Fudge Flatland

by Mitch A Williams (maw_mail @ yahoo .com)

In 1884 the mathematician and theologian, Edwin A. Abbott, created Flatland in his book 'Flatland: a romance of many dimensions'. Although it was not the true focus, in just a few pages he detailed the history and culture of an unparalleled universe. This universe is populated by unique beings that, while strange, still may seem familiar in many ways. So, step inside for a quick one-shot or a full campaign and see how many dimensions your characters can find in world that reportedly has only two.

"Fudge Flatland" is based on the book "Flatland: a romance of many dimensions" by Edwin Abbott (freely available from Project Gutenberg). Some additional information (such as the animals and plants of Flatland) has been fabricated strictly for the purposes of this game. This game is intended for play using the One Page Fudge or Fudge in a Nutshell rules.

The Nature of Flatland

"Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, but without the power of rising above or sinking below it, very much like shadows -- only hard and with luminous edges -- and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen."

The population of Flatland lives in a rigid social structure based on shape and intelligence level. The ranges of possibilities are from the lowest class Isosceles Triangle to the Middle Class Square all the way up to the elite Circle priest. The Isosceles Triangles are the soldier and working class. The Equilateral Triangles are the skilled workers (foremen, secretaries, artists, etc.). Equilateral Triangles, Squares and Pentagons are the tradesmen, which include lawyers and doctors. The Polygons (a worthy title) with 6 or more sides make up the nobility. Ruling over them all (or controlling, based on your point of view) are the Circles. The Circles usually don't care what the nobles do to each other or the lower classes as long as it does not affect their way of life. You can find noble Polygons of all types from petty dictators to enlightened reformers but, whether they are called President, Your Honor, Dictator, Magistrate, or Master, it is the Polygons that run things from day to day.

"Place a penny on the middle of one of your tables in Space; and leaning over it, look down upon it. It will appear a circle. But now, drawing back to the edge of the table, gradually lower your eye (thus bringing yourself more and more into the condition of the inhabitants of Flatland), and you will find the penny becoming more and more oval to your view, and at last when you have placed your eye exactly on the edge of the table (so that you are, as it were, actually a Flatlander) the penny will then have ceased to appear oval at all, and will have become, so far as you can see, a straight line."

Because all of the things you can see in Flatland look like a 'line', part of the social customs have evolved around the methods for identifying others. While all Flatlanders can distinguish small differences in the sounds and voices of their family and friends, there is still a need for the ability to identify others not known to you. For the lower classes, the main skill is touch. It is a relatively easy task to identify a shape by feeling one of its angles. This method is not used on or by the noble classes. Among the upper classes, the more difficult skill of visual identification is used. Visual identification is not taught to the lower classes, and touching is forbidden by tradition in the upper class.

The only way to change the social class of your family is by breeding. While most Isosceles births result in an Isosceles child, it is possible, in rare cases, for the child to be an Equilateral Triangle with 3 equal sides and 3 equal angles (or near enough to that to be declared so by the ruling authorities). In higher status individuals, beginning with the Equilateral Triangle, it is expected that any son will have one more 'side' than the father. The son of a Square will be a Pentagon and his son will be a Hexagon, etc. Among the nobility, where births become increasingly rare by some form of natural selection, the number of sides a child has may be many more than his parent. Of course at that level of society, who can really tell the difference between a figure with 20 sides from one with 24? These facts of Flatland reproduction are a major force in keeping the class distinctions in place.

Most full grown Flatlanders will be less that 12 inches long and will have a perimeter / circumference of less than 3 feet.

Important Figures, Places and Events in Flatland

Prometheus The Square - The first heretic, he was a Square who clamed to have been shown the true nature of Flatland by being taken out of it by a Sphere. He lived out the remainder of his life in an Insane Asylum. His real name lost, he is known as Prometheus which he reportedly chose based on a figure from the world of the Sphere who was punished for releasing the knowledge of fire.

