Fated fall over

[iamthefly]

Hi, 

I'm not a very experienced FM, currently I'm running Nythera but I'm having a problem in that although Fated are very powerful in combat, the weapons of the NPCs only need a couple of hits to bring them to zero wounds. 

Now I'm probably missing something here, but as they get more kit (one player is loot/power obsessed) they gave more dangerous foe, but their ability to take a hit doesn't track their increasing ability to do damage. 

My group also seems terrified of reaching zero wounds, no matter how often I tell them it isn't the end. It's their hang over from other systems I think. 

Is there a way that Fated wounds and df can increase? Or is there a FM skill set I can develop?

 

Thanks, 

iamthefly 

[Steamtastic Vagabond]

Wounds increase by raising Toughness, Defense raises by increasing Evasion.

Being at 0 wounds isn’t the end, but it isn’t a good place to be because that’s when unconsciousness  checks start happening.

[iamthefly]

So they can spend XP on toughness and that raises wounds? 

[Steamtastic Vagabond]

Exactly

[EnternalVoid]

There is also a General Talent called Sturdy that gives you +2 Wounds, you can even take it multiple times though each time after the first only gives +1 wounds.  Also the Drudge have a Step 1 Pursuit called Long Suffering that gives the character +2 Wounds as well.  I actually have a player running around with like 11wds as the party's tanker individual.

[Omenbringer]

I would caution against allowing the players to accrue higher wounds or defense to easily. Doing so will make your job as the fate master significantly more difficult and likely discourage the players.

Creating challenging but suitable encounters for your players is probably the hardest skill to develop, particularly if coming from another system. Part of the issue stems from the static resolution of the non-fated versus the random resolution system of the fated. It can be further exacerbated by the communal fate deck if one of your players happens to be drawing the high value cards or suits that the other players need. Another issue can arise if one player is rated much higher in their acting values or defensive stats that the other players.

If your players as a group are consistently being hit by non-fated and suffering significant damage from those attacks I would look at the composition of your non-fated groups. New fated should not be facing Henchman level or higher non-fated except in the rarest of circumstances and only as a part of some penultimate story arc. Enforcers are really the closest approximation to the average fated character.

On the low end the fated should be enjoying an advantage over minions and wading through them to some degree. Through the Breach is really like an action movie in that regard (watch some old Steven Seagal movies from the early 90's to see what I mean). On the high end though (Henchman or higher) the advantage really does sharply skew toward the non-fated. The players should have to work to defeat a Henchman or higher level non-fated (read as set up the encounter to their advantage through planing and exploitation of known or discovered weaknesses).

If only some of your group are suffering during your encounters while others are virtually unscathed, then look to redistribute who your non-fated are focusing on. As an example have your non-fated enforcers actively targeting the more combat oriented players while the minions deal with the less combat oriented players. This is a common issue if your party really works to specialize their roles and 1 or 2 players end up with significantly higher acting values than the rest of the group. Through the Breach can be "munchkined" by players unintentionally and it is the fate masters job to work to provide an enjoyable experience for all. If a player complains about always being targeted by the Enforcers explain it as they either presented the most obvious threat (useful for those players that carry large or high damage weaponry or wear armor) or that they have a reputation that precedes them (those  that are less obvious).

Hopefully, some of that helps.