Core Mechanics

Fate's Edge Player's Guide — Chapter 3

The Play Loop

Every meaningful action runs the same eight steps. Learn these and you know how Fate’s Edge plays; everything later in this chapter is detail hung on this frame.

1. The GM sets the stage. They describe the situation and ask what you do.
2. You declare intent and approach. What you want to achieve, and how you are going about it — which names the Attribute + Skill you will roll.
3. The GM sets Position and DV. Position (Dominant, Controlled, Desperate) is how exposed you are; DV (2–5) is how hard the task is. Both are set before dice, so you can still change your mind.
4. You roll. Attribute + Skill in d10s.
5. Count twice. Every 6+ is a Success. Every 1 is a Story Beat for the GM. A die can only be one or the other, and you always count both.
6. Read the outcome. Compare Successes to DV on the Outcome Matrix: Clean Success, Success with SB, Partial, or Miss.
7. The GM spends the Story Beats. Complications, advancing timers, escalation — paid for out of the 1s you rolled, whether or not you succeeded.
8. You mark what it cost. Boons (1 on a Partial, 2 on a Miss), Fatigue, Harm, Obligation. Then the spotlight passes.

A full pass should take about ninety seconds. If it drags, cut back to the bones: one clear intent, one roll, one consequence.

Player-Managed Modules

In Fate's Edge, you are the primary manager of your character's mechanical state. This isn't just about convenience — it is a core design principle that reduces GM overhead and keeps you engaged.

Basic Dice Mechanics

When you attempt a significant action, roll a pool of ten-sided dice (d10s). The size of your pool is:

Dice Pool = Attribute + Skill

Attribute (1–5)

Broad traits like Strength, Wit, or Charm.

Skill (0–5)

Training in a specific area (e.g., Melee, Stealth, Arcana).

Reading the Dice

Each die that rolls 6 or higher counts as a Success. Each die that rolls a 1 generates a Story Beat (SB).

Example: Lyra (Wits 3 + Stealth 2 = 5 dice) rolls: 6, 4, 3, 1, 6 → 2 Successes, 1 SB. The DV is 2 — she succeeds, but the GM has 1 SB to spend (perhaps a guard stirs).

Difficulty Value (DV)

The Game Master sets a Difficulty Value — the target number of Successes needed.

DV 3 is the default. If the GM calls for a roll, something is at stake. Do not inflate DVs — they already do their job.

The Outcome Matrix

Compare your Successes to the DV to determine the outcome.

What a Partial Means. A Partial is not failure — it moves the story forward. Examples:

• Improve your Position for the next attempt (see Position, below).
• Reduce the effective DV of the next roll.
• Succeed at reduced scale or duration.
• Reveal information or open a new path.

Critical Successes

A roll of 10 counts as two Successes. If the roll succeeds, each 10 adds narrative weight.

Important: A roll showing a 10 is never re-rolled, even by Position effects or other mechanics. Critical effects apply only if the overall roll succeeds.

Boons

Boons represent momentum and narrative leverage. You may hold up to 5 Boons.

Earning Boons

• Partial Success: Gain 1 Boon (see the Outcome Matrix, above).
• Miss: Gain 2 Boons.
• Bond-Driven Action: Once per bond per session, gain 1 Boon when an action meaningfully engages that bond (Bonds are established at character creation — Chapter 2, Step 8).
• GM Award: For creativity, sacrifice, or strong narrative play.

When not awarded: Safe rehearsal, null-risk probes, or repeated identical attempts in the same scene do not generate Boons.

Spending Boons

• Re-roll a single die (after seeing the result)
• Activate an on-screen Asset (1 Boon)
• Improve Position by 1 step before a roll (see Position, below)
• Power certain Rites or abilities (see the Magic chapter)
• Convert to XP (2 Boons = 1 XP, once per session during downtime, max 2 XP per session)

Substituting Fatigue for Boons. If you have no Boons remaining (or wish to conserve them), you may pay 1 Fatigue in place of 1 Boon to activate any effect that normally costs a Boon. This represents pushing through exhaustion, relying on raw effort, or accepting a minor physical toll. The GM may veto this substitution if the fiction makes it implausible (e.g., activating a delicate Asset while exhausted). Using this option does not change the effect's outcome or generate additional Story Beats; it simply changes the resource spent.

Carryover Limit

At the end of each scene, reduce held Boons to a maximum of 2. Excess are lost — spend them or lose them.

Position

Every action takes place from a Position that reflects the character's advantage.

Important: A roll showing a 10 is never re-rolled, even by Desperate position.

