Also provided are a number of Knacks, which are the heightened combat abilities of the stars of the genre. These optional "Super Gifts" make characters more effective, and sometimes more stylish, than characters in typical campaigns and can help reinforce the quasi-reality the gamemaster may be seeking for her game.
Explosives
In the action movie genre, heroic characters are often able to outrun explosions and billowing fireballs, to escape from certain, crispy death. In "Fudge Firefight!" it is, of course, no different.
Each explosive encountered within an action game should have an intensity Trait Level, which measures the force/damage of the blast. Some example blast intensity Trait Levels are given below, for easy reference.
| Explosive |
Trait Level |
| Dynamite, 1 stick |
Fair |
| Dynamite, A bundle |
Good |
| Dynamite, Crate |
Great to Superb |
| |
| C-4/Plastique, 1 lb. |
Good |
| C-4/Plastique, 2 lbs. |
Great |
| C-4/Plastique, 5 lbs. |
Superb |
| C-4/Plastique, 10 lbs. |
Legendary |
| C-4/Plastique, 20 lbs. |
Impossible |
| |
| Grenade, World War II |
Fair |
| Grenade, Modern |
Good |
| Anti-Personnel Mine |
Great |
| |
| Guided Rocket |
Great to Superb |
| Anti-Aircraft Rocket |
Superb to Legendary |
| Anti-Tank Rocket |
Superb to Impossible |
| |
| Letter Bomb |
Mediocre |
| Pipe Bomb |
Mediocre to Fair |
| Car Bomb |
Fair to Good |
| Terrorist Bomb |
Good to Superb |
| Large Terrorist Bomb |
Superb to Impossible |
| Nuclear Bomb |
Well beyond Impossible |
It may be important to note that these Intensity levels can be applied, more or less, to the Distance Modifiers table listed above (in Part 1) to measure the full diameter of the explosive's blast radius. These distances are simply a good rule of thumb and might need to me moved up or down a level or two, depending on the explosion type. For example, a modern grenade has a Intensity level of Good, which indicates a blast rated at a "shouting distance." Obviously, this is too large of an explosion... it's intensity has been raised due to the presence of shrapnel, so the GM is encouraged to lower its respective blast size to Fair, or "across the room," in situations where the blast size is important.
As stated, the most common method for living through an explosion in the action genre is to outrun the blast. This will cost a character their next action in either the current Combat Round, or the next, depending on if they character has already performed an action. Since a more free-form method of movement is favored by these guidelines, outrunning an explosion is best handled by the character making a Reflexes/Speed/Swiftness/Dodging/etc check against the blast intensity of the explosive. Gamemasters should apply bonuses in situations where the PCs are given a head-start on outrunning the explosion or if their characters are already located a fair distance from the center of the blast. A bonus of +1 trait level per level of distance may provide a good starting point for Game Masters, with extra levels thrown in at the higher end of the scale when necessary.
A positive result means that the character successfully outran the blast, suffering no ill effects. A tie means that the character just barely managed to escape damage but did get a little singed around the edges (an automatic Scratch result might be appropriate if the character isn't wearing any armor).
If the character does not successfully roll above the explosion intensity, he was caught within the blast, and will take an amount of damage based upon how close he was to the center of the blast (i.e. how badly the evasion check was missed).
The damage taken will be equal to 3 points per Level from the blast intensity Trait Level. In other words, for every level a character misses his target number for outrunning an explosion, he should suffer 3 points of damage.
For example, a grenade is tossed into Rock McCoy's foxhole. Out of desperation, he dives out of the hole in a valiant attempt at saving himself, but he only rolls a Swiftness of Mediocre (two Trait Levels form the grenade's intensity of Good). Unfortunately for Rock, he is caught in the explosion and takes 6 points of damage, a Very Hurt result, causing him to fall over, tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Of course, if the gamemaster is using a Damage Capacity Attribute to lessen damage taken in combat, it should be applied against the damage caused by an explosion, just as Armor should also limit the potentially deadly effects.
