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FU

FREEFORM / UNIVERSAL

A Roleplaying Game by Nathan Russell

david alvarez (Order #9925053)


1
Introduction 3
contents
Relationships 8 Stunts and Powers 14
Using this book 3 Its all about roleplaying now 8 Taking a Hit 14
Long or short term goals? 8 Action Summary 15
The Basics 4
How many Relationships? 8
What you need 4 Narrator 16
What you do 4 Dont be antagonistic 8
Talking is good 16
How you do it 4 Character Listening is good 16
Before play 4 Creation Summary 9 When playing 16
Talk before play! 4 3 Questions to
Action 10
The Insta-Genre-Generator 4 Scenes & Turns 10 frame your game 16
Who sets the scene? 10 What will characters do? 16
Characters 5
Concept 5 How do you set a scene? 10 How do players want to feel? 16
Descriptors 5 What is an objective? 10 What is the Narrators role? 16
Example Descriptors 5 Do scenes have to be in order? 10 Recovery 17
Clichs are your friend! 6 Do I have to use turns? 10 Rewards 17
Choosing Descriptors 6 Characters & Obstacles 17
Beating the Odds 11
Descriptors are clear 6 The Bowl 17
Closed Questions 11
Descriptors are innate 6 Advancement 17
Alternative Questions 11
Descriptors are finite 6 Tracking obstacles 17
Alternative Dice Rolls 11
What type of What do I share with players? 17
Success & Failure 12
Descriptor is this? 6 Modifiers 13 Race to the
What makes a good Example of Modifiers 13
Temple of Tot 18
Edge & Flaw? 6 Other types of rolls? 13 Before you begin 18
Should I specialise? 6 How do opposed Scenes 18
Alternative Descriptors 6 actions work? 13 Challenges 18
Dialing in on Your action 13 Characters 19
Gear 7
Example Gear 7 Option: Matching Dice 13 Appendix:
Choosing Gear 7 FU Points 14 Descriptors 21
Gear is equipment 7 Starting FU Points? 14 Body Descriptors 21
Describing Gear 7 Can I give / share FU Points? 14 Mind Descriptors 21
One adjective only 7 Do Narrators get FU points? 14 Edge Descriptors 22
Specific nouns 7 Other ways to earn FU 14 Flaw Descriptors 22

Talk about your Gear 7 Other ways to use FU 14 Character Sheet 23


Good Gear / Bad Gear 7 FU as Health 14
Stuff that isnt Gear 7 Re-Roll Everything 14
Description 8 Flip a Pip 14
Drives 8 Use a Prop 14

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introduction
FU is a game of action, adventure and fun! It is a Using this book
role playing game of grand proportions and stupefy- This book is filled with two types of information.
ing simplicity. FU lets you create exciting stories in any The first are the rules proper - the information that
setting imaginable, with a minimum of fuss, or even tells you how to play. The rules are laid out like the
preparation. information on this page, with clear headings and sub-
FU is first and foremost an easy game. This book headings. FU is pretty straightforward and you arent
will help you move from the thought Lets roleplay likely to need to do much referring to the rule book
in this setting... to actually playing within a matter of after your first game, but everything you need to know
minutes. Character creation is quick and intuitive, al- is presented clearly in this way.
lowing you to play any kind of character you desire,
and the game system itself is easy to learn and very Examples of rules are formatted like this. They
simple to use. are scattered amongst the main text and will help
FU is universal. Or generic. Or whatever you want you see the rules in action. You probably wont
to call it. These core rules are not wrapped around a need to read them either, after your first game.
specific background or setting, and make an effort to There are also sidebars at the bottom of many pages.
assume nothing. It is a basic system around which you Here you will find explanations of rules, detailed ex-
may create your own settings and stories. With that amples, guidelines on using rules in play, and optional
said, however, FU favours certain kinds of play. FU rules that you can incorporate into your games. The
lends itself to a seat of your pants style, where little sidebars are easy to spot as they are separated from the
preparation is needed. Narrators that enjoy running main text by a line, and presented in three columns.
adventures on the fly will certainly enjoy FU, as will Refer to this information if you need to clarify the
players that are tired of being told what they cant do, how or why of a particular rule.
instead of what they might achieve.

FU: Freeform / Universal Roleplaying Game


A game by Nathan Russell

FU by Nathan Russell is licensed under a Creative


Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

For more details on what this license means, attribution www.PerilPlanet.com


requirements, and a cool Powered By FU logo, visit
http://nathanrussell.net/fu

This game was completed as part of the National Game Design Month.
Find out more at www.nagademon.com

david alvarez (Order #9925053)


3
The Basics
FU is written with the assumption that at least one for the characters to overcome and adjudicate the rules
player is familiar with roleplaying games and has a when needed.
vague idea of how they work. If you dont have a clue Play is a kind of conversation, where everyone
what an RPG is, then start by finding someone who works together to put the characters in cool and/or
does! entertaining situations. Then you will use the dice to
help work out what happens next. Sometimes you will
What you need all be working together, throwing ideas around, sug-
To play FU you will need to gather a few things. gesting things and talking over the top of each other. It
Here is your shopping list; is chaos, but hopefully productive, fun chaos. At other
Dice: Standard six-sided dice are used to resolve times you are going to take it in turns to describe what
action in FU. You will need at least one, but it would your character is doing, and seeing how that turns out.
be better if players had about three each. Six sided dice
are referred to throughout the rules as d6. If a number How you do it
appears in front (such as 2d6 or 4d6) this indicates you To resolve any action where the outcome is not
should roll that many dice. clear, roll a d6. Your objective is to beat the odds by
Pencil and Paper: Players will need to record the rolling an even number. The higher the even number,
details of their character, important notes about their the better the result. If you roll an odd number, the
mission, and all kinds of other things. The Narrator action either failed, or wasnt quite as good as needed
will also need paper for keeping track of different ele- or expected. The lower the odd number, the worse the
ments of the story. result. When the environment, skills, equipment or
Scrap Paper: Narrators will find it useful to keep abilities make an action easier or harder you will get
a supply of paper handy, in order to draw rough dia- to roll multiple dice and keep the best or worst result.
grams, or keep track of the events of a story. A small
white board is also handy for such purposes. Before play
Before anything else, you and your friends must
What you do decide what type of game you want to play, who the
You and your friends are going to work together to characters are going to be, and where your story takes
tell a dramatic, exciting story. You will establish parts place. Knowing this will help players create cool char-
of the setting, and everyone will have a chance to in- acters, and direct the Narrator in the role they will take.
fluence that world. Most of the players will create a These decisions might already be made, either by
character who is going to be a major protagonist, one the Narrator, or a pre-made setting module. If not,
of the cool guys that gets things done. Each character work together to come up with something everyone is
has their own strengths, weaknesses and goals that will excited to play.
help you roleplay them. One player will be the Nar-
rator, who helps everyone along, presents challenges

Talk before play! scenes. This way everyone gets a clear The Insta-Genre-Generator
Have a conversation about the type picture of what the game is going to be For quick pick-up games, get every-
of game you will play, so everyone about. one to write two genres or settings on
starts in the same space. Establish This discussion will also clue the bits of paper. Stick them all in a hat and
tone, theme and/or expectations. It is Narrator in on what players want (or pick out two. Now you have Apocalypse
important to know whether you will be need) out of the game. It establishes Suburbia, Medieval Super-heroes,
cheered or jeered for outrageous over- whether players want to feel like epic Kung-Fu High School or whatever,
acting, or bloody acts of violence. heroes, down-trodden underdogs, or have a discussion about tone, theme,
tragic anti-heroes. possible plots and characters. Now play!
Throw around ideas on setting, im-
agery, set-pieces, cool clichs and funky

