Glossary Of Terms

Following are a collection of important terms used throughout this game. The definitions of these terms are taken from the text found earlier in this book. For the clearest explanation of what each term means it may be best refer to the complete text in which the term was introduced.

Conditions are listed here only for quick reference for a full description see Conditions.

3dF: Short hand for 3 Fudge dice.

ability rank: The numerical rating of an ability, from -5 to 20 or more, with an average of 0.

ability: One of eight basic character traits: Strength (Str), Agility (Agl), Fighting (Fgt), Dexterity (Dex), Stamina (Sta), Intellect (Int), Awareness (Awe), and Presence (Pre).

absent (ability): Entirely lacking a particular ability. Absent abilities impose a permanent debilitated condition for that ability. Players are not allowed to have any absent abilities. See abilities for more info.

accurate sense: A sense you can use to pinpoint something's location precisely enough to target it in combat. Vision is the only natural accurate sense for humans. Other accurate senses are available from the Senses effect.

accurately perceive (also accurately sense): To perceive something with an accurate sense.

action: A character activity. There are standard, move, and free actions and you can trade a "higher" type of action for a "lower" type, such as a standard for a move action.

acute sense: A sense able to discern fine details about a subject. Human visual and auditory senses are normally acute.

advantage: A character trait involving a specific benefit or enhancement. Some advantages allow characters to overcome certain limitations (changing how certain maneuvers work, for example) while others add a new capability.

adventure: A story for players to experience, like a single issue of a comic book. The story may have multiple parts (or issues) but is generally only one plot. This is an arbitrary unit of time determined by the Gamemaster.

alternate effect: One power or effect that may be substituted for another, but not usable at the same time, giving a power different options or "settings."

archetype: A pregenerated character representing a typical example of a certain kind of person. These generic examples can cover many possible characters and are useful for NPCs that need only basic design or as a starting point for a more sophisticated character. See example characters.

array: A collection of alternate effects making up a single power.

asleep: A combined condition. While asleep, a character is defenseless, stunned, and unaware. A successful Perception check wakes the character and removes this condition. See Conditions for more information.

attack bonus: The total modifier applied to an attack check.

attack check: A check to determine if an attack hits. To make an attack check, roll 3dF and add the appropriate modifiers for the attack type. An attack hits if the check result is equal to or greater than the target's appropriate defense. A natural 3 on an attack check always hits, while a natural -3 always misses.

attack: Any of numerous actions intended to harm, disable, or neutralize an opponent. An attack is usually a standard action and involves a check versus a target's defense.

battered: A battered character is dazed and hindered. This is a damage condition. See Conditions for more information.

blind: A combined condition. The character cannot see, so everything effectively has full visual concealment from him. He is hindered, visually unaware, and vulnerable, and may be impaired or disabled for activities where vision is a factor.

bruised penalty: Each bruised penalty imposes a -1 toughness penalty. They can only be caused by Damage. See Conditions for more information.

bonus: A positive modifier to a dice roll.

bound: A combined condition. A bound character is defenseless, immobile, and impaired.

character(s): A fictional individual in the game. The players control player characters, while the Gamemaster controls all non-player characters (NPCs), including adversaries and supporting cast.

check(s): A method of deciding the outcome of an action. Checks are based on a relevant character ability, skill, power, or other trait. To make a check, roll 3dF and add any relevant modifiers to get a check result. If the check result equals or exceeds the difficulty class of a task or the result of an opponent's check, it succeeds. If it does not, it fails.

character points: Points allocated to a character's different traits during character creation, also awarded for advancement.

circumstance modifier: A modifier that reflects circumstances making the check easier (a circumstance bonus) or harder (a circumstance penalty). Circumstance modifiers are +/-1 (for a bonus or penalty) and +/-2 (for a major bonus or penalty).

close attack: An attack used in close (hand-to-hand or melee) combat.

combined condition: a set of basic conditions tied to a common descriptor. They're essentially a kind of "short-hand" for talking about a group of basic conditions that go together in a particular circumstance.

comparison check(s): A comparison of the trait ranks of two characters to determine which is higher. The character with the higher rank wins the check.

compelled: A condition. A compelled character is directed by an outside force, but struggling against it; the character is limited to free actions and a single standard action during his turn, with both types of action being chosen by another, controlling character. As usual, this standard action can be traded for a move action. Controlled supersedes compelled.

complication: A story or background element about a character that poses difficulties. Players are awarded victory points for roleplaying and dealing with characters' complications.

