Okay, now I'm kind of hoping someone goes with this.

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So. Three characters; one Ranger, one Tool-and-die maker, one (probably) Refridgeration Technician. This sounds good to me. So, character creation.

I take it you're all aware of the FATE system, especially with regard to how Aspects work?

In case the answer is "no": Aspects are a centrla mechanic in FATE. You have a certain amount of FATE points, which you can spend to do extra-dramatic stuff - you can spend a FATE point to increase any role by +2, as long as you can invoke an aspect that is advantageous. For example, if you have an Aspect called "Silver Tongue", you can use a Fate point to gain a +2 when trying to persuade an angry mage that you are not his enemy. (Note that, instead of invoking one of your own Aspects, you can rather tag one of someone else's, or an Aspect of the environment - this still costs you a FATE point, unless you correctly guessed an Aspect which had not been mentioned before, in which case you may tag it (once, immediately) for free). Alternatively, you may invoke an Aspect for an effect, spending a FATE point to declare something related to the Aspect. For example, a characer with the "Always Armed" aspect can spend a FATE point to declare that he has another gun hidden somewhere in his clothing.

Aspects can also be used against you. For example, you may have an aspect called "Clumsy"; I, as GM, can compel this aspect at any time, offering you a FATE point. If you accept the compel, then something bad happens to you; perhaps you drop a sword at *just* the wrong moment. However, you also get a FATE point in exchange... You do not have to accept the compel. If you prefer, you may reject it by spending a FATE point (assuming you have some to spend). Compels can escalate - I may offer a two-point or even a three-point Compel. It will take an equal number of points to buy it off, and the severity of the consequences of accepting the Compel go up with the number of FATE points offered... one FATE point may make you drop a sword, but two may make it fly out of your hand into something important.

The ideal Aspect, therefore, can be used both in your character's favour (spending FATE points) or against him (gaining you more FATE points to spend). Someone with only positive Aspects will find himself running low on FATE points, while someone with only negative will gain a lot of FATE points but have little to do with them...

What Aspects can you have? Anything you want. Make up names for them. We'll get to how many Aspects you start with soon.

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Apart from Aspects, your characters will need Skills. There is a list of Skills in the table on the right over here (left-hand column only - the right-hand column shows the category of the skill on the left). Looking further down on the page will tell you what each skill does, and how it can be used. You will have one skill at +5, two skills at +4, three skills at +3, four at +2, and five at +1. (You are at +0 in all other skills) This means that you are all genuinely exceptional at what you do best - your average working Scientist only has a +1 in Science, for example.

You will also need Stunts (see here and following). You get five of these. If you would like to create your own Stunt, of more-or-less equivalent power, you're welcome to do so; I'll just need to approve it.

Then you need to consider your character's backstory.

The first phase of backstory is growing up, Where was your character born? What sort of family did he have? Who werehis parents? How did his story begin? Describe this time in his life briefly, and create two Aspects relating to his youth.

The second phase is how your character first discovered his talents. Did he train with a secretive set of warrior monks, or did he prefer the more mundane route of a university education? Who was his mentor, and how did he train? Again, create two Aspects relating to this phase of his life.

The third phase is his (so far) greatest triumph as a Hero. What did he do? Take down an evil Corporation? Save someone else's life? Write a scientific paper showing a new Grand Unified Theory? Write one or two sentances describing the events (leave some space for others to help) and create two Aspects relating to this part of your character's life.

Phase four: Guest starring. You have played a part in someone else's greatest triumph! Describe how you helped one of the other characters in their Phase 3 story, and create two Aspects relating to this. (Note that, since this requires waiting for other peoples' Phase 3 stories, it can't be done until you've seen that).

Phase five: Guest starring again! You can't guest star in the same adventure twice; but other than that, this is exactly like Phase 4! Two more Aspects.

Once that is all done, you should have ten Aspects, fifteen Skills, five Stunts, and a complete backstory for your character. And then we can begin!

Quick question; does this ship have a lingua franca policy (for ease of communication, any hope of surviving emergencies, that sort of thing); and if so, which language is it?

Yes it does; that language is English. It can be assumed that everyone on the ship can understand and make themselves understood in English, though a professor of said language may or may not agree that everyone *speaks* it (as opposed to something that merely strongly resembles it).

It's been a week. Anyone have a character yet?

...I have a prologue all planned out and ready to go.