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Characters
In FU a character is your alter-ego. During a story Thinking about his Daredevil Explorer and the
you describe what the character does, how they re- kinds of things he might have gotten up to during
spond to situations, and react to others. his life, Dave decides on the following Descriptors;

Concept Body: Nimble


When you know the kind of setting or premise Mind: Level Headed
of the adventures you will be playing you can begin Edge: Use bull whip
thinking about your character. This is the kernel of Flaw: Afraid of heights
who or what the character is, and should be summed
up in just a few words or a phrase. Nina, inspired by classic pulp science fiction
The concept might define the characters back- stories, has decided on the following Descriptors
ground or occupation, such as paranormal detective for her character, the Alien Emissary;
or child prodigy. Or it might give insight into their
Body: Fragile
personality, such as noble savage or nutty professor.
Mind: Observant
Of course, the characters concept should fit into the
Edge: Read Minds
setting, background or types of adventures that you
Flaw: Alien Perspective
will be playing. A streetwise cop may be out of place
in medieval England, though a worldly sheriff might
be just right. Use the setting to inspire your character. Example Descriptors
This is by no means an exhaustive list, just some
Throughout this chapter we will follow Dave ideas to get you started. Each of these is described in
and Nina as they create their own characters. more detail in the Appendix (page 20).
With Tim, the Narrator, they have decided to play
a game based on the pulp serials of the 1930s, and Body: Agile, Ambidextrous, Blonde, Furry,
that it will be fairly whimsical and action-packed. Fake Orange Tan, Handsome, Huge, Overweight,
Dave thinks of a couple of his favourite movies Poor Constitution, Quick, Razor-sharp Claws,
and decides that the concept for his character will Short, Slow, Strong, Tall, Thin, Ugly, Vigour, Weak.
be Daredevil Explorer. Nina wants to play some-
Mind: Absent Minded, Book Smart, Comput-
thing a little unusual, and after discussing her
er-Wiz, Dim-Witted, Empathetic, Focused, Lat-
ideas with Tim and Dave decides her character
eral Thinker, Mathematician, Observant, Slow,
will be an Alien Emissary.
Uneducated, Wise, Witty.

Descriptors Edge: Acrobatics, Arcane Knowledge, Cour-


Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that age, Driving, Fencing, Good Memory, Hunting,
identify a characters skills and flaws, the things that Keen Sight, Linguistics, Magic, Medicine, Nasty
make their life easier and harder, and ultimately make Bite, Rich, Wrestling.
them who they are. They indicate the kinds of things
that a character is good at, their physical and mental Flaw: Blind, Brave, Clumsy, Greedy, In-hu-
traits, and any abilities or drawbacks they might have. man Appearance, Missing Leg, Old, Poor, Poor
They are both guides for your roleplaying and modi- Sight, Primitive, Smelly, Wanted, Young.
fiers to beat the odds rolls.
Characters have four Descriptors; Body, Mind,
Edge and Flaw. Choose an adjective or phrase to de-
scribe the most distinctive features of your character.

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Clichs are your friend! What type of Descriptor is this? want a wrestler, body builder or angry
It is totally okay to use clichs when Some Descriptors could easily fall green super hero! Give your brilliant
coming up with your concept. Clichs into more than one categoryGood scientist Mind: Book-Smart and Edge:
contain a host of ideas and concepts Memory might, for example, be a Mind Rocket Science. Just be aware the more
that we are immediately familiar with. Descriptor or an Edge; Ugly could be a you specialise, the harder you will have
When somebody says their character is Flaw or a Body Descriptor. Thats fine. It to work in scenes unrelated to your
a barbarian, we automatically picture is up to you, the Narrator and the other forte. Some players like this challenge.
them as heavily muscled, and uncivi- players to make a decision on whether a Alternative Descriptors
lised. Using clichs is a kind of a short- specific Descriptor is appropriate or not
The four default Descriptors (Body,
hand way to describe your character. for the stories you are telling.
Mind, Edge & Flaw) are not the only
Choosing Descriptors What makes a good Edge & Flaw? way to define your characters. Change
You should strive to be imaginative Things that might be called skills or or replace them to suit your game, set-
and honest. Consider both your concept feats or stunts in other games make ting and stories. In a game about giant
and the setting. Giving a character the great Edges - stuff like sword fighting, mecha you might replace Body and
Flaw cant swim when you know all breath underwater, and winning Mind with Chassis and Pilot, for ex-
the stories will take place in the desert is smile are all good examples. ample. In a game where everyone plays
hardly sporting. different types of were-creatures one
The best Flaws are personality traits Descriptor might become Animal Form.
Be imaginative, keep your concept in or physical shortcomings. Things like In these cases some of the advice in this
mind, and discuss your ideas with the always smells bad, or deaf are better sidebar might also need to be adjusted;
Narrator. The possibilities are endless. flaws than cant drive or cant speak Animal Form: Jaguar is broader than
French. Of course, there are always the Descriptors discussed here, but is to-
Descriptors are clear
exceptions. If the characters are British tally appropriate to capture the ideas of
A good Descriptor is understood by spies during the Napoleonic wars, not
everyone at the table. If you or another your game. Use your imagination and
speaking French would be a real draw- modify things as needed!
player think a Descriptor is ambiguous, back. Likewise, the Flaw cant swim
talk about it. It might need to be re- becomes a great feature in a game of
written, but it might not either. You just pirates and sea battles. Look for ways
want everyone to be on the same page to challenge your character, add spice
when it comes time to using it. to games, and present obstacles to over-
Descriptors are innate come.
Each Descriptor is an integral and Should I specialise?
innate part of the character. They can- You can focus your Descriptors on
not normally be taken away, lost or a single concept and specialise. For
removed (though they might be forgot- a really awesome warrior give them
ten or restricted under the right circum- Body: Strong, Mind: Tactician, Edge:
stances). Do not make your Descriptors Melee and Flaw: Reckless. It would be
items of equipment. very easy to bring most of these descrip-
Descriptors are finite tors into play whenever you get into
Each Descriptor should have one or a fight. BUT, there isnt a lot of depth
two obvious uses or a specific purpose. there and you are going to be in a bind
It might also be applicable in a range when in noncombat situations. Instead,
of other unforeseen circumstances, but you might replace a couple of Descrip-
you will find that out in play. Medicine tors with more versatile options; Body:
is better than Doctor, for example, as Tough, Mind: Focused, Edge: Melee
the latter could be used in a variety of and Flaw: Reckless.
non-medical situations (As a Doctor, I Describe your characters Body as
am well educated and quite wealthy...). Huge and their Edge as Strong, if you

