Fate, the fiction-driven tabletop RPG by Evil Hat Games, has been a popular RPG for over nearly a decade since the definitive Fate Core edition was released in 2013. One of the 10 most popular RPGs of all time, Fate Core has a durable fanbase following its stunt and character driven system.
One of the popular features of Fate is its facility with quick-start adventures, allowing players and GMs to jump in and start playing with minimum preparation due to a zero-centered system and narrative sharing. DriveThruRPG.com paints a clear picture of the best-selling quick-start adventures for the Fate system. Most were published from 2014 to 2020 under the Fate Worlds of Adventure program and share a common focus, looking at familiar genres through a new lens.
10 Nitrate City Brings Monster Drama To Tinseltown
Nitrate City lets players inhabit roles that intersect film noir and classic monster movies. Once built, its characters are set loose down mean streets of film grain and cigarette smoke based on classic B-movies in the wake of World War II. The well-executed art adds layers to the game's theme as well.
A setting like this needs an equally sleazy villain; Evil Hat delivers. Sitting at the apex of the dark underworld of Nitrate City is the cunning, vicious Frankenstein’s Mobster, Victor Stitch. For those who like their urban fantasy flavored with film noir and the aesthetics of the late 40s, Nitrate City awaits.
9 Eagle Eyes Brings Film Noir To Ancient Rome
Another film noir-influenced Fate World of Adventure, Eagle Eyes engages the corruption and cynicism behind the “SPQR” of the Roman Empire. Released in early 2015, Eagle Eyes sends its player characters, neither tarnished nor afraid, down the mean streets of Ancient Rome.
Reskinning the versatile Fate Accelerated approach system, Eagle Eyes immerses the player in the Roman world from the first tally on their character sheet. This adventure is a must-play for fans of the system and for game designers looking for ways to make a game system feel tailored to its setting.
8 Save Game Protects The Digital World From Game Over
The 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph, the 52nd feature film in the Disney Animated Canon, was deeply influential to the genre. Taking the idea of the computer virus villains and making it a wider theme, Save Game explores classic video game tropes and infectious memes.
With the Glitch infecting the ancient heroes of the 8-bit era (or unreasonable facsimiles thereof), saving the electronic world falls to the players. Unraveling the mysteries of the Glitch and finding a way to put an end to it may be a job for an evening, or for a short campaign. Overall, Save Game is a fantastic homage to the modern world’s favorite hobby.
7 A Facsimile Of Death Brings A New Perspective
One of the few top-selling Fate adventures not published by Evil Hat, Gun Metal Games’ introductory adventure to the Interface Zero setting is a cyberpunk ride through death. An anonymous murder victim and a quest for justice are classic RPG tropes served up with verve and skill.
Set in a world of bribery and coverups, A Facsimile of Death starts with an investigation and tries to bring justice to the downtrodden. It may be Chinatown, but the party might not have the option of forgetting it.
6 Ghost Planets Represents A Grave Memento Mori
Combining Star Trek with its own inspiration, Forbidden Planet, the Ghost Planets World of Adventure is a gorgeous setting where the Fermi Paradox represents a Sword of Damocles dangling over the head of humanity.
With a galactic mystery holding the key to the survival of the human species, members of the Xenohistory Corps are tasked with a simple job. They must explore strange new worlds, seek out the remnants of old life, and find out why they died, so humanity doesn’t follow them. A dark space opera with a topical twist, Ghost Planets is simply haunting.
5 Gods And Monsters Gives Players The Chance To Be Gods
The nascent gods of a young and majestic world on the dawn of civilization are the subjects of Gods and Monsters. The campaign structure of Gods and Monsters creates a chronicle that can change the young world.
The creation of a new world is always a daunting task for GMs, especially when the world in the material itself is new and lightly detailed. But new worlds with light detail to be discovered through play are part of the theme of Fate, and Gods and Monsters plays this theme beautifully.
4 Aether Sea Brings Fate Adventures In Space
Aether Sea creates a familiar world of tall ships and iron spacemen. Based on the characters and tropes of modern role-playing fantasy, Aether Sea is a space adventuring universe that feels intimately familiar to players of the classic Spelljammer campaign setting.
Bringing a world of fantasy intrigue to the Fate tabletop while keeping things fresh and avoiding certain trademarks of a fantasy goliath is a daunting task. Challengingly familiar, Aether Sea represents the difficulty and rewards of playing in a familiar world for a new system.
3 Masters Of Umdaar Has The Power
Inspired by classic 80s shows like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Thundaar the Barbarian as well as modern reboots like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the retro-fantasy setting of Masters of Umdaar shows off the Fate RPG’s versatility.
Using the Fate dice (a specialized set of D6s printed with +, blank, and -), Masters of Umdaar creates a world of random detail like the TSR classic RPG Gamma World. A player who loves creating out-there, fantastical creatures to play, and amazing worlds to bring them to life, will feel right at home in this world.
2 Venture City Brings Supers To A Cyberpunk Fight
2014’s popular Venture City Stories led to the publication of the full-length Venture City hardcover in June 2016, expanding the quickstart to a full-length RPG setting. Venture City is a dangerous place where patron and enemy can be one and the same.
Combining the themes of traditional superheroes with those of movies like Robocop, Venture City creates a vivid "Superpunk" world in which cyberpunk corporations control the expression of superpowers. Its detailed superpower creation suite is also worth using even if the players prefer a more traditional four-color world.
1 The Secret Of Cats Brings Magical Realism To Role-Playing
One of the earliest games released in the Fate Worlds of Adventure program, The Secret of Cats is the cozy mystery of Fate worlds. The Secret of Cats is magical-realism game centered around cats secretly working to protect their humans.
With the enduring internet popularity of felines and a system encouraging off-the-wall thinking, The Secret of Cats is one of the most influential Fate adventures and encourages players to move outside the familiarity of anthropocentric role-playing. For those looking for a cat gaming fix while waiting for Little Kitty, Big City, The Secret of Cats may be just the ticket.