Fate of the Dragon Riders

Summary

• Recruitment Thread

A game based on Fate Accelerated by Evil Hat Productions centered around the concept of dragon riders, loosely inspired by the Council of Wyrms campaign setting from the 2e D&D era.

Game Setup

rory proposed several possible modes of play:

1. Players run a PC. Whether a dragon or a bonded symbioid, players create a single persona who fits in the setting. With an even distribution of players, each participant can play one half of a bonded pair (but wouldn't have to). Dragons will be big and one-sided forces of nature. Their diminutive counterparts will be subtle and yet highly skilled. There's plenty for everyone to do. With an odd number of players, one of the missing counterparts can be an NPC.
2. Players run Dragons. In a one PC/player scenario, all players create dragons. They are influenced by NPC riders bound to them for some important purpose. The NPCs create complications through their politics and machinations. Player dragons must act toward the greater good despite their limited but powerful dragon natures.
3. Players run Symbioids. Same as above, but players run humanoid companions to their bonded dragons and must control these terrible destructive engines for the greater good.
4. Players run two PC's. More interestingly, perhaps, but more involved, a player controls both a dragon and a bonded symbioid. Point of view shifts from scene to scene as the challenges of both dragon and rider are revealed. During important action sequences, rider and dragon team up to take action against terrific odds for the greater good.
5. Players run two cross-pollinated PC's. Same as above, but players would control one rider and (as Dagon suggested in his post) the bonded dragon of another player, generating some very interesting dynamics.

A combination of modes is also possible.

Rules and Rules Discussions

Dragons

Aspects.

• High Concept — includes breed, age, and temperament (Venerable Nihilistic Red Wyrm or Playful Juvenile Blue). Power facts attached to the aspect include the special sort of breath weapon, vulnerabilities or invulnerabilities. It is assumed that all dragons benefit from flight, are scaled serpents, have keen senses, are smart and strong, and have some means of communicating with others.
• Trouble — as per Fate’s rules, but specifically tied to a dragon, such as lust for wealth or narcissistic nature. Dragon troubles are, by definition, big.
• Rank — an aspect pertaining to your dragon’s rank or place within a brood or larger political alliance. Outside Looking Inside; Runt of the Litter; or Exalted Queen of the Silvers are some examples.
• Bond — an aspect that spells out the nature of a shared bond between the dragon and symbioid. This is a shared aspect, meaning the aspect is identical in both dragon and companion. Bonded pairs can share basic thoughts together when in the same area, and sometimes further. It could speak equally to the unique nature of their bonding as well as issues they might have, such as Tiny Father To a Gigantic Son, or The Third Bonding Is the Charm.
• Free Aspect — This could be anything. If the dragon has any specific abilities, such as psychic powers, magic use or the like, these should be spelled out in the aspect, perhaps coupled with power facts. Some exceptionally powerful stunts might require an aspect to justify an uncommon ability.

Approaches.

Distribute +3, +2, +2, +1, +1 among five of the following six dragon-specific approach types, selecting the most suitable adjective within each level:

• Majestic, Haughty, or Dreadful (Flashy)
• Ferocious, Mighty, or Stubborn (Forceful)
• Swift, Precipitous, or Impatient (Quick)
• Guileful, Cunning, or Sagacious (Clever)
• Sly, Devious, or Secretive (Sneaky)
• Enduring, Guarded, or Provident (Carefully)

Dragon approaches are much less universal than the standard ones for a good reason. Dragons are unstoppable siege engines of death and destruction. Their actions, therefore, are restricted by the limited possibilities dictated by their natures, oft marked by less positive approaches.

When assigning scores to each, pick which of the three among the near synonyms best describes your dragon. You may change these at minor milestones instead of re-writing an aspect or swapping a score or stunt, but you must always select from the closed collection of adjectives. Thus, all actions will be funneled through your choices. If a chosen action cannot fit within the scope of the six chosen approaches, the dragon must roll without a bonus.

Stunts.

Stunts work like standard Fate Accelerated. Use these to craft signature moves or fortes for your dragon, from impervious scale plating to powerful breath weapons to flying maneuvers. Really special moves should be designed as per the “once per session…” template. All dragons get 3 free stunts and begin with 3 refresh.

