Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Fate Core

I want to teach my home group how to play Fate. I figured a one-shot with them as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might help them out. They're all familiar with turtles, their personalities, and abilities. That knowledge should (I figure) help them grasp the concept of aspects and stunts and such. "Oh yeah, Michelangelo is a party dude. I know how I can use that!"

So here are the Turtles, all written up for Fate Core. Enjoy!

LEONARDO

ASPECTS

High Concept: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Trouble: I’ll never be good enough

Leonardo Leads

It’s Raph. A little too Raph.

No business like daisho business

SKILLS

Great (+4): Will

Good (+3): Fight, Athletics

Fair (+2): Empathy, Rapport, Notice

Average (+1): Drive, Stealth, Physique, Lore

STUNTS

Rally (Rapport): +2 to Create an Advantage with Rapport when you deliver an inspiring speech in front of a crowd.

Strength from Determination (Will): Use Will instead of Physique on any overcome rolls representing feats of strength.

Florentine (Fight): While using two weapons, +2 to Defense actions with fight when engaged with more than one opponent.

STRESS

Physical: OOO

Mental: OOOO

CONSEQUENCES

Mild +2:

Moderate +4:

Severe +6:

Refresh: 3

DONATELLO

High Concept: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Trouble: Great big nerd

Donatello does machines

Do it all for April

I’ve read about that!

SKILLS

Great (+4): Crafts

Good (+3): Fight, Lore

Fair (+2): Athletics, Notice, Shoot

Average (+1): Drive, Investigate, Physique, Will

STUNTS

Stick Fighter (Fight): While using a bo staff, +2 to Create an Advantage against multiple opponents.

Gadget Guy (Crafts): Once per session, spend a fate point to add or remove a scene aspect, thanks to some handy device you happen to have with you.

Hacker (Lore): +2 when using a computer with Overcome actions related to technology.

STRESS

Physical: OOO

Mental: OOO

CONSEQUENCES

Mild +2:

Moderate +4:

Severe +6:

Refresh: 3

RAPHAEL

ASPECTS

High Concept: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Trouble: Anger issues

Raphael is cool but rude

Second son

DAMN!!!

SKILLS

Great (+4): Stealth

Good (+3): Fight, Physique

Fair (+2): Provoke, Burglary, Athletics

Average (+1): Shoot, Notice, Crafts, Drive

STUNTS

Tragic Sais (Fight): When you Succeed With Style on an Attack action with your sais, and you reduce your damage to create a disarmed type aspect as a boost, it becomes a full situation aspect with one free invoke, not just a boost.

Brutal Takedown (Fight): Once per fight, when you force someone to take a Consequence, you can spend a Fate Point to increase the severity of the Consequence by one step.  

Sneak Attack (Stealth): You can use Stealth instead of Fight to make your first melee attack against an unaware target.

STRESS

Physical: OOOO

Mental: OO

CONSEQUENCES

Mild +2:

Moderate +4:

Severe +6:

Refresh: 3

MICHAELANGELO

ASPECTS

High Concept: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Trouble: Slack-Ass

Michaelangelo is a party dude

COWABUNGA!

Little brother

SKILLS

Great (+4): Rapport

Good (+3): Fight, Provoke

Fair (+2): Empathy, Athletics, Contacts

Average (+1): Physique, Stealth, Deceive, Drive

STUNTS

Skater Boi (Athletics): +2 to Overcome actions when you are skateboarding in a perilous environment.

Surprisingly Long Chain (Fight): Once per fight, spend a Fate Point to attack a foe up to one zone away with Fight due to the surprisingly long chain on your kusarigama.

Pester (Provoke): You can use Provoke instead of Empathy to learn a target’s aspects by irritating them until they reveal one to you.

STRESS

Physical: OOO

Mental: OO

CONSEQUENCES

Mild +2:

Moderate +4:

Severe +6:

Refresh: 3

Looking back on 2013, Looking towards 2014

This post is going to be a bit light on game stuff (although there is some) and a bit heavier on the personal life stuff as I reflect on the past year and make plans for 2014.

All things considered, 2013 wasn't too bad. In fact it was pretty good, especially when compared to 2012. Last January I decided that 2013 was going to be “the year I got better,” and in many ways it has been. I've accomplished a good many things this past year, more than I realized until I sat down to write this.

