One Roll to Rule Them

This game is formed around one simple concept: Have Fun, and don't let the rules get in the way.

Let's have a look at the single roll that is needed to do anything and everything in the game.

Each and every character has three basic stats. The first is their "fate" score. This is the fundamental stat that will be used for everything, and represents how good a character is at things in general and how lucky they are in general. This increases with level. Until we get hard numbers figured out, let's assume, for the purposes of easy examples, a characters Fate number starts at 5.

The next stat a character has is their Primary Type score. A Primary type is a descriptor, like Strong, Fast, Smart or Wise. This is a single word that best describes the character. When a character performs an action that can be described as something that Type of character can do (for instance, a Strong character lifting something heavy), the Primary Type score is added to the Fate score for the purposes of the roll. For the purposes of our examples, let's assume a character starts with a PT score of 2.

The final stat is the Secondary Type score. This is the same thing as the Primary Type score, but is something the character isn't quite as good at. If the character performs an action that is described by that type, add the score to your fate roll. In our examples, a character will start with a ST score of 1.

So, now for the game mechanic. Add up your Fate score and an applicable Type score (if any). Roll a d20 (for now, this die might change). Did you roll under your Fate+Type? You succeed!

I know, that means at best a starting character will succeed less than half the time (35% of the time, on average, if my math is correct). That's okay! For one, once we get rolling we may find that number is horrendously low, anyway. Second, you only have to roll for something above and beyond. A Strong character might lift a desk, or the back end of a car, with no roll needed. He's strong, he can do it. However, holding the door closed as the room beyond it floods is something extreme, so a roll would be required. Where that boundary lies is up to GM discretion.

In addition to your pure stats for the roll, equipment and special abilities can effect the required roll. For instance, a exoskeletal suit might increase a persons strength, so on a Strong Roll, the character could get a bonus added to the target number, making it easier to succeed. In addition, if a GM feels that something is a little too difficult to do without a roll, but not by much, then the GM can grant bonuses to the target number, again making it easier. On the other side of that coin, something that the GM feels is exceptionally exceptional might earn NEGATIVES to the target number, making it all that much more difficult.

The final way a Fate roll can be modified is with an AWESOME Bonus. If the player describes the action in a particularly cool way, or comes up with an elegant or entertaining, or even says or does something particularly apropos, the GM can opt to grant a one-time bonus to the relevant roll. A particularly devious GM might even decide to do the opposite - if a situation begs for something super awesome to occur, and the player totally fails to catch on and fails to do anything even remotely awesome, the roll might take a negative!

So that, my friends, is the fundamental mechanic behind the game. Fate + Type + Bonuses - Difficulty, roll under. Later, we'll see how this ties into combat.