Fate: BESW's Hack & Slash puzzle brainstorming experiment (1/2: the experiment itself)

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 03:55

Okay, so here's the scenario. Assume you've been hacking your way through hordes of [insert enemy here]. (If it's important to the puzzle you can define them during the brainstorm.)

> You’re standing in a moonlit jungle clearing next to a cliff-face. Embedded in the cliff, partly obscured by vines, is a set of double stone doors twenty feet high. They’re flanked by rows of statues that look like feathered serpents, and the cliff around the doors is deeply etched with curlycue patterns. The doors themselves, however, appear utterly smooth: no handles, no knocker, nothing.
One of you asks the obvious: “So… how do we get in?”

trogdor

1-2 is - 3-4 is neutral, and 5-6 is +

BESW

> STEP ONE: Begin the brainstorm.
Everyone taking part cites a reason why they’re getting involved by compelling one of their aspects: tell the GM which of your character aspects is leading your character to be part of the brainstorm, and get a Fate point for it.

Magician

@BESW Er. As in, why we want to get into the door?

Miniman

Or as in why we would know something about this situation?

BESW

Or why you feel like you should be part of tackling the puzzle.

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 03:57

I assume everyone else/at least one other person, is going to participate

everything is better when you do it with freinds

Smurfton

I'm a professional engineer. I'd be interested in this door, by virtue of having never seen one like it before.

Magician

Being, as I am, an Elven Guardian of the Forest, I'm here to free this jungle (however strange a forest it is to me) from the [vile enemy we've been hacking]. All signs point to this place being significant to them.

BESW

So we've got two people compelling their character's interest in the activity itself.

Nice.

Miniman

Lots of fiddly bits. If this door's mechanism isn't just pushing, there must be some kind of machinery involved.

Smurfton

Also, these are stone doors. That has dwarf written all over it.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 03:59

Okay! Everyone bring your Fate point total from 3 to 4 on your character's stat block, and we'll begin trying to figure this door out.

Smurfton

So the fiddly bits are inside the door, then?

BESW

@Smurfton Kove is assuming that a door without handles has fiddly bits instead.

Somewhere.

Magician

@BESW I don't think I can actually edit it.

BESW

Try refreshing.

Magician

Ok, cool, thanks :)

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:01

@BESW Or possibly just needs to be shoved open by main force.

BESW

@trogdor Increment your FP.

trogdor

uh

Smurfton

I suppose that the curlicues on the door are the fiddly bits, then.

trogdor

just a sec

Miniman

@Smurfton Curlicues, incidentally.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:02

Curlycues, curlicues, it's correctly spelled several different ways.

Miniman

Also, the curlicues are on the cliff around the door. The door is smooth.

Magician

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. These ideas you postulate would likely have a place in the process we're about to follow.

trogdor

there we go

Smurfton

Ah.

BESW

Right, so Kove can assume this all he wants, but if he wins a roll to establish a fact then he can tell us he's discovered it's true!

> STEP TWO: Establish the first fact
Next, all participants roll simultaneously to create an advantage using a relevant skill against a difficulty of Good (+3). Each player can (and is encouraged to) use a different skill. The relevance of the skill here will depend entirely on the situation at hand, but t should be a skill that covers something the player will want to talk about more, or that sparks an idea.

So declare the skill you're using to roll, then roll 4d6 and tell us the total result.

Smurfton

Oct 21, 2014 04:04

Do we want to have something in mind to do with it first?

Magician

Lore 4d6 (+6 to create wilderness advantages, I can't possibly fail here)

4d6

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BESW

@Smurfton No, you just have to tell us the skill you're using.

trogdor

nice

Notice

4d

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BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:05

(If you win, then you tell us what you've discovered.)

Miniman

So, do I have to prove that there is complicated machinery to invoke my aspect for it?

BESW

@Miniman Nope. If you win, then it's assumed there was!

Miniman

Mechanics +4 (Lots of fiddly bits)

4d6

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BESW

(Or you could establish a fact like No moving parts, which would be hilarious.)

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:06

looks like I got 4 overall

I beat the rating we need,.. but I didn't "win"

Smurfton

notice 4d6 (+2) (Maybe +2 for the impending danger?)

trogdor

or does that even make a difference yet? do we just all have to beat the rating?

