Fate Core review

Reviewing Fate Core is an interesting thing as I know the system very well. I have been a fan of this system since I ran across it in a small convention in NYC back in 2007. Then I was lucky enough to playtest the Dresden Files RPG. So, as I said, I am fairly versed in the system.

I am going to assume that most people that are reading this at least have some knowledge of the system, so I am not going to go into great detail about mechanics.

The good

First of all the book is small. I say this, because at the same time I also got Star Wars Edge of the Empire AND Numenera…and both of those books are HUGE. So, it is nice that the book can be carried easily. The artwork is also very good. A lot of different genres are in display and it looks very good indeed.

I am not going to go into EVERY change they made to the system. But, the best thing I can honestly say about Fate Core is that everything is more fluid as the system was streamlined quite a bit. The reason I say this is as much as I have always loved the system, it could get bogged down at times. Especially in combat. Now when you are trying to overcome someone, either with a skill, or in combat…you have four outcomes. Which was a much needed and simpler way to do this. Awesome.

Fail

This means what it sounds like. You can still obviously fail a roll. But now you have the option of succeeding at a serious cost. This is awesome as it allows you to succeed, but then something will be made more difficult for you. Narratively, this is gold.

Tie

Again, you can succeed, but this time at a minor cost. Or if in battle, you can get a boost (an aspect that you get to invoke once for free). This right here speeds combat up SO much.

Succeed

You get what you want with no cost.

Succeed with style

If you succeed by 3 or more shifts you do it with style. This means you get an added benefit beyond just succeeding.

The reason why I talk about this, is because of the above mentioned, it just speeds the game up in so many ways. Gone are the battles that just took forever because of really high health tracks and back and forth turns.

You also have less skills, and a smaller health and mental track (which DFRPG actually started). This makes the game much more dangerous. I remember the first time I played this and we played a Star Wars Fate game and one of the players almost died in the first fight against a rancor. Death is much, much, more a chance in this version of Fate.

Which I love.

I also like that they gave stunt suggestions for each skill. I have seen people get a bit intimated in trying to come up with them on their own. Three is better than none.

Again, they do a great job of giving people that run the game tips. They do this better than anyone I have ever seen. Plenty of examples throughout and just a tone that doesn’t feel condescending and makes the person reading really feel like they can take this system on. Even if they have not played/run it before. This is a great thing indeed.

Lastly, it is just such a versatile system. You can honestly play just about any genre you want. High fantasy, steampunk, Cthulhu, pulp, sci-fi, or anything else you really want. I love that and beyond the settings they have already published, it is the most hackable game I have ever encountered. I have personally played a Star Wars, Thundercats, GI Joe, and Transformers Fate Core game.

It doesn’t get better than that.

The bad

About the only thing bad I can say is that this game is not for everyone. Power gamers and people that just love combat can get frustrated with Fate mechanics. I have seen enough of this to know it is true, and I have even converted some of these people. But that is just a fact and that is why there are hundreds of other games out there for those gamers.

Rating 10 out of 10

Magic System Toolbox preview is here!

Magic System Toolbox

So, Evil Hat released a preview of the Magic System Toolkit yesterday and people went crazy. I don’t mean burn peoples house down kind of crazy, but dropping everything they were doing and reading this like a madman...madwomn...madperson? kind of crazy.

A lot of people (me included) have been looking forward to this, in hopes of seeing what kind of magic systems could be used with Fate Core. Yes, you could always break down the Dresden Files, but the magic system in that game can be a bit confusing for some people and I have not really heard of people going that route all that often.

I know I wasn’t.

I had been planning on using magic as a skill for a long time now. So, when I read the toolkit yesterday and saw that a lot of my ideas were almost identical to the ones that Rob made…well I was both vindicated and irritated. Vindicated cuz it is nice to know that I am thinking along the same lines as the creators of the game. Irritated cuz I had thought I was being original in my thoughts and now I am wondering if I need to twist them around again.

