By Request.

Some years ago, might be a decade by now, I created a hack for Fate 2.0 of Dark Sun (AD&D setting). While myself and a friend were thrilled with the result, I couldn't find audience to try it out. My tabletop group has disintegrated and back then very few people on RPoL played Fate. (Mind you this was before all that SotC revolution.) Still in years since SotC revolution, I learned that my Fate audience/troupe simply evaporates when I mention my game is based on Fate 2.0 as opposed to SotC, Legends of Angleire or Fate Core (or whatever version of Fate is "current").

So the first question is why is Fate 2.0 such a deal breaker? (Now I should probably ask this on Fate 2.0 thread, but most likely no one will respond if I do so.)

Second question is if I have to convert this game to Fate Core how best to do it? Over next few days or weeks (or whatever, you know how it goes) I will post the details of the hack as much as I remember them on this thread and how much I care for each detail and then we will see what we come up with. But even before that I will appreciate any thoughts regarding Dark Sun and Fate Core or Accelerated.

Final question is if there's any interest either in playing Dark Sun with either Fate 2.0 (preferred) or Fate Core / FAE rules?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:43, Thu 11 Sept 2014.

In reply to Tzuppy (msg # 2):

I replied over on the FATE 2.0 thread, but will add the following here where topics don't overlap.

Dark Sun always interested me when it was released. Though I dropped RPing when AD&D came out, I did - and probably still do somewhere, get a few books to read about the setting.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I have a sneaking suspicion that FATE 2.0 is going to play out a bit 'grittier' than FATE Core. Not to mention how the setting is going to feel with a more Pulpy Proactive Competent character(s). IIRC, the setting really beefed up HPs but also made life much more difficult through resources and environmental challenges. This could probably work well in either version IMHO, but my experience is minimal in any given version as well.

Personally, I would probably prefer a Dark Sun Hack be done with FAE if you feel compelled to 'update' it to the latest FATE rules set. Something about how people have Hacked FAE for other settings just excites me.

Either way, I look forward to what you come up with.

Best,
TB

Used to be a FATE 2.0 guy as well. Great game -- but FATE Core (& FAE) is better -- cleaner, clearer. And has a real community!

Anyone looking for a real D&D vibe in their FATE game should absolutely check out the Freeport Companion, btw.

Is Freeport official Evil Hat accessory?

More to the point, it doesn't appear to be free, so perhaps we should continue the conversation over rMail.

There's a Freeport Companion Thread here. Feel free to discuss there.

link to a message in this game

I saw Freeport: Fate in the City of Adventure when it first appeared and I really planned to lurk, just to get that D&D vibe in Fate. Unfortunately it became apparent real quick that I had no time even for that. None the less, I'm glad Doccus' game is running strong.

But on this occasion I'm more inclined to reinvent the wheel first and then compare to what other folks did, not the other way around. (This holds true for one more hack I have in mind, but that is probably months away.)



This is true, but that was mainly limited to the setting's fluff. I recall playing D&D that once the game started gameplay didn't differ that much from vanilla D&D.



I've noticed. :)

Worry not, my friend, once I finish converting the hack into Fate Core (if not earlier) I'll simplify it for FAE personally.

Now, let's get back to what this thread was supposed to be.


Fate under the Dark Sun


Aspects

I know Thou shalt not fashion classes into Aspects is like a first commandment of modern Fate (possibly second only to Thou shalt not play Dungeons and Dragons), but back then using classes as Aspects was commonplace. Moreover, it established a clear connection what the game was supposed to be (in D&D rules) and how to be done right (in Fate). As such many of D&D accessories still stayed somewhat relevant.

Back then Aspects had ranks and I established that 4-5 levels of D&D class corresponded to a level of Aspect. The transformation was supposed to start at level 5 of appropriate class Aspect and level 4 of Psionicist and complete at levels 7 and 6 respectively. In order to avoid straightforward leveling of Dungeons and Dragons, Aspects were also arranged into a pyramid. This basically meant that a character needed plenty of diverse achievements in order to complete transformation.

Races (other than Human) were also fashioned into Aspects and as such functioned exactly like classes. Humans were getting one extra aspect instead. I think a class was supposed to stay at top of the Aspect pyramid, but I never needed to spell it out.

