ABOUT FUDGE

FUDGE is a role-playing game written by Steffan O'Sullivan, with extensive input from the Usenet community of rec.games.design. The basic rules of FUDGE are available on the internet via anonymous ftp at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu, and in book form or on disk from Grey Ghost Games, P.O. Box 838, Randolph, MA 02368. They may be used with any gaming genre. While an individual work derived from FUDGE may specify certain attributes and skills, many more are possible with FUDGE. Every Game Master using FUDGE is encouraged to add or ignore any character traits. Anyone who wishes to distribute such material for free may do so - merely include this ABOUT FUDGE notice and disclaimer (complete with FUDGE copyright notice). If you wish to charge a fee for such material, other than as an article in a magazine or other periodical, you must first obtain a royalty-free license from the author of FUDGE, Steffan O'Sullivan, P.O. Box 465, Plymouth, NH 03264.

DISCLAIMER

The following materials based on FUDGE, entitled "Additional FUDGE Armor and Scale Rules", are created by Peter Mikelsons and made available by Peter Mikelsons, and are not authorized or endorsed in any way by Steffan O'Sullivan or any publisher of other FUDGE materials. Neither Steffan O'Sullivan or any publisher of other FUDGE material is in any way responsible for the content of these materials. Original FUDGE materials (c) Copyright 1992-1995 Steffan O'Sullivan, All Rights Reserved.

Notes

Armor values

How Much Armor Can I Carry?

 For machines, things are different. Strength could be broken into Structure and Power. Structure is the ability to bear load without collapsing. Structure is higher in metal machines than in living things of the same Mass. Power, as defined here, is the ability to actually move the load around. Power can be higher or lower than in a living thing of the same Mass, depending on the design of the machine. Volume varies widely, again depending on the design. Also keep in mind that given weight statistics for vehicles will include armor weight, so the estimated Power and Structure should be reduced.
 
 

Examples:

• Structure = Mass + 1
• Power = Mass - 2
• Volume = Mass + 2

• Structure = Mass + 2
• Power = Mass
• Volume = Mass + 2

• Structure = Mass + 2
• Power = Mass + 1
• Volume = Mass - 2 (or more)

 If the armor has to cover additional volume, subtract Volume Scale divided by 3 from armor value. This has to do with the fact that armor covers surface area, and surface area scales as the cube root of volume squared. So to a Strength 10, Mass (=Volume) 10 giant, Light armor would have armor value 10(Strength) + 2(Light) - 3(Volume/3) = 9. Another example: a Heavily armored tank. Mass=16, Volume=18, Structure=17, Strength=14. Armor = 5 + 15 - 18/3 = 14.
 
 

Class	Iron Age	Modern Day	Sci- Fi	Human Effects
None	0	0	0	Normal clothing.
Very Light	1	2	4	None, really. A little warm perhaps.
Light	2	3	5	Noticeable. Sweating even in mild temperatures.
Medium	3	4	6	Uncomfortable. Wearer gets tired sooner.
Heavy	4	5	7	Worse. This is serious armor. It is unpleasant enough that most folks will not wear it unless necessary.
Very Heavy	5	6	8	Severe. Movement is a test of the wearer's endurance. "I've fallen and I can't get up!" (?)

Damage Effects

Damage less than Armor and less than Scale

This is a really piddly amount of damage. The "victim" may not even notice unless he was alert. No harm done.
 
 

Damage greater than Armor, less than Armor+Scale

The attack broke through the armor. Armor is penetrated or broken. The damage, reduced by the armor's value, may hurt components. 'Component' refers to something inside or attached to the victim. For living creatures components include organs, limbs, and clothing. For vehicles components include engines, controls, passengers and crew. Harm to the overall health of the victim is limited.
 
 

Damage greater than Scale, less than Armor + Scale

The victim notices the attack, and is shaken up in proportion to the difference of damage and scale. Harm to the overall health of the victim is very limited, although it may be alarming.
 
