Please note: this represents a rough draught of FUDGE: A Dark Traveling. There are entire wodging chunks which will need to be rewritten and have added to the game. However, comments and suggestions on what -is- here are more than welcome, particularly by fellow Zelazny fans who found ADT to be quite a wonderful book. Metaconcept: FUDGE - A Dark Traveling A Dark Traveling and all characters within property of the estate of Roger Zelazny. This document does not attempt to infringe upon these rights. The required FUDGE legal information can be found at http://www.eyrie.org/~frobozz/RPG/disclaimer.html. Please consult this document in regards to any legal questions that you might have regarding this property as it pertains to the FUDGE license. "...She stared into the flame, where many psts swam, along with a multitude of presents and a confusion of futures. With practice, these could be sorted, however, and she had had a lot of practice..." - Prologue, _A Dark Traveling_ Introduction ------------ Welcome to the Earth. Or the Realm. Or to Terra. Or to whatever you choose to call the blessed plot upon which you stand. Things aren't always easy to name when you go out wandering amongst the Bands, so my advice to you is to keep an open mind and a wondering heart as you go; for both represent the best weapon that you can carry when amongst the other worlds. Though a strong companion with a deadly back-kick never goes amiss... _A Dark Traveling_ is a short novel by Roger Zelazny which explores a landscape of other worlds and strange occurences... and a war between two factions of beings, the Lightbanders (or the Good Guys, for all intents and purpose) and the Darkbanders (who are the blokes what wear black hats, at least to our narrator's POV). Both factions travel a limited set of alternate worlds known as Bands, which they can (with the proper equipment) tune into like radio frequencies (hence the name). We are introduced to this world by our narrator, a young werewolf named Jim, whose parents are important members on his Band's faction of Lightbanders. Though we see comparatively little of the world (and have so much more hinted at, which is -just- like Mr Zelazny to do...), there is enough meat in the book to fire the imagination to want to build more around the worlds presented... like, say, a role-playing game. FUDGE - A Dark Traveling uses the Metaconcept system, which is a set of standard rules written for all of the FUDGE games and suppliments which I'll write. If you're not familiar with the rules to Metaconcept, they can be found at [[]], and are absolutely free of charge. Please do not make any modifications to either the Metaconcept rules nor the FUDGE - A Dark Traveling rules without the express permission of Chris Angelini (cangelin@mnsi.net or frobozz@eyrie.org); otherwise, Golly will come to your band and eat off your face. Rules ----- Attributes ---------- "'You're very strong, my dear', he said. 'Becky, is it? But you're tired, very tired.'" "'So are you,' she said." "'But I'm stronger, and I know more.'" Attributes are divided up, as in Metasystem, into four classes: Body, Mind, Soul and Other, as follows: Body ---- Agility (determines the character's gross motor coordination) Brawn (determines the character's raw physical strength) Manual Dexterity (determines the character's fine skill of hands) Wound Resistance (determines the character's physical toughness and ability to soak damage) Zip (determines the character's sheer fleetness of foot) Mind ---- Intelligence (determines the character's basic sharpness of mind) Mechanical (determines the character's mechanical inclination) Perception (determines the character's ability to observe what's around him and her) Soul ---- Empathy (determines the character's ability to read other people's emotions and deal with same) Chutzpah (determines the character's force of character and general presence) Luck (determines how fortunate a character tends to be) Will (determines the character's ability to endure and resist) Other ----- Status (determines the character's social standing within the context of the game setting) Wealth (determines the character's wealth within the context of the game setting) They are, of course, rated on a scale from Terrible to Legendary (of which there are four divisions: Legendary 0-3). PURCHASING ATTRIBUTES: At the time of character creation, all characters begin with Terrible in all traits save for Status, which begins at Poor. To increase a Trait from Terrible to Poor costs one 'Trait Level', which the GM will assign to players as s/he sees fit. Each ranking above that costs an additional 'Trait Level' to increase... so going from Terrible to Good would cost four Trait Levels. The maximum a character may reach in this way is Great... to purchase a Superb ranking in an attribute, four Trait Levels must be spent. No starting character may begin with any ranking at Legendary without the GM's permission (and then, it should cost at least eight Trait Levels to go from Superb to Legendary 0, if allowed at all). Any Trait levels which