Aspects List

Aspects List

Aspects are a phrase, a quote, or a sentence that defines a truth about a character or a game truth in a number of games systems ranging from Risus, Fate, Houses of the Blooded, PDQ, Universalis, etc. This is a list of useful aspects that can be of use to narrators and players using these game system.

Advice for Good Aspects

• a good aspect should have both positive and negative elements
• a good aspect should be worded so that the player can invoke them for a bonus, and the narrator compel them for a fate point.
• a good aspect can reveal something that the character may not even know.

Character Aspects

Archetypes / High Concepts

For more information on some common archetypes, see Character Role Catalog.

• (Elvish) Archer
• Absent-Minded Savant
• Ace Reporter
• Alien Companion
• Amateur Sleuth
• Amateur Archeologist
• Amazon Warrior
• Anarchist
• Arcane Tinker
• Armchair Scientist
• Art Collector
• Artist
• Bad Boy
• Bad Girl
• Bard
• Believer
• Biker
• Bimbo
• Black Sheep
• Boisterous Barbarian
• Bored Aristocrat
• Brash Pilot
• Broker
• Brooding Swordsman
• Champion
• Civilized Barbarian
• Computer Geek
• Con Man
• Conspiracy Theorist
• Cowboy
• Dangerous Servant
• Dark Elf
• Dashing Officer
• Desert Nomad
• Devout Priest
• Drifter
• Dungeon Delver
• Eccentric Mentor
• Emo
• Ex-Soldier
• Ex-Space Marine
• Fae
• Femme Fatale
• Film-fan
• Flying Ace
• Friend of All People
• Gadget Guy
• Gadgeteer
• Gambler
• Gangster
• Geezer
• Gentleman Thief
• Girl Who Become a Boy
• Grizzled Police Detective
• Gruff Sergeant
• Grumpy (Dwarven) Warrior
• Gumshoe Detective
• He Who Is Foretold in the Prophesies
• Heir to the Throne
• Honorable Assassin
• Hot-Tempered Sorcerer
• Hustler
• Independent Wizard
• Independent Woman
• Innocent Farmboy
• Inquisitor
• Inscrutable Mystic
• Jack-Of-All-Trades Mechanic
• Jive-Talking Wizard
• Joker/Jester
• Jungle Lord
• Kid
• Knight
• Knight in Black
• Lady
• Likable Thief
• Loner
• Lord
• Lost Love
• Mad Scientist
• Magician
• Magus
• Man of Mystery
• Martial Artist
• Maverick Cop
• Mechanic
• Mercenary
• Mobster
• Musician
• Mysterious Gypsy
• Mysterious Stranger
• Nerd
• Network Hacker
• New Recruit
• Noble Savage
• Novelist
• Officer Fresh from the Academy
• Outdoorsman
• Parapsychologist
• Plucky Reporter
• Policeman
• Popular Girl
• Preppy Student
• Private Detective
• Prodigal Son
• Prophet
• Psychiatrist
• Psycho-analyst
• Quarterback
• Redeemed Hero
• Righteous Youth
• Roommate
• Sacrificial Virgin
• Salesman
• Scholar
• Scoundrel
• Seductress
• Shrewd Lawyer
• Silent Stranger
• Soldier
• Sorcerer
• Spitfire Tomboy
• Star-crossed Lovers
• Starship Captain
• Straight Talking Lawman
• Street Samarai
• Stuck-up Paladin/Knight
• Stupid Orcs
• Super Spy
• Temperamental Police Chief
• Texan
• Traveller in a Strange Land
• True Beauty
• Trusty Companion
• Two-Fisted Pilot
• Unconventional Genius
• Urban Villain
• Veteran
• Vixen
• Wise Old Man
• Wizard
• Young Hero

