Fantasy Fudge

Five-point Fudge is an alternative character creation system by Steffan O’Sullivan. It’s used here as a basis for a sample Fudge fantasy role-playing game.

Five-point Fudge is suitable for any genre, but each genre requires customized skill lists, gifts, faults, and attributes. The version presented here is for a Fantasy genre only. These lists should not be considered as canon everything in Fudge is fully customizable, and these lists are offered only as an easy introduction to Fudge.

Fudge itself makes no mention of “character points,” using the word “levels” instead. The Five Point Fudge system of character creation introduces character creation points, which are different from levels.

Fantasy Fudge is an example of one way a Gamemaster may decide to customize Fudge to a fantasy campaign world. The game design choices made in Fantasy Fudge shouldn’t be considered the “best” way to play Fudge in a fantasy game, as players’ and GMs’ tastes vary.

8.1 Character Creation

Fantasy Fudge uses the standard seven-level Trait scale to describe a character’s attributes and skills (see Fudge in a Nutshell, above.) To create a character, follow these steps:

1. Decide what type of character you would like to create. If you’re not sure, see the Broad Class Templates, section 6.42 of the core Fudge rules, for some ideas. See also Character Creation Tips, section .
2. Spend “points” to purchase skills from two or more Skill Groups. See Character Points.
3. Assign Attributes (see Attributes, below).
4. Choose Gifts (two, unless trading; see Gifts, below).
5. Choose Faults (two, unless trading; see Faults, below).
6. Adjust attributes, gifts, faults, or skills by trading if desired.

You may use the sample Fudge character sheet in the Miscellaneous Charts and Information at the end of this document to record your character’s traits. With the Skills list, you should record the number of points you spend in which skill groups (see right). For example:

Combat: 2 pts

Scouting: 2 pts

Athletic: 1 pt

8.11 Character Points

The Five Point Fudge system of character creation organizes skills into skill “groups” to help players decide which skills are best for the characters they wish to create.

There are eight skill groups in Fantasy Fudge: Athletic; Combat; Covert; Knowledge; Magic; Professional; Scouting; and Social (see below).

Fantasy Fudge recommends that players be granted 5 points to purchase skills from these various skill groups.

A player can spend his points in any of the groups that he chooses, up to four points in any one group. (He must spend points in at least two groups.) Each quantity of points spent provides a certain number of skills (of the player’s choice) from the appropriate group, at the levels shown below.

Because a character with too few skills may be weak in a given campaign, the GM may limit the number of points you can spend on narrowly focused skill groups. (Suggested limit: two points, either 1 in each of 2 Groups or 2 “narrow focus” points in a single Skill Group.)

8.111 Spending One Point on a Skill Group

Examples of point expenditure: if a player wishes his character to be a dabbler at Combat, he could spend one point on the Combat group. Using a broad focus, he could then choose any three Combat skills at Fair and any one at Mediocre. Using a narrow focus, he may choose any two

Combat skills: one at Good and one at Mediocre.

Example 1: one point in Combat

One-handed Sword: Fair Fast-draw Sword: Fair Shield: Fair Brawling: Mediocre

Example 2: a different way to spend one point in Combat

Spear: Fair Throw Spear: Fair Tactics: Fair Knife: Mediocre

Example 3: one narrowly focused point in Combat

Bow: Good

One-handed Sword: Mediocre

8.112 Spending Two Points on a Skill Group

If a player spends two points in a skill group, he can choose two skills at Good, and four more at Fair (using a broad focus), or one at Great, one at Good, and one at Fair (using a narrow focus).

Example 4: two points in Combat

One-handed Sword: Good

Fast-draw Sword: Good

Bow: Fair Tactics: Fair Brawling: Fair Read Opponent: Fair

Example 5: two narrowly focused points in Social

Fast-talk: Great

Parley/Negotiate: Good

Camaraderie: Fair The more points a player spends in a given skill group, the more his character gains both familiarity with a number of skills and greater expertise in some of those skills.

For example, a Combat specialist is a professional soldier who will be an expert with a few weapons, but will have also used many other weapons over the course of his career.

8.113 Tips on Point Spending

The player may choose any skills within a given skill group, up to the number listed for the points spent. The player may decide which of those skills are at the listed levels. If the GM doesn’t want a character to know a given skill, she should make sure the player understands this before character creation.

Thus there are thousands of player character types available in this system, yet all are easily customized to the player’s desires. If you want your character to be a Jack of All Trades, don’t spend more than two points in any skill group. If you want a specialist, spend at least three points in a skill group.

The possible combinations of spending five points are:

• 5 different skill groups: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
• 4 different skill groups: 2, 1, 1, 1
• 3 different skill groups: 3, 1, 1 or 2, 2, 1
• 2 different skill groups: 4, 1 or 3, 2

Points Spent Skills in that Group, in a Group at which Levels (maximum 4 pts) Broad Focus Narrow Focus 1 3 at Fair 1 at Good

1 at Mediocre 1 at Mediocre 2 2 at Good 1 at Great

4 at Fair 1 at Good

1 at Fair 3 1 at Great

3 at Good

4 at Fair 4 1 at Superb 2 at Great

3 at Good

3 at Fair General Skills Point: Skills at Level: 3 at Fair, from any two or three groups.

Trading Allowed:

• 1 skill for 2 skills at one level lower
• Attribute levels (lower one to raise another)
• 1 Attribute levels for 1 Gift (or vice versa)
• 1 Extra Fault = 1 Gift or 1 Attribute Level

8.114 General Skills Point

A player may spend a maximum of one point as a General Skills point. This means you may spend one point and take any* three skills at Fair. These skills can be from two or three different skill groups, if desired (there is no point in taking them all from the same group).

Note that a General Skills point does not get you as many skills as a broadly focused point (four), but more than a narrowly focused point (two).

* = The GM may restrict certain skills, such as Magic skills, from being taken with a General Skills point.

8.115 Trading Skills

During character creation you may trade one skill for two skills of lesser value. Thus you could trade one Good skill for two Fair skills, or one Great skill for two Good skills. For example, spending two points in a skill group normally gets you 2 Good and 4 Fair skills. You could instead choose 2 Good, 3 Fair, and 2 Mediocre skills.

Skills involved in the trade must all be from the same skill group. Exception: with a General Skills point (see above), you can trade a Fair for two Mediocre skills from two different groups. Thus a character could take six Mediocre skills from six different groups with a General Skills point.

No other trading of skill levels is allowed, unless using the expanded trading option in Campaign Power Levels (see the full version of Five-point Fudge online).

8.116 Customizing Skill Points

The Gamemaster may customize skill points and character creation as desired. If narrowly focused points seem too costly (giving up half the skills of a broadly focused point for an increase of one level in one skill), add another skill at Fair. Do skill levels seem too low for your epic campaign? After they’ve created their characters, let your players raise five skills of their choosing one level each (subject to your approval).

See Campaign Power Levels in the full version of Fivepoint Fudge online for more tips on customizing character creation.

8.117 Character Creation Tips

There are many ways to create a character. If you have a concept in mind, scan the skill lists that seem most likely to fit your character. A fighter will obviously need to spend some points in Combat skills, and a thief in Covert skills.

Since you must spend points in at least two skill groups, try to think of what other skills would be helpful or perhaps simply fun for your character to have.

Once you’ve decided which skill groups to choose from, jot down the most appealing skills in these groups. The number of skills you want from a given group will tell you how many points you need to spend in that skill group.

For example, if only two or three skills appeal to you from a group, spending 1 or 2 narrowly focused points is sufficient. If you really want eight or ten skills all from the same group, you’re creating a specialist character: You’ll probably have to spend three or four points in that skill group to get that many skills. (Another way to get eight or ten skills, if you don’t mind low skill levels, is to use the “trading skills” option.) A Jack of All Trades character rarely spends more than two points in any one group, and is interested in skills from three or more different skill groups.

Once your skills are chosen, you can then set your attributes, Gifts, and Faults. At that point you’ll easily be able to see what levels your attributes should logically be, and which Gifts and Faults would go most appropriately with your character.

It’s best to consult with the Gamemaster and the other players when creating characters. This can prevent problems with characters that are unsuited for the planned campaign, or PCs that encroach on one another’s “spotlight” time because their skills and abilities compete with rather than complement those of the other characters.

The Gamemaster should approve all characters before play begins.

8.118 The Skill Groups

Each genre has its own skill groups. Listed here are eight skill groups for a Fantasy setting. The GM may customize these lists, of course, and may even add or delete an entire skill group if desired.

Following the lists is an alphabetical list of the skills, with descriptions and which skill group they appear in.

Note: although four of the skill groups have multiple titles, such as Athletic/Manual Dexterity Skills, for simplicity they are referred to outside this list by the first part of the title, such as Athletic Skills.

Skills marked with an asterisk (*) appear in more than one skill group. These may be learned by spending points in either skill group there is no reason to learn the same skill from two different groups.

Athletic/Manual Dexterity Skills

Acrobatics/Tumbling Aerial Acrobatics Balance Boating *(Scouting) Climbing *(Covert) Equestrian Acrobatics Juggling Jumping Knot-tying Move Quietly *(Covert, Scouting) Riding Running Sleight of Hand Swimming Team Acrobatics Throwing Whittling Various Sports Combat Skills Bow Brawling Club/Mace Crossbow Fast-draw Flail Knife Knife Throwing Lance One-handed Axe One-handed Sword Pike Read Opponent Shield Sling Spear Spear Throwing Staff Tactics Two-handed Axe Two-handed Sword Other weapon skill if GM permits Covert/Urban Skills Barroom Savvy *(Social) Climbing *(Athletic) Detect Lies Detect Traps Disarm Traps Disguise Find Hidden Forgery Infiltrate Lip reading Move Quietly *(Athletic, Scouting) Pick Locks Pick Pockets Poisons Shady Contacts Streetwise Tailing Urban Survival Ventriloquism Knowledge Skills Alchemy *(Scholarly Magic) Arcane Lore Area Knowledge Astrology Botany Evaluate Goods First aid Geography Heraldry/Court Rituals Herb Lore *(Hedge Magic, Scouting) History Language (each is a separate skill) Legal Process Legends/Stories Literacy Medicine Politics/International Thaumatology Theology/Myths/Rituals Veterinarian Weather Sense Zoology Other fields of knowledge if GM permits Magic Skills See Magic, below. Note: Scholarly Magic skills cost more than normal skills (or other Magic skills); see below.

Professional Skills

Note: If a player spends 3 or 4 points in Professional Skills, he may take skills from any skill group as part of his Professional skills, provided he can make a case for their inclusion in his profession and the GM accepts this.

Not all skills will qualify! A 3-point Animal Handler can make a strong claim that Riding (an Athletic skill) should be in his Professional skill group, but he’ll have to spend at least one point in Combat to get any combat skills.

Animal Handling Animal Training Armorer Artist (each medium separate) Basketry Bookkeeping Bowyer/Fletcher Carpentry Cooking Counseling/Priest Courtesan Dancing Engineer Falconry Farming Gambling Inn Keeping Jeweler Leatherwork Masonry Merchant Musician (each instrument separate) Performing Pottery Seamanship Shiphandling Shopkeeping Smithy Tailor Teaching Teamster Theater Weaving Many others possible. . . .

Scouting/Outdoor Skills Boating *(Athletic) Camouflage Camping Fishing Herb Lore *(Knowledge, Herb Magic) Hide Traces Hunting Map Sketching Mimic Animal Noises Move Quietly *(Athletic, Covert) Navigation Observation Survival Tracking Trail Blazing Woods Lore Social/Manipulative Skills Barroom Savvy *(Covert) Barter/Haggle Bluff Camaraderie Con Etiquette Fast-talk Flatter Flirt/Vamp Interrogate Intimidate Lie/Pretense Oratory Parley/Negotiate Persuade Repartee Salesmanship Savoir-Faire Storytelling

8.12 Skill Descriptions

This section contains an alphabetical list of skills, including a brief description and which groups the skills appear in. Magic skills are listed separately see Magic,below.

Defaults: Most skills default to Poor, so if a skill isn’t listed on your character sheet, your character probably knows it at Poor. Certain skills, such as Magic, are an exception to this they’re not known at all if not listed on the character sheet. Other skills may have a default of Terrible or Mediocre. Skills which have a default other than Poor have the default listed in [brackets].

Acrobatics/Tumbling: moving your body gracefully and successfully through difficult maneuvers, such as rolls, tumbles, leaps, springing to your feet, etc. (Athletic) Aerial Acrobatics: swinging from ropes, chandeliers, vines, trapezes, rigging, etc., safely and accurately. (Athletic) Alchemy: knowledge of the processes and ingredients used to create elixirs and talismans of magical power.

See Magic, below, for the Scholarly Magic version, which allows you to create alchemical mixtures as well as recognize them. [No default] (Knowledge, Magic) Animal Handling: managing animals in many situations. (Professional) Animal Training: training animals for specific tasks. (Professional) Arcane Lore: knowledge of occult things otherworldly stories, legends, etc. (Knowledge) Area Knowledge: knowledge of a given area.

The larger the area, the more shallow the knowledge. (Knowledge) Armorer: making, altering, and repairing armor.

