FUDGE – Attribute based skills

By Mitch A. Williams
In the FUDGE rules the following is how the author feels about skills being based
on attributes:

2.32 Skills

Skills are not related to attributes or their levels in FUDGE. Players are encouraged to
design their characters logically - a character with a lot of Good physical skills should
probably have better than average physical attributes, for example.

While I agree with this philosophy, a lot of people have criticized FUDGE because of
this. However, in the "overview" section we find this statement:

Freedom of choice is the basic premise behind FUDGE. Every Game Master using
FUDGE has the right to add or ignore any attributes, skills, or other character traits.

So, in the full spirit of how FUDGE was designed, here are some alternate rules to allow
skills to be based on (or at least related to) attributes.

WARNING: All of these methods require extra work on the part of the GM and/or the
players and are based on "Objective Character Creation".

METHOD1:

This is the simplest method I could think of.

1. Average the skill and the attribute that the skill is based on. Example: if "Stealth"
is a "Dexterity" based skill and a character has "Fair: Dexterity (0)" and "Great:
Stealth (+2)" then he would roll for actions requiring "Stealth" at a level of "Good
(+1)". It is up to the GM to decide what to do about results of "Good+ (+1.5)".

METHOD2:

This method requires more bookkeeping when a character is created.

1. The first change is that NO FREE ATTRIBUTE LEVELS are given. Attributes
CAN be increased and decreased in the normal manner.
2. Any Attribute that is reduced also reduces the default level of all skills based on
that attribute. Example: If "Strength" is reduced from "Fair (0)" to "Mediocre
(-1)" then all skills based on "Strength" now default to "Terrible (-3)" instead of
"Poor (-2)".
3. Each point spent on a skill adds a calculated amount to the attribute that the skill
is based on. This calculated amount is "half the number of attributes / # of Skill
 Points given". Example: If characters have 8 characteristics and 40 skill points
then each skill point spent adds .1 ((8/2) / 40) to the attribute that the skill is based
on. So after 10 points had been spent on "Strength" based skills then the
"Strength" would increase by +1. Example2: Characters with 4 attributes and 50
skill points would add .04 ((4/2) / 50) to an attribute for each point spent on skills
based on that attribute. 25 skill points would have to be spent before the attribute
would increase.

(COMPLICATED OPTIONAL RULE – if you want the attributes to increase

faster then use only 75% of the initial skill points in the formula. The first
example would then be ((8/2) / 30) or .13 added to the attribute for each skill
point spent.

4. Using this method, partial attribute levels should be ignored for play until a full
new level is reached. Example: An attribute of +1.8 "Good+.8" is not really better
than an attribute of +1 (Good) until more skill points are spent to bring the
attribute level up to +2 or more.
5. As experience is spent to buy new skills the attributes continue to improve using
the same increase in attribute per point spent.

METHOD3:

This method is the most work for the GM and is based on a skill point pool
system created by Christopher Just, a fellow GM, for his Amber campaign. This method
is almost a mirror image of method 2.

1. The standard free attribute levels are given as "Attribute Pool Levels". Other
additions to attributes are normal increases and do not count in the "Attribute
Pools".
2. The "Attribute Pool" creates a number of skill points, using the "pool multiplier",
that must be spent on skills that are based on that attribute. Example: Using a
"Pool Multiplier of 10; If 2 "Attribute Pool Levels" are spent on "IQ" then the
"IQ" would be "Great (+2)" and 20 points could be spent on "IQ" based skills.
3. The default level of any skill purchased with the "Pool Points" is the level of the
attribute –3. In the preceding example the default level for any skill based on "IQ"
would be 2 – 3 = -1 (Mediocre).
4. An amount of non-pool skill points, equal to 1 times the pool multiplier, should
also be given to allow for rounded characters. These points can not be added to
any pool and skills purchased with these points should start at the standard default
level of Poor (-2).
5. ATRRIBUTE INCREASES DO INCREASE ALL SKILLS BASED ON THAT
ATTRIBUTE. For this reason, all attribute increases earned during play must be
earned at the cost of a GIFT.
If you wish to know more about FUDGE you should read http://www.io.com/~sos/fudfaq.html

Mitch