Whether I was swinging from a rope tied to a tree branch or walking gingerly across the top of a swing set, I've always imagined myself being a swashbuckling Musketeer, foiling the villain's plans and saving the King. When I was first introduced to roleplaying, I was happy enough being a warrior or a wizard or a thief, but in my heart I wanted to be a Musketeer. Over the years we've had many swashbuckling RPGs; now that my interest in rules heavy systems has waned, I tend more and more to recreating in Fudge those genres I love.

One for All, and All for Fudge! (hereafter, All for Fudge!) provides for a cinematic swashbuckling experience. Little attempt is made to adhere closely to reality. Rather, players can play Musketeers fighting twice their number of the Cardinal's guards to get a retrieve a potentially embarrassing letter from a friend of the King's. Or perhaps you'd rather play the Cardinal's guards, intent on retrieving the letter so that it might be used against the King.

You need not stay within the Musketeers genre, either. Perhaps you'd rather play the unsuspecting double of a rural king, who is drawn into plots against the throne. All for Fudge! works equally well for a small group of ne'er-do- wells robbing noble's houses in the heart of Paris as it does for a group of pirates plying their trade on the seven seas.

At the end of this article is a list of recommended books and movies that should give you more than enough adventure ideas for a swashbuckling campaign or two.

Character Attributes

The character attributes used in All for Fudge! are strength, dexterity, endurance, wit, charm, and luck.

Strength

Strength represents the physical strength of the character. This attribute is used for heavy lifting rolls, and impacts how much damage a character can take.

Dexterity

Dexterity tells us how quick and agile the character is. Dexterity figures into acrobatic moves and reflexes.

Endurance

Endurance shows how hardy the character is. Endurance also impacts how much damage a character can take.

Wit

Wit tells us how intelligent and quick-witted the character is.

Charm

Charm represents the character's ability to win friends and influence people. This is a combination of physical attractiveness and charisma, so it is entirely possible to have a good-looking character have a low charm.

Luck

Luck is the character's ability to land on the hay wagon after being pushed off the roof. A luck roll can be used to help the character out of tight spots. While no sane person relies on luck, it can be quite useful.

GMs who want a quick start can simply start all attributes at Fair, and allow players two free levels to use in raising attributes. Trading between attributes is also possible (e.g. lowering one to Mediocre to raise another to Good). All attribute levels are subject to any GM limitations (e.g. none starting at Superb and only one at Great).

Wound Track

All for Fudge! starts with the standard Fudge wound track (3 scratches, 1 hurt, 1 very hurt, 1 incapacitated, and 1 near death). The character's attributes, however, can modify their specific wound track, as follows (the generic Fudge character sheets have ample room for penciling in the additional boxes).

Strength can allow the character to withstand additional scratches. The following chart shows the bonus scratch boxes a character receives for strength. These bonuses are additive, so if a character has a superb strength, they receive two additional scratch boxes.

Terrible	Poor	Mediocre	Fair	Good	Great	Superb
-1	-1	0	0	0	+1	+1

Endurance allows the character to withstand additional hurts, as shown by the following chart.

Terrible	Poor	Mediocre	Fair	Good	Great	Superb
0	0	0	0	+1	+1	+1

Luck allows a character to sidestep that wound that would otherwise incapacitate them, by adding additional very hurt boxes.

Terrible	Poor	Mediocre	Fair	Good	Great	Superb
0	0	0	0	0	+1	+1

These tables can also be used to tell the number of additional boxes added when a character increases an attribute during the game. For example, advancing from Poor to Mediocre Strength would add one scratch box.

Healing Damage

Scratches heal at the end of a combat, assuming the characters take the time to perform basic first aid (this takes no roll, but does take time proportional to the number of scratches treated). A week of rest is needed to heal other damage one level. So a Hurt wound will heal in one week. A Very Hurt wound would, in one week, become a Hurt wound. This assumes characters are resting in an environment conducive to healing. The attendance of a physician during their healing will speed healing (a week will reduce a wound two levels).

Skills

Skills in All for Fudge! denote the ability to perform feats over and above the normal unskilled person. The skills are based on attributes, and an attribute roll is performed for any task attempted.

Skills may be chosen in any way the GM decides. GMs who want a quick start may allow players to choose any 5 skills at Normal level.

Skills will allow the character to perform tasks that are beyond the reach of unskilled persons. For example, a normal person would have little chance of walking a tight rope between two buildings, but a character with the acrobatics skill could attempt it.

Some tasks are considered unskilled tasks, and can be attempted by anyone regardless of what skills they have. The GM is the final arbiter of whether a task is unskilled or skilled. If a character attempts an unskilled task, but they have an appropriate skill, then they will receive a +1 bonus to the roll. An example would be dexterity roll to walk across a narrow log over a stream. The acrobatics skill would give a +1 to the roll.

Skills have three possible levels: Normal, Expert, and Master. Skills start at Normal level, and cannot increase beyond that at character creation without GM approval. The level of the skill determines the amount of bonus to a task that uses the skill. This bonus is in addition to the +1 for an unskilled task.

