Welcome to "Fudge Firefight!" a two-part article that explores the blazing fury and unrealistic mayhem of the action-movie genre using the Fudge system.
Entire game systems have been built around the inconsistent realism of action movies, from Feng Shui to Hong Kong Action Theater to several of the d20 variants that have hit the game shelves in the last few years. With a little creativity, Fudge players can enjoy that same wild action, all without having to sacrifice any of their Fudge dice.
The first part of "Fudge Firefight!" outlines a number of tweaks for Fudge combat, including a simplified initiative system, rules governing the use of firearms in combat, and even some guidelines for how to handle certain situations that have become staples in the genre. The second part will explore the use of explosives in the action genre and will also look at character Knacks, combat-specific "super gifts" enjoyed by the stars of action stories.
General Rules
Trait Levels
As with most Fudge settings, "Fudge Firefight!" uses the Trait Level sequence presented within the Fudge rules to rate the difficulty of tasks, the abilities of the characters involved, and generally every other variable factor presented within the game environment.
Unlike standard Fudge settings, however, which make use of a seven-level sequence (running from Superb to Terrible), games meant to simulate the wild, often unrealistic qualities of the action genre, will need the additional "headroom" of levels above Superb to help describe the abilities and actions of the game's stars. For this reason, "Fudge Firefight!" uses two additional Trait Levels at the positive side of the scale. The two levels added to the scale are Legendary, which is already discussed in detail within the Fudge rules, and Impossible, a Trait Level beyond Legendary.
The new sequence of Trait Levels used within "Fudge Firefight!" are presented below (in order of best to worst), as well as some descriptions of what certain levels of skill or ability mean:
| Trait Level |
Value |
Benchmark |
| Impossible |
+5 |
Beyond the limits of normal humanity |
| Legendary |
+4 |
Inspiring, One of the best in the world |
| Superb |
+3 |
Remarkable ability, Olympic-class |
| Great |
+2 |
Highly competent, Gifted |
| Good |
+1 |
Talented, Above average |
| Fair |
0 |
Average |
| Mediocre |
-1 |
Below average, Underdeveloped skill or ability |
| Poor |
-2 |
Challenged, Unskilled |
| Terrible |
-3 |
Incompetent |
Given the truly cinematic feel of the genre, gamemasters might allow characters to possess Legendary Skills or Attributes, but Impossible level abilities should be... well, impossible. A character could dedicate his entire life to mastering a particular art or skill and would never progress beyond Legendary ability.
Initiative
The order of character actions in combat, better known as Initiative, should be determined by comparing the appropriate Attribute or Skill of each character. All actions during a Combat Round will then take place in order, going from the highest trait level to the lowest trait level of Initiative, until everyone has been given a chance to act.
Characters with identical Initiatives will either act "simultaneously" or will be required to roll an Initiative contest, depending on how vital action order may be for the given situation. Usually, this contest will only determine who acts first out of the two tied characters and will not reorder the action sequence for everyone else involved in the combat.
In some circumstances Gifts may provide bonuses to a character's base Attribute or Skill, such as "Lightning Fast" or "Gets the drop on everyone." These Gifts, which affect a character's physical speed or reaction time, should be taken into account when determining a character's final Initiative for any given Combat Round.
It is also important to note that any penalties resulting from Wounds, such as a Hurt or Very Hurt injury result, will affect a character's Initiative rating.
Why such a simple system? It is important to keep things moving as quickly as possible. Tactical actions or well-planned maneuvers have no place in the action genre and so adding die rolls to Initiatives will slow things down. For that reason alone, Initiative "checks" should be avoided in most situations and a more simplistic system for determine action order should be used.
Optional Rule: Forcing An Initiative Check
Using a straight Attribute or Skill to determine Initiative is the recommended method, simply because it helps to speed up action. The gamemaster could create a quick table with the PCs Initiatives and use it from adventure to adventure, making the order of actions fairly reliable and easy to remember.
However, that being said, there will be times when a character needs to move before an opponent that is faster than he is, but will be unable to, given the standard Initiative guidelines described above. In those moments of desperation the character can try to force an Initiative check by throwing off an opponent's timing. This will result in each character rolling his own Speed/Quickness/Reflexes/Etc. Trait, then using his new Trait Level for Initiative purposes.
