The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game, Vol. 1: Your Story

I've run the game a few times and now feel confident enough to write a review.The first thing I want to note is that this system does a beautiful job of simulating the Dresden file books, which is a real tribute to the designers. I particularly like the remarkably different feel of the game for the different power levels. The game system feels completely different for a character who's just getting their feet wet compared with a Dresden-like power-level. It really is the same very simple system but it feels so completely different you have almost can't believe it.The second thing to note is that this is first and foremost a system for story-tellers. The designers actually urge the GM to assign the duties in creating the city environment. This has two major impacts: it causes the players to become intimately acquainted with their role-playing environment and it reduces the load on the GM, which is a GOOD thing!Th design decision to emphasize story has a very large impact on the system. Luck is removed from the game as much as possible to avoid having it mess up the story. It's also hard to kill characters in this system by design (unexpected deaths might mess up the story).Third, while this game system is REALLY simple to play (it is more like cooperative story-telling than a traditional player group vs. the world game system) and it REALLY keeps the GM and the players on their toes. At any given moment the player may be asked to describe how they were wounded and to assign a penalty to themselves as a result of the injury. On the other hand, the game system encourages the players to go even further afield than they normally do. I would say that this system offers less support to the railroaded, single direction adventure than I've seen in my 30+ years of gaming.Fourth, this is a skeletal system by design. There are great big sections of the system that are literally left up to the GM and players to handle. This leaves very little down-time for the GM and players. You don't have the usual predictable 2-hour long final battle where the players can start swinging their swords and don't have to consider the consequences. Combat in this system is short, nasty, and brutish. There's tons of room for tactical maneuvering (mental and social, the game doesn't stand much on setting up a scene and using lots of mini's, that would just slow things down) but the situation constantly changes and the GM and players have to adapt to the new circumstances very quickly.The only bad experience we've had with the game system so far is when I (as the GM) didn't sleep well the previous night and just wasn't up to the subtleties of the player's requests. We're back on track now and heading for the epic conclusion but it was pretty rough session on everybody.If your group is able to handle the challenges this system presents and are looking for some outstanding Urban Fantasy action, I'd suggest you dump whatever system you're running and jump on this ship. The system is very simple, very smooth, and rather elegant. Very well done!

The Dresden Files RPG is a great game and it uses a great system, however, it is flawed by being way to convoluted in some aspects and the thamaturgy rules are incredibly complex. I played Fate Core first then moved on to the Dresden Files RPG even though I got the DFRPG first because the rules were getting a bit over my head. To be fair, this is because the DFRPG is using an older version of Fate that, by Evil Hats own admission, was a little TOO indepth and complexFor example, in Fate Core, you start off with a high concept aspect (what your character is all about), a trouble aspect (a running theme of problems for your character), and a regular aspect (just something about your character flesh them out a little) and you can get up to two more as the game progresses. Aspects are invoked for all kinds of reasons by the player as long as they are relevent in some way to the task at hand. For example, if my high concept was 'Internationally known strong man' I can invoke this aspect to a bonus to get into a crowded bar because I am famous, I can invoke it to perform a feat of strength, or the DM can use it against me by making it difficult me for me to not call attention to myself because so many people know me. With 3 aspects it is great for beginners to learn the basics of how to invoke these aspects and it limits all the stuff the GM has to keep up with for random invoking and such when he is new. 5 is solid for advanced players who are into a pretty epic game with established characters and DM who knows what he doing really well.The DFPRG STARTS with SEVEN aspects per character, NPC, location, and enemy (yes, locations and items have aspects to for example a back alley can be 'slippery when wet' and 'well hidden' with a trouble being 'rats everwhere' and those can come into play during any encounters, investigations, etc that goes on there). It continues until players have a total of NINE aspects.If this is your first outing with Fate, DFRPG is a meaty, meaty game that takes time and patience to learn for the GM and the players, however, if you get the hang of it, understand the rules, and it clicks with all the players you will be hard pressed to find a more rewarding and enjoyable RPG experience.