Category:Vat

Preamble

http://mqstout.com/vat-files.zip Contains:

1. A short, quick writeup (from the Witchcraft demo kit) of the Unisystem rules.
2. The writeup from Dresden Files about aspects and concessions. This is a more flavorful/example-filled writeup than what the link to the FATE SRD has below.
3. A snippet from the d20 Modern Unearthed Arcana book to set (some) mood about how the setting may feel.

We will be meeting at Daryl's place Saturday 12 May 2012 at 2 PM for group creation -- including exchanging our expectations, some world building and character building.

Setting

It's "pretty much" the real world. Except it's not. It's a parallel nearly-the-same world (this allows for 'artistic license'). This world primarily differs in that extra-natural things kind of sort of do exist. They come and go in waves both spatially and (especially) temporally.

d20 Modern Urban Arcana and Shadowrun use a similar guise for bringing mystical elements into the modern world. Perhaps some times in the past really were inhabited by the shadow (maybe the world of Ars Magica is truly Earth's history).

The game -- at least initially -- will be site-based, with the site being one city and its surrounding areas. We will embellish this setting during our pre-game meetup (and throughout the game)

System

The system used for this game will be Eden Studios' Unisystem. Unisystem comes in two flavors; we will be using the classic flavor, which includes the games Witchcraft, Armageddon, All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Armageddon. (The cinematic flavor is used for Buffy, Angel and a few others and will not be used except perhaps as inspiration.)

Some parts of the FATE RPG (the system used for Dresden Files and others) will be grafted into Unisystem. This will (primarily) be aspects. However, I ask you also to read over concessions to consider while playing. If ever any combats/conflicts require a map, I shall also likely invoke FATE's zone-based handling of them, rather than performing a gridded tactical combat (for which Unisystem does have rules).

If using aspects does not work out to my liking, it will be scrapped and the game will be (nearly) pure Unisystem.

Unisystem

About unisystem. Basic mechanics. I'll do it, or you. Rulebooks.

Aspects

One part of the FATE roleplaying game is being transplanted from it into Unisystem for this campaign. Aspects can fit easily into any RPG with minimal effort. Think of them loosely as "always on" circumstance bonuses in D&D, or the allegiences system in d20 Modern or vices and virtues from True20. They flavorfully describe things in the game and can be used creatively to have a mechanical effect in the game.

Aspects don't only apply to characters, but also to anything that can be described. A battle scene in sewers might have an aspect of "dark, dank and dreary" applied to it. Any time this descriptor might apply to a situation for you, you can try to use it for a bonus (or penalty for others, as appropriate). In D&D terms (since that's what we're all most familiar with), you could use that to apply a penalty to an enemy's saving throw against fear, or as a bonus on your stealth roll (and so on). It only takes some creative storytelling! An added side effect of using aspects it it empowers research and knowledge type skills. Successful checks with these will let you learn of (or even establish!) an aspect around something that you can then use to your benefit. In fact, the campaign itself will have some aspects applied to it -- to help set the themes for the whole game.

To learn about aspects, read the following web links.

General description

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html#aspects (only 1.6)

This briefly describes what an aspect is.

Guidelines for aspect selection

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html#choosing-aspects

This section (only 2.15.2 and its subheader "Powerful Aspects") will set the mood for what to think about selecting for aspects; what makes aspects good and not.

Full details for aspects

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html#id9

Please, if you can, read the whole chapter. Pay particular attention to the examples. You can safely ignore the other FATE-specific components (such as die rolls, etc) that might be in it.

Aspects during progression

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html#aspects-deepening-the-story

Describes how aspects possibly can change as the game progresses.

The specifics of how Aspects will be implemented in this campaign will be detailed after character creation.

If you want more details about aspects, the zip file linked at the top has the relevant pages from the Dresden Files RPG that covers them more fully, with more depth an examples. Remember, we're only using this part of FATE, so some of the things mentioned in the PDF might not be relevant.

What aspects will you need? We will generally follow the aspect-selection part of FATE's character creation. You will need one "high concept" aspect that broadly encompasses who you are -- something like a "race and class" analog -- one phrase describing who your character is. You'll also need a "trouble", which is an aspect that's a regular source of conflict (often, but not required to be internal). You'll also generate a couple paragraphs of "prior life events", each of which be distilled into an aspect.

Here's an example of Harry Dresden's aspects, as they would be at the beginning of Storm Front:

• High Concept: Wizard Private Eye
• Trouble: Temptation of Power
• Development aspects: My Mother's Silver Pentacle; Chivalry is Not Dead, Damnit; Not So Subtle, Quick to Anger; Epic Wiseass; Perpetually Broke

Other Links

• Aspect selection inspiration (ignore "template")
• Talking about consequences
• Full Harry Dresden character sheet (The back has the creation part we'll be utilizing.)
• A Generic Unisystem Character Sheet (Though Unisystem characters can easily be done on just a notebook page.)

Concessions

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html#concessions Why fight to the death? Concessions offer a take on surrendering or otherwise ending conflict without death. Keep this in mind during play. (Again, grit, consequences, cashing out, and other FATE-specific items are NOT being used. This really isn't anything too mechanical; it's largely a reminder that always fighting to the death is not so common in this kind of setting.)

Zone-based Combat

Will be explained when and if it is ever used.