How is fate?
- Thread starter Evenglare
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Ratskinner
Adventurer
Personally, I find it very easy to prep for Fate. Many people will actually start their Fate games without prep at all. I've done that, but I think it works better with a little bit of forethought. Running Fate is a little bit different from running most traditional games, but I generally find that easier as well. I find that the mechanics are really flexible.
However, fair warning, it is a big shift from the rules-heavy games you mentioned. The mechanics are straightforward and simple, but they function "a step back" from where games like D&D work. It can take some getting used to.
Are there any particular aspects of it that you're concerned about?
However, fair warning, it is a big shift from the rules-heavy games you mentioned. The mechanics are straightforward and simple, but they function "a step back" from where games like D&D work. It can take some getting used to.
Are there any particular aspects of it that you're concerned about?
Evenglare
Adventurer
Well right now I'm making my game (fantasy scifi type of stuff) for 13th age, which I really enjoy but it's becoming pretty overwhelming (which I assume is natural) so I was looking at other systems. I want something that's easy to create for but the most important thing is that I have specific classes set up. So GURPS and HERO don't really have that, though its easy to just throw together some skills and call it a class or race, and I was wondering how FATE handled that type of play. Additionally I wanted to have a MP based magic system, which is incredibly hard to do correctly in a tabletop game, and was wondering how malleable magic systems are in FATE. Ideally I want something more narrative, which is why I went with 13th age in the first place.
I guess the biggest thing I want is for classes to feel very unique during play. I want my bard class to be able to put different harmonies and melodies together to create different effects for their party. I have androids that function similar to how megaman games work, I have sentinels which are similar to jedi/paladins, my Archons are like the martial artists from dragonball z, my Primus class are like benders from TLA and Korra which use solid, liquid, gas, and energy. My wizards deal with quantum, time, and cosmic (dealing with fundamenal forces of physics), my binary which are my clerics than switch between negative and positive energies. Spectres are my rogues and assassins which function like avengers from 4th edition and assassin's creed games and of course my Blades which are my fighters.
The game takes inspiration from stuff like Numenera, Phantasy Star Online, Final Fantasy series, Chrono Cross and Trigger, mass effect etc etc. How well will fate handle all of this that I have described? I want the players to feel like they are completely different from any other classes. Can fate do this?
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Alcamtar
Explorer
Fate is different. Where Hero and Gurps are strongly simulation-based, Fate is more story based.
If you are looking for a new approach and not merely an easier game to run, fate is a great choice. I wouldn't call it "light" per se, but it is not heavy. It's less fiddly for sure and I think it lends itself fairly well to a balance of prep and improvisation.
As far as easy to run... it depends on you. Fate will require you to think a bit differently. Like how gurps simulates real objects directly, while hero reasons from effects. Well in fate, you reason from story, and reality takes a back seat to that. Unlike hero and gurps where you define facts first and drive story from how they play out, in fate you decide what's important to the story and then let that determine that facts. How you adapt to this will determine if it is easier or harder. I suggest you just try playing a session or two and see how it feels.
If you like the facts-first approach of hero/gurps I recommend checking out fudge. Same basic mechanic as fate, but has a structure and dynamic that is more like what you are used to... it was designed as a lighter, improvisational gurps. It is lighter than fate... Fate will still need some prep I think, but fudge you can pretty much run with no prep at all. Fate has interlocking, specific rules. In Fudge the GMs common sense and knowledge of the setting eliminates the need for most rules. So if you like gurps but feel like you don't need all the fiddly rules anymore and can ad lib most of it, fudge is perfect. (And when you do want rules for something, it is absurdly easy to bolt on rules subsystems from gurps, hero, fate, or any other game. There are no interlocking subsystems or balance issues to worry about.)
You were asking about fate so I hope this doesn't come across as a threadcrap. You said you like gurps/hero... Fudge is the "lite version of Fate" that plays like gurps. Fate is fudge crunchified and evolved in a new direction, like of like D&D 4e compared to OD&D.
If you are looking for a new approach and not merely an easier game to run, fate is a great choice. I wouldn't call it "light" per se, but it is not heavy. It's less fiddly for sure and I think it lends itself fairly well to a balance of prep and improvisation.
As far as easy to run... it depends on you. Fate will require you to think a bit differently. Like how gurps simulates real objects directly, while hero reasons from effects. Well in fate, you reason from story, and reality takes a back seat to that. Unlike hero and gurps where you define facts first and drive story from how they play out, in fate you decide what's important to the story and then let that determine that facts. How you adapt to this will determine if it is easier or harder. I suggest you just try playing a session or two and see how it feels.
If you like the facts-first approach of hero/gurps I recommend checking out fudge. Same basic mechanic as fate, but has a structure and dynamic that is more like what you are used to... it was designed as a lighter, improvisational gurps. It is lighter than fate... Fate will still need some prep I think, but fudge you can pretty much run with no prep at all. Fate has interlocking, specific rules. In Fudge the GMs common sense and knowledge of the setting eliminates the need for most rules. So if you like gurps but feel like you don't need all the fiddly rules anymore and can ad lib most of it, fudge is perfect. (And when you do want rules for something, it is absurdly easy to bolt on rules subsystems from gurps, hero, fate, or any other game. There are no interlocking subsystems or balance issues to worry about.)
You were asking about fate so I hope this doesn't come across as a threadcrap. You said you like gurps/hero... Fudge is the "lite version of Fate" that plays like gurps. Fate is fudge crunchified and evolved in a new direction, like of like D&D 4e compared to OD&D.
I like FATE. The game is not perfect for all things, by any means, but it is good at what it does.