concealment: Conditions making someone or something difficult to perceive, and therefore aim at. Concealment imposes a circumstance penalty on attack checks: -1 for partial concealment and -2 for total concealment.

condition: A game term describing a character's overall health and state of being.

construct: A character that is not biological. Constructs include things like robots and the undead.

controlled: A condition. A controlled character has no free will; the character's actions each turn are dictated by another, controlling, character.

countered: A term to indicate the negation or cancellation of a power. If a power with instant duration is countered then the effect is prevented from occurring. Ongoing powers that are countered have their duration forcibly ended. See Countering Effects for details.

countering: The use of one effect to block or eliminate another, requiring an opposed power check between the two effects. Countering normally requires a readied action, unless using a victory point to counter immediately as a reaction. See Countering Effects for details.

critical hit: An especially successful attack inflicting additional damage. To score a critical hit, an attacker must get a critical success on an attack check and the attack total must equal or exceed the target's defense check. A critical hit does +1 damage over the attack's normal damage, or you may add an effect, or use an alternate effect.

critical success: An especially successful roll: when making a check if all 3 Fudge dice coming up as +1 (for a total of +3 before bonuses) then it is a critical success. The exact effect depends on the type of roll although generally gain +1 bonus. See the basics for details.

critical threat: A possible critical hit. The attack check result of a critical threat must equal or exceed the target's defense check for the critical threat to constitute a critical hit.

damage bonus: A modifier used to determine the damage of an attack.

damage: An effect that causes a character harm. Damage is resisted by Toughness.

damage condition (or HP condition): A condition imposed by a damage effect which for characters is either bruised (aka a bruised penalty), battered, dying, stabilized, or dead. These conditions are unique because they are automatically imposed (based on damage, HP, and circumstances rather than affliction) and are not removed like other conditions. For objects the damage conditions (objects don't have HP) are bent, broken, and destroyed which are removed in the same way that HP would be restored.

dazed: A condition. A dazed character is limited to free actions and a single standard action during his turn, although the character may use that action to perform a move, as usual. Stunned supersedes dazed.

deaf: A combined condition. The character cannot hear, giving everything total auditory concealment from him. This may allow for surprise attacks on the unaware character (see Surprise Attack in the Gameplay Rules). Interaction with other characters is limited to sign-language and lip-reading. (See Interaction Skills.)

debilitated: A condition. The character has one or more abilities lowered to -5. (See Debilitated Abilities.)

defense: A trait measuring how capable a character is at avoiding certain hazards. They are Dodge, Parry, Will, Fortitude, and Toughness.

defense check: A roll made with a defense to avoid or reduce harm. Defense checks are an opposed roll of your defense vs the effect rank.

defenseless: A condition. A defenseless character has active defense result of 0 and are often also prone.

degree(s) of success/failure: A measure of the success/failure of an action. Every 3 points a check result is different is another degree. See The Basics for more information.

descriptor: A term describing the nature of a power. A descriptor may define how certain power effects appear or function.

difficulty class (DC): The difficulty for any check. The player must equal or exceed this number for a check to succeed. This number is assigned by the Gamemaster based on how difficult it should be or using a difficulty provided in this book. It is not usually random.

disabled: A condition. A disabled character is at a -2 circumstance penalty on checks. If the penalty applies to specific checks, they are added to the name of the condition, such as Attack Disabled, Fighting Disabled, Perception Disabled, and so forth. Debilitated, if it applies to the same trait(s), supersedes disabled.

duration: How long an effect lasts. There are five durations: instant, concentration, sustained, continuous, and permanent. Instant effects occur and end in the same turn. Concentration effects require a standard action each round to maintain. Sustained effects require a free action each round to maintain. Continuous effects require no action to maintain. Permanent effects also require no action to maintain, but cannot be turned off.

dying: A combined condition. A dying character is incapacitated (defenseless, stunned, and unaware) and near death. He makes a Fortitude check (DC 5) during his turn to avoid death. See Conditions for more information.

effect: An aspect of a power with a particular defined game effect.

entranced: A combined condition. An entranced character is stunned, taking no actions other than paying attention to the entrancing effect. Any obvious threat automatically breaks the trance. An ally can also shake a character free of the condition with an interaction skill check (DC = effect rank).

exhausted: A combined condition. Exhausted characters are near collapse. They are impaired and hindered. characters recover from an exhausted condition after an hour of rest in comfortable surroundings.

extra: A power modifier that enhances a power, increasing its cost.

extra effort: Players can use extra effort to improve a hero's abilities in exchange for the hero suffering some fatigue.

fail: Achieve an unsuccessful result for a check or other dice roll.

fatigued: A condition. Fatigued characters are hindered. Characters recover from a fatigued condition after an hour of rest.

flat: A modifier that increases or decreases an effect's total cost by a set or "flat" value, rather than increasing or decreasing its cost per rank of the effect.

flaw: A power modifier that limits a power, reducing its cost.

free action: A minor activity, requiring very little time and effort.