[Terrible] (Professional) Artist: creating aesthetically pleasing art in a given medium. Each medium is a separate skill. (Professional) Astrology: this is either simple astronomy or an actual potent forecasting and divination tool ask the GM. (Knowledge) Balance: keeping one’s equilibrium in awkward physical situations, such as tightrope walking, beam walking, crossing a stream on a log, etc. (Athletic) Barroom Savvy: like Urban Survival, but very specific to barrooms. (Social, Covert) Barter/Haggle: raising or reducing prices, depending on whether you’re selling or buying. Opposed by the other person’s Barter/Haggle skill. (Social) Basketry: making baskets and other woven products from bark, grasses, and other plant materials. Includes a knowledge of materials, market prices, etc. (Professional) Bluff: misleading people into thinking you will perform an action you have no intention of performing. Opposed by Reasoning. (Social) Boating: small boat handling. (Athletic, Scouting) Bookkeeping: knowledge of accounting practices requires Literacy and some math ability. (Professional) Botany: broad knowledge of plants their habitats, growing needs, uses, dangers, etc. See Herb Lore, Farming, Basketry, Poisons, etc., for more specific skills. (Knowledge) Bow: using and caring for a bow and arrows, either longbow or short bow. [Terrible] (Combat) Bowyer/Fletcher: making bows and arrows, including harvesting the appropriate material. [Terrible] (Professional) Brawling: fighting without weapons. (Combat) Camaraderie: being entertaining in social settings, such as at a bar, at a party, around a campfire, etc., which can gain someone’s confidence and approval. (Social) Camouflage: blending in with your surroundings so you don’t stand out. Primarily used in natural settings use Disguise in urban settings. (However, a case could be made for using Camouflage skill to hide in an alley, for example.) (Scouting) Camping: similar to Survival, but requires some tools, such as blankets, pots, an axe, a tent, etc. In return, it allows greater comfort and quality of life in the wild. (Scouting) Carpentry: working with wood, to make anything from houses to furniture to cabinets. (Professional) Climbing: climbing, either natural formations such as cliffs and trees, or man-made ones such as stone, brick, etc., (but not sheer) walls. (Athletic, Covert) Club/Mace: using a club or mace as a combat weapon. (Combat) Con: making people believe in some plan or product you are pushing. (Social) Cooking: preparing tasty and nourishing food. (Professional) Counseling/Priest: comforting the afflicted, restoring good emotional health, helping people through grief, etc. (Professional) Courtesan: professional pleasure giving. (Professional) Crossbow: using a crossbow effectively in combat.

[Mediocre] (Combat) Dancing: dancing aesthetically. (Professional) Detect Lies: telling when someone is lying. Opposed by Lies/Pretense. (Covert) Detect Traps: determining if a given area has a trap of some sort set, and what type. (Covert) Diplomacy: not a separate skill see Parley/ Negotiate Disarm Traps: deactivating a trap without harm.

This may or may not cause noise, however_…(Covert) Disguise: passing for someone else under visual inspection.

There is a penalty for serious inspection, of course. Opposed by Reasoning, though no roll is needed if the observer has no reason to be suspicious. (Covert) Engineer: designing and making tools, structures, sewer systems, etc. (Professional) Equestrian Acrobatics: performing acrobatic mounts, dismounts, trick riding, etc. This skill cannot be higher than your Riding skill. (Athletic) Etiquette: knowledge of good manners in any society, and the ability to carry them out. Not as specific as Savoir-Faire, but gives a broader base for knowledge. (Social) Evaluate Goods: a general skill to assess the value of something. It won’t be as accurate as a specific Professional skill (for example, a Potter will be a better judge of Pottery than someone with this skill), but as a broad skill allows a good general knowledge. (Knowledge) Falconry: training and controlling a raptor for sport and hunting. (Professional) Farming: raising crops and/or livestock, and everything associated with that: soil preparation, planting, weeding, tending, harvest, drying, storage, markets, etc. (Professional) Fast-draw: readying a weapon for combat use effectively instantly. A different skill for each weapon, and some weapons cannot be fast-drawn. (Combat) Fast-talk: convincing someone of something, which, upon reflection, they may realize isn’t true. Fast-talk doesn’t create lasting belief see the Con skill for that.

Opposed by Reasoning. (Social) Find Hidden: locating concealed doors, compartments, catches, etc. (Covert) First aid: administering emergency medical treatment knowledgeably. (Knowledge) Fishing: catching fish for food, sale, barter, or sport. (Scouting) Flail: using a flail as a weapon. (Combat) Flatter: making people like you by complimenting them to the point they begin to trust your judgement.

Opposed by Willpower. (Social) Flirt/Vamp: arousing sexual interest in an appropriate subject, for whatever reason. Opposed by Willpower. (Social) Forgery: making fake documents and/or signatures that look authentic. (Covert) Gambling: gaming for money. Note that some gambling includes games of skill, and others games of chance this skill helps largely with the former, and knowledge of the latter, including a good estimate of the odds. Also the ability to cheat at games, and spot cheaters. (Professional) Geography: broader than Area Knowledge, Geography is the knowledge of general topography, terrain nature, biomes, etc. (Knowledge) Heraldry/Court Rituals: knowledge of signs, symbols, and devices used to denote rank and family of the nobility. Also knowledge of court rituals, such as how many trumpet calls to announce a king as opposed to a duke, etc. (Knowledge) Herb Lore: knowledge of, preparation of, dosage of, and dangers of using herbs as medicinal agents. While it may tell you which herbs to avoid, this skill does not go into specific poisons see Poisons for that skill. See Botany for a broader knowledge of plants. (Scouting, Knowledge) Hide Traces: hiding any traces that people or animals used an area. This includes hiding tracks as well as camping areas. (Scouting) History: knowledge of historical figures and events.

This can be a broad and shallow skill, such as World History, or a narrower and deeper skill, such as history of a specific state. (Knowledge) Hunting: hunting and killing animals for food, hides, sport, or whatever. (Scouting) Infiltrate: slipping into a guarded camp, either by pretending to have a right to be there or simply by avoiding all contact. (Covert) Inn Keeping: the knowledge of running a hotel or inn; includes kitchen, bar-keeping, maid service, stable, etc. (Professional) Interrogate: extracting information from an unwilling subject. There are two basic types of interrogators:

those who get their subjects to trust them, and those who psychologically abuse them. Chose one type. Opposed by Willpower. (Social) Intimidate: psychologically brow beating someone else into doing your will. Does not involve any physical component. Opposed by Willpower. (Social) Jeweler: making and evaluating jewelry. Includes assessment of gems, gold, silver, etc. (Professional) Juggling: juggling anything you can lift. See also Performing. (Athletic) Jumping: jumping for distance and accuracy. (Athletic) Knife: using a knife in combat, but not necessarily to throw it. (Combat) Knife Throwing: throwing a knife accurately and with force. (Combat) Knot-tying: tying functional and/or ornamental knots for various purposes. [Mediocre] (Athletic) Lance: using a lance (a type of hand-held spear used from horseback). Does not include the Riding skill. (Combat) Language: speaking and understanding a language.

Every character knows their native language well at no cost take this skill to learn foreign languages. Each language learned is a separate skill. [No default, or may default to similar language] (Knowledge) Leatherwork: working with leather includes tanning, preparation, tooling, sewing, etc. (Professional) Legal Process: knowledge of legal matters. [Terrible] (Knowledge) Legends/Stories: knowledge of legends and stories, either as a source for entertainment, wisdom, or clues to treasure hunting, etc. (Knowledge) Lie/Pretense: dissembling your true intentions, origins, or role from others. Opposed by Detect Lies. (Social) Lip reading: seeing what people are saying by watching their lips move. (Covert) Literacy: reading and writing. (Knowledge) Map Sketching: creating reasonably accurate and readable maps from observation. (Scouting) Masonry: working with stone. (Professional) Medicine: diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases in humans and other sentient beings. (Knowledge) Merchant: broad knowledge of what it takes to be in the business of selling or trading, either retail or wholesale. (Professional) Mimic Animal Noises: making a noise which sounds like a specific animal. (Scouting) Move Quietly: moving without attracting attention.

Opposed by Perception. (Athletic, Covert, Scouting) Musician (each instrument separate): mastery of an instrument (which may be voice). See Performing. (Professional) Navigation: finding your way based on the stars, position of the sun, map-reading, etc. (Scouting) Observation: trained ability to notice and remember things conscious application of Perception and memory.

The player’s notes are the character’s memory. (Scouting) One-handed Axe: using small axes as combat weapons. (Combat) One-handed Sword: using any sword designed to be used with one hand. (Combat) Oratory: keeping the focus of a group of people through speaking, and attempting to sway them to your point of view. Opposed by group’s average Reasoning-1. (Social) Parley/Negotiate: reaching a compromise solution. (Social) Performing: stage presence actively entertaining people. You’ll need another skill to actually entertain with, such as Juggler, Storyteller, Musician, etc. A musician without the Performing skill may be skilled at producing music, but lacks “audience connection” and won’t be as popular as a musician with good Performing skill. (Professional) Persuade: convincing an individual of your point of view. Opposed by Reasoning. (Social) Pick Locks: opening locks without the correct key.

Penalty of -1 with improvised lockpicks. Difficult locks may have an additional penalty. (Covert) Pick Pockets: removing items from an individual’s pockets, belt, purse, etc., without them noticing it. Opposed by Perception. [Terrible] (Covert) Pike: using a very long hand-held spear as a weapon most useful in formations, especially against cavalry. (Combat) Poisons: knowledge, use, preparation, and dosage of various poisons. (Covert) Politics/International: knowledge of the international situation in a given area, and of the internal politics of states within that area. May be for a broad area, such the entire known world, or a more focused area, such as Europe. In the latter case, the knowledge is more detailed. (Knowledge) Pottery: making pots, plates, bowls, etc., from clay.

Includes the ability to assess the value of other potters’ work, knowledge of good clay sources, etc. (Professional) Read Opponent: roughly estimating a given opponent’s skill level in combat. An exceptionally good result may even reveal a particular combat “style,” if appropriate for the setting. (Combat) Repartee: delivering witty sayings, usually double entendres, which cannot be construed as libelous but carry hidden insults or stings. (Social) Riding: riding and controlling a horse (or other riding animal specify) comfortably, safely, and with precision. (Athletic) Running: you practice a lot better speed than nonrunners, as well as distance. (Athletic) Salesmanship: selling someone something. Opposed by Willpower. (Social) Savoir-Faire: functioning smoothly, without social blunders, in any upper or middle class setting. (Social) Seamanship: assisting in any task on a large sailing vessel. (Professional) Shady Contacts: knowledge of the underworld, or, in a strange city, at least general underworld habits and likeliest places to contact fences, etc., without offending them. (Covert) Shield: using a shield or buckler in combat, both on offense and defense. [Mediocre] (Combat) Shiphandling: directing seamen to correctly handle a large sailing ship. Includes piloting and navigation skills. [Terrible] (Professional) Shopkeeping: running a shop of some sort knowledge of basic bookkeeping, sources of materials, rotation of stock, general prices, sales techniques, etc. (Professional) Sleight of Hand: manipulating small objects cleverly in your hands so as to conceal what you are actually doing with them. (Athletic) Sling: using a sling in combat. [Terrible] (Combat) Smithy: working metal into tools, weapons, ornaments, etc. [Terrible] (Professional) Spear: using a spear in combat, but not including throwing it accurately or powerfully. (Combat) Spear Throwing: throwing a spear powerfully and accurately. (Combat) Sports, Various: Each sport is a separate skill Camp-ball (similar to football), Hurling, Pole-Throwing (Caber-Tossing and the like), Stickball (lacrosse), Stone (similar to Horseshoes), etc. Other popular “sports” are covered by other skills; Bow (for archery contests), Falconry, Hunting, Riding, etc.. (Athletic) Staff: using a staff as a weapon. (Combat) Storytelling: entertaining by recounting stories, either from your past or from other sources. Storytelling without the Performing skill is more likely to be successful in a bar or other personal setting than in a professional setting. (Social) Streetwise: Savoir-Faire for the lower classes. (Covert) Survival: surviving in the wilds. Includes basic fire making, food procurement, and shelter construction.

Won’t be fancy, but you’ll be alive. (Scouting) Swimming: moving yourself in water without danger of drowning. (Athletic) Tactics: knowledge of the best way to arrange a group of warriors so as to take best advantage of the situation, terrain, their skills, etc. Also reading an opposing group’s tactical sophistication level. (Combat) Tailing: following someone without their noticing.

Opposed by Perception. (Covert) Tailor: turning cloth into clothes, as well as mending clothing. Can also make other items out of cloth, such as tents. (Professional) Teaching: imparting knowledge or skills to others. (Professional) Team Acrobatics: working with others trained in this skill to perform acrobatic maneuvers such as stacking, vaulting, trapeze work, etc. (Athletic) Teamster: handling an animal or team of animals pulling a wagon, carriage, coach, etc. (Professional)

Thaumatology: the knowledge of magic spells, results, abilities, etc. Does not require any Magical Ability, nor is it required to perform magic. [No Default] (Knowledge) Theater: the skills and knowledge associated with the theater: acting, directing, management of props, sets, the house, the stage, etc. Not the same as pretending to be someone else offstage see Lie/Pretense for that skill. (Professional) Theology/Myths/Rituals: knowledge of a specific religion’s beliefs, dogma, and rituals. It may also be Comparative Theology, in which case the knowledge is broader covers more than one religion but shallower. (Knowledge) Throwing: throwing things accurately, but not specifically optimized to do damage. That is, it’s not a combat skill, though it could be used as one, with -1 to damage-dealing ability. (Athletic) Tracking: following animals or sentient beings in terrain where they might leave traces. Of limited use in urban areas, it is more a nature skill. (Scouting) Trail Blazing: finding an optimum route through wilderness, and marking your trail, either obviously or subtly. (Scouting) Two-handed Axe: using any two-handed axe designed as a weapon. (Combat) Two-handed Sword: using any two-handed sword as a weapon. (Combat) Urban Survival: the skill of the urban poor: where to find free or cheap food, shelter and clothing; what parts of the city to avoid, who not to offend, etc. (Covert) Ventriloquism: “throwing your voice” so as to make it sound as if it comes from somewhere else. Also disguising your voice. (Covert) Veterinarian: diagnosing and treating animal injuries and diseases. (Knowledge) Weather Sense: predicting the weather for the near future. (Knowledge) Weaving: spinning yarn from wool or plants, then making cloth from yarn. (Professional) Whittling: carving wood into useful or aesthetic shapes. (Athletic) Woods Lore: knowledge of woodland animals, plants, cycles, etc. (Scouting) Zoology: knowledge of animal behavior, habits, diets, capabilities, etc. (Knowledge) 8.13 Attributes There are six attributes in Fantasy Fudge. The GM may customize this list as she wishes changing the attributes included, adding or deleting them at will.

Reasoning: Thinking ability; puzzle-solving; intelligence; mental acuity.

Perception: Awareness of the environment; raw ability to notice things.

Willpower: Strength of will; psychic stamina; determination; guts.

Strength: Physical strength; lifting/ carrying capacity; ability to deal damage.

