Fudge: Deadlands

Sections

Most of this page was modified from http://www.yarranet.net.au/phill/fudge/deadlands.html.

Disclamer
Character Creation
Doin' Things
Hurtin' Things and Gettin' Hurt
Shootin' Things
About Fudge


Disclaimer

The following materials based on Fudge and Deadlands, entitled Fudge: Deadlands, are created by, made available by, and Copyright ©2001-2002 by Thomas Deeny, and are not necessarily endorsed in any way by Steffan O'Sullivan, any publisher of other Fudge materials, or by Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc. Neither Steffan O'Sullivan, any publisher of other Fudge materials, nor Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc., is in any way responsible for the content of these materials unless specifically credited. Original Fudge materials Copyright ©1992-1995 by Steffan O'Sullivan, All Rights Reserved. Original Deadlands materials Copyright ©1999-2002 by Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc., All Rights Reserved.




Creating a Character

Attributes

There are six attributes. Skills are not associated with any attribute.

Quickness (Quick)
Your reflexes and speed. The better your Quickness, the earlier in a combat round you'll act. If you're racing after a runaway stagecoach, you'll probably use this attribute to see if you catch up. A gunslinger with low Quickness shouldn't really get in the way of a stampede.

Dexterity (Dex)
Your skill and grace in physical movement. A high Dexterity would allow you to jump from horseback to that runaway stagecoach. A cowpoke with low Dexterity might trip over his own feet.

Strength (Str)
Your physical strength. If you have a high Strength, you might be able to punch out quite a few good ol' boys in a barroom brawl. If your character has low Strength, she'll probably be the one punched out.

Vigor
Your endurance. You've got high Vigor? Climbing that cliff shouldn't be too hard. If your Vigor is low, you might get winded walkin' down the street.

Brains
How smart you are. Low Brains? You probably believe all those health tonic salesmen. High Brains? You're probably the one convincing these people your health tonic works.

Guts
Your willpower, your ability to keep functioning despite... let's say "adversity". If your character has low Guts and he sees something with two legs, fangs, and claws walking towards her in the dark after she's shot it in the chest six times, she'd probably freeze up. High guts? She'll keep reloading.

You have three free levels to start with. All Attributes start at Fair. The highest Attribute you can have is Superb. The following maximums apply: One Superb, Two Greats, Four Goods. You can gain extra levels by taking extra faults. You can trade in any of these levels to increase your Gifts or Skills, see below.

Levels are ranked per normal Fudge rules:

Superb
Great
Good
Fair
Mediocre
Poor
Terrible

To make certain we keep the game's chances for getting your character a Mysterious Past (which may or may not be good), The Marshall (in an online game, you in a FTF game) will draw twelve cards for each player. If a Joker comes up, your character has a Mysterious Past.

Skills

Skills have no connection to any Attribute. All Skills default to Poor except for Arcane skills and some knowledge skills like Languages. Skills are chosen using a variation of the Five Point Fudge character creation system by Steffan O'Sullivan.

Your character receives 5 Skill Points and must spend points on at least two different Skill Lists.

Points Spent on a Skill List Number of Skills in that Skill List and the Number of Skill Levels in each.
1 Either choose:
1 at Fair and 3 at Mediocre or
1 at Good and 1 at Mediocre
2 Either choose:
1 at Good, 3 at Fair, and 1 at Mediocre, or
1 at Great, 1 at Good, and 1 at Mediocre
3 1 at Great
2 at Good
2 at Fair
1 at Mediocre
4 1 at Superb
1 at Great
3 at Good
1 at Fair
Skill Lists

Bold Skills are available in more than one group.