Normal	Expert	Master
+0	+1	+2

The following skill list may easily be supplemented by skills from other Fudge implementations if the GM allows. Since All for Fudge! skills are rather broad, be certain that an appropriate skill doesn't already exist.

Acrobatics (dex)

The ability to perform acrobatic feats impossible for unskilled persons. The skill also provides a bonus to appropriate unskilled tasks such as balancing and climbing.

Artillery (luck)

The ability to work with 17th Century artillery. The artillery is gunpowder based, but not very accurate. Unskilled characters are more likely to blow themselves up than hit anything with artillery.

Banking (wit)

Knowledge of 17th Century banking. Required for certain jobs, such as clerk or moneylender. Will give a bonus to characters that must deal with moneylenders.

Bribery (wit)

Just how much should you bribe a palace guard to pass a message on to the King? A successful skill roll on bribery will help a character can determine which guards are most likely to be bribable and how much money is appropriate. A character without this skill must guess at both.

Bureaucracy (wit)

This character knows the quickest and easiest ways through red tape. This skill can also be used to quickly assess a pile of business paperwork for important information, or to identify which company uses what seals, etc. Characters without this skill are generally clueless, and will take much longer to perform the same tasks. Characters with this skill also get a bonus for detecting forgeries.

Carousing (end)

A character with the carousing skill is the one left standing and walking at the end of a night long party. Carousing gives a bonus to any skill rolls where drinking is a major component. For example, drinking someone under the table, getting a palace guard drunk to get information out of him, etc.

Chemistry (wit)

This skill represents state of the art knowledge of chemistry. State of the art in the 17th Century is still rather primitive, however. Characters with this skill can mix gunpowder, poisons, etc, as well as identify such substances, but are also just as likely to still believe in the transmutation of elements. Characters without this skill are unable to perform related tasks.

Disguise (wit)

This skill may be used to hide your own identity, or to make yourself look like another person. Hiding your own identity would be a Good task, while impersonating someone else would be a Superb task. An unskilled character may attempt to hide his or her identity in primitive ways, but a character with this skill will do a better job. Recognizing a disguise depends largely on how well known either the character or the person the character is impersonating is to the person looking.

Espionage (wit)

This skill covers all areas of 17th Century espionage. Coded messages, interrogating suspects, talking information out of unsuspecting civilians: these are all areas of expertise for someone with this skill. This skill also gives a bonus to seeing through a disguise or detecting forgeries.

Etiquette (charm)

A character with this skill can fit into high society without notice. A character without this skill will use the wrong fork during dinner, bow just a little bit too low to the royal banker, and generally behave like a country bumpkin. When trying to get information from a member of the nobility, this skill can give a bonus.

Forgery (wit)

This skill can be used to create fake documents or to alter existing documents. The difficulty depends on the task. Creating a fake royal pardon with no examples to work from would be a Legendary task. Altering one word in an existing royal pardon would be a Fair task. An unskilled person's chance of detecting a forgery is Good, plus one difficulty level for every additional level the forger rolled. For example, a forger tries to alter a pardon to free his father. The difficulty is Fair, and he rolls a Great. Since the forger beat the difficulty by two levels, the chance of detecting the forgery by an unskilled person is Good plus two levels, or Superb. A character with the forgery skill gets a bonus for detecting forgeries.

Gambling (luck)

Characters with this skill know all the games of chance inside and out, and have spent plenty of time practicing. Anyone can gamble, but this skill provides a bonus to gambling rolls.

Haggling (wit)

Haggling is the process of bargaining to obtain a discount on goods or services. The difficulty depends on where the item is being bought. Marketplaces are open to haggling, and would be a Fair difficulty. High society jewelry shops are not as open, and would be a Great or more. Any character may haggle, but this skill gives a bonus. The amount of discount is 10%, plus 5% for each level made over the difficulty. For example, a character needs a Fair while haggling over the price of a rug his mistress just has to have. He rolls a Great, two levels above fair. The discount is 20%.

Heraldry (wit)

This character knows exactly what families sport what coat of arms, and what each symbol on the coat of arms means. This character is also up on the genealogies of the important families.

History (wit)

Characters with this skill know about European history, and can provide information on battles and events. They are also knowledgeable about contemporary events and literature.

Horsemanship (dex)

The ability to ride a horse with style. Any character may ride, but a character with this skill will be obviously at home on the back of a horse. They also know how to care for the horses and can tell if a stable boy is doing a good job or not. Horsemanship skill is needed to jump horses over obstacles. Fighting from a moving horse has a -2 penalty; the bonus for this skill can offset that penalty.

Languages (wit)

This skill must be taken for each foreign language the character would like to be able to speak. Characters automatically know their native language.

Law (wit)

This character knows the legal process, and can serve as his own advocate during a trial or hearing. This skill also provides knowledge of politics, and can be used to decipher legal documents, and provides a bonus for detecting forgeries to such documents.

Leadership (charm)

A character with this skill can lead and command others. This skill allows a character to attempt to take charge of a group, with the difficulty depending on many factors: whether the group has an existing leader, an existing purpose, etc.

