Producedby: Writtenby: VoidStarGames MikeMechalusMcConnell

AdditionalEditing:MitchA.Williams,NicholasWarcholak,KristanMcConnell Layout/BackgroundGraphics:MikeMcConnell Additional Contributions: Tomi "Tonpa" Sarkkinen, Alfredo The Tweaker Sendn, Rick "frws25" Sanders, Trentin Trechriron Bergeron, Brad "Radium" Osborne, Mitch mitchwWilliams,LelandDutro,Grant"DigitalMage"Erswell AdditionalArt: Daniel Kemler, Mike McConnell, Sade, LPJ Design, Joe Calkins (CerberusIllustration) PrimaryPlaytesters:LelandDutro,RobStroud,WesBrown,JosephMunn,Tomi"Tonpa" Sarkkinen, Alfredo The Tweaker Sendn, Brad "Radium" Osborne, Rick "frws25" Sanders, Clay Hjorimir Vernon, Mitch mitchw Williams, Dirk "Deep_Flow" Keienburg,, Scott "Saint&Sinner" Acker, Marko "Bernd" Wenzel, Christopher "nighthawk"May,Andrew"Gylthinel"Day,Mark"Warden"Jones,Jeremy"HidaJiremi" Puckett,Heath"sirglandon"Glandon, SpecialThanks:Tomywife,Kristan,forputtingupwithmylatenighttossingandturning, evenings lockedinthe office, and for beingawonderful soundingboard formy crazy rambling. To Rob and Leland for tossing dice with me and helping me shape this thing into somethingreal. Andthankstomyloyalforumplaytesters,especiallyTomi,Alfredo,RickandMitch. YouguyskeptmegoingwhenIfeltlikequittingandgavemeencouragementwhenI neededitthemost.Thisbookwouldnotexistwithoutyou.

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iiPrologueCredits/License

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FATE(FantasticAdventuresinTabletopEntertainment)2003byEvilHatProductionsLLC;AuthorsRobertDonoghueand FredHicks. SpiritoftheCentury2006,EvilHatProductionsLLC.AuthorsRobertDonoghue,FredHicks,andLeonardBalsera. TheDresdenFilesRoleplayingGame:Volume1:YourStoryandTheDresdenFilesRoleplayingGame:Volume2:OurWorld 2010,EvilHatProductionsLLC. StarblazerAdventures2009,Cubicle7EntertainmentLtd. StrandsofFate2010,VoidStarGames Forpurposesofthislicense,thefollowingthingsareconsideredtobeProductIdentityinadditiontoanythingcoveredin section1,above:Anymaps,layout,characters,colorquotationsanddialogue,names,andexamples. AnyandAlldescriptionsofPowerAdvantagesinChapter5areProductIdentity,butmaybereprintedforfreefornon commercialpurposes,andmaynotbeincludedinanyprofessionalpublicationwithoutwrittenauthorizationfromVoid StarGames. 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iii

Chapter1TheBasicsWhatisaRoleplayingGame?...........1 WhatistheFATEGameSystem?....2 ThingsYouShouldHave.................2 RollingtheDice...............................3Willtheseregularsixsideddicework?....4

CareerTemplates..........................38 NonHumanRaces.........................44 SampleNonHumanRaces............45 SampleCharacters........................46

RanksandDifficulty........................4 TakingAction...................................5 Rate(Refresh).............................7 Advantages......................................8 StressandConsequences...............9Awesomevs.Realism........................9

Chapter3FatePoints andAspectsFatePoints......................................51TheNPCFatePointPool...................51

Aspects..........................................52FatePointExpenditureLimits.........53

Glossary..........................................10

InvokinganAspect(SpendingFate Points)........................................53Wordingvs.Intent...........................54

Chapter2Character CreationStepsofCharacterCreation...........15 Step#1:CampaignPowerLeveland TechLevel...................................15 Step#2:TheCharacterConcept....17 Step#3:CharacterAspects............17 Step#4:Abilities............................20AffinityAbilities.................................21 CommonAbilityPackages................21

CompellinganAspect(Earning MoreFatePoints)......................55NoPain,NoGain..............................56 CutthroatCompels..........................57

InvokingorCompellingother Aspects.......................................57CompellingotherAspects...............58

PersistentAspects.........................59FatePointDebt................................60

Step#5:SpecialtyAspects.............21 Step#6:Advantages.....................24RepresentingyourCharacter..........25

Jazzingitup....................................61 Gettingonthesamepage ........62 .Sticky,Fragile&Complicated Terminology.................................63

Step#7:StartingEquipment.........26BuyingAdditionalEquipment..........26 SharedEquipment............................ 7 2 ResourcesandExpenseAccounts... 7 2

AspectAssessment.......................63SettingAssessmentDifficulties.......64 ThemeAspects................................64

AspectDeclaration........................65SettingDeclarationDifficulties.......65 DeclarationbyInvokinganAspect forEffect......................................66

CreatingCharactersOnTheFly.....27CollaborativeCharacterCreation.....28PlayerEntitlement...........................28

CharacterAdvancement...............29 OrganicGrowth.............................30Story>XP.........................................30

StoryAspectsvs.Situation Aspects........................................68

ExampleofCharacterCreation.....311.DetermineyourCampaignPower Level(CamPL)...............................31 3.SelectFiveCharacterAspects......32 4.PurchaseAbilities.........................33 5.SelectFiveSpecialtyAspects ......34 .

Chapter4AbilitiesWhatareAbilities?.........................69CombiningAbilities..........................70 ComplementingAbilities.................70 RestrictingAbilities..........................70 MultipleSecondaryAbilities.............71

ivIntroTableofContents

Listings............................................72 PhysicalAbilities............................73Agility...............................................73 Endurance........................................74 Perception........................................75 WonderingBlind..............................76 PerceptionandParanoia.................76 Strength............................................77

Chapter6Conflicts& ConsequencesTheBasicsofConflict..................205ClearingStressBoxes....................207 Concessions...................................208 CalledShots ...................................209 .

RunningConflicts........................209ConflictPhases...............................209 FramingtheScene.........................209 RevealAspects................................210 DetermineZones............................210 EstablishInitiative...........................210 TakingAction..................................210

MentalAbilities..............................78Craft..................................................78 Knowledge.......................................79 Willpower..........................................81

SocialAbilities................................82Deception.........................................82 Empathy...........................................83 Persuasion........................................83 Allies,EnemiesandContactsas PersuasionSpecialtyAspects......84 Resources.........................................85 ItemsasResourceSpecialtyAspects.86

PhysicalConflict ...........................211 .AttackingandDefendingina PhysicalConflict...........................211 WeaponandArmorRatings............211 PhysicalStressBoxes.......................211 LessRealism/LessComplexity......212 PhysicalConsequences...................212 OneHit,MultipleConsequences....214 PhysicalMovementinaConflict....214 SampleofaPhysicalConflict........215

Chapter5AdvantagesWhatareAdvantages?..................87 HeroicAdvantages........................88 PowerAdvantages........................89PurchasingaPower.........................89 PowerAspects.................................90 PurchasingAdvantageswith Resources.....................................90 InvokingPowerAspectsforEffect..91 PowerSources..................................91 TheAffinityAbility...........................92 StandardAbilitiesasAffinityAbilities 92 ActivationDifficultyandPowerStress..93 FatePointCost.................................93 AspectsfromAdvantages...............94 Metro,World,Galaxy, CosmicandInfinity..............94 PowerSources,AffinityAbilitiesand theCampaign...............................95

MentalConflict............................220WhentoUseMentalConflicts......220 MentalAttacks...............................220 CommonMentalAttackingand DefendingAbilities .....................221 . ResolvingMentalAttacks...............222 EdgeandDetermination........222 MentalStressBoxes.......................223 MentalConsequences....................223 Shock,FearandInsanity................224 MentalDefeat................................224 SampleofaMentalConflict ........225 .

SocialConflict..............................232WhatareSocialConflicts?..............232 TheSocialAttack............................232 SocialStressBoxes.........................232 SocialConsequences......................233 LeverageandPopularity.........233 AwardingLeverageandMakingthe AttackRoll...................................233 GainingPopularity .......................... 35 . 2 SampleofSocialConflict...............234

SampleExpertAdvantages..........96 SampleHeroicAdvantages..........101 SamplePowerAdvantages...........111 MetaPowers...............................188

v

HealingStress&Consequences..237AssistedHealing.........................240 Howdoyoudie?.............................240

SpecialRules&Maneuvers.........262Ambushing.........................................262 AnimalHandling.................................262 AnimalInstincts..................................262 BeamWeapons..................................263 BreakingThings .................................264 . Climbing .............................................265 . ComputersandHacking....................265 Crafting&Repairing..........................267 Demolitions........................................268 Diseases.............................................. 69 2 Disguise.............................................. 69 2 ExplosivesandExplosions.................270 Facilities..............................................273 Falling.................................................273 FireandEnvironmentalHazards.......274 FootChases........................................275 Forgery...............................................276 FullAutoWeapons.............................277 GatheringInformation.......................278 HelpfromOthers...............................278 Hiding,Shadowing&Camouflage ....279 . Jumping.............................................. 80 2 KnockOutBlow.................................281 Languages..........................................281 LockPicking.......................................282 MedicalAttention..............................282 Movement..........................................283 OutofAmmoandOverheating.........284 PoisonsandDrugs.............................285 Push/Pull/Throw.................................286 Restrain/Pin........................................286 Riding.................................................287 Scale...................................................287 Scavenging......................................... 88 2 SizeandWeight................................. 89 2 SocialEspionage................................291 Spying(LongTerm)...........................291 SuppressionFire ...............................2912 . Swallow..............................................293 Swimming ..........................................293 . TakingAim..........................................293 TakingCover ......................................294 . Testing&Research............................294 Time....................................................295 Trip .....................................................295 . Vacuum............................................... 96 2 ZeroGravity........................................ 96 2 Zones..................................................297

OtherStressTracks.....................240RenewableStressTracks...............240 NonRenewableStressTracks........241 StressBoxes&RelatedAbilities....241

Wealth .........................................242 .PurchasinganItem(Attackingthe WealthTrack).............................242 CostsandRewards........................243 SellingThings.................................243 HealingWealthStressand Consequences............................244 GettingRich...................................244