Boon Interaction with Fatigue: When Fatigue forces a success re-roll (see Fatigue Track, below), spending 1 Boon negates one such re-roll. You may spend Boons after seeing the result of a Fatigue re-roll.

Story Beats (SB)

Story Beats are narrative tools the GM spends to introduce twists. They keep the story alive with complications.

SB Spend Examples

• 1 SB: Minor complication — noise, trace, +1 Supply segment.
• 2 SB: Moderate setback — alarm raised, lose cover, lesser foe appears, or advance a faction or front timer by 1 segment.
• 3 SB: Serious trouble — reinforcements, key gear breaks.
• 4+ SB: Major turn — trap springs, authority arrives, scene shifts.

Player Advice: Don't fear Story Beats — they are fuel for drama, not punishment. Every time you roll a 1, you give the GM a spark. That spark can light a fire that makes the story burn brighter.

Harm and Fatigue

Fatigue Track

Each character has a Fatigue track equal to Body. Mark Fatigue for exertion, magical strain, or stress.

• Each Fatigue step worsens your Position: Dominant → Controlled → Desperate (see Position, above).
• If already Desperate, apply -1 die per Fatigue instead.
• Penalties from Fatigue and Harm stack. For example, a character with Harm 1 (-1 die) who is also Desperate from Fatigue suffers both penalties.
• Overflow: When the track fills, increase Harm by 1 step (see Harm Levels, below) and clear all Fatigue.
• Recovery: Short rest clears 1–2 Fatigue; full night's rest clears all.

The Roller-Coaster Effect (Taking Harm Clears Fatigue)

When you take Harm, the shock of the wound temporarily clears your Fatigue. This creates natural dramatic swings — a character near collapse who takes a wound and suddenly finds a second wind.

Example: Mateo is at Fatigue 3 (Desperate, -2 dice). A goblin stabs him for Harm 1. Following the procedure below, the Harm clears his Fatigue (step 2), then he adds the converted Fatigue (step 3). He ends with Harm 1, Fatigue 0 — wounded but clear-headed.

Harm Levels

Taking Harm and Fatigue — The Procedure (Player Perspective)

When you are hit, the GM states the Harm value. You calculate the conversion using your armor type, then apply the result in this order:

1. GM States the Harm: The GM narrates the attack and tells you the incoming Harm value (e.g., "You take Harm 3").
   • Your job is to know your armor type and apply the conversion yourself.
   • The GM does not calculate the conversion for you.
2. Calculate the Conversion: Using the Armor Conversion Table (see below), determine:
   • Fatigue gained: The Fatigue cost of the hit (minimum 1).
   • Harm remaining: Any Harm that bypasses your armor.

   Example: GM: "You take Harm 2." You (Light Armor): "Harm 2 in Light Armor → Harm 1 remaining, Fatigue 1 gained."

3. Apply Remaining Harm First:
   • Clear all existing Fatigue (the shock of injury resets exhaustion).
   • Increase your Harm level by the Harm remaining value you calculated.

   Example: You calculated Harm remaining = 1 → Clear Fatigue, Harm +=1.

4. Add the Fatigue:
   • Add the Fatigue gained from your calculation to your Fatigue track.
   • If this fills or exceeds your track (Body value), resolve Overflow (see Fatigue Track, above).

   Example: You calculated Fatigue gained = 2 → Add 2 Fatigue, then check if Fatigue ≥ Body.

5. Narrate the Result:
   • Describe what it looks like when your character takes the hit.
   • "The blade slides under my shield — I feel the sting (1 Harm) as exhaustion fades (1 Fatigue added)."
   • Or: "My breastplate absorbs the impact — the blow rattles my teeth (2 Fatigue) but draws no blood."

Armor Conversion Table (Player Reference)

Minimum 1 Fatigue per hit, even if conversion would give 0. "F" = Fatigue gained; "H" = Harm remaining.

Understanding the Pattern

The armor conversion table follows a simple pattern. Each armor type has a Step (Light = 1, Medium = 2, Heavy = 3, Superior = 4, Mythic = 5). For any incoming Harm:

• If Harm ≤ Step: All Harm is converted to Fatigue. The Fatigue gained is 1 less than the Harm value (minimum 1).
• If Harm > Step: The first Step points of Harm are converted to Fatigue (Step − 1 Fatigue), and the remaining Harm points are applied directly.

