| Author: | Robert Donoghue |
|---|---|
| Author: | Fred Hicks |
| Copyright: | This document is Open Game Content, as described in section 1(d) of the License. The license is found at the end of this document. |
| Editors: | Fred Hicks, Lydia Leong |
| Typesetting: | Nick Moffitt <nick@zork.net> |
Fate is a story-oriented roleplaying game system. Though it is a full-fledged standalone system, Fate can also be incorporated into a variety of popular roleplaying systems. In this book, we present a version of Fate that has been tailored to work with Fudge, an RPG by Steffan O'Sullivan. As such, we assume the reader is familiar with Fudge, and while everything necessary to play is included, you are strongly encouraged to acquire a copy of Fudge, either at your local game store, or for free online at http://fudgerpg.com/. Those interested in starting out immediately with Fudge may wish to check out Fudge in a Nutshell.
The most important thing to understand about Fudge is how it describes things. Rather than assigning numerical values to elements like skills it uses adjectives, which are ranked as follows: Abysmal, Terrible, Poor, Mediocre, Average, Fair, Good, Great, Superb, Epic, and Legendary. Consider: a bodyguard might be a Good swordsman but have Mediocre social skills. He'll probably win a fight with an artist who's a Superb painter but a Poor swordsman. Almost anything can be described using this ladder: an empire may field a Superb army or a spaceship may be limping by with a Poor engine.
To roll dice for Fate, pick your starting level (say, Good) and roll four six-sided dice. For each 1 or 2, move down one step, and for each 5 or 6 move up one. Let's say we rolled 2,3,5 and 5. Go down a step because of the 2, from Good to Fair, but then go up a step thanks to the first 5 (from Fair to Good) and again from the second 5 (from Good to Great) for a final outcome of Great.
Another way to look at the dice is as if they rolled either +1, 0 or -1. From that perspective, rolling 2,3,5,5 is the same as rolling -1,0,+1,+1, which is easier to deal with, since that just becomes Good + 1, which is Great.
Visualize it like this:
| Value | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| +6 | Legendary |
| +5 | Epic |
| +4 | Superb |
| +3 | Great |
| +2 | Good |
| +1 | Fair |
| 0 | Average |
| -1 | Mediocre |
| -2 | Poor |
| -3 | Terrible |
| -4 | Abysmal |
There are special dice available for Fudge that have plus ⊞, minus ⊟ and blank □ faces to make rolling easier, and we use them to clarify examples. These dice can be purchased at many game stores, or online through Grey Ghost Press.
When the dice are rolled, there is usually a target difficulty described according to the ladder. For instance, it might take a Good climbing effort to ascend a steep wall. To face this challenge, the player consults the appropriate skill, rolls the dice, and compares the outcome to the difficulty. If the outcome is equal to or higher than the difficulty, it's a success; if not, it's a failure. The difference between the difficulty and the outcome is called the margin of success (or failure), MoS or MoF respectively. It is often used to determine how well the character succeeded or how badly they failed.
When two characters are competing in a task, they both roll; the difference between the outcomes is the MoS for the winner and the MoF for the loser. A check made against a static target is a Test, while one made against another character is a Challenge. There are a couple of rules (see Tests and Challenges) for handling more complicated circumstances, but most of the time, this is really all there is to it.
Character creation is, ideally, very interactive, with the entire group creating characters in the presence of the GM. The methods below can be adapted to a less group-focused approach, but doing so loses many of benefits of the Fate approach. Character creation consists of a small number of simple steps.
- GM Overview.
- Consider the character.
- Describe each phase
- Select the Aspects for the phase
- Spend 4 Skill Ranks
- Assign Fate points.
- Select character goal.
Character generation should begin with the GM talking to the players about the game, in order to set appropriate expectations. The GM should address any rules considerations, such as how many phases there will be (see below). More importantly, she should make sure that everyone gets a clear idea of the theme and tone of the game. If all of the players want a game of courtly intrigue and the GM is planning to run a hack and slash adventure, this is a good time to find that out. Finally, the GM should give the players whatever background information they need to know.
It's often helpful for players to get a sense of the sort of character they'd like to play. A lot of things can happen during the phases, so it's easiest to start with a simple idea, and build on it over the course of character generation. Once everyone has a concept, players should feel free to discuss them, unless the GM says otherwise. No player is obliged to participate in the discussion. In fact, no player is even obliged to have an idea at this point. However, doing so allows players to get a sense of what direction their fellow players want to take things, and it gives the GM a sense of what the group dynamic might look like.
Creation will have a number of phases set by the GM. Most games will use between five and eight, but it can really be any number. A phase is defined as a period of time wherein some events of note took place, but the specifics vary from game to game. A game of high school monster hunters might consider each school year a phase, while a game of immortal swordsmen might have a phase for every 50 years. Whatever the duration, the GM gives the players a sense of what was going on at the time, and the players figure out what their character was doing at the time.
Players pick one or more aspects to represent important elements of the character that can tie into the events of the phase.
Aspects are used to describe any element of the character. Aspects include things like attributes (Strong, Weak, Agile, Charismatic, Tough, Fast, Slow), descriptors (Dutiful Charming, Alert, Dramatic), careers (Knight, Mercenary, Musketeer, Cutthroat) or even ties to the setting (Merry Man of Sherwood, Initiate of the Blue Wind, Fiodario Fencing Academy). Aspects may be good, bad or both but they should always reflect some important element of the character.
When an aspect is chosen the character gains one level of that aspect, noted as follows:
❏ Knight (Fair)
An aspect may be chosen again on a subsequent phase, in which case it goes up a level and is noted as:
❏ ❏ Knight (Good)
And then
❏ ❏ ❏ Knight (Great)
The GM sets the maximum number of levels that can be chosen in a given aspect, but a good rule of thumb is a third to a half of the total number of phases.
Skill ranks, as the name suggests, are spent primarily to purchase skills, but they can also be invested in resources.
Skill ranks may be spent to buy new skills or to improve existing ones. Acquiring a new skill costs one skill rank, and sets the skill at Average. Spending a skill rank to improve a skill raises it one step per rank spent (from Fair to Good, for example, or Superb to Epic.). Skills will generally be selected from a skill list (see "Skill Lists".)
Once the aspects are chosen, the player then picks four skill ranks appropriate to the events of the phase. If the player had spent the phase training in an order of knights, then skills like swords, riding or heraldry would probably be appropriate, while skills like garrote or needlework would not (barring a very odd order of knighthood).
Skills are described according to the adjective ladder, and default to Mediocre. Spending one skill rank increases a skill to Average, spending a second increases it to Fair, spending another increases it to Good and so on. Players may spend those four skill ranks any way they like with only one limitation: there must always be one more skill in the next rank down. This means that a character must have two skills at Fair to have a skill at Good (and must have three skills at Average to have the two skills at Fair!). Because of how this looks, it is referred to as the skill pyramid. When the rules are observed, the pyramid is considered to be "balanced." The pyramid must be balanced at the end of every phase. This process is repeated for each phase.
