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FATE (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
FATE, Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment, is a generic role-playing game system
based on the FUDGE
gaming system. It has no fixed setting, traits, or genre and is almost entirely customizable. However, it is designed to offer the least possible obstruction to role-playing by assuming that players do not want to make large amounts of dice rolls.
FATE was written by Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue. FATE gained a large number of adherents both for its high level of support, which is unusual for a free game, and for the numerous innovative gaming mechanics.
While FATE uses FUDGE
s verbal scale and Fudge dice, it does not use the standard FUDGE experience point mechanic, and has some more explicit character design conventions.
FATE breaks from many other role-playing games
by eschewing the use of mandatory traits such as Strength and Intelligence. Instead, uses a long list of skills and assumes that every character is "average" in all skills except those that the character is explicitly defined as being good at. Exceptional abilities are defined through the use of Stunts and Aspects.
Stunts are exceptional abilities that grant the character a specific mechanical benefit; these may be drawn from a pre-defined list of stunts included in the rules, or created following guidelines provided by the authors. Aspects, on the other hand, are always defined by the player. For example, a player may choose to give their character an aspect of "Brawny" (or "Muscle Man" or "Wiry Strength"); during play, the player may invoke those aspects to gain a temporary bonus in a relevant situation. Aspects may also relate to a character's possessions, e.g. the character Indiana Jones
for example, might have the Aspect "Whip and Fedora".
Aspects are an important and original concept in FATE. They are not intrinsically good or bad; they are simply descriptive, up to the level of detail the player requires. In addition to the obvious direct character help in most cases, the FATE system also provides a mechanism to reward the characters when one of their aspects has restricted their choices or landed them in some trouble.
would restrict its "open" license and thus force FATE to change to a different underlying mechanic, such fears have subsided once FUDGE itself was released under the Open Gaming License
. FATE has an associated Yahoo!
Group to discuss the gaming system and share settings and conversions of other role-playing game
s.
, which was nominated in 2007 for an ENnie award for Best Rules. The 3rd edition rules also are used for the Dresden Files
role-playing game. Evil Hat has stated that a free PDF of FATE 3rd Edition will be released after The Dresden Files RPG is completed. The System Reference Document
s for Spirit of the Century and Diaspora are currently available.
Generic role-playing game system
A generic role-playing game system or universal role-playing game system is a role-playing game system designed to be independent of setting and genre...
based on the FUDGE
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
gaming system. It has no fixed setting, traits, or genre and is almost entirely customizable. However, it is designed to offer the least possible obstruction to role-playing by assuming that players do not want to make large amounts of dice rolls.
FATE was written by Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue. FATE gained a large number of adherents both for its high level of support, which is unusual for a free game, and for the numerous innovative gaming mechanics.
Differences between FUDGE and FATE
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
s verbal scale and Fudge dice, it does not use the standard FUDGE experience point mechanic, and has some more explicit character design conventions.
FATE breaks from many other role-playing games
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
by eschewing the use of mandatory traits such as Strength and Intelligence. Instead, uses a long list of skills and assumes that every character is "average" in all skills except those that the character is explicitly defined as being good at. Exceptional abilities are defined through the use of Stunts and Aspects.
Stunts are exceptional abilities that grant the character a specific mechanical benefit; these may be drawn from a pre-defined list of stunts included in the rules, or created following guidelines provided by the authors. Aspects, on the other hand, are always defined by the player. For example, a player may choose to give their character an aspect of "Brawny" (or "Muscle Man" or "Wiry Strength"); during play, the player may invoke those aspects to gain a temporary bonus in a relevant situation. Aspects may also relate to a character's possessions, e.g. the character Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
for example, might have the Aspect "Whip and Fedora".
Aspects are an important and original concept in FATE. They are not intrinsically good or bad; they are simply descriptive, up to the level of detail the player requires. In addition to the obvious direct character help in most cases, the FATE system also provides a mechanism to reward the characters when one of their aspects has restricted their choices or landed them in some trouble.
FATE OGL resources
While there has been concern that FUDGEFudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
would restrict its "open" license and thus force FATE to change to a different underlying mechanic, such fears have subsided once FUDGE itself was released under the Open Gaming License
Open Gaming License
The Open Game License may be used by game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, notably game mechanics.-Language of the licence:The OGL describes two forms of content:...
. FATE has an associated Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Group to discuss the gaming system and share settings and conversions of other role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s.
Fate 3rd Edition
A 3rd edition of FATE is currently in development, and is the basis for Evil Hat's Spirit of the CenturySpirit of the Century
Spirit of the Century is a pulp role-playing game published by Evil Hat Productions, and based on Evil Hat's FATE system. It is billed as a 'pick-up' game that can be played quickly, with little preparation....
, which was nominated in 2007 for an ENnie award for Best Rules. The 3rd edition rules also are used for the Dresden Files
The Dresden Files
The Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher.He provides a first person narrative of each story from the point of view of the main character, private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in...
role-playing game. Evil Hat has stated that a free PDF of FATE 3rd Edition will be released after The Dresden Files RPG is completed. The System Reference Document
System Reference Document
The System Reference Document, or SRD, is a set of reference role playing game mechanics licensed under the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast and based upon their Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. The SRD forms the basis of WotC's various d20 System role-playing games, including the...
s for Spirit of the Century and Diaspora are currently available.
RPGs based on Fate
- Spirit of the CenturySpirit of the CenturySpirit of the Century is a pulp role-playing game published by Evil Hat Productions, and based on Evil Hat's FATE system. It is billed as a 'pick-up' game that can be played quickly, with little preparation....
- Starblazer Adventures (based on the StarblazerStarblazerStarblazer - Space Fiction Adventure in Pictures was a British small-format comics anthology in black and white published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.-History:...
comics series under license from DC Thomson) - Legends of Anglerre
- The Dresden Files
- Diaspora
- Strands of Fate
- Bulldogs
- Agents of Swing
Awards
In the 2003 Indie RPG Awards, FATE won a number of awards:- First Place - Best Free Game of the Year
- First Place - Best Support
- Third Place - Indie RPG of the Year
- Recipient - Andy's Choice Award
External links
- The FATE Role-Playing Game
- Evil Hat Productions, makers of FATE
- The FATE Rules SRD (HTML version)
- Master Plan #15: Leonard Balsera on the FATE Fractal (podcast)
- The Game's the thing #21 (RPG): Evil Hat Productions Interview (podcast)
- RPG blog interview with Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue, creators of FATE
- The Dresden Files Role-Playing Game
- Void Star - Strands of Fate
- FATE-based games at DriveThruRPG