you do not spend can be converted into five character points, which allow you to purchase all sorts of goodies, like Gifts, Experiences and bank Fudge points. Skills ------ "I thought back over the street maps I had memorized of the ruined city, over various topographical features I had had to learn, as well as the difference places I could head to orient myself." "'I'll be okay,' I said." Most beginning characters in A Dark Traveling will have two distinct sets of Experiences (see Metasystem, Mad Skillz for details) available to them: one set from their local Band, and another set picked up from their experiences on other Bands to which they've travelled. Children born into the families who make up the Lightbanders (and likely the same applies to the Darkbanders as well) spend a good deal of their childhood wondering why their parents and elder siblings act so strange and secretive all of the time, but otherwise spend a perfectly ordinary childhood amongst their peers, learing how to eat paste and plan the perfect T.P. raid. Once they're deemed old enough to be let in on the deal, the children are generally taken aside and told what's what in the politics of the Banders (though they won't be told everything, or even most things... more than one broken-hearted Lightbander parent has watched as their newly informed child is recruited and turned to Darker pursuits). As we see with poor Jim, generally the children are allowed to roam the various Light and Dead Bands that exist to learn what exists where, shown how to maintain the equipment which facilitates Band travel (should the child be interested in mechanics, that is), taught survival, wisdom and common sense... and then left to grow up and grow wise before being inducted into more sensitive Bander politics. Of course, if you -weren't- born into a Lightbander (or Darkbander) family, and by some miracle you're recruited in (cf Becky, a foundling who was adopted by Agatha years before the beginning of the book), you might miss out on some of these unique childhood experiences. Or you might not. Generally it depends upon how fast a learner you are, how concerned your adopting family is for your education in all things Bandular, and how young you were brought into the wackiness that are the Worlds. BEGINNING EXPERIENCES: As in normal Metaconcept, you automatically get your Childhood as an experience, which means you need to know how you were raised and what happened in that raising. Also, remember that what you were taught as a child may not be directly applicable as an adult. Even if your childhood in the Clans taught you survival and strength, that doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be able to derive your Incredible Combat Skills from it... after all, -some- of your advanced training likely took place as an adult. You also get your Hobbies as a free Experience. Most Lightbander children take up some pursuit or another to keep them busy, though as we've seen in A Dark Traveling, children of Banders are much more studious than others, tending to focus on useful pursuits far more than childish games. You can define a number of Experiences as decided by the GM. You will likely be given a very few; you can purchase up to four more, each of which cost three Character points a piece. Remember not to try to make them too broad: the GM is well within his or her rights to decide that something takes two or three Experiences to cover! Gifts ----- "She turned and left the room." "'She really is a witch,' Barry said softly." "I shrugged. I already knew that." There are so many worlds out there, and amongst them all, an infinity of possible knacks, gifts and traits which your character might have as a dint of coming from the 'right' part of the Bands. For the most part, you can use almost any Gift from any FUDGE supplement or worldbook that seems to fit a character's given Band. Gifts cost either one, two, three or seven character points. One, two and three point Gifts are 'normal' gifts, such as the ability to sleep lightly, do rapid calculus in your head or draw your weapon before some yahoo draws on you. Seven point Gifts are those gifts which can only be purchased from one's own Band and are very special Gifts to have. Not everyone has a seven point Gift, though it seemed as though every character in the book certainly did! One point gifts --------------- - Lightning Calculator (you can do math as fast as a computer. In your head. You are just -that- good). - Absolute Direction (you instinctively know to follow the North Star, the moss on the trees, etc. More's the point, even in Bands where the North star doesn't exist, you know how to find your landmarks. This is probably both a knack and long experience guiding you...) - Ambidextrous (right hand or left hand... it doesn't matter. You can use both with equal proficiency) - Favour (someone owes you something small) - Contact (you know someone, or a group of someones, who aren't all that important) - Stunt (you begin with a Mad Stunt -- see Metaconcept for details. It cannot be a very powerful