Fudge Dice Alternative: Fudge Disks

One of the most popular aspects of Fudge is its resolution system, which famously employs an adjective-based trait ladder and Fudge dice. Fudge dice are not always easily obtainable, however, so what are the alternatives?* The rules offer several methods using more conventional dice, but they lack the charm and efficiency of Fudge dice. The challenge as I see it is to invent a method that preserves the simplicity and elegance of Fudge dice using something more commonly available.

The solution I hit upon is Poker chips. Simply designate a different color for each Fudge die face, such as blue for plus, white for blank, and red for minus; place one chip of each color in as many bags as the number of Fudge dice to be "rolled" (e.g. one chip of each color in four bags to simulate a 4dF roll); and draw one chip from each bag blindly. The chips drawn represent your roll. Return the chips to their respective bags and mix well before drawing again.

For example, if I were to draw two blue chips, a white chip, and a red chip, it would read as + + 0 -, which would be a result of +1.

If you prefer, use wooden nickels or Scrabble tiles instead. You can draw or paint the plus and minus symbols on them, thus eliminating the need to remember which color represents which symbol. (You could also draw the symbols on small adhesive labels and affix them to the tiles if you want to preserve them for your Scrabble game.)

For reference, we'll call them Fudge disks.

Even if you own Fudge dice, Fudge disks can be a fun and handy alternative. They could be used when rolling dice is awkward (as when hiking or riding in a vehicle) or too distracting to others (as in a waiting room or a restaurant). They could even contribute to the atmosphere of certain gaming genres. I shall leave it to your imagination to determine their best use.

* If you can't find Fudge dice at your favorite local game shop, they can be ordered direct from Grey Ghost Press, Inc. You can also advise your game shop that they can be ordered through Impressions Advertising.

[Edit: Corrected on 2018-08-22. Fudge disks are perhaps not as handy as I first envisioned in the single bag version, but they might still be fun to use occasionally.]

Fully Functioning Fudge File for Free

I just completed an extensive update of Creative Reckoning, which consists of the following:

• Eliminated or corrected all broken links to Fudgery.net
  
• Added a fully hyperlinked page of the Fudge 1995 Edition rules (in a single file with errata integrated)
  
• Uploaded the Fudge 1995 Edition rules (in a single file with errata integrated) as a downloadable text file via Dropbox
  
• Uploaded the Fudge Version: July 4, 1993 rules as a downloadable text file via Dropbox
  
• Uploaded the Fudge Version: June 19, 1993 Addenda as a downloadable text file via Dropbox
  

Eventually, I plan to repost some or all of my experimental Fudge projects (formerly filed under "X Fudge" in Fudgery.net) in Creative Reckoning. Some of them were Javascript-heavy, but I think I can work around it with traditional random tables.

Why Is It Difficult?

It is rather late to address a minor complaint about Fudge I first encountered in the now defunct Fudge List (even though I saw it raised several times), but I suspect the complaint is a perennial one and I would like to offer my viewpoint. The complaint is that Fudge expresses the concept of difficulty using the same terms as the trait ladder. Referring to a difficult action as having Good difficulty or Superb difficulty is counterintuitive, the argument goes. Therefore, the rules are flawed. The flaw, however, is in the complaint, because actions do not have difficulty per se, but difficulty levels (as first defined in Action Resolution Terms in Chapter 3 of the rules). Describing an action as having a Good difficulty level or Superb difficulty level makes perfect sense. It seems obvious that a Superb difficulty level requires at least a Superb result. Part of the confusion may lie in the fact that skills themselves may be described in terms of their difficulty as in the Cost of Skills in Objective Character Creation chart in the Skills section of Objective Character Creation. Here skills are listed as Easy, Average, Hard, or Very Hard, and it is this skill difficulty that determines both the default level and starting level of a given skill. At any rate, if one were to use other terms to describe an action’s difficulty level (which is the frequently proffered suggestion), it would require another layer of translation to utilize in the game, which is unnecessary.

Instead of creating a new list of adjectives to learn that are functionally identical to the trait ladder, it would be simpler just to use a term other than difficulty level, such as minimum success level. “Jumping the chasm has a minimum success level of Good.” I can’t see how that could possibly be misunderstood. Of course, I have no problem with “Jumping the chasm has a difficulty level of Good.” Perhaps it’s a matter of where one places the adjective. “A difficulty level of Good” (or even “difficulty level: Good”) sounds better and makes more sense than “a Good difficulty level.”

So the solution is simpler than one would imagine. Use the correct term (difficulty level) and place it before the trait level. A piece of cake!

[Originally posted in Fudgery.net/fudgerylog on 7 October 2010.]

Site Transfer Update

Welcome to a brief update on the status of Creative Reckoning. As you may know, it has always been my intention to transfer all of the Fudge-specific content of Fudgerylog and Fudgery.net proper to this site. I started with the former, and recently made progress on the latter (creating pages for the relevant sections and making them navigable from the bar above). I am now resuming the process of transferring more articles from Fudgerylog as I rediscover them. (It's a long story, but there's a reason I left Wordpress.)

Some of the articles I will posting this month pertain directly to Fudge, whilst others are applicable to role-playing generally, but I hope all of them will be useful, or at least interesting, to someone. I am still trying to find my series of articles on the subject of the cliffhanger in role-playing games so I can post them here. Wish me luck.

Alternate Rules Are Here Again

Fudge was intentionally designed to be tinkered with, and it was customary in editions prior to the Anniversary Edition to append one's modifications to Chapter 7, Addenda. Section 7.4 was set aside for Alternate Rules. My alternate rules had their home in Fudgery.net for years, but now they are here in Creative Reckoning.

Elaborating on Elaborations

In addition to extending the lists in Fudge, I also used Fudgery.net to extend certain existing charts and rules. Where I see gaps, I sometimes feel compelled to fill them. Thus, I bring you Elaborations, a page in Creative Reckoning dedicated to extensions of some of the rules and charts in Fudge.

Return of the Lists

Fudgery.net was intended to serve several Fudge-related functions, and one of those functions was to provide more extensive lists of examples than were included in the rule book, especially with regard to attributes and skills. I was also interested in providing streamlined lists of gifts, faults, powers, and drawbacks for something I dubbed Optimum Fudge. It was my hope that all of these lists would serve as a resource for GMs, players, and game designers in search of inspiration. Fudgery.net is no more, but the Lists now live on in Creative Reckoning.

Fudge from the Year 1995

Readers may notice that I have removed the link to the Fudgery.net page. Fudgery.net has been offline for a few years now, but I shall continue to transfer its more Fudge-centric content to Creative Reckoning.

Meanwhile, I have replaced it with the full text of the 1995 edition of Fudge. I would prefer to provide the full text of Fudge Expanded Edition, as it remains my favorite, but 1995 will suffice for quick reference. The rules are free and conveniently available at the click of a link anywhere within Creative Reckoning.

The 1995 edition is also available here in PDF and ePub formats from Grey Ghost Press, Inc..

If you plan to publish Fudge material under the Open Game License (see Fudge and the Open Game License), the Fudge System Reference Document (containing the text of the 2000 Fudge Anniversary Edition) is also available from Grey Ghost Press, Inc.