FU

FREEFO
R M
AY
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ROLE P L
R U L E S
CL ASSIC

NATHAN RUSSELL

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 CONTENTS
Introduction 3 Description 8 Re-Roll Everything 14
Using this book 3 Drives 8 Flip a Pip 14
Relationships 8
Use a Prop 14
The Basics 4 It’s all about roleplaying now 8
What you need 4 Stunts and Powers 14
Long or short term goals? 8
What you do 4 Taking a Hit 14
How many Relationships? 8
How you do it 4 Action Summary 15
Before play 4 Don’t be antagonistic 8
Talk before play! 4 Character Narrator 16
Creation Summary 9 Talking is good 16
The Insta-Genre-Generator 4
Listening is good 16
Characters 5 Action 10 When playing 16
Scenes & Turns 10 3 Questions to
Concept 5
Who “sets” the scene? 10
Descriptors 5 frame your game 16
Example Descriptors 5 How do you “set a scene”? 10
What will characters do? 16
Clichés are your friend! 6 What is an objective? 10
How do players want to feel? 16
Choosing Descriptors 6 Do scenes have to be in order? 10
What is the Narrator’s role? 16
Descriptors are clear 6 Do I have to use turns? 10
Recovery 17
Descriptors are innate 6 Beating the Odds 11 Rewards 17
Descriptors are finite 6 Closed Questions 11 Characters & Obstacles 17
What type of Alternative Questions 11 The Bowl 17

Descriptor is this? 6 Alternative Dice Rolls 11 Advancement 17

What makes a good Success & Failure 12 Tracking obstacles 17

Modifiers 13 What do I share with players? 17
Edge & Flaw? 6
Example of Modifiers 13
Should I specialise? 6
Other types of rolls? 13
RACE to the
Alternative Descriptors 6
How do “opposed” TEMPLE of TOT 18
Gear 7 Before you begin 18
actions work? 13
Example Gear 7 Scenes 18
Choosing Gear 7 Dialing in on Your action 13 Challenges 18
Gear is equipment 7 Option: Matching Dice 13 Characters 19
Describing Gear 7 FU Points 14
Starting FU Points? 14
Appendix:
One adjective only 7 Body Descriptors 21
Can I give / share FU Points? 14 Mind Descriptors 21
Specific nouns 7
Do Narrators get FU points? 14 Edge Descriptors 22
Talk about your Gear 7
Other ways to earn FU 14 Flaw Descriptors 22
Good Gear / Bad Gear 7
Stuff that isn’t Gear 7
Other ways to use FU 14 Character Sheet 23
FU as Health 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 stupefying This book is filled with two types of information. The
simplicity. FU lets you create exciting stories in any first are the rules proper - the information that tells you
setting imaginable, with a minimum of fuss, or even how to play. The rules are laid out like the information
preparation. on this page, with clear headings and sub-headings. FU
FU is first and foremost an easy game. This book will is pretty straightforward and you aren’t likely to need
help you move from the thought “Lets roleplay in this to do much referring to the rule book after your first
setting...” to actually playing within a matter of minutes. game, but everything you need to know is presented
Character creation is quick and intuitive, allowing you clearly in this way.
to play any kind of character you desire, and the game
system itself is easy to learn and very simple to use. Examples of rules are formatted like this. They
FU is universal. Or generic. Or whatever you want are scattered amongst the main text and will help
to call it. These core rules are not wrapped around a you see the rules in action. You probably won’t
specific background or setting, and make an effort to need to read them either, after your first game.
assume nothing. It is a basic system around which you There are also sidebars at the bottom of many pages.
may create your own settings and stories. With that Here you will find explanations of rules, detailed
said, however, FU favours certain kinds of play. FU examples, guidelines on using rules in play, and optional
lends itself to a ‘seat of your pants’ style, where little rules that you can incorporate into your games. The
preparation is needed. Narrators that enjoy running sidebars are easy to spot as they are separated from the
adventures ‘on the fly’ will certainly enjoy FU, as will main text by a line, and presented in three columns.
players that are tired of being told what they can’t do, Refer to this information if you need to clarify the
instead of what they might achieve. “how” or “why” of a particular rule.