Smurfton

4d6

Dice Service

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BESW

Calariel got +9 (wilderness) Lore
Kove got +6 Mechanics (fiddly bits)
Abraxus got +4 Notice
Thrumin got +5 Notice (danger)

Does anyone want to spend Fate points to modify your rolls? You can spend one Fate point for a +2 to the roll, but you have to point at an aspect which would reasonably help your action.

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:08

I suppose I could have motivated everyone else and gotten a better result than that

Magician

@BESW Or to reroll

trogdor

oh well

Smurfton

The floor below the door isn't exactly the most solid. Will probably break if we try to ram the door. Might let us into the dungeon, though.

trogdor

I'm good

BESW

Nobody wants to re-roll or get a +2?

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:10

Nah. Do we go in order, or just whenever?

trogdor

I don't see a reason to just yet

Smurfton

@BESW Why should I?

@BESW I already have +5

trogdor

@Smurfton you probably shouldn't right now

doppelgreener

A reminder only the person who won the roll gets to establish facts

Which is presently Calariel, who will get to say something that becomes fact

Smurfton

ah.

doppelgreener

Oct 21, 2014 04:11

Everything else is words in the wind

BESW

> Whoever succeeds and has the highest result (make a note of number) is the “winner.” The winner gets to do two things.
First, they record one or more victories, depending on the margin of success (see p134).
Second, they get to introduce a fact. This takes the form of a situation aspect, and must follow three guidelines.
If no one succeeds on the roll, nobody establishes a fact or places an aspect—nothing useful comes out of that segment of the investigation, and it’s back to Square One.
If there’s a tie for the highest total, each tying player gets to establish a fact, but only one victo…

trogdor

but anyone wanting to beat 9 would need plus 4 at least

Magician

There'll be more rolls :)

Smurfton

My mechanics can make +6 with architecture.

trogdor

@Smurfton I mean to add to the roll you already have right now

that's what Fate Points are for

Smurfton

Oct 21, 2014 04:12

Oh, yeah.

trogdor

but I honestly don't suggest spending 2 of them on our first roll of the game, especially under these specific conditions

BESW

@Magician Calariel succeeded by 3 or more, so he/she has two victories.

Now, here are the guidelines for establishing a fact:

> - It clearly derives from the skill used to create it.
- It clearly relates to the situation.
- It can be stated as an objective fact—an observation of something in the scene, a remembered bit of research, or some other piece of factual information that relates to the situation.
The fact doesn’t have to be something previously established in the fiction. Whether it comes from something the team’s already done or seen, or whether it’s something the player has invented from whole cloth, it’s equally valid in the brainstorm.

Calariel, please give us a pithy phrase describing the fact you've discovered.

Magician

Incredibly Sturdy Vines. We've been tracking through the jungle for a while, and seen these thick vines before. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if they could pull apart the stone gates on their own.

BESW

Now we are going to establish a second fact. This is the same process as before, but the difficulty is now equal to the previous round's winning roll: +9.

trogdor

oh god

Magician

Oct 21, 2014 04:17

...

I'm so sorry.

BESW

So, declare the skill you're going to use, and roll!

trogdor

yeah,.. that is gonna be one of the reasons not to just throw away FP

doppelgreener

(magician internally: what have I doooooooone)

(BUT!! you all have lots of fate points available.)

Magician

@doppelgreener Nono. Externally it's that. Internally there's an evil grin.

Smurfton

mechanics (architechture) then.

doppelgreener

Oct 21, 2014 04:17

@Magician that's the spirit

Smurfton

4d6

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Smurfton

:(

Miniman

Tact (Don't mind me)

4d6

Dice Service

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Magician

Oct 21, 2014 04:18

Lore again, 4d6

4d6

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trogdor

Intimidate, I think everyone else needs a "pep talk"

4d

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trogdor

....3

Magician

4, as I don't intend to create a wilderness advantage this time around.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:20

Thrumin got +7 (architecture) Mechanics
Kove got +7 Tact (unnoticed)
Abraxus got +3 Intimidate (pep talk)
Calariel got +4 Lore

trogdor

reroll

4d

Dice Service

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trogdor

**************************************************

doppelgreener

this pep talk is definitely not landing very well

2

BESW

Thrumin and Kove, you're each one Fate point away from succeeding.

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:20

I'll add +2

BESW

@Miniman What aspect is helping you?

Smurfton

I've noticed. I'm thinking about it.

Magician

@BESW Wouldn't that be success at a minor cost?

Miniman

Subtlety

BESW

@Magician Yes. Cost is GM's discretion.