The process for "throwing off an opponent's timing" is a highly subjective one, dependent more on roleplaying than anything else. Usually, forcing an Initiative check requires that the slower character trick his opponent, or cause him to become irrational, by playing on known psychological quirks.
For example, "Two-Fisted" Jack is fighting his arch-nemesis, the evil Doctor Muerte, a cunning and able adversary. The Doctor is much faster than Jack, and has threatened to activate a bomb, killing thousands. The two-fisted hero has only one chance to save the day, but will need to move before his foe to stop him from pressing the detonation button on his control panel.
Knowing that Doctor Muerte has a pathological hatred of him, Jack starts to goad the doctor into a rage by reminding him of all of the times when he failed to kill him, spouting out each and every humiliating defeat and failure. The GM reasons that this would be enough to upset Doctor Muerte's timing and decides that both characters must make an Initiative check to determine Initiative for that combat round.
It is important to note that "throwing off an opponent's timing" doesn't necessarily give a character the advantage. It only provides him with the possibility of getting to act first. The character with the higher Speed/Reflexes/Zip/etc. Attribute is still going to be faster in most circumstances!
A character must declare that he intends to perform this action in-between combat rounds. He cannot announce his intention of throwing off his opponent's timing after his opponent has already begun to act for that round.
The One Shot Rule
In most campaigns, there will be both major and minor characters that impact the overall story arc of the game. Major characters are primarily composed of the PCs and the villains or opponents skilled enough to be their equals. Minor characters, on the other hand, are usually comprised of anyone who isn't important enough to be given an actual name and they usually possess skills that are rated far beneath those of the PCs and other major characters. These minor characters can take many different forms, such as gun-toting mobsters, post-apocalyptic mutants, or stylish yakuza henchmen.
In the movies, minor characters are rarely very durable and can usually be taken out of a fight with only one shot. To simulate this in "Fudge Firefight!" the GM is encouraged to drop the usual wound track for minor characters and simply keep track of them as being either "Unhurt" or "Out." Whenever a PC or other major character performs a successful attack on a minor character, the character's status changes from "Unhurt" to "Out" and he is effectively removed from the game, left unconscious and bleeding on the ground.
In most cases, using this system for determining the fate of minor characters will be fine. However, there may be instances where the specifics of a lackey's health are important. For example, a PC may plan to interrogate a downed foe, and will obviously need to find one that is still living. In these situations, the gamemaster is encouraged to make a quick judgment call regarding the health of "Out" opponents, based primarily on the methods used to subdue them, and how long they have been left with their wounds.
Multiple Actions
Major characters, such as the PCs, should not be limited to only one action per combat round, as they are when using "normal" Fudge combat rules. Although more difficult than simply performing one action or task, characters in "Fudge Firefight!" can perform several actions within the span of a single Combat Round, taking a penalty of -1 Trait Level to all actions for each additional action.
For example, a character who performs only one action will not be penalized, but a character who performs two separate actions (shooting at one foe, then kicking another, for example), will be penalized -1 Trait Level to each Skill or Attribute used during that round. A character who performs three actions will be using each skill at -2 Trait Levels, and so on.
There is no set limit to the number of actions that a character can take, but any skill that drops below Terrible due to Multiple Action penalties will be an automatic failure.
Minor characters, such as the ones discussed in "The One Shot Rule," are not allowed to perform Multiple Actions. Multiple Actions are reserved for "main" characters, such as the player characters and major villains.
Firearms
A staple of the action movie genre, and therefore, a staple of "Fudge Firefight!" guns play an important part of any campaign or adventure. Due to the special importance of guns over other weapons of destruction, several new rules have been designed to simulate the furious action of gunfights.
It is important to understand, however, that the rules presented here are in no way meant to simulate a realistic depiction of firearms. The weapons and rules described below are intended to mimic the gun play seen in movies, in all of their unrealistic glory. Players and gamemasters wishing to simulate accurate, realistic firearm action will need to look elsewhere.
Ammunition
In the movies, ammunition usage is rarely an exact science, and so it should stand to reason that those same imprecise qualities should be emulated in the cinematic realism of many Fudge games. So, rather than count each chunk of hot lead as it is squeezed out of a gun, the characters are free to fire their weapons as many times as they wish, until an "empty" result is rolled during an attack.