FU: The Freeform, Universal Roleplaying Game

by Nathan Russell

FU by Nathan Russell is licensed under a Creative Com-

mons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)

For more information on what this license means, visit

http://perilplanet.com/games/freeformuniversal/ www.PerilPlanet.com

This game was completed as part of National Game Design Month, 2010
Find out more at https://nagademon.org

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

Talk before play! funky scenes. This way everyone gets a The Insta-Genre-Generator
Have a conversation about the type clear picture of what the game is going For quick pick-up games, get everyone
of game you will play, so everyone to be about. to write two genres or settings on bits of
starts in the same “space”. Establish This discussion will also clue the paper. Stick them all in a hat and pick
tone, theme and/or expectations. It is Narrator in on what players want (or out two. Now you have “Apocalypse
important to know whether you will need) out of the game. It establishes Suburbia”, “Medieval Super-heroes”,
be cheered or jeered for outrageous whether players want to feel like epic “Kung-Fu High School” or whatever,
overacting, 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,
imagery, set-pieces, cool clichés and

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 CHARACTERS
In FU a character is your alter-ego. During a story you describe what the character does, how they respond
to situations, and react to others.
Thinking about his Daredevil Explorer and the
Concept kinds of things he might have gotten up to during
When you know the kind of setting or premise of the
his life, Dave decides on the following Descriptors;
adventures you will be playing you can begin thinking
about your character. This is the kernel of who or what Body: Nimble
the character is, and should be summed up in just a few Mind: Level Headed
words or a phrase. Edge: Use bull whip
The concept might define the character’s background Flaw: Afraid of heights
or occupation, such as ‘paranormal detective’ or ‘child
prodigy’. Or it might give insight into their personality, Nina, inspired by classic pulp science fiction
such as ‘noble knight’ or ‘nutty professor’. stories, has decided on the following Descriptors
Of course, the character’s concept should fit into the for her character, the Alien Emissary;
setting, background or types of adventures that you will
be playing. A ‘street wise cop’ may be out of place in Body: Fragile
medieval England, though a ‘worldly sheriff ’ might be Mind: Observant
just right. Use the setting to inspire your character. Edge: Read Minds
Flaw: Alien Perspective
Throughout this chapter we will follow Dave
and Nina as they create their own characters.
With Tim, the Narrator, they have decided to play Example Descriptors
a game based on the pulp serials of the 1930’s, and This is by no means an exhaustive list, just some
that it will be fairly whimsical and action-packed. ideas to get you started. Each of these is described in
Dave thinks of a couple of his favourite movies and more detail in the Appendix (page 20).
decides that the concept for his character will be Body: Agile, Ambidextrous, Blonde, Furry,
‘Daredevil Explorer’. Nina wants to play something Fake Orange Tan, Handsome, Huge, Overweight,
a little unusual, and after discussing her ideas with Poor Constitution, Quick, Razor-sharp Claws,
Tim and Dave decides her character will be an Short, Slow, Strong, Tall, Thin, Ugly, Vigour, Weak.
‘Alien Emissary’.
Mind: Absent Minded, Book Smart, Computer-
Descriptors Wiz, Dim-Witted, Empathetic, Focused, Lateral
Descriptors are adjectives or very short phrases that Thinker, Mathematician, Observant, Slow,
identify a character’s skills and flaws, the things that Uneducated, Wise, Witty.
make their life easier and harder, and ultimately make
Edge: Acrobatics, Arcane Knowledge, Courage,
them who they are. They indicate the kinds of things
Driving, Fencing, Good Memory, Hunting, Keen
that a character is good at, their physical and mental
Sight, Linguistics, Magic, Medicine, Nasty Bite,
traits, and any abilities or drawbacks they might have.
Rich, Wrestling.
They are both guides for your roleplaying and modifiers
to ‘beat the odds’ rolls. Flaw: Blind, Brave, Clumsy, Greedy, In-human
Characters have four Descriptors; Body, Mind, Edge Appearance, Missing Leg, Old, Poor, Poor Sight,
and Flaw. Choose an adjective or phrase to describe the Primitive, Smelly, Wanted, Young.
most distinctive features of your character.