The pyramid can get confusing the first time you try to keep track of it. The good news is it's the hardest part of the system - once you're past that, the rest is easy.
It's often helpful to use tick marks to track progression through the phases, since it allows a visual representation of the pyramid.
Looking at the sample character later on (see Sample Creation) in the first phase, the character buys ranks in knife, Herb Lore, Healing, Alertness. This can be marked as:
Knife: ✔ Herb Lore: ✔ Healing: ✔ Alertness: ✔
Next phase, she buys ranks of Knife, Healing, Bluff and Pickpocket:
Knife: ✓ ✔ Herb Lore: ✓ Healing: ✓ ✔ Alertness: ✓ Bluff: ✔ Pickpocket: ✔
And next, Knife, Bluff, Alertness and Move Silently:
Knife: ✓ ✓ ✔ Herb Lore: ✓ Healing: ✓ ✓ Alertness: ✓ ✔ Bluff: ✓ ✔ Pickpocket: ✓ Move Silently: ✔
And the marks show the problem. There are 3 ✓ ✓ and 3 ✓ - that's unbalanced. Instead of Bluff, she picks Hide instead, so:
Knife: ✓ ✓ ✔ Herb Lore: ✓ Healing: ✓ ✓ Alertness: ✓ ✔ Bluff: ✓ Pickpocket: ✓ Move Silently: ✔ Hide: ✔
This system saves the trouble of assigning adjectives at each level. Instead, whenever you're finished, simply count up the marks, and assign a value as follows:
1 Average 2 Fair 3 Good 4 Great 5 Superb 6 Epic 7 Legendary
During character creation and, later, advancement (which is, in the end, the same as character creation in slow motion), you may find yourself wanting to bump a key skill up another level, but lacking the supporting pyramid structure to make that happen.
Of course, the thing to do at this point is to expand the base of the pyramid first, by adding other skills, in order to provide the structure to support the eventual higher skill.
This is all well and good as a mechanic for keeping skills from rising too fast, but you might be asking, "What's the justification?" Some of those skills you're adding at the lower levels might not seem like they'd have anything to do with the skill you're really trying to promote.
Part of the "in game" idea of what's going on here is that, with the troublesome "peak" skill in question, you've plateaued. Perhaps you've gotten about as good as you can get for a while, and it's time to branch out a bit, shake yourself up a little, and then come back refreshed with new perspectives.
Another possibility is that you are still improving in that skill, even if its listed rank isn't changing. Consider: the grain of the adjective ladder in Fate is pretty rough, with each rung of the ladder representing a significant step beyond the one prior to it. So while you may be improving, you're not improving so significantly that you've jumped up another level -- yet. The fact that you're picking up other skills along the way indicates that time is passing, which is the true support that's being lent to your peak skill.
That all said, in theory, your skill choices within a phase (be it a period of advancement leading up to a goal aspect, or a phase during character creation) are related to the aspect you're getting during that phase, so chances are the skills you're picking up are going to be a bit more related to your Swordplay than, say, Basketweaving.
Say the skill in question is Swordplay. There are any number of things you could pick up that clearly do support that skill. For example:
- Metalworking (make your own)
- Knowledge: Fencing Schools
- Shield Use
- Athletics
- Alertness
- Other weapon skills
- A skill to represent an advanced maneuver that isn't covered by your Swordplay skill
And so on. Knowledge and profession skills are often great picks during these times, as they expand the realm of things your character knows about, while still tying into the peak skill you're pushing.
That said, if you're learning Swordplay under the Great Kenjutsu Master Hiroko, and he sends you down to the river to make baskets out of reeds every day as a part of your training in discipline and patience -- there's always justification to take Basketweaving.
Fate points are points which may be spent by a player to grant a bonus to an action or to influence the game in some way. The GM gives each player a certain number of them at the game's start, usually equal to half the number of phases. See Fate Points for more details.
Finally, the player should pick what direction they want the character to go in next. This is expressed as a goal, which should be the next aspect the player would like for the character. It's possible that the player will not have an idea, and that's fine, but the goals help tell the GM the sorts of things the players are interested in. See Advancement for more information.
The GM explains that the game is going to be a standard fantasy game with a slightly urban and low magic flavor, and that character generation will be five phases.
Deborah decides to make Sybil, who she thinks is going to be something of a trickster, but she hasn't got much more than that.
The phases break down as follows.
This phase covers a number of years, including Sybil's youth in the village of Simbul. She's raised by the village medicine woman, and she takes the aspect "Herbalist" and ranks in Knife, Healing, Herb Lore and Alertness.
❏ Herbalist: Fair Knife: ✓ Herb Lore: ✓ Healing: ✓ Alertness: ✓
Sybil runs off with a gypsy troupe, and travels the realm. She takes the aspect "Gypsy" and ranks in Knife, Bluff, Pickpocket and Healing.
❏ Herbalist: Fair ❏ Gypsy: Fair Knife: ✓ ✔ Healing: ✓ ✔ Herb Lore: ✓ Alertness: ✓ Bluff: ✔ Pickpocket: ✔
Sybil continues to spend time with the gypsies, acting as a healer. She takes another rank in the Gypsy aspect, and ranks in Knife, Bluff, Move Silently and Hide.
❏ Herbalist: Fair ❏ ❏ Gypsy: Good Knife: ✓ ✓ ✔ Healing: ✓ ✓ Herb Lore: ✓ Alertness: ✓ Bluff: ✓ ✔ Pickpocket: ✓ Move Silently: ✔ Hide: ✔
Leaving the troupe, she heads to the big city to pursue a career as a thief. She joins the guild and takes the aspect "Guild Thief" and learns the skills Pick Locks, Pickpocket, Bluff and Hide.
❏ Herbalist: Fair ❏ ❏ Gypsy: Good ❏ Guild Thief: Fair Knife: ✓ ✓ ✓ Healing: ✓ ✓ Herb Lore: ✓ Alertness: ✓ Bluff: ✓ ✓ ✔ Pickpocket: ✓ ✔ Move Silently: ✓ Hide: ✓ ✔ Pick Locks: ✔
As a result of a big haul that she fails to share with the guild, she ends up with the black mark on her, and a price on her head. She takes the aspect "Hunted" and buys ranks in Knife, Hide, Alertness and Streetwise.
❏ Herbalist: Fair ❏ ❏ Gypsy: Good ❏ Guild Thief: Fair ❏ Hunted: Fair Knife: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✔ Healing: ✓ ✓ Herb Lore: ✓ Alertness: ✓ ✔ Bluff: ✓ ✓ ✓ Pickpocket: ✓ ✓ Move Silently: ✓ Hide: ✓ ✓ ✔ Pick Locks: ✓ Streetwise: ✔
The GM gives Sybil 3 fate points to start the game.