Mana............................................245ArcaneMagic.................................245 Arcane(AffinityAbility).................246 HealingManaStressBoxesand Consequences............................246 ManaConsequences .....................247 . TaintedMana.................................247 OptionalStressSystem:Thresholds 248 OptionalStressSystem:SingleSet..250

Chapter7Playingthe GameHowtoDoThings.........................251StackingBonusesandPenalties.252

SettingDifficulties........................252 Spin..............................................254 Maneuvers(PlacingaTemporary Aspect).....................................255 TypesofActions........................... 57 2SimpleActions................................257 ExtendedActions...........................258 ZeroOut.....................................259

SpecialActions............................259FreeActions...................................259 HoldYourAction............................259 BlockActions.................................260 FullDefense....................................261 SupplementalActions....................261

viIntroTableofContents

Chapter8Equipement& Chapter9Vehicles StepsofVehicleCreation.............341 TechnologyWeaponRating(WR).................299 ArmorRating(AR)......................299 ArmorStress................................299 ExplosiveRating(ExR)..............299 EquipmentRating(ER)..............299 Range............................................300 TechLevel(TL)............................300 CostRating....................................301 EquipmentModifications..........301 OtherNotes.................................302 Ammunition(AmmoUnits)......302 ItemAspects................................303 FIREARMSTABLE.......................305 MELEEWEAPONSTABLE..........307 ARMORTABLE............................308 GENERALEQUIPMENTTABLE.309 CombinedItems...........................310 EquipmentKits.............................317 SpecialAmmunition.....................319 SmartGrenades...........................320 SimplifiedEquipment...................321 MaintenanceCosts.....................324 AugmentedRealityTL5.............321 VirtualityTL6............................326 AIandVITL56..........................327 TranshumanityTL6..................328CreatingTranshumanCharacters...331 SampleMorphs...............................331 CustomMorphs.............................335 InfomorphAdvantages.................335 BackupInsurance...........................336

Step#1:WhatistheVehicle?........341 Step#2:Size..................................341 Step#3:VehicularAspects..........342 Step#4:Abilities..........................343 Step#5:SpecialtyAspects..........343 Step#6:VehicularAdvantages...344WhoPlaystheCar? ........................344 .

StressandConsequences...........345StructuralStress............................345 SystemStress.................................345 CrewStress....................................345 RepairingConsequences...............346

DoingThingsinVehicles.............347Actions...........................................347 Driving/Piloting..............................347 VehicularManeuvers.....................348 Navigation......................................348 VehicleChases................................348 ThePeopleMatter.........................350

VehicularConflict.........................351StealthandDetection.....................351 StructuralAttacks...........................351 SystemAttacks............................... 52 3 CrewAttacks..................................353 QuickResolution............................354

SampleVehicularAdvantages....355CrewAdvantages...........................355 SensorRanges................................ 57 3 DefensiveAdvantages.................... 57 3 FunctionalAdvantages..................360 MobilityAdvantages......................367 OffensiveAdvantages....................372 WeaponRanges..............................372

PowerItems................................337PurchasingPowerItemsand AspectedItems....................... 37 3

SampleVehicles...........................376

vii

Chapter10OrganizationsThisChapterandtheFateFractal..381

Attacking,Defending,Movingand Maneuvering..............................400

WhatisanOrganization?.............381StepsofOrganizationCreation......381 Step#1:TheOrganizations Concept......................................382 Step#2:Influence..........................382 Step#3:DetermineOrganization Aspects.......................................383 TheOrganizationAspectAlphabet..383 Step#4:PurchaseOrganizations Abilities&DetermineStress Tracks.........................................384 Step#5:Determinethe OrganizationsAssetAspects....385 MembershipAdvantage................386 OrganizationalConsequences& SacrificingAssets.......................386 ImprovingtheOrganization..........387 CollaborativeOrganizationCreation389

MultiScaleConflict.....................402ScalesandZones............................402 TheInverseNinjaLaw....................403 Individualsvs.Units.......................403 TransitioningStressand ConsequencesbetweenScales.404 Individualsvs.Vehicles..................404 UnitsorIndividualsvs.Organizations.405 FieldingUnits.................................406

Chapter12AntagonistsTypesofNPCs..............................409Extras.............................................409 GameMasterPlayedCharacter (GMPCs)......................................410

SampleOrganizations.................390

Chapter11Units&Large ScaleConflict Chapter13GameMasteryWhatisLargeScaleConflict?......393 SkirmishandCampaignScale.....393 WhatisaUnit?.............................394StepsofUnitCreation...................394 Step#1:TheCharactersthatmakeup theUnit......................................394 Step#2:DeterminetheUnit'sStress Track...........................................394 Step#3:DeterminetheUnit's DefiningAspect..........................394 Step#4:DeterminetheUnitsSize andAbilities................................395 Step#5:DeterminetheUnitsRoster Aspects.......................................396 Step#6:DeterminetheUnitsStress Tracks.........................................396 Consequences................................396 VehicularUnits...............................399

AntagonistEntries.......................410 AnimalAntagonists......................411 FantasyAntagonists....................420 ModernAntagonists...................433 SciFiAntagonists........................438

Changeit!.....................................441 TheRuleofFun........................441 NeverSayNo...........................443 PlayerNarratedFailure...............444 TheFunofFailure........................444 GMingviaEducatedReaction.....445 GameBalanceandMutually AssuredDestruction................447 HowNottoRunGMPCs..............448 ExperienceforMilestonesand Training ....................................448 .

Indexes/ReferencesCommonTables...........................455 AdvantagesIndex.......................455 VehicularAdvantagesIndex.......455 AntagonistsIndex.......................455 StandardIndex............................459

SkirmishandCampaignScale Conflict.....................................399

viiiIntroTableofContents

Chapter1TheBasics WhatisaRoleplayingGame?Tellingstoriesisatraditionwevesharedsincetheearliestmenlearnedto talk. Everyone gathers around and the storyteller avails the listener with talesofadventures,mystery,actionorterror. Role playing games (RPGs) were born of this tradition. But instead of a singlestorytellertellingthestoryandplayingthepartofallthecharacters, roleplayinggamesspreadtheworkaroundabit. Toplayaroleplayinggameyouneedatleasttwopeople,thoughthreeor fourispreferable.Onepersonusuallyhassomesortoftitle,wecallhimthe GameMaster(orGM)andtheotherparticipantsaresimplycalledPlayers. Eachplayermakesupacharacter.Likeacharacterinabookormovie,the character should have an interesting background, quirky habits, views and beliefsandothertraitsthatmakesthecharacterwellrounded. But unlike a book or movie, the character is assigned statistics and traits that are defined by the game system. These attributes tell the player, and others,howcapablethecharacterisatperformingcertainthings. ItistheGMsjobtocomeupwithsomesortofplotoutlineforthestoryas well as playing all the other characters that appear. He is also the final arbitrator of the rules, and may even supersede the rules of the game if it suitshisstory. So when the game starts, the GM describes to the players where their charactersareandwhatisgoingonaroundthem.AndthenhellaskWhat areyougoingtodo. Eachplayerwill,inturn,describewhatactionstheywishtotake.Usingthe rules of the game, the players and GM determine what happens when the playersattempttheiractionsandwhetherornottheysucceed. Andthatsroleplaying!

1

WhatistheFATEGameSystem?The book you hold in your hands uses a heavily modified version of the FATE (Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment) game system compiled and revised to allow the GM to run a game set in just about any genrehecanimagine. FATEistheawardwinningroleplayingsystemdrivingSpiritoftheCentury, StarblazerAdventuresandtheDresdenFilesRPG.Withthisgamesystemyou can tell stories of great adventure, terrible tragedy, super heroics or bone chillinghorrorsetinthegenresoffantasy,modern,orsciencefiction.

ThingsYouShouldHaveInadditiontothisbookyoullneedafewsuppliestoplaythegame.Heres alistofmandatoryitemsaswellassomerecommendedones.

YoullNeed A set of Fudge dice, which can be purchased at several online hobbystores.Alternatively,youcanusetwosixsided(d6)dice, preferablyofdifferingcolors,foreachplayerandtheGM. Somecopiesofcharactersheetsoratleastblankpapertorecord characters.(YoucandownloadcharactersheetsfromtheVoidStar homewebsite.) Writingimplements. Friends. For running a game, the sweet spots somewhere betweentwoandfour. Asetofpokerchipsorglassbeads(touseasFatePoints). Indexcardsorstickynotestopassnotesandtomakenoteson thingsthatcomeupinplay. Snacks.

Youllfinduseful:

2Chapter1TheBasics

RollingtheDiceWhen you want your character to perform an actionyourGMmaycanonyoutorollthedice.Do so,andaddanyrelevantmodifierstofindthetotal result of the roll. Usually a roll will call for you to addaspecificAbilitytotheroll.Forinstance,ifyou weretoldtorollyourAgility,youdrollthedice, add your Agility rating, and then add any other relevant modifiers to find the total. The total is thencomparedtoadifficultyratingsetbytheGM todeterminesuccessorfailure. FATEusesFudgedice,asetoffoursixsideddice markedwitha+,and0(orblank)oneach side. You roll the four Fudge Dice and total them up.Eachpluscountsas+1,eachminuscountsas1, andablank(or0)countsas0.Theaverageresult ofthedierollis0butcanswayasfaras4to4. Once youve determined the result of your dice roll, add theresult(or subtract ifitwasnegative) toanyothermodifiersyoumighthavesuchasyour relevantAbilityRank.

Probabilityof4 FudgeDiceResult 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 %Chance 1.23 4.94 12.35 19.75 23.46 19.75 12.35 4.94 1.23

ForexampleifyourAbilityisRank2andyourolla+,,0,+(adicerollof+1), thetotalis3. If your total is equal to or higher than the difficulty you succeed at your task. And if you beat the difficulty by 3 or more youve generated Spin. This means you not only succeeded but you did so in spectacular fashion. Seepg.254formoreonSpin. Sowhenacharacterwantstodosomethingthatrequiresaroll,hefollows thissimpleformulatodeterminehowwellhedoes:

4dF+AbilityRank+OtherModifiersvs.Difficulty Modifiers can be anything from bonuses granted from Aspects to those providedbyAdvantages(seebelow).

