Glossary

A Glossary of Fudge and General Role-Playing Terms

action modifier

In Fudge, a bonus or penalty applied to a character's trait level.

 

action resolution

Rules pertaining to how characters do things; specifically, the method used to determine success or failure in the performance of an act or task. Also known as task resolution.

 

addendum, pl addenda

An addition appended to the body of a text or made available separately.

 

adventure

[See scenario]

 

adventure seed

[See seed]

 

alternate rule

In Fudge, an optional rule variation typically included in Section 7.3, Alternate Rules.

 

alternating combat turns

In Fudge, a method of combat resolution in which each combatant takes a turn in separate opposed actions for attack and defense.

 

attribute

A trait that most or all characters normally possess. In Fudge, attributes typically have a default level of Fair.

 

campaign

A term derived from war gaming used to denote a series of scenarios that represent a continuing story in the lives of the characters, as opposed to a one-shot scenario.

 

campaign world

A game world in which a campaign is conducted.

 

character generation

The process by which a character is created.

 

character sheet

A form in which the vital information of a character is recorded, typically including, but not limited to: name, nationality, profession, appearance, personality, background, resources, attributes, skills, gifts, and faults.

 

combat resolution

Rules pertaining to the method by which violent conflict between characters is conducted.

 

damage factor

In Fudge, the effectiveness of a weapon or form of attack to inflict damage; the effectiveness of a piece of armor or form of defense to reduce damage. [See also offensive factor, defensive factor]

 

DDF

[See defensive damage factor]

 

default level

In Fudge, the acting trait level of anyone who attempts an action without possessing the trait in question. A trait with a default level of Nonexistent may not be attempted by anyone not possessing the trait.

 

defensive damage factor

In Fudge, the sum of the defensive factors subtracted from an enemy combatant's total damage factor. Also known as DDF.

 

defensive factor

In Fudge, damage-reducing effectiveness.

 

detail-oriented

A style of game play in which rules are specific and are applied methodically and consistently.

 

dF

[See Fudge die]

 

difficulty

In Fudge, the level of hardship of learning a particular skill. Typically described as Easy, Average, Hard, or Very Hard. Easy skills begin at Fair, Average skills begin at Mediocre, Hard Skills begin at Poor, and Very Hard skills begin at Terrible.

 

difficulty adjustment

In Fudge, an increase or decrease applied to the difficulty level of an action.

 

difficulty level

In Fudge, the minimum result on the trait ladder a character must achieve in order to succeed in an action.

 

drawback

[See supernormal drawback]

 

EP

[See experience points]

 

erratum, pl errata

A correction of an error discovered after publication.

 

experience points

In Fudge, points awarded to a player character by the GM according to certain criteria for the purpose of increasing traits to reflect the character's improvement. Also known as EPs.

 

fault

In Fudge, a disadvantage that is not typically described in terms of trait levels and which has no default level. A character either has it or not.

 

free-form

A style of game play in which rules are nebulous approximations that are applied improvisationally with rules of thumb kept in mind.

 

Fudge die, pl Fudge dice

In Fudge, a specialty die with six sides depicting the following faces: two blank, two "-", and two "+". In game notation, it is written "dF," as in 4dF, which means a roll of four Fudge dice. In a typical Fudge game, a participant rolls 4dF, discards the blank dice and any opposing pairs of + and -, and counts the remainder, which modify the performance of his or her trait accordingly.

 

Fudge points

In Fudge, points awarded to a player by the GM according to certain criteria for the purpose of enabling the player character to accomplish certain meta-game effects when they are spent, such as automatically accomplishing an unopposed action, altering a die roll one level, reducing the effects of a wound sustained, achieving an automatic +4 result, or some other GM-approved effect.

 

gamer

Originally one who plays war games or role-playing games, this term has been extended to include computer games and video games.

 

Game Master (or Games Master)

[See GM]

 

Game Mistress (or Games Mistress)

[See GM]

 

Game Moderator (or Games Moderator)

[See GM]

 

game supplement

[See supplement]

 

game time

Time as it is experienced by the characters in the game.

 

game world

The imaginary environment in which the game takes place.

 

gaming supplement

[See supplement]

 

genre

The style and conventions of a game, e.g. Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction, Historical, Horror, Mystery, Postapocalyptic, Space Opera, Thriller, Western, etc.