In Fate, when a character must overcome a particular obstacle, the dice start rolling. The GM needs to make a number of decisions regarding how this contest is going to be resolved and then make a check of some sort. The simplest and most common sort of check is the static test.
For a static test, the GM sets a fixed difficulty, then the player chooses an appropriate skill, rolls the dice, and compares the outcome to the difficulty (Setting Difficulties). For simple tasks, the player needs to meet or exceed the difficulty set by the GM.
While that is all that's needed in situations where all that matters is the success or failure of the action, sometimes the degree of success is very important. In those situations, the check is rolled in the same way as any other static test, but the GM looks at the difference between what the character rolled and what they needed. This difference is called the Margin of Success (if the character succeeded) or the Margin of Failure (if the character failed). Because a tie is a success, it is possible to have a margin of success of 0.
The simple rule of thumb is the larger the margin of success, the more significant the success. The exact effect varies from case to case, but to give a few examples:
In general the MoS is broken down as follows:
MoS Degree Magnitude Duration 0 Minimal Negligible Instant 1 Competent Minor Momentary 2 Solid Moderate Scene 3 Significant Major Session 4 Perfection Overwhelming Long term
While a test is a check which can be resolved in a single check, a challenge takes longer, usually requiring multiple rolls to ultimately achieve a specific (usually quite high) MoS. To accomplish this, successes are tracked on a challenge ladder, which looks something like this:
MoS Degree Ladder Notes 0 Minimal ❏ ❏ 1 Competent ❏ ❏ 2 Solid ❏ ❏ 3 Significant ❏ ❏ 4 Complete ❏
Each time the character makes a check, they mark off a box of the appropriate MoS. If all the boxes of a given level are marked off, they mark a box of the next level up. If those are all full, mark the next up and so on. In this manner, it is possible to accumulate enough small successes to complete a large project and achieve a MoS of 4 (or whatever is required).
While this system can be used to carve a model gun out of soap, it can also be used to carve faces in Mount Rushmore. Obviously, the requirements for different challenges can vary significantly. A challenge is made up of five parts: Difficulty, Complexity, Fragility, Span and Recovery.
Difficulty is the target difficulty the player is rolling to beat. It's important to note that while this may be quite high, it does not have to be. Some tasks are not so much hard, as simply time-consuming.
Complexity is the number and distribution of the boxes in the ladder. By default, the ladder will look a lot like the sample (above); a very simple task may have fewer boxes, while a very complicated task may have many more. Boxes need not be evenly distributed; for instance, the steps could be a pyramid or an inverted pyramid. Uneven distribution of boxes can be especially apt when there are outcomes from the intervening steps. For example, the GM creates a challenge ladder for finding the rumors in a given city. She puts a lot of boxes at the Solid and significant level, and ties each one to a rumor the player's will hear when they check it off.
Fragility is a measure of how well the task handles failure. Not all tasks are fragile, but most at least have some sort of problem that arises from a MoF of 3 or 4. Most often, fragility means that the MoF can be used to remove successes. By default, a MoF removes a success from an equivalent MoS (if there are no successes at that level, keep going up the ladder until one is found). For more fragile challenges, a failure may remove the highest success, remove all successes, or even completely destroy the project being worked on. Alternately, the effects of fragility may not directly affect the success but instead have some sort of triggered effect.
Span measures how long the task takes in terms of how often a check may be made.
Recovery tracks how quickly the challenge recovers boxes. Span and recovery are often tracked together for convenience.
Word on the Street
The GM has a set of rumors for the streets of Alverado, and she builds them into a challenge. She sets the difficulty at Good, requiring the Streetwise or Contacting skills. She has 10 rumors, plus one secret, so she builds the ladder with a heavy concentration on solids and significant, so each one will be worth 1 rumor. She considers fragility - a failure is unlikely to disrupt the ladder - it's hardly going to take away information already gained. Instead, she decides on a special circumstance: On a MoF of 3 (which would be Poor result), the character will offend someone and get attacked by thugs. Lastly, she decides the span will be one day - this represents going out and spending a day beating the streets for news. However, news does get stale, so every week the player doesn't pursue this challenge, a box will become unchecked.
| MoS | Ladder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ❏ | Fair Difficulty |
| 1 | ❏ | |
| 2 | ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ | Gain Spurious Rumor |
| 3 | ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ | Gain Useful Rumor |
| 4 | ❏ | Secret (Plot Hook) |
| Fragility: | On a MoF of 3, the character gets attacked |
|---|---|
| Span: | Check 1/day |
| Recovery: | 1 box per week |
Challenges are most apt when they are required by the difficulty of the task rather than the sheer scope. They are generally designed to allow repeated effort to build up to a higher MoS, and thus an effect that could not normally be accomplished. However, they are not as useful for modeling tasks that are more about repetition and consistency, such as building a house. For such tasks, a series of Static Tests may be more apt, simply keeping a count of successes until a total is reached, possibly granting a bonus for a very high MoS on a given roll.
The problem with this method is that it can be staggeringly boring, especially if a lot of rolls are involved. The GM is strongly encouraged to make the span as long as can be reasonably justified to avoid massive die rolling extravaganzas.
While Static checks are appropriate when the character has no direct opposition, many conflicts will be directly with another character. In those situations, both sides roll dice and compare outcomes.
As with static checks, sometimes all the GM needs to resolve a situation is the outcome, but sometimes the margin of success or failure is important. In those situations, the player makes a dynamic test, and considers the result as follows:
MoS Degree Magnitude Duration 0 Minimal Negligible Instant 1 Competent Minor Momentary 2-4 Solid Moderate Scene 5-6 Significant Major Session 7+ Perfection Overwhelming Long term
Canny readers may notice that this table is very similar to the table for static tests, except that the numbers used to determine the MoS are different.
One interesting element of using Fudge dice is that because they are 0- centered, it doesn't matter whether the GM or the player is rolling the dice - it only matters how many dice are being rolled. When the player and GM roll four dice, they each generate an outcome from -4 to +4 This produces a total range from -8 to +8.
In practical terms, this means there's a much broader range of results if both sides are rolling dice. As the range is doubled, so is the MoS table. At least that's the theory. A perfect doubling would assign each step a 2 number value (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 etc.). However, we've expanded the "Solid" range because in play test we found it was much more satisfying - a solid outcome is much more the midpoint of success, so making it more likely paid off nicely. In fact, in all honesty, we came up with the dynamic ladder first, and divided it in half for the static chart rather than the reverse.
Like many things, this is an issue of taste - GMs with a fondness for symmetry are welcome to change the steps to 1-2, 3-4 and so on, it won't break anything.
Dynamic challenges are very similar to static challenges. The same considerations that go into making a static challenge (Difficulty, Complexity, Fragility and Span see Customizing Challenges) are used to create a dynamic challenge. The only difference are the new numbers for measuring MoS.
The Chess Match (A Dynamic Challenge)
Two chess masters, Louis and Ferdinand, are in a tense match that will decide the fate of a nation due to a risky wager by the Queen.
