Fate Core: Magi pt 11

Nodes, Super Nodes, and the Nature of the Universe

We do not see the world the way you do.  You see the world as something you can change. This places you at the center, the unchanging eye of the universal storm. We see that as a false assumption. Your talk of nodes and the nature of the universe fail to understand the reality of the situation. Nodes and there ilk are ideas that were invented by minds. Minds are the only real nodes. We do not change the world. We change those who change the world. That is who we are. That is what we do.
~Geppetto, leader of The Puppeteers


I find that the world is a river, moving as it wills. Channeled and directed not by an intelligence, but by the whims of the moment. We are the illusion. That anything is possible is a fact. There is no right and wrong. There is no choice at all. You are you, until you are not. Then you are someone else. We are here, then we are not. There can be no purpose or meaning. One decision is as good as another. There are no real choices. There are no rules. Why should I live as though anything were real?
~Mad Alice


Every Super Node has a Core this is the thing most difficult to change. It is represented by an aspect.  It also has Links, which are its connections to the nodes related to it. There are always seven links to a Super Node. No one knows why. Links are represented by aspects as well. If you have altered the core of the node connected to the link, it is easier to change.

To change a Core aspect of a Super Node requires an attack against the Super Node and then stressing it out. It will defend with its core skill. That skill has a variable rating depending on the number of Link aspects you have changed.  To change one of the link aspects you do the same type of conflict only the skills are one less. If you have also changed the node connected to that link then reduce the difficulty by another one.

Every Node also has a Core, also represented by an aspect. They have a link aspect connected to the super node they are connected to and each node they are next to. This is how super nodes connect to others. They are connected to the nodes below them. In turn, those nodes are connected to the nodes of another super node. These are the weak structural bonds of the universe. The node has four aspects attached to it. These are links. Links work like link aspects in a super node, only representing there connection to the nodes around them.

To change the Core of a Node is the same as attacking the core of a Super Node. the difference is the level of the starting skills. To change one of the link aspects of a node is a conflict, but the skills used are one less than if attacking the core. If the node that connects to that link has been altered reduce the skill by another one.

The skills of the node are as follows Core, Discord, and Shape. Core has already been mentioned. Discord represents the nodes attack skill, and Shape is its ability to create advantages for itself. These are also stacked in a ladder. For a super node the highest skill equals Legendary, the second equals Epic, and the third is Fantastic. For a node the highest is Fantastic, the second Superb, and the third great. Links and cores have there own stress track. A link belonging to a node has a stress track of one. A link of a super node has two. the core of a node has three. the core of a super node has four. they have access to consequences, but they only get minor consequences. Links have one minor consequence, node cores have two, and super node cores have three.

Fate Core: Aeon Trinity pt 2

Project Unity

Unity Station was our last, best hope for peace. 

A self-contained world five miles long, located in neutral territory. 

A place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans and aliens. 

A shining beacon in space, all alone in the night. 

It was the third golden age of man...the year the Great War came upon us all. 

This is the story of the last of the Unity Stations. 

The year is 2136.
The name of the place is Unity 3.  

  In the years leading up to the second Aberrant war, during the conflict with the Chromatics, there was an idea. A place where all the various people, nations, and species could come together in peace. The Trinity began construction on Unity Station with the help of the Upeo Wa Macho years before they disappeared. When this idea for a neutral ground came forward, the half completed station was put forward as a prime location. The first station was attacked by Aberrants within a month of the decision. They began building a new station within a month. There was a great deal of corruption and graft involved in that stations construction. Within a week of its completion it fell out of the sky. The Trinity took a more active hand in the creation of the third, and final, station. It was completed six month ago, and now it stands as the meeting point for nations, organizations, and aliens. The Qin have an embassy, as does one faction of the Chromatics. Each psi order has an enclave there as do most nations and free planets. Eden has a token Embassy, but no one is comfortable with them being there.





