Still at the 'reading through' stage. Question about Destiny

[Gangrel_UK]

Hi,

 

First off, I'll freely admit I could very well have missed it, but could anyone please point me in the direction of the rules section that covers fulfilling (or denying) destiny? Clearly it's an important aspect of the game and I'm having trouble finding anything concrete in either of the books.

 

Best,

Mike

[Dirial]

It a storytelling mechanism. Your Destiny is part of the character creation process, its fulfillment part of the after adventure phase where experience is handled.

 

Mostly, it's a mechanism for the Storyteller to write stories about.

[dgraz]

I'm not much further along than you in the experience area here....we've just run our first adventure.

 

I was a bit surprised considering how hyped up the whole "Destiny" thing is that it actually pretty much means........well.........almost nothing. As far as mechanics go it only does a couple of things......in the Fated Almanac (page 108) it states that resolving a step allows you to raise one of your aspects by one point or (by FM discretion) gain a Manifest power. Further down the page it also mentions that a character earns an extra 1-3 XP if the achieved an important milestone (which I read as a Destiny step).....and every player always gets the same amount of XP, so granting an extra point to one player actually gives it to them all.....I also use that 1-3 as a role-play award....I gave an extra one at the end of our first session because two guys had a really great role-play moment (all in character) that had me cracking up....so my group earned 3 that night.

 

But as far as mechanics go, that's it. It doesn't matter whether they embrace their Destiny, or deny it. So, while it's extremely light on any actual mechanics, it's a big FM tool. It can give you hints on how to run a session and it's just a good thing to build tension around. It's something that you can build up to be important and based on how you run things there can be rewards or punishments based on whether they accept or deny. How important Destiny is is really in the FM's hands.

[Brewmaster]

Dgraz is on the right track. Fufilling or denying a Destiny step mechanically nets you an Aspect increase or a Manifested Power. The other thing to consider Destiny steps is decision trees. The player gaining a step directed the story to direction 1 or direction 2.

[Gangrel_UK]

Thanks guys. That was sort of the stage I'd got to, but given the stress placed on Destiny (in what amount to passing mentions), I'd assumed I'd missed something. Thanks again for your help.

Best,

Mike

[Mister Shine]

There's the mechanics listed above, but the impact of the destiny step is up to the Fatemaster to write. Not every destiny step is going to be super easy to work in, but as adventure hooks and inspirations they are an amazing tool to use.

 

I personally try to set each step up referring to someone's death or loss of something important and if the Fated will save them or let them die/be lost. So for example I had the step "And You Will Drown In Not But Three Tears" (or something similar, book not in front of me) and I had the Fated slowly being drowned by spirits that were holding them down while they slept and keeping them in a dream. I gave lots of little hints during the adventure like trouble reading (needing to take literacy tests to read a map and describing "the general idea" of what the map said, rather than what it did say specifically, etc) they immediately popped at locations rather than having to travel there (harder to catch during a tabletop game, believe me) and other nonsensical clues. The other big one being that they kept feeling water sliding across their faces.

 

The three players woke up and defeated the spirits and were pretty chuffed about the whole encounter. Which I never would have thought of without the destiny step, which they totally denied by not dying.

[-TIE-]

To resolving a stage of your fate is the only? way to raise aspects or gain a manifested power, right? What happens if the fated solved all steps from their destiny and didnt die or reach a status where the player says "It´s okay my char retired, getting a wife, a handfull of little children and become a settler..." or something else.

 

He can gain Skills...Money (if it a task for him)...a new pursuit and so on...but he cant improve his aspects and also cant get any new  manifested powers.

 

I know its a far point from now on (just reading the rules), but for me as a fatemaster its important to plan a Campaign. How fast should I be with the fate steps, should I stretch them...should I give the frist two after a few plays and than stretch the time between the steps and so on.

 

Playing with the characters fate seems to be funny, but all funny thins become boring at some point you overuse them. On the other hand, I know my players, and they have a lot of fun at charakterprogression and the Aspects / manifested powers are a part of it.

 

I undestand that both (Aspects n´ powers) are very "heavy" progressions bcs. they have influence over a handfull of skills or are mighty powers but strictly to chain them to the fate-steps made me a little bit headache about the storytelling.

 

I think about an houserule...like whenever a player reachs a skillmaximum he qualify for another aspectraise or a new power he can buy with exp. Points (value worked out later). Something like this so I am a little bit more flexible with the fateaspect of the game.

 

[Edit]

 

Had a little bit of time to think over my idea and it didnt fit´s well.

 

So I think I will separate it (powers and aspects)

 

Aspects can be trained like in real life you can train your muscles, train your brain and so on. But not indefinite, your birth still limits your aspects. If I remember it right the min / max lies between -6 to +6 and fated have starting range from -3 to +3. So players can raise at max 3 points per Aspect. A aspect with -3 would never reach the +6 bcs. of its body/mind limitation but he can train to become a little better in his aspects.

 

XP should be arround 10/15/20 for each increase or maybe aspectpoint-dependet, actual Points x 4.

 

So a char with a -3 Aspect needs a lot of training to become better bcs. its a weak aspect he need 12 points to come to -2. on other hand if he trains further it´s a little bit easyer. He will become a little bit mor comfortable with the aspect, use it more an daily routine and "trains" it on the fly so the the points to reach his maximum "0" are reduced. 8 to come from -2 to -1 and 4 to come to his maximum of "0" what is at least average but the maximum this Char can achieve.

 

But become a Master in an aspect it´s realy hard. You must be favored from birth on (+3) and need 12 Points to go to +4 16 to go to +5 and 20 to got to +6.

 

The fee spent points from the charakter creation didnt count on this. So your starting aspects are the scale for the calculating.

 

The Powers will remain fate-dependent as we know it from the rulebook.

[Mason]

Generally speaking, once everyone has completed their destiny steps the campaign is more or less over. Through the Breach is intended to have a fixed campaign length, generally one session per step per player (though that could change depending upon 'two-parter' sessions, sessions that focus on advanced pursuits rather than destiny steps, new Fated showing up after one dies, etc.). That's the range we're designing for.

 

Of course, if you want to keep playing afterwards, that's perfectly fine, though as you noted, it does sort of halt the progression of Aspects/Manifested Powers.

[-TIE-]

Okay thx for the information.

 

I think about, but thats at this point is realy realy theoretical, giving the players a new fate after they complete ther first. Simply let them layout a new tarot and only use the Fate.