RPM: Dresden Files

[Refplace]

Ok, so the Dresden Files seems like a good candidate for a fictional source using RPM and its mentioned in the book.
So how would we go about writing up the spells and effects if it were a game? Any wierd things that dont carry over?
Skill and Power are tied together iN RPM so the way Harry dewscribes himself as a thug with a lot of power but no finesse seems a disconnect.
Could just say he has high Path of Energy skill but does that feel right?
His duster is a Ritually enchanted item, not a true magic item and he has to renew it now and then. His Blasting Rod seems a Wizard tool.
Those work but then the shield bracelet would that work as a Bound item?

Winter Knight gives him a huge ER with some disadvantages or maybe count as Threshold magic. But its a pretty unique power.
The ruby could be an enchanted item with specific Crossroads effect.
Spells fading at sunrise is a feature of the setting and Thresholds are handled by a recent Pyramid article.

Faier magic I would just say can not use Traditional trappings or Deacons but gets a discount for its weaknesses. Dispelled by iron could be a 20% discount on all Fay magic.

[Last Pawn]

I'd represent Harry's affinity for the "Thuggish" style of magic as an Accessibility
Limitation on his Ritual Adept (Time) advantage, as it seems to me that he can pull of finesse if he has the time to do it. Alternately, or as well, a similarly Limited Higher Purpose, if phrased correctly, could also make him more powerful when casting big, powerful, area effect style magic.

Heading off into house rule territory, I also allow for such limitations to apply to Magery 1+. I handle the energy reserve portion as being available for casting and recharging only when the limitation is met, calculate Magery's effect on skill before any other modifiers are dealt with, and when it comes to conditional spells I only check the limit at the time of casting.

[zoncxs]

Harry has a huge magery count, gene him throwing fire around like nothing. His skill are on par with a wizard of his talent, his magery on par with the wizards with centuries ahead of him.

His wand would be a focus tool, granting a bonus to path of energy when using it for fire.

His staff givers him a bonus to all paths, but not as big as his wand.

His shield bracket gives him a bonus for etc.

His power rings are spell bound items, these are what I have been trying to write out.

Winter longer mantle gives him high pain threshold, higher HT and FP and bonus for ice spells etc.oh and bloodlust, bad temper, etc.

His mother ruby is just a plot item.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Ok, so the Dresden Files seems like a good candidate for a fictional source using RPM and its mentioned in the book.
So how would we go about writing up the spells and effects if it were a game?

The Dresden Files was a source of inspiration for some spells I submitted and were published (see Seek Person, p. 48 of Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic)

Originally Posted by Refplace

Any wierd things that dont carry over?

Only wizards and Talented folks can use magic (a big change from the normal system). Wizards have Ritual Adept - others don't. I'd also use the rules for magical languages (p. 87of Thaumatology).

Originally Posted by Refplace

Skill and Power are tied together iN RPM so the way Harry dewscribes himself as a thug with a lot of power but no finesse seems a disconnect.

This is one case where I'd use Energy Reserve (Mana Reserve) over Magery (Ritual Path). Path skill = fine control; raw power = mana reserve. I wouldn't hesitate to put Harry's mana reserve at at least a 100. Yes, that's a lot, but Harry can do a lot of magic with relative ease.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Could just say he has high Path of Energy skill but does that feel right?

No. Path skill equates to fine control in GURPS and Harry doesn't really have that (though he does aqcuire it later thanks to Molly). I'd give Harry a skill of 15(ish), Higher Purpose 3 (Pyromancy), Higher Purpose 1 (Kinetomancy), Higher Purpose 1 (Aeromancy), and Ritual Mastery for his various signature spells (Fuego, his locator spell, etc.).

I wouldn't limit Higher Purpose to three total levels, I just wouldn't let them stack. This is what I do in my games and I've had no issues at all.

Originally Posted by Refplace

His duster is a Ritually enchanted item, not a true magic item and he has to renew it now and then.

That sucker stops assault weapons fire with relative ease. I'd go with something like:

Greater Strengthen Matter (3) + Altered Traits, Damage Resistance 31 (Tough Skin, -40%) [93] + Duration, 6 months (16). 326 energy (112 x 3)

Originally Posted by Refplace

His Blasting Rod seems a Wizard tool.

It could be a Bound Spell or a Magical Tool. As a Bound Spell it's probably a series of innate attacks using Alternate Abilities. As a Magical Tool I'd peg it as follows:

Fast-Casting: Natural Caster 4 (Accessibility, Fire Effects Only, -10%; Accessibility, Only to offset penalties for gathering energy, -50%; Wand, Protected, -45%) [12]

This allows him to gather energy super quick for a spell. I might even consider adding in a level or two of compartmentalized mind to speedup the process even more.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Those work but then the shield bracelet would that work as a Bound item?