Stunts
Here is a list of sample stunts for my Aeon Trinity hack for Fate Core. These are just examples to help you come up with your own, if you need to.
Biokinesis
Aggressive Shape-shift:  You can use your Biokinesis skill to attack physically within the same zone.
Carapace/redundant organs/ defensive shape change: you can use your biokinesis to defend physically.
Master shifter: You gain a +2 bonus when rolling to create an advantage.
Clairsentience
Programed moment: you use clairsentience to avoid a blow by predicting the scenario.
Cosmic dice: You gain a +2 bonus when rolling to create an advantage.
Planned hit: you saw the damage coming ahead of time and used that knowledge to lessen the blow. once per conflict you can spend a fate point to use a consequence as if it were one higher.
Electrokinesis
Lightning bolt: you can use Electrokinesis to attack. For each zone outside your current one reduce your roll by one.
Technokinesis: you can use your electrokinesis when using computers, or interacting with machines that have an electric current.
Power Surge: when attacking a machine gain a +2 to your roll.
Psychokinesis
Remote manipulation: Use psychokinesis to create an advantage.
Freeze: you can create  a barrier around a person or thing(see Storm calling in the Magic Toolkit), like the attack action for glacier calling(pg 15).
Burn: when making an attack action you can attack every target(except you) in a zone. you take a minus one to the attack roll to do so.
Telepathy
Phantasm: +2 to create advantage rolls involved with illusion
Mindstorm: use Telepathy to make a mental attack.
Mental fortitude: telpathy defends against mental attack.
Teleportation
Object Jump: reduce your roll by one to teleport an object and everything in it(like a space ship, or a house) over a long distance.
Transmass Shield: my altering the way space folds around you you can roll teleportation to defend.
Master of the Long Jump: you gain a +2 to overcome rolls to teleport.
Vitakinesis
Algesis: you can use vitakinesis to attack within the same zone(you must touch the victim of the attack).
Regeneration: +2 to overcome rolls to heal yourself.
Negation: when an ally(or enemy I guess) takes a consequence you can roll your Vitakinesis. If your roll is higher than the attack roll that player can treat a consequence as a higher level of consequence for purposes of negating damage.



Equipment
Weapons have a rating from one to four. This rating is added to the roll after it is successful, this it adds to damage. It also has one other stat, ranged or close, to indicate whether it can be used in the same zone or an adjacent zone. armor is rated from one two three. This rating removes a certain amount of damage.

Weapons
1- Knife(close), hold-out pistol(ranged)
2- Sword(close), Pistol(ranged)
3- Axe(close), Rifle/assault rifle(ranged)
4-Plasma weapon(ranged), Rocket launcher(ranged)

Armor
1- Light armor, flak jacket, concealed armor
2- Medium armor, swat armor
3- Heavy armor, combat armor, bomb squad armor
 

Sharn Codex session 1

Today I ran the second session of my Fate Core game. Our heroes got into a lot of trouble. What with the jailbreak, the battle, and the horrible interrogation after. I ran into a few issues during the game so I thought I would talk about them here.

Issue the first, cantrips are either too powerful or not powerful enough in my game. This came up during the interrogation scene, when the Wizard had no spells that could help the conflict. He wished to use a cantrip to justify replacing Intimidation with Arcana. It worked, but that makes the Arcana skill very versatile, in fact why use other skills at all?

We came up with a few ideas on what to do about this. My first instinct was to remove cantrip entirely. Though I still think that this is the best way to go about it, there was disagreement at the table. Some believed that they are core to the experience we are trying to create. Another idea was to decrease the skill check by one or two when using a cantrip. this is fine, provided you have a three or four in your Arcana skill. those with a lesser skill will have difficulty doing cantrips at all. seeing as cantrips are supposed to be very easy magic, that just makes no sense. One other idea was brought forward. Basically you would roll arcana, and if you succeed you gain a +1 on your next non-Arcana roll. I think that this is too close to creating an advantage. I really wish to remove cantrips from the game, but that seems to go against what the players want. Thoughts on this dilemma would be helpful.

