The Stuff I Like!: 2013

This was written prior to the FATE Core or Fate Accelerated. It has not been play tested.

FEAT's Ladder

-3   Terrible       (0) (0)   - No ability or disabled
-2   Poor           (2) (1)
-1   Mediocre       (4) (2)   - Typical Human Ability
 0   Fair           (6) (3) 
+1   Good          (10) (4)   - Above Average Ability
+2   Excellent     (20) (5)
+3   Remarkable    (30) (6)   - Limit of Human Ablility
+4   Incredible    (40) (7)
+5   Amazing       (50) (8)   - Limit of Super Human Ability
+7   Monstrous     (75) (9)
+10  Unearthly    (100) (10)  - Limit of anything even remotely human
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+15  Shift X      (150) (15)  - Galactic Level Beings
+25  Shift Y      (250) (25)
+50  Shift Z      (500) (50)
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+100 Class 1000  (1000) (100) - Cosmic Level Beings
+300 Class 3000  (3000) (300)
+500 Class 5000  (5000) (500)

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The Attributes

Fighting (Slugfest, Melee)
   Attacking bare handed, or with a club or knife (within immediate zone)
Agility (Coordination)
   Dodging, jumping, acrobatics, throwing and shooting attacks; using 
   Ranged Powers (more than one zone away)
Strength (Physique)
   Raw physical power; Lifting, breaking, bending, wrestling and damage
   in Hand to Hand attacks
Endurance (Stamina)
   Used to determine Physical Stress levels; resisting unconsiousness 
   or poison; moving farther as a Suplemental Action
Reasoning (Intellect)
   Mental accumen; Understanding technology
Intuition (Awareness)
   Awareness of surroundings; used for determining Initiative;
   Avoiding surprise, finding clues
Psyche (Willpower)
   Willpower; used to determine Composure Stress levels;
   Casting spells, resisting mind control
Resources
   Characters wealth levels and contacts

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Talents
   A skill that the character focuses in to apply a +1 to the associated 
   Attribute roll.  One less Karma refresh for every Talent taken.
   
   Ranged Weapons
   Thrown Weapons
   Blunt Weapons
   Sharp Weapons
   Marksman
   Weapon Master
   Martial Arts
   Wrestling
   First Aid
   Medicine
   Law
   Law Enforcement
   Piloting
   Military Tactics
   Business/Finance
   Scholar
   Journalism
   Engineering
   Chemistry
   Biology
   Geology
   Genetics
   History
   Archeology
   Physics
   
Powers
   Abilities far beyond normal human ability.
   Characters may choose one Power Catagory choice for each Complication
   Aspect taken.

Power Stunts
   Uses of a Power beyond simple tasks (i.e. Attribute rolls) powered by
   Karma.  Characters may have one Stunt for every Motivational Aspect
   taken.
   
       Benefit:provides a minor ability that can be used in many 
       situations or a more impressive ability that can only be used in a 
       specific situation.
    
       Complementary: extends the existing capabilities of a Attribute 
       your character already posesses.
    
       Substitution: allows you to use one Attribute or Talent in place of
       another in certain situations.
    
       Unusual: allows you to use a Attribute in an unusual way or in 
       situations when it would normally not be applicable.

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Health
   Stress absorbed from Physical (Endurance) or Composure (Psyche)
   attacks.  Three stress boxes, one extra stress level for each 
   level of Endurance (Physical) or Psyche (Composure) above Remarkable.
Popularity
   Characters fame levels (How well known = XP earned) 
Karma
   Meta points used to affect the dramatic outcome of a scene.
   Power a Stunt, add +2 to roll or re-roll all dice
Refresh
   Number of Karma points the character has access to at the begining
   of each session of play.  Each character begins with ten Karma Points, 
   minus the number of Talents they have.
Aspects of a Character
   Motivations and Complications
   Active descriptions of the character and how the story should
   proceed.  Invoke (the Player) by spending a Karma point or Compel
   (the GM or Player) and receive one point if accepted.