Agility: Physical dexterity; adroitness; native talent for physical skills.

Health: Fitness; resistance to disease and injury; physical stamina.

8.131 Allocating Attributes

All attributes start at Fair. Each character may take two free attribute levels, either raising one attribute two levels, or two attributes one level each. (The GM may allow more or fewer free attribute levels see Campaign Power Levels in the online version of Five-point Fudge.) In addition, players may trade levels that is, lower an attribute to Mediocre in order to raise one other attribute one level, and so on. Also, subject to GM approval, a character may raise an attribute by taking an additional Fault, or by foregoing one of the two free Gifts.

Conversely, a player may forego one of his free two attribute levels in order to take an extra Gift again, subject to GM approval.

Attributes are not linked to skills in this game. The player is encouraged to choose attribute levels which make sense, given his skill list. For example, three or more points spent between Combat, Scouting and Athletic skills means that the character would logically be above average in Strength, Agility, and/or Health. If the player decides not to raise at least one of these attributes above Fair, he should have a good story as to why they are abnormally low.

8.132 Using Attributes

Attributes are used for three things in the game:

• As very broad skills. There will be times in which no particular skill listed in the rules is appropriate for the task the character is attempting. In these cases, the GM will choose the closest attribute and have the player roll versus the attribute.
• In certain opposed actions, such as attempting to sneak by a guard (Move Quietly skill vs. Perception attribute) or a swindle attempt (Con skill vs. Reasoning attribute) or an attempt to strangle someone (Strength attribute vs. Health attribute). The GM will think of other cases readily.
• As a broad handle on who the character is. A high Reasoning, low Strength character has a different flavor from the opposite attribute levels.

8.14 Gifts

Each character may have two Gifts from the following list, or other GM-approved Gift. In addition, for each Fault chosen beyond the first two, the character may have an additional Gift. The GM may limit the number Gifts available from this method, as things can get a little out of hand?. . . . You may also gain a Gift, with GM approval, by foregoing one of your free attribute levels.

Certain Gifts, marked with an asterisk (*), may be lost if abused. Contacts, Favors Due, and Patron depend on the goodwill of others, and it’s possible to push them too far or too frequently. Good Reputation can be eroded by inappropriate behavior, and Rank can be lost if you break the rules of the organization granting the rank.

Ambidexterity: you can use either hand equally well. Great for those times when you’re wounded in an arm. . . .

Attractive: you’re good looking either handsome, beautiful, pretty, or whatever you wish. (Warning: the more attractive you are, the more power you have over susceptible people, true, but the more likely you are to be abducted, etc.) Beautiful speaking voice: +1 to NPC reactions.

Also works for a singing voice if you take a Musical skill.

Charisma: people tend to like you, believe you, and are willing to follow your lead.

Common Sense: when you are about to do something incredibly stupid that will harm yourself or the party, the GM will warn you.

Contacts *: you know some influential or knowledgeable people who can supply you with information.

Danger Sense: the GM will make a Situational roll on a Good or better result, you’ll be warned of some imminent danger.

Divine Favor: the ability to cast Clerical Magic see Clerical Magic, below.

Empathy with Animals: animals trust you and domesticated ones tend to obey you. Cruelty to animals nullifies this Gift.

Empathy with Sentient Beings: see Innate Magical Ability: Second Sight, below.

Familiar: only available to characters with the Magical Talent Gift. You have a magical familiar, which may talk, aid you in spell-casting and other tasks. This is an NPC played by the GM.

Favors due *: some people owe you favors, which you may collect. Each favor you collect must be approved by the GM.

Focused: you are at +1 to any lengthy task, but don’t notice things outside this task, such as that brigand about to skewer you. . . .

Good Memory: you have an unusually good memory.

The player may take notes during the game and act as if the character remembered them.

Good Reputation *: you’re well known as a hero, healer, leader, fighter for justice, etc.

High Status: you are of the gentry or religious class or nobility if you take this Gift twice.

Intuition: you have a feeling about what option to take when confronted with a choice. The GM will make a Situational roll in secret.

Lucky: once per hour (real time), you may reroll a bad dice roll, and choose the better of the two rolls.

Magic Resistance: you are resistant to direct magic:

+3 to Willpower in any Opposed rolls versus magic.

Magical Talent (specify type): the ability to perform magical feats. There are three different types of Magical Talent: Innate Magic, Hedge Magic, and Scholarly Magic. You may take multiple levels of the same type of Magic Talent. See Magic, below, for details.

Never forgets a : fill in the blank with name, face, or whatever the GM will allow.

Never Gets Lost: you always know which way is North, and can retrace your route with a little effort.

Night Vision: you see well in dim light, but not in absolute darkness, of course.

Pain Tolerance: ignore wound penalties at Hurt, and you are only at -1 at Very Hurt.

Patron *: someone in power likes you. This can be simply a letter of recommendation, or it can be a favor granted.

Perfect Timing: if someone says to open the gate in five minutes, you’ll do it within two seconds of that time. Also valuable in performing.

Peripheral Vision: you can see further to the sides than most people less easily attacked from the side or rear.

Quick Reflexes: not easily surprised by any physical attack, and you adjust quickly to shifting footing.

Rank *: you have the right to command others in an organized body of soldiers or police.

Rapid Healing: you heal twice as fast from wounds but not magically fast.

Resistant to Poison: poison has only half effect on you.

Tough Hide: subtract 1 from each amount of damage you take.

Veteran: you’re experienced add one level to each of three skills that are currently at Fair or Mediocre.

Wealthy: you start with more money than the average starting character. This can be in cash and/or equipment.

8.15 Faults

Each character must start with two Faults from the following list, or other GM-approved Fault. In addition, each Fault chosen beyond the mandatory two allows the player to choose an additional Gift for his character, or raise an attribute one level, subject to GM approval.

Absent-Minded: your attention tends to wander if bored.

Annoying Voice: you sound terrible.

Appearance: your appearance is off-putting in some way, whether ugly or unkempt.

Bad Back: you are limited in what you can lift.

Bad Eyesight: you don’t see very well pick one:

poor distance or up-close vision.

Blunt and Tactless: you have no social skills in dealing with sensitive people.

Code of Honor: your actions are constrained by your personal behavior code.

Color Blindness: you confuse lots of colors.

Combat Paralysis: you need a Good or better Health roll in order to act in a dangerous situation.

Compulsive Carousing: you are at -3 Willpower to resist a good time.

Compulsive Gambling: your are at -3 Willpower to resist a gambling game.

Compulsive Generosity: you are at -3 Willpower to resist giving things away to those perceived to be needier than you.

Compulsive Lying: you are at -3 Willpower to avoid lying just for fun.

Coward: you take very good care of yourself.

Curious: you are at -3 Willpower to resist exploring something new or unusual.

Delusions: the world doesn’t work the way you think it does, in some important way.

Dependent: you’re responsible for someone unable to care for themselves adequately.

Duty: you must perform active duty a certain amount of time.

Dwarfism: you are very short for your race.

Easily Distractible: did you say something?

Easy to Read: you give away your thoughts and feelings to any who care to observe you.

Enemy: there is someone who wants to kill, imprison, or otherwise trouble you.

Fanatic Patriot: your country, right or wrong.

Frightens Animals: you have an aura that animals find terrifying.

Garrulous: you won’t shut up.

Getting old: and all that implies.

Glutton: you’re hungry.

Goes Berserk if Wounded: you’re a danger to your friends, even.

Greedy: you want more.

Grouchy: you’re usually irritated and try to spread the mood.

Gullible: -3 to Reasoning to believe an unknown “fact.”

Hard of Hearing: what?

Honesty: you hate to break a law. See Truthfulness for not liking to lie.

Humanitarian: you help the needy for no pay.

Idealist: you’re not grounded in reality.

Impulsive: you act before thinking.

Intolerant: you hate a certain type of person.

Jealous of Anyone Getting More Attention: you have to be the star.

Lame: you limp, which can affect speed and agility.

Lazy: you work hard at avoiding work.

Lechery: you’re overly fond of the appropriate sex.

Loyal to Companions: you won’t abandon, cheat, hide treasure from, etc., the party members. This one may be mandatory.

Magic Susceptibility: you are at -3 Willpower to oppose hostile magic.

Melancholy: life is so sad.

Miserliness: you hate to let it go.

Mute: you can’t speak.

Night Blindness: you see poorly in dim light.

Nosy: your neighbor’s business is yours.

Obese: you waddle.

Obsession: you must do it, or have it, or whatever.

Offensive Habits: too many to list. Some of the other Faults listed actually fall under this category, such as Nosy, Grouchy, Garrulous, etc.

Offensive Odor: you stink.

One Eye: you lack depth vision and can be blindsided.

One Hand: it works overtime.

Outlaw: you’re wanted by the law.

Overconfident: you know you can’t fail.

Owe favors: you owe someone favors, and they’ll ask you for them sometime.

Pain Intolerant: you’re at -1 if Scratched, -2 if Hurt, and -3 if Very Hurt.

Phobias: lots of these you’re at -3 Willpower to avoid acting out of control in certain situations: snakes, darkness, heights, cats, falling, crowds, spiders, open or closed spaces, magic, loud noises, etc.

Poor: you start with less equipment and cash, and if you don’t buy off this Fault, will always lose any you gain.

Practical Joker: you can’t resist. Somebody’s gonna hurt you someday.

Primitive: you’re from a pre-metal-working society.

Proud: many things are beneath your dignity.

Quick to take offense: you’re thin-skinned.

Quick-Tempered: you blow up when crossed.

Quixotic: you vigorously champion lost causes.

Reckless Bravery: you take no thought for your safety in dangerous situations.

Reputation: you’re well known as some sort of louse.

Secret: if it’s revealed, you’ll be embarrassed, arrested, or worse maybe that warrant out for your arrest, or your second spouse?

Self-defense Pacifist: you’ll fight, but you’ll never start a fight no preemptive strikes.

Shyness: you never want to talk to strangers.

Social Stigma: you’re obviously from some low-caste group.

Stubborn: you don’t easily admit you’re wrong. Has nothing to do with Willpower.

Susceptibility to Poison: you’re at -3 to Health in Opposed rolls for poison.

Trickster: you regularly have to take a risk to thwart some villain, even if just a petty one.

Truthfulness: you can’t tell a believable lie.

Unlucky: if something bad happens to someone in the party, it’s you.

Vain: you’re the best-looking and/or finest person in the world. Aren’t your companions lucky?

Vow: you’re committed to some action.

Worry Wart: you wring your hands a lot.

Xenophobia: you dislike and fear people different from the folks you grew up with.

Youth: you’re so young no one takes you seriously.

Also, lose one level each from three skills you just haven’t had time to develop everything that well yet.

8.2 Magic

There are four types of Magical Abilities in Fantasy Fudge. The GM may use them all, choose between them, or create her own. The Magical Abilities are:

• Innate Magic
• Hedge Magic
• Scholarly Magic
• Clerical Magic

Innate Magic takes no study it’s a Gift you’re born with. The Gamemaster may assign this as a racial gift to non-human races (such as Elves) if she wishes. All members of such a race would have the Magical Talent:

Innate Gift (or a serious Fault if they don’t).

Hedge Magic and Scholarly Magic are learned techniques.

Their Talents are handled differently and are not interchangeable. Not everyone has the ability to perform these types of magic you need the Magical Talent Gift.

Clerical Magic is actually performed by a deity through the character. You need the Divine Favor Gift to use Clerical Magic.

8.21 Innate Magic

This type of magic may be appropriate for Faerie races, who have an inborn talent for magic that has nothing to do with the learned magic of human magicians. It’s also possible to have a human character with Innate Magic, if the GM permits.

Each Innate Magical power requires the Gift, Magical Talent: Innate. Each such Gift provides only one type of Innate Magic, taken from the list below. The GM may ban some of these talents, or create others ask.

Note that some types of Innate Magic have been listed as separate Gifts, such as Danger Sense, Empathy with Animals, etc.

Dowsing: you can find water in the earth.

Eagle Eyes: you can see things clearly at a great distance.

Fire-Starter: you can create fire, though not control it. That is, you can cause something flammable to burst into flames (takes three combat rounds for small items), but can’t make fireballs or direct the fire to spread in a given direction.

Fortune Telling: you can see a possible future, as through a glass, darkly. This only works on others, and never on events which are important to you your own future is always obscured.

Green Thumb: plants respond extraordinarily well to you, with increased growth, health, and production.

Healing Hands: you can heal one level of wounds with a touch. This takes one minute and is fatiguing (see Hedge Magic, below, for fatigue effects).

Second Sight: you can see through illusions and “read” general personalities. You can’t read minds or know any details of personality, but you’ll know who to trust if you concentrate.

Shapeshifter: you can change into one GM-approved animal or plant form. It takes three combat rounds to change fully, during which you are defenseless.

[Costs two Gifts]

You don’t need to spend any points on skills to have Innate Magic you only have to buy the Gift. No skill roll is usually required the talent is automatic, although it may take time. Should it ever be an issue, each talent is known at a Great level.

You may add to this list any innate magic abilities for non-human races in your campaign world.

8.22 Hedge Magic

Note: Hedge Magic is based on the Hedge Magic system created for GURPS (R) by S. John Ross. (GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games.) GURPS Hedge Magic can be found at: http://www.io.com/~sjohn/hedge.htm

Hedge Magic is the “peasant” version of magic: Hedgerow witches and village wizards concocting herbal potions, creating charms, nullifying (or, alas, casting) curses, etc.

You may spend up to four points in the Hedge Magic group, but only as many points as you have levels of the Magic Talent: Hedge Magic Gift. That is, if you take only one level of Magic Talent: Hedge Magic Gift, you may only spend one point on Hedge Magic skills.

The skill list for Hedge Magic follows, and is treated like any other skill group. That is, one point spent in Hedge Magic allows you to choose 3 skills at Fair and 1 at Mediocre, etc. Each skill is a mundane skill found in other skill groups if you learn it in the Hedge Magic group, there is no need to learn it from another group.

You may use a mundane skill from this group without applying Hedge Magic. But if you use Hedge Magic, you can accomplish more than you could otherwise. Hedge Magic is not flashy magic you’ll never see major magical effects from it. It’s nonetheless effective in what it tries to do.

