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How I GM Fate

I will use the following options by default in new Fate campaigns and one shot games. These options are taken from the Fate Core, Fate Accelerated, Fate Condensed, and Fate System Toolkit books.

Fate Core default dials

  • 5 Aspects: High Concept, Trouble, 3 others.
  • Skills pyramid, peak at Great (+4).
  • 3 Refresh (minimum Fate Points you start a session with.)
  • 3 Free Stunts, additional stunts beyond this is cost 1 Refresh.
  • 3 Consequence Slots: 1 Mild(2), 1 Moderate(4), and 1 Severe(6).
  • Advancement: per Fate Core: https://fate-srd.com/fate-core/advancement-change

Skills

Fate Condensed Skills list. https://fate-srd.com/fate-condensed/getting-started#skill-list

This skill list may be altered at time of setting or character creation.

Stress tracks

Only 1 Fate Core style stress track (for combined Physical and Mental stress,) with a 1 stress box and a 2 stress box. (i.e. [1] [2])

Only a single stress box may be used to soak the shifts from a given Attack.

No additional stress boxes from skills.

Stunts

Any of these stunts can be selected for a PC's free stunt slots, or at the cost of 1 Refresh.

  • Because I am tougher than your average bear, I get an extra Mild (2) Consequence slot that can only be used for physical consequences.
  • Tough as Nails. Once per session, at the cost of a fate point, I can reduce the severity of a moderate consequence that's physical in nature to a mild consequence (if your mild consequence slot is free), or erase a mild consequence altogether.

Initiative order

We will use popcorn initiative as described in the Turn Order section of Fate Condensed.

https://fate-srd.com/fate-condensed/challenges-conflicts-and-contests#turn-order

At the start of a scene, the GM and players decide who goes first based on the situation, then the active player picks who goes next. The GM's characters are selected in the turn order just like the PCs, with the GM deciding who goes next after the NPCs have acted. After everyone has taken a turn, the last player picks who goes next at the start of the next exchange.