Questions tagged [dresden-files]
A Fate based system set in Jim Butcher's modern-magic and hardboiled-detective world.
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Is drinking a potion an action, a supplemental action, or a free action?
In the Dresden Files RPG, a character can, under normal circumstances, take one action (attack, maneuver, block, etc.) on their turn in an exchange (YS 199). If the character wants to perform a minor ...
6
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1answer
100 views
What counts as “often enough” for the purpose of changing a wizard's rote spells?
Rote Spells
Over time, a wizard uses a particular evocation often enough that ... its use becomes reflexive. When this happens, the spell is considered to be a rote spell.
(YS, p. 257; ...
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1answer
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Can I choose each time I cast a rote block whether the effect works as block strength, Armor, or a zone border?
As a wizard with Great (+4) Conviction and Discipline, I can have the following rote spell:
Type: Earth evocation, defensive block
Power: 4 shifts
Duration: One exchange
Can I choose each time I ...
5
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1answer
64 views
Does Human Form's bonus count for every power it applies to or just once?
I'm alittle confused about the ruling for how human form would work in regards to multiple powers. If someone wants to have Inhuman Toughness, Speed, and Strength, does Human Form give them a point ...
7
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1answer
133 views
Dresden Files - balancing for pre-modern periods
I'm trying to build a Dresden Files campaign set during the French Revolution (using the Dresden Files 2010 RPG rules).
First issue I had to solve was that wizards-technology incompatibility doesn't ...
12
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1answer
386 views
How would a character in Dresden Files Accelerated do what Molly did?
In the book Turn Coat, there's a scene where Dresden and others are surrounded by a ton of Grey Men summoned by Binder. It seems in game terms the scene would be a Conflict between the PCs (Dresden ...
4
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2answers
100 views
How do I balance out Refinement bonuses for Thaumaturgy/Enchantment?
My character is an artificer focused full-wizard (Submerged). She has an item of Power that contains three refinements. I read in Your Story that refinements have to be stacked like skills, but what ...
4
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2answers
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Does an attack against an Evocation Block or a Thaumaturgy Ward adds Weapon value shifts?
Considering the following:
An attack roll of 3 shifts + Weapon:2
A target character with a defense roll (Athletics) of 2 shifts
An Evocation Block with strength of 4
If a character attacks ...
10
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1answer
712 views
Can a White Court Vampire heal Hunger Stress with Inhuman Recovery?
Consider if a White Court Vampire uses Inhuman Recovery, Quickness, and Might in a scene. Used powers 2 + 2 + 2 = 6
At the end of the scene he makes a hunger check with his discipline 4. The dice ...
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1answer
62 views
creating stunts to improve the effect of declartions or manuvers?
I want a character that is focused more on non-combat skills, but in combat focuses on indirectly helping via maneuvers and/or declarations with little ability to do direct damage.
Since I want this ...
5
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1answer
98 views
Does a Threshold reduces magic Power or Control?
When crossing a Threshold uninvited, what does a Wizard has to deal with?
Does the Threshold strength reduces Spells Power (Shifts of power limited by Conviction), Control (Discipline test to handle/...
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2answers
102 views
Can Sponsored Magic use Rote Spells?
Can a non mortal magic spellcaster (for example, a changeling with Seele Magic or even a Sidhe) have some Rote Spells?
AFAIS he/she can just as it can use Thaumaturgy according to it's sponsor agenda....
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3answers
1k views
Is a Red Court Vampire's addictive saliva useless in combat, or am I missing something?
As said in YS and OW, a Red Court Vampire (or Infected) can use its addictive saliva to perform Mental Stress Attacks – it's a Fight roll, usually against Athletics.
The vampire saliva is ...
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0answers
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Can you use Magic to Defend? Fate Core rules in a Dresden Files universe [duplicate]
The annotation on YS253 says that you can't use a Block or Counterspell as a defense action.
But as in Fate Core's four actions, it makes sense that it's always possible to use magic to defend, ...
7
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1answer
116 views
How to write down Evocation mental stress
In Fate games, stress tracks are not written on a value basis, but instead as a position basis on the stress track.
For example, a 2 stress hit is written as ☐☑️ instead of ☑️☑️.
