Author Topic: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]  (Read 42510 times)

Arje

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St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« on: May 13, 2010, 09:58:04 PM »
Game Title: St. Louis. the Gateway City
System: Dresden Files RPG
Players Wanted: 3-6
Posting Rate: Every other day or more often if you are capable
Special Rules:
Advancement Rules: Same as Game, these kinds of things will happen naturally. The Dresden Files RPG is pretty story driven.

I have a preorder copy PDF of the Dresden Files, and i'm looking to experiment with it.

For those of you who don't have access yet, character creation is as complex as it is basis, I think we can work through it on this medium. It's fairly story based.

This may be a mistake, but i want to create a game in the submerged level, which is the highest starting level, but it will allow you guys to play anything. You want to play a powerful fey, or a wizard of the white court or a werewolf/sorcerer, you can!

And we will all be working on creating St. Louis's supernatural side. I currently live there, and we can draw tons of stuff from the internet so it should be easy to get around. I think google maps and wikipedia will be playing a larger part in this game than in most fantasy games.


As for why St. Louis, other than the personal familiarity, St louis is known as the gateway city, it's the first important city west of the Mississippi in North America. I think that the larger world of the Dresden files fits in nicely in terms of how i can fit in the fey and the nevernever etc.

Running waters ground magical energies, and St Louis is surrounded on all sides by rivers and creeks. The mississippi must surely split the magical energy of the USA in half. That can be something to play around with.

Culturally, St Louis has a lot to offer, but at the same time prizes sort of old world sensibilities. Additionally, It's very very segregated in terms of how people interact. Rich money doesn't so much socialize with the old money, neighborhoods tend to be very established. People are aware of class and structure to a larger degree in STL. It has some mystical traditions and a lot of ghost stories and fables. The arch is a nice backdrop. the 1904 worlds fair is a never ending source of legends and backstory. The mounds of cahokia are going to be lots of fun to play around with.

And it's long been a hub for trains and planes and automobiles. But that is beginning to fade. It's no longer an airline hub, trains don't have the same importance for passenger purposes. STL is a city in something of a crisis.

And that's just the mundane.


Character concept stuff. You can all play wizards if you want. Or vampire or whatever. I'd like to see some differentiation in character archetypes, but i'm willing to run anything. My preference is for a healthy mix of supernatural and badass normal characters. Everyone will be clued into the supernatural as it were...

But if we want to be an awesome super vampire team or something like that, we can do that too.

The game makes a lot of use of templates, so...we can do all kinds of things.

If you have a long over arching story-plot for a character you want to work in: GREAT! Lets do it.


Last two things: 1) I will also be making a character, constrained by all the same things as you. I want to play around.

2) I have an overarching story line i plan on moving at a certain pace. But, as the dresden files RPG is based on relationships and you actually gain some of your mojo from the personal relationships you have with other players...You guys are more than free to run your own stuff with one another. Every character will have a chance to shine, and everyone will have a chance to DM something with them and some other player. We'll talk about the rules and what not for that much later, after we get through city and character creation, but it is a component to this game.


My new goal in life is to play D&D with Judi Dench

Bronnen

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2010, 10:11:35 PM »
I've never been in a Play by Post yet, but I'm willing to try it out, I really want to make a character in this. I need to finish reading the rules first though. Reserve me a spot!

Arje

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2010, 10:22:38 PM »
Reserved
My new goal in life is to play D&D with Judi Dench

Bronnen

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2010, 10:29:40 PM »
Now I have a tough decision to make...

Read the rules tomorrow, or go see Robin Hood.... Maybe I can load the rules on a palm reader and read them while seeing it.
Decisions decisions.

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2010, 10:47:48 PM »
I'm in. I haven't had the chance to play a character who can really wreck shit in a long time and I'd like to give it a go. I'd like to aim for a magical character with the ability to lay about with serious firepower but only rarely and at great cost. Basically an all or nothing style dude.

If that doesn't work for the story, I'll think of something else.

Ryo

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2010, 10:51:19 PM »
I would like a go at this. I am enjoying the dark dark 4e game and would like to try Dresden.

ristarr

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2010, 10:56:05 PM »
I would like to play also.  I haven't cracked open the pdf yet though.

