The Fate Point Barter

[KOFFEYKID]

So, I've been toying with the idea that you might be able to pull off more with fate points than what is presented in the books. People with a little bit of experience realize how powerful an invoke for effect can be, I was wondering if anybody had offered their players (or their gms) extra effects with high fate point costs.
For example:

(Note, the wording on these is similar to stunts but they aren't, just extra options to spend fate points on)

Overflow Action: If you have at least 3 overflow you may spend a fate point to gain an additional action (including roll) during your exchange, you may use it for another attack.

Extra Action: You may spend 3 fate points in order to take a second action during your exchange.

Extra Evocation: You may spend a fate point to cast an evocation with shifts of power no greater than your conviction without taking mental stress.

How balanced are these ideas? Does anybody have any more to add to the list?

[UmbraLux]

Overflow Action: If you have at least 3 overflow you may spend a fate point to gain an additional action (including roll) during your exchange, you may use it for another attack.

Extra Action: You may spend 3 fate points in order to take a second action during your exchange.

I'm not a fan of these two, primarily for metagame reasons.  More actions would just slow combat. 

Regarding 'overflow action', I'd recommend expanding the spin rules rather than adding additional rolls.

Extra Evocation: You may spend a fate point to cast an evocation with shifts of power no greater than your conviction without taking mental stress.

Wizards are powerful enough!   

[Malckuss]

I agree with Umbralax; for the Overflow Action, give them two different stunts. One to give them a 2 stress hit to a nearby target if they generate Spin on a hit, and another to give them a two stress hit on a nearby target if they Take Out the target they were just facing. A third Stunt could be built to deal a 2 shift attack to the same target if they score an attack generating Spin, making it easy to avoid for a powerful character, but mooks would get mowed. Put all three on the same character, and you have a mook massacring madman on your hands without any new rules.

[luminos]

@malckuss:  Koffey isn't talking about custom stunts here, he's talking about rules that would apply to everyone.

I think the changes are interesting.  They'd probably need some playtesting to get a good idea of what the hidden implications of them are.  But they do seem to add some more tactical versatility to the combat system, so thats good if thats what you want.

[KOFFEYKID]

Luminos has the right of it, not stunts just rules for additional ways to spend fate points. Perhaps the costs need to be bumped a bit, but I think you should be able to pull of more than just bonuses on rolls, rerolls, or even invokes for effect (as wide as that option is) with them.

Maybe, for instance, a creature with Inhuman recovery could buy an upgrade to it for a scene with an adequate fate point expenditure for example.

[devonapple]

For comparison: One of the things d20 allowed you to do with Action Points (roughly analogous to Fate Points) was to act as if you had a stunt for an action/turn/whatever. You had to qualify for the stunt already, of course.

And so, temporarily upgrading a recovery power, or replicating a Mortal Stunt, is not wholly without precedent in other games.

[UmbraLux]

For comparison: One of the things d20 allowed you to do with Action Points (roughly analogous to Fate Points) was to act as if you had a stunt for an action/turn/whatever. You had to qualify for the stunt already, of course.

And so, temporarily upgrading a recovery power, or replicating a Mortal Stunt, is not wholly without precedent in other games.

Arguably, this is already allowed in DFRPG.  Don't remember the reference but you can 'borrow' an IoP (or temporarily gain a power you can justify narratively) by paying fate points equal to the number of refresh it would cost. 

[devonapple]

Arguably, this is already allowed in DFRPG.  Don't remember the reference but you can 'borrow' an IoP (or temporarily gain a power you can justify narratively) by paying fate points equal to the number of refresh it would cost. 

You are quite correct!

[Howl]

These rules seem a bit overpowered to me, and more actions would slow combat and encounters. Thats one of the things I love about FATE, there aren't monsters or players with 10 attacks/ turn.

Perhaps if you made these rules into stunts they would be better balanced. Players could do more with fate points, but not everyone could use them so it wouldnt slow down the game.

[KOFFEYKID]

Making them into stunts defeats the purpose of making all purpose rules new forms of fate point expenditure. The idea is to make a list of things that any character can spend fate points to do. Perhaps they are a bit unbalanced and should cost more fate points.

Does anybody else have any other ideas for new ways to spend fate points?

[Sanctaphrax]

I allow my players to spend their fate points for declarations that add characters to a scene under their indirect control.

Not sure if that's really a new application, though.