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Character Creation

    Blah blah blah.

Attribute Column (MSH FATE) 
   To have an ATTRIBUTE (or POWER) of a certain level, it must be 
   supported by at least one or more Attributes of a lesser level 
   below it.

    0     +3     |     0     +3     |     0     +3     |       0    +3
    0     +2     |     0     +2     |   0 0     +2     |     0 0    +2
    0     +1     |   0 0     +1     |   0 0     +1     |   0 0 0    +1
    0     +0     |   0 0     +0     |   0 0     +0     |   0 0 0    +0

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FEAT's
A Function of Exceptional Ability and Talent.

   When a character attempts an action where there is a significant
   chance of failure, a FEAT roll must be made.
   
   The EFFORT, which is the roll on 4dF plus the ATTRIBUTE (or POWER)
   used, is calculated.  It is then compared to the DIFFICULTY, a 
   pre-determined LEVEL or TARGET NUMBER to determine the EFFECT.
   The EFFECT is calculated as the DIFFERENCE between the EFFORT and
   the DIFFICULTY.
   
          EFFECT              OUTCOME
     ---------------------    ---------------------------
     Less than Zero (0)       Failure (White)
     Zero (0) to One (1)      Minor Success (Green)
     Two (2) to Three (3)     Moderate Success (Yellow) 
     Four (4) or more         Massive Success (Red)

Types of FEAT's
    Simple: an unopposed action in which you are trying to determine
    if, or how well, you are able to perform.  Roll vs. Difficulty.
    
    Contest: an opposed action in which you are trying to determine how
    well you perform in relation to another character.  Roll vs. 
    Opponent, high roll wins.
    
    Conflict: a series of contests, usually used to resolve complex
    situations like combat.  Roll vs. Opponent, high roll wins.

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Using Aspects
    Compel: When the GM (or another player) wants to bring one of your
    aspects into a scene, usually to complicate the situation.  If you 
    agree, you receive a Karma Point.
    Invoke: After you have rolled the dice, pick one of your Aspects and
    describe how it applies to the situation.  If the GM agrees, spend a
    Karma point and do one of the following:
    
    1.  Reroll all the dice, using the new result
    2.  Add two to the final die roll (after any re-rolls).

    Tag: Spend a Karma point to invoke an aspect which is not on your
    character sheet, usually one on a scene or another character.  You
    must know what the aspect is (or a reasonable approximation) to tag it.

    Karma Point: A token you may spend for one of the following benefits:
    1.  Gain a +1 bonus to a die roll
    2.  Invoke an aspect
    3.  Tag an aspect
    4.  Use a stunt that requires a Karma point
    5.  Declare something to be true (with the GM’s approval)

    Refresh: Receiving more Karma Points, usually between adventures.  
    This is determined by the GM.

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Companions: important characters that are attached to another character.
Companions do not have stress boxes but allow the character to which they
are attached to take another consequence, specifically the consequence of
the companion being kidnapped or harmed.  Companions are always Average 
and provide a +1 bonus in one type of conflict.  A companion can have a
number of Advances (determined by the GM) that improve their capabilities.

    Types of Advances:
        Quality: one step up the ladder
        Scope: an additional conflict type
        Independent: can act as a minion
       Skilled: has one or more skills
       Keeping up: won’t fall behind
        Communication: has some special means of staying in contact with 
         their patron
  
Minions: unnamed NPC followers, usually of the villains.  Minions have
two attributes: quality and quantity.  Minions can have one of three
qualities: Fair, Good, or Excellent .  This denotes both the minion’s base
effectiveness in one type of conflict (mental, physical, social) and the
number of stress boxes he has.  When taking damage, Minions mark stress 
sequentially rather than the way players mark stress (i.e. they work 
like hitpoints).  Minion quantity is just the number of minions present.
Minions usually act as a group to reduce die rolls and simplify the action.

