Zludge Roleplaying Game System, v1.0α

Built for my City9 campaign, Zludge is meant to focus gameplay more on the story than rules and combat. (Ideally, enough so that it can be played in the car during a long road trip.) It is a particular instantiation/combination of FATE and its source material Fudge, with a few ideas from D&D (d20) and mechanics from GURPS thrown in. The system relies on a high granularity to avoid bogging down in rule particulars.

The name can be pronounced either "zludge" or "sludge" (as per the muddy mixture). It is spelled with a Z as a nod to its creator (me) and to produce a distinctive name should anyone search for it.

Status: Version 1.0 Alpha. The system is essentially complete, but has still not been playtested.

Contents

• Rolls
  • Results
  • Tests and Contests
  • Task Difficulty
• Character Creation
  • Concept
  • Attributes
  • Phases (Aspects, Hooks, and Quirks)
  • Skills
  • Extras (Gifts and Limitations)
  • Equipment
  • Plot Points
  • Advancement
• Combat
  • Weapons and Armor
  • Starting Combat
  • Combat Actions
  • Situational Modifiers
  • Hit Locations
  • Injury
  • Fatigue
  • Healing and Recovery
• Supernormal Powers: City9 Psi
  • Powers
  • Skills
• Tips for the GM
  • Pre-game
  • During the game
• License (OGL)

Rolls

Use 4dF, where an F (Fudge) die has 2 "+" sides, 2 "0" sides, and 2 "-" sides.

Results

Nearly every roll in Zludge is a skill roll. The result shows how well the character performed at the task. These adjectives can be used instead of numbers to describe both skill level and task performance.

Tests and Contests

A test is when the player is attempting to achieve something unopposed by another character. Apply their skill modifier (see below) and the difficulty modifier (see below) to the roll, and the result translates into their performance (see above). Any less than 0 is some sort of failure, though the degree may vary. Success by +4 or more (superb performance) is akin to a critical success; failure by -4 or more (abysmal performance) is like a critical failure.

"Take 0": If the character is not stressed, rushed, or otherwise under pressure and if there is no consequence of not getting it absolutely right on the first try, a character can skip rolling and assume a roll result of "0".

Contests are between two or more characters. In a simple contest, compare the two ability scores, and the higher one wins. (So there is no roll involved--it's as if both participants are "Taking 0".) If the scores are the same, treat instead as a regular contest.

In a regular contest, each participant makes the appropriate skill roll. If there is a tie, roll again.

If a player must roll the dice for a particular test or contest, it is called a roll. If the player may either roll or "Take 0" for a test or contest, it is called a check. For example, most combat skills require skill rolls rather than skill checks.

Task Difficulty

The following chart shows the different approximate levels of task difficulty and the modifier associated with each.

Character Creation

Concept

First, before worrying about the rules, sketch out your character in plain English. Consider his or her history, personality, and notable abilities. Then, once you have a firm idea of what you want the character to be, look at how you can build a skeleton of this character using the following traits.

Attributes

Attributes are a character's inborn potential in certain broad areas of performance. Everyone starts off with a +0 (Fair) on all attributes. You may raise one attribute by lowering another. You may not raise an attribute above +1 (Decent) or lower it below -1 (Poor). Your attribute modifier stacks with your skill modifier for skills based on that attribute. The specific attributes available depend on the particular world/GM (see Skills).

In a high-powered campaign, the GM may specify a number of free +1 bonuses that can be applied to attributes at character creation.

Phases: Aspects, Hooks, and Quirks

A phase represent a segment of your character's past. You can think of them as something like "levels" in other systems. Every phase gives a character 1 aspect and 4 skill points (also called ranks; see below) to spend.

Aspects summarize your experiences for a particular phase--sort of like a job title or chapter heading. Examples: "Student of Shadow WuShu", "Star Ranger", "Priest of Slon-Da".

Whenever you make a roll that you can argue relates to your experience, you can invoke the aspect. Each aspect includes a single check box, which you check off when you invoke it. Skills you took for that aspect's phase always apply, but you may be able to invoke the aspect for other skill rolls as well. When you invoke an aspect for a particular roll (either before or after the roll), you can either:

• Reroll all the dice once
• Change one die of the current roll to a "+" (which is called tweaking the roll)

Aspects refresh once per game-world day (usually after your character has had a good night's rest).

