Kenny Norris

Fate Solo is a Solo Engine so when playing Fate you don’t have to ‘break out’ of the system to use a Solo Engine. There are three main area of rules of Fate Solo:

1. Fate Solo Oracle
2. Character Rules
3. Surprise Factor

Fate Solo Oracle (v 3.2)

Odds

	Terrible	Poor	Even	Good	Great
-4	No --	No --	No-	No-	No
-3	No --	No-	No-	No	No+
-2	No-	No-	No	No+	No++/Yes--
-1	No	No	No+	No++/Yes--	Yes -
0	No	No+	No++/Yes--	Yes -	Yes
1	No+	No++/Yes--	Yes -	Yes	Yes
2	No++/Yes--	Yes -	Yes	Yes +	Yes +
3	Yes -	Yes	Yes +	Yes +	Yes ++
4	Yes	Yes +	Yes +	Yes ++	Yes ++

The Oracle is used when asking yes/no questions within the game. Along the top are the odds. This shows the likelihood of something being true or false.

Some results have 2 options. The first non-blank dice forces the result in that direction. If you roll 4 blanks you get to choose what result you want.

If there is no scene advantage / disadvantage when you roll a –, – –, +, or ++ ask a further question to discover what the modifier is about.

If there is no obvious question use a randomiser to discover what the modifier means.

Tips for Use

Use a randomiser to help frame questions. This allows you to ask questions that can take your game in new directions.

Characters in Fate Solo (v1)

Using the core ideas of characters from Fate Core the lone hero needs to be larger-than-life. With that in mind the power level of the hero using Fate System Toolkit is Pulp Adventure.

Skills

5 Average (+1)

4 Fair (+2)

3 Good (+3)

2 Great (+4)

1 Superb (+5)

Skill Cap at Superb

Other

Refresh: 4

Free Stunts: 5

Stress Boxes: 4

Aspects: 7 (See below)

Aspects (v2)

This is another place where I depart from Fate Core. I have included 7 aspects not only because that fits nicely with the Pulp Adventure Level but also with the ideas I had for creating aspects in a solo game. It also makes the character more rounded in what they can do.

There are two ways to start. Either with the High Concept (as usual) or with the Trouble. The second aspect is either the Trouble or the High Concept.

The Trouble aspect is like the standard Trouble aspect (especially the Personal Struggles). The difference is that the whole character should be built around the contradiction between the Trouble and High Concept aspects.

The third aspect is a Goal. By that I mean something the character wants to happen that can be seen as yes they have done it or no they have not. This Goal (along with the Trouble aspect) should drive the action for the adventure. If the Goal is achieved a new Goal aspect should be created. The Goal Aspect can be as simple as ‘Stop X from Happening’. It could also be more complicated though it needs to concrete, have a yes/no to it being fulfilled, and have a short(ish) goal deadline.

The forth and fifth aspects are Linking aspects. These aspects link the character to:

• the world,
• another person (an NPC) within the world, or
• the character’s backstory.

The 6th and 7th aspects can be left blank and filled in during play. If, however, you can think of some good aspects in character creation fill them in. They can also be any of the above with the exception of High Concept. However if a second Goal is picked it can have a longer goal deadline, or a less-solid fulfilment criteria.

Surprise Factor (v1.2)

A Surprise Factor Roll (SF + 4dF) is triggered every time a – or + is rolled on the Fate Solo Oracle. If –– or ++ are rolled roll twice. If the roll beats a Surprise Threshold then that level of surprise occurs.

Surprise Threshold:

3: Minor Surprise - Some minor things are not as they appear
5: Moderate Surprise - The Scene takes a new direction
6: Major Surprise - The Adventure takes a new direction. It's also possible that the world that the PC is aware of changes.

The Surprise Factor starts at Mediocre (0). Each scene with a Surprise Factor Roll but no surprise increases the Surprise Factor, for the next scene, by 1 (Mediocre (0), Average (1), Fair (2), Good (3), Great (4)).

Once a surprise occurs the Surprise Factors falls to Mediocre straight away and for the scene afterwards.

Surprises

A surprise is when new information is revealed or old information is changed.

The surprise should be related to the question asked: if it’s possible to do so. Even if the surprise isn’t related to the question a positive answer means the surprise should be positive and a negative answer means the surprise is bad.

There are 3 levels of surprises and Surprise Thresholds.

1. A minor surprise is when a new / interesting thing occurs. It doesn’t change much but makes things different in a way you didn’t expect. Your best friend has got back with his ex.
2. A moderate surprise is when the scene takes a different direction from the way you had thought it would occur. The PC wants to get past the guard watching a door. But the guard ‘changes’ sides and joins up with the PC because their missions are the same.
3. A major surprise is when everything changes.

These are some ways that surprises can occur:

• Bring something to life that was ‘dead’.
• Character doesn’t know who they are.
• Conflict has been solved. New deeper conflict to come.
• Major character is killed in an important plot way.
• New enemies / allies.
• No idea what they had; something is inside when they thought it was external.
• Plot speeds up.
• Problem behind the problem is revealed.
• Problem escalated.
• Problem isn’t solved. Things that seem like they’ve been solved aren’t.
• Pyrrhic victory / defeat. Win with a loss. Loose with a victory.
• Reversal. A is now B. B is now A.
• Scarier villain takes place of villain.
• Secret plan. Either PC has planned all of this or the villain has.
• Someone isn’t who they appear.
• Story within a story. Wheels within wheels.
• Subplot is elevated to main plot.

Hacking Surprises

There are 7 ways to change how the Surprise Factor works: 1. Less surprises (1): increase all Thresholds by 1 2. Less surprises (2): a - - or ++ only counts as 1 roll. 3. Less surprises (3): as 2 but they add 1 to the Surprise Factor Roll. 4. Less game changers: Moderate and Major Surprise Thresholds increased by 1 5. Less major surprises: increase Major Surprise Threshold to 7 6. Everything changes: Surprise Factor doesn’t reduce until end of the round. 7. More surprises: the Surprise Factor increases each scene even if a Surprise Factor Roll doesn’t occur.

Bonus Rule: Compels

If you roll a – on the oracle, and it makes sense in the game, an aspect has been compelled. This can work with a surprise or when a surprise doesn’t occur.