7.7 Alternate Section 4.721 Epic Damage System
Date: 28 Dec 1993 By: Timothy Miller <tjm@fozzy.brooks.af.mil>
4.721 Epic Damage System
The standard method of recording damage in Section 4.7 allows characters
to be nickle and dimed to death; for example, on a character with Fair
Damage Capacity, a hit of 5 points marks off 2 Scratches, 2 Hurts, and
one Very Hurt. Under 4.7 as written, the next Scratch to such a
character would count as another Very Hurt, and another would
Incapacitate him. This is inappropriate for more epic-style gaming,
where characters need to absorb a lot of damage more easily. Simply
increasing the number of Wound slots does not rectify this inadequacy.
In addition to adding Wound slots, damage is marked by counting used and
unused Wound slots, starting from the first Scratch slot, until the
number of damage points taken have been counted, then marking a Wound at
that level of severity. If no slot at that severity is available, a
Wound one severity higher is marked.
For example, Dim the Wit, Fighter, Fair Damage Capacity (with doubled
Scratch slots), takes 3 hits for 4, 8, and 9 point each. The 4 point
blow marks a single Scratch (counting 4 from the bottom); the second
blow marks a Very Hurt (counting 8 from the bottom, including the marked
box from the previous wound); and the third blow marks an Incapacitated
(counting 9 from the bottom, including the 2 marked boxes). If Dim were
to take two more 9 or 10 point blows, he would mark the last
Incapacitated Wound and one Near Death Wound.
Note that this still allows for that stunning single-stroke killing
blow; also, a character that has 1 Hurt won't have Wally the Wimp mark
him up to Very Hurt with only two 1 damage point blows.
7.8 Alternate FUDGE Magic
Date: 28 Dec 1993 By: Timothy Miller <tjm@fozzy.brooks.af.mil>
This system is based on the following premises:
Who Can Cast: Anyone
Levels of Power: Yes, via a Power Attribute. The game effect is
to act as a power reserve as well as an
indication of how difficult a spell the caster
may attempt.
Source: Area Manna
Reliability: Varient, depending on caster's Power, Casting
Skill, and Spell Difficulty.
Time to Cast: Varies with spell.
Spells: Improvised.
Components: Recommended, but not required.
Drawbacks: Targets may resist with unpredictable results.
Severe failures are dangerous. Continued
casting of spells above Caster's ability causes
strain.
7.81 Power
Every character should have a Power attribute (or Magic Potential, or
Talent, etc.), with a default level of Terrible.
7.82 Skill
In order to be able to perform magic of any degree, the hopeful magician
needs to have a Casting Skill, with a default of Non-Existant. This
skill is not capped as in Addenda 7.1 FUDGE Magic. However, this is a
fairly broad skill grouping, and can either be broken down into
Enchantment, Summoning, Evocation, etc., or have its development cost
increased as per Section 2.62 Skills.
7.83 Magic Resistance
There are two types of Magic Resistance: Personal and Global. Global
Magic Resistance is the resistance of the local manna to being
manipulated by the magician. A default of Fair is good for average
levels of magic in campaigns.
Personal Magic Resistance is the resistance of a living being to being
directly affected by a spell, and is equal to that being's Power
attribute. This would come into play against spells like Charm Person
or Polymorph Other; i.e., any spell that attempts to alter the target in
some way, but not spells that call into being an effect that in turn
alters the target, like Ligtning Bolt.
7.84 Spells and Spell Difficulty
When a mage attempts to cast a spell he describes the effect to the GM.
The GM assigns a Difficulty level to the spell from the standard range
of Terrible .. Superb. She also determines duration of the effect and
casting time. The GM and player may attempt to adjust these.
7.85 Resolution
Most spell casting is resolved as an Unopposed Action of the magician's
Relative Ability, with the degree task equal to the Global Magic
Resistance. Only spells that directly alter the target and would
involve Personal Magic Resistance are resolved as Opposed Actions.
