FATE Aspects in BRP?

[Simlasa]

The RPGnet crowd will try to squeeze Aspects into just about everything... another of the many reasons I don't go there much anymore.

[pansophy]

The thing that works for us at the moment is a bunch of cards having printed some scene aspects on them and listing their modifiers, e.g. "Dark corners, +20% modifier to actions" or "Against the sunlight, all actions Difficult".

This helps everybody to remember what the scene looks like and every player can opt to use these cards (they are not always automatic modifiers) by explaining their use. It is a bit like Aspects, but without these FATE rules (free tagging, using a point to tag, etc.).

To create these cards (if you like props) you can go here and make them look like this.

The card listing an Advantage can also be used by a clever player to turn it into a disadvantage (sometimes just standing in bright light is not a that good idea).

These cards do work for character Aspects as well. The players can create one card for free (listing an advantage) and can create more by creating a Disadvantage. The maximum of cards is half the characters Power Points and is counting against their Super Power limit (if using Super Powers).

The modifiers can list Dis-/Advantages by using the super power rules, but it is encouraged to create different stuff without listing hard numbers (like Fast Reactions, Keen Eyesight, Sixth Sense, Connections in High Levels, Air of Mystery, Animal Friend, Fearless, Pain Resistant, etc.). This allows a more soft boundary where the card can be used with and offers a lot of nice role playing possibilities.

Why cards? Because this way you do not forget you have that 'special you'. And if you lose a card or forget them at home - you cannot activate them during the game session or lost that 'special part of you'.

Edited March 14, 2011 by pansophy

[RosenMcStern]

Ouf. Sorry for taking so much to reply but I have been really busy lately.

I have just posted a new iteration of our homebrew variant of D100. You can find it here on BRP central in the playtest section. I think it addresses some of the ideas presented here.

I was also thinking of just making the skills loose. Such as Riding: Horse becomes Riding: Animal (any big animal that can be ridden). The Handgun skill also includes pistol whipping, etc. I was inspired by Dogs of War some time ago. That game only has three or four combat skills that everything you can do in combat falls under. Then you just determine what the character can do by the profession(s) he or she is in.

I think I have somehow addressed this by including only fourteen skills, and using Traits that are derived from your profession or background to complement them. As in OpenQuest, you only have Close Combat or Ranged Combat as skills, but then you need Swordsman or Rifleman to being able to use the weapon competently.

I was going to reduce all of the skills to some basic categories; Agility, Manipulation, Art/Craft, Knowledge, Perception, Combat, Communication and Magic, or something like that. I think I talked about dropping SIZ and maybe INT and CHA. Tack on a very broad and loose magic system and run with it.

Ditto. I think I managed to do this (including ditching SIZ) and have it work someohow.

I also added some suggestions on how to use Traits (Aspects) to build a character from a short narrative, heroquest-style.

Edited March 18, 2011 by RosenMcStern

[AikiGhost]

Ive quite happily managed to use Fates Aspects in my BRP Fading Suns game without issue. All I do is give basic Fate points = 1/2 POW and require a Fate Point Spend to activate an Aspect and get an appropriate re-roll. Compels allow me to force a PC to be played to its Aspects or spend Fate points to avoid it. I found Aspects worked quite well for more character defining things like "Haughty Hawkwood Nobleman" or "Lecherous Decados Duelist".