An "empty" result is determined by rolling three blanks during any Opposed Action involving guns (three natural blank results plus any fourth result), on 4dF. When such a result is rolled, the hammer in the character's gun slams down with a dramatic click, and nothing else. To begin firing again, the character must reload his weapon, which uses up the character's action for the next Combat Round (coming up empty takes one Round, then reloading takes another Round).
A character is not required to reload his weapon immediately. For example, a character corners his arch-nemesis, aims, fires and then realizes that he is out of ammunition. If the character wastes his next Combat Round reloading his foe will either escape or blast him into a thin paste. So, the player decides that his character will toss his empty gun aside and tackle his nemesis, hoping to pummel him into unconsciousness. He'll worry about reloading his weapon later.
The first roll made by a player in a gunfight does not count towards running out of ammunition regardless of what is rolled on the dice. The first roll is always a "freebie," since it is assumed that most characters will go into a fight with at least one bullet.
An unrealistic rule, to be sure, the Ammunition guidelines presented here are intended to allow for dramatic action without adding burdensome rules and complications, which can slow things down. Players and gamemasters who wish to count each and every round fired to determine reload times should feel free to do so, but should also understand that it will detract from the fantastic excitement of action movie gunfights.
Players and gamemasters wanting a compromise between the two "systems" might want to consider counting reloads, as opposed to actual rounds. This way a character can actually run out of ammunition during a firefight, but the players are not required to keep careful track of each round that is fired. This is especially appropriate for more gritty campaigns, such as a post-apocalyptic setting or horror campaign, where a weapon reload might not be an easy thing to come by.
Malfunctions
If a player is unlucky enough to roll four natural blanks when using a firearm, the gun will not fire, as above, and has jammed. A weapon that has jammed cannot be fired again during that combat and will require repairs before it can be safely used in the future.
The gamemaster can assign a Jam Modifier if she decides that the circumstances merit an increased chance of firearm malfunctions. Usually this will be the result of environmental conditions, such as the character being trapped in a sandstorm or dropping his gun into mud, but it could also be the result of a lack of proper maintenance (a weapon kept in a closet for ten years, for example). If the gamemaster does assign a Jam Modifier, a malfunction result will always occur instead of an empty result.
For example, a character that has just pulled himself from quicksand might get a Jam Modifier of -1 with the weapons he is carrying with him, meaning that the chance for rolling a malfunction only requires three natural blanks, rather than the standard four blanks. Although a roll of three blanks normally results in an empty gun, the gun will malfunction instead.
Rolling more blanks than necessary will also result in a malfunction or jam. So, if the player character described above rolls four blanks (one more than necessary, after the Jam Modifier assigned by the gamemaster), his weapon will still jam and be unable to fire until repairs can be made at a later time.
Optional Rule: Ammo Dice
It is likely that this somewhat random method for determining ammunition use might clash with some philosophies of how combat should been run. After all, a character could conceivably fire off one shot and then come up "empty" when attempting another shot. This possibility might not necessarily fit with a player's perception of his character, especially if the character is a seasoned combat veteran who would know enough to have properly loaded his gun before getting into a dangerous situation.
To offset some of the randomness caused by this method, the gamemaster can introduce "Ammo Dice" to her combats, using an extra set of colored Fudge Dice.
Every time a character uses a firearm, the gamemaster gives the player one "Ammo Die," which replaces one of the four Fudge Dice the player normally uses to determine success when attacking. The dice are used normally, but only Blank results rolled on the Ammo Dice are used to determine an empty result or gun malfunction. Ammo Dice are kept throughout the combat and the effect is cumulative, so that if a player character has fired his gun three times, he will have three Ammo Dice in his hand and one "normal" die.
When a character does finally come up empty and has to reload, the player returns the Ammo Dice to the gamemaster and uses his four original dice again, accumulating new Ammo Dice through actions taken after reloading.
This method will "push back" the possibility of running out of ammunition and might better represent ammunition usage for players wanting a little more realism, with only a slight amount of added complexity.
Ammunition Types
Although some characters may take great pains to load their weapons with exotic and powerful types of ammunition, all ammunition in "Fudge Firefight!" will do the same amount of damage. Hollow points, mag-safes, spartan rounds, and beehives, are merely used as story elements and will have no real effect in terms of game mechanics.
If a character has grown used to the protection of bulletproof vests, the GM might allow certain modifiers for armor piercing rounds, but as a general rule different ammunition types will perform identically in the game.
