The Philosophy of Consequence

Narrative First

Every roll tells a story. In Fate's Edge, mechanics serve the story. When you roll dice, you are not asking "did I succeed?"—you are asking "what happens next?"

Safety at the Table

Fate's Edge explores mature themes. Use these tools to keep play safe:

• X-Card: Any player may say "X" to stop a scene. No questions asked.
• Lines: Content that will not appear (e.g., "no harm to children").
• Veils: Content that fades to black (e.g., "romance is implied, not described").

Establish these in Session Zero.

The Core Resolution

The 90-Second Loop

Every meaningful action follows this cycle:

1. Declare your intent and approach (Attribute + Skill).
2. GM sets DV (2–5+) and Position (Dominant/Controlled/Desperate).
3. Roll dice pool (Attribute + Skill d10s).
4. Count successes (6–10 = 1 success). Each 1 = Story Beat (SB) for GM.
5. Apply outcome using the Outcome Matrix.
6. GM spends SB to introduce complications.

Difficulty Value (DV)

Default DV is 3. Do not inflate DVs to "challenge" players—use Position instead.

Position

Pro tip: Spend 1 Boon to improve Position by one step before rolling.

The Outcome Matrix

A Partial is not failure. It moves the story forward: improve Position for next attempt, reduce DV, succeed at reduced scale, or reveal information.

A Miss is never "nothing happens." The GM must introduce a complication.

Critical Success (10s)

A roll of 10 counts as two successes. If the overall roll succeeds:

• 1 ten: Strong success—improve Position or gain minor advantage.
• 2 tens: Exceptional—choose two benefits.
• 3+ tens: Legendary—decisive victory; clear 1 segment from a relevant timer.

Resources: Boons & Story Beats

Boons — Player Currency

Boons represent luck, momentum, and narrative leverage. Spend them freely.

Holding cap: 5 Boons. At end of scene, reduce to 2 (excess lost).

Story Beats (SB) — GM Currency

Every time a player rolls a 1, the GM gains Story Beats. Spend SB to introduce complications:

Be aggressive with SB. Unused pressure is wasted momentum.

Injury & Exhaustion

Fatigue — The Weight of the World

Each point of Fatigue worsens your Position. If already Desperate, each Fatigue imposes −1 die instead.

Recovery: Short rest removes 2 Fatigue; full night's rest removes all.

Harm — Serious Injury

The Roller-Coaster Effect

Taking Harm clears Fatigue. The shock of a wound resets your exhaustion. This creates dramatic swings—a character near collapse who takes a wound and finds a second wind.

Armor Conversion

Building Your Character

10-Minute Checklist

Start with 32 XP (max 36 with Bonds/Complications).

1. Concept: One sentence (origin, profession, defining trait).
2. Attributes (1–5): Spend XP—primary to 3 (9 XP), secondaries to 2 (6 XP each).
3. Skills (0–5): Spend 8–12 XP on key skills.
4. Talents: 1–3 talents (2–6 XP each).
5. Patron (optional): Choose a Patron for magic.
6. Assets/Followers (optional): Minor Asset (4 XP) or follower (Cap² XP).
7. Bonds & Complications: Up to +4 XP total.

Attributes

Cost to raise: New rating × 3 XP. Downtime = new rating in days.

Skills

Cost to raise: New level × 2 XP. Downtime = new level in days.

Sample Starting Build — The Duelist (32 XP)

• Attributes: Body 3 (15 XP), Wits 2 (6 XP)
• Skills: Melee 2 (6 XP), Athletics 1 (2 XP)
• Talent: Keen Senses (2 XP)
• Total: 31 XP (bank 1)

The Known World: Acasia

"The Broken Province"

Genre & Mood

Low fantasy / mercenary realism / border feud. Acasia festers between the fallen Utaran Empire and the ambitions of petty kings. Every bridge demands a price, and every road curves back to the same cursed crossroads.

What You Notice First

The smell of mildew on old parchment and wet ash. The way every milestone has been recarved. The silence of a village that heard you coming and chose not to open its gates.

The One Rule That Kills Newcomers

Never sign a contract on a bridge. The river is a witness, and it never forgets a signature.

Key Factions

The Curse of Acasia

The land remembers what we did—and what we failed to do. Every broken milestone is a forgotten promise.

Mechanical effect: When you cross a bridge or crossroads, roll Spirit + Endurance (DV 3). On a failure, the Curse stirs—gain 1 Fatigue or a minor complication (GM's choice).

Acasia Mini-Generator (d6)

1. A bridge toll has tripled overnight; the toll-keeper is a deserter from your old company.
2. A hedge-witch offers to break your blood-debt—for the memory of your first kill.
3. The Lame King travels with a mute jester who writes prophecies on fallen leaves.
4. Bandits stole a Blackwood Matriarch's curse-box. Recover it before it opens.
5. A free company captain wants to hire you—but their last three hires died of "accidents."
6. The Margravine's seal is missing. Whoever finds it can rewrite border law.

Running Fate's Edge

The GM Mindset

You are not a referee. You are a co-creator of drama. Your tools (SB, timers) are how you play the game.