3

Willtheseregularsixsideddicework?Yestheywill. WhetheryoudonthaveanyFudgedice,oryou just prefer slightly less predictable results, you mayusetwosixsideddice. Therearetwowaystodothis.Thefirstmethod is to use four of them just like Fudge Dice, counting12as0,34as,and56as+. The other option is to take two different colored six sided dice and decide which will be thenegativediebeforeyouroll.Rollthedice andsubtractthenegativedicefromtheother dice result and add the total to your Ability Rank. Note that using this method of randomization willhaveatendencytocreatemuchmorevaried results. Probabilityofd6d6 Result 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 %Chance 2.78 5.56 8.33 11.11 13.89 16.67 13.89 11.11 8.33 5.56 2.78

RanksandDifficultyJust about every quantifiable value in FATE is given a Rank. Abilities are givenaRankthatdetermineshowgoodyouareatperformingcertaintasks, equipment is given ranks (called Equipment Ratings) to determine how muchitaidsyou,etc. Difficultiesaregivenranksjustlikeeverythingelse.Forinstance,itmightbe a Rank 0 difficulty to jumpstart a car, but a Rank 3 difficulty to repair that samecarafteraseriousbreakdown. Guidelinesforsettingdifficultiesarefoundlaterinthisbook(pg.252),but theruleofthumbisthus:Theaveragepersonsucceedsatadifficulty2task alittlemorethanhalfthetime.

4Chapter1TheBasics

TakingActionDiceareusedinoneoffourtypesofsituations: Simple Actions: Where the character spends his turn rolling against a fixed difficulty. If your total is equal to or higher than the difficulty, youaresuccessful.(Seepage257.) Contests: Two or more characters roll to perform competing simple actions. The character whose dice roll plus modifiers has the highest totalwins.(Seepage257.) Conflicts:Whentwoormorecharactersactindirectoppositiontoone another,butwhereresolutionisnotassimpleasacontest.(Seepage 205.) PhysicalConflictAfightwithfists,knives,guns,etc. Mental Conflict An argument, debate, or confrontation with something thatpotentiallychangesordamagesyourmind. Social Conflict A public conflict that can change or damage your reputationand/orlegalstatus.

Extended Actions: When you are performing a complicated task you cannot complete ina singleturn. Youroll each round, adding up the result of your rolls (plus modifiers) until you eventually hit a set difficulty.(Seepage258.)

CharacterAspectsMorethananyotherattribute,Aspectsarewhatmakethecharacterwho heorsheis.AnAspectcanbeanyphraseorquotethattellsyouandtheGM something about your character. Typically, an Aspect will relate to some eventorimportantpersonfromthecharacterspast,anitemofimportance to the character, a part of his personality, or a goal. They should not, however,relatedirectlytohisproficiencyinaparticularAbility.Thatswhat SpecialtyAspectsarefor(seebelow). SomeSampleCharacterAspects:TrainedbyCorporalFrankSheppard AlwaysUnderestimated Soonthiscitywillbelongtome! "Alwaysontherun" "Nobodygetsleftbehind!" NeverForgetsanInsult

Aspectsmaybeinvokedforabenefittotheplayer.Thismeanstheplayer spends a Fate Point and gains a benefit in situations where his Aspect is relevant. Aspectsmayalsobecompelled.Thismeansthecharactersuffersinsome waybecausehehasthatAspect,butheisrewardedwithaFatePointforhis troubles.

5

AbilitiesandSpecialtyAspectsAbilities represent what a character can do, or rather, how well they can do it. They are ranked starting at 0 andgetbetterastherankincreases.Arankof0means very little natural ability and/or no training. A rank of 5 means you are one of the best in the world with that Ability. So while a character with a Strength rank of 0 may occasionally have trouble getting around in daytoday life, a character with a Deception of 5 is among the greatestliarsandconartistsontheplanet.AbilityRank 1* 0 1 2 3 4 5

Abilities

PhysicalAgility Endurance Perception Strength

MentalKnowledge Reasoning Willpower Craft

Whatthatmeans Social Youhaveahandicapordisabilitythatoften Deception makesyoureverydaylifeachallenge. Empathy Almost handicapped. You may have some Persuasion troubleindaytodaylife. Resources Below Average. People note your deficiencies. Average.MostpeoplehaveanAbilityrankof2. AboveAverage.Youarenoticedforyourtalents. Well Above Average. You are one of the most talented people forhundredsofmiles. Peak Human. Few people on the planet have this level of an Ability.

*Charactersdefaulttoaratingof0,sotheonlywaytogeta1isbytaking theWeaknessAdvantagefoundonpage203.

6Chapter1TheBasics

Abilities are very broad generalizations, and while they can give you a good idea of what a character is capable of, they dont tell the whole story. To get a better idea of what a character is exceptionally good (or bad) at, you need to look at his Specialty Aspects (and Advantages, but well get to them later). LikeCharacterAspects,SpecialtyAspectsillustrate things that are important to the character. However, unlike Character Aspects, which are very broad in their scope, Specialty Aspects should be morefocusedonaparticularAbility. SomeSampleSpecialtyAspects: ExpertMarksman(Agility) SicklyandSlowtoHeal(Endurance) IhackedtheDoDDatabaseinlessthan7minutes! (Knowledge) Remember,Abilitiesareverybroad.Sodontthinkyouneedtohaveahigh rank in an Ability to be very good at some specialty that falls under it. For example, atalented chemist would probably have his Knowledge Ability at Rank2or3withaSpecialtyAspectthatcangrantabonustochemistrylike RecitesthePeriodicTableinHisSleep. Seepage21formoreonSpecialtyAspects.

RefreshRate(Refresh)AllcharactersstartwithapredeterminedRefreshRatesetbyyourGM.This is thenumberof Fate Points the character begins each game session with. RegardlessofhowmanyFPyouhadattheendoftheprevioussession,you startthenextgamesessionwithanumberequaltoyourRefreshRate. This Refresh Rate is often more simply referred to as your characters Refresh. NotethattheGMmaydecidenottoallowaRefreshatthebeginningofa sessioniftheprevioussessionendedabruptly,orhemayofferaRefreshat othertimesifappropriate;suchaswhenhittingamilestoneinastoryarc.

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AdvantagesAdvantages represent additional training or special abilities a character might have. You purchase Advantages with Advantage Points (AP) and theycomeinthreetiers. InthefirsttierwefindtheExpertAdvantages.Thesearecommonamong allpeopleandareusedtodescribesomedegreeoftraining.Forexample,a characterwithaCraftof2mightalsohavetheGearHeadAdvantage,which grantsabonustoworkonvehiclesandimpliessomemechanictraining. The second tier is made up of the Heroic Advantages. These are the special, more cinematic, traits that push your character overthetop. Heroic Advantages belong to action heroes like the bouncer who can take down a room full of drunken brawlers or the investigator who can fashion powerfulexplosivesoutofthestuffyoudfindinmostkitchens. ThethirdtierholdsthePowerAdvantages.Thesearethemagicalspells, psionic powers, mutant gifts, cybernetic augmentations or other unnatural powersthatcharactersmayobtain. What Advantages are available for you to choose from depends largely uponyourGM,thegenreofthegameyoureplaying,andthespecificsetting youreusingforyourgame. Advantages are also meant to represent the unique abilities that a given genre/setting may allow for your character to indulge in mechanical wonders made possible by science(!), arcane secrets of undocumented ancient civilizations, superhuman capabilities, the unlocked power of an enlightenedmind,younameittheseAdvantagesaremeanttodistinguisha characterassomethinguniquewithinthesettingofthestory.

8Chapter1TheBasics

StressandConsequencesBullets and claws rend flesh, the mind reels in the face of an unnamable abomination from beyond or at the sight of a dead loved one. The hero walksalone;outcast,banished,hungry,homeless,poor,andbroken.Notall heroesarewelcomedwithopenarms,buttheydothejobanyway. Whenyousufferstressfromanattack,theamountyousufferismarkedoff yourstressboxes.Onceallthestressboxesinarowaremarked,youmust takeaConsequence.OnceyouhavetakenfourConsequences(oneeachof Minor, Major, Severe(P), and Extreme(P)) you are in danger of being Defeated(P). ConsequencesareessentiallytemporaryAspectsthatdescribeaneffectof thestressyouhavetaken.AndlikeotherAspectstheycanbecompelled,or evensometimesinvoked.Forexample,aMinorPhysicalConsequencemight beaSprainedAnkle,while a Severe(P)Social Consequence maybeWanted DeadorAlive. In addition, the first invoking or compelling of a Consequence is free and the Severe(P), Extreme(P), and Defeated(P) Consequences are considered persistent,allowingyoutoalwaysinvokeorcompelthemforfree. Note that Extras are often unable to take the full allotment of Consequences. SeeChapter6formoreonconflicts,stress,andConsequences.

Awesomevs.RealismUnlikemanyothergamesystems,FATEdoesnottrytosimulatereality. Instead, the focus here is on telling a story, a shared narrative between theGMandplayers. Often times what makes for a good story isnt always realistic. When playing games using Strands of Fate, remember to think of it as a play, novel,comicbook,ormovie.TheplayerscanusetheirFatePointstotake over some control of the story, bringing to the forefront the different aspectsoftheunfoldingstoryanditscharactersthattheythinkarecool. While this may not always create a perfectly realistic result, it should alwayscreateaninterestingone.Thatwasawesome!isalmostalways morefunthanThatwasrealistic.

