[RPG] If aspects are facts, are all facts aspects

aspectsfate

Or worded differently: once i establish longer-lasting facts through narrative or 'create an advantage', are they aspects beyond the scene? If PC finds an item, for example, or some character aspect should change in the light of the narrative because it is no longer true. If something about the character is established in the narrative, should it be part of that characters aspects?

Best Answer

The short answer is yes. It is because of the Bronze Rule i.e. the Fate Fractal on Page 270 of the Fate Core rulebook.

In Fate, you can treat anything in the game world like it’s a character. Anything can have aspects, skills, stunts, stress tracks, and consequences if you need it to.

The trick is to describe the elements you are dealing with in natural terms first. Look for logical subgroups or subelements. For example Super Porsche, a car with super tech, can be described as a character in its own right. In addition the Super Porsche's amazing engine can also be its own character.

Now you ask about aspects specifically. I like to think of aspects as packages. A package in a generic system (Fate, GURPS, Hero, Savage World) a bundle of traits (attributes, advantages, flaws, gifts, skills, etc) that describe an element of the setting. A campaign revolving around Navy Seals would have different packages for the different MOSs.

Now aspects in fate are natural language descriptions of some element in the setting. A Navy SEAL demolition specialist would have a demolition specialist aspect with benefits and limitations. A Super Porsche Amazing Engine would have an aspect of requiring Unobtainum as a fuel source with own attendant set of complications. The fact that a characters is from New York's Hell Kitchen can be an aspect with benefits and complications.

Remember per the Fate Core rules on page 56 an aspect is

An aspect is a phrase that describes something unique or noteworthy about whatever it’s attached to.

Unique or noteworthy is why you don't need to list every attribute or bit of information about a thing or character as an aspect. Only the things that are important to the campaign should be made aspects.