I do have an issue with feeling like I need to make something original. I am aware of the trappings of that, but after years of creating mechanics to only find out that someone had already done them…it is something that bothers me. Yes, I know…I need to let it go and move on. Just find what works and there will always be something you can tweak to make it your own.

I do think a lot of people are complaining about what is not in it. Which is ridiculous since (a) it was only a preview, and (b) it is designed to only help you, not do everything for you. Suck it up people and stop whining.

Last night’s playtest

So, a few people got online last night via hangout and gave the system a test drive.

The magic system was the stormcaller example they gave in the toolkit. The idea is that there are 5 great storms that are constant and our players could tap into those storms with a specific element. My character could call forth lightning and the other three could use earthquake, glacier, and inferno. So, with this magic system you have to choose stormcalling as a skill and you use it do all kinds of things. Set up barriers, attacks, maneuvers, etc.

We were failed government experiments that escaped and were out to find the truth.

My character was Derek Storm (yes, I stole the name from Castle)

Aspects:

Thunder is my name

My ex wants me to die

Shoot first ask questions later

I will clear my name

Walks in the shadows

So, we ended up casing a place that had the information. I snuck in and managed to get lost. The others sat outside and thought of was to get into the building. Ideas were: setting it on fire, calling the cops and then beating them up and taking their uniforms, charging in. They eventually set a dumpster on file and paid a fate point stating they had already procured firemen suits.

So we fought out way to the vault where information was supposed to be. All kinds of elemental stuff happening. The fire guy kept...well setting things on fire. Ice guy used ice to put up a barrier (which trapped me on the wrong side of it with 9 guys and “my ex that wants me to die.”. Earth guy did some cool thing with reaching into the building and opening up walls and such.

We got shot a bit, and I eventually killed my ex...or did I?. She had it coming, so leave me alone. The last thing I did was punch a large hole in the wall and then used air to jump across to another building.

All in all, we had a good time. The system flows much quicker than DFRPG does (which as much as I love the game is a great thing). There is a lot to tweak about it…but that is part of the fun. 

Advice

The one piece of advice I have is that you may want to stop before you run the game and get a clear definition of what you want the magic to do. Not because it is hard to figure out or anything, but mostly so you are prepared for the questions that are likely to come.

To me the barrier thing kind of got confused with how blocks used to work in previous Fate games. I like the block option, since it handles differently than someone having to get past an obstacle to be able to move. But that is just me.

This kind of thing will probably be a non-issue once you have played with it a few times.

Saying that, the barriers are damn cool and a lot of fun to handle in the game. The great thing about Fate is getting to say how you want the scene to go, and adding that to the game makes storytelling that much more fun.

Overall, we had a great time and I am excited about running my own session of this.

Shadow of the Century!

So, over on the Fate Core Kickstarter page they came up things have been movin’ on along. Stretch goal after stretch goal has been met, and one can only wonder how they can top what they have already done.

Well, not anymore.

Introducing, Shadow of the Century

Holy shit.

Those were the exact words that popped out of my mouth when I started reading that they were taking the Spirit of the Century and moving it forward about 60 years to 1984. The centurions are have been outlawed and the Shadows are in power.

It is up to a new batch of heroes to try to save the day.

This kicks ass on so many levels. Sotc was such a great game and to this day I am always happy to get to play it when I can. But the idea of moving the story forward, and especially with the updated Fate Core rules for it, is just amazing.

We got into a huge conversation on Google+ about what kind of heroes that were prevalent in the 80’s. There are just so many tv shows/movies that have heroes that would be awesome in this kind of game.

But that is not the best the part.

The best part is that they are smart enough to take something people love, and make it MORE. I have always loved Sotc, but over the years (especially with other fate games) it began to show its time. This is not really a shot at the game, just at how good the subsequent Fate games have been. This includes another game Evil Hat made by the name of The Dresden Files.

