In an interesting discussion on G+ Fate Core page, the question of how to "fight the environment" came up. The setting in question is a zombie apocalypse world, and after some discussion, here is my take on a man vs. nature (or un-nature) challenge.
I'm a fan of Zombie fiction like Dawn of the Dead, World War Z (book not movie_) or The Walking Dead not because the zombies are the villain (they are pretty boring for that) but because a zombie apocalypse strips us naked and forces us to confront inexorable death with grace and humanity, or with savagery and terror...
Of course the zombies of the apocalypse are part of the environment, as often as they are directly an opponent, properly done.
Consequences are a mechanic that supports us understanding what the cost of our choices successful or not, is in the fiction. As such, I would argue that the zombies themselves, as a practically endless horde, make consequences a moot issue.
Stress is about the near misses or the things that could have cost us but didn't. It's alternatively a way to pace conflicts, but as a pacing mechanism without consequences or the ability to take out the opposition, is no different than scoring successes in a challenge or a contest. So mechanically, again I would say stress for the zombie horde itself is a moot issue.
It makes more sense to address the horde part of the apocalyptic environment as an obstacle to be overcome, and that you can create advantages on. An advantage you create mechanically may be "Hacking the Horde to Bits" with your chainsaw in the fiction; your Zombies! approach vs. the player's Fight skill. Likewise, PCs can create an advantage like "rickety barricades" with the Twinkie shelf and the ice cream freezer mechanically, which in the fiction prevents you from using your Zombies! approach till you have overcome their barricade. That all works out neatly mechanically with little fuss, and reflects the fiction perfectly. The Brick can still do all the fighty stuff while the Brainiac does the crafty stuff, and it would just be as created advantages mechanically even though in the fiction it would be hacking the zombies to bits with garden tools while the other is fixing the car.
MURRAY'S FULL SERVICE AUTO STATION
Aspects:
Decrepit Zombie-Infested Gas Station
Broken Glass And Debris
Collapsing Veranda Roof
Scene Goal/Murray's: Hinder and Devour the Living
Scene Goal/PCs (Pick One):
Scavenge fuel (3 victories) - Applicable Skills: Notice, Investigate, Survival, Crafts, Drive. Tasks: Find gas can and siphon; find a vehicle with fuel, siphon fuel.
Scavenge a working vehicle (5 victories) - Applicable Skills: Notice, Investigate, Survival, Drive. Tasks: Find vehicle keys; Find matching vehicle; Scavenge Fuel (as above).
Scavenge a part to fix a vehicle (7 victories) - Notice, Investigate, Survival, Crafts, Drive. Tasks: Find needed part; remove broken part; replace part; scavenge fuel (as above).
Zones: Behind the Service Station; In the Service Bays; In the Convenience Store; In Front of The Service Station
Skills/Approaches:
- Zombies! (+4): Can Overcome, Create advantages, Attack, and Defend. The behave like Romero Zombies, slow, mindless, tireless, hungry.
- Hazards (+3): can attack and defend. This is strictly reactive, and cannot create advantages or overcome, but can harm or hinder direct actions by characters who move through, or interact with the environment (other than zombies).
- Notice (+2): Can overcome, discover (CAA), or defend. This assumes the area has active agents to notice things - e.g. the endless hordes of Zombies. You use this to make active agents (zombies) become aware of characters.
- Scarcity (+2): Can create advantages, and overcome. This represents the lack of, or requirement to have to improvise for characters to find the resources they need. You use this defend against character's attempts to find things they need.
Stunts:
- No Straight Paths: Murray's gains a +2 to Defend with Hazards when Heroes move from one Zone to another to Attack.
- Wake The Dead: adds +1 to Zombie! for one scene on a successful create an advantage roll with Notice when and if loud noise, bright lights, or recklessly obvious movement draws attention in Murray's. Yes it starts small, but is open ended as a zombie horde grows. Reckless parties could find themselves in a sea of hungry dead...
- That's Not The Item You're Looking For: Murray's has a +2 to Scarcity when creating the advantage That's Not The Item You're Looking For after the Heroes think they have found the item they were searching for.
No comments:
Post a Comment