6 Putting It All Together
SETUP
Alex, Brigit, and Zach are spies inserted deep behind enemy lines, attending a prearranged meet at a bar with an asset to receive critical intel. Unfortunately, when they reach the bar, they find a large group of off-duty enemy soldiers throwing a party to celebrate someone's promotion to NCO rank. They need to keep their heads down, get the intel, and get out with a minimum of trouble. That means they're mostly going to be doing things Subtly, though as you'll see, there's still room for plenty of other approaches.
EXAMPLE Scene
ALEX Well this isn't great. (The other PCs murmur agreement).
GM No it isn't! What are you going to do about it?
ZACH Can I try and spike their drinks? It's best if they don't remember we were ever here.
GM What's that going to look like? That's a lot of drinks to work through.
ZACH Is there a punch bowl?
Zach could have spent a fate point and used the situation aspect "Semi-Private Party" to create a story detail (i.e. the punch bowl) without needing to ask permission, but forgot that was something he could do. The GM takes the opportunity to remind him that the option is available while altering an inconsequential detail to better match their idea of the scene.
GM Ooh, good idea! I don't think there's a punch bowl, but for a fate point there can be a pitcher for some kind of bottomless margarita type deal.
ZACH Good enough! (spends the point) Then I'm going to try and empty a vial of some drug into the pitcher that'll get them loopy and forgetful.
Zach is creating an advantage to make a new situation aspect called "Spiked Margarita Pitcher." The GM decides that this applies against the group of soldiers as a whole, who Notice Quickly to defend. Since no individual soldier in this group is important enough to have stats, yet, the GM assigns the group as a whole Great ranks to represent their numbers - and their specific focus on the source of their booze.
GM Alright, give me Move Subtly, opposition is... (rolls 6 dice, gets 1 hit) just 1; there's a lot of people, but nobody's really paying attention to you yet.
ZACH Cool, that's going to be 7 dice and... (rolls; a 1 and a 9 cancel each other for 0 hits; a Poor result) crap, good thing I've got "Deft Hands". (Spends another fate point to invoke the "Deft Hands" aspect and rerolls; this time he gets two 9s and a 10; 4 hits, a Masterful result) There we go, success with style! Down to one point, though.
Zach's Success with Style here means that the "Spiked Margarita Pitcher" aspect has two free invokes available. The GM writes the name on an index card, draws two empty boxes, and places it in the center of the table - the situation aspect is now in play.
BRIGIT Hell yeah, Zach! GM, any sign of our guy?
GM Nothing obvious, you want to look around?
BRIGIT Yeah, I'll take a lap. Notice Subtly, right?
GM Probably, but how exactly are you searching?
BRIGIT I'm going to pretend I'm looking for the ladies' room while actually scoping out as much of the bar as I can.
GM Then yeah Subtly sounds right here, gonna be opposition 1.
Brigit's Notice Subtly is an overcome action; nothing's keeping the asset actively hidden from her, she just hasn't spotted them yet and needs to find them without anyone realizing what she's doing.
BRIGIT Opp 1, come on dice, don't screw me. (rolls 5 dice and they do, in fact, screw her; there's a hit but a 1 cancels it) Damn. Opp 1 you said?
GM Yeah, what'd you get?
BRIGIT 0, but I'm going to use my "Sweet Innocent Waif Act" for a +1 and tie (spends a fate point).
GM Perfect! (evil grin)
ZACH Oh no...
A tie on an overcome action gives the GM the choice to offer a partial success or a success with a minor cost. The GM had a different idea for how to bring the asset into the scene, but this has just dropped a golden opportunity into his lap to turn the pressure up, and he takes it - this will be success with a cost.
GM So, the good news is, you actually do find the asset near the bathrooms, wearing the agreed-on outfit. Bad news, he's apparently spilled a drink on a soldier, who's being really aggressive over it and looks like he's about to get physical.
Brigit's "Sweet Innocent Waif Act" is a good double-edged sword aspect, part of which was established in conversation when she was created. She's great at appearing helpless, but that's partly because she really is physically unimposing and not very good in a melee. The GM compels that aspect now as a decision, since she's in real danger just being near a belligerent drunk who's this close to escalating even without that drunk being an enemy soldier. Note that the GM doesn't need to specifically name the aspect in what he says next; since it was discussed with the table at character creation, everyone recognizes what's being pointed at here.
GM (Offers a fate point to Brigit) Brigit, you're tiny, I don't think you want to be anywhere near this if it gets ugly.