The GM wants to crank up the tension for this, so decides that checkmating the other master is each character's goal. Thus, she writes down two identical challenge tracks for each character, representing the difficulty of overcoming their opponent, and the state of the opponent's board:
| MoS | Ladder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ | Pawn Captured |
| 1 | ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ | Knights and Bishops (-1 to the next roll) |
| 2-4 | ❏ ❏ | Rooks (-1 for rest of match) |
| 5-6 | ❏ | Queen (-2 for rest of match) |
| 7+ | ❏ | King (Checkmate) |
| Fragility: | None |
|---|---|
| Span: | Each check constitutes a few minutes of play, spanning several moves. |
| Recovery: | None |
Playing the Match
Each set of opposed skill checks does not represent a single pair of moves in the game, but rather each significant moment in the game, which may be comprised of multiple moves. Further, the GM rules that if the highest box checked off is a Moderate, the target is at -1 for the rest of the challenge; if Major, the target is at -2 for the rest of the challenge. A Minor loss should force a temporary shift in strategy, so that too gives a -1 --but only to the next roll by the victim.
The players begin to roll.
In the first exchange, Louis gets a moderate (MoS 2) success, which the GM narrates as having taken one of Ferdinand's rooks. It's a bad result for Ferdinand this early in the match, and he's at a -1 for the rest of the game. Ouch.
In the next exchange, Ferdinand beats Louis by all of 1, overcoming his early loss. The GM says Ferdinand has claimed one of Louis' knights, giving Louis a -1 to his next roll -- for the moment, Louis and Ferdinand will be on an equal footing.
Then, Ferdinand and Louis tie. The GM rules that they've traded pawns after some tense maneuvering, and checks off a box on the lowest rung for each of them.
Following this, Louis is no longer at a -1, while Ferdinand is. Louis ends up rolling extraordinarily well, while Ferdinand only hits the middle of his range -- Louis beats Ferdinand by 5, depriving him of his Queen, and knocking him down to a -2.
In the final exchange, Louis' luck and Ferdinand's penalties conspire to give Louis a MoS of 5 again -- but all Major boxes are filled up, and thus the result rolls into Overwhelming -- checkmate. Louis wins.
Dynamic challenges can be used to model almost any sort of contest, from a footrace to a debate to a fencing match (see Combat).
Dynamic challenges are also appropriate when the character is performing an action where a number of random factors can come into play. In those situations, even if there is no direct opposition the GM may still roll dice - in this case the check is considered dynamic.
Any given check is going to be one of four types: static tests, static challenges, dynamic tests or dynamic challenges. Static checks involve only the player rolling, while both the player and GM roll for dynamic checks. Tests are resolved in a single check, while challenges are resolved over the course of several rolls.
Static Dynamic Test Only player rolls, only one roll. Player and GM roll, only one roll Challenge Only Player rolls, multiple rolls Player and GM roll, multiple rolls.
The following guidelines can be used for GMs looking to set difficulties for tasks. It's important to note that for many tasks, the difficulty is just the beginning. Most significant tasks will be challenges rather than tests, and will require multiple successes to accomplish their goal.
The baseline for these difficulties is based around the idea that a Superb skill represents the practical apex of human skill - transcending Superb is truly the stuff of epics and legends (funny, that). Not every game is going to hold that to be true, and if the ceiling moves up or down, move the difficulties up and down an equal amount
These are tasks that should not require a roll. These tasks are easily doable by anyone with the basic understanding of, and physical capability for, the task at hand. These should almost never require a roll.
Examples: Starting a car, turning on an appliance, climbing a ladder, getting into a swimming pool. reading the headlines, getting the punchline of a late-night monologue, popping microwave popcorn.
This is the difficulty for most tasks that an ordinary person could encounter on a routine basis. They are the sorts of challenges that can be overcome without any real drama or struggle, provided the character is even faintly competent.
Examples: Driving a car in the rain, researching something with Google or an encyclopedia, writing a "Hello World" program, climbing a knotted rope, treating a first degree burn (such as a sunburn), juggling three balls, playing an instrument well enough not to scare the pets, catching a ball, writing a business letter, getting on a horse, jumping off a low diving board into water, cooking using a recipe, loading a gun, building a campfire.
These are the sort of tasks that would challenge the average person, but are handled regularly by experts and professionals. Someone with basic skills might be able to perform this sort of task in a pinch, but not with any regularity.
Examples: Parallel parking with less than a foot of clearance, researching something obscure in a library, climbing a cracked stone wall, performing CPR, installing Linux, juggling four balls, playing an instrument in a marching band, rescuing a drowning swimmer in calm water, splinting a broken arm, digging a well, skinning an animal, sewing a dress, cooking from scratch.
These are tasks that are pretty much entirely out of the realm of a person with only basic training. These tasks are noteworthy enough that they are rarely approached without taking proper care to make preparations.
Examples: Performing simple surgery, rebuilding the engine of a car, climbing a cliff face, juggling knives, building a house, flying a small airplane.
Even skilled professionals balk in the face of these tasks, and it's entirely possible for a person to go their whole life without ever facing a challenge of this scope. Capability with this sort of task is indicative of a great deal of training or natural talent (or both).
Examples: Flying a fighter jet, performing open-heart surgery, scaling the side of a building, cooking for a good restaurant, design an office building.
Only the best of the best need apply - there are only a handful of people in the world at any given time who could do this sort of thing with any sort of consistency.
Examples: Multiple organ transplant, climbing Mount Everest, soloing for the NYC orchestra, developing an entirely new programming language, cooking for one of the world's finest restaurants or simply being Jackie Chan.
At this level, it is possible to start doing things that expand the very nature of the task at hand.
Examples - Researching a new branch of a science, composing a masterpiece.
Climbing:
Mediocre: Climb a ladder Average: Climb a knotted rope Fair: Scale a stone wall with handholds Good: Scale a stone wall with finger holds Great: Climb a cliff bare handed Superb: Climb a cliff in the rain, bare handed
Medicine:
Mediocre: Bandage a cut Average: Apply a tourniquet Fair: Stitch a deep cut Good: Surgically repair a serious stab wound Great: Surgically repair a punctured lung Superb: Surgically re-attach a severed limb
Survival:
Mediocre: Start a campfire Average: Build a shelter from the rain Fair: Find potable water in the forest Good: Finding potable water in the desert Great: Live in the desert for a week with no supplies Superb: Live among the wolves like one of the pack
Driving:
Mediocre: Drive a car Average: Drive a car in the rain Fair: Drive a car in a blizzard Good: Drive a car in a blizzard at high speed Great: Race a car in the Indianapolis 500 Superb: Stunt driving in an action movie
Aspects represent elements of the character that are not reflected by their skills, including things like the character's advantages, disadvantages, connections and even attributes.