Beliefs, Convictions & Mottos

• A Good Day to Die
• A Worthy Foe Should Be Respected
• Alone, We Stand Together
• Always Strike First
• By Fidelity and Military Service
• Carrot, Not the Stick
• Chivalry Is Not Dead
• Conquer or Die!
• Contentment Is Preferable to Riches
• Dare to Fail, for It Is the Only Way to Truly Experience Success. ~ Matt Maresca
• Desire Is Tamed With a Kiss
• Do Your Duty, Happen What May
• Every Man, Woman and Child for Themselves
• Failure Is Not an Option
• Faith Demands Sacrifice
• Family Before All Others
• Fight First, Talk Later!
• First, Do No Harm
• Friendship Often Ends in Love; but Love in Friendship - Never
• Glory Is Forever
• Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That He Lay Down His Friends for His Life. ~ Jeremy Thorpe
• I Always Pay My Due
• I Am the Land
• I Have Killed Men for Less!
• I Wait
• I Want to Know
• I Want to Make a Difference
• I Will Have Vengeance
• I'll Be Back
• I'll Make Captain One Day
• Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge. ~ Albert Einstein
• It's Not the Size of the Dog in the Fight, but the Size of the Fight in the Dog. ~ Mark Twain
• It's the Last Inch That Counts
• Ladies First
• Liberty of Death!
• Life Is a Great Big Canvas, and You Should Throw All the Paint on It You Can. ~ Danny Kaye
• Life Is Either a Daring Adventure, or Nothing. ~ Helen Keller
• Live Life to the Fullest
• Mercy Has No Place in the Law
• My Favorite Dish Is Revenge
• My Weapon Is Myself
• Never Surrender
• Never Throw the First Punch.but Be Sure You Throw the Last.
• No Mercy, but No Cruelty
• No Reason Why We Can't Be Civilized
• Nobody else for the Job but Us
• Non-Traditionalist
• Nothing in Life Is Permanent
• Nothing Personal, It's Just Business
• One for All and All for One
• Only the Strong Are Fit to Rule
• People Need to Wake up!
• Politics Is My Favorite Game
• Precision Trumps Power
• Protect the Innocent
• Serve the Public Trust
• Speak Softly but Carry a Big Stick
• Stay Alive
• Subtlety Is Its Own Power
• Tears Are Not Enough
• Technology Is the Great Equalizer
• the Best Way out Is Always Through. ~ Robert Frost
• the Price of Glory
• the Road Is My Home
• the Snake Lurks in the Grass
• to Sacrifice Even Life to Truth
• Uphold the Law
• Virtue Despises Danger
• Wants to Live in Peace
• We Must Be the Change We Want to See in the World. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Disadvantages / Trouble / Consequences

• A Squirrel!
• Addicted to Speed
• Alone in a Crowd
• Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride
• Backstabber
• Been Here Too Long
• Broken Heart
• Brooding
• But for a Nail!
• By the Book? What Book
• Certifiably Nuts
• Caught Red-Handed
• Craves Control
• Curiosity Killed the Cat
• Dandy Living Rough
• Dark Past
• Day Dreamer
• Desperate
• Devoid of Magic
• Easy Mark
• Empty Inside
• Entertain Me
• Entitlement Complex
• Ever the Bridesmaid
• Everything Has a Price
• Faints at the Sight of Blood
• Fly by Night
• Folds Under Pressure
• Forbidden Tastes
• Generous to a Fault
• Guilty Conscience
• Gullible
• Haunted
• Haunted by Dreams
• He'll Eat Anything!
• Heir to a Terrible Secret
• Hermit
• Home-wrecker
• I Can't Get Involved
• I Don't Trust Me, and You Shouldn't Either
• I Get Paid to to Crazy Stuff
• I Hate the Outdoors
• I Have No Idea How Much I Don't Know
• I Want It Now
• I'd Take a Bullet for Xxx
• I'm Too Old for This
• Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop
• if One Is Good, Ten Is Better
• if Only I Had My Trusty Toolbox
• Impetuous
• in My Own Time
• in over His Head
• Indulgent & Indulged
• Infamous
• Insatiable Appetite
• Intolerant
• It Was Fine in My Workshop!
• It Wasn't My Fault!
• Ivory Tower
• Just a Poser
• Just Following Orders
• Just Use More
• King’s Wrath
• Knows Too Much
• Let Me See How This Works!
• Liar and a Cheat
• Loner
• Look, a Kitty!
• Loose Cannon
• Loyal to the Bone
• Loyalty for Sale
• Materialistic
• Math Is Hard
• Momma's Boy
• My Daughter Died in My Arms
• My Ex Drives Me Crazy
• Naïve
• Never Good Enough
• New in Town
• Obsessed
• Obsessive-Compulsive
• Obviously Landed on His Face
• One Step Behind
• Out of the Frying Pan...
• over My Head
• Overly Blunt
• Paranoid
• Perpetually Broke
• Picks Scabs
• Rude and Crude
• Scavenger
• Self-Destructive
• Shady Past
• Shattered
• Short Fuse
• Silver Spoon
• Snakes! Why Does It Always Have to Be Snakes!
• Snarl
• Something to Prove
• Soul of a Killer
• Stage Fright
• Sucker
• Sucker for a Pretty Face
• Sweet-Tooth
• Sweetheart, Would I Lie to You?
• the Awful Truth
• the Darkness Always Threatens
• They Can't Know I'm an Alien
• This Is Bigger Than I Thought
• Troublemaker
• Vagabond
• What I Wouldn't Give for Real Power
• Who Needs Backup?
• Why Won't You Die!
• Withdrawn
• Work in Progress
• Work Is a Four Letter Word!
• You'll Never Take Me Alive!