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Gear Example Gear
Gear is the equipment, gadgets, and weapons that Like the example Descriptors, this list is not in any
a character will use on their adventures. All characters way exhaustive. It barely scratches the surface of what
have the basic clothes or items that are appropriate to your character might possess.
their concept. Gear is the important and cool stuff that Clothes: Designer Jeans, Slinky Black Dress
a character carries. (lets count black dress as the noun), Filthy Un-
Like Descriptors, a characters Gear will modify derpants, Worn Jacket, State-of-the-art Space
beat the odds rolls. Gear can be anything - guns and Suit, Silk Smoking Jacket, Beat-up Fedora, Tall
knives to fancy clothes, credit cards, a horse, mobile Powdered Wig.
phone, or even a star ship. Like Descriptors, your char-
acters Gear depends on character concept, game set- Weapons: Rusting Sabre, Heavy Axe, My
ting, and the stories you want to tell. Unlike Descrip- Fathers Service Revolver, Concealed Dagger, Ex-
tors, Gear is always made up of an adjective and noun; perimental Flamethrower, Fake Revolver, Reliable
Rusting Sword, Long Rope, Fast Horse, Long-ranged AK-47, Rubber Mallet.
Rifle, Dads Camero, Heavy Armour.
Your character has two items of Gear. Choose two Transport: Faithful Horse, Beat-up Buick,
items for your character. Bullet-proof Limo, Squeaky Clown Shoes, Tuned-
up Street Racer, Girls Bicycle, Unreliable Coupe,
Dave decides his Daredevil Explorer to have a
Rickety Wagon, Fast Motorcycle, Grandmas Run-
Sturdy Bull Whip, since he is quite skilled with it,
about.
and a Worn Leather Jacket to keep out the cold
and offer a little protection from scrapes and falls. Other Stuff: Huge Backpack, Miniature
Flag, Heavy RPG Books, Faithful Hound, Dented
Nina thinks about her Alien Emissary before
Frying Pan, Water-damaged Notebook, Ancient
deciding on some Official Documents that indi-
Spell Book, My Favourite Pet Rock.
cating her political status, and some Exotic Robes,
designed to impress and inspire awe.

Choosing Gear Like Descriptors, the description of Gear is not innately good or bad.
Items should be iconic to your your Gear should be clear - you dont What you do with it and the situations
character. Think Batmans Sinister want to be guessing at the purpose or you find yourself in will dictate whether
Batsuit, the Ghostbusters Unstable main feature of an item. having an item is useful or not.
Proton-packs, James Bonds Reliable One adjective only Good Gear / Bad Gear
Berretta, or Zorros Flashing Blade.
The description of your gear should You can, if you want, dictate that
Each piece of Gear should add some- have a single adjective - no less and no one piece of Gear must have a good
thing to your characters background, more. A Sharp Sabre is okay, as is a adjective, and the other a bad one.
personality or goals. It should make a Magic Sword, but a Sharp Magic Sabre You might have a Warm Jacket and an
statement about who the character is or is not allowed. Old Gun; or a Fast Motorcycle and a
what they do. Maxed-out Credit Card.
Specific nouns
Gear is equipment Choose specific, descriptive nouns; Stuff that isnt Gear
Gear is never innate - it can be Sabre is better than Sword, Baseball Any objects, items or equipment that
dropped, lost, broken and stolen. A Cy- Cap is better than Hat. You can use are not listed as Gear are props. Props
bernetic Arm is not Gear, but an Ar- more than one noun, but keep the de- have no effect on a characters chance
moured Power Glove is. scription to as few words as possible. of success at an action - they are merely
window-dressing. However, you can
Describing Gear Talk about your Gear
swap, steal and pick-up another charac-
When describing gear make the ad- Discuss your Gear. Everyone needs ters Gear and use that!
jective tell us something useful and/or to be clear on what you are describing;
interesting about it. A Long Dagger is what the Gear will be useful for, and
okay, a Broken Dagger is better! when it might be a hindrance.

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Description What is stopping you? What obstacle or adver-
By now, you should have a good idea of who your sary is stopping you from getting what you want?
character is. Now it is time to fill in all the other details. What will you do? What is the next step to get
This is the bit where you describe the characters what you want? What are you willing to do to succeed?
appearance and personality, their past, goals, friends, Tennessee Smith is in search of the Idol of Tot,
enemies, and any other detail you think important or an artefact he has coveted for decades. His rival,
interesting. Giles Fishburne is also after the idol and always
Dave takes a moment to note a few things seems to be one step ahead. Tennessee is desperate
about the Daredevil Explorer; to succeed this time and will do almost anything
to get the idol - though he would never kill for it.
Tennessee Smith is a mild-mannered professor
of history, but in his spare time he travels into the Lumina seeks freedom for all the people of Jupi-
wilderness in search of lost artefacts and treasure. ter. Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an iron
Ruggedly handsome, he always seems to keep his fist, and his agents are always on the look out for
cool, no matter how much danger he is inand renegades. Lumina is willing to put her own life on
he tends to get into a lot of it! the line to achieve her vision.

Ninas description of the Alien Emissary is; Relationships


Choose at least one other character that will take
Lumina is an important diplomat from the part in the story and write a short statement about
planet Jupiter, which is ruled by the Dread Lord your relationship with them. This should be clear and
Kang. Like all her kind, she has purple skin, a bald add some interesting depth to both characters back-
head, and delicate features. Lumina works for the grounds. For example; Old drinking buddies; Dated
Jupiter Underground, attempting to overthrow the same woman; Fought in the war together; Were
Dread Lord Kang. trained by the same master.
Dave writes; Tennessee Smith and Lumina met
Drives at Harvard where Lumina was giving a presen-
Every character has a purpose - a goal they are striv-
tation on the ancient cultures of Jupiter. Nina is
ing to achieve. It may not be world changing (though
happy with this, adding only that both characters
it can be) but it should be important to that character.
were attracted to each other but Lumina is too fo-
Ask the following questions of your character;
cussed on her mission to have any romantic dal-
What do you want? What is it that you desire,
liance.
the thing that drives you to action?

Its all about roleplaying now Long or short term goals? work together to decide on a relation-
Your Description, Drives and Re- When choosing your Drive you are ship, or you can have separate, unre-
lationships all help develop your char- free to pick long or short term goals. If lated or opposed relationships (for
acter and put them into the world of you are only playing a one-off game, example; In love with/Repulsed by).
your stories and adventures. The Narra- then it is a better idea to pick something Dont be antagonistic
tor might occasionally give you a bonus that will have an immediate impact on
Dont create Drives or Relationships
to dice rolls because of the information the plot. If you are planning a series of
that will have characters constantly at
you reveal here, but that is by no means games, then by all means come up with
each others throats. It is okay to have
required. a longer-term goal for your character.
characters that dont see eye-to-eye (in
Use your Drives and Relationships How many Relationships? fact, that can be fun!), but dont have
to inform the way you roleplay your Two is a good number of Relation- them hate each other. You want the
character, the way they interact with the ships to begin with. Pick two different characters to function together in order
other players characters and the world characters and decide how they know to defeat the antagonist, solve the mys-
around them. each other. You and another player can tery or complete the mission!

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Character Creation
Summary
Concept
Who is your character? What is the High Concept?
Clichs and archetypes are okay!

Descriptors
Identify the four most important or interesting features of your character,
one each for Body, Mind, Edge and Flaw.
Each Descriptor should be short, punchy, clear, innate and finite.

Gear
What cool, iconic stuff does your character carry?
Choose two items of gear, describing each with an adjective and noun
(e.g. Sharp Sabre; Fast Motorcycle).

Description
What does your character look like? What is their name? Where are they
from? What makes them interesting and unique?

Drives
What does your character want? What is stopping them? What will they do
to get it?

Relationships
How do the characters know each other? What connections do they have?