Smurfton

Oct 21, 2014 04:21

w/e let's tie.

BESW

@Miniman Your aspects are the phrases in italics.

Miniman

Ah, sorry

I do things my own way, then

BESW

The words with numbers by them are skills, and the bold phrases with sentences after them are stunts (like D&D feats).

Magician

...wait, this means the difficulty will stay at 9.

Smurfton

yes.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:22

Okay, so Kove gets +9 (tie) with Tact (being unnoticed) while doing things his way.

Thrumin's spending a Fate point, too? What aspect is he invoking to get the +2?

These are your aspects:
- Dwarven siege engineer
- My faith guides my hammer
- Scars from the War

Smurfton

Oh, um. hm.

Wait, Dwarven Seige Engineer counts?

Alright then, DSE.

BESW

So Thrumin gets +9 (tie) with (architecture) Mechanics because he's a dwarven siege engineer.

doppelgreener

@Smurfton yep, your concept is an aspect too, often one of the most reliably invocable ones

BESW

You both get to establish a fact about the puzzle you're facing! Mechanically it's an aspect, a short pithy phrase describing something which is true.

It should clearly derive from the skill you used, and the aspect you invoked.

It shouldn't contradict the previous fact which has been established.

It should clearly relate to the situation and be an objective fact--not a hypothesis or opinion.

Smurfton

Hold on, what was the description of the door, again? It's gone off the top of the page.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:27

> You’re standing in a moonlit jungle clearing next to a cliff-face. Embedded in the cliff, partly obscured by vines, is a set of double stone doors twenty feet high. They’re flanked by rows of statues that look like feathered serpents, and the cliff around the doors is deeply etched with curlycue patterns. The doors themselves, however, appear utterly smooth: no handles, no knocker, nothing.

Miniman

The Statues Can be Moved: While you guys were messing about at the door, I was looking at the statues.

Smurfton

The Serpent Statues are nearly ideal for ramming things with.

Magician

...well done

Miniman

...Yes? Uses unnoticed and doing things my own way

Smurfton

Damn, Miniman, go team.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:30

So The Statues Can Be Moved and... how about The Statues Are Tougher Than The Door?

Miniman

Heh, accidental

BESW

Is that satisfactory?

Smurfton

The Serpent Statues are nearly ideal for ramming things with. Not only does my expert eye see them as sturdy, they also are not coiled at all.

How's that.

doppelgreener

The idea is that the fact is also represented by an aspect.

BESW

The Statues Are Great For Ramming Things, then.

doppelgreener

Oct 21, 2014 04:31

The full details are excellent, but BESW was also suggesting a short phrase which could serve as the aspect representing that fact.

BESW

Aspects are generally best at three to seven words long, abrupt and to the point.

Smurfton

@doppelgreener "The Statues are Great for Ramming", is fine, then.

BESW

The tie gives us one victory toward figuring out the puzzle, but at a cost. I shall say the cost is... The Statues Are Booby-Trapped.

Now we're moving into the third and final fact-establishing round.

Works the same way: Difficulty is still +9 because that's the winning roll last time.

Declare a skill and roll.

Magician

Lore, probably with +2 for wilderness

4d6

Dice Service

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BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:35

If you have a free invoke on an aspect from the previous rounds, you may use it for a +2 on this roll.

Smurfton

Toughness, +2(?) for receiving a non-weapon physical attack

4d

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trogdor

I think same as last time, intimidate for (better hopefully) pep talk

4d

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BESW

Sorry, can't attack here. We're still in the "discovering facts" stage.

Smurfton

Oct 21, 2014 04:37

better?

trogdor

I seem to have a 6

Magician

I'll spend my free invoke of Incredibly Sturdy Vines to reroll

4d

Dice Service

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Magician

...figures

BESW

@Smurfton I'm not sure how that's going to establish a fact about the puzzle.

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:38

Mechanics (fiddly bits) +4

4d6

Dice Service

•

Smurfton

Couldn't it establish a fact about the booby trap?

BESW

Interesting. I'll allow it.

Smurfton

Not that I nearly succeeded.

doppelgreener

@Smurfton You can spend a fate point to reroll, provided you have an aspect that can justify it.

E.g. recently my half-troll rolled very poorly for a physical feat, and I rerolled with the justification that because he's a half-troll, he could not possibly have botched it up that badly.

(I think that's legit. I'm going to check now.)