In many action films, diving into water is automatic protection from explosions, regardless of the intensity of the blast or its size. If the gamemaster provides water in a scene where an explosion is going to happen, the player characters can have an automatic protection from the blast. They must simply forfeit their next action to dive into the pool.
Disarming A Bomb
Not all explosions are immediate. Often, characters in the action genre are faced with a bomb, ticking away, towards what will surely be the end of the characters. In these situations, the only option left will be to try to disarm the explosive.
In a standard Fudge campaign, the act of disarming a bomb could simply require a skill roll against a difficulty level determined by the skill of the bomb builder. This method will work very well for action games, but an alternate, much more "gamey" system is provided here for gamemasters and players who wish to complicate such dramatic actions. As with every other guideline provided in "Fudge Firefight!" the emphasis is not on providing a realistic depiction of bomb disarmament, but is instead focused on emulating the often cheesy methods shown in the movies.
Every bomb will have a sequence of colored wires that will need to be cut to disarm it. This sequence will use colors identical to the colors of the Fudge Dice on hand. For example, if a gamemaster picked up the first "GM's Set" of Fudge Dice, the possible colors for bomb wires are White, Ivory, Black, Blue and Red.
The total number of wires that can be used in any one sequence is dependent on the skill of the bomb builder. Every bomb will have at least one wire that will need to be cut, with an additional wire becoming necessary if the bomb builder's demolitions skill is Good (+1), two additional wires if the builder's skill is Great (+2), and so on. If the builder's skill is Mediocre (-1), Poor (-2), or even Terrible (-3), there will still be a single wire that will need to cut to disarm the explosive.
After determining how many wires need to be cut to disarm a bomb, the gamemaster will take out one die for each wire, using a different color for each die, and hand them to the player whose character is attempting to disarm the explosive. For example, with a bomb that has been built with Superb skill, the gamemaster will take out four dice (let's say a Blue, Black, White, and Red die) and hand them to the player.
The player can decide which colors to use in whatever order he wishes, but in a nod to bomb disarming scenes in movies, there will always be a red wire and it will always be the last in the sequence. So, in the example above, the player might decide that his character will cut the White wire, then the Black white, then the Blue Wire, and lastly, the Red wire.
Every Combat Round, the player can roll one of the dice, determined by the order he has decided to use in disarming the bomb. If the result on the die is positive, the wire has been cut successfully, and the character is one step closer to disarming the bomb. He sets aside that die and can move on to the next wire/die.
If the result is blank, the character stalled in his attempt and will need to roll again. No harm done, but he hasn't made any progress in neutralizing the explosive.
If, however, the result is negative, the character goofed and a second die of the same color is added to his pile. For example, rolling a negative result while attempting to cut the black wire will result in an additional black wire, making a total of two black wires that will need to be cut to disarm the bomb. Rolling another negative will result in three black wires, and so on.
How does skill play into this? The character disarming the bomb can roll to "cut a wire" once per combat round if his Demolitions skill is Good (+1), twice if his Demolitions skill is Great (+2), three times if it is Superb (+3), and so on. Skill rated at only Fair (or worse) will require multiple Combat Rounds per attempt. See below.
| Trait Level |
Value |
Disarming Attempts per Round |
| Terrible |
-3 |
1 Attempt/5 Rounds |
| Poor |
-2 |
1 Attempt/4 Rounds |
| Mediocre |
-1 |
1 Attempt/3 Rounds |
| Fair |
0 |
1 Attempt/2 Rounds |
| Good |
+1 |
1 Attempt/Round |
| Great |
+2 |
2 Attempts/Round |
| Superb |
+3 |
3 Attempts/Round |
| Legendary |
+4 |
4 Attempts/Round |
Regardless of the skill of the character, the ability to roll multiple times only works on one "wire" color, so if the player rolls a positive result on his first try, his character cannot move to the next "wire" during that same Combat Round. If he has rolled negative result and acquired additional wires of the same color, his extra rolls can be used on the additional wires, so long as the character is "working on" that color. Higher skill also prevents the character from accidentally activating the bomb (see below).
