Character Creation

Rune Knight · April 3

House Rules

This is a Fate Condensed game, which is only slightly different from Fate Core; the Fate Condensed SRD has a short breakdown of the rules
There is no Mental or Physical Stress Track, only the Stress Track, which represents physical trauma, mental trauma, energy levels and morale
We're using a slightly modified version of the default skill list from Fate Condensed, which works quite well for this game; Lore and Will have been combined into "Chi" - a rare skill for those tapped into the supernatural - and the Computers skill has been added
Initiative in combat is not individual, and instead relies on an "initiative leader" who prioritizes the Notice skill; your team chooses dynamically which characters take their turn
Opposition to movement is no longer a free action, making combat a more free-flowing skirmish than a static battlefield where characters don't often move
Ranged attacks now are too close to be used within melee range (the same Zone you occupy), which balances melee and ranged attacks to be more equally viable

The Escalation Die

The Escalation Die starts at 0 when combat begins. At the end of every round, the Escalation Die increases by 1, to a maximum of 4. Player characters have a bonus to Attack, Overcome and Create an Advantage actions equal to the Escalation Die.

The purpose of the Escalation Die is to simulate a feeling of rising tension in a battle: adrenaline rises, the risk of fatality increases the longer a fight goes on, etc. Enemies are generally tougher and more skilled, but the Escalation Die tips the scales in your favor - if you can hold out long enough.

Posting Format

I run combat in a "reader-friendly" way, meaning dice rolls and OOC chat are either well-hidden or in a separate thread altogether. Below are a couple of examples comparing an unwanted posting format to a desired type of posting format. If you prefer to post in the unwanted fashion, I'm not saying you're a bad player; all it means is that this specific game might not be for you.

"Bad" Example

Mr. Smith hoped that everyone else was faring okay, but even when he heard someone cry out he could not afford to spare a glance behind. No sooner had he kicked the first thug out of his way then a second one appeared to take a swing at him. Nimbly avoiding the blade, he swung out again with a haymaker, following it up with another swift kick.

Rolled a +3 against the Mob's +1; Invoked I Know Kung-Fu to make it a 4-shift hit.

"Good" Example

Mr. Smith hoped that everyone else was faring well, but even when he heard someone cry out he couldn't afford to spare a glance behind. The thugs swarmed around him like a gang of hyenas, chuckling as they brandished nasty implements sure to send him on a one-way trip to the doctor for a Tetanus shot.

His instincts kicked in at a flinch of motion in the corner of his eye: he snapped out with a kick, but no sooner had the satisfying crack! of leather boot connecting with thick skull resounded, then a second thug thought to seize the opportunity!

A rusty whistling flew past his head as he ducked out of the way, and the sting of a glancing slice told him he might end up needing that Tetanus shot despite how small the fresh cut was on his ear.

Pow! One hefty haymaker landed squarely on his opponent's offending jaw, righteous indignation and kinetic motion pushing through and causing "Mr. Slashy" to reel from the force.

Wham! With one final kick, he sent the slicer flying across the room, one last groan escaping his lips before lying still.

He brushed his hair back into place, then smiled charmingly back at the rest of the goons.

OOC

Rolled a +3 against the Mob's +1; Invoked I Know Kung-Fu to make it a 4-shift hit.

Character Templates

Heist team character roles are a good guide for creating a character in this game. For this team, I suggest the following 5 roles: The Mastermind, The Muscle, The Gizmo, The Burglar, and The Distraction. Rather than go into detail explaining these, each role has a character sheet template further down this thread with example Aspects, Skills and Stunts.

The character sheets below are just examples: they are suggestive, not prescriptive.

If none of these roles appeal to you, this article on Caper Crew Character Tropes can inspire other types of roles.

Choose Your Skills

Forget the skill pyramid; instead, you have 20 Skill Points to spend on skills. 1 Skill Point is equivalent to 1 skill rank, so for example, spending 4 Points will earn you one Great (+4) skill
You must still adhere to the "building blocks" rule at all times, where you cannot have more skills of a certain rank than you have below that rank

Skill List

Academics
Athletics
Burglary
Chi
Computers
Contacts
Crafts
Deceive
Drive
Empathy
Fight
Investigate
Notice
Physique
Provoke
Rapport
Resources
Shoot
Stealth

As you build your character sheet, please answer these questions:

Choose another team member, assuming your team is composed of the 5 suggested roles; briefly describe a moment when that team member saved your life
An infamous mercenary has often been hired by the villains you fight; what is one thing this nemesis has done to make them your enemy?