Magical items, rare weapons, titles and such were also available as Aspects, in order to provide opportunities to fill the pyramid. I remember listing "Steel Sword" as a sample Aspect that was allowing character to spend a Fate point to kill an unnamed NPC without needing a roll. (It wasn't working on half-giants, templars and pretty much any other "tough" monster, of course.)

All races and classes were written in following format:

Can be invoked to...
Refreshes when you...
Can be compelled to...

and that was all the information needed. Several Aspects, such as "Half-Giant", had bits and pieces of additional perks, but these were sugar on top.


For instance:

Dwarf
Can be invoked to break things, get drunk, pursue focus, break things, get drunk.
Refreshes when you break things, get drunk, pursue focus, break things, get drunk.
Can be compelled to break things, get drunk, pursue focus, break things, get drunk.

Elf
Can be invoked to lie, cheat, run, seduce humans, steal, smuggle.
Refreshes when you lie, cheat, seduce humans.
Can be compelled to lie, cheat, seduce humans, steal.

Trader
Can be invoked to obtain money, negotiate deals, use existing deals, obtain rare items, travel between cities.
Refreshes when you obtain large sum of money.
Can be compelled to honor existing deals, obtain rare items.

Thri-kreen
Can be invoked to throw chatkcha, paralyze by biting, attack multiple times per round, leap, hunt, avoid missiles, scare mammals.
Refreshes when devours elves.
Can be compelled to hunt especially elves, scare mammals.
Special rules: Armor 1 shift per Aspect level, never sleep.

Preserver
Can be invoked to cast preserver spells (see magic).
Refreshes when you defeat defiler in wizard duel.
Can be compelled to fight defilers, fight templars, be chased by angry mob.


And so on. The result was fairly simple and straight to the point system which with little trouble was delivering what D&D promised.

Magic

In order to ease conversion I've added a quick conversion between D&D spells and Fate.


In order to cast the spell the user must invoke appropriate Aspect of level equal or higher than the spell level (or spend a Fate point if the aspect is exhausted) and that's it. Further requirements depend on spellcasting class.

Preservers

In order to be able to cast a spell without damaging the environment, preservers must learn a spell real well. In game mechanics it translates that the preserver must spend one of the skill on a spell as an extra. The skill must be of the level equal to the spell level. For instance, in order to learn Fireball (D&D level: 3, Fate level +2), a preserver must spend a +2 skill slot.

Defilers

Because they're cutting corners in learning magic, defilers have much easier time learning spells. When they learn a spell, regardless of spell level, defilers must only sacrifice a +1 skill slot. In every other respect their spells are learned like preserver spells, including that it requires Defiler aspect of level equal or greater than spell level.

Priests

Priests and druids (I've merged the classes) automatically know all spells of levels equal and under their respective Aspects. This might change in a later date, but as of now this is how it goes.


Psionics

Psionics pretty much have their own skills (at least at the current version of the rules). Anyone can learn them. The limitation is that to activate them one must either spend a Fate point or invoke Psionicist aspect (if the character has it).

Wild Talents

In terms of this game a wild talent is any character who does not have Psionicist aspect, but has psionic skills. Anyone can become that, as we all know, but there are three limitations. First, all psionic skills must belong to a same discipline. Second, no psionic skill may occupy the top level of Skill pyramid. Third and final, all psionic skills must be bought to +1 level during a same phase. Later, in other phases, the character may increase the level of psionic skills (at least in this version of rules), but may not buy new ones.

Psionicists

Psionicists suffer no limitations of wild talents. Instead they have two of their own. First, only skills in their primary discipline may exceed rating of their Psionicist aspect, and second, that a character can have only skills form as many disciplines as the level in Psionicist aspect.

Old thread, I know. Feel free to ignore me.

I simply don't know Fate 2.0 and I'm not really interested in learning it.

For how to make a Fate Core Dark Sun game, I'd focus on recreating the setting more than the D&D mechanics. I didn't ever play much Dark Sun, but as someone else mentioned it felt to me as though the D&D mechanics quickly just pulled the game back into a D&D mode, without much "Dark Sun" to it.

I'm okay with classes or even races being Aspects, though really just for fictional positioning. Three characters might all have the same bonus for Athletics, but the thri-kreen runs and jumps at a fairly constant inhuman level, the psionicist is capable of astounding leaps now and then, and the dune trader barely squeaks by - but whips the other two when it comes to survival and bartering. At the same time, two thri-kreen or two psionicists might focus on different things so for one their race/class is key, but for the other is isn't.