From time to time one hears complaints about the trait ladder of Fudge being "broken" because the adjectives do not extend above Superb or below Terrible, whereas results may occur beyond these ranges, especially when characters possess Great or Superb traits. I consider any result above Superb to be an extension of Superb, and it only matters how Superb if one is involved in an opposed action in which more than one character gets a Superb or higher result. If it is a matter of combat, then I generally just deal with the numbers in order to arrive at a relative degree. If the conflict is not combat-related, then I merely state results in terms of one being "more Superb" than the other. Some may balk at such vague descriptions, so for those who desire "hard and fast rules" preserving the adjectival integrity of the trait ladder, I offer the following simple remedy that will extend the ladder without relying on numerical modifiers or adding more words to memorize. All one has to do is add "Very" for each level above Superb or below Terrible. That's all there is to it. If your Superb Swordsman rolls +3 in a fight against a Superb Axe-wielder who rolls +2, then you now know that your Very Very Very Superb result defeats his merely Very Very Superb result. And whatever you may say about a Terrible combatant who rolls -4, it's a Very Very Very Very Terrible result.
| Fudge Traits | # | Not-So-Very-Varied Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Superb +4 | +7 | Very Very Very Very Superb |
| Superb +3 | +6 | Very Very Very Superb |
| Superb +2 | +5 | Very Very Superb |
| Superb +1 | +4 | Very Superb |
| Superb | +3 | Superb |
| Great | +2 | Great |
| Good | +1 | Good |
| Fair | 0 | Fair |
| Mediocre | -1 | Mediocre |
| Poor | -2 | Poor |
| Terrible | -3 | Terrible |
| Terrible -1 | -4 | Very Terrible |
| Terrible -2 | -5 | Very Very Terrible |
| Terrible -3 | -6 | Very Very Very Terrible |
| Terrible -4 | -7 | Very Very Very Very Terrible |
The Good, the Bad, and the Adequate
To be honest, all results really boil down to being either good, bad, or adequate, or degrees of the first two. To extend the idea presented above, one could center the trait ladder at Adequate, with Good at +1 and Bad at -1. For each level above Good or below Bad, one adds "Very." A Great result is now Very Good, a Superb result is Very Very Good, and a Terrible -1 result is Very Very Very Bad.
| Fudge Traits | # | Good to Bad Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Superb +4 | +7 | Very Very Very Very Very Very Good |
| Superb +3 | +6 | Very Very Very Very Very Good |
| Superb +2 | +5 | Very Very Very Very Good |
| Superb +1 | +4 | Very Very Very Good |
| Superb | +3 | Very Very Good |
| Great | +2 | Very Good |
| Good | +1 | Good |
| Fair | 0 | Adequate |
| Mediocre | -1 | Bad |
| Poor | -2 | Very Bad |
| Terrible | -3 | Very Very Bad |
| Terrible -1 | -4 | Very Very Very Bad |
| Terrible -2 | -5 | Very Very Very Very Bad |
| Terrible -3 | -6 | Very Very Very Very Very Bad |
| Terrible -4 | -7 | Very Very Very Very Very Very Bad |
The English Gentleman's Trait Ladder
To reflect a more civilized point of view, one may opt for the famous capacity for both understatement and overstatement that is characteristic of the archetypical English gentleman. Whilst one may admit that French cuisine is Quite Sufficient, one can state with satisfaction that English cooking is simply Smashing. Similarly, whereas the Bataan Death March was a Rather Bad situation, the service in this restaurant is Appalling!
| Fudge Traits | # | Traits for Gentlemen |
|---|---|---|
| Superb | +3 | Quite Sufficient |
| Great | +2 | Jolly Good |
| Good | +1 | Splendid |
| Fair | 0 | Smashing |
| Mediocre | -1 | Appalling |
| Poor | -2 | Dreadful |
| Terrible | -3 | Rather Bad |
Big Brother's Newspeak Trait Ladder
George Orwell's 1984, written as a warning of the dangers of totalitarianism, has a built-in trait ladder for those who wish (for whatever incomprehensible reason) to adventure in his nightmarish dystopia. Note that there is no equivalent trait for Fair in this trait ladder. The concept of "Fair" is a thoughtcrime. Report at once to the Ministry of Love.
| Fudge Traits | # | Newspeak Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Superb | +3 | doubleplusgood |
| Great | +2 | plusgood |
| Good | +1 | good |
| Fair | 0 | [not applicable] |
| Mediocre | -1 | ungood |
| Poor | -2 | plusungood |
| Terrible | -3 | doubleplusungood |
[Originally posted in Fudgery.net in 2006.]