BRIGIT (Accepts the point) I think you're right; I walk back to our table as fast as I can and point the situation out to Alex.
ALEX Ok, my gut says I want to grab a drink for this guy to calm him down.
ZACH Grab a drugged one!
ALEX Even better! But I only want to do it if there's a clean opening, if the soldiers see me stealing a cup from them that'll make things even worse.
Alex stealing a drink is a potentially ambiguous call - either he's Acquiring, since he's getting a physical resource from the environment, or Moving, like Zach did to spike the pitcher. The designer's view, and therefore that of this example, is that Acquire is the more appropriate skill here, but it's ultimately the GM's call which skill applies. Either way, since getting the drink is an overcome action, and overcome isn't actively defended against, the GM uses the same Great Notice rank he assigned the soldier group earlier as the passive opposition for this roll.
GM Well, that sounds like you're trying to Acquire Carefully. Normally that'd be easy, but from what Brigit told you, you don't have much time, so this is gonna be tricky. You'll need to be Great.
ALEX I'm not Great here but I think can work with this. Again, I want to skip the drink and just go to the guy if there's no opening. (Rolls 4 dice; he gets an 8 and a 9, 2 hits) 2, anyone mind if I use one of those free invokes on the drugs?
ZACH AND BRIGIT Go nuts!
ALEX OK, then I do that. Whatever Zach hit them with is already starting to kick in and it's making them less perceptive, so it's 3 now.
GM Alright! (Fills one of the boxes on the "Spiked Margarita Pitcher" card) Still a tie, but I'll give you the partial here; the cup's only half full.
ALEX It'll have to do. I swipe it, walk up to the big angry soldier, clap him on the shoulder and pass it to him. "Hey buddy, no need to make a fuss, why don't you have this on me and get back to celebrating?"
This is another create an advantage action to make a new aspect on the asshole - "Pacified Bully" will do nicely for what Alex wants.
GM Sounds like Sway Boldly, since you're trying to seem unconcerned? Are you trying to calm him down, just get his attention on you, something else?
ALEX I want to calm him down and get him to go back to his squad but I'm fine with just buying an opening. Yeah, Boldly, I'm going for full butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth confidence here.
GM Go for it.
ALEX (Rolls 5 dice; one 10, one hit, one 1) Good, that's 2.
This NPC was invented on the spot when Brigit got that success with a cost, so he doesn't have proper stats, but there's enough ways for the narrative to shift around him that he's worth giving more than passive opposition. The GM assigns a Good rank to Persevere and rolls 4 dice for the defense.
GM OK, so he's honestly just looking for an excuse to haul off on someone. So it's Persevere Boldly for him to defend, and he will defend. Let's see just how determined he is to be a dickhead right now. (Rolls 4 dice, gets one hit) He gets 1... (spends a fate point)
The GM invokes the bully's aspect "Mean Drunk", then writes the aspect out on a new card and puts it on the table. Since the NPC is visibly and demonstrably a mean drunk, and everything is an aspect, this aspect existed from the moment the character first appeared; it's just being formalized here and now.
GM ...which becomes 2 and a tie. Apparently, he's very determined. Still a tie, so you do get a boost.
ALEX Ok, I'll hold off on naming it, I've got an idea cooking.
GM Oh, I can't wait. He slurs out "Back off, civvie, this lil' shitstain spilled m'drink all over my uniform!"
ALEX "And that's a problem? Guy like you, you don't seem likely to ever get much blood on that thing, dry cleaner's gotta get paid somehow."
GM He turns to face you, bloodshot eyes narrowing. "What're you sayin', civvie?"
ALEX (quietly, but emphatically) "I'm saying pick on someone your own size, coward." And I throw the half-drink in his face. Sway Boldly to provoke him?
GM Absolutely! Roll it.
ALEX Great, and I'm invoking how hammered he is to make him even easier to rile up. (spends a fate point, rolls 5 dice. One 10, one hit) 3, +1 from the invoke is 4.
Alex is spending a fate point here to invoke his opponent's aspect on this create an advantage action - a hostile invocation. This means that instead of the fate point just being gone, it's transferred to the opponent's pool (in this case, to the GM's), but it doesn't become available for use until the current scene has ended.
GM Nice! He... (rolls 4 dice; gets three 1s) gets a -3, holy shit, what are you calling this?
ALEX Let's go with "*Bull Seeing Red."
GM (Writes and places a 2-box "Bull Seeing Red" aspect card for the success with style) Love it! (assigns Good rank to the NPC's Fight Forcefully, rolls 4 dice - one 1, one hit, one 10) OK, that's 2 to defend against.