Automatic Fire/Volley Attacks
There are many firearms that are capable of unleashing a hail of bullets with every pull of the trigger, rather than firing only one slug at a time. These weapons are capable of what is called "automatic fire."
To determine the success of an Automatic Fire attack, a player will roll normally for the "first" attack in the volley, then roll one Fudge die for every additional shot in that particular volley. For the sake of simplicity, this will be either two additional dice for a "burst" or four additional dice for "full automatic."
Colored dice are ideal for this kind of attack, since they could be rolled all at once (one color for the 4dF roll and another color for the additional volley rolls), but careful players could use a set of dice that are all the same color.
If the initial 4dF roll results in a successful hit, every "plus" result rolled on the additional shot or volley dice signifies another hit.
Damage is figured normally, using the initial 4dF roll and factoring in such things as Damage Capacity, armor, and relative degree. Each additional hit (determined by the additional or colored dice) will score another wound against the target, but at one level less in severity. Regardless of the number of hits, the Wound severity will never drop below Scratch. So, a character who suffers a Scratch result will continue to suffer Scratch level Wounds until the number of bullets that hit has been depleted.
For example, if the first "bullet" in an attack results in a Very Hurt wound, the second hit in the volley would score a Hurt result. If all three bullets in a "burst" hit, the victim of the attack would take one Very Hurt wound, one Hurt wound, and one Scratch.
Since the number of rounds used in automatic weapon fire is much greater than when firing single rounds, all of the dice used in determining the success of a volley attack are used for the purposes of figuring an "empty" or "malfunction" result. Therefore, when firing a burst, all six Fudge Dice are used when counting "blanks" and all eight Fudge Dice are used when firing in "full automatic" mode.
If a character is using Automatic Fire to spray an area with bullets, hoping to hit several foes at once, use the same rules described above. In these cases, every "plus" result on the Volley Dice will result in a hit against an additional opponent (determined randomly or by the gamemasters's discretion).
These hits against additional foes will result in identical wounds to the one suffered by the first target. Although fairly unrealistic, the guidelines given for "spray" attacks allow for fast action in Fudge, and should only be used against minor characters.
For example, a character opens fire on a gang of well-armed drug dealers, using his assault rifle in "full automatic" mode. He rolls normally to determine whether or not he has hit and then rolls four additional Volley Dice for the full automatic mode. With his additional dice he gets two "plus" results, meaning that if his initial attack is successful, he also scores hits against two additional opponents.
These same guidelines can be used for other attacks that are released in a volley, such as thrown shuriken.
Suppression Fire
A useful technique for keeping foes pinned down or keeping them from moving into a specific location, Suppression Fire simulates spraying an area with bullets so that anyone who enters that spot will be attacked.
In game terms, any character with an automatic weapon (see "Automatic Fire/Volley Attacks" above) can declare that he is using Suppression Fire as his action for the Combat Round. He must state the area he is attacking and describe its desired effect on the behavior of the opponents so that the gamemaster can determine the effects of the attack.
If the situation warrants it, any character who attempts to move into an area being held with Suppression Fire must then make a Grit check (or Bravery, Will, Assertiveness, Tactics, etc.) against the marksmanship skill of the character who is attacking that area. Failure to win in the Grit check will force the character to reconsider his actions and stay put. A success in the Grit check will allow the character to move into that area as planned, but he is then subject to an automatic attack by the character using the Suppression Fire (meaning the character can attack the individual moving into the suppressed area without expending another action and without needed to check Initiatives).
For example, a character holding an uzi announces that he will fire above the bar in a nightclub to keep the thugs hiding behind it from standing and returning fire. If one of the thugs were to attempt to stand and return fire, even though that area is being fired upon, he would be required to make a Bravery/Willpower/Grit/Etc. check against his attacker's Submachine Gun skill. If he succeeds in the check, he will then be attacked by that same Submachine Gun skill automatically, before he can perform any other actions.
The effects of Suppression Fire will be identical for both minor and major characters. Gamemasters may even require PCs to roll a Bravery check when charging into bullet-filled areas, but this should depend primarily on the campaign tone and the kinds of actions the GM wishes to promote in his game.
Holding a Character at Gunpoint
There will be times when a character will want to hold an opponent at gunpoint, implying physical harm, rather than actually causing it. The reasons for performing such a maneuver are innumerable, but regardless of the reason, the person holding the weapon always has the tactical edge should things degenerate into combat.
