Rise of The Runelords using FATE rules

Game Master Tamuzi

A rise of the Runelords campaign using Fate as its engine



Rise of the Runelords using Fate as an engine rather than pathfinder. This is partly because I feel much more confident GMing Fate, and partly because it allows things to be shaken up and follow the story people want to tell much more easily.

Probably using the fate Hack on

http://www.killershrike.com/Fate/Fae/Pathfinder/PathfinderFateAccelerated.a spx

Which is specificaly set up for playing pathfinder (and because it is free, so easily available).

Dont worry if you are unfamiliar with Fate - the rules are available for free and I am happy to walk people through the process of both character development and play.

Anyone interested?


I'm intrigued by this idea and haven't spent much time with Fate, so I'm giving this a big ol' Dot.


Always love the opportunity to try out a new-to-me system...

Dot...Dot...Dot


I'd be interested. Never played fate before, but I've skimmed the core rules and I'd be interested to see how it works in a Pathfinder context.


Great, looks like we have enough for a party.

Since nobody is familiar with fate I will walk through the process of character creation one step at a time. Please feel free to ask questions

The first step in a fate game is usually setting creation, but following an adventure path means we already have a setting ready for us and can go straight to character creation.

Characters in fate are described through a number of what we call "aspects". These are basically important facts about the character.

The first is what we call the High Concept - basically a sentence describing who the character is in broad terms. It is the core of who your character is.

For instance Harsk is a "Gruff and Driven Dwarven Ranger",
Amiri is a "Feirce Tribal Warrior", etc.

Race and class are a good starting point here, but it is better if you can get more specific. Backgrounds from Pathfinder 2e might have some good ideas, and tying into the setting is even better;

We begin in the town of Sandpoint, on the Varisian coast.

Here is the wiki entry for Varisia;
https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Varisia

And Sandpoint;
https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Sandpoint

Most importantly, "The most notable events in the short history of Sandpoint occurred in the winter of 4702, and are referred to locally as "the late unpleasantness.... Within the course of only a few years, a string of murders by a ruthless killer known as "Chopper" and a great fire which destroyed the iconic chapel and many of the surrounding buildings ravaged the town both physically and emotionally. A grand cathedral has since been built and the people of Sandpoint are finally optimistic about their future."

You are all gathering for one reason or another in Sandpoint on the eve of the "Swallowtail Festival", a yearly event thanking Desna for her blessings on the new cathedral.

You might be locals, or you might be travellers who have arrived for the festival (or by coincidence for some other reason).

If you have the time and want more inspiration it might be worth looking at the players guide;

https://paizo.com/products/btpy8tgl?Pathfinder-Adventure-Path-Rise-of-the-R unelords-Anniversary-Edition-Players-Guide

and the rules I linked In my first post. Dont worry about the rules specifics, but if you find the page on classes it has some advice that might be helpful.

http://www.killershrike.com/Fate/Fae/Pathfinder/Guidelines/ClassTranslation .aspx

So to recap;

You each need a character concept (a sentence describing the character)
Feel free to add some descriptive detail afterwards giving more background and explanation about the character. It is not necessary at this point, but might help get a handle on who your character is.

Nothing is final at this point - we can refine them as we go.


Dotting. Will look over the hack when I get home


Guess I'll go first :p My working concept is "reformed Thieves' Guild member" - used to be part of a guild in a nearby big city, left the guild under not the best of terms, and escaped to Sandpoint.


I should have my character up today! Going with a Monk/Paladin sort of character, more details to come.


"Reformed Theives Guild Member"
is a great start.

The closest city is Magnamar.

If you want to you can specify the theives guild, tying in to the setting more closely. You could either pick an existing guild, or create one of your own (or leave it unspecified for the time being - there is no rush).

If you want a tie in to an existing guild (either as a member or as a rival), there are a number operating in Magnimar;

The Night Scales are Magnimars oldest theives guild and its members view themselves as the overlords of the cities underworld. They are a large gang focusing on petty theft, extortion, and smugling.

The Gargoyles are Magnimars most refined 'gang.'They are an elite, handpicked group of cat burglars operating throughout the wealthy districts of the summit.

The Scarnazi are a loose collection of Varisian (basically Gypsies, and the nomadic original inhabitants of Varisia)crime families who operate in towns and cities throughout Varisia. They focus on robbery, pick pocketing, and confidence schemes, mostly targeted at Non-varisians and have contributed to the general feeling that varisians cannot be trusted.

The Gallowed are a gang of Scarnazi Thugs who terrorize the poverty stricken district of Rags end in Magnimar.


There's more I need to flesh out especially with the backstory, but I wanted to show where I'm at - here is my Monk/Paladin


Do you do have room for one more?