stunt). Two Point gifts --------------- - Danger sense (people rarely sneak up on you. The hairs on the back of your neck won't let 'em) - Quickdraw (you can generally get your weapon out before the other guy, even when surprised) - Favour (someone owes you something. you aim to collect) - Contact ( you know someone, or a group of someones, who can help you in small ways) - Stunt (you begin with a Mad Stunt) Three Point Gifts ----------------- - Rapid Healing (you just heal faster than normal.) - Reputation (you're well known across Bands. Even people out of Band have heard of you. Of course, only those who are Band-aware are likely to know what you are) - Favour (someone owes you something -big-.) - Contact (you know someone really pretty highly placed, somewhere) - Stunt (you know a powerful Stunt) Seven Point Gifts ----------------- - Sensitivity (You are open to the forces and powers of the universes. You have within you the ability to develop spells and rotes which can do near magical things) - Shapeshifting (Your body is in tune with the things of nature. Under the right conditions, it can transform into other forms). - Ki (You are open to the gates of the body and the flow of breath through your form. By focusing this power, you are capable of quite incredible feats). - Mesmerism (The ways of the mind are open to you. By staring into the eyes of another, you can beguile or control them) - Data Sifting (Statistics and information are clear to you. By pouring over mathematics, statistics and other information matricies, you can extrapolate patterns and trends that even computers can't) - Mechanical Aptitude (The ways of the machine are magic in your hands. Though you can't always reproduce your results, you can build quite incredible devices) Faults ------ "Unfortunately, there was a full moon for a while earlier, that evening. That's when the trouble began and, of course, I wasn't home. I'd smeared on the cortisone cream Dr. Holmes had prescribed for what he called my 'monthly palmar dermatitis', and it was working okay. But I also get restless on these occasions, and I take long walks in the arroyos out back." Faults are divided up, much like Gifts, into three price levels: one, two and three points. Flaws will pay for Gifts... in fact, Flaws can -only- pay for Gifts. You can never get more Character points for Attributes and Fudge Points via Faults... you can only use them to defray the cost of your Gifts. You are allowed to take more points of Faults than Gifts; you just don't realise extra rewards from them (though honestly, the reward of Faults lies more in the role-playing hooks than anything the GM could hand you on a silver platter). One point flaws --------------- - Minor Psychological Flaw (You have some small quirk. It might be a pattern that you obsessively tap whenever you're around some tappable surface, or maybe it's an obsession with riddles and games) - Minor Physical Flaw (There's some small problem with your body. Maybe you have a limp. Maybe you have a missing ear. It has to affect you some way, but it shouldn't be crippling at this price range) - Minor Gift Flaw (One of your gifts has a problem to it. Perhaps a shapeshifter craves raw meat. Perhaps a Mesmerist requires a fob watch to focus his victim's attention) Two Point flaws --------------- - Middling Psychological Flaw (You have some issues. They -do- affect you in some serious way... perhaps you have a terrible phobia or old trauma that you flash back to periodically.) - Middling Physical Flaw (Something's very wrong with your body. You might be lame in a leg... part deaf... have a poor sense of touch... be colour-blind...) - Middling Gift Flaw (Your seven point gift is somehow flawed, or you lack a degree of control over it. A Ki artist might require meditation to get his flow to flow... someone with Mechanical Aptitude might only be able to work with a particular sort of Band's technology.) Three Point Flaws ----------------- - Major Psychological Flaw (You are quite seriously messed up in some way. Perhaps you see all Bands as being your home band, and rationalize things to make it so. Perhaps you have agoraphobia. Perhaps you spend all your free time designing FUDGE supplements rather than working on your social life.) - Major Physical Flaw (Your body has something badly wrong with it which could be both crippling and/or life-threatening. This could be a weak-heart... total blindness... death if one goes without writing a FUDGE supplement for more than twenty-four hours...) - Major Gift Flaw (One of your gifts has a severe restriction. Perhaps a shapeshifter can only turn with the phases of the moon, or perhaps.) Combat ------ Any of the three combat options in FUDGE may be used. The Author's favourite is Story Elements that drops to Simultaneous rounds in critical moments. Likewise, any damage option may be used to simulate wounding. Wounding uses Wound Resistance (duh) to soak and absorb damage. Melee requires an appropriate Melee skill or else Agility. Ranged attacks require either the appropriate skill or else Manual Dexterity. Magical Combat -------------- "'They're jamming her too'." "'How the hell do you jam a sorceress, Becky?'" "'You bring in one of your own to attack her,' she replied. 'Then she has to defend herself. They fight each other in their own ways then, and whoever slips up gets fried. They're too busy to do anything else. So you have a deadlock there too.'" There are times when two Sorcerers will clash in magical arts; the two will throw all of their resources into assailing the other's mind and body with their powers and in turn be assailed by the potential victim's powers. Ultimately the combat becomes nothing less than a game of waiting and manoeuvring, hoping that the other will make a mistake or run short on power so that s/he might be destroyed. Magical Combat takes place much like physical combat, but with the following restrictions: 1) Only those with the seven-point gift Sensitivity can take part in a duel. Those without it can only watch and attempt to interfere by doing harm to the sorcerer against whom they're rooting. 2) Each Round of magical combat doubles the time before it. The longer a duel goes, the more time each round will consume. 3) Attacks can be made with either a skill derived from Sensitivity or else directly with Will. Please, please, please note that this unskilled attack does not mean that someone without Sensitivity can join in a magical duel. But anyone -with- Sensitivity can fight a magical duel, whether they've been trained in it or not. The skill is used for both attack attempts, dodgings and Wound Factor (busy skill!). Will-based attacks can only attack or dodge. Thus, a Sensitive who has no skill in magical dueling has a Wound Factor of Zero. 4) Will itself is used in place of Wound Resistance for this duel. Magical attacks cause -physical- wounds in one's adversary. They aren't visible, but they represent the taxing of the body and the slow destruction of the mortal coil's energies. If the GM is using a wounding system which drops stats as a result of wounding (recommended), Will does go down as the damage is done. Thus, a Will-based attacker is at a severe disadvantage in a magical duel, unless s/he manages to overpower her opponent each round. 5) To fight a magical duel, the two Sorcerers must be able to sense one another. That's it. If they're within eyeshot, that's enough for even the weakest of Sensitives who has yet to derive a single Sensitivity Stunt. Others can fight duels over the space of a continent, having the power to reach out with one's mind to where another Sensitive might be. No, PCs, you -cannot- do that, at least not yet. 6) Magical wounds heal at the same rate as physical. They just don't show up on the body. That doesn't mean that they aren't there. The World of the Bands ---------------------- Overview -------- Magic Zones and Other Vaguarities --------------------------------- Shapeshifting ------------- "Instead, he had decided that it was time for my first full-scale lesson in werewolfery. Not that it wasn't fascinating. In fact, I got very engrossed in his explainations and demonstrations. I learned that a true shapeshifter can do it in purpose and does not need a full moon. I also learned that the wolf form, while easiest, is not exclusive; almost any shifting about is achievable, within the constraints of mass conservation." Shapeshifters have a fun yet tough row to hoe in the world of the Bands. Being open to the world of nature around them, they enjoy a good many of its benefits. But being open to the world of nature around them, they often do have to yeild to many of its rules, as well. By far, the most common sorts of shapeshifters are Werebeasts. Werebeasts are those capable of transforming themselves into an animal to which they're very sensitive. A Shapeshifter who's Were will have one animal into which they can change under the proper conditions. They begin with the Gift Shapeshifting, along with the limitations Gift Flaw: Takes on Traits of Animal, Gift Flaw: Certain Situations cause uncontrollable change and Gift Flaw: Only one animal can be shapeshifted into (which reduces the cost of the Gift to 3). Let's examine this in depth. The Takes on Traits of Animal Flaw means that when the Were is shifted into his or her animal shape, s/he will tend to adopt animalistic tendencies. A werewolf will feel the need to dominate weaker packmates and follow the alpha, while hunting and scenting prey. A wererabbit, on the other hand, will tend to flee, go into Thrawn when there's no bolt hole available, and generally try to avoid dangers rather than charging into them. Secondly, the Certain Situations Cause Uncontrollable Change flaw means that there are times when the change will be almost impossible to resist. For Werewolves, the time of the Full Moon is the time when the Change calls to them most. If they are in a world that Promotes Change during a time of Full Moon, they will automatically perform a Stunt: transform which will make them into a wolf, until either the cycle of the moon moves to waning, or else they are taught a way to change back (please note that performing this Stunt automatically -does- count as successfully performing it. Thus, with enough full moons and in the right Bands, a werewolf will ultimately derive the Stunt: Transform for themselves without even trying). Those who have mastered the Stunt: Transform may attempt to change back from wolf to human, each hour on the eve of a full moon. This requires a Will roll and is as difficult as the GM thinks it should be (if there's fresh game everywhere and the Werewolf is giving into his base urges, watch out!) Other were-creatures will have their own sets of conditions under which they will transform... though one of them will almost -always- be being in a Band that Promotes Change. Weres can use any stunt which they can develop from their Gift; without Stunts, shapeshifting is pretty much under situational (Full moon, etc) or GM's random control. This is not a situation that you want to be in! Players can attempt to take control of their shapeshifting by performing Stunts based upon Shapeshifting which allow them to do unusual things... such as shapeshift just a part of themselves, or take on certain characteristics, or the like. Though a were-shapeshifter is limited to simply his or her creature, s/he can explore a range of changes within that creature's domain. Weres tend to run in the family, though the trait can skip a generation or two. Agatha does suggest that one can't be both Sensitive and Were, though there's little proof in the source material that this is the case. It's also possible that werewolfism is a male-linked trait, which would be mystically interesting (and quite possible, as magic doesn't have to obey the laws of genetics). Oh, and what happens if a full moon comes about when a Were -isn't- in a Band that Promotes Change? We've seen that with Jim: he tends to go for long runs through the woods, has to shave constantly, listens to heavy metal music... Non-were shapeshifters are much rarer than regular were-shapeshifters. They tend to come from small tribes of people in Bands which Promote Change, who have found ways for the essences of the universe to unbind the body and remake it. Non-were shifters can assume almost any form they please, at will. So why would anyone want a were rather than a non-were shifter? Put simply, a Were-shifter takes on the spirit of the animal to which s/he is bound. Whereas a non-were Shifter is simply modifying a very human frame. Were-shifters can derive ferocity, hiding, tracking, hunting and the like from their Gift, while these will forever be alien to a non-were shifter. Non-weres tend to use their powers for disguise and impersonation, or to create natural weaponry for themselves, rather than trying to be one with the Wylde. Further, non-Were shifters must derive all of their Stunts for themseves -- they do not have a change condition which derives at least one for them. There are trade-offs to everything! Note that not being able to derive form-related tendencies (like fury, hunting, tracking, etc) knocks the cost of the Gift down to 5. Sorcerers --------- "I did an about-face, and the air was filled with dancing motes before me, countless after-images of the light into which I had been staring, blinking and darting like innumerable fireflies." "'Walk,' she said, and I did." Before there were trans-comps... before there were devices to probe the Bands... before there was a Codec of Ki... there were those brave few who risked asking the Universe in which they lived what, precisely, its secrets were. And to those brave few who were also able to Hear... there came an answer. The number of Sensitives has always been low. However, lately, Darkbanders have been doing their utmost to turn or eliminate those whom they can find. It's a hard life being a Sorcerer at this point, because you always do have to be on your guard for attempts by enemy Sorcerers to detect and neutralize you, any way possible. Sensitives occur naturally. It's quite possible that Sensitivity runs in the family, though only manifests every few generations -- which would mean that there could be countless families out there carrying the capacity to be Sensitive, but who don't realise this fact. It's also possible that it's impossible to both be open to nature (were-shifting) and magic (sensitivity) at once. GMs are free to make their own decisions here. Sensitives don't simply reach into the universe and -take- what they wish. They have to beg, cajole and plead with it... performing rotes and rites which focus the energies in precisely the way that they wish, before loosing them to create an effect. Sensitives begin life with very little: they can participate in Will-based magical duels and precious little else. Over time, however, they can begin to derive Stunts based upon their Sensitivity to the world around them... though to even attempt a Stunt, first they must design a Rite by which to focus their powers. A Rite is your 'run of the mill' magical ceremony, utilizing tools which focus the Sensitive's energies into a given effect. Some use sticks and rods to design