To "hold" an opponent at gunpoint, the attacking character (who will be described as the "threatening" character in this section) must make a successful attack roll against his target. This attack roll does not do any damage until the threatening character decides to actually follow through with the attack, allowing for plenty of time to exchange threats, demand information, or simply heighten the drama of the scene. When the threatening character decides to fire, he automatically hits, using his original "to hit" roll to determine the relative degree of success for the attack.
Under normal circumstances, the character who is being held at gunpoint will be completely aware of the danger he is in, either because of a "Move and I'll..." threat, because he will notice the gleaming weapon of destruction aimed at his head, or some other bit of drama. In this position, the character can do one of three things:
1 Wait to be shot. 1 Talk his opponent into lowering his weapon. 1 Trick his opponent into hesitating, so that he can act first.
The process of tricking an opponent who is holding a character at gunpoint is dependent on roleplaying. If the GM decides that the character that is being "covered" says or does something that will cause his would-be attacker to hesitate, the two roll an Initiative contest to determine who can act first.
When rolling for Initiative, the threatening character gets a bonus of +1 Trait Level to his Initiative Attribute (or Swiftness, Speed, Reflexes, etc.) due to his superior tactical position. If the threatening character wins the Initiative contest, he can use his original roll to fire at his opponent, hitting automatically as before. If the threatening character loses the Initiative contest, his opponent gets the opportunity to attack first and he must re-roll to hit if he still wishes to shoot at his target.
If the threatening character is distracted by an uninvolved character or event, he does not receive the +1 Trait Level bonus against the covered character.
In most cases, a character that is holding another character at gunpoint will have his ability to evade incoming attacks diminished, due to his concentration on his potential target. For this reason, anyone who is holding another character at gunpoint will suffer -2 Trait Levels for the sake of any evasion or blocking attempts to outside attacks. This penalty may be increased if the character is surprised by an incoming attack or it comes from behind the character, dependent primarily on the GM's interpretation of the action scene. This penalty is not applied to any attacks made by the character that is actually being held at gun-point. Because the threatening character is focusing all of his attention on that particular foe, he can act normally, evading any incoming attacks at his usual level of skill.
Mexican Standoffs
There will also be times when characters have each other at a disadvantage, each one waiting for the other to slip up, so that he can act. Popular in movies, the Mexican Standoff usually involves two characters who have each other at gunpoint.
In game terms, a Mexican Standoff will occur whenever two or more characters elect to perform the "Holding A Character At Gunpoint" maneuver, and then succeed in their attack roll to hold the opposite character.
The mechanics needed for a Mexican Standoff to occur will require a bit of flexibility on the part of the gamemaster and players, since simultaneous actions are almost impossible in a combat system that utilizes an Initiative system.
To allow a character held at gunpoint an attempt at pulling his weapon on his attacker, the gamemaster will need to limit the ability of the characters to react instantaneously and instead declare that a number of Trait Levels worth of Initiative are required to pass before the first character is allowed to fire.
For example, a gamemaster may decide that up to three Trait Levels of Initiative can pass before a character holding another at gunpoint can actually fire his weapon. This allows a character with an Initiative of Fair to reply to a threat from a character with an Initiative of Superb. A character with an Initiative score of Mediocre, however, will be unable to engage in a Mexican Standoff with the character with a Superb Initiative, because his Initiative is four Trait Levels lower than his possible attacker.
Alternatively, the gamemaster might also declare that a character can only enter into a Mexican Standoff, and take no other action within that narrow timeframe, without his potential attacker being able to fire his weapon. If the second character was to attempt a different action, the character who initially attempted to "cover" the character could fire, unhindered by any padding in the Initiative system.
Just as with "Holding A Character At Gunpoint," there are three basic actions which all of the characters involved will be able to perform:
1 Wait to be shot. 1 Talk his opponent into lowering his weapon. 1 Trick his opponent into hesitating, so that he can act first.
If a character involved in a Mexican Standoff tries to trick one or more of his opponents into hesitating, everyone involved in the Mexican Standoff is allowed to roll in an Initiative check to determine who can move first, but no one is given a +1 bonus to their Initiative... everyone is considered to be on equal ground in a Mexican Standoff, which can be an incentive for a character threatened with being "held at gunpoint" to escalate things to a Standoff.
