# Fate Condensed Fate Condensed is a streamlined version of [[Fate]]. It's also the most recent ruleset written for the Fate system. ## Aspects Aspects are short phrases that describe who your character is. While it may be tempting to create aspects that are only positive, remember that the only way to earn fate points and gain narrative control is to make your aspects easy to turn against you. That way, the GM can offer you a compel (use one of your aspects against you) in exchange for fate points. - [[Fate - High Concept|High Concept]]: Broad description of your character. - **[[Fate - Trouble|Trouble]]**: Something that occasionally complicates your character's life. Examples: *I'm Just So Hungry, Why Won't the Voices Stop?, You're Not My Mother!* - **RELATIONSHIP:** Your connection with another player character. A good relationship to use is one that hints at conflict or an imbalance. Examples: _Graduated Starfleet by Copying Spock's Answers, Would Do Anything for Janeway_. - **ASPECT:** Why you are really on this starship. Examples: *Can't Stop Till I'm Captain, Gotta Catch 'Em All, To Boldly Go*. - **ASPECT:** What makes you good at your job? Relate this to your position on the starship. Examples: *If I See It, I Can Make It, Shoot First Ask Questions Later, Tell Me Something in Your Language*. ### What you can do with aspects #### Invoke them Spend a fate point, use an existing aspect, and get a +2 to your roll or your ally's roll OR reroll. You can stack invocations, but not if you're invoking the same aspect (unless there are free invokes on the aspect in question). Or, spend a fate point, use an existing aspect _belonging to your enemy_, and cause them to get a -2 to their roll or their ally's roll. This is called a _hostile invocation_. ==It is different from a _compel_ in that a hostile invocation is tactical; it changes something in combat, for example. A compel changes the story.== A compel can have very broad effects on the story, whereas a hostile invocation has a limited effect: only a +2/-2 or a reroll of the dice. During a hostile invocation, you give the fate point _to your enemy._ #### Compel them Spend a fate point and use an existing aspect to give yourself or another a -2 to their roll. If they refuse, they give you a fate point. If they don't, you give _them_ the fate point you spent. A compel turns your aspect against you, for a negative effect. It creates a _narrative_ change to the story. It's different from hostile invocations in that hostile invocations are a mechanical effect. You can also compel _yourself_. When you do so, and the GM approves, you can get a fate point from the GM. #### Create them You can create an aspect that _you_ have for free (up to the limit of free aspects). However, when you create an aspect that doesn't belong to you, you'll need to pay a fate point to create it based on an existing aspect. In this situation, the aspect you're creating is a _stretch_: it's not something that would have been true from the existing aspect on its own. #### Change or remove them You can remove aspects provided there is a narrative way you could do so. For example, _Raging Fire_ can be removed with a fire extinguisher. Sometimes, attempting to do this might count as an Overcome action (skill check); if that's the case, it could also be contested by an enemy. ## Stress You start with 3 physical and 3 mental. When you fail to defend, tick off a number of boxes corresponding to the damage you take and the type of damage that was dealt. All points refresh after a scene. ## Consequences When you take damage but have no more boxes of the appropriate type to tick off, you must take a consequence. A mild consequence absorbs 2 damage. A moderate consequence absorbs 3 damage. A severe consequence absorbs 4 damage. You may choose to accept a consequence instead of or in addition to ticking off stress boxes. Mild consequences can be recovered after a scene, moderate after a session, and severe only after several sessions. If at any point you take more damage and cannot absorb it with stress boxes or consequences, you die. Consequences are aspects too, and can be invoked by other PCs, NPCs, or the GM. ## Skills ### [[Fate Condensed Character Sheet]] ### The Adjective Ladder | Rating | Adjective | | ------ | ------------ | | +8 | Legendary | | +7 | Epic | | +6 | Fantastic | | +5 | Superb | | +4 | Great | | +3 | Good | | +2 | Fair | | +1 | Average | | +0 | Mediocre | | -1 | Poor | | -2 | Terrible | | -3 | Catastrophic | | -4 | Horrifying | ## Stunts Stunts are cool things only you can do, tied to one of your other aspects. Here are things you can do with stunts: - **Get a +2 bonus in a specific situation** - Format: Because I *describe how you are amazing*, I get a +2 when I use *pick a skill* when *describe a circumstance*. - Example: *Because I Grew Up in the Military, I get a +2 to Security when I attack in physical confrontation.