Dispositions

• A Fine Line Between Cynicism and Realism
• A Fistful of Truth
• A Girl in Every Port
• Approachable
• Art Is Pleasure
• Benevolent Dictator
• Born of the Storm
• Brother to All Who Know Me
• Calm in a Sea of Insanity
• Caution Above All
• Chance-Taker
• Civilized
• Cold As the Winter Wind
• Compassionate Heart
• Court Gossip
• Cuts It Close
• Cutthroat
• Dastardly
• Dead Calm
• Death Defying
• Defender of the Defenseless
• Devastating Glance
• Disciplined
• Dogged Dreamer
• Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down
• Fae-Touched
• Faith Fears Not
• Famous
• Fierce and Passionate
• Fiercely Independent
• Give the voters what they want
• Hard Boiled
• Hard Working
• Heart of a Saint
• Heart of Gold
• I Must Survive!
• I Neither Envy nor Despise
• I Succeed by Kindness
• Imposing Stare
• Intrepid
• Irreproachable
• Irritatingly Sunny
• Just Do the Job
• Keep It Simple
• Keep It Tidy
• Kind-Hearted
• Loner
• Marked by Destiny
• Muckraking
• Never Trust a Man
• Nosy
• Nothing Left to Lose
• Obsessed
• Office Gossip
• Overtime
• Plucky
• Poker Face
• Practical
• Pride Goeth Before Everything
• Privilege Makes Me Cynical
• Proud of My Heritage
• Pushed over the Edge
• Quick to Anger
• Quick to Love
• Quiet Confidence
• Reclusive
• Regal Bearing
• Respectable
• Ruthless Heart
• Salt of the Earth
• Scrappy
• Secretive
• Sense of Honor
• Shadowed Glare
• Slow to Forget
• Soft-Spoken
• Stone Cold
• Strength in Silence
• Stripper With a Heart of Gold
• Suspicious
• Take That, You Fiend!
• the More Thorny the More Fragrant
• Thick Skinned
• This Is My Post
• Tolerant
• Touched
• Troublemaker
• Twitchy
• Two-Fisted
• Uncivilized
• Undying Devotion
• Unflappable
• Unshakeable
• Wary
• Well-Mannered
• Wiseass

