Author Topic: Aspect brainstorming thread  (Read 19057 times)

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Aspect brainstorming thread
« on: February 09, 2010, 02:53:40 AM »
Aspects are an important part of any FATE system game.  SotC gives some great guidelines on how to generate them and how to use them (both for compels and to give you (as a player) an edge).  The Dresden Files RPG will provide quite a few examples (and guidelines for coming up with your own) but if you are unable to play as often as you'd like (silly life gets in the way of fun) or your prospective players are new to this type of system, having a resource of developed aspects can save a lot of time and frustration.  If we use a similar method of description new players will be able to identify (and soon create) the ones that best fit their concept.

Aspect Type - (personal, geographic, enviornmental)
Aspect Name - (try to avoid the one word boring ones, i.e. "lucky", "strong")
Positive Effect - (we all want something good to come from aspects)
Negative Effect - (all good things cost, why should this be any different)

Since we're dealing with a magical world (and all that this entails) let your imagination run wild with tainted bloodlines, family curses, and the persistent hauntings.

Aspect Type - Personal
Aspect Name - Hair trigger reactions
Positive Effect - Allows quicker than average reaction times to most physical situations.
Negative Effect - Can cause problems during tense situations (i.e. jumping the gun at the worst times)

Aspect Type - Personal
Aspect Name - Some of my best friends are quadropeds
Positive Effect - Character is instinctually knowledgeable about most mamals (normally found in his surroundings).
Negative Effect - Sometimes places to much emphasis on protecting animals and will place himself in harms way to do so.

Let's see how many we can come up with before the launch date!



Offline iago

  • The Merlin
  • Posty McPostington
  • *******
  • Posts: 3071
  • I'm the site administrator.
    • View Profile
    • Deadly Fredly
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2010, 03:28:29 AM »
Good idea. Here's the way we're writing up example aspects in the book:

Exiled to the Special Investigations Division
The character is a Chicago police officer in the Special Investigations unit; this is where they send all the problem cops so they can work all the weirdest cases.
A player might invoke this to: Get a bonus when working with other Special Investigations folks, know things about the stranger happenings in a city, exercise the authority of the Chicago P.D.
A GM might compel this to: Complicate the character’s life with his lack of real standing in the police department, drop the weirdest cases on his desk, give him a warrant for a werewolf, that sort of thing.

Faerie Bargain
The character has made a bargain with one of the Fae, usually for power or some other benefit. Such bargains have a high price.
A player might invoke this to: Enjoy the benefits of his bargain, make contact with the Faerie realms, know things about the Fae.
A GM might compel this to: Trap the character in the terms of his bargain, place the character in the middle of a power struggle between the Faerie Courts, complicate his life with Fae meddling.
Fred Hicks
I own the board. If I start talking in my moderator voice, expect the Fist of God to be close on my heels. Red is my Fist of God voice.
www.evilhat.com * www.dresdenfilesrpg.com
Support this site: http://www.jim-butcher.com/store/

Offline Bosh

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 410
  • Seoulite
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2010, 04:09:28 AM »
Some ones I've come up with for two characters that've popped into my head.

Agamemnon Choate

"Only my third eye can see."
He's been blind for over a century now and relies on his Third Eye much more than most.

Invoke: To have a better grasp of what things he sees with his Third Eye mean, to resist Third Eye blowback, to be able to tell what people are about to do when he has his Third Eye open.
Compels: To open his Third Eye when it is REALLY not a good idea, to run into problems because he's blind.

"A man does not choose his path, only how he walks it."
He has a weak ability to foresee the future (he can only foresee things that he can do nothing about) which leads him to having a very fatalistic outlook on life.

Invoke: He's fatalistic enough to shrug off most threats.
Compels: To do the right thing even if it is wildly impractible, to be fatalistic enough to act with near-suicidal unconcern for danger.


"Foster father"
He tends to adopt any stray kids he comes across, and with how old he is that really adds up.

Invoke: To get some help from a former (or current) foster child.
Compels: To have problems/complications caused by his former foster children. To adopt any stray kids he meets even if doing so is wildly impractible.

------

William "Don't Call me Billy!" Breen

"I spent my childhood murdering puppies."
He was trained as a child by a Warlock to be his personal bodyguard. In order to give him practice killing things, he was forced to constantly adopt, care for and then kill (usually via magic) cute puppies.

Invoke: To know far more than he should about how to kill anything dog-like.
Compels: Various manifestations of psychological abuse, to have animals react to him negatively, to have his former master (did he escape the Wardens?) show up, acting irrationally around dogs (either nervous or overly protective), etc.

"I've got the Seven Laws burned into the insides of my eyelids."
When the Wardens came to take down his master he avoided execution (puppies don't qualify under the First Law) but one warden cast a spells so that he can see the Seven Laws written in burning words of fire on the insides of his eyelids every time he closes his eyes.