The exact form that aspects take in a game depends on the taste of the players. At their simplest, they are a dramatic replacement for more traditional attributes like strength or intelligence. Used to their full advantage, they can represent the character's ties to the game world in a manner that bears directly on play.
Aspects have a number of uses, most commonly to gain a reroll. After the character makes a roll that is germane to the aspect (such as a joust with the Knight aspect, or a sword fight with the Strong aspect), the player describes how the aspect helps their character out, checks off a box of the aspect and either:
- Picks up all four dice and rerolls them all or
- Chooses a single die and change its value to a ⊞.
As such, it only takes a single reroll to try to undo a terrible roll, but it may take many rerolls to try to get a really good roll. And that's fine - if the player's been explaining each element, this is probably a pretty dramatic roll.
When you reroll, you are stuck with the outcome of the new roll, unless you want to use another reroll.
Checking off and using an aspect in this way is referred to as a positive invocation.
The default assumption of the system is that aspects are rare and powerful. The ability to turn any die into a ⊞ is very potent and predictable. Some GMs may want to consider reducing the effect of a single aspect invocation, for flavor or balance reasons, or because a game has more aspects than usual (see Free Aspects).
There are a number of possibilities for this. In general, we suggest keeping #1 (pick up all four dice and reroll them all) but you can replace #2 (choose a single die and change its value to a ⊞) with one of the following:
- Choose a single die showing ⊟ and change its value to ⊞. [1]
- Choose a single die showing □ and change its value to ⊞.
- Choose a single die and increase its value by one step (so ⊟ to □ or □ to ⊞)
- Choose a single die and reroll it.
- Nothing (only allow rerolling all dice.)
| [1] | This is a very popular option, especially for less cinematic games |
Aspects also provide a passive bonus that the GM needs to keep in mind. A Strong character is by definition stronger than one who lacks this aspect, and a Slow character just doesn't get around that quickly. In rare circumstances, it may be necessary to roll the aspect. Mechanically, this is no different than rolling a skill.
It is also possible to invoke an aspect for effect. In this case, the player uses the aspect for a related advantage that is not related to a test or challenge, such as checking off a box of "Rich" to get luxurious accommodations, or checking off a box for an organization for them to have a chapter in town. This is subject to the same sort of restrictions as spending Fate points for coincidental effects (How Much Power Should Players Have?).
The other common use of aspects is involuntary invocation. This is done by the GM when she thinks the character's aspects would be detrimental or at odds with the action he has taken. In those situations, the GM declares that she's invoking the aspect (it's not checked off) and the player has two options: act in accordance with the aspect and gain a number of Fate points equal to the aspect level or pay a number of Fate points equal to the aspect level to overcome the aspect.
Since aspects are a narrative convenience, they operate on a narrative timeline. As such, they become unchecked at appropriate breaks in the narrative, most commonly between game sessions. Unless the GM determines otherwise, aspects are unchecked at the beginning of every session.
The default assumption for the system is that aspects will be refreshed at the beginning of every session. However, that is definitely not the only option. Aspects could easily refresh:
- At the end of every scene
- Each day
- When the PCs get a chance to rest
- At any significant story point
Changing the refresh rate will have some impact on the flavor of the game, with more frequent refreshes being well suited to a more cinematic game, where the characters can consistently do remarkable things. Feel free to experiment with various options to see what suits your style best.
One issue to bear in mind is that the more aspects the characters have, the less need there is for regular refreshes. If the characters have many aspects, there's less need to make them refresh more often.
Aspects are designed to allow a character to operate at their best when it matters. The more aspects a character has, the more often he will perform well. Naturally, this means that as the number, utility and frequency of use of aspects is altered, the characters will perform at his best more or less often.
There are a number of elements that change when one customizes aspects. There are three main indexes:
- How many aspects a character has.
- How potent aspects are.
- How frequently aspects refresh.
How these elements are set has a lot of impact on the game. There's no "correct" balance of these factors, so the rules presented should really be considered a default rather than canonical.
In addition to their role in deferring negative invocation of aspects, players may use Fate points in a number of other ways.
They may spend a Fate point to receive +1 on any roll. This may be spent before or after the roll, or even after any aspects have been invoked. Only one point may be spent in this fashion, unless it's countered (see below). This is the only possible way to increase the outcome of a roll to +5.
They may also spend a Fate point for minor narrative control of a situation. Common uses for this include finding a convenient item, knowing someone in a particular town, or showing up at just the right moment in another scene. Effectively, this expenditure allows the player to take the role of GM for a moment. The GM has full veto rights on any such expenditures, in which case the point is not spent.
More often than not, this sort of expenditure of Fate points is an attempt by the players to keep things moving. It's more fun to just assume you have the tool you need in your trunk than to have to drive back from the haunted house, hit a hardware store, and then drive back. As a GM, if the expenditure lets people continue to have fun without breaking anything, it should generally be allowed.
It's also important to consider how reasonable the player's request is. If it's really no stretch at all, spending a Fate point shouldn't even be necessary. Fate points are really for use in that narrow spectrum between completely logical and GM ruling.
Fate points may also be spent to cancel someone else's expenditure of a Fate point. If this happens, both Fate points are spent, but the person who spent the original point may spend another point to try again. This process can repeat as many times as people are willing to spend the points.
Granting the players any degree of narrative control may seem like an odd idea to GMs who have not encountered the idea before. As such, exactly how far it goes is almost entirely based on the GM's comfort level. GMs are welcome to ignore this option entirely, but we strongly encourage GMs to at least give it a try. Even something so simple as allowing players to spend a Fate point to have the right item in their backpack can be very satisfying for everyone involved. As far as we're concerned, there's no limit on how far this power can extend. It's possible to give player broad narrative power with this mechanic, allowing them to use Fate points to create plots and NPCs and generally complicate stories. If that sounds like fun, give it a try - the only real limitation should be that it's done so everyone has more fun. If the players are spending Fate points and things are becoming less fun as a result, it's time to tone things down a notch.
Fate points can be viewed as small "votes" you can cast to get the story to go your way, within certain guidelines. We've already talked about simply adding 1, and we've talked about using them to arrange minor circumstance. Here are a few other ideas that you may want to consider using in your game. Further, you may want to consider allowing someone to check off a box of an aspect to substitute for a Fate point expenditure in some or all of these cases.
- You can spend one Fate point to take the camera for a monologue. You can't interact with anything else during this time period; you're making a speech. At the same time, since you're monologuing, you won't be interrupted. Keep it short and sweet, but have fun with it. This is television or cinema. And yes, villains can do this as well -- how else do you figure they can manage to make their exit threats without the heroes stepping on their lines? This effect generally only lasts for a few sentences. However, the rest of the room is required to be quiet while you do it.
- You can spend two Fate points to give someone else a +1 to one of their rolls, even if they've spent a Fate point to give themselves a +1 already, providing that you can reasonably give them some sort of in-character assistance. You can't do this more than once for a particular given roll, though. If a friend of yours needs a +2, you'll be able to spend two to give them +1, and a third party will have to spend two to give them +1 as well!
