Waiting for the Dresden Files rpg
Posted 7th May 2009 at 08:59 PM by Lackhand
Haven't posted here in a while -- I'm not exactly a conscientious blogger. Sorry, devoted throngs! 
I've found I've drifted from 4e. I don't enjoy the gamist tactical aspects so much, and my first character was a wizard in a group of relative newbies that were (in high degree) casual players; because of that, I felt underpowered and irritated at the tactics we were using. Harsh to blame that on the system, I know, but gamers need games that match their temperaments, and I'd rather be in a high-functioning group than one struggling with the system.
I flirted with a weekly game using the Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game (basicfantasy.org) but have somewhat lost interest. I'll probably resurrect it, but it's a bit restrictive to my modern palette; it doesn't give me enough gamist knobs to tweak when I say "I'm swinging from the chandeliers"; it's just an attack roll + DM adjudication, which I invariably fell back to 3e for. Besides, I felt bad for the fighters.
So I've moved on, a bit, to Spirit of the Century (evilhat's website). I houseruled it a bit, but then I'd have to -- added an Evocation skill so you could use magic to fight, some gadgets to let you use Art more broadly (considered to replace enchantment/illusion ), a Thaumaturgy skill in place of Science!, a Craft in place of Engineering, and so on.
Thinking about that, I probably should have gone the stunts root, fewer skills & more stunts to specialize their use. Ah well.
Anyway, it's an excellent chassis in a book crammed full of excellent GM advice, so I highly recommend it -- I wouldn't call it ready for play as is if you like medieval games, which I do -- but it's really quite good.
The same team is working on a Dresden Files RPG. I lust for it. The Dresden Files, if you haven't read them, should be required reading for any D&D player -- slightly pulpy noir action between a modern day wizard-detective and the trials and tribulations that Chicago, its underworld, its Underworld, and pretty much everything else can throw at him.
What's interesting to me is that, unless I miss my guess, the game system they eventually produce will be an all around excellent fantasy RPG game, too. Sure, you have to file out the guns, modern day trappings, and so on -- but a set of 1e books (inspiration) and that (rules) might make me a happy camper for a very long time.
At least until something new comes along
I've found I've drifted from 4e. I don't enjoy the gamist tactical aspects so much, and my first character was a wizard in a group of relative newbies that were (in high degree) casual players; because of that, I felt underpowered and irritated at the tactics we were using. Harsh to blame that on the system, I know, but gamers need games that match their temperaments, and I'd rather be in a high-functioning group than one struggling with the system.
I flirted with a weekly game using the Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game (basicfantasy.org) but have somewhat lost interest. I'll probably resurrect it, but it's a bit restrictive to my modern palette; it doesn't give me enough gamist knobs to tweak when I say "I'm swinging from the chandeliers"; it's just an attack roll + DM adjudication, which I invariably fell back to 3e for. Besides, I felt bad for the fighters.
So I've moved on, a bit, to Spirit of the Century (evilhat's website). I houseruled it a bit, but then I'd have to -- added an Evocation skill so you could use magic to fight, some gadgets to let you use Art more broadly (considered to replace enchantment/illusion
), a Thaumaturgy skill in place of Science!, a Craft in place of Engineering, and so on.Thinking about that, I probably should have gone the stunts root, fewer skills & more stunts to specialize their use. Ah well.
Anyway, it's an excellent chassis in a book crammed full of excellent GM advice, so I highly recommend it -- I wouldn't call it ready for play as is if you like medieval games, which I do -- but it's really quite good.
The same team is working on a Dresden Files RPG. I lust for it. The Dresden Files, if you haven't read them, should be required reading for any D&D player -- slightly pulpy noir action between a modern day wizard-detective and the trials and tribulations that Chicago, its underworld, its Underworld, and pretty much everything else can throw at him.
What's interesting to me is that, unless I miss my guess, the game system they eventually produce will be an all around excellent fantasy RPG game, too. Sure, you have to file out the guns, modern day trappings, and so on -- but a set of 1e books (inspiration) and that (rules) might make me a happy camper for a very long time.
At least until something new comes along
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