To make a skill check, roll 2d6+skill: for instance, the modifier for a Fair skill is +1, so for that skill you'd roll 2d6+1. The effects depend on the total rolled:

• 7 or less is a failure: things get worse for the character
• 8 through 10 is a partial success: the character gets some of what they want, but not all
• 11 or 12 is a success: the character gets what they want!
• 13 or more is an advanced success: the character gets what they want, and maybe more!

You can improve the results of a skill check in several ways. Characters have five fate points which they can use to power aspects. After a skill check, if you have an aspect that is related to the roll (for instance, a Master Thief aspect for a roll to sneak down a hallway), you can spend a fate point to tag the aspect and improve the effect of the skill check by one level (for instance, from a partial success to a normal success).

Not all aspects are helpful! Penalty aspects can be tagged by your opponent before you roll to give you a -2 on the roll. But any time after the first, your opponent has to pay you a fate point to tag the aspect.

The other use for fate points is to unlock techniques associated with your primary aspects. Techniques give you bonuses, negate penalties, or let you do things that would otherwise be impossible (like magic!). Once unlocked, they stay unlocked for the rest of the adventure and don't cost any more fate points to use. you can unlock a technique at any time, before or after a roll.

Instead of spending a fate point to help with a skill check, you can prepare help in advance with a maneuver: perform a skill check, and on any success you create a temporary aspect that can be used once for free (on a failure, you get a penalty aspect yourself instead).

Run out of fate points? Spend an in-game evening relaxing in a manner appropriate to the character — drinking, studying, gambling, meditating — and then restore your fate points to their original total.

In combat, depending on the situation you may be attacking or defending. When attacking, your skill check is to see how well your attack does; when defending, it's to see how completely you defend. If you successfully attack, your opponent takes damage, while if you unsucessfully attack or defend, you do. Each point of damage you take makes you fill up a stress box; if you need to fill up a stress box and have none available, you're out of the fight! You can also reduce damage by taking a consequence, but when you do, you gain a penalty aspect and can't use that consequence again for a while.

A lot of the time you'll be fighting groups of minions instead of named foes. Minions on their own aren't that dangerous but in a group they can overwhelm you: the modifier to defend (not attack) against a group of minions is (3 - the number of minions). Try to make a skill check to position yourself against a group so they can't all attack at once!

When you talk to someone, make a Community skill check. On a success, you (the player) can ask questions about their character's goals, motivations, or price. On a failure, they can ask you a question instead.