So, when I think about Sotc now, I still love it, but it is obvious the game is too easy for the players. I have always thought this was intentional, since you are the heroes in the game and it is a game to show how awesome you are. 

This is not a bad thing, but it is still amazing to see them update this game and move it forward. I am so damn excited to start hearing about their ideas on this. It still has to reach the goal of…

Damn…

155,000. They are currently around 137,000. Just 18k more to go. That normally seems like a crazy number, but they reached their current total in just a little over a week.

But if you haven’t backed this, GO DO IT NOW!

Why I think Evil Hat is the best. Period.

This doesn't mean I don't love other gaming companies, because I do. I spend quit a bit of money on other gaming companies. This is just why I love Evil Hat the most. :)

This story goes back a few years to my time in New York City.  June of 2008 to be exact. I was going to a mini convention in the city and one of the games people were talking about was Spirit of the Century. Now my gaming background comes from D&D, Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, etc. The old school games from the late 80’s to early 90’s.

I was also in the midst of being burned out on gaming. My group had been playing D&D 2^nd ed, and we moved on to 3.5…and I really, did not like it. Part of it is that I was burned out of D&D anyways, but 3.5 never really clicked with me. I played it a bit, but never enjoyed it.

Then I played Spirit of the Century.

I had not played any of the “indie” games before and it blew my mind. Just in the ways aspects are handled and the cooperative character creation. I could not believe it. Gone were the days of randomly dungeon crawling for no purpose. To be fair, I am not talking about our games for the most part. My friend Henry runs a pretty mean 2^nd ed. But that is what most of D&D did turn into for me. Just let’s go kill stuff and gather gold.

So after playing this game I immediately went online and bought the game, and also Don’t Rest Your Head.  Not long after I found out they were making games from one of my favorite series. The Dresden Files. I then began my campaign to be a part of their playtesting. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds, but I did make myself a nuisance probably for a bit.

I was selected and life was awesome.

But the cool part about this was at this time we were making our own game. I asked Fred a few questions about game design, and he graciously answered them with quickly and with respect. This was before Google+ and everyone was blogging to get the world out on things. It was just damn cool of him to take time out of his life and answer questions to a fledgling game designer. He might say it wasn’t that big of a deal, but it left an impression on me.

I have always been impressed with Evil Hat. They go about game design and how to run a company doing that in a way that I have always appreciated.  The way they always try to answer questions. They started sending out .pdf’s to anyone that bought any of their products. Also, their honesty. The DFRPG game took much longer than they thought, but they were always there to tell you what was going on. Not making excuses per say, but at least with an answer. Was it an answer a lot of people liked? No, but silence is always worse.

Now they have made quite a few other games as well. So, the company has been doing well for itself for a while and yet there was always that rumor of the Fate Core book coming out. Sometimes I thought it would never happen, especially as time goes on. But every once in a while you would hear a small nugget about it. Just enough to make me go look for it again. Eventually the made the Fate website and started updating it as well.

So, now the book is in kickstarter. I have seen some crazy kickstarter’s and this if you asked anyone outside of the gaming sphere, would not be categorized as such. Like the freaking Shadowrun one that raised almost two million? Wow. But this has been really damn impressive to watch. They made their first goal in 12 minutes. As of right now, they are over 70k and it hasn’t even been 48 hours yet.

And the rewards? Nuts. People in the industry writing modules and mini-campaigns, and a tool-box for the game. A magical one and another just to help the game be more awesome. It will be in hardcover, since that was one of the first stretch goals. And on…and on….and on.

I mean, shit.

I have known the Fate community would love this book. Hell, even Fred knew that. But did anyone see this coming? They have almost 2400 backers?

All of this proves that I am kind of an Evil Hat fan boy at this point. Also, that they are the best damn gaming company out there. That is my opinion, so those of you that do not agree, don’t get your knickers in a twist. Is just what I think. :)

Oh in case you weren't convinced. Look at the freaking picture at the top. A cop with a gun, a female samurai (or ninja or just badass with a sword) and a huge gorilla that looks ready to take someone's head off. Enough said.