Bronnen

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2010, 10:58:53 PM »
I'm thinking for my high concept..... Wait for it..

A bounty hunter that specializes in hunting down male vampires who like to wear glitter.

In all seriousness though...

High Concept: Berserker of the Gods.

Kroack

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2010, 11:04:42 PM »
I guess I'll join in on the fun. That's gonna be two PbP on this forum now!

I'm sure I can handle it.

ristarr

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2010, 07:51:39 AM »
Here are some thoughts on a Riverboat gambler character.  I have only skimmed over the Dresden pdfs, so have not looked at character creation in any detail.

Character Concept:
Born in 1832, he made a living as a riverboat gambler ( and when out of stake money, whatever he had to do, cat burglary, confidence scams ... ).  He was caught cheating in a poker game, got the shit kicked out of him and thrown overboard to die.  He washed up on the shore and healed normally, but with no scarring.  From this point on he did not age.  He also slowly discovered the ability to "sense the odds" in situations.  This is a great skill for a gambler.  Unfortunately, he will go sometimes against this sense, even though he know the odds are bad, and bet the longshot or the good story or his favorite.  By following his heart instead of his mind, he usually loses.  And when he loses, he loses big.

He heals naturally, but his scars go away quickly.  Well, the physical ones at least.

Over the years, he has found his ability to not age is tied to being close to the Mississippi River.  He left for New York after the War ( that one in the 1860's ), and found after a couple of years that he was aging normally.  When he returned to the Delta, he stopped aging again.  Since then he has not left for any extended periods.

I am thinking of the Minor Talent template, but the unaging ability may not fit.  The only supernatural power ( other than the unaging ) would be something like Supernatural Sense - Sense the Odds ( it could also be a variant of Cassandra's Tears ).  There could be other supernatural abilities that fit with his "criminal" background like cloak of shadows or spider climb.  Inhuman Speed could be possible to account for his card cheating abilities, which he has gotten much better with over the years.  All of these could also be handled with normal skills and stunts, to keep him more of a human.  I haven't read enough of the book yet to get a full grasp of character creation.

His troubles would be gambling and backing the long odds.  This would usually manifest in a weakness for a good story that will enlist his help, even though the task is doomed to fail.  As many gamblers do, he wealth fluctuates between rich and broke with dramatic frequency, even if he could have used his ability to make a lot of safe money.

This is just a quick attempt at the character.

Here is a list of some of the powers/skills/stunts he could have.  Not sure where the "doesn't age" comes in.


supernatural sense -
sense the odds ( cassandras tears? )
**cloak of shadows
**spider climb
**inhuman speed

skills -
alertness
contacts
deceit
empathy
performance
stealth
burglary

stunts -
acrobat
too fast to hit
cat burglar
ear to the ground
i know just the guy
read the surface
impersonator
let me tell you a story


another option for a template to account for the long life could be a red court pre vampire with the Tattoos of St. Giles, but not sure how he could have stayed unturned this long.

ristarr

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2010, 08:01:12 AM »
I just made a quick google of st louis ghost stories and found out that the exorcism that The Exorcist was based on is from St. Louis.  Also, it looks like the lost caves of St Louis may be useful.

http://www.prairieghosts.com/stlouis.html

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2010, 11:52:01 AM »
I bought a copy of the players book so I can make a character and learn the player rules. I'll be reading and rolling all day today.

Ryo

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2010, 03:19:42 PM »
If we are using templates, I think I'll go with wizard. I'm not big on faith concepts (which a lot of them seem to be) and I like the flexibility.

However if we want to narrow the focus and all play the same type, ie all white vamps. I'm fine with that too.

Kroack

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2010, 03:58:45 PM »
I think it would be cooler if we could all make different types of characters, but an all one archetype thing would be cool too.

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: St. Louis, The Gateway City [Dresden Files RPG]
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2010, 05:04:09 PM »
After a little reviewing of the templates I don't think wizard will be the one I need.

I do have a rough High Concept: "Out of Control Magical Engine"