How does equipment work?

[Taran]

Let's say I want night vision goggle and manage to purchase them...

It effectively lets my character see in the dark. Is it an aspect that I can tag 1/scene?  Do I have to spend a FP since it's the equivalent of a power(echoes of the beast or something similar)?  Does it just make me immune to aspects such as "dark" etc..?

A grappling hook/rope.  Do I just tag it for a +2 to overcome a border?

There are lots of other examples, these are just two.

[Haru]

It really depends, I think. Mostly though, they will just be aspects, and can as such do what aspects do. Which includes canceling out other aspects (night vision vs. darkness, grappling hook + rope vs. smooth wall). So they basically make the action the player wants to do possible, and should not grant a +2. If the action would be possible, but the equipment makes it easier, I'd let them invoke for a +2.

If it makes sense to be in the characters permanent equipment, then I would probably let him use it on every similar problem in the future without spending a fate point. If not, he would have to find a new solution. Or I as a GM have to find a new problem to throw at him, if the player has all the solutions to my regular problems readily at hand.

Another way to go, and a good one at that, would be to treat items as characters. Those characters can have stunts and powers, and the player using the item can benefit from the item. That is especially useful for equipment heavy characters, because I think it is highly irritating and unfair, if they can buy something and use the tag for free, but every subsequent invoke will cost them a fate point, although they purchased the item and it is in their hands. Just doesn't make much sense to me, even though I otherwise like the fate point mechanics.

So it could be

Mike's trusty Grappling hook...
- aerodynamic hooks (+2 might for attempts to throw the grappling hook)
...With rope
- Evenly spaced knots (grants +1 on athletics when climbing a wall with uneven surface and allows to climb a smooth surface at all)

Expensive Night Vision Goggles
- Bright as Day (Wearing the NVG cancels out any "darkness" or similar aspects)
- Infrared (In the absence of other heat emitting sources, living targets light up bright as day. +2 alertness for spotting anyone while wearing the goggles.)

And so on, you get the picture. I'd be reluctant to let someone do this for conflict related items, but for something like this, that will probably come up once, maybe twice, it should be fine.
Or you might even give a character a "companion cube" item, that is an actual character on his side, like Tim the Sniper, the example character in the books. Make his sniper rifle a character, with its own aspects and skills, and even give it an action, that it can use to maneuver for Tim. In the narrative, that's all Tim acting, he knows his rifle so well, that he can "feel" how to best aim his shot, and that is reflected in the mechanics of the gun placing an aspect. You can always factor in the gun as a character, when calculating the opposing npcs power level, so it should even things out.

[Mr. Death]

I take them on a case by case basis, but for the most part, I just treat them as an item that just does what it's supposed to.

Like, nightvision goggles would just prevent the character from compels related to darkness. A grappling hook would be justification for someone to climb walls with an Athletics or Might roll, or to create an aspect related to climbing walls.

[UmbraLux]

There are lots of other examples, these are just two.

Unless it's important to the narrative , you have it and it just works. 

e.g.  You're climbing a building to spy on someone through a window.  The important things to the scene are stealth (Don't get caught!) and perception (Seeing what's going on in the room across the street.)  Whether you climb now or head back to the truck for your climbing gear and climb in two minutes isn't really important...so you use the grapple and get up.  The real question (And why I'd still ask for a climbing roll.) is 'How much noise did you make?'
--
Alternatively, you're chasing a vampire and really need to get to the top of that building right now!  Here's where I'd expect an invoke or tag to be used - it's mechanically saying 'I have the grapple with me and ready to use!' 

[Deadmanwalking]

By default, they just do what you'd think (a grappling hook lets you climb walls even those without handholds, night vision goggles let you see in the dark). If you want them to do more,you make a Declaration, probably with Craftsmanship, Contacts, or Resources (depending on how it was acquired), to give the item a useful Aspect which you can then tag. You can do this with basically any item, and as many times as your GM finds reasonable (just like any Declaration), including guns and armor, if you desire.

[Vargo Teras]

By default, they just do what you'd think (a grappling hook lets you climb walls even those without handholds, night vision goggles let you see in the dark). If you want them to do more,you make a Declaration, probably with Craftsmanship, Contacts, or Resources (depending on how it was acquired), to give the item a useful Aspect which you can then tag. You can do this with basically any item, and as many times as your GM finds reasonable (just like any Declaration), including guns and armor, if you desire.