Player Examples (Full Conversion Process)

• Example 1 — Light Armor:
  • GM: "You take Harm 2."
  • You (Light Armor): "Harm 2 in Light Armor → Harm 1 remaining, Fatigue 1 gained."
  • Apply: Clear Fatigue, Harm +=1, then add 1 Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "The blade slides under my shield — I feel the sting (Harm 1) as exhaustion fades (Fatigue 1 added)."
• Example 2 — Heavy Armor (Full Conversion):
  • GM: "You take Harm 3."
  • You (Heavy Armor): "Harm 3 in Heavy Armor → Harm 0 remaining, Fatigue 2 gained."
  • Apply: No Harm to apply (Fatigue does not clear), then add 2 Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "My breastplate absorbs the full impact — the blow rattles my teeth (2 Fatigue) but draws no blood."
• Example 3 — Heavy Armor (Excess Harm):
  • GM: "You take Harm 4."
  • You (Heavy Armor): "Harm 4 in Heavy Armor → Harm 1 remaining, Fatigue 2 gained."
  • Apply: Clear Fatigue, Harm +=1, then add 2 Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "The blow slips past my guard — I feel the bite of the blade (Harm 1) as the impact rattles my bones (Fatigue 2 added)."
• Example 4 — Superior Armor:
  • GM: "You take Harm 4."
  • You (Superior Armor): "Harm 4 in Superior Armor → Harm 0 remaining, Fatigue 3 gained."
  • Apply: No Harm to apply (Fatigue does not clear), then add 3 Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "The blow lands square on my chest — the armor holds, but the force drives the air from my lungs (3 Fatigue)."
• Example 5 — Mythic Armor:
  • GM: "You take Harm 5."
  • You (Mythic Armor): "Harm 5 in Mythic Armor → Harm 0 remaining, Fatigue 4 gained."
  • Apply: No Harm to apply (Fatigue does not clear), then add 4 Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "The hammer strikes my pauldron — the mythic alloy sings, absorbing the blow, but my arms tremble with the effort (4 Fatigue)."
• Example 6 — Mythic Armor (Excess Harm):
  • GM: "You take Harm 6."
  • You (Mythic Armor): "Harm 6 in Mythic Armor → Harm 1 remaining, Fatigue 4 gained."
  • Apply: Clear Fatigue, Harm +=1, then add 4 Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "The blade finds a gap in the mythic plating — I feel the cold bite of steel (Harm 1) as the impact drives me to my knees (Fatigue 4 added)."
• Example 7 — Overflow (Player Perspective):
  • GM: "You take Harm 3."
  • You (Heavy Armor, Body 2, Fatigue 1): "Harm 3 in Heavy Armor → Harm 0 remaining, Fatigue 2 gained."
  • Apply: No Harm to apply (Fatigue does not clear), then add 2 Fatigue.
  • Check Overflow: Fatigue was 1, now 3 (≥ Body 2) → Overflow! Harm +=1, clear all Fatigue.
  • Narrative: "The crushing blow shatters my guard — pain flares (Harm 1) as exhaustion vanishes (Fatigue cleared)."

Key Reminders

• Always apply Harm first (which clears Fatigue), then add Fatigue.
• Minimum Fatigue per hit is 1, even if the table says 0.
• Overflow occurs when Fatigue ≥ Body, not when it exceeds.
• The table is the rule. Do not calculate beyond what it shows.
• Narrate the result — it makes the fiction richer and keeps everyone engaged.
• Higher-tier armor (Superior, Mythic) is rare. Your GM will tell you if it is available.

Recovery

• Fatigue: Short rest (food/water) removes 2 Fatigue; full night removes all.
• Harm: Requires medical care and time — minor treatment downgrades Harm, proper care removes it.

Initiative and Turn Order

Default: Narrative Initiative. Fate's Edge does not use fixed initiative. Turn order follows the fiction:

• Narrative Fiat: The GM frames spotlight order based on circumstances.
• Player Input: Players may suggest acting when it makes sense.
• Surprise: Ambushers act first; targets respond after.
• Flexibility: Spotlight may shift mid-scene if fictionally appropriate.

(Optional structured initiative systems — popcorn, side-based, speed slots — are available in the GM Guide if your table prefers them.)

Turn Economy (Quick Rules)

Each character takes 1 Action and 1 Move on their turn. Actions and Moves may be taken in any order; repeating the same Action is not allowed unless noted.

Move: Traverse up to one range band (Close → Near → Reach → Far, or the reverse).

• Stand: Use your Move to stand from prone.

