FUDGE

FUDGE is a Universal System for freeform roleplaying games—the sort where you don't want to spend any more time than absolutely necessary dealing with rules and tables.

FUDGE uses custom "three-sided" dice—really six-sided dice labeled [+][+][ ][ ][-][-]. The core mechanic has you rate each of your character's skills on a seven-point scale, from Terrible to Superb, based on how good a result you'd expect from your character when they use that skill--"Great Swordsman" is not just a description of a character, it's the skill that you'd put on their character sheet. When it comes time to use the skill, you roll four FUDGE dice, and move along the seven-point scale, one point upward for each [+] and one point downward for each [-]. The rules do assign numerical values to each result, and provide for numerical comparisons between results, but game masters are encouraged to just look at the name of the result and come up with some game effects to fit.

One game that uses FUDGE mechanics is FATE, the core rules for Spirit of the Century and The Dresden Files RPG. Grey Ghost Press, the publisher of the original FUDGE books, sells Sourcebooks for it: Deryni Realms and Terra Incognita. FUDGE is the core system for Seraphim Guard's Heart Quest line of Shoujo-style roleplaying games.

If you came here looking for the book series of the same name, see Fudge.

The "core rules" of FUDGE are freely available online. See also:

Fate SRD,
Fate RPG portal
- Licensing Fate (OGL): includes a list of Fate OGL.
  1. Fate Core System
  2. Fate Condensed
  3. Fate Accelerated Edition
  4. Fate System Toolkit
  5. Fate Adversary Toolkit
  6. Atomic Robo RPG
  7. Venture City
  8. War of Ashes: Fate of Agaptus
  9. Sails Full of Stars
  10. Gods & Monsters
  11. Frontier Spirit
  12. Fate Conspiracies (from The Three Rocketeers)
  13. No-Skill Swashbuckling (from The Three Rocketeers)
- Resources: Includes links to Fate 1/2/3/Core/Accelerated basic rules, as well as some variant rules and setting dependent data for them, and some links to the communities.
  - Spirit of the Century OGL SRD: free fan-made Fate 3.0 based Pulp style game (suggested character concepts: Academic, Explorer, Gadget Guy, Gentleman Criminal, Jungle Lord, Man of Mystery, Operator, Plucky Reporter, Primitive/Foreigner, Science Hero, Scientist, Two-Fisted Pilot).
Evil Hat Productions
- Diagram of FATE versions and derivatives.
- Fate Core: Rewrite of Fate (after 3.0)
- Fate Accelerated Edition: uses Approaches instead of Skills.

Tropes used in FUDGE include:

Luck Manipulation Mechanic: Fate points.
Skill Slot System: The "Skill Pyramid", which limits the player to a certain number of slots decided by the GM before the game even starts.