I think this is basically two statements of the same thing, just one more explicit than the other. Most of the time, I won't tell the guy with Resources 4 and the Aspect Tools Make the Man to roll and name the aspect for something as simple as climbing rope, but I'll treat it pretty much the same if he decides to do so.

[Deadmanwalking]

Not exactly, a player might easily just say they have rope. Indeed, some players write out extensive equipment lists (even in Fate)...and yet they've made no Declarations, and might have a Mediocre Resources score (ie: not enough to make effective Declarations). Does that mean they don't have rope, or whatever? No, they totally do and may use it as appropriate...but they aren't getting any bonuses on any rolls out of it (though they might ignore some penalties). It allows actions but doesn't provide advantages to them.

Declarations are if you want it to be narratively significant rope that gives you actual bonuses on things.

[fantazero]

I kinda wish they would ditch the "Equipment" slot
It's kinda useless.
It's a throwback to DnD Days.
If you're going to say "Rob a Bank"
and you spend "Days" in game planning it, you'd have simple things like
A Mask
Rope
A Lighter

But if you're playing and you get ready to go, and you say
"My character grabs their Key Chain"
and the GM goes "YOU DONT HAVE YOUR KEY CHAIN ON YOUR EQUIPMENT LIST!" thats stupid

[admiralducksauce]

I kinda wish they would ditch the "Equipment" slot
It's kinda useless.
It's a throwback to DnD Days.
If you're going to say "Rob a Bank"
and you spend "Days" in game planning it, you'd have simple things like
A Mask
Rope
A Lighter

But if you're playing and you get ready to go, and you say
"My character grabs their Key Chain"
and the GM goes "YOU DONT HAVE YOUR KEY CHAIN ON YOUR EQUIPMENT LIST!" thats stupid

This is just as stupid in D&D as in Fate, honestly. Also, isn't there somewhere in the book where it says characters can be expected to have reasonable tools/equipment for using their various skills?

[Deadmanwalking]

Anything can be taken too far. That doesn't make the basic idea bad. Especially if your character carries unusual items on their person at all times (and many do).

I mean, if a non-magic using PC says "I pull out my candles and string." most GMs are going to look at them strangely and say "You carry candles and string everywhere?" and may either disallow it (especially if such statements are common and equally strange), or, in Fate, make it a Declaration...quite possibly one that fails. On the other hand, if they have a list of such things, it's entirely reasonable. Many characters don't care and thus won't have such a list...but some will. That's hardly a bad thing if they want to.

[JDK002]

There are several ways to treat equipment.  If it's just one or two items that they specifically say they have, just let them have it.  You can either treat it as an aspect that can be tagged for effect indefinitly, or as a +2 when a roll would be required.

If you don't want infinite tags, you could make them roll an appropriate skill to see how many times they can free tag it per session. 1-2 = 1 tag, 3-4 = 2, 5-6 = 3, ect.  Making anything beyond that require a fate point.

If a player wants a crap ton of equipment as his thing, I would probably make them spend refresh and treat it similar to potions.  1 refresh = 2 or 3 equipment slots that they can fill at the beginning of the session, or leave blank for declairations.  The difference would be I would probably only allow unlimited tag for effect and not +2 without fate points.

[InFerrumVeritas]

At our table, I have my players typically state any special items they're carrying (weapons, armor, staff, computer, etc). 

Items which aren't special, that is, items which I would be surprised if a normal person had on them, like car keys, cell phone, money/wallet, clothing, shoes, etc, I just assume people have on them. 

Any special items not specifically stated, I have them roll or spend a fate point to declare.  The strangeness, absurdity, and difficulty to obtain all influence the difficulty of the roll.

[Taran]

If a player wants a crap ton of equipment as his thing, I would probably make them spend refresh and treat it similar to potions.  1 refresh = 2 or 3 equipment slots that they can fill at the beginning of the session, or leave blank for declairations.  The difference would be I would probably only allow unlimited tag for effect and not +2 without fate points.

I was curious where equipment might step over to the bounds of powers, as lots of equipment do things that powers do. 

[JDK002]

I was curious where equipment might step over to the bounds of powers, as lots of equipment do things that powers do.

There is a power in the custom power thread that covers the "utility belt" idea IIRC.  Though I have no idea if that's what it's actually called.

That "refresh line" for equipment can be different for every group.  For mine, when equipment starts regularly giving players super powers for free is when they have to cough up refresh for it.  Or at the very least fate points as a temp power.

[Orladdin]

There is a power in the custom power thread that covers the "utility belt" idea IIRC.  Though I have no idea if that's what it's actually called.

"Bag of Tricks", I believe.