Skills

Ponderings and notes about how to run a superhero setting using FATE.

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Wyvern
Prismatic Pangolin
Posts: 2283
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm

Skills

Post by Wyvern »

[+] The fate core skill list
Athletics
Burglary
Contacts
Crafts
Deceive
Drive
Empathy
Fight
Investigate
Lore
Notice
Physique
Provoke
Rapport
Resources
Shoot
Stealth
Will
[+] The DFRPG skill list
Alertness
Athletics
Burglary
Contacts
Conviction
Craftsmanship
Deceit
Discipline
Driving
Empathy
Endurance
Fists
Guns
Intimidation
Investigation
Lore
Might
Performance
Presence
Rapport
Resources
Scholarship
Stealth
Survival
Weapons
Some first thoughts on things I want to do with a supers skill list, in no particular order:
  • Use a "fight" skill instead of DFRPG's separate fists/weapons skills. Neither a mystic martial artist, nor a hulk-style brute is going to be at any disadvantage against someone with a weapon. If you're choosing to fight unarmed, it's reasonable to assume that you can do so effectively; if you're not choosing to fight unarmed (but have ended up that way anyway) then there should be a compellable aspect to deal with whatever disadvantage is appropriate.
  • Use "might" and "endurance" rather than Core's merged "physique". A supers game naturally puts more focus on physical activity, so it makes sense to have a bit more granularity there. Plus I'm considering some adjustments to powers that would support this - things like super strength powers letting you straight up attack using might instead fight, or toughness powers letting you defend with endurance instead of athletics or fight.
  • I'm not sure if I want to use a Core-style "will" skill, or a DFRPG-style conviction/discipline/presence split, or something in between. The right choice here almost certainly depends on the setting: if mentalist powers are relatively common, then splitting this up makes sense for the same reason as might/endurance above.
  • Regardless of the above choice, there does need to be a skill that covers control & finesse with whatever powers (or equipment) you have. So you'd attack with shoot (or should that be re-named to blast?), and then control (or discipline or whatever) would factor into the chance of causing collateral damage.
  • DFRPG has three stress tracks: physical, mental, and social. Fate Core only has two, with the mental stress track including social attacks. Given that we're removing DF-style spellcasting, I think the second option makes more sense here.
  • Just as a personal preference thing, I intend to merge deceit and rapport into a single persuade skill. If you're an expert con-man, you can sell someone a story that happens to be true just as easily as one that's false. For characters that are persuasive but can't lie convincingly - well, that's what self-compels are for; enjoy your extra fate point.
  • Athletics seems perhaps a bit too much of a must-have for this sort of setting. I'm considering three things to tone it down a bit:
    • Using powers/stunts to spread around the general defense trapping - things like, as mentioned above, toughness powers letting you defend against attacks (and attack-themed maneuvers) using endurance.
    • Using the core suggested optional rule that athletics can't defend against very-high-speed attacks - you're not dodging sniper rifles or lightning bolts. (Super speed powers would, of course, restore this trapping.)
    • And, last but not least, allowing might to be used for movement if it's higher than athletics. A hulk-type brute can leap around a battlefield, bulling through anything in their path; they don't need athletics, just raw strength.
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