Some rough notes on why I did what I did when designing Tonulli, i.e. Fate RPG for the New World.
Skills
The Versions of Fate 3.0 I’ve looked at closely concentrate on Pulp (Spirit of the Century) and Urban Fantasy (FREE FATE, Dresden Files RPG). These settings don’t correspond too well with Mesoamerica so I thought I’d have a look at other systems to see what they offer.
Fate 2.0 includes a general mechanism for making a skill list that is appropriate for a particular campaign. Essential the GM has to select skills in each of nine skill categories. Within each the GM can pick Broad, General or Specific skills to reflect the type of campaign.
GURPS Aztecs says that generally the skills from GURPS Basic are appropriate. I haven’t gone to the trouble to look at the skills from GURPS basic as FATE has its own. I’m really just interested in the unique things that GURPS Aztecs mentions. For one thing GURPS Aztecs makes the point that Lockpicking is inappropriate because there are no locks in the Aztec world. It also replaces Writing with Picture-Writing. GURPS Aztecs then modifies some general skills for the setting and adds a few that are specific to Mesoamerica.
I included all of these options in the table below to help me identify what is important for Tonulli. I want to use Fate 3 terms for the skills, have the right balance of skills, and include Mesoamerican flavour.
Skill Category | Fate 2.0 Broad Skills |
Fate 2.0 General Skills |
SoTC | FREE FATE | GURPS Aztecs | Tonulli |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Academic / Knowledge |
Languages Lore Research Teaching |
Area Knowledge Computers History Linguistics Literacy Mathematics Science |
Academics Mysteries Science |
Academics Mysteries Science |
Language Skills Theology Cyphering* Patolli Picture-Writing Sacrifice |
Academics Languages Mysteries Patolli Theology |
Artistic / Craft |
Art Performance |
Acting Dance Painting Play Instruments Sculpture Singing |
Art Engineering |
Art | Poetry | Art Performance |
Athletic / Physical |
Athletics Endurance |
Acrobatics Climbing Endurance Jumping Running Swimming |
Athletics Endurance Might |
Athletics Endurance Might |
Ball Game | Athletics Endurance Might Ball Game |
Combat | Melee Missile Unarmed |
Option 1: Bows Brawling One Handed Edged One Handed Blunt Polearm Shield Thrown Two Handed Unarmed Combat |
Fists Guns Weapons |
Fists Guns Weapons |
Combat/Weapon Skills | Bow Sling Fists One Handed Spear Two Handed Shield |
Criminal / Subterfuge |
Larceny Stealth |
Fence Forgery Hide Lockpicking Pickpocket Sneak Streetwise |
Burglary Sleight of Hand Stealth |
Burglary Sleight of Hand Stealth |
Burglary Stealth |
|
Perception | Awareness Observation |
Awareness Search Sense Motive Spot |
Alertness Investigation |
Alertness Investigation |
Alertness Investigation |
|
Professional / Mundane |
Craft Healing Riding |
Clerk Cooking Driving First Aid Medicine Smithing Riding Rope Use Stonecutting Woodcrafting |
Drive Pilot Engineering Gambling Resources Survival |
Drive Pilot Engineering Gambling Resources |
Agronomy Beverage-Making Featherworking Flower Arranging Jeweller Weaving |
Craft Healer Priest Resources |
Social | Deceive Impress |
Bluff Contacting Charm Intimidate Lie Seduce |
Contacting Deceit Empathy Intimidation Leadership Rapport Resolve |
Contacting Deceit Empathy Intimidation Leadership Rapport Resolve |
Heraldry Merchant Banquets** |
Contacting Deceit Empathy Intimidation Leadership Rapport Resolve |
Survival | Survival | Herbalism Hunting Survival Tracking |
Survival | Survival |
* Cyphering is simple maths – add, subtract, multiply and divide – for merchants and administrators. It is superseded by Accounting and Mathematics.
** Merchant Banquets is a Savoir-Faire Specialty