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:40

So I can invoke The Statues Can Be Moved as long as I have an excuse to apply it?

BESW

Yes.

Miniman

4d6

Dice Service

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BESW

Anyone can invoke it, but you can do it once for free.

Miniman

Not that the reroll helped, of course :)

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:41

Thrumin has Scars from the War which implies he's had some combat training--that could be good for a re-roll.

Smurfton

Scars from the war: I really know how to get hurt, and how much it will hurt.

4d

Dice Service

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Smurfton

:/

BESW

Calariel has +4 for (wilderness) Lore related to sturdy vines.
Abraxus has +6 for Intimidate (pep talk).
Kove has +4 for Mechanics (fiddly bits).
Thrumin has +1 for Toughness (interacting with a trap) (in a painful way).

The difficulty is still +9.

Adeptus

So, on buying a reroll, you're betting you'll get more than +2 over your first roll?

doppelgreener

Oct 21, 2014 04:42

Seems legit. You just have to explain why the aspect's relevant.

@Smurfton ouch, that sucks when that happens XD

BESW

It's possible that we fail to find any new facts this round.

doppelgreener

oh wait, you did reach -2 though!

trogdor

hmm

BESW

Is anyone going to spend more Fate points to try hitting +9?

trogdor

I will spend 2

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:43

@BESW Tempted as I am to spend everything I've got, no.

trogdor

I think it is proper use to use my friends aspect and my concept

Smurfton

I don't have enough.

trogdor

+10

Magician

I'm curious to see what happens when we fail

BESW

@Magician We do, however, have three victories already, which is exactly enough to formulate a hypothesis.

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 04:45

@BESW I thought ties didn't count?

BESW

@Miniman Ties give one victory for the whole round.

Smurfton

@Miniman Magician got two victories, remember?

BESW

Oh my. Abraxus has succeeded at +10 on Intimidate (pep talk) by talking to his friends in his role as a paladin of the Burning Hate.

Abraxus, please lay a Fact on us!

trogdor

hmm

"It can't be that hard to figure out" ?

or do I have to actually say something about the door?

doppelgreener

that's an opinion

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 04:47

(Actually, technically it's the number of facts that lets us form a hypothesis --you need at least three-- and the number of victories which determines how many free invokes are laid on the hypothesis's aspect.)

doppelgreener

facts gotta be facts

BESW

It must be objective.

trogdor

mk

ooh,.... heehe

BESW

Maybe as a paladin you know lore about the people who built this... temple...

Smurfton

Best pep talk ever?

"It's probably possible." -trogdor

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:48

The door isn't very thick

BESW

(Thus declaring that it's a temple and something about it.)

But you have to present this as something rising from intimidation.

trogdor

grr

this isn't easy

BESW

(I put that stunt in there because I wanted to see if anyone would try this.)

Miniman

The door isn't as thick as your thick skulls?

trogdor

@BESW I did

doppelgreener

Oct 21, 2014 04:49

36 mins ago, by BESW

> - It clearly derives from the skill used to create it.
- It clearly relates to the situation.
- It can be stated as an objective fact—an observation of something in the scene, a remembered bit of research, or some other piece of factual information that relates to the situation.
The fact doesn’t have to be something previously established in the fiction. Whether it comes from something the team’s already done or seen, or whether it’s something the player has invented from whole cloth, it’s equally valid in the brainstorm.

trogdor

and now I almost regret it

doppelgreener

Bah! That got snipped.

Miniman

As an intimidating version of 'the door isn't very thick', I mean

doppelgreener

> - It clearly derives from the skill used to create it.
- It clearly relates to the situation.
- It can be stated as an objective fact—an observation of something in the scene, a remembered bit of research, or some other piece of factual information that relates to the situation.
The fact doesn’t have to be something previously established in the fiction. Whether it comes from something the team’s already done or seen, or whether it’s something the player has invented from whole cloth, it’s equally valid in the brainstorm.

Magician

@trogdor Yeah, I think the trick is to start out with an idea for a fact you'd like to add, and only then look for a skill or aspects to invoke.

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:50

hmm I guess it doesn't actually have to be about the DOOR

cause we have vines in here

doppelgreener

correct

BESW

And curly carvings nobody's paid any attention to.

Miniman

@BESW They stole my aspect :P

trogdor

how about this?

doppelgreener

you could make observation about the wind, or what the [INSERT ENEMY] was doing here, or how you can hear a waterfall, etc

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:52

"These carvings are made by Kobolds, this kind of Kobold door isn't made very thick, we can smash it open pretty easily"

Smurfton

Intimidate us!