Hedge Magic is fatiguing, however your Health attribute drops one level, temporarily, for each use. If your Health level falls below Terrible, you are exhausted and collapse treat as the fatigue equivalent of “Incapacitated.”

A level of fatigued Health is regained simply by resting 15 minutes.

Another possible downside to Hedge Magic is that the results may be perceived as magical, which, depending on the situation, may get the caster in trouble.

The following mundane skills are the only ones which may be enhanced by Hedge Magic, unless the GM permits otherwise. Those without descriptions are simply assumed to provide enhanced results.

Animal Handling Astrology: fortune telling for other folk grants no inkling of your own future.

Camouflage: if you don’t want to be seen, you’re very hard to spot.

Cooking: tasty, nourishing, mildly healing.

Counseling: your sympathetic ear and wise advise can soothe troubled souls.

Craft: most of the craft skills, such as Pottery, Smithy, Tailor, etc., allow you to make superior quality items more quickly. These items are of exceptional quality, but are not really magic items? or are they?

Detect Lies Farming: a very common use of hedge magic, you can bless or curse crops: increased yield, faster growth, etc. or the opposite.

First aid: you can stop bleeding with a touch, and enable the severely injured to survive until appropriate care is available.

Herb Lore: the archetypal hedge magic skill: preparation of magical concoctions. While not as potent as alchemical elixirs, they are quicker to make. Common potions include healing, sleep, love, charisma, strength, endurance, etc. ask the GM what’s possible. Use Poisons for harmful potions.

Medicine: expeditious and efficacious healing.

Move Quietly Poisons: your poisons are more potent, faster acting, and harder to detect. Shame on you.

Storytelling: you can enthrall an audience, and even sway their mood to your purposes.

Tracking Veterinarian: expeditious and efficacious healing.

For evil hedge witches, this is also the skill used to sicken animals, a common complaint in former days.

Weather Sense: you’re remarkably accurate.

8.23 Scholarly Magic

Scholarly Magic is the “upper class” version of magic: Sorcerers in towers poring over ancient tomes, wizards roaming the world seeking out spell-crafters and new sources of power, colleges of magicians teaching apprentices while debating amongst themselves the merits of this spell or that, etc.

A sample Scholarly Magic system is presented below. It’s a flexible magic system, with no preset spell list, and thus leaves a lot of decisions up to the GM. Gamemasters are welcome to substitute any other magic system of choice.

8.231 Magical Talent: Scholarly Magic

Characters wishing to learn Scholarly Magic must have the Magical Talent: Scholarly Magic Gift. You may spend up to four points in the Scholarly Magic group, but only as many points as you have levels of the Magic Talent: Scholarly Magic Gift. If you spend only one Gift on Magic Talent: Scholarly Magic, you may only spend one point on Scholarly Magic skills. Note that Scholarly Magic skills cost more; see below.

Characters without Magical Talent may learn the Thaumatology Knowledge Skill instead. This will allow them to recognize magic spells, skills, and possibly magic items and talismans (especially if powerful or well known), but not cast magic themselves.

8.232 Skill Points and the Scholarly Magic Skill Group

The Scholarly Magic skills are difficult areas of study, covering magical incantations, rituals, arcane knowledge, and more. There is no default for these skills, so a character learning Scholarly Magic in-game (as opposed to pre-game character creation) would learn the skill at Terrible.

They cost more at character creation, as well.

Note that you may trade 1 Scholarly Magic skill for 2 skills at one level lower. And remember that you can spend only as many points in Scholarly Magic as you have Gifts in Magical Talent: Scholarly Magic.

Points Spent in Skills in that Group, Scholarly Magic at which Levels (Max = # Gifts) (choose from one column or the other) 1 1 at Fair or 1 at Good

1 at Mediocre 1 at Poor 2 2 at Fair or 1 at Great

2 at Mediocre 2 at Fair 3 1 at Good or 1 at Great

4 at Fair 1 at Good

1 at Mediocre 4 1 at Great or 1 at Superb 2 at Good 1 at Great

3 at Fair 3 at Good

The Gamemaster should decide which of the Scholarly Magic skills presented here are allowed. The “Black Arts” (Sorcery and Necromancy) may be restricted to NPC villains, for example. Likewise, the Scholarly Magic Skill of Alchemy may be off limits. (PCs should be allowed to take the Knowledge Skill version of Alchemy, which allows them to recognize various alchemical potions and know something about the procedures and ingredients involved in making them, but not actually create magical elixirs.) The GM may also decide that each culture in the game world knows only a few of the many “flavors” of Scholarly Magic. For example, Shamanism may be restricted to the “primitive” tribes on the jungle continent, or to the horse nomads on the great steppes. Another culture may know Mesmerism, but outlaw its use. A centuries-old university of mages may combine Conjuration and Kineticism into a single branch of study, and likewise with Extra Sensory Perception and Mesmerism. Perhaps Runes are a lost art, and no one living now understands the strange markings found on ancient obelisks and monuments and over archways leading to catacombs.

8.233 Scholarly Magic Skills

Alchemy: The art of mixing balms, draughts, elixirs, nostrums, ointments, philters, potions, powders, salves, tinctures, tonics, and more, with varying magical effects.

Non-mages can have knowledge of the processes and ingredients and final products of alchemy, but are not able to create magical substances themselves; see the Alchemy (Knowledge) skill.

Magical Feats: The GM can have elixirs in the game which produce any magical effect she wants. Alchemical mixtures are used up when applied; unless provided in multiple “doses,” they only work once.

In-Game Requirements: Alchemical processes take a lot of time and materials to prepare. A fully equipped alchemical lab requires great wealth, which means either a high status or a patron to support them. Each alchemical concoction takes weeks or months to prepare, with a high rate of failure, and rare materials that render mass-production impractical. Player character alchemists are not likely to prepare many alchemical substances, simply because of the time and effort involved.

Restrictions: The Gamemaster may require an alchemist to also have a Magic or Knowledge Skill appropriate to the alchemical effect desired. For example, a potion of healing may require skill in Herb Lore, Medicine, or First Aid or the equivalent Hedge Magic skills, hence requiring a Magical Talent: Hedge Magic Gift as well. A philter of flying may require Kineticism (see below) or collaboration with a Kineticist.

Artificing: Bestowing magical properties on items.

Magical Feats: As with alchemy, the GM may allow any enchanted items she wishes in the game. There are three categories of magic items: charms and talismans, with long-lasting but subtle magic; “One-shot” items such as scrolls that release their magical effect all at once (some may be enchanted to work more than once, but will stop working under pre-set conditions, or after a set number of magical feats are performed); and permanent magical items, such as magical swords, cloaks of flying, and the like. “Magic vessels” are permanent enchanted items that are relatively easy to create; they collect and store mana (magical power; see below) for later use, providing scholarly mages with a “magic battery” of sorts.

In-Game Requirements: As with alchemy, artificing requires lengthy rites. Even a simple talisman or charm takes several weeks to ritually prepare, although actually imbuing it with magical power may require only a short ceremony and a GM-determined expenditure of mana. Powerful, permanent enchantments require the item to be specifically created and prepared with the enchantment in mind, and may require the item to be crafted out of rare or precious materials. It’s not enough to take any old sword and slap an ever-sharp enchantment on it; the sword must be forged in a prescribed manner, with rituals of artificing and enchantment performed on it throughout its creation. Artificing also requires much mana, which is usually expended in several stages throughout the artificing process.

Restrictions: Artificing requires the mage to also be skilled in the type of magic bestowed on the item. A wand that turns the target into a frog requires the Transmutation skill; a bag of winds requires the Elemental skill; and so on. Magical scrolls that allow the reader to cast spells require two skills; the Rune skill (for knowing the symbols to use to “write” the spell on the scroll) and the appropriate magic type skill (Mesmerism for a sleep spell, etc.). The GM may also require the artificer to be skilled in crafting the item to be enchanted. Magic swords may need an Artificer who is also a swordsmith (Smithy professional skill). If the artificer collaborates with another magician or with a skilled craftsman in creating an enchanted item, each participant must match or exceed the Difficulty Level set by the GM at each stage of the artificing in order for the final enchantment to work.

Note:The ability to create magic vessels is included in the Artificing skill, as the ability to store mana in an enchanted item is at the heart of all artificing.

Conjuration: Creating objects (even creatures!) out of “thin air” or making objects disappear.

Magical Feats: A conjurer can produce magical energy (in the form of heat, or light, or both) or non-magical items (such as water, air, food, or anything else the GM allows), or creatures (normal animals, magical creatures, and even sentient creatures). The Gamemaster decides whether such conjurations actually create these things, or whether they’re “called” from another dimension or world. Most conjurations have a limited duration, and will disappear after a GM-set amount of time. Fairy Gold is an example; it looks and feels and tastes like real gold, but disappears when the spell has run its course.

The GM may allow conjurations to be “renewed” by expending more mana. Conjuration may also be used to banish items or creatures, including creatures and spirits called up by Elementalism, Necromancy, Shamanism, or Sorcery. Such “banishments” are resolved as an Opposed action the Conjuration Skill versus the original skill roll that called the creatures or items into being.

In-Game Requirements: Conjurations typically have short casting times (an hour or less), but require a lot of mana (magical power) to perform.

Restrictions: Conjuration creates or calls items and creatures it doesn’t control them. For a conjurer to have control over his creations, he’ll need Elementalism (to control any element conjured), Kineticism (to animate items), or Mesmerism (to control conjured creatures).

Elementalism: Elementalists specialize in controlling and transforming the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Magical Feats: Just about anything involving controlling or transforming Earth, Air, Fire, or Water can be done with Elementalism. Working with Earth, one could turn rock to dirt (or vice versa); cause (or calm!) an earthquake or rockslide; or turn a hard metal brittle. Air magic includes stirring a gentle breeze into a fiercer wind, or directing it to carry your words to a particular person’s ears in a whisper spell. An Elementalist’s campfire could remain bright and warm without consuming fuel; or shoot forth a spark to set some nearby flammable material alight. Water magic includes feats such as purify water and turning water to ice. Many materials have the properties of multiple elements mud is Earth and Water; lightning is Air and Fire; a living creature is made up of all four elements; etc. The more elements a Feat involves, the more difficult it will be.

In-Game Requirements: Elemental magic is often quick to perform. Mana costs vary with the scope of the feat being performed. Parting a river to allow safe crossing will take much more mana than magically bringing a small cup of water to a boil. (Parting a river or a larger body of water can be done by many elementalists working in concert, or with a fabled and powerful Staff of Water Command.)

Restrictions: Creating some amount of an element (a fireball, for example) requires the Conjuration skill.

Transforming one element into another requires the Transmutation skill. Calling forth an Elemental a powerful construct imbued with the very essence of one of the four Elements requires Shamanism or Sorcery.

Extra Sensory Perception: Perceiving things with more than the usual five senses.

Magical Feats: Examples of “Esper” magic include Empathy, Telepathy, Clairvoyance (seeing at a distance), Clairaudience (hearing at a distance), Astral Travel (moving out of body, or taking a soul journey to another plane), Divination, and Sensing Auras. An Esper mage also knows how to block Esper magic. Espers excel at detecting the presence or patterns of magic and mana.

In-Game Requirements: Esper magic requires concentration and focus. Typical rituals are relatively short (a matter of a few minutes), but may require a period of purification and meditation before beginning. Espers are vulnerable when experiencing out-of-body travel, and should arrange protection or safety for their physical bodies while their spirits roam.

Restrictions: The information received through Esper magic is not always crystal-clear, and may be subject to misinterpretation. Any distractions, even slight ones, while the Esper is attempting extra sensory perception requires a Willpower roll to ignore (Difficulty Level equal to that set for the magical feat itself).

Kineticism: The magic of motion.

Magical Feats: Levitation, Telekinesis, Teleportation, Animation of objects, and magical “Force” shields or weapons are all possible.

In-Game Requirements: Most kinetic feats require concentration, especially when they involve precisely targeted movement. Mana is expended to start something in motion, and then concentration and willpower are used to direct that motion. Teleportation requires the Kineticist to be at the originating point (although he can Teleport either himself or another), and also to have recently been to the destination point. Without a clear picture of the destination in mind, a Kineticist may “miss” during a Teleportation, with potentially dire consequences such as appearing a bit too far above (or below!) ground level. . . .

Restrictions: In the case of magical “force” weapons (such as a magic missile of harm), the GM may require the player to roll once against the character’s Kineticism skill (to create the magic force) and again using either the character’s Kineticism skill or Willpower attribute to direct the missile. A magical “force” shield could be accomplished as one task the creation of a magic force that moves with the target and blocks contact with anything physically harmful. If a Kineticist wishes to animate an object but also grant it some self-direction or even intelligence, the Shamanism or Sorcery skill is required to bind a spirit to the animated object.

Mesmerism: Affecting minds with magic. Mesmerism may be opposed by the Willpower attribute.

Magical Feats: This skill covers Hypnosis, Illusion, Mind-Control (of humans or animals), and other mind-affecting magic. The ubiquitous “Sleep” spell falls under this skill. “Invisibility” can also be accomplished with Mesmerism. At its simplest level, Mesmerism can confuse a creature’s senses. At its most insidious, it can completely enslave a creature’s mind, bending it to the Mesmerist’s will.

In-Game Requirements: Mesmerism works only against living creatures that also have at least a rudimentary mind. A Mesmerist must be within a certain distance of his targets to be able to affect their minds the distance varies with the difficulty of the feat being attempted.

The more complex the “confusion of the senses” being attempted, the more difficult the feat. The more creatures to be Mesmerized, the more mana is required. The same goes for intelligence, to a point. Normal animal intelligence, such as that of a dog or a horse, is the easiest for most Mesmerists. Affecting the minds of creatures that are more or less intelligent than “normal animal” requires more mana to overcome the target’s intelligence (or lack thereof).

Restrictions: The GM may rule that certain non-human creatures (especially intelligent ones) simply have minds that are too “alien” for a Mesmerist to affect. Mammals will be the easiest to affect. Insects, with their tiny and differently-wired brains, are not easy at all. Any creature with a Willpower attribute may oppose Mesmerism (resolve as an opposed action, Mesmerism skill vs. target’s Willpower attribute), plus any applicable modifiers.

