consequences

[potestas]

i have never thought of this before but is there a difference between mental physical and social consequences? Can you have say a mild mental consequence and a mild physical consequence and a mild social consequence? You know because they really aren't the same thing. Mild physical consequence: sprained wrist. Mild social consequence if passed gas at the all you can eat buffet and everyone knows. I could have both.

[Deadmanwalking]

All Consequences come from the same pool unless stated otherwise (like the bonus one from getting Superb in a skill). The basic idea is that, narratively they represent how much bad stuff in aggregate the character can endure, while mechanically, being harmed in one sphere needs to have impact on other or a lot of the stuff going on becomes meaningless to many characters, so it makes sense narratively and is mechanically necessary.

Additionally, from a realism perspective, having a sprained ankle makes social interaction slightly more difficult (since you're hurting and irritable, or high on pain meds, take your pick), and people who are terribly embarrassed tend to be not at their best in a fight. Which makes it make a decent amount of sense.

[Sanctaphrax]

I like to think of consequences as being similar to Fate Points. When someone shoots you for 5 stress, and you take a mild consequence to avoid being taken out, that's you intervening in the fiction to say, "no, you did not just shoot my guy dead".

From that point of view, it makes perfect sense for them to all be one pool.

[Taran]

That's why it's handy to have a 5 in one of those skills.  You get an extra mild consequence which allows you to have multiple milds simultaneously.