* - **Get an extra free invoke when you create an advantage with a skill** - If you create an aspect by succeeding on a skill roll, you would typically get a free invoke. With this, you would get two free invokes. - **Declare a minor fact that is always true** - Format: - Examples: *Because I am skilled in Command, I always intuitively know which of my enemies is the leader.*, *Because I am skilled in Medicine, I always bring medical supplies on away missions.* - **Swap which skills are used** - For example, you might be able to use Stealth as an attack instead of Fight if you are a sneaky assassin. - **Break the rules!** (in a minor way) - Example: Because I Don't Believe in Magic (aspect), I can ignore the effects of a supernatural ability, but only once per game session. ## Fate points ### Earning fate points - You accept a _compel_ from another player or the GM. - An enemy does a hostile invocation against you, using one of your own aspects. - You concede from a conflict. ### Spending fate points - Invoke an aspect - Create a new aspect (based on another), adding a story detail - ### Number of fate points As a player, you start every session with the same number of fate points as your _refresh_ (3). As a GM, you start every scene with the same number of fate points as the number of players. You can use these to: - Invoke aspects - Refuse compels that the players offer NPCs - Do NPC stunts (if there are any that require them) You have unlimited fate points for compelling aspects. ## Actions you can take | Result | Overcome | Advantage | Attack | Defend | | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | Fail | Failure, or success at a major cost | No aspect or enemy gets free invoke/rewrites aspect | Attack fails | Attack hits | | Tie | Success + minor cost/enemy gets boost or fail with boost | No aspect but boost | Barely connects, you get a boost | Tie | | Succeed | You succeed | Create aspect + free invoke | Hit! | You deflect the hit or action | | Succeed+ | Success + boost | Create aspect + 2 free invokes | Hit, reduce damage to get a boost | Deflect the action and you get a boost | ### Overcome _Get past an obstacle using skills._ ### Create an advantage _Leverage the power of aspects._ You can use skills to create (or discover) an aspect and get a free invoke. The aspect you create could be related to: - changing the circumstances (barring a door or creating a plan) - discovering new information (learning a monster's weakness through research) - taking advantage of something already known (such as a monster's taste for tachyon gas) ### Attacks _Harm another character._ ### Defend _Prevent another's action._ ### Concede You can concede a conflict, bowing out and gaining a fate point. However, when you do so, you are granting your enemy some advantage. The advantage that they have over you depends on the enemy. Some negotiation may be required. ### Invoke aspects (reaction) Invoking aspects is not an action in itself; instead, they are like reactions that you can do on your turn or on someone else's turn, to help yourself or an ally. ## Boosts A boost is a temporary aspect with limited invokes. It never lasts beyond a scene. When one is created, it doesn't need to be named until it's used. ## GMing Fate Condensed ### Setting difficulty ratings - If the task isn't tough at all: +0 or the player succeeds without a roll. - If there is at least one reason why the task is tough: +2. - If the task is extremely difficult: +4 ### Creating monsters To create NPCs of significance, you can create them just like you would a PC. To create enemies that are meant to be more minor nuisances, make mooks: - Make a list of things it is good at (+2). - Make a list of things it's bad at (-2). - All other skills are +0. - Come up with two aspects to reinforce skills or reflect a vulnerability or strength. - Give them 3 stress boxes. - They can't take consequences; they're taken down instead. To create mobs: - Same as for mooks - Group them into smaller units. - Give them a stress box per two in a group.