My Rules And Enhancements

The goal of an RPG is to generate story creation with beats. Up beats and down beats. They should be alternating … and generally equal. You can have two up beats, but only if balanced with down beats.

We use dice to help simulate this, as the idea is that the randomness will help make this a fluid situation.

Best Dice Mechanic

Few goals:

  • Roll lots of dice instead of adding
  • Need to have variations, not just hit/miss, but criticals, success with complication, etc.

Position and Impact

This clarifies the potential outcome to both player and GM.

Position determines the outcome of failure. The default Position is risky.

Shaky
not as bad as it could have been.
Risky
about what you expected.
Dire
worse than you even imagined.

Impact determines the outcome of success. The default Impact is fair.

Strong
this went better than expected.
Fair
you got what you wanted.
Weak
not exactly what you hoped.

Note: If position is “good” (or better than shaky) why are we rolling?

Events

Unclear what should happen, first decide what sort of event type, and then use the tables to determine the outcome. Note: Have the narrative explain this.

  • Downtime:
    1. Encounter
    2. Complication … natural disaster, war, legal issues, or PC allies looses trust
    3. Expiration
    4. Trend, like a new NPC, discovery, or scandal emerges
    5. Intimation
    6. Free
  • Travel:
    1. Encounter
    2. Rest … must rest (+1 negative Event Die) or gain 1 Exhaustion
    3. Deplete all rations or lower all Supply by 1. Deplete active Sorceries and Miracles by 1
    4. Local effect
    5. Encounter sign … clue about the next encounter (footprints, etc.)
    6. Free
  • Exploration:
    1. Encounter
    2. Rest (+1 negative Event Die) or gain 1 Exhaustion
    3. Burn all light sources or lower all Supply by 1. Deplete active Sorceries and Miracles by 1
    4. Local effect … trap
    5. Encounter sign
    6. Free
  • Combat

Unclear? Use this generic table:

  1. Encounter
  2. Delay
  3. Resource use
  4. Local effect
  5. Clue
  6. Free from effect

Clocks or Tracks

Can add those anywhere

FATE Core

Challenges vs. Contests vs. Conflict

Overcome Create an Advantage Attack Defend

NPC Reaction

Much of this was taken from Errant.

Pick a default reaction level, or roll (add reputation):

2
Hostile (Add 8 to DV)
3-5
Unfriendly (Add 4 to DV)
6-8
Unsure
9-11
Amicable (Dec 2 to DV)
12
Friendly (Dec 4 to DV)

Interactions come in four categories:

banal
trivial conversation, e.g. pleasantries, weather, etc.
giving
ingratiating oneself, giving gifts or compliments, laughing at joke
taking
getting aid or information, asking personal question, intimidation
convincing
changing views by making argument or telling a lie
bribe
physically (or socially) offering a gift … hrm.

Before rolling, consider the impact and position, because…

  • If the impact is weak (I’m offering you this shiny penny), not much gained
  • If the position is dire (Ignored that I just insulted your mother) …

Banal exchanges require no Check. Essentially ignored.

Giving exchange (Impact)

  • Failure or success with weak Impact: NPC is unimpressed.
  • Success: disposition +1.
  • Success with strong Impact: disposition +3.

Taking exchange (Position)

  • Failure at dire Position: disposition -3.
  • Failure: NPC refuses, disposition -1.
  • Failure at shaky Position or success with weak Impact: NPC agrees to a compromise.
  • Success: the NPC agrees to what you want.
  • Success with strong Impact: NPC agrees, and offers to do more than asked for!

Convincing exchange

  • Failure at dire Position: disposition -3.
  • Failure: disposition -1.
  • Failure at shaky Position or success with weak Impact: NPC is unconvinced, but not insulted.
  • Success: NPC is receptive, but requires proof.
  • Success with strong Impact: NPC accepts what you said wholeheartedly.

Better Dice

Not a full bell curve … too normal and expected. Two dice is the answer.

d12 sounds good. Still roll <= their skill? Rolling their skill number is a critical.

Treat it as a game of Blackjack.

Awesome Feats / Stunts

How to get characters to be really awesome? Do they want to be?