Fudge Dice: A six sided die with 2 sides labeled with +, 2 with -, and 2 left blank. These represent +1, -1, and 0. These are the only dice used and 3 of them are always rolled. For a simple conversion from 3 ordinary 6 sided dice to 3 fudge dice: 1 and 2 become -1, 3 and 4 become 0, and 5 and 6 become +1. Also known as Fate Dice however to avoid confusion they will be referred to exclusively as Fudge Dice because the FUDGE system was made before the FATE system.

Gamemaster (GM): The player who portrays characters not controlled by the other players, makes up the story setting for the game, and serves as the referee for game play.

graded check(s): A check where degree of success or failure is counted.

health points (HP): These points keep track of how close your character is to death. Playable characters have a maximum HP of 6 and will die when they reach -3. Damage causes you to lose HP. See Gameplay Rules for more information.

hero (also superhero or player character): A character controlled by a player, one of the main protagonists of an adventure or series. Although highly recommended it isn't required for the players to be the good guys in which case they may be called villains or supervillains.

hindered: A condition. A hindered character moves at half normal speed (-1 speed rank). Immobile supersedes hindered.

immobile: A condition. Immobile characters have no movement speed and cannot move from the spot they occupy, although they are still capable of taking actions unless prohibited by another condition.

impaired: A condition. An impaired character is at a -1 circumstance penalty on checks. If the impairment applies to specific checks, they are added to the name of the condition, such as Attack Impaired, Fighting Impaired, Perception Impaired, and so forth. If it applies to the same trait(s), disabled supersedes impaired

incapacitated: A combined condition. An incapacitated character is defenseless, stunned, and unaware. Incapacitated characters generally also fall prone, unless some outside force or aid keeps them standing.

melee weapon: A handheld weapon designed for close combat.

minion: A minor NPC with less influence on the story than the main characters. Minions are subject to special rules regarding their abilities, particularly in combat, that make them easier to defeat.

modifier: A value added to, or subtracted from, checks.

move action: An action intended to move a distance or to manipulate or move an object or the equivalent. It is smaller than a standard action and larger than a free action.

mundane: Anything that has been produced by the natural environment such as darkness caused by the sunset. This covers anything that is not caused by a character's power, a device, or equipment.

natural: A natural result on a roll is the actual number appearing on the die, not the modified result obtained by applying modifiers to that number. Natural -3 and 3 are the only ones of interest since they cause critical failure and critical success respectively.

non-player character (NPC): A character controlled by the Gamemaster (as opposed to a character controlled by a player).

normal: The character is unharmed and unaffected by other conditions, acting normally. This is not a condition but a lack of conditions.

opposed check(s): A check where the Difficulty Class is set by another character's check result; the two checks are compared and the character with the higher check result wins.

paralyzed: A combined condition. A paralyzed character is defenseless, immobile, and physically stunned, frozen in place and unable to move, but still aware and able to take purely mental actions, involving no physical movement whatsoever.

partial modifier: A modifier that applies to only some of an effect's ranks and not others. A modifier must apply to at least one rank, and may apply to as many ranks as the effect has.

penalty: A negative modifier to a dice roll.

player: You, your Gamemaster, or one of your friends playing the game.

player character (PC, also hero): A character controlled by a player, one of the main protagonists of an adventure or series.

power level (also level or PL): A limit on overall power and ability in a series, also sometimes used to describe the overall power of a character (e.g. a level 11 hero, a power level 15 villain, etc.).

power modifier: An increase or decrease in a power's capabilities, also increasing or decreasing its cost.

power stunt: An alternate effect acquired temporarily through extra effort.

power: A superhuman trait, like the ability to fly or shoot blasts of energy. Powers are made up of one or more effects with various descriptors defining the power's nature.

prone: A combined condition. A prone character is lying on the ground, receiving a -1 circumstance penalty on close attack checks. Opponents receive a +1 circumstance bonus to close attack checks but a -1 penalty to ranged attack checks (effectively giving the prone character partial cover against ranged attacks). Prone characters are hindered. Standing up from a prone position is a move action.

