Assessments & Declarations using Resources

[GamingInSeattle]

Good afternoon all!

More questions from a new GM.  I recently sat down with a player whose character that has a Resource of Great (+4).  She wanted to know what she could do with Resources as it seemed limited in use.  We ran some scenes to explore this and I'd like to get your opinions on what followed.

ASSESSMENTS

My understanding: Assessments are investigatory in nature and as such primarily rely on investigation skills but can be affected by other skills. Secondary skills can Modify (+1/0/-1), Help (0/+1) or Hinder (0/-1) depending on how they rank compared to the primary skill.

Assessments are uncovering Aspects or Details that already exist on the NPC or Scene in question (use Aspects if success should give a future dice bonus).  You may roll below the target number and incorrectly now believe an Assessed Aspect/Detail exists when it does not.  The GM may determine an Assessment roll uncovers/creates an Aspect/Detail that they did not think about before but which makes sense to have.  Assessments generally take some time to finish.

Goal: Convince a reclusive retired Professor to let Lucy (the player character) make a copy of an old town map in his possession. 

Assessment using Resources:

1) Roll Investigation helped by Resources to research if the Professor has any monetary Aspects of note. (Well Off, In The Hole, Gambling Problem, etc). Use Professor's Resource Skill as the target #.
2) Roll Empathy modified by Resources to talk with the Professor and see if he has any monetary Aspects of note. (Missing The Good Life, Supporting His Nephew, etc).  Roll is contested by the Professor's Presence.

DECLARATIONS

My understanding: Declarations are a specialized form of Assessments.  They are used to create Aspects or Details (Use Aspects if success should give a dice bonus) that did not previous exist in the story but are convenient and not game breaking or outlandish.  You make Invoke for Effect and offer the GM a Fate Point instead of rolling a skill.  The GM make take it and accept the Declaration or deny it and ask you to roll.  GM's may also Veto Declarations if they feel it's too out of place or overpowered.

Goal: Convince a reclusive retired Professor to let Lucy make a copy of an old town map in his possession. 

Declaration Examples:

1) Roll Resources to Declare the Professor is looking for a Patron to support his research during his retirement. Target number is Mediocre (0) because this Declaration would be interesting, have an interesting consequence if acted on and provides a specific and interesting course of action (pg 313 YS)) Aspect created would be Seeking A Patron.

2) Roll Resources to Declare the Professor has an expensive hobby the player shares.  Target number is Great (4) because this Declaration is Interesting, does not have interesting consequences if acted on and doesn't provide a specific and interesting course of action.  Aspect created would be Enjoys Sailing.

I'd like to get your thoughts on using Resources this way.

~ GIS

[Taran]

Those look fine.  I especially like Declaration 1...since it can lead to further stories in the future.

Another way is to use it as a social maneuver or attack to convince the Professor to sell you the map. 

Depending on how you set up the conflict, you could decide that the Professor needs money and that a resource roll of +'X' will convince the Professor to sell it.

Or, as part of a social conflict, the player could use resources instead of rapport to attack or maneuver the professor.

Depending on the goals of the Professor and the player, Resources could act as the primary social skill(if money is the main theme of the conflict) or it could modify Rapport, or it could be used for a singular roll.

As far as generic resource usefulness, it's great for declarations to 'just happen to have' stuff when you need it.  I had a character with the Filthy lucre stunt and maxed Resources and it, often, came in handy to have expensive stuff on hand.

"Oh, we need a car?  Yeah, let's go to my garage - I have 3 cars."

"We need walkie-talkies?  Sure, give me an hour and I'll get us some good ones."  I didn't even need to roll half the time.

It helped that I had an aspect relating to the fact that I was filthy rich.

[Amelia Crane]

My first DF character had Resources 5 and the aspect "Unusual Resources".  I found it quite useful.  Sure, you can use resources to buy people off when that comes up.  I don't know that you would even have to make the initial declaration with the Resources skill.  It should be doable with Empathy or Investigation too.  But that turns it into a problem that Resources can handle with a simple roll.  I was also able to kit out my whole group with custom body armor and weapons depending on the foe we were facing.  And it can pretty much be used as a substitution for any skill if you use it to hire someone specialized at that skill.

[Troy]

I think the tone of your game and the genre make a huge difference (as with all thing Fate) -- it's the context of the game, the PCs, situations, and their aspects.

The PC Bruce Wayne can make a lot of out-of-left-field Declarations with his Resources that the PC Harry Dresden might not even consider.

[Jreafman]

I think the tone of your game and the genre make a huge difference (as with all thing Fate) -- it's the context of the game, the PCs, situations, and their aspects.

The PC Bruce Wayne can make a lot of out-of-left-field Declarations with his Resources that the PC Harry Dresden might not even consider.

I think that would be part of his aspects too... "I've got a gadget for that..."