Guns
Considering the importance of firearms in the action genre and in these rules, it would be a tremendous oversight to exclude a listing of weapons that can be used in an action game. Below are a number of firearms that can be used in any "Fudge Firefight!" inspired game.
Just as the specifics of ammunition should be glossed over for the sake of simplicity and speed, specific models of guns are also glossed over in favor of more generic descriptions. The .45 magnum, carried by infamous police in San Francisco, would simply be described as a "Large Handgun." A Desert Eagle would also be listed as a "Large Handgun," performing more or less the same as Dirty Harry's preferred weapon, while a .357 might be best described as a "Medium Handgun."
The gamemaster should exercise some care in keeping weapons consistent. For example, if the gamemaster has the PCs stumble across a group of Central American drug lords, all armed with uzis, in one session, the uzis carried by the Alaskan eco-terrorists in the following week's adventure should be described using the same "level" of Submachine Gun.
The Damage Factors listed for each weapon have been selected with the assumption that the campaign will include some sort of Damage Capacity Attribute which will be used to provide protection from Wounds. However, even with this in mind, the gamemaster may need to adjust the Damage Factor values up or down so that they are in line with the level of realism intended for the game.
For example, a Small Handgun has a Damage Factor of 3. A PC with a Damage Capacity of Good will only receive a Scratch wound result from a gunshot, assuming there is no relative degree to hit. That same shot from a Machine Gun will result in a Very Hurt result for the PC. If the character happens to be wearing a bulletproof vest (+2 Armor), the Small Handgun won't do any damage at all and the Machine Gun will only result in a Hurt wound. If the PC has a Damage Capacity of Great and is wearing a bulletproof vest, the Wounds resulting from Machine Gun fire might only be a series of Scratches.
If a gamemaster wants a more lethal campaign, she should add one or two points to each Damage Factor. A less lethal campaign should result in a subtraction of a point or two of Damage Factor from each firearm listed. The gamemaster should take into account the average Damage Capacity of the PCs and the availability of armor when adjusting these figures.
| Weapon |
Damage
Factor |
Range |
Notes |
| Sm. Handgun |
3 |
Poor to Great |
| Md. Handgun |
4 |
Poor to Great |
| Lg. Handgun |
5 |
Poor to Great |
| |
| Shotgun |
5 |
Poor to Good |
Distance Modifiers doubled |
| Double-barreled |
7 |
Poor to Good |
Distance Modifiers doubled |
| Elephant Gun |
9 |
Poor to Good |
Distance Modifiers doubled |
| |
| Rifle |
7 |
Poor to Superb |
+1 vs. Distance Modifiers |
| High-powered Rifle |
8 |
Mediocre to Legendary |
+2 vs. Distance Modifiers |
| Sniper Rifle |
8 |
Fair to Legendary |
+3 vs. Distance Modifiers |
| |
| Sm. Submachine Gun |
4 |
Poor to Great |
Automatic Fire possible |
| Lg. Submachine Gun |
5 |
Poor to Great |
Automatic Fire possible |
| Assault Rifle |
5 |
Poor to Superb |
Automatic Fire possible |
| Machine Gun |
6 |
Poor to Superb |
Automatic Fire possible |
| |
| Anti-Aircraft Rocket |
10 |
Fair to Legendary |
Explosive effect |
| Anti-Tank Rocket |
12 |
Fair to Legendary |
Explosive effect |
| Grenade Launcher |
8 |
Good to Great |
Explosive effect |
Distance Modifiers
The weapon list provided above lists a Range for each weapon. These Ranges, as well as the typical penalties assigned to firing on individuals who are at various distances, are shown below.
| Trait Level |
Penalty |
Description |
| Terrible |
-1 |
Grappling |
| Poor |
1 |
At arm's length |
| Mediocre |
0 |
Spitting distance |
| Fair |
-1 |
Across the room |
| Good |
-2 |
Shouting distance |
| Great |
-3 |
An entire city block |
| Superb |
-4 |
Several blocks away |
| Legendary |
-5 |
A country mile |
Melee Weapons
The behavior of melee weapons, such as swords and clubs, is usually much more predictable in combat than that of guns. For example, a club will never "come up empty" and need to be reloaded. However, the gamemaster might wish to use some of the same rules used for firearms when dealing with melee weapons. This can be done to reinforce the drama of combat and can also help to make certain die results more universal in nature.
