Here is a trouble that should work.

"Always looking for the next big thing"

It will can pull you into all sorts of trouble store wise or adventure wise.




edited: Added Added always to the beginning of the Aspect.

I apologize to anyone whom I've offended by the tone of my earlier statements, I'm not trying to be a rules lawyering, confrontational nitpicker.  When my players ask me how the game works and I don't have a cogent answer it doesn't come across well, so I want to get this kind of thing nailed down hard.  That sounds odd for a supposedly free form narativist game, but there's a fair bit of hard rules in these books, and not all of them are explained clearly (at least that I notice right away).

I agree with you, I come here often and ask lots of corner case questions. I am not trying to be a jerk, but I am trying to craft questions that will solidify subjects that are not clear in my head. I come from years of D&D, and Gurps playing, so I am used to hard fast rules with clear answers.

To me, FATE games cross the line between narrative centric games and mainstream "traditional" games. So far I love the way it works, but it does require much more reading and rereading than most games I own.

I have recently started reading the Spirit of the century SRD and I find that it helps a lot. Those rules seem to be stated more concisely that the Dresden Files rule book. Use caution doing this because they are not 100% the same. But I do find it a valuable resource.

So how many declarations do you allow a player to make.  I had a case where the player wanted a large object to hurl at an opponent, first she tried for a window washing scaffold when that failed, she tried for a trash can, then a newspaper stand.

Does anyone limit the number declarations a player can attempt. I can understand that these are not PC actions and thus should not take time, but if you allow infinite attempts why roll at all? Just give it to the player.

JesterOC

How about this, don't mark up the dice and do the following.

Need three colors for dice.
Cautious dice: Plus = 1/2, Minus = -1/2 (Round down after all dice added)
Standard dice: Read these as normal
Wild Dice: Plus = 2, Minus = -2, Blank = -1

Let the player decide which dice to use for each throw.

For instance they can use 3 standard and 1 wild, or 2 cautious and 2 standard. What ever they feel like and have them roll the dice.

Ranges:
All Cautious:  +2 to -2
Standard: Normal  +4 to -4
All Wild:  +8 to -8

That way you can use the system with anyone's dice (I don't like the idea of marking up my Fudge dice).

BTW the math of this is not my forte so I wrote a little program to sort this all out (spent too much time on this.. must sleep)
If anyone wants to tinker with this idea and wants a quick and dirty little java tool with no UI here it is.

Bottom line, is that wild in this incarnation, will likely hurt you more than help, but it can pay off big if you are praying to the gods of chaos to save you.

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Random;


public class test {

/**
* @param args
*/

protected static HashMap<Integer, Integer> theMap = new HashMap<Integer, Integer>();
static Random randomGen = new Random();
public static void main(String[] args) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
double result =  0.0;
String dieUsed = "WWWW"; 
for(int i=0;i<100000;i++){
int dieResult =getResult(dieUsed);

            // Check if word is in HashMap
            if (theMap.containsKey(dieResult)) {
                // get number of occurrences for this word
                // increment it 
                // and put back again 
            theMap.put(dieResult, theMap.get(dieResult) + 1);
            } else {
                // this is first time we see this word, set value '1'
            theMap.put(dieResult, 1);
            }
}
ArrayList<Integer> values = new ArrayList<Integer>();
values.addAll(theMap.values());
        int last_i = -1;
 
        for (Integer i : values) {
            if (last_i == i)
                continue;
            last_i = i;
            for (Integer s : theMap.keySet()) {
                if (theMap.get(s) == i)   
                    System.out.println(s + ":" + i);
            }
        }
System.out.println("Done");
}
protected static int getResult(String dieUsed){
int result = 0;
double temp = 0.0;
for(int i=0;i<dieUsed.length();++i){
if( dieUsed.substring(i, i+1).contains("S")){
temp += (double)getStandardFudge();
}else if( dieUsed.substring(i, i+1).contains("C")){
temp += (double)getCautousFudge();
}else if( dieUsed.substring(i, i+1).contains("W")){
temp += (double)getWildFudge();
}
}
result = (int)temp;
return result;
}
protected static int getStandardFudge(){
double next = Math.random();
int intResult = (int) (next*3)-1;
return intResult;
}
protected static double getCautousFudge(){
return getStandardFudge()/2.0;
}
protected static int getWildFudge(){
int standard = getStandardFudge();
if( standard == 0){
standard = -1;
}else if( standard == 1){
standard =2;
}else{
standard = -2;
}
return standard;
}
}


Thats why I brought this up, I think the effect of the potion affects the difficulty.

To come up with a difficulty number the GM has to ask himself what level of power or expertise would be required to accomplish the task.

The difficulty of the task is related directly to how the task is being overcome. For example you have a massive solid steel door that has an electronic lock on it.

The lock would require a Dif rating of +4 to pick
The door would require a Dif rating of +12 (its THAT huge).
A Fey would be required have a dif rating of +22 (its THAT steely!)

I propose that the same is true for magic potions and other spells, they change the nature of the task, and thus if crafted correctly, the difficulty could be effected!

However if you used a potion to make you stronger, and you wanted to bash it in, then it just adds to your shifts as you describe.

Damn I noticed that this really does not relate to your question directly. But since I wrote it all, and it could be useful, I'm posting it anyway.  
In this I discuss the mechanics of the escape potion and how to apply it in game (because it was not obvious to me either).

Potions are specialized Thaumaturgical spells at the strength of your Lore.

The escape potion was detailed mechanically on page 281. In this case it was shift (power) 5 thaumaturgy spell that lets the user act as if they rolled a 5 (because it was power 5) to cross a barrier to another zone. It also allows passage through impassible barriers.

This example is a great one because it hinges on a very tricky concept for thaumaturgy. In fact it is one of the most oddball rule in a rpg I have every read.  It is the kind of thing that when I read it as text I said.. OK fine I get it, but when time came to actually use it in play, I said "whaaaa?".

So a barrier Superb +5 is indicates that a being of masterful capacity, or the combination of extreme talent and good training should be able to accomplish the task. At the same time, you can do the impossible. Whaaa?  So you have to ask yourself.. if it is possible escape through the cracks around a door, how hard would that be. How about how hard would it be to escape through an electrical fence by going through it, flying over it?

I would approach it this way (but it may be "wrong" so please anyone correct me if you disagree). If the description of the effect appears to circumvent the normal concept of impossible, assign a difficulty based solely on how possible it seems given the current effect.

For example the potion of escape we will imagine that the description of the potion is that you dissolve into mist and are allowed to move in mist form for one exchange.

Situation 1: Need to get through a wrought iron fence. How hard would it be for mist to get through a wrought iron fence. It is trivial, barrier level 0.
Situation 2: Need to get through a electric fence. Well there is a possibility that the electricity might arc through you under the right conditions. So the barrier is strength 2.
Situation 3: Need to get through a electric fence and there are 50 mph winds blowing all over the place. You figure that it will require great skill to keep your form in these conditions. So the barrier is strength 5.

Hope this helps even if it is a bit off topic.

Edit note: I changed the Barrier level in the first situation to 0, for some reason I thought that it had to be a minimum of 1.

We recorded the 1st roleplaying session for our group (Guild of Geeks Dresden Files group http://www.rpgmp3.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=65 ) It should be out in a week or so. It all depends upon how quickly our DM can get the files edited and up the rpgmp3.com. He is a very busy fellow so I can't give you a hard and fast rule of when it will be up.

Also you have to realize we are new to the game too, and we are figuring it out as well. I think it would be good to listen to all of the actual play groups available so you can get an idea of how YOU want to do it.

JesterOC