The bomb is successfully disarmed once the player has rolled a positive result on every die handed to him by the gamemaster. Unfortunately, the character is not guaranteed a success. The bomb will explode prematurely if the player ends up with a number of dice equal to twice what he started with, plus his skill bonus.
In some campaigns, gamemasters may allow a character to ignore a rolled negative result for the cost of 1 Fudge Point and reroll an attempt. Unfortunately, this is not allowed when working with the final, red wire.
These guidelines may seem a bit confusing, so a lengthy example is provided to help display how these rules actually work in practice.
Example: Special Agent Leroy Jones, the hippest FBI agent from the swinging 60s, has discovered a bomb on the DC-10 he's taking to Morocco. He rolls up his sleeves and decides to try to disarm it himself, mostly because the plane is in the air, but also because he did pretty well at the academy and he has quite a bit of faith in his skills.
The individual who built the bomb had a skill of Great (+2), so Agent Jones has three wires he will have to cut to disarm it. The gamemaster hands Agent Jones' player a blue, green, and red die. Since the red die is automatically the last one that can be cut, the player decides to work on them in the order of green, blue, and then red.
Jones' skill is Good in demolitions, so he will get one roll per Combat Round to try to deal with each wire. The first combat roll, Agent Jones gets lucky and comes up with a positive result. The green wire has been successfully dealt with, so it is set aside, and Jones gets ready to face his next wire during the following Round.
The second Combat Round, Jones rolls a blank while attempting to cut the blue wire. A minor setback, he tries again during the third Combat Round and comes up with a negative result. Uh oh! Sweat forming on his forehead, Jones realizes he now has two blue wires to deal with!
The fourth Combat Round, Jones rolls the first blue die/wire and gets a positive. He sets that die aside. Since he has another wire of the same color, he waits until the next Round and rolls the second blue die. This time, he rolls another negative!
The gamemaster counts the dice that Jones' player has accumulated. Jones started with three wires, but has come up with two additional wires, almost double what he started with when he first started trying to defuse the bomb. If Jones gets seven wires/dice (twice what he started with, plus his skill), the bomb will blow. He has five wires now, so if he comes up with two more wires, he's in real trouble!
Combat Round six, the player rolls a positive result, successfully cutting another blue wire. He now has one blue wire and one red wire to deal with before he successfully disarms the bomb.
During the seventh Combat Round, Jones rolls another negative. Understanding that things are starting to look pretty dire, the player decides to forfeit a Fudge Point to ignore that result and reroll. Unfortunately, when he rolls for the second time, he gets another negative result and acquires an additional blue wire.
Finally, luck shines on Jones during the eighth Combat Round and he comes up with a positive result on his first roll. In the ninth Combat Round he gets another positive result. The blue wires have been successfully cut and all he has left is the infamous red wire.
Everyone stops and counts the dice again. Jones has one green wire, four blue wires, and his final red wire. That's six wires total. If he gets seven wires, the bomb will detonate, so his last roll had better count. To make matters worse, Jones cannot spend a Fudge Point to ignore any negative results on the final, red wire.
The player crosses his fingers and drops the red die on the table. Positive! The bomb has been disarmed and Agent Jones has saved the day! With any luck, they'll upgrade his ticket to First Class for the rest of the flight and give him as many free cocktails as he can stomach.
The rules provided above are described in terms of Combat Rounds, because the time it takes to disarm a bomb can be an important detail during a game. For example, the character could be facing down a bomb with a timer that is dramatically ticking away (see below). Or, a character might try to disarm a bomb during a heated gunfight. As he struggles to disarm the explosive, his allies might be kept busy trying to hold back hordes of enemy agents, all of which are trying to stop the character who is working on the bomb.