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Action
In FU you and the other players work together to Scenes might be resolved through dice rolls, but they
tell exciting stories about your characters. It is not dont have to be. It is entirely possible that a scenes
about winning or even competing with anyone, but it objective is met through roleplaying and character in-
is about everyone having fun while you create this col- teraction.
laborative story. When it is important to know the specific actions
of each character and the order in which they occur,
Scenes & Turns a scene is broken into turns. A turn is a period long
Play is broken into scenes and turns. A scene is a enough for each character to take a single action,
period of story involving a specific situation, location whether that be to make an attack, deliver a rousing
or group of characters. Scenes are the primary building speech, throw an object to a companion, look up some
blocks of the story and can represent anything from a information on their iPhone, or perform some other
few seconds to many hours of time. Each scene should task.
have a specific objective and the scene ends when that Players declare what action their characters are
objective has been addressed. A scene should advance taking, while the Narrator decides what the other
the plot of the story, reveal information about a char- characters and creatures are going to do. Everyone
acter, or add background colour to the events being then works together to decide what order everything
described. Often a scene will do all of these things at occurs. When all the characters involved have had a
the same time. chance to act the turn ends. A new turn will begin, if
During a scene players and Narrator describe what necessary.
the characters are doing. Players act out their char- It is worth pointing out at this point that only play-
acters, speaking for them and declaring what actions ers roll dice. This leaves the Narrators hands and mind
they take, while the Narrator does the same for all the free to scheme and plot and prepare for the next excit-
other characters, creatures and monsters in the scene. ing encounter.

Who sets the scene? all the senses; point out interesting or story lines and even montages can be
Players might suggest scenes they important details of the location; and played out in scenes. While most of the
would like to see or be involved in, but all the characters involved. Consider the time your scenes will occur in a chrono-
most of the time the Narrator decides objective of the scene as you create it. logical order, you do not have to be re-
what scenes occur and in what order stricted by this.
What is an objective?
they happen. Discussion might occur Do I have to use turns?
An objective can be anything that
about the order events occur in, what
a player or character wants. Character Turns are an optional measurement
is happening, where it is happening and
objectives might include finding a piece of time, useful for when a variety of stuff
who is involved before the Narrator
of information, defeating an enemy, is being attempted by several charac-
makes a final call on all these matters.
talking to someone, travelling a small or ters. Use them to organise the action as
Some groups like to give everyone a great distance, preparing for battle, con- needed. Some scenes will naturally fall
turn at setting a scene, and that is to- ning a mark, or stealing an object. Play- into turns, while others will be resolved
tally cool, too. er objectives could include seeing their without ever considering them.
character in a cool fight, solving the
How do you set a scene?
mystery, revealing a secret about their
Setting a scene is a matter of defin- character, or interacting with a specific
ing where and when the action takes character or player. Often, player and
place, who is there, and what has just character goals overlap.
happened or what is about to happen.
Location, Characters, Event, or Where, Do scenes have to be in order?
When, Who & What. You can use all the techniques of sto-
ries, novels and movies, which means
When describing the scene draw on
flashbacks and flash forwards, parallel

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Beating the Odds We are going to follow the trials and tribula-
When a character attempts an action where the tions of two characters from two different settings
outcome is not immediately and/or completely obvi- in this chapter;
ous, you make a beat the odds roll.
Sir Camden is riding after the evil Lord Kane.
To resolve an action roll a d6. Your objective is to
He sees Lord Kane leap a tall hedgerow, disappear-
beat the odds by rolling an even number. The higher
ing into the forest beyond. Sir Camden now tries
the even number, the better the result. If you roll an
to leap the hedge, so you roll a d6, scoring 2. Sir
odd number, the action either failed, or wasnt quite as
Camdens horse clears the hedge, but Sir Camden
good as needed or expected. The lower the odd num-
is jostled about in the saddle and is momentarily
ber, the worse the result. There is a handy chart below
confused.
that helps illustrate this idea.
The beat the odds roll is the heart of FU. While most Captain Vance ducks as another hail of bullets
of the time even numbers are good and odd numbers peppers the wall he is hiding behind. Grabbing a
are bad, the precise situation will dictate the actual re- damaged radio, he flicks some switches and tries
sults. It may be that the roll of a 1 does not indicate an to call HQ for back-up. You roll a d6 and score a 1.
outrageous failure, so much as a success in the most Vance fails to find the right frequency and a stray
minimal or fragile of ways. bullet hits the radio, destroying it.

Roll Do you get what you want?


6 Yes, and... You get what you want, and something else.
4 Yes... You get what you want.
2 Yes, but... You get what you want, but at a cost.
5 No, but... You dont get what you want, but its not a total loss.
3 No... You dont get what you were after.
1 No, and... You dont get what you want, and things get worse.

Closed Questions Alternative Questions Alternative Dice Rolls


FU uses a closed question format to You can pose different questions Some players are not fans of the
help resolve actions. A closed question if you want, though you will have to even/odd results. Many prefer a 1-3
can only be answered with a yes or change the result chart. An obvious Bad, 4-6 Good result. In that case the
no statement. When you reach a situ- question is How well do I succeed? result chart would look like this;
ation that needs to be resolved by dice, This might garner the following results;
propose a closed question; Do I leap Roll Do you get what you want?
the chasm?; Do I punch that jerk in Roll How well do you succeed? 6 Yes, and...
the nose?; Does the tavern wench fall 6 Legendary success 5 Yes...
for my easy charm and winning smile?. 4 Complete success 4 Yes, but...
The roll of the die will answer the ques- 2 Only just succeed 3 No, but...
tion and guide your response.
5 Fail by the smallest margin 2 No...
A lot of the time you wont need to 3 Complete failure 1 No, and...
ask the question explicitly - it will be ob-
1 Epic failure, and then some
vious from the action you attempt; you
take a run up and leap from the edge of Feel free to come up with your own
the chasm. Roll. questions and answers, as suits the
needs of your group, game and story.

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Success & Failure Yes and No are pretty straight forward - they tell you
When you make a beat the odds roll your character whether the action succeeded or not. The and and but
will either succeed at what they were attempting, or are qualifiers that modify how good the success or how
they wont. This is usually enough to push your story bad the failure was. When you get a qualifier you make
further along, but other things can happen too. an extra statement about how the action succeeded or
When you attempt an action, you are asking Does failed. This extra statement can add a Condition to a
my character get what they want? There are six pos- character or a Detail to a scene.
sible answers to this question; Conditions: These are physical, mental or social
effects that impact on the way a character behaves or
Yes, and...
attempts actions. Conditions include things like an-
Yes... gry, confused, tired and unconscious. There are several
listed on the FU character sheet, and there is space for
Yes, but... you to write your own.
No, but... Details: These are features of an environment or
scene that might change as a result of an action. Details
No... might include curtains catching fire, windows break-
ing, animals running off, or machinery stalling. De-
No, and...
tails are always closely tied to the scene and the action.

Examples of Success & Failure Who chooses Conditions & you, but have the tired Condition. Ap-
Going back to an earlier example, Details? plying Conditions in this way will likely
lets see what might have happened Anyone can suggest a Condition or give player characters an advantage
when we apply each possible answer to Detail that they feel is appropriate to later in the scene.
the question the action taken and result achieved. When should I use Details?
Usually the player that rolled the dice
Does Sir Camden leap the hedge? Apply Details when the action is like-
and the Narrator will work together to
ly to change the scene or environment in
Yes, and he catches up with Lord come up with a suitably dramatic effect.
some way. This might be a change in the
Kane. This is a Detail that changes the But really, anyone at the table should
power dynamic of the scene (Yes, he
scene. throw in whatever cool idea they have.
leaps the hedge and he catches up with
Yes, he leaps the hedge. There is no The Narrator always has final say Lord Kane.); or a change in the physical
and/but qualifier so no Condition or over what Condition or Detail is ap- environment (No, but he spots a gap in
Detail is added. plied to a result. the hedge.).
Yes, but Sir Camden is disoriented When should I use Conditions? Details are often applied when the
and momentarily confused. This is a Like all qualifiers, it depends on acting character gains some advantage
Condition applied to the character. situation. In the examples above Con- (Yes, and / No, but). They can be used
No, but he spots a gap in the hedge ditions are applied to the acting player to great effect, however, to make situa-
further along. This Detail gives the char- when things dont quite go right for tions more entertaining and / or dan-
acter another way to continue the chase. them (Yes, but / No, and). The Condi- gerous;
tions make life a bit more difficult for Do you swing across the room on
No, the horse shies away from the
the character because of the minimal the chandelier? Yes, but candles fall
jump. There is no and/but qualifier so
success or outright failure. loose and set fire to the tavern.
no Condition or Detail is added.
You can also apply Conditions to Details can provide instant or on-
No, and his horse rears up, throwing
the target of an action, when things are going effects, depending on the circum-
him to the ground, causing an injury.
going right for your character. If you stances. A gap in the hedge can be used
This is a Condition.
are debating with a bureaucrat and get immediately to continue the chase; a
a Yes, and result you might apply the burning tavern will continue to be a
confused Condition to the target. If you hazard until someone puts the fire out!
attempt to outrun an enemy and get the
No, but result they might catch up with