When describing your phases, you can also include various hooks and quirks. Hooks provide potential story material, such as past events, relationships, and character goals. If associated with an aspect, they can be invoked by checking off that aspect. This is good for Allies, Patrons, Contacts, etc. (Also see Extras for another way to model these.) Examples: "was at the massacre of Pikk5", "still knows a couple people in the Brotherhood of Miracles", "used to date the daughter of the Network's CEO", "has a price on his head in Regulus system".

Quirks are minor personality traits. They provide color and roleplaying material but do not have a strong enough game effect to be worth points. Includes beliefs, likes and dislikes, habits, etc. Example: "can't pass up a free meal", "tends to be cruel to animals", "hates to leave a foe standing", "is always polite and chivalrous to women".

When the GM uses one of your plot hooks and when you consistently roleplay your quirks, it earns you plot points.

You may also want to include a description of your character, and his current goals (at least what aspect he or she is working towards next).

Example Phase: "Star Ranger".
Skills: Driving, Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, Area Knowledge: Regulus.
I spent 3 years as a Regulus Ranger. I was involved in the Pikk5 massacre (hook), and I now tend to give any Pikkian the benefit of the doubt (quirk). I had a falling out with the Rangers, and have a poor reputation with most of them now (hook), though I still have a couple friends I could call on in a pinch (hook).

This player could invoke this "Star Ranger" aspect on any roll for the four skills above, but also for other aspect-related rolls--such as a Survival check in a cold environment (like that of icy Pikk5) or on an Intimidate check when the player is in a position of authority (such as a cop or Ranger might have regularly had over a civilian or underling). The player could also invoke the aspect to introduce a related hook or story effect (subject to GM approval; see Plot Points). For instance, if captured and imprisoned, he might be able to call on one of his old Ranger buddies for help.

Skills

Skill rolls form the bulk of Zludge, as nearly every roll is some sort of test or contest based on a skill. Skills are relatively broad categories, though a player can specialize in a sub-skill. Skills and attributes should be customized based on the particular GM and campaign world so that they get relatively equal use. For example, in a combat-heavy world, there should be more than 3 or 4 combat skills.

As mentioned, each skill is associated with an attribute. There can be any number of attributes--though 2 to 10 is generally good, and 4 to 6 is most common. The number of skills required depends on the intended max level of characters. For example, 20th level characters require about 40 different skills in order to maintain their skill pyramids (see below).

By way of example, the following skills are for City9, which is an isolated, dystopian, sci-fi/cyberpunk-like setting with only a light focus on combat. Attributes include: Fortitude, Grace, Perception, Knowledge, Applied, and Social. Within each skill description, various sub-skills (usually about 4) can be discerned. Sometimes aspects of the skill are "advanced", meaning such attempts are at least of Difficult (-1) difficulty.

A player can take ranks in skills or sub-skills not listed here, but she should probably check with her GM first (to be sure they'll get used).

Skills default to -1 (Poor) without any ranks. Each rank bought adds +1 to the skill. A maximum of 3 ranks can be bought in each skill (resulting in a +2 (Good) modifier, assuming no other modifiers).

Only one rank can be bought in a skill each phase. Players may only buy ranks in skills they have actually used (or were otherwise relevant) in recent play, though they may announce that they will be practicing a certain skill during character down-time.

Skill ranks must adhere to a "pyramid" distribution: there must always be at least one more skill in the next rank down. For instance, if a character has three skills with 3 ranks each, she must also have at least four other skills with only 2 ranks each, and at least 5 other skills with only one rank.

Specialization: At the cost of one rank, you may specialize in a sub-skill, such as Athletics(Climbing), Survival(Tracking), Alertness(Sight), or Melee Combat(Two-handed swinging). The sub-skill must comprise 1/4 or less of the skill domain. You may only have one sub-skill specialization rank per sub-skill. Specialization grants +2 for the sub-skill (which stacks with any skill ranks in the broader skill), to a max of +4 total rank modifier. (So, if you have a full 3 ranks in the broader skill, specialization grants only +1, but allows you to exceed the 3 rank limitation.) Specialization ranks are ignored when figuring the pyramid distribution of ranks.

Situational (rather than sub-skill) specialization is also possible. For example, you could specialize in a climate for Survival, such as Arctic, Desert, Forest, etc. Or take a Social skill specialization for dealing only with members of the opposite sex (though this would cost 2 ranks, as the specialization would apply to about 1/2 of the domain.) Other possibilities exist; talk to your GM. It's even possible to specialize in the entire skill for 4 ranks.

