Post by mortambo on Jun 18, 2016 15:11:01 GMT -6
What is an Aspect?
An Aspect is a phrase that describes something unique or noteworthy about whatever it is attached to. They're the primary way you spend and gain fate points, and they influence the story by providing an opportunity for a character to get a bonus, complicating a character's life, or adding to another character's roll or passive opposition.
You can both invoke and compel an aspect.
Invoking an aspect means you spend a Fate Point and add a +2 to a roll. This can be done before or after you have made the roll and whether or not the aspect applies depends on the GM. Usually you can only invoke a single aspect per roll but if you can show that more than one aspect is relevant you may invoke multiple aspects for additional bonuses.
Example: My character is rolling the Fight skill to slash a Goblin. I roll a +2 and the Goblin rolls +3 on his defense roll. I can invoke an Aspect called Master Swordfighter to change my result to a +4 and actually injure him in the exchange.
Compelling an aspect is how you get Fate Points back. Basically, some complication comes up with your character and in return for dealing with it you get a Fate Point. The GM, or another player, suggests a compel and then you either take the Fate Point, or spend a Fate Point to avoid the compel.
Example: My character's trouble aspect is A Price on My Head. I come down to the tavern for breakfast in the morning and the GM says he wants to compel my aspect so that there is a famous bounty hunter asking about me to the innkeeper as I walk around the corner. I can still deny it if I spend a Fate Point, or I can except the Fate Point and let things play out as they will.
Types of Aspects:
Game Aspects:
These are permanent fixtures of the game, hence the name. If you go through game creation, you define these. They describe problems or threats that exist in the world which will be the basis of the game's story. Everyone can invoke, compel, or create an advantage a game aspect at any time; they are always there and available for anyone's use.
Character Aspects:
They are just as permanent but smaller in scope, attached to an individual player or NPC. They describe the things that set the character apart like:
- Significant personality traits or beliefs (Sucker for a Pretty Face,
Never Leave a Man Behind, The Only Good Tsyntavian Is a Dead
Tsyntavian). - The character’s background or profession (Educated at the Academy of
Blades, Born a Spacer, Cybernetic Street Thief). - An important possession or noticeable feature (My Father’s
Bloodstained Sword, Dressed to the Nines, Sharp Eyed Veteran). - Relationships to people and organizations (In League with the Twisting
Hand, The King’s Favor, Proud Member of the Company of Lords). - Problems, goals, or issues the character is dealing with (A Price on My
Head, The King Must Die, Fear of Heights). - Titles, reputations, or obligations the character may have (Self-
Important Merchant Guildmaster, Silver-Tongued Scoundrel,
Honor-Bound to Avenge My Brother).
You can invoke or call for a compel on any of your character aspects whenever they're relevant. GMs, you can always propose compels to the players. Players, you can suggest compels for other people's characters, but the GM gets the final say on whether or not it's a valid suggestion.
Situation Aspects:
A situation aspect is temporary, intended to last only for a single scene
or until it no longer makes sense (but no longer than a session, at most).
Situation aspects can be attached to the environment the scene takes place
in—which affects everybody in the scene—but you can also attach them to
specific characters by targeting them when you create an advantage.
Situation aspects describe significant features of the circumstances the
characters are dealing with in a scene. That includes:
- Physical features of the environment (Dense Underbrush, Obscuring Snowdrifts, Low Gravity Planet).
- Positioning or placement (Sniper’s Perch, In the Trees, Backyard).
- Immediate obstacles (Burning Barn, Tricky Lock, Yawning Chasm).
- Contextual details that are likely to come into play (Disgruntled
Townsfolk, Security Cameras, Loud Machinery). - Sudden changes in a character’s status (Sand in the Eyes, Disarmed,
Cornered, Covered in Slime).
Who can use a situation aspect depends a lot on narrative context—
sometimes it’ll be very clear, and sometimes you’ll need to justify how you’re
using the aspect to make sense based on what’s happening in the scene.
GMs, you’re the final arbiter on what claims on an aspect are valid.
Sometimes situation aspects become obstacles that characters need to
overcome. Other times they give you justification to provide active opposition
against someone else’s action.
Consequences
:
A consequence is more permanent than a situation aspect, but not quite as
permanent as a character aspect. They’re a special kind of aspect you take in
order to avoid getting taken out in a conflict, and they describe lasting injuries
or problems that you take away from a conflict (Dislocated Shoulder,
Bloody Nose, Social Pariah).
Consequences stick around for a variable length of time, from a few
scenes to a scenario or two, depending on how severe they are. Because of
their negative phrasing, you’re likely to get compelled a lot when you have
them, and anyone who can justifiably benefit from the consequence can
invoke it or create an advantage on it.
Boosts:
Boosts are a super-transient kind of aspect. You get a boost when you’re
trying to create an advantage but don’t succeed well enough, or as an added
benefit to succeeding especially well at an action. You get to invoke them for
free, but as soon as you do, the aspect goes away.
If you want, you can also allow another character to invoke your boost, if
it’s relevant and could help them out.