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-====== Consequences ======
-Stress is a transitory thing, but sometimes conflicts will have lasting consequences – injuries, embarrassments, phobias and the like. These are collectively called consequences, and they are a special kind of [[aspects|aspect]]. Any time a [[character]] takes stress, he may opt not to check off a box and instead take a consequence. If the character takes a hit which he doesn’t have a box for, either because it’s higher than the number of boxes on his stress track, or because it rolls up past his last box, the character must take a consequence.
-The exact nature of the consequence should depend upon the conflict – an injury might be appropriate for a physical struggle, an emotional state might be apt for a social one. Whatever the consequence, it is written down on the character sheet. Normally, the person taking the consequence gets to describe what it is, so long as it’s compatible with the nature of the attack that inflicted the harm. The Story Teller acts as an arbitrator on the appropriateness of a consequence, so there may be some back and forth conversation before a consequence is settled on. The Story Teller is the final authority on whether a player’s suggested consequence is reasonable for the circumstances and severity.
-Barring [[stunts]] which allow more, characters may only carry three consequences at a time, one each Minor, Major, and Severe. Each one can absorb a different amount of Stress and the more stress it absorbs the more dangerous the wording. //Bruised and Battered// (Minor -2) becomes //Flesh Wound// (Moderate -4) becomes //Bleeding to Death// (Severe -6). The highest consequence is an Extreme Consequence which is talked about more fully below.
-But here’s the thing about consequences being a special kind of aspect: As long as the consequences are on the character’s sheet, they may be [[actions#compelled]] or [[aspects#tagged]] (or invoked!) like any other aspect. This also means that opponents may start tagging those aspects pretty easily, since it’s no secret that the consequence aspects are now on the character’s sheet!
-===== Extreme =====
-An extreme consequence is considered a life-changing event and can absorb 8 points of stress. If the character takes an extreme consequence it also requires them to change one of their aspects to reflect the change and cannot change this aspect as long as the extreme consequence is not healed.
-//As an example if Tolack is hit by a lightning bolt that requires him to take an extreme consequence he could take the consequence as "Nerve Damage" then change one of his aspects to "The world feels dead to me" to reflect his loss of touch.//
-===== Taken Out =====
-If a character takes a hit and they cannot or reduce it to 0 stress, that character is taken out. The character has decisively lost the conflict, and unlike the other levels of consequence, his fate is in the hands of his opponent, who may decide how the character loses. The outcome must remain within the realm of reason – very few people truly die from shame, so having someone die as a result of a duel of wits is unlikely, but having them embarrass themselves and flee in disgrace is not unreasonable.
-The option to determine how a character loses is a very powerful ability, but there are a few limits on it.
-First, the effect is limited to the character who has been taken out. The victor may declare that the loser has made an ass of himself in front of the king, but he cannot decide how the king will respond (or even if the king was particularly bothered).
-Second, the manner of the taken out result must be limited to the scope of the conflict. After the victor wins a debate with someone, he cannot decide that the loser concedes his point and the loser gives him all the money in his pockets – money was never part of the conflict, so it’s not an appropriate part of the resolution.
-Third, the effect must be reasonable for the target. People do not (normally) explode when killed, so that cannot be a part of taking someone out. Similarly, a diplomat at the negotiating table is not going to give the victor the keys to the kingdom – that’s probably beyond the scope of his authority, and even if it’s not, it’s unlikely something he would give away under any circumstances. What he will do is make a deal that is very much in the victor’s favor and possibly even thank him for it.
-Lastly, players are not always comfortable with being on the receiving end of this and may, if they wish, spend all the fate points they have left (minimum one) and demand a different outcome, and the GM (or winning character) should then make every effort to allow them to lose in a fashion more to their liking. That said, if this is a real concern, the loser may want to concede somewhere before things reach this point (see Concessions).
-==== Cashing Out ====
-When a character has been taken out during a conflict they can "cash out" of that conflict. For each consequence they took during the conflict they get 1 [[Fate Points|Fate Point]].
-===== Concessions =====
-Before the dice are thrown a character can offer a concession and take themselves out. A concession is essentially equivalent to surrendering, and is the best way to end a fight before someone is taken out (short of moving away and ending the conflict). The character inflicting the damage can always opt to not take the concession, but doing so is a clear indication that the fight will be a bloody one (literally or metaphorically).
-The concession is an offer of the terms under which the character is taken out. If the concession is accepted, the conceding character is immediately taken out, but rather than letting the victor determine the manner of his defeat, he is defeated according to the terms of his concession.
-Many conflicts end with a concession when one party or the other simply does not want to risk taking moderate or severe consequences as a result of the conflict, or when neither party wants to risk a taken out result that might come at too high a price.
-===== Removing Consequences =====
-Consequences will fade with time – characters heal, rumors die down, and distance brings perspective. How long this takes depends upon the severity of the consequence, which in turn depends upon how it was received.
-Mild consequences are removed any time the character has the opportunity to sit down and take a breather for a few minutes. These consequences will last until the end of the current scene, and will usually be removed after that. The only exception is if there is no break between scenes – if the character doesn’t get a chance to take five, the consequence will remain in place.
-Moderate consequences require the character get a little more time and distance. A good night’s sleep or other extended period of rest and relaxation is required. Moderate consequences remain in place until the character has had the opportunity to take several hours (at least 6) of “downtime.” This may mean getting sleep in a comfortable bed, spending time with a charming member of the opposite sex, reading by the fire, or anything else of that ilk, so long as it’s appropriate to the consequence. An afternoon of hiking might be a great way to get past a Heartbreak consequence, but it’s not a great choice for a Bad Ankle.
-Severe consequences require substantial downtime, measured in days or weeks. Generally this means that such a consequence will linger for the duration of a session, but will be cleared up before the next adventure begins.
-If the character is in back-to-back sessions where no in-game time passes between them, such as in a multi-part adventure, he gets a break – any consequences he begins the session with are treated as one level lower for how quickly they’re removed.
-Some skills (such as [[Scholarship]]) and stunts (such as [[Endurance#stunts|Bounce Back]]) can also reduce recovery time, as described in their write-ups.
-===== Samples =====
-==== Minor (-2) ====
-  * Winded
-  * Tripped Up
-  * Momentarily Dazed
-  * Shaken Up
-  * Disorientated
-  * Bruised and Battered
-  * Winged by a Lucky Shot
-  * Shocked
-  * Speechless
-  * Taken Aback
-==== Moderate (-4) ====
-  * Punch Drunk
-  * Stunned
-  * Bleeding
-  * Can’t See
-  * Deafened
-  * Concussed
-  * Flesh Wound
-  * Sprain
-  * Painful Burns
-  * Traumatised
-  * Embarrassed
-==== Severe (-6) ====
-  * Broken Leg
-  * Broken Arm
-  * Bleeding to Death
-  * Collapsed Lungs
-  * Third-Degree Burns
-  * Mental Breakdown
-  * Humiliated
-  * Ostracised
-  * Hamstring injury
-==== Extreme (-8) ====
-  * Guts Hanging Out
-  * Nerve Damage
-  * Leg Off
-  * Throat Cut
-  * Skull Caved In
-  * Lungs Punctured
-  * Cut in Half
-  * Insane
-  * I Can Never Show My
-  * Face Again
-  * Exiled
-{{tag>fate rules}}