BESW

That's more Lore-ish, isn't it?

I'm imagining Abraxis slamming his fist on the door to make a point, and the door makes a hollow noise.

trogdor

ok

that works

Magician

The Door Trembles Before My Hate

2

doppelgreener

(aside from the viability of using Intimidate in this exercise, I am fascinated that you turned Intimidation into a positive force through interpreting it as a sheer terrifying force of personality)

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:53

maybe add in that he suggests smashing it,... or one of you guys

Smash Door or smash YOU

BESW

Still gotta be a fact, not an opinion or hypothesis.

Miniman

I've Smashed Skulls Thicker Than This Door?

Magician

Carved Idols Fear My Hateful Light

trogdor

@BESW pretty sure I already established the fact I wanted

BESW

So what's the aspect?

I like The Door Trembles Before My Hate and I've Smashed Skulls Thicker Than This Door.

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:55

The second one sounds good to me

BESW

Excellent!

Now for the last part of the brainstorm.

We check how many facts we've got: four facts have been established.

That's three or more, so we know enough to formulate a hypothesis (if we had two or fewer, the GM would get to place an aspect regarding your inability to fathom the challenge).

> If you now have at least three facts, everyone rolls again. There is no difficulty to hit, it’s just an opposed roll for the highest total. Whoever wins this final roll gets to come up with a hypothesis that dictates what’s actually going on. This becomes the truth of the situation. The hypothesis must take into account and build on the facts already generated during the brainstorm.

Smurfton

Do we have to use a skill with this?

BESW

Yup.

Smurfton

Can it be a skill we've used before?

BESW

Yup!

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 04:58

yes

Miniman

Tact(Don't Mind Me)

4d6

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Magician

Lore (wilderness)

4d

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Smurfton

Well, Mechanics (pro engineer) (+6)

4d6

Dice Service

Oct 21, 2014 04:59

•

Smurfton

every time.

trogdor

hmm

does it count if I roll melee to SEE what is actually behind the door?

BESW

I'm.... not sure. Group?

Smurfton

How do you melee with your eyes?

trogdor

it's probably the best shot I have

I don't

I melee AND THEN eyes

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 05:02

I think he's imagining, like, punching a hole in the door.

Miniman

So you're just gonna smash open the door? Sounds good

Magician

I can see sticking a sword in and prying it open, but that's Athletics

Smurfton

Well, You've Smashed Skulls Thicker Than This Door. Guaranteed victory right there.

BESW

If the group allows you to fist the door, I'll allow it.

Miniman

"If it won’t burn, smash it"

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 05:03

@Magician I am talking more, smashing a hole in it

BESW

Like, proving it's flimsy enough to be smashed down easily.

Magician

@trogdor Still not skill at arms, just brute strength.

trogdor

@Magician I am literally taking a hammer to it like an attack

Smurfton

It's a blunt weapon.

trogdor

it's melee not skill at arms

Miniman

Oct 21, 2014 05:04

@trogdor Also, you've got 2 aspects on it

Smurfton

In D&D, stone has 8 damage resistance. Should work out.

(I think it's 8 anyway)

Magician

@trogdor I'd say it's either Athletics or Physique (which we don't seem to have).

BESW

Toughness is Physique re-skinned.

trogdor

I'm not trying to tear down the whole thing

BESW

May I suggest...

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 05:05

I am literally swinging a hammer to make a hole to look through

BESW

The hypothesis is basically the solution to the problem.

trogdor

so,......

BESW

The problem is "can't get through the door."

You've got movable statues that are made for ramming things.

trogdor

mk

BESW

Will the group allow rolling Melee if he uses a statue as a battering ram?

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 05:08

seems fair

Smurfton

@BESW Are you trying to say that melee with the statues is a good idea? How would that include the vines?

Miniman

Ofc

Smurfton

fair.

BESW

@Smurfton That's on him to do. I have some ideas how I'd do it.

So, roll for it @trogdor.

Magician

I don't think the skill fits, but lets move on with it, and see if it actually matters at all, after the roll.