Resolution of the Council - The latest edict of the current ruling council aimed at keeping the status quo is commonly known as "the Resolution of the Council". Simply stated, anyone who claims to have received revelations from another world is a heretic and subject to "arrest, imprisonment, or execution."

Heretics - Any person who follows the belief that there is a third dimension is branded a heretic. The first such heretic was an unnamed Square that claimed to be taken out of the world into the third dimension by a 'Sphere'.

Insane Asylums - The Circles maintain control by any means. Crimes in the middle and upper classes, especially 'political' crimes, are only committed by the insane. There are no jails in Flatland, only asylums. Any member of the lower classes who commits a crime is usually executed. For an Isosceles, even being accused of a crime by a Circle priest is enough for a death sentence.

Revolts - In written history, there have been over 100 major and 230 minor revolts of the lower classes. These have always been put down by the Circles. To put down the revolts, the Circle priests use bribery, murder, and trickery, and are quite adept at exploiting the jealousies and fears of the lower classes.

Universal Color Bill - Several generations ago, a Pentagon (who came to be known as 'Chromatistes') learned a method for making body paint in various colors and started using them on himself and his family. Within two generations, this practice had spread to all but the very extreme ends of the social spectrum. The practice came into question when it was realized that, by the use of body colorization, visual class distinctions could be reduced. This led Chromatistes and others, with the support of a vast majority of the lower classes, to push for the Universal Color Bill that would greatly reduce the power of the Circles. This came to be known as the 'Color Revolt'.

Color Revolt - The Chief Circle in the time of Chromatistes was Pantocyclus. Pantocyclus invited the leaders of the Color Revolt, along with thousands of their followers, to a great conclave in which he would declare his support for the 'Universal Color Bill'. In a stunning reversal, he gave a speech praising the virtues of the existing class system. The speech was so successful that many of Chromatistes's lower class followers renounced their support of the bill. In the resulting confusion, Pantocyclus ordered an attack by a group of paroled Isosceles criminals. In the resulting melee, almost all of Chromatistes's supporters and the criminals were wiped out. This horrific event, and the subsequent speedy court martial of the Color Revolt leaders, effectively ended the most dangerous uprising in Flatland's history. Now the secret of creating paint is known only to a few high level Circles.

Circular Neo-Therapeutic Gymnasium - The physicians of Flatland have discovered that the sides of young Polygons can be broken and reset, if done within the first month of life, to double its number of sides. This practice is expensive and dangerous to the infant and only about one in ten survive. Still, some higher order Polygons send their first son through this treatment, hoping to skip a generation or two in the process of moving their family to the social level of the Circles.

Irregular Figures - Being born with an irregular, non-symmetrical figure is usually an instant death sentence. For the few who do survive, being irregular means to be under constant ridicule by the general public and overt suspicion of the authorities.

The Plants, Animals, Geography, and Climate of Flatland

Plants - The plants of Flatland have two basic shapes. The first are the small, almost solid equilateral triangles that function as the fruit and vegetables of the world. The others are open stick structures or 'trees' where each joint, or bend, grows at exactly 90 degrees from its parent limb. These trees would look like wire diagrams with only 90 degree bends and 'T' intersections from the third dimension. All structures that are built in Flatland are created from the wood of these trees. Trees have been known to grow as tall as ten feet when left alone.

Animals - The animals of Flatland are all omnivores and will eat any organic matter available. Where the intelligent Flatlanders have rigid sides, animals have flexible outer surfaces and would look somewhat like amoeba if viewed from the third dimension. There are no real 'species' differences only size variations. The largest wild animals only grow to an approximate length of six inches while the domesticated varieties barely ever reach four inches. Except in the extreme outlying areas, animals are rarely a real threat.