Fightin' SkillsOutdoor SkillsPeople Skills
Artillery: [Cannons, Gatling Guns, Rockets]
Bow
Demolition
Dodge
Fightin': [Boxin', Brawlin', Fencin', Knife, Lariat, Sword, Whip, Wrasslin']
Perception
Quick Draw: [Knife, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Sword, others]
Shootin': [Automatics, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun]
Speed Load: [Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun]
Throwin': [Balanced, Unbalanced]
Animal Handlin': [Bronco Bustin', Dog Training]
Area Knowledge: [County, State, Region]
Climbin'
Horse Ridin'
Perception
Survival: [Desert, Mountain, other]
Swimmin'
Teamster
Trackin'
Bluff
Language: [Individual Languages, Sign Languages]
Leadership
Overawe
Perception
Persuasion
Ridicule
Scrutinize
Tale-Tellin'
Sneaky SkillsProfessional/City SkillsBlessed Skills
Bluff
Disguise
Dodge
Filchin'
Lockpickin'
Perception
Persuasion
Search
Sleight o' Hand
Sneak
Area Knowledge: [Town, County, State, Region]
Arts: [Painting, Sculpting, Sketching]
Academia: [Philosophy, History, Occult, others]
Gamblin'
Medicine: [General, Surgery, Veterinary]
Perception
Performin': [Acting, Singing]
Professional: [Journalism, Law, Military, Photography, Politics, Theology, others]
Science: [General, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Physics]
Streetwise
Trade: [Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Seamanship, Mining, Undertaking, others]
(Requires Arcane Background: Blessed)
Faith (required)
Professional: Theology
Each Miracle is a Skill
  Exorcism
  Holy Roller
  Inspiration
  Lay on Hands
  Protection (required)
  Sacrifice
  Sanctify
  Smite
  Succor
Mad Scientist SkillsHuxster SkillsShaman Skills
(Requires Arcane Background: Mad Scientist)
Academia: [Philosophy, History, Occult, others]
Demolition
Drivin': [Ornithopter, Steam Boat, Steam Wagon,others]
Science: [General, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Physics] (required)
Scroungin'
Tinkerin'
(Requires Arcane Background: Huckster)
Academia: Occult (required)
Gamblin'
Each Hex is a Skill
  Call o' the Wild
  Corporeal Tweak
  Corporeal Twist
  Earshot
  Helpin' Hand
  Hunch
  Mind Tweak
  Mind Twist
  Missed Me!
  Phantom Fingers
  Private Eye
  Shadow Man
  Shadow Walk
  Soul Blast
  Texas Twister
  Trinkets
Mediocre Skills may be traded for Tricks (H&H)
(Requires Arcane Background: Shaman.)
Academia: Occult
Faith (required for warrior)
Language: Indian Sign
Each Ritual is a Skill
  Dance
  Fast
  Maim
  Paint
  Pledge
  Scar
  Tattoo
Egdes/Flaws

You get two free Edges and one free Flaw that you must take. You can get additional Flaws to get additional Edges, Attribute Levels, or Skills. You can trade in one (and only one) of your Edges to increase your Attribute Levels or Skills.

Veteran of the Weird West is available for free! It's part Edge, part Flaw. It's kinda weird. See changes to the Edges and Flaws below.

Changes to Edges:

Arcane Background (Huckster, Mad Scientist, Blessed, Shaman): No change.

Belongin's: You can choose this up to four times. The first time you pick this, it starts at level 2 (the $1000 in cash). Each additional pick moves up the chart to the next level.

Big Ears: This increases your Perception skill by one level (never past Superb) when hearin' things.

Brave: This is a +1 level enhancer to your Guts attribute.

Brawny: You can re-roll any one Strength or Vigor roll in a game session and choose which roll you want to use.

Dinero: Same as Belongin's. It starts at level 2 and can be taken multiple times.

Don't Get 'im Riled!: No change.

Eagle Eyes: This increases your Perception skill by one level (never past Superb) when spottin' things that are real far away.

Fleet-Footed: You can run faster than most other characters. When making Quickness rolls, you can move one die one pip higher (a -1 to a 0 or a 0 to a +1).

Friends in High Places: You know some people that can help you out. You can take this as many times as you want.

Gift o' Gab: Instead of skill of 1, you get a Poor skill.