Sure we do Adam

I like the look of the Monk/Paladin.

The only thing I will say about it at this point is that the character creation rules as given reflect the abilities of a level 5 character, and with that in mind I am considering reducing them to reflect a level 1 character so we can see the kind of advancement we would in a traditional pathfinder game.

That would mean;
Only 2 aspects in addition to high concept and trouble
Base refresh of 1
1 stunt slot
Total approaches of +2
Total Archetype bonuses of +2

The rest would be picked upduring the first adventure.

If people feel this is too restrictive however, I will be happy to start at the normal level and adjust the adventure around that.

So far we have a 'Reformed Theives Guild Member' and a 'Monk of the healing hand'

Once we have some High concepts in, I will go through the other parts of a character in more detail so people new to the system are not overwhelmed trying to take it all in at once.


OK, lets move on to our characters second Aspect - their trouble.

first I think we need A note on Fate points and Aspects

Fate points are essentially like Hero points in pathfinder. As long as doing so can be justified by an aspect they can be spent for a reroll or for a (substantial) bonus.

You regain a number of Fate points at the begining of a session equal to your refresh.

You can also regain fate points by accepting a complication - something happening in the story that makes your life more difficult because of one or more of your aspects. These complications (or compels in fate terms) can be suggested either by the layer or the GM.

For example, a 'reformed guild member' might be offered a fate point to be recognised by a member of their former guild. A 'Gruff and Driven Dwarf' might be offered a fate point to cause offense to someone because of his bluntness.

If this complication is suggested by the player, the GM will either accept and give them a fate point or refuse (possibly suggesting a tweak to make it worth the fate point). If the complication is suggested by the GM the player can either accept it for a fate point and deal with the complication, or they can pay a Fate point to turn the suggestion down and keep things simple.

Aspects are statements that are true. They are simply tags that describe things in the game (with some things such as characters having more than one).

The main use of aspects is to provide permission to do things. A former member of a theives guild can do things you would expect a theif to do. A 'Monk of the Healing Hand' can do monk things as well as healing.

Once you have a High Concept,the second aspect (fact) you need about your character is a Trouble. Something you can milk for complications to earn more Fate points.

For example (if you dont mind me using the example) Kejal has 'I beleive in second chances' - meaning you can bet that not only will there be plenty of opportunities to give second chances, but that those opportunities will complicate matters and earn Kejal fate points in the process.

Any questions feel free to ask


Maria Serastus wrote:
The only thing I will say about it at this point is that the character creation rules as given reflect the abilities of a level 5 character, and with that in mind I am considering reducing them to reflect a level 1 character so we can see the kind of advancement we would in a traditional pathfinder game.

Ah, gotcha, that makes sense! I can adjust her as it gets closer to. I think narrowing down the Stunts will be the most difficult part of it for deciding which side I want to choose - but then, it makes sense that a level 1 character wouldn't have a multiclass. As built now it at least gives you an idea of where I'd be looking to go with her!


Cool, I have a little familiarity with the FATE Core rules. I'll ponder what I'd like to play for a bit. I've got a couple of ideas, but I'm kinda leaning towards a gish that specializes in illusions and acrobatics.

And thanks for giving me a chance to join in the fun. :)

Edit: I've read through the posts and I think I'm going to be going with the following.

Core Aspect: Moonweaver with a knack for swordplay.
Big Trouble: Impulsive and naive.

I'll have to read up on the rules since they are very different from what I'm familiar with at first glance.


Alright, here's what I've got for Marcan so far:

High Concept: reformed Thieves' Guild member
Trouble: Can't leave well enough alone
Aspects:
Pillar of Sandpoint (he's well respected in town, known as reliable, etc)
Acolyte of Desna (part of how he got to 'reformed')

Basically, after fleeing the Night Scales under...not the best of terms, he wandered for a while before settling in Sandpoint. The local priest helped him settle in, and now he's part of the town - has a small shop, helps out around the town, married a local woman a couple years back. (He also - very, very quietly - works to keep the Scales from setting up any operations nearby.)


Marcan is looking really good.

So in addition to the High concept and Trouble,each character is allowed two other aspects. Most seem to have chosen them already, but they can be left or changed later if prefered.

The next thing we need are 'Approaches' and 'Archetypes'

These work a little differently to both pathfinder and core Fate, so I will try to explain;

Approaches can be thought of as being a bit like characteristics from Pathfinder (or rather, the bonuses attached to them).

In pathfinder, when a character is doing something that requires being tough they add their Con bonus, and when they require brute force they add Str. Approaches work in a similar manner, but rather than being about WHAT they character is doing, they are about HOW the character is doing it (and as such they tell us a lot about how a character prefers to do things.

