Fudge in one page !

This page describes basic FUDGE concepts, to be customized at will by each Game Master.

Traits Principles

In FUDGE, characters are defined by Traits: Attributes (natural traits that everyone possesses to a certain degree, like Strength, not easily improved), Skills (improved through practice), Gifts & Faults (exceptional or particular traits), and even Supernormal Powers. There is not predetermined Traits list. Each GM can define its own at will using the numerous examples in the Rule Book. Character Creation can be Random, Objective (allocating free levels, traded with 1 gift = 1 fault = 2 attribute levels = 6 skills levels), or Subjective (genuinely discussed with GM).
Attributes and Skills are usually independent from one another; character coherence is a matter of Common Sense. However GM can link them, by using Attributes for setting the default level of Skills or their progression cost.

+4	Legendary	EP cost / level
+3	Superb	8
+2	Great	4
+1	Good	2
0	Fair	1
-1	Mediocre	1
-2	Poor	1
-3	Terrible
-	Non-existent

Traits (especially Attributes and Skills) are described by ordinary words. The terms of the proposed seven level sequence are the words suggested by the FUDGE author and used in Grey Ghost Games products.
Attributes have a default level at Fair; Skills have a default level at Poor; Gifts, Faults and Powers have a default level at Non-Existent.
Legendary level is optional, to be used in non-realistic settings.
Difficulty Level is set by the GM when a Character tries an action, according to the same list: you have to perform Fairly to climb up that wall, and be Great for putting an arrow in this apple, etc...

Scale is a kind of Trait used when different races are interacting to introduce an additional modifier linked to the difference of the average level of each race. For example, in order to beat a small Giant with a Mediocre Giant Strength in a Strength contest, provided that Giants are Scale 4 compared to Scale 0 humans, a Human has to perform Superbly (Mediocre + 4 levels). To run faster than a Fair Cheetah of Speed Scale 8, a Human has to perform at level Legendary+4!!!
Fudge Points, provided to each player in limited number, allow an outcome to be modified in the player's favour (e.g. add 1 to dice roll, automatic success, minimizing damage, etc.) Exact use must be defined by the GM.
Fudge Dice (dF) are six-sided dice with two sides marked + (+1), two sides marked - (-1) and two sides left blank (0). Those dice are available in the USA, but you can easily create you own Fudge Dice: take four white six-sided dices, on each die colour with markers two sides in Red (for the -) and two sides in Green (for the +), et voila! To use Fudge Dice, throw them and sum them up. As the + and - cancel each other, take out every pair of + and - and sum up the rest. Rolling 4dF gives a result between -4 and +4 with an average of 0 ("Gauss" distribution).
Experience Points (EP) are rewards to players to allow their character to improve their skills (see above table).

Action Resolution Principles

The Rolled Degree refers to how well a character has performed for a particular task. It's based on the Trait to be used for that action as defined by the GM (Attribute, Skill …), and modified by the result of a 4 Fudge Dice Roll. Thus, a Fair Strength character rolling a -2 on 4dF has a Poor Strength performance for this action. Note that Rolled Degree can be above Superb (then noted Superb+1, Superb+2, etc.) or below Terrible.
Unopposed Action Resolution is done by comparing the Difficulty Level of the action with the Rolled Degree of the character. If the Rolled Degree is equal or over the Difficulty Level (ex. "You needed to be Fair, and you are Good"), the action is a success, if it's lower then it's a failure. The Difference between Difficulty and Rolled Degree can be used for measuring the quality of the success - or the extent of the failure - and critical outcomes (+/- 4 as a Difference or rolled on the dice)
Opposed Actions, when other people (or animal, etc…) may have an effect on the outcome of the action (like in combat), two solutions are proposed : either use the Passive Character Trait as a Difficulty Level for this action, or roll 2 Fudge Dice (or more) for each Character and see which one beats the other. Relative Degree refers to the difference between the winner's and the loser's Rolled Degree, expressed as a number of level.
Hand-to-hand Combat can be treated as a succession of Unopposed Actions (attack skill vs defensive skill) which order can be defined by initiative rolls, or as simultaneous Opposed Actions (combat skills). Rolled degree must also be at least Poor in order to actually hit. Conditions can alter the rolls (tactics, number of opponents, etc.)
Ranged Combat is an Unopposed Action, which level of difficulty depends of range, movement of target, etc.

	DAMAGE
0 -	Undamaged
1,2	Just a Scratch
3,4	Hurt (-1 to all Traits)
5,6	Very Hurt (-2 to all Traits
7,8	Incapacitated
9 +	Near Death

For Damage, add up to the winner’s Relative Degree the winner’s Offensive Damage Factor (sum of modifiers linked to Strength, Scale, Weapon …), and subtract the loser’s Defensive Damage Factor (sum of modifiers linked to Damage Resistance, Scale, Armour…). Damage is determined according to the table to the left.
In general a character can withstand three Scratches, one Hurt and one Very Hurt. If he gets a fourth Scratch, he is Hurt; if he gets a second Hurt, he is Very Hurt, etc...

Game Principles

Freedom : Rules can be adapted or created at will. The GM has of course the final word.
Roleplay is what FUDGE was made for. FUDGE is not a stable, rigid set of rules to be exploited to the limit.
"Just Fudge It"... Improvisation of rules is very easy using FUDGE principles, using Common Sense.

Copyrights © 2003 Loïc Prot. Original Fudge Materials Copyrights © 1992-1995 by Steffan O'Sullivan, All Right Reserved. May be copied for personnal use. See http://www.fudgerpg.com for more information about Fudge.

[Back to Index]