FUDGE is kind of amazing

JonWake · January 13, 2015, 01:44:34 PM

So like every body on the planet, I've been playing around with an RPG system, going through game books and finding the cool bits that do interesting things, looking for unique game elements.

Holy crap, FUDGE is sort of amazing. I mean, it has the Bell Curve reliability of GURPS while completely side-stepping the issues that can crop up in roll-under systems, and avoids throwing more than +/-4 at any given check.

Aside from FATE (which I remain skeptical of), has anyone done anything with FUDGE?

estar · January 13, 2015, 02:14:50 PM

Quote from: JonWake;809024Aside from FATE (which I remain skeptical of), has anyone done anything with FUDGE?

Yes my "Fantasy Heartbreaker"

http://www.batintheattic.com/downloads/MajesticRealmsRPG_Fudge_Rev%2017.zip

Not complete yet.

Here are all my notes so far
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/search/label/Fudge

There is Hack and Slash over on RPGNow

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/23741/HacknSlash-Fantasy-Roleplay--Gamemasters-Edition?it=1

The only pitfall of the system is that +1 is a big deal.

For example two fighters with the same stats each win 50% of the time.

Under Hack-n-Slash a +1 skill will mean that the one fighter wins 80% of the time.

Under my rules a +1 skill will mean the one Fighter wins 73% of the time.

http://www.batintheattic.com/mwrpg/

The upside of the system that due the Scale mechanic it handles different size creatures and objects really well.

Soylent Green · January 13, 2015, 02:33:45 PM

My contribution, such as it is, to Fudge was something called Mutant Bikers of the Atomic Wastelands. I must of written it some 15 - 20 years ago, I'm not even quite sure myself.

You can still get it here for free:
http://ukrpdc.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/mutant-bikers-of-the-atomic-wastelands-a-detour/

The pdf is a screen grab from my long defunct MBAW website so the formatting leaves a little to be desired. I keep telling myself one I'll redo the layout properly, I've drawn the cover.

Its successor, Bounty Hunters of the Atomic Wasteland I only released last year. I think it is a much better and more complete game. It based on Fate rather than Fudge though converting it to Fudge would be trivial (drop-the-Aspects-and-you're-done trivial). It is also free because that's the sort of guy I am :-)

http://ukrpdc.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/bounty-hunters-of-the-atomic-wastelands/

3rik · January 13, 2015, 02:55:38 PM

I stay clear of Fate but I own two Fudge games that I'm rather fond of: Terra Incognita, a neat game about a society of Victorian gentleman-eplorers with a subtle hint of Jules Vernesque weird science, and The Unexplained, a game of "real-life" paranormal investigation.

Spinachcat · January 13, 2015, 04:05:02 PM

I can't grok FATE, but I have enjoyed FUDGE a great deal. I ran a Matrix & a Chaose Earth mini-campaign and I was surprised how much both rocked.

But Estar's right, a +1 bonus / -1 penalty is a BIG deal.

cranebump · January 13, 2015, 04:33:36 PM

So, scanned the free SRD, and FUDGE is obviously a tool kit. Basically, could one call it FATE without all the wonky aspects? I'm tempted to run me some FUDGE sometime, but need to get a handle on how many levels (points) to handout at CharGen. For example, if I had 7 Attributes and 27 skills, how many points would make sense? (I assume I can eventually find this info in the FUDGE SRD).

gonster · January 13, 2015, 04:50:02 PM

Quote from: cranebump;809048So, scanned the free SRD, and FUDGE is obviously a tool kit. Basically, could one call it FATE without all the wonky aspects? I'm tempted to run me some FUDGE sometime, but need to get a handle on how many levels (points) to handout at CharGen. For example, if I had 7 Attributes and 27 skills, how many points would make sense? (I assume I can eventually find this info in the FUDGE SRD).

There are guidelines for this in the FUDGE SRD.