Optional Rule: Big, Digital Readouts and Sweating
In action movies nearly all bombs will have a large, digital timer that will count down with a series of menacing beeps. That timer will be visible to all in the area and can be read, regardless of whatever else is going on (during a heated fist-fight, providing comfort to a frightened child, etc), so that everyone nearby knows exactly how much time is left before the bomb goes off. Even characters that are sleeping will often wake up just so that they can see how much time is left on the bomb's timer.
Although this may seem to have little effect on the action, other than providing motivation to the characters, digital readouts will also cause characters within the vicinity to sweat.
Once a digital readout drops below two minutes, every character within the immediate area will be required to make a Grit/Bravery/Sterner-Stuff/Machismo/etc check against the Intensity of the blast, every 15 seconds (or 5 Combat Rounds). Success means that the character kept his cool, but failure means that the character has begun to perspire. Like everything else in Fudge, perspiration is measured in Trait Levels, with the first failed roll starting the perspiration at Terrible and each failed roll following adding one level (Terrible to Poor, Poor to Mediocre, and so on).
When the timer reaches one minute, the characters are forced to roll their "coolness" checks on a more frequent basis, rolling every 9 seconds (3 Combat Rounds). Once the digital timer reaches 15 seconds, a check is required every Combat Round (3 seconds) until the bomb either explodes or it is disarmed (see Disarming A Bomb, for details).
Sweating profusely will have no real effect on the game, other than to give the players an added element to talk about when retelling tales of their character's exploits, but especially sadistic GMs might require characters who are attempting to disarm a bomb (see above) to roll Agility/Dexterity/Coordination/etc checks to keep from dropping tools or losing their grip on wires. The difficulty level of the action check is determined by the level of sweating. So, a character that is sweating at the Good level will need to roll his Agility against a difficulty level of Good. Failure to make the roll results in a wasted Combat Round, as the character fumbles with his wire cutters or loses his grip on the all important green wire (or red wire, or blue wire, or so on).
If the campaign has a humorous slant, any character who has survived an encounter with a bomb, but missed a few Bravery/Grit/Cool/etc checks, will also smell at the last level of his "sweat intensity" until he can take a shower. This can lead to unpleasant reactions from NPCs or other PCs, but perhaps even more horrible and lasting is the kind of ribbing a player will get from the other players if his character has achieved Legendary B.O. or greater!
In campaigns set in a period before digital timers, such as the old west, characters will be able to instantly identify how much time they have before dynamite sticks explode, just by looking at the fuse. They will also be able to tell just when a crate full of rattling bottles of nitroglycerine will explode, somehow sensing when the shaking of a runaway cart or speeding train will set it off. Is this realistic? Of course not, but it's true to the genre!
Knacks
Characters in action stories sometimes have abilities that are beyond those of normal men and women, yet not quite on the level of their bullet-bouncing, single-bounding colleagues in spandex. In other words, the heroes and villains of action stories will often have abilities that fall somewhere between Gifts and Superpowers, a kind of advantage which will be called Knacks.
Simply put, Knacks are "Super-Gifts" with effects that are typically centered on unrealistic combat abilities, common to the action movie genre, but nearly impossible or highly improbable in real life. Such abilities as using two handguns at once, reloading with lightning speed, and smashing through plate glass windows with guns blazing, are common Knacks, and personify the genre.
Distribution of Knacks will vary from campaign to campaign. In one game, the gamemaster may declare that each character automatically receives one or two Knacks, which can be chosen by the players from the list provided below. In another game, Knacks could be earned through play, dependent primarily on if a character attempts a similar action enough times to merit that particular "skill." In still other games, a Knack could be temporarily "bought," allowing any character a chance to perform any of the following actions by spending 1 Fudge Point.
