Fate Points for the GM?

I've been trying to wrap my head around it, but I'm still getting confused, so I figured I'd ask and see what the experienced people say. When a player uses a Fate Point for something, they give me the Fate Point and do whatever they're using it for. They also earn Fate from Compels and stuff. I also know that I start a scene with Fate Points based on the number of PCs. However, are the Fate Points I get back from them spending Fate then points I can use on my NPCs? When my NPCs spend Fate, do they go to the players? Or do "spent" Fate Points just disappear into the ether, not really going to anyone? If a player Compels another player, do they give that player one of their Fate Points?

Oh, no!&nbsp; The players start with Fate Points equal to their Refresh (starts at 3), unless they gained more points than their Refresh from the previous session.&nbsp; They decide if they will exercise their Fate Points.&nbsp; If you want to Compel one of the players' Aspects, you have an unlimited supply to do that.&nbsp; You don't have to keep track of what they spend or what you give them. However, if you want to use Fate points to power your NPCs, you have a limited supply equal to the number of players at the start of a session.&nbsp; There are a few other minor rules about it.&nbsp; See "The GM and Fate Points" in the handy Fate System Reference Document. <a href="https://fate-srd.com/fate-core/fate-point-economy" rel="nofollow">https://fate-srd.com/fate-core/fate-point-economy</a>

Pierre S. said: Oh, no!&nbsp; The players start with Fate Points equal to their Refresh (starts at 3), unless they gained more points than their Refresh from the previous session.&nbsp; They decide if they will exercise their Fate Points.&nbsp; If you want to Compel one of the players' Aspects, you have an unlimited supply to do that.&nbsp; You don't have to keep track of what they spend or what you give them. However, if you want to use Fate points to power your NPCs, you have a limited supply equal to the number of players at the start of a session.&nbsp; There are a few other minor rules about it. I knew how players get their starting Fate Points. I was specifically asking if their spent points become points for me, or if my spent points become extra points for them, and if players compeling other players give their own points to the compelled player.

The points they spend go to the "Bank", they don't go to the GM.&nbsp; If they accept a Compel, the point comes from the "Bank", not the GM.&nbsp; If stuff is a direct NPC/PC conflict, that's where you use a limited number of Fate Points. Players compelling other players will pay their point, even if the player pays to refuse the Compel.&nbsp; If the player accepts the Compel, they get THAT point only after the end of the scene.

Pierre S. said: The points they spend go to the "Bank", they don't go to the GM. If they accept a Compel, the point comes from the "Bank", not the GM. If stuff is a direct NPC/PC conflict, that's where you use a limited number of Fate Points. Players compelling other players will pay their point, even if the player pays to refuse the Compel. If the player accepts the Compel, they get THAT point only after the end of the scene. Okay, that answers most of the questions. So if an NPC spends one of my Fate Points, would I be correct in assuming that also goes to the Bank, not the player it's being used against?

This is my understanding of the rules: When any character, PC or NPC, pays a Fate point to do something that doesn't involve another PC's or NPC's aspects (power a stunt, declare a fact, invoke one of their own aspects, invoke an environmental aspect), the Fate point goes to the bank. When anyone, PC, NPC, or GM, pays a Fate point to compel someone else (PC or NPC), OR to invoke one of that person's aspects against them, the person being compelled/hostilely invoked gets the Fate point. Brian pays a Fate point to power the stunt I Can Fly! The Fate point goes to the bank. Lakeesha has an aspect I Used to Work for Mr. Big. She pays a Fate point to declare that she knew one of the approaching thugs back when they both worked for Mr. Big. The Fate point goes to the bank. Karen pays a Fate point to invoke the environmental aspect Heavy Fog to get a +2 on sneaking away. The Fate point goes to the bank. Ann pays a Fate point to invoke her friend Jason's aspect I Am Ann's Oldest Friend in order to get a +2 to attack the thug who is choking Jason. The Fate point goes to the bank (not Jason, because this is actually helping Jason, and not the thug, because it's not the thug's aspect). Jose uses the Notice skill to determine that one of the thugs has the aspect I Don't Get Paid Enough for This. Jose uses the free invoke to bribe the thug to leave them alone (this could be done by giving Jose a +2 on a Resources v. Will roll). Then Jose pays a Fate point to bribe the thug again to give them information. This could be done as an invoke for a +2 on another roll, or it could be done as a compel: if the GM agrees, Jose could just pay a Fate point and say the guard willingly gives information because of his aspect. In either case, since Jose is invoking/compelling one of the thug's aspects, the Fate point goes to the thug. And it doesn't matter if Jose is a PC and the thug an NPC, if Jose is an NPC and the thug is a PC, or if they're both PCs. It's the thug's aspect, the thug gets the Fate point.

So it depends on what the NPC is using the Fate point for. If it's being used for a hostile invoke of a player's aspect, or to compel a player, the player gets the Fate point. If it's used for anything else, the Fate point goes to the bank.

Thanks for the answers everyone!