His shield bracelet is a Bound spell. I'd use the same stats for a Amulet for the bracelet so it might look like this:

Early Version:

Defense Meta-Trait 2 (Accessibility, Only while DR is active, -10%; Bracelet, -45%; Magical, -10%) [21] + DR 31 (Bracelet, -45%; Costs 2 FP, -10%; Force Field, +20%; Limited, Ranged Physical, -40%; Magical, -10%; Requires Active Defense roll, -40%) [31]. 52 points.

Latter Version:

Defense Meta-Trait 3 (Accessibility, Only while DR is active, -10%; Bracelet, -45%; Magical, -10%) [32] + DR 53 (Bracelet, -45%; Costs 4 FP, -20%; Force Field, +20%; Magical, -10%; Requires Active Defense roll, -40%) [53]. 85 points.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Winter Knight gives him a huge ER with some disadvantages or maybe count as Threshold magic. But its a pretty unique power.

Use the Assisting Spirits rules from (p. 90of Thaumatology). He's able to draw from the Queen herself to fuel his abilities. This is definitely Assisting Spirits.

Originally Posted by Refplace

The ruby could be an enchanted item with specific Crossroads effect.

I'd make it a Wizard Tool that gives him a Racial Skill Bonus to Crossroads effects (or Higher Purpose), Photographic Memory (Ways only, -70%), and a Unusual Background allowing him to find every hidey-hole and sneaky spot through the Never Never.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Spells fading at sunrise is a feature of the setting and Thresholds are handled by a recent Pyramid article.

Yeah, see here for some rules using RPM with it.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Faier magic I would just say can not use Traditional trappings or Deacons but gets a discount for its weaknesses. Dispelled by iron could be a 20% discount on all Fay magic.

That's a interesting way to go about it. Yeah, I like that. Fae magic costs 20%, but cold iron dispels it. Gonna steal that for my monster hunter game. :-)

[The Benj]

Rather than an ER, I'd say the mantle of the Winter Knight (in terms of giving him access to energy to cast spells) is an application of assisted magic that can cause Spiritual Distortion.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

This is one case where I'd use Energy Reserve (Mana Reserve) over Magery (Ritual Path). Path skill = fine control; raw power = mana reserve. I wouldn't hesitate to put Harry's mana reserve at at least a 100. Yes, that's a lot, but Harry can do a lot of magic with relative ease.

Originally Posted by The Benj

Rather than an ER, I'd say the mantle of the Winter Knight (in terms of giving him access to energy to cast spells) is an application of assisted magic that can cause Spiritual Distortion.

Before Harry took on the Mantle his raw strength was such he among the top handful of wardens in combat power, and that while he would admit he not a match for any of the executive council in skill even given that only the Gate-keeper who would consider facing him down one one one by force. The Blackstaff if their relationship was different might considered it]

So he packs world class power, and the Mantle kicked that up a notch. Not that wizards are the top of heap when it comes to power in the setting.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Before Harry took on the Mantle his raw strength was such he among the top handful of wardens in combat power, and that while he would admit he not a match for any of the executive council in skill even given that only the gate keeper who would consider facing him down one one one by force was the gatekeeper, the blackstaff if their relationship was different might considered it]

So he packs world class power, and the Mantle kicked that up a notch. Not that wizards are the top of heap when it comes to power in the setting.

That's why said at least ER 100 (Mana Reserve) - that lets you pull of a lot of effects relatively easy, especially combat magic.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

That's why said at least ER 100 (Mana Reserve) - that lets you pull of a lot of effects relatively easy, especially combat magic.

agreed, my point was merely don't take that recommendation as a norm level for wizards in the setting. even among those that qualify for being a warden.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

agreed, my point was merely don't take that recommendation as a norm level for wizards in the setting. even among those that qualify for being a warden.

Yeah, he's a special case - he's also got some sort of ability to affect outsiders. I think I'd price that as a Unusual Background that allows him to pump more energy into his spells against them, maybe even some sort of a innate Higher Purpose.

[The Benj]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Before Harry took on the Mantle his raw strength was such he among the top handful of wardens in combat power, and that while he would admit he not a match for any of the executive council in skill even given that only the Gate-keeper who would consider facing him down one one one by force. The Blackstaff if their relationship was different might considered it]

So he packs world class power, and the Mantle kicked that up a notch. Not that wizards are the top of heap when it comes to power in the setting.

Yes. Yes, he does and yes, it did. But the Mantle doesn't seem like a finite resource, but a potentially limitless one that's highly dangerous to tap.