Character Sheet Template Code

<fieldset class="mw-fieldset">
 <legend class="mw-fieldset-legend"></legend>
 <div class="mw-fieldset-body">
 
 Name | (INSERT CHARACTER NAME)<a data-fileid="undefined" data-ipslightbox="" data-ipslightbox-group="undefined" data-wrappedlink="" href="https://i.imgur.com/KOmEZAd.png" title="Enlarge image"><img alt="spacer.png" class="ipsImage ipsAttachLink_image ipsAttachLink_right ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-loaded="true" data-ratio="100.00" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/KOmEZAd.png" height="1200" src="https://i.imgur.com/KOmEZAd.png" style="height:auto;width:500px;float:right;" width="1200"></a>

Refresh | 3

High Concept | ???

Trouble | ???

Aspect III | ???

Aspect IV | ???

Aspect V | ???

<div class="mwspoiler">
 <div class="mwspoiler-shown">
 <div class="mwspoiler-showtext">
 
 Backstory
 
 </div>
 </div>

Great (+4) | {*} {*}

Good (+3) | {*} {*}

Fair (+2) | {*} {*}

Average (+1) | {*} {*}

Stress | [1] [1] [1]

Mild Consequence | -

Moderate Consequence | -

Severe Consequence | -

<fieldset class="mw-fieldset">
<legend class="mw-fieldset-legend">Stunts</legend>

<div class="mw-fieldset-body">
 
 Stunt

Description

Stunt

Description

Stunt

Description
 
 </div>
 </fieldset>

<fieldset class="mw-fieldset">
<legend class="mw-fieldset-legend">Extras</legend>

<div class="mw-fieldset-body">
 
 (Name of Extra)

Permissions: ?

Costs: ?

Description
 
 </div>
 </fieldset>

<fieldset class="mw-fieldset">
<legend class="mw-fieldset-legend">Personal Equipment & Gear</legend>

Note: List here any equipment your character reasonably has that will be narratively relevant to the story. This should include any gear they commonly use to accomplish their goals, and weapons without WR they use to fight with. Also anything with personal significance to them. Don't worry about being super-complete, you can have everyday items that most people have. Phone, keys, wallet, handbag, laptop, etc. You don't need to include your ride here.
 
 </div>
 </fieldset>

<hr>
 
 Note: Do not delete this line. Insert new items above this line.
 
 </div>
</fieldset>

There's also a posting template at the bottom of this thread: it's for players who've been accepted to the game, but you're free to add it to your application anyway.

Posting Template Code

<fieldset class="mw-fieldset">
 <legend class="mw-fieldset-legend"></legend>
 <div class="mw-fieldset-body">
 
 Insert Name Here

FP 3 / 3 | Stress [1] [1] [1] | Consequences [2] [4] [6]

<hr>
 
 <a data-fileid="undefined" href="https://i.imgur.com/31cUdEE.png" rel="external nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" title="Fetching info..."><img alt="spacer.png" class="ipsImage ipsAttachLink_image ipsAttachLink_left ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-loaded="true" data-ratio="100.00" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/31cUdEE.png" height="256" src="https://www.myth-weavers.com/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" style="height:auto;width:150px;float:left;" width="256"></a>Regular text looks like this

"Speech looks like this."

Thoughts look like this.

"Telepathic communicae looks like this."
 
 </div>
</fieldset>

Note: Replace the color blue with a color thematic to your character. Then, delete this note from your customized posting template.

Note: We use <a href="https://rolladvantage.com/tokenstamp/" rel="external nofollow">this site</a> to make character tokens out of any image. Delete this note from your customized posting template.

Don't be afraid to post in the Questions & Answers thread with any queries or concerns; that's what I made it for, after all.

When you are finished (or mostly finished) with your application, mention me @Rune Knight to get my attention. I will either work with you to make tweaks/provide additional details, or I will announce your application complete enough to be considered at the end of the advertisement period.

Edited Sunday at 02:53 PM by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Rune Knight · April 3

Name | "The Mastermind"

Refresh | 3

High Concept | Team Leader

Trouble | "Nothing Ever Goes According to Plan"

Aspect III | -

Aspect IV | -

Aspect V | -

Backstory

-

Great (+4) | {Shoot}

Good (+3) | {Notice} {Empathy}

Fair (+2) | {Deceive} {Rapport} {Provoke}

Average (+1) | {Physique} {Athletics} {Contacts} {Resources}

Stress | [1] [1] [1] [1]

Mild Consequence | -

Moderate Consequence | -

Severe Consequence | -

Stunts

List of Example Stunts

Uncanny Insight

You can use Empathy to dodge melee and ranged attacks, as long as your attacker is human or can at least be considered a "person".

