The Dark Heresy book points out that GMs can give permanent fate points for deeds they deem worthy, and restore spent fate points for in game actions or even "halfway" through a session. In my 40krpg campaigns, I've been pretty sparing with handing out permanent fate points (e.g. save a world from horrendous threat might do it) and have only occassionally thought to restore fate points in game. Just to note, my various groups of players haven't had to burn many fate points and several tended to "save" them, usually ending sessions with one or more. I've just started an ascension campaign, so there's no shortage of fate points in the party (at least to begin with ).

So how do you fine people handle fate points?

Basically everybody gets their fate points restred a the end of a session of play.

Permament fate points are awarded if the following condition is met 'If but for the PC's intervention a world and it's inhabitants (or equivilent of) would have been destroyed then the PC's can gain a fate point"

In addition fate points can be awarded if by the PC's efforts a major threat to the sector is defeated (i.e a particularly dangerous sorcerer or heretic) then I may award a fate point.

By the PCs efforts includes more than simply killing the guy but also tracking him down with only minimal assistance and also positioning things to minimise any future harm the threat can cause.

So far I have given fate points for:

-Preventing a major drug induced rebellion on a Hive world and destroying the traitor responsible

-Hunting down and destroying a rouge Ordo Scarius Inquisitor and foiling his plans to cull a portion of the Departmentum Munitoroium in the sector.

At the end of the entire first campaign arc at about rank 4, my players all got one for accumulated 'good deeds'.

Siranui said:

This is quite a good example. At the end of major campaign all players should get 1 Permanent FP. Some earlier (for some heroical deeds) some later. I myself did it in following manner: during last game session of last campaign adventure an ally of my acolites used the Martyrdom (from Blood of Martyrs) to finish off the deamon. By vitnessing such a miracle all acolytes with FP < 3 got 1 additional FP.

Some of the printed Adventures hand out fate points at the end of the chapters, Tattered Fates for example hands one out at the end of the Rd Cages and one at the end of the adventure.

Other Systems have similar mechanics to Fate Points, in Cult another dark and grim game called them Hero Points and they work in exactly the same way, so I've taken that approach, if my players do something truely Heroic (later I expect this to be truely Diabolical), something that Could change the fate of not only there lives but the lives of others, then I may award them one. I recently ran The House of Dust and Ash, They were awarded one at the End for a quick and decisive exit stategy, although that didn't stop them turning the end into a scene that would be more at home in a three stouges episode.

I've only ever awarded one... When the players thwarted a Chaos-induced rebellion on Ganf Magna by securing a daemon artifact (The Reliquary of the Red Angel) and killing a Bloodhound of Khorne, and the Rogue Psykers responsible for corrupting the peasants. They then, with the civil war stopped, commandeered the local PDF and waged war on a massive horde of Greenskins lead by genetically induced Wyrd-boyz (done so by the Logicians) and killed their Warboss and took down their minor Squiggoth with several RPG rounds thus preventing a far larger Waaagh! from entering the Sector...

Only then, did I award them a Fate Point!

'Fake' Points?

Personally I never restore burned points or give out new ones. The ability to cheat death two or three times in a lifetime is barely believable.

As for restoring spent points, once a session is more than enough to make a mockery of most so-called deadly combats.

I wouldn't mind seeing a seperation of permament and temporary fate points. It makes sense that a person should stay lucky untill their luck runs out and they die.

Insequential said:

I guess someone like Commander Dante started out with 20 or so...... :-)

I haven't yet awarded a single fate point and I won’t: I find myself on a position close to Insequential’s, "the ability to cheat death two or three times in a lifetime is barely believable".

And I also never allow my players to refill their spent fate points at the end of the session: they get all their fate points back at the beginning of a new adventure and have to let them last until the end of the adventure, be it five, ten or more sessions.

This way they’re more cautious using them and, when doing it, it really gives the feeling of something extraordinary happening.

By the way, until now my players haven't yet needed to burn a fate point in order to survive.

Berengario said:

So how would you consider a adeptus sororita? who can use fatepoints (both burn them or use them) to do their mojo? Their system is based upon the fact that they get their 'mojo' returned after every session, but in your campaign you would be heavily disouraged to play one. Or is that actually your point?

wolph42 said:

I wouldn't: no Sisters are allowed.

We (my players and I) agreed that we only use the core rulebook material with occasional additions from the other handbooks, each of whom has to be "approved": this means only the eight base classes are allowed. And it's going fine.

Quite the spread of opinion here. I didn't say it explicitly, but fate points are restored at the beginning of my sessions (except the burned ones of course). As I said, I rarely assign new fate points, as I see them as having to be earned by great or terrible deeds.

I've gotten an idea for a house rule on fate points which I've posted over in this thread .

Berengario said:

How? You must run games with very little combat or the players are lucky as hell.

If characters plan well and are decently equipped, it will take quite a lot to make them burn fate points. My magos militant only ever lost fate points in highly unusual circumstances, either insta-kill weapons or to avoid mental subjugation by xenos.

bogi_khaosa said:

Yes, I try both to keep combat to a minimum (ain't the acolytes working under cover?) and to encourage social interaction: and when my players come to harm's way...well, I think I am a bit too caring for their characters, for I try to avoid any encounter too deadly, unless they're doing something openly foolish.