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GlossaryAbility:YourAbilitiespaintaverybroadpictureofyourcharacter,defining his innate aptitude in performing certain tasks. When creating your character, you willgivehim ranks inhis Abilities. The average person has a ratingof2ineachAbility.SeeChapter4formore. Advantage: Theseattributesfurtherdefinewhat yourcharacter cando. If Abilities cover your characters natural ability, Advantages help represent whatyourcharacterhaslearnedovertheyears.SeeChapter5formore. Advantage Points (APs): Characters are given a number of Advantage PointsatcharactercreationwithwhichtopurchaseAdvantages. AffinityAbility:AnAbilitythatdescribesyouraptitudeforcontrollingyour PowerSource.UsuallyrolledwhenusingPowerAdvantages.Seepg.92for more. Aspects: An Aspect is a word, phrase, quote, or sentence that describes someparticulartraitofaperson,placeorthing.YoucanspendaFatePoint (FP) to drawattention to a particular Aspect,or gain a FP when an Aspect harmsyou.ThisiscalledinvokingorcompellinganAspect. Aspectsaregenerallywritteninitalicsinthisbook. SeeChapter3formore. Assessment:YoumayuseyourPerception,ReasoningorEmpathytostudy aperson,placeorthinginanefforttodiscoverAspectsitmayhave.Seepg. 63formore. Armor Rating (AR): Armor, shields, and some Powers grant an Armor Rating.Ifyouaresuccessfullyhitwithanattack,yourARissubtractedfrom theamountofstressyousuffer. Campaign:Aseriesofgamesessionsstrungtogethertoformasharedand evolvingstory. CampaignPowerLevel(CamPL):AratingdeterminedbytheGMthatsets the tone of the campaign. Your Campaign Power Level determines the numberofAbilityranks,AdvantagePoints,etc;thatstartingcharactershave. Seepage15formore. CharacterAspect:AnAspectthatdescribeswhoacharacteris.Itanswers thequestionofwhereheisfrom,hisoutlookonlife,hisguidingprinciples, etc. Compel (an Aspect): Spend a Fate Point to make an Aspect impact a characterinanegativeway.YougainaFatePointanytimeoneofyourown Aspectsarecompelled.Seepg.55formore.

10Chapter1TheBasics

Concession:Youmaychoosetoendaconflictonyourterms.Ifyouoffera Concessiontoyouropponentanditisaccepted,yougainaFP.Ifherefuses andtheofferwasafairone,helosesaFP.Seepg.208formore. Consequences:IfyousuffertoomuchstressonyourStressTrack,youmust takeaspecialkindofAspectcalledaConsequence.Therearefourtypesof Consequence Minor, Major, Severe(P) and Extreme(P). As you take Consequences,andtheyarecompelled,youbecomelessandlesseffective atperformingtasksuntilyouareeventuallyDefeated(P).SeeChapter6for more. Declaration: You may roll your Knowledge or Reasoning to declare that a person, place, or thing has an Aspect you get to specify. The more interestingtheDeclaration,thehigherthechancesareofsuccess.Seepg.65 formore. Defeated: The exact nature of Defeat depends largely on what type of conflictyoulost.Foraphysicalconflict,itcouldmeanacomaorevendeath. A mental conflict could reduce you to a gibbering vegetable, while a social conflictcouldlandyouinprisonorexiledforlife.SeeChapter6formore. Defining Aspect: The Character Aspect that best defines your characters concept.Seepg.19formoreonDefiningCharacterAspects. Determination: The armor used in mental conflicts. Determination ratingsderivefrommotivationandmoraleonthepartofthedefender.See pg.222formore. Difficulty(Diff:X):Thenumberthatyourrollplusmodifiersmustmeetor exceedtosuccessfullyperformanaction. Edge: The weapon used in mental conflicts. Edge ratings are granted fromexceptionalroleplayingorclevernessonthepartoftheattackers.See pg.222formore. EquipmentRating(ER):Thebonusapieceofequipmentgrantsyouwhen usingittoaidyouinperforminganaction.Seepg.299formore. Experience Points (XPs): At the end of each game session, the GM will reward you experience points. These points are spent to improve your characterstraits. Extra: Extrasarethe faceless masses ofcharactersthe PCs might interact with,butdonotplayamajorroleinthestory.Itmaybethebartender,the crossing guard, or one of the local farmers. They tend to have simplified statisticsandareDefeatedmucheasierthanPCsorGMPCs. Fate Point (FP): Fate Points are used as narrative currency. They can be spenttoturnthespotlightonaparticularperson,placeorthingsAspectsby

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way of invoking or compelling. They can also be used to activate some Advantages.SeeChapter3formore. GameMaster(GM):AlsocalledNarrator,Judge,Referee,StoryTeller,etc. in other games. The GM helps the group tell a story, devises the plot, background,settingandenemies,playstherolesofNPCsandenemieswhen you encounter them, and is responsible for knowing the rules and making suretheplayershaveagreattime. Game Master Played Character (GMPC): These NPCs are the other major charactersinthestorythathaveanameasopposedtoGuard#3.Theyare importantfiguresinthestory;suchasaplayercharactersboss,amajorally, orenemy. Initiative: A roll that takes place at the start of a conflict that determines theorderinwhichtheactingcharactersgettotaketheirturns.Seepg.210 formore. Invoke(anAspect):SpendaFatePointtomakeanAspectimpactarollina positiveway.Seepg.53formore. Leverage: The weapon used in social conflicts. Leverage ratings are granted from collecting evidence against your target, publically humiliating him,orundermininghisbaseofpower.Seepg.233formore. Maneuver: An action taken to place an Aspect on yourself, another character,anobject,orthescene.Seepg.255formore. Melee Attack: An attack made against an opponent with your fist, feet, knives,spearsorotherhandheldweapons. NonPlayerCharacter(NPC):Theyrethecastofpeopleonthefringeofthe story, people met along the way, all briefly played by the Game Master to enhanceyourexperience.NPCsareeitherExtrasorGMPCs. PersistentAspects:Denotedwitha(P)attheendoftheAspectsname. TheseAspectsimpactaperson,place,thingorscenetosuchadegreethatit canbeinvokedorcompelledforfree.ItdoesnotcostaFatePointtoinvoke a persistent Aspect and no one gets a Fate Point if it is compelled. Note, however,thatinvokingorcompellingapersistentAspectforeffectstillcosts aFatePoint.Seepg.59formore. Player:OneofthepeopleplayinginthegamethatisnottheGameMaster. Player Character (PC): Thats the imaginary person you will play in the game.Youcreatethemfromyourimaginationusingtherulesfoundinthis book as a guide. Once created, you will control this character, making decisionsforhimorherthatwillhelpthemovercometheirobstacles.

12Chapter1TheBasics

Popularity:Thearmorusedinsocialconflicts.Themorethepubliccares forthedefender,themoredifficultitistogetasocialattacktostick.See pg.233formore. Power Source: The source of power from which you gain access to your PowerAdvantages.Seepg.95formore. RangedAttack:Anattackmadewithabow,crossbow,pistol,assaultrifle, thrownspearoranyothertypeofrangedweapon. Refresh Rate: Your Fate Point budgethow many Fate Points you get at thestartofeachsession.OftenjustcalledRefresh. Round: A round consists of about three seconds of ingame time. And duringthattime,eachcharacterinthescenegetsaturn.Eachcharactergets totaketheirturninorderofinitiative. Scene:FATEbreaksuptheactionintoscenes,muchlikeamovie.Youhave interaction scenes, action scenes, chase scenes, etc. The exact length of a scenevariesbutgenerallybeginsandendswhenthereisasignificantshiftin thestorysfocusorachangeinthesetting. Scale: The scope of a conflict. Scales are rated as Personal, Skirmish, and CampaignScale.Seepg.287formore. Session:Agamesession.Thetimeyouandyourfriendsdevotetoplaying thegameonagivenday. Specialty Aspect: An Aspect that describes what a character is good (or bad)at.TheyarenarrowinfocusandareassociatedwithanAbilitytobetter defineitsintendedmeaning.Note:ResourceSpecialtyAspectscanbeitems orFacilitiesandPersuasionSpecialtyAspectscanbealliesandcontacts.See page21formore. Spin: When the total of your roll plus all modifiers beats the difficulty by threeormore,youaresaidtohavegeneratedSpin.Spinindicatesthatnot onlydidyousucceedbutyoudidsowithfinesse,precisionand/orflare.See pg.254formore. StressTrack:AStressTrackisusedtotracktheamountofstressyouhave takenmeasuredinstressboxes.Onceallthestressboxesinarowarefilled you must take a Consequence. Additional stress is then taken on the next row, which when filled, requires you to take another Consequence; and so onuntilyouareDefeatedorConcede.SeeChapter6formore. TechLevel(TL):Thegeneralleveloftechnologyfeaturedinthecampaign. Thehigherthenumber,themoresophisticatedthetechnologytheaverage personhasaccessto.Seepg.300formore.

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TemporaryAspect:AnAspectthatgoesawaywithtime.FragileAspects go away when compelled or invoked or after the round is over. Sticky Aspectsgoawayaftertheyareintentionallyremovedorsomethinghappens toremovethem.SeeChapter3formore. Turn:Yourchancetoactduringaround. WeaponRating(WR):WeaponsandsomePowershaveaWeaponRating. After you have landed a successful attack on your enemy, this bonus is addedtotheamountofstressyourtargetsuffers.Seepg.299formore. Zone:Theareainwhichaphysicalconflicttakesplaceisdividedintozones by the GM. Zones usually have clearly defined boundaries, such as walls or changesinelevation,andaresizedbasedonthescaleoftheconflict.Seepg. 297formore.

14Chapter1TheBasics

Chapter2CharacterCreation StepsofCharacterCreation1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. DetermineyourCampaignPowerLevel(CamPL)andTechLevel(TL) Thinkaboutyourcharacterconceptandpickoutacoolname SelectfiveCharacterAspects PurchaseAbilities SelectfiveSpecialtyAspects PurchaseAdvantages Purchasestartingequipment

Step#1:CampaignPowerLevelandTechLevelBefore youbegin creating your character, the GM should set a Campaign PowerLevel(CamPL).TheCampaignPowerLevel,simplyput,tellsyouhow epicyourcampaignisgoingtobe.Willyoubefightinggangstersinaback alleyordragonsintherealmofgods? The table below suggests several common Campaign Power Levels but dontbeafraidtomakeupyourown.Ifyoufeelyouwanttorunacampaign wherethecharactershavetheAbilitiesofaHerobuttheAdvantagesofa SuperHero,goforit.JustrememberthattheCampaignPowerLevelwill haveadrasticaffectonyourgame,sothinkaboutitcarefully. TechLevel: Determine the campaigns TL as it will impact how some Advantagesareusedandwhatequipmentisavailable.Seepg.300formore. Aspects:RegardlessoftheCamPL,allcharactersbeginwithfiveCharacter AspectsandfiveSpecialtyAspects. CharacterAspectsdefinewhoacharacteris,whileSpecialtyAspectsdefine the characters proficiency in skills, his personal items, or interesting relationships. Abilities:Allcharactersbeginwitharankof0inallAbilities.Dependingon your starting CamPL, you gain additional ranks to distribute among your Abilities as per the table below. So placing 3 ranks in Empathy netsyou an Empathyratingof3.