7.851 Relative Ability
When the player casts the spell, he adds the numbers for his Power
attribute, relevant Casting Skill, and subtracts the Spell Difficulty;
this result, referenced on the degree scale, is his Relative Ability.
For example, Pippin the Mage is attempting to cast a Good Difficulty
spell; he has Great Power and Good skill for this type of spell.
Pippin's Relative Ability would be:
Great + Good - Good = Great, or
+2 + (+1) - (+1) = +2
If the Difficulty was Poor, his Relative Ability would be:
Great + Good - Poor = Legendary + 1
+2 + (+1) - (-2) = +5
7.852 Unopposed Spell Resolution
If the spell is determined to be of Unopposed type, the player
calculates his Relative Ability and rolls against a degree task equal to
the Global Magic Resistance. Failure of this roll is discussed in 7.854
Spell Failure, below.
7.853 Opposed Spell Resolution
If the spell is determined to be of Opposed type, the Caster calculates
his Relative Ability and rolls; Target Rolls his Power attribute,
possibly modified by other Traits (i.e., a high Wisdom grants a bonus
against Charm spells, a low Intelligence gives a negative modifier to an
ESP spell, etc.) If Target equals Caster's roll (assuming that Caster
succeeded in beating the Global Magic Resistance; see 7.854 below) the
spell is dispelled. If the Caster's degree was higher, the spell takes
effect, and the intensity of effect is proportional to the Relative
Degree. If Target wins the action, the spell is reflected back at
Caster.
In this case, Caster must roll his Power, modified as above, with a
degree task of the Spell Difficulty, since the mage has a better chance
to resist a spell he wove himself. On a failure, the spell effects him;
on an equal result, the spell is dispelled; and on a higher result, the
spell bounces to a random target in the vicinity. This random target
also gets a resistace roll the same way as the original target, but on
any success the spell is dispelled.
Note that the Target may be performing other actions while resisting an
opponent's spell, including casting a spell at his attacker. If Target
is attempting to Dispel Caster's spell, he gets no resistance roll
should the Dispel attempt fail.
7.854 Spell Failure
If the player, in casting any spell, rolls a degree lower than the
Global Magic Resistance, the spell misfires and the player must roll
his Constitution (or Body Damage Capacity, or Wisdom, etc., at GM's
discretion) at a degree task equal to the Spell Difficulty to contain
the spell energy. The penalty for failing this roll is left up to the
GM, but it is suggested that the character take a Wound up to and
including Death and suffer a temporary reduction in Power.
7.86 Magic Strain
If when casting a spell, the magician's Relative Ability is lower than
his Power attribute, his Power is lowered to equal the Relative Ability,
and is recovered at 1 level per hour or at the GM's discretion. This
penalty is applied regardless of whether or not the spell succeeds.
Should the magician's Power drop below Terrible at any time, he lapses
into a coma. He must roll his Constitution (or Toughness, et. al.) with
a degree task of Good to awaken, and then will recover Power levels at 1
day per level, or at GM's discretion.
If the magician fails this roll, he suffers an immediate and permanent
-1 to Constitution and Power, down to a minimum od Terrible in each.
This penalty applies to the attribute maximums, and not their current
levels, unless their current level is higher than the new maximum.
For example, Sucker the Sorcerer, Power Fair, Casting Fair, attempts to
cast a Legendary Spell in a Fair Resistance Area. His Relative Ability
is calculated as Terrible - 1. By some fluke he manages to barely get
the spell off (he rolled a 12), but his Power immediately drops to
Terrible - 1, and Sucker drops unconcious. His Constitution is only
Mediocre, and rolling he gets a Mediocre result (Lady Luck is fickle).
Sucker now only has a possible Constitution of Poor-- and a current
Constitution of Poor as well-- and a maximum Power of Mediocre.
Note that unless the GM dictates otherwise, Strain will not kill a
character; however, it can rapidly turn a mage into a non-mage.