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Modifiers Captain Vance decides to run to a near-by jeep.
Sometimes circumstances, equipment and skill will The Narrator points out there is no cover between
make actions easier or harder. Modifiers change the Vances hiding spot and the vehicle. Does Vance
number of dice you get to roll when taking action. get to the jeep uninjured? You roll 2d6, scoring
Making Things Easier: Roll an additional die a 3 and a 5. You must accept the 3 and Captain
for each Descriptor, piece of Gear, Condition or De- Vance is injured as he reaches the jeep...
tail that provides some advantage to the action being Cancelling Out: One beneficial die cancels out
taken. The result is the single best (not necessarily one hindering die, so you will never be rolling nega-
highest) die roll, as the player chooses. tive and positive dice at the same time.
In the woods, Sir Camden tries to track Lord Later in his quest, Sir Camden must scale a
Kane. You point out that the knight is a good sheer (-) cliff. The knight is strong (+) and has
hunter, so you get an extra d6. Rolling 2d6, you a rope (+). Overall, this means a single bonus to
score a 5 and a 4. Keeping the 4 it is decided that the action (the sheer cliff and the knights strength
after a brief search Sir Camden finds Lord Kanes cancel each other out, just leaving the rope). You
tracks and follows them to a sinister citadel... roll 2d6, scoring a 3 and 6.
Making Things Harder: Roll an extra die for
each Descriptor, bit of Gear, Condition or Detail that
makes the action harder. The result is the single worst
die roll.

Example of Modifiers roll too. Is the opponent weak? You get Option: Matching Dice
Captain Vance hurtles along in the a bonus die. Is the opponent a world Rolling doubles, triples or quadru-
jeep, when a guard tries to drag him champion arm wrestler? You factor in ples can make a success much better or
out through the window. Will Vance a penalty die. And so on, until every- a failure far worse. If your result die has
shake the guard off? It is hard (+) to thing is factored in. When you know a match the effects will be much more
drag Vance out the window, but he is how many bonus and/or penalty dice dramatic. You may add one and...
wounded (-) and surprised (-), and the you have, roll. If the result is an even statement for each matching die. If the
attacker is very strong (-). In total you number, you win the contest; if the final action is failed this statement should
must roll 2 penalty dice. You roll 3d6 result is an odd number, your opponent make the situation worse. If the action
scoring a 2, 4 and 3, and must take the has the advantage. is a success the additional statement(s)
worst result, the 3. The guard wrestles Dialing in on Your action should make the situation even better.
Vance out of the jeep.
Sword fights, political debates, space For example, Sir Camden faces Lord
Other types of rolls? races, international wars, arguments Kanes henchmen. Will Sir Camden de-
FU has no such thing as opposed and gun battles are all resolved using feat the henchmen? He is injured and
rolls or contested actions, damage the beat the odds roll. The key is to dial outnumbered so you will roll 2 penalty
rolls and rolling to hit. The beat the in or out of the action through the kind dice. You roll and score 3, 3, and 2. You
odds roll is the only kind of roll used of questions you attempt to resolve. You must take the worst result - the double
in FU, whether you are trying to drive can fight a dramatic sword fight and ex- 3! Normally this would be a No... re-
a car through a crowded mall, arm change a series of blows by asking Do sult, but the matching 3 turns it into a
wrestle a giant, or shrug off the damage I hit the Count De Montief?. But you No, and.... If you had rolled triple 3
caused by a stray bullet. could also resolve the entire fight with the result would have been No, and...,
a single roll by asking Do I defeat the and...!
How do opposed actions work?
Count De Montief in a duel?. Or, take
For a start, only players ever roll it to the next level and ask Do my men-
dice. You begin by factoring in all the at-arms storm the Count De Montief s
bonuses (+) and penalties (-) that apply castle? Adjust the dial as necessary!
to your character. Then you take stock
of all the factors that would apply to
the opponent, and apply those into your

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FU Points die before a roll, then another FU Point to re-roll a die
FU Points are a resource that you spend to improve afterwards.
a characters chance of success at an action. They can Back at HQ, Captain Vance tries to convince
be used in two ways; General Wallace to deploy the Rocket Troops un-
Bonus Die: Spend a FU Point before a beat the der his command. Vance doesnt have much going
odds roll to add a single bonus die. This works like any for him in this situation, in terms of Descriptors,
other bonus die. You can add as many bonus dice as so you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll. You
you have FU Points, but they must all be declared at roll the basic die, plus the two bonus dice, getting
the same time. a 1, 1 and 3. Not happy with this, you spends your
Re-roll: Spend a FU Point after a beat the odds last FU Point on a re-roll. You pick up one of the
roll to re-roll a single die. The second result must stand 1s and throw the die again...
- you cannot re-roll a re-roll. You can re-roll as many
Earning FU Points: FU Points are earned during
dice as you have FU Points, but you must declare them
play for doing cool stuff and roleplaying your charac-
all at the same time, before the first die is re-rolled.
ter. Whenever you do something that stops play and
You can spend multiple FU Points on any given
makes everyone go Wow!, or laugh out loud at your
action, and for either or both effects. It is completely
antics, or anything else that everyone thinks should be
within the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
rewarded, you earn a FU Point.

Starting FU Points? lose out to The Man. Decide if these are Flip a Pip
The number of FU Points you begin the only ways to earn FU, or if they are Spend a FU Point to adjust a single
a game with should be discussed before in addition to the normal roleplaying die up or down by one pip. Spend mul-
play begins. The more FU Points play- rewards. This decision will also have a tiple FU points to adjust a die multiple
ers begin with, the more easily they will dramatic effect on the tone of play. See pips. This option is more reliable than
achieve successes. If playing games of what you can do with it. a re-roll as you will always be able to
high adventure or over-the-top action, Other ways to use FU turn a no into a yes. If you used this
it would be reasonable to begin with 2 variant the normal re-roll rule should
Play around with FU Points. Experi-
FU Points. Super-powered heroes might not be used.
ment, or adjust the ways you use them
begin with as many as 3 FU Points. For
to suit your gaming group or the type Use a Prop
grittier games each player might only
of story you are playing. Here are some Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
begin with 1 FU Point, or even none.
suggestions; an item of Gear for the duration of the
Can I give / share FU Points? scene.
FU as Health
That is up to you and your group.
Rather than having a varying and Stunts and Powers
The default is no, but...
changeable number of FU points, every Give characters special abilities,
Do Narrators get FU points? character begins with 3. They can be skills or powers that can only be used by
Usually, no, but they might allow a spent as normal, but can also be lost spending a FU Point. These should be
powerful villain or monster to have one, when the character suffers physical or more powerful than Descriptors - make
two or three. mental stress (injuries, fatigue, fear, them break the rules or give a superhu-
etc). FU in this instance can be refreshed man knack, like the ability to fly or read
Other ways to earn FU (brought back up to 3) by roleplaying minds, teleport, or whatever.
You might like to change the way you out a (non-dice rolling) scene with an-
earn FU Points. You might earn them other character that reveals something Taking a Hit
for dealing the killing blow to monsters, about your relationship. Instead of rolling, declare you are
achieving your characters goal, or roll- taking a hit. All the dice you should
Re-Roll Everything
ing multiple 1s or 6s. have rolled are treated as if they rolled
Spend a FU point to re-roll all your 1s (yes, if you are holding 5 dice, they
This is a really good way to change dice. This is an all-or-nothing thing, so count as five 1s!). In return for your suf-
the tone or style of the game. Want to you cant keep a couple of good results fering you earn a FU Point.
play a dungeon crawl? Reward FU for and roll the rest. Use this variant in-
killing monsters. A gritty dystopian stead of the normal re-roll rule.
game? Reward FU when the characters