Sorry, massive levels of stress hit me all at once. Been in a downward spiral. I'll have my character written up soon as I can but I haven't had a block of time where my mind has all been there for more than half an hour or so.

Well, then I hope you recover from your stress in a manner both thorough and complete.

Name: Nathan Snow.

First Phase: Nathan (Nate for short), was born to a life of adventure. His parents were a pair of fairly well known international photographers and reporters who worked for National Geographic. Always on the move, they brought Nate along with them wherever they went, where he learned from some of the best survivalists, hunters, and masters of primitive skills in the world first hand, in their natural environment.

Aspects:
-Been There, Done That.
-If I Can Survive Anywhere, I Can Survive Here.

Second Phase: Traveling with his parents, Nate visited some sketchy places, including the odd war zone (only when he was older), and seeing what one person could do to another inspired him to join the military to try and protect others. Within five years he was part of a multinational group of special-forces that didn't officially exist, going where others wouldn't, and doing what others couldn't, all in the name of peace and stability. Returning from an operation, he learned that his parents had been killed just a few scant kilometers from where he had been. The helicopter had passed right over the firefight where they had died on the way back, and his superiors had said nothing when he was in a position to help those he cared about most. Stricken with grief and blaming his superiors, he resigned on the spot.

Aspects:
-I'm Sorry, That's Classified.
-The Strong Defend The Weak.

Third Phase: Unemployed and without purpose, Nate fell back on his drifting ways, relying on his extensive survival skills to keep food in his belly and the elements at bay. That is, until he got an email from an old friend from his unit, Alex. In short, Alex had stumbled on something big, and was in trouble, possibly dead, and in hiding if not. Someone had decided to try and establish a new world order, which was nothing new in and of itself, but this time they were awfully close to succeeding. At the core of it was a group that had Imaginatively decided to call itself The Order. Drawing inspiration from all sorts of secret societies real or fictional throughout history, they steeped themselves in the arcane and the occult. It would have been hilarious if it weren't for all the powerful names on the member list. With that list of names and a purpose once more, Nate set out. Evidence was found, and people in positions of power free from the Order's grasp made aware of it. Sanctums were raided, Secret meetings broken up, and occasionally people were dealt with in a very professional and permanent manner. At the end of it all, the Order was no more, and Nate was once again without purpose. Having traveled all the world over, he decided that it was time for a change, time to seek a new horizon. And so, leaving letters to people he could trust to guard against the return of The Order, Nate signed up for the Colony Ship Project, and left to drift among the stars.

Aspects:
-I Don't Need No Steenking Infrastructure.
-You Can Run, But You Can't Hide.

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Skills to follow.

Yay, a character!

Looks good, but do bear in mind that an Aspect that's easier for me to Compel - i.e. one that has an obvious downside - will be a great source of Fate points, which you can then use to power your other Aspects with.

I tried to make most of those double edged. Guess I need to try harder.

...maybe I need to try harder to look for the double edge. I can see the double-edged nature of "The Strong Defend The Weak" - that could be compelled to have Nathan charge in to the rescue of anyone who's "weak" - and "I'm Sorry, That's Classified" could occasionally be compelled to make him not talk about something, I guess, but what's the double-edged nature of "I Don't Need No Steenking Infrastructure"? Or "If I Can Survive Anywhere, I Can Survive Here"?

Yeah, I didn't have a drawback in mind for the survival one, but the one about infrastructure could be compelled when Nate would have an easier time to just go into town and beg, borrow, buy, barter or steal what he needs, but you want to make things difficult and have him avoid, or at least not utilize the benifits of civilization.

Ah, so it's not just "does not need infrastructure", there's also a strong element of "does not want infrastructure"? Fair enough.

And the other two aspects?

Been There, Done That could be compelled when you don't want Nathan persuing a specific course of action, especialy when it might not be important now, but it will later.

As for You Can Run, But You Can't Hide, who says that Nate has a monopoly on the role of Predator?

Oh, if it's unimportant and trivial, then it's not worth a Compel. Accepting a Compel should come with consequences.

If it looks trivial but is actually important... then that might be worth a Compel, though.



Ooooh, I like that. I can already see a few applications... there are most certainly going to be a few evil wizards and stuff around who can play very nasty predators...

Okay, I do take your point, there are definitely ways to Compel these aspects. I shall keep them in mind for later.