Specialization ranks--whether situation or for a sub-skill--do not stack with each other. Your skill ranks and any specialization ranks stack to produce your rank modifier. Added to your attribute modifier, this produces your skill modifier for that skill, which is what gets applied to any skill check.

Example: If you have a +1 attribute (Fortitude), 3 ranks in a skill (Athletics), and a specialization rank in the sub-skill (Athletics(Climbing)), it's possible to have a +4 to your (Climbing) roll (since skills default to -1 (Poor)). You could achieve Superb performance without even trying (Taking 0).

Occassionally the GM may call for a check using the average of two skills. This is handy for covering tasks that seem to involve more than one skill simultaneously. For instance, in a game with no separate Riding skill, the GM might call for the average of the Animal Influence and Acrobatics skills. When averaging skills, round up to the nearest whole modifier.

Extras: Gifts and Limitations

Since, as much as possible, game mechanics are handled through skills, some combination of attribute selection, skill choice, and sub-skill or situational specialization will generally produce the sort of character you have in mind. However, there are also Extras, which come as either gifts or limitations.

Gifts provide some advantage to a character. As mentioned, these should be made through the skill mechanic, if possible. Appearance and odd personal habits will affect social skill rolls in certain situations, as will status and reputation. Military/Clerical/Police rank will affect certain social skills, but would probably be best modeled as an aspect. Night Vision is a situational specialization in one or more Perception skills.

If the gift is relatively minor, it can be listed as a hook, and invoked using the associated aspect. Or the GM may be amendable to simply working it into the story occasionally (possibly with a plot point cost).

Still, if after considering the game effect of certain advantages, a skill modifier doesn't seem to fit, talk to your GM about designing a gift. Most gifts are some sort of special ability that allows a character do something not normally possible. Gifts have a cost in skill ranks.

An example gift might be Rapid Healing. Your character takes damage normally (so it's not just a high Durability skill), but the damage just heals faster! Healing at twice the normal rate of a human might cost 2 skill ranks. Healing all physical damage with a good night's sleep might be worth 5 ranks.

Limitations limit your character's actions in some way. Examples include a code of conduct/honor, vow, compulsion, obsession, or phobia. These specify some behavior the character must or cannot engage in. Specifically, this might be cowardice (flees combat and imminent personal harm), honesty (can't lie or steal), or handwashing obsession (must wash hands once an hour or after touching anything icky). Sometimes these limitation come in a form closer to dependency or addiction. That is, if character fails to engage in some specified behavior with a certain regularity, certain penalties result.

Again, disadvantages might simply be situational or consistent penalties to a skill or attribute. Talk to your GM about the costs/penalties for such a disadvantage.

Limitations give you their value in skill ranks, which you can then spend normally. You may spend a plot point to overcome a limitation in a particular instance. (For example, when the coward manages to screw up his courage this one time because his best friend is in danger.) However, be aware that consistently overriding your limitations is poor roleplaying and will impact the number of plot points awarded.

Equipment and Gear

A character should have gear appropriate to her history and station--talk to your GM about the details. For the most part, gear in Zludge is mundane and just lets you do things. If you have special gear--such an occult library or neural interface jack--that gives you some bonus on rolls or is essential to your character, it should to be paid for through an aspect, skill, or extra.

Plot Points

Plot points (also called fate or story points) allow players some directorial or meta-narrative control.

You earn phases as the story advances and your character becomes more experienced. But you earn plot points for good roleplaying. This is easier when you have defined a rich character, especially one with a few quirks or limitations. When you work to advance the story, roleplay your character well, or generally improve the game experience for everyone, you earn plot points--usually 1 to 3 per game session.

You can spend one plot point to add +1 to a check, either before or after making a roll. This may be combined with an aspect invocation, but only one plot point can be spent per check.

You can also spend plot points for minor narrative control or to introduce a cinematic event. Examples include:

• Fortuitous coincidence: some connection w/ NPC ("He owes my father and will help us..."), some backstory ("Actually, I know someone in this part of town..."), possession of some mundane item ("Oh, I have one of those in the trunk of my car..."), some small location addition ("I'll hide... in the alcove!"), opportune arrival ("My friends are on their way back and arrive... now!"), etc.
• Monologue: You can freeze the stage long enough to explain your plans, or make a dying quip, or threaten return before your retreat. Only speech, and only a few sentences, please.
• Swashbuckling: swing on a chandelier to get there, take the blow intended for your neighbor, switch places with a friend (trading opponents), accurately toss your friend that essential weapon or item, etc.

