Dresden Files RPG Character Ideas 20w I have collected some mantles for DFA from various sources (all cited of course) and posted them on a page for our Emerald City.

• Dresden Files Rpg Character Sheet
• Submit A New Text Post

I'm on my third campaign using Dresden Files, and I'm noticing a pattern. There's an incredibly wide range of powers and abilities that a character can have, and an even larger number of ways to fluff those powers. (FATE, the core system of Dresden Files, is very encouraging of refluffing powers.) However, there are a small group of powers, collectively called 'building block' powers, that my players repeatedly go for in character creation.

The building blocks are Strength, Speed, Recovery, and Toughness. Each can be rated Inhuman, Supernatural, or Mythic. Each augments and improves the basic skills/stats (What DF calls Skills are mixed in with most other game's stats) of the game. I can have Might 5 without any powers, and still out-might something with Inhuman Strength. However, they do provide a solid boost, and stack with the normal skills.

Two players in particular do everything they can to get the biggest building blocks allowed, but almost every player I've had takes a good hard look at them, and most try to grab a few Inhuman abilities if they have the room. Except for one character who was expressly built to be completely human, every character seems to use up the 'spare change' of refresh on these powers. What I want to know is why. They aren't powergaming, trying to min/max themselves. Besides the fact that I know these players and I know they don't game like that, the simple fact is these are not the most powerful abilities available and they know this.

(Spellcasting, as it so often is, is the superior choice in terms of damage potential and flexibility, though not so much as to overshadow everything else.) They also aren't using these powers to create a particular themed character- Several of them go through multiple iterations of thematic design solely to find a character that I will allow to take these powers. These powers aren't the most interesting (Psychometry, flight, water breathing, cryomancy, and ghost speaker off the top of my head sound more interesting than 'I hit things more') they aren't the most mechanically complex (Spellcasting again) and they aren't the most mechanically simple either (that would be Pure Mortal, no powers at all.) They also aren't particularly favored by characters in the fiction- with one or two exceptions, none of the main cast of the books has these, but some characters have them so it's not like they're looking for something deliberately different either. I tend to outright veto anything Mythic, and try to suggest alternative options when they suggest Supernatural. I pretty much never suggest these when throwing out ideas during character generation (mainly because these are never evocative of a particularly cool idea) but even new players, flipping through the powers list, seem drawn to them.

Pretty much everyone but me thinks these are the cats pajamas. In the current game, I finally relented (after many repeated requests from one player, and two sessions devoted mainly to getting access to this) and let a player take Mythic Strength. My question- What is it in these powers that my players are attracted to, and how do I do I design adventures for a character with Mythic Strength and all but one character sporting a Supernatural level ability? These questions might need to be separated, in which case I'll be happy to split them, but I strongly get the sense that the answer to one will contain the answer to the other. If they took the ability to cross over into the NeverNever (the spirit world) then that would tell me they wanted NeverNever shenanigans, if they took Spider Walk then that would tell me they wanted scenes with opportunities for unconventional acrobatics, but for the life of my I can't think of anything to do with Mythic Strength other than 'I hit things more.' That mindset is a bit self-fulfilling however- I tend to present problems that could be solved either by social combat, stealth or other 'non-combat' approach, or by physical altercation. Most powers (Ghost Speaker, Spellcasting, Psychometry) are at least as useful in these as they are in a fight (And the vast majority of powers are not actually directly useful in a pitched battle.) Since they take powers primarily useful in combat, they primarily think in combat, and my games get more punchy.

Thinking about it? The obvious solution to me is almost never physical combat.

– Aug 9 '13 at 4:45. Before you got much further, I want you to consider the possibility that you already know the answer. This is possible because you already told us the answer: If they took the ability to cross over into the NeverNever (the spirit world) then that would tell me they wanted NeverNever shenanigans, if they took Spider Walk then that would tell me they wanted scenes with opportunities for unconventional acrobatics. When players create characters, they are telling you what they want to do in the game. Your players might just be saying, 'We want to solve our problems by tearing them apart with our bare hands!'

You can still tell interesting stories with this being what your players want! I assume you will take the advice of others and ask your players, 'Hey, is this really what you want? Or do you think that if you don't do this I will TPK you? Because that's not really what FATE, DFRPG, or my game is about.' Assuming you've done that and yes, they thought they were being pretty clear that they wanted to build physically powerful protagonists for themselves, there are a lot of tools available to you as a GM within the game for getting good stories told.

First of all, make sure that when building characters, the players make interesting, compelling Aspects. That's where your story-fuel comes from, not really their powers anyhow. Are you sure you're using the guidelines that make sure some of those Aspects cut both ways? Are you tying them to each other, the NPCs, and the setting? Next - some of those building block powers have a Catch - A circumstance that limits the utility of those powers - but Strength does not.

