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Restrictions

Index | The Jackal Within? | Character Creation | Restrictions

Restrictions look an awful lot like what another game would call "Flaws" or "Disadvantages". They are things like "Arrogant", "Soft-hearted", and so on (a list for inspiration is at the bottom of this page). But most game systems give you a reward for your disadvantages up front, often in the form of character points. Here, we reward Restrictions only when they become relevant in play. Any time that you roleplay one of your characters Restrictions to significantly improve the story (usually by causing you a massive problem) you will receive a Fate Point, sometimes even more than one.

This solves two problems: First, it makes it impossible to rules-lawyer your Restrictions. In a traditional system you could say (for example) that your character was a womanizer, and get immediate benefit from that. But then if he had good in-game reasons for resisting a beautiful woman you would either have to disregard those reasons (and violate the subtleties of the character) or disregard the disadvantage (and risk angering your GM). In this system there's no such conflict: You've got the Restriction womanizer. If you choose to play it then you are rewarded. If you choose not to play it in a particular instance then there's no reward, which is also fine. A character who lives in a monastery won't get as many points from it as a character who leads an Amazon army. All of that is as it should be.

Second, it helps the players to do the things that are to their character's disadvantage. It's sort of like Scooby-snacks. Scooby Doo doesn't want to go into the haunted house, but if he's offered a Scooby-snack as a bribe he'll do it. Most players, even with an arrogant character, don't want to mouth off to the Emperor... but if they're offered a Fate Point as a bribe they'll be much happier about the prospect.

Suggestions for restrictions include: Arrogant, Reckless, Compassionate, Possessive, Trusting, Short-tempered, Sadistic, Treacherous, Honest, Loyal, Womanizer, Rebel, Gossip-monger, Bookworm, etc.