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

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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. (let’s count “black dress” as the noun), Filthy
Like Descriptors, a character’s Gear will modify ‘beat Underpants, Worn Jacket, State-of-the-art Space
the odds’ rolls. Gear can be anything - guns and knives Suit, Silk Smoking Jacket, Beat-up Fedora, Tall
to fancy clothes, credit cards, a horse, mobile phone, Powdered Wig.
or even a star ship. Like Descriptors, your character’s
Gear depends on character concept, game setting, and Weapons: Rusting Sabre, Heavy Axe, My
the stories you want to tell. Unlike Descriptors, Gear Father’s Service Revolver, Concealed Dagger,
is always made up of an adjective and noun; Rusting Experimental Flamethrower, Fake Revolver,
Sword, Long Rope, Fast Horse, Long-ranged Rifle, Reliable AK-47, Rubber Mallet.
Dad’s Camaro, 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, Grandma’s
Sturdy Bull Whip, since he is quite skilled with it,
Runabout.
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
Spell Book, My Favourite Pet Rock.
indicating 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 don’t What you do with it and the situations
character. Think Batman’s Sinister want to be guessing at the purpose or you find yourself in will dictate whether
Batsuit, the Ghostbuster’s Unstable main feature of an item. having an item is useful or not.
Proton-packs, James Bond’s Reliable One adjective only Good Gear / Bad Gear
Berretta, or Zorro’s Flashing Blade.
The description of your gear should You can, if you want, dictate that
Each piece of Gear should add have a single adjective - no less and no one piece of Gear must have a “good”
something to your character’s more. A Sharp Sabre is okay, as is a adjective, and the other a “bad” one.
background, personality or goals. It Magic Sword, but a Sharp Magic Sabre You might have a Warm Jacket and an
should make a statement about who the is not allowed. Old Gun; or a Fast Motorcycle and a
character is or what they do. Maxed-out Credit Card.
Specific nouns
Gear is equipment Choose specific, descriptive nouns; Stuff that isn’t Gear
Gear is never innate - it can be Sabre is better than Sword, Baseball Any objects, items or equipment
dropped, lost, broken and stolen. A Cap is better than Hat. You can use that are not listed as Gear are props.
Cybernetic Arm is not Gear, but an more than one noun, but keep the Props have no effect on a character’s
Armoured Power Glove is. description to as few words as possible. chance of success at an action - they are
merely window-dressing. However, you
Describing Gear Talk about your Gear
can swap, steal and pick-up another
When describing gear make the Discuss your Gear. Everyone needs character’s Gear and use that!
adjective tell us something useful and/ to be clear on what you are describing;
or 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
By now, you should have a good idea of who your adversary 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 character’s 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 about seems to be one step ahead. Tennessee is desperate
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
wilderness in search of lost artefacts and treasure. Jupiter. Dread Lord Kang rules the planet with an
Ruggedly handsome, he always seems to keep his iron fist, and his agents are always on the look out
cool, no matter how much danger he is in—and he for renegades. Lumina is willing to put her own life
tends to get into a lot of it! on the line to achieve her vision.

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

It’s all about roleplaying now Long or short term goals? together to decide on a relationship,
Your Description, Drives and When choosing your Drive you are or you can have separate, unrelated or
Relationships all help develop your free to pick long or short term goals. If “opposed” relationships (for example;
character and put them into the “world” you are only playing a one-off game, “In love with”/“Repulsed by”).
of your stories and adventures. The then it is a better idea to pick something Don’t be antagonistic
Narrator might occasionally give you that will have an immediate impact on
Don’t create Drives or Relationships
a bonus to dice rolls because of the the plot. If you are planning a series of
that will have characters constantly at
information you reveal here, but that is games, then by all means come up with
each others throats. It is okay to have
by no means required. a longer-term goal for your character.
characters that don’t see eye-to-eye
Use your Drives and Relationships How many Relationships? (in fact, that can be fun!), but don’t
to inform the way you roleplay your Two Relationships is a good number have them hate each other. You want
character, the way they interact with the to start. Pick two different characters the characters to function together in
other player’s characters and the world and decide how they know each other. order to defeat the antagonist, solve the
around them. You and another player can work mystery or complete the mission!