Literacy (wit)

This skill must be take for each language the character would like to be able to read and write. The GM may allow some characters to be automatically literate in their native language, depending on their background.

Navigation (wit)

This skill represents the ability to find your way over great distances, on land or on sea, with some degree of accuracy. Unskilled characters must typically use guides such as roads, trails, or coastlines, or risk ending up off target.

Oratory (charm)

The ability to speak in front of large groups, and to speak well. This skill can be used to fast talk or persuade individuals and groups. This skill also provides a bonus to tasks that other skills make possible if they involve speaking. For example, a character with Law may be his own advocate. If the character also had Oratory, he would get a bonus to his Law roll. Other likely affected skills are Etiquette and Leadership.

Physician (wit)

A character with this skill has more than a passing knowledge of how to treat various physical problems. While first aid to recover scratches may be performed by anyone, a character with the physician skill may attempt to do more for a wounded character. A roll may be made for each wound a character took, with the difficulty depending on the severity of the wound. A successful roll reduces the wound by a single level. If there are no open wound boxes at the lower level, the wound does not heal.

Severity of Wound	Difficulty of Roll
Hurt	Good
Very	Hurt	Great
Incapacitated	Superb
Near	death	Legendary

Powdermaster (wit)

Characters with this skill are able to work with primitive gunpowder explosives. Such devices are unreliable, and likely to go off early or not at all. Unskilled characters may just as well open a barrel of gunpowder and toss in a match.

Sailing (wit)

This skill covers all aspects of working a sailing ship, and is necessary to get such a ship to move in a desired direction. Unskilled characters are more likely to swamp the ship than to make forward progress. Various sailing related tasks might require rolls versus attributes other than wit. Note that a sailing captain would do well to also have Leadership and Navigation.

Second Weapon (dex)

This skill is for characters that would like to be able to fight with a second weapon. This skill is rarely used for rolls, but provides a bonus for using a suitable second weapon in combat. An example is using a dagger and a saber. Unskilled characters will not get a bonus for using a second weapon in combat. The exact bonus depends on the combat system used, so check with your GM to see if this skill will be useful.

Seduction (charm)

Characters with this skill know how to charm the opposite sex. This skill can provide a bonus on attempts to get information or persuade someone (or to simply find a companion for the evening).

Shield Use (dex)

This skill represents the ability to effectively use a shield in combat. Any character may use a shield in combat, but only characters with this skill get a bonus for it. Shields need not be armor designed for combat. Note that most fighting styles of the 17th Century do not teach shield use. Those who still practice the less refined fighting styles can learn this skill.

Sleight of Hand (dex)

The ability to perform small magic tricks, and to generally do things with your hands without other people noticing. Characters with this skill may use it to pick pockets or cut purses. The difficulty depends on what is being pilfered, how alert the target is, etc. Unskilled characters have no chance to pick pockets, and must rely on a blunt instrument and the element of surprise.

Stealth (dex)

This skill represents the ability to move silently, hide in cover, follow someone without them noticing, etc. Unskilled characters may attempt all these things, but skilled characters get a bonus.

Strategy (wit)

The ability to develop large scale plans, such as for a military campaign. While anyone can attempt this, the skill provides a bonus, and only characters with this skill can rise to high military rank.

Streetwise (wit)

The street society has its own rules and social mores. Characters with this skill are well acquainted with how street society works, and can locate people and information easier and quicker than unskilled characters.

Theology (wit)

A character with this skill has a detailed knowledge of 17th Century religion, and the workings of the Church. This skill is a requirement for those who want to become high-ranking members of the Church.

Tinker (dex)

This skill represents the ability to work with machines of all sizes. This skill can be used to repair them, to sabotage them, or to create them given enough time and materials. This skill may also be used to attempt to pick locks (unskilled characters must make do with a blunt instrument and a strength roll). This skill also provides a bonus for disarming traps.

Tracking (wit)

The ability to follow a trail or to hide your own trail. A character with this skill can attempt to tell how many people passed, what types of animals, etc. Characters without this skill may make a wit roll to spot the existence of a trail only if the trail is fairly obvious.

As a swashbuckling GM, you have two options for combat skills, the cinematic option and the realistic option. You'll pick an option for use in your campaign, as characters are created differently.

The cinematic option for combat skills creates characters that are heroic in their abilities. A cinematic character is likely to be a capable fighter with many weapons.

The realistic option for combat skills creates characters who will likely be excellent with only a couple of weapons.

Cinematic Combat Skills Option

Combat skills are treated just like non-combat skills. They are based on an attribute, and all uses of the skill are rolled versus the attribute, with an appropriate modifier for the level of the skill (Normal, Expert, Master). Combat skills count as one of the 10 skills allowed to new characters.

Unskilled persons may use any weapon. Skilled persons will gain a +1 with the weapon, in addition to any bonus for the level of the skill.

All combat skills include the knowledge of how to care for the weapons, and to discriminate between high quality and low quality weapons. Unskilled persons do not have this knowledge.

The following combat skills are available: