Introducing Fudge to Players

  1. 2002 Fudge mailing list post

Well, I had another look at Fudge a month or so ago and this time “I got it”, or at least I am sold on using it for my next campaign.

There is so much Fudge stuff out there (overwhelming really) but I can’t find much on “Fudge advocacy” or introducing players to Fudge, especially players indoctrinated in other systems.

Some of my potential players have played a variety of systems, but all “normal”: no diceless, no LARPs. Many have only ever played D&D and its successors.

I’m interested in your experiences and suggestions re: players new to Fudge but not new to RPGs.

Dice

They are funky. One of my goals is to get away from mechanics/combat/XP. Although Fudge dice are “weird”, I believe the flexibility and elegance of the dice/system will pay off in the long run. How to not make a bad first impression? I know one player is just going to cry that she won’t get to roll a natural 20 anymore. Four +’s just don’t seem the same.

I’m thinking about going through some combats with pre-generated characters to familiarize my players and myself with the dice and Fudge mechanics. Anyone know of a solo Fudge module? Sounds like something Grey Ghost should have: an intro module for GMs or players, like B1 but solo.

Experience and Graininess

Still mulling this one over.

Part of this is not Fudge related but more about switching from a combat/XP-oriented game to something else. I’m looking at several skill/combat alternatives and messing around with variations of my own, because I want things a bit crunchier than stock Fudge. Heh, stock Fudge, an oxymoron?

Seems sort of unwise to be changing a system I’ve never even used. On the other hand, I don’t want to subject my players to changing/new rules every week if I can avoid it.

Too Flexible

Some players can’t deal with “What do you wanna be? Just pick the traits and write a back story.” They need something to latch onto, like “Do you want to be a Magic-User, a Thief, or a Fighter?”

This has solutions, some addressed in the core rules and Five Point Fudge. I mention it to see what others have done.

For my campaign, before character creation, I’ll give a five-minute history lesson. Then hand out a one-page sheet outlining, very briefly, the various cultures the PCs might come from, and lists of “kits” broken into fighter/thief/magic-user/cleric. I’ll stress that picking a kit is optional. Kits can be modified or not used at all. This way I hope to provide warm fuzzies to players needing some direction while allowing others the creative freedom to do something different.

Questions

  • Things I haven’t thought of that I should be prepared for?

  • Am I being overly concerned? Has player resistance to Fudge not been an issue for GMs?