Geography - Flatland has the directions of North, South, East, and West but no true Up or Down. The general orientation of the terrain, houses, Polygons, etc. are North/South with the top being toward the North. There is a slight gravitational pull to the South. Flatlanders sometimes call North 'Up' because of this orientation. There are vast sections of Flatland made up of earth that are known as hills. Hills can be dug into, forming caves, which can be used for housing, storage, or any other such purpose. Hills seem to be more solid and rocklike on the northern sides. These hills might look like islands if viewed from the third dimension.

Climate - All of Flatland is mostly temperate with no areas so extreme that a figure would suffer damage from being there. In the far southern regions, the pull of gravity is less and may cause some discomfort to those not used to such conditions. Rain is common to all parts of Flatland and always falls from North to South. It is rare for more than three days to pass without rain fall in any given location. Fog is also common for most areas.

Houses and Other Buildings

At first by tradition and then later by decree, all Flatland houses have five sides. It is thought that this is the minimum number of sides that produce an angle that is not too dangerous for normal travel. Most public buildings follow this rule. The only exceptions are military forts and secure public buildings that should not be entered by the general masses on a regular basis.

Character Creation

1. Select one free Gift. You may take an extra Gift for each Fault you take.
2. Select a type: Isosceles Triangle, Near Perfect Triangle, Tradesman (Equilateral Triangle, Square or Pentagon), Noble (Hexagon to Dodecahedron [6 to 20 sides]). Each type has a maximum Reasoning score.
3. All Attributes start at Fair. Assign 2 free levels to the 4 attributes Reasoning, Perception, Strength, and Health. You may not exceed the maximum Reasoning score for your type at this time.
4. Select your skills for your character type and add 10 free levels. You get the listed starting level for all of the skills listed for your type. You may not have more than 1 Superb skill and 2 Great skills when you are done.
5. 1 Gift = 1 Fault = 1 Attribute Level = 2 Skill Levels
6. Due to the nature of Flatland, all player characters are Male.
7. Names usually sound Latin or Greek and may indicate the family, job or position of the individual.

Character Types

• Isosceles Triangle - These are the soldier/worker class members of society. They have little hope of changing their lot in life but are content in the knowledge that they can be rewarded for a job well done. Isosceles Triangles do +2 damage in ramming combat and have a maximum Reasoning score of Fair.
• Near Perfect Triangle - These characters are the middle class. They are usually the foreman, team leaders, or sergeants over the lower classes. It would be unwise to anger a Near Perfect Triangle who decided to send a few of his workers out to teach you the error of your ways. Near Perfect Triangles add +1 damage in ramming combat and have a maximum Reasoning score of Good.
• Tradesman - The Tradesman are the transition between the workers and the nobles. They are the lawyers, doctors, and architects of the world. They also are able to function to some degree in both the upper and lower class settings. This usually means that they end up being the agent of the upper classes when dealing with the lower or the means by which the lower classes are represented to the upper class society. Tradesmen do normal damage in ramming combat and have a maximum Reasoning score of Great.
• Nobles - The functional ruling class begins with Polygons of 6 or more sides. This type of character is usually more concerned with pleasing the higher ups by keeping things running smoothly. They may view the lowest classes as anything from objects of contempt to valuable resources. Some may even feel the love that a master feels for a favorite pet when dealing with the Isosceles Triangles under them. It is the rare Noble that realizes that each person of every class has hopes and desires of his own. Nobles can never do any damage in ramming combat and have no maximum Reasoning score.