So, Fate Core came out and...damn.

Well, unless you are under a rock you have to have seen by now (either by G+, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that the Kickstarter for Fate Core is officially on. You can go here Fate Core to find out more about it, AND to pledge money to it. Obviously.

So, it started around midnight Est. Within 15 minutes, it it has already reached its first goal of 3,000. As of the moment of this post, it has smashed the following goals:

$3,000 Backers $10 and up get a digital fantasy adventure playable using only the Fate Core book.
$6,000 Backers $10 and up get the WW1-meets-Battlestar Galactica mini-campain.

$9,000 Backers $10 and up get a magic system toolkit for Fate Core

$12,000 Release of the pay-what-you-like download in multiple format: pdf, ePub, and mobi.

$16,000 Backers $10 and up get Wild blue, a mash-up of cowboys, fantasy, and superheroes.

$20,000 Backers $10 and up get Court/Ship, an alien invasion drama set during the court of Louis XV

Here are the next goals.

$30,000 Fate core gets published in hardcover.

$35,000 Backers $10 and up get the post-apocalyptic mutant future of Burnshift.

$40,000 Backers $10 and up will explore the live, loves, and dangers of fire fighters in Fight Fire.

There are more unlocked to be found, if and when it gets that high. Which is may. :)

My mind is blown at how fast they are flying through their goals. We all know how awesome Evil Hat is, and a lot of us love their games. But damn. :) It just goes to show how much people will support a company that does things the right way. A company that talks to their customers and truly appreciates their feedback.

This is in a word awesome.

As of this post, quickly approaching 30,000. Wow.

Fate Part 2. The games of Fate

So, I thought the next thing I would talk about is the actual games that use the Fate system. I myself have only read three of them, but that will be changed as soon as I can.

So, I will start from the order I have came across them. This is only listing the Fate games, not the ones that are motivated by the system.

Be warned, this is a long one.

Spirit of the Century by Evil Hat

The deadly Doctor Methuselah seeks to unravel time itself with his solution to the Eternity Equation… Gorilla Khan stalks darkest Africa from conquered Atlantis… Mad scientists, strange sorcerers, and power-hungry dictators all seek to undo the fate of humanity. It’s the final century of the second millennium – and you are our last hope!

Ah, where it all began. This is such a fun game, and if you like pulp, even a little, you will have so much fun playing this game. The nice thing about SotC is that it is actually set up for you to win, it is up to you to determine how well. I say that not as a slight to the game, because you can still get your ass handed to you in it, but let’s face it...you are in the Century Club. You are the best of the best. You SHOULD win. Besides, getting to fly across the room using a chandelier, or save they day with a jet pack? Awesome.

The Dresden Files Rpg by Evil Hat

The world is getting weirder. Darker every single day. Things are spinning around faster and faster, and threatening to go completely awry. Falcons and falconers. The center cannot hold. But in my corner of the country, I’m trying to nail things down. … I don’t want to live in a world where the strong rule and the weak cower. I’d rather make a place where things are a little quieter. 

My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. When things get strange, when what goes bump in the night flicks on the lights, when no one else can help you, give me a call. 

I’m in the book.” 

Where to even start here? I am such a huge Jim Butcher fan; it is a bit sick at times. So when I found out Evil Hat was making this game, I immediately tried to get on the playtest.  Which I did. :) That was one of the more rewarding experiences I have ever had gaming.

But the thing about DFRPG is that it is just the opposite of SotC, in the fact that the world in this game is brutal. I still believe you are supposed to succeed in Sotc; there are not such guarantees in DFRPG. You can make a badass character in that game that does some impressive things. Yet, there is still always something hiding in the darkness that can take you out. If you have read the books, you will love the game. If you have not, there is enough that you would recognize to be able to catch on quick.

Diaspora by Vsca

Humans have been in space tens of thousands of years, and societies have risen and fallen so many times that no one remembers where we came from.