Expertise, Advantages

• A Cut Above the Norm
• A Fistful of Dollars
• A Name Within the Field
• Aikido Master
• Always Ready
• Amazonian
• Archer's Eye
• Artist's Heart
• At Home Behind the Stick
• Aura of Power
• Been Around a Long Time
• Been There, Done That
• Bend With the Wind
• Best Education Money Could Buy
• Beware the Wrath of a Patient Man
• Bookworm
• Born of Wealth
• Born to the Blade
• Cat's Eyes
• Chance Favors Only Those Who Court Her. ~ Charles Nicolle
• Competitive Athlete
• Cuts It Close
• Dead Sexy
• Death Defying
• Dogged
• Don't Judge Me by My Size
• Eavesdropper
• Elven Grace
• Engineering Prodigy
• Eureka!
• Expert Among Novices
• Eyes Wide Open
• Favorite With the Ladies
• First on the Scene
• From the Future
• For You Are With Me, Father
• Gearhead
• Gentle Touch
• Ghost Step
• Gimme a Minute
• Graceful
• Grease Monkey
• Great Expectations
• Hardy
• Hawkeye
• Heart of a Warrior
• Honest Eyes
• I Fear No Evil
• I Have a Bad Feeling About This
• I Just Happened to Be in the Neighborhood
• I Know a Way
• I Know What I'm Doing
• I Know Your Name
• I Need No Sword
• I Never Forget a Face
• I'll Never Talk
• I'm Going to Kill You Using Only My Left Thumb
• I've seen this before
• Icy Beauty
• in Acting Justly Fear No One
• In Shape and Ready to Play
• Inconspicuous
• Iron Will
• It Is Better to Know Some of the Questions Than All of the Answers. ~ James Thurber
• It Was Always in My Pocket
• It Would Take a Miracle
• Jane of All Trades
• Johnny on the Spot
• Knowledge Is My Shield
• Knowledge Is the Great Equalizer
• Knows the Names of Evil
• Leads the Hunt
• Let Me See How This Works!
• Look in My Eyes
• Lord of the Treetops
• Lord, Grant Me the Strength!
• Man of Two Worlds
• Man, That Is Going to Hurt Later
• Master of Blind Fighting
• Master of Innuendo
• Meticulous
• Midnight Eyes
• Motorhead
• Moves Like a Ninja
• Musician's Soul
• Natural Mechanic
• Neither Swiftly nor Slowly
• Nick of Time
• No Stranger to Pain
• No, You Do It Like This!
• Nose for Trouble
• Not Just a Pretty Face
• One With the Forest
• One Tough Customer
• Order out of Chaos
• Pack-Rat
• Plans Within Plans
• Political Survivor
• Power Behind the Throne
• Prefer the Honest to the Profitable
• Pride in Scholarship
• Pure Killing Machine
• Puts in the Long Hours
• Quick Witted
• Respectable Authority
• Ride It Down
• Rough & Ready
• Rugged
• Self-Sufficient
• Shiphead
• Silents As Midnight
• Silver-Tongued
• Sleeping Bear
• Social Chameleon
• Solution Oriented
• Something's Not Right
• Sorcerer by Nature
• Spokesperson
• Strange Intuition
• Strange Luck
• Street Smart
• Strong and Certain Grip
• Strong As an Ox
• Swordsman Without Compare
• Takes One to Know One
• That Is Not a Knife. This Is a Knife!
• The Pen Is Mightier then the Sword
• There is always more than meets the eye
• To Know How to Hide One's Ability Is Great Skill. ~ Francois De La Rochefoucauld
• Too Close to Call
• Touched by Magic
• Tough As Nails
• Two-Fisted
• Unremarkable
• Virtue for Its Own Sake
• Voice Like a Silken Strangling Cord
• Voice Like Silk
• Wait, Try This...
• Was This What You Needed?
• Weapons Master
• Well-Known
• Well-Schooled
• Well-Travelled
• While I Have Breath I Have Hope
• World Traveler
• You Can't Be Expected to Understand
• You’ll Never Get Past Me!

