          FUDGE: Freeform, Universal, Donated Gaming Engine
                   A Free Role-playing Game (RPG).
                        By Steffan O'Sullivan
                      Version: December 7, 1993

"Back Cover Blurb"
 ----------------

FUDGE is a freeform RPG "engine."  This means that the rules are
guidelines, not unbreakable laws.  Each GM *must* do a certain amount
of work customizing the rules to her tastes, supplying the body of the
gaming "vehicle" - FUDGE is just the engine.  This is unavoidable in a
freeform game that is trying to appeal to a wide variety of gamers.
Fortunately, this also means that supplements from *any* game company
are compatible with FUDGE!

FUDGE is specifically for people who want a good bedrock to build
their own system on.  If every commercial RPG details certain things
in ways you don't like, then FUDGE may be what you're looking for.  If
you have created a great game setting (or translated one from
fiction), but no other game system's rules seem to do it justice,
perhaps FUDGE can help you.

If, on the other hand, you demand fully fleshed-out rules or a world
background detailed by a game designer, then you may wish to read no
further . . .

In its current edition, FUDGE is intended for experienced Game
Masters.  That is, at this time there is no introductory "What is
role-playing" section, nor detailed explanations of how to handle any
given situation.  However, a glossary of FUDGE-specific terms is
presented at the beginning of each new major topic.  The game can work
with novice *players*, as long as the GM is experienced.

Note: the word "freeform" in this game has nothing to do with the live
role-playing style known in Australia as free-form.  In FUDGE, the
word simply means a flexible, simple, casual set of RPG rules,
requiring much to be filled in and improvised by the GM.

======================================================================

Legal Notice
------------

Version: December 7, 1993

FUDGE is copyright 1992, 1993 by Steffan O'Sullivan.  It may be freely
copied and distributed by any means desired.  This legal notice must
be included with each copy of FUDGE.  No charge may be made for FUDGE
beyond a maximum $6 (US) fee for materials and shipping, without
written permission from the author.  Please note that permission to
copy only applies to the actual FUDGE rules: any background or
adventure material included with the rules may *not* be copied unless
specifically permitted.

A publisher who wishes to include FUDGE in a book of copyrighted
source material or adventures may do so, provided the following
conditions are met:

(1) The publisher's copyrighted material must be longer than the
amount of FUDGE material included.
(2) This legal notice and at least Chapter 1 of FUDGE (Overview) must
be included.
(3) The words in this legal notice and those in Chapter 1 of FUDGE may
not be changed in any way.
(4) There can be no extra charge for including FUDGE in the book.

FUDGE was first published in 1992 on the Internet, and was written by
Steffan O'Sullivan (sos@oz.plymouth.edu) with an extensive amount of
high-quality input from Andy Skinner.  Other valued contributors
include Martin Bergendahl, Thomas Brettinger, Robert Bridson, Travis
Casey, Paul Jason Clegg, Peter F. Delaney, Jay Doane, Ann Dupuis, Paul
Dupuis, Brian Edmonds, Shawn Garbett, Ed Heil, Richard Hough, Bernard
Hsiung, John H. Kim, Pete Lindsay, Bruce Onder, Christian Otkjaer,
Bill Seurer, Larry Smith, Stephan Szabo, John Troyer, Corran Webster,
and others on rec.games.design on the Internet.

Groo the Wanderer (TM) is a trademark of Sergio Aragones, and use of
the name in this product does not challenge the trademark status in
any way.

======================================================================


Table of Contents
=================

1  FUDGE Overview
2  Character Creation
    2.1  Character Creation Terms
    2.2  FUDGE Trait Levels
    2.3  Character Traits
          2.31  Attributes
          2.32  Skills
          2.33  Gifts
          2.34  Faults
          2.35  Personality
          2.36  Fudge Points
    2.4  Allocating Traits
    2.5  Subjective Character Creation
    2.6  Objective Character Creation
          2.61  Attributes
          2.62  Skills
          2.63  Gifts & Faults
          2.64  Trading Traits
    2.7  Uncommitted Traits
    2.8  Random Character Creation
    2.9  Minimizing Abuse
3  Supernormal Powers
    3.1  Supernormal Power Terms
    3.2  Powers at Character Creation
          3.21  Powers Available
          3.22  Associated Skills
          3.23  Combat Powers
    3.3  Non-humans
          3.31  Strength and Mass
          3.32  Speed
          3.33  Scale Correlations
          3.34  Cost of Scale
          3.35  Racial Bonuses and Penalties
    3.4  Legendary Heroes
    3.5  Magic
    3.6  Miracles
    3.7  Psi
    3.8  Superpowers
    3.9  Cybernetic Enhancements
4  Action Resolution
    4.1  Action Resolution Terms
    4.2  Rolling the Dice
          4.21  Reading the Dice
          4.22  Other Dice Techniques
          4.23  Success Rates
    4.3  Action Modifiers
    4.4  Unopposed Actions
    4.5  Opposed Actions
    4.6  Combat
          4.61  Subjective Combat
          4.62  Objective Melee Combat
          4.63  Offensive/Defensive Tactics
          4.64  Multiple Combatants in Melee
          4.65  Objective Ranged Combat
    4.7  Damage and Healing
          4.71  Subjective Damage System
          4.72  Objective Damage System
          4.73  Damage Threshold
          4.74  Combat and Objective Damage Example
          4.75  Non-human Scale in Combat
          4.76  Pulling Punches & Knockout Damage
          4.77  Healing
    4.8  Critical Results
    4.9  NPC Reactions
5  Character Development
    5.1  Subjective Character Development
    5.2  Objective Character Development
    5.3  Development through Training
6  Tips and Examples
    6.1  GM Tips and Conversion
    6.2  Character Sheet Example
    6.3  Character Examples
          6.31  Fantasy Characters
          6.32  Historical Characters
          6.33  Modern Characters
          6.34  Science Fiction Characters
          6.35  Miscellaneous Characters
    6.4  Animal & Creature Examples
    6.5  Equipment Examples

Terminology Notes:
-----------------

To avoid confusion, "he, him," etc., are used to describe a player and
PC, and "she, her," etc., are used to describe a Game Master and NPC.

FUDGE is divided into six Chapters, each of which is divided into
Sections.  The decimal point in Section numbers is a true decimal.
For example, Section 2.35 comes between Section 2.3 and Section 2.4.