Colonies huddle together in clusters of a few star systems connected by slipstreams — artifacts of the cosmos, or perhaps a forgotten technology. Only the slipstreams allow travel faster than light. Apart from that, spacecraft make do with reaction drives, dumping heat as best they can.

Lost technologies of a fallen civilization thrum beneath your feet. Just the other side of the slipstream live the last dozen members of a post-Singularity culture bent on raiding your system for the raw construction material of its moons. It’s dangerous out there — and where there’s danger, there’s the possibility of profit, if you’re brave or crazy enough to seek it out.

I am currently reading this on PDF. It is slow going, but that is only due to the fact that I don't read anything on the computer too quickly. Typically, I am not a sci-fi guy, especially the hard kind. But after reading some of this, I am blown away with how well written it is, and how much it makes me want to create my own systems and play it. That says a lot. I will eventually have a review of this once I read it all.

Other Fate games

Bulldogs by Galileo Games

Who could be desperate enough to sign his life away for five long years? Desperate enough to take a job hauling volatile and hazardous cargo to the most dangerous places in the galaxy? Planets where the very air is a corrosive acid. Planets where the locals might cut your throat just so they can turn you into a nice steak. Planets where petty thugs and warlords are engaged in constant running gun battles and you’re just as likely to catch a blaster shot in the skull as get a signed delivery manifest.

You are, that’s who. Welcome to Bulldogs!

I am probably more excited about this game than I have ever been for any sci-fi game (except for the disaster that was the Serenity Rpg). First of all, the comparisons I am hearing are that of Firefly. I get giddy just hearing that since Firefly is one of my favorite things ever. So, I hope to get this one sooner rather than later. 

Legends of Anglerre by Cubicle 7

Legends of Anglerre shoves a massive battle-axe in the hands of the characters. Play action-packed fantasy using gritty adventurers on paths to greatness; epic heroes leading mighty armies and noble kingdoms; mythic questers traversing the many planes and battling the gods themselves.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Danger is everywhere - and great adventure. Will the flickering lights of civilization grow stronger, or be extinguished forever by darkness? In these perilous days, the world cries out for heroes.

This is the next Fate game I am really excited about. Mostly to see how well an epic fantasy game works with fate. Especially since I want to make one at some point.

Starblazer Adventures by Cubicle 7

Starblazer Adventures is based on the classic British comic series, Starblazer, from the 1970’s and 80’s. Each of Starblazer's 281 issues explored a whole adventure set within the vast galactic empires of the far future. 

Choose from 8 alien races or play whole star empires! There’s over 100 worlds, 70 heroes, alien races, monsters & starships. There’s an introductory adventure & tons of support for Story Tellers including adventure seeds, several plot & planet generators and over 400 pieces of inspirational art! Watch out for online adventures, supplements and adventure tools.

I know nothing at all about the comic book series, and I am not really into sci-fi all that much.  It is also over 600 pages long and that intimidates me. :) I will get to it however.

The Kerberos Club by Arc Dream Publishing

The Kerberos Club is a complete roleplaying game for thrilling superheroic and steampunk action in Victorian London. It includes a treatment of Victorian society in its every particular, especially the incredible and sometimes awful changes that "the Strangeness" comes to wreak upon Queen and Country alike. 

Play the heroes and villains of a Strange century!  

"Stony" Joe Smithson, the honest London boxer transformed into living rock.

Doctor Archibald Monroe, the erudite chemist and physician-chimpanzee. 

Maeve O'Connel, Queen of the Mudlarks, the eternal child touched by Faerie.

The Lady Mirabel, who by darkness defends Whitechapel as the terrifying Night Hag.

When the victims and enthusiasts of magic and bizarre science meet in an infamous club for "the Strange," thrilling action is sure to follow!

I honestly don't know what to think about this setting. It is the one I have concerns with only because I am not that much into the Victorian Setting. Or steampunk. Saying that, I am still intrigued to see how well the setting plays out, and to see if it can hook me into wanting to play it. It is one of those things were the more I hear about it, the more I want to read it.

