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View Full Version : What are some interesting mechanics you can do with Fudge/Fate dice?



Greywander
2019-07-27, 04:36 AM
I've been thinking about creating an original system using Fudge as a base, but I'm not fully content to take Fudge as-is. Fudge seems to be a decent enough generic system, but what I'd like to do is find some interesting ways of implementing Fudge dice to make the game more interesting and fun to play. I'd especially like to use it in some way that grants players more choices about how to play the game, for example by choosing to risk more to gain more, expressed through the dice mechanics.

Here's a couple of ideas I've got so far.

Borrowing from D&D 5e's (dis)advantage mechanic, each degree of advantage lets you roll one die (of the standard 4dF) where a [ ] counts as a [+], and each degree of disadvantage lets you roll one die where a [ ] counts as a [-]. This skews your odds more towards success or failure, but without actually changing the minimum or maximum possible values.

Instead of skills simply adding to (or subtracting from) your roll, you add a number of dice where either [-] or [+] count as [ ]. For example, if your skill is Great (+2), then you'd roll two extra dice where a [-] counts as a blank roll, but if you have a Poor (-2) skill, then you roll two extra dice where the [+] counts as nothing. Thus, instead of just giving you a bonus (or penalty), it merely gives you a chance for a bonus (or penalty). We'd need to greatly extend the number of skill ranks, though, in order to keep up, numerically.
This could also be used as an alternative to the advantage/disadvantage system above, i.e. having advantage adds an extra die were [-] counts as [ ], so you have a no risk chance for an extra [+].

Are you feeling lucky? How about giving the choice of replacing one or more standard Fudge dice with a special die where a [+] means +2 instead of +1, but if you get a [ ] it counts as a [-]. Higher risk for higher reward.

Fortunately, these are all things that could be done with standard Fudge dice (although you could get custom dice made specifically to represent these). There are some other things you could do with custom dice, for example the Fudge die with four blank sides and only one each of [+] and [-]. An inverse of this would be the die with no blank sides and three each of [+] and [-]. You could also do dice with more or less sides, although the only benefit I can see for Fudge dice is more finely tuning the probability curve.

What are some other interesting things I might be able to do? What are some different ways I can involve attributes and skills (aside from being flat bonuses)?

Edit: Another idea for skills and other bonuses is to make them go in smaller steps than a simple +1. So for one rank, you'd add a die where a [-] counts as [ ] (1 in 3 chance for +1). For two ranks, a [ ] would also count as [+] (2 in 3 chance for +1). And with three ranks, it would go up to just a flat +1. This would be one way to add a small bonus that is less valuable than a +1, as +1s are worth quite a bit in Fudge.

Knaight
2019-07-30, 05:34 PM
See if you can track down a copy of the old and now deprecated Fudge Factor ezine (or just PM me an email address and I can send it as an attachment). Both of the things you mention there were covered in it, and that's just the start of an enormous amount of material. The Fudge Genie site is a bit of a spiritual successor there, albeit one that's still very new.

Greywander
2019-07-31, 05:01 AM
Thanks for the tip. I managed to find Fudge Factor on Archive.org, though navigating through the archived version of the website sometimes gave errors. Usually this could be solved by going to a different snapshot of the same page. I did notice that some of the ideas I suggested here were found in some of their articles. I'll have to set aside some more time to comb through the articles there.

I probably shouldn't go too crazy with the dice mechanics, or it will just be too complicated. There's something to be said for having options, but a choice only matters when it is meaningful.

Bjarkmundur
2019-07-31, 07:07 AM
I'm not familiar with any of the mechanics you mentioned, but I think I get the general idea. This is the system I currently implement in all of my (5e) games.

Inspiration
Inspiration is a resource gifted by players or DMs for creativity, prioritizing roleplay, and generally being an upstanding player. Some backgrounds or character traits provide additional means of acquiring inspiration.
A player starts each session with two inspiration tokens. Inspiration can be used in one of four different ways:

Healing Surge
You can use one Inspiration token and one hit die to restore your vigor. You regain a number of hit points equal to the result of the hit die + your constitution modifier.

Reroll
You can use one Inspiration token to reroll one d20, but you must use the second result.

Make a narrative declaration
You can use one Inspiration token to either add or remove details regarding the current narrative, within reason.

Background Feature
You can use one inspiration token to use your background feature, chosen at character creation.



As a general guideline:
Advantage: Is granted when a player's creativity should result in a mechanical benefit.
Rule of Cool: Is utilized when something sorta impossible is made possible through a player's creativity.
Inspiration: Is granted when a player uses the story for no real reason or benefit, such as including his backstory, flaw, ideal or other lore and personality elements of the world in-game. The inspiration granted then allows the player to affect the story or world around him.