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Thenumberinparenthesisisthehighestrankyoucanstartwithinasingle Ability,thoughitmaybeincreasedlaterbyspendingExperiencePoints. Refresh: All characters start with a Refresh Rate determined by the campaignsPowerLevelasperthetablebelow.ThisistheamountofFate PointsthePCswillstarteachgamesessionwith. Advantages: Unlike Aspects, Advantages offer a constant bonus to a specific use of an Ability, such as sneaking or telling lies, or allow you to performsomespecialaction. Charactersstartwithanumberofpoints,dependingonyourCamPL,with which to purchase Advantages. However, some Advantages are only available at higher Power Levels and cannot be purchased no matter how many Advantage Points (APs) you have. The table below shows the suggestednumberofstartingAdvantagePointscharactersshouldgetbased on the Power Level of the campaign. The number in parenthesis is the maximum number of APs the character can put into a single Advantage, thoughhemayaddmorelaterbypurchasingAPswithExperiencePointsand devotingthemtoimprovinghisPower(s). ThedifferenttypesofAdvantagesandwhattheyareforaredescribedlater inthischapter. Note that the GM may decide to allow Power Advantages to Experts or HeroesiftheyareplayinginasettingwhereAdvantagescanbepurchased withResources,suchasafuturisticsettingfeaturingcybernetics.Seepg.90. Also, the GM may consider allowing Commoners and Experts to purchase theHeroicAdvantagecalledExperienced(pg.103).Campaign Abilities PowerLevel Refresh (Max) 4 24(3) Commoner Expert 5 24(3) Hero 6 25(3) ActionHero 7 25(4) MythicHero 8 26(4) LegendaryHero 9 26(5) SuperHero 10 27(5) MetroClass WorldClass GalaxyClass CosmicClass InfinityClass Adv. Points 1(1) 3(1) 6(2) 9(2) 12(5) 15(7) 20(10) 30(12) 40(14) 50(16) 60(18) AvailableAdvantagesExpertonly Expertonly ExpertandHeroiconly ExpertandHeroiconly Expert,HeroicandPowers(NoSuperPowers) Expert,HeroicandPowers(NoSuperPowers) All,MetroClassSuperPowerOnly All,UptoWorldClassSuperPowersOnly All,UptoGalaxyClassSuperPowersOnly All,UptoCosmicClassSuperPowersOnly All

SeeBelow SeeBelow

YouhaveanumberofPhysicalstressboxesequaltoyourStrength+Endurance+Modifiers. YouhaveanumberofMentalstressboxesequaltoyourReasoning+Willpower+Modifiers. YouhaveanumberofSocialstressboxesequaltoyourPersuasion+Resources+Modifiers.

16Chapter2CharacterCreation

Step#2:TheCharacterConceptThesecondstepincreatingacharacteristositdownandthinkofasolid characterconcept.Thisofcoursewilldependlargelyonthesettingyouare goingtobeplayinginandthegenre(s)youretakinginspirationfrom. In a fantasy game, your character could be the outcast heir to an ancient kingdom. Or he might be a poor down on his luck merchant looking for a waytogetbackattheevilDukewhorobbedhimofhisfortune. Inamoderngame,yourcharactermightbeaburnedoutcopwithaknack forbeinginthewrongplaceatthewrongtime.Ormaybeyouareaformer proracecardrivergettingbydoingstreetracesanddrivingthegetawaycar. Inascifigame, you might be a cybernetically enhanced computer hacker embroiled in the world of industrial espionage, breaking into secure corporate networks and selling what you find to their competition. Or maybe youre a laserriflewielding street samurai looking to bring justice backtoyouroldhometownonMars. Dont be afraid to bounce your character concept off the GM and other players. Youll know youve got a good one when another player tries to stealitforhisowncharacter.

Step#3:CharacterAspectsChapter3dealswithAspectsindetail,butfornow,youjustneedtoknow thebasics. An Aspect is a phrase, sentence, or character quote that describes some aspectofyourcharacter.YoucanspendaFatePointtogainabonusbecause of your Aspect. This is called invoking an Aspect (see pg. 53). An Aspect can also work against you, earning you a Fate Point. This is called compellinganAspect(seepg.55). Aspects can be both positive and negative, but they should never be boring.WheneveryouchooseanAspect,takeaminutetoaskyourselfwhat kind of situations you can imagine using it for and what kind of trouble it might get you into. The very best Aspects suggest answers to both those questions. And an Aspect that can answer neither is likely to be very dull indeed. WhenyourepickingAspects,makesureyoudontgethunguponcoming up with some clever play on words or being witty. What really matters is howusefulyourAspectis.IfyouareiffyaboutanAspect,trytothinkoftwo

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orthreedifferentwaysthatAspectcouldcomeupinthegame.Howdoyou invokeit?Howcanitbecompelled? Asageneralrule when selectingAspects, Cool should always outweigh Powerful. So you might be thinking Ill take Lucky as an Aspect. That couldalwaysbeinvokedtohelpme.Andyeah,youdberight.Itspowerful. Butisitcool? LetstakeitastepbackandchangeittoTwistsofFate.Notonlyisthata little more evocative but it suggests that it could be invoked in some truly interesting ways. It might also get you to wondering why this character is regularlysubjectedtooddcoincidencesand...twistsoffate. And perhaps just as important as being cool, the Aspect should be interestingwhen compelled. Askyourselfhow often Lucky is going to be a bad thing in your characters life. You want conflict. You want challenge. AdversityisfunanditnetsyouFatePoints. Now lets look at Twists of Fate. This Aspect implies that the odds always seemtoturnontheirheadwhenyourcharacterisaround.Butthatdoesnt meantheyalwaysworkinyourfavor.AnAspectlikethiscouldbecompelled bytheGMinallsortsofinterestingwaysandnotonlydoesthatnetyouFate Pointsbutitmakesforabetterstoryforeveryone.

18Chapter2CharacterCreation

Your character starts with a total of five character Aspects. One is called yourDefiningAspectandisessentiallyyourcharactersconceptsummedup injustafewwords.Theotherfourareusedtofurtherdefineyourcharacter andareaddressedbelow. SampleDefiningCharacterAspects HonorableKnightoftheCross MysteriousSorcerer ParanoidParanormalInvestigator HardNosedSpecialForcesOperative BloodThirstySpaceMarine CyberneticAssassin WhenthinkingaboutyourotherCharacterAspects,youshouldprobablystop toconsiderhowyourAspectsaddressthetopicslistedbelow. We call this the Aspect Alphabet and while it is not required that your Aspects address these issues, its a good idea to at least give them a little thought. AisforAmbition Whatareyourcharacter'sgoalsandambitions?GoodambitionAspectsmight besimilartoWantstoAvengehisFather'sDeath,I'llmakecaptainoneday!", "ThehordesofGogshallbedrivenoutofmyhomeland!",orsomethingsimilar. BisforBackground Thiscouldcoveranythingfromwhereyougrewup,towhoyourparentswere, toyourpreviousprofessions.ThingslikeGrewupontheStreetsofNewYork, Bastard Son of Prince Morlass, Ex CIA Operative, make great background Aspects. CisforConvictions Whatdoyoubelievein?Whatphilosophiesguideyouractionsandmakeyou thepersonyouare?SomegoodconvictionAspectsincludeGodwillgrantme Strength,LadiesFirst,orIdlaydownmylifeformycountry. DisforDisadvantages Whyhaventyoualreadyachievedallyourgoals?Whatareyourweaknesses? SomegooddisadvantageAspectsincludeSoftSpotforthePoor,Lostmylegs inNamorIshallnotharmaninnocent.

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Step#4:AbilitiesWhileCharacterAspects tellus whoa character is, his Abilities tell us in a verygeneralsensewhathecando.Characterswillhavearankdefaultingto 0 in each of the following twelve Abilities. These Abilities are very broad interpretations of your characters capabilities, which are further defined withSpecialtyAspectsandAdvantages. The twelve Abilities, and what they measure about your character, are listedbelow:

PhysicalAbilities:Agility speed, balance, handeye coordination, hiding, moving quietly, manualdexterity,attackingwithrangedweapons,etc. Endurance health, vigor, ability to withstand pain, toxins, sickness and diseasesofthebody,etc.AddstoyourPhysicalstressTrack. Perception the five senses, general awareness of your surroundings, reactionspeed,etc.CanbeusedtomakeAssessments(pg.63). Strength raw physical might, lifting, dragging, pulling, attacking with meleeweapons,etc.AddstoyourPhysicalStressTrack.

MentalAbilities:Craft painting, carpentry, blacksmithing, demolitions, sculpting, programming,engineering,etc. Knowledge history, geography, computers, physics, chemistry, pop culture,literature,etc.CanbeusedtomakeDeclarations(pg.65). Reasoningriddles,logicproblems,math,shorttermmemory,puzzles,etc. Adds to your Mental Stress Track and your Wealth Stress Track if one is usedinyourcampaign.CanbeusedtomakeDeclarations(pg.65). Willpower resisting seduction, addiction, brain washing, temptation, psychicassault,etc.AddstoyourMentalStressTrack.

SocialAbilities:Deceptionlying,seduction,cheating,stealing,runninglongtermconsjobs, casinganarea,pickingpockets,etc. Empathy sense others emotions, detect deception, help with psychologicaldamage,etc.CanbeusedtomakeAssessments(pg.63). Persuasion bargaining, contacts, debate, intimidation, sex appeal, performance,etc.AddstoyourSocialStressTrack. Resources money, credit, collateral, home, means of transportation, etc. Rolledtopurchaseitems.AddstoyourSocialStressTrackandyourWealth StressTrackifoneisusedinyourcampaign.

20Chapter2CharacterCreation

AffinityAbilitiesAthirteenthAbility,calledAffinity,isusedtomeasureyourcontrolover yourPowerSource.APowerSourceandAffinityAbilitymaybenecessaryif youhavesometypesofPowerAdvantages. PowerSourcesandAffinityAbilitiesarecoveredindetailintheChapter5.