- In combat, you can spend one Fate point to switch positions with someone else, even if it isn't your turn, so long as it's reasonable you could quickly change positions, without having to roll against a skill for maneuvering (good for trading off opponents).
- In combat, you can spend one Fate point to take a wound (a hit) instead of someone else, even if it isn't your turn, so long as it's reasonable you could interpose yourself, without having to roll against a skill for maneuvering.
- A point may also be spent for a fortuitous arrival - if a character is going to arrive as some undetermined point, the player may spend a point for them to arrive at a particular moment.
Some of the uses suggested above are written with the notion that reinforcing teamwork and the feel of cinema is important. Other rules can (and should) be used to reinforce alternate genre-feel if desired.
But so far, we've only discussed spending. You may also want to think about what rewards you're giving out. Consider the possibility of writing on index cards certain key lines or actions that you're hoping the PCs might take, and then deal the cards out (either at random, or to specific folks). On these cards, note how many Fate points they'll get if they follow through with the action indicated on the card.
The nice thing about this approach is that it can give players a sense of structure, without making it necessary that they take you up on the offer. In a lot of ways, it offers the possibility of a certain amount of scripting and plot structure without taking that to its oft-decried extreme of "railroading".
Further, it can be done in such a way as to encourage player-to-player interaction. A lot of games can be deeply enhanced by creating some subplots and interaction among the PCs. Consider these ideas:
Each advancement period, the player may gain one skill rank, which can be spent or saved in accordance with the normal rules (i.e. the pyramid must be maintained). Four periods compose an arc and along with the fourth skill, the character gets a new aspect that reflects their experience and the skills they purchased.
Fate points may also be granted as non-advancement rewards. For a much more detailed treatment of advancement, see In-Game Advancement.
Almost anything can be an aspect as long as it's an important part of the character's story.
One option for aspects is an item of some sort such as a magic sword, an occult library, a car or even a castle. These items are considered an intrinsic part of the character's story. Something like King Arthur's Excalibur would be appropriate as an aspect. Items which the character makes regular use of, but which are less central to their concept, are generally purchased with skill ranks (see Skill Ranks). A given item may be represented by both an aspect and a skill rank.
Mechanically, this means that in addition to the usual benefits for invoking an aspect, an item which is also an aspect will generally find its way back to the character's hands, even if it requires a conspiracy of coincidence. Causing the character to go without the item when they would reasonably have it qualifies as an involuntary invocation, thus granting the player Fate points.
While an item may be described in any way, it may be necessary to spend skill ranks to generate specific effects (see Props as Aspects). Otherwise, the description of the item simply determines the circumstances under which it grants a reroll. Item aspects can also usually be invoked for effect to be conveniently available.
It is also possible to have other people as aspects. In this case, it's important to define the relationship between the character and the subject of the aspect. Family members, mentors, enemies, dependants, old war buddies, liege lords, servants, familiars and rivals are all perfectly good examples of characters as aspects. The important thing about all of these is that they form an important part of the character's story, and can be expected to appear with reasonable frequency.
The player is expected to work out with the GM what the nature of the relationship is so the GM can work the details of the NPC into her game. In general, the number of aspects reflects how close the bond is between the character and their aspect, while the actual game stats of the subject character are up to the GM. The exception to this is when the NPC is subservient to the character, such as a manservant or a familiar - in those cases, the player will help determine the characters stats through their investment of skill ranks, see Personal Extras.
Aspects may also be NPCs the GM has created, entirely new NPCs, or even other PCs!
While aspects are usually simple and descriptive, there is nothing to say they cannot be more colorful. Catch phrases, for example, make very interesting aspects, since they say a lot about the character, and are fun to invoke (imagine: "Go ahead, make my day" ❏ ❏). This works especially well for more cinematic genres where catch phrases are almost mandatory.
That only scratches the surface of the possibilities of this option. Passages from (real or imagined) scripture, rhyming couplets, lines from songs, or haiku are all possible options.
The one caveat is that there's a lot of implicit flavor in choosing this option, and it may not be a flavor that goes well with the rest of the game. Make sure to discuss any such aspects with the GM to make certain everyone has the same understanding of what these aspects mean.
Here's a little secret - the real measure of how powerful an aspect is can be found in one simple thing - how interesting it is. Interesting aspects are going to come up more often, and are more likely to grant reroll and provide Fate points. Take an enemy for example - not only do you get Fate points for him showing up and messing things up, you also get to invoke the aspect when you're fighting him. It's a serious win.
Interesting aspects are also easier to invoke, because they tend to make more sense. If a character has been trained by an order of knights with a clearly defined dogma, he'll get rerolls for the appropriate skills, but he can also invoke the aspect when he's defending that dogma (or gain Fate points when he suffers for following it). Compare that to a merely generic Knight aspect and the advantage should become clear.
This also emphasizes a really key point. Aspects are not just what define the character; they are what are important to the character. If you take your Mom as an aspect, she may provide a direct route to invocation for skills that you learned from her, but you could also invoke her for darn near anything if you're fighting to protect or rescue her.
One last secret - there's nothing to keep PCs from taking each other as aspects. This is a win-win situation, since the whole game benefits from the stronger connections between the characters, and the player in question gets an aspect that's likely to see lots of use.
A character may have any number of aspects, and each aspect may have multiple levels. In general, this is expressed as follows:
❏ ❏ Strong 2 (Good)
This is how a player would denote that their character has 2 levels of the Strong aspect.
Now, it's worth noting that they can also look like this:
❏ ❏ ❏ Weak 3 (Great)
Obviously, this character is very weak, even though it is described as Great, a positive descriptor. This is an important example, illustrating that the level of the aspect is the magnitude of that aspect. As such, a character with Weak 3 is weaker than one with Weak 2.
That's not always a simple thing to get one's head around, especially for those with a long familiarity with Fudge - in that case the solution is simple. If you consider the attribute to be a negative one, treat the levels as a negative number. As such:
❏ ❏ ❏ Weak -3 (Terrible)
While this is an entirely valid approach, its use is ultimately a matter of taste.
On occasion, you may need to apply an aspect directly to play. This generally occurs under one of two circumstances - the character is involved in a contest purely within the domain of the aspect, or the character is engaging in an extended activity that calls upon multiple skills.
The obvious solution is to resolve these with dice, like any other contest, but the GM should make sure to apply common sense to these things. If one character is "Large ❏ ❏" and another is "Small ❏ ❏" and you want to know which is taller, it should be obvious without something as preposterous as a "height check" or the like.
It's worth noting that in contests between aspects, it's appropriate to use the aspects to grant rerolls (see Using Aspects).
Aspects may also be used to simplify extended actions. A character with a Ranger aspect may want to spend a few weeks hunting in the woods, getting the lay of the land, and looking for huffalump tracks. Rather than require multiple rolls for that, a simple roll on the Ranger aspect can sum up the outcome.
