GM, NPCs, and Fate Points

[Necronomitron]

I haven't come across any mention in the rules, but I have a question concerning the GM's use of Fate Points.  I understand that the more characterful way of running NPCs is to give them each their own refresh of FP according to some suggested guidelines.  But do the rules state explicitly what a GM might do for a pool of meta points (for lack of a better term)?  Say there are no NPCs in a given scene and I, in my role as GM, want to try and compel a PC.  Is the Fate Point economy finite, or do I have the ability to introduce new FP into that economy as I feel necessary?  If there is an NPC present that has FP, but hasn't assessed a PCs aspects, is my ability to compel a PC hamstrung due to how the aspect mechanics work?

[The Mighty Buzzard]

You're the Treasury Department.  You have a license to print money but try not to abuse it.  For compels, treat your FP pool as infinite.  For significant NPCs, I like to give them a number somewhere above how many available refresh they would have as a player, minimum 2.  Insignificant NPCs I don't bother to give FP to.

Compels I sort of break down into either "this should always be compelled when relevant" and "this could be interesting if it were compelled".  The former I compel as GM and the latter someone, PC or NPC, has to pay for.

[Necronomitron]

You're the Treasury Department.  You have a license to print money but try not to abuse it.  For compels, treat your FP pool as infinite.  For significant NPCs, I like to give them a number somewhere above how many available refresh they would have as a player, minimum 2.  Insignificant NPCs I don't bother to give FP to.

Compels I sort of break down into either "this should always be compelled when relevant" and "this could be interesting if it were compelled".  The former I compel as GM and the latter someone, PC or NPC, has to pay for.

Thanks for the advice.  What do you do if something falls in the latter category but you don't have an NPC present to do the compelling?

[UmbraLux]

Fate points are a metagame resource.  Compels don't need to come from a character.  In fact, characters may not have any knowledge of the aspect being compelled.

A broken rib hurts whether the guy across from you knows it's broken or not. 

For a specific answer to your question, I would compel as GM when appropriate.  NPC Bob doesn't have to be present or have any knowledge of the aspect for that to occur.   

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Thanks for the advice.  What do you do if something falls in the latter category but you don't have an NPC present to do the compelling?

Pretty much what UmbraLux said.  If it's going to be fun to compel it, compel it.  Whether there's an NPC around to pay* for the compel or not.

* NPC FPs belong to you anyway and your supply is infinite.  Giving them separate FP pools is an abstraction that you don't have to do.  I just do it to give myself an idea of when I might be overdoing things during combat.

[sinker]

More often than not I use NPC fate point pools to invoke. I use my own infinite pool of fate points to compel. Part of this is because I originally saw the compel as a GM exclusive tool (and I still kinda do) but also it's because a good compel should happen regardless of anything else. It's just good for the table.

[devonapple]

NPC Fate Point pools are primarily to boost the NPCs' efforts: invoke their own Aspects, make their own Declarations, improve their rolls, Invoke other Aspects for a bonus.

But, as others have said, the GM is the Treasury, and if High Cultists Deckland and Skeeter have no personal Fate Points left, but you want them to "twist the knife" using a PC's Consequence or Aspect, you can just broker that and give it to the PC directly, rather than have it come from the NPC.

[Necronomitron]

So I guess a follow up question I have is do NPCs have a refresh rate in the same sense that PCs do?  Is the refresh rate that is mentioned at the bottom of every NPC write up just a gauge of their power, or is that subtracted from the base refresh that the campaign is set at?

[devonapple]

So I guess a follow up question I have is do NPCs have a refresh rate in the same sense that PCs do?  Is the refresh rate that is mentioned at the bottom of every NPC write up just a gauge of their power, or is that subtracted from the base refresh that the campaign is set at?

I don't know that it is clearly established to my satisfaction, since DFRPG isn't dealing with anything like a concrete Challenge Rating, which is what I was used to. But you can figure something out.

Basically, when you consult the section which tells you how much Refresh to give to an NPC antagonist (based on the PCs' Powers and/or Stunts), take that number as the NPC's base refresh. So if your big bad guy can have 30 Refresh in Powers, then you can spend most or all of that 30 Refresh on powers, and if there is anything left over, then they can have the difference in Fate Points.

However, if you have an NPC/villain in the negative Refresh, you can build up a stockpile of Fate Points by Compelling its Aspects (particularly the Trouble Aspect which is motivating it to pursue its agenda). Each caper that the NPC commits can be thought of as a Compel against its High Concept or Trouble or another Aspect. Making it do villainlike things can expose it to risk or harassment by PCs, but it should get Fate Points for it.


Or, you can just say that your PCs are (say) 10 Refresh, and anything (ANYTHING, including the more powerful White Council Wizards) with 10 or more Refresh spent on Powers/Stunts is a slave to its High Concept/Ethos/etc., and in order to have any Fate Points and earn plot agency, must self-Compel its Aspects, whether it is a "good" or "evil" NPC.

[UmbraLux]

So I guess a follow up question I have is do NPCs have a refresh rate in the same sense that PCs do? 

I generally give myself 2 fate points per PC for use on minor NPC invokes and try to ballpark compels for major NPCs. 

Major NPCs are probably at negative refresh in relation to the campaign level so won't have any fate points without compels.  That said, as soon as the PCs' actions start affecting the major NPCs, compels are very likely.  I use 'changed plans' and 'instances of PC interference' as a ballpark...changing plans almost always gets a compel but interference is a bit grayer. 

[devonapple]

Major NPCs are probably at negative refresh in relation to the campaign level so won't have any fate points without compels. 

Just to get some clear peer examples: if your players are 10 Refresh, and the Merlin is 40 Refresh, you consider the Merlin to be at a negative Refresh level?

[UmbraLux]

Just to get some clear peer examples: if your players are 10 Refresh, and the Merlin is 40 Refresh, you consider the Merlin to be at a negative Refresh level?

Yep!  Relative to the campaign refresh level at least.  That doesn't mean he doesn't have fate points available though...that's compel dependent. 

It may be worth pointing out this is just my approach.  Don't think there's a 'book approach'. 

[devonapple]

That doesn't mean he doesn't have fate points available though...that's compel dependent. 

Of course! Ultimately, NPCs get them when they need them

But the fair way to award them (and encourage PCs to self-compel) is to make it clear to players why they are getting the Fate Points, and that can be entertaining whether it is the Merlin administering the White Council, or the Naagloshii tormenting the PCs' allies.

[UmbraLux]

Yep, I agree. 

[zenten]

I created a system to help myself answer this sort of question, as when I eyeball it I under power the opposition.  At the beginning of each session I count out a number of Fate points equal to the number of players at the session times the base refresh, into a seperate bowl.  Every time I introduce an antagonist directly I count out a number of points for the antagonist's refresh cost.  I also use that pool of points for invokes.  Compels against PCs are seperate from an infinite pool, and compels against the NPCs (not that I do that often) come from the infinite pool into the bowl.