Harry Dresden

[Reinhardt75]

I felt like the second half of the second book was good but I really enjoyed the third and on...

[JediMorningfire]

I felt like the second half of the second book was good but I really enjoyed the third and on...

Third book was where Butcher really started hitting his stride in the series and things really started to come together in terms of overall narrative. Heck, that one party scene has had repercussions throughout the series, and there's a couple of Chekhov's Guns from that scene that still waiting for the trigger to be pulled.

[EldritchFire]

The first two or three books are big on exposition/info dumping, getting the reader aware of the Dresdenverse, so they can get dry at times. But I stand by my claim that Fool Moon was a good book. Books 4-10 are the "meat" of Harry's story, but a good appetizer can set the mood for the main dish.

Ok, I'm done Butchering (HA! I kill me!) metaphors here. Go forth and read Harry Dresden!

-EF

[pksullivan]

It's the editing on book 3 that kills me. There are misused words aplenty and some just poor continuity things (like Harry rolling down the window of the Blue Beatle to get some air three times in one scene). Fool Moon might be better than I'm giving it credit for but it has the poor standing of being between two books I don't want to re-read.

[Arcane Springboard]

So here's my 'final' draft.


Harry Dresden


Affiliations

Solo d10, Buddy d8, Team d6
Distinctions

Epic Wiseass, Not So Subtle-Still Quick to Anger, White Council’s Black Sheep
Power Sets

Wizard Private Eye

Enhanced Durability d8, Enhanced Stamina d8, Fire Blast d10, Force Blast d8, Invisibility d6, Mystic Resistance d10, Mystic Senses d6, Sorcery Adept d8

¨ SFX: Fuego! Step up or double Fire Blast power for one action. If that action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of that power die.

¨ SFX: Forzare! Against multiple targets, for each additional target add a d6 and keep an additional effect die.

¨ SFX: Second Wind. Before you take an action including a Wizard Private Eye power, you may move your physical stress die to the doom pool and step up the Wizard Private Eye power for this action.

¨ SFX: Hexing. Add a d6 and step up the effect die when using Sorcery Adept to shut down technology. Add the effect die to the doom pool if the action fails.

¨ Limit: The Extent of Sorcery. When you add Sorcery Adept to any pool, you may only create assets and complications as your effect.

¨ Limit: Chivalry Is Not Dead, Dammit! Step up emotional stress from attacks involving women to gain 1 PP.

¨ Limit: The Building Was On Fire, and It Wasn’t My Fault. If a Fire Blast die is in your dice pool without Blasting Rod, or if a Force Blast die is in your dice pool without Staff then both 1s and 2s on your dice count as opportunities, but only 1s are excluded from being used for totals or effect dice.

Wizardly Implements

Blasting Rod d6, Staff d6, Superhuman Durability d10

¨ SFX: Shield Bracelet. Spend 1 PP to add Superhuman Durability to a nearby ally’s reaction dice pool.

¨ SFX: Focus. If your pool includes a Wizardly Implements power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one stepped-up die.

¨ Limit: Gear. Shutdown a Wizardly Implements power to gain 1 PP. Take an action vs. the doom pool to recover power.


Specialties

Crime Expert, Menace Master, Mystic Master, Psych Expert

[Arcane Springboard]

Incidentally, that Top Secret MWP method of creating datafiles? You just saw it.

[EldritchFire]

That's looking pretty good! Does he need an SFX for immunity to aging? We know he doesn't age like a normal human…but that's really background stuff, huh?

Also, should second wind take emotional stress into account? We know he pours his anger and fear into beefing up his spells. Something like Anger Management. Before you take an action including a Wizard Private Eye power, you may move your emotional stress die to the doom pool and step up the Wizard Private Eye power for this action.

Or maybe have it be an addition to second wind? "…If you have emotional stress, move it to the doom pool to also double your Wizard Private Eye power."

-EF

[Arcane Springboard]

Sure, why not. Mind you, I'm not sure it works well with having two Second Wind SFX in there though. My take is that it always seems like he's completely getting beaten up, but still manages to keep going...somehow.

[pksullivan]

My take on Harry doesn't give him a physical second wind because that's not how I read the book. He doesn't heal up in the middle of battle or shrug off anything. He gets beat to crap. But it doesn't really affect him. He still fights on just fine. Getting hit makes him angry, though. I gave Harry Indomitable Will to use that anger. Combine that with the PP expenditure to shift physical stress to emotional stress, and it matches the books pretty well, I thought.

I gave Harry Enhanced Stamina to reflect his wizard's constitution and just left it at that.