The GM should try to go with plot point expenditures as much as possible. Still, narrative control uses can always be vetoed by the GM (in which case the point is not spent), or he may up the cost to 2 or even 3 plot points to achieve the effect.

Advancement

The rate of character advancement is up to the GM. Occasionally, the GM will distribute a phase--an aspect and 4 skill points--to be spent as the player sees fit. (Alternately, the GM may give out one skill point at a time, giving out an aspect every 4th point.)

Combat

Zludge combat is dangerous (realistic), though with just enough cinema to keep it from being automatically deadly. Wounds quickly impair your ability to fight, and you can be incapacitated with a couple blows of a good-sized weapon. Healing tends to take a couple weeks.

Weapons and Armor

Weapons are classified by their damage-level:

0: unarmed combat, small rocks, etc.
1: small, one-handed melee weapons (knife, short club, etc.); tiny holdout pistol
2: larger, two-handed melee weapons (sword, axe, baseball bat, etc.); small firearms, such as pistols and low-caliber rifles
3: high damage weapons, such as chainsaws; machine guns, shotguns at close range, etc.
4: Explosives and such

Armor is rated based on the damage-level it absorbs:

0: leather jacket, thick winter coat
1: flak jacket [leather armor, studded leather]
2: light kevlar vest [chainmail, ringmail, scalemail]
3: heavy-duty combat kevlar [platemail]
4: bomb suit, a Franklin wood stove

Some bulky armors may cause a penalty to certain skills, such as Athletics and Acrobatics.

Optional: Armor in your world may only cover certain areas of the body. If so, use Hit Locations below for every attack.

Starting Combat

If everyone can see everyone else (and someone goes for a weapon!), roll Reflexes and proceed through combat in that order.

In an ambush situation, the victim instead rolls the average of Reflexes and Alertness (round up), while the hiding/sneaking/ambushing characters may roll Stealth instead of Reflexes.

Occasionally, an ambusher may get an entire surprise action before Reflexes are rolled. This is in cases such as a ranged attack from hiding, where--if the victim hasn't noticed the ambusher by now--there is no chance to notice him until after the first attack.

Before a character has had a chance to act in combat, they are flat-footed. They do not make a defense roll, and the attack is resolved as a test rather than a contest: +1 for a stationary target, +0 if moving.

Combat Actions

Every round of combat (about 3 seconds, give or take a couple seconds), each active (conscious, aware of combat, and capable of acting) character gets to take an action. A character can generally perform one of the following sorts of actions:

• Move (including getting up and dropping prone)
• Attack (make an attack roll against one target)
• Defend (make no attack, but +1 to defense rolls until the character's next action)
• All-out-Attack (+1 to an attack or attack with two weapons; but -1 to defense rolls until the character's next action)
• Aim (+1 on next attack if target hasn't moved by then)
• Wait (and go later, after any action you choose, shifting to that place in the reflexes order for later actions)
• Ready (prepare a specific action to perform just before an action/event/precondition that you specify; your reflexes order does not change)
• Concentrate (focus about as intently as one does to make a physical attack)
• Total Concentration (withdraw into your inner world, largely oblivious to the surrounding world; treat as flat-footed for defense until the character's next action)

When making an attack, the attacker rolls an attack roll. The specific skill depends on the weapon used; in a combat-lite world, this might simply be the Melee, Ranged, or Unarmed skill. The target defender rolls a defense roll, which is generally Acrobatics (or equivalent dodging skill). However, if the attack is Unarmed or Melee, a defender may defend (parry) with Unarmed or Melee (if she has an appropriate weapon or free hand) instead.

If the attack roll is less than the defense roll, the attack missed. If the attack roll exceeds the defense roll, apply the weapon's damage to the target (minus any reduction due to the target's armor). If the attack roll is a critical hit (+4 over defense roll), +1 to the damage-level dealt. If the two rolls are equal, the attack clipped the target, dealing 0-level damage (see below).

Situational Combat Modifiers

+1 bonus to attack for each of the following:

• Superior position: flanking/behind, elevation
• Multiple opponents: outnumbering/surrounding (Could be +2 for 3 or more opponents)

+1 bonus to defense for each of the following:

• Cover: a shield, fighting around a door
• Prone or crouching behind cover (verses ranged attacks)

-1 penalties to attack and defense for each of the following:

• Handicapped: prone, one hand tied behind back, flickering shadowy lighting, etc.

