Author Topic: Can Fate Points = Team invokes?  (Read 2020 times)

Offline Archmage_Cowl

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 521
    • View Profile
Can Fate Points = Team invokes?
« on: July 24, 2010, 04:47:01 AM »
okay so my question is kinda odd. What i basically want to ask is; can an ally spend a fate point to invoke a teamates aspect to help them out if they are in trouble when it isnt the ally's turn?

Example: Bob gets attacked by the red court vampire. Bob rolls to dodge and nearly gets it but he is two off (as in a +2 would let him dodge it). Bob is already fairly exhausted and injured and if he takes this hit it's into severe consequence territory. Now Bob has the aspect "Quicker Than Thought" and he wants to use that to dodge but sadly he has no fate points to spend on it. However his team mate Sophia has a mountain of fate points. She is also in the battle but is fighting another vampire a little bit away. Is she allowed to spend the fate point to invoke his aspect when this situation is in no way at all related to her?

Thats my question. So far i've been allowing it but it's starting to seem like my players just keep turning to the one pure mortal in my game for fate points all the time. I'm not sure i should allow it. They dont really feel any need to conserve their fate points as she will nearly always have more than them. So any opinions out there?
"I who stand in the full light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates to hell. Come forth Divine Lightning! This ends now! Indignation!" Jade Curtis Tales of the abyss

Tbora

  • Guest
Re: Can Fate Points = Team invokes?
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2010, 04:56:48 AM »
I think its alright if both players agree on it, but that is just my take.

Offline Deadmanwalking

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 3534
    • View Profile
Re: Can Fate Points = Team invokes?
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2010, 05:03:41 AM »
Yeah, that should really not be allowed. More or less because of the reasons you mention. There's also the whole Compel thing, so you should really be taking your own Compels if you need more FP, not benefitting from someone else being screwed over.

Offline mostlyawake

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 233
    • View Profile
Re: Can Fate Points = Team invokes?
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2010, 05:12:58 AM »
I wouldn't allow her to just use her point to invoke his aspect.  I would, however, allow her to attempt to compel any of his aspects, thus giving him a fate point should he agree, and then forcing a compel on him later. Then he can immediately use that fate point.

In your example, if the person in danger also had, say, Harry's "Epic Wise-Ass" aspect, I'd allow the would-be fate point donator to go "Hey, sissy, you gonna take that hit without even a bad one-liner?" at which point the defender could say something witty and dodge.   However, the very next time he goes out, he's getting pulled over by the cops for a broken tail-light, and is going to merrily role-play mouthing off to the officer, possibly getting arrested, and not getting any fate points for him (because he spent it on the roll).

I like this better than letting her spend the point for him because it causes more mayhem.

Alternatively, if she had an aspect of her own, like "Friend of so-and-so", she could potentially get away with invoking her own aspect to give him a bonus... if she had the action available to do so.  This represents her pushing him aside, grabbing him at the last minute, ect. 

Offline Doc Nova

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 101
  • Who needs a cab?
    • View Profile
Re: Can Fate Points = Team invokes?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2010, 05:16:10 AM »
I agree with DMW.  It would be much better to be compelling the characters' various aspects than it would allowing one character to act as "the bank".  Either that player needs to arrange more compels, another player should step up and compel them in-game, or the GM needs to arrange more "compelling" circumstances.