Empathy Stunts
Insight
Architecture of the Heart
Reading a room is a triviality to you. Even more, you can spot the emotional lynchpins in a room and easily understand how actions would impact the mood. If you roll Empathy to read a room—difficulty Mediocre (+0)—count how many shifts you accrue. Over the course of the scene, you may ask the GM to tell you how people would react to any hypothetical scenario. You can do this a number of times equal to the number of shifts generated. (Fate System Toolkit, p.99)
The Artist's Eye
When you encounter a work of art, you may use Empathy to read the artist's emotional state, as if you had had interpersonal contact with them. You may also create advantages with Empathy related to the authenticity of the work. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.4.1)
Cold Read
Once per scene, you may use Empathy to read a person's emotional state without the need for interpersonal contact. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.10.2)
Heart's Secret
When you successfully use Empathy to read a person's emotional state, if that person's aspects are secret, the aspects the GM reveals must be those that are of the utmost importance to the person, unless you explicitly instruct her otherwise. If the person's aspects are not secret, you may choose which one to attach each of your free invocations to. (adapted from Spirit of the Century, §6.10.2)
A Peek Inside
(requires at least two other Empathy stunts.) You achieve such a strong understanding of your subject that you can start to make some fairly accurate guesses about his behavior. After you have successfully read a person's emotional state, you may immediately ask the GM a hypothetical question about that person’s motives, which the GM must be able to answer with "yes", "no", or "maybe", to the best of her ability. The question must speak to the kind of person the target is, not things they’ve done, though it may ask if they are capable of doing such things. If the GM answers with a "maybe", you may ask a second question to get clarification. This second question may seek details, rather than another one-word answer. (adapted from Spirit of the Century, §6.10.2)
Read You Like a Book
People's emotions are pretty damn obvious to you. +2 to create advantages with Empathy when using it to read a person's emotional state.
The Truth of Who You Are
Every two minutes of conversation you have with someone reveals one of their aspects. However, for every two aspects you learn, you reveal one of your own to that person and anyone listening. Round down, so the first one you learn is free. (Fate System Toolkit, p.98)
You've Got Issues
+2 to create advantage with Empathy on a character's trouble aspect. (Peter Blake)
Lie Detection
I’ve Heard Every Lie in the Book
+2 to overcome or defend against lies with Empathy. (Peter Blake)
The Inner Eye Sees Inner Truth
Without rolling, you can tell if another character is lying so long as the target’s Deceive is equal to or lower than your Empathy. In the case of high Deceive, you will know that you cannot tell, but will never receive a “false positive.” (Fate System Toolkit, p.99)
Lie Whisperer
+2 to all Empathy rolls made to discern or discover lies, whether they’re directed at you or someone else. (Fate Core, p.109)
Truth Beyond the Lie
Once per scene, when you successfully see through a lie, you may gain a free invocation on whichever of the liar’s aspects is most closely associated with their reason for lying to you. (Peter Blake)
New Actions
Animal Empathy
You can use Empathy in place of Lore to sense the emotions of animals. (Peter Blake)
Hit Them Where It Hurts/Disturbingly Insightful
Your skill at reading people makes you adept at provoking a strong emotional response if you’re trying to get them angry, depressed, or something similar. You may use Empathy in place of Provoke to make mental attacks. (adapted from Spirit of the Century, §6.10.2)
Nose for Trouble
You can use Empathy instead of Notice to determine your turn order in a physical conflict, provided you’ve gotten a chance to observe or speak to those involved for at least a few minutes beforehand during this scene. (Fate Core, p.109)
One Breath
A true samurai can size up a foe within a single breath. You may use Empathy to read when a person will attack you and evaluate their combat skills.
Track the Soul
Your understanding of people you’ve met is sufficiently strong that it gives you an easy sense of how to find them. You may roll Empathy instead of Investigate whenever you’re tracking down or otherwise trying to find someone you’ve met before. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.10.1)
Other
Bartender's Ear
Like any good bartender, you know how to understand drunk people. Add two to your Empathy skill when dealing with people who are under the influence of alcohol.
Ebb and Flow
You are so aware of the social currents in a situation that you are able to see something of what’s coming before it arrives. At the beginning of any exchange, you may spend a fate point to attempt to create an advantage with Empathy. You may then act normally on your turn as usual. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.10.1)
Listening Ear
+2 to overcome or create advantage with Empathy when you listen to another person for half an hour or more. (Peter Blake)
Preemptive Grace
(requires Ebb and Flow.) You are so tuned into social situations that you may act quickly and decisively to shape the situation to your liking. +2 to Empathy for the purposes of determining turn order in a conflict. (adapted from Spirit of the Century SRD, §6.10.1)
Psychologist
Once per session you can reduce someone else’s consequence by one level of severity (severe to moderate, moderate to mild, mild to nothing at all) by succeeding on an Empathy roll with a difficulty of Fair (+2) for a mild consequence, Good (+3) for moderate, or Great (+4) for severe. You need to talk with the person you’re treating for at least half an hour in order for them to receive the benefits of this stunt, and you can’t use it on yourself. (Normally, this roll would only start the recovery process, instead of changing the consequence level.) (Fate Core, p.109)