Soylent Green · January 13, 2015, 04:50:12 PM

Quote from: cranebump;809048So, scanned the free SRD, and FUDGE is obviously a tool kit. Basically, could one call it FATE without all the wonky aspects? I'm tempted to run me some FUDGE sometime, but need to get a handle on how many levels (points) to handout at CharGen. For example, if I had 7 Attributes and 27 skills, how many points would make sense? (I assume I can eventually find this info in the FUDGE SRD).

There's no right answer because Fudge is indeed a tool kit system. However if you search for Five Point Fudge you should find the official pre-fab generic version of the system.

Also Fate is a bit more than just Fudge with Aspects. It makes much more use of margin of success and it has a wider range of subsystems. That said you can quite easily play most Fate games as Fudge with very little effort.

gonster · January 13, 2015, 06:38:04 PM

What makes FUDGE great is also one of the reasons it is not popular.

FUDGE ignores everything except how good you are at a certain 'thing.' You are a mediocre fighter or you are a great fighter.

That is fantastic. It is simple in it's execution.

It is also it's greatest weakness.

If you are a good fighter, and you are going up against a great fighter, chances are you are going to lose. Whenever there are more than two steps between the skill levels of 2 opponents, the lesser opponent will almost never win.

That makes FUDGE incredibly life-like -- which makes it a terrible game for most players.

BarefootGaijin · January 13, 2015, 07:18:59 PM

Simple question: Can I run "fate" powered games using fudge?

(Strip out the system of Dresden Files/SoTC/Diaspora, for example, and just use fudge?)

Yes/No?

GameDaddy · January 13, 2015, 11:58:13 PM

Quote from: JonWake;809024So like every body on the planet, I've been playing around with an RPG system, going through game books and finding the cool bits that do interesting things, looking for unique game elements.

Holy crap, FUDGE is sort of amazing. I mean, it has the Bell Curve reliability of GURPS while completely side-stepping the issues that can crop up in roll-under systems, and avoids throwing more than +/-4 at any given check.

Aside from FATE (which I remain skeptical of), has anyone done anything with FUDGE?

Hrrmmm? Yes.

I put together a Fudge New Battlestar Galactica Game before the Coretex System new BSG was published.

Also run Terra Incognita games... which is like a Pulp/Steampunk mashup that goes from the Turn of the Century to the beginnings of WWII.

Also use Fudge for a American War of Indepence (AWI) miniatures wargame.

It's versatile, flexible, and extremely fun in the hands of a competent GM.

JonWake · January 14, 2015, 12:59:25 AM

It sounds like the issue with FUDGE is that the levels are so significant that having a difference of more than two makes victory a foregone conclusion. And rolling 4dF means that the bell curve is pretty flat, which makes great success or great failure unlikely.

In actual play, how did this work out?

Soylent Green · January 14, 2015, 02:47:34 AM

Quote from: BarefootGaijin;809077Simple question: Can I run "fate" powered games using fudge?

(Strip out the system of Dresden Files/SoTC/Diaspora, for example, and just use fudge?)

Yes/No?

SotC and Diaspora I believe so. Other than dropping Aspects you also might want look at the wound system given that Consequences are a type of Aspect. I don't know Dresden so I can't say.

Soylent Green · January 14, 2015, 03:22:53 AM

Quote from: JonWake;809146It sounds like the issue with FUDGE is that the levels are so significant that having a difference of more than two makes victory a foregone conclusion. And rolling 4dF means that the bell curve is pretty flat, which makes great success or great failure unlikely.

In actual play, how did this work out?

I'm not sure what makes this in issue. You have Fudge points for those times you really want to beat the odds, but otherwise Fudge dice give a very satisfying level of randomness. It can still surprise you (rolls of +3 or better/ -3 or worse will occur roughly as often as a natural 1 or 20 on a d20), but generally it means that you your character won't comically, consistently fail at task they should be good at.

PS:

Just to recap. In the course of a Fudge game:
60% of all dice rolls will yield predictable results.
40% of all dice rolls will can be considered lucky or unlucky results.
12% of all dice rolls will, additionally, be spectacularly lucky or unlucky.

I think that is a good spread.

Jason D · January 14, 2015, 03:32:43 AM

A friend raved about how awesome the Deryni RPG was, back when it came out.