Issue part two, conflicts in Fate either go very quickly, or very slowly. I tried to adjust this in my game by switching form conflict to contest and back again. I am unsure how successful that was. basically the players are very good at pinning down and killing the bad guys. I need to work on explaining the stakes of the conflict better. I don't know...

Anyway, if you want to here is the recording of the game, should you wish to watch it:

Diaspora: Tales of the Butcher Bird

I just played through the first play session of Diaspora today. It was fun. We are still trying to gel as a group and so there are some difficulties involved. We stopped at the lowest tech system in the cluster and went on a bit of an archeological expedition. Turns out, that the city...was not a city. Those buildings? Not buildings! Not buildings at all. We fought, but for naught. So, we ran. Now we know of information no one else does.

Fate Core: Aeon Trinity pt 1

Psi

When you wish to play a psion, you must subtract one from your refresh, and pick an aptitude. This aptitude is the only way you can access psi. Once you have picked an aptitude that is your only power from then on, you can never use another aptitude. you must also have something in your high concept related to being a psion. 
Psi Aptitudes

Biokinesis
 Mostly this is used for creating advantages, and overcoming obstacles by changing your shape, altering your internal organs, and the ability to adapt to hostile environments. You cannot directly attack and defend with this power, you have to have prepared an advantage before hand to represent the changes you make to yourself.

Biokinetics tend to be loyal to NORCA, leaving is seen as traitorous and often they are hunted down by the NORCA. If you have left NORCA you will need a good reason to have gotten free.
Clairsetience
Use this to create advantages and overcome obstacles either through looking into the past or the future. Directly attacking is impossible and defense is defined by creating an advantage.

ISRA will take just about anyone who shows latency for clairsentience. Their is a predominance of the Baha'i religion within the order. Often those who see the past or the future are distrusted. 
Electrokinesis
 Advantage, and overcome actions, only related electricity and light(photokinesis). 
Psychokinesis
You can make attack actions and overcome actions for kinetic and thermal energy.

The Legions are the last line of defense for mankind against the Aberrant threat. They are the largest order, and always looking for new recruits. They only accept volunteers in the Legions.
Telepathy
You can overcome and create advantages dealing with understanding the mind and emotions. you can read thoughts and emotions.

Telepathy is not as common as telekinesis or Vitakinetics. The Ministry recruits all it can find, though they are careful, as only telepaths can be, to recruit those who share there goals.
Vitakinesis
You can overcome obstacles and create advantages related to the healing. you can speed up the healing of yourself and others, you roll psi vs a difficulty equal to +[the combined level of the consequences you are trying to heal], should you succeed at the roll treat the consequence(or consequences) as one level lower for the purposes of healing it. if you succeed with style it counts as two levels lower(can't be lower than minor).

Vitakinetics tend to come from a medical background, after they go through the Prometheus chamber they spend a few years interning. Many stay with the Aesculpian Order, but some move onto other jobs.
Teleportation
You can roll overcome and defense actions involving teleporting, either yourself or others. Overcome action to move distances. the bigger the object and the less you know about the location, the more difficult it is. Roll defense action to avoid physical damage by a short hop out of the way of the damage.

Upeo Wa Macho have a hard time of it. They left the earth for a time to remain free from the control of outside forces. Now they are back and dealing with the mistrust of the world they abandoned. Teleportation is the least common latency, now that the Chitra Banu have been purged.

Fate Core: Fantasy

I played in a game of Fate Core tonight. We played a fantasy one shot. There was a long discussion about how the world and characters should go, and a large scuffle with a band of outlaws. I ran into a few issues that I found troublesome during the game.

At one point the GM used a compel to deny one player an action. I found this distasteful. I understand why it happened, I just did not care for it. A player's only real handle on the world is the character they play. If you deny the player their action you are negating their ability to choose. I realize that the player can spend a Fate point to ignore the compel, but it seems wasteful to spend a point just to do what you want in the game.

