It occurred to that I've been immersed in the details of this game setting, but haven't talked about the more generic side of it. So let's take a look. The novels that are our source material are housed in a new genre called "urban fantasy." They're first and foremost fantasy fiction - wizards, magic, monsters, swords, faeries, etc. They happen to be set in a modern day setting. And thus the genre label.
Our game will probably be the same. Because I'm familiar with our play styles, I know the focus will be on action & adventure, with just enough intrigue and mystery thrown in to keep the characters moving. Since the game is set in the modern day, there'll be guns, cars, computers, and modern sensibilities and moder gear. But there'll also be lots of supernatural elements hiding just inside the shadows. So one of the PCs might have a Sig Sauer in one hand and an enchanted sword in the other, while another PC reads from a musty tome from inside a protective circle. Meanwhile a third character triggers his Changeling blood and morphs into some kind of werebeastie.
The field is also wide open for the characters. During character generation, we'll create enough backstory to explain who the PCs are and why they hunt monsters together. Or whatever it is that they do. The PCs might be a die-hard group like the A-Team or Buffy's Scooby Gang; or they might only come together to solve the occasional mystery, which is more what we see in the Dresden Files. And with you guys, I have no idea what kind of characters you'll put together. There might not be ANY wizards in the group, or you might ALL want to play mages. And either extreme is fine with me. This game is going to give us the opportunity to have a lot of fun, very different from all the D&D we've played most recently.
And that's where I am now with game prep: I need to know what you guys are interested in, both in terms of what you want to see, and what kinds of characters you want to play. Expect an email from me shortly.
Showing posts with label Setting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Setting. Show all posts
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Factions & Groups
All of the below is just political flavor for the game. And a bare-bones encapsulation of Jim Butcher's sweat and tears. But any of these groups are excellent fodder for stuff in the game.
1. White Council – already covered and full members get the Wizard background edge. But I wanted to add that it's the only mages guild we know of. There could be other smaller, less official guilds that just haven't registered on the White Guild's radar. Or guilds/covens that are avoiding the White Council's radar…
2. Black Council – this is a group of powerful wizards and/or monsters that are trying, for whatever reason, to subvert the White Council's world dominance. At first, only Harry Dresden believed they existed, and he coined the term. But as of the events in Turncoat, at least some members of the White Council were willing to believe his crazy theories.
3. Paranet – This group figures heavily for us. Most likely, the PCs are, or will be, a local cell. This is an underground, laymen's organization of practitioners who act to alert Harry to suspicious occult activity. (Harry's responsibility as a Warden of the White Council includes policing most of North America, so he created this network to assist him in his duties.) If something local happens that the Paranet cell can't handle, the call Harry. Similarly, if he needs to spread word about an invasion of the fey, he sends an alert down the line.
4. The Vampire Courts – I might cover this in more detail in a separate post. Vampires come in three colors of political and biological persuasion: Red, White, and Black Courts. They are ALL evil with only one exception that we know of. I am not going to run an Ann Rice "touch me, I'm ambiguously oriented" vampire campaign. If you encounter a vampire of ANY shade in this game…kill it.
5. Denarians – Fallen angels, now demons. What more do you need to know? They give a mortal incredible power at the cost of his soul. Move along. Seriously.
6. Alphas – A local group of werewolves, and a good example of a Paranet cell. They also represent how superheroes could work in Savage Dresden.
7. Nevernever – Jim Butcher's only failing as a writer - don't hurt me; I recognize that he chose this name very deliberately. It's the faerie world where all the monsters come from. Also used as an in-between point for dimensional travel and teleport. And it's dangerous. Things there don't like things from here. It's controlled by two opposing forces: the Summer House and the Winter House. And each house has three rulers who aren't necessarily aligned with one another. Lots of infighting and use of mortal pawns.
I have to say that what I'm really looking for in this game is something that's easy to prepare for, easy to run, and set in the modern day. Savage Worlds certainly gives me the first two criteria, and using the Dresden Files as a setting amply provides the third. All of the people in this group, except for one guy, have absorbed the books and short stories. I've probably read nearly all of the short stories, and am working my way through a second reading of the novels. Everyone else in the group can boast more than that. Except of course for that one guy, but he is the hardest-core gamer of all of us, so he'll adapt.
The real question is when am I going to run the game? This blog is supposed to be a way to help me dispense my thoughts and pre-game prep-work. But if I'm not careful, it'll just be a way of postponing the game.
To my players, I want to give this list of responsibilities:
1. Given what you know of the game world, or in Rich's case, the generic modern supernatural genre, think about what kind of character you'd like to run.
Like most games set in the modern world, this game is scaled to modern human norms. Yes, you'll encounter supernatural stuff, but not necessarily anything that Karl Kolchak couldn't handle. Do you want to play the psionic noob, the hard-boiled detective/reporter/conspiracy blogger, the college co-ed witch, the soldier just back from overseas, or the normal guy just getting caught up in his friends' situation?
