Newbie question - trappings vs. stunts

[terrics]

I'm trying to understand the system so I can GM for a group of friends. I'm confused about the difference between trappings and stunts. It seems that both trappings and stunts are associated with skills. Stunts cost fate points and are listed on the character sheet under Stunts & Powers. Do you need to specify trappings on the sheet? Do they cost anything, separate from the cost of the skill? How are they used differently? Thanks for indulging my newness!

[Cadd]

The Trappings are simply the specific uses for the skill - If you have the skill then you can use its trappings (barring obvious logical issues due to character background etc)

Stunts are basically a kind of "specializations" - they usually enhance specific trappings.

Say you're a short-distance runner - you'll represent this with a high athletics. But you're probably better at the trapping "Sprinting" than you are at the trapping "Climbing", so you take a Stunt (paying refresh), for instance "Fleet of Foot" that adds +2 to your Athletics when Sprinting.

This means that a character with a Good (+3) Athletics and the Fleet of Foot Stunt will be equally good at sprinting as a character with Superb (+5) Athletics; but the Superb Athlete will climb and dodge better. The first has spent 3 skill points and 1 refresh, while the latter has spent 5 skill points.

I see two primary uses of Stunts:
Make your character good at one part of a skill while not necessarily be good at the rest
Put your character among the best of the best at one use of a skill.

Both of these will help with making that character a bit more distinct - it helps make even two character with similar skill sets more unique mechanically aswell as narratively.

[S1C0]

trappings are the skills effect, stunts either change a trapping, add a plus two when you spend a fate point , or a static plus one to a action, further if you have a profession stunts provide the edge gleaned from it.

edit

Cadd wrote it better.

[terrics]

Thanks, that helps a lot! So trappings are like flavors of the skill - no separate cost and you don't have to write them on the sheet, but your use of them (and the skill) should be logical for your character. Stunts give you a +2 bonus for the specific action you are trying to do, when they apply.

[Cadd]

+2 is the most common and basic bonus from stunts. The "Mortal Stunts" chapter actually goes through the various bonuses that's within the scope of a stunt. They are mostly:
2 shifts on non-attack stuff (can be a straight +2, or an extra Mild Consequence, or 2 time increments faster, etc)
+2 to the effect of a successful attack
+1 to perform an attack under a specific circumstance
Or a stronger effect at the cost of a Fate Point.

There might be more options, check the beginning of the chapter on Stunts.