"Fudging Blades: Swashbuckling Combat for Fudge!" (from SpiritMusketeer's Blog) is a simple swashbuckling combat system for Fudge by Thijs Krijger and Jay Shaffstall with help from François Letarte. It lacks the detail of simulationist fencing rules, but it appears to be relatively fast-paced. It looks promising.
[This article has been cross-posted here in Theoretical Swashbuckling.]
Over the years, I have been gravitating more and more toward simpler, more streamlined Fudge rules of my own design, and I am always pleased to see others heading in the same direction. Today, I discovered another Fudge variant in line with my preferences entitled "and Bake for 15 Minutes" Fudge. Designed by Doug Bolden, it is based on the concept of "phrases" as the core of character creation. I am always interested in systems that take this approach, and I feel it's worth a playtest.
In Fudge, as with most role-playing games, but especially Fudge, the best rules are the simplest rules. Most of the fan-created Fudge material I've read over the years have been of the blotation device variety — bloated rules that slow the play of the game. Once in a while, though, I stumble upon an optional rule that can be quickly read, easily understood, and easily implemented. Best of Three Contests for Fudge is one such rule.