In one particular action game, I made a deck of Knack cards and allowed the players to draw three of them, keeping whichever two they best liked. Later, as their characters improved, I allowed the players to choose from the Knack cards again. Knacks which I felt would be more common to the setting had several duplicates in the deck with more rare or powerful Knacks having only one card available to be drawn.
Only major characters may have Knacks, such as the player-characters and major villains. Minor characters, such as thugs and goons, cannot have Knacks as they represent the zenith of combat ability.
Not all campaigns will benefit from the addition of Knacks. The tone of the campaign and the desired realism of the setting should determine whether or not Knacks are included in a game. There might also be situations where some Knacks are appropriate, but not others. Ultimately, like so many other things, this is left to the gamemaster to decide.
Several sample Knacks are provided below.
Clutter Chameleon: For some reason, perhaps even unknown to you, enemies tend to have a difficult time drawing a bead on you when you're in cluttered areas. It's not that you have a tendency to take cover. It's more that you find yourself covered by the normal chaos of combat.
Unsuccessful ranged attacks made against you throw debris into the air, making you even more difficult to hit. For every unsuccessful attack made against you, you receive one level of "cover" against other ranged attacks. Unlike most cover, however, you are not limited in the kinds of actions you can take. Act normally. Fight. Take a nap. It doesn't matter. You're harder to hit no matter what you do.
These bonuses will fade at a rate of one level of cover every three Combat Rounds and will be completely negated if your character moves to another room or area.
This Knack does require that there is the potential for flying debris. In a completely sterile environment you will be out of luck, but thankfully, the world tends to be a little more crowded than that.
Double-Barreled Bad-Ass: The fashionable ability to use two pistols simultaneously to unleash a hail of evil-destroying, hot-leaded violence. Characters who use the Double-Barreled Bad-Ass Knack while holding two pistols can fire as if they were using an automatic weapon. Not only are they allowed to perform Volley Attacks (either "bursts" or "fully automatic" fire), but they can also use their pistols for Suppression Fire.
An important advantage of the Double-Barreled Bad-Ass Knack is that the character is not required to count the extra Volley Dice for the purposes of ammunition usage or determining malfunction probability. Such chances will still be based on the character's initial 4dF roll.
Eye of the Storm: You are calm at the center of the fury, the quiet force in the middle of the mayhem. Once per combat you can force a Standoff which will halt everyone's actions within the immediate area. This Standoff will remain active until another major character forces an action, giving all of the characters a chance to trade dramatic lines or threats or even exchange information if they are willing.
Regardless of whether or not you started a Standoff, you automatically get a +2 bonus to your Initiative to determine who can act once a Standoff dissolves back into carnage.
At first glance the Eye of the Storm Knack may not seem like a useful ability, but it will give characters a chance to regroup and even plot out strategies through "meaningful glances," an ability not normally allowed during Standoffs.
Glass Dancer: You're a master of leaping through plate glass windows, guns blazing, grim determination spread across your face. Apparently the glass protects you by disorientating enemies, or maybe it deflects incoming bullets, but regardless of its actual function it makes you completely immune to incoming attacks while you smash through it.
Whenever you use the Glass Dancer Knack all minor characters within the immediate area are required to attack you and automatically miss. Major characters must roll a Intelligence/Tactics/Willpower/etc check against you to act normally, otherwise they must follow their companions in fruitless attacks.
Obviously, you require large pieces of glass to leap through to use this Knack, but with some creativity it shouldn't be too difficult to find the necessary props.
Hair-Trigger Reflexes (Weapon Group): You have unusual speed with a specific type of weapon and can dish out extra attacks without pushing your abilities when using that kind of weapon. For every Hair-Trigger Reflexes level taken (this Knack can be taken more than once), you are allowed to take two extra actions without suffering the usual Multiple Actions penalties.
You are, however, required to specialize in a specific weapon group. Listed below are a few sample groups. Feel free to create additional groups if you think of something not listed.