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

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

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

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 don’t get what you want, but it’s not a total loss.
3 No... You don’t get what you were after.
1 No, and... You don’t 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 question is “How well do I succeed?” result chart would look like this;
situation that needs to be resolved by This might garner the following results;
dice, propose a closed question; “Do I Roll Do you get what you want?
leap the chasm?”; “Do I punch that jerk Roll How well do you succeed? 6 Yes, and...
in the nose?”; “Does the tavern wench 6 Legendary success 5 Yes...
fall for my easy charm and winning 4 Complete success 4 Yes, but...
smile?”. The roll of the die will answer 2 Only just succeed 3 No, but...
the question and guide your response.
5 Fail by the smallest margin 2 No...
A lot of the time you won’t need to 3 Complete failure 1 No, and...
ask the question explicitly - it will be
1 Epic failure, and then some
obvious from the action you attempt;
“you take a run up and leap from the Feel free to come up with your own
edge of 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 possible character or a Detail to a scene.
answers to this question; Conditions: These are physical, mental or social
effects that impact the way a character behaves or
Yes, and...
attempts actions. Conditions include things like angry,
Yes... confused, tired and unconscious. There are several listed
on the FU character sheet, and there is space for you to
Yes, but... 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 breaking,
animals running off, or machinery stalling. Details are
No, and...
always closely tied to the scene and the action.

Examples of Success & Failure Who chooses Conditions & catch up with you, but have the tired
Going back to an earlier example, Details? Condition. Applying Conditions in this
let’s see what might have happened Anyone can suggest a Condition or way will likely give player characters an
when we apply each possible answer to Detail that they feel is appropriate to advantage 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
and the Narrator will work together to
likely to change the scene or environment
Yes, and he catches up with Lord come up with a suitably dramatic effect.
in some way. This might be a change in
Kane. This is a Detail that changes the But really, anyone at the table should
the power dynamic of the scene (“Yes,
scene. throw in whatever cool idea they have.
he leaps the hedge and he catches up
Yes, he leaps the hedge. There is no The Narrator always has final say with Lord Kane.”); or a change in the
and/but qualifier so no Condition or over what Condition or Detail is applied physical environment (“No, but he spots
Detail is added. to a result. a gap in 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, (Yes, and / No, but). They can be used to
No, but he spots a gap in the hedge Conditions are applied to the acting great effect, however, to make situations
further along. This Detail gives the player when things don’t quite go right more exciting;
character another way to continue the for them (Yes, but / No, and). The “Do you swing across the room on
chase. Conditions make life a bit more difficult the chandelier? Yes, but candles fall
for the character because of the minimal loose and set fire to the tavern.”
No, the horse shies away from the
success or outright failure.
jump. There is no and/but qualifier so Details can provide instant or
no Condition or Detail is added. You can also apply Conditions to on-going effects, depending on the
the target of an action, when things are circumstances. A gap in the hedge can
No, and his horse rears up, throwing
going right for your character. If you be used immediately to continue the
him to the ground, causing an injury.
are debating with a bureaucrat and chase; a burning tavern will continue to
This is a Condition.
get a Yes, and result you might apply be a hazard until someone puts the fire
the confused Condition to the target. out!
If you attempt to outrun an enemy
and get the No, but result they might