Samples:

• Noxious Cloud. Because I can spew forth a deadly miasma, I get +2 to guilefully create an advantage to represent a Deadly Cloud of Gas.
• Barrel Roll. Because I am very maneuverable in the air, once per session I can take a negative aspect placed on me like On Your Tail during a conflict and re-write it to my advantage, also stealing any free invokes that might still be attached.
• Impervious Scales. Gain an extra mild physical consequence.
• Ageless Wisdom. Because I am ancient and wise, I get +2 when I enduringly/providently create advantages when using knowledge to point out historical relevant facts during a debate.

Symbioids

Every dragon is bonded with a humanoid (usually) ally that acts as liaison, rider, and fellow combatant, often providing a balance of skills and powers external to the natures of dragonkind.

Aspects.

• High Concept — includes race, profession and another potential adjective (Wise Elvish Abjurer or Empathetic Human Orator). Power facts attached to the aspect may include types of magic utilized or particular racial advantages or disadvantages. It’s also assumed the symbioid will know at least the basics of dragon riding and care of large flying serpents.
• Trouble — as per Fate’s normal rules. It should be tied with something external to the symbioid’s relationship with the dragon, such as previous scars from events before bonding, a particular mortal frailty, or relationship to a rival or enemy.
• History — humans and other races are rigorously winnowed for exacting physical and mental traits that are matched to a specific dragon when the serpent comes to maturity. Often this means the symbioid is possessed of certain gifts that are in counterpoint to the more one-sided nature of dragons. This aspect may describe particular lessons of a joined symbioid’s past that have defined their particular dissemblance. Purveyor of Truth; Calm Impartial Rationality; or A Steady Hand and Stout Heart are good examples.
• Bond — as with dragons, this aspect spells out the nature of a shared bond between the dragon and symbioid. This is a shared aspect, meaning the aspect is identical in both dragon and companion. Bonded pairs can share basic thoughts together when in the same area, and sometimes further. See above for more detail.
• Free Aspect — This could be anything. If the symbioid has any specific abilities, such as psychic powers, magic use or the like, these should be spelled out in the aspect, perhaps coupled with power facts. Some exceptionally powerful stunts might require an aspect to justify an uncommon ability.

Approaches.

Distribute +3, +2, +2, +1, +1, +0 among the standard six approaches. Humanoids are generally much wider varied in their scope of thinking, action, and behavior than dragons. Thus certain tasks will always be more suitable for symbioids.

• Careful
• Clever
• Flash
• Forceful
• Quick
• Sneaky

Stunts.

Stunts work like standard Fate Accelerated. All symbioids get 3 free stunts and begin with 3 refresh.

Scale

Rather than use special scale modifiers, there are two levels for scale: dragon and person. During physical confrontations and some social ones, dragons can obliterate anything on the personal scale without effort unless the situation suggests differently through aspect justification or the like. Likewise, characters on the personal scale must have justification to affect dragons in a physical confrontation, otherwise they are simply powerless to harm all but the smallest of dragon hatchlings.

Characters on the personal level can band together to form units and armies that can interact on the dragon scale, but are usually weaker, statted as groups of mooks with limited modes of competence (good at (+2): siegecraft, tactics). Nonetheless, individuals might command units or provide teamwork bonuses to such units.

If characters at the same scale interact where something strongly suggests one side has a distinct advantage (a venerable wyrm against a juvenile dragon, for example), the GM can award one or more free invokes on the greater party’s high concept.

Working Together

The main advantage of pairing dragon with rider is that they will naturally be good at different things. Dragons will be the bashers and bunker breakers, while their human-sized counterparts may be diplomats, sneaky thieves, powerful magicians or nobles among men. Each will have its own unique role to play.

When paired, they can each perform separate actions, or provide teamwork bonuses to one another. They can do this whenever this makes sense. Furthermore, they can share their resources, including fate points, stress, and consequences when working together.

Initial Setting Thoughts

So far, to summarize, some ideas we have so far:

• World based on a post-apacolyptic fantasy setting where the great magical works of yore have disappeared
• Dragons need symbioid anchors to interact with the world (perhaps to avoid utter extinction)
• Avoidance of strict standard medieval fantasy tropes (maybe some real oddball mashups?)
• Avoidance of strict standard D&D dragons (no spell-casting as a default)
• Low magic (but maybe some alchemy?)
• Extensive wilderness, including inhospitable barrens and mountains
• Sparse population centers

The World of Tera-Erde