* Blades: Any attack with an edged weapon, such as swords and knives, can be accomplished with blinding speed using this Knack. Use of "Hair-Trigger Reflexes" with this weapon group also covers thrown blades, such as knives, shuriken, and so on. * Clubs: Attacks made with blunt melee weapons. Often, the blunt weapons used will be items of opportunity, such as baseball bats, pool cues, chairs, etc. * Fists: Any attack using the body as a weapon, including punches, kicks, head-butts, elbow slams, etc. * Trigger: Attacks that use firearms, such as pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, and even shotguns.
Hollow-Point Heart: Your bravery knows no limits. At any time you can be counted on for overcoming your fears and doing whatever it takes. You can succeed at any Bravery/Grit/Spirit/etc contest or check, automatically, by using this Knack.
Houdini's Hold-Out: Your firearm is hidden beneath your sweater, tucked in your belt, and concealed by a flowing overcoat, but you can have it ready at a moment's notice. Regardless of how expertly you've hidden your weapon you are able to fast draw and have it ready instantly and with no penalty.
Also, your weapon cannot be lost or taken from you unless your character wishes it. This secondary ability only works when dealing with minor characters. Major characters can still take your weapons from you, but most forced attempts will require a Strength/Brawn/Muscle/etc contest to determine success.
Menace Incarnate: Basically, you're scary. It might be a wild look in your eye, a menacing scowl, or maybe you have a reputation that always seems to precede you, but when it comes down to it, people are frightened of you. At any time, you may forfeit your action and use the "Menace Incarnate" Knack, which causes any minor characters to roll their Bravery/Will/Grit/etc against yours to maintain their composure. Failure causes them to run away, cower, wet themselves, or all three.
You may use this Knack even in situations that are not normally conducive for intimidation attempts or during circumstances that appear to be completely serene or peaceful.
Particularly menacing actions, such as cocking a gun or drawing a sword may earn you a +1 bonus to your Grit contest. Outwardly violent actions, like punching someone, may earn you a bonus of +2 to your contest. And, grossly sadistic or surprising actions may even earn you a bonus of +3 when rolling a Bravery contest.
Reload Ballet: With graceful motions and effortless precision you are able to reload your empty firearm with a speed that few can match. Using this Knack will allow you to ignore one "empty" result per gaming session as well as reload any following "empty" results during the same Combat Round that they are rolled.
You are also allowed to reload your weapons whenever you like for the purposes of dramatic effect, having no effect on actual game play. This ability cannot be used to bypass a "empty" roll, but it can be used to show a foe that you really mean business.
Take It Like A Man: You won't be broken, even under torture. As a matter of fact, beatings just make you mad, and when you get mad, bones get broken.
Any time you take damage at the hands of another character, and you are unable to defend yourself (i.e. you're tied up, being held down, etc), you may use the Take It Like A Man Knack. This allows you to add your Grit/Willpower/Resolve/etc to your Damage Capacity, providing you with additional protection from injury, which will be unnoticeable to your attackers. Any wound result will appear to be the severity that it would normally be, not taking into account your added bonus. Plus, every time you are struck, you roll one Fudge Die. If the result of that single roll is positive, you receive a +1 bonus that can be used later. You can these bonuses to escape, dish out a little revenge, or whatever other use you find for them.
Well-Oiled Guns: You are either fanatical about gun maintenance or extremely lucky because you never experience a jam or other gun malfunction. Never. Even in special circumstances, such as environmental effects, your guns always stay in perfect working order. Ignore any "malfunction" roll and keep fighting.
As always, gamemasters should feel free to add new Knacks, as necessary. The effectiveness of new Knacks should be weighed carefully against existing Knacks, however, to avoid the potential problem of introducing extremely cost efficient, powerful Knacks. Knacks are, after all, advantages that a character has in certain situations or circumstances, not an automatic success method.