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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 Vance’s 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 a 3
Making Things Easier: Roll an additional die and a 5. You must accept the 3 and Captain Vance
for each Descriptor, piece of Gear, Condition or Detail is injured as he reaches the jeep...
that provides some advantage to the action being taken. Cancelling Out: One beneficial die cancels out
The result is the single best (not necessarily highest) die one hindering die, so you will never be rolling ‘negative’
roll, as the player chooses. 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 knight’s strength
after a brief search Sir Camden finds Lord Kane’s 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 quadruples
jeep, when a guard tries to drag him champion arm wrestler? You factor in a can make a success much better or a
out through the window. “Will Vance penalty die. And so on, until everything failure far worse. If your result die has
shake the guard off?” It is hard (+) to is factored in. When you know how a match the effects will be much more
drag Vance out the window, but he is 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 Kane’s henchmen. “Will Sir Camden
FU has no such thing as ‘opposed and gun battles are all resolved using defeat the henchmen?” He is injured
rolls’ or ‘contested actions’, ‘damage the beat the odds roll. The key is to dial and outnumbered so you will roll 2
rolls’ and ‘rolling to hit’. The beat the in or out of the action through the kind penalty dice. You roll and score 3, 3,
odds roll is the only kind of roll used of questions you attempt to resolve. You and 2. You must take the worst result -
in FU, whether you are trying to drive can fight a dramatic sword fight and the double 3! Normally this would be a
a car through a crowded mall, arm exchange a series of blows by asking “Do “No...” result, but the matching 3 turns
wrestle a giant, or shrug off the damage I hit the Count De Montief?”. But you it into a “No, and...”. If you had rolled
caused by a stray bullet. could also resolve the entire fight with triple 3 the result would have been “No,
a single roll by asking “Do I defeat the and..., 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 character’s chance of success at an action. They can be Back at HQ, Captain Vance tries to convince
used in two ways; General Wallace to deploy the Rocket Troops under
Bonus Die: Spend a FU Point before a beat the his command. Vance doesn’t have much going for
odds roll to add a single bonus die. This works like any him in this situation, in terms of Descriptors, so
other bonus die. You can add as many bonus dice as you decide to spend 2 FU Points on the roll. You
you have FU Points, but they must all be declared at the roll the basic die, plus the two bonus dice, getting
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 1’s
roll to re-roll a single die. The second result must stand 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 character.
all at the same time, before the first die is re-rolled.
Whenever you do something that stops play and makes
You can spend multiple FU Points on any given
everyone go “Wow!”, or laugh out loud at your antics, or
action, and for either or both effects. It is completely
anything else that everyone thinks should be rewarded,
within the rules to spend a FU Point to add a bonus
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
a game with should be discussed before in addition to the normal roleplaying single die up or down by one pip.
play begins. The more FU Points players rewards. This decision will also have a Spend multiple FU points to adjust a
begin with, the more easily they will dramatic effect on the tone of play. See die multiple pips. This option is more
achieve successes. If playing games of what you can do with it. reliable than a re-roll as you will always
high adventure or over-the-top action, Other ways to use FU be able to turn a “no” into a “yes”. If you
it would be reasonable to begin with 2 used this variant the normal re-roll rule
Play around with FU Points.
FU Points. Super-powered heroes might should not be used.
Experiment, or adjust the ways you use
begin with as many as 3 FU Points. For
them to suit your gaming group or the Use a Prop
grittier games each player might only
type of story you are playing. Here are Spend a FU point to turn a prop into
begin with 1 FU Point, or even none.
some 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
Usually, no, but they might allow a spent as normal, but can also be lost by spending a FU Point. These should
powerful villain or monster to have one, when the character suffers physical or be more powerful than Descriptors
two or three. mental stress (injuries, fatigue, fear, - make them break the rules or give a
etc). FU in this instance can be refreshed superhuman knack, like the ability to fly
Other ways to earn FU (brought back up to 3) by roleplaying out or read minds, teleport, or whatever.
You might like to change the way a (non-dice rolling) scene with another
you earn FU Points. You might earn character that reveals something about Taking a Hit
them for dealing the killing blow to your relationship. Instead of rolling, declare you are
monsters, achieving your character’s “taking a hit”. All the dice you should
Re-Roll Everything
goal, or rolling multiple 1’s or 6’s. have rolled are treated as if they rolled
Spend a FU point to re-roll all your 1’s (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 1’s!). In return for your
the tone or style of the game. Want to you can’t keep a couple of good results suffering you earn a FU Point.
play a dungeon crawl? Reward FU for and roll the rest. Use this variant instead
killing monsters. A gritty dystopian 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 for Narrators. It is all fairly generic because all the specific
stuff is going to relate to the genre, tone and style of game that you and your players choose to play.
Keep things simple: Do not complicate your job
Talking is good by introducing lots of sub-plots or convoluted twists.
Start your game with a conversation. Talk about
Things will get all messed about by themselves and the
what players want out of the game, what you want, and
story will run off on tangents that you never dreamed
where those ideas overlap. Those overlaps are likely
of.
where everyone is going to have the most fun. At the
You are not the enemy: this may seem obvious,
very least you should work together to establish the
but is worth stating. Your role is to help guide the story
genre and tone of your shared story. Talk about this
in interesting directions, not to kill everyone. You
stuff too, so that everyone is clear of the specifics (there
can give players hints and ideas if you think this will
is a world of difference between Gothic horror and
lead to a better story. Sometimes you will portray the
splatter films, for example).
adversaries, and are expected to do so vigorously but
Talk during the game too. Encourage players to
fairly. Other times you will get to be an ally, companion,
share ideas and give input into scenes, objectives and
or peer, and once again you should be true to the spirit
the challenges characters face. If you need to clarify
of the game.
ideas, themes or issues then do that.
Say “Yes”: if players make suggestions or ask
Listening is good questions it is probably because they are interested in
what is going on. They probably have a cool idea to
If there is going to be talk there needs to be listening.
Listen to your players and the things they tell you, introduce to the story. Encourage this and confidently
either in conversation or when they do things with say “yes” to requests. This doesn’t mean you should
their character. Do stuff that relates to the Descriptors let players get anything they want – but you should
written on the player’s character sheets, because that is let players introduce elements into the story when the
what they think is cool. time is right.
Make rolls meaningful: Every time you call for
When playing a die roll it should mean something interesting is going
When running games don’t plan too much ahead to happen, NO MATTER THE RESULT. Don’t have
of time. The dice rolls are going to direct a lot of the players make rolls if the result is not important to the
action, and you and the players will fill in the gaps by story, or if failure will stop the momentum of the story.
applying Conditions and Details. Here are some tips
to keep things moving and help you enjoy the game as
much as the players do.

