Author Topic: Chain Compels  (Read 3936 times)

Offline Selrach

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Chain Compels
« on: November 12, 2010, 06:05:42 AM »
Interesting mechanical idea I have been kicking around for a while. What if you structured your aspects and the associated compels to all logically link together in a chain. That is to say if one aspect is compelled and then logically all the others would have to be compelled in turn as they would lead into one another.  Not a very long lived character in a campaign I would think but it is something I think sounds very interesting in theory.

Any idea what that chain of compels could be or thoughts on the subject?
« Last Edit: November 12, 2010, 06:08:32 AM by Selrach »
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Offline MyNinjaH8sU

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2010, 02:22:36 PM »
I think this is a good way to give a GM an aneurysm, but that said:

High Concept: Wandering Luchador
Trouble: Easily Offended
Other Aspects: No Build To Anger, Them's Fightin' Words, "To The Pain", Put Them Out Of Their Misery, "I Ever Tell You 'Bout That One Time?"

How's that?

Offline Selrach

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2010, 03:36:16 PM »
Nice that's exactly what I was thinking of. The compels have to continue from the top down or else you get stuck in a loop. That's perfect and hilarious.  Thanks.
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Offline Lanodantheon

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2010, 04:03:05 PM »

In Fate games you're not supposed to chain compel I thought.

Aspects have to be able to be compelled separately and can't repeat themselves. How would you compel, "Them's Fightin' Words" Without compelling "Easily Offended" or "No Build to Anger"?

In the context of a story, it also leads to characters that are 1 dimensional or 1 note.
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Offline MyNinjaH8sU

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2010, 04:24:55 PM »
I would never play this character or advocate anyone do that. I just responded to the beginning of this thread, cause it sounded fun.

On another note, a friend of mine and I have talked about playing a tag team of Mexican Luchadores, whose aspects are all two parts of a tag move: a set up and a take down, but all with descriptive names, so that they could be used for other things.

Really, this was born out of a desire to imagine the look on a Red Court Vampire's face when being taken down by a couple of masked Luchadores.

Offline sjksprocket

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2010, 04:37:09 PM »
It's an interesting concept. One that, being new to fate (still reading the book), is something I never really thought about. It's something I'm going to have to decide one way or another if i like or not, but at least something that I can keep my eye out for.
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Offline Selrach

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2010, 05:35:36 PM »
Yes as I stated at the start of this thread it was more a theoretical exercise. Playing a character bound by a chain of compels would be almost the same as playing a character with a negative refresh(which is of course not possible). I posted this topic not because I wanted to play a character like this but more because I wanted to see if it was possible.
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Offline Lanodantheon

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2010, 06:59:18 PM »
Ahh.... I see. Theoretical exercise.

Yes. you'd end up with essentially a Negative Refresh Character with a license to print Fate points in specific situations.
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Offline ironpoet

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2010, 07:00:25 PM »
I'm not sure I fully understand what you mean by a "chain of compels".  From the example given, one Aspect doesn't lead to another.  Rather, you just have a ton of nearly identical Aspects.

I'm not knocking the idea.  I just think that I'm missing something.

Offline deathwombat

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2010, 09:24:17 PM »
I'm more interested than the luchadore idea concept......
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Offline Selrach

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2010, 10:12:58 PM »
Ahh.... I see. Theoretical exercise.

Yes. you'd end up with essentially a Negative Refresh Character with a license to print Fate points in specific situations.


Congrats you grasped half the purpose for this thread. My line of inquiry has been answered and I agree with deathwombat that the idea of a luchadore would be an interesting concept. Would he be trained to fight supernatural creatures?
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Offline Becq

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2010, 10:36:00 PM »
So basically, if the character was slighted (or perceived some slight), he could go apeshit on the instigator and claim seven self-compels in so doing?

Ok, but you'd want to change the High Concept to something along the lines of "Highly-Upsetable Wandering Luchador" to get the seventh self-compel.

Offline Ochosi

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2010, 01:49:26 AM »
So basically, if the character was slighted (or perceived some slight), he could go apeshit on the instigator and claim seven self-compels in so doing?

More likely than not, if he was slighted a NPC would recognize his massive weakness and maneuver the PC into a position where he ends up serving prison time, or worse. Given a GM and a group that is willing to allow for at least some logical consequences for behavior, such a PC would end up in the same position as a tough mook: face down, with a full set of Fate points. We had that happen before; though the game was very breezy and cinematic, Doctor Crazypsycho was takÅn out halfway through the first scenario, and the second guy to try it (for the lulz) hit new character time even faster. Funny as hell, though.

Consider: a typical criminal profile is a guy with poor impulse control, easily angered, insecure, }ith the need to boast. One concludes that the people with the most Fate points in reality are wearing orange jumpsuits. . .

Offline luminos

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2010, 05:06:26 AM »
I'm not getting it.  The example luchadore wouldn't be chain compelled.  I'd compel one of his aspects, and if playing out the compel meant that he touched on his other nearly identical aspects, then so be it, but he doesn't get extra fate points for it.
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Offline Selrach

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Re: Chain Compels
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2010, 04:15:55 PM »
I agree that Easily Offended and Thems Fighting Words are very similar aspects but I think the others are seperate enough to merit their own compels.  The first two force him to fight and the others define his actions during and after the fight.

Really this is  a pointless arguement because the validity of the compels is up to the GM and the group. I don't really see what's the big deal. Yes, a chain compelling charcter would  have a stack of FP a mile high in one session but he would have a hard time using them unless he just buys out of the subsequent compels. In the next session the GM could easily have an NPC discover the PCs lack of impulse control and there you go problem solved. Or just do not let anybody try this theoretical idea and problem solved.   
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