Tell Us TheDresden Files RPGYour• Story the Your Story Dresden Files Beneath the “normal” surface of the world are things and people which most of us don’t ROLEPLAYING GAME want to know about, and will do our best to forget about if we ever come near them. People won’t see what they don’t want to see. But that’s most of us. And you—you’re not most of us. What’s Your Story? Whether you’re a champion of God, changeling, vampire, werewolf, wizard, or plain “vanilla” mortal human being, this volume of The Dresden Files RPG gives you all the rules you need to build characters and tell your own stories in the Dresdenverse. Inside, you’ll uncover the secrets of spellcasting, the extents of mortal and supernatural power, and the hidden occult reality of the unfamiliar city you call home. Together with Volume Two: Our World, The Dresden Files RPG: Your Story gives you everything you need to make your own adventures in the thrilling and dangerous world of New York Times best-selling author Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series! The Dresden Files RPG continues with Our World! 978-0-9771534-7-3 E H P 3 0 0 1 V o l u m e O n e ISBN: 978-0-9771534-7-3 EHP3001 $49.99 US Y o u r S t o r y www.evilhat.com a Table of Contents Credits 3 A City Full Of Problems 30 Finish Up Your Character 65 Themes of a City 30 Skills 65 Table of b Threats to a City 31 Stunts and Powers 66 Contents 4 Making Themes and Threats Final Refresh Level, Introduction 7 for Your City 31 Fate Points, Stress, & Getting the High-Level View 33 Consequences 68 - Chapter One - c Harry’s World Someone Cares About the Conclusion 68 City 33 Quick Character Creation 68 Harry’s World 10 Mortal Response to the Minimal Preparation 69 Maxims of the Dresdenverse 10 Supernatural 35 On-the-Fly Character What’s Out There? 13 Locations in Your City 37 Creation 69 d Current Situation 14 Getting Ideas 37 - Chapter Five - - Chapter Two - Recurring Locations 39 Types & The Basics Locations and Templates the Supernatural 39 Here’s the Deal 16 e Themes and Threats of Let’s Get Cooking 72 Things You Should Have 16 Locations 40 Pure Mortal 73 Dealing With the Dice 16 Bringing It Together 40 Champion of God 73 What Are Fudge Dice? 16 People in Your City 41 Changeling 74 The Ladder 16 Emissary of Power 75 f High Concept 41 Rolling the Dice 17 Motivation 42 Focused Practitioner 76 Difficulty 17 Faces of Locations 42 Knight of a Faerie Court 78 What’s On Your Character Faces of Themes and Threats 44 Lycanthrope 79 Sheet 17 Tying Characters Together 44 Minor Talent 80 g Skills 18 The Protagonists 45 Red Court Infected 80 Aspects 18 Finalize Your City 46 Sorcerer 81 Mortal Stunts 18 Wrapping It Up 48 True Believer 82 Supernatural Powers 19 Non-City Games 48 Were-Form 82 h Fate Points 19 On-The-Fly City Creation 49 White Court Vampire 84 Refreshing Fate Points 20 White Court Virgin 85 Earning New Fate Points - Chapter Four - Wizard 86 During Play 21 Character …And Off You Go 22 Creation - Chapter Six - i Advancement - Chapter Three - Character Creation Is Play 52 City Creation Your Character Idea 52 Change Happens 88 Choose a Template 53 Milestones & Characters 88 The Living City 24 High Concept 54 Minor Milestone 88 j So What Do We Do? 24 Trouble 55 Significant Milestone 89 Getting Ready to Make Your Names 58 Major Milestone 90 City 25 The Phases 58 Changing the Defaults 91 Choose Your City 26 Where Did You Come From? 59 Mid-Session Power Familiarize and Discuss 26 k What Shaped You? 59 Upgrades 91 Researching Your City 26 What Was Your First Advancing Cities 93 The Vancouver Method 28 Adventure? 60 Themes 93 Coming to a Consensus 28 Whose Path Have You Threats 94 Intentional Inaccuracies 30 Crossed? 61 Locations 94 l Who Else’s Path Have You Faces and Other NPCs 95 Crossed? 63 m n - Chapter Seven - - Chapter Ten - The First Law 235 o Aspects Supernatural The Second Law 237 What Are Aspects? 98 Powers The Third Law 238 Using Aspects 98 What are Powers? 158 The Fourth Law 240 Invoking Aspects 98 Creature Features 162 The Fifth Law 241 p Compelling Aspects 100 Faerie Magic 166 The Sixth Law 243 Interacting With Other Items of Power 167 The Seventh Law 244 Aspects 105 Minor Abilities 169 - Chapter Thirteen - Invoking Other Aspects 106 Nevernever Powers 170 Spellcasting Compelling Other Aspects 107 Psychic Abilities 172 The Art of the Spell 248 q Creating Character Aspects 108 Shapeshifting 174 Evocation 249 “Positive” Vs. “Negative” Speed 178 Inherent Limitations 250 Aspects 109 Spellcraft 179 How to Do It 250 Situation Vs. Story 110 Strength 183 What You Can Do With It 251 r Heating Things Up 111 Toughness 184 Elements 253 Getting on the Same Page 112 True Faith 187 Gathering Power 255 Creating and Discovering Vampirism 188 Aspects in Play 113 Controlling Power 256 - Chapter Eleven - Focus Items 256 Guessing Aspects 113 s Playing The Game Backlash & Fallout 256 Temporary Aspects 114 Rote Spells 257 Assessments 115 Taking Action 192 Other Parameters 258 Declarations 116 Non-conflict Actions 192 Thaumaturgy 261 Sample Aspects 117 Simple Actions 192 t Contests 193 Inherent Limitations 261 - Chapter Eight - Assessments 195 How to Do It 262 Skills Conflicts 197 What You Can Do With It 262 What Are Skills? 