Tagging and Invoking questions

[Tush Hog]

I've got a few of questions I would like to get clarified.

Can an aspect that has just been introduced be invoked before it gets tagged? For example, let's say my wizard maneuvers and puts the aspect "knocked prone" on the bad guy. The next person to act is my compatriot and he wants to make use of this aspect, but I'm saving the tag for my next action. Can he spend a fate point and invoke and then I tag it for free on my next turn?

Next, as far as consequences are concerned. It seems like they are treated like any other aspect. Which means if I have the mental consequence "saw my friend killed by a demon" I could legitimately invoke that consequence when facing the demon, correct?

Also, if someone invokes one of my consequences during an exchange do I get the fate point? When does it actually become available to me - immediately or at the end of the scene? I think I recall an example where  someone gets it at the end of the scene, but I can't find it now

[JustinS]

Once the aspect exists, it exists (unless it is not sticky, which is a matter of duration). Unless someone else acts to remove the aspect.
So, yes, you do not need to give your tag away.

Yes, consequences are aspects, but, "saw my friend killed by a demon" is not that great of a consequence. A consequence should be something that affects you "spooked by a demon", "obsessed with the demon that killed your friend" "Nightmares about fred being eaten by a demon". For physical consequences "punched in the face" is not a good consequence, compared to "sore jaw" or even "man, those are some massive fist marks on ya"

I also remember that fate points for being invoked against show up at the end of combat, so you don't have the same fate point(s) going back and forth each action.

[Wordmaker]

Off the top of my head, I don't think you can hang on to a tag and have someone else use a Fate Point for a normal invoke. Once an Aspect is applied or discovered, the first use of that Aspect is the free tag.

Yes, you can use a consequence as a normal Aspect, which can sometimes be a great way to save yourself in a crisis, assuming the Aspect is appropriate.

Finally, the only time you gain a Fate Point due to an Aspect being used against you is when someone compels the Aspect. This also applies when players compel the Aspects of NPCs; the NPC gets the Fate Point. In all other cases, when a Fate Point is used, it's discarded.

[Sabrel]

Well, the wording of the rule is:

Whenever you make a roll to gain access
to or create an aspect, as per the list on page 105,
you may invoke it one time, and one time only, for
free

While you might be able to get really nitpicky and lawyer the wording, I think the spirit of the rule is pretty clear. Whenever you make the effort to discover/create an aspect, your reward is one free use of it. You can give this reward to someone else, but I don't see any reason why someone else should be allowed to steal it just by acting first.

[Wordmaker]

If players wanting to steal free tags is an issue, then there are other problems in the group. This game, more than most, is very much focused on friends working together to make the game fun for each other, not players competing to kill the most monsters.

But I agree that the spirit of the rules appears to be that when a player creates or discovers an Aspect, they're rewarded for it first, by getting the free tag, and any other players are rewarded second, by getting the tag if it makes sense that it would be possible and the original player agrees.