Extras are those elements of the character that require some representation outside the scope of skills and aspects. Some examples of the sort of extras which can be acquired include:
- A flaming sword
- A loyal lackey
- A weakness in your arch-nemesis
- Nightvision
Extras are purchased with skill ranks. Each phase, a character receives a number of ranks, usually four, but it can vary from game to game. These ranks are often referred to as "skill ranks" because their primary use is to purchase skills. In addition to skills, ranks may be spent on extras.
The sheer variety of potential extras makes it difficult to cover every single possibility, but the majority of extras fall into three main categories - Intrinsic, Personal and Shared. Intrinsic extras are permanent parts of the character, like nightvision. Personal extras are those things within the character's control, like equipment or servants. Shared extras are elements of the game environment, like resources and contacts.
This is the broadest, and hardest to quantify, type of extra. Often, characters may have certain "always on" effects. For example, in many settings, elves have supernaturally keen eyesight. When creating a character with abilities like this, it is, first and foremost, important to make sure that the GM and the player have the same understanding of what the ability is and how it will work. It's also very important to look at any such ability and decide if it would be better represented by an aspect.
The line between aspects and passive abilities is a fuzzy one - both strength and low-light vision are always on, so it may seem odd that one is an aspect and the other is not. The line is a fine one, and the logical distinction stems from the thinking behind aspects - the boxes do not represent how many times the ability can be used, rather, they represent how many times they will matter to the story. While Strength is useful when the player decides it is, something like low-light vision is important when the GM decides it is, specifically through the creation of scenarios where is it may come into play.
As such, passive effects should be considered to add the capacity to do something normally, i.e. at default skill level, which would not otherwise be possible. This may entail the addition of one or more new skills, depending on the nature of the new ability. If the extra allows a new way to do a normal activity, then no new skill may be required. On the other hand, if the extra allows an entirely new ability, a skill will usually be required to represent it.
Special skills may or may not interact with the pyramid like other skills will. In some cases, they may be tracked outside of the pyramid, or be their own pyramid. This will generally be decided on a case by case basis.
This may seem like a trivial detail, but it has a great deal of impact on how powers interact with the rest of the game. Remember, each skill rank used for something outside the pyramid hurts the player's ability to raise skills; this is one of the implicit checks and balances in the system.
If there is a large suite of skills used to represent magical or similar capacity, they should be their own skill pyramid.
If the skills are independent, and there are not many of them, they should be part of the regular pyramid.
For lesser effects, if the extra allows something entirely inappropriate for a skill or aspect, the GM can decide it simply works, and that's that. However, anything this peculiar should definitely be the subject of serious GM scrutiny.
Personal and shared extras are mechanically similar - one skill rank translates into one aspect in the target. The main distinction is simple. If something is within the character's domain (and thus, personal), the aspects the PC gives that thing are the only aspect it has. Things outside of the character's domain (shared) may have any number of aspects; the player is merely establishing what some of them are.
Most personal extras come in one of two flavors: equipment or servants.
Equipment is easily dealt with. Assign the item one or more aspects, and it will grant rerolls and occasional passive bonuses when the aspect is appropriate.
Servants is a catch-all phrase that includes things like bodyguards, familiars, friendly ghosts or any other NPC whose first priority is the character. Servants are constructed as characters who are generated using the number of phases equal to the number of skill ranks invested. This grants that number of aspects as well as appropriate skills (see Pyramid Shorthand). Some campaigns may grant more aspects; use the rules for giving aspects to PCs as a guideline.
It's important to note that the player cannot directly use any of the NPC's aspects - those only help the NPC. However, if the player has also bought the NPC as an aspect, the NPC's aspects provide a good guideline for the sort of benefits proved by the invocation of the NPC itself.
The stats of any such NPC must be approved by the GM, who should question any NPC with more than half the phases that the character has, and enthusiastically reject any NPCs with more phases than their patron character. The GM also has the option of statting up the NPC. If this happens, the player should get only a general sense of their capabilities, but the GM may construct the NPC as if every phase were a plot phase (Plot, Genre and Fate Points.)
Minions are a special kind of NPC servant that are best suited to villains, but may be occasionally useful. Minions are useful for representing large numbers of relatively unskilled servitors and cannon fodder. Minion ranks may only be purchased in conjunction with aspects like "Overlord". The total number of Minions is equal to the number of ranks spent on the minions, multiplied by the rating in the controlling aspect. This number represents how many minions (who are usually Average fighters, Mediocre everything else) are available in a given scene.
It's possible to allow for items and abilities which are more powerful, but these should generally require the expenditure of more ranks. The GM should be most careful when dealing with powers which trump existing skills. An item that allows its user to fly can now outperform someone who has invested any number of ranks into things like climbing or jumping. Other abilities to watch out for include invisibility, telepathy, or the ability to render a foe completely helpless casually, such as sleep or paralysis. This is not to say the GM should disallow these capabilities altogether. Instead, the GM is encouraged to find ways to make the power cool, yet playable. As an example of GM options, look at a classic, the Cloak of Invisibility:
Cloak of Invisibility
The GM may simply give the cloak an invisibility aspect of its own, based on the ranks invested. Thus, if there player spends a skill rank on the item, it is described as "Cloak of Invisibility (❏ Invisible 1 (Fair))". It probably makes the user moderately transparent, or blends somewhat with the scenery - it requires a Fair perception check to spot the character. More ranks make the item more potent, so it's important to keep spending limits in mind.
Alternately, the player and GM may decide to come up with something a bit less generic. If the player wants a cloak that draws the shadows around him, the GM may let the cloak provide a +1 to concealment rolls in deep shadows. If the player wants it to be more potent, he works it out with the GM how exactly it functions, and the GM can set whatever cost in ranks he considers appropriate.
Last, the GM could consider the narrative limitation approach. This is only appropriate for items which have been ought as aspects. By this model, the item may be very potent - one skill rank could buy full invisibility or shapechanging or nearly anything else. However, to use the item, the player must check off an aspect box for the item. This is a bit of narrative sleight of hand designed to model certain literary conventions. Few fictional characters use magical items at their disposal with the kind of reckless abandon that PCs tend to. This option allows the inclusion of powerful items that suit the setting's tone, without them overrunning the game.
Players who invest in extras that are central to their character are encouraged to consider purchasing the extra as an aspect. There's no obligation to do so, but the benefits are pronounced. Because aspects are tied to the character, they're harder to lose and when they're not available they pay out Fate points. In general, the more skill ranks invested in an extra, the better an idea it is to make it an aspect.
The impact that extras have on the skill pyramid is potentially very strong. Each skill rank used on an extra is not simply one less skill level: it makes the construction of a pyramid that much more difficult. If extras are not considered part of the pyramid, characters who invest in extras are going to find themselves falling short of their companions with regard to skills. In theory, the additional flexibility and utility of extras offsets this. In practice, the balance between extras and the pyramid is a little more fine.