For example in Pathfinder pretty much any social interaction is going to rely on Cha, but here a character might Forcefully demand something, Sneakily attempt to deceive someone,and so on.

The approaches are;
Forceful
Flashy
Careful
Clever
Sneaky
Quick

You can either pick 2 approaches and give themeach a +1 bonus, or give a single approach a +2 bonus.

Archetypes are a cross between skills (very broad ones) and proficiency bonuses. They are a big part of defining class in this hack. As well as providing a bonus to relevant actions, they also act a little like aspects in giving you permission to docertain things.

In general a +1 in an archetype gives basic skills, +2 gives professional competency, and +3 or higher pushes into supernatural levels of skill.

Because Archetypes give permissions as well as bonuses, I will include some examples here. For more infrmation see the website. As always feel free to ask for clarification.

The Archetypes are;

Combative - Governing weaponry, armour, combat tactics etc. Bisically things you would expect a fighter to do.
With +1 you can use martial weapons and armour as well as carry out basic attacks and defences.
With a +2 you can formulate strategies, coordinate your allies, carry out sophisticated moves etc.
With a +3 or higher you can even defend against magical attacks

Roguish - Skills in Urban environments and social encounters, as well as urban and social knowledge. Basically the kind of skills you expect Rogues and Bards might have.
With +1 you have decent social skills and can draw on knowledge of your specific area of societal expertise.
With +2 you are skilled at planning and executing robberies, con jobs etc. You can also use dirty tricks and surprise attacks in combat.
At +3 or better you can carry off improbable feats of roguish skill. You can also use roguish to dodge any kind of attack, even when surprised.

Focussed - Athletics and unnarmed combat. Basically the Monk Archetype, although it also benefits fighters, rogues and such.
With +1 you have a strong awareness of your body, mind, and capabilities. You can use it to competently fight unnarmed and to dodge attacks.
With +2 you can perform impressive feats of athleticism, Grapple, and tap into inner reserves.
At +3 or better you can perform impossible wuxia like feats.

Arcane. Magic. Wizard and sorceror stuff.
With +1 you know magic stuff and can use wands and scrolls.
With +2 you can cast a limited amount of basic spells - cantrips and maybe a bit of L1
At +3 or better you can cast more powerful spells.

Divine - Religious knowledge and Magic.
Pretty much similar to Arcane, but Divine magic instead.

Primal - Skill and Knowledge in the wilds. Rangers and Druids.
With +1 you are knowledgeable about your usual habitat and skilled at hunting, survival, stealth etc in said environment
With +2 and +3 you have similar magical skills to Arcane, but Druidy rather than Wizardy.

Again to start with you can either put a +1 in two Archetypes, or put +2 in a single archetype.


I'm going to bow out. I'm not sure if I can make what I want to do work with the way things are set up. It's not about the bonuses, but more what my character is able to do.

Good luck and hope all of you have fun. Thanks for considering me.


OK, thanks for checking things out.

If you dont mind my asking, what is it you were aiming for? The rules are pretty flexible, and I am surprised if there is a concept that doesnt work.

If the problem is with the permissions given by the Archetypes (ie not having enough points to spread around to be able to fight, do magic, and be athletic) bear in mind that we are starting at the equivalent of 1st level so more points will be following for archetypes, and any gaps can be covered with stunts (the equivalent of feats).


I was aiming for a sneaky gish type. Someone that would use illusions to help them sneak around and be able to hold their own in a fight. I was also hoping that we'd be starting with the normal rules and not the level 1 ones. It's mainly that I realized this wasn't the game I was looking for and I'd rather leave room for someone who will enjoy it more.


I am certainly ok with starting with normal rules if people prefer. As I will be converting everything anyway it makes little difference to me. Starting at level 1 seemed like a pathfinder thing, but I understand that it is very restrictive.


Ok, looks like this is slowing.

I am about to go away until next Wednesday.

Please can anyone who is still interested check in so we know where we are?

As if stands we have 1 character completed and 1 concept but not much else.


I'm still interested!


Okay, so I've been lurking on the thread, cause it's an interesting idea while I digest the system (the only fate I've played is Dresden Files, and there were certain...imbalances I'm not a fan of, although it looks like core fate doesn't suffer from those things).

While I'm not 100% through the rules yet, I am interested in making a character and running through Rise (which is my favorite AP that Paizo has ever done).

So consider this me saying I'm interested, and I'll get a character put together this weekend.


Okay, so I finished my character, and I'm now working on his background. I saw in the thread that there was a bit of confusion about what power level to make characters, so I created him at the base level and then "delevelled" him down to the other level.