 

gift

In Fudge, an advantage that is not typically described in terms of trait levels and which has no default level. A character either has it or not.

 

GM

Game Master, Game Mistress, or Game Moderator (also Games Master, etc.) — the participant in the game who runs the scenario by describing the game environment and events occurring therein, plays the roles of the non-player characters, and adjudicates the actions of the player characters. Also known as a moderator or referee. Also used as a verb.

 

GM character

[See non-player character]

 

GM fiat

An arbitrary decision or decree made by the GM without consultation of the rules for justification and which may or may not be supported by the rules.

 

GM on the fly

To GM with minimal or no resources such as rule books, reference works, or a written scenario; to GM a portion of a scenario with no previous description usually because of unexpected actions taken by the players.

 

GM screen

A binder or piece of cardboard folded in two or three places situated upright and interposed between the GM and the players in order to prevent maps, NPC particulars, and other information about the scenario from being seen by the players. The player side is often illustrated and both sides typically have useful reference charts or lists. Used by some GMs.

 

GM whim or GM's whim

A situation, place, object, or non-player character spontaneously conceived and introduced into the game by the GM. Also known as GM whimsy or GM's whimsy.

 

grognard

One who avidly plays war games; by extension, one who plays role-playing games with an emphasis on strategy and tactics.

 

IC

[See in-character]

 

in-character

Statements or actions made by the character as opposed to the player. Also known as IC.

 

melee combat

Chaotic hand-to-hand conflict with or without weapons.

 

melee modifier

In Fudge, a bonus or penalty appled to a character's combat trait level.

 

meta-game

Pertaining to the mechanics of the game as it is perceived by the GM or player as opposed to the characters in the game world. The application of meta-game rules requires out-of-character consideration and are typically invoked by out-of-character speech, e.g. a player in a Fudge game stating a wish to expend a Fudge point so his character can automatically succeed in a task without the necessity of rolling.

 

mini-adventure

[See mini-scenario]

 

mini-scenario

A brief scenario, typically one that can be played as a one-shot scenario or inserted into an existing campaign. Also known as a mini-adventure.

 

moderator

[See GM]

 

module

[See scenario]

 

non-player character

A character portrayed by the GM. Also known as a GM character or NPC.

 

NPC

[See non-player character]

 

objective character creation

In Fudge, a method of detail-oriented character generation that typically involves lists of available attributes, skills, gifts, faults, and other traits.

 

objective character development

In Fudge, a method of detail-oriented character improvement in which the character is awarded a certain number of experience points based on certain criteria. The experience points may then be spent to increase the levels of skills, attributes, or other traits.

 

ODF

[See offensive damage factor]

 

offensive damage factor

In Fudge, the sum of the offensive factors added to a character's relative degree to assess the damage dealt to an enemy. Also known as ODF.

 

offensive factor

In Fudge, damage-inflicting effectiveness.

 

one-on-one

Role-playing involving one GM and only one player.

 

one-shot scenario

A scenario, usually conducted in a single session, that is not connected to any other scenarios, and for which characters are generated who are not to be used in subsequent scenarios.

 

OOC

[See out-of-character]

 

opposed action

In Fudge, an action in which the skill, attribute, or other trait of one character or object is contested against the skill, attribute, or other trait of another character or object. The contestants usually must also equal or exceed a difficulty level.

 

out-of-character

Statements or actions made by the player as opposed to the character. Also known as OOC.

 

PC

[See player character]

 

player

The participant in the game who plays the role of one or more characters (usually just one), and whose influence on the game world is limited to the actions and capabilities of his or her character or characters.

 

player character

A character portrayed by a player. Also known as a PC.

 

power

[See supernormal power]

 

random character creation

A method of character generation in which many or all of the character's aspects are determined by chance, such as dice rolls.

 

ranged combat

Conflict involving the use of weapons that inflict damage over a distance.

 

real time

Time as it is experienced by the participants of the game, i.e. the players and the GM.

 

referee

[See GM]

 

relative degree

In Fudge, the difference between the rolled degrees of two characters in an opposed action.

 

role

A portrayal of a character by a GM or player.