Invoke: to avoid temptation to break the Sevel Laws, to figure out creative ways of getting stuff done without breaking the Laws, to help him use magic that complies with the Seve Laws when breaking them would be a lot easier.
Compels: to be terrified of the White Council, to obey the Seven Laws even when they get in his way.

"The perfect idea, ten minutes too late."
L'esprit de l'escalier

Invoke: to think of the perfect idea... (boosts to knowledge rolls etc.)

Compels: ten minutes too late. For example, the GM could say "great idea, I'll give you a fate point if your character only realizes that ten minutes from now."

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2010, 11:36:16 AM »
"The spirits talk to me" Your whole life has seemed to be alternately charmed and cursed.  The spirits warn you of impending danger but some are more cautious than others leading to mixed messages that take you out of the fire and into the frying pan.

Invoke: Able to read a situation and quickly react to it, great for sensing danger.
Compel: The spirits wont shut up and give conflicting information about a person/place/item.

"Of course it's genuine"  You come from a family of confidence scam operators.  You may have turned your life around but you've still got the touch for running the con.

Invoke: Bonus during social interactions that requires you to convince others that something you say/do/offer is genuine.
Compel: Your past comes back to haunt you (family members, past victims, broken trust of others).

"Data wants to be free" You have a special gift for finding the right information when using computer systems (aka search fu).


Invoke: Digging through computerized infomration (databases, etc) takes less time (1 quarter to 1 half) than it would normally take.
Compel: Can lose focus while searching causing you to become "lost" in the data,  Can be obsessive about LOLcat images.

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2010, 05:53:04 PM »
"I have stared into the Abyss" Past events have exposed you to the horror that is the supernatural.  Forewarned is forearmed as the saying goes and this allows you to brace yourself against the things that you should never have seen.

Invoke: Not easily shaken when presented with evidence of the supernatural or horrific.
Compel: Periodic bouts of insomnia due to nightmares (difficulty concentrating).

"Knows where all the bodies are buried" Your knowledge of the locals (particularly of gossip about their dark deeds) gives you the upper hand when negotiating if they have something to hide.

Invoke: Able to use knowledge of the area to pressure others into revealing information.
Compel: The people who buried the bodies want to protect their secrets (preferably by silencing you).

Offline traeki

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Philippe is standing on it.
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2010, 06:30:03 PM »
"Sixteen tons of snookered."  A fae once conned you into doing a great deal of heavy lifting (literally) in exchange for nada.

Invoke: Perform feats of strength, especially the kind that would be limited by Endurance.  Lash out against the Fae.  See through a Faerie con game.
Compel: React with inappropriate anger or violence towards Fae.  Repeat past mistakes and get suckered into something.  Re-introduce the specific Fae that conned you.

"Are the voices in my head bothering anybody else?"  Sometimes they just talk to you abo...what?  Shut up!  Hey, let him talk!

Invoke: Gain sudden bizarre insight into the situation at hand.  Look at something important that wouldn't normally have drawn your attention.
Compel: Respond inappropriately to an unasked question.  Disturb others by muttering to yourself.  Fail to keep your cool in otherwise calm situations.
John Hawkins, SF, CA

"mFphrrrbm hoAmn rggh, hnllmmgh rnbnrrl."  --Demosthenes, "The Early Works"

Offline traeki

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Philippe is standing on it.
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2010, 06:44:42 PM »
"Are the voices in my head bothering anybody else?"  Sometimes they just talk to you abo...what?  Shut up!  Hey, let him talk!

Wow.  I just realized you already posted essentially the same thing above -- what's weird is that's actually one of my personal catchphrases, so I wasn't stealing it from you!

"Jinx!"  You have an uncanny knack for precisely matching other behaviors -- but at exactly the same time.
Invoke: Break your fall by grabbing that same ledge.  Draw and shoot at exactly the same time.  Unnerve an opponent with uncannily irritating verbal mimicry.
Compel: Fall off that same cliff.  Irritate a new acquaintance.  Make the turn at exactly the same time as the car you're chasing, even though you haven't actually rounded the corner yet.
John Hawkins, SF, CA

"mFphrrrbm hoAmn rggh, hnllmmgh rnbnrrl."  --Demosthenes, "The Early Works"

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2010, 07:55:26 PM »
"All I wanted was a Pepsi" By now you are used to others misunderstanding you intentions, it's something that's plagued you your entire life.*

Invoke: Added air of mystery around seemingly random (normal) acts that you perform.  Can unnerve your opponent, causing him ot think you know more than you actually do.
Compel: Brings unwanted attention from others who think you're trying to pull a fast one on them.

