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Jacob Wood
United States
Oregon
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It's no secret that I'm a Fudge fan -- I wear the microbadge with pride -- and I'd like to discuss some of the qualities that make the system a must-have, specifically in regards to accessibility.
Initially I was attracted to Fudge for its unique core mechanic and dice; the simple-to-use trait ladder and easy-to-read dice make the system relatively rules light and highly flexible. As someone who has spent the majority of his gaming career thus far playing Dungeons and Dragons, the simplicity and openness of Fudge were a breath of fresh air.
I came upon Fudge through my discovery of Fate initially. Specifically, I discovered that Evil Hat Productions was working on a game based on The Dresden Files and was using a system called Fate. I researched the system, found that Fate was born out of Fudge, and promptly downloaded the Fudge SRD.
I spent the better part of a weekend devouring every aspect of the system (oh, wait, Aspects are from Fate!) and began scheming on what I would do to alter the system and create a very own Fudge setting/system of my own. One of the great things about Fudge is that it encourages -- almost requires -- GMs to build their own version of the system before play can begin. There are plenty of pre-established rule sets out there for GMs to get their hands on and use to get their feet wet, but as someone who loves to tinker with his games I naturally ignored them and started throwing together my own Fudge setting.
So what does this all have to do with accessibility? Well, I hadn't realized it at the time, but not only is Fudge a fun system for anyone to get behind, it's particular well-suited to gamers who, for whatever reason, find other RPGs like D&D too complex. Indeed, when reading up on the Fudge Yahoo Group about what others have been doing with the system, I encountered one person who was developing Fudge as an education tool for elementary-aged school children. The theme? Children and their pet dinosaurs.
It got me thinking: While I may not introduce most nine-year-olds to D&D (even though I myself started at the not-much-older age of 12), Fudge is the perfect setting to get kids started on gaming. The numbers rarely get any larger than 8 (most kids can count at least that high) and its adjective-based system means that even if the kids have trouble with basic math, they can still use words to describe what they're doing.
The dice themselves don't have numbers printed on them; instead, they're simple +, blank, and - sides. It's easy for children to understand the core mechanics, and Fudge can be stripped down to a very simple system that anyone can easily learn. It's also capable of getting crunchy enough for any seasoned gamer to enjoy.
Again, that got me thinking: If Fudge can be tailored for 4th-graders, it can certainly be tailored for anyone. As someone whose primary objective is to bring gaming awareness to everyone -- and most notably people with disabilities -- I thought it would be interesting to create a Fudge variant suitable for people who have mental or physical impairments that may pen-and-paper gaming otherwise very difficult.
In addition to the rules being flexible and easy to simplify, Fudge has the benefit of being a game that requires no battle map, no miniatures, and very easy-to-read dice. These key features are of particular interest to the blind and visually impaired (like myself) who have trouble seeing and manipulating such things. As a D&D player, I often have to ask questions like: "How far away is he?" "Do I have line of sight?" "Is there a charge line?" and "Can I move into flank?" These are all questions that are answered with visual aids in the form of a battle map, but they're hard to keep track of in ones mind as the battle continues to rage, minis continue to move, and spell effects keep altering the battlefield.
Though the lack of a battle map isn't anything unique to Fudge, it's a refreshing change of pace for a disabled gamer whose bread and butter has been D&D. Perhaps even more exciting a prospect, though, is the Fudge Dice; they are simple and, most importantly, tactile. I carry a large set of dice with me (which rolls like crap, but that's neither here nor there) which makes it easier for me to read my dice, but sometimes it's still difficult to glance down and tell what number I landed on. Worse, "17" often looks like "11" and helpful players are constantly helping to correct me on my result announcements.
Unlike traditional polyhedrals, Fudge Dice have are easy to read by touch. One can simply tell a + from a - or a blank simply by placing a finger on the top of the die. It's sort of like reading Braille, but in a format that even sighted people can understand. It's also easy to read the dice by sight because the sides look very distinctly different and there aren't many results to keep track of to begin with. The only problem with reading Fudge dice tactily is that you are usually asked to roll four at once, which means you need to roll them on a flat surface but with a lip of some sort to keep them from flying all over the table; once you've lost track of the dice, it's very difficult to find them without sighted assistance (though this is naturally the case with any dice, not just Fudge dice).
Ultimately, I would love to see Fudge used a bit more often and discussed more actively. I know that Fate has really been catching on lately with the success of games like The Dresden Files, Spirit of the Century, and Diaspora, but I personally like the extra crunch that comes with Fudge.
Regardless of whether you prefer Fudge or Fate, the core system and its adaptability are what I believe to be a key in bringing gaming to the masses -- or at least the people who want to game but find it physically or mentally challenging.
I have a slightly crunchy cyberpunk Fudge setting in the works at the moment, but at some point I will develop a special subset of Fudge rules tentatively titled "Accessible Fudge." The system will focus on being lightweight, easy-to-learn, tactile, and fully flexible. My goal is to have a Superb answer to the question (which I have seen asked more than once before) "What system is best for kids/special needs people?" I hope to make it interesting enough that seasoned gamers won't get too bored using it to introduce their target audience to the wide world of role playing and everything it has to offer.
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