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

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

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

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 RACE to the TEMPLE of TOT
Tennessee Smith, famed explorer, has finally got Escape the Bulak Market
a solid lead on the whereabouts of the ancient Idol Scene: Central Asia - a bustling market in the city
of Tot, an object of reported supernatural power. of Bulak - Midday. Tall stone and mud-brick buildings
Unfortunately, Smith’s arch enemy Giles Fishburne with narrow arched windows surround the central
is also on the trail of the Idol, and has thrown his market; stalls and cafes, bars and emporiums run off in
lot in with the Nazis! 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
pregenerated characters presented at the end of the arrived 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 it might be easier to flee. Do the characters escape?
and 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 classic
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 captured;
and perhaps point out examples of the genre (Indiana 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 Conditions: Torn, Ruined, Smudged,
objective. 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,
Conditions 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 multiple characters at once.
approaching fast, aboard the German dirigible Der What can go wrong? Characters cannot get past
Vogel. Do the characters cross the bridge safely? Do traps; characters are injured by traps.
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 golden
Gear: Delicate Flying Harness, Deadly statue of a seven-headed monkey - sits on a stone plinth
Stick Grenade 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 escape
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
isn’t 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 of his way. He has no loyalty to the Nazis!
a mountain. Grand statues of sinister looking gods and
daemons line the walls. Dust covers everything. The Characters
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 character
archetypes. Players may tweak or adjust them at the
The characters must penetrate the heart of the
Narrator’s discretion, before play starts, perhaps
temple, but the map warned of nefarious traps and
changing a Descriptor or two, or switching out an item
terrible guardians. Do they get past the traps and
of Gear. Before starting the game each player should
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 don’t 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 professor Dazed, Injured, Dying
of history, but in his spare time he travels into Jimmy Sweet is a happy-go-lucky kid who
the wilderness in search of lost artefacts and has never had anyone to rely on but himself.
treasure. Ruggedly handsome, he always seems He is wiry, tough and quick, with a cheeky
to keep his cool, no matter how much danger he attitude that frequently gets him into trouble.
is in—and he tends to get into a lot of it. Jimmy stowed away on a tramp steamer with
Relationships: the intention of seeing the world and making his
fortune.
Relationships:

Notes:

Notes:

HARVEY REED, RETIRED BOXER

Descriptors: Strong, Thinks-on-his-Feet, Boxer, OCTOBER JONES, GIRL REPORTER
Ugly as Sin Descriptors: Beautiful, Witty, Good Memory,
Gear: Roll of quarters, Poor fitting suit Curious
Drives: Look out for Tennessee Smith Gear: Trusty Camera, Thick Notebook
Conditions: Angry, Scared, Tired, Drives: Get the scoop on the real Tennes-
Trapped, Blinded, Hungry, see Smith
Dazed, Injured, Dying Conditions: Angry, Scared, Tired,
Harvey Reed is a recently retired champion Trapped, Blinded, Hungry,
boxer. Finding the sedentary life a little too Dazed, Injured, Dying
boring he has joined his old friend Tennessee in October Jones is a reporter and adventurer,
search of adventure. afforded a great deal of freedom by her father’s
Relationships: immense wealth. Beautiful, intelligent and spoilt
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 it’s a good place to start. Each entry lists the kinds of things a Descriptor
might be an advantage or hindrance for, which makes it a handy reference for both players and Narrators.

