Comments on: Designing Dresden 5 – Stressing Out

By: ZOOROOS

ZOOROOS — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:53:57 +0000

Me too have Starblazer Adventures, yet only because I couldn’t wait for DFRPG and also because I don’t care for classic pulp stories as a genre like the ones found in SotC. I’m using it for a Star Wars hack campaign for the time being, but I haven’t been able to tone down the system for a more gritty Dresden world.

Is there any difference between Fudge dice rolls and Starblazer ones, probabilistically speaking?

By: fred

fred — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:40:59 +0000

@Iorwerth -- Only broadly. When Cubicle 7 was developing Starblazer Adventures, I shared some early concepts and design work for DFRPG combat. That was their starting point, but they then went off on their own tangent and developed some of their own stuff. So folks who've read SA will find themselves in familiar conceptual territory, but not necessarily somewhere where the same *dialect* is spoken.

By: Iorwerth

Iorwerth — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:18:32 +0000

Fred,

Is it possible for you to say what differences there are between the new Dresden combat system and the one in Starblazer Adventures? Is there a playtest out there on the web somewhere that talks about it? Can you reveal anything about the new combat system at all?

By the way, i am really looking forward to the Dresden Files RPG. I discovered the books through buying SOTC and then looking at your various websites, so I have you to thank for opening up the Dresden experience for me!! I have never been the same since:)

By: Andrew Cunningham

Andrew Cunningham — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:58:46 +0000

I dunno. I call that alternative “use a d6, counting 1-2 as -, 3-4 as 0, and 5-6 as +”.
It (basically) works for Arkham Horror, after all…

Maybe I’m just weird that way

By: Darren Brewster

Darren Brewster — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:46:44 +0000

I fail to see how Fudge Dice are “silliness”. They look cool, provide a nice bell curve and have always worked out in my games. That said, it is nice to provide the alternative for people who don’t have them, to lower barrier of entry into the game.

By: fred

fred — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:57:25 +0000

@Levi —
Actually, it’s Starblazer Adventures that drew inspiration from *us*.

I showed them an early draft of the Dresden Files RPG combat system, and they used over 90% of it.

Note, you ARE responding to a post from 2006.

By: Levi

Levi — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:45:43 +0000

First I want to admit that I’ve never liked the way damage is handled in SotC. I think you guys would be doing yourselves an amazing favor by drawing some inspiration from Starblazer Adventures.
Everyone has a stress track though it isn’t always the same length. Everyone can take up to 3 Consequences but never the same Type of Consequence more than once (Minor, Moderate, Severe, Extreme). Each Type of Consequence reduces a certain amount of stress **from the attack which caused it** (-2, -4, -6, -8). In my own humble opinion I think this sort of system would work perfectly for DFRPG.
Are you guys using the Fudge Dice for this game??? Please say you aren’t. That silliness is a fundamental flaw if I’ve ever seen one. Roll 2D6 and designate one as a positive and one as a negative, results from -5 to +5. Much simpler. Also plucked from Starblazer Adventures.
Outside of my suggestions I am still very excited for this game!

By: Talassa (Jo

Talassa (Jo — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:36:50 +0000

And what about going for something that would keep the mechanics simpler?

Like:

1 () –> mild consequence: -1 next turn
2 ()
—-
3 () –> moderate consequence: -1 this scene
4 ()
—-
5 () –> severe consequence: -1 this session
6 ()
—-
7 -> taken out (dead or as agreed stakes)

That would translate for the default, human level as thresholds: 1(mild)/3(moderate)/5(severe)/7 (taken out). Or 1/3/5/7

When some tougher opponent has extra

By: Cyberchihuahua

Cyberchihuahua — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:51:23 +0000

What about the leathality track having a pyramid set up, just like skills?

1-2 ()()()
3-4 ()()
5-6 ()
7+ Out

This could be increased with skillpoints or purchased as an ability. Or it could be based on how many phases the PC has been thru, gaining one every time he gains an attribute. A PC with five attributs could have a progression that looks like this.

1-2 ()()()()()
3-4 ()()()()
5-6 ()()
7+ Out

This would let more powerful PCs take more bumps and bruises, but one solid hit will be nearly as bad for them as a lower level PC.

By: Kevin Craley

Kevin Craley — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:57:33 +0000

I am way late coming into this, but my opinion about the whole damage thing and going with the books, makes the Shadowrun style damage meter seem best. You have a total number of boxes in health, and at certain levels of damage taken there is a consequence. A light wound is like one box and moderate is 2 and so on. This would make all the little hits add up. As with Harry in Fool Moon, he could still function after being beat up and shot, but he couldn’t function well. Armor done with this damage meter would also be easier to work. The armor reduces the number of damage boxes that the attack inflicts. It would mean that the guy in kevlar could still take a hit, but it would be much less of a hit than if he didn’t have the kevlar on. In general it takes out alot of the math in it.