Lucky for you, it has it's own, implicit Catch: Amazing feats of strength attract Unwanted Attention. I capitalized 'Unwanted Attention' on purpose. Mortal authorities are going to notice beings that hurl cars around and knock down walls with their bare hands. And the attention of mortal authorities is Bad News in the Dresdenverse. This Unwanted Attention can motivate them to use other solutions, and can actually lead to some interesting problems. Also - characters that can dish out massive physical harm are expected to do so in the service and defense of those who can't. That's what makes them heroes.

Dresden Files Rpg Character Sheet

All of that Unwanted Attention therefore means that those who need their help will tend to seek them out. And no matter what their goals may be, if they're good guys, like Harry, they'll just have to find some way to help the helpless before (or maybe during) pursuing their own agendas. If they won't they're monsters, not heroes. Finally, you said this.every character seems to use up the 'spare change' of refresh on these powers. Spare change? Refresh is a superpower. This is your third game, right?So your players understand that Fate Points are narrative power.

Low refresh means, 'Hey, Mr. GM, I'm going to get kicked around for a while at the start of the game. I'm going to make some bad rolls and just have to suck it up. I'm going to take some Compels and maybe even seek out some Compels, so I can get a pool of Fate Points built up. Use this time to get some drama accomplished - and then I can go kick ass!' I'm not saying the players aren't operating under false assumptions.

I'm not saying you might not have some stuff to work out out-of-game. I'm just saying that Trolls and White Court vampires and other super-strong good guys can totally work within the framework of the game and might just be what makes your players happy. It sounds like they mistrust the Fate system to deliver competent combatants and are looking for 'insurance' on their fighty stats. This doesn't mean they dislike the system, just that they don't trust it to behave in ways favourable for them playing competently. They may be using these super-abilities as a crutch, or insurance, to ensure that their characters are at least numerically competent even if they don't feel system-mastery competent.

And if they've been doing this for a while now, they may have started out using them as a crutch while they felt system-incompetent, but now they may be unable to break out of the vicious cycle and play 'naked' without these abilities. If that is what's happening, there is not only the vicious circle they are personally stuck in, but also the vicious circle that you are part of, where they create combat monsters and you deliver sessions suitable to combat monsters.

The only way to break a vicious cycle is to either have a lot of discipline, or to entirely remove the temptation by going cold turkey. Since you have several people in multiple overlapping feedback loops, it only takes one of you to break discipline to kick off all the feedback loops again, therefore your only effective option is to go cold turkey: ban the problematic abilities completely. You can ban by GM authority or you can seek consensus to ban as a group, whichever you judge would work best for your social contract, but do try to ban them somehow. If they're discarding good character concepts because they can't include these 'safety blanket' options, then they're ruining the game for themselves and you can help them by giving them a hand out of the muck. Ban the abilities, and find out what kind of awesome characters they've been actually wanting to play. As to why, only your players can answer that! Tell them what you told us and in an way have a conversation with them.

Listen to what they are saying. However, I believe it might be a problem of expectation. The Dresdenverse and Fate in general are about story building. Whereas I believe that D&D in its recent incarnations is about 'my numbers being bigger than your numbers' - innuendo fully intended. What it sounds to me, is that your players are applying D&D logic to Fate which does not work. Bottom line is they need to understand that weaknesses not strengths make for great story arcs. I have never played Dresden Files or even fate, so this isn't a system specific answer, but it did not fit cleanly in a comment.

Knowledge of the capacity to use violence can affect situations even when the real chance of violence is close to zero. Assessing situations with at least the possibility of violence in mind is a primal feature of humans and indeed most (all?) mammals. And so the possibility of violence and suspicions of who would 'win' a violent confrontation often color even situations that have close to zero chance of turning violent.

Have you noticed that many traits considered physically attractive in men are also traits associated without being successful in violent situations? Have you ever been just a little intimidated on meeting very large body builders? Have you noticed that many empowerment seminars talk a lot about dealing with violence largely so you won't be intimidated by the possibility of violence? And those are things that color all social situations. If you move into areas where the chance of violence is still low, but a bit higher, like a bar, the treatment of the large and dangerous looking individuals can be noticeably different from the others, especially if some sort of conflict or argument starts.

And having that kind of ability also lets you make intimidating 'threat displays.' This also plays out in internationals politics (although somewhat moreso historically than in the modern era). Even between countries that had no intention of ever going to war, the assessment of the other nations military and the possibility of that war often colored negotiations on other topics.

And many military training matters were done very publicly to display their military might even with no intention of ever using it. Desmond Morris talks about threat displays and the affects of the possibility of violence in many of his books. It also comes up frequently on website on self defense. In other words, the capacity for violence and the ability to display that capacity in a reduced form can be valuable in certain situations even if you have no intention at all of ever using violence. That fact, either consciously or unconsciously since this is a primal matter, might draw players to it. Those are powers lots of us wish we had.