Groups of minions gain a bonus, as shown:

       #     Bonus
     -----  -------
      2-3     +1
      4-6     +2
      7-9     +3
      10+     +4
   
Whenever a villain and his minions are acting as a group, the minions are
considered attached.  While attached, minions provide their group bonus
to their boss (include the boss in the group size to determine the bonus)
and minions always take stress first.

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Time Increments

        Instant             -----
 A few moments            |
 Half a minute            |-- A Panel
 A minute            -----  
 A few minutes       -----
 15 minutes               |-- A Page
 Half an hour             |
 An hour             -----
 A few hours         -----
 An afternoon             |-- An Issue
 A day               -----
 A few days          -----
 A week                   |-- Story Arc
 A few weeks         -----
 A month
 A few months
 A season
 Half a year
 A year
 A few years
 A decade
 A lifetime
 Generations
 Centuries
 
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Order of Conflict: A conflict follows this regular pattern:

    1. Describe the scene
    1a. Determine scene aspects
    1b. Determine zones
    2. Establish order of action
    3. Begin exchange
    3a. Take actions
    3b. Resolve actions
    3c. Begin a new exchange

Shift: 
    When your roll exceeds the Difficulty, or your opponent’s roll,
    it generates a number of Shifts equal to the difference.
    Shifts can be used in the following ways:
    - Damage an opponent in a conflict
    - Reduce the time an action takes
    - Improve the quality of job
    - Make the action harder to detect

Spin: 
    A special effect that occurs whenever a character scores a
    significant success (3+ shifts) on a Defense roll.  Spin can be
    used to give an ally a +1 bonus or an opponent a -1 penalty, if
    you can provide a reasonable description of how.

Movement: 
    You may move one zone as a Supplemental action.  To move farther, 
    make an Endurance roll and you may move a number of zones equal 
    to the shifts generated.  For Powered movement, multiply the
    number of shifts by the Power Rank.

Border: 
    An obstacle that makes it difficult to move between zones.  A 
    border has a numerical value that increases the difficulty to move
    across it (subtract shifts from your Endurance roll equal to the 
    border’s value).

Zones:
    Ranges in combat are split into different zones relative to your
    character’s location.  This determines what weapons (or Powers) 
    you can use and limits what actions you can take:

    Same Zone: Fighting (Melee)
    +1 Zone:   Weapons  (thrown)
    +3 Zones:  Guns     (handguns)
    +5 Zones:  Guns     (rifles)

Manuever:
    An attempt to change the situation in some way, affecting the
    environment or other people, but without damaging or forcing the
    target.  Manuevers can be used to place temporary Aspects on a
    scene or object.

    Examples:
    - Blinding
    - Disarming
    - Indirect Attack
    - Pushing
    - Marking
    - Throwing or Knockback

    Types of Manuevers
    - Uncontested: A simple action, resolvedjust like any other.
    - Scene-altering: A simple action intented to place a temporary 
   Aspect on the scene.  Regardless of the result, the GM decides 
   whether an Aspect is placed on the Scene.
    - Targeted: An attempt to put a temporary Aspect on an opponent.
   This requires a Contest and, if successful, the target may spend
      a Karma Point immediately to remove the Aspect.

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Actions & Conflicts
    Special Actions:
    - Free Action: Some actions in a conflict are free, such as Defense
      rolls and minor actions that have little if any effect on the
      situation.
    - Full Defense: You can give up your normal action in an exchange
      to gain a +2 to Defense and other reaction rolls.
    - Hold Action: You may wait to take your action until after someone
      else, rather than when you would normally act.
    - Block: When you attempt to prevent something from happening.  Roll
      when you declare your block.  This is the Difficulty an opponent
      must overcome.  If defending a person, they still roll Defense and
      take the higher roll.
    - Supplemental Action: A simple action that would not normally 
      require a die roll but that you are attempting to perform in 
      addition to another action.  Imposes a -1 penalty to your first 
      die roll.
    
