Dresden Files RPG, from Fate 3.0 rules?s

[Ahglock]

The Dresden Files RPG will be using the Fate 3.0 rules which was shown first apparently in the Spirit of Adventurer game. And the Fate rules are base doff of FUDGE. I love the books, but I don't know anything about FUDGE, spirit of the century, and Fate 3.0. Anyone with some insights so I have a clue about what this game may look like when it comes out.

 

[Rechan]

I haven't played either, but I've been watching the DFRPG development closely, and I've read over SotC.

While I type up a response, here is the SRD to Spirit of the Century.

 

[Rechan]

There are several things that set SotC and DFRPG out from other games. To be honest, I'm not sure how they differ from FUDGE, because I'm not familiar with FUDGE.

But, I will assume that fudge has the typical rolling fashion of rolling 4d6. 1-2 are a -1, 3-4 are a 0, and 5-6 are a 1, you count what number you received, and add in the relevant skill number, to reach how well you did on a roll. (i.e. I roll deceit, getting a -1, 0, 0 and +1 on the dice, resulting in a flat 0 roll. However, my deceit skill is +2, so I end up with a 2 on the roll.)

I hope that's how Fudge works, because that's the basis of how dice rolling goes.

So let's talk about what makes SotC and DFRPG stand out.

Aspects

An Aspect is a core tenant of what makes the character. It's not what he does, but who he is. All you have to do is read a character's aspects to get a clear image of who they are and how they behave.

An Aspect is useful to you as a character. Because it is a part of Who you Are, you get a bonus to the die roll for tapping that Aspect, because it's so intrinsic to your character. You should be excelling in circumstances where your aspect comes into play, because that's your Thing.

Let me give you an example.

Let's take James Bond, 007. A likely aspect for Bond is "Lady's Man". Because, well, the phrase "Bond Girl" exists. He's a notorious lover and pursuer of hotties in danger.

James has to get some information. The source of information? A Hottie Woman. James needs to make a good impression, and get her to open up to him conversationally. He uses his Rapport skill, and makes his roll. The result, with his skill, comes up as a total of 3. However, because James has the Aspect "Lady's Man", he taps his Aspect. James can decide to either Re-roll the dice he just rolled, or, he can take the current result (Total: 3) and add 2 to it (resulting in a Total: 5).

Other characters can tap your Aspect. Take Batman; Batman likely has the aspect "I'm the goddamn Batman", because he's Batman, damnit. However, let's say in a situation, Batman is down on his luck. He failed to accomplish something, he's beaten, bruised, and he's this close to giving up. Alfred needs to pep Bruce up. He uses his rapport skill, and says, "But Mr Wayne, you are The Goddamn Batman." This gives Alfred a +2 (or a reroll) in his effort to liven Batman up.

Areas even have aspects. Let's say you're in a Warehouse. The warehouse has the aspect "Dark and Cluttered". Thus, when you make a stealth check, you can tag the Warehouse's "Dark and Cluttered" aspect to add +2 to your stealth check (because, well, it's dark and cluttered!)

You can even do things which cause temporary aspects to happen. If you're in a fight with someone, and you pick up some sand and hit him in the face with it, he might gain the "Sand in my Eye" aspect for a round. An Ally in the fight might then tag the villain's "Sand in my Eye" aspect in order to enhance his attack (because the villain can't defend himself when he can't see), or might tag it to evade an attack from the villain (He couldn't see me, because he was blinded).

Here's the interesting thing. An Aspect is a double-edged sword. The GM can tap your aspect (called Compelling it), in order to make the situation harder on you. Let's turn to the SRD for an explanation.

An aspect may limit actions and choice. If a character is given a situation where he would normally have a number of choices, and limiting those choices to act in accordance with his aspect is going to make more trouble for the character, that’s grounds to compel the aspect. It’s important to note that an aspect may dictate the type of action, but it usually shouldn’t dictate the precise action, which is always the player’s decision. In this way, the compel highlights the difficulty of the choices at hand by placing limits on those choices.