Keen: You've got Spider-man's Spider Sense. The Marshall will tell you when there's something up. (As in "You feel like someone's watching you" or "There's something not quite right here...") What you do with the Marshall's comment is up to you.

Kemosabe: No change, only buy this once.

Law Man: You're a Law Man. Let me know what you want to be.

Level-Headed: You can reroll any one Guts roll in a game session and choose which roll you want to use.

Light Sleeper: Add one level to your Perception roll when trying to wake up.

Luck o' the Irish: You always start a game session with one extra Fudge Point. Your maximum number of Fudge Points is increased by two.

Mechanically Inclined: You get a +1 level to rolls involving fixing or understanding machinery

Nerves o' Steel: If you fail a Guts roll and the results on the secret hidden Marshall's table says you run, you can decide to stand and fight. However, you take any other penalties that you normally would get with the failed roll.

Purty: +1 level to Persuasion rolls. And you're mighty purty.

Rank: Doesn't exist. Sorry.

Renown: Let me know what you want.

Sand: Doesn't exist. Sorry.

Scrawny: Is now an Edge. You're a beanpole and can fit in narrow spaces. Your maximum Strength is Good.

Sense o' Direction: Make a Fair Brains roll to get this to work. For the time, you have to make a Great Brains roll.

Sidekick: No.

"The Stare": +1 level to the Overawe skill.

Thick-Skinned: No change.

Tough As Nails: Your character has one extra Hurt box in the damage track.

Two-Fisted: Somewhat ambidexterous. Fighting with an off-hand weapon is usually -2 levels. If you fight with your off-hand, you ignore that. If you fight with one weapon in your primary hand and a different in your other hand, the other hand's attack is at -1 level.

Veteran of the Weird West: You have the option to take this Edge without paying any Edge points for it. You get extra points, as if this was a Flaw, that's good! You should have Academia: Occult at Fair. The Marshall also gets to draw on the ultra-secret Veteran of the Weird West table. That may not be as good.

"The Voice": It's just +1 level to the appropriate skill.

Changes to Flaws

Ailin': Chronic ailment, similar to Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday's condition during the O.K. Corral shootout during the movie Tombstone.

All Thumbs: -1 level

Bad Ears: Mild, -1 level

Bad Eyes: Mild again, -1 level

Bad Luck: If you get a -3 or -4 when making any roll, probably the worst thing possible that could happen does. If this happens on your first roll and you have an Edge that allows you to re-roll or alter a die, you can't reroll or alter the die (and the bad thing happens). Just FYI, there's about a 6% chance on each roll that this comes into play.

Big Britches: No change.

Big Mouth: No change.

Big 'Un: You're a big tub. You'll have to take Vigor rolls more often than normal. Your Vigor can't be higher than Fair.

Bloodthirsty: No change.

Cautious: No change.

Curious: No change.

Clueless: -1 level

Death Wish: No change.

Doubting Thomas: No change.

Enemy: No change., we'll work something out.

Ferner: Doesn't exist. No eskimos, please.

Geezer: You're old. Real old.

Greedy: No change.

Grim Servant o' Death: No change.

Habit: -l level.

Hankerin': This can be taken twice. First time, it's -1 level to mental skills, Guts, and Brains after 24 hours. Second time, we go to -2 levels to all skills and attributes after 48 hours.

Heavy Sleeper: -1 level to Perception.

Heroic: No change.

High-Falutin': -1 level

Illiterate: No change.

Impulsive: No change.

Intolerance: No change.

Kid: No change. (affects Strength and Brains)

Law o' the West: No change.

Lame: You can take this twice. First time, you're Limping: -1 level to Dodge, -1 level to Quickness. Second time, you're Crippled: -2 levels to Dodge, -2 levels to Quickness, -1 level to Dexterity.

Loco: Usually a -1 level penalty. Let's talk.

Loyal: No change.

Lyin' Eyes: -2 levels to Bluff roles.

Miser: No change.