7.87 Dispelling Magic
A magician may attempt to Dispel any spell he comes across, either
permanent, a finished spell, or one in the act of casting. This
essentially done by pulling the spell apart by brute force. The
dispeller rolls his Power with a degree task equal to the Difficulty of
the spell to be dispelled; on any success the spell is dispelled. This
has a higher success rate than simply relying on Personal Magic
Resistance, since the degree is the difficulty and not the rolled
degree, which may be higher.
Negative modifiers should be applied when dispelling permanent spells or
magic items. Positive modifiers should apply when the spell is
currently in the process of being cast, or the spell was cast by the
person attempting to dispell it.
7.88 Suggested Spell Difficulties for AD&D-type Spells
Level Difficulty
----- ----------
Cantrips Mediocre
1,2 Fair
3,4 Good
5,6 Great
7,8 Superb
9 Legendary
+1 +1
7.9 Alternate FUDGE Psionics
Date: 28 Dec 1993 By: Timothy Miller <tjm@fozzy.brooks.af.mil>
This system is a very simplistic skeleton for adding psionics while
limiting their effectiveness so as not to upset game play. Though more
limited, psionic abilities are still quite capable of being applied to
great effect at the right time.
7.91 Psionic Powers
Each Psionic Power should be taken as a Superpower, or, if the GM is
generous, as a Gift. In addition to the talents that the player has
chosen, the player must also take the Superpower (or Gift) if Psionic
Ability. Psionic Ability gives the character the ability to tap those
other talents he has avaiable.
No character without Psionic Ability may utilize Psionics. However, a
character with Psionic Powers may gain Psionic Ability via specialized
training, or utilize his power under extreme stress (i.e., life-or-death
situations), or may have his powers used by another psionic character
with a power that lets him tap other's unrealized powers.
7.92 Associated Attributes
Each psionic power must be associated with an attribute of the power's
possessor that is used in resolving psionic actions.
7.93 Psionic Skills
For each power, the user must also have an associated skill in utilizing
that power.
7.94 Resolution
When using a power, the psionic describes the desired effect and the GM
assigns a difficulty and decides which power would be used. Psionic
actions are either Opposed or Unopposed, depending on whether the target
is alive or not.
7.941 Relative Ability
A psionic's Relative Ability is calculated as the sum of the Associated
Attribute, Skill, less the Difficulty. For example:
Assoc. Attr. + Skill - Difficulty
Good + Good - Great = Fair
+1 + (+1) - (+2) = +0
7.942 Unopposed Resolution
The character calculates his Relative Ability, and rolls with a degree
task equal to whatever the GM decides is fair.
7.943 Opposed Resolution
The user rolls his Relative Ability. If the target is resisting with a
psionic power of his own, the GM assigns a difficulty, the target
calculates his own Relative Difficulty, and rolls.
If the target is resisting with a non-psionic skill, he rolls the same
attribute that the offensive power is associated with, plus the bonus
afforded by the relevant skill.
If the target is unaware, or not resisting at all (unconcious, etc.),
the target rolls the attribute that the offensive power is associated
with.
Winner takes all.
7.95 Using Someone Else's Powers
If a character has a power that allows him to use unrealized powers in
the people around him, he must have a skill in using that power and a
skill in using the power he is attempting to activate. The user must
roll an Opposed action on his controlling power against the person being
used; this might be modified if the subject is willing or not.
If successful, the Relative Ability for the activated power is
calculated using the Associated Attribute of the possessor of the power
and the Skill of the activator of the power, and the resulting action is
resolved normally.
7.96 Psionic Strain
Each use of a psionic power reduces the associated attribute by one
level when the power is finished, i.e., after the mind reading, or
cellular regeneration, etc.
Note that if a power is remotely activated, the activator suffers only
the strain of his controlling power, and the subject suffers the strain
of the power activated.
Reduced attributes are recovered at a default of 1 level per day, unless
the GM decides otherwise.