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Fate Core is the best, clearest version of the Fate system we've ever put forth. And in it, we try to explain things as much as we can, to get into the "why" when the page count allows for it. With Fate Core, we don't just want to teach people how to use the system -- we want to train the reader to "think like Fate" by the end of her read-through.
All the same, that has produced a 320-ish page book, over 80,000 words. Which is great! But it's also a lot of page count to tackle for folks who are looking to learn and start playing with the system as quickly as possible.
Fate is, at its heart, a simple system. So what happens if we aggressively strip Fate Core down, limiting the skill list to a small handful of broad approaches to problem-solving (e.g., Fast, Clever, Tough, Powerful, Sneaky)? What happens if we leave the "why" material for Fate Core, and instead focus solely on describing the basic procedures of play?
That's the idea behind creating the Fate Accelerated Edition (FAE). With FAE, we're looking to create a complete, roughly 32-page version -- a 90% reduction in size! -- of Fate, with an emphasis on starting play in half an hour, with rules that are accessible to beginners and veterans of nearly any age. This will be a version of Fate you can start playing with your kids early on, use to power your Fate-inspired LARP, use as another approach for introducing your group to the Fate system, or use as a light engine for one-shots, and so on.
Whoever you are, Fate Accelerated will be an easy bridge to cross to get into the wider play of Fate. Better yet, FAE will be completely compatible with Fate Core, enabling you to bring in the advice and system support from Core into any Accelerated game as you see fit.
Not everyone will want to approach Fate from a Fate-Core-first angle. So why make them? Accelerate Fate, and bring it to a wider audience of gamers old and new.
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