The Moreau Bug, An Experiment in Solo Fate Game Design: Table of Contents

1. Conception

2. Solo Fate and phantom players

3. Faces and Places

4. High Concept and Trouble

5. The Phase Trio

6. Custom Extras

7. Character Sheets, Skills, and Stunts

Character sheets, skills, and stunts

Sorry this instalment is running so late. Alas I am but a humble hobby blogger and other factors took the lion share of my attention.

Lets round out this demo by having a final peek at the finished characters.

Private First Class "Ratty" Stan Wilburn (NPC)
High Concept: Sneaky mercenary scout who is at home in the dark.
Trouble: Insatiable appetite for life's pleasures
Animal Aspect: Rat
Other Aspects

• Soldier Yes. Killer No
  
• Brilliant Escape Artist
  
• Always looks like he is lying, so who can tell when he is.
  

Skills

• Great (+4) Stealth
• Good (+3) Burglary
• Good (+3) Deceive
• Fair  (+2) Notice
• Fair  (+2) Fight
• Fair  (+2) Shoot
• Average  (+1) Will
• Average  (+1) Investigate
• Average  (+1) Provoke
• Average  (+1) Athletics

Stunts (though all of these provide good game advantages, they were picked for his rat/sneaky theme)

• Burglary - Talk the Talk
• Notice -  Danger Sense
• Stealth - Slippery target

Refresh 3

Extras: Power of the Rat (See Extra's article)

Physical Stress

1. x
2. x

Mental Stress

1. x
2. x

Animal Stress

1. x
2. x

Consequences

• 2
• 4
• 6

Humanity Tracker

1. x
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x

Private First Class Martin Owen (NPC)

High Concept: Humble Mercenary Tech Specialist, infected in the line of duty

Trouble: Likely to throw the first punch

Animal Aspect: Bear

Other Aspects:

• Drives like a maniac, but in a good way
• Will fight for the underdog every time
• Fearless where angels fear to tread

Skills

• Great (+4) Craft
• Good (+3) Drive
• Good (+3) Physique
• Fair  (+2) Athletics
• Fair  (+2) Fight
• Fair  (+2) Shoot
• Average  (+1) Empathy
• Average  (+1) Lore
• Average  (+1) Notice
• Average  (+1) Contacts

Stunts (His choice of stunts reflect his tendency to lose his temper)

• Drive -  Ramming Speed
• Physique -  Take the Blow
• Fight - Heavy Hitter

Refresh 3

Extras: Power of the Bear (See Extra's article)

Physical Stress

1. x
2. x
3. x

Mental Stress

1. x
2. x

Animal Stress

1. x
2. x

Consequences

• 2
• 4
• 6

Humanity Tracker

1. x
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x

Lieutenant Lewis Brian (PC)

High Concept: Mercenary Field Forensic Scientist who will turn over every rock for revenge

Trouble: Will take any risk to find a cure.

Animal Aspect: Wolf

Other Aspects

• Won't Leave a job half done
• Will go to the mat for his people
• Loyal to a fault, but deadly when betrayed 

Skills

• Great (+4) Investigate
• Good (+3) Notice
• Good (+3) Willpower
• Fair  (+2) Contacts
• Fair  (+2) Lore
• Fair  (+2) Fight
• Average  (+1) Shoot
• Average  (+1) Athletics
• Average  (+1) Deceive
• Average  (+1) Provoke

Stunts (most of the stunts picked were to improve is investigative prowess)

• Investigate - Powers of Deduction
• Willpower -  Strength from Determination
• Notice - Body Language Reeder

Refresh 3

Extras: Power of the Wolf (See Extra's article)

Physical Stress

1. x
2. x

Mental Stress

1. x
2. x
3. x

Animal Stress

1. x
2. x

Consequences

• 2
• 4
• 6

Humanity Tracker

1. x
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x

Custom Extras

The next steps would be picking Skills and Stunt. Because this series is dragging on a bit I am going to do that off camera, and you can see them in the links to the finished characters when I build the index. We know enough about each character from their High Concept, Trouble, and Phase Trio, to figure out who knows, and can do, what. 

What we are going to focus on next is Extras. Extras in many ways are the out come of the original game concept. If the game is high fantasy it could include magic systems. If the game is sci-fi it could tell us about the ship the PCs call home. 

This is a modern fantasy game with an animal theme, in a setting where magic is considered wildly dangerous. 

While the Fate Core book has any number of examples of Extras none of them really fit in with our needs, so that leaves us with the fun task of developing our own.

There are a useful series of questions (Fate Core pg, 271 "Creating and Extra") to help us figure out what we are trying to create.

