Fate Scene Checklist

By Laurence Macnaughton

If you feel stumped or overwhelmed during a scene, quickly go down this list and ask the players a few of those questions.

The Checklist

• What are you trying to achieve here, and why? (PC goal)
• What does success look like for you? (Success result)
• What’s at risk if this goes badly? (Failure result)
• Where are we? Describe it. Interior/exterior, day/night? What do we see, hear, feel, smell/taste?
  • What's dangerous or interesting here? What impedes movement or sight? What can the PCs use? (Situation aspects) ny free invokes?
• Do we need a map? (2-4 zones)
• Who else is here? (NPCs) What do they want? What are they doing?
• Who or what stands between you and your goal? (NPC and/or Obstacle)
• How will you achieve your goal?
  • "I'll try to Take Them Out." = Conflict
  • "I'll try to __ before they __." = Contest
  • "I'll try to __ this situation." = Challenge

Goal Ideas (for PCs or NPCs)

Build • Capture • Catch • Change • Convince • Defeat • Defend • Deliver • Destroy • Discover • Escape • Explore • Find • Follow • Gain • Get • Guard • Impress • Kill • Learn • Negotiate • Protect • Reach • Reconcile • Rescue • Save • Sneak • Solve • Start • Steal • Stop • Traverse • Uncover • Win

Tips

• Ask them what they want. Put trouble in the way.
• End the scene on a disaster, cliffhanger, twist, or intriguing clue: "Now you need to go to [PLACE] in order to [GOAL] or else things will get even worse."
• If you're stumped about the game world, ask the players.
• For inspiration, look at their character sheets. Everything the player put on it is something they want to be part of the game.
• If the story isn't moving forward, add danger. Give them an immediate threat to react to.

More by Laurence Macnaughton on https://laurencemacnaughton.com/