Hit Locations (Optional)

For the most part, combat damage is left abstract. However, if is it important to determine where an attack hits (such as whether that area is armored or not), roll 1d6 to determine the general area:

1. Head and neck
2. Right arm and shoulder
3. Left arm and shoulder
4. Chest and ribs
5. Abdomen, hips, and groin
6. Legs

(If an even more specific area is required, divide the struck area into 6 parts and roll 1d6 again.) Damage in particular locations may impact what skills can be used. An attacker can make a "called shot" at -2 to the attack roll.

Injury

Each character has a capacity for physical damage, modeled as a series of check boxes. When a character takes damage, this "checks off" a box at the corresponding damage-level. If that level is full (all boxes checked), fill in a box on the next higher (well, lower in this table) level. Instead of checks, note what the actual wound was using either damage-level values (0, 1, 2, ...) or wound abbreviations (S, H, V, I, C). This is important later for healing--someone can be slowly pounded into a comatose state with only 0-level damage punches, but recover in a day or so of rest. Or they can be shot twice and take a month to recover.

The clipped state is best modeled with a paperclip or poker chip, as it disappears as soon as that player gets to act again. Clipped and wound penalties do not stack with each other; only the highest applies.

Durability skill: Unlike other skills, Durability does not affect rolls. Instead, each rank buys one more box on the next higher level: 1 rank for an extra Scratched box, another rank for an extra Hurt box, and so on. A high Fortitude grants an additional Scratched box, rather than stacking with Durability. And a low Fortitude subtracts a Scratched box.

Fatigue

Fatigue is an indication of mental exhaustion and nonlethal physical damage. It uses the same mechanism as physical damage, though in a separate table and with slightly different penalties. Fatigue damage also affects your mind, and so impacts all your skills; but it heals much faster.

Fatigue comes in two forms. The first is physical fatigue, usually from over-exertion. You may accumulate this if you are working hard over time (such as fighting or running for you life), or on failing Fortitude skill rolls. Mark such fatigue with a "P" (for "physical") on the chart. Mark all other fatigue--whether from mental strain, sleeplessness, disease, alcohol, etc--using the normal notation (numerical damage values or W/T/V/E/U).

Endurance skill: Endurance works just like Durability, only for the fatigue chart.

Clarification of the word "damage": Damage is either physical injury (called "physical damage" or simply "damage") or nonlethal impairment (called "fatigue damage" or simply "fatigue"). The difference between "physical damage" and "fatigue damage" is simple which chart they affect. Damage (of either form) also has an associated damage-level, which is a measure of the damage's severity. This simply determines at which level a box gets checked off. References to "a point of damage" or "1 fatigue" implies 0-level damage or fatigue. The norm is that damage results in the loss of only one box. The phrase "3 points of damage" is ambiguous in Zludge--this could either mean 3 points of 0-level damage, or one point of 3-level damage.

Healing and Recovery

A few minutes work with bandages (and maybe splints and tourniquets) and a successful Medical(First Aid) roll reduces wound game effects by one level. So a Hurt is no longer impairing, someone Incapacitated could now hobble around at -2, etc. Your injury chart doesn't not change, however: you still have the same wounds, they are just less impairing. A failure on a physical skill check can reopen your wounds, returning their full penalties.

Clipped/Scratched game effects last less than a round. However their appearance and presence on your character sheet persists for 2 days--you still feel a little tender and people can see you've been in a fight.

Other wounds heal at the rate of 1 level/week: Hurts become Scratches, Very Hurts become Hurts, etc. This healing time can be reduced 1 day per Medical bonus of the caregiver. (Assuming initial treatment followed by daily monitoring, the caregiver can take 0. If there is no later monitoring, make a roll.)

Fatigue heals a little differently. Physical fatigue heals one level/10 minutes of rest. Other fatigue heals at 2 levels/full night's sleep (or /full day of rest).

Supernormal Powers: City9 Psi

Supernormal powers are a special subset of skills, gifts, and limitations for a particular game setting. These are usually for a magic, psi, super powers, cybernetic augmentation, etc. See Fate for a good discussion of different kinds of magic systems.

What follows is the psi system for the City9 game world.