Body Descriptors Mind Descriptors

Agile: helpful when dancing, leaping, doing Absent-Minded: good for being distracted,
gymnastics, crawling through tight spaces and but a problem when remembering where you left
balancing. the keys, or that you just pulled the pin from a hand
Ambidextrous: great when shooting two guns grenade.
at the same time, or doing slight-of-hand magic Book-Smart: great when doing exams, knowing
tricks. math formulas, remembering dates in history, and
Blonde: good for getting people to underestimate generally getting into Law at Harvard.
you, not good if you spend too much time in the sun. Computer-Wiz: good for programming, fixing
Fake Orange Tan: great for passing as an aging your laptop and getting into PC vs. Apple flame-wars.
celebrity, and for drawing attention to yourself. Dim-Witted: a problem when listening to
Furry: useful for resisting cold weather, and jokes, recognizing a trick, or generally keeping up
living in the woods. appearances in social settings.
Handsome: useful for flirting, selling stuff, Empathetic: good for reading peoples emotions,
getting roles on T.V., modelling, and being popular. doing psychological evaluations, and knowing how
Huge: good for looking menacing, reaching high to comfort distressed people.
places, acting like a body builder, or getting stuck in Focused: good for staying on task, not getting
small spaces. distracted, and looking serious.
Poor Constitution: a hindrance when long Lateral Thinker: handy for problem solving,
distance running, resisting damage, performing feats and approaching issues in new or unusual ways.
of 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 Observant: great for spotting hidden clues,
require speed of action. noticing details, doing find-a-words, and reading
Razor-sharp Claws: great for slicing up body language.
enemies, cutting vegetables and maybe climbing Orator: good for public speaking, debating and
trees. getting people to see your point of view.
Short: a pain for reaching the top shelf, but Slow: a pain when trying to understand plans, or
useful for crawling under low objects and getting lost learn new things.
in a crowd. Tactician: great for planning battles,
Strong: useful for lifting, carrying, smashing remembering military history and quoting Tsun Tsu.
and throwing things. Wrestling and avoiding being Uneducated: a pain when reading, doing math,
crushed might also be aided. remembering important dates in history and doing
Tall: good for reaching the top shelf, climbing, any school-type tests.
and seeing over other people’s heads. Wise: handy for sprouting proverbs, giving
Thin: handy for squeezing into places and clothes, advice, putting unrelated clues together, interpreting
hiding behind poles, and performing on the catwalk. people’s reactions, and saying ‘I told you so’.
Vigour: great for resisting poison, long distance Witty: good for making funny comments, being
running, and other feats of endurance. charming and / or entertaining, and always knowing
Weak: a pain when lifting, carrying, smashing the right thing to say.
and throwing stuff.
Webbed Feet: great for swimming, but terrible
when buying shoes.

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

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 THANKS!
Thank you for downloading, reading and / or playing FU: the freeform, universal roleplaying game.

I also want to send a huge “Thank you!” to everyone who has written to offer feedback, been involved
in the community, created “Fan Made FU” supplements or worked to translate the game and share it
with international communities. Your enthusiasm and encouragement have been hugely appreciated
over the last decade. I never imagined that I would still be writing about FU or talking to keen fans ten
years after I bashed it out as part of National Game Design Month. It blows my mind!
Those of you who have been following along know that this weird little game has been a continual
work in progress and I have been promising more. For those of you new (or returning) to FU, there
are a bunch of articles, clarifications and new ideas to be found at www.FreeformUniversal.com, and
a thriving community of fans on facebook (link below). There is a beta-version of a second edition
currently available and very soon I will be releasing a revised version of Freeform Universal, which
takes the rules in this document and updates them a little to improve clarity and speed of play. Below
are a bunch of links to get you hooked into the FU community and my other games and projects.
Once again, thank you so much for your continuing support and enthusiasm.

GET THE NEWSLETTER

Join the Peril Planet mailing list to stay up-to-date with
news about Freeform Universal and other games.
http://perilplanet.com/newsletter/

CHECK OUT THE 2ND ED BETA

Articles and updates on all my games - including the 2nd
edition beta - can be found at Peril Planet.
http://perilplanet.com

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Join like-minded folk, share cool ideas and discuss FU in
the Freeform Universal Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/freeformuniversal

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