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Action
Summary
Set the Scene
Where does the scene take place? Who is there? What do they want? Do
you need to break down into turns?

Act
Roleplay your character and describe what is going on. Push toward the
objective.

Ask a Question
When you need to resolve a conflict or complete an action ask a closed
question (e.g. Do I succeed?)

Factor in modifiers
+1 bonus die for every Descriptor, item of Gear, Detail, Condition or other
feature that makes the action easier.
+1 penalty die for every Descriptor, item of Gear, Detail, Condition or other
feature that makes the action harder.

Roll
Roll all your dice. The result is the single best die (if rolling bonus dice) or
single worst die (if rolling penalty dice).

Describe result
Use the die result to describe how the conflict or action turned out. Apply
Conditions or Details as necessary.

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Narrator
Following is some simple, straightforward advice much as the players do.
for Narrators. It is all fairly generic because all the spe- Keep things simple: Do not complicate your job
cific stuff is going to relate to the genre, tone and style by introducing lots of sub-plots or convoluted twists.
of game that you and your players choose to play. Things will get all messed about by themselves and the
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamed
Talking is good of.
Start your game with a conversation. Talk about You are not the enemy: this may seem obvious,
what players want out of the game, what you want, and but is worth stating. Your role is to help guide the story
where those ideas overlap. Those overlaps are likely in interesting directions, not to kill everyone. You can
where everyone is going to have the most fun. At the give players hints and ideas if you think this will lead to
very least you should work together to establish the a better story. Sometimes you will portray the adver-
genre and tone of your shared story. Talk about this saries, and are expected to do so vigorously but fairly.
stuff too, so that everyone is clear of the specifics (there Other times you will get to be an ally, companion, or
is a world of difference between Gothic horror and peer, and once again you should be true to the spirit of
splatter films, for example). the game.
Talk during the game too. Encourage players to Say Yes: if players make suggestions or ask ques-
share ideas and give input into scenes, objectives and tions it is probably because they are interested in what
the challenges characters face. If you need to clarify is going on. They probably have a cool idea to introduce
ideas, themes or issues then do that. to the story. Encourage this and confidently say yes
to requests. This doesnt mean you should let players
Listening is good get anything they want but you should let players in-
If there is going to be talk there needs to be listen- troduce elements into the story when the time is right.
ing. Listen to your players and the things they tell you, Make rolls meaningful: Every time you call
either in conversation or when they do things with for a die roll it should mean something interesting is
their character. Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors going to happen, NO MATTER THE RESULT. Dont
written on the players character sheets, because that is have players make rolls if the result is not important to
what they think is cool. the story, or if failure will stop the momentum of the
story.
When playing
When running games dont plan too much ahead
of time. The dice rolls are going to direct a lot of the
action, and you and the players will fill in the gaps by
applying Conditions and Details. Here are some tips
to keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as

3 Questions to frame your game How do players want to feel? sent the characters in order to achieve
When you begin a game talk with Do the players want to feel like they the above? Do you need to ensure every
the players about their expectations. Try are changing the world? Like their char- challenge is accompanied by a generous
to answer the following three questions; acter is gaining in wealth, prestige or reward? Are you going to make every
power? Or do they want to feel like their fight hard but fair? Will you be relent-
What will characters do? less in the pursuit of the antagonists
backs are against the wall and their lives
Do players want to kick in doors, constantly at risk? goals?
kill monsters and take home piles of
What is the Narrators role? Answer these questions and every-
treasure? Do they want to feel like epic
one at the table will be clear on their
heroes? Or the underdogs, struggling What kinds of challenges, encoun-
role in the coming adventure.
against ridiculous odds? ters and situations are you going to pre-

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Recovery How much, how often? Be generous with your
During games characters can suffer injuries, be- rewards, as the positive reinforcement of earning FU
come physically or mentally stressed, and be afflicted Points will inspire them on to greater acts of heroism,
by a range of other Conditions. Conditions are always spectacle or depravity, as the case may be. Also, take
recovered at a time and/or rate appropriate to the sto- into account whether this will be a one off game, or
ry. This is usually with the passing of time, but does a part of an ongoing story or campaign - players are
not have to be. A good rule of thumb is that one or likely to burn through FU Points faster in a singe ses-
more Conditions can be removed/recovered between sion game and will need their resources replenished
scenes, though this will depend on the timing of such faster.
encounters.
Characters & Obstacles
Rewards All the characters, monsters, traps, villains, terrain
Reward players for good roleplaying and achieving features, creatures and obstacles that are encountered
goals by giving them FU Points. You may also reward during a story are defined in much the same way as
them for a variety of other reasons, as your group de- characters. You are not confined by any rules or re-
cides (see the sidebar on page 12). FU Points can be strictions when creating characters or obstacles, the
used to improve a characters chance of success and are only thing you must do is make them entertaining and
therefore a great immediate, tangible reward. You dont interesting.
have to be the only one at the table offering rewards,
though. All players should speak up when someone
has done something cool, funny or awesome, and re-
ward a FU Point.

The Bowl Goals might also change from game Playing an open table means eve-
One technique for rewarding FU session to game session. Give players ryone is clear about what is going on,
Points is to place a bowl of beads, chits time to consider their goals at the start what opportunities exist for cool scenes
or tokens in the centre of the table. Each of each session and let them adjust or and actions. Players can see what Gear,
bead is a FU Point. The Narrator can change them as necessary. Conditions and Descriptors are in
tell players to take one from the bowl, play and incorporate them into scenes.
Tracking obstacles
and other players can reach in when it is Keeping the details of villains, traps
Use sticky-notes or index cards to
appropriate to reward a player, by pass- and other obstacles from the players
record details about your characters,
ing a bead from the bowl. This requires will push them to test their enemies, ex-
monsters and obstacles. Write down
trust between players and Narrator, but plore the environment, and try different
Descriptors, Gear and other info. As
makes the running of the game very things. They can manoeuvre themselves
they suffer Conditions, record those on
smooth as no-one has to stop and ask; and situations in directions they think
the card.
Does that deserve a FU Point? will be advantageous. It is always satis-
Use index cards to record important fying to be rewarded with bonus dice for
Advancement
terrain features, too. Write down any accurately guessing an enemys Descrip-
FU is not a game about levelling Descriptor(s) pertaining to the feature tors.
up. While characters might have a so players can take them into account
variety of experiences and learn from as they plan their actions.
them, the real advancement comes from
the changing story and/or world. What do I share with players?
Some groups play open, making no
If appropriate, players can change
secret of the Descriptors and details of
one Descriptor between game sessions.
creatures and monsters. Other groups
This alteration should relate in some
(and/or Narrators) keep this informa-
way to the experiences and story their
tion hidden from players. Both options
character just participated in. Gear can
provide for different styles of play.
be changed between sessions at the Nar-
rators discretion.