patterns which make sense to the universe... others use bells to intone their pleas... still others paint their bodies, get drunk and dance till dawn, using the joy of their revels to call upon the powers of the universe. Designing a rite doesn't just come out of the blue. A sensitive needs inspiration or teaching to create a Rite. Inspiration can come from watching another Sensitive perform an effect (and thinking 'I could do that too!'), or having a friendly spirit whisper in one's ear... while teaching requires another Sensitive to explain the process that *they* use to effect a Rite, and using that information to create it for one's self. If the Gm thinks that a roll is called for, the Sensitive might use Will (for sheer dogged experimentation), Chutzpah (for dealing with spirits) or Perception (for observing another Sensitive). Once inspiration or teaching has taken place, the Sensitive may build his or her rote. Rotes generally take a while to perform, and tie the Sensitive to the spot where it's being done. Very few sensitives will ever fling fireballs from the tips of their fingers; they require time and energy to perform their task. The more powerful a rote is, the longer it will generally take to cast. To use Becky as an example, it took her ten minutes to cast an illusion spell, while it took quite a bit longer to cast a Band-Transport ritual. She also required her materials for both, though once she finished casting the Invisibility spell, she didn't need to carry them with her... the spell remained, for as long as the GM (Zelazny) allowed. Once a Sensitive creates her rote and is ready to try it, treat this as a Stunt. She may keep trying it, again and again, until it works... but remember, it's exhausting to channel the essence of the universe into one's self. Becky tired herself out after just two spells (albeit one being a -huge- spell); the GM is free to impose limitations on a character's endurance in casting magic. So aren't there charts and tables of effects and durations and how much wang each spell has for each point of Dreak spend? Well frankly, no, there aren't and there won't be. All of Mr Zelazny's takes on magic and powers tend best left in the realm of 'guidelines'. Allowing a Sensitive to derive them as Metaconcept-style Stunts are the most rule that will be imposed upon the game. A Sensitive is urged to find her own style, her own unique set of Rotes and rituals and her own ways of doing things, without worrying about the dictates of the rules. Sometimes magic is random. So is the GM. That, sir or madam, is what the position is there for. Oh, and Sensitives tend to be under a Gift Flaw of Rotes... which knocks the cost of the Gift down to an even 5. Ki -- "Great! Nothing like it to make you feel importent. If only Barry were here. He was not here, of course, because he was off at a dojo, kicking blocking and punching. Or was it the other dojo? In that case, he'd be throwing, grappling, locking. Whatever, he was off practicing those things Becky wanted him for now, things I gather he'd started doing at about the time he'd learned to walk." There are those in this universe-set of ours who believe that the path to one's destiny lies not in the world around, but in the heart within. These people have long since trained and disciplined themselves to physical perfections, through hardship, trial, meditation and denial, learning to harness the power which comes from such human tempering. Ki skills are primarily combat-oriented, though they can often be used to heal, transmit shockwaves through walls to knock over objects on the other side, terrify one's foes and so on. If you've ever seen it done in a martial arts movie, there's a good chance that a Ki master would be capable of performing it. There are some limitations on what a Ki user will generally be able to do. For the most part, unless they've spent years developing their skills, they will only be able to extend what the human body is capable of. Whereas a person can hit another... they can develop a Stunt to hit harder. Whereas one person can jump... they can develop a Stunt to let them leap to the treetops. While one person can walk quietly... they can develop a Stunt to pass without trace. The Human Body Only Gift Flaw reduces the cost of being a Ki user by one, to 6. Ki users have only one benefit (aside from the ability to derive Stunts): they are capable of resisting pain, hunger and physical needs like sleep for days on end. Mesmerists ---------- To be defined. Data-Sifters ------------ To be defined. Mechanically Apt ---------------- To be defined. Light Bands ----------- Deadbands --------- Dark Bands ---------- How Do I Get From Here To There? -------------------------------- Lightbander Politics -------------------- Darkbander Politics ------------------- Activating a New Band --------------------- Campaign Suggestions -------------------- Starting Allowances ------------------- Ideas ----- Characters ---------- Jim --- Becky ----- Barry ----- Tom --- Agatha ------ Uncle George ------------ Aunt Maryl ---------- Dave ----