FATE Accelerated
This is the discount version of FATE that was published with FATE Core. It's available for free online along with the FATE Standard Reference Document (SRD). It's really FATE with less paperwork and less space for setting-relevant nuances.
Char gen
Character generation is three to five Aspects, ranking six predefined Approaches, and one Stunt. The Aspects are: high concept, trouble, one more aspect, and then zero-two more if you feel like it. The Approaches are how the character is likely to solve problems and act like skills in other systems: Careful, Clever, Flashy, Forceful, Quick, and Sneaky. You get one at +2, two at +1, two at +0, and one at -1.
Stunts, similar to normal FATE, are used by spending a FATE point, and they are either attached to one of the Approaches, or can be used once per session for discrete narrative control. The first kind of stunt gives +2 to a roll to the attached Approach in a limited circumstance. This is always phrased like so: "Because I [am/have something awesome], I get a +2 when I [pick one Approach-ly][pick one: attack, defend, create advantages, overcome] when [describe a circumstance]." The other kind of Stunt is always phrased like so: "Because I [am/have something awesome], once per game session I can [describe one thing/event you can change about the story]. The latter is hard to define without copy-pasting the entire book so here's some examples of Stunts:
- Because I am a devout Tzeenchian, I get a +2 when I Sneakily create advantages when I’m in conversation with someone.
- Because I have a Wikipedia implant, I get a +2 when I Cleverly research an unfamiliar topic.
- Because I am a berserker, I get +2 when I Forcefully charge to assault a single target.
- Because I am a famous artist, I get a +2 when I Flashily demand a crowd's attention on me instead of something else.
- Because I am Creed, once per game session I can find a helpful ally in just the right place.
- Because I am a doppelganger, once per game session I can change my physical appearance to look like someone else.
- Because I am So Damned Annoying, once per game session I can appear in any scene where I'm not wanted by at least half the people present.
Conflict
Dice rolling is when you're using Approaches to change the scene. You can either add or discover Aspects on the scene or target, try to get a free (no Fate point needed) tag on a known Aspect, pass a barrier, cause stress to a target, or prevent incoming stress. In the rules these are called Actions, and named "Create an Advantage," "Create An Advantge"(again), "Overcome", "Attack" and "Defend." Pick an action, describe how you're going to use an Approach to do it, GM gives you a target number, you roll dice w/ approach's bonus, and then tag Aspects or use Stunts if you need to bump up the result (+2 for each).
The hit points are called Stress, and everyone has three. Fate Core has multiple types of Stress, but Fate Accelerated just has one three-point track. When you get hit with stress and you have no points left, you're at someone's mercy and they can dictate how you fail (and you probably won't like it). You can avoid taking Stress by accepting Consequences, which are like negative-only Aspects. A 2-point consequence clears at the end of conflict with rest, a 4-point consequence clears at the end of the next session with role-playing, a 6-point consequence clears at the end of the adventure and needs an epilogue. A character can only carry one of each level of consequence. A player can also "concede" in a conflict, which gets them a Fate point and the player gets to describe how they lose.
NPCs
Significant NPCs are generated like player characters. Mooks will be one Aspect, one Approach at +2, one Approach at -2, and zero, one, or two stress points and cannot take consequences. Mobs of mooks are just one Mook mechanically; the GM will describe the mob dwindling as it takes stress.
There is a wealth of good advice for how to run a game in Fate Core; Fate Accelerated is best for one- or two-session games or just to get used to the idea of setting up and tagging Aspects in group conflicts.