By default, non-skill extras, like props, allies and the like are not taken into account when building the Pyramid.
Sometimes, the GM has certain goals during character generation. The GM may declare certain phases to have "plot" aspects. These phases will generally have events that the GM wants the PCs involved in, or which serve the campaign in some way. Common plot aspects include having everyone grow up in the same village, or having everyone end character creation in the same place.
Plot aspects may also be more general; for instance, the GM might want some or all of the PCs to have ties to a particular organization. They may even be used to enforce a theme; the GM might feel that all PCs need to buy certain aspects that reflect the tone of the setting.
The GM is entitled to declare plot aspects to be mandatory and leave it at that. However, if the GM takes too heavy a hand with that, the players are entitled to give her a wedgie and go play something they'd actually enjoy.
It's suggested that he GM take a more carrot than stick approach, and offer a reward for choosing a plot aspect. In general, plot aspects reward one more skill point than normal, but the GM is entitled to make the reward anything that she sees fit. This bonus skill rank is referred to as a plot bonus.
While it is strongly suggested that characters gain no more than one aspect per phase, GMs may wish to allow extra aspects at the beginning and end of character generation. These aspects could be used to represent nationality, family, interests, or almost anything else. It's probably not a good idea to give more free aspects than there are phases, but up to that is perfectly reasonable.
In a game where the character creation phases are based on a strict timeline, it is possible that one character may be younger than the others, and thus have fewer phases. In that situation, the PC accumulates a point of potential during each phase they aren't around.
Potential may be spent during any phase that the player buys an aspect, effectively granting them another phase. This is treated like a normal phase - an aspect and skills are bought and the pyramid is balanced. The only limitation is that the new aspect should be tied to the first aspect bought during that phase in some way. Any amount of potential can be spent on any phase.
In some games, it may be appropriate to grant all characters a number of rounds of potential to be spent in some specific way, such as on plot aspects, or on intrinsic aspects, like attributes. GMs who consider statistics and intrinsics to be very important may wish to consider allowing all players to take a few levels of potential, with the understanding that it will be spent on attributes and attribute-like aspects, such as Strong, Nimble or Magical Talent. See Talented Novices for more on this idea.
This is an optional rule designed to allow a player to create the lowly-farmboy-who-becomes-a-powerful-wizard sort of character, popular in fiction and film. During character creation, the player chooses the aspect "Destiny" and does not purchase any skill ranks with it. The nature of the destiny should be discussed with the GM to determine if it can be worked into the story (and if it's appropriate). It's even possible for the player to have an unknown destiny, in which case the GM determines the specifics.
The character may have multiple levels of the destiny aspect (called a Grand Destiny). This aspect can be used like any other aspect, specifically towards rolls that advance that destiny. At the end of any session where the character has not achieved their destiny (see below), they receive one Fate point.
The player and GM should come to an agreement regarding the sort of things that allow a destiny to come to pass. In general, destinies are not casually achieved, so the GM is perfectly entitled to veto a destiny that is likely to be achieved within a handful of sessions.
There are two possible ways for a destiny to be realized, and the destiny aspect to be "cashed in" for other aspects.
The first is dramatic - the PC is in a scene where the destiny is coming to a head. They may be facing down the killer of their father, or discovering the ancient ruins that prove they're not a crackpot. The player informs the GM that they're achieving their destiny, and if the GM agrees it's appropriate (and the GM may not - she may know, for example, that the arch nemesis is really an imposter), it begins. The player is given 5 Fate points, which may be used only for this scene, any left over are discarded. The scene plays out however it goes, and at the end of that session, the player reduces their destiny by one level, and purchases an aspect that reflects the experience. With that aspect, they may buy 5 ranks of skills, just as if it was a plot aspect - which it effectively was (see Aspects as Plot Hooks). It should be noted, a Grand Destiny requires several of these scenes to achieve.
The second option is narrative. At the end of an arc, when players achieve a new aspect, the player and the GM can sit down and discuss how the arc affected the destiny. Depending on the agreement, any number of levels of destiny may be turned into aspects, and reward 5 skill ranks per, as above.
It is also possible that the character may turn away from their destiny. This will generally occur when the player decides they are no longer interested in that direction for the character, or they are tired of waiting. This can be done during any advancement period, and allows those levels of destiny to be spent as aspects and skills. In this situation, the aspect only awards the usual 4 skill levels.
The default assumption behind character creation is that things are pretty much wide open. Players are free to pick any aspects that they want and make any kind of story they want. The GM may provide a guiding hand in the form of plot hooks and the like, but overall, anything goes.
While this can work very well, it's not something that's going to work for every type of game. Sometimes, a little more structure is desired, whether to simulate career paths, environment or some particular development mechanic. The key to any of these is having well structured aspect and skill lists.
Most structured approaches are based around the simple idea of a limited list of aspects or skills, which expands as aspects are taken.
It's assumed in these models that characters are still free to choose aspects like Strong or Cowardly, since intrinsics are easy to justify in almost any context. The GM is the ultimate authority on what aspects are available, and would be well served to provide a list to players in advance, if only to give them a starting point.
This method requires that the GM have a list of a few important locations in the setting, and a list of the aspects and skills that can be gained in that location. During each phase, players declare their location, and choose aspects from the appropriate list. The exact nature of the places depends on the game: they could be towns, countries or even planets or dimensions. Depending upon how the geography is laid out, the GM may also put constraints upon how freely a character can move between phases. The GM might allow only moving between adjacent locations from phase to phase, or create a special "traveling" location where the character must spend a phase before moving on.
The pursuit structure works in a manner very similar to the geographic one, except it replaces the character's physical location with the characters current pursuit. Descriptors in this case tend to be very general: Rural, Wilderness, Underworld, Military and so on, but the GM may have very specific pursuits available. This can be a great model for a conspiratorial or faction based game - time spent working with a certain faction opens up aspects that might not otherwise be available.
Changing pursuits depends upon the logic of the setting. It's very difficult to go from a Wilderness pursuit directly to High Society without at least an intervening Urban pursuit. However, the specific requirements will ultimately depend on the GM and the description of the events of the phase. Some pursuits, like secret societies, may even have special requirements, like certain skill levels or a certain number of phases spent in a particular pursuit.
Career Structures take some of the concepts in the pursuit structure and folds them into the aspects themselves. The idea is that there are a certain number of careers available at the outset, and as those careers are pursued, new careers open up. Thus, if the Squire aspect is available at the outset, the Knight aspect might become available to any character who has taken 2 levels of Squire.
The progression need not be that simple either. If there are a variety of careers available, some careers may require a combination of other careers. As an example, it may require a certain number of levels of the aspect Knight and a certain number of levels of the aspect Priest to make the aspect Knight Templar available.
This method can work very well when you have aspects which open up new skills or abilities. Some examples that might be useful can be found in Magic and Supernormal Powers.
The phased creation system is designed to create characters with well-developed histories. For some games, that's not the goal