2. What sorts of things would you like to see in a modern day, supernatural game?
Do you want to meet (or be?) Sam & Dean from Supernatural? Prefer to recapture the horror of your Buffy-style high school days? Or do you want to be a military clean-up crew who sweeps this scary stuff under the rug so the norms don't have to worry about it? Or, do you want to be part of a biker club who, amongst other bikery things, looks out for the well being of your town?
3. Bitch at me to run the damned game.
Seriously, without YOU motivating ME, it's not going to happen. I need to know that you guys want to play this thing.
1. White Council – already covered and full members get the Wizard background edge. But I wanted to add that it's the only mages guild we know of. There could be other smaller, less official guilds that just haven't registered on the White Guild's radar. Or guilds/covens that are avoiding the White Council's radar…
2. Black Council – this is a group of powerful wizards and/or monsters that are trying, for whatever reason, to subvert the White Council's world dominance. At first, only Harry Dresden believed they existed, and he coined the term. But as of the events in Turncoat, at least some members of the White Council were willing to believe his crazy theories.
3. Paranet – This group figures heavily for us. Most likely, the PCs are, or will be, a local cell. This is an underground, laymen's organization of practitioners who act to alert Harry to suspicious occult activity. (Harry's responsibility as a Warden of the White Council includes policing most of North America, so he created this network to assist him in his duties.) If something local happens that the Paranet cell can't handle, the call Harry. Similarly, if he needs to spread word about an invasion of the fey, he sends an alert down the line.
4. The Vampire Courts – I might cover this in more detail in a separate post. Vampires come in three colors of political and biological persuasion: Red, White, and Black Courts. They are ALL evil with only one exception that we know of. I am not going to run an Ann Rice "touch me, I'm ambiguously oriented" vampire campaign. If you encounter a vampire of ANY shade in this game…kill it.
5. Denarians – Fallen angels, now demons. What more do you need to know? They give a mortal incredible power at the cost of his soul. Move along. Seriously.
6. Alphas – A local group of werewolves, and a good example of a Paranet cell. They also represent how superheroes could work in Savage Dresden.
7. Nevernever – Jim Butcher's only failing as a writer - don't hurt me; I recognize that he chose this name very deliberately. It's the faerie world where all the monsters come from. Also used as an in-between point for dimensional travel and teleport. And it's dangerous. Things there don't like things from here. It's controlled by two opposing forces: the Summer House and the Winter House. And each house has three rulers who aren't necessarily aligned with one another. Lots of infighting and use of mortal pawns.
I have to say that what I'm really looking for in this game is something that's easy to prepare for, easy to run, and set in the modern day. Savage Worlds certainly gives me the first two criteria, and using the Dresden Files as a setting amply provides the third. All of the people in this group, except for one guy, have absorbed the books and short stories. I've probably read nearly all of the short stories, and am working my way through a second reading of the novels. Everyone else in the group can boast more than that. Except of course for that one guy, but he is the hardest-core gamer of all of us, so he'll adapt.
The real question is when am I going to run the game? This blog is supposed to be a way to help me dispense my thoughts and pre-game prep-work. But if I'm not careful, it'll just be a way of postponing the game.
To my players, I want to give this list of responsibilities:
1. Given what you know of the game world, or in Rich's case, the generic modern supernatural genre, think about what kind of character you'd like to run.
Like most games set in the modern world, this game is scaled to modern human norms. Yes, you'll encounter supernatural stuff, but not necessarily anything that Karl Kolchak couldn't handle. Do you want to play the psionic noob, the hard-boiled detective/reporter/conspiracy blogger, the college co-ed witch, the soldier just back from overseas, or the normal guy just getting caught up in his friends' situation?
2. What sorts of things would you like to see in a modern day, supernatural game?
Do you want to meet (or be?) Sam & Dean from Supernatural? Prefer to recapture the horror of your Buffy-style high school days? Or do you want to be a military clean-up crew who sweeps this scary stuff under the rug so the norms don't have to worry about it? Or, do you want to be part of a biker club who, amongst other bikery things, looks out for the well being of your town?
3. Bitch at me to run the damned game.
Seriously, without YOU motivating ME, it's not going to happen. I need to know that you guys want to play this thing.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wizards vs mages
Another distinction the world of the Dresden Files makes about magic is about the kinds of people who practice magic. Anyone who has the talent for it can become a practitioner of magic, and they are referred to generically as mages or sorcerers or any other such term.
The distinction comes with the capital W, as in Wizards. A Wizard is someone who has taken the professional track to study magic and joined the White Council of Magic. This is the secret brotherhood of mages who police the world, protecting us normal people from all the things that go bump in the night. They also abide by and enforce the Seven Laws of Magic, which basically state that you can only use magic for good, can't use magic to kill a normal human, can't bind a being's will to yours (mind control), and that you cannot practice necromantic magic. There's more to it, but you get the idea.
Along with membership in the White Council comes professional training (every Wizard has a mentor), a knowledge base to draw upon for research, and a potential pool of allies and back-up, should you have good reason to call upon them. The downside is LOTS of beauracracy, more experienced wizards sometimes meddling in your affairs and telling you what to do, and the possibility of being called to fulfill some duty or other. Basically, plot motivators.
