Are you on the hunt for a tabletop RPG that puts storytelling first and rules a close second? The FATE roleplaying system may be exactly what you’re looking for.
A narrative-focused game system, FATE has been winning fans in the tabletop RPG community for years. Its flexible approach to roleplaying can handle nearly any genre or setting, making it easy to pick up and apply.
Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to learn – making it great for the seasoned gamer as well as a newcomer who might be interested in story-driven campaigns that don’t require hours of learning new systems.
Let’s look at the core of the FATE system, from how it works, what makes it different from other systems, and how you can jump in and learn the system with the top FATE games right now.
What is FATE?
FATE (sometimes stylized as just “Fate”) is a tabletop roleplaying game system that is designed to put the story and character development at the center of gameplay.
Unlike systems that focus heavily on combat mechanics and detailed rule sets, FATE provides a more lightweight framework that you can use in any setting or genre. You can use it in a high fantasy adventure as well as a gritty noir detective story.
Originally created by Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue, the first edition of the FATE system was published in 2003. The current edition, FATE Core (4th edition), was a wild success on Kickstarter in 2013, leading to a renewed interest in the system and its adaptations.
How Does the FATE System Work?
Aspects
The FATE system rests on its most distinctive feature: the aspect system. Aspects are short phrases that describe something significant about your character, a location, or even a single scene.
For instance, FATE aspects could include “Rogue Archaeologist with a Fear of Snakes” or “Always in Debt to the Wrong People.” These aspects serve a variety of purposes:
- They can define key traits about characters and the world
- They can be invoked to gain bonuses on dice rolls
- They can be compelled to create complications (and earn Fate points)
What makes aspects so much fun is that they can marry narrative moments with mechanical benefits. When you invoke the aspect “Trained by Assassins” to give you a boost past guards, you don’t just gain a numerical bonus – you’re weaving that character trait directly into the story itself.
Fate Points
The in-game meta-currency is known as Fate Points. You can use Fate Points to influence the story and gain advantages at just the right moment. Players can collect and spend Fate points to invoke aspects for bonuses on rolls, power special abilities called “stunts”, and more.
Fate Points are earned when your aspects create complications for your character. For example, when a GM compels one of your aspects:
“Since you’re ‘Notorious Among the City Watch, ’ the patrol immediately recognizes you.”
Accepting that complication earns you a Fate Point (and a run-in with the city guard!)
This creates an interesting gameplay loop within the FATE system: your character’s flaws or challenges can be spun into resources that you can then use to succeed later in the story.
Skills and Approaches
Depending on which version of FATE you are playing, characters have either skills (in FATE Core) or approaches (in FATE Accelerated).
Skills represent what your character can do, such as Fight, Investigate, Drive, etc. Approaches represent how your character does things, such as “carefully”, “forcefully”, and “sneakily”.
This system means that resolving actions relies more on the narrative description of what is happening in the moment rather than mechanics and abilities.
The Ladder and Dice
FATE uses a scale called “the Ladder” that ranges from Terrible (-2) to Legendary (+8), with most everyday capabilities falling around Average (+1).
Rather than using traditional dice, FATE uses special six-sided dice (Fate dice) with two blank sides, two marked with a plus (+), and two marked with a minus (-). Players roll four dice and add the result (ranging from -4 to +4) to their skill or approach rating.
The result is then compared to a target number or an opponent’s roll to determine the success of the action.
What Types of FATE Systems Are Available?
FATE comes in several variations, each offering a different flavor on the gameplay experience:
- FATE Core: The complete ruleset, offering the most detailed version of the system.
- FATE Accelerated Edition (FAE): A streamlined version that replaces skills with approaches, designed for faster play and easier accessibility for newcomers.
- FATE Condensed: A compact version of FATE Core that fits the complete rules into a smaller package while maintaining compatibility with other FATE products.
- FATE System Toolkit: A supplement offering optional rules and hacks to customize the system for specific settings or gameplay styles.
Tips for Getting Started with FATE
For those looking to jump in and try out the FATE style of gameplay, here are our tips:
- Download FATE for free: Before you dive too far in, make sure you grab the Fate Core System – a 308-page rulebook giving you everything you need to run games in any setting or genre. You can snag other material, such as the Fate Adversary Toolkit.
- Choose your flavor: FATE Accelerated offers an easy introduction for those new to the game style. FATE Core provides much more depth for those who want it.
- Get Fate dice: While you can use regular dice and convert the numbers, official FATE dice enhance the experience. You can also find dice-rolling apps and VTT systems that offer FATE dice options.
Pick a setting: You can create your own or try one of the many published settings – and grab supplements and materials that can help you expand your gameplay.
Top FATE Titles To Try Out
When you’re ready to flex your storytelling muscles, DriveThruRPG has the materials you need to jump right into the FATE community’s favorite games. Here are some top titles to play right now:
Dresden Files RPG: Your Story
Built on the world of Jim Butcher’s bestselling urban fantasy series, this is one of many FATE system titles that let you play out the system in a world of wizards, werewolves, and even plain “vanilla” mortals. The rulebook has fun margin notes from characters in the series, making it a fun read even for those familiar with Fate.
Infinitum
When you’re ready to really dig into the FATE system, give Infinitum a try. This sprawling, imaginative setting puts you in a “city at the center of the multiverse” – 421 pages of excellent storybulding content that acts as a detailed gazetteer of the city.
Strands of Fate 2nd Edition
Want a combination of the FATE system with more traditional RPG elements? This standalone version includes specialized “Strands” for different genres, including Cthulhu horror, fantasy, superheroes, and cyberpunk.
Jump Into The Storyteller’s Game with FATE
FATE offers players a fun and refreshing alternative to the more complicated RPG systems on the market.
Putting the narrative first and providing tools that connect the story to mechanics, FATE creates some pretty engaging tabletop experiences that will force you to lean into your imagination and storytelling.
Whether you’re looking to run a one-shot adventure or launch a larger campaign, FATE gives you a framework that is flexible enough to do it all. Best of all, you can find tons of great FATE content and materials on DriveThruRPG – from FATE rulebooks to some of the most popular titles in the community.
Check out the full FATE catalog online, and start telling better stories today!