range: The distance over which an effect works. There are five ranges: Personal, Close, Ranged, Rank, and Perception. Personal range effects work only on the user. Close range effects work only on subject the user touches. Ranged effects work over a distance, usually a maximum of distance rank 2 (120 feet). Perception range effects work over any distance where the user can accurately perceive the subject of the effect.

ranged attack: Any attack made at a distance.

ranged weapon: An energy, projectile, or thrown weapon designed for attacking at a distance.

rank: A measure of a character's level of ability with a skill or power.

restrained: A combined condition. A restrained character is hindered and vulnerable. If the restraints are anchored to an immobile object, the character is immobile rather than hindered. If restrained by another character, the restrained character is immobile but may be moved by the restraining character.

round: A roughly six-second unit of game time used to manage fast-paced action. During a round each character gets a turn. Going form the start of a character's turn to the start of his next turn is a round. Therefore if an effect says "each round" or "for 1 round" then measure it based on whose turn it currently is.

routine check(s): A check for an action taken under routine circumstances, where the character is not under any time pressure. Rather than rolling the dice, use the modifier as the check result (as though 0 was rolled).

scene: A portion of an adventure, like a chapter of a story. Generally these are separated by changes in the location or time such as when the heroes enter the lair of the villain or whenever victory points reset. It is important to have a few scenes so to prevent extended use of a single power stunt. This is an arbitrary unit of time determined by the Gamemaster.

secret check: A secret check is a check whose result is not known to the player or character. The Gamemaster rolls the dice secretly (perhaps behind a Gamemaster screen), determines the result, and only describes what the character thinks happened (which may or may not be what actually happened). Some secret checks are done when the Gamemaster needs them and others are done at the request of a player. For example if a player requests a Perception check the Gamemaster will only describe what the character thinks he sees without the player knowing how high or low the dice were. In most cases a player should not know that a secret check is even being done.

series: A linked collection of adventures, forming the backdrop against which the characters interact and participate in the setting, like an ongoing comic book or television series. Each adventure may have an overarching plot or unrelated ones.

stabilized: A combined condition. A stabilized character is incapacitated (defenseless, stunned, and unaware) and near death but not getting any closer.

stack: Combine for a cumulative effect. If modifiers do not stack, it is specified in the rules. In most cases, modifiers to a given check stack. If the modifiers of a particular roll do not stack, only the best bonus or worst penalty applies. Sometimes there is a limit to how high a stacked bonus or penalty can be.

staggered: A combined condition. A staggered character is dazed and hindered.

standard action: An action intended to do or act upon something. You can perform a single standard action during your turn.

stunned: A condition. Stunned characters cannot take any actions.

surprised: A combined condition. A surprised character is stunned and vulnerable, caught off-guard and therefore unable to act and less able to avoid attacks.

target (also subject): The intended recipient of an attack, action, or power. It is the thing you are aiming at.

toughness: A measure of a character's ability to resist and endure physical harm. Toughness checks are defense checks although damage always gets a +1 to the effect rank.

trained/training: Having at least 1 rank in a skill.

trait: Any of a character's game-defined qualities: abilities, skills, advantages, and powers are all traits.

turn: All characters get 1 turn per round. Generally a character can only act when it is his turn.

unarmed attack: A close attack made with no weapon in hand.

unaware: A condition. The character is completely unaware of his surroundings, unable to make interaction or Perception checks or perform any action based on them. If the condition applies to a specific sense or senses, they are added to the name of the condition, such as visually unaware, tactilely unaware (or numb), and so forth. Subjects have full concealment from all of a character's unaware senses.

untrained: Having no ranks in a skill. Some skills cannot be used untrained.

victory points: Points players can spend to gain bonuses with particular actions.

vulnerable: A condition. Vulnerable characters are limited in their ability to defend themselves, halving their active defense results (round up the final value). Defenseless supersedes vulnerable.

weakened: A condition. The character has temporarily lost power points in a trait. See the Weaken effect in Powers for more. Debilitated supersedes weakened.

well-known (location): any place that you know well (in the GM's judgement). Anywhere you can currently perceive or remember very accurately is considered well-known. Anywhere you frequently go is considered well-known such as your home, your secret base, the office you work at, your classroom, or anywhere else you go often enough for it to be easy to remember the exact location. Well-known locations are required for some things such as Teleport. For "well-known" uses other than locational it is literal and means as the English implies: something that you know well.