So, if a Wizard has,...
6
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3answers
484 views
How does one create skill-enhancing potions in Dresden Files RPG?
Introduction
A couple of friends and I recently picked up the Dresden Files RPG and are currently revving up for our first (real) session.
I'm playing a wizard-esque character whose thaumaturgy is ...
9
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2answers
514 views
How would you structure a court-room drama social conflict in a Fate system?
For my upcoming session, we are going to be doing a court-room drama. The PCs want to prevent a city measure from getting passed, and the opponents want it to pass.
It seems obvious that this should ...
14
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5answers
563 views
DFRPG city creation via telepresence
I'm planning a DFRPG campaign for the first time since my group began gathering via telepresence. How can we best approximate sitting around the table to collaborate, talk, and work on city creation1 ...
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4answers
1k views
How can stealing be done for fun and profit?
In my last game session a PC kept wanting to steal everything not nailed down and sell it off for cash. Even after explaining to him that there isn't really a money system in Fate, he tried again. ...
5
votes
3answers
466 views
Suggestions for structure around “investigation” scenes/stories?
I am GMing Dresden Files.
One thing I have found myself struggling with is how to make investigation fun and engaging. Being a huge part of the DF novels, I really want the idea of trying to ...
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3answers
231 views
Is it possible to maneuver using a spell, and if yes, does the character take mental stress/risk failing casting the spell for the maneuver?
First time GMing the Dresden RPG with a table of four first-time Fate players. We've played three games so far (plus one session for character creation) but are all still struggling with fate points, ...
4
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1answer
221 views
Do Red Court Infected count as mortals?
I'm going to be running a game using the Dresden Files RPG and have a player planning to play a Red Court Infected. For purposes of creating and maintaining thresholds and magic circles are Red Court ...
5
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1answer
134 views
How do magical mortals affect technology?
I cant find this is the rule book but it may be there. but mechanically speaking how do I as a GM factor this in?
I assume this would be consistent but higher probability when considering a wizard ...
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3answers
552 views
Dresden Files: what is the long-term endgame potential of Mere Mortals?
My group is about to start a long-term campaign in Dresden Files.
We know that long-term character advancement is important to us, with an eventual high-power endgame story arc.
Most of the ...
4
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2answers
131 views
Does it take an action to walk through a block?
Lets say a wizard realizes he's in a losing fight, so he throws up a block to prevent anyone following him and runs away.
When someone else goes to move through the block, does it take their action ...
3
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1answer
189 views
Do you need to go into debt to use sponsored magic?
I'm reading through the book, and I want to confirm my understanding of something, because it seems slightly skewed.
Sponsored magic -- lets use Seelie as the example here, though the principle ...
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1answer
221 views
How do specializations work?
In Dresden Files, when constructing spells, how do I know if I get to have specializations, how many I get, and to what do they apply?
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0answers
70 views
Is there any way to defend with magic in DFRPG? [duplicate]
I feel like I am missing something obvious.
Evocation/Channeling can be used for a great deal of fun effects on your turn.
But what about when you need to make a defend roll against an enemy? As far ...
6
votes
2answers
178 views
What is the limit on the “Blessed Words” stunt?
I have a player who has taken the Blessed Words stunt out of the Baltimore section of the Dresden RPG book. (Multiple characters have it, sample char at page 379) At first it didn't seem like that ...
7
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2answers
447 views
Is there a limit to how many aspects a character can stack up against an opponent?
My group just did a session where they used scene declarations and assistive actions to take out opponents more 'powerful' than the group, and it was awesome. It worked well, giving even 'social' ...
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1answer
151 views
Is there anything that can be done with a potion that you can't do with an enchanted item?
Enchanted items -- at least defensive ones -- can be activated for free, not requiring you to use an action. As far as I'm aware, you can't do that with potions. You have to use an action (or at ...
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1answer
118 views
How long do enchanted item defensive effects last?
The rules on crafting seem to cover a lot of things, but one thing that seems to be missing is duration.
If I craft a ring that gives me a +5 defensive block, does that last for one exchange? Until ...
