So why D100 and Fudge? Because both are skill based systems with options for detailed combat, and featured extensive character customization. Well suited for how I run my campaigns. Both have open license that I can choose to take advantage of. And both have a sizable audience as far as RPGs goes.
This this the way I feel about the two at the moment and note I haven't had the opportunity to put these two games to the test.
D100
Basic Roleplaying, Runequest 6, Legend, and OpenQuest are all close relatives. All feature a large library of creatures, NPCs, magic, and items. The work is coming up with religions/cults that fit my Majestic Wilderlands along with deciding which of the myriad options for magic to use.
Fudge/Fate
This is a system with a growing audience. The game simple mechanic allows for a large range of results at various level of details. Like GURPS it primarily a toolkit to make your own game. And it a lot closer to how GURPS work than D100 is. Which makes sense given the origins of the game and its initial community. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with another toolkit RPG after my years with GURPS and Hero System.
But as I collected material and kept at reading and rereading the rules I am impressed with how it all hangs together. Compared to D100 I have to put a lot more work implementing it for my Majestic Wilderlands. If I use it the result would be game more "crunchy" then how most people I read play Fate or Fudge. And will it probably be more Fudge than Fate.
Open Gaming
In Fudge Dice terms both are +0 to each other. How much more open can you get with Legends or OpenQuest? With Legends it doesn't stop with the core rulebook either. The Fudge and Fate SRD are available as well as a lot of third party products with varying degrees of open licenses.
Ah hell I just might work with both given time. So what your thoughts?
12 comments:
The d100 family appeal to me more because 1) I've played them, while I've only read Fate stuff, and 2) For better or worse I'm drawn to the simulationist aspects of d100 systems.
That said, that grab bag of Fate stuff on RPGnow really appeals...
I'd definitely be more likely to pick up d100 stuff as it tends to be my preferred type of system. FATE, on the other hand, is something I'm not really a big fan of.
Sorry, not RPGnow, but Bundle of Holding: http://bundleofholding.com/index/current
Remarkably interested in how you wind up deciding, as I am a Hero/GURPS fan, trying to reconcile that with my growing fondness for RQ6 (and a history as far back as the early '80s with d100 systems) and a desire to tap into the nearly-frothing enthusiasm of the Fate fan base.
One of the attractions of D100 for me is if a player does something off the wall, with no obvious skill or attribute governing it, you can just say "You have a 70% chance of succeeding." Now you can do that with any game, but it fits in better with D100 than FATE.
Also for the math-challenged, the odds are transparent in D100, but can be opaque in FATE/Fudge.
But I did buy the FATE hardcover, so...
Also curious - when you talk about your Fudge/Fate variant being more detailed and crunchier, can you elaborate? That's definitely a draw for me.
It a bit alike GURPS.
GURPS you can run combat in four levels.
Opposed rolls winner does damage. Maneuvers are very basic.
Basic combat of attack, defend, and no grib.
Advanced with Grid.
Advanced with Grid plus additional rules and Maneuvers from other books like Martial Arts.
With the Fudge SRD they give you three attack options, and three injury options. The SRD explains the pros and cons of each. Then on top of that they talk about hit location and similar detailed combat option if you want to add that.
The same with skills. There is the make up your own stuff option, simple skill list, and detailed skill option with GURPS style Very Hard, Hard, Average, Easy skill difficulty.
Reading through this, I can see the influence of 2nd edition GURPS on the rules. Steffan O'Sullivan stops the level of detail off before GURPS does.
But if you willing to put the work in you can add it. And you are ahead of where you would be if you were designing your own RPG.
Mechanically the two big wins of Fudge I see are the 4dF bell curve and how well scale (differences in size and mass) is integrated.
Finally I think tactically detailed Fudge doesn't come up often because it most popular implementation is Fate which is very much a lite system.
@Saroe, I was thinking that as well then after the umpteenth time I am beginning to get it in Fudge. I am planning to do some posts going through the Fudge SRD.
Have you considered Savage Worlds? It's fairly GURPS-like, and has a lot of third-party materials.
Between the two above, the versatility of Fudge lets you basically make your own system, so that would be my pick.
Of those you suggested, some version of d100.
You want a system where you can publish stuff with no-one hassling you, and where people can just sit down and play without having to read 576 pages or make up their own descriptors, etc - and where they can do character generation by random roll if they wish.
D100/BRP would be my pick as well. It's intuitive and versatile... can vary from lite to crunchy. Pretty much my go-to system.
I've got an aversion to Fudge/Fate but that may have more to do with it's ravening fans than any practical experience I've had with it (I've played Icons and that was fun, but every time Aspects came up the whole game stopped for clarification).
I'd be curious how many folks are actually playing ongoing campaigns with Fate/Fudge vs. reading it and talking about it on forums.
@Charles: I am actually looking at Savage Worlds myself for a medieval urban fantasy campaign (GURPS would be the other likely option and maybe Fate...or maybe something based on Rob's work with Fudge). How do you think that would work with Savage Worlds?
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