Nose for Trouble

You can use Empathy instead of Notice to determine your turn order in a Conflict, provided you’ve gotten a chance to observe or speak to those involved for at least a few minutes beforehand during this scene.

Architecture of the Heart

Reading a room is a triviality to you. If you roll Empathy to read a room - difficulty Mediocre (+0) - count how many shifts you accrue. Over the course of the Scene, you may ask the GM to tell you how people would react to any hypothetical scenario. You can do this a number of times equal to the number of shifts generated.

Bad Cop

Cruelty is more effective when given a basis for comparison. Once per Scene, gain +2 to Provoke when Invoking an Aspect created by someone who has the Good Cop stunt.

Corroboration of Coincidence

Fate favors your lies with minor coincidences and circumstantial evidence that seem to lend them credence. You may apply a Boost to the Scene before you roll Deceive, so long as you can describe how it helps you look more honest. If successful, the Boost turns into an Aspect on the Scene.

A Peek Inside

After you have successfully read a person's emotional state, you may immediately ask the GM a hypothetical question about that person’s motives, which the GM must be able to answer with "yes", "no", or "maybe", to the best of her ability. The question must speak to the kind of person the target is, not things they’ve done, though it may ask if they are capable of doing such things. If the GM answers with a "maybe", you may ask a second question to get clarification. This second question may seek details, rather than another one-word answer.

Widowbane

A souped-up Smith & Wesson with a scope for picking off nasty little buggers in the distance. When you Invoke an Aspect on a Shoot attack, you may fire at any range.

Dragon Shell Shotgun

What's better than a combat shotgun? A combat shotgun with zesty blasts of black-market hellfire. Once per Scene, when you succeed with style on a Shoot attack, you may inflict a 2-shift hit on another opponent in the same Zone instead of gaining a Boost.

Personal Equipment & Gear

A handsome suit brimming with microtech and spy gadgets
Old school cigars that death stick connoisseurs would appreciate
A pair of lucky gold dice

Note: List here any equipment your character reasonably has that will be narratively relevant to the story. This should include any gear they commonly use to accomplish their goals, and weapons without WR they use to fight with. Also anything with personal significance to them. Don't worry about being super-complete, you can have everyday items that most people have. Phone, keys, wallet, handbag, laptop, etc. You don't need to include your ride here.

Note: Do not delete this line. Insert new items above this line.

Edited April 8 by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Rune Knight · April 3

Name | "The Muscle"

Refresh | 3

High Concept | Impossibly Huge American Patriot

Trouble | Wanted Dead or Alive

Aspect III | -

Aspect IV | -

Aspect V | -

Backstory

-

Great (+4) | {Physique} {Fight}

Good (+3) | {Provoke} {Shoot}

Fair (+2) | {Athletics} {Drive}

Average (+1) | {Crafts} {Burglary}

Stress | [1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]

Mild Consequence | -

Moderate Consequence | -

Severe Consequence | -

Stunts

List of Example Stunts

Bend Bars, Lift Gates

You may spend a Fate Point to automatically overcome a Physique obstacle, even if you’ve already rolled for it, provided you’re trying to accomplish something through brute strength.

Menacing Demeanor

When you are face-to-face with another person, gain +2 to Create Advantages specifically related to fear on them with Provoke.

Feel the Burn

You can push through incredible pain in order to reach your goal. You gain an additional Mild Consequence slot. This slot can only be used for physical harm.

Wrestler

Your unarmed attacks rely on brute strength rather than on technique. You may make such attacks with Physique rather than Fight.

Special Delivery!

Once per Conflict, you may spend a Fate Point to pull out a bazooka, a minigun or some other heavy artillery you've expertly smuggled and make an AoE Shoot attack against 1 entire Zone, excluding your allies as targets through a combination of skill, effort and coincidence.

Juggernaut

You may spend Fate Points to keep standing. Any time you would suffer a Consequence or be Taken Out, you may spend a Fate Point to remain standing or otherwise defer a Consequence for one more Exchange, or until you take Stress again, whichever comes first. Once the extra time you've bought is up, all the effects you've deferred come to bear at once. You may keep spending Fate Points each time the time limit expires until you run out. (This makes it possible for you to be taken out by a character who has already conceded or been taken out in the intervening time!)

Personal Equipment & Gear

Dog tags from pretty much every branch of the military
Spiked brass knuckles - for things that can really take a punch
A forgotten promise ring on a necklace

Note: List here any equipment your character reasonably has that will be narratively relevant to the story. This should include any gear they commonly use to accomplish their goals, and weapons without WR they use to fight with. Also anything with personal significance to them. Don't worry about being super-complete, you can have everyday items that most people have. Phone, keys, wallet, handbag, laptop, etc. You don't need to include your ride here.

Note: Do not delete this line. Insert new items above this line.

Edited April 8 by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Rune Knight · April 3

Name | "The Gizmo"

Refresh | 3

High Concept | Reclusive Savant

Trouble | Nothing Less Than Perfection

Aspect III | -

Aspect IV | -

Aspect V | -

Backstory

-

Great (+4) | {Crafts} {Computers}

Good (+3) | {Burglary} {Shoot}

Fair (+2) | {Academics} {Investigate}

Average (+1) | {Athletics} {Drive}

Stress | [1] [1] [1]

Mild Consequence | -

Moderate Consequence | -

Severe Consequence | -

Stunts

List of Example Stunts

Mechanist

When you describe an incredible gadget or specialized robotic machination you've made and how it helps, you can use Crafts in place of another skill during a Challenge, allowing you to use Crafts twice in the same Challenge. Gain a +2 Bonus if you used Chekov's Gun to establish such a device in a previous Scene.

Always Making Useful Things

You don’t ever have to spend a Fate Point to declare that you have the proper tools for a particular job using Crafts, even in extreme situations (like being imprisoned and separated from all your stuff). This source of opposition is simply off the table.

Mister Fix-It / Miss Fix-It

You are talented at getting things repaired under time-critical circumstances. The time it takes for you to get something fixed is reduced by two shifts.

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Use Academics instead of Chi whenever the situation has specifically to do with identifying or countering the supernatural or occult.

Personalized Weaponry Engineering

Clever engineering can compensate for a lack of combat skill. Pick a broad category of weapon (e.g. swords, polearms, crossbows). When you wield a weapon of this sort that you have created yourself, you may attack with Crafts instead of Fight (for melee weapons) or Shoot (for ranged weapons). Such weapons will often include odd devices and unusual features that make their use very different from that of a normal weapon.

Personal Equipment & Gear

Phone, tablet, abacus, big brain computer back at base - basically every type of computer you can imagine
Custom toolkit (wrenches, pliers, wires, circuit boards, mini-carjack, level, ruler, protractor etc.)
Magnetic lockbreaker
A bunch of junk in a bag
Lots of stress balls and fidget toys

Note: List here any equipment your character reasonably has that will be narratively relevant to the story. This should include any gear they commonly use to accomplish their goals, and weapons without WR they use to fight with. Also anything with personal significance to them. Don't worry about being super-complete, you can have everyday items that most people have. Phone, keys, wallet, handbag, laptop, etc. You don't need to include your ride here.

Note: Do not delete this line. Insert new items above this line.

Edited April 8 by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Rune Knight · April 3

Name | "The Burglar"

Refresh | 3

High Concept | Supersoldier Assassin

Trouble | Technological Dyslexia

Aspect III | -

Aspect IV | -

Aspect V | -

Backstory

-

Great (+4) | {Fight} {Athletics}

Good (+3) | {Stealth} {Burglary}

Fair (+2) | {Physique} {Empathy}

Average (+1) | {Investigate} {Notice}

Stress | [1] [1] [1] [1]

Mild Consequence | -

Moderate Consequence | -

Severe Consequence | -

Stunts

List of Example Stunts

Only the Wind Will See Me Go

A momentary distraction is all you need to vanish from the Scene. Provided you are not in the midst of a Conflict, you may roll a quick contest between your Stealth and the highest Notice in the room. If you succeed (or by spending a Fate Point), the next time someone turns to look at or talk to you, you’re not there.

Five-Fingered Discount

Why buy what you can steal? Use Burglary instead of Resources to “buy” things. Everything obtained this way has the Stolen Property Aspect with 1 enemy invocation. The difficulty of an attempt to obtain something with Burglary may or may not be the same as the difficulty of an attempt to buy that same thing with Resources, at the GM's discretion. The time required may also vary.

Tripwire Sensibilities

You’ve run into enough traps that you’ve developed an instinct for avoiding them. You may roll Burglary instead of Investigate or Notice in order to spot or defend against a trap.

KO

+2 to Overcome with Stealth when you have the opportunity to eliminate a character without entering combat.

Parry Everything

Given an appropriate narrative justification - such as being a Supersoldier, a Cyborg or a Mystic Warrior - you can deflect anything, even bullets. You may use Fight to defend against Shoot attacks and other ranged attacks.

Death Defiance

If you are Taken Out in a Conflict, you may spend a Fate Point to Concede instead. After you have collected Fate Points for Conceding, you must spend a further amount of half of your Fate Points, rounded down. Coincidence conspires to keep you alive, and you pass from the view of the other combatants (such as by dropping off a cliff, apparently failing to escape from an exploding building, or the like). You may re-enter play in any subsequent scene in as dramatic a fashion as you see fit, explaining to everyone how you survived. You return with all of your Stress cleared and 1 additional Consequence incurred to reflect the dangers you defied.

Personal Equipment & Gear

Weeaboo sword
A variety of instrument cases (for smuggling said sword)
Shinobi toolbox (smoke bombs, throwing knives, grappling hook, etc.)
An old teddy bear

Note: List here any equipment your character reasonably has that will be narratively relevant to the story. This should include any gear they commonly use to accomplish their goals, and weapons without WR they use to fight with. Also anything with personal significance to them. Don't worry about being super-complete, you can have everyday items that most people have. Phone, keys, wallet, handbag, laptop, etc. You don't need to include your ride here.

Note: Do not delete this line. Insert new items above this line.

Edited April 8 by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Rune Knight · April 3

Name | "The Distraction"

Refresh | 3

High Concept | Femme Fatale / Handsome Devil

Trouble | Not Afraid to be the Damsel in Distress

Aspect III | -

Aspect IV | -

Aspect V | -

Backstory

-

Great (+4) | {Deceive} {Provoke}

Good (+3) | {Empathy} {Shoot}

Fair (+2) | {Athletics} {Stealth}

Average (+1) | {Contacts} {Resources}

Stress | [1] [1] [1]

Mild Consequence | -

Moderate Consequence | -

Severe Consequence | -

Stunts

List of Example Stunts

Seduction

You’re adept at catching the eye of the opposite sex, and keeping it once you’ve got it. Any seduction attempts you make with Provoke receive a +2 bonus whenever the target is someone who could be receptive to it (this is not always a simple case of gender and preference).

Bump and Grab

Your character is exceptionally skilled at taking advantage of distractions in order to make a quick grab. You may spend a Fate Point to attempt a simple Burglary action – such as picking a pocket, or palming an object – as a free action.

The Accounting of Small Things

Once you have successfully stolen something small enough to fit in a pocket, it is gone until you choose to reveal it again. No amount of searching - or even stripping - will reveal the purloined item. You may only have one such item at a time hidden in this fashion.

Good Cop

Kindness is more effective when given a basis for comparison. +2 to Rapport when Creating Advantages to assist someone who has the Bad Cop stunt.

Beretta 71

The ultimate assassin's handgun, a tiny, highly concealable weapon. You can use Shoot instead of Burglary to smuggle it, and instead of Stealth to fire silenced shots.

Spider Bite

Once per character per Scenario, you may use Deceive to make a melee attack against a target, as long as you've Created an Advantage on them that you can exploit to momentarily distract or surprise them.

Personal Equipment & Gear

A wardrobe a queen would be jealous of
Vanity products disguised as gadgets and weapons
A fuzzy photograph with a clue written on the back

Note: List here any equipment your character reasonably has that will be narratively relevant to the story. This should include any gear they commonly use to accomplish their goals, and weapons without WR they use to fight with. Also anything with personal significance to them. Don't worry about being super-complete, you can have everyday items that most people have. Phone, keys, wallet, handbag, laptop, etc. You don't need to include your ride here.

Note: Do not delete this line. Insert new items above this line.

Edited April 8 by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Rune Knight · April 3

Insert Name Here

FP 3 / 3 | Stress [1] [1] [1] | Consequences [2] [4] [6]

Regular text looks like this

"Speech looks like this."

Thoughts look like this.

"Telepathic communicae looks like this."

Note: Replace the color blue with a color thematic to your character. Then, delete this note from your customized posting template.

Note: We use this site to make character tokens out of any image. Delete this note from your customized posting template.

Edited Sunday at 02:51 PM by Rune Knight (see edit history)

Text_1	Text_2	Text_3	Bold_1	Accent_1	Mood_1
Warm_1	Warm_2	Warm_3	Bold_2	Accent_2	Mood_2
Cool_1	Cool_2	Cool_3	Bold_3	Accent_3	Mood_3
Bright_1	Bright_2	Bright_3	Bold_4	Accent_4	Mood_4

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