BRIGIT Toro, Toro!
ALEX I'm using that boost now - I want him to be "Flailing And Overbalanced," and if he misses me, I want to trip him and make it look like he just missed the haymaker and fell on his own.
Alex's request is well within the scope of minor costs that can come with a failed attack action, it's appropriate for the situation, and it's awesome, so the GM is happy to say yes. Because Alex is using a boost instead of any other kind of aspect, he doesn't need to spend a fate point to invoke it, but it will disappear immediately after it's used.
GM Fight Subtly, you need Great for this to actually work.
ALEX Yup. Come ooon dice. (Rolls 5 dice, two hits) 2, plus that boost is 3, great it is!
GM "You motherfucker!" He takes a huge swipe at you, goes way wide and...?
ALEX I dodge and stick my foot out just enough for him to stumble over it.
ZACH Olé!
GM He crashes to the ground. The whole room goes quiet as all the drunk and increasingly-drugged soldiers look at you and try to figure out what just happened.
ALEX I back up, put my hands up like "I'm innocent, he just swung at me out of nowhere" and say "I think this gentleman might've had one too many!"
EXAMPLE CONFLICT
Several minutes after the above...
GM The bar's on fire in the rear view mirror, your asset is bleeding out in the back seat of your car, the streets are filled with panicking civilians trying to get clear as you tear down the road, and you've got two cars in pursuit with their occupants shooting at you. What do you do?
The two pursuing cars, and their occupants, count as a pair of 5 Running The Game. The GM has assigned them Good ranks in Operate and Shoot, which will double to form dice pools of 4 for most of their actions during this conflict. He's also given each car 3 strain boxes, since the vehicles themselves aren't trivial to take out and there's people in both, but they're still nowhere near tough enough to get consequence tracks.
The GM writes down the actions for the two pursuing cars. Pretty simple: One's going to keep firing (Shoot Forcefully), the other's going to try and run the players' car off the road (Operate Forcefully).
ALEX I want to try and find an alley to lose them in - pull some kind of handbrake turn and drift in, make them at least slow down if they turn and follow.
GM Ok, sounds like Operate Cleverly. (The GM marks Alex in the "Cleverly" bracket; he'll be going after the pursuers).
ALEX Brigit, you're on.
BRIGIT I smash the back window and start laying down machine gun fire.
GM Ok, are you trying to take out one of the vehicles, one of the drivers or gunners, something else?
BRIGIT I'm more interested in just laying down a hail of bullets and making it harder for them to get close.
GM Got it, sounds like Shoot Forcefully?
BRIGIT Yeah, that's what I was going for. Zach?
GM (Marks Brigit down as Forcefully for the round)
ZACH Our asset's about to have more blood outside his body than in it and I would like him to not. Plugging up the wounds however I can before he dies on us.
GM Ok, Tend Quickly. (marks Zach as Quickly) That means you're up first, Opposition 4.
The asset is a major NPC - even though his stats aren't the most impressive, the GM anticipated things getting violent during session prep. He gave the NPC a consequence track so he'd be at least somewhat durable - but only 2 boxes of Strain and no Mild consequence, since he's not that important, and the GM wanted his survival to still be at serious risk in this scenario.
That durability turned out to be necessary - the asset has taken a Severe Consequence, "Bleeding Out." Because it's Severe, and the back of a speeding car during a firefight definitely counts as sub-par conditions for first aid, this will be an overcome action against opposition 4.
Fortunately for the asset, Zach has a stunt designed for precisely this scenario: "FIELD MEDICINE: +1 when you Tend an ally during a conflict, +2 if you put yourself at risk in the process."
ZACH 4?! Shit OK, Field Medicine do your thing, and I'll put myself at risk for the +2. I'm not going to be able to try and take any kind of cover while I'm working on this guy. (Rolls 7 dice to Tend Quickly; 0 successes) Shit! "Deft Hands" don't fail me now! (spends his last fate point to reroll; gets the 2 hits he needs) Ok, 2 hits, plus the stunt that ties it at 4.
GM Alright, the good news is you do it, the asset is stable! (Renames the asset's "Bleeding Out" ) The bad news is, you're grazed by a bullet while you're working, take 2 harm.
ZACH That's a problem for later, worth it. (Marks 2 boxes of Strain) Ok, who's next?
GM Brigit, what's your Forcefully?
BRIGIT 3!
GM Awesome, then you're up next. Since you're basically creating an area hazard I'll say this is passive, just Opp 1.