Skills

• Ram Attack - This is the basic combat attack: the attacker rams the defender with one of his angles. No figure with more than five angles can do any physical damage in ramming combat.
• Dodge - This is used in combat to avoid being rammed. Out of combat it can be used to avoid thrown or falling items.
• Rhetoric - This is the ability to get others to do what you want or at least stop doing something you don't want them to do. This can be used in combat at one level lower than your current skill.
• Touch ID - This is the most accurate way to recognize someone in Flatland. It is mostly practiced by the lower and middle classes. Touching is socially forbidden in the upper classes.
• Sound ID - This is the most common method of identifying others in Flatland. All Flatlanders are able to distinguish the voices of friends and family, as well as the general speech patterns of each class.
• Sight ID - This is the most difficult method used to identify others and is the only acceptable method of identification in the upper classes. Sight ID becomes harder in fog by one level.
• Disguise Voice - This is the skill of disguising your voice against someone using Sound ID to determine your class or who you are.
• Siege Weapon - This is the skill to use the only weapon on Flatland. Siege Weapons are fixed at fortifications and resemble large sling-shots.
• Stealth - This is used to move without being heard.
• Direction Sense - This is the ability to determine which way is North. In the far southern regions of Flatland where the southern pull is very small, it takes a GREAT Direction Sense roll to figure out which way north is.

Skill Bases for each Character Type

Skill	Isosceles Triangle	Near Perfect Triangle	Tradesman	Noble
Ramming	Mediocre	Mediocre	Poor	-
Dodge	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre	Poor
Rhetoric	-	Poor*	Mediocre	Mediocre
Touch ID	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre
Sound ID	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre
Sight ID	Poor*	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre
Disguise Voice	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre
Siege Weapon	-	-	Poor	Mediocre
Stealth	Poor	Mediocre	Mediocre	Poor
Direction Sense	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre	Mediocre

Skills marked with '*' can not be improved and skills marked '-' can not be learned by that character type. Certain Gifts allow these rules to be broken.

Gifts

Any appropriate Gift allowed by the game master can be taken. Here are some Gifts specific to Flatland:

• Surprising Intelligence - Increase your Reasoning score by 1 level and increase you maximum Reasoning score by 2 levels.
• Cross Trained - Select one skill from another type's skill list and add 1 level to the skill base. You may now improve this skill normally.

Faults

Like Gifts, any Faults that the game master allows can be taken. Here are some specific Flatland Faults:

• Heretic - You believe in the third dimension. You will come to the aid of any other heretic even if it may get you into trouble.
• Irregular - Your sides and angles are not quite even. This makes you the target of suspicion and ridicule.

Sample Character

Inquisitus is a four-sided private investigator (Tradesman). He works for the Polygons when he has to, but somehow feels better when he is helping the often dismissed common Triangles. He has a higher combat ability than most others of his kind but he gets into more situations where that is needed.

• Attributes (+1 level from a Fault)
  • Good Reasoning
  • Great Perception
  • Fair Strength
  • Fair Health
• Skills
  • Good Ram Attack (cost 3 skill levels)
  • Mediocre Dodge
  • Mediocre Rhetoric
  • Mediocre Touch ID
  • Mediocre Sound ID
  • Fair Sight ID (cost 1 skill levels)
  • Good Disguise Voice (cost 2 skill levels)
  • Poor Siege Weapon
  • Good Stealth (cost 2 skill levels)
  • Mediocre Direction Sense
• Gifts
  • Contacts - Knows key Polygons and many triangles
• Faults
  • Code of Honor - Help the lower classes

Possible Adventures in Flatland

A Trip to the Country - The characters are brought together by the local Polygon magistrate. He has been receiving complaints from some of the workers in an outlying area. They are being overworked by a Polygon that has recently moved into their area. He is not their master but still demands that they do his bidding. He also has some Isosceles enforcers serving him. He is not leaving them enough time to do the work they should be doing. If the players ask, they will be told that a messenger that was sent to find out who this new Polygon is has not returned. Is the offending Polygon really a new noble or is some irregular trying to carve out an illegal existence?

Color My World - In the strictest confidence, the character of the highest class is taken into a meeting with an actual Circle. He is told that there has been several individuals found wearing body paint in a small village to the West. The player must find and eliminate the source of this paint. He can use any means necessary. What he can not do is allow anyone else to learn the secret of making paint, including the members of his own party. Unauthorized knowledge of this type carries an automatic death sentence.