2013's Accomplishments

I have managed to keep my depression under control, even while off medication. This has mostly been due to positive life changes and the constant support of sympathetic friends.

Delilah the Cat died at age 9, but my wife and I managed to rescue two newborn kittens abandoned by their mother in our garage. Marceline and Hero are 5 months old, healthy and energetic.

I got promoted at work, which included a significant pay raise, full time hours for the first time in 2 years, benefits, and the prospect for further career growth in the company. It's the first “grown-up” job I've had since the dot-com bust. I love my new position, and it's certainly helped with me turn things around this year.

Hobomancer, a game I helped develop, won an Ennie Award. I'm very proud of this game, and I was so happy it got some recognition. It was a major win for Hex Games.

Leopard Women of Venus, a game I am very, very proud of finally saw a print edition. In color no less!

My submission to the One Page Dungeon Contest won “Best One-Shot.”

I completed Acheron: Son of Hades, a mini-comic I'd been working/dithering on for some time. I promise I'll share it soon.

For the past 48 weeks, I have posted a map to this here blog, every week, without fail. The maps sometimes don't show up until Wednesday or Thursday, but they go up every week.

Let's talk about the maps for a bit. I started the Mini-Map Monday thing for a couple of reasons. First, I like making maps, and I wanted to share them. Second, and I'll be honest, it was a means of self-promotion and trying to build my rep in the RPG community. But mostly, it was an exercise in discipline. One of my long-standing personality quirks is getting things started and getting things done. It's a fear thing, honestly, and it's dogged me my entire life. With Mini-Map Mondays I said to myself. “Look, JB, let's start small. Maps. Little maps you can bang out in 15 minutes. If you can do that every week without fail, then that's a seed you can grow from. Work up from there.”

So it's been almost a year since I started the map project, and it's worked exceptionally well. I am producing something every week, and that's key. Constant production helps stave off depression and misery, and it's been a boon. From the feedback I've gotten, people seem to actually like the maps, too. Thank you, everyone, for your support.

My Plans for 2014

My wife bought my this banjo a couple of years ago. I swore I'd learn to play it in 2013, and I didn't. Let's see if I can fix that this year.

Get this dank basement wrangled back into a functional office and creative space. More lights, more houseplants.

Hobomancer Companion is in layout right now, so that will be out soon. A good way to start the year!

I have a sword & sorcery mini-RPG I've been fiddling with for over a year. Let's see if I can get that out sometime this year.

For Hex Games, I have plans for a non-historic caveman supplement for QAGS. The ideas are still brewing, but it's the project I want to get our for Hex this year.

More maps!

Comics! Oh, this is the big one. I haven't talked about it much here, but I have two web comics that I've abandoned--”Adventure Jeff” and “Legacy League.” My big goal this year is to get those back up and running. These are actually the projects that Mini-Map Monday was designed to prepare me for. Get them out each week, keep on producing. I'm very excited about it.

2014 will be a good year. I command it!

Lake of the Lava Lich [Mini-Map Monday]

In this tangled complex there lies a lake--a lava lake! And in this lake lives a lich--a Lava Lich!
The Lava Lich's mastery of pyromancy grants his undead minions a disturbing immunity to fire and flame, certain to give any would-be mummy-slayers a nasty surprise.

Mathematical Monastery [Mini-Map Monday]

The Mathematical Monastery is dedicated to the Lawful god of higher mathematics. The building was constructed by strict geometric rules based around the Holy Golden Rectangle. The inner-most chamber is a planar gate. Only those who walk through the monastery rooms in the proper geometric order may pass through the gate and into the god's realm of mathematical perfection.

Vault of the Hideous Brains

Those brains are bad...

Dreadmoss Caverns [Thini-Thap Thursday]

I've been violently ill for the past couple of days and wasn't able to do any map stuff. Allow me to fix that.

The Dreadmoss Caverns are a network of damp, natural caves thick with fungal growth and subterranean vegetation. Beastmen reside in the southern caves while Fishfolk make their lairs in the north. The two tribes constantly fight for control of the island in the middle of the underground river where stands an alien statue of unknown origin.

The Dwarven Still [Mini Map Monday]

Dwarves value their booze, and their breweries and distilleries are built like fortresses. Solid walls and mountain-side construction help protect the brewers from those who would steal the secrets of their stills.

Unfortunately, this particular still has been attacked by foul creatures from the Deep Down Below that dug their way up.