Necromancy: “Death Magic.” Necromancy is a “Black Art,” although not as dangerous to wield as Sorcery.

Magical Feats: Creating (or destroying) and controlling undead creatures, summoning spirits of the dead for divination, and driving a spirit from a living body are all possible with Necromancy. Necromancers can also cause hauntings or release ghostly spirits to the afterlife. The most powerful Necromancers may be able to bring the dead back to life (a far more difficult feat than simply animating their corpses).

In-Game Requirements: Necromancers require access to the raw materials typically needed for their magic dead bodies. Most cultures frown on such uses of earthly remains.

Restrictions: As Necromancy is illegal in many cultures, most Necromancers have the fault Secret (see above).

The GM may require Necromancers to have the Kineticism skill to animate corpses (as zombies, skeletons, or other undead creatures), or she may substitute Shamanism as the means by which a spirit is tied to a corpse to create an undead creature. A generous GM will allow Necromancers to use their own methods to call the spirits or raise the dead. Necromancy may be restricted to non-player characters.

Runes: The use of arcane symbols (runes, sigils, hieroglyphics, and other marks) to cast spells and enchant items.

Magical Feats: Runes are symbols that are inherently pre-disposed to attracting mana and shaping magical power toward a desired end. Some runes are used to enhance other Scholarly Magic skills, aiding the mage’s concentration (lowering the Difficulty Level of a given magical feat), tapping into or focusing magical energy (decreasing the power point cost), or delaying or modifying the effects of a magical feat (triggering the actual spell when certain circumstances are met, for example).

Other runes act more like spells, with the drawing of the rune in the prescribed manner being the only ritual required to perform the magical feat associated with that rune. Most Artificers are well versed in runes, as runes are used in preparing spell scrolls and in many other magical items. Artificing can also be used to make a rune and its effects more permanent. For example, a Sigil of Warding drawn above the archway to a room would repel an intruder only once, unless applied in conjunction with the Artificing skill.

In-Game Requirements: The appropriate rune must be carefully and correctly drawn. Simple runes may be traced in the air or on the ground with a finger. More complex runes may require the mage to draw them in blood on a ritually prepared skin, or painstakingly create them in colored sands on a flat, swept surface, or perform some other equally detailed ritual to create and invoke the rune. Generally, the more complex the magical feat being attempted, the more complex or numerous the runes required, hence the more time required in applying the runes.

Restrictions: Each rune or symbol has a different purpose, and the mage must know the appropriate rune for a given magical feat. The Gamemaster may create a list of runes or other symbols the mage knows, with brief descriptions of how they may be used in the game.

Note: When used in conjunction with other Scholarly Magic skills, the player may roll against the Rune skill even if Runes is not the lowest skill level involved but only if the runes involved are directly related to the magical feat.

Shamanism: Spirit Magic. Shamans interact with spirits of varying powers. Spirits include ancestral spirits, anima (spirits that imbue every object; some anima are more powerful than others), and “guardian spirits.”

Magical Feats: A Shaman can cause any magical effect the spirits he deals with are capable of creating. Shamans can also exorcise troublesome spirits and ghosts, and even creatures (or constructs or demons) called through Conjuration, Necromancy, or Sorcery.

In-Game Requirements: Shamans don’t typically need to expend much mana, as any magical feat beyond the initial contact with a spirit is performed by the spirit itself. Once contacted, a spirit may require a bribe, or bargain, or some other method of persuasion to actually perform the requested feat. Spirits must be honored, with each spirit requiring a different ritual. Dancing, sacrificing (of goods, animals, or even sentient creatures), and singing are often essential features of Shamanistic rituals.

Restrictions: The Shamanism roll made when a Shaman character wishes to perform a magic feat determines whether or not the Shaman successfully contacts the desired spirit. An additional skill, such as Flatter, Intimidate, Parley/Negotiate or other persuasive means may be needed to convince the spirit to actually perform the magic feat requested of it. Shamans who fail to uphold their part of any spirit bargain tend not to be able to practice Shamanism well for long. The Gamemaster may require a Shaman to use the Extra Sensory Perception skill for communicating with the spirits through trances and out-of-body experiences. Artificing is required to create shamanistic objects (charms, talismans, and the like) imbued with spirits that perform magic for the wielder.

Sorcery: The “Black Arts.” Sorcery relies on summoning demons and other powerful, evil beings to trick or bribe or force them into doing the sorcerer’s bidding.

Magical Feats: Anything that can be done by a demon, devil, or evil spirit can be accomplished with Sorcery provided the sorcerer is powerful enough to summon the required entity and crafty enough to convince it to do his bidding. Sorcerers may gain innate magical gifts and other magical powers, either permanently or temporarily, through their dealings with powerful evil beings.

In-Game Requirements: There are three facets to sorcerous dealings summoning the evil being; controlling the evil being (by holding it within a circle of power, for example); and persuading it to do the summoner’s bidding. The summoned being will seek to twist or distort or otherwise alter any deal struck with the sorcerer, so sorcerers must take care to protect themselves and negotiate their deals carefully.

Restrictions: Penalties of failure are severe, and often gruesome. Evil beings do not take kindly to being summoned against their will, and even less kindly to forced servitude. Should a sorcerer’s control slip, even for an instant, the demon or spirit will do its best to harm its captor. Few cultures welcome sorcerers, so the Secret Fault may be required. The Gamemaster may (and probably should) restrict Sorcery to non-player characters, or to PCs with specifically crafted backgrounds (such as a sorcerer-hunter who was once a practicing sorcerer himself).

Transmutation: Turning things into other things. Living creatures may oppose such transformations with Willpower.

Magical Feats: The more unalike the original object and the transmutated object are, the harder the feat. Turning living objects into inanimate objects (such as statues) or vice versa is especially difficult. Turning water to wine, or a glutton into a hog, are easier. Such transformations are usually of short duration; it takes much skill and power to affect a permanent transformation.

In-Game Requirements: Transmutation is a difficult art, often requiring much mana. Affecting a permanent transformation usually requires the use of a powerful enchanted item, such as a staff of transmutation or wand of frog princes.

Restrictions: If the magician’s target has a Willpower attribute, it may resist the magical change. Resolve as an Opposed Action, the mage’s Transmutation skill versus the target’s Willpower attribute, plus or minus any modifiers the GM sets.

Wizardry: The “Wise Arts.” The most scholarly of scholarly magic, Wizardry concerns itself with the laws of magic, the flow of mana, and the underlying structures of spells, incantations, and enchantments. Wizards know many ways to gather mana, and how to use it efficiently.

Magical Feats: Wizardry can detect or analyze magic and magic items, dispel magic, alter mana flows, and perform similar feats that directly affect the forces that make magic possible. Wizardry can also lower the cost in power points of a given feat (see Mana, below).

In-Game Requirements: When applying Wizardry, the Wizard must take time to consider applicable magical laws, mana flows in the area, and any circumstances present at the time of casting that could affect the outcome.

Restrictions: The GM may require the player to refer to “laws of magic” (Similarity, Contagion, or whatever “laws” are appropriate for the game world) , create rhyming “incantations,” or otherwise embellish the description of what the mage is doing when using Wizardry in a magical feat.

Note: When used in conjunction with other Scholarly Magic skills, Wizardry may provide a +1 bonus to the character’s skill roll. This occurs only if the character’s Wizardry skill is higher than one or more of the other Scholarly Magic skills involved (see below).

8.234 Magical Power (Mana)

Casting scholarly magic requires mana, or power points.

Truly trivial magic (with effects similar to those attainable with Hedge Magic) uses negligible amounts of mana, but most scholarly magic requires one or more power points.

Each level of the Magical Talent: Scholarly Gift grants the character 5 power points to use in performing magic.

The number of Gifts used to purchase Magical Talent also affects how much mana the character can channel and control. One Magical Talent Gift allows the character to perform trivial magic, and magical feats costing 1 power point. Two Magical Talent Gifts increase that to 2 power points, and so on.

Attempting to channel more power than the character can normally handle requires a Willpower roll, Difficulty Level equal to Fair plus 1 per power point over the character’s usual limit. Thus, a character with 2 Magical Talent Gifts attempting to channel 4 power points to perform a magical feat must roll Willpower against a Difficulty Level of Great (Fair +2). Failure results in the loss of one level of Health by each level the Difficulty Level is missed. (A Mediocre result with a Great Difficulty Level would result in the loss of 3 Health levels; see Fatigue, below.) Power points may be regained at the rate of 1 point per 2 hours of sleep or 1 hour of undisturbed meditation, up to the number allowed by the magician’s Magical Talent Gifts.

8.235 Fatigue

In addition to requiring mana, Scholarly Magic is fatiguing (much like Hedge Magic). The character’s Health attribute drops one level for each use. If Health level falls below Terrible, the character is exhausted and collapses treat as the fatigue equivalent of “Incapacitated.”

A level of fatigued Health is regained simply by resting 15 minutes.

8.236 Performing Magical Feats

When a character wishes to perform magic, the player should describe to the Gamemaster the magical results the character wishes to achieve. The more detail included in the description, the better. Scholarly magic depends heavily on the magician’s concentration and clarity of thought, and if the player isn’t paying much attention to what the character wishes to accomplish, the GM may assume the character isn’t, either.

The player may also describe the magician character’s actions, and aspects of the ritual being used to perform the magic feat, if desired. Including poetic incantations (especially if it’s good poetry) and other “flavor” in the description of the ritual may be worth bonuses to the character’s skill.

There are several aspects that should be considered for each magical feat:

• Skill required (Difficulty Level)
• Mana required (power points that will be used)
• Time to perform (from an instant to years)
• Materials required (if any)

Optional modifying circumstances (lots possible)

Skill: The more complex the desired results, the higher the Difficulty Level the GM should set for a magical feat. Difficulty Levels start at Fair for simple magic, such as creating but not controlling fire, or speaking with a spirit that’s already “awake” and interested in communicating. Difficulty can range up to Legendary or even beyond, for god-like magical feats. Some “trivial” magic may have Difficulty Levels of Mediocre, but any magic requiring power points should be of at least Fair Difficulty.

Once the Difficulty Level is set, the player rolls against the magician’s Scholarly Magic skill. Use the lowest skill if the feat requires more than one Scholarly Magic skill.

Example: Enchanting a Staff of Dragon Summoning and Control requires skill in Artificing, Conjuration, and Mesmerism. An enchanter with Artificing: Mediocre, Conjuration: Fair, and Mesmerism: Good would roll on a skill level of Mediocre.

Mana: The more powerful or all-encompassing the desired results, the more power points will be required.

“Trivial” magic may require so little mana that power point use isn’t even tracked. This doesn’t mean a mage can go around popping off trivial spells all day, though, since even trivial spells requiring no power points will fatigue the mage.

Note that the Difficulty Level and the mana required are not related; one measures complexity, the other power.

Creating a small colored flame that dances in a pattern that recreates an ancient battle between wizards may be of Legendary Difficulty, but require only one power point.

Note also that some magical feats require more power points than any but the most Legendary Wizards have access to. Such feats are possible, either through pooling the power points of more than one magician, or drawing on “mana vessels” containing stored power points (see Artificing, above). Some rare materials are natural “mana vessels.”

Time: Generally speaking, the more complex the magical feat desired, the greater the time required in preparing.

This is usually true of powerful spells as well. Complex, powerful spells should take a lot of time to prepare.

You can trade Time for Difficulty Level, if you wish. The less time you take in preparing the magical incantation, enchantment, or other feat, the greater the Difficulty Level. Likewise, increasing the preparation and casting time may, at the GM’s option, lower the Difficulty Level.

Materials: If the GM wishes, magical feats may require the use of materials related to the effects desired; sulphur or coal for fire, a feather for a flying spell, and so on. Some magical feats may be performed with nothing more than the magician’s concentration or some words of power; others may require rare and precious materials.

Modifiers: The GM may apply any modifiers desired.

Examples include bonuses for using special materials (or using materials at all if not normally required); for performing magic in naturally magical surroundings; for applying any “laws of magic” the GM allows (if they have the Wizardry skill). Penalties may be applied for distracting circumstances, or the GM may require a Willpower roll for the mage to avoid becoming distracted and possibly losing control of the magic he’s wielding.

8.237 Determining Results

The GM judges whether a feat is within the character’s capabilities if not, she should warn the player that attempting greater magics than the character is ready for is dangerous. The GM also determines what the actual result will be. Magic in Fantasy Fudge is an art, not a science; and the same “spell” cast in the same way may have varying results.

In general, the greater the success in performing a magical feat, the closer to the desired effects the results will be. Spectacular successes may carry unexpected benefits, such as less time required to cast, lower power point cost, and the like. Abysmal failures should be spectacular, as well. Use your imagination, but don’t allow the results to outright kill the character (unless he’s a sorcerer)!

Less abysmal failures will produce unexpected and possibly unwanted results, including greater power point cost with little or nothing to show for it.

8.238 Spell Lists

It’s a good idea to take some time before play to work out some “standard” spells a scholarly mage is likely to use. Ask the player what spells the character is likely to have sought out, and work out some sample Difficulty Levels, Mana costs, and required time and materials for those spells. Feel free to “steal” spells from other games to help build a spell list. Consider the spell’s desired affect rather than the actual game mechanics used in the game it was designed for, and base the difficulty and power levels on that.

Spell descriptions should be considered guidelines rather than strict definitions of spell effects and costs. Magical feats and their results are meant to be improvised by the Gamemaster as well as by the character.

8.239 Sample Spells

“Skinwalker.”

Skill: Transmutation.

Feat: Temporarily shapechanges caster into a wolf.

Difficulty Level: Good.

Power Points: 2.

Time: 20 minutes.

Materials: Ritually prepared wolfskin (may be reused).

“Targeted Fireball.”

Skills

Conjuration, Elementalism, Kineticism.

Feat: Fireball moves to target and explodes.

Difficulty Level: Fair.

Power Points: 1 (more for larger fireball).

Time: 1 combat round.

Materials: Red garnet (destroyed).

8.3 Clerical Magic

5-Point Fudge uses Fudge Miracles (section 7.2) as a basis for Clerical Magic.