CommonAbilityPackagesThe following packages can be purchased with 24 ranks in Abilities. You might want to select one of these packages to speed character creation. TheAverageGuy:Rank2inallAbilities. TheTrainedProfessional:Rank3intwoAbilities.Rank2ineightAbilities. Rank1intwoAbilities. TheSpecialist:Rank3inthreeAbilities.Rank2insixAbilities.Rank1in threeAbilities. Ifyouarestartingwithmorethan24ranksinAbilities,considerselecting apackagefromtheabovelistandcustomizingitwiththeadditionalranks youhave.

Step#5:SpecialtyAspectsSpecialtyAspectsarewhatsetyourcharacterapartfromthemasses. AfteryouhaveallottedyourAbilityPoints,youmaynowcomeupwithfive Specialty Aspects. These Aspects should strongly reflect some strength or weakness you have in a particular Ability. For example, under Agility you might have High School Track Team and under Persuasion you might have LadiesMan. Butremember,as withCharacterAspectsthere is some benefit to having anAspectthatisanegativetrait.ThememberoftheHighSchooltrackteam could easily also have All Thumbs to indicate that while he may be athletic andquickonhisfeet,hesnotespeciallygoodatcatchingthingsoranything thatrequiresalotofmanualdexterity. Note that Specialty Aspects are associated with an Ability (and an Ability may have multiple Specialties), but are not restricted to it. The purpose of this association is to better define the intent of the Aspect, not to strictly limititsuse.

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For example, Ill Never Talk! implies something different if it is associated with Endurance than if it were associated with Willpower, even though the wording of the Aspect is the same. The association with an Ability just helps clarify what the Aspect says aboutthecharacter. Also,theremaybesomespecialcaseswhere the GM allows you to invoke or compel a Specialty Aspect with a different Ability than theoneitisassociatedwith.Andthatsokay. The Specialty Aspects association with an Abilityisaguideline,notarestriction. For example, if a character has a Specialty AspectofToughasNails(Endurance),theGM maystilllethimspendaFPandapplyabonus to a defense roll to mitigate physical stress, evenifheisrollingAgilitytodefend. Like Character Aspects, we can continue lookingtotheAspectAlphabetasaguidefor selectingSpecialtyAspects. EisforExceptionalSkill Sowhatareyougoodat?Haveyoureceivedsomespecialtrainingthatmakes you an expert with some specific use of an Ability? Or maybe your body or mind has been changed to make you better at something. Some good exceptional skill Aspects include Master Swordsman (Strength), SubDermal PainDampers(Endurance),andSilverTonguedSalesman(Persuasionormaybe Deception). FisforFoe(s) Every hero has enemies. Who have you crossed in your past that might be lookingforrevenge?Orisityouwhoseeksvengeancefromthem?Somegood foe Aspects include On the Run from Sheriff Dobs (Persuasion), The Black Widow Clan has my Number (Persuasion), Wont Rest Until Helios MicrosystemsisBankrupt(Persuasion). Note that foe Aspects are almost always associated with your Persuasion Ability.Seepg.84formore.

Your10AspectsEvery character begins withatotalof10Aspects, and if you are using the Aspect Alphabet, you shouldtrytohaveonefor eachofthese:

CharacterAspects: 1. DefiningAspect 2. Ambition 3. Background 4. Conviction 5. Disadvantage SpecialtyAspects: 6. ExceptionalSkill 7. Foe(s) 8. Gear 9. Help 10. InferiorSkill

22Chapter2CharacterCreation

GisforGear Doyouhaveanyspecialpiecesofequipment,vehiclesorfacilities?Goodgear Aspects include: My Pas Old Six Shooter (Resources), Shes the fastest ship in the Rim (Resources), HighTech Research and DevelopmentFacility(Resources). Note that Gear Aspects are almost always associatedwithyourResourcesAbility.Seepg. 86formore. HisforHelp Do you have a friend, some family, or a group youcancallonintimesofneed?Afewexamples of help Aspects are: Old Brother John the Vampire Hunting Priest (Persuasion), Im a member of Talos 9 (Persuasion), Us Larsons sticktogether.(Persuasion) Notethatlikefoes,Aspectsthatrepresent people willing to help you are almost always associated with your Persuasion Ability. See pg. 84 for more. IisforInferiorSkill Wecantallbegoodateverything. So what do you suck at? Maybe its some handicap or maybe you just cant seem to get it no matter how hard you try. What specific use of an Abilityjusteludesyou?Somegoodinferior skill Aspects include Bad Knees (Agility), OverlyBlunt(PersuasionormaybeDeception), Mathishard(Knowledge). Ifyouarehavingahardtimecomingupwith Specialty Aspects, make sure you check out Chapters3and4formoreexamples. Andremember,youdonothavetostickwith the Aspect Alphabet. For example, if you feel like your character wouldnt have any special gear,youcouldjustgivehimanotherinferiorskillAspectinstead.

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Step#6:AdvantagesLikeSpecialtyAspects,Advantagesrepresentthetrainingorspecialabilities that characters may have. And, in addition to their Aspects and Abilities, Advantagesdefinewhatitisacharactercando. AllAdvantageshaveacostwhichisdeductedfromyourstartingAdvantage Points(AP)andcomeinthreetiers;Expert,Heroic,andPowerAdvantages. Unlike Specialty Aspects, Advantages do not have to be invoked or compelledtohaveaneffect. Expert Advantages cost one AP and tend to grant you some sort of constantbenefit,suchasa+1or+2bonusonsomespecificusesofanAbility ortheoptiontouseoneAbilityinplaceofanotherinsomecircumstances. Generally,theseAdvantagesaretheresultofyearsoftrainingorpracticein a specific field. You dont have to spend a Fate Point to benefit from an ExpertAdvantage. HeroicAdvantagesareabitmoreexotic.TheycosttwoAPandeithergrant some powerful benefit at all times or allow you to spend a Fate Point to performsomesortofspecialaction,likestunninganopponentstruckwitha meleeweapon. Power Advantages (or Powers) are special abilities that rise above the limits of normal human kind. Their AP cost varies depending on how powerfultheAdvantageis,buttheyallgrantsomesortofunnaturalbenefit such as resistance to psychic assault. Or they may allow you to perform somesupernaturalactliketurninginvisibleorthrowingmagicalfireballs. Notice that Power Advantages come in two flavors; regular Powers and SuperPowers.SuperPowersarefurthercategorizedintoMetroClass,World Class,GalaxyClass,CosmicClassandInfinityClass.APowersclassindicates howpowerfulitisandcharacterscannotpurchaseaPowerofaclasshigher thanthecampaignsPowerLevel.

TradingRefreshforAdvantagePointsIftheGMallows,youmaybegrantedtheoptiontostartthegamewith a reduced Refresh in exchange for more Advantage Points. Generally a single point of Refresh is worth 1.5 Advantage Points. This means that yougain3APforevery2pointsofRefreshyouexchange.Oryoucanjust usethetablebelowforaneasyreference: Refresh 2 4 6 AdvantagePoints 3 6 9

NotethatyoumayneverbeginthegamewithaRefreshratelessthan1.

24Chapter2CharacterCreation

RepresentingyourCharacterAbilitiesareameasureofyourcharactersinnatecapabilities.Theyare instinct, genetics, and the product of his lifestyle. On the other hand, Advantagesrepresenttrainingoraverystrongtalentforaspecificuse ofanAbility.SoathiefmighthaveAgility2andtheStickyFingers(+2) Advantage. This grants him a +4 bonus on rolls to pick a persons pocket. Then,ifheisreallygoodhemighthaveaSpecialtyAspectofWheres myWallet?,whichhecaninvokeforanadditional+2foratotalbonus of +6 when lifting wallets on the subway. And if he is really REALLY good,hemightalsoinvokehisCharacterAspectofBackAlleyStreetRat foranother+2foratotalbonusof+8. In general, Character Aspect and Abilities can cover a very broad swathoftopics.Theyareverygeneralandapplyinalotofsituations. Specialty Aspects tend to be rather narrow and come into play less frequently. Advantages grant further bonuses that truly set you above the massesinyourparticularareaofexpertise. Just remember that higher Ability ratings mean that your character performsliterallyhundredsorthousandsoftasksexceptionallywell. SodontthinkyourcharacterhastohaveanAgilityof4tobeagood shotwithagun.Yeah,hellbeagoodshotbuthellalsobeanamazing gymnast,juggler,andamasterofsleightofhand. Its almost always better to just take an Agility of 2 or maybe 3 and further define your characters skill with a gun using Advantages like Weapon Specialist and Specialty Aspects like Marine Sniper (Agility). This makes a lot more sense and helps avoid the juggling sniper on a tightropekindofsilliness. Also remember that your characters Character Aspects can be invoked or compelled to modify a roll. So while your expert assassin might invoke his Defining Character Aspect of Expert Assassin for a bonusonhisAgilityrolltoshootablowgundart,theGMmightcompel itonarolltorideaunicycle;sincethatsprobablynotaskillhepicked upaspartofhisassassintraining.

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Step#7:StartingEquipmentOnce you have picked your Character and Specialty Aspects, look at each andwritedownfivepiecesofstandardequipmentthatrelatetothem. These items, while free, should not have a higher Cost rating than your ResourcesAbilityrating.Ifyouwantsomethingmoreexpensive,youllhave topayforit(seebelow).Youcanpicktheseitemsfromtheequipmentlistin Chapter8,ortalkwithyourGMifyouwantanitemthatisntlisted. Forexample,acharacterwiththeSpecialtyAspectofDashingSwashbuckler would probably always have his saber, while another with the Specialty Aspect of Combat Medic could have a field surgery kit. Its something that personwouldnormallycarryaroundwiththemallthetime. InStrandsofFate,charactersareexpectedtohaveaccesstoallRank0cost piecesofequipmentthatcouldberelevanttotheirdailylife.Thismeansthey are free to those who would normally have access to them, such as the carpenterwhowantsahammerorthesoldierwhoneedsacanteen. You may also start the game with a single Facility (usually your home). Facilitiesaredescribedingreaterdetailonpage273,andhavearatingequal toyourResourcesrating.

