So in all these reviews of FATAL I hear it called stuff like "The Date Rape RPG without the Dating" and "rape simulation" so I came in with high expectations that this could cover the mechanics of something that games simply don't touch.
Consensual sex gets addressed in fan works like Book of Erotic Arts for D20 or the "GURPS Sex" manual, but neither touch rape. Which is silly because if anything can be hand-waived into "just co-operatively describe this with flavor text" it's consensual things.
Rules are designed for resolving differences in intent and with all the rules we have for assault (even if grappling is often a more confusing issue than striking) having ones for sexual assault would make sense.
"Rape is not intended to be a core element of F.A.T.A.L." on page 7 is completely accurate here. If it were actually a core element it would actually have some decent rules.
For all the focus on the rape-y atmosphere of the game, it feels like reviewers really have not focused on just how little exploration the act has. So little that it is incredibly disappointing.
In 2000 the rules appear on page 342 of "Fantasy Adventure To Adult Lechery"
In 2004 the rules appear on page 398 "From Another Time, Another Land".
In either case they are easily found searching "Rape roll", a term which occurs 5 times in 1 paragraph and a 6th time in the one after.
All these fall under a skill called "Overbearing", a Wrestling skill which is basically pinning a foe who's been taken down or otherwise on the ground.
Although Overbear is essentially number 12 and Brawling 13, Rape is essentially a whole other ability which occurs only after a successful overbear, so I guess you could call it 12.5
So basically, you make a roll and have to beat a 'Weight Difference' check.
Which makes no sense to me because if you have 2 targets each 300lbs, it should be harder to grapple the one who is 10% bodyfat than the one who is 50% bodyfat, more muscle more force. A stronger target could buck you off or pull you off more effectively.
Passing an intimidation check doubles the weight difference you roll against, fair enough. Someone who feels defeated and overwhelmed wouldn't be able to struggle as hard since they would lack confidence.
The "weight difference" you roll against refers to Overbearing, which doesn't even allow the maneuver to happen unless the top target weighs more than the bottom target.
This effectively means that a 200 pound man cannot rape a 200 pound woman in FATAL, she has to be 199 or below.
Aside from the difference-doubling from intimidation, there's penalties for either party wearing clothing… and that's it. Nothing for strength, perception, agility…
Also there's completely random results which don't make any sense, they aren't influenced by attributes at all
Failed rape roll after successful overbear:
VARIABLE A: 40% chance the rape succeeded anyway but then the victim escaped, 60% chance you escaped without any rape
VARIABLE B: 40% chance damage to ponos, 40% chance damage to balls, 20% no injury to attacker.
So what, no injury to the face possibility? No on-going struggle rules to escape each turn? No rules for the attacker or target having immobilized limbs? Blind attackers or low lighting? Genital location lore?
I mean… THIS is the so-called rape RPG? Rape is a pathetic afterthought here, critics seem to just want to sensationalize FATAL and pick on it and bully the author. This does not deserve the title Rape RPG for how little it got explored. As someone who likes complex mechanics for everything I was sorely disappointed here.
For all the focus on 'Anal Circumference' and 'Hymen Resistance' this RPG gets, very little seems to actually be done with these things. They don't appear to actually factor into any rape calculations. They mostly seem like pointless flavoring.
Are there any sources out there which actually deserve to be called the most extensive address that rape has gotten? This doesn't seem to be it.