An aspect may also complicate a situation, rather than directly limiting a character’s choices. If everything would be going along normally, and the aspect makes things more difficult or introduces an unexpected twist, that’s also grounds for a compel. In come cases, complications may suggest that certain consequences are mandated, such as failing at a particular action – perhaps the character would succeed at a defense roll against a Deceit action, but his Gullible aspect is compelled, forcing a failure if accepted.

Sometimes the aspect may add a complication “offscreen”, such as when the GM decides to use a character’s personal nemesis as the villain for a session. In such a case the GM should remember to give the character a fate point. This is technically a compel – it does complicate things – but more practically it’s more of a “thank you” to the player for giving the GM a hook to build the adventure around, and is done without offering the player the option to buy out of it.

In The Dark Knight, various upright citizens are inspired by Batman's heroics, tapping his "I'm the Goddamn Batman" so that they can act like vigilantes in his name, causing strife for Batman.

The GM, when compelling these aspects, offers the player a choice. "Either let me do this, and you get something in return, or you pay me to resist the compel (the Compel having no effect on the character's actions)."

Why would you accept the compel? 1) Because it makes an interesting story! With conflict! That revolves around your character! But there's a more important reason: 2) Fate points. What are fate points? I'll get into that right now.

 

[Rechan]

Fate Points

Fate Points are the gas of the system. They are what lets the players do their thing. They are a limited (but ever-renewable) resource for a player, necessary to use his abilities. It's best to represent them with something tangible. Poker chips, coins, whatever. This way, a player has a concrete representation of them.

What do you do with them, though?

• The least potent thing you can do is add a +1 to a roll, or improve an effect by 1.
• Invoke one of your Aspects (described above). You can only invoke one Aspect per skill roll (although you could use multiple ones on the same skill if they apply, or the same Aspect multiple times in a scene if you have enough Fate Points to spend).
• Tag an Aspect (as detailed above); using another character's, the scene's aspect, a villain's aspect, etc.
• Use a Stunt (stunts are abilities that run off your skills and let you do special things. In the DFRPG, spellcasting, turning into a wolf, etc, will qualify as stunts. As would something like 'Use Anything On Hand'; using your Fists skill when you pick up an improvised weapon, rather than a weapon-proficiency skill).
• Make a Declaration. Instead of explaining, I shall quote the SotC SOD:

You may simply lay down a fate point and declare something. If the GM accepts it, it will be true. This gives the player the ability to do small things in a story that would usually be something only the GM could do.

Usually, these things can’t be used to drastically change the plot or win a scene. Declaring “Doctor Herborn drops dead of a heart attack” is not only likely to be rejected by the GM, it wouldn’t even be that much fun to begin with. What this can be very useful for is convenient coincidences. Does your character need a lighter (but doesn’t smoke)? Spend a fate point and you’ve got one! Is there an interesting scene happening over there that your character might miss? Spend a fate point to declare you arrive at a dramatically appropriate moment!

Your GM has veto power over this use, but it has one dirty little secret. If you use it to do something to make the game cooler for everyone, the GM will usually grant far more leeway than she will for something boring or, worse, selfish.

As a general rule, you’ll get a lot more leniency from the GM if you make a declaration that is in keeping with one or more of your aspects. For example, the GM will usually balk at letting a character spend a fate point to have a weapon after he’s been searched. However, if you can point to your “Always Armed” aspect, or describe how your “Distracting Beauty” aspect kept the guard’s attention on inappropriate areas, the GM is likely to give you more leeway. In a way, this is much like invoking an aspect, but without a die roll.

So, evidently Fate points are pretty important; they let you do your thing. How do you get them?

1) At the beginning of every session (except say, when there's a cliff hanger in the middle of a battle), you gain Fate Points equal to your Refresh Rate. For SotC characters, this is 5. (For DFRPG chars, this I will talk about later). The DM might also allow a Refresh if a dramatic downtime has occurred (everyone has left the battle, went home and licked their wounds, and have been chilling for the last day).