BuyingAdditionalEquipmentIfsomethingisrankedwithacostof1orhigher,itsmoreexpensive,rare, illegal,orrequirespermissiontoownandrequiresaResourcesrollifitisnot oneofthefreeitemsgivenduringcharactercreation. To purchase these more expensive items, roll the dice and add your Resourcesrating.IfthetotalofyourResourcesrollisequaltoorhigherthan the Cost rating of the item, you can have it. You may continue to make purchasesinthismanneruntilyoufailaroll.OnceaResourcesrollisfailed, youmaynotattemptanymorepurchasesduringcharactercreation. YoumayspendFatePointstoinvokerelevantAspectsforabonusorreroll onyourrollstopurchaseequipment.However,thenumberofFPsspentin thismanneraredeductedfromthenumberyoustartwithduringyourfirst gamesession. The idea is to choose particular pieces of equipment or stuff to give you things to hang your story and action around. Having some equipment doesntalwaysgiveyouanybonuses,thoughitmighttriggeranideainyour head. Itisalsopossibletostartoffwithadditionalfreeequipmentbytakingthe itemasaResourcesSpecialtyAspect.Seepage86formoreinformation.

26Chapter2CharacterCreation

SharedEquipmentDuringcharactercreation,itispossiblefortwoormorecharactertogo intogetherandpurchaseanitem. Inthiscasejustasinreallife,thePCsneedtosplituptheCosthowever theychoose.OncetheydeterminehowmuchofthetotalCosttheyplan to take on they roll their Resources to purchase their share like any otheritem. However, if someone fails to pay their allotted share, either the group cantaffordthepurchaseorsomeoneelseneedstopickupthetab.

ResourcesandExpenseAccountsCharacters who have access to a fairly large sized organizations resourcescanactasiftheyhaveResources2and,withthebackingofthe organization can potentially make bigger purchases. These expenditures are tracked by the organization, and as such, if subterfuge is important personalresourcesareawiserchoice.

CreatingCharactersOnTheFlySimply pick a name and write down your Defining Character Aspect and maybesomebasicequipment.Seriouslythatsit.Dontworry.Youcanadd moreCharacterAspects,SpecialtyAspectsandAdvantagesasyougo.Each player is given a Fate Point for each Aspect they come up with, to a maximum number set by the CamPL. If they start with a fewer number, everytimeaplayerthinksofanothercoolAspecttoaddtotheircharacter, givethemanotherFatePoint. Now to Abilities (see Chapter 4 for full details); this is the easy bit. The characterstartsoffwiththefullallotmentofstartingranksandmaysimply purchaseAbilitiesduringthegameastheyneedthem. Advantages work pretty much the same way. Did you read about a great Advantage intherulebookor have an idea for one thats not listed? Great; just add it to your character and remove the AP cost from the characters startingAPtopayforit. In this way you can build characters as you play without having to spend toomuchtimedreamingthemup.Itsespeciallygoodforpeoplewhovenot played a game like this before who dont yet understand what Aspects or AdvantagesdoorwhatSpecialtyAspectswouldbecoolfortheircharacters. Often by just playing the game you quickly understand why Advantages or Aspectsaresouseful.

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CollaborativeCharacterCreationForcharactersthatarebeingcreatedforalongtermcampaign,itmightbe agoodideatogettheotherplayersinvolved. Creatingcharactersasacollaborativeprocessbetterallowstheplayersto createcharactersthatwillfunctionwelltogether.Theywillbeginthegame with interconnecting back stories that will give the players a good foundationtobuildupon. Todothis,firstwritedownyourcharactersDefiningCharacterAspect. Next,theGMshouldwritedowneachcharactersnameandputthemina hatorsomethingsimilar. Passthehataroundandleteachpersonpullacharactersname.Tryagainif youdrawyourowncharacter. The characters nameyou drew has played some sort of role in your own characterstrainingoryoungadulthood.Getwiththatplayerandthetwoof youshouldcomeupwithaCharacterorSpecialtyAspectforbothcharacters that relates to the shared event in their lives. The two characters neednt havemeteachotherduringthattime,butbothoftheirliveswereaffected byitandbothshouldhaveanAspectthatreferstoit. Now,repeatthisprocessagain(makesureyougetadifferentcharacters name),butthistimetheeventinquestionisabitmorerecent.Maybeitwas afewmonthsagoorpossiblyayear.Yourcharacterisnolongeranoviceat histrade,andthecharacteryouselecthashadsomeroleinarecentpivotal event.AgainyoushouldeachtakeanAspectthatrelatestotheevent. YoucanstopthereandfillintherestofyourAspecthoweveryoulike,or youcancontinueswappingstoriesandAspectswiththeotherplayersuntil youhaveawelldevelopedcharacter.

PlayerEntitlementThisbookisfirstandforemostatoolbox.TheGM,andtosomeextent the players, will use bits and pieces of this toolbox to put together the setting you play in and that means some Advantages, equipment, etc, maynotbeavailabletoyou. So dont assume that just because its in the book that you can use it. RunthingsbyyourGMandotherplayerstomakesureyourcharacterisa good fit for the setting and isnt using bits of the book your setting doesntaccountfor.Asalways,theGMisfinalarbiterofwhatisandisnot allowed.

28Chapter2CharacterCreation

CharacterAdvancementAt the end of each game session, each player should be rewarded with around3ExperiencePoints.Theexactnumbercouldvarybyapointortwo dependingonwhatthePCsaccomplishedoriftheGMwantstoseeslower orfastercharacteradvancement. These Experience Points are used to improve or change your characters traits in different ways with each trait costing a different amount of Experience Points. The different character traits that can be advanced and thecostsfordoingsoareexplainedbelow:

ImproveAbility You can spend your XP to increase your Abilities. It costs 10 XPtoincrease anAbilitybyonerank.Notethatplayers should seek the GM's permission for increasing any Ability over the maximum starting limit established by theCampaign'sPowerLevel(pg.16)

SwapAspectYou may remove a Character or Specialty Aspect and replace it with a newonefor1XP.

Forthefirstfewgamesofacampaign, its recommended that the GM allow playerstoswaparoundAspectsforfree. Sometimes the players dont have a good grasp of what Aspects would be SwapAbilities interesting going into a campaign, and You may swap the rating in any two theyshouldntbepenalizedforthat. Abilitiesthatarewithinonerankofeach other. This costs 2 XPs. For example, if Thisisdoublytrueforplayerswhoare youhaveAgility3andWillpower2,you newtoFATEgamesingeneral. may swap them to Agility 2 and PurchaseAdvantagePoint Willpower3. A new Advantage Point costs 10 XPs. CharacterAspect You may add a new Advantage or A new Character Aspect costs 10 XPs. upgradeexistingAdvantageswiththese You may never have more than 7 additionalAPs. Character Aspects, not counting those LiquidateAdvantage thatcomefromAdvantages. Spend1XPtocashinanAdvantage. SpecialtyAspect TheAdvantagedisappearsandyougeta A new Specialty Aspect costs 5 XPs. numberofAPtospendequaltothecost You may never have more than 10 oftheAdvantage. Specialty Aspects, not counting those As with swapping Aspects, GMs may thatcomefromAdvantages. allow this for free if it makes sense for

IncreaseRefreshRateItcosts15XPstoincreaseyourRefresh rateby1.

the story or if the player is new to the gameandisnthappywithhisselection.

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OrganicGrowthIf the GM allows, each time the Fudge Dice comes up all negative or all positive, you may put a little tick mark beside the Ability you were rolling. Thesetick markscount as free Experience Points only usable for increasing that Ability, purchasing related Specialty Aspects, or improving an Advantage you arerollingtouse. Ifyouareusingtwo sixsided die you could let the player place a tick mark every time the result comes up 5 or 5, thoughthiswillhappenslightly more often than with Fudge Dice rolling all positive or negativeresults. GMs who prefer much slower character advancement may make this the ONLYwaytogainXPs.Thoughitmaystillbeagoodideatogiveoutatleast 1 XP each game session so characters can purchase new Advantages, Refresh,orotherthingsthatarentrelatedtodicerolls.

Story>XPSometimes something happens in the story that should affect the charactersstatsandusuallytheseeventsareusedtojustifyincreasingan AbilityortakinganewAdvantage.Butinsomecases,theGMmaywantto waive the XP cost. This is especially true when it comes to swapping Aspects. Forexample,ifacharacterhastheSpecialtyAspectFastRunner(Agility) andissuddenlyaparaplegicduetobeingDefeatedinaconflict,theGM should consider waving the XP cost of swapping the Fast Runner Aspect forsomethingmoreusefultothecharacter. Afterall,thecharactercantwalkanymore.Thatspaymentenough!

30Chapter2CharacterCreation

ExampleofCharacterCreation1.DetermineyourCampaignPowerLevel(CamPL)Well be playing ina heroic cyberpunk setting. Players can be escaped genetically modified psitroopers or their more mundane cybernetically enhanced friends and allies. For background the GM tells us that the government runs a secret program to create elite psychic warriors to combatthemegacorporatedominanceintheUS.Threeyearsagowewere apartofthatprogram,butweeventuallyrebelledagainstourenslavement andescaped.Intheprocesswedestroyedourprisonandmillionsofdollars in government equipment. Weve been on the run ever since, selling our talents as mercenaries to get by. Unfortunately for us, the government wantsusback. Characters will be Mythic Heroeswhich gives us a Refresh of 8. 26 Ability Points with an Ability Cap of 4, and 12 Advantage Points of which we can spend a maximum of 5 on any one power. All Powers are available to us, excludingtheSuperPoweroptions.TheTechLevelforthesettingis5. Nowitstimetogettowork.

2. Think About your Characters Concept and Pick Out a Cool NameforHimWe decide to be one of the escapees. A Precognitive. Trained to be a soldier. We name him Parker 231 or at least we decide thats what they calledhim.Hewaskidnappedasachildandbroughttothefacility.Itsthe onlyhomeheseverknown. IdontremembermuchbeforetheProcess.ThatisapainIllneverforget. Everymoleculeinyourbodyallonfireatonce.Ihavenoideahowlongthat lasted.Afterthatthesurgeriesstarted.Atleasttheyknockedusoutforthose. Easiertodealwithuswhenwereunconscious. His latent psionic potential was awakened and reinforced with painful geneticresequencingandbrainaugmentations. Its disorienting at first. Seeing things seconds before they happen. SometimesitfeelslikeImwatchingmyselfthroughsomeoneelseseyes. Trained as soldiers, these children grew up discovering their powers and learninghowtobesoldiers. Super Soldiers. Thats what the sergeant called us. So we decided to use thoseskillstheydsolovinglyrammeddownourthroatstoletourselvesout.