1. What elements of your setting are appropriate for Extras?
2. What do you want the Extra to do?
3. What character elements do you need to fully express the Extra's capabilities? 
4. What are the cost or permissions to have an Extra?

Answering these questions will go a long way to writing the Extra so lets just take them in order.

1. The magical illness that gives animal traits. 
2. The Extra should provide useful, gameable, advantages that are themed through the Animal Aspect.
1. Example, Aspect: Excellent Night Vision
3. To express the double edged nature of Extra it will use stress  boxes with any over flow going to consequences or  off of a humanity tracker.
4. Having the illness and an Animal Aspect are the Permissions necessary for the Extra.

What I am envisioning is a series of progressively more powerful animal themed powers each costing a higher degree of testing of self control or physical resistance. Failure on rolls will lead to stress and consequences. So the PC's will need an additional set of stress boxes specifically for the use of powers. Consequences work the same as they would if the character had taken some sort of damage. If there is any over flow past the last consequence box it will be taken out of a  5 point humanity tracker. 

The three levels of powers would be:

1. Senses of the Beast. The PC's sense change to that corresponding to their animal aspect.
1. difficulty Fair
2. Body of the Beast. Gain advantages of your animal aspect in a physical way, such as warm fur or vicious claws.
1. difficulty Good
3. Power of the Beast. Gain a supernatural quality that is attributed to the animal in folk lore or myth.
1. difficulty Great

With the exception of the Humanity Tracker there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The player will simple evoke a level of power, make an immediate resistance check with physique or willpower. Passing that check allows them to add an Aspect to their character that corresponds with the power level for 1 scene. Failure cost means he has lost control of the Beast and must take either stress from his physical stress track, his mental stress track, or his Animal stress track. Any over flow becomes a Consequence, and is handled as normal. If he doesn't have enough Consequence track to cover the cost he will loose one point from his humanity track and gain a new trait to represent the loss. This trait should cause some problems, but it may also be positively evoked if circumstances allow. For example they may sprout grey hair all over like a wolf, which could socially be awkward, but may allow for an asset to hiding when invoked. 

Once all five points of the Humanity Track are filled the character goes permanently feral and becomes an NPC. 

I had considered raising the resistance difficulties after every point of Humanity loss, but I came to the view that would be punitive, and wouldn't really be fun. I don't want the characters to wash out. I want them to have to weigh the benefit verses risk of using extraordinary power.

And that I believe, aside from character sheets, finishes this quasi tutorial. It was great fun creating something new and sharing with all of you. To those that have read this far, thank you.

W.D. 

(P.S
I don't feel 100% about the writing here and may pull it down for a retooling, but it is better to post something you feel 80% good about, than to never finish, and this bit of fun was dragging on. Next stop on the game exploration front, maybe my favorite TTRPG Mage the Ascension)

W.D. Musing on game design

The following is an ongoing thought experiment to help me understand the parts that go into making an RPG. These are abstractions pulled out of games ranging from OSR system, Fate, Savage Worlds, Call of Cthulhu, and many other games I have encountered over the years. 

If I missed something, or there is another game system you think would add new insights to this list please drop me a comment below.

If you are someone who tinkers with games like I do (It has been years I have run more than a few sessions of anything without pulling out my tool box and getting under the hood) maybe this will be helpful for you. Otherwise, maybe it is just food for thought 

W.D.

Thoughts glean from games.

In any scene there are five possible outcomes.

• Empty Room/Nothing happens 

• In this situation there maybe objects but there is no action

• Empty dungeon room

• Small talk at a party

• A safe drive across town

• Monster/Animated interaction

• This is any number of possibilities from conversation through combat

• Encountering a monster/NPC in a room or hallway

• Having a having a persuasive discussion with a contact, that could go well or badly

• Could be present with other factors as well. 

• A room with a monster and a trap.

• A room with a feature, such as a blazing fire, and a prisoner to rescue suspended above it.

• Trap/obstacle

• This is an inanimate or static situation you have to deal with or avoid to proceed in the current situation. 

• A traffic jam while you desperately need to get across town

• A magically sealed door

• Hidden animal traps in a wilderness adventure

• There is most frequently an element of malice, potential loss, or danger in this situation

• Trick/Oddity 

• This is an interesting feature that could be bypassed but also can be interacted with. 

• A magic mouth spell with a pre-recorded message

• A red herring in an investigation

• A freak show at a carnival

• It is possible to have meaningful interaction with this object/scenario, but it is also within the realm of possibility it is very cool scene dressing or a distraction

• Being flirted with at a bar while trying to tail a suspect

• A magical riddle that will open a secret treasure chamber (note that if it is failed there is no loss to what you already have)

• A broken machine of unknown function

• It could be beneficial, dangerous, or just strange

• The broken machine when fixed could restore hit points, but if badly done could blow up. 

