Character Creation: Dresden Files

Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, oh my.

The Game: Dresden Files
The Publisher: Evil Hat
Degree of Familiarity: A goodly amount. I've never run Dresden, though I have run Spirit of the Century and I've been playing Dresden for some time now.
Books Required: Just the core. 

 
OK, the first thing you do in Dresden is design a city, but that really requires a whole group. What's funny is that the example in the book is Baltimore, and we completely independently decided on Baltimore for our own campaign. But for purposes of this character, I'm going to go to the Baltimore as described in the book, both to differentiate it from our game and so you, if you've got the Dresden Files RPG, can follow along. Ain't I considerate?

Anyway. The book lists the town's trouble as "We're looking into the Abyss and it's looking back." I just read Blood Rites, and the notion of playing a White Court vampire is intriguing to me. It would also dovetail nicely with that theme. I think we'll set this at "Chest-Deep," since doing a vampire any lower than that would be difficult. I also need to find a character sheet. Hang on. OK, got it.

High Concept: I know I want to play a White Court vampire. I don't want to play a virgin, because I'd rather have the struggle be between me and my Hunger. Except...hmm. I don't want to play Thomas, and so I'm wondering if I want to play a WCV from a family that feeds on an emotion other than lust? I don't want despair or fear, mostly because I know those exist and I'm sure they get some face-time in later books that I haven't read. How about wrath?

I've been listening to this song by Eminem lately (if you don't like him, that's understandable, but I really like this song, mostly because it shows some self-awareness on both his and Rhianna's parts). The notion of making a character who's grappling with anger control, who can start a bar fight and then soak up the life as people beat each other to death, is really, really appealing.

But then, this guy has to be a PC, so he can't be an utter dick. According to the example city creation in the book, the White Court is having some power play stuff going on. The Lagios family is mentioned, but not much is really said about them. What is said, though, doesn't make them look real wrathy to me, so let's do this:

The Brannagh Family of the White Court is probably the smallest. They feed on wrath, and that means they are always spoiling for a fight, just like Thomas is always seductive. When you're among the supernatural, that paints a target on your head, and the Brannagh haven't been able to hold onto power that way the Raith and others have. They don't do manipulation as well as other White Court families do (though rumor has it their Indian cousins, nicknamed Rakshasa, are better at it). They're scattered across Europe and the US, and they typically show up as hired muscle or enforcers. Seldom leaders, and seldom bodyguards, because they're trouble magnets. In fact, more sophisticated vampires call them "lightning rods."

In fact, that's why the Lagios like having my character, Aidan Brannagh, around. His High Concept is White Court Lightning Rod.

Trouble Aspect: Well, obviously Aidan's biggest problem is that he's a vampire that feeds on people getting killing mad, and he's got no real problem with watching people fight themselves to death. Aidan's getting jaded, though, and he's tired of listening to abusers and thugs make up excuses. His Trouble Aspect (and it applies to him, too) is Everybody's Got an Excuse.

The Phases: Now, here again we'll run into some issues with not having a group, but it's actually easier here than in Spirit of the Century.

Phase One: Where Did You Come From? I think Aidan is a local product. Born in Baltimore and raised by his mother (his father, a White Court Vampire, died in a firefight with the cops, and is still a local legend in the area), Aidan got into fights at school, got suspended, got expelled, and finally said "screw it" and took up with a gang. He found, though, that the cops took a special interest in him (and still do), so he realized it was in his best interest to stay clean. My Aspect here is Daddy Was a Cop Killer.

Phase Two: What Shaped You? Obviously, here's where the "vampire" thing comes out. Aidan, working on the docks, ran afoul of the sons of one of the cops his Dad killed. Aidan ran, not wanting to take on all three of them, but they cornered him near the water. Their rage suddenly gained substance and flavor, and Aidan drank it down and left all three of them dead. He dumped them into the water and ran home to his mother. His Phase aspect here is I Always Have a Home With Mom. His mother's name is Colleen Brannagh, by the way.

Phase Three: The First Story. Title: Bloody Knuckles. Aidan discovers a bare-knuckles boxing circuit, and enters so that he can drum up enough money to pay off the corrupt detective, Jackie Monaghan, who's been threatening to investigate the three deaths on the wharf a little more. He wins a major bout against an opponent who's far stronger than he appears - and who threatens Aidan afterwards.

You know, as I think about it, it really seems like Aidan's major trouble is the problem with the cops. I'll change Daddy was a Cop Killer to his Trouble Aspect, and I'll make School of Hard Knocks my phase one aspect. For this story, I'd like to give him an Aspect he can tag in a fight. I'll make it Fight Till I'm Burger.

Phase Four: Next Story. Normally I'd guest star, but y'know. This story is called: Russian Roulette. Aidan joins up with a Russian mob cartel moving drugs into Baltimore Harbor. His mother kicks him out when she finds out, and Monaghan offers him the chance to become a CI, which would wipe away his problems with the BPD. Aidan refuses and sticks it out with the mob, knowing that sooner or later they'll fall to infighting and destroy themselves. And they do - with the participation of the ghosts of the young men he killed. Aspect: Baltimore Harbor Muscle.

Phase Five: Last Story. Again, should be a guest star. I think I want to give Aidan a love interest. Taking my inspiration from the video for that song, my girl is a minor talent, a low-grade pyrokinetic (so I can just stand there and watch her burn). Her name is Emma Desmond, she's a Baltimore harbor rat like Aidan, and they met at a church function (Aidan was attending again to get back in Mom's good graces). They're very much in love, but it's not peaceful at all - they fight, they fuck, they break up, they get back together. Secretly, Aidan suspects this isn't going to end well, but they've moved into her place together. The Aspect here is:  Everything Burns if You Get it Hot Enough.

Skills. OK. I like that there's a nifty chart that tells me how I can break these out. Let's do this for Aidan:

Fists (Superb)
Intimidation, Endurance (Great)
Presence, Might (Good)
Stealth, Craftsmanship, Burglary (Fair)
Contacts, Athletics, Alertness, Empathy (Average)

Easy-peasy.

Stunts and Powers. OK, as a White Court Vampire, I have to take:

Emotional Vampire
Human Guise
Incite Emotion
Feeding Dependency
Inhuman Recovery (Catch is True Peace)
Inhuman Speed
Inhuman Strength

And I can't do anything else, really, because I'm out of Refresh. Which sucks because I'd like to be able to Incite at range, but whatchagonnado?

I fill in my stress boxes, and that's me done!