I'm going to disagree that FATE itself is crunchified anything. FATE has precious little crunch to it, by modern standards. The rules don't change from one situation to another - you handle social, physical, and intellectual conflicts all using the same mechanics. You can model pretty much anything, from NPCs, to monsters, to brick walls or socialite tea-parties, with a couple skills, stress boxes, and aspects.
There are a couple of FATE-based games that do add some crunch - like the magic system in Dresden Files. But for the most part, the rules are simple. Heck, FATE Accelerated covers the basic rules in 32 trade-paperback pages. I've successfully taught people how to play a FATE-based game in 10 to 15 minutes.
FATE does ask the GM to approach the game differently. While you can (and should) do prep for a FATE game, it really asks the most from the GM in play. To do well, the GM *must* be thinking on their feet, ready and willing to do some creative improvisation.
FATE is at its best when it is working on a fairly pulpy, action and drama packed genre. This is not a game for the PCs to carefully marshal resources, make detailed combat plans, and execute them.
I'm going to disagree that FATE itself is crunchified anything. FATE has precious little crunch to it, by modern standards. The rules don't change from one situation to another - you handle social, physical, and intellectual conflicts all using the same mechanics. You can model pretty much anything, from NPCs, to monsters, to brick walls or socialite tea-parties, with a couple skills, stress boxes, and aspects.
There are a couple of FATE-based games that do add some crunch - like the magic system in Dresden Files. But for the most part, the rules are simple. Heck, FATE Accelerated covers the basic rules in 32 trade-paperback pages. I've successfully taught people how to play a FATE-based game in 10 to 15 minutes.
FATE does ask the GM to approach the game differently. While you can (and should) do prep for a FATE game, it really asks the most from the GM in play. To do well, the GM *must* be thinking on their feet, ready and willing to do some creative improvisation.
FATE is at its best when it is working on a fairly pulpy, action and drama packed genre. This is not a game for the PCs to carefully marshal resources, make detailed combat plans, and execute them.
Ratskinner
Adventurer
While Fate doesn't generally use classes, there are at least two ways of creating classlike behavior that I know of. One is in the Fate system toolkit and is called Skill Modes, I believe. The other, which I saw posted recently, created a list of stunts for each class. You took a new one each time you level up. This borrowed a concept from Dungeon World, and other games of that ilk.
Magic systems in Fate can vary from incredibly flexible and lightweight (I have the wizard aspect, therefore I'm going to use magic spells to do X) to very systems as complicated and specific as the group would want to generate. My favorites, and it sounds like what you're looking for, is to use the other skills to define your capacities, and having a "wizard" aspect is simply your justification for saying that this attack with Shoot was a blast of icy energy.
Since you mentioned that you wanted to give your classes feel different in play, I will warn you that they will be a narratively different as you enforce them at the table. This is simply because Aspects in Fate depend on their interpretation at table to function. If you really push the distinctions and stereotypes of characters' high concepts, they wiil definitely be distinct. However, mechanically, all characters will function the same making the same four types of rolls with the same four results. They just have different narrative meaning, depending on the situation and aspects being invoked. Whether that is enough for you and your group is a matter of taste.
You can develop different sets of stunts for different types of characters as well. Fate calls this kind of work an "extra". Again, though, for simplicity's sake, most of these function very similarly from a dice and numbers perspective.
That being said, the only genres that give Fate hiccups are those where the characters aren't competent and proactive characters. (Not surprising, since Fate want really designed for that.) Most people find that horror and mystery are fairly awkward with Fate. The settings you mention should do fine with Fate.
I hope that helps.
If you have a more traditionalist stance to gaming it may jar a little (I tend to be more simulationist, it helps with game submergence, in the perspective i want)
But if the Play is the thing (more emphasis on characters and story, less on specific details) then it should be okay,
Its not hard, just a different way, (its not everyones cup of tea though)
If you like GURPS and HERO you may lean more to traditionalist,
Try looking at these,
FUZION CORE:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/2367/Fuzion-Core-Rules?it=1
TRI STAT:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/368/TriStat-dX-Core-System-RolePlaying-Game?it=1
D6:
Fantasy:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/20448/D6-Fantasy?it=1
Space:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/20447/D6-Space?it=1
Adventure:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/20446/D6-Adventure?it=1
(they also have a bunch of free supplements, http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.php?manufacturers_id=468)
Or try before you buy,
FATE CORE:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/114903/Fate-Core-System
(Yes, be cheap and get it for free first, if you like it you can always say sorry and pay for their
FATE SYSTEM TOOLKIT:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/119385/Fate-System-Toolkit)
If you pick up FATE, then check this out,
The secret of cats:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/134533/The-Secrets-of-Cats--A-World-of-Adventure-for-Fate-Core
All these options are free...
Alcamtar
Explorer
What Elven said. You can get fudge for free from here: http://www.fudgerpg.com/goodies/fudge-files/core/orderby,3/
Wednesday Boy
The Nerd WhoFell to Earth
Fate is a pretty versatile system but out of the box I don't think it will fulfill this requirement. The way you build your character and aspects can make the characters play differently and they can be different narratively. But it's a classless system with a lean skill list. I'm sure you could make classes for it that would feel unique but I think it would take a good deal of effort.
In addition to the links above there is a Fate SRD:
http://fate-srd.com/
Alternatively there's a variety of "free descriptor" games that manage with no classes, no preset skills, or anything like that. Heroquest (the Robin Laws version), the PDQ series, and others. Immensely versatile, I've used Heroquest for everything from D&D style dungeon crawls to political manoeuvring in the Roman Senate to a superhero game to Mass Effect; but a lot of work, too, if you want to have something for your players to grab onto as starting points for characters.
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