Topic: Fate Points in Privateers?

[ReaperWolf]

To those running/playing Spacemaster: Privateers.

Do you use some kind of Fate Point mechanic (such as in HARP) in your games?

I'm going to use one for my demo at Winter War and I'm curious what you do in your own games.

Because it's a one-off demo I thought I'd give each player 2 Fate Points and award others for teamwork, roleplay, etc. as we play.

>>ReaperWolf

[yammahoper]

FP in SM are a very good idea.  The fire arm crit tables are deadly.

[Marc R]

The ship based combat criticals are super nasty. "Hull breech, lose 5 crew".

FP are a mechanic that has more to do with making your game more cinematic/heroic, so I don't think the genre of the game matters so much as the flavor you want.

Indiana Jones and Han Solo both seem to have used a lot of them, as do most cinematic heroes.

For a one off game intended to be played in one session, 2 may be the limit, it might even be a bit too many, but in my experience, there are players who fritter them off for nothing, and others who will never ever spend that last FP except to save their character's life, so giving two might inspire the bankers to actually spend 1 for something less dire than death.

Basically, if the intention is for them to be used only to stay death, give 1, if you also are OK with using them to re roll a plot-centric roll, then giving 2 works.

[ReaperWolf]

I agree 2 is probably the max however this also appeals:

Give each player 1 blue poker chip worth +50 to a single dice roll (OB, RR, Skill) or DB for 1 round, or a +10 to Initiative roll, or reducing a Critical Hit by -25.

Give each player 5 red poker chips worth +10 to a single dice roll (OB, RR, Skill) or DB for 1 round, or a +2 to Initiative roll, or reducing a Critical Hit by -5.

No more than 1 chip can be spent on any give thing but more than one can be spent in a round.

>>ReaperWolf

[markc]

 You can do that but I would mention that it is not part of the basic rules. But I would issue some Fate points or some other system as SM:P can be very very deadly, just like anything with firearms or energy weapons.
MDC

[ReaperWolf]

You can do that but I would mention that it is not part of the basic rules.

I'll make sure to mention it. Maybe if Fate Pointers were put into a new Data Net it would be "semi-official".

>>ReaperWolf

[Marc R]

Fate points are official, I think he was referring to the blue chip / red chip thing.

[ReaperWolf]

Fate points are official, I think he was referring to the blue chip / red chip thing.

Official FP in Privateers?

The reason for breaking up the FP was I wanted the players to have a little more control over their in-game performance and increase their survivability but I've found players tend to hoard their FP if they see them as too valuable to squander. If the FP is only worth a +10 but they have 5 to spend they're more prone to pony up. Also this allows me as the GM to do in-game rewards of 1 White chip for good roleplaying, playing up flaws, etc.

>>ReaperWolf

[markc]

 I allow Fate Points to negate crits before the crit is rolled or -50 after the crit is rolled. Or -50 to an attack after it has been rolled with no option to negate attacks.
MDC

[Usdrothek]

I can't recall fate points being official in SM:P.

I usually give players a FP.

In a campaign, with the excellent healing available, FPs are usually used to negate those instant death crits.

[Marc R]

FP are officially part of the RM rules as an option.

There's nothing in any of the SM books that tell you "And never, ever use anything from RM" nor vice versa. . . in fact, the two systems cross over.

RM2's Shadow World and SM2's Imperium explicitly exist in the same universe, so SM canon book characters can be in Kulthea and RM canon book characters can enter the imperium. This explicitly places all of RM inside SM, and all of SM inside RM. . .magic and fate points are explicitly possible in the official SM2 rules, just as high tech and psions are explicitly possible in the official RM rules

With the SM:P universe shifting out of the Imperium setting that connection and cross over is less explicit, but the two genre rule sets are still expressions of the same core rules, so any rule that applies to one can be applied to the other.

For some rules, cross pollination is a huge issue, like adding magic to SM or high tech to RM will impact the genre focus of the game. . .but for genre neutral rules like Fate Points, it's not a big deal.

So yeah, I'd say using the FP rules published for RM in a SM game is merely using the broader system in a creative manner, but you are still using official "Rule as Written" rules, not a house rule or off the cuff option.

[JimiSue]

Heh - magic in SM can be fun. Most SM races have significant penalties against Essence, Chanelling and Mentalism (I would possibly reduce a PC Mentalism penalty if they were a Teep though).

I like the idea of fate points, but the Red/Blue chip option also sounds good. My players have now got to the stage where they can afford energy shields, but if they are up against a level 15 armsman (for example) even a barrier shield only goes some way to counteract the mook's OB. I might modify that slightly for criticals though by saying that while the chips can be used at any time, if I have finished reading out the critical result, then the result stands - but at any time if you don't like the way it is heading, you can play the chip and change the result. For example (crit result made up since I have no books handy):

GM: Traumatic disruption to the throat. Larynx destroyed and spine separated. Difficulties in breathing and trauma to the brainstem result in twitching quadraplegic death in...
Player: Play the chip! Play the chip!!!

[GrumpyOldFart]

Like remembering to say "Uno!" before someone else notices you've only got one card left. 

[ReaperWolf]

I might modify that slightly for criticals though by saying that while the chips can be used at any time, if I have finished reading out the critical result, then the result stands - but at any time if you don't like the way it is heading, you can play the chip and change the result. For example (crit result made up since I have no books handy

Heh.

It's more cost effective to up your DB by spending a FP than reducing the critical. If you spend a blue it's worth a one-time boost of +50 to your DB but if you spend it on a crit reduction you only reduce the crit by -25.

So it's better not to be hit than to buy off the damage.

>>ReaperWolf

[JimiSue]

So it's better not to be hit than to buy off the damage.

This is true. However, if you only have a 10 pointer... even 10 points on a critical can make the difference between a messy death and a mere 6 month hospitalisation. Unless it;s something like the shrapnel crit table in which case you're toast pretty much whatever the roll. And what if the unmodified crit roll was 76? Would you really want to reduce to to 66? Really?