Hello all, today we will review how to make a character for Fate: Core. Below, we will cover standard creation, but note that some settings and supplements add extras, so be sure to check with your Storyteller (GM) in case additional rules apply.

With that said, let’s dive in!

 As we go through this creation, I will build an example character set in a fantasy world to solidify the creation rules. 

Aspects

 Aspects are short descriptions or phrases that define your character’s identity, personality, and history.  In standard creation, characters gain five aspects. Aspects are a couple of words to a complete sentence that helps define your character.  In standard creation, characters gain 5 aspects to determine.

• ‍High Concept – This is the core of who the character is.‍
• Trouble – This character’s flaw or problem is common in PC life. Your trouble works to get fate points.‍
• Background Aspect: An aspect from the character’s backstory that now influences them.‍
• Connection #1 – A link to another PC formed during the Phase Trio.‍
• Connection #2 – Another link to a different PC from the Phase Trio.

 So, after discussing the setting the Storyteller has in mind, we see that it will be an anthropomorphic people set out on a fantasy tale. With that in mind, I have an idea of a Wolf Warrior. So, starting with aspects, I think about who they are. I go with Loyal Friend that Fights with Tooth and Claws for my high concept, invoking many ideas to bring that into play. Digging deeper, I think, despite this, they will have a short temper, leading to the Trouble being Quick to anger.  Now for a touch of history, our friend Samuel Wolfen was initially a nature lover in their youth, so our Background Aspect will be Child of the Forest. This rounds out the three aspects we can do before hearing about the other characters. 

The Phase Trio: Creating Connections

Fate Core encourages collaborative storytelling. Instead of creating isolated characters, players connect their backstories using this three-phase process:

Phase One: Your character’s personal adventure. Describe an important event in your character’s past.

Phase Two: Another PC was involved in your adventure. What did they contribute? How did they affect your story?

Phase Three: You were involved in yet another PC’s adventure. What role did you play? How did this affect your relationship?

By the end of the Phase Trio, all characters should have at least two direct connections to other PCs. This helps establish group dynamics and enriches storytelling.

 So we have everyone at the table, and I tell my tale of Samuel Wolfin, spinning a tale of his youth roaming the woods with his tribe and revealing my initial 3 aspects.  Eventually, leaving to see the greater world.  This is Phase One.  

 After hearing my story, another player feels their character, Lily, met Samuel during a festival of light. We get to know one another, and Lily reveals she’s seeking talismans to help the next generation of her family.  As Samuel and Lily decide to meet again, the moment resonates with the moment, so our first connection will be Find Lily’s Family Talismans.  This is Samuel’s Phase Two and Lily’s Phase Three

 So then we listen to the other character's adventure.  Hearing about Jake’s coming to a bar brawl, this seems like the type of thing Samuel could find themselves in in that situation.  I volunteer with Samuel, and we end up fighting back-to-back together.  This leaves Samuel with a sense of kinship with Jake and leads to our second connection aspect: I’ve got Jake’s Back. This is Samuel’s Phase Three and Jake’s Phase Two. 

Skills

 A character’s general capabilities are represented by their skills. Fate Core provides a standard skill list, but settings may modify it.

 The list of standard skills are Athletics, Burglary, Contacts, Crafts, Deceive, Drive, Empathy, Fight, Investigate, Lore, Notice, Physique, Provoke, Rapport, Resources, Shoot, Stealth, and Will.

Skills are assigned using a pyramid system:

• 1 skill at +4
• 2 skills at +3
• 3 skills at +2
• 4 skills at +1
• The rest are set at +0

Once skills are assigned, we move on to Stunts.

Note: Physique and Will have effects on stress and we will circle back to this when we talk about stress.

Our aspects got the general idea of who Samuel was, so now we can investigate their structured talent. After taking a look at the list, we decided on the following.

Rank / Skill

4 – Athletics
3 – Fight and Physique
2 – Lore, Notice, and Stealth
1 – Crafts, Empathy, Provoke, and Rapport

This helps us refine the character on another level.  Bringing us closer to being ready to dive into the world.

Stunts

 Stunts represent special techniques or unique abilities that give a character an edge. They typically follow these formats:

• When using [Skill] for [Action], gain +2 for [Reason]
• Gain an extra stress box
• Use [Skill 1] in place of [Skill 2] because X

Characters start with 3 stunts but can take additional stunts by reducing their Refresh. Stunts may cost a fate point to activate if they are more potent than the standard scope.

 So now are the abilities that help Samuel excel in this world. Taking a moment to look at our aspects, skills, and initial adventure tales, I contemplate.  Samuel can do a few things.  They fight, are tough, and were raised in a forest with their tribe.  With that in mind, I want a stunt that highlights those traits of the character.  In the end, we have decided to go with the following:

• Red Claws: When using Fight to Attack while unarmed, gain +2 to the result.
• Forest lands Traps: Due to Samuel’s speed in the forest, they may use Athletics instead of Crafts when attempting to disarm a trap in the forest.
• Rugged Endurance: Gain 1 additional Physical Stress Box.

Final Details: Refresh, Stress, and Consequences

Refresh 

Set to 3 at character creation. It should be noted that Refresh determines how many Fate points (The system's narrative resource mechanic) a character starts with at the start of a session. You can reduce your refresh rating to get more stunts for your character, 

 For example, if we wanted to add a 4th stunt to Samuel, we would start with only 2 Refresh and begin each session with only 2 fate points.

Stress 

When a character takes harm in Fate, that harm can be absorbed by the character's stress tracks. These tracks have an escalating value; the first box can absorb 1 stress, the second 2 stress, and so on.  Characters begin with 2 physical and 2 mental stress boxes.  As the name implies, physical absorbs physical harm and threats, and mental handles mental strain and harm.  In standard creation, it ranks in your Physique and Will increase the number of stress boxes in your physical and mental tracks.  

 Samuel took rank 3 in Physique, which grants him 2 bonus stress boxes in physical tracks. This means Samuel's stress boxes would be;
Physical 1-O 2-O 3-O 4-O
Mental 1-O 2-O

Consequences

 There are times when characters will suffer more harm than the stress tracks can absorb.  At this point, there are lasting ramifications, which are mechanical consequences.  A character has 3 consequences: Mild, Moderate, and Severe.  They take 2, 4, and six harm, respectively.  When a character can't use stress, the leftover must fill consequences boxes or be removed from the scene.  

Note: Hitting rank 5 in Physique or Will, you get an extra Mild consequence box for Physical or Mental harm, respectively.  

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this insight into Fate: Core system. This will help the community experience more games of Fate. This flexible game has been thoroughly enjoyed at my tables, and I hope you also have a chance to enjoy it.  

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Matthew Pauze (He/Him) is a storyteller by trade. He lives in Canada and has a passion for game design. He is dedicated to his family and improving his craft among the tabletop RPG community.