6
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1answer
661 views
Permanent Enchanted Items in Dresden Files
Alright, I got into an argument with one of my players about his armor. He has a character with 5 lore and his Thaumaturgy bonus is to strength. He says that somewhere in the book Your Story he found ...
4
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2answers
218 views
Does a barrier created by a magic circle count as an inanimate object?
How would Supernatural Strength¹ work with something such as a barrier created by a magic circle. Supernatural Strength includes something called Superior Lifting, which allows a bonus to lifting or ...
6
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1answer
239 views
What requirements must a person meet to be given the faery knight mantle?
Last night I ran a fun scene with one of my players putting himself into the debt of a Sidhe, and then proceeding to continuously dig the hole deeper.
End result is I used him as an opportunity to ...
4
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1answer
222 views
Would a tracking spell work on a Black Court Vampire?
If you had something that belonged to a Black Court Vampire (clothing, hair, a tooth. etc.) could a Wizard perform Thaumaturgy to create a Tracking Spell to locate the vampire?
The reason I ask is I ...
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0answers
140 views
Help with phrasing of an aspect in Dresden Files [closed]
I'm trying to come up with an aspect for Dresden files, and I know what I want it to be, but I'm having trouble fitting all the connotations into a simple phrase.
My character helps people allot, and ...
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2answers
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How, exactly, does Red Court infection work?
What needs to be done in order for a human to be infected by a Red Court vampire? Everything I've seen on this point is pretty vague for some reason.
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2answers
411 views
Which Dresden Files novels are “spoiled” by the core rpg books?
I'm currently reading my way through the Dresden Files novels as a background to playing the game. (Related: Should I read the Dresden Files fiction before I get the RPG?). I now want to know how many ...
3
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3answers
297 views
How do I implement a deferred pain stunt into dresden files?
I'll be running a Dresden Files campaign in a couple of weeks using the up to your waist power level, and one of my players has requested a character with the ability to "turn off" pain for a certain ...
3
votes
1answer
148 views
How does Mental Stress work for non-combat Veils?
If a Wizard casts a spell creating a Veil1 & 2 they take a Mental Stress. According to the book Mental Stress goes away right after combat3, unless of course going from one conflict immediately ...
4
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1answer
112 views
Does an enemy being easier to hit prevent backlash?
The situation: A wizard is going up against a mook who has been tagged with the boost Off Balance thanks to the wizard's ally pushing him around. His roll is good enough to hit already -- if it wasn't,...
9
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1answer
267 views
Can spells be supercharged for free with Soulfire's new mechanics?
Since the release of the Paranet Papers and the changes to Soulfire, I have a question.
According to YS288 it says
In addition, if you already practice evocation, you may use a sponsored power ...
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2answers
260 views
How do thresholds affect true shapeshifters with modular abilities?
How would a threshold affect characters with the True Shapeshifting power? Would it prevent them from shifting once past the threshold (uninvited)? And would the threshold affect their Modular ...
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2answers
201 views
How do thresholds affect were-forms?
I've read different accounts on how thresholds affect wereforms, and haven't been able to find anything in the rules to clear them up.
From what I've read people seem to imply that they can pass ...
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2answers
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How does unconsciousness affect were-forms?
What happens to a were-form if they are knocked unconcious while in their beast form? Do they remain in that form because they can't make the conscious "action" of shifting back into human form? Or do ...
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3answers
1k views
The tension of the possibility of failure in Fate
In playing Fate (Dresden Files, Fate Core), one problem has reared it's ugly head more than once. And I'm not sure if it's something that I'm doing wrong, if it's the way that the players are ...
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1answer
125 views
Can you use assistance actions in combat?
I checked the teamwork rules (YS P. 208) and it seems like it can be used in combat based on the text, but I want to be sure. So I was wondering:
Can teamwork actions be used in combat to create ...
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4answers
2k views
How to bring a player to not exclusively rely on his rote spells?
In our first Dresden Files game, one of our players created a warden character, who relied heavily on his evocation rote spells. In fact, due to the high power level we started at (30 skill points, 10 ...
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1answer
260 views
Reactive Shield Spells in DFRPG
So after reading the Paranet Papers, my group is now attempting to sort out the new rules concerning reactive shield spells. The main issue we're having is what to do about rote spells. PP doesn't ...