Concessions, I have ever really got these. I understand them on paper, and when the PCs wish to concede there is no problem. It is when the NPCs wish to concede that I find the problem rearing its head. I think that if the players and GM were more direction stating what is at stake in the conflict this would be better off.

Can you take more than one consequence in a single round? I just can't remember. Overall the game was enjoyable; fun was had by all. Check it out:

Fate Core: Magi pt 10

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An in-depth look at skills. You will need to have access to the Fate Core rules to get the most out of this post. Check out the Kickstarter, all it takes is a buck and you get access to the whole shebang. I am not liking how I worded the Spirit section, any thoughts on that would be very helpful. Having been writing game material for almost thirty days straight now, I have had some thoughts on the process. Writing for RPGs is very different from the other types of writing I have done. Normally when I am writing I spend all day spewing forth a steady stream of words and then going back through later and making it clear. In game writing I spend all day working on details. I will write a few sentences, look at them and then look at them again. Editing three to four sentences is weird.

Affinity
Description: Everything is connected.Or more to the point, everything can be connected. This skill deals with the connections between people, places, and things. It is a difficult skill to fully grasp on its own. The easiest example is movement and teleportation.
Overcome: you roll to move through rough or blocked terrain, or to move further or faster. This could be via teleportation, seven-league-stride-altering you form to a faster one, cybernetics, or whatever. This can also be used to understand the connection between things, roll to find out what that connection is. This could be post-cognition(the past connects to the present), some sort of Kirlian apparatus(aura reading the connection between people),  or whatever.
Advantage: Creating an advantage with this skill is changing the distance, altering the relationship, or creating a new relationship: being in two places simultaneously, Someone liking yo for no real reason(this does not manipulate memory, just relationship).
Attack: You attack to break down relationships, physical or mental. Mental attacks are easier with this, but physical attacks are also doable. remember this is about altering an existing relationships and affinities. Major movement(kinetic energy) is covered by Forces. Attacking someone mentally(altering there relationship with another person or thing) will not change the memories of how they were, just the emotions of how they relate. If you have ever fallen out of love, its a lot like that. Physically altering the affinity of someone with gravity or there connection to the world can send them flying into things.
Defend: You defend with this skill by altering where you were, or altering when you were, or altering how people view you. You can stop someone from hating you, or wanting you dead.


Elan Vital
Description:There is a difference between the living and the nonliving. What the difference is has been debated and fought over for many cycles. But the difference is there. This skill deals with living things. Examples include manipulation of form, creation of/summoning creatures and people, and anything dealing with living things.
Overcome: Use this skill to understand living things and the residue they leave behind. you can see the living, know the living, feel the living, and in all ways comprehend them. This may also be used to create a new living thing. This could be done with some kind of mystic circle(summoning), A genetics lab(creation), or a spidey sense(sensing living things)
Advantage: Creating advantage with this skill would involve temporarily changing yourself or adding temporary creatures to the scene. Shape shifting, Biokinesis, summoning(pokemon style), and any other short term life effect works well for this.
Attack: Again this can be done with claws or a summoned creature, or simply rending the forces of life itself. Disintegration effects and the like are just as good as claws and fangs.
Defend: You can form a hard carapace, have a creature you create jump in front of the attack, or changing your form to move quicker. This is using life as your defense.

Forces
Description:There are things that exist, being neither life, spirit,nor matter. These things are known as forces. they direct and follow laws. those laws can change, but to be a force law must apply. Fire, speed, kinetic force, gravity, light, and many many others are examples of forces.
Overcome: To know what forces are affecting you, understanding of them. Removing obstacles and barriers are also there.
Advantage: Creating advantages with this is very easy, moving faster, removing gravity, altering the flow of light, adding heat, or removing it are all the kind of advantages you can create.
Attack: Forces are a blunt force in a fight.lighting things on fire, shoving them, breaking them, rending the very universe around you itself. Forces are not often subtle, and when they are subtle, they are lethal in unpredictable ways.
Defend: Using the forces of the universe to block(force field. eh? eh?), to increase your speed, or to reduce the speed of others. Much like attacking with this skill, defending is not subtle. This is the brute force solution.