The Gift Divine Favor is required to use Clerical Magic.

It’s possible to play a priest without Divine Favor simply choose the Professional skill Counseling/Priest and assemble an appropriate set of skills. But such a priest has no ability to use Clerical Magic. Note also that you don’t have to be an ordained priest in any religion to have Divine Favor or to use Clerical Magic.

Skills available to a character with Divine Favor include the mundane and the supernatural. The supernatural are cast strictly through the power of the God or gods served by the cleric. If the cleric’s behavior is inconsistent with the God’s desires, this ability is withdrawn, at least temporarily.

Supernatural skills in the following list are detailed any other skill is mundane and uses the description in the Skill list. This list assumes a benign deity who grants free will and supernatural aid to its followers in times of crisis. Other skills may be appropriate for other types of clerics plant magic for Druids, for example, and more spirit magic for shamans. Evil clerics have a different skill list your characters should pray they never meet them. . . .

Aid Task: by touching someone who is trying to accomplish a task that is in the deity’s interest, you can grant a +1 to their skill.

Arcane Lore

Banish Spirits: you can force spirits and demons from another plane to return to their proper plane.

Bless: you can grant a +1 (or more, if the GM is willing) defensive bonus to someone, which lasts until the next combat ends.

Counseling/Priest

Detect Lies: your ability at this is enhanced.

Exorcism: you can force a spirit or demon which has invaded a body or dwelling to leave.

First Aid

Healing: you can channel healing from the deity you serve.

Medicine Oratory

Parley/Negotiate Persuade Remove Fatigue: you can restore endurance to the weary.

Repel Undead: you can ward off zombies, vampires, ghosts, etc., from your presence.

Teaching Theology/Rituals

True Sight: you can see through illusions.

Ward: you can protect a person or all within a room-sized area from supernatural evil, either spells, spirits, undead, demons, etc.

8.31 Calling on Divine Favor

When a cleric with Divine Favor calls on his deity, make an Unopposed action roll against the specific Clerical Magic skill (see Action Resolution, above). On a Good or better result, the cleric’s petition for divine favor is answered. For clerical skills where exact results aren’t quantified (such as Healing), the better the rolled result, the better the answer to the prayer. For example, a Good result may reduce one wound by one wound level, while a Superb result could heal an injured character entirely.

On a Fair or Mediocre result, the favor simply isn’t granted. On a Poor or worse result, the deity may be angry with the cleric. The GM should consider the character’s recent actions, especially in regard to the cleric’s religious beliefs. If there are any reasons for the cleric’s deity to be less than satisfied with service rendered, this is the time for that to become abundantly clear. If the cleric’s behavior has been exemplary (so far as the deity is concerned), a failure simply means the deity was busy with other things, or considered the favor unimportant (or counter to its own desires) for some reason.

Modifiers: The GM can apply any modifiers she thinks applicable. Suggestions may be found in Section 7.2 of the core Fudge rules, and include +1 or more if the cleric has recently been furthering the deity’s cause, or -1 if the most recent petition for Divine Favor ended in a Poor or worse result.

8.4 Non-Human Races

For each non-human race in the game world, create a “racial package” that includes such things as racial gifts, faults, any special powers (see Supernormal Powers) and modifiers, including Scale and Attribute and Skill modifiers.

Determine how many “Gifts” the racial package is worth, and require that many Gifts be spent (or attribute levels reduced, or extra Faults incurred). Some racial packages will balance out, not requiring the use of a Gift slot.

Some racial packages may actually qualify as Faults, allowing the character to compensate with higher Attributes or additional Gifts.

Some Skills, Gifts, Faults, Supernormal Powers, etc.

may be unique to members of particular races.

8.41 Sample Racial Package: Elves

Attribute Modifiers: +1 Agility, +1 Perception.

Gifts

Magical Talent: Innate Gifts, Eagle Eyes; Very Long Lifespan.

Faults

Elven Code of Honor; Honesty; Truthfulness.

Cost: 1 Gift.

8.42 Sample Racial Package: Halflings

Attribute Modifiers: Scale -2, Health +1.

Faults

Social Stigma in non-halfling lands. Cost: 2 Faults.

8.5 Equipping Characters

The Gamemaster may wish to define a “starting equipment” package that all characters will have (unless they took the Poor Fault or Wealthy Gift). This may include such things as clothing (perhaps one good set and an everyday set), footgear, and weapons appropriate to their Combat skills. They may also have travel or camping gear (such as wineskins or canteens, a messkit, a tinderbox, and other items common in the campaign world).

Players should be allowed to customize their characters’ equipment list a bit, adding things that make sense given their skills. Characters with Climbing skill may have rope, a grappling hook, iron spikes, or similar equipment that can aid in climbing.

Characters should also be allowed to purchase equipment spending their hard-earned wealth for the privilege, of course. The GM may want to prepare an “equipment list” with average prices for common items available in the campaign world. Appropriate equipment lists may also be borrowed or adapted from other roleplaying games.

8.51 Damage Factors and Equipment

For weapons, armor, and other equipment likely to be used in combat situations, the player or GM should determine Offensive and Defensive Damage Factors.

Damage Factors are simply the sum of damage-related modifiers for each weapon or armor type. These factors will be used to determine damage points and wound levels in combat (see Wounds, section ).

Sample “Wound Factors” are detailed on in section 4.53.

Use these to determine the “Offensive Damage Factor” for each character/weapon combination.

For example, a character with Good Strength wielding a longsword would have an Offensive Damage Factor of +4 (+1 for Strength; +2 for a large one-handed weapon; +1 for sharpness). A character with Fair Strength wielding the same weapon would have an ODF of +3 (no Strength bonus). Remember to include any bonuses or penalties due to Scale when dealing with non-human combatants.

Then determine the character’s “Defensive Damage Factor” for both “unarmored” and “armored” (if the character possesses armor). Modifiers range from +0 for no armor to +4 or more for heavy or magical armor. Scale and Gifts such as Tough Hide can also affect a character’s Defensive Damage Factor.

8.6 Character Development

After each game session, award Fudge Points (see section 1.36) to the characters. Fantasy Fudge suggests 1-3 Fudge Points per gaming session. The GM may reward really good roleplaying and problem solving with more Fudge Points. Fudge Points may be used to “fudge” a game result, or they may be saved up and traded for Experience Points at a rate of 3 Fudge Points = 1 EP. The EPs may then be spent to raise skills or attributes, or acquire additional Gifts, etc., as outlined in Chapter 5: Character Development.

8.7 Settings for Fantasy Fudge

Where would a fantasy roleplaying game be without a setting? Wherever you want it to be! Use Fantasy Fudge with your favorite fantasy world, whether that’s one of your own creation, a fictional world brought to life by your favorite fantasy author, a published fantasy game world, or any of a number of game worlds created by other gamers.

8.8 Action Resolution

There are two types of actions in Fantasy Fudge Opposed Actions, and Unopposed Actions.

A fight between two creatures will most often be resolved as a series of Opposed Actions.

An attempt to climb a cliff will most often be resolved as an Unopposed Action. The Gamemaster sets the “Difficulty Level” that must be met or surpassed for the action to succeed.

Note that very easy actions should be automatic; no need to roll. Likewise with impossible actions; the character just can’t do it, and will fail in the attempt no matter how lucky the player is with dice.

If the character doesn’t have an appropriate skill to attempt a task, the GM may allow the player to roll on the default level for that skill (usually Poor). The GM may call for a roll against an attribute instead of a skill whenever it seems appropriate (asking for an Agility check rather than a Climbing check, for example), although an unskilled character should get a negative modifier to the dice roll.

8.81 Rolling the Dice

When a character attempts an action, roll percentiles (or use 100ths of a second on a stopwatch) and consult this table:

Rolled: 1 2-6 7-18 19-38 39-62 Result: -4 -3 -2 -1 +0 Rolled: 63-82 83-94 95-99 00 Result: +1 +2 +3 +4 If you have Fudge dice, roll four of them instead. The result (from -4 to +4) is used as a modifier to a skill or character trait.

8.82 Unopposed Actions

The Gamemaster sets a Difficulty Level for any unopposed action. This includes most ranged weapon combat it’s difficult for a character to actually hinder someone’s attempt to fire at him, although if he has Quick Reflexes he could attempt to dodge out of the line of fire.

The Difficulty Level should take into account everything but the character’s skill (and modifiers to that skill provided by equipment or character condition, including injuries).

A task with a Difficulty Level of Poor is very easy, while something with a Difficulty Level of Superb is very hard. For legendary feats, set the Difficulty Level even higher (Superb +2, for example). When in doubt, set the Difficulty Level to Fair. That will give a character with a Fair skill a 62% chance of succeeding.

8.83 Opposed Actions

When characters engage in opposed actions (including hand-to-hand combat), the players of each contestant roll the dice, add the indicated modifiers to the appropriate skill level, and compare the results. The GM rolls for all NPCs.

Relative Degree measures the difference between the results.

If one character has a Good success in an Opposed Action, and the second character has a Mediocre success, the Relative Degree is +2 from the winner’s perspective, and -2 from the loser’s perspective. In combat, the winner adds the Relative Degree to his Offensive Damage Factor to determine the number of damage points inflicted.

If it helps, you can convert the characters’ combat skills to their numerical equivalents before adding all modifiers (including the random dice roll). Alternatively, put your finger on the Terrible Superb Trait Scale list, and move up one line for every +1 or down one line for every -1.

8.9 Combat

In Fudge, a combat “round” can be defined as the Gamemaster wishes. Fantasy Fudge assumes one “round” (roll of the dice) equals about 3 seconds of combat action. Actions occur simultaneously.

Combat can be resolved as an Unopposed action if it involves ranged combat, a combatant being caught unawares (giving a “free attack” to the opponent), or a “cannon-fodder” type of NPC (see Special Circumstances, below). Otherwise, treat combat as a series of Opposed Actions.

The players of characters engaged in opposed actions will roll the dice once each combat round; the result determines the winner of that round.

8.91 Special Circumstances

A Terrible hit never damages the target, even if it beats the opponent’s sub-Terrible result.

When multiple opponents attack a single target, the lone fighter is at -1 to skill for each foe beyond the first. The player rolls once; compare the result with each of the opponents’ rolls. The solo combatant has to defeat or tie all of the opponents in order to inflict a wound. If he beats all of his foes, he may hit one of his choice.

Otherwise, he can only wound another whose result is at least two levels below his. The lone fighter takes multiple wounds if two or more enemies hit him.

Unlike “star” NPCs, who are treated much like PCs, “cannon fodder” opponents will always get results equal to their trait levels. You can treat this as an Unopposed Action with a Difficulty Level equal to the NPC’s combat skill.

When “cannon fodder” NPCs gang up on a player character, use the “multiple opponents” rule above, but compare the outnumbered fighter’s result with the NPCs’ combat skill levels (not “rolled degrees”).

8.92 Wounds

When a character wins a combat round, use the following formula to determine the damage done:

Winner’s Offensive Damage Factor (including Scale) plus Relative Degree (number of levels won by) minus Loser’s Defensive Damage Factor (including Scale) equals Damage Points Inflicted If the result is 0 or less, no damage is inflicted. If the result is positive, look at the table below to determine the severity of the particular wound.

Damage: 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9+

Wounds: Scratch Hurt Very Incapacitated Near Hurt Death

The boxes below the wound levels represent how many of each wound type a character can take. The player checks off one box for each wound received. A 6-point wound requires the “Very Hurt” box to be checked, and so on. If there is no open box for a given wound result, the character takes the next highest wound for which there is an open box.

A wounded character suffers penalties to most actions:

Scratch: no penalty

Hurt: -1 to most actions Very Hurt: -2 to most actions Incapacitated: incapable of any but the most basic, painfully slow actions Near Death: unconscious, will die in less than an hour unless helped Penalties are not cumulative. Only the penalty for the highest recorded wound level counts. Scratches go away after a battle, provided the character has five or ten minutes to attend to them. See section 4.8 for rules for healing wounds.

8.93 Stun, Knockout, and Pulling Punches

A character may try to stun or knock out his opponent rather than wound her, in which case a Hurt result is called a “Stun” and the -1 penalty associated with being “Hurt” lasts for one combat round only. A Very Hurt result would be “Very Stunned” and the -2 penalty lasts 2 combat rounds. An “Incapacitated” result indicates the opponent has been knocked out.

A character may also pull his punches. The player simply announces the maximum wound level his character will inflict if he wins the combat round. See section 4.62 for more information.

8.10 Situational Rolls

A Situational Roll is used to show luck, outside events, or the overall situation. It isn’t based on any character traits. Simply roll the dice. A Situational Roll of -2 gives a Poor result; the situation is not good.

The GM can use a Situational Roll to determine anything from the weather to a non-player character’s attitude.

A Situational Roll can also be used to check a creature’s “morale” during combat, especially when the creature is first wounded, and again if it becomes Very Hurt. A -1 or worse Situational Roll in the midst of combat may mean that the NPC will try to surrender or run away. You may add the NPC’s current modifiers due to wounds to the “morale” roll. A Hurt creature with a -1 Situational Roll would actually be experiencing a Poor reaction to the combat, and would probably be doing whatever it could to get out of the fight. . . .

8.11 Fudge Points

Fudge Points allow players to “fudge” a game result.

Spending a Fudge Point will allow the player or character to:

• Accomplish an Unopposed action automatically and with panache. The GM may veto this use for actions with a Difficulty Level beyond Superb, or greater than 3 levels higher than the character’s skill or attribute used in the roll.
• Alter a die roll one level, up or down as desired. The die roll can be one the player makes, or one the GM makes that directly concerns the player’s character.
• Declare that wounds aren’t as bad as they first looked. This reduces one wound by one level (a Hurt becomes a Scratch, etc.).
• Get an automatic +4 result.

8.12 The Only Rule You Really Need To Know

When in doubt, just fudge it! Simply have things happen in a way that will let the players have fun. If you don’t see a rule that covers a particular in-game situation, just use your best judgment.