Action Options: On your action, you may:

Sidestep Strike (Closing or Stepping Back)

As part of a melee attack action, you may move one range band (Close ↔ Near, Near ↔ Reach, or Reach ↔ Far) without using your Move action for the turn. If you do so, your Position for that attack worsens by one step (e.g., Controlled becomes Desperate, Dominant becomes Controlled). You cannot also use your regular Move action in the same turn.

This represents a daring lunge to close distance or a quick step back to create space, sacrificing safety for tactical positioning.

• Example (Rogue): Lyra is at Near range with a knife (light weapon). She declares a Sidestep Strike, moving into Close range as she attacks. Her Position drops from Controlled to Desperate, but she now benefits from the knife's Close bonus (+2d). She rolls with the Desperate re-roll (successes are re-rolled once) but gets +2 dice from her weapon.
• Example (Spear Fighter): Mateo is at Close range with a spear (medium weapon, +1d at Close, +2d at Near). He steps back to Near as part of his attack, worsening his Position from Controlled to Desperate, but gains +2d instead of +1d.

Opportunity Attacks

Leaving an enemy's Close range without using Disengage provokes one free melee attack (Controlled Position, no action cost). Additionally, the following actions provoke an opportunity attack if performed while engaged in Close with an enemy:

• Making a ranged attack (bow, crossbow, thrown weapon).
• Casting a spell that does not have the [TOUCH] or [WARD] attribute.

A Charge or Skirmish that takes you out of an enemy's Close range provokes an opportunity attack as usual (unless you used Disengage beforehand). Using Sidestep Strike to leave Close range also provokes an opportunity attack unless you also used Disengage.

Position and Dice Modifiers

• The ladder: Desperate → Controlled → Dominant. Three rungs, and that is all of them.
• The ladder ends. Position never rises above Dominant or falls below Desperate. At either end, further modifiers simply do nothing — they do not convert into dice.
• Why: your pool is only ever what you paid for. A character whose Attribute is 1 and Skill is 0 rolls one die on their worst day, not none, and no stack of penalties can take that away. The question the game asks is always how badly can this go, never may I attempt it at all.
• What to do instead: a fourth source of advantage on an already-Dominant roll is not wasted — it is the GM's cue to lower the DV, widen the Effect, or simply say yes.

Caveats and Talents:

• Charge and Skirmish require open ground (no difficult terrain) unless a talent says otherwise (see the Talents chapter).
• Talents such as Effortless Charge (4 XP) or Effortless Skirmish (4 XP) allow ignoring the Fatigue cost once per scene.
• The Relentless talent (6 XP) allows Charge or Skirmish over difficult terrain (Fatigue cost still applies).

Weapons & Armor

Weapons by Weight Class

• Light (4 XP) — fast, concealable.
• Medium (8 XP) — balanced, battlefield standard.
• Heavy (12 XP) — punishing, slow.

Melee Modifiers

Reach is the band a haft crosses and a sword does not — spear, polearm, greatsword. Heavy weapons threaten it natively, at no bonus: it is where they can reach, not where they hit hardest. A Light or Medium weapon threatens it only with the Hafted tag, also at +0d. A dash means the weapon does not threaten that band at all.

Weight and distance never share a word: no weapon is Close or Reach, and no band is Light, Medium or Heavy. "A Medium weapon at Near range" reads exactly one way.

Ranged & Tempo

Ranged weapons have a Tempo that determines how they interact with movement, aiming, and reloading.

Tempo Types

Fast

You may Move and Shoot in the same turn. Examples: throwing knives, light crossbow (if pre-loaded), sling.

Standard

You may either Move or Shoot on your turn, not both. As a special action, you may Aim (gain +1d or +1 Effect on your next shot), but Aim replaces your attack that turn. Examples: longbow, heavy crossbow (if pre-loaded), musket.

Slow

The weapon requires a full round to load (or set/brace). Round 1: Use your action to load (no attack). You may still move, but moving while loading is at Desperate Position unless you have a talent. Round 2: Shoot (and may move afterwards). Then you must reload again for another shot. Examples: ballista, hand-cannon, heavy arquebus.

Your Action and your Move can be taken in either order, so load after moving on round 1 and shoot before moving on round 2: the load and the shot land back to back and you still move both rounds. The cost of a Slow weapon is not lost time, it is that everyone else acts between the two — you have told the table where you will be and what you are about to do.

Ranged Modifiers by Weight. Note that Close is a Position, not a dice modifier — a bow is not harder to aim at arm's length, it is harder to survive using. Ranged weapons treat Reach as Near; an archer does not care whether the spear is at sword distance or haft distance.