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3.SelectFiveCharacterAspectsNextwellselectourCharacterAspects.CharacterAspectsdefinewhoand whatourcharacteris.StrandsofFateusestheAspectAlphabetasaguide tohelpcomeupwithAspects.AsyougainexperiencewithStrandsofFate andFATEingeneral,feelfreetoignoretheABCsandwingit.Butfornow, wellusethemasaguide. DefiningAspectWhatisyourcharacter'sconcept? Parker is what he was made to be, a weapon. We choose Genetically ModifiedPsychicSoldierasourDefiningCharacterAspect. AmbitionWhatarethecharacter'sgoals? Parker231neverreallyhadanything,bornandraisedasaslaveandscience experiment. Now that hes free, he finds that more than anything he just WantstoLiveinPeaceandwillfighttoprotectthosepeopleandplacesthat makehimfeelcomfortable. BackgroundWhereishefrom? ParkersbackgroundisdefinedbyhisexperiencesattheFacility.Themost importantAspectofthatwastheexperimentationthatledtotheawakening of his abilities. We choose Subjected to Experimental Procedures as our backgroundduetoitsimplications. ConvictionWhatdoesthecharacterbelievein? Next we need a conviction. Looking at Parkers background, we see hes been a victim his entire life. Hes done with that now. And he wont let othersbevictimizedthewayhewas.DefenderoftheWeakfeelsright.Parker cantstandbyandwatchbulliespreyupontheweak.Especiallychildren. DisadvantageWhatstopsthecharacterfromachievinghisgoals? Finally, for our last Aspect we need a disadvantage, Off the Grid. Having beenkidnappedasachildandheldattheFacilityuntilthebreakout,Parker lacksthenecessaryimplantedidentificationtagsrequiredtoeasilymaneuver throughsociety.Thatsgoodandbad.Thegovernmentcanteasilyfindus, butitmakesithardtosurvive. SonowwehaveourCharacterAspects.Andwehaveaprettygoodideaof whatkindofpersonParkeris.

32Chapter2CharacterCreation

4.PurchaseAbilitiesNow we move on to Abilities. Abilities give us a broad view of what our charactersarecapableof.Parkerishighlytrainedasasoldier,butisstillonly about18yearsold.Hehasalotmoreexperiencethanyouraverageteen,but hesstillonly18. Physically,Parkerisingoodphysicalconditionforsomeonehisage,buthe is not exceptional in any way. We decide to give him average Physical Abilitieswitharatingof2inAgility,Endurance,PerceptionandStrength. The experiments that were performed on him had more to do with increasinghismentalAbilitiesandpsipotentialthananythingelse.Andhis traininghasgivenhimsomebasicskills. Parkers training allows him to field strip a military battle rifle, sabotage enemy vehicles, place explosives, etc. Hes not an exceptional mechanic and what little teaching he has receivedfocusedmainlyonmilitary applications, so we give him a rating of 2 in Craft and 1 rank in Knowledge.Thenwegivehima3in both Reasoning and Willpower as a resultoftheexperimentation. Socially,Parkershouldbeamess,having lived his entire life as a slavesoldier. However, his psipotential makes him an excellent judge of character and quite capable ofmanipulatingothers.Wegivehima3ranksin bothEmpathyandDeceptiontorepresentthis.He is still a little awkward around people but his psi powershelphimmakeupforthatsohegetsa2in Persuasion. Finally being on the run from the governmentmakeslifehard,sohegetsResources 1. Thatbringsusupto27totalAbilities,whichisour max. Now we have an idea of Parkers natural capabilities.

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5.SelectFiveSpecialtyAspectsSpecialty Aspects behave just like Character Aspects, only with a much more narrow focus. These are skills you are particularly good or bad at, or relationshipsthatareimportanttoyou.Wegettochoose5. As with Character Aspects, we can turn to the Aspect Alphabet for guidance. Again, this isnt required but since this is our first character we decidetoseewhereittakesus. The Aspect Alphabet for Specialty Aspects picks up where it left off with CharacterAspects,sowellstartwithE. ExceptionalSkillWhatisyourareaofexpertise? Parkers Defining Character Aspect is as a psychic soldier. We decide his Specialty Aspects should also reflect that. Knowing what someone will do beforetheydomakeshimagoodshotwithagunandthatsalmostalways basedonAgility.SowestartwithCrackShot(Agility). FoesWhoareyourenemies? Thegovernmentdidthistohim.Theystolehislife,hischildhood,andeven those few he ever called friends. Thats something hell never forget. And now theyre after him. Foes are always a Persuasion Aspect since had you somehow been more persuasive, you might not have ended up with enemies. ThatleadsustoTheGovernment(Persuasion). GearDoyouhaveanyspecialpiecesofequipment,vehicles,orfacilities? Parker piloted the HK50 assault craft that he and his friends used to escape.Sincethenhehasmanagedtomakeafewmodificationstoitandit servesasbothhisprivatecraftandtransportfortheteam. Wecanworkoutthenecessarydetailsforthecraftusingtheguidelinesin Chapter 9 but for now well just take it as a Specialty Aspect. Aspects for geararealwaystiedtoResourcessoweendupwithThisoldHK50saved ourlives!(Resources). HelpDoyouhaveafriend,somefamily,oragroupyoucancallonintimes ofneed? Duringhistimeincaptivity,Parkermadeafewotherfriends.Amongthem was one of the security guards assigned to watch him. Since his escape, Rachel has been promoted. And while shes still an employee of the government,sometimesParkercancallonherforinformation. Likeafoe,someonewhocanofferhelpisalwaysaSpecialtyAspectlinked toPersuasion.AndsinceRachelsinsiderinformationcanreallyhelpusout, wetakeSgt.RachelWilkins(Persuasion)asoneofourSpecialtyAspects.

34Chapter2CharacterCreation

InferiorSkillWhatisyourhandicap? Life as a slave, soldier, and mercenary brings with it a lot of challenges whenyouaresetfree.ThechallengeParkerseemstohavethemosttrouble withisrespectinganysortofauthority.Heseemsnaturallyandonoccasion violently averse to being told what to do by any sort of government representativeorlawenforcement. WeregoingtoattributethisSpecialtyAspecttoWillpowersinceanykind ofdealingswiththosekindsofauthoritiesreallychallengesParkersabilityto keephimselfincheck.ButitcouldjustaseasilyapplytoPersuasionoreven Deceptionrolls. SoweendupwithYoudontcontrolmeanymore!(Willpower).

6.PurchaseAdvantagesAdvantages are the special things that set us apart from the nameless masses.InthecampaignourGMhasplannedtheycouldincludecybernetics orpsionicpowers.Weget12AdvantagePointstospend. LetsstartwithPowers.ParkerisaPrecognitive.Lookingthroughthelistwe seeEnhancedReflexes.ItallowsustouseAgilitytodefendagainstranged attacksaswellashelpingwithattackanddefenserollsinphysicalcombat. Soundslikesomethingsomeonewhocanseeglimpsesofthefuturewould have.PowersneedaPowerAspect,sowedecideonPrecognitiveReflexes forourEnhancedReflexes.Thiscostsus3AP. A little further down the list we find Precognition. Well, I guess we need thatone. PrecognitionalsorequiresaPowerSourceandanAffinityAbility.APower Source tells us were our powers come from. In Parkers case they are psionic,sowewritePowerSource:Psionicsonourcharactersheet. AffinityAbilitiesrepresentourcapacitytocontrolourPowerSourceandits what we roll when we need to use our Powers. We need to buy up our brandnewAffinityAbilitybutwevealreadyboughtourAbilitiesandwere out of ranks to distribute. What do we do? Well first, lets finish buying Precognition. WellkeepitsimpleandchoosePsychicPrecognitionasourPowerAspect. We also note that Precognition gives us the Character Aspect Precognitive whichbehavesjustlikeallofourotherCharacterAspects. Precognitioncostsus4AP.

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So now that wevefinished with Precognition, we need to fix our Affinity Abilityproblem.AftertalkingourcharacteroverwithourGM,heallowsus to buy the Experienced Advantage. This gives us 20 Experience Points to spendlaterfor2AbilityRanks. HavingspentthelastfewmonthsontherunwedecidetogiveParkerthe Advantage Constant Vigilance. This gives us a bonus to initiative and the abilitytospendFatePointstodefendnormallyifsurprised.Soundsgoodfor someonelivingontherun.ThisisaHeroicAdvantageandcostsus2AP. WithourlastAPwepickFlyBoy.ParkerisatrainedpilotandflewtheHK50 thatthegroupusedtomaketheirescapein.Sohenowgainsa+2bonuson rolls to pilot any aircraft. It is an Expert Advantage and costs us 1AP for a grandtotalof10AdvantagePointsspent. NowweneedtogobackandtakecareoftheExperiencePointswegained withExperienced.SpendingXPtoincreaseanAbilitycostsus10XPperrank. So we spend our 20 XP and raise our Affinity from 0 to 2. Now Parker has everythingheneedstousehispowers.

7.PurchaseStartingEquipmentNowitstimetopicksomeequipmentforourcharacter.Parkerispartofa groupofmercenaries,sohesprobablygoingtoneedsomeweaponry.Your characterstartsoffwithfivepiecesofequipment,witheachpiecetiedtoan Aspect. The problem is that none of these items can have a Cost rating higherthanyourcharactersResources.AndParkerhasaResourcesof1. Lookingattheequipmentchapter,weseethatsomeofthatstuffispretty expensive,soParkerisapparentlyhavingatoughtimegettingthegearthat he needs. Hes poor and cut off from society, so hes got to make do with whathecanscroungeup. Also,theGMhassettheTechLevelofthecampaignat5,thattellsusthat wecantgetanythingfromahigherTLnomattertheCost. Andwithallthatinmindwegoshopping. Dagger,WR:+2,Range:1(TH),Notes:Small(P) Thefirstitemweselectisabasicdagger.Wedecidethatthiscomesfrom Parkers Sgt. Rachel Wilkins (Persuasion) Aspect. Its really more of a shiv than a dagger, and Rachel slipped it to him on the day of his escape so he couldtakeoutafewguards. Flight Suit, AR: +0, 2 stress boxes, Accessories: chronometer, biomonitor, radiationpouch

36Chapter2CharacterCreation

Second, wethinkParker mightneed some armor, but his extremelack of funds is going to make this tough