8.13 Sample Characters

8.131 Azrath (Mage)

Reasoning: Good

Perception: Fair Willpower: Good

Strength: Fair

Agility: Fair

Health: Fair Knowledge Skills (1 point) Literacy: Fair Thaumatology: Fair Arcane Lore: Fair History: Mediocre Combat Skills (1 point, Narrow Focus) Long Knife: Good

Brawling: Mediocre Outdoor Skills (1 point) Navigation: Fair Map Sketching: Fair Observation: Fair Survival: Mediocre Magic Skills (2 Points) Elementalism: Good

Wizardry: Fair Artificing: Mediocre Gifts: Magic Talent: Scholarly Magic £ 2 (10 power points, 2 points maximum per spell); Familiar (dog) (GM approval); Wealthy

Faults

Curious; Loyal to Companions; Quixotic; Humanitarian; Code of Honor (never allow innocent people to be hurt by magic) Equipment: Lots (due to Wealthy Gift), including: Long Knife (ODF +1); miscellaneous odds and ends to aid in spellcasting; travel gear.

8.132 Hans (Warrior)

Reasoning: Mediocre Perception: Fair Willpower: Fair Strength: Great

Agility: Good

Health: Fair Combat Skills (3 points) 2-Handed Sword: Great 1-Handed Sword: Good

Crossbow: Fair Fast-Draw Sword: Fair Brawling: Fair Knife: Fair Knife Throwing: Fair Read Opponent: Fair 2-Handed Sword Throwing: Fair (GM-allowed skill) Athletic Skills (1 point) Balance: Fair Climbing: Fair Running: Fair Swimming: Mediocre Covert Skills (1 point) Tailing: Fair Move Quietly: Fair Infiltrate: Fair Disarm Traps: Mediocre Gifts: Combat reflexes; Reputation as Hero

Faults

Overconfident; Violent when enraged Equipment: Backpack with rope, waterskin, wineskin, whetstone; 2-handed sword (ODF +6); 1-handed sword (ODF +5); crossbow with 30 quarrels (ODF +4); knife (ODF +3); jeweled greaves; loincloth; fur cloak; ringmail shirt (DDF +2).

8.133 Lena (Rogue)

Reasoning: Fair Perception: Fair Willpower: Mediocre Strength: Fair

Agility: Good

Health: Great

Athletic Skills (1 point) Move Quietly: Fair Sleight of Hand: Fair Acrobatics: Fair Climbing: Fair Combat Skills (1 point) Knife: Good Knife Throwing: Mediocre Covert Skills (2 points Narrow Focus) Find Hidden: Great

Pick Locks: Good

Find Traps: Mediocre Disarm Traps: Mediocre Hedge Magic (1 point) Camouflage: Fair Detect Lies: Fair Move Quietly: Fair Herb Lore: Mediocre Gifts: Lucky; Magical Talent: Hedge Magic

Faults

Curious; Trickster Equipment: Knife (one in each boot) (ODF +1); lockpicks (+1 to Pick Locks skill); various herbs & things; leather armor/clothing (DDF +1); Travel gear; soft leather gloves.

8.134 Tomas (Priest)

Reasoning: Good

Perception: Fair Willpower: Great

Strength: Fair

Agility: Mediocre

Health: Fair Clerical Magic (3 points) Ward: Good

Healing: Good

Theology/Rituals: Good

Bless: Great

Counseling: Fair True Sight: Fair Exorcism: Fair Banish Spirits: Fair Knowledge Skills (1 point) Legends/Stories: Fair Literacy: Fair Language: Fair Other fields of knowledge (book sense only) Mediocre Combat Skills (1 point) Staff: Fair Knife: Fair Knife Throwing: Fair Tactics: Mediocre Gifts: Divine Favor; Lucky

Faults

Self-defense Pacifist; Code of Honor Equipment: Staff (ODF +2); knife (ODF +1); prayerbook; holy symbol; travel gear; clothing and cloak; first aid kit; formal religious garb.

8.14 Wild Things (Fantasy Fudge Bestiary)

Here are some sample creatures for use with Fantasy Fudge. Feel free to tailor their descriptions and traits to fit your campaign world.

See Section 6.5, Animal & Creature Examples, for more sample creatures and tips on creating your own beasts for Fudge. Monster descriptions from other roleplaying games are usually easily converted to Fudge.

Basilisk

Attributes (individuals may vary):

Reasoning: Fair (animal)

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Poor

Agility: Fair

Health: Poor

Supernatural Powers

Venomous Breath

Scale: -10

Combat Skill: Poor Attacks: Bite, Breath (special attack)

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: -10 (melee)

Defensive: -10 (melee)

The basilisk, sometimes called the cockatrice by peasants, is a grayish serpent that grows to no more than two feet in length. It has white markings on its head that resemble a crown. Popular legend holds that the basilisk can kill with a mere glance, but this is untrue.

The basilisk’s danger lies in its venom. The venomous breath of a basilisk withers plants, scorches the earth and can kill any creature up to the size of an elephant.

In combat, a basilisk breathes a nearly invisible, cone-shaped cloud of venom that affects foes up to fifteen feet away. Any living creature caught in the cloud must make a Health roll at Great Difficulty or be immediately slain.

Basilisks are also dangerous in melee combat. Any blow that successfully damages the creature can cause the creature’s foul venom to pass up through the weapon and affect the wielder. Any time a Basilisk is struck with a melee weapon, the GM should roll a dF. On a roll of -1, the victim must make a Health roll as above or die.

A basilisk is created from an egg that is laid by a cockerel and then incubated by a toad in a dung heap.

Dragon

Attributes (individuals may vary):

Reasoning: Fair

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Fair (Scale +4)

Agility: Fair

Health: Fair

Gifts

Tough Hide (+2 Defensive Damage Factor)

• Wings
• Fiery Breath

 

Supernatural Powers (optional)

Magical Talent: Innate

Magical Talent: Scholarly Magic

Skills

Varies with individual; most Athletic, Knowledge, Magic, Scouting, and Social skills are possible.

Scale: +4

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: Bite, Fiery Breath, Claws

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +6 (Claws); +5 (Bite); +6 Breath (on a Situational Roll of Mediocre or worse, the target of Fiery Breath catches on fire for an additional +2 damage per combat round until extinguished). Add Strength bonuses to Claws and Bite.

Defensive: -6 (Scale and Tough Hide) Dragons are large intelligent reptiloids. Many are known for their vanity. The GM should feel free to customize dragons to taste.

Ghost

Attributes (Not Applicable)

Faults

Unholy (optional)

Supernatural Powers

Insubstantial (no physical attacks, can float through walls)

Cause Fear (may force characters to make Great Willpower checks to avoid being scared off.); Scale: n/a

Combat Skill: n/a Attacks: n/a Damage Factors (including Scale): n/a

Ghosts are the leftover psychic residue of someone who has perished. Generally speaking, there is no physical method of removing or harming them. Some ghosts can be put to rest if a special task is completed. Usually the completion of the task is what makes the spirit hang around after its original owner perished. Ghosts are generally resentful creatures and their deep emotional disturbance puts animals at unease.

Ghosts may be influenced, confined, banished, or released by various applications of Clerical Magic or Scholarly Magic (especially Shamanism or Necromancy).

Ghoul

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Poor

Perception: Good

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Good

Agility: Good

Health: Mediocre

Gifts

Tough Hide (+2 Defensive Damage Factor)

Damage Capacity Good (+1 Defensive Damage Factor)

Claws (+1 Offensive Damage Factor, Poisonous)

Skills

Ghouls retain the skills they had when human, but at a -1 penalty.

Scale: 0

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: Bite, Claws

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +2 (Bite), +2 (Claws) plus poison (see below)

Defensive: -3 (Tough Hide, Damage Capacity) Ghouls (also know as Ghouls and Raveners) are once human creatures whose minds have been destroyed.

They have grey, jellylike flesh, yellow fangs, and filthy, broken nails which infect their victims with a sinister toxin.

Ghouls usually inhabit underground lairs near graveyards and similar places, where a supply of their noxious “food” may be found. Ghouls usually travel in packs of 3-12, with the most powerful and intelligent member as a leader. Their usual prey is carrion, but they will attack living humans if driven to it by hunger or by a powerful master.

Ghouls attack with their claws and teeth in a mindless frenzy. The poison in their claws drains vitality. The victim must make a Health roll, difficulty level Fair, or lose one level of health per combat round. Victims reduced to below Terrible Health become stiff and helpless.

Any human succumbing to a ghoul attack will be taken to their lair and buried. This live internment, in addition to the ghoulish poison, deranges the mind and causes physical changes that result in the victim becoming a ghoul. If sufficiently hungry, the ghouls may simply devour the victim.

Ghouls can be turned by the Repel Undead Clerical Magic skill, difficulty level Good. The clerical Ward ability keeps ghouls completely at bay. A clerical Healing can neutralize the poison if a victim has not entirely become a ghoul.

Giant Worm

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Perception: Good

Strength: Good

Gifts

Tough Hide (+2 Defensive Damage Factor)

Tail Stinger (+2 Offensive Damage Factor)

Magic Resistance: Good

Skills: Not Applicable; Scale: +10 or more

Combat Skill: Mediocre Attacks: Swallow, or Stinging Tail

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +12 or more (stinging tail)

Defensive: +12 or more (Tough Hide) +1 if attacking from inside, see below

These giant, carnivorous worms grow to be 1500 long.

They can bore through solid rock and are a menace to explorers in deep caverns.

A worm’s favorite attack is to stick its head out of a hole and swallow any creature of Scale 6 or less. Victims may attempt to dodge (Opposed Action, Victim’s Agility versus the worm’s Combat Skill). If the worm wins, the victim is swallowed.

A creature may attempt to attack a worm from the inside., difficulty level Terrible (any attack of Terrible or better has a chance of doing damage) and DDF +1.

There is little room to swing weapons. 15 points of cumulative damage done to the same area within the worm allows a victim to cut an escape hole, or might cause the worm to regurgitate.

Meanwhile, the victim is being digested. He or she takes a Scratch each combat round after being swallowed. If the victim has no Scratch boxes left, the Scratch will be a Hurt; if there are no Hurt boxes left on the victim’s wound track, the result will be Very Hurt, and so on until death.

If attacked from the rear, a giant worm will lash out with a bone-like stinger on its tail. It can do this the same round as attempting to swallow.

Goblin

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Mediocre

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Mediocre

Strength: Fair

Agility: Fair

Health: Fair

Gifts

Dark Vision

Toughness (+1 Defensive Damage Factor); Scale: -1

Combat Skill: Fair Attacks: By weapon

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +1 (shortsword)

Defensive: +1 (leather armor) Goblins are short (40 tall), evil humanoids that are found in wild forests or mountainous areas. Goblins are tribal and matriarchal. A tribe will normally consist of between 50 and 200 individuals. The leader of the tribe is usually a female of prodigious size and foul temperament.

Goblins are not particularly fearsome opponents in battle unless they are backed by overwhelming numbers or led by a charismatic general. Goblin tribes go through periods of very high birth rates every 5-10 years. This results in periodic invasions of surrounding lands by hordes of goblins on the move due to overpopulation and starvation.

Goblins fear and hate dwarves, since dwarves often enslave them and put them to work in their mines. The average goblin is armed with a wicked-looking serrated short sword and protected by a patchwork of leather armor.

Great Weasel

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Fair (animal)

Perception: Good

Agility: Great

Speed: Superb Skills:

Move Quietly: Great

Scale: -5

Combat Skill: Superb Attacks: Bite and Claws

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: -3 (bite or claws)

Defensive: -5 Great weasels are 30 long with razor-sharp claws, needlelike teeth, lightning reflexes and a bad attitude. Giant rats are their preferred prey. Great Weasels may be tamed.

With their speed and ability to move quietly, great weasels can attack their prey without warning, gaining an Unopposed attack, Difficulty Fair in the first combat round. If a great weasel wins an attack with a relative degree of +4 or more, it has bitten a major blood vessel.

The victim will bleed to death in several minutes, unless first aid or healing is applied. The victim must make a Health roll (Difficulty Fair) every minute or bleed to death. GMs who allow NPCs to have Fudge points should give great weasels one point.

Hydra

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Fair

Perception: Great

Strength: Great

Agility: Good

Health: Fair

Supernatural Powers

Many Heads (usually 5)

Head Regeneration (see below); Scale: +8 (each head Scale +2)

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: Bite (1 from each head)

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +5 (bite)

Defensive: +2 (each head) or +8 (body) Its origins shrouded in mystery, the hydra is one of the most feared creatures. It appears as a large reptile, with many heads. Its regeneration makes it nearly unstoppable and its appetite is insatiable.

Each of a hydra’s head can attack independently. For combat purposes, treat each head as a scale +2 creature whose teeth do +5 damage due to sharpness and strength.

Any wound of Incapacitated or Near Death inflicted on a head severs it from its neck. A new head will regenerate to replace the lost one. If the hydra makes a Superb Health check, two heads are regenerated. The regeneration process takes 4 combat rounds. A Hurt or worse wound inflicted by fire will prevent regeneration. Magic weapons may have similar effects.

Hyeena

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Good (animal)

Perception: Good

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Good

Agility: Good

Health: Good

Gifts

Magical Defense (see below)

Toughness (+1 Defensive Damage Factor) Skills:

Mimicry Great (see below); Scale: +0

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: Bite

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +2 (sharp teeth)

Defensive: +1 (toughness) The hyeena is a horrible beast that resembles a large hound with a spiny ridge running along its back. It lives in tombs or catacombs and feeds on the dead. It will also dig up graves in the search for bodies. Some hyeenas stalk rural areas by night and prey on shepherds or late travelers.

The hyeena has an unusual magical defense. Any creature that treads on a hyeena’s shadow is immediately struck dumb and unable to speak. The effect lasts until the hyeena is killed or an hour has passed.

The hyeena also has an uncanny talent for imitating the human voice, and uses this trick to lure its prey into an ambush.

Alchemists prize the hyeena’s eyes because they can be distilled into small stones that can be used to foretell the future. An alchemist will pay a good fee for a pair of hyeena eyes if they are fresh or have been properly preserved in salt or strong alcohol.

