First FATE

I DMed my first game in FATE tonight. It went well. We didn't get past character creation but I think my players had a lot of fun. Making characters is very much like playing, it had adventure and intrigue and interaction between characters. It was great fun for me to see the characters blossom from simple ideas to characters with motivations and connections to the world. Its kinda different from the way other games do it.

I am running a post apocalyptic, kitchen sink type game. I love game worlds that allow you to play whatever you think up. My sister is playing an intelligent tree and my brother is a gunslinging knight. Both of those are kinda rip offs of other stuff but so is almost everything.

We had fun and should continue to have, so that means it was a success.

group planned

I am up to chapter 4 in the Toolkit. I love alternate rules, that's why I own 40 plus Gurps books. These rules are very interesting but I think its in my best interest to run the game just from the core book at first. With the exception of adding a couple of skills.

I have gotten a group to agree to play tomorrow night, so I should have some interesting stories of how we got it wrong and, hopefully, still had fun.

Fate Points

OK, one goal down. Next is to read over the FATE toolkit (just finished chapter 2) and decide if I want to use any alternate or additional rules. I suspect I will need to modify the skill list at least.

I have received some very good advice from the good folks at the EN World forum. I previously said that I thought of FATE points as akin to Hero Points in the old DC Heroes RPG, but I now see that I was wrong. FATE points should be used and given through out the session, that's why the PCs get a certain number back at the beginning of each session.

The FATE points must flow.

EN World Post

A few days ago I posted a question on the FATE gaming board over at EN World. I got some interesting feedback.

its here

finished

I have finished the FATE Core book.

It is my plan to move on immediately to FATE toolkit.

I think that extras are very cool. A system whereby the addition of new mechanics can be added to the game that only takes 10 pages to explain is a feat in itself.

As far as the book as a whole goes I loved it. I'll have more to say on this later, for now I just thought I would post to say I have reached my first milestone on my journey.

end in sight

I finished chapter 10. I might be able to finish this tomorrow, chapter 11 is only 21 pages.

I am really not sure I want to implement the skill pyramid. I like the skill selection at start but the idea that you have to have one skill stack on top of another is kinda silly to me. Maybe it will make more sense in game but right now I am considering changing it, even if it does make it easier for the characters to advance to high skill.

discouraged

I finished chapter 9.

I am not sure I like the aspects for scenes idea but I'll play it as written and see how it goes.

Before I read chapter 9 it was my plan to simply convert a small dungeon I designed to FATE and use that as an introductory scenario. I'm not sure that kind of adventure will even work in FATE. I'm not sure that my GM style will work in FATE. I hope it will but I am having difficulty with the concepts as I get deeper into the rules.

I am discouraged but how slowly I am reading and understanding this game. I plan to read the Tool Kit next but that might be a while.