Powers

Three powers determine the underlying ways you can extend and exert your mental energy. A level of a single power is bought in exchange for an aspect. (You cannot invoke/"check-off" a level of power as you can an aspect--it simply lets you use your psi powers.) You must have at least one level of one power in order use a psi ability (provided you have the correct power required for that skill). Some psi skills, such as Telekinesis, require more than one power to be effective, making those abilities more expensive and "rarer" in the game world. You may not spend more than 2/3 of your character's aspects or skills on psi abilities.

Sometimes you can use your Power as a skill roll. In this case, each level of power is like a rank, where the "skill" defaults to -1 (Poor). You cannot use a plot point on such a power-skill roll.

You can always choose to use a lesser power level (less force, shorter range, etc.).

Projection

This power determine the range at which you can affect specific targets.

1. Touch
2. Indoor distance -- ~30 feet: close enough for good eye contact, a city bus length, across the living room, close enough to start a conversation with a friend approaching you
3. Building/Neighbor distance -- ~200 feet: the far corner of a good-sized house, from the front yard into the back, just into the house two doors down, into a restaurant from a car parked across the street, across a gym or auditorium
4. City block distance -- ~1000 feet: one or two city blocks (depending on their size), the other side of a football stadium, the distance you can just start to recognize someone you know well
5. Horizon -- ~3 miles: as far as you can see at sea-level

Diffusion

This power determines the radius at which you can affect the area around you (or all objects within that area)

1. Touch
2. Personal -- ~5 feet: close enough for a conversation with a friend or deep philosophy over a couple beers, elevator distance
3. Social -- ~10 feet: close enough for a conversation with an colleague or acquaintance in the hallway
4. Indoor distance -- ~30 feet: close enough to feel the need to either ignore or acknowledge someone
5. Hallway distance -- ~100 feet: the end of the hall in an apartment building, a large lecture hall, a movie theatre

Force

This power determines how much strength or force you can exert with your psi powers. Its use depends on the particular skill, but the following are the sorts of objects you can affect with the Telekinesis or Energy Control powers. Both weight and size of an object are important.

1. Finger-sized -- coin, key, die, wooden pencil, playing card, plastic spoon, pebble
2. Fist-sized -- deck of cards (in box), wallet, mug, thin paperback, empty can, rock
3. Forearm-sized -- hardcover book, phone handset, dinner plate, fresh bottle of beer, brick
4. Arm-sized -- laptop, dictionary, light lawn chair, garbage can, watering can
5. 1/2-body-sized -- child, bed-side table, wooden desk chair

Skills

There is no base Psi attribute. Psi skills have no pyramid requirements or limits on the number of ranks you can buy in a phase. You may specialize in psi skills as per the normal skill specialization rules. However, psi ranks and specialization costs twice the amount of normal skills.

Psi skills contain a number of subskills, which are listed in tiers of difficulty. To even attempt a certain subskill, you must have at least that skill modifier, whether through ranks or specialization. You also take the equivalent penalty to rolls in that subskill. For instance, to Astrally Project, you need at least +2 (Good) ESP. This could be bought with either 3 ESP ranks or 1 ESP rank and specialization in ESP(Astral Projection). All Astral Projection rolls are at -2. However, since you already have the equivalent requisite modifier, you can usually "Take 0" for most tasks.

To activate a psi ability, you must use the concentrate action, and then roll (or Take 0) for success. If you take damage while concentrating, roll Willpower - the damage taken to keep concentration. (Remember, an opponent can ready an attack for when you start concentrating.)

Most psi powers are maintained--you must concentrate every round to keep them going. Others are instantaneous, meaning they simply occur at the end of your concentrate action. Some powers are background powers, meaning you must concentrate only to turn them on or off. (Even background powers don't work when you're unconscious.) Some powers--such as ESP's Precognition--operate (at least partially) in a passive way--when the GM invokes them.

Some uses of psi require effort: they cost 1 fatigue and you cannot "Take 0" on the roll. Effort cannot be used on background or passive abilities.

You may choose to boost one or more of your power levels through exertion. This requires effort--stacking with its effects and subject to the same restrictions. For each level you add to one of your powers (Proj, Diff, or Force) for this roll, you take one point of fatigue damage at the next higher fatigue level. (So, in adding 2 levels, you would take one point of 1-level AND one point of 2-level fatigue damage.) Your skill roll is at -1. If the ability is maintained, you take one extra point of 0-level fatigue each round.

