[drags table into place, sets out chips and candy and biscuits whilst BESW arranges his thoughts]

So, we've talked about how skills are 'what you do' while approaches are 'how you do it.'

we have

And apparently Atomic Robo (must order that) implements something like the Toolkit's "modes."

You choose three modes from Action, Banter, Intrigue, and Science, each of which has a number of skills associated with it. You assign each mode a +1, +2, or +3, and all skills in that mode are at that level--but for every skill in more than one mode you have, you bump it up by 1 for every additional mode it's in.

But Science is special, and implies its own subset of skills for any scientific discipline you can think of.

And also: Atomic Robo has your three "ordinary" character aspects actually tied to each of your three modes, describing how you use or relate to that mode's action set.

So... with all that in mind, and because I'm seriously lazy...

Why not--maybe just for NPCs, at first?--have skills like Banter, and Robot, and Dinosaur?

Or Claws And Teeth.

I'd roll Claws and Teeth to make an attack, or to climb a wall, or to rip apart a door.

I couldn't really use it to defend, though.

Example: the Nestene Intelligence.

It could've had the skills Telepathy, Tentacles, and Minions.

Thoughts?

Basically making a "what you are/have" level of roll modifiers, alongside the "what you do" and "how you do" options.

@BESW This sounds really cool actually.

@BESW For NPCs especially, it's often not worth considering their individual can/can't do's. What's more important for a GM especially is just knowing about them, and having the room to do various things with them. So, an approach-kinda thing is totally useful.

Unfortunately I can't implement it aggressively in DFAE or the playtest will go sour.

But I think I might be able to experiment with it next session.

I'd be open to that. Worthwhile having it there at least temporarily.

I'm thinking that what we need to do next session is have a conflict with mortals, to see what it's like being on the other end of the weight class stick.

And to my thinking, because mortal opponents won't be using any of the playtest material, I can have my way with them mechanically.

@BESW \o/ You can.

Well except that it might be planned that they follow standard FAE mechanics but who cares

hee.

...what should I call this abomination I've created?

We've got skills, approaches, and modes.

And is this something I could ask on the mainsite?

@BESW Do you mean: what do you call this paradigm of using claws and teeth as a skill?

Yes.

It is very weird. Approaches are what you are, skills are what you can do. Still not sure where modes sit. Claws-and-teeth takes what you have and defines it into what you can do.

Modes are collections of skills which describe a general attitude/proficiency for a particular method of problem-solving.

Sounds like it describes what you can do?

"A broadly defined area of competence."

Action, Banter, Intrigue, and Science are the defaults for Atomic Robo, but you could also have Hunting or Piracy or...

Mechanically it's just a convenient bundle approach to picking skills and assigning ranks to them.

@BESW ah, that's why - it's a high-level thing; approaches and skills are the low-level atoms

Aye.

You say "I'm Science +3, Banter +2, and Action +1," and all your skills are then automagically determined.

That is: Athletics +1, Combat +1, Contacts +2, Deceive +2, Empathy +2, Notice +4, Physique +1, Provoke +3, Rapport +2, (SCIENCE! +3), Vehicles +1, Will +4