Friends, Family, Help

• A Mighty Fortress Is My Home
• Apprentice of ...
• Buddy of ...
• Chosen of ...
• Co-Worker
• Devoted Servant of ...
• Elf-Friend
• Ex-Operative of ...
• Former Cultist
• Former Reporter
• Friend of the Beasts
• Friend of the Family
• Friends in Dark Places
• Friends in Low Places
• Hidden Crush
• I Know Just the Guy
• I'm a Member of ...
• "I Get by With a Little Help From my Friends" ~The Beatles
• Made Man
• Manfred, Save Me!
• My Old Friend, ...
• Network of Spies
• Never Without My Minions
• Nobody Beats up My Sister but Me!
• of the Xxx Family
• Pawn of ...
• Raised by ...
• Reminds You of Your Uncle
• Secret Crush
• Unspoken Love
• War Buddies
• Yeah, I Know Him

Enemies & Foes

• ... Killed My Family!
• Betrayed by ...
• Haunted by ...
• Hunted by ...
• Jealous Ex-...
• on the Run from ...
• Rival to...
• Sworn Enemy of ...
• Vendetta With ...
• Won't Rest Until ...

Gear

• Ancient Sword
• Deathbed Legacy
• I Have My Father's Sword
• I Have My Mother's Diaries
• Import/Export Business
• My Pa's Old Six Shooter
• Secret Lair
• Serendipity, Space Freighter
• She's the Fastest Ship on the Rim

Questions

Some good questions to ask:

• Death to ...
• I Hate ...
• I Intend to ...
• I Know in My Heart ...
• I Love ...
• I'll Make My Name by ...
• More than Anything I Need ...
• My Most Immediate Concern ...
• Sworn Enemy of ...
• Wants to Be ...
• ...Must Die!

Compellable Scene Aspects and Consequences

• The obvious

Guards

• Alert
• Bad-Tempered
• Drowsy
• Drunk
• Happy
• Naïve
• Sleepy
• Tense

Visibility

• Blinding
• Dark
• Foggy
• Hazy
• Obscured
• Poorly-lit
• Shadowy
• Smoky
• Well-Lit

Terrain

• Broken
• Cluttered
• Cramped
• Fragile
• Low Ceiling
• Overgrown
• Obscured
• Noisy (dry leaves)
• Rough
• Ruined
• Slick
• Slippery
• Tangled
• Uneven

Situation

• Alarmed
• Alarm Ringing/Tripped
• Broken Open
• Crowded
• Collapsing
• Exposed to the elements
• Gloomy
• Locked
• Near riot
• Noisy (concert, machinery)
• Off-Balance
• On fire
• Poor-Quality
• Patrolled
• Shoddy craftsmanship
• Something's not right
• Too quiet
• Trapped
• Under (gun) Fire

Rural

• Obscuring crops
• Muddy fields
• No cover
• Growing wheat
• Corn maze

Urban

• Overwhelming stench
• Packed crowds
• Reflected glare
• Heavy traffic
• Excessively loud

Airborne

• Turbulent
• High winds
• No winds
• Cross winds
• Cloud cover
• Raining
• Freezing
• Lightning storm
• Unsteady (footing, piloting)
• Don't Look Down
• Tight formation

Seaborne

• Crashing waves
• Choppy seas
• Tossing and turning
• Red skies
• Rocking boat
• Circling sharks
• Thick Fog
• Salt spray
• Becalmed
• Smooth waters

Weather

• Morning
• Midday
• Evening
• Night
• Full Moon
• Half Moon
• New Moon
• Scorching hot
• Hot and humid
• Chilly
• Below freezing
• Arctic cold
• Blazing sun
• Partly cloudy
• Overcast
• Gloomy
• Misty
• Foggy
• Humid
• Breezy
• Windy
• Gale force winds
• Blowing debris
• Sprinkling
• Raining
• Heavy rain
• Torrential downpour
• Hailstorm
• Light flurries
• Snow cover
• Blizzard
• Black Ice
• Flooding
• Blowing dust
• Sun in your eyes
• Thunderstorm

