FAEscape

## Base System

We will be using Fate Accelerated Edition (FAE) as our base system, with the following changes to the rules.

## Dice Conventions

We will be using 1d6-1d6 in this game for all characters, **not** 4dF. In addition, the GM can opt to have any NPC take a natural result of +0 on any roll made against a PC.

## Stunts and Fate Points

* **Stunts:** Nobody has stunts in this game.
* **Transferring Fate Points:** At no point is a fate point ever, ever transferred from one character to another, no matter how an invocation or a compel is used.
* **GM Fate Point Pool:** The GM does not have a pool of fate points.
* **PC Refresh:** PCs have refresh equal to the number of milestones they have accrued.
* **NPC Refresh:** NPCs have as much refresh as is appropriate for the NPC, but only GM-designated NPCs have refresh.
* **Fate Points from Compels:** Fate points from compels are tracked in a separate pool for each character. Thus, they are never "wasted."

## Approaches and Tiers

Approaches are replaced by tiers. Any given character has a tier, which can be anywhere from Poor (-2) to Legendary (+8). Examples of tiers *in this specific rendition of Planescape* include:

* **Fair (+2):** Arcanaloths, argenachs, gelugons, ghaeles, mariliths, planetars, quartons, trumpet archons, ursinals, white ethergaunts, and white slaadi.
* **Good (+3):** Aurumachs, balors, black ethergaunts, black slaadi, leonals, pit fiends, solars, tertians, throne archons, tulani, ultroloths
* **Great (+4):** Abominations at least the size of a human, quasigods, immortal lords on par with quasigods (which comprises the vast majority of the immortal lords of the animals, Arcadian storms, archomentals, archons, baatezu, eladrin, faeries, genies, modrons, obyriths, slaadi, and tanar'ri), and immortal lords who have been weakened by imprisonment (until they break free and regain their full strength).
* **Superb (+5):** Demigods and immortal lords on par with demigods.
* **Fantastic (+6):** Lesser gods and immortal lords on par with lesser gods.
* **Epic (+7):** Intermediate gods and immortal lords on par with intermediate gods.
* **Legendary (+8):** Greater gods and immortal lords on par with greater gods.

Any given character rolls their tier for **all actions, including magical actions**. However, they take a -2 penalty on anything they are underdeveloped at. Bear in mind that an effective rating of Mediocre (+0) *in this specific rendition of Planescape* is still equivalent to having 16-17 in an ability score in 3.PF terms.

For PCs in *this specific rendition of Planescape*, they start at tier 2 and can be underdeveloped at either:

* Any action that involves strength, stamina, charisma, willpower, or defending against "undodgeable" (e.g. psychic assaults) enemy actions.
* Any action that involves agility, dexterity, intelligence, knowledge, or defending against "unblockable" (e.g. pure energy assaults) enemy actions.

NPCs can have whatever tier and be underdeveloped at whatever the GM pleases, and they are not likely to have defensive weaknesses that PCs can simply spam against. Instead, their defensive weaknesses are more nuanced and require the usage of the Discover action (see below) to determine.

## Magic Types

Any given character has access to anywhere from 0 to 10 magic types. A character can use their magic types to take magical actions appropriate for their magic type, whether in or out of a conflict.

A special mention goes to "Healing," which **cannot** be used to heal stress boxes or consequences, but **can** be used to Create an Advantage like "Feeling a Little Better." In addition, "Healing" automatically justifies all consequence recovery for any character you tend to, and "Healing" applies to physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual wounds on any creature or object.

"Innate Heavenly Magic" allows the character to teleport to any non-warded place that they have already been to or that they have a significant focus item for, to have perfect fluency in any and all languages, to discern the true and accurate alignment of anyone in their line of sight, to see perfectly in the dark, to fly, and to enjoy perfect immunity against petrification. This is deliberately more narrow than other magic types, because it is free for PCs.

PCs begin with **3** magic types in addition to "Innate Heavenly Magic," and can gain more from milestones (see below). NPCs have as many magic types as the GM deems appropriate.

## Once-per-Conflict Mystic Artes

A character who has taken at least one consequence during a conflict can use a once-per-conflict mystic arte as an action on their turn. This is a special Attack action or Create an Advantage action that comes with unique effects, such as area-of-effect, extra stress, or automatic application of situation aspects and free invocations, to be worked out in advance with the GM. These mystic artes should be worth about two fate points. In addition, any character using the Defend action against a mystic arte **cannot** apply to their roll any free invocations caused by consequences.

PCs begin with **1** once-per-conflict mystic arte and can gain more from milestones (see below), in which case they can begin to use mystic artes the moment they first take a consequence. NPCs have as many once-per-conflict mystic artes as the GM deems appropriate.

Yes, these mystic artes can be "translated" into mental versions for mental conflicts.

## New Action: Discover

A fifth action is added to the game: Discover. It works exactly like the Overcome action, except that the goal is always to discover information, whether through knowledge, observation, or physical experimentation. During a conflict, you can use it only after the first round of conflict, and only after you are in a narrative position to discover something about the battle at hand. The first time a Discover action is made successfully against an NPC during a conflict, in addition to whatever other information the Discover action would unveil, the NPC's current pool of fate points is revealed as well, as the Discoverer roughly gauges the NPC's overall fighting spirit.

## Conflict

* **Initiative:** The PCs always act first in either order, unless they are faced with an NPC tagged as "Goes Fast" (see below).
* **Severe Consequences:** Severe consequences clear out at the end of the session **after** the next session, provided it makes sense within the story.
* **Create an Advantage Failure:** Failing on a Create an Advantage action **never** causes your opponent to gain a free invocation. That is simply stupid.
* **Create an Advantage Super Success with Style:** If you succeed on a Create an Advantage in a conflict by 5, 7, 9, 11, or 13 shifts, the aspect you create comes with 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 free invocations, rather than just a single free invocation.
* **Team Defense:** After any given character declares their action (and their preferred target, if applicable), anyone from the opposing side can nominate a defender to use the Defend action against that action, so long as the defender could be in a reasonable position to use the Defend action in such a way. With the exception of area-of-effect actions, a single action can be Defended against only by a single character.
* **Environment:** Each time a character describes their action as exploiting the environment in a new and novel way during a conflict, that character gains a +1 to their action. This applies to both PCs and NPCs, and for offensive and defensive actions.

## NPCs

* **Stress Boxes:** Any given NPC has either 0, 1, 2, or 3 stress boxes.
* **Consequence Slots:** Any given NPC **must** have 3 stress boxes in order to have consequence slots, and must have at least a mild consequence slot. An NPC with 4 stress boxes can have either a mild consequence slot, a mild consequence slot and a moderate consequence slot, or the full trio of consequence slots.
* **"Goes Fast":** An NPC can be tagged as "Goes Fast." An NPC who "Goes Fast" acts *before* the PCs during a conflict.

## Milestones

Milestones have been completely revamped. Firstly, they are divorced entirely from the consequence recovery. Secondly, whenever you gain a milestone, you can rename as many of your aspects as you like (including consequences), provided that they make sense within the story. Thirdly, these are the new types of milestones:

* **Regular Milestone:** Attained at the end of every scenario (when in doubt, two or three **plot-relevant** sessions). You gain +1 refresh.
* **Super Milestone:** Attained at the end of every three scenarios. In addition to acquiring +1 refresh, you acquire a new magic type and a new mystic arte.
* **Hyper Milestone:** Attained at the end of certain sessions with major plot points. In addition to acquiring +1 refresh, a new magic type, and a new mystic arte, you increase your tier by 1.