People role play for different reasons, but at least some people go into it for wish fulfillment. People wish they had those powers, so they let their characters have them. And there is a much more fundamental understanding of strength than of water breathing.

Everyone knows how their life would be different with more strength, and many work out trying to get more strength. Taking that to the point of being able to toss a car is just taking something we know to the next level. It is harder to envision what life would be like with psychometry (and some of the fictional depictions have made it seem like as much of a curse as a blessing.).

I had an idea for a character for an upcoming campaign. Basically, he was a scientist before he discovered magic,and he still has that investigative, researching passion. But now he has a new focus of study, magical phenomena. He isn't a closed minded flat earth atheist, he is more then willing to believe all manner of things, provided there is evidence of course. He is a kind man, maybe a little lacking in social graces but not nasty. What I want from the playground is help putting this concept to paper. We are at the Chest Deep entry level, but this is my first time using this system, so I feel a bit over my head.

What I want from the playground is help putting this concept to paper. We are at the Chest Deep entry level, but this is my first time using this system, so I feel a bit over my head.Well, as the game system says, 'Character Creation Is Play'. The first session of a Dresden Files game is collaborative City Creation (pg24), and then you make the character afterward. You really can't fully make a character in a vacuum; see the 'Whose Path Have You Crossed' and the 'Who Else's Path Have You Crossed' phases of character creation (pg61). And really, you shouldn't try to. It's not bad to go in with a concept like you have right now, I suppose, but sorting everything else out together is actually an intentional part of the game. You aren't meant to have a statblock ready before the game starts.

Edit: If you need an example of an actual first session, and how city creation and character creation flow together, is a good resource. Do you want him to actually be able to use magic? If so, Thaumaturgy is an obvious pick, or Ritualist if you have a specific theme in mind. You could go for the full wizard package, but it doesn't sound like Evocation is really up this character's ally.

If you don't want magic. Well, this character definitely needs good Lore and Scholarship skills, and the Capable Researcher stunt might fit. Beyond that, well. What do you want him to do? If he's not much good at anything aside from research, you'll probably end up with a lot of refresh and not very many stunts, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Make sure you read the rules about assessments and declarations; they're important when playing a character whose job is to be Mr. If your group has a wizard proper, you are in danger of being overshadowed by him, since he both knows about magic and can perform it.

Try and work something out with anybody who decides to play a practitioner; maybe they're strong but untutored (high Conviction/Discipline, low Lore), and your character helps them out with the theory when they need to pull off something complex. That sort of thing, incidentally, is why Xefas's advice is good. It's not a bad idea to come to the table with some ideas and maybe a basic character concept (like this one) in mind, but make sure you leave the background vague enough that you can fit other characters and important NPCs in, and be prepared to change if (for whatever reason) it just doesn't seem to be working. Yes, but I want some ideas on how to put this idea into play, what game mechanics work best with this concept so he can do what I want the character to be able to do, researching magical phenomena and using this knowledge and skill to help the party.From the outline you've given, it sounds like you want a character with points in the Scholarship and Lore skills.

Lore is the skill the governs magical research, general magical knowledge, and so on. You can use it to learn all sorts of important things about how to deal with supernatural forces. And just having a high rating allows you to perform some basic, common rituals and have some rudimentary magical senses even if you aren't a full blown wizard. You can even use it to declare facts about supernatural stuff that the GM hasn't yet (imagine the help that Bob gives to Harry in the books - but all the information he dumps out is just stuff a player declares to be true on the spot). This can be used to put gaps in your opponent's armor (so to speak), or help out your party members, certainly, especially the spellcasty kind. For example, if someone is drawing a binding circle to imprison a demon, as they take the action to do so, you can walk up and put on your best Giles impression - 'Oh my, no.

Submit A New Text Post

A triangular focus? On the western facing side of the circle? Good god man. This is a gaelic badger demon we're talking about! You'll want a hexagonal focus that stretches from here to here, and overlaps this other modulation array.' And then they tag your new Good Advice aspect for a nice +2 that might save all your hides from a rampaging monster.

Assuming you made the Lore roll to be correct, that is. For the more mundane know-it-all, the Scholarship skill lets you do the same stuff, but with non-supernatural things. There's even a Stunt to specify that you're an accomplished Scientist of a given field. If he's a medical doctor, there's a special one for that, I believe. An important thing to note is that mundane mortal characters can be very powerful in the Dresden Files RPG.

Mundane mortal characters with no combat skills whatsoever, even. Even without magic or a gun, a fist full of Fate points and a big brain can make you a massively valuable asset to the team (although a shotgun is never really a bad bet to have on your person when taking on the creepy crawlies of the underworld; just saying). If you want to take it one step further into the supernatural, it sounds like your character might do well with the Ritual (pg181) power, choosing Crafting as the type of Thaumaturgy they can use. This'll allow you to brew potions and create magical implements. That's all I can think of without further information about what specifically you want advice on (aspects, powers, skills? General Fate advice?).