Tempo Quick Reference

Weapon Tags (Optional, +4 XP each, max 2)

Hafted, Infighting, Accurate, Brutal, Hook, Concealable, Quickdraw, Two-Handed, Off-Hand.

• Hafted — a spear, quarterstaff or light polearm. A Light or Medium weapon with this tag threatens the Reach band at +0d, which its weight class otherwise cannot.
• Infighting — built for the press: a buckler-spike, a main-gauche, a cut-down blade. +1d at Close.

Shields (Optional)

Armor

Notes: Conversion is applied per Harm instance via GM consultation (see the procedure above). This table shows what the GM will return when you report Harm value and armor type.

Condition & Upkeep

Neglected

Weapons: -1d; Armor: conversion worsened by one step (e.g., Light behaves as no armor, Heavy as Medium).

Compromised

Weapons: -1d first attack each round; Armor: no conversion.

Fix: Short rest with tools removes Neglected (no roll required). A scene of work or a smith removes Compromised; a successful Craft roll (DV 3) can reduce the time to a short rest.

Ranged Options

• Aim: +1 die or +1 Effect next shot (lost if you Move or are disrupted).
• Volley: Spend extra ammo for +1 die (max +2).
• Suppress: Zone under fire; foes there act at -1 die or Limited Effect until they shift cover.
• Overwatch: Ready a Controlled shot on a clear trigger crossing your line.

Followers and Assets

Followers

Followers are named NPCs with a personal relationship to your character. They:

• Assist during scenes via Bonds and Assists (see Chapter 2, Step 8).
• Act offscreen to gather information or manage tasks.
• Have motives and vulnerabilities — the GM may place them at risk.

Followers are not disposable tools. They can grow, change, or be lost.

Follower States

Instead of numeric timers, track a follower's Loyalty and Fitness as one of three states each.

Change states when the fiction demands it (e.g., after a failed mission, a moral compromise, or taking damage). No rolls required.

High-Capability Followers (Cap 4–5)

Followers with Capability 4 or 5 are trusted lieutenants, stewards, or commanders. They can be delegated the management of your Assets, freeing you from direct oversight.

• A Cap 4 follower can be delegated up to 2 Assets.
• A Cap 5 follower can be delegated up to 4 Assets.

When an Asset is delegated to a follower, the follower's own upkeep (paid in XP or downtime action) automatically covers the upkeep of those Assets — you do not pay separate Asset upkeep. The follower handles the logistics, staff, or political maintenance as part of their role.

If the follower's Loyalty becomes Strained or Broken, all delegated Assets immediately become Neglected as well until the follower is restored. If a follower is Compromised, those assets are lost.

Assets

Assets are durable resources or positions under your control — safehouses, networks, political offices, relics. They:

• Create advantages that persist beyond a single scene.
• Resolve problems that dice alone cannot.
• Cost Boons to activate (the GM determines the impact).

Assets can be threatened, degraded, or lost. Overuse attracts attention.

Asset Status

Assets have a single unified Status that describes their overall health and usability.

The Status worsens when the asset is neglected, attacked, or suffers a public failure. It improves through dedicated downtime actions or successful missions that benefit the asset.

Followers vs. Assets

Design Principle: Followers create depth. Assets create reach. High-tier play depends on managing both.

Game Structure

Time Scales

Moment

A heartbeat, a single action.

Some Time

A few minutes, a short activity.

Significant Time

Hours, extended effort.

Days

Large-scale endeavors.

Game Units

Scene

Basic narrative unit, covers a specific conflict.

Session

One game session (3–6 hours).

Campaign

Entire story arc.

Action Resolution Steps

1. Describe your intent and method.
2. Build dice pool: Attribute + Skill (+ gear, assists).
3. Roll d10s; count Successes (6+) and Story Beats (1s).
4. Compare Successes to DV.
5. Apply outcome from the Outcome Matrix (see above).
6. GM spends SB if applicable (see Story Beats, above).
7. Earn Boons for Partial or Miss (see Boons, above).

Narrative Suggestions

• Collaborative Scene Framing: Players may suggest scene elements (weather, NPC reactions) with GM approval.
• Intent-Driven Resolution: If success is reasonably assured, the GM may ask players to describe how rather than roll.
• Flashback Declarations: Spend 1 Boon to declare a flashback establishing past preparation, and describe the scene.
• Descriptive Assistance: Players can assist by providing vivid descriptions, granting a +1 die to the primary actor.
• Proactive Storytelling: Players may suggest minor favorable details (a helpful NPC, a useful item on hand) subject to GM approval.