 

role game

[See role-playing game]

 

role-playing game

A pastime in which players portray characters with defined capabilities who interact with one another and with non-player characters portrayed by a GM in an imaginary environment described by the GM. An evolution of play-acting first developed in the hobby from a war game and board game fusion, possibly concurrently with its appearance as a U.S. military training exercise. Also known as a role game or RPG.

 

role-playing supplement

[See supplement]

 

rolled degree

In Fudge, the performance level of an action, usually the result of a character's trait modified by a roll of 4dF.

 

round

A unit of game time. In Fudge, it is usually defined as the length of time in which an opposed or unopposed action may be performed, or pi seconds.

 

RPG

[See role-playing game]

 

Scale

In Fudge, a means of distinguishing between beings or objects of differing Mass, Strength, or Speed, where the characters are usually Scale 0. Mass and Strength Scales usually progress at increments of 1.5 times (where Mass Scale 1 is 1.5 times greater than Mass Scale 0); Speed Scale usually progresses at increments of 1.2 (where Speed Scale 1 is 1.2 times faster than Speed Scale 0). The base value of Scale 0 can be anything the GM desires.

 

scenario

An adventure that is coordinated by the GM and in which one or more players participate by assuming the roles of characters.

 

scenario seed

[See seed]

 

seed

A brief description of an idea for a scenario, which can be fully developed by a GM into an actual scenario. Also known as an adventure seed or scenario seed.

 

session

An occurrence of role-playing for which two or more participants (a GM and one or more players) gather.

 

setting

The time period and location in which a game world is set, e.g. Ancient Greece, Medieval France, Feudal Japan, wartorn Europe in 1943, a typical suburban neighborhood, 22nd Century Antarctica, etc.

 

simultaneous combat rounds

In Fudge, a method of combat resolution in which opposed actions resolve the attack and defense of both combatants at the same time.

 

situational roll

In Fudge, a roll (usually of Fudge dice) made by the GM not based on any trait, but reflecting external circumstances.

 

skill

A trait that endows a character with a capability that is absent or present to a lesser degree in a character who does not possess it. In Fudge, skills typically have a default level of Poor.

 

solitaire adventure

[See solitaire scenario]

 

solitaire scenario

A scenario that does not require a GM and in which only one player participates. The role-playing is typically limited to multiple choice decision-making. Also known as a solitaire adventure.

 

solo adventure

[See solo scenario]

 

solo scenario

Depending on the source, may refer to either a solitaire scenario or one-on-one role-playing. Also known as a solo adventure.

 

story elements

In Fudge, a method of free-form combat resolution.

 

subjective character creation

In Fudge, a method of free-form character generation that typically has no standard attributes or skills.

 

subjective character development

In Fudge, a method of free-form character improvement in which a player petitions the GM for the improvement of a skill or other trait based on the character's study, training, or use of that skill or trait.

 

supernormal drawback

In Fudge, a limitation to a supernormal power, which reduces the cost of that power.

 

supernormal power

In Fudge, an ability that is beyond that of typical characters and which usually has a default level of Nonexistent. Examples of supernormal powers include cybernetic enhancements, magic, miracles, psi, superpowers, etc.

 

supplement

A published collection of additional rules, options, setting information, and/or gaming advice. Also known as a gaming supplement or role-playing supplement.

 

task resolution

[See action resolution]

 

total damage factor

In Fudge, the attacker's combined relative degree and offensive damage factor.

 

trait

In Fudge, a quality that can describe (usually) a character, such as an attribute, skill, gift, fault, or supernormal power.

 

trait ladder

In Fudge, a hierarchy of quality, either of a trait or an action, by which means things can be described and compared. The following is the standard trait ladder:

• Superb
• Great
• Good
• Fair
• Mediocre
• Poor
• Terrible

Some choose to add Legendary above Superb and Abysmal below Terrible.

 

trait level

In Fudge, the level on the trait ladder at which a trait is possessed and typically performs.

 

unopposed action

In Fudge, an action in which the skill, attribute, or other trait of a character must equal or exceed a difficulty level in order to succeed.

 

wound levels

In Fudge, a hierarchy of injury severity typically described as follows:

• Undamaged
• Just a Scratch
• Hurt
• Very Hurt
• Incapacitated
• Near Death
• Dead

Copyright © 2007-2023 by Gordon A. Cooper. All rights reserved.

Updated 16 March 2011.