Strands of Fate by Void Star Games

Strands of Fate contains everything you need to tell stories of adventure, action, horror, and intrigue set in any genre. Whether it’s classic fantasy, urban mystery, dashing super heroes, or far future action, this book is your guide. Strands

utilizes the FATE roleplaying game system and provides the Game Master with all the tools he needs to get any campaign, of any genre or power level, off the ground and running in minutes. 

This is the Fate game I have the least interest in.  I find it interesting that they are creating a game for any genre. I normally don't like that much and would rather have people concentrate on one specific genre, but I have heard some good things about this title. Only time will tell and there is still some interest.

I think that is all of them, if it isn't let me know what I have missed.

A positive vibe on Google+

So, last night, two things happened that are connected. Jess Hartley typed up a version of something she called her Google+ Manifesto. The second thing is that Tony Love forwarded a post by Ardith Goodwin talking about having a Google+ welcoming committee for new members that are still trying to figure things out.

They are both connected because of how positive they are. One of the things I have learned over the last 4 years, as I dove head first into game design, is how cool the gaming community is (with a few small exceptions). I know that sounds simple, but not all communities are like that, and they can be very cutthroat. Especially in a community where it can be perceived that people could be rivals. A lot of them are making games and trying to sell them.

I knew nothing about this, and was just starting (along with my friends) at thinking about making a game. Playing around with idea on Rpg.net, I met Eloy Lasanta and had some great conversations about game design. He was not the game making rockstar he is now, but a guy making his first game. It was really cool for someone that was trying to do his own creation to stop and talk to me about mechanics and game design for my own game.

Then I was lucky enough to find a game called Spirit of the Century by Evil Hat. I found out they were making a Dresden Files rpg and I was lucky enough to playtest the game. Through that I got introduced to Fred Hicks. Whomhas always been someone that will honestly answer questions about the industry and game design in general.

I use these two as an example, because they are two different type of game designers, but both of them have always tried to be as helpful as they could be. I think that is too easy to overlook in the dog eat dog world we are in.

But back to the original thought of positivity and Google+. The two posts I mentioned at the top both his me in different ways. The Google Manifesto by Jess Hartley was very well written. I joked last night that I was too tired to write something that well and was going to steal hers. We all want to say something was "written" by us, but if someone can manage to convey the though you are trying to express  by all means use it instead. I know this, cuz I tried to write my own this morning, and it never seemed to "pop" like the one she wrote. That is fine, it isn't a contest and I have no problem with using her manifesto. :)

Then the welcoming committee idea I found fascinating. An example was given of how someone can be going to a con and there is someone there to greet them and to direct that person to things he or she wants to see or do. Part of the reason why Google+ is so successful, is it introduces people to others they DON'T know. I know that sounds like the way any social site is. But I don't think so (at least not for me). Facebook has people that I have known for a while and that is pretty much it. I have a few gamers I met over the years, but nothing like this.

So having a welcoming committee is an interesting thought. Meeting people is the goal, right? Whether people want to admit it or not most of us want to be liked by others. Oh it varies from one person to another and it doesn't have to be someone's whole point of existence. I am not talking about a popularity contest where people are just trying to see how many people they can add (saw that too much on FB), but trying to meet people that share their interests. 

So, I applaud the thought behind this. The wanting to help others enjoy this new medium that we all love. In a world where we can get just a bit caught up in our own lives and thoughts, it is nice to see people want to help. 

Damn you, Jim Butcher!

Damn you, Jim Butcher.  I blame you for how addicted I am to your stupid books.  I am such a fan-boy (fan-man…wow that just sounds wrong) and this Tuesday, Ghost Story comes out, and my addiction to this series continues ever stronger. 

It is a little sad just how excited I am to read this book.  Now, I have always been a bit of a nerd, but I like to think I have always handled myself with appropriate aplomb. 

