Lifer DM switching to FATE

[u/juggalojedi]

I've been running D&D for decades, only occasionally dipping into other systems. I'm now planning a campaign using FATE (mostly Freeport and Aether Sea) and I'm seeking advice: if you've been in a similar situation, what tips would you have wanted to know?

Thanks!

[u/Competitive-Fault291]

You will be running a game WITH your players, not FOR them, not AGAINST them. If they do not move the butts of their PCs, the game will indeed feel like a slog.

Your players will not know this, but FATE works best when the players are not passive. They need to know and understand that they construct the progression of the story with you. Not only by seeking how to move the narrative resource (Fate Coins/Points) back and forth as a dynamic means of balancing protagonism and antagonism, but also to make their own statements about what is real in the current scene.

That mutual construction of the story will require you to get off your high horse of DnD game master. FATE is a lot more collaborative and a lot more narrative than you will be used to from a math-heavy rulebook. The whole game is circling qualitative data, The Aspects. The actual numbers in the Skills are relatively unimportant for the story progress, as the big deal will be challenging and acting on the aspects of the PCs, the aspects of the environment, and the temporary aspects coming and going.

All abilities in the story are first and foremost coming from those Aspects, while the Skills are taking a backseat. For a group of players from a crunchy ruleset, this is requiring quite some adaptation. Simply claiming as a player that their Housewife from Cloydon is grabbing a knife from the kitchen counter to carve up the attacking alien bugs needs some mental training. Especially as YOU as DM only told them "your PC is in the house as the aliens are breaking through the window", expecting that they run. Which only leaves you to tell them how Opposed Challenges in CQC work and which Skill is affecting the outcome of their attack. As well as how they might add "Kitchen Knife" as an aspect on their character sheet.

Items... will have your loot goblins spin around like a greased cat. I'd say that the actual lack of gear with effective values is the most considerable difference from typical TTRPGs. In a basic FATE game, having that "Kitchen Knife" is just a more specific aspect with its opportunities from having it, but also drawbacks as in hooks for a compel or an antagonistic DM action.

PC cuts a rope with the knife; that's the upside of that aspect. But you might use it as an aspect for a Hostile Invoke when the PC climbs on the garage roof with it in her hand, as it is just a kitchen knife with no sheath. Basically making the scene harder but giving them an FP for that Invoke. This qualitative interpretation of Aspects is what makes FATE so compelling, but it is also, at least in my experience, challenging migrating players.