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MMP#381 – Transnational Complications

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:21 am
by EpisodeBot
We’re back after our November hiatus and we’re back to talk about mechanics that let us get something when something complicates the lives of our characters. Enjoy and rate, comment, follow us on twitter, contribute to our Patreon, and join the forums. You’re all awesome for listening....

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Re: MMP#381 – Transnational Complications

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2019 10:52 pm
by Jared Rascher
Great show, and great to have everyone back.

I have used Obligation in Edge of the Empire as a Transactional Complication. It is less of an immediate ramification, and more of the continual crushing weight of debts and favors that the PCs have to pay back, although if the total party Obligation reaches 100 or more, nobody can spend XP to advance until it gets under 100, which is a pretty pressing concern. I've used Obligation as a means of granting PCs favors, in return for widening their debt. "You need help breaking out of this prison?" "I can leave a door open if you remember who did it for you?" "You lost your ship, huh? Well, if you are willing to haul a few things, I know one you can use."

I have reached the point with the players that are most commonly in my Fate games that my compels are often something they were only a few moments from doing themselves to complicate things. Sometimes its a matter of them forgetting one of their aspects until I mention the compel, and then they immediately say, "yeah, that's something I would do."

I have used scene and story compels in this manner before. Especially in Dresden Accelerated, once we established what the supernatural landscape of St. Louis looked like, I would throw out a complication into a scene where the PCs were already trying to accomplish something, and it became part of "typical St. Louis." Almost all of my compels push PCs in a certain direction, rather than cancel out success, or add an additional complication to a scene, rather than making a current complication harder.

One of my favorite compel moments was using our Seer's "Power At Any Cost" aspect in a game of Iron Edda Accelerated by holding up a Fate point and saying, "you know, you are pretty sure you know how to perform the ritual the Petruvians would use to animate this Colossus of Mars," and the player not only taking the Fate point, but then spending it to say, "hey, I remembered to bring my ritual dagger with me, how fortuitous!"

Also, when Phil asked "what kind of person would pay $22.00 in $2.00 dollar bills?"

Two-Face would, Phil. Two-Face.

Re: MMP#381 – Transnational Complications

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:17 am
by zircher
Jared Rascher wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 10:52 pm Also, when Phil asked "what kind of person would pay $22.00 in $2.00 dollar bills?"

Two-Face would, Phil. Two-Face.
Thank you, that so made my day. :D

Re: MMP#381 – Transnational Complications

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 8:49 am
by chrismmp
I got a good chuckle out of it too