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 05:09

4d

Dice Service

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BESW

Kove gets +5 Tact (don't mind me)
Calariel gets +8 (wilderness) Lore
Abraxis gets +6 Melee
Thrumin gets +5 (architecture) Mechanics

trogdor

uh

Adeptus

So the facts are: Incredibly Strong Vines, The Statues Are Movable, The Statues Are Great For Ramming Things, and I've Smashed Skulls Thicker Than This Door?

trogdor

pretty sure 8

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 05:09

@trogdor That stunt is +2 on the Attack action, not the Create Advantage action.

trogdor

ah ok

but free invoke

BESW

Yup.

trogdor

so 8 anyway

Smurfton

Isn't that an attack?

Not going to argue it, but that's how it feels to me.

BESW

@Smurfton Narratively, kinda-sorta-yeah. But mechanically attack is a separate kind of thing for a different situation.

trogdor

Oct 21, 2014 05:11

I can go with it

BESW

The mechanical action here is Create Advantage: he's going to place an aspect on the scene which represents the puzzle's solution or understanding.

trogdor

it's not exactly a weapon

BESW

Calariel and Abraxis are tied; the book doesn't actually say what to do when that happens in the hypothesis round.

Magician

I'll happily invoke Sturdy Vines to solve that :P

Smurfton

Need to go for dinner within half an hour, before everything closes.

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 05:12

Okay, so Calariel wins with +10. Correct?

Lay a solution on us, Calariel.

> The hypothesis becomes an aspect (replacing all situation aspects created during the brainstorm, as it’s an amalgam of them) with a number of invokes determined by the number of victories the brainstorm produced (in this case, one).

trogdor

I think I will invoke

BESW

Oh ho. Pushing for the continued tie?

trogdor

Smoldering rage in my stomache

BESW

Calariel, do you have a counter-invoke?

Magician

Sure, why not. Ramming Statues fits into my plan.

Smurfton

Oct 21, 2014 05:14

I'm tempted to invoke and use all my fate on this.

Nevermind.

BESW

Calariel is at +12 (wilderness) Lore focusing on the vines and ramming statues.
Abraxis is at +10 Melee focusing on the thin door and his smouldering rage.

trogdor

mk

can't invoke anymore

so I am done

Magician

Question, does it actually matter who got how many victories before?

BESW

No.

Victories are totalled to determine how many free invokes are placed on the hypothesis aspect.

Magician

I see. So, I'm making a plan and putting it into an aspect?

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 05:17

This is where the process seems to deviate most from ARRPG's version, I think.

It may be reasonable for you to create an aspect representing the puzzle's nature or representing the enacted solution.

Magician

Ok, I'm going to voice my plan, and then we can figure out if we get an aspect that helps us enact it, or what.

BESW

Good.

Magician

The statues can be moved around. Maybe they had to stand in a particular configuration for the door to open, we don't know. We do know they're not firmly attached to the ground. If others can leverage them off of the ground, I'll cast a spell to cause the vines to contract rapidly. Timed correctly, it'll turn the statues into projectiles, flung at relatively thin doors by vine-ballistae.

Miniman

@Magician Great plan! Except for the booby trap

Magician

Well, people who tilt the statues can deal with those :D

Smurfton

Oct 21, 2014 05:22

Doesn't the plan have to reference everything?

trogdor

It does in ARRPG

Miniman

@Smurfton It referenced all of the facts

BESW

Technically the booby traps aren't a "fact." They're a side effect, a cost of establishing a fact with a tie.

Adeptus

@Miniman Do the characters know about the booby trap? Did they detect it while discovering the statues are movable? Or will they only discover it when they trigger it?

Miniman

@Adeptus No idea

BESW

Oct 21, 2014 05:23

I think the aspect Improvising Vine Ballistae with one free invoke would work well, and the booby traps will be their own amusing complication: they don't invalidate the plan.

Magician

@BESW It is just one free invoke from 4 victories we had?

BESW

Yup.

0 to 2 victories is a failure; 3 victories is success but no invoke; 4-5 is one free invoke; 6+ is two free invokes.

Smurfton

And on failure, we just look for another way in?

Magician

Hrm. So, would enacting the solution with the help of this aspect be the next scene? Because it kinda feels like it shouldn't be. Solution has been found.

BESW

On a failure I'd place an aspect representing your inability to figure it out.

And that's the conclusion of the brainstorm! All the established fact and cost aspects go away, but their narrative potency remains.

You've found the solution, and it's now up to the GM to decide if enacting it is interesting enough to call for more rolls (it might be, because booby traps).

Fate: BESW's Hack & Slash puzzle brainstorming experiment (1/2: the experiment itself)

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