Overview
The default character creation process, like most of Fate’s processes, is cooperative for a good part of it. Here we will walk you through the different speeds of character creation as well as the different steps to a very indepth process which intertwines the character’s histories.
Three Creation Process Speeds
Pick and choose how quick you group would like to get started. If you have any specific question about a step you can refer to the related section in the Long Process.
- Quick – just the bare essentials so you can get to playing.
- Semi-Quick – a little more fleshed out and fill in the rest later
- Long with Tying Characters Together – lets get it all filled out.
Steps for the Long Process
This is the detailed process for character creation and includes a 3-step method for intertwining the characters to ensure that the characters know each other and have a history so as to make it easy to get the characters working together.
- High Concept (aspect)
- Trouble (aspect)
- Name Your Character
- The Phase Trio
- Transfer Info to Character Sheet
- Skills
- Stunts and Fate Point Refresh
- Stress and Consequences
- Note the Campaign Extras You are Using
Appendices
There are 3 appendices included to help clarify some things:
Preparation
- Get the following things together:
- Character Creation Sheets
- Character Sheets
- Note Cards
- Give one of each sheet and three note cards to each player.
- Review the Campaign Description Sheet which your GM would have filled out following your campaign creation session OR your Campaign Creation Primer Worksheet
- Get your Character Creation Worksheet (Official) and one Note Card front and center and ready to go.
The Fatesville Gaming Group
Throughout this process we will be following the Fatesville Gaming Group (FGG), which is composed of:
| Dan | their dedicated and hungry GM |
|---|---|
| Tess | dedicated and knowledgeable player |
| Sarah | cerebral player who likes the rules too much |
| George | a casual player who is easily distracted |
| Jeff | hyper-competitive tactical player |
At the end of each section we will include a short narrative about how the group is dealiing with each phase, like such:
Before everyone started arriving, Sarah had the the gaming space cleared and tables setup, ready for an evening of character creation to begin. She was excited about their new Fate campaign after they completed their Campaign Creation process during their previous session. The two weeks between sessions was enough time for her to purchase a bunch of Fate books and read all of them. This singleminded pursuit allowed her to find the sort of magic system she was looking to use for her character-to-be and she was looking forward to tell the group about it when the moment presented itself, or the 8 page character history may speak for her when she eventually posts it for the group to read.
Usually Dan waited for everyone arrive at Sarah’s before ordering food, but he was already quite hungry from a long weekend working in his shop, so he had taken the liberty to order the usual bunch’o’pizzas before he had left his house. He was the first one to arrive, a few minutes early, his stomach growling in hunger. Dan had hoped to collect money from the rest of the players once everyone had arrived. Annoyed at how long the delivery was taking he agressively leafed through his new copy of the core book. Sarah, sitting next to her stack of books and papers, thought “Wow, he is hangry already!“
Jeff and Tess had had arrived at Sarah’s house right around game time and had walked in together chatting about their potential character concepts. As usual, everyone had arrived ontime and George was nowhere to be seen. Sarah and Dan waved hi as the newcomers walked in and began to unpack their stuff to ready themselves for the character building process. Right as Tess was about to speak, Jeff gleefuly pulled something gently from his pack and then sat it down on the table in front of him – his favorite D&D wizard mini. Dan just shook his head.
Once Tess was done unpacking her bag, she handed out the following materials to everyone so they could look them over while they waited for… George:
- 1 Campaign Description Sheet
- 1 Character Creation Sheet
- 1 Customized Character Sheet
- 3 Note Cards