Thursday Mar 28, 2024

Playing FATE Solo Guidelines

Here some proposals of what I think makes a better FATE experience when playing solo or coop without a GM. As always, what matters is that you have fun, so take these ideas lightly. They can also be applied to normal group games, if you are okay with a “grittier” experience. Have fun!

Player Fate Point Pool

If you run on more than one PC, play with 3 Fate Points +1 per extra PC you are playing with. Count that as a Player side pool.

No Negotiation with Fate Points

Once dice are rolled, only aspect free invocations and boosts may be called to reinforce the results. Paying Fate Points for invoking aspects should only happen before rolling dice. You don’t recover them if you “spent” them unnecessarily (Beyond succeeding with Style, for example). Using them to ensure success is then part of taking risk now.

The Fate Point economy is really a social mechanic, do not overdo it in GM-Less games.

Forced Compels

It can happen that you won’t compel yourself very often, as you are GM and Player. Whenever dice rolls are -2 or less, automatically fail and give yourself a Fate Point. May not use free invokes or boost on that roll.

Inspired on: https://walkingmind.evilhat.com/2018/10/18/auto-compelling-dice

Emulator Compels

If you ran out of Fate Points and it is really not a good time to self-offer a compel or you don’t like the idea, then ask the Oracle whether you are to be compelled. If playing with Mythic, consider compels when scene is altered or a random event occurs.

Refresh less often

When playing solo, we might play a single scene on an entire session, since the pace is different. Make sure to refresh Fate Points only after relevant Milestones or Achievements. Fate Point scarcity is important when applying FATE’s drama into play, unless you have had “enough” suffering. That is subjective and depends on the grittiness of your game!

Random Difficulties

My suggestion is not to think too much about difficulties. This is the table I use for a reference:
– Easy Challenge: Don’t roll, tell!
– Medium Challenge: 1d4
– Medium to Hard: 1d4+1
– Hard: 2d4

Oracles Compatibility

Players should not contradict content that the emulator proposed. Collaborative gameplay does not have the same meaning with a GM Emulator. If the oracle interrupted a scene, do not pay Fate Points to prevent that, or to change the emulator rules, or to ignore certain facts the oracle proposed through questions. Better just apply the DUNNO rule if something comes up that you cannot read, but do not mix it in with RPG mechanics.

JeansenVaars

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