BRIGIT Easy money. (rolls 7 dice; gets 1) ...Famous last words, never mind. Still tied, 1.
GM OK, then that "Hail of Lead" is going to be a boost.
The GM could write "Hail of Lead [B]" or something similar on an index card to mark this boost, but since speed of play is the priority right now and it's probably about to get used immediately, he leaves it up to everyone's memory instead.
Since the two cars have the same Forcefully rank (nonexistent) and the same rank in the skills they're using (2), they could roll off - but since they're on the same side, they get to coordinate, and the GM gets to choose which one goes first.
GM First car up next, going to shoot right back at you. Alex, you're defending here to try and keep the car in one piece, what's that look like?
ALEX I'm going to try and dodge in and out of traffic to make sure they can't get a clean shot. Human shields are fighting dirty but this is an emergency.
GM Oof, good thing this country already hates you otherwise that might be rough on your reputations. Sounds like Operate Carefully?
ALEX I was thinking Cleverly again, since I'm trying to figure out the best way to block the bullet trajectory with traffic.
The players are always allowed to negotiate choice of approach if they disagree with the GM's call. The GM has the final word, but should work with the player to get everyone on the same page.
GM Makes sense to me, roll it. They've got... (rolls 4 dice - 7, 8, 9, 10) holy shit, 4 hits. I don't think they care much about civilians getting in the way.
ALEX Ohhh boy. Well, we'll see. (rolls 6 dice; gets a 10 and an 8) 3 hits, and I'll take that boost to tie it up - Brigit, I think your suppressive fire is keeping them from pressing the openings they do get.
BRIGIT AAAAAAAHAHAHA! EAT LEAD, FUCKERS!
GM Next up, Alex, the other car's going to try and get up alongside you and run you off the road into a lamppost or wall or parked car or something.
BRIGIT Actually can I defend here? Bring the gun around and try to cut off the approach?
GM Sure, that works! I think Shoot Forcefully again?
BRIGIT Works for me.
GM Alright, they get... (rolls 4 dice; one hit, one 1) 0, but whatever that asset knows, they really don't want you to find out, and that means they're taking the boost from the last tie - "Desperate Measures". (rerolls; one hit, one 10, one 1) Better, 2 to you.
BRIGIT (Rolls 7 dice; three hits, two 1s) Damn, 1 again. Good thing I'm a "Small Girl With A Big Gun" (spends a fate point) Up to 2 and tied.
The GM writes this next boost down to keep it from getting lost in the shuffle at the start when the next round starts. You may need to do more aspect tracking than has occurred throughout this example, or you may do fine with less - do what works best for you and your table.
GM Ok, then that's another boost to them, but they don't get to try and sideswipe you. (Writes "Enemy Boost" on an index card, but doesn't name it yet) Which is good, because Alex, you're already going to need to be Good for this maneuver.
Alex is using Overcome here against the environment to try and thread a needle with the car, so it's a passive opposition target.
ALEX Come on baby, hold together. (Rolls 6 dice for his previously-agreed-on Operate Cleverly; gets 2 hits) Tie, not great, not terrible. So I do pull that crazy handbrake turn and screech into the alley, but...
GM But, you hear a crunch as both of your rear view mirrors go flying off, and you've got inches to spare on either side. But your pursuit definitely didn't see that coming, and you can hear the screech of tires as they try to pull around and follow. New round, let's see how well that goes for them.
The GM quickly jots down the enemy actions for the next round: "Car 1 cut off," as it tries to Operate Cleverly to recall where the alley gets out and beat Alex there, and "Car 2 follow," which is self-explanatory, and which he decides needs to be Carefully because of how narrow the alley is.
Which, he realizes, also means this is a good time to compel "Narrow Alley." Alex is driving, so the GM assumes this will affect him most.
GM (passes Alex a fate point) As you all figure out what you want to do this round, Alex, you should be aware that the alley doesn't seem like it's going to get any wider, and there's enough things jutting out into it that one wrong move could get you wedged in and stuck. This is going to be some very tricky driving, and doing it at any kind of speed is going to be almost impossible.
ALEX (Takes the fate point) Was afraid of that. Alright, slow and steady then, let's focus on getting out of here in one piece.
GM Ok, Operate Carefully it is! (marks Alex down as Carefully)
ALEX Brigit?
BRIGIT I'm keeping my gun aimed out the back and ready to unleash if either of the cars try to follow us in.
GM Sounds like Forcefully again?
BRIGIT Yeah,, and this time, I am trying to do damage. Zach?
ZACH Asset's stable, so I'm going to try and figure out where this comes out. Is there a map in the glove compartment?