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Race to the Temple of Tot
Tennessee Smith, famed explorer, has finally Escape the Bulak Market
got a solid lead on the whereabouts of the ancient Scene: Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
Idol of Tot, an object of reported supernatural of Bulak - Midday. Tall stone and mud-brick buildings
power. Unfortunately, Smiths arch enemy Giles with narrow arched windows surround the central
Fishburne is also on the trail of the Idol, and has market; stalls and cafes, bars and emporiums run off
thrown his lot in with the Nazis! in all directions along winding, narrow streets.
This short adventure will get you into the action Descriptors: Crowded streets, Exotic goods.
quickly. It illustrates one way you might prepare your The characters have just acquired a map to the
own adventures, adversaries and obstacles. Use the Temple of Tot. Unfortunately, Nazi goons have ar-
pre-generated characters presented at the end of the rived and want the map, too. There are a lot of
adventure. Race to the Temple of Tot consists of a series goons, and while the characters could fight them,
of set-piece encounters that you can use, rearrange and it might be easier to flee. Do the characters escape?
ignore at your leisure. Remember that beat the odds
rolls will lead to all kinds of interesting twists and Nazi Goons
turns and once the characters set out on the adventure Descriptors: Lots of goons, Beefy Aryans,
anything is possible! Not too bright
Gear: Noisy Sub-machine guns
Before you begin Conditions: Confused, Trapped, Slowed,
Before starting play have a quick discussion about
Out of Action
the tone and style of the game. The scenario is clas-
sic pulp - over the top action, outrageous villains and Notes: There are a number of goon squads equal to
larger than life heroes. Make sure everyone is on the the number of characters.
same page here - talk about what makes this genre cool What can go wrong? The characters are cap-
and perhaps point out examples of the genre (Indiana tured; The map is lost.
Jones, The Mummy, The Rocketeer) and what parts of
these you enjoyed.
Translating the Map
Scene: A dark coffee lounge, cafe or back room,
Read the flavour text above (the stuff in italics) and
somewhere in the city of Bulak. The smell of strong
get everyone at the table to throw around some ideas
coffee and exotic food permeates the room.
of cool stuff they would like to see happen during the
Descriptors: Private.
adventure. Note it all down - when things slow, or if
you get stuck for what to do next, chuck one of these Tennessee Smith and his companions have the
ideas into the mix! map but must now translate it, puzzling out the
strange symbols and markings. Do they translate
Scenes the map?
The scenes presented here have a description of
where the action takes place and suggest Descriptors Translating the map
you or the players might incorporate into the action. Descriptors: Ancient glyphs, Brittle paper
The italics set up the action of the scene and the objec- Conditions: Torn, Ruined, Smudged,
tive. Paraphrase the details for your players. Burnt to a crisp
What can go wrong? The map is damaged; The
Challenges characters misread the map; They cannot read the map
The challenges and adversaries in this adventure and must get help from an expert in ancient languages.
are recorded in boxes with relevant Descriptors, Con-
ditions and Notes. These are to guide you and do not
have to be used. Your own cool ideas should always
trump anything written here!

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The Gou Zou Gorge Stone statue guardian
Scene: The majestic Gou Zou Gorge, half a mile Descriptors: Big, Heavy, Slow, Relentless
deep and crossed by a single iron girder railway bridge. Gear: Heavy Stone Weapons
Wide open plains lie on either side of the gorge and the
Conditions: Damaged, Off balance,
Kow Mountains lie in the distance.
Slowed, Out of Action
Descriptors: Open plains, Impassible Gorge.
Notes: There is one Statue Guardian for every two
The characters follow the map to Gou Zou characters. The large, heavy weapons can strike
Gorge, by car or horse back. Giles Fishburne is ap- multiple characters at once.
proaching fast, aboard the German dirigible Der What can go wrong? Characters cannot get
Vogel. Do the characters cross the bridge safely? past traps; characters are injured by traps.
Do they keep their lead on the Germans?
Nazi Bird Truppen The Idol Chamber
Scene: A large stone chamber ingeniously lit by
Descriptors: They Fly!, Agile
mirrors reflecting sunlight. The Idol of Tot - a gold-
Gear: Delicate Flying Harness, Deadly en statue of a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stone
Stick Grenade plinth in the centre of the room.
Conditions: Confused, Grounded, Descriptors: Large bronze mirrors.
Slowed, Out of Action
The characters enter the chamber of the idol,
Notes: There are a number of Bird Truppen equal only to find that Giles Fishburne and his Nazi
to the number of characters. goons are here too! Do they defeat Giles and es-
cape with the Idol?
Gou Zou Bridge
Giles Fishburne
Descriptors: Wide but narrow
Descriptors: Smart, Arrogant, Sword fighter
Conditions: Rickety, Blown all to hell
Gear: Polished Sabre
Notes: You know you must introduce an approach-
ing train, right? Conditions: Confused, Injured, Slowed,
What can go wrong? The bridge is destroyed; Out of Action
The map is lost; the characters are captured. Notes: Giles is a greedy, arrogant villain, but he
isnt stupid. If things start looking dire he will attempt
The Temple to escape, make a deal and/or double-cross anyone in
Scene: An ancient temple fashioned into the side his way. He has no loyalty to the Nazis!
of a mountain. Grand statues of sinister looking gods
and daemons line the walls. Dust covers everything. Characters
The tunnel leads deeper into the mountain. Four pre-made characters can be found on the next
Descriptors: Dark, Silent. page. They are each examples of classic pulp charac-
ter archetypes. Players may tweak or adjust them at
The characters must penetrate the heart of the
the Narrators discretion, before play starts, perhaps
temple, but the map warned of nefarious traps
changing a Descriptor or two, or switching out an item
and terrible guardians. Do they get past the traps
of Gear. Before starting the game each player should
and guardians?
define one or two relationships, describing how the
Nefarious traps characters know each other. A quick and easy way to
Descriptors: Hidden, Deadly do this is for everyone to describe how they know the
Gear: Poison Darts, Rusting Spears character to their left.
Conditions: Disarmed, Set-off, Revealed
Notes: Challenge characters with one or two traps.
Tell them the passage is trapped, but dont tell them
how, or where the traps are until they are sprung!