Fumbles
When three blank results are rolled while attempting to attack with a melee weapon, the weapon may be knocked from the character's hand. An unopposed Strength/Might/Swordplay/etc. check against the Damage Factor of the weapon (not including Sharpness bonuses) will be needed to maintain control of the weapon. Smaller weapons are easier to maintain control of as opposed to larger, heavier weapons. A failed roll results in the character dropping it, which will then require one of the character's actions to retrieve.
For example, the PCs have finally cornered the evil Bishop who has cast a pox on their lands. They draw their rapiers and get ready to deal out a little justice, when the Bishop's guards arrive to protect their lord. One of the PCs lunges in to teach the head guard a lesson, but rolls three blank results on his attack roll, signaling a possible fumble. Failing his follow-up roll to keep control of his sword, the PC drops his weapon. Its not very heroic to just throw your weapon to the ground, however, so the player decides that the guard caught his sword with an especially skillful parry, causing him to lose his grip. The gamemaster approves the little exchange and keeps the combat moving forward. If the player character wants to use his rapier, he will have to spend one Combat Round to pick it up, assuming of course that someone else doesn't beat him to it.
Broken Weapons
On the other hand, rolling four blank results with a melee weapon will cause the weapon to break in the character's hands. The specifics will depend on the situation, so it is best left to the imagination of the gamemaster and players to determine the details, but following the break roll, the weapon cannot be used in the same manner.
Of course, unlike a jammed gun, a broken melee weapon isn't necessarily unusable. A sword that has had its blade shattered can still be used to cut foes, although most likely with limited effectiveness. Other broken weapons might continue to be useful, but have their characteristics altered. For example, a broken axe might become a club, and a staff that has been snapped into two pieces might become a pair of dangerous, wooden stakes.
Breaking Modifiers
Some weapons are more prone to breaking than others. For example, a bottle that is being used as a club has a greater chance of being broken than a large piece of firewood. In these instances, the gamemaster may assign a Breaking Modifier, much like a Jamming Modifier, which increases the character's chance of breaking his weapon.
A Breaking Modifier of -1 will cause a melee weapon to break if three blank results are rolled during a combat. Especially fragile weapons, like the bottle described above, might even have a -2 Breaking Modifier, causing the weapon to shatter with just two blank results rolled.
As with a jam result, a broken result will supercede any results for fumbles.
Hand-to-Hand Weapons
Just as a sample gun list was provided, a listing of generic melee and muscle-powered weapons is also provided for easy reference. The weapons provided here have been rated with a Range to help define their reach. This Range corresponds to the Distance Modifiers listed with the Guns section and should be used in a similar fashion.
| Weapon |
Damage
Factor |
Range |
Notes |
| Unarmed, untrained |
-1 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Unarmed, trained |
0 |
Terrible to Poor |
| |
| Dagger |
1 |
Terrible to Poor |
Can be thrown |
| Small Knife |
1 |
Terrible to Poor |
Can be thrown |
| Large Knife |
2 |
Terrible to Poor |
| |
| Short Sword |
2 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Medium Sword |
2 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Great Sword |
3 |
Terrible to Mediocre |
| Two-handed Sword |
4 |
Terrible to Mediocre |
| |
| Brass Knuckles |
0 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Blackjack |
0 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Club |
1 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Large Club |
2 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Quarterstaff |
2 |
Terrible to Mediocre |
| |
| Hatchet |
1 |
Terrible to Poor |
Can be thrown |
| Axe |
2 |
Terrible to Poor |
| Great Axe |
3 |
Terrible to Mediocre |
| |
| Javelin |
2 |
Terrible to Good |
Can be thrown |
| Spear |
2 |
Terrible to Good |
Can be thrown |
| Polearm |
3 |
Terrible to Mediocre |
| |
| Whip |
2 |
Terrible to Fair |
3 blanks rolled equals self-inflicted injury, No Strength bonus |
These weapons have been based on the weapon list provided in the Fudge rulebook. Like those weapons, many of the weapons listed above will merit a +1 Sharpness bonus.
That's it for this installment. In Part II, guidelines will be presented for handling explosives in a "Fudge Firefight!" campaign. Characters will also be given a boost thanks to the addition of Knacks, "Super Gifts" that make them especially capable in a fight. So, consider this... to be continued....