2) Compels. As stated in the post above, when the GM compels your Aspect, you can either spend a Fate Point to ignore it, or he can Give you a Fate Point and take the compel.

3) Players Compelling Themselves. Instead of the GM tugging on your sleeve and saying, "Hey, here's a complication", you always act like that complication is present. This comes when you roleplay your character in a manner where you personally impose the implied complications/limits. A character who is playing a Paladin who is constantly vigilant about behaving of their Code.

Doing so requires you to remind your GM when your Aspect clearly is limiting the situation, and you're behaving accordingly. Such will grant you a Fate Point.

NOTE: Using Aspects/Compels/etc generally requires negotiation with the GM to ensure that their use in this circumstance is appropriate. It's always something that's open to interpretation.

 

[Rechan]

DFRPG and the Refresh Rate.

In the Dresden Files RPG, the balancing factor that makes Mortals (and other normals) on par with the Supernatural is the Refresh Rate and cost of Stunts.

At charact er creation:

For Mortals, they get a bonus to Refresh. Let's say all characters begin Character Creation with a Refresh rate at 10. Mortals begin creation with 12 (they get a +2 to the starting Refresh). Next, you purchase stunts. Each stunt costs x number of Refresh points. Mortal stunts cost 1. So a Mortal with 12 Refresh at character creation could buy 5 stunts, and begin the game with Refresh Rate of 7.

Supernatural characters, however, have a harder time. Supernatural stunts (like spellcasting, turning into an animal, etc) cost more Refresh. In addition, Supernatural characters have to take certain stunts (for instance, Wizards have to take Evocation, Thamutergy, Soul Gaze and Wizard's Sight); a starting wizard usually has a refresh of around 3.

Your refresh must be at least 1 - if it dips to 0 or below, you are now considered an NPC.

 

[Rechan]

The other thing that really stands out when it comes to SotC/DFRPG:

Character Novel

When you make a character for the game, you are encouraged to do so as a group. Why? For this cool thing right here:

You write a novel for your character. Really, it's just a Title, and then 2-4 sentences on what your character's Novel is about. It's just an adventure that they have before the game takes place.

Then you pass it to another player.

That player looks at your character's novel, and then jots down a sentence about how his character was involved in some minor fashion in your novel. Almost always, this is how his character helped yours in some minor fashion.

Then that player passes it to a second player, and he repeats the process.

This way, when the game begins every character is connected to everyone in some fashion. And each character has provided some sort of use to each other, giving you reasons to at least consider one another an ally.

 

[Psion]

Beleive it or not, I wrote a pretty comprehensive review of Spirit of the Century in the reviews section here:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpg-book-reviews/241478-spirit-century.html

Note that Dresden Files is already known to have some subtle differences from SotC. It has a lot of differences from FUDGE. Though the basic resolution and "ladder" concepts are still there, there's a lot more functionality on top of it (like the already mentioned aspects.)

I've run this at cons and gamedays and so far, it's been a hit.

 

[Crothian]

It's Evil Hat, you can't go wrong.

 

[Rechan]

Note that Dresden Files is already known to have some subtle differences from SotC.

Naturally, the two are different genres, so the rules are going to reflect that some (SotC = High flying pulp action, DFRPG = Supernatural Noir). One difference that I'm aware of between SotC and DFRPG is that combat is a bit more "gritty".

SotC, a PC can take on a squad of ninja mooks and not break a sweat. In DF, the assumption is that even a thug with a shotgun can put you down. Combat works on the assumption that "It would've killed me.. if it got its hands on me."

Except that I'm not familiar enough with the way SotC/DFRPG does their damage to explain it here.

 

[Psion]

It's Evil Hat, you can't go wrong.

Weren't you playtesting DF? Or were you the one that wanted to be but got shot down?