Mean as a Rattler: -1 level

Night Terrors: After waking up, you have to make a Great Guts check or lose a Fudge Point. If you have no Fudge Points to lose, you're temporarily affected by Bad Luck (until the next night's sleep). We might do the last nightmare scenario, depending on how the gameflow is.

Oath: No change. Let's talk.

Obligation: No change. Let's talk.

Outlaw: No change. Let's talk.

One-Armed Bandit: -2 levels from applicable skills

Pacifist: No change. Let's talk.

Poverty: No change.

Randy: -/+2 levels, where applicable.

Scrawny: Is now an Edge. See "Changes to Edges".

Self-Righteous: No change.

Slowpoke: You're slower than most other people. When making Quickness rolls, you have to move one die one pip lower (a +1 to a 0 or a 0 to a -1).

Squeaky: -1 level.

Squeamish: -1 level to Guts checks caused by gory scenes.

Stubborn: No change.

Superstitious: No change.

Tinhorn: No change.

Thin-Skinned: Instead of three Scratches in the damage chart, you only have two Scratches.

Tuckered: Like Big 'Un, except you're not a big tub.

Ugly As Sin: +/-1 level, as applicable.

Vengeful: No change.

Wanted: Let's talk.

Yearnin': Let's talk.

Yeller: That's -1 level per check.



Fudge:Deadlands Levels

Levels are ranked per normal Fudge rules:

Superb
Great
Good
Fair
Mediocre
Poor
Terrible

Task Difficulty

FudgeDeadlands
MediocreFoolproof (3)
FairFair (5)
GoodOnorous (7)
GreatHard (9)
SuperbIncredible (11)
Legendary- (13)

Raises

Every level above the target is a raise.

Bonuses and Penalties

Each +/-2 in Deadlands is +/- 1 Level in Fudge.

Dealing Cards

In the online game, the Marshall is the dealer. In a FTF game, each player may use his or her own deck.

Bounty Points
The costs to improve Traits when spending Bounty Points are shown below.

New Level
MediocreFairGood GreatSuperbLegendary
Attribute -1824303642
Skill 24681012
Edge9
Trick (H&H)2



Hand to Hand Fightin'

Fightin' is just an opposed roll between the attacker and the defender, using the applicable skills. See the Gunfightin' page for a typical combat round.

Healing

All other wounds heal at the rate of their Deadlands equivalent.

Damage

Basic Damage Track
scratchhurtvhincpnd
OOOOOOO

Tough as Nails Damage Track
scratchhurtvhincpnd
OOOOOOOO

Thin Skinned Damage Track
scratchhurtvhincpnd
OOOOOO

Four Wind equal one Scratch. Scratches impose no penalties to your actions. Being Hurt imposes a -1 level penalty to all actions. Being Very Hurt gives you a -2 penalty. Being Incapacitated means you can only do very basic activities -- nothing more strenuous than trying to crawl away from Mister Bad Man with the shotgun. ND is Near Death -- you're unconscious and you'll die unless someone helps you. If you're Dead, you're Dead. See p40 of the Fudge PDF file http://www.fudgerpg.com/fudge/fudge.pdf.


About Fudge

Fudge is a role-playing game written by Steffan O'Sullivan, with extensive input from the Usenet community of rec.games.design. The basic rules of Fudge are available on the internet at http://www.fudgerpg.com and in book form from Grey Ghost Games, P.O. Box 838, Randolph, MA 02368. They may be used with any gaming genre. While an individual work derived from Fudge may specify certain attributes and skills, many more are possible with Fudge. Every Game Master using Fudge is encouraged to add or ignore any character traits. Anyone who wishes to distribute such material for free may do so - merely include this ABOUT FUDGE notice and disclaimer (complete with Fudge copyright notice). If you wish to charge a fee for such material, other than as an article in a magazine or other periodical, you must first obtain a royalty-free license from the author of Fudge, Steffan O'Sullivan, P.O. Box 465, Plymouth, NH 03264.

For the latest Fudge legal text, please visit http://www.panix.com/~sos/rpg/fudlegal.html.