernever. Like, if you know what to look for, there's an actual door that anyone can access, creating a location *in* the Nevernever, that's a permanent part of San Francisco now. Sounds great. And it would be in that same neighborhood we just made, because that's where the bulk of the activity is. But what kind of place? A racetrack, of course! So now we have a freaky racetrack, where spirit beings and Fae bet on strange, supernatural races! I'm very psyched about that. We gave the Fae another location, also, and put in a professor who is studying the ley lines. Then we started fleshing out faces. They're getting more interesting. I feel like we're very close to having a completed city! --Pukka Tukka
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2012 19:47:23 GMT -8
Sounds like things are going really well, nice! Have the players started kicking around character ideas yet?
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