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Tennessee Smith, Daredevil Explorer Jimmy sweet, Plucky kid
Descriptors: Nimble, Level Headed, Use Bull Descriptors: Quick, Smart-aleck,
Whip, Afraid of Heights Underestimated, Young
Gear: Bull Whip, Worn Leather Jacket Gear: Noisy Firecrackers, Dirty Baseball
Drives: Find the Idol of Tot Cap
Conditions: Angry, Scared, Tired, Drives: See the 7 wonders of the world
Trapped, Blinded, Hungry, Conditions: Angry, Scared, Tired,
Dazed, Injured, Dying Trapped, Blinded, Hungry,
Tennessee Smith is a mild-mannered profes- Dazed, Injured, Dying
sor of history, but in his spare time he travels Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who has
into the wilderness in search of lost artefacts and never had anyone to rely on but himself. He is
treasure. Ruggedly handsome, he always seems wiry, tough and quick, with a cheeky attitude
to keep his cool, no matter how much danger he that frequently gets him into trouble. Jimmy
is inand he tends to get into a lot of it. stowed away on a tramp steamer with the inten-
Relationships: tion of seeing the world and making his fortune.
Relationships:

Notes:
Notes:

Harvey Reed, Retired Boxer October Jones, girl reporter


Descriptors: Strong, Thinks-on-his-Feet, Boxer, Descriptors: Beautiful, Witty, Good Memory,
Ugly as Sin Curious
Gear: Roll of quarters, Poor fitting suit Gear: Trusty Camera, Thick Notebook
Drives: Look out for Tennessee Smith Drives: Get the scoop on the real Tennes-
Conditions: Angry, Scared, Tired, see Smith
Trapped, Blinded, Hungry, Conditions: Angry, Scared, Tired,
Dazed, Injured, Dying Trapped, Blinded, Hungry,
Harvey Reed is a recently retired champion Dazed, Injured, Dying
boxer. Finding the sedentary life a little too bor- October Jones is a reporter and adventurer,
ing he has joined his old friend Tennessee in afforded a great deal of freedom by her fathers
search of adventure. immense wealth. Beautiful, intelligent and spoilt
Relationships: she is a woman used to getting what she wants.
Relationships:

Notes:
Notes:

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Appendix - Descriptors
This list is by no means exhaustive, but its a good Vigour: great for resisting poison, long distance
place to start. Each entry lists the kinds of things a running, and other feats of endurance.
Descriptor might be an advantage or hindrance for, Weak: a pain when lifting, carrying, smashing and
which makes it a handy reference for both players and throwing stuff.
Narrators. Webbed Feet: great for swimming, but terrible
when buying shoes.
Body Descriptors
Agile: helpful when dancing, leaping, doing gym- Mind Descriptors
nastics, crawling through tight spaces and balancing. Absent-Minded: good for being distracted, but a
Ambidextrous: great when shooting two guns at problem when remembering where you left the keys,
the same time, or doing slight-of-hand magic tricks. or that you just pulled the pin from a hand grenade.
Blonde: good for getting people to underestimate Book-Smart: great when doing exams, knowing
you, not good if you spend too much time in the sun. math formulas, remembering dates in history, and
Fake Orange Tan: great for passing as an aging generally getting into Law at Harvard.
celebrity, and for drawing attention to yourself. Computer-Wiz: good for programming, fixing
Furry: useful for resisting cold weather, and living your laptop and getting into PC vs. Apple flame-wars.
in the woods. Dim-Witted: a problem when listening to jokes,
Handsome: useful for flirting, selling stuff, getting recognizing a trick, or generally keeping up appear-
roles on T.V., modelling, and being popular. ances in social settings.
Huge: good for looking menacing, reaching high Empathetic: good for reading peoples emotions,
places, acting like a body builder, or getting stuck in doing psychological evaluations, and knowing how to
small spaces. comfort distressed people.
Overweight: a problem when exercising and Focused: good for staying on task, not getting dis-
borrowing clothes. tracted, and looking serious.
Poor Constitution: a hindrance when long dis- Lateral Thinker: handy for problem solving,
tance running, resisting damage, performing feats of and approaching issues in new or unusual ways.
endurance, and healing. Mathematician: great for doing sums, solving
Quick: handy for ducking to and from places, equations and doing your tax.
slight-of-hand, dodging and other actions that require Observant: great for spotting hidden clues, no-
speed of action. ticing details, doing find-a-words, and reading body
Razor-sharp Claws: great for slicing up en- language.
emies, cutting vegetables and maybe climbing trees. Orator: good for public speaking, debating and
Short: a pain for reaching the top shelf, but use- getting people to see your point of view.
ful for crawling under low objects and getting lost in Slow: a pain when trying to understand plans, or
a crowd. learn new things.
Slow: a problem when running, dodging, and re- Tactician: great for planning battles, remember-
acting to things. ing military history and quoting Tsun Tsu.
Strong: useful for lifting, carrying, smashing Uneducated: a pain when reading, doing math,
and throwing things. Wrestling and avoiding being remembering important dates in history and doing
crushed might also be aided. any school-type tests.
Tall: good for reaching the top shelf, climbing, Wise: handy for sprouting proverbs, giving advice,
and seeing over other peoples heads. putting unrelated clues together, interpreting peoples
Thin: handy for squeezing into places and clothes, reactions, and saying I told you so.
hiding behind poles, and performing on the catwalk. Witty: good for making funny comments, being
Ugly: a problem when trying to seduce someone, charming and / or entertaining, and always knowing
or get a role on T.V. the right thing to say.

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Edge Descriptors Flaw Descriptors
Acrobatics: great for joining the circus, leaping Blind: a pain when doing anything that requires
through narrow gaps, and doing impressive flips. sight, such as shooting, navigating an unfamiliar space,
Arcane Knowledge: good for identifying mys- or painting.
tic artefacts, recognizing the presence of evil magic, Brave: good for charging into mortal danger, act-
and reading ancient scrolls. ing foolhardy, and getting into deep trouble.
Courage: handy when seeing something scary, Clumsy: a problem when carrying a valuable vase,
telling your wife you forgot your anniversary, and at- visiting an antique store, or trying to cross a booby-
tempting other dangerous acts. trapped room.
Driving: great for car racing, car chases, and pass- Greedy: a pain when resisting the urge to steal, lie,
ing your driving exam. or in some other way keep or obtain wealth.
Fencing: good for sword fighting and other civi- In-Human Appearance: a hindrance when try-
lized forms of melee. ing not to get noticed, avoiding attention, or finding a
Good Memory: handy for remembering names pair of pants that fit just right.
and faces, vital clues, and mathematical formulas. Missing Leg: a problem when running, climbing,
Hunting: good when tracking and stalking, look or performing any other activity that involves move-
ing good in camouflage, and knowing what an angry ment, without prosthetics or a wheel chair.
rhinoceros sounds like. Old: a pain when trying to look cool, climb stairs,
Keen Sight: great for seeing a long way or even use a computer, or be positive about your health.
doing stuff by moonlight. Poor: a hindrance when wanting to buy food or
Linguistics: good for speaking one (or more) clothes, or trying to get into an exclusive party.
foreign languages and generally communicating with Poor Sight: a pain when trying to recognize
others. someone or thing, driving at night, or noticing visual
Magic: great for knowing the mystic arts, casting clues.
spells, or acting like a stage magician. Primitive: a problem when using mobile phones,
Medicine: good for performing operations, diag- cars, and door bells, as well as interacting at more civi-
nosing illness, and administering first aid. lized social occasions.
Nasty Bite: great for really hurting someone in Smelly: a hindrance when trying to impress peo-
combat, chewing your own arm off, or winning a pie ple, or hiding from wild animals or trackers.
eating contest. Wanted: a pain when trying to keep out of trou-
Rich: handy for buying luxury sports cars, getting ble, or needing something from your apartment.
invited to exclusive parties, and bribing city officials. Young: a problem when trying to get into clubs, be
Wrestling: good for fighting unarmed combat, taken seriously by adults, avoid school, or see over the
and pinning opponents to the ground. dash in a car.

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fu
Name Concept

Body Description

mind
edge
flaw drives
what do you want?

what is stopping you?


gear

what will you do?

Relationships
Angry Trapped Dazed
Conditions

Scared Blinded Injured


Tired Hungry Dying

notes
Roll Result
6 Yes, and...
FU Points

the Odds

4 Yes...
2 Yes, but...
5 No, but...
3 No...
1 No, and...

david alvarez (Order #9925053)


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