FATE’S EDGE · SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENT
Tables for use during play
These tables are reminders after you have read the relevant procedure. If a table leaves you unsure about timing or context, follow the chapter links and read the surrounding explanation.
Quick Reference
Core Outcome Matrix
| Roll Result | Outcome | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Successes ≥ DV, SB = 0 | Clean Success | Intent achieved; no complication. |
| Successes ≥ DV, SB > 0 | Success with SB | Intent achieved; GM spends SB for complication. |
| 0 < Successes < DV | Partial | Progress made; player gains 1 Boon. |
| Successes = 0 | Miss | No progress; player gains 2 Boons; GM escalates with SB. |
Difficulty Value (DV) Ladder
| DV | Situation |
|---|---|
| 2 | Routine, low stakes, nearly guaranteed. |
| 3 | Default — pressured or minor opposition. |
| 4 | Hard — hostile conditions, active resistance. |
| 5 | Extreme — multiple constraints, dramatic gambles. |
The ladder ends at 5. There is no DV 6. A task harder than Extreme is not a bigger number — it is a clock, a worse Position, or a flat no. Raising the DV past 5 only moves the roll toward automatic failure, which is the one outcome the Outcome Matrix already has a row for and does not need a difficulty to produce.
Position & Effect
| Position | Narrative Frame | Mechanical Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Dominant | You press your advantage | Re-roll one failure. |
| Controlled | Balanced, normal risk | No re-rolls. |
| Desperate | You act under duress | Re-roll one success. |
A die showing 10 is never re-rolled.
Range Bands
| Band | Default Notes |
|---|---|
| Close | Touching; grapples, knives. Inside the arc of anything longer. |
| Near | A step and a swing; one-handed weapons at their best. |
| Reach | A haft away; spear, polearm, greatsword. Ranged weapons treat this as Near. |
| Far | Distant same site; beyond every melee weapon. Needs time or a route. |
| Absent | Off-screen; needs cut or travel to interact. |
Armor Conversion Table
| Armor Type | Harm 1 | Harm 2 | Harm 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | Fatigue 1 | Harm 1 + Fatigue 1 | Harm 2 + Fatigue 1 |
| Medium | Fatigue 1 | Fatigue 1 | Harm 2 + Fatigue 1 |
| Heavy | Fatigue 1 | Fatigue 1 | Fatigue 2 |
Minimum 1 Fatigue per hit, even if conversion would give 0.
Fatigue and Harm
| Fatigue | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 (Winded) | Dominant → Controlled. |
| 2 (Strained) | Controlled rolls generate +1 SB on 1s. |
| 3 (Exhausted) | Controlled → Desperate. |
| 4+ (Collapse) | Body test DV 3 or Severe Harm. |
| Harm Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| Harm 1 | –1 die on actions directly related to the injury. |
| Harm 2 | –1 die on most actions until treated. |
| Harm 3 | Incapacitated or dying. |
Magic Paths Comparison
| Path | Cost | Risk | Speed | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caster (Freeform) | Spellcraft (6 XP) | Backlash | 2 actions (1 for cantrip) | Very high |
| Runekeeper (Rites) | Familiar + Codex | Obligation | 1 action | Moderate |
| Invoker (Symbols) | Patron's Symbol (4 XP) | Ritual time / Symbol damage | Slow or instant (Crack) | Moderate |
| Cantor (Songs) | Cantor's Path (8 XP) | Corruption | 1 action (resolve next turn) | Low |
Summoning Leash
- Capacity: Cap + Spirit segments.
- Ticks:
- Spirit takes Harm: 1 tick per Harm level.
- Command against nature: 1 tick.
- Split focus: 1 tick.
- Crosses a ward without dispelling: ticks = ward's DV.
- Leash fills: Spirit acts once to its nature, then departs.
- Boon Finesse: Spend 1 Boon to clear 1 tick (once per round).
Action Economy (Quick)
- Each turn: 1 Action + 1 Move.
- Move: shift one range band (Close ↔ Near ↔ Reach ↔ Far).
- Dash (Action): move two bands; next defense Desperate.
- Disengage (Action): then Move does not provoke opportunity attacks; cannot Attack this turn.
- Charge/Skirmish (Full Turn): move two bands and attack; costs 1 Fatigue; next defense Desperate; requires open ground.
Opportunity Attacks
Moving out of an enemy's Close range without Disengage provokes one free melee attack (Controlled Position). The following actions also provoke if performed while engaged in Close with an enemy:
- Making a ranged attack.
- Casting a spell without [TOUCH] or [WARD].
Boons at a Glance
- Earn: Partial = 1 Boon; Miss = 2 Boons.
- Hold: max 5; trim to 2 at scene end.
- Spend 1 Boon: re-roll a die, activate an Asset, improve Position by one step.
- Spend 2 Boons: convert to 1 XP (downtime, max 2 XP per session).
Default Values (GM Cues)
- Default DV = 3.
- Default Position = Controlled.
- Default Effect = Standard.
- Default Range = Near.
Tags Quick Reference (Abridged)
| Tag | Effect |
|---|---|
| AREA | Affects all in a zone; collateral risk. |
| BANISH | Drive an Outsider toward departure; DV = the target's TL. |
| BARRIER | Creates cover/obstruction with Integrity Timer. |
| BIND | Immobilizes target until broken. |
| CLEANSE | Remove or suppress a Condition. |
| COMMAND | Issue a clear order; resolve as social contest. |
| CONJURE | Create a useful object, cover, or hazard. |
| COUNTER | Interrupt a spell or rite in progress. |
| CURSE | Inflict a sticky hindrance with a clear release condition. |
| DISPEL | End or suppress an ongoing magical effect. |
| FORTIFY | Harden a target against a specific vector. |
| MARK | Tag a target; once/scene +1 die against it. |
| OATH | Bind parties to terms; breaking has teeth. |
| PASSAGE | Declare a route as permitted or easy. |
| REVEAL | Expose illusions, disguises, or hidden clauses. |
| SANCTIFY | Consecrate a zone to a code or Patron. |
| SEAL/UNSEAL | Magically lock or unlock a container / door. |
| TRANSPORT | Move a target across an obstacle. |
| VEIL | Obscure a person, object, or zone (–1 die to Notice). |
| WARD | Blocks specific entities (DV = the target's TL to cross). |
Continue: Example spells and characters