Fudge Forum

[Tim Hall]

I'd like some feedback on my list of Gifts for the Fudge build I'm working on. The genre is science-fantasy, using a setting inspired by Jack Vance, although not based directly on any of his books.

Some context - these gifts are intended for a game which:

(a) Doesn't use attributes - I'm using "Abilities", which are mostly Skills
(b) I'm also using SoTC-derived Keys
(c) I'm representing social standing as a new Trait type called "Connections". Social status is very important for the setting.

These are (intentionally) quite crunchy. The intention is that one Gift is equivalent to about 4 skill levels.

I think they make sense without needing the actual ability list or the rest of the game rules. Do any of these look either unbalanced or silly?

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A Gift is any advantage that can't be defined as a Ability or a Connection on it's own. Many gifts grant bonuses to Abilities or Connections, others are powers or talents that can't be defined as purely as abilities. Some Gifts require a prerequisite -- an Ability at a certain level or higher, a related Key, or another Gift. The following list are examples of the sort of things you can define as gifts.

Alert
You tend to notice things. This gift requires Perception of Good or better. Once per scene, you can substitute your Perception ability for any one of Tracking, Breaking and Entering, Evaluate, Stealth, Deduction or Tactics. If any of those other abilities are also Good or better, you may roll against both, and take the best result.

Animal Empathy
You're a natural when dealing with any kind of animal. At character creation time, any ability level put into any animal-related Ability (Animal Handling, Veterinary, Zarandar Riding, Yakka Riding and Waggon-Driving) counts double, and you may have a skill up to Good even if the Ability only appears in one of your Lifepaths.

Built like an Ulsoghir
This gift requires Strength of Good or better. In hand-to-hand combat you hurt your opponent a lot purely because of your strength. In addition, you gain +1 to the Intimidate ability whenever you use the threat of physical force as an option.

Common Sense
Any time you (the player) announce that your character does something the GM considers to be a really stupid thing to do in the circumstances, he or she must ask you to make a roll against the most appropriate ability. A roll of fair or better means you thought better of it, and didn't actually do it.

Contacts
You have a wide network of contacts in many places. All your connections are at +1 for requests for information.

Deceptive
You're very good at deceiving people. Once per scene, you can substitute whatever is your best of Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk or Gambling for any one of the other three.

Exceptionally Good-Looking
You are very beautiful or handsome. Gain +1 in any opposed social contest in which your looks have any chance of influencing the outcome, regardless of the ability being used.

Graceful as an Eyrnthra
You movements are as fluid and graceful as that cat-like predator. You need either Stealth or Dancing at Good or better. Once per scene, you can use your Stealth or Dancing ability in place of any physical ability where grace of movement matters, including combat.

Hierloom
You've inherited (or maybe just found) something valuable. You may begin play with one item of equipment that requires connections two levels above yours. You cannot permanently lose this item, although you may be deprived of it temporarily. It can be stolen or damaged, but can't be destroyed.

High Tolerance to Pain
Wounds have less effect on you; you don't suffer the usual -1 penalty when Hurt, and only suffer -1 rather than -2 when Very Hurt.

Hit Them Where It Hurts
In combat, you have an instinct for hitting your opponent where it will hurt them the most. Whenever you hit an opponent in any form of physical combat, they take an additional +1 damage on the physical damage track. To take this Gift you also need a related key, such as 'Violent' or 'Sadistic'. It probably means you're not a very nice person.

Language Talent
You're naturally talented when it comes to learning languages. Every ability level put into any language counts double.

Lightning Reactions
You react quickly, and seldom get surprised. Once per scene, when making an ability check in a contest you didn't initiate where reaction time is going to make a difference, you roll the dice twice and take the best roll.

Memory like a Glethnu
They say a glethnu never forgets. That may just be because nobody ever tells one of these strange aquatic draft beasts anything, but you have an excellent recall of facts. You need an ability level of Good in any two of Ancient History, Kalyr Politics, Kalyr Law, Kandar Religious Lore, Human Religious Lore, Kandar Literature, Area Knowledge (of the area in which you live), or Natural Science. You gain an additional level for all other abilities on the list that appear in at least one of your Lifepaths, although the resulting skill level cannot exceed whichever one is second-highest.

