Refreshing FATE Points

[Keryth]

So, while bored at work with time to kill I've been looking over various DFRPG resources and such online. While reading through this one site that calls itself a DFRPG Workshop (http://www.myth-weavers.com/wiki/index.php/LearnDresdenFilesRPG) I came across this statement regarding refresh

He started with 10 Refresh, and I spent 7 of them on Mortal Stunts and Supernatural Powers (he's the son of a Titan, he needed some pizzazz!). That leaves him with an Adjusted Refresh (the refresh remaining) of 3. At every Milestone, assuming he's spent his FP below 3, he would be granted enough FP to bring him to 3 for the start of the next chapter or adventure.

Now, I THOUGHT Fate points refreshed every session, not every milestone. Am I correct or is this GM? Because if they refreshed every milestone, that would make compels MUCH more important to players

[Cadd]

The expectation of the rules is that one session = a minor milestone.

[Sanctaphrax]

As I understand it, the idea is that you'll get a minor milestone each session unless something unusual is going on.

[Keryth]

Gotcha. So it is with every Milestone. Thing is with my group I was only giving minor milestones out every 2-3 sessions not every session. Though refresh was resetting each session, unless we broke in the middle of combat or somesuch

[Taran]

I think you can refresh whenever you want.  I seem to remember it saying(somewhere) you can do a refresh mid-session, if it makes sense.

[Cadd]

There's absolutely no problem decoupling refresh and milestones. A milestone should be when something of significance to the story has happened and there's some time to reflect on it; a Refresh happens when there's time to catch your breath a bit. One might absolutely happen without the other :p

[Haru]

The basic idea is that one session equals one minor milestone. But sometimes you just don't get that far, so it can make sense to give the milestone later. If that's the case, it might still make sense to give a refresh, if there is a good justification for it. Maybe at the end of the session the characters are getting some rest to be fit the next session. That sounds like they should be refreshed after that. Or maybe there is something happening that lifts their spirits, that could count as a refresh as well.

But if you tie refresh to the time you're playing, that makes it easier for everyone to use it to their full potential. They know they can throw it all out when you're half an hour away from the time you usually end the session, which in turn will mean they will do more cool stuff with it and not just horde them because they don't know when they will get more.

[Cadd]

But if you tie refresh to the time you're playing, that makes it easier for everyone to use it to their full potential. They know they can throw it all out when you're half an hour away from the time you usually end the session, which in turn will mean they will do more cool stuff with it and not just horde them because they don't know when they will get more.

Exactly! Had I not been writing my last post from a phone, I'd have elaborated with this point! Always make sure the players feel secure enough about getting FPs that they're willing to spend FPs rather than hoard them. Decoupling Refresh from Milestones is a probably fairly common house rule to that effect.

[Lavecki121]

I think the idea too would be that something significant will happen during gameplay (ie one session). They beat up a bad guy, they find out some sort of information that's needed, they solve some puzzle etc. These would all have the idea of causing a minor milestone, which would refresh them. I haven't ever given a refresh mid game but I can see it working if necessary. I also have a player who uses FP at any opportunity possible so that he can get auto compelled because he like drama in his characters lives. He generally uses his FP to compel other players rather than buff himself because he is more invested in the narrative aspect of the game.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Refresh has nothing to do with milestones.  Just because you typically have a minor milestone every session doesn't mean that refresh only occurs at milestones.  You get a refresh every session, by default, whether or not a milestone was reached.  GM's have the optional rule available to allow for partial refresh, or to deny a refresh if there's a cliffhanger.

YS20: Players usually regain fate points between sessions when a refresh occurs.
YS317 also discusses partial refresh.
Milestones, YS88-91, don't discuss refresh at all, except as it relates to upgrading characters.

[Keryth]

After re-reading the sections in the books about refresh, I'm going to go with refresh every session, unless the session ends in the middle of a combat, whereupon the refresh will occur once that combat is completed