Imp

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Good

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Mediocre

Strength: Mediocre to Good

Agility: Mediocre to Great

Health: Fair Supernormal Powers:

Magical Talent (Demonic Magic; see below)

Magical Toughness (+3 Defensive Damage Factor) Skills:

Demonic: Magic Great

GM may choose other skills appropriate to individual.

Scale: -3 or smaller

Combat Skill: Fair Attacks: Magic or bite

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: -2 (sharp teeth)

Defensive: +0 (magical toughness) (adjust Damage Factors for Scale if less than -3) Imps are small demonic entities, which are either summoned or sent to this plane to aid a sorcerer or priest in some evil scheme. Imps come in many shapes, from man-like to grotesque.

Imps are skilled in Demonic Magic, which works the same way Scholarly Magic does. Demonic Magic excels at magical feats that cause confusion and misery. Most imps have 5 magical power points, and can channel 1- or 2-point spells.

Medusa

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Fair

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Fair

Agility: Fair

Health: Fair Supernormal Powers:

Petrification (see below) Skills:

Assassination: Good

Scale: +0

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: Bow

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +2 (bow; add Strength bonus if any)

Defensive: +0 Medusae are cursed by gods. In ages past, the mother of all medusae compared her own beauty with that of the gods. For this, she and all her descendants were made so hideous, that any who saw them were turned to stone. (Any character who sees a medusa’s face must make a Willpower check at a Great Difficulty level, or turn to stone.) A medusa may attempt to take residence in an old villa or abandoned home. There, slowly but surely, a statue garden will begin to grow. The services of a hero may be needed to find a way of killing the poor creature. It has been rumored that when a medusa is slain, her victims return to the flesh.

Rathent

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Fair

Perception: Good

Willpower: Mediocre

Strength: Fair

Agility: Good

Health: Good

Gifts

Keen Senses (especially eyesight)

Quick Reflexes

1 in 10 Rathent possess a Magical Talent Gift (see below)

Faults

Cowardly

Damage Capacity Mediocre (-1 to DDF)

Jerk (Few Rathent have any regard for anything but themselves. This can translate in several ways.) Skills:

Setting Traps: Good

Ambush: Good

Move Quietly: Great

Athletic

Skills

Fair

Outdoor

Skills

Fair

Other skills as appropriate for individual; Scale: -1 to +0

Combat Skill: Fair to Great

Attacks: Claws or Weapon

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +0 (claws) +1 to +3 (scavenged weapons) (adjust Offensive Damage Factors for Strength if needed)

Defensive: +0 (cobbled together armor)

Rathent are odd creatures, most likely the result of some magical hybridization gone awry. They resemble humanoid birds, with large, curved beaks and off- set eyes. Feathers cover their head, upper torso and arms. Their plumage is generally dark or mottled and unkempt and greasy. Many Rathent have hands ending talon-like claws. Most Rathent have human-like leg structure. Rare individuals will have bird-like legs or vestigial wings, and are generally regarded as gruk (retard or throwback). This is a reflection of cultural bias rather than actual ability or intelligence.

The structure of Rathent society is loosely tribal with the strongest or most cunning being the skwarka (chieftain).

The skwarka leads the tribe in battle and receives the most prestige and breeding privileges.

Rathent are extremely protective of their females, as they have a relatively low birthrate. Only one in five members of a typical Rathent tribe are female.

Rathent males serve as hunters and generally engage in banditry, thievery, and murder to eke out an existence.

They are cowardly scavengers by nature and will feed on carrion with glee when there is nothing better.

Most Rathent provide only for themselves, but offer tribute to the skwarka and his harem. Warriors that do not pay tribute regularly to the skwarka are either exiled or more likely killed.

Rathent may be encountered in semi-civilized areas on the outskirts of forests and mountains. Their villages are clusters of rude tree houses similar to nests in structure.

The skwarka’s nest is the largest and centrally located, and is built into the largest tree available.

Rathent have fair craftsmanship skills, but rarely produce anything of exceptional quality. Most of their weaponry is scavenged or stolen. When left to their own means they will produce javelins, war darts, and spears.

Rathent armor is usually cobbled together from bits and pieces scavenged in their raids.

Some Rathent have an innate talent for simple magic.

Clerical Magic and Hedge Magic is most common. Scholarly Magic (Elementalism or Necromancy) is also possible, but no Rathent will have more than one level of the Magical Talent: Scholarly Magic Gift. Rathents with Magical Talent are known as kuzkwa. Most are female.

All magically talented Rathent are sterile and considered sexless. Many are also albino. These Rathent serve as shamans and spiritual advisors.

Rathent spirituality is a grim affair centered around the malevolent figure Kzukwa-skwark (Old Lord Dread).

Homage is paid to this fearsome entity by murdering as many non-Rathent as possible. This ensures that the afterlife will be only moderately painful, rather than an eternity of anguish and torture.

Rathent have an irrational attraction to shiny objects, and will often quarrel over relatively useless objects that glitter.

Ratlings

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Mediocre

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Mediocre

Strength: Fair

Agility: Good

Health: Mediocre; Scale: -1 (or less)

Combat Skill: Fair Attacks: Claws or Bite

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +0 (claws), +1 (bite)

Defensive: -1 Ratlings are small humanoid creatures whose head, claws and tail look like those of a rat. Their legs are also more ratlike than human. Ratlings have a low life expectancy due to disease resulting from poor living conditions.

Ratlings can speak as well as humans, and usually speak the local dominant language. Their claws are dexterous enough to allow a Ratling to use equipment made for humans.

Ratlings were created by a Grand Mage who later allowed his experiments to leave his laboratory. In the few years since their creation, the Ratlings have established themselves amid the slums and alleys of the city.

The GM may involve Ratlings in the city’s political scene if desired. Examples: The local ruler has placed a bounty on Ratling skins; Ratlings are active in the Thieves’ or Beggars’ Guilds; etc.

The GM may adjust Ratlings to be smaller and more ratlike, if she likes. Suggested Scale: -5 or less (remember to adjust Offensive and Defensive Damage Factors).

Restless Dead

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Poor

Perception: Fair

Willpower: n/a (mindless)

Strength: Fair

Agility: Good

Health: n/a (not alive)

Gifts

Immune to Mind Magic

Skeletal (Half damage from slashing weapons; piercing weapon damage is reduced to 1)

Unaffected by Sunlight (unlike many Undead)

Faults

Susceptible to Fire

Destroyed by running water (dispels animating magic)

Undead (can be banished, etc.); Scale: -2 to +2 (as when alive)

Combat Skill: Fair Attacks: Weapon

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: by weapon

Defensive: +2 (Light Armor and Shield) Time and time again, necromancers turn to dead humanoids when trying to inexpensively create tireless, fearless guardians. Corpses are versatile, readily available, and the once-living bones lend themselves well to enchantment. A lesser nether-spirit is bound to the dead bones, animating them and providing a rudimentary, malevolent intelligence. The resulting creatures need no sustenance, are infinitely patient, and obey the commands of their creators without question. They are often set to guard tombs, fortresses, and hiding places of all sorts.

The Restless Dead appear as piles of old bones scattered around the places they guard. They have no odor (prior to enchantment, the corpses are usually stripped of all flesh by being placed onto anthills or in maggot pits).

It takes a Perception roll of Great or above to detect the thin webwork of sigils covering the bones from any distance.

When anyone or anything comes near, the bones reassemble into malevolent, skeletal forms and spring into action.

Though not terribly strong, the Restless Dead are agile and tenacious. They are often equipped with rusty, patchwork armor (+1), shields (+1), and various weapons such as maces, swords, axes, and spears (+1 to +3).

Soldier, Professional

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Mediocre

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Good

Agility: Good

Health: Fair

Skills

(choose as appropriate to the individual)

Athletic

Skills

Fair{Good

Social

Skills

Mediocre{Good Gifts: (choose as appropriate to the individual)

Common soldierly Gifts include Danger Sense, Pain Tolerance, Quick Reflexes, Tough Hide, or Veteran.

Faults

(choose as appropriate to the individual)

Common soldierly Faults include Code of Honor, Compulsive Gambling, Duty, One Eye.

Scale: +0

Combat Skill: Good (Great

Attacks: by weapon

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: by weapon (add Strength bonus if applicable)

Defensive: by armor (add Tough Hide bonus if applicable) A professional soldier is a trained, well-equipped warrior.

This template may be used for town guards.

Soldiers usually have at least Good morale and discipline.

However, many only have Mediocre mental attributes.

A squad of soldiers is usually led by an officer with Good or better Combat and mental attributes.

Thug

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Mediocre

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Fair

Agility: Fair

Health: Fair

Skills

(choose as appropriate to the individual)

Athletic

Skills

Mediocre{Good

Social

Skills

Poor {Fair Gifts: (choose as appropriate to the individual)

Common Gifts for Thugs include Pain Tolerance, Resistant to Poison, and Tough Hide.

Faults

(choose as appropriate to the individual)

Common Faults for Thugs include Appearance, Outlaw, or Quick Tempered.

Scale: +0

Combat Skill: Mediocre{Fair Attacks: by weapon

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: -1 (fist), or by weapon (add Strength bonus if applicable)

Defensive: +1 (leather, or partial heavier armor) (add Tough Hide bonus if applicable) A Thug is an untrained, none-too-bright, poorly equipped person who may start trouble with PCs because of alcohol, testosterone, or commands from an arch-villain.

In any crowd of Thugs, there is at least one with an additional +1 or +2 Offensive Damage Factor due to unusual strength.

Troll

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Poor

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Great

Agility: Fair

Health: Great

Gifts

Toughness (+3 DDF)

Stench (-2 to opponents combat skills; see below); Scale: +3

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: weapon or claws

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +5 (claws), +8 (massive club)

Defensive: +8 Trolls are huge, loathsome creatures. Many are identified by the areas where they live. There are Hill Trolls, Swamp Trolls, Wood Trolls, and countless others.

The average troll stands well over 90 tall and usually wields a massive club. A troll’s presence is easily identified by the horrible stench that always accompanies them. They are carnivores and most are not terribly bright.

Anyone facing a Troll in melee combat must make a Good difficulty Willpower roll or suffer a -2 penalty to all combat skills for the duration of the combat, due to the creature’s overwhelming smell.

Wall Crawler

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Poor (animal)

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Poor

Strength: Poor

Agility: Good

Health: Poor

Gifts

Toxic Spines (see below); Scale: -6

Combat Skill: Mediocre Attacks: bite

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: -6

Defensive: -6

The wall crawler resembles nothing so much as a nightmarish cross between a giant centipede and a black, furry caterpillar. A wall crawler is usually 10 to 10 600 long and, except for its head, is completely covered with 600 long black spines. The crawler skitters along on sixteen feet that are equipped with an array of tiny hook-like protrusions.

These allow the creature to travel over almost any surface. It can traverse a cave ceiling or dungeon wall as easily as it does the ground.

Wall crawlers are found in dark places and fill the role of scavengers, devouring the dead and sometimes the dying. Wall crawlers rarely attack living creatures unless in defense or if the creature is badly injured. They are usually encountered in groups of 7{12 individuals.

In combat, a wall crawler can deliver a painful bite that sometimes becomes infected. Its real danger, however, lies in the spines that cover its body. These spines are sharp and can easily pierce cloth or the leather sole of a boot. The hollow spines contain a toxin that causes confusion and hallucinations. If an adventurer contacts a spine, he must make a Fair difficulty Health Roll. If he fails the roll, he will become confused and disoriented within minutes. For the next 2{4 hours he will be effectively incapacitated by hallucinations, unable to fight or find his way without assistance.

Zombie

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: n/a (mindless)

Perception: Mediocre

Willpower: n/a (mindless)

Strength: Great

Agility: Poor

Health: Great

Supernatural Powers

Immune to Pain (no penalties due to wounds)

• Immune to Fear

 

Tough (+2 to Defensive Damage Factor)

Faults

Vile Stench

Horrid Appearance

Disease Carriers (optional; see below); Scale: 0

Combat Skill: Poor Attacks: arm swing or drag down

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +1 (unarmed, Strength bonus)

Defensive: +2 Zombies are walking corpses, with shreds of flesh still attached.

They are animated through evil magics (Necromancy, Sorcery, or some evil Clerical Magic) and obey the instructions of their creators. Zombies continue to decay, giving them a vile stench and a horrifying appearance.

They may also be disease carriers. The GM may require characters exposed to zombies to make a Health Roll (Difficulty Level Mediocre) to avoid contracting some suitably noxious disease.

Zombies have no initiative, relying on their master for instructions. Feeling no fear or pain, they make excellent shock troops. They are almost indestructible, requiring a Near Death result to “kill” them.

Zombies are unable to wield weapons. They attack with their hands and nails, pummeling their opponents with mindless intensity. They will attempt to surround and overwhelm difficult opponents.

Zombies are unintelligent (mindless), and so have no speech, skills, etc., although they may moan while attacking.

They may be repelled with the Repel Undead Clerical Magic skill (Difficulty Level Mediocre).

Zombies usually inhabit cemeteries, abandoned churches, necromancers’ strongholds, or temples to evil gods.

Zuvembie

Attributes (individuals may vary)

Reasoning: Mediocre

Perception: Fair

Willpower: Fair

Strength: Great

Agility: Mediocre

Health: Mediocre

Skills

As when alive, but 2 levels lower

Supernatural Powers

Immune to Pain (no penalties due to wounds)

Immune to Fear

Tough (+2 to Defensive Damage Factor)

Faults

Horrid Appearance; Scale: 0

Combat Skill: Good

Attacks: Bony hands, or weapon

Damage Factors (including Scale)

Offensive: +2 (unarmed) or by weapon

Defensive: +2 An evil priest, sorcerer, or necromancer can create a Zuvembie by draining the life force from a man-sized humanoid creature via arcane magics and poisons. A Zuvembie’s flesh becomes hard and its skin leathery as a result of the process, and Zuvembie bodies do not show the decay of true zombies. They retain some intelligence, unlike zombies, and can understand relatively complex instructions. They wield weapons (albeit clumsily), and may retain some of the skills they maintained in life, but reduced by 2 levels.

As with zombies, Zuvembies are immune to pain and require a Near Death result to “kill” them.

Zuvembies usually inhabit their creators’ residence.

They may be Repelled with Great difficulty.