For example: Bob the Telepath has Projection 1. He is well-rested, but currently gagged and bound to a chair in a large warehouse, where his enemies lie in wait for Bob's friend, Greg, to come find him. Bob sees Greg through a small window, obliviously heading into danger; he wants to silently warn Greg with a short message. Bob can boost his Projection power to the required 3 through exertion. The initial effort means he will take 1 point of fatigue (meaning he'll be Winded afterwards) and can't Take 0. The additional exertion means the roll will be at -1. The extra two levels of fatigue means he checks off a Tired and a Very Tired box after the roll. Luckily, the message--"It's a trap! Come in the back."--is short enough that he doesn't have to maintain it next round, and so suffers no further fatigue. (If he had wanted to wait a round to read Greg's mental response, he would have to continue to concentrate and would take another Winded point of fatigue.)

You may be able to take some limitations or focuses in regards to your psi abilities. Example limitations include:

• Takes effort -- all your activations require effort (including starting background abilities)
• Takes longer -- takes two rounds to activate, rather than one
• Limited use -- only once per day, only once per minute, only when stressed, only when calm, uncontrollable (when stressed, your power acts up without your control; Static, Telekinesis, Energy Control only), unreliable (only works a certain % of the time; must wait one minute if it fails), unconscious only (all your activations are passive; ESP, Temporal Sense, Telepathy only).

You may be able to buy only one or two subskill abilities for cheaper than the whole skill. For example, if you can only cause Pain with your Static skill, you could buy two ranks for the price of one. Similarly, if you can only send with your Telepathy skill, you might be able to buy ranks at 1/3 the price. Talk to your GM about the details.

Additional special powers may be possible for high-powered psis, such as Psi Lobotomy, Mental Healing, Mindswap, Metabolism Control, Psychic Vampirism, or Teleportation.

Tips for the GM

Pre-Game

• Since the bulk of Zludge is skill rolls, you should take the time to create a skill list specific your world. You can also group them into any number of attribute categories. Try to balance the skills so that they are of roughly equal utility in the world. This doesn't need to be exact--characters tend to undertake the tasks they are good at, so every skill will get some use. But if some skills tend to dominate in your game, players will learn to only take those skills. Take the time to identify sub-skill domains--generally 3 to 6 per skill.
• A skill point can be divided into 6 pips. This is handy for extremely narrow specializations or when pricing gifts and limitations.
• Extras--gifts and limitations--cover abilities not handled by the bulk of the rules. Thus, they are left to the GM to price for their particular game.
• Beware using skill penalties as limitations. Players will likely want to penalize themselves on skills they don't plan on using anyway. If you grant extra skill ranks for such a limitation, consider offering only 1/3 (or somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4) of rank value of the penalty. For example, the player of an egghead character might want to be Gimpy--a penalty to Athletics rolls. To be worth one rank to spend on other skills, the penalty should be at least -3 (making the skill practically impossible). Probably a better approach would be to take a -1 on 3 physical skills (such as Athletics, Lifting and Breaking, and Unarmed Combat).

During the Game

• You may choose to simply "Take 0" for PCs on their passive checks if you don't want them to see you roll. Low-order NPCs can "Take 0" to speed the game, though rolling for them can provide some randomness when PCs also "Take 0".
• Occasionally you might like to stretch out a test or contest beyond a single check or roll, such as modeling each stage of a long battle. See Fate's Static and Dynamic Challenges for a nice way to do this.
• Don't stress too much about situational modifiers. They often balance each other out enough that they shouldn't (significantly) affect most rolls.
• However, if you do decide the situation makes a task noticeably harder (or easier) than normal, usually a -1 (or +1) is sufficiently significant. At average skill levels, this can decrease (or increase) chances of success by 20%! And yet it can be offset if the player is willing to spend an aspect or plot point.

License

Except for the names "Zludge"™ and "City9" (which are Product Identity), this entire document is Open Game Content as specified by the following OGL:

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

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2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

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7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

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15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document. Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

System Reference Document v3.5 HTML compilation. Copyright 2004, Sovelior Meliamne & Jason Olaf Jensen.

Fudge System 1995 version. Copyright 1992-1995 by Steffan O'Sullivan; Copyright 2005 by Grey Ghost Press, Inc.; Author Steffan O'Sullivan.

FATE (Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment). Copyright 2003 by Evil Hat Productions; Authors Robert Donoghue and Fred Hicks.

Zludge Roleplaying Game System. Copyright 2007 by Zach Tomaszewski.