• If dangerous it is not a trap, because it doesn’t block the way of progress inherently.

• You could walk past the machine into the next room

• if beneficial it is not a treasure, because it can’t be carried off as loot (most of the time).

• The machine grants hit points but is to big to carry

• Treasure/Advantage

• There is something like wealth, valuable information, or a boon in this area. 

• A box of jewels; the favor of an important npc; a deed; a title; a magic item; or a temporary boon (like a bless spell)

• Probably guarded by a person or trap or hidden in a trick.

• A orc watching the door to a treasure vault

• A poison needle trap

• A security program that must be hacked to get at the data

• All of the above possibilities should be matched to the adventure context. 

---

There are 4 character actions that cover most situations, though they come in nearly infinite variation.

• Attack/Defend

• Be it physical (like a weapon and a dodge), mental (like a stare down), or social (like a courtroom encounter)

• Attacking and defending may require skill and/or equipment

• Equipment could mean a sword or a piece of damning evidence, depending on the species of aggressive action.

• Defense could come from equipment like armor, or a reaction like dodging; enduring a stare down from a stronger opponent; or a knowledge of when to object in a courtroom or debate.

• The unit of time in an Attack/Defend action is based on the activity taking place.

• A few seconds to shoot a gun or minutes to see if a torpedo strikes, or months to play chess in the mail. 

• As long as the aggression and defense are against active participants (rather than say a door) it is an attack. Should one be inactive it is an overcome.

• Create an advantage.

• Change the current circumstances so that your path forward is eased. 

• Examples could include: gaining the high ground, goading someone in an argument, or presenting surprise evidence in a trial. 

• Creating advantages takes some unit of time, elements of the scene, and or use of talents and equipment. In other words they have some cost.

• Advantages tend to be fleeting and need to be used quickly.

• Could be useful in either Overcome or Attack/Defend actions or both.

• Do nothing

• Wait and let events progress

• Overcome an obstacle

• Usually this means overcoming an inanimate challenge, such as a bureaucratic red tape or scaling a wall. 

• You will probably have to use skill/time, and/or equipment to overcome an obstacle, thus there is a cost to the action.

• As long as the obstacle is not active it is an overcome, otherwise it is and attack/defend action

---

When a character acts there are 5 possible results

• Full Failure. 

• At the end of the action, be it extended or immediate, the character has made no progress and further progress at this action (attack round or extended task) is not possible

• Partial Failure

• At the end of the action, be it extended or immediate, the character has mostly failed, but maybe has gleaned a small gain, such as a piece of information, or hasn’t suffered the worst possibilities of defeat.

• Made no progress or loss/Tie

• During an extended action the character neither advances or retreats, neither gains or loses or both sides have a minor gain or loss. As long as at the end the current status quo is kept. 

• Partial success

• At the end of the action, be it extended or immediate, the character has made some gains but is lacking a complete success. This gain is always an advantage, but may well be temporary depending on the circumstance

• Full Success

• At the end of the action, be it extended or immediate, the character has a full success. The objective, whatever it was, is fully successful, or if it is an extended action you are closer to the goal. This could be as simple as one success in a combat round or as complex as having completed a segment of conducting a ritual. The scale depends on the circumstance and the game. 

---

Rewards

• Experience or improvement points

• Equipment

• Advanced equipment

• Money or valuable goods

• Improved reputation with some group or faction

• Clues to one or more of the above or about an upcoming opportunity or danger

Losses

• Injury. The character may have expended some physical or mental buffer or have a loss of some defining feature such as an ability score.

• Misinformation. The character finds a false clue or gets a bad rumor.

• Loss. The character may lose a piece of special or mundane equipment or even wealth

• Damaged Reputation. The character may lose some or all support from a faction.

• Reduction of competence . Due to injury, curse, or atrophy the character may lose a skill or ability. 

• This could be recovered either by some extraordinary means (magic or hyper tech) or be recovered by retraining at the full or a discounted cost, or perhaps cannot be recovered at all.

---

Types of Actions

• Movement

• Running, Swimming, climbing, tumbling, etc.

• Fighting

• Melee 

• ranged attacks

• Bodily Resistance

• Absorbing damage from attacks

• Absorbing damage from environments

• Resisting fatigue

• Know

• Recall various sorts of knowledge

• Perform mentally challenging actions rooted in a knowledge base

• Interact

• Positive and negative social pressures

• Persuade

• Fast talk

• Threaten

• Performances

• Music

• Oratory 

• Glean

• Observation based actions

• Methodical

• At a glance

• Exert Will

• Resist mind effecting attack

• Retain sense of self identity under social upheaval

• Keep a sense of self after a dramatic transformation

• Stare downs in all their variations

• Success through sheer determination

• Create

• Art (of the non performance variety)

• Craft

Note Most actions would require a combination of these facets. To perform a magical ritual would certainly require knowledge, will power, perhaps creating the ritual space, and performing chants and acts.