Matter
Description: The 'things' in the universe are made of matter. Matter has no person-hood. It has no animation, no life.  Matter is the stuff of the universe.
Overcome: To create/change matter(lead to gold, or creating a table, both are doable), remove/overcome obstacles(create a door in the wall, or just flatten the wall).
Advantage: when creating items you can treat them as short term aspects(longer term stuff is much harder), also you can alter the terrain around you to aid you in a conflict. Building traps and understanding your environment can give you subtle advantages with this skill. Beware the master of matter for they are long in memory and subtle in their anger. Often this skill is technological or highly ritualistic, it takes time to shape the world, and the masters of this skill often take the long view on things.
Attack: You can do a direct attack with matter(earthquakes, heaving a boulder at them, using a gun), or indirectly(weird Rube Goldbergesque coincidences, cars flying off the road and hitting the bad guy, guns exploding in their face, and the like).
Defend: The attacker fails because suddenly there is a wall there, or the ground pitched to the side, or his bullets refuse to harm you. If they are using a weapon, they are making a mistake. That weapon is made of matter, and that is all you need to stop them.


Psyche
Description:The mind is a haunted house, a labyrinth with no map. masters of this skill are the guides that can get you in and out, they know the rules of the mind and can change themselves or anyone else as easily as breathing.
Overcome: to know the thoughts of others, you can create a mind(in a body if you build it with Life), understanding others is the purview of this skill.
Advantage: against a mind you can create advantages all day. you can ask questions that cut them to the core, you can find the core of their beliefs, tear away the layers of deception and see the truth of them, and all other forms of mental manipulation.
Attack: Attacking the mind directly can lead to aneurisms, or crisis of faith, loss of belief, or severe brain damage. 
Defend: to attack the master of Psyche is folly, for they know what you are going to do as soon as you do. they have altered their minds to deal with stress. they have sped up their mental processes, and are so smart that the confrontation was won before you even got there. they are the psychics and super geniuses of the Magi community. Tread carefully around them.


Spirit
Description: there are beings and locations that exist in neither matter, life, nor mind. these are places and beings of spirit. Masters of the art often claim that spirit is the prime material of the universe. That all things started out as spirit and the other concepts came later. The other are creatures of almost pure spirit, so there is some traction with that theory. they do not have minds or bodies(though they can if they choose) they merely believe things without thought. they are alien. If spirit is the prime material of the universe, that says many strange things about the nature of being.
Overcome: To find your way in the spirit pathways, or to create/summon a spirit being, or overcome a barrier of spirit. You can travel through the spirit realm and understand its inhabitants.
Advantage: creating an advantage with spirit involves the spiritual places and beings. it is difficult to create an advantage against a Magi or shadow with this skill.
Attack: Attacking spirits and spiritual entities is the primary focus of the attack action with this skill.
Defend: defending from spirits and spiritual attacks.


Tempus
Description: Time is the ordering of events sequentially along a path through a fourth dimension. It flies, it heals all wounds, and it marches on. Time is the eternal river, flowing inexorably to the end of days. It makes nonsense of infinity and requires eternity. Time is a truly subtle skill.
Overcome: to see the streams of time, the future, the past, all things are revealed in time. overcoming obstacles, or altering the time stream(time travel)
Advantage: Creating advantages with time is easy, anything where forethought would be useful, or where speeding up or slowing down time would be handy is fair game. you can travel back in time and give yourself aid in the current battle, or leave the item you need for yourself.
Attack: You ever see the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? The part where Donovan(I think that was his name) drinks and ages to death and dust in seconds? Yeah, you can do that. or you can alter time to hit precisely and hard. or you can study each and every micro expression in slow motion.
Defend: You know where all the attacks are coming from, you have seen it in a thousand futures. Dodging attacks is as simple as walking across the room. You can play the temporal game, having left yourself a clue or item you need to defend. Or you can jump back in time and stop the attack from happening.