Question about "consequences"

[Drashna]

To me at least, the book doesn't seem to make this clear:
do you only get once consequence of each level (plus extras from high skills)?
Basically, if you already have a minor consequence (physical), could you take another minor if it was mental (if you don't have an 'extra' consequence)?

[Ala Alba]

Short answer: Nope.

[mostlyawake]

If you took a mild physical consequence, and then got into a debate and would take a mild social consequence, you would not be able to do so. You'd have to take a moderate social consequence.

Stress tracks are separate, consequences pile together.

I'm not sure of the game design "why" on this, but the only real in-game justification I can come up with is this:

You got scraped up in a car crash (mild consequence).  You probably already feel like hell, even though it's minor.  So now, when you go to that debate and lose, instead of taking it somewhat gracefully, you really blow up and lose your cool.

[luminos]

Think of consequences as being very special cases of fate points.  You never get extras, they only refresh based on the level of consequence, and they can only be used in one way (damage reduction).  Thinking of them as specialized fate points gives you the right mindset for why they aren't separated into mental/social/physical pools.  Consequences are a way to deal with a hit that would have otherwise knocked you out of the conflict, and trade it for a temporary disadvantage to your character.  A bullet that would have killed is instead bent by fate, in the form of a consequence, into only scratching the surface of the skin.  An argument where all your hopes are about to be dashed simply becomes a case of mild embarrassment, and you can keep arguing on. 

The books say that stress is not damage, but a pacing mechanism for how long the character can go without taking real damage.  I like to think that consequences aren't damage either.  Oh, sure, they do represent real harm done to the character, but its not damage in the Hit Point form of damage or some other analogous thing.  Instead, it is damage avoidance.

[Arcteryx]

Instead, it is damage avoidance.

Trying telling that to the dude who just picked up a Perforated Lung

[luminos]

Trying telling that to the dude who just picked up a Perforated Lung

It is a very peculiar form of damage avoidance indeed.  But without it, things go straight from "I'm starting to lose this fight" to "I lose this fight".  In that sense, using a consequence is a way to avoid "damage". 

[babel2uk]

It's not damage avoidance. Consequences are quite specificly damage. Within the system you can lose the fight without taking any damage whatsoever - you just let yourself be taken out, or declare a concession. The moment you decide to take a consequence you are declaring specific damage to your character rather than general roughing up. If you don't take a consequence then after the fight (assuming it's not a fight to the death - which the system discourages anyway) your stress tracks refresh and you have no long term effects to deal with - except for the things that come naturally from losing the conflict. Stress is the damage avoidance part of combat. Consequences are channelling damage to a specific effect so you can stay in a fight, and they stay with you.

[Drashna]

Nice to see I started a debate.

That's what I kinda figured.  I've read through the book twice now and have not seen a definitive answer. Seen implied statements and innuendo, but not an outright statement. 

As for a "reason" why for anyone questioning, there is only so much stress one person can take. Some minor physical hurt, plus an hour long conversation with a mob boss is going to leave you wanting to sleep for a week.

[Becq]

"Each character also has one mild, moderate, and severe consequence by default. You can take these in response to any kind of attack (physical, mental, or social)—that’s what “ANY” means on the sheet. Superb skills, certain stunts, and certain powers will give you additional consequence slots, but only for a specific kind of attack (physical or mental or social)."  (YS68)

Or, if you prefer:

"Each character may take one of each severity (though some stunts and very high skills may increase the number of consequences that can be taken at a certain severity); once the consequence slot is used, it cannot be used again until the current consequence is removed." (YS204)

[Arcteryx]

Well, just the very fact that the word used is 'consequence' implies damage; also, the moderate & severe versions require healing, medical attention, downtime... and, extreme consequences can leave sticky aspects on your character.

[noclue]

Stress tracks are separate, consequences pile together.

I'm not sure of the game design "why" on this, but the only real in-game justification I can come up with is this:

Because consequences are a way to avoid being taken out by turning stress into story. It set up so that everyone gets a reasonable amount of story. How many more aspects does anyone really need before they're taken out?

[Richard_Chilton]

I've noticed that if the attacker can tag a bunch of aspects the defender is usually taken out in one role - unless he tags an equal number of aspects or will accept consequences.

Richard

[Arcteryx]

I've also noticed there's rarely any idle hands around the table - everyone's got an ear open to see who's starting to accumulate tag clouds, what they can introduce via declarations and aspects, who's got consequences they can compel...

Its tactical, but in a narrative sense.

Its pretty damned cool