With that said this list may not be very useful, but it is food for thought.

---

W.D.

The Phase Trio

Lets pause for a minute and look back at our phantom players and their characters. We have one "player" who wants planning and riches. We have a second who is into physical struggles. The last character, has been transformed into our primary character and he is all about finding out how and who gave him "the bug" and then he wants to get even. These motivations will can all come together in our Phase Trio.

Peaking into the Fate Core Rules we see that each player should start off their adventure then hand it off to the other players. Now as a solo player you have a couple of choices, but I still want the phantom players to contribute randomness to the process. So lets head back to Mythic and see what hooks we can derive from some random word pairs when combined with what we know about the characters.

Adventure Tone: Hard Lethal
Animal Action: Imitate Mysterious
Action: Support Misfortune
Army Description: Weapons Disorganized
Character Combat Action: Loyal Assist
Location: Fancy Clean
Plot Twist: Necessary Disaster

Private First Class Stan Wilburn
Private Wilburn is sneaking into a change cult gathering. These psychos follow one of the rich infected and they believe that the Bug is the next step in human evolution. Most of them have been infected and the spy that the FBI had implanted found out they plan to each go out and infect as many people as possible before they are "martyred to the cause". At least that was the information provided before the agent fell off the radar. The decision to burn out the hive came down from the highest channels. That is why the bomb he has strapped to him has both a counter and a dead man switch. They were taking no chances.  He checks room to room looking for any servants or kidnap victims. None are expected, but the publicity will be bad enough without the extra "heat". Technically this isn't part of the plan, but Private Wilburn is a soldier, not a murderer. The rest of the squad gets it even if the brass doesn't. So, when he peaks in and sees a room full of teens he hits his panic button. He is unaware one them hits one as well. 

Aspect: Soldier yes. Killer no.

now we swivel the camera to Private Owen
From a near by van Private First Class Owen is monitoring Stan's progress through the mansion. He is worried about the extra time a room to room is taking. Stan's panic button and the signal to the security firm this rich bastard uses go off almost simultaneously. Floodlights illuminate the property like it is high noon. Just like that the situation changed from a clandestine assassination to a raid. Back up is on the way from where they are stationed in a safe house near by, but Stan needs immediate assistance. He looks up at the Lt., who gives the nod. At that point he puts the van in gear and guns the gas. The ornamental gate and tire shredders barely slow the van down. He wonders briefly if they front doors will

Aspect: Drives like a Maniac, but in a good way.

and now we take a look at Mission Specialist Lewis Brian
Was the mission a success? Yes and no. It certainly didn't go as planned, but frankly the plan was a stupid reactionary mess, clearly made in a panic by people who only read reports. Not to mention that attacking a US citizen on US soil with intent of mass murder was way beyond the squads paygrade, much less their morals. In a way it ended better. There were deaths of course. And there were interments of the infected that were already showing, and a medical prison for those that weren't. 

Only one of the youths had died, and he was attacking Private  Wilburn. Turns out she was a cultist with a young face. The teens were intended to be the first "Receive the sacrament" from the newly changed. Sort of an initiation. The idea of it chills my blood. 

This cell was neutralized and its "priest" was detained for interrogation.  Every scrap of paper, every computer, every cell pone, and everything in the "ritual chambers" had been brought out, before the terrible fire. The fire department was artfully detained by spontaneous traffic congestion. 

Now I had to earn my keep. I took journals, cell records, testimony from the youths (for all that was worth), and all the rest of the evidence and poured through it. We knew there were other such cells, in fact they were spreading faster than anyone would like to believe, but somewhere there was mastermind. The cult formations were too uniform, and showing up amid too many social and ethnic groups. This new form of terrorism wasn't random, and was very dangerous. Let me find the first string to pull and I will unravel this. And please God let me find it before it spreads out of control.

Aspect: Won't leave a job half done.

(I realize at this point doing all three narrations will make this blog post way too long, so I am going to do the rest off screen and just post the aspects. Here you can see the process. Each character gets a three act play in which we learn more about who they are, what drives them, and what they are good at. A good aspect can be a positive or a negative. Private Wilburn balks at unnecessary violence. Private Owen drives well, but recklessly.  Mission Specialist Brian just won't give up on a chase. In some cases these are positive qualities, in other cases they will cause complications.)

W.D.