[Dresden Files] Mapping the "Nevernever"

weem · Jul 23, 2010

I wanted the Nevernever to be a place where the players could spend a lot of time adventuring. We decided on San Francisco as our city, so I thought I would map out a Nevernever side of SF. Essentially, it would be a parallel realm working similar to how the Feywild does.

For more details, check out the writeup I did for it here.

Anyway, I thought I would drop the map in here and see what you thought.

Particularly, I'm interested in knowing how you are handling the NN in your game?

Crothian · Jul 23, 2010

The NN is my games is not going to be mapeed. I want it to be an unknown place full of suprises and surreal encounters. However, I don't anticpate a lot of time over there so I want it to be unique experiences each time they do take the chance.

Umbran · Jul 23, 2010

Haven't played the game, but the original source material is pretty clear on the point that distances and travel through the Nevernever are not... simple. Where the mortal realm has a set geometry, the Nevernever is a bit more fluid.

To mirror that, you might do better to map connections between locations, and allow those connections to vary in length depending on circumstances (especially who is doing the traveling). In addition, if I recall correctly, the books don't have a direct mapping between points in the mortal realm and in the Nevernever.

In your game, you may do as you wish, of course. I mention it so you remember that any of your players who are avid fans of the books may have expectations - you can warn them about the differences, or use those expectations against them, as seems appropriate.

Thanael · Jul 24, 2010

A bit OT but are there any websites/resources for different cities which have been Dresdenized out there?

Hand of Evil · Jul 25, 2010

I was thinking about layering them, each layer has a points on entry and exit. So, a player can know of a entry to the NN on layer 3, travel to level 7 to exit thousands of miles away. Each layer is different based on need, one may be just a small glade with a waterfall and a bridge over a stream (two connection points) to woods and a keep on a hill.

Umbran · Jul 25, 2010

I last read White Night. There's a very explicit bit in there about Nevernever travel - specifically about creating gates into it.

When you create a gate to the Nevernever, you don't just open a hole to the Nevernever's analog to the space you're already in. Exactly where your gate takes you depends upon your intent and your emotional state.

If two entities who can open gates do so, they generally cannot open then to the same place. Not because it is forbidden, but because they generally don't have the same desires and emotional state. If someone pops into the Nevernever, and closes their gate, even if you saw through the gate to their destination, you can't just open another gate and follow them. You'll end up somewhere else, and have to travel (perhaps great distances) through the Nevernever.

Thus, popping into the Nevernever is a good way to break a chase. Of course, it is a dangerous way to do so, as it puts you in the Nevernever, which isn't itself safe.

The only reason I haven't picked up the game is I don't want to be spoilered

weem · Jul 25, 2010

I will be starting the first book today, so I am spoiling it for myself for sure, hehe.

As for my map, I knew it was not as straight forward as I was presenting this option - I just thought it would be interesting to do it this way - in fact, there were only going to be a few ways to get in that were 'set' (never changing from point A to B).

Anyway, based on feedback from here, a few other sites, and comments on my blog, I've decided to stick much closer to the version that readers of the book are used to (aka, scrapping my map). I simply hadn't read the books at all (though I heard some about the NN from a friend), and the RPG books don't say much about it so I thought I would do something up myself.

I have been looking through Google Books, searching for "Nevernever" instances in the books (yea, further spoiling things for myself) so I am getting a much better understanding now.

Hand of Evil · Jul 26, 2010

It is also important to remember that there is a "near" and a "far-away". The near has bleed over from the mortal realm, location could generate the court that controls the near, like Columbia SC would be summer and Chicago is winter.

Atlatl Jones · Jul 26, 2010

Umbran said:
I last read White Night. There's a very explicit bit in there about Nevernever travel - specifically about creating gates into it.

When you create a gate to the Nevernever, you don't just open a hole to the Nevernever's analog to the space you're already in. Exactly where your gate takes you depends upon your intent and your emotional state.

It also depends quite a lot on the nature of the place you're opening the gate from. If you open a gate from a slaughterhouse at night, it'll take you to an extremely different place in the Nevernever than if you open a gate in a sunny field full of flowers. Even if the two locations are right next to each other in the physical world.

The only reason I haven't picked up the game is I don't want to be spoilered

Good call. I read through the books quite quickly, reading books 5-11 in the last 9 months or so. And by "read" I mean "read book 5-7 and listened to the audiobooks of 8-11.

The "Your Story" book doesn't have too many spoilers, but the "Our World" book is almost nothing but!

Rechan · Jul 26, 2010

A bit OT but are there any websites/resources for different cities which have been Dresdenized out there?

There was talk of a wiki a few months back but I don't know if anything came of it.

Atlatl Jones said:
It also depends quite a lot on the nature of the place you're opening the gate from. If you open a gate from a slaughterhouse at night, it'll take you to an extremely different place in the Nevernever than if you open a gate in a sunny field full of flowers. Even if the two locations are right next to each other in the physical world.

Beat me to it.

Now, for Weem's San Fran, that could be different. That for whatever reason, the Nevernever links to one place no matter where in the borders of San Fran you are. This reason however should be pretty epic and be one Aspect of the city. Perhaps a God died (or was birthed) in San Fran, or something Big and Powerful is buried beneath San Fran and thus the whole feel of the place spiritually is the same.