120 Running Conflicts 197 Determining Complexity 264 u Social Conflicts 215 Preparation 266 - Chapter Nine - Adjudicating Preparation 268 Mortal Stunts Mental Conflicts 217 Additional Advice for Social Casting the Spell 270 What Are Stunts? 146 and Mental Conflicts 219 Using Help 272 What Stunts Do 146 Recovering from Conflicts 220 Types of Thaumaturgy 272 v Mortal Stunts vs. Sponsored Magic 287 Supernatural Powers 146 - Chapter Twelve - Inherent Limitations 287 Building Mortal Stunts 147 Living With How To Do It 288 Adding New Trappings 147 Magic What You Can Do With It 288 w Extending Existing I, Spellslinger 222 The Sponsor’s Agenda 289 Trappings 148 Wizard Biology 222 Types of Sponsored Magic 290 Examples of Mortal Stunts 149 Wizard Senses 222 Examples of Magic 293 The Sight 223 Evocation Spells 293 x Soulgazing 226 Thaumaturgy Spells 296 Hexing 228 Focus Items 301 Thresholds 230 Enchanted Items 303 The Laws of Magic 232 Potions 303 y Breaking the Laws of Magic 232 z a - Chapter Fourteen - Create Scenario Ideas 343 What’s Where in Baltimore 389 Running Using Tension-Based The Fall Line 389 b The Game Connections 343 Federal Hill Park 389 What the GM Does 306 Using Cooperation-Based Fort McHenry 389 Running City and Character Connections 344 Fort Carroll 390 Creation 306 Putting It All Together 345 The Washington c Choosing Aspects 306 What to Do With Outlying Monument 391 Starting and Ending Scenes 307 Connections 345 National Aquarium 391 Starting Things Off 307 Create Opening Scene The “East Green” 392 When a Scene Isn’t a Scene 307 Hooks 346 Fells Point/Canton 392 Making the Transitions 308 Begin at the Beginning 346 Johns Hopkins Hospital 392 d Adjudicating the Rules 308 Planning Ahead 347 Edgar Allan Poe House and When to Call for a Roll 309 Create Additional Details 349 Museum 393 Setting Difficulties 310 The Scenario in Play 350 The Montrose Estate 393 Dealing with Time 314 Dynamic NPCs 351 Clifton Gate House e Adjudicating Aspects 316 NPCs and Fate Points 351 (Heritage High School) 393 Adjudicating Skills 318 Ending a Scenario 353 Francis Scott Key Bridge 393 Adjudicating Powers and Alternate Scenario Creation Neutral Grounds 394 Stunts 323 Methods 354 Basilica of the National f Other Situations 324 Starting with NPCs 355 Shrine of the Assumption Creating the Opposition 326 Improvising 355 of the Blessed Virgin Types of NPCs 327 Keeping It Going 356 Mary 394 Maryland Men’s State Scaling the Opposition 331 - Chapter Sixteen - Nevermore/ Correctional Facility at g - Chapter Fifteen - Baltimore 395 Building Baltimore Scenarios Introduction 358 Glossary 396 The Nuts & Bolts of Baltimore: Index 403 h Storytelling 340 Come for the Seafood, Stay Reference Assemble Aspects 340 for the Mind-Shattering Sheets 410 Choose Emphasis 341 Supernatural Terror 358 Make Connections 342 What’s What in Baltimore 359 The Mundane Community 359 i Tension-Based Connections 342 Cooperation-Based The Supernatural Connections 342 Community 360 What’s at Stake: Points of Conflict 360 j Any page references that Themes and Threats 362 talk about material in Who’s Who in Baltimore 362 Volume 2: our World Vampires 362 will be noted with the The Fae 364 k prefix “oW”. So if you Ghoul Clan Ereshkigal 364 see “oW123”, that means The White Council 365 page 123 of our World. Other Factions and Organizations 365 Individuals 367 l m n Introduction o AuguSt decemBer Hey, Boss — Hey, Boss — You remember that idea I got last year, when Spellcasting rules are p I was organizing your casefiles—the one about done. can you vet them? how an rPg could be a version of drAculA — Will for the twenty-First century? (‘cause really, what better way to inform about and quantify Rules look good (see supernatural threats than with rPg stats?) comments), but when I stopped q Well, we (the Alphas) are going to give it a go! by the other night, um… Look, buddy, when you find yourself Since I’ve already partially organized the in your underwear, surrounded files, I just collected relevant data on the by note cards and empty beer various critters and creeps you’ve encountered bottles, you might be working r too hard.