Casefile: Neutral Grounds (Free Adventure)
Neutral Grounds: Come for the hot, fresh coffee. Stay for the cold-blooded murder.
Two dead barristas … a missing proprietor … ghoul attacks … poser vampires … boy trouble. And it’s your case, whether you like it or not.
Better make that a double espresso.
The Neutral Grounds casefile is a one-shot mystery-adventure for the Dresden Files Role-Playing Game, intended for 3-7 characters at the “Up To Your Waist” power level. Customizable, pregenerated characters with sheets and power details are provided.
You can download “lush” layout or “printer friendlier” versions from DriveThruRPG. We hear that the PDFs crash out the Preview PDF viewer on the Mac, and are working on a third version that won’t do that. In the meantime, you can view them using Adobe Reader just fine.
Special thanks to Matt Gandy and Amanda Valentine for the editing work on this one! They really made it shine.
Looks cool! Can’t wait to run it.
Thanks!
Simply amazing!
God work!
Selenio.
I don’t suppose there’s a dead-tree version being released?
@Mr Sleep, I would not suppose that either.
The Printer Friendly version from DriveThruRPG crashes my
Adobe Reader on OSX.5.8. I guess I’ll wait for the
revised version: what did you do to the pdf?
@Mark, yep, the two ones that aren’t marked as the “Mac version” can cause crashes. Try the other one.
@Fred A sad thing. Somehow, I shall find the strength to persevere.
Hah! I didn’t realize the freaking adventure was free. You may wish to throw the word “FREE!!!” up on the announcement for people as unobservant as myself.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the extra effort.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I got the DFRPG for my birthday/Christmas because I love the books and the TV series and I want to run a game. I really REALLY wanted the game system. It just sounded so COOL.
But I’ve never run a game of anything before, much less a campaign, and if you’re a rank newbie whose experiences is mostly in d20 based systems as a player, the sheer amount of data is kind of overwhelming.
This at least gives me a jumping off point so I can see how a campaign might ‘look’, and a scenario I can play test to gauge interest.
This is so awesome. I love how it ties in visually and stylistically with the existing resource material that has already been published.
Please consider publishing more resource material like this in the future. I’d even be willing to pay a reasonable fee.
Yaaay!!
The adventure looks really good, but now I´ve a question about the “New Age Occultist”-Template:
As far as I have understood it, this Character shouldn´t be possible in the DresdenFiles-Universe! Here, magic isn´t something you´re “born into”, but what you can learn and train yourself (as Victor Sells and other Sorcerers proof) or get trained in (like a Wizard). The several types of Practicioners differ only in the amount of training, discipline and time they put into magic. Sure, some got more or less talent for magic (as with everything else in human interaction), but essentially everybody can become a Practicioner (as seen in the Wizard Apprentice-Template)…
So, if Astra LaFontaine wants real power, why can´t she get it? Is it possible to train her?
@ChrisM, maybe, and only maybe. If you read the novels closely, you’ll see that there’s definitely some “inborn wizard potential” going on. Folks with potential can be untrained or highly trained, but — as far as my research in the canon has indicated — some folks just top out because their potential only goes so far.
In Astra’s case, I’d consider it an open question. Does she have potential but hasn’t figured out how to tap it? Or is she someone who just doesn’t have any?
Thank you for the quick response!
Indeed, during the later novels bloodline seems to be more important (reminds me a bit of Harry Potter). That differs in the earlier novels. The Victor Sells and the Kravos-examples and also the Ordo Lebes speak more for training. I have the impression, that the earlier novels tend more to Real World ideas of magic and the later are more fantasy biased. But that´s not important here…
Anyway, I like your idea, that potential only goes so far. Reminds me of “Authentic Thaumaturgy” by Isaac Bonewits…
So, back to topic: Does that mean, that in the end the GM has to decide how far the potential of a PC goes? Or could one start with a Minor Talent and develop to become a sorcerer?
Also: Why needs a Wizard a special bloodline? It would make the “Wizard-Test”, Carlos conducted with Elaine quite superfluous, wouldn´t it?
I think, that my main problem is in the character of being “supernatural” and in the question of character development in the realm of the supernatural…
@ChrisM, that’s a conversation between the player and the GM, really. We offered character templates in the RPG as a way of framing such conversations, talking about both the limits and the potentials of a character up front.
Your question about the wizard test suggests to me you might be thinking about that as a medically determinable thing. I don’t think that’s so, nor do I think the White Council has successfully kept tabs on all the latent bloodlines out there!
*ggg*
Okay, point taken! Personally I agree very much with your opinion – the question was jus raised within the group. But with your suggestions, I think, we can work something out…
Thanks!
Very nice work. It fits well with the current source material, especially stylistically! One thing I’m very fond of with the DFRPG is that nothing is set in stone. The rules are more like guidelines, albeit very well implemented ones. Even this Casefile lets those playing in it & GM’ing it modify the out come. Hells bells even the pre-generated characters could turn out numerous different ways as modification isn’t only an option, but one that is necessary & encouraged. Keep up the great work!
This is awesome. I’m going to be running a Dresden Files game soon and I had no idea about what to run. This is going to be a HUGE help. Thanks guys
Wow, stumbled on this case file from the Jim Butcher site, which I’d never been to before but I was just checking when the next book would be out.
I downloaded it and decided that because our regular DM is away for a couple of weeks I’d think about running this for the group. So I bought both the other source books.
I’ve never played FUDGE/FATE before, but after the basic concepts were explained it just blew my mind. The truly collaborative aspect of this game is awesome.
With the players helping narrate so much it was the easiest and most rewarding session I’ve ever run.
Thank you so much!
I noticed while looking through this story that there’s a character sheet designed specially for shape shifters with the two slots for skills. I was wondering if that would be available for download?
@Wayne, on my to-do list. Good job spotting that — you’re the first person to have made the request.
Clark ran this at Origins last year and we had a blast. Pulled it down and ran a few people locally through it and we’re half way through creating a city now as they wanted to play more, but with a local flavor.
They twisted characters around a bit it certainly made things interest. Oddly Sean’s boots were an issue in both the play through at Origins AND in my groups game. Don’t know why every time I’m involved with this module he starts tracking blood around the coffee shop.
That should say interesting, but I can’t type this morning.
I am sad that I am asked to register in order to download.
This adventure is good enough that I gave in and registered.
As regards character sheets, are we going to see one with a Hunger track, for PCs with Feeding Dependency?
@Ezra, see the latest addition to the Downloads page – http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/downloads/
Many thanks!
Thanks Fred I can’t wait, using two character sheets for shape shifter’s is starting suck.
@Wayne, no waiting — it’s already in our downloads section.
I remember this from Origins. It’s great to see faces to go with the characters. But I have a question about the “next” DFRPG release.
I just heard about Rumors from the ParaNet. Already, I can’t wait. Is there any chance you’ll be able to include another short story from Jim in it?
@Morgan, unlikely we’d get another short story. Jim’s head would explode. The guy hasn’t taken a vacation for as long as I’ve known him, and I’ve known him longer than there have been Dresden Files novels. He needs one, bad, and I’m not going to heap more work on him.
Fair enough. He can have a vacation as soon as he tells me Mister is okay and living with Harry’s former landlady fat and happy in a comfortable new home. I’m not an *unreasonable* frothing fangirl.
Rumors from ParaNet is an InstaBuy, story or no story.
Thanks, @Morgan!