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Have you used the Fate/Fate Core System? It's the rules system used by Age of Arthur, Dawning Star, Diaspora, Starblazer, Legends of Anglerre, Jadepunk, and several other popular TTRPGs from the early and mid 2000s. What did you think of it?
I've only ever played one game with the Fate Core System (Fate of Cthulhu, the controversial adaptation of Call of Cthulhu that used it). And honestly? At least for CoC, I thought it worked pretty well! I don't really have anything bad to say about it. But for the uninitiated or unfamiliar, the Wikipedia describes it thusly:
So! If you've played the Fate or Fate Core System (or their parent, the Fudge system), please let us know what you think, what you love or hate about it, and the kinds of games you run with it. And if you've never played it, what's keeping you from giving it a spin? I'll collect everyone's votes and give the system a "grade" from A+ to F.
Grade: B-
Of those who voted, 98% have heard of it and 74% have played it.
Of those who have played it: 24% love it, 34% like it, 25% are lukewarm, 11% dislike it, and 6% hate it.
Grading the Cypher System
Grading the Pathfinder 2E (D20) System
Grading the Savage Worlds System
Grading the Fate/Fate Core System
Grading the Modiphius 2d20 System
Grading the GURPS System
Grading the Powered by the Apocalypse System
Grading the D6 System
Grading the Hero System
Grading the Storyteller System
Grading the Megaversal/Palladium System
Grading the Basic Role-Playing System
Grading the SAGA System
Grading the Warhammer 40K RPG System
Grading the Mörk Borg System
Grading the Spacemaster/Rolemaster System
I've only ever played one game with the Fate Core System (Fate of Cthulhu, the controversial adaptation of Call of Cthulhu that used it). And honestly? At least for CoC, I thought it worked pretty well! I don't really have anything bad to say about it. But for the uninitiated or unfamiliar, the Wikipedia describes it thusly:
Fate is a generic role-playing game system based on the Fudge gaming system. It has no fixed setting, traits, or genre and is customizable. It is designed to offer minimal obstruction to role-playing by assuming players want to make fewer dice rolls. Fate was written by Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue; the 1st edition was published in early 2003,[1] and the latest version (4th edition) was published successfully through Kickstarter in 2013.
Fate is derived from the Fudge system, primarily that earlier design's verbal scale and Fudge dice, but most versions of Fate eschew the use of mandatory traits such as Strength and Intelligence. Instead, it uses a long list of skills and assumes that every character is "mediocre" in all skills except those that the character is explicitly defined as being good at. Skills may perform one or more of the four actions: attacking, defending, overcoming obstacles (a catch-all for solving problems) or creating an advantage (see below). Exceptional abilities are defined through the use of Stunts and Aspects.
An aspect is a free form descriptor of something notable about either the character or the scene. A relevant aspect can be invoked to grant a bonus to a die roll (either adding +2, or allowed a re-roll of the dice); this usually costs the player or GM a Fate point. Aspects may also be compelled to influence the setting by offering the person with the aspect a fate point (which they can refuse by spending one of their own) to put them at a disadvantage relevant to the aspect. An example given in the rule book refers to the GM invoking a player character's Rivals in the Collegia Arcana aspect to have said rivals attack them in the bath so they don't have access to their equipment. Situational aspects describe the scene, and may be created and used by the GM, or by players using the create advantage action with a relevant skill.
Stunts are exceptional abilities that grant the character a specific mechanical benefit; these may be drawn from a pre-defined list of stunts included in the rules, or created following guidelines provided by the authors. Aspects, on the other hand, are always defined by the player. For example, a player may choose to give their character an aspect of "Brawny" (or "Muscle Man" or "Wiry Strength"); during play, the player may invoke those aspects to gain a temporary bonus in a relevant situation. Aspects may also relate to a character's possessions, e.g., the character Indiana Jones for example, might have the Aspect "Whip and Fedora".
As I've said before in the other threads, the D20 System is the undeniable favorite for tabletop RPGs today, but there are plenty of options out there for those who don't like D20 or might be looking for something different. Fate has been around for 20 years now, which puts it in a strange place on the TTRPG timeline: it's too new for many people to consider it a "classic" game system, but it's also too old for some to consider it "modern."So! If you've played the Fate or Fate Core System (or their parent, the Fudge system), please let us know what you think, what you love or hate about it, and the kinds of games you run with it. And if you've never played it, what's keeping you from giving it a spin? I'll collect everyone's votes and give the system a "grade" from A+ to F.
Grade: B-
Of those who voted, 98% have heard of it and 74% have played it.
Of those who have played it: 24% love it, 34% like it, 25% are lukewarm, 11% dislike it, and 6% hate it.
The "grade" is calculated as follows:
The grading formula:
GPA = Σ(PiVi)
where:
Key
Over 3.75 = A+
3.51 to 3.75 = A
3.26 to 3.50 = A-
3.01 to 3.25 = B+
2.76 to 3.00 = B
2.51 to 2.75 = B-
2.01 to 2.50 = C+
1.76 to 2.00 = C
1.51 to 1.75 = C-
1.26 to 1.50 = D+
1.01 to 1.25 = D
0.75 to 1.00 = D-
Under 0.75 = F
- Votes from people who have not played it will not affect the grade.
- "I love it" votes are worth 4 points. The highest score, comparable to an "A" vote.
- "It's pretty good" votes are worth 3 points. The equivalent of a "B" vote.
- "It's alright I guess" votes are worth 2 points. This is your basic "C" vote.
- "It's pretty bad" votes are worth 1 point. This is considered a "D" vote.
- "I hate it" votes are worth 0 points. The lowest score, considered an "F" vote.
The grading formula:
GPA = Σ(PiVi)
where:
GPA = "grade-point average," the grading score used in the Key below.
Vi = percentage of votes in each category (Love, Like, Meh, Dislike, or Hate)
Pi = corresponding score for that category (4, 3, 2, 1, or 0)
Key
Over 3.75 = A+
3.51 to 3.75 = A
3.26 to 3.50 = A-
3.01 to 3.25 = B+
2.76 to 3.00 = B
2.51 to 2.75 = B-
2.01 to 2.50 = C+
1.76 to 2.00 = C
1.51 to 1.75 = C-
1.26 to 1.50 = D+
1.01 to 1.25 = D
0.75 to 1.00 = D-
Under 0.75 = F
Grading the Pathfinder 2E (D20) System
Grading the Savage Worlds System
Grading the Fate/Fate Core System
Grading the Modiphius 2d20 System
Grading the GURPS System
Grading the Powered by the Apocalypse System
Grading the D6 System
Grading the Hero System
Grading the Storyteller System
Grading the Megaversal/Palladium System
Grading the Basic Role-Playing System
Grading the SAGA System
Grading the Warhammer 40K RPG System
Grading the Mörk Borg System
Grading the Spacemaster/Rolemaster System
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