Dungeon

• Uneven footing
• Difficult to see
• Maze-like
• Poorly lit
• Scattered old bones
• Trickling water
• Collapsed Corridor
• Unnatural Light
• Ancient Runes
• Flora growing through cracks
• Secret Passages
• Littered with Traps
• Dust-filled
• Crumbling Stone
• Unending Stairway
• Light From Outside
• Terrible Odor
• Sounds of Underground Lake
• Scurrying Creatures
• Ancient Murals
• Endless Chasm
• Walls Closing In
• Low Ceiling
• Busted Statues

Compellable Situational Aspects

These are temporary aspects, typically used in situations of combat or conflict, often with a single use that goes away after being invoked or compelled . In Fate, these are often the consequence of Shifts or Boosts

Physical

• Backlit
• Blinded
• Blocked
• Blood in my eye
• Clogged
• Clumsy
• Cluttered…
• Congested…
• Covered
• Covering fire
• Cross Fire
• Disarmed
• Dropped weapon
• Cramp
• Jammed…
• Fallen
• Fumbled…
• Grappled
• Hail of bullets
• Head start
• Held
• Hemmed in
• Hidden
• In the shadow of…
• In my sights
• Locked down
• Momentum
• Numb
• Opportunity fire
• Pinned
• Prone
• Restrained
• Sand (mud) in eyes
• Shortcut
• Slipped
• Staggered
• Stumbling
• Tripped up
• Weakened
• Upright
• Unbalanced
• Under cover

Mental

• Absentminded
• Aware
• Confident
• Disoriented
• Distracted
• Dazed
• Dizzy
• Enraged
• Escape Route
• Hasty
• Hesitant
• Inattentive
• Looking the wrong way
• Lost
• Overconfident
• Scared
• Shaken up
• Shocked
• Spotted
• Staggered
• Startled
• Stunned
• Stupefied
• Surprised
• Unaware

Social

(These are for non-combat conflicts. Many of the mental apply here also)

• Amazed
• Astonished
• Astounded
• Bowled over
• Confounded
• Dumbfounded
• Dumbstruck
• Flabbergasted
• Flummoxed
• Floored
• Helpful
• Nonplussed
• Scandalized
• Speechless
• Talkative
• Taken aback
• Thunderstruck

Comments on Scene Aspects & Invokable Advantages

(from Google+ community by Fred Hicks)

So as I said before, the principle is specificity yields better traction. By getting more specific than the one-word or short-phrase aspect, you've got more pieces-parts for folks to grab onto, more of a "spin" provided to the scene. There's nothing particularly wrong with the one-words; they're flavorless, but they're fast, and sometimes you want speed.

But some flavor can often be added simply by looking at the one-word and then asking "so... why?" -- and then incorporating the answer into the aspect name. This can take them beyond a single axis of application... which is good.

Quickly-written suggestions follow.

• Aspects on the scene:*

Alert (as in guards): Sharp-Eyed Guards; So Quiet You Could Hear a Pin Drop; No Gaps In Guard Rotation; They've Doubled Their Personnel

Poorly-Lit: Vague Shapes Hidden In Fog; Sparsely Placed Torches; Dark Deals, Dark Shadows; Murder in the Murk

Slippery: Ground Moves Underfoot; Can't Find Your Feet; Covered In Slick Ice

Noisy: Can't Hear Yourself Think; Constant Hum of Machinery; Loud Cheers and Angry Jeers; Jet Engines All Around

Windy: Gale Force Winds; Gusts Howling Through Narrow Streets; Wind-Whipped and Bitter-Chilled

• Aspects of advantage:*

Covered: Hidden Behind Ragged Chunks of Wall; All Exits Watched; Claimed the High Vantage Point

Blocked: Shield Wall Erected; A Punishing Gauntlet Awaits; None Shall Pass!

Shaken: Lost His Nerve; Broken Morale; Undermined Confidence; Can't Tell Which Way Is Up

Spotted: Caught Red Handed; Stuck Out In The Open; Painted by Laser Targeting; Center of the Bulls-Eye

Astonished: Rendered Speechless; Everything You Knew Was A Lie; Blind-Sided and Wide Open