Musical
You have a natural talent for making music. Any ability level put into any music-related Ability at character creation time counts double.

Natural Athlete
You're just naturally athletic. You need an ability level of Good in any two of Climbing, Acrobatics, Running, Swimming, Boating, Zarandar Riding, Yakka Riding or Strength. You gain an extra level for all abilities on the list other than your best two, although the resulting skill level cannot exceed whichever one is second-highest. This includes any ability that wasn't on any of your Lifepaths – your default for those is effectively Mediocre rather than Poor.

Night Vision
You can see far better than the average person in poor lighting conditions, and don't take any penalties for poor light in any Ability use. You still can't see anything in complete darkness.

Persuasive
You're very persuasive when it comes to one-to-one situations. Once per scene, you can substitute whatever is your best of Bargaining, Fast-Talking, Intimidation or Sex Appeal for any one of the other three.

Psionic Gifts
You need to take at least one psionic gift in order to use any psionic powers. These gifts are described in Chapter 4

Psionic Resistance
This is also described in detail in chapter 4, but is a very useful gift for characters that don't have any psionic powers.

Problem Solver
You have a natural talent to solve complex problems, and find that your experience in one field translates into skill in another. You need an ability level of Good in any two of Strategy, Thlan, Breaking and Entering, Research, Mechanical Repair, Electrical Repair or Deduction. You gain an addition level for all other abilities on the list that appear in at least one of your Lifepaths, although the resulting skill level cannot exceed whichever one is second-highest.

Rapid Healing
Your wounds heal twice as rapidly as an average person.

Resources
You have access to better stuff than is normal for someone of your social position, most likely it's because you're more wealthy than average. All your connections are at +1 for the purposes of obtaining equipment. This includes starting equipment.

Social Operator
You're naturally good in social situations. You need an ability level of Good in any two of Acting, Bureaucracy, Insight, Kandar Social Graces, Streetwise, Leadership, Performance or Diplomacy. You gain an extra level for all abilities on the list other than your best two, although the resulting skill level cannot exceed whichever one is second-highest. This includes any ability that wasn't on any of your Lifepaths -- your default for those is effectively Mediocre rather than Poor.

Stick the Knife In
The strength of your personality and reputation means that verbal barbs and insults from you hurt a lot. In any social contest, all +1 to any social damage inflicted. You may take this Gift twice, for +2 damage.

Strong Personality
Even if you're not actually psionic the strength of your will is such that you can use it to influence people. You need Willpower of Good or better. Once per scene, you can substitute Willpower for Leadership, Oratory or Intimidation.

Thick Skin
Your personality and social reputation is tough, and nothing sticks. Subtract 1 from any damage inflicted on you in a social contest. You can take this gift twice, to subtract 2 from damage.

Toughness
You have greater than average ability to soak up physical damage. Every time someone hits you in either melee or missile combat, subtract 1 from the damage. See the game mechanics chapter for more details. You may take this gift twice, to subtract 2 from damage.

Voice
You have a powerful, beautiful or commanding voice. You need either Singing or Oratory at Good or better. Once per scene, you can use your Singing or Oratory ability in place of any ability in which the quality of your voice is likely to affect the outcome.

Weapon Master
You have an instinctive ability with one specific weapon (for example, knife, Narvork sword, flamelance). Any successful attack does +2 damage (which stacks with Hit Them Where It Hurts or Built Like an Ulsoghir); if you have both, add the bonuses together). If you have more than one combat skill for that weapon, the +2 bonus applies to all of them. In addition, you many substitute your weapon skill for any non-combat skill when using that weapon in some way, subject to common sense.
_________________
Tim Hall
Now running World of Kalyr
PBmB game: http://www.dreamlyrics.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=14
PBeM game: http://www.phoenyx.net/kalyr