And if you're familiar with the Savage World rules, you might notice that membership in the White Council sounds very similar to the description of the Wizard edge. And that's how I'm going to use it. Any character wanting to belong to the White Coucil needs to take this edge.
Most of the time the converse will also be true: if you have the Wizard edge, it normally means you are a member of the White Council. But I'm not going to paint myself in a corner. It's highly possible that there are other schools or societies out there with a similar degree of training and support. For example, that mysterious "Black Council" that Harry Dresden is always theorizing about could very well be larger than anyone realizes. Or maybe the Wiccans become a professional force in the world. Who knows?
By and large though, I'm using the Wizard edge to represent membership in the White Council. And I think that will cover that topic. Up next: factions and groups.
The distinction comes with the capital W, as in Wizards. A Wizard is someone who has taken the professional track to study magic and joined the White Council of Magic. This is the secret brotherhood of mages who police the world, protecting us normal people from all the things that go bump in the night. They also abide by and enforce the Seven Laws of Magic, which basically state that you can only use magic for good, can't use magic to kill a normal human, can't bind a being's will to yours (mind control), and that you cannot practice necromantic magic. There's more to it, but you get the idea.
Along with membership in the White Council comes professional training (every Wizard has a mentor), a knowledge base to draw upon for research, and a potential pool of allies and back-up, should you have good reason to call upon them. The downside is LOTS of beauracracy, more experienced wizards sometimes meddling in your affairs and telling you what to do, and the possibility of being called to fulfill some duty or other. Basically, plot motivators.
And if you're familiar with the Savage World rules, you might notice that membership in the White Council sounds very similar to the description of the Wizard edge. And that's how I'm going to use it. Any character wanting to belong to the White Coucil needs to take this edge.
Most of the time the converse will also be true: if you have the Wizard edge, it normally means you are a member of the White Council. But I'm not going to paint myself in a corner. It's highly possible that there are other schools or societies out there with a similar degree of training and support. For example, that mysterious "Black Council" that Harry Dresden is always theorizing about could very well be larger than anyone realizes. Or maybe the Wiccans become a professional force in the world. Who knows?
By and large though, I'm using the Wizard edge to represent membership in the White Council. And I think that will cover that topic. Up next: factions and groups.
Friday, August 28, 2009
So...what is a Savage Dresden?
I currently have two fanboy loves: the Savage Worlds roleplaying game and the Dresden Files series of novels and short stories by Jim Butcher. My goal for this blog, as mentioned in the header, is to share my notes and thoughts for making my homebrew Dresden Files game setting using Savage Worlds as the rules.Because both are so awesome.
The first thing I'll make note of is that I don't want to set the game in Chicago. Chicago and its environs are amply covered by Butcher's works. There's no room for a group of player characters to show off there. Rather, my plan is to set the game in a different city, quite possibly Charlottesville, Virginia, since that's near where I am. At least one of the PCs will be tied into the Paranet (a loose network of occultists, sorcerors, hedge mages and other people keyed into the supernatural).
For a while, I was very tempted to set the game in 12 to Midnight's Pinebox setting because it's a great setting, it has the mood I want my game to have, and they have a lot of high-quality adventures and source material. I hesitated and finally decided not to use it because I'm afraid the setting might be too rural and it's really designed for a horror game, where I'm looking for an urban fantasy setting. Once I put my finger on that distinction, I quickly realized Pinebox wasn't right for this game. So, while I won't be using the setting, there's a good chance I'll use a couple of their adventures. But if I were looking to run a modern horror game, I'd go to Pinebox in a heartbeat.
So that's the plan: I'm putting together a modern fantasy game set in the world of Harry Dresden. I'll be incorporating a lot of the factions and groups, character types, and magic styles from those works. And hopefully I'll be able to channel some of Butcher's detective-noir stylings as well. Wish me luck.
The first thing I'll make note of is that I don't want to set the game in Chicago. Chicago and its environs are amply covered by Butcher's works. There's no room for a group of player characters to show off there. Rather, my plan is to set the game in a different city, quite possibly Charlottesville, Virginia, since that's near where I am. At least one of the PCs will be tied into the Paranet (a loose network of occultists, sorcerors, hedge mages and other people keyed into the supernatural).
For a while, I was very tempted to set the game in 12 to Midnight's Pinebox setting because it's a great setting, it has the mood I want my game to have, and they have a lot of high-quality adventures and source material. I hesitated and finally decided not to use it because I'm afraid the setting might be too rural and it's really designed for a horror game, where I'm looking for an urban fantasy setting. Once I put my finger on that distinction, I quickly realized Pinebox wasn't right for this game. So, while I won't be using the setting, there's a good chance I'll use a couple of their adventures. But if I were looking to run a modern horror game, I'd go to Pinebox in a heartbeat.
So that's the plan: I'm putting together a modern fantasy game set in the world of Harry Dresden. I'll be incorporating a lot of the factions and groups, character types, and magic styles from those works. And hopefully I'll be able to channel some of Butcher's detective-noir stylings as well. Wish me luck.
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