Your Defaults

When in doubt:

• DV: 3
• Position: Controlled
• Consequence: Fatigue, time pressure, or exposure
• Timers: One short timer tied to the scene

The Three-Timer Screneline

Keep 1–3 active timers per scene:

GM Survival Tips

When Players Go Off the Rails

Do not panic. Ask: "What is your goal?" Name the simplest obstacle—then set Position and DV.

When Players Hoard Boons

Remind them: "Boons are not XP tokens—they are dramatic fuel." Introduce time pressure.

When a Scene Stalls

Ask a leading question, tick a timer, or cut to another player.

When You Don't Know a Rule

Make a ruling that keeps the story moving. Default to DV 3, Controlled Position. Look it up later.

The Commando GM

"You can run Fate's Edge with zero prep. Here's how."

The Core Workflow

Opening Scene:

1. Draw Spade = Place, Heart = Actor, Club = Pressure
2. Ask: "How does the Pressure make the Actor's life harder?"
3. Write one sentence. Set a Timer based on the highest rank.

Player Action:

1. Declare intent. Set DV = 3, Position = Controlled (unless fiction demands otherwise).
2. Player rolls.
3. On a 1: You get SB. Spend it. Tick a timer, worsen Position, or introduce a twist.
4. On a Partial/Miss: Player gains Boons. Introduce a complication. Draw a Club if stuck.

Scene Resolution:

1. When the Timer fills, the scene resolves.
2. Victory, defeat, or a new, more complicated situation.

Zero-Prep Scene Generation

Draw three cards from a standard deck:

Synthesis Question: "How does the Pressure make the Actor's life harder?" The answer is your opening hook.

The Deck of Consequences

When you don't know what happens next, draw a card.

Suit Interpretation:

• Hearts: "Who is connected? What bond is at stake?"
• Spades: "What breaks? Who gets hurt?"
• Clubs: "What runs out? What must be sacrificed?"
• Diamonds: "What is hidden? What truth is revealed?"

Three-Card Synthesis: Draw three cards and force them into one sentence. If a card makes zero sense after 10 seconds, discard it and draw again.

Fast Adversary Generation

Roll 1d6 on each table:

Adversary Moves (SB-Powered)

Instead of rolling for enemies, spend SB:

The Lantern at Dusk

A Starter Adventure in Acasia

Setup

The party is hired by Elder Sarai of Duskwood. A blight is spreading from the old barrow, where a cursed lantern was buried. The lantern must be brought to a stone circle to break the curse.

What the Party Knows

• The lantern is in the central chamber of the barrow.
• The barrow is guarded by restless spirits (the Duskwights).
• A rival treasure hunter, Quick Lena, has also entered the barrow.
• The curse will kill the village's crops in three days.

Timers

Scenes

Scene 1 — The Entry (DV 3, Controlled)

Obstacle: Cave-in blocks the way (Body + Athletics).

• Partial: Tick Barrow Collapse +1.
• Miss: Mark Harm 1, tick Collapse +1.

Scene 2 — The Spirit Corridor (DV 3, Controlled)

Three Duskwights demand an offering (a memory or a secret). Roll Presence + Sway.

• Partial: They also steal random equipment.
• Miss: They attack (Cap 2, Harm 1 each).

Scene 3 — The Lantern Chamber

Quick Lena tries to pry the lantern loose. Confront her: Presence + Sway (DV 3).

• Partial: She agrees to split the reward but demands a later favor (start Debt Timer [4]).

Scene 4 — Escape (Skill Challenge)

The party needs 3 successes before 2 failures to escape. DV 3, Position Desperate. Each failure ticks Barrow Collapse +1.

Resolution

Return the lantern to the stone circle. Break the curse with Spirit + Lore (DV 2).

• Partial: Curse lifts, but the lantern attracts another danger soon.

Advancement

Each PC earns 6–10 XP at the end.

Basic Magic

The Five Paths (Quick Reference)

For first magical characters, play a Runkeeper.

Runkeeper — The Reliable Path

Requirements: Familiar (Thiasos, 2 XP) + Codex (4 XP) + Patron.

Invoking a Rite: 1 action. Mark +1 Obligation. Effect works as written.

Push It: Once per scene, mark +1 Obligation to amplify (+1 die or +1 Effect).

Obligation Capacity: Spirit + Presence. Exceeding capacity = 1 Fatigue per segment.

Free Casting — The TAGS System

For improvisational magic, construct spells using TAGS:

DV = 1 + number of TAGS

Dangerous TAGS (Leap, Fold, Gate, Transform, Dominate) add +2 DV.

Example Spells

• Light [Illuminate] — DV 2. Create small, sustained light.
• HEAL [HEAL] — DV 2. Remove 1 Fatigue from self or touched ally.
• Shield of Air [WARD] [DEFEND] — DV 3. Gain Position +1 on next defense.
• Flame Cloak [BURNING] [AREA] — DV 3. Enemies suffer −1 die to approach.

Backlash: On a Miss or when GM spends SB, magic backfires—Fatigue 1, Harm 1, or a thematic complication.

Advancement & XP

Earning XP (Per Session)

Game pace options: Gritty (4–6 XP/session), Standard (6–10), Epic (10–14).

Spending XP

Tiers of Play