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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7917473" data-attributes="member: 42582">I think that was a tag issue. I've removed the spoiler tags (which were meant to help manage a long quote).GM fiat ability is not unlimited. I'm not sure why you would make that assumption.The discussion of how to manage GM fiat abilities is one of the important bits of advice in the system. From pages 43-45: Special Effects are ways in which a Storyteller (or, in the Advanced Game, any player) can decisively affect the action of the game without any coin throws. Special Effects give the Storyteller control over the course of events, even in the face of very powerful Adventurers. When possible, the Storyteller should use coin throws to impose his will on the Adventurers. For example, it is more realistic and entertaining to assign a high Difficulty Factor to a task, and let the Adventurers all try and fail, than to simply say “it’s impossible to do that.” But leaving your story vulnerable to a lucky coin throw can be risky. For example, if a puny Adventurer was fighting your main villain and making excellent coin throws, fairness dictates that he win, even if it spoils your story. But a Special Effect gives the Storyteller an event that occurs without fail. This can help him control the story without being too dictatorial. To continue the example of a fight, the villain might be able to knock the annoying Adventurer unconscious using the appropriate Special Effect, KNOCK AN OPPONENT SENSELESS. Special Effects are normally linked to specific characters in the story (see the Episodes for examples). Usually no more than three characters with Special Effects, or one character with three Special Effects, should be used, so as to let the players retain some control. The players should not know what Special Effects your characters have, but they should be logical ones for the characters. For example, a beautiful girl is more likely to have the Effects of INCITE LUST or INSPIRE INDIVIDUAL TO GREATNESS than she would be to have HIDE or KILL A FOE IN COMBAT. Your players may be able to guess what kind of Effects a character has, and this increases the fun of the game. Only one character can be influenced directly by a Special Effect, although the ramifications of the Special Effect may affect a group. The holder of the Special Effect decides which character is affected. Both Adventurers and characters controlled by the Storyteller can be aided or influenced by a Special Effect. The user states that he is putting into action a Special Effect and reads it into the plot. The desired event happens, and the story is changed, often dramatically. The Storyteller must create a reasonable explanation for the way in which the Effect takes place, in terms of the current situation. Special Effects are available from two sources: Episodes and Storyteller Certificates, the latter used only in the Advanced Game. Thus in the Basic Game, only Storytellers will be using Special Effects, while in the Advanced Game, any player may use a Special Effect. Special Effects from Episodes may be used more than once if specifically stated in the Episode writeup. Special Effects can be used only once when derived from a Storyteller CertificateThe award of Storyteller Certificates at out table combines the rules on pp 55-56 for the award of Certificates and Gold Stars: [T]he Chief Storyteller may award a Certificate to any player as a reward for good acting or other reasons. Anytime during play, whether or not they are the current Storyteller, the owner can turn in the Storyteller Certificate to the Chief Storyteller and exercise one use of a Special Effect. . . . In the Advanced Game, all Storytellers can use gold stars to reward good players. (The Chief vs all Storyteller stuff isn't relevant to us as we're not using rotating storytelling. I'm the sole GM.)In our game we've probably averaged a bit less than one Certificate per session. We think of them as a bit like Persona or Deeds points in Burning Wheel - awarded for big achievements and/or impassioned roleplaying.</blockquote>

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