Relating Skills and Attributes

In the Fudge rules the following is how the author feels about skills being based on attributes:

2.32 Skills

While I agree with this philosophy, some people have criticized Fudge because of this. However, in the "overview" section we find this statement:

"Freedom of choice is the basic premise behind Fudge. Every Game Master using Fudge has the right to add or ignore any attributes, skills, or other character traits."

So, in the full spirit of how Fudge was designed, here are some alternate rules to allow skills to be based on (or at least related to) attributes.

WARNING: All of these methods require extra work on the part of the GM and/or the players and are based on "Objective Character Creation".

METHOD 1:

1. Average the skill and the attribute that the skill is based on. Example: if "Stealth" is a "Dexterity" based skill and a character has "Fair: Dexterity (0)" and "Great: Stealth (+2)" then he would roll for actions requiring "Stealth" at a level of "Good (+1)". It is up to the GM to decide what to do about results of "Good+ (+1.5)". (There are several methods given in other places for using half levels.)

METHOD 2:

1. The first change is that NO FREE ATTRIBUTE LEVELS are given. Attributes CAN be increased and decreased in the normal manner.
   
2. Any Attribute that is reduced also reduces the default level of all skills based on that attribute. Example: If "Strength" is reduced from "Fair (0)" to "Mediocre (-1)" then all skills based on "Strength" now default to "Terrible (-3)" instead of "Poor (-2)".
   
3. Each point spent on a skill adds a calculated amount to the attribute that the skill is based on. This calculated amount is "half the number of attributes / # of Skill Points given". Example: If characters have 8 characteristics and 40 skill points then each skill point spent adds .1 ((8/2) / 40) to the attribute that the skill is based on. So after 10 points had been spent on "Strength" based skills then the "Strength" would increase by +1. Example 2: Characters with 4 attributes and 50 skill points would add .04 ((4/2) / 50) to an attribute for each point spent on skills based on that attribute. 25 skill points would have to be spent before the attribute would increase. OPTIONAL RULE: if you want the attributes to increase faster then use only 75% of the initial skill points in the formula. The first example would then be ((8/2) / 30) or .13 added to the attribute for each skill point spent.
   
4. Using this method, partial attribute levels should be ignored for play until a full new level is reached. Example: An attribute of +1.8 "Good+.8" is not really better than an attribute of +1 (Good) until more skill points are spent to bring the attribute level up to +2 or more.
   
5. As experience is spent to buy new skills the attributes continue to improve using the same increase in attribute per point spent.

METHOD 3:

1. The standard free attribute levels are given as "Attribute Pool Levels". Other additions to attributes are normal increases and do not count in the "Attribute Pools".
   
2. The "Attribute Pool" creates a number of skill points, using the "pool multiplier", that must be spent on skills that are based on that attribute. Example: Using a "Pool Multiplier of 10; If 2 "Attribute Pool Levels" are spent on "IQ" then the "IQ" would be "Great (+2)" and 20 points could be spent on "IQ" based skills.
   
3. The default level of any skill purchased with the "Pool Points" is the level of the attribute - 3. In the preceding example the default level for any skill based on "IQ" would be 2 - 3 = -1 (Mediocre).
4. An amount of non-pool skill points, equal to 1 times the pool multiplier, should also be given to allow for rounded characters. These points can not be added to any pool and skills purchased with these points should start at the standard default level of Poor (-2).
5. ATTRIBUTE INCREASES DO INCREASE ALL SKILLS BASED ON THAT ATTRIBUTE. For this reason, all attribute increases earned during play must be earned at the cost of a GIFT.