Here they are:

level 1 version:

Jonathan Kitandal
High Concept: Prodigy Mage
Trouble: Nothing but magic truly holds my attention

Race: Human
Refresh: 1

Aspect 1: Magic is as natural to me as drawing breath.
Aspect 2: I was apprenticed to an Elven adventurer wizard named Sofia Kitandal.

Approaches:
Careful: 0
Clever: +1
Flashy: 0
Forceful: +1
Quick: 0
Sneaky: 0

Archetypes:
Combative: 0
Roguish: 0
Focused: 0
Arcane: +2
Divine: 0
Primal: 0

Stress: 3

Stunts:
Arcane Aegis: Because I have mastered protecting myself with magic, I may use Arcane to defend against physical attacks without needing to first create an advantage to invoke.

level 5 version:

Jonathan Kitandal
High Concept: Prodigy Mage
Trouble: Nothing but magic truly holds my attention

Race: Human
Refresh: 3

Aspect 1: Magic is as natural to me as drawing breath.
Aspect 2: I was apprenticed to an Elven wizard named Sofia Kitandal.
Aspect 3: I have a talking puppy named Astros that I am training to be a familiar

Approaches:
Careful: 0
Clever: +1
Flashy: +1
Forceful: +2
Quick: 0
Sneaky: 0

Archetypes:
Combative: 0
Roguish: 0
Focused: 0
Arcane: +4
Divine: 0
Primal: 0

Stress: 3

Stunts:
Arcane Aegis: Because I have mastered protecting myself with magic, I may use Arcane to defend against physical attacks without needing to first create an advantage to invoke.

Fireball: Because I have mastered the art of Fireball, once per scene I can attack all of the targets in one zone without having to split my shifts between them. This is non-discriminatory, and might cause minor collateral damage.

Explosion!: Because I am able to cause a mystical explosion to occur, once per session when I am Forcefully Arcane and attack I may affect all targets in up to three contiguous adjacent zones without having to split my shifts between them. This is non-discriminatory, and causes severe collateral damage.


Still here; sorry, I thought I'd made a reply, guess I was making that up.

I think for the low level start, Marcan would be +1 clever, +1 sneaky, and +2 Roguish.


Great, apologies for being back a few days later than expected. It has been a bit crazy with visitors this week. I start back at work next week though, so things should settle back into a steadier pattern.

So we have a party of 3, and everyone seems to have worked their way through the character creation so I think we are ready to move on.

Vrog Skyweaver wrote:
I saw in the thread that there was a bit of confusion about what power level to make characters

Agreed. My initial plan was to start at Level 1 and map progression along the lines you would expect from a game of pathfinder. I will be the first to admit however that I have never been a fan of the 'zero' part of 'zero to hero' so it is something I can happily skip.

Anyone have feelings on the matter?

So we have

Jonathon Kitandal - Prodigy Mage
Marcan - Reformed theives guild member
Kejal - Monk of the Healing Hand

I guess the last thing we need to establish is wether you already know each other (and how), we can fillin everything else as we go.


I am fine with either 1st or 5th level, but at 5th level I am definitely more powerful than at 1st; I also have a talking dog pet.


I'm sure there's also a middle ground between first and fifth. But really, I'm okay with either.


Then lets just keep going at 1st. If it feels lacklustre we can always accelerate how fast we ramp it up anyway.

Marcan just needs a stunt (basically the Fate equivalent of a feat) and we look good to go. Have a look at the site and pick one. If your struggling feel free to ask for guidance, or even leave it blank and fill it in during play.

If you want to start off knowing any other characters then pick one and tell me how you met them. Otherwise you will all meet in Sandpoint during the coming troubles.

I should have the opening post up in the next day or two

EDIT - The first IC post is up.

Unfortunately I dont know how to link to it, but I am working on it.

When I manage to get you across there, please could you Fill in your character details in their profile so they are easy to reference.

For your first post IC, please include the following details;

What has brought you to Sandpoint?
Where are you staying while there?
- If you are staying in an Inn, it is probably the 'Rusty Dragon' as this is the most popular place for visitors to stay. You might choose somewhere else however.
What are you doing while everyone is gathering for the opening ceremony?

At any point feel free to suggest a compel on one of your aspects if you think it might complicate your life in some way.

I am also going to put some more information in the OOC thread once I have managed a link.

Thanks (and I will provide a link ASAP)


So just by copying the url

The gameplay thread should be here;

https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivknn/gameplay&page=last

The Discussion thread should be here;

https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivknn/discussion&page=last

I have switched to my 'Tamuzi' Avatar for the DM role


for urls, it's [url=website address]Text you want it to show[/url


Thanks Vrog

So its

https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivknn/gameplay&page=last

and

https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivknn/discussion&page=last

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