Declaring story details only costs a fate point if the detail is important or unlikely. This game is set in a time before smartphones and commonplace GPS devices, so a paper map in the glove compartment would be an expected and ordinary truth about the scene. Therefore, the GM should (and does) just say yes here without needing a fate point spent to do it.
GM Yup. Normally, vehicle routes fall under Operate, but since you're working from a map I'll let you Know here instead if you want - that counts as studying a document.
ZACH Thank you, my Operate is crap.
ALEX What, you mean you don't just keep me around for my charming personality?
GM What exactly are you hoping to do with that knowledge?
ZACH I want to figure out the best way to get from this alley's exit to somewhere more isolated where we can disappear.
GM Cool, Know Cleverly then. (writes Zach down under Cleverly, next to Car 1).
Brigit's Shoot Forcefully action currently has no target, but since she said she was waiting to riddle the first thing to come into the alley after the PCs with bullets, she's able to hold it until one does appear (if one does).
GM Brigit, you're Shooting Forcefully but there's currently nothing to shoot at, we'll come back to you if you get a target. Zach, what's your Cleverly again?
ZACH Good.
GM And your Know?
ZACH Also Good.
GM Great, rolling off then, 1d10.
ZACH Oh boy, tell me they didn't have the same idea I did. (rolls) 6.
GM (rolls) And 2, you're up first. How well can you read that map in the car in a bumpy narrow alley at night? You'll need to be Good.
ZACH Well when you put it that way... (rolls 4 dice - 8, 10, 1) I AM good, actually.
GM Alright! You've got a boost.
ZACH Call it "Escape Route."
GM (writes "Escape Route [B]" on a card, draws a box, and puts it on the table) Done. Which brings us to the first car, trying to cut you off at the exit to this alley. Alex, how are you defending?
The GM here errs on the side of transparency and lets Alex actively defend against something he might logically assume is happening, but his character can't actually know for certain. If the GM wanted to keep the pursuing car's action hidden, he could have used Alex's Operate rank as a passive opposition target instead. In a real game session, that probably would have been the better move. But, this is legal, and the designer felt that the teaching example would benefit from having more - and more complex - rules interactions displayed, so here we are.
ALEX Same as my main action, Operate Carefully to keep moving and avoid getting stuck?
GM Yeah let's go with that. (rolls, gets 0 hits, pulls the "Enemy Boost [B]" card off the table) And they'll be using that unnamed boost from last round to reroll this - this is their "Home Turf", they know the city.. (rerolls - 8, 10, 10) Oh my god, they REALLY know the city. Alex, you're going to need Superhuman to tie.
ALEX Well, fuck. Good thing I'm an "Expert Wheelman". (Rolls 6 dice; an 8 and a 10) Great, but not great enough. Ok, one point for Expert Wheelman to thread this needle, and one more for... Zach, you've got a map, and aren't you already good at dealing with shady places from your cat burglar days?
ZACH "I Know Back-Alleys Backwards," yeah. What are you thinking?
ALEX I'm thinking since you're navigating, I'll spend a second point to invoke your aspect as well. (spends 2 fate points, bringing his total roll to 5, tying the roll)
Alex's choice to spend two fate points on this roll is allowed, since he's not invoking the same aspect twice. He's able to invoke Zach's aspect here without it counting as a Hostile Invocation since they're on the same side, share the same goal, and Zach's already been established as helping with the escape.
GM Works for me, I was wondering when you were going to give up some of your point hoard. That'll be a boost to the enemy then, instead of a full situation aspect. (Puts the "Enemy Boost [B]" card back on the table). OK, last but not least, the second car is going to try and pull into the alley behind you and pin you in. Brigit, that means you've got a target, go ahead and roll that Shoot Forcefully from earlier now. (rolls Operate Carefully for the defense, 4 dice - one 9, one 10, one 1) Wow, they're rolling hot tonight. Two for the defense.
BRIGIT Alright, come on, one clean success tonight... (rolls 7 dice; two 10s.) YES! Masterful, and I think since I'm shooting out the back of the car and there's nowhere for me to dodge, I'm exposed to danger. That means my "Reckless Abandon" stunt kicks on and takes it up to Superhuman, so Success With Style!
GM OK! Three hits takes them out, what happens to them?
BRIGIT I take out the tires right as they're angling into the alley, so instead of turning all the way in and following us, the car flips and wedges itself in the entrance. So now they're stuck, and nobody else can get in behind them.
GM Fantastic! Alright, so, as we start the next round...
And the chase continues from here.