"I be you didn't expect...THIS" You always seem to have just the thing you need to surprise (or at last unbalance) an opponent.**

Invoke: Of course you packed your (crucifix, holy water, extra ammunition, punch dagger, etc) today.
Compel: Who replaced my holy water with Kool-Aid?  The head of a rubber chicken and a punch dagger handle feel awfully alike in the dark.

*Blatantly stolen from the song "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies.
**Because you should always leave room for comedy.

« Last Edit: February 11, 2010, 08:26:14 PM by SoulCatcher78 »

Offline Wizard H

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1130
  • A.K.A. Wizard H
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2010, 01:51:27 AM »
"Straddling the Veil"  I see dead people...

Invoke: Allows easier, more clear communication with the spirits of the dead and also allows increases strength of beings raised from the dead while near this practitioner.

Compel: Brings unwanted attention from Wardens, or tempts practitioner to resort to black magic.


I likes me the grey areas :D
« Last Edit: February 12, 2010, 03:38:30 AM by Wizard H »
It's like Harry Potter got drunk and lost his virginity to the Ghostbusters.-Denarian XD
DV Wizard H V1.2 YR10 FR4 BK+++ RP++ JB++ TH++ WG+++ CL+++ SW+ BC++ MC++++ SH[Murphy+++++,Molly++,Lara+,Mab--,Maeve---] TT! MS++ MsD-- FF+++

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2010, 02:54:30 AM »
"Yup, that was me" You are a known individual in your area because of your past deeds (either good or bad).

Invoke: You can use your "fame" to your advantage, it's great when everyone knows your name.
Compel: You are unable to "blend in" in your local area, you are easily picked out of a line up.

Offline breaker

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 44
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2010, 02:19:08 PM »
I'm just getting in the way... You've seen them from time to time, looking over their shoulders or muttering something as they pass. You're friends bring you along because they feel they have to, it might be better for you to just leave.

Invoke You can use this in combat or other situation to negate a situation where your presence would somehow disrupt the action of a teammate, such as being in the line of site for a scene-ending evocation spell from your wizard friend, or being within the AOE of a spell that is just too dangerous to risk you getting hit by. This effect, no matter how long it takes, only removes your presence from one event.

Compel Lot's of ways a GM could use this to play off a character's low confidence in situation, perhaps persuading a player to split off from the group, which would either invite trouble or keep your from assisting when the time comes. Basicly convinces the player character that their presence isn't needed or desired.

The cool thing about this, is that it doesn't even dab into magical talent for anything.

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2010, 02:28:40 PM »

Compel Lot's of ways a GM could use this to play off a character's low confidence in situation, perhaps persuading a player to split off from the group, which would either invite trouble or keep your from assisting when the time comes.


I like the potential Scooby & Shaggy moments that this brings up.  "We'll be right over here guarding the fully stocked fridge while you guys go fight the big bad." only to end up trapped by the big bad themselves...brilliant!

Offline blackheart

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 82
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2010, 02:49:20 PM »
Good Lookin' in a Bad Boy Kind of Way

You have a rough but charismatic appearence.

Invoke: To charm or seem attractive in a dangerous setting.

Compel: Recieves attention from less than desirable or respectable persons.


For my "Norse God-Blooded Biker with a Magic Hammer" concept.
"How do you carjack a Death Star?"
Gina Diggers, Gold Digger #99

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2010, 03:32:30 PM »
"Clean up, aisle 4" You've spent so much time cleaning up after other's that not much phases you anymore.  Possibly an active or former coroner, forensic examiner, or mop jockey at the local grocery store.

Invoke: Horrific violence no longer shocks you the way it does "normal" people.  You are able to shrug most things off with a quip about "not as bad as the guy we needed a bucket and mop for".
Compel: Tends to be jaded to the point of being callous, can cause problems when dealing with survivors of tragedy (offhand remarks that bring things up better left burried).

Offline breaker

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 44
    • View Profile
Re: Aspect brainstorming thread
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2010, 04:09:40 PM »
"Clean up, aisle 4" You've spent so much time cleaning up after other's that not much phases you anymore.  Possibly an active or former coroner, forensic examiner, or mop jockey at the local grocery store.

Invoke: Horrific violence no longer shocks you the way it does "normal" people.  You are able to shrug most things off with a quip about "not as bad as the guy we needed a bucket and mop for".
Compel: Tends to be jaded to the point of being callous, can cause problems when dealing with survivors of tragedy (offhand remarks that bring things up better left burried).


I'd think this aspect could also be invoked for quickening the time it takes to hide evidence of gore in a place. Such as cleaning up the house of  a mod boss before he comes in, so he doesn't notice his magical guards have been stomped to pieces...

Compel to look for discounts on lime.