 

Damage greater than Scale + Armor

The victim is hurt in an overall sort of way. The victim is Wounded (Scratch, Light Wound, Serious Wound, Incapacitated, etc.) Specific components may be hurt as well. Enough damage of this sort will utterly destroy the victim.
 

Examples:

The Ogre

She is Mass scale 4 (a svelte 800 lbs), and wears layers of hides for 2 armor. For her, this armor is like regular clothing.
 
 
• A feeble dagger thrust for 2 points doesn't even hit skin.
• A feeble sword blow for 4 points draws blood, but only annoys her.
• 6 points doesn't affect her overall health, but targeted at a leg might cause limping. She will definitely notice this blow, even in a raging melee.
• A hefty 10 point sword blow does 4 points, probably Hurting her. 8 points got through armor, which might be enough to sever a hand or hit an internal organ.

 

 
 
 

Starship Trooper

His battlesuit provides 10 points armor, but he is only Scale 0.
• Anything less than 0 just makes noise on the suit.
• A 5 point blaster hit might knock him off balance, but does no direct harm. 10 points from a rampaging elephant would be very disturbing, but would not cause injury. An optional rule could be to have an armor protection range where the armor holds up but the wearer takes some minor damage. For example, if the suit takes 7-10 points, the wearer takes 1 point.
• 20 points from a bazooka and space boy is toast.

 

 
 
 

Range Rover

The sports utility vehicle is scale 12. Its sheet metal skin provides 5 points armor. Actually it could have a couple of more points without slowing it down much, but it would require a bigger gas-guzzling engine, and would cost more to produce. And most consumers do not need armored vehicles.
 
 
• 3 points from the kicks of angry protestors lightly dents the side panels.
• 7 points from light arms fire and bullets penetrate the truck. 2 points might injure a passenger or sever a brake line, but the truck will perform just fine.
• 16 points from a landmine would leave 11 points going through armor. Passengers might well be injured, and the engine might be disabled. But the truck would work fine, otherwise.
• 20 points from the tail lash of an angry brachiosaurus would do 3 to the truck, possibly Hurting it. 15 points go through armor, leaving things inside a painful mess.

 

 
 
 

The Battle Tank.

The tank is scale 15, with 3" plating for 13 points of armor. This is as heavy armor as it can manage.
 
 
• 10 points from rifle rounds ping off harmlessly.
• 14 pts from a concussion blast breaks the NBC seal and sends dust through the cabin. 14 pts from a laser might melt a few wires.
• 20 pts from a bazooka and the tank rocks violently. Sparks shoot from the controls and smoke fills the cabin. 7 pts of damage hit the driver, Wounding him.
• 32 pts from a HE bomb do 4 pts to the tank itself, Wounding it. Any actions are at -1 using the tank. 19 pts that got through armor won't leave too many options: the GM could split that as 10 to the driveshaft and 9 to the engine.

 

 
 
 

Starship Enterprise

I'm no trekker, so I'll guess it at Scale 34 (same mass as a large modern aircraft carrier) with 14 points light hull armor and 12 points energy shields for 26 points armor total.
 
 
• 20 points from a primitive laser weapon. "Shields down to 97%, captain. Compensating."
• 32 points from a Romulan Warbird (warning shot). The bridge crew sway slightly. "Shields down to 80%. Minor damage reports coming in from deck 4."
• 40 points from that Romulan (getting serious). Sparks fly from bridge control panels, and bridge crew are hurled from their seats. (Why don't they have seatbelts?) "Shields down to 36%! I'm rerouting power from the holodeck buffers. Damage reports from decks 11, 12, and 14! We've lost port thruster control and long range scanners!"
• 66 points from warp speed collision with a space-time anomaly. The ship takes 6 points, Hurting it. 40 points is spread out to various systems, causing widespread destruction. Smoke billows through the bridge, and ceiling beams collapse, pinning a crew member. "Hull breach on deck 2! Shields down! I'm trying to reroute power from life support, but the flux conduits have been destabilized. Damage and casualty reports from all decks!"