Ok, maybe not…but it sounds good in my head when I say that. 

It started when I was six and I saw Star Wars: A New Hope.  Part of me thinks that my nerd fate was sealed at that point.  Hell, up until about 10 years ago, I still had the ticket stub for that movie.  Somehow it got lost, but those things happen. 

Then I hurt my ankle one summer and could run around like a maniac (cuz that is what nine year old kids do), and I went into the library.  Do you ever just have a moment of clarity and realize that something in your life just clicked.  I had no idea what it meant, but that day changed my life.  I asked the library what would be fun to read and she gave me the Hobbit…which I devoured in about ten minutes.  From there I read the Lord of the Rings. 

Now keep in mind I was nine.  I did not really understand what was going on in the story sometimes.  But damn it, there were elves, and dwarves, and a ring! 

As I got older, my love for the fantasy genre got stronger.  I discovered authors that I still cherish.  David Eddings, Terry Brooks, and C.S. Lewis to name a few. 

 But now I am 40 years old and in my life, four things have taken my nerd and sent it into a frenzy.  Star Wars (obviously), The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter (which is an entire different discussion), and the Dresden Files.

I remember when Chris and Amy (not sure if it was both of them…or just one) said I should read them.  There was not a lot of urban fantasy written at that time, and I laughed at the idea behind the story.  The television show was about to start.  So, I did not read the books at first because of that.  Eventually they convinced me to try them. 

I was hooked.  I would like to say cuz they were superbly written, but that would be a lie. The first two books in the series are not written that well.  Which is funny, cuz I have read them so many times now that I love them regardless of that.  To me the story starts getting better at the end of the third book (grave peril), and the story really takes off in book seven (dead beat).  That could be the necromantic dinosaur talking, but who knows.

Now I am full on addicted.  I got to playtest the rpg that Evil Hat made about the game.  That experience was awesome, and the game is great. 

Let’s see all of the ways that Jim Butcher has affected my life.  The books, graphic novels, the TV show, t-shirts, the rpg, most of my online profile pics are Dresden Files related, and random quotes I love.

Look, I know this series isn’t for everyone.  I get that.  I listen to people all the time say how awful they are.  That is fine, everyone has the right to their opinion….just as I do.  But for some reason the wise cracking wizard, with an oversized view of self-righteousness….just hits home for me.  I feel like this character and I have a lot in common (minus the ability to smite people that annoy me with magic).  Although it has been said that it is a good thing I cannot do that, cuz I may not be the best person to have that kind of power. 

So yeah, I love the books.  I get all excited when they come out.  I get all teary-eyed and emotional when things happen to characters I love.  That is what literature is about, right?  Having something pull us in and care about?  That is what makes novels and movie so powerful. 

So, damn you Jim Butcher.  Damn you and your books that have taken such a foot hold of my life.

Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our Dresden Files Rpg game: New York City

So, last year my friends and I decided to start our own campaign of the Dresden Files Rpg.  This is a game based on the Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher.   I refuse to get into an argument about how good these books are, cuz I happen to love them.  So deal with it!  J  Our group was lucky enough to get to playtest this game for Evil Hat and that was one of my most enjoyable experiences as a gamer.  Getting to help shape a game, especially with how much of a Dresden fanatic I am.

We actually did play a session, and then life kind of got complicated for me.  Well, it still is every complicated, but I want to get the game going again, and I have started working on it as well. 

We already did all of the city creation, character creation, and all that.  I am just fine tuning it, and possibly adding a few things I think the city needs.  Oh, the city we chose for the game is New York City (which is where we live). 

I will be talking about different parts of my game on here, but if you want a sneak peak at it, you can go to http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/the-dresden-file-new-york-city There you can check out the wiki (still under construction) to see locations that are important to the game, along with case files for the factions in the city.   You can also check out the characters/npc’s of the game as well.

But for now, I am interested if anyone else has played the game.   What are the cooler locations/characters you have created?