    Combining Skills: In some situations, you may need to use two skills
    at the same time.  When this happens, the GM calls for a roll based on
    the main skill being used (the primary thrust of the action), but 
    modified by a second skill.  If the second skill is of greater value
    than the first, it grants a +1 bonus to the roll; if the second skill
    is of a lesser value, it applies a -1 penalty to the roll.
    
    Stress: A successful attack inflicts stress based on the number of
    shifts the attacker generates.  If an attacker generates 3 shifts,
    the defender marks off the third box on the appropriate stress track.
    Characters recover from stress when they have sufficient time.

    Consquence: A special Aspect that represents the lasting damage from
    a conflict.  When you take a hit you don’t have a box for, either
    because it’s higher than the number of boxes on your stress track,
    or because it rolls up past your last box, the character must take a
    consequence.  You may also voluntarily take a consequence instead of
    marking a stress box.  When taking a consequence, you determine it’s
    nature (with the GM’s approval).  The exception to this is the Taken
    Out consequence.
 
    The actual effect of a consequence is determined by the conflict you
    are involved with when it is inflicted, as well as how you are being
    targeted.

    Types of Consequences
    - Mild: Typically only last until the end of a scene.
    - Moderate: Requires a few hours of rest for a character to recover.
    - Severe: Requires days or weeks for the character to recover.
    - Taken Out: When you already have a severe consquence but are forced
      to take another, you have decisively lost and are Taken Out of the
      conflict.
      In this situation, your opponent determines how you lose with the
      following limitations:
      - Only you can be affected
      - Limited to the scope of the current conflict
      - Must be within reason

    Concession: Anytime that you would take a consquence you may instead
    offer terms under which you are Taken Out.  An opponent can refuse
    but, if the GM says that the offer was reasonable, you gain a Karma 
    Point and your opponent loses one.

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It's Sunday morning and here I sit contemplating the first nice warm day of spring (Central Illinois. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes... it will change...).

A nice hot cup of coffee, the Sunday paper and fresh donuts. What more can a man ask for?

But I digress. The point here is Stuff I Like, right? Well, if you have an Aldi Grocery Store nearby, and you love coffee as much as I do, I suggest you give the Beaumont Blend "Donut Shop Coffee"

Now, let me get this outta the way. I don't give a review for free stuff, paid vacations, or what-not...
I just like this coffee. I work the 3rd shift at the Post Office here in Springfield and coffee is my life blood, so take it from me, this is good stuff.

Being a connoisseur of fine "midnight brew" coffees, I truly enjoy waking up to a nice fresh pot of this coffee.
I could pay $8 to $9 for the original "brand name" coffee
,

or I could spend $4 on a bag of JUST AS FREAKING GOOD coffee (..in these uncertain times...)!

Downside? Everything has one and this ones a zinger. It's got a bit of a "bite", unless you use an old wife's trick:

One pinch of salt, on top of the grounds prior to brewing. Instant bitterness removal!

NO! Really! My Grandma used to do this and I swear to Baby Jesus, it works!!

So, go buy a bag and tell me what you think. You wont be disappointed...

(OBTW... Mr Aldi? If you are reading this, email me for my home address, I'll take two cases...) :)

The Stuff I Like!

Pages

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

How to use my Fudge Dice and still be a Basic Action Super Hero!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Marvel Super Heroes using a FATE 3.0 variant Part I

Sunday, April 21, 2013

More FUDGE/FATE Super Hero Ideas

Monday, April 15, 2013

Boston Marathon

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Reading Comic Books

Aldi Donuts Store Coffee: Worth Every Penny

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Very Simple Generic Miniatures Rules

Sunday, April 7, 2013

More for Fate Night

How to Play Marvel SuperHeroes with FATE 3.0

Thursday, March 28, 2013

IMC: The Known World - Glendale

Saturday, February 16, 2013